13117: What To Do The Moment You Hit Record (Hint: Nothing)

Hey there, hero!

I’d like to help you break a habit I see some voice talent doing when recording auditions (and even work): immediately beginning their voice work, as if waiting was a sad waste of tape…or electrons?

This applies to on-camera work as well – no need to jump right in and start performing the instant you see your camera recording.

Take your time. Give yourself a break. Then, do great work from a position of ease and grace. In this episode, I’ll show you how.

Have you found yourself jumping into action just because you’ve hit the record button? Let me know in the comments below.

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  1. Another great podcast!

    I didn’t even realize I was doing this, as it was so deeply ingrained from my radio days mindset 😵‍💫. Even though I consciously know I’m not wasting media, it’s just a strong reflex – kinda like the racehorse at the starting gate.

    And thanks for your wisdom, expertise, and patience during workouts!😉

  2. Great info David. From my radio and commercial recording days I remember what you spoke about. I made the same mistake on Audacity for a while until I learned I can cut the dead space down to 1 second after recording. Always great info. I am learning a lot from you. Thank you.

  3. Yes! Echoing Mr. Copeland’s remarks, it IS a habit that I was not aware of, but I realize that hitting record creates a tiny bit of anxiety…”it’s GO time!”

    But additionally, I liked the ideas you presented for the opportunities that we have to “roll into” the performance, be it with a breath or an “anchor phrase” when doing an accent or particular character.

    THANK YOU for this reminder, David! I’ll silently salute you in my thoughts when I click my Record button later today. 🙂

  4. David, I thought you were sending that email only to me. Boy is this right on target!

    I’m bad at this—especially for pick-ups. I watch the tracking cursor as it travels its 3 second pre-roll and when the track turns red, I’m off and running. 90% of the time I flub again.

    Thanks for reminding me I can take the time to center on the script, find my place, take a breath and continue.

    1. It sounds like your using punch and roll, not just doing ad hoc recording. In that case, it’s actually imperative that you time your work with when the recording begins. It’s one of the advantage the Stairstep Method (which you appear not to be using…sniff…sniff) has.

  5. Replying to Podcast 13117 (What To Do the Moment You Hit Record) …Great reminder David… to BREATHE, do PRE-LIFE and THEN start speaking…thanks!!