6
Developing Your Unique Style

In This Chapter

You’ll find more techniques for developing style at AOVA.VoiceActing.com.

What's in Your Tool Kit?

Think of style as your unique approach to interpretation and delivery, and think of technique as the tools of your trade. Your individual style is something that will develop as you begin to understand and master the myriad performing techniques, or tools, for working as a voice actor. There are some tools that you will use on a daily basis, and there are some tools that will stay at the bottom of your tool kit for a long time, and there are always new and improved tools coming along that can make your life and work easier, and further define your style.

A voiceover technique is really nothing more than a skill you develop or a process that you use that allows you to become a better performer. Sure, you can do voiceover without mastering any skills, or you may already have an innate ability with many of them. However, having an understanding of basic acting and voiceover techniques gives you the knowledge necessary to record competitive auditions quickly and work efficiently under the pressure of a deadline—and to make your performance more real and believable.

As a voice actor, your job is to give life to the words in a script. The writer had a sound in mind when writing the script and you must find that sound by making the words compelling, interesting, real and believable. This is achieved through your performing technique. It is the foundation for your performance. It is the structure on which your character, attitude, and delivery are built. Technique must be completely unconscious. The moment you begin thinking about it, the illusion is broken and the moment is lost.

As you study and learn the techniques in this book, you will find yourself at first thinking a lot about what you are doing. Be careful not to get too analytical as you work with these concepts. Avoid the tendency to over-think the process. Just know that these techniques work. They are much like a frog… you can dissect the thing, but it will die in the process. As you gain experience and become more comfortable, your technique will become automatic, and you will be able to adapt quickly to changes without having to think. Once you’ve mastered the process, it becomes automatic.

Style

It is interesting to note that using the voice is the only art form in which an individual style may be developed out of an inability to do something. It may be an inability to form certain sounds, or it may be a cultural affectation (an accent or dialect) that results in a quality uniquely your own.

Your natural speaking style is a reflection of how you perceive yourself, and it may change from moment to moment as you move from one situation to another. When you are confident of what you are doing, you might speak with determination and solidarity. But when your insecurities take over, your voice might become weak, breathy, and filled with emotion.

One person may be able to create an image of strength and power and authority by emphasizing lower vocal frequencies. Someone else may not be able to reach those low tones, and his or her style might be based on a somewhat warped sense of humor or sarcasm expressed through attitude as he or she speaks. Each of us has developed a unique vocal style for speaking in our everyday lives and, for most, it is possible to build upon this natural style to create a “sound” or performing style that can be a marketable commodity.

Your style as a voice actor comes first from knowing who you are, and then expands on that by adding what you know about human nature, personality, character development, and acting. Developing your vocal style is an ongoing process. You start with your voice as it is now, and as you master new acting and performing skills your style will begin to develop. Your vocal range will expand, as will your ability to express attitude, emotion, subtlety, and nuance in your delivery.

You may believe that you have certain limitations with your vocal range, perhaps due to the way your vocal instrument is constructed, and that these limitations may prevent you from developing a marketable style. The truth is that there are many very successful voice artists who have taken what might be viewed as a vocal limitation, and developed it into a highly successful performance style. With training, perceived “limitations” like a high-pitched or “small” voice, a breathy voice, a gravely voice, or a “big” boomy voice can often be polished and honed into a style that is uniquely yours. The challenge is to first discover your potential, and second, have the dedication and persistence to discover where that potential may lead. The style you ultimately discover may be that of a single “signature voice” or a style that covers a broad range of characterizations and attitudes.

Your Signature Voice

As you master voiceover performing techniques you will begin to discover that you fit into one of two basic categories as a voice talent: 1) You may find that you can easily create a wide variety of vocal placements and character voices, or 2) your vocal instrument is limited in range and you are learning how to create a variety of delivery styles that fall within the predominant sound of your natural speaking voice. In either case, you will ultimately discover a fundamental sound or style that you are most comfortable with when performing different types of copy. This style is often referred to as your signature voice. It’s the “voice” that gets you booked and it may be different for different genres of voiceover work.

