WHO AM I?
My name is Estelle Hubert. Those who know me would say I am a creative, generous, crazy, resilient, passionate woman. I consider myself a sensitive woman and a craftsman of the voice.
My role?
To virtually and expertly accompany my international clients in the creation of French vocal content. YES! I am an French online voice-over artist.
BUT, WHAT IS AN ONLINE VOICE-OVER?
An online voice-over is a person who is equipped with a personal recording studio. They record their voice for various media. To be professional in this field, a good dose of know-how, and above all, savoir-être is required.
Being an online voice-over is being much more than a voice.
It's being freelance, experiencing an emotional rollercoaster, alone in front of the microphone, touching the hearts of millions of people every day.
Being an online voice-over is about BEING:
- Actor: To narrate, move, connect, reinvent oneself, train, and feed off this extraordinary profession. In self-direction or remote directed sessions, to meet a multitude of needs: commercials, documentaries, corporate films, e-learning, animated videos, explainers, radio imaging, podcasts, video games… The list goes on.
- Craftsman of words: to understand the message to be conveyed, captivate the audience, serve the text, seduce the ears and hearts of listeners with emotion and authenticity,
- Salesperson: to win new partners, retain them, place one's work at the height of client expectations, be a source of proposals and solutions. Manage one's CRM, follow up on quotes,
- Secretary: to organize and manage administrative paperwork,
- Accountant: to manage finances, keep track of the balance sheet and comply with fiscal obligations,
- Audio technician: sound engineer, responsible for capturing, mixing, and producing audio, ensuring clarity, quality, and fidelity of sound for media,
- Artistic director: to grasp the subtlety of the message and the subtext. The creative guide who interprets and translates a project's vision into vocal directives, self-supervising to ensure the desired emotional and narrative impact,
- Acoustician: to master the codes of sound absorption and acoustics, control one's sound environment,
- Community manager: to develop one's online presence, promote one's talent and services, and build a strong brand image on social networks,
- Webmaster: to create, maintain, and update one's website, ensure its functioning, accessibility, and attractiveness,
- Banker: to finance one's training, equipment, and communication, essential for development.
Welcom in my French voice over world
From my recent international awards to the first echoes of my passion: enjoy the read.
It's early 2024, and her name is on everyone's lips. Could my main rival be AI? Not a chance!
Synthetic voices are on the rise. This artificial intelligence that generates voices is increasingly used in various applications, from narrating audiobooks to creating voices for video game characters. In this regard, SAG-AFTRA, the primary union for American actors and voice actors, has entered into an agreement with a tech firm to regulate the use of artificial intelligence in video game dubbing.
For many, it's intimidating. Yes, it's a formidable competitor that shouldn't be underestimated. It evolves rapidly, infiltrating dubbing and educational content. As for me, I welcome it, just as I welcomed the transition from vinyl to MP3 or from REVOX to ProTools.
The more synthetic voices improve, the more I become free, surprising, intuitive, imperfect, human, sensitive, authentic, and a source of ideas. REAL.
I keep an eye on the latest vocal trends. I continue to enjoy my work, to train and improve my skills to offer the best possible service.
Voice created with AI has its advantages, including speed and the ability to generate voices in many languages and accents. But it doesn't replace the emotion, subtle nuance, and authenticity of the human voice. The grain and inflections that can give you the thrill, and the emotions that can be conveyed, are elements that artificial intelligence cannot replicate. At least not yet. So, I continue to charge ahead, head held high, and I approach 2024 with confidence. ALIVE AND AWARE.
50 years old, Yes, I know, you wouldn't think so from listening to me.
I'm a young, fresh, mischievous voice :-). Or not! Have you listened to my "old hag" voice?
A major update of my website, featuring over 100 demos categorized by genre and voice intention. A monumental task. A showcase that I'm proud of! What a journey it has been.
Being an online voice-over artist isn't something that happens overnight; it's something that's built. It takes time!
Live meeting with Stéphanie Matard, an American voice over actress. She has a professional recording studio, not just a home studio, and an industry-standard sound booth: a Studiobricks.
I love it when she speaks French with her American accent. Steph and I are the perfect match. We share the same positive energy. Like me, she's resilient, generous, determined, and human.
Both of us love it when life sparkles. We not only enjoy the artistic side of our profession but also the business aspect. How can we best serve our clients? How can we provide ideas and solutions? How can we add value to their projects? We love making progress, challenging ourselves, staying updated with the latest industry trends, and taking pleasure in our work. Regularly, we have virtual brainstorming sessions. Because when we meet "live," it's more about champagne and glitter, bursts of laughter, spa and massages, dance floors, and wild parties. Love you, My Voice Over Sister.
I met Stéphanie in London at the One Voice Awards. She was also nominated in the category "Best international voice-over performance." At our table during the event, there were only winners! Including my friend, English voice-over artist: THE VOICE OVER OF THE YEAR 2022 - female: Justine Harris. And not far from us, "The voice like Chocolate" Stéphane Cornicard, elected The Male Voice Over of the Year 2022.
That evening, I had the pleasure of taking the stage to receive my 3rd award for Best Female Voice-Over Performance of the Year.
The One Voice Awards also offer four days of training with the industry's top voices and experts from around the world. What a pleasure it was to attend the voice-over branding training with my long-time colleague, British voice-over artist, Ian Russell, THE British voice. His advice: Be CREATIVE.
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