How Do You Say That?!

In ep 172 of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, Jane Wing joins Sam and Mark to talk about adding movement into a dramatic heist and how you can immediately place the listener within the action of a scene. We examine the difficulty of playing dry humour in a commercial script, and how flat is flat when you're trying to point the laughs in a conversational Northern accent? We talk vocal health with Kazoos, Kettles and Wedding songs plus the wildcard section has a real sting in the tail!

Our VO question this week is all about the similarities between teaching kids and voice acting.

Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to [email protected]
Script 1
Breaker. I’m in.
Heading down to the eighty-fourth floor now.
I’m almost to the server room. I need that key card, Tech. Sooner is better than later.
I need that card, people. Tick, tock.
Got it. Downloading.
Go ahead and get into position. I’ll be heading out in a couple of minutes. Tech, you got eyes on security?
Just be ready to move.

Script 2
Most products now come with… options.
Lots of options.
Settings you’ll never use.
Features you didn’t know you had.
And instructions you won’t read.
Because, in reality,
people don’t want more to think about.
They want something that works.
So we kept things simple.
No extras.
No noise.
Just something that does its job properly.
And leaves you to get on with yours.
Which, statistically,
is exactly what you were going to do anyway.

We'd love your feedback - and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, hit the follow button today!
**Listen to all of our podcasts here - you can also watch on YouTube, or say to your smart speaker "Play How Do You Say That?!"
About our guest:
Jane Wing has been surrounded by performers for as long as she can remember. She first took to the stage at the age of seven and recorded her first professional voiceover at eighteen, lending her native Liverpudlian accent to the Mersey Ferries. After completing an honours degree in Theatre Arts, she spent several years in teaching, radio, and television. Teaching strengthened her clarity, sight reading, and audience engagement, while broadcasting gave her a strong technical grounding in audio production. Today, she lives in the North West, close to the sea, and continues to invest in training, coaching, and studio equipment to ensure her work stays current, polished, and professionally competitive.
Jane's Website
Jane's Facebook page
@jane_wing_voiceover on Instagram

Resources: Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!

About your hosts:
With over 40 years representing major international clients such as Google, Emirates and HSBC; Mark Ryes has been trusted to be the voice for some of the world’s biggest brands. If your business needs a fresh voice to represent you, then make it Mark's British voice. As a voiceover, TV presenter, podcaster or product demonstrator - Mark makes your brand truly sparkle!
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Elegantly British with an intelligent, warm and seductive voice, Samantha Boffin helps creatives and production companies create great audio that really connects with their audience. BBC-trained and with over 20 years of broadcast experience on both sides of the mic, she's created award-winning promos, narration and commercials for companies all around the globe, including the BBC, Sky, Games Workshop, John Lewis, Audible and Penguin Random House.
Samantha's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin

Short trailer for Episode 172 of "How Do You Say That" sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk featuring Mark Ryes, Samantha Boffin and Jane Wing.
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin

In ep 171 of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, Beau Thomas joins Sam and Mark to talk about accents... how not to do them, how to perfect the subtlety of an accent, and how an accent can match your own speech cadence. We look at how to create a theatrical performance for the mic - when it's asked for, we bring a touch of camp to underscore a performance, and we look at how to deal with a script that has very definitive direction. You'll learn how to create the perfect accent without panicking, why listenig is crucial, and why less is more when you need to pull an accent out of the bag.
Our question is all about accents as well! Is mastering an accent about natural ability, or just pure hard work?

Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to [email protected]

Script 1
OK, in you come, don’t be shy—mind the step, love. This is Stage One.
SFX: Lights flick on—low electrical hum.
Ahhh, there we are. This was built in 1934. Proper golden-age glamour. Bit dusty now, but honestly—aren’t we all?
This is where they made “At the Villa Rose” and “Rookery Nook”. See that mark on the floor? Stand there, it’s the centre mark. Now, imagine the lights, the cameras… the heat… gorgeous.
Right, follow me—stick close. If you wander off, you’ll end up in a prop cupboard married to a mannequin. It’s happened.

Script 2
Time… it is the Essence of Mastery
Through every thoughtful approach
A lesson is instilled
In every move (pause) a calculated risk
Progress isn’t given (slight pause)
It’s earned
Through patience
Through precision
Through time
That, is how you become a master, of time.