Your signature voice is your marketing base. When a talent buyer books you based on your demo or an audition, they believe you will be able to deliver what they need to make their project work. What the talent buyer hears may or may not be what you consider to be your signature voice—or even what you think you do best. You may be booked based on your signature voice or from a variation presented in an audition, but during a session you may be asked to take your performance in an entirely different direction. That new direction may be radically different from what got you the job, and it may even take you into unfamiliar territory.

It is unwise and unprofessional to think that you are being hired only for the one “style” you think you do best. As a professional voice actor, it is expected that you have the talent and ability to make adjustments with your performance and delivery style. What you think you do best—no matter what that may be—means very little to a producer. Learn how to get past your ego! You must be able to adapt your delivery style, interpretation, attitude, emotional subtext, vocal placement, dynamics, and characterization to what your client needs. This does not mean that you need to be able to do wacky character voices, or take your performance to something that is beyond your abilities. But it does mean that you need to develop the skills to perform with a variety of attitudes and dynamics. And you need to do this without your ego getting in the way.

The techniques in this chapter will help you develop range and variety, which will ultimately help you to develop your unique style. As useful as these techniques may be, they will only be effective when combined with some basic acting skills.

The Road to Proficiency

Acquiring a skill, and becoming good at that skill, is called competency. Becoming an expert with the skill is called proficiency. You must first be competent before you can become proficient. Sorry, that’s just how it works.

Becoming Competent

Your degree of competency with any skill falls into four distinct levels. Each person works through these levels at his or her own pace and with varying degrees of success.

• LEVEL #1: Unconscious incompetence: You are not even aware that you don’t know how to do something. You have absolutely no skill for the task at hand.
• LEVEL #2: Conscious incompetence: You become aware that there is something you don’t know or understand, and you begin to take steps to learn what you need to know.
• LEVEL #3: Conscious competence: You have the basic skills necessary to accomplish a task. However, you must consciously think about each step of the process.
• LEVEL #4: Unconscious competence: You have mastered the skills necessary to accomplish a task without thinking about what you are doing. At this stage, you may or may not yet be proficient.

Three Stages to Achieving Proficiency

There are three stages to acquiring a proficient level of skill to become an expert. These must be worked through regardless of the skill that is being learned. Playing the piano, building a table, or performing in a recording studio all require the same three stages of learning and perfecting the skills needed to achieve the end result. There is no standard for achieving proficiency. Each individual will evolve through these stages at their own pace.

• STAGE #1: Understand the underlying mechanics: Every skill requires an understanding of certain basic mechanical techniques that must be learned before any level of expertise is possible. In the craft of voice acting, some of these mechanics include: breath control, pacing, timing, rhythm, inflection, acting, and effective use of the microphone, computer and recording software. To be proficient as a voice actor, the mechanics of performing must become automatic.
• STAGE #2: Understand the theory and principles that are the foundation for using the skill effectively: In voice acting, these principles include script analysis, interpretation, character development, audience psychology, and marketing. To be proficient, these fundamental skill sets must be honed and polished to the point of becoming second nature.
• STAGE #3: Apply the knowledge learned in the first two stages and continually improve on the level of skill being achieved (practice and rehearsal): For the voice actor, this means constantly studying acting techniques, taking classes and workshops, studying performances by other voice actors (listening to commercials, etc.), following the trends of the business, and working with what you learn to find the techniques that work best for you.

The question often asked is “Do I really need to be at a high level of proficiency to work as a voice actor?” The short answer is “no.” You can audition and even get work with only a basic understanding of the craft, working at the level of unconscious competence. However, it is only when you reach a high level of proficiency in both the craft and business of voiceover that you will begin to consistently book the higher paying sessions and national jobs.

Three Steps to Creating an Effective Performance

In all areas of performing, there are three steps to creating an effective performance; the end result of any task can be considered a performance. For example, when building a table, you are performing a series of tasks required to result in a finished table. Your degree of proficiency, or expertise, at performing the various tasks will determine how sturdy your table is and what it looks like when you are finished.

The following three basic steps to performing any task are necessary in the business of voice acting as well:

1. Practice—learning the skills and techniques
2. Rehearsal—perfecting and improving techniques and skills
3. Performance—the end result of learning and perfecting

The steps must be done in that order. You, no doubt, have heard the phrase “practice makes perfect.” Well, guess what! It’s a misnomer. Even perfect practice may not make perfect, because it is possible to practice mistakes without realizing it—only to discover too late that the end result is ineffective—and you may not understand why.

