A voice that is a character

0:09 A character's voice is part of who they are. Design it from words, never from a real person, and cast it once, so every line sounds like the same character. In this video: a voice designed from words, cast on its card, and a line directed take by take.

0:27 The lighthouse in Every Nine Seconds: we hear him long before we ever see him. We designed his voice at ElevenLabs, from a description: an old keeper, low, dry, unhurried, reading his logbook, never theatrical. No real person's voice: designed, never cloned. It made three previews.

1:06 We kept one, and saved it to the account. In Kiju, a voice is cast on the character's card, like a look: the lighthouse's card names his. When you make his lines, you choose it from the Cast.

1:21 In the Lab, each of his lines is its own take. Search the prompts for his words, and show it: short flat sentences, written for him. Its details show the voice, the model, and the cost: under a cent a line.

1:37 Now, yours. Snail Express's bible says the narrator talks, and Shelby never does. So the narrator needs a voice. At ElevenLabs, open Voice Design and describe him: a man in his fifties, warm and gentle, like a favourite uncle telling a bedtime story; cheerful, never theatrical. Give him a few lines of your show to read. Listen to the previews, and save the one you choose to your account.

2:21 Back in Kiju's Cast, choose New character: the Narrator, who tells the story. Not a real person. Add him to the cast, then choose his voice: Kiju lists the voices of the ElevenLabs account you connected, in Connections.

2:39 Then shot 2.1, in the Lab: a Voice take. Open the voice menu, and choose The Narrator under Cast. Write his line, and direct it with tags in brackets: warm, a pause. The price is on the button, in cents: this line costs about a cent and a half. Generate.

3:02 One line per take: to try another reading, change the direction, not the words. Softly, a whisper for the ticks, warm again at the end, and one word in capitals for stress. Generate again.

3:46 The first is warm and steady: a storybook. The second whispers the ticks, then jumps back to full voice: too secretive for a cheerful show. Star the first, and discard the second: it's set aside, with its cost. Don't Keep a voice take for 2.1: Keep picks the shot's one take, its picture. A starred line waits for your edit.

4:11 Pause here, and make yours: a voice from a description, cast on the card, one line per take, directed with tags. Next time: notes on the time, in the cutting room.