The New Age Of Audiobook Production
Updated: Oct 4, 2023
Written by: Rem Alternis, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Business professionals are highly intelligent and creative people, with ideas that often extend far beyond business, spanning the genres of fiction, nonfiction, self-help, and so many more. While it is common to opt to publish these ideas in book form, modern society demands additional forms of dissemination to reach consumers caught between many mediums vying for their attention. In a fast-paced world where finding time to sit and crack open a book may be difficult, audiobooks offer an enjoyable, immersive experience for listeners to get lost in the world of imagination and knowledge. While audiobooks are nothing new, Rem Alternis, a multimedia company specializing in the production of audiobooks, is making small changes that are poised to make a huge difference.
Catalyst Game Labs, one of the many companies contracting with Rem Alternis contracts, has carefully cultivated vast, rich universes, rife with opportunities for storytelling. RA’s mission is to give these stories voices of their own.
RA’s process begins with the selection of one of their talented, passionate Voice Artists. Because of their supportive, invested community of creatives and enthusiasts, Rem has a large pool to draw from, including celebrities and renowned names in gaming and streaming. Networking with social media apps like Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and collaborative casting sites like VoiceOver Dojo, allows Rem Alternis to continuously grow and improve its pool of talent. To accommodate VAs and their busy schedules, RA encourages artists to let RA know when THEY are ready for a role, versus a traditional casting call, and audition process. With the Voice Artist in mind, RA peruses Catalyst’s vast library of compelling, engaging stories, to find the one that fits the Artist’s unique style, place in life, and ethical or moral ideologies. This concept is important, because Rem Alternis, as a progressive, Woman-Owned company, strives to effectively represent its diverse community, so an Artist has to embody the voice and tone of the book and thoroughly pay respects to the culture featured in the story. Our artists are not only talented, but caring, multifaceted personalities, fully embodying and celebrating the cultures and heritages of their ancestors and the experiences of their LGBTQ+ Communities.
Upon engaging the Voice Artist, RA goes above and beyond to streamline and secure the process, keeping our talent focused on what really matters–their authentic voice work. RA secures the integrity of both the Artist, themselves, and their intellectual property, through the signage and filing of two NDAs and a contract. This level of security gives the Artist all the resources necessary to read and freely research before recording a single word. To provide all the support possible, resources for each book also include instructions on how to complete legal forms, a pronunciation guide, and a complete outline of what the recording process will look like for the Artist. Additionally, both Voice Artists in each story gets as much time as they need to explore, flesh out, and embody the voices of the book, be they Primary Narrator or Secondary Narrator.
Yes, you read that right: TWO Artists.
Rem prides itself on elevating audiobook narration by employing multiple narrators with the Protagonist, or main narrator, representing the primary perspective of the book and a second narrator selected to read the dialogue and perspective of the alternate gender identity. Additional actors are brought on board to further populate the author’s rich imagined world and provide authentic voices to culturally significant roles. This level of care and attention to detail is necessary when crafting stories consisting of multiple backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures.
Speaking of that respect for culture and heritage, in the background, Proofers and Sensitivity Readers have completed their imperative contributions to the work by this point in the process, adding another layer of authenticity to the voices of our Talents. Proofers ensure stories are factually accurate, grammatically correct, and precise. Sounds pretty standard right? You're probably wondering what makes Rem different from other audiobook producers. That's where our Sensitivity Readers come in.
Sensitivity Readers are special consultants that ensure stories are ethically conscious and responsibly represent marginalized and neglected communities.
No story passes Rem Alternis Productions muster before it is deemed fair, diverse, representational, and celebratory, or, at the very least, honest. RA believes the cultures they have the honor of representing necessitate meticulous consideration and respectful portrayals of the history of those cultures.
In the foreground, once the involved Artists indicate the desire to begin, Rem Alternis schedules separate meetings with each performer to
discuss story-specific lore, character choices, and pronunciations.
Because Rem Alternis expertly polishes audiobooks for all types of projects, from non-fiction, self-help, history, reference, and cooking, to fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction, the process is customized to adapt to more creative genres. In Catalyst’s case, the RetroFuturistic vibe unique to Catalyst’s Shadowrun universe requires RA’s Artists to learn world-specific lingo, as well as employ accents, both real and created in-house as needed, to form deliciously diverse settings.
Once the foundation has been laid, the company steps back and allows the Artists to take the helm, imagining and transforming these characters into aspects of themselves. This level of artistic freedom enables the Artist to authentically experiment with voices and character choices as they chart the course of the narrative. After cultivating the voices of the characters within themselves, and bringing them to life, they choose a chapter or two from the book that exemplifies their feelings for the project and record it as a sample. This is then sent to RA to review and feedback is sent back to the Artist, reinforcing the creative rapport between the company and the performer.
After RA’s feedback is addressed, the Artist is ready to record the rest of the book!
Throughout the recording process, the company provides the Artist with the support they need, whether it be 1:1 feedback sessions or Discord brainstorming calls. Artists operate on their own schedule and RA will check in periodically for updates on overall progress. Artists are instructed to save recordings of their chapters to a shared file location– an easy way to keep projects organized and accessible. Rem Alternis producers regularly review these files as they accumulate, contacting Artists with suggestions and feedback to improve their performances or audio quality.
Once the entire book is recorded by both Voice Artists, revisions are made, and all final audio files are submitted. Next, the files are given a thorough review by their respective producers, and sent off to RA’s expert Audio Engineers!
Rem Alternis Audio Engineers peruse the work of Voice Artists to perfect the VA’s engaging story audio, turning the rough pile of audio puzzle pieces into a perfectly-timed, luscious tapestry of rich storytelling.
Engineers will edit out any -very human- pauses, breathing, “umms,” retakes, weird background noises, you name it, to provide the most seamless listening experience.
To create an even more immersive, suspenseful atmosphere, R.A. Audio Engineers can add subtle, but meaningful sound effects, like the soft grunt of a hit to the body, or the light crack of thunder in the distance. For more complex projects, such as audiodramas, engineers can also add effects, like a droning hum under an automated computer voice, a reverb effect to simulate talking in a large room, or distortion, to transform a character into a supernatural being.
All of these independent parts, Artists, Proofers, Audio Engineers, Sensitivity Readers, and Producers, coalesce, in a suspensefully organic way, to form a cohesive, polished, immersive, entertainment experience. The final audiobook is so seamless, you'd never know all the intricacies involved, and that's the magic of Rem Alternis’s process! Whether you’re working on your own Audiobook project, know a company that could benefit from their services, or are curious to join the process, reach out to Rem Alternis by emailing them here.
Rem Alternis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Rem Alternis is a business-owner, actress, and Crowdfunding consultant focused on the sci-fi, fantasy, and gaming industry. With a background in process efficiencies and operations, she fell in love with the gaming industry and uses her experience to assist start-ups, publishers and creators in achieving their goals. She is the CEO of Rem Alternis Productions, Inc., which provides livestreaming, crowdfunding support, audiobook publication, and marketing services.