A voiceover performance will rarely be “perfect.” So what we need to do is to practice with a mind-set of knowing that there may be dozens of ways to apply a certain technique or deliver a line of copy. Our mastery of a technique will be achieved through testing and experimentation as we discover how it works when combined with other techniques. This is one of the reasons why continued training from qualified professionals is so important.

Practice

Practice is the process of learning what is needed to achieve the desired result—acquiring the skills and applying the underlying mechanics and techniques to achieve proficiency. In voiceover work, the practice phase begins with the initial read-through; having any questions answered by the producer; doing a character analysis; doing a script analysis; working on timing, pacing, and delivery; locking in the correct pronunciation of complicated words; and possibly even recording a few takes to determine how the performance is developing. This phase of practice is an essential step to discover problems in the copy or interpretation and correct them as quickly as possible. If problems are not corrected, they will need to be addressed later during the rehearsal phase.

In the real world of voiceover, there are two aspects to this practice phase. The first is when you are practicing on your own or with a coach to learn basic skills and techniques, and the second is the initial practice read-through at a session as you develop your interpretation. Personal practice should be a lifelong quest to learn new skills and techniques. The practice phase at a recording session generally lasts only a few minutes.

Rehearsal and Performance

Rehearsal begins once all the details of the performance are worked out. The choices for character, attitude, voice placement, vocal texture, delivery, and timing are set and committed to during practice. The process of perfecting the performance progresses through a series of takes as choices are tested and modified. Each take is subject to refinement by direction from the producer, director, or engineer. Every rehearsal, or recorded take, has the potential of being used as the final performance, either in whole or in part.

Once an aspect of the performance is set, it should be rehearsed in the same manner, as much as possible, until adjusted or modified by the director. Lock the tone of the delivery in your mind so that you can duplicate it, without much variation, as you polish the rest of the copy.

Eventually, every line of copy will be set to the liking of the director. In some cases, the voice actor may be asked to work line-by-line, getting just the right timing and delivery on one line before moving on to the next line. Later, the engineer will assemble each line’s best take to create the final track. This process is considerably different from acting for stage or film.

Theatrical and film actors practice their lines as they work on blocking and staging. The director gives them some instruction, but for the most part, actors are in the practice phase as long as they are working with a script. By the time they are ready to put down their scripts, they have internalized their lines—and rehearsal begins.

As they rehearse, the director makes adjustments and polishes the performance, most often in terms of blocking and staging with little focus on performance. Finally, there is a dress rehearsal where all the ingredients of the show—music, scenery, props, lighting, special effects, actors, and so on—are brought together. In theater, the dress rehearsal is normally the final rehearsal before opening night and is usually considered to be the first complete performance. Some theatrical directors even consider the entire run of a show as a series of rehearsals with an audience present.

As voice talent, we’re fortunate if we receive the script a day or so prior to recording. The time we have for practice and rehearsal is often very limited. Because all three elements may occur simultaneously, it is essential that our use of technique be instinctive.

Never assume you have perfected a technique. There will always be something new, more, or different that you can learn to expand your knowledge. There will always be new techniques for you to try and use. There will always be a different way you can approach a character or piece of copy. There will always be new trends in performance style that require learning new techniques. To be an effective and versatile voice actor, you need to be aware of the trends and be willing to learn new techniques.

The Elements of a Voice Acting Performance

It is through the mastery and application of specific skills and techniques that a performer’s unique style and business acumen is developed over time. And, as with any profession, the use of only a few, highly refined, skills and techniques may be the foundation of a performer’s voiceover style.

In today’s world of voiceover, there are only two paths to success: either be highly proficient in one or more specific niches or be competent with certain skill sets and identify a specific niche for which those skills are a marketable commodity. Whichever path you choose, mastering technique is the name of the game. This is one of the reasons why I recommend continued training and development of both performing and business skills. The remainder of this chapter will cover a wide variety of skills and techniques that apply directly to voiceover.

Less is More

When understood and applied, this simple concept is one of the most powerful things you can do to create believability in your performing, and it works well in just about every aspect of the business from marketing to production.

Just because you love what you do does not necessarily mean you are good at what you do. In voice acting, accuracy with reading a script or pronunciation does not necessarily create the highest level of believability. You will find that you can often create a greater level of truth and honesty in a character by simply holding back a little (or a lot). Some professionals refer to this as “letting go of your voice,” “making it real,” or “being conversational.” It may be that speaking a bit slower, a bit softer, altering the phrasing, or being somewhat more relaxed might be just the thing to make that emotional connection with the listener. If your character has a specific regional sound or accent to his or her voice, you may find that softening the edge makes your performance more effective.

Less is more is a technique often used by filmmakers to create tension and suspense or as a form of misdirection to set the audience up for a surprise. For example, in the Steven Spielberg film “Jurassic Park,” the initial appearance of the T. Rex was not accompanied by a huge roar. Instead, the tension of the moment was created by ripples in a simple cup of water, implying the approach of something huge and menacing.

The same technique of minimalizing in your voiceover performance can create a moment of dramatic tension, or wild laughter. It often has to do with the character’s attitude, the twist of a word, the phrasing of a sentence, the pace of the delivery, or simply a carefully placed pause.

When performing in a conversational style, this technique is often best applied simply by reducing the volume or loudness of your voice to roughly one-half of your normal delivery. This half-voice delivery creates a greater intimacy with the listener which can draw them into the story being told.

Read the following copy, first at your normal speaking voice, then slow your delivery and drop your loudness roughly in half, so you are speaking more intimately at just above a whisper. Notice the difference in how your delivery can have a much stronger emotional impact at the softer delivery:

Understanding and applying less is more is an acquired skill, much like comedic timing. It requires a mastery of the craft of voice acting to a point where you are not thinking about what you are doing, and your delivery comes from someplace inside you. Although some people seem to have a natural ability for using the less is more concept to create a believable performance, most acquire this skill through experience.

More is More

As powerful as the less is more concept is, there are times when a script simply calls for taking your performance a bit “over the top.” To create a believable illusion of reality, you may occasionally need to present an attitude or emotion that feels slightly exaggerated. This more is more idea is common in commercials and character voice work for animation, cartoons, and video games.

“More is more” works in voiceover because the only thing the listener has for creating a scene in their imagination is the sound of the voice. It is interesting to note that a “real life” conversation can often lack the energy necessary to effectively communicate in mass media. “Real life” conversations work in real life because a genuine relationship of some sort exists between the speaker and the listener. This relationship does not exist in a voiceover performance. Yet, as voice actors, we must speak the words in such a way that implies the existence of that relationship to the listener. A common method of achieving the perception of a “real life” conversation is to take the interpretation and delivery a notch or two above authentic reality. When performed correctly, this strategic use of more is more can create a stronger, more visual, sense of reality than if the words were spoken from a completely realistic perspective.

Read the following copy, first at your normal speaking voice, then by injecting more energy, increasing the tempo a bit, and perhaps increasing the loudness a bit. You might even experiment with using “more is more” for the first two sentences and “less is more” on the last line. Notice how adding “more” or “less” completely changes the meaning and interpretation of the copy.

The trick to using more is more effectively is to be careful that you don’t take it too far over the top or you stand the chance of breaking the illusion of reality with a delivery that sounds forced.

Performance Dynamics—Pacing, Volume, Range

Performance dynamics are the fundamental elements of vocal variety and lay at the heart of any voiceover performance. When you understand and apply the dynamics of pacing, volume, and range, you will be able to make any vocal presentation interesting and captivating.

Pacing refers to the variations of speed in your delivery. It is closely related to the rhythm and timing of the copy and to the tempo of your delivery. Pacing is how fast or how slow you are speaking at any given moment. I’m sure you’ve heard commercials or other voiceover that is delivered at the same pace throughout. There is no phrasing, no pausing for impact, absolutely nothing that makes an emotional connection. Only intellectual information being delivered often at a rapid-fire pace. Or you’ve heard people who… seem… to… take… for… ever… to… say… what’s… on… their… mind.

In most cases a steady pace without phrasing is boring and uninteresting, if not downright hard to listen to. There are some exceptions in projects for which a steady or slow pace may be necessary to the effective delivery of information, as in an educational or training program. However, in most cases, slowing down or speeding up your pacing to give importance to certain words, phrases, or ideas will make a big difference in your delivery and make your performance far more interesting.

Within two or three read-throughs, you should be able to find the pace and phrasing that will allow you to read a script within the allotted time and in an interesting manner. Some directing cues related to pace are: “Pick it up” (speed up), “stretch” (slow down), “fill” (you have extra time for embellishment), and “tighten” (take out breaths or pauses).

Volume, or dynamic range, refers to the variations in the loudness of your delivery, and is the range of how soft or how loud you speak during your performance. Just as volume changes in a piece of classical music keep things interesting, dynamic range in voiceover directly relates to the believability of a performance. Performing a script at the same volume throughout is much like speaking at the same pace throughout. Both result in loss of credibility in the mind of the listener, because real people change how fast and how loud they speak depending on how they feel about what they are saying. The dynamic range of a performance is directly related to attitude and tone—from soft and intimate to loud and aggressive.

Vocal range, or vocal variety, refers to a performer’s ability to put variety into the performance by adjusting the pitch and placement of the voice to maintain interest. Vocal range covers the spectrum from your lowest pitch to your highest pitch. Voice actors for animation require a wide vocal range from which to create many characters.

You have a normal vocal range for speaking in everyday conversation, and you can speak at a lower or higher pitch when necessary or when you are expressing an emotion. Practice speaking at a slightly lower or higher pitch and notice how a small change in vocal range can result in a big shift in interpretation.

Listen to the way people talk to each other and you will notice a wide range of speaking styles. Excitement, enthusiasm, awe, sarcasm, pity, wonder, sorrow, cynicism, and sadness are all expressed in different ways by different people. The variations in the way a person expresses herself or himself reflect that individual’s vocal range.

Observe how you instinctively adjust your pacing, volume, and range in your everyday conversations. Practice altering your dynamics as you speak to your friends or at work, and notice how they pay more attention to what you have to say.

Be aware, however, that performance dynamics can be easily misused, forced, or overdone. The key to understanding these dynamics is in the interpretation of a script. What is the writer’s objective? Who is the intended audience? How should the words be spoken to achieve the maximum emotional and dramatic effect? How should the intellectual content be delivered so the listener can understand and use it?

When combined, the dynamics of voice acting serve to help create drama, humor, and tension in a performance. When effectively used, they go hand-in-hand to result in a performance that inspires, motivates, and is believable.

Articulation

Complex sentences are an everyday occurrence that every voice actor must deal with. Words must be spoken clearly and concepts communicated in a way that can be understood. Voice acting, and effective communication in general, is a blend of intellectual and emotional information delivered in an interesting and understandable manner. Unless a specific speech affectation is called for in a script, it is generally unacceptable to stumble through words or slur through a piece of copy. Articulation refers to the clarity with which words are spoken. Most common problems with articulation are the result of lazy mouth, or the tendency to not fully use the muscles of the tongue, jaw, and mouth when speaking. Good articulation, or enunciation, can be especially tricky when reading quickly.

Read the following script, making sure that your articulation is crisp and clear. Don’t worry about getting it in “on-time,” just focus on making every word clear and distinct. For the purpose of the warmup exercise, you’ll want to force yourself to over-articulate—and don’t forget to speak the ends of every word. (See “The Cork” exercise on page 36.) After doing this exercise, your conversational articulation will sound more natural, and will actually be heard more clearly because your vocal instrument is warmed-up.

When the same letter is back-to-back in adjacent words such as the “s” in “hammers, shovels,” and “plus super,” it’s easy to slide through the words sounding the letter only once. In a conversational delivery, it’s fine to tie those letters together, but for this exercise speak the end of each word clearly. It is also easy to drop the letter “d” from words like “and” and “need,” especially when the next word begins with a “T,” “D,” “G,” or “B.” The letter “G” on words, such as “big,” can sometimes be swallowed resulting in the phrase “big discounts” sounding like “bih discounts.” The suffix “ing” can often be modified when in a hurry, causing words, such as “lighting” and “everything,” to sound like “lightin” and “everythin.” With good articulation, the ends of words are clearly heard, but not overenunciated and suffixes are properly pronounced.

The “s” and “z” sounds should be clearly distinct. The “s” in “door bells” should have a different sound from the “z” in “buzzers.” The consonant “s” should sound like the end of the word “yes,” which is primarily a non-vocalized release of air over the tongue. To properly pronounce the more complex “z” sound, the tip of the tongue starts in the “es ” position and a vocalization is added. Say the word “buzz” and hold the “z.” You should feel a distinct vibration of your tongue.

Plosives are another articulation problem area. Plosives are caused by excessive air rushing out of the mouth when speaking letters such as “P,” “B, ” “G,” “K,” and “T.” Although completely natural, when this sudden rush of air hits a microphone’s diaphragm, the result is a loud “pop.” Plosives can be corrected by turning slightly off-axis of the microphone, by using a foam windscreen, or placing a nylon “pop filter” in front of the mic.

To feel the effect of plosives, place your hand directly in front of your mouth and say “Puh, Puh, Puh” several times. Moving your hand to the side will show you how the blast of air is reduced when turning off-mic.

To achieve a conversational and believable delivery, it is often necessary to violate some of the basic rules of crisp articulation. However, it is important to understand and to master the correct way to do something before you can effectively do that thing incorrectly and make it believable. In other words, you’ve got to be good before you can do bad, believably. When speaking in a conversational style, be careful NOT to over-articulate.

An important aspect of articulation is the ends of words. It is common in everyday conversation to drop the ends of words, and we instinctively fill in the missing sounds as we listen. But in voiceover, those ends of words are important and need to be heard to at least some degree. As you begin to work with copy, learn to listen to yourself to hear if you are dropping the ends of words. The technique of Linking on page 137 is a good way of correcting this problem.

Diction

Diction is defined as the accent, inflection, intonation, and speaking style dependent on the choice of words. Diction is directly related to articulation, the clarity of your delivery, the correct pronunciation of words, and the sound of a character’s voice. One of the best ways to improve your diction is to simply slow down as you speak and focus on your enunciation and clarity. Diction is important in all voiceover performances—you really do want to say the client’s name correctly and clearly.

When creating a character, your diction becomes even more important. Aspects of a character voice may include a specific accent, vocal range, tempo, rhythm, attitude or other characteristics of a specific speaking style. It is vital that your words be understood.

As you develop your character, listen to yourself closely to make sure you are speaking clearly and that all aspects of your delivery are appropriate for the character and the story being told. As with articulation, Exercise 9: “The Cork” on page 36, can help with diction.

Tempo and Rhythm

All voiceover copy has an ideal tempo. Tempo refers directly to the speed at which the words are spoken. You speak at a comfortable tempo when you are in conversation, but your tempo will also vary. Likewise, a voiceover performance may be delivered at a constant tempo or at a varying tempo. When performing, your delivery tempo may be slower, faster, or about the same as your normal, conversational tempo.

Voiceover copy also has a built-in rhythm. Rhythm is an aspect of phrasing and is closely related to tempo. Combined with tempo, rhythm gives a voiceover performance its sense of musicality. It is the flow of the words, the way the words are organized in sentences, and the placement of importance, or value, on certain words. Rhythm is also directly related to the emotional content of the copy. Poetic copy has an obvious rhythm (or meter). The rhythm of narrative copy is a bit more challenging to find, but it is there. Dialogue copy has a distinctive rhythm, which often includes a sort of verbal syncopation, gradually, or quickly, building to a punch line.

Just as you speak with your own personal rhythm, the characters you create for a voiceover performance will each speak with their own rhythm. It may be choppy, staccato, smooth, or even vary throughout the delivery. Finding the proper rhythm is critical to an effective and compelling performance.

Read the following copy, first at your normal speaking style, then by slowing down a bit and flowing the words together for a smooth rhythm, then by separating each word for a choppy rhythm. Notice how a minor adjustment of rhythm or tempo changes the meaning.

Timing is Everything

The combination of tempo and rhythm in a performance is known as timing. Timing also refers to interaction between characters or the manner in which pauses between words or lines of copy, and general phrasing are handled. As a voice actor, where you place a pause or a beat can create tension, humor, or drama in a performance. How quickly does one character speak after another finishes a line? Do the characters step on each other’s lines? Is there a long silence before a character speaks? Does a character speak with beats between words or extended vocal sounds within words or at the end of words? These are all aspects of timing.

Watch TV sitcoms to study tempo, rhythm, and timing. Study the interaction between characters and how they deliver their lines. Listen for the jokes, and how a joke is set up and delivered. Watch the physical characteristics of the actors as they work together. What are their gestures? What facial expressions do they use when they deliver a joke? What expressions do they have when they react to something? How do they express emotion and dramatic tension? Use what you learn to help develop tempo, rhythm, and timing for your performances.

The combination of tempo, rhythm, and timing works differently for different media. Theater has the slowest tempo and rhythm, then film, followed by television and finally, radio with the fastest tempo and rhythm. In some ways, radio can be performed at almost any rate, but generally a radio performance is faster than the same copy performed on-camera for television or film. Because radio uses only one of the senses, the rhythm, timing, and pace are set a bit faster to create a more real and believable interaction between characters. The faster tempo of radio gives the copywriter and talent an opportunity to quickly establish and develop an interesting story that will grab the listener’s attention and hold it while the message is delivered. (See “Faster and Flatter” on page 101.)

If you have a natural sense of timing, you are ahead of the game. Timing cannot be taught. It can only be learned through personal experience. You may find it helpful to work with a coach or attend voiceover workout sessions where you will discover the many facets of performance timing. As you become comfortable working with various scripts and performing styles, timing becomes automatic.

Phrasing

One of the most common challenges when working with a script is to determine the proper delivery speed and vocal variety. How quickly or slowly should you speak? And how will you adjust your phrasing or pacing to add variety to your delivery?

Phrasing in voiceover is very much like phrasing in music. It refers to the overall flow of your delivery; the variations in tempo, rhythm, and timing as you speak; and the subtle nuances of your tone of voice. More specifically, phrasing relates to the way you say certain words or sentences in terms of which word or words are given importance. For example, a short statement—“I would like some more, please!”—can be phrased in several different ways. The first word “I” can be given the most importance to give personal emphasis. By the same token, changing the tempo, and giving the word “would” the greatest value can give an entirely different meaning to the phrase. Breaking the phrase into two sentences by putting a period after the word “some” can result in yet another completely different delivery.

Try this exercise to discover different ways to express this simple phrase. Read each line at different tempos and rhythms, giving importance to the word in bold:

Now, try changing the punctuation by putting a period after “some,” or after “more.” Again, give importance to the words in bold and notice how that changes things.

Sustain to Slow down and Add Interest

An aspect of phrasing is sometimes referred to as pulling words. This technique focuses on sustaining, or stretching, specific sounds, words, or phrases. Sustaining an entire phrase can usually be achieved simply by slowing down the overall delivery of a sentence. But a phrase can be made more interesting by sustaining only the beginning, middle, or end of some words, rather than an entire sentence.

Experiment with this line of copy to get a sense of how you can elevate the interest level of a line by sustaining certain sounds. Start by delivering the line as written, at a steady pace without altering the tempo or rhythm:

Here’s how this phrase might be written to indicate sustaining sounds:

By sustaining the beginning, middle, or end of a word, or even an entire word, you can create anticipation for what will come next. Adding natural vocal sounds to the phrasing can add even more interest, realism, and believability.

Although pulling lines can help to create a more compelling delivery, it takes up valuable time, and most voiceover projects don’t have time to spare. So this technique is generally used in a shortened form, for a specific character’s speaking style, or only when necessary.

Phrasing and sustaining are both elements of tempo, rhythm, timing, and pacing in that they refer to the way in which words are spoken within a sentence or paragraph. But, even more than that, phrasing allows you to make the words more real by adding compelling emotional content.