We'd love your feedback - and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, hit the follow button today!
**Listen to all of our podcasts here - you can also watch on YouTube, or say to your smart speaker "Play How Do You Say That?!"
About our guest:
Beau Thomas has been doing VO since 2019. He's booked roles in video games including Killer Inn and Path of Exile 2), as well as corporate videos, commercials and his workhorse: audiobooks!
What makes Beau stand out as a VO is his accent work - he'll basically have a go at any accent with enough prep time. He prides himself on being able to access relatability and genuine connection to text in any accent - rather than just engaging in stereotype!
Beau was listed by 50Pros as a top 50 Independent Voice Talent but the work he’s proudest of is a collaboration with National Star and West Midlands Ambulance to help give a man with cerebral palsy a voice that captured his Birmingham accent in time for his wedding day.
Beau's Website
@BeauThomasVO on Instagram

Resources: Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!
Details about Accentify - https://www.accentify.co.uk/

About your hosts:
With over 40 years representing major international clients such as Google, Emirates and HSBC; Mark Ryes has been trusted to be the voice for some of the world’s biggest brands. If your business needs a fresh voice to represent you, then make it Mark's British voice. As a voiceover, TV presenter, podcaster or product demonstrator - Mark makes your brand truly sparkle!
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Elegantly British with an intelligent, warm and seductive voice, Samantha Boffin helps creatives and production companies create great audio that really connects with their audience. BBC-trained and with over 20 years of broadcast experience on both sides of the mic, she's created award-winning promos, narration and commercials for companies all around the globe, including the BBC, Sky, Games Workshop, John Lewis, Audible and Penguin Random House.
Samantha's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin

Short trailer for Episode 171 of "How Do You Say That" sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk featuring Mark Ryes, Samantha Boffin and accent coach Beau Thomas.
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin

In ep 170 of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, John Kennard joins Sam and Mark to talk about how numbers can punctuate a script, and whether you see numbers in a script or have to write them longhand so you don't trip over them. We discuss conversational versus informational and try to bring a touch of David Attenborough without doing an impression. We also note the character versus speed ratio and work out how a character can sometimes slow the read and sometimes speed it up!
There are height issues, Easter egg woes and an amusing story about a Seventies Musical Legend! Our wildcards include a James Herriot style fifties Yorkshire farmer, a man stuck in a malfunctioning lift with his nephew, and a balshy sergeant major!

Our VO question this week is all about coming to voiceover in your fifties - just where do you start, and what resources are useful to look at?
Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to [email protected]
Script 1
And more than 1,700 farms on the outskirts of British towns and cities have disappeared since 2010. This loss totals 56,000 hectares of farmland, similar in size to Leeds, impacting food security and environmental sustainability.
Although the areas studied in the report represent just 11.3% of UK agricultural land, this land produces a large proportion of staple foods including over 20% of our wheat, oats and barley yield, 14% of potatoes and 13.3% of the UK's milk production.

Script 2
Ever an adaptive species, the Prairie humans instinctively seek shelter in cold spells. But when movie streaming runs dry, the biological urge for playtime kicks in.
Fortunately, West Wallington Mall offers an indoor oasis and endless enjoyment of shopping, splashing, and loop de loops.
The result is fewer sibling fights, and the avoidance of a condition known as cabin fever.
West Wallington Mall. Go Play Inside.

We'd love your feedback - and if you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, hit the follow button today!
**Listen to all of our podcasts here - you can also watch on YouTube, or say to your smart speaker "Play How Do You Say That?!"
About our guest:
John is a British voice actor based in West London. After years working in theatre tech and a long career in IT, his mid-life crisis manifested as a desire to step up to a microphone and record his voice for fun, but was pleased to find that before long people were willing to pay him for doing so. Now in his 4th year, he’s built a reputation as a versatile voice actor & narrator. He has recently appeared in 1930s Hollywood audio drama “The High Note”, the veteran-led supernatural whodunnit “Happy Medium” and Audio Mystery Theatre's "Death Among the Olives", as well as various other UK and US productions. He’s played both major and minor roles in Indie & AAA games including Nioh-3, Farming Simulator and the Bureau of Fantastical and Arcane Affairs. His voice has been described as being warm, educated and trustworthy with a side of cheeky humour. He’s neurospicy, a father, a Lego addict and a compulsive tinkerer.
John's Website
@johnkennardva on Instagram
John's Facebook page
John on YouTube

Resources: Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!

About your hosts:
With over 40 years representing major international clients such as Google, Emirates and HSBC; Mark Ryes has been trusted to be the voice for some of the world’s biggest brands. If your business needs a fresh voice to represent you, then make it Mark's British voice. As a voiceover, TV presenter, podcaster or product demonstrator - Mark makes your brand truly sparkle!
Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark
Elegantly British with an intelligent, warm and seductive voice, Samantha Boffin helps creatives and production companies create great audio that really connects with their audience. BBC-trained and with over 20 years of broadcast experience on both sides of the mic, she's created award-winning promos, narration and commercials for companies all around the globe, including the BBC, Sky, Games Workshop, John Lewis, Audible and Penguin Random House.
Samantha's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin