So, I heard that John Sterling call for a Juan Soto home run the other day. You know the one. “It is high, it is far, it is gone!” Classic Sterling. Always gets me thinking.
It actually took me back to a time I tried something, let’s say, adjacent to that world. Not baseball announcing, nothing that cool. It was way smaller scale, just trying to add some voiceover to a family video compilation I was putting together. Thought it would add a nice touch, you know? Make it more personal, maybe even a little dramatic or funny.
My Big Idea
I figured, how hard could it be? Just talk over the clips. I grabbed my phone, found a quiet room – or what passes for quiet in my house – and hit record on the voice memo app. I had the video playing on my laptop nearby.
My plan was simple:
- Watch a short clip.
- Pause it.
- Record a little narration or a comment about it.
- Repeat.
The Reality Check
Man, was that a reality check. First off, hearing your own voice recorded is just… weird. Always is. Sounded totally different than in my head. Then, trying to sound natural? Forget about it. I was stiff, awkward. I’d either sound totally monotone or like I was trying way too hard to be enthusiastic, like some bad game show host.
I tried writing down a few lines first. That helped a bit with what to say, but it made the delivery even more wooden. Sounded like I was reading a shopping list. Then I tried just winging it, going purely spontaneous. That led to a lot of “uhms” and “ahs” and just plain rambling. I must have done like, 15 takes for a single 10-second clip.
Getting the timing right with the video was another nightmare. I’d talk too long, or not long enough. The background noise I thought I’d escaped? My phone picked up everything. The dog barking down the street, the fridge humming. It was a mess.
What I Learned
After maybe an hour of this struggle, I basically gave up on the grand narration idea. I ended up just putting some music over the video instead. Way easier.
But the whole thing gave me a massive appreciation for guys like John Sterling. What they do, making it sound so effortless and capturing the excitement of a moment, it takes incredible skill. It’s not just having a good voice; it’s timing, emotion, knowing the game, knowing the audience. It’s a real craft.
So yeah, hearing that Soto call again didn’t just make me think of baseball. It made me remember my little failed voiceover project and nod my head to the pros. They make it look easy, but trust me, it ain’t.