Little Words "The" and "A"

Few words in the English language are used improperly more often than the little words “the” and “a.” When used correctly, these words can help add power and emotion to your delivery. Used improperly, your message may sound awkward, and might even create an impression of your being “uneducated.” Here are a few quick rules to keep in mind when you see these words in a script. Keep in mind these rules are not set in stone, but are only guidelines. Ultimately, whatever sounds best in the context of your performance, or the way you are directed, is the way you should go:

Basic Rules for “the”

1. In the context of referring to something, “the” should generally be pronounced as “thuh.”
   • Example: Here’s thuh notebook you asked for.
2. For a conversational style, “the” will almost always be pronounced as “thuh.”
   • Examples: Thuh dog chased thuh cat.
     • He’s been exercising a lot and looks thuh better for it.
3. When you want to stress the noun or subject being referred to or want to make the noun unique, “the” will generally be pronounced as “thee.”
   • Example: Jimbo’s is thee place to get a great burger.

Basic Rules for “a” and “an”

1. Pronounce “a” as “uh” before words that begin with a consonant. Use “an” before words that begin with a vowel:
   • Examples:
     • uh lifetime of choices,
     • an extreme sense of duty.
2. Words that begin with a vowel but are pronounced with the consonant sound “y,” “u,” or “w” are preceded with “a” (“uh”):
   • Examples:
     • uh European farmer,
     • uh united front,
     • uh one-room school.
3. Words that begin with a consonant but are pronounced with a vowel sound are preceded with “an”:
   • Examples:
     • an SST (es es tee),
     • an F (ef) in English.
4. When you want to emphasize the next word in a singular sense, or when referring to the letter A, pronounce this word as a long ā (as in “hay”):
   • Examples:
     • That is uh singular opportunity.
     • Thuh letter Ae is the first letter of thuh alphabet.
5. For a conversational style, the word “a” will almost always be pronounced as “uh.”
   • Examples:
     • uh horse,
     • uh new car,
     • uh cat .

The pronunciation of “a” in its stressed, or long form (ae as in “hay”) will be relatively rare for most voiceover copy as it is not generally conversational. However some technical copy may require this pronunciation to properly convey the message or instructions for training purposes. Also, if you watch television news, you’ll notice that almost all newscasters and reporters use the formal, long ā (“ae”) pronunciation.

Attitude

What is it that you bring to the performance of voiceover copy? Are you happy? Sad? Angry? What is the mood of the copy? How do you visualize the scene? What experiences are there—in your personal history—that you can tap into to help make the words real and your performance believable? Answer these questions and you will have your personal attitude. Answer these questions in terms of your script, and you will have your character’s attitude.

Attitude is the mindset of the character in the copy. It gives a reason for the words, and motivation for the character’s existence and behavior. When you read through copy for the first time, find something in the words that you can relate to. Find an emotional hook. Bring something of yourself to the copy as you perform and you will create more effective characters, a strong suspension of disbelief and a believable illusion of reality.

Sense Memory

Every moment of your life is stored in your memory. And every emotional experience has a physical tension associated with it that might reside anywhere in your body. There is also a sensory experience associated with the emotional experience that is closely linked to the physical tension.

Your five senses are some of the most valuable tools you have as a voice actor. Constantin Stanislavski, founder of “method acting,” developed this tool to help actors create believable characters, and most acting schools today teach some variation of the technique. To truly master the technique of sense memory you may need to take some acting classes which involve creative exercises in which you tap into your senses of sight, touch, taste, sound, and smell.

It is said that all creativity originates in the sensory organs. So, to fully utilize your creative voice-acting abilities, you will need to develop skills for recalling and utilizing sensory memories. Once the basic concept of sense memory is understood, you can apply this technique to become a better communicator and achieve some amazing results.

Here’s how:

Close your eyes and think back through your life to a time, event, experience, sensation, or feeling that is similar to what your character is experiencing and hold that memory in your mind. Make the memory as visual as you possibly can. With that memory held in your mind, recall how your senses were affected by what took place. Was there a special smell? A certain sound? Did something taste odd, or especially good? Did you see something unusual? Do you recall touching something? Do you associate a color with the experience?

As your memory becomes more visual, observe where in your body the physical tension for that memory is being held: neck, shoulders, chest, stomach, legs, arms, and so on. Recall the physical tension, body posture, facial expression, and hold onto it. Keep that memory firmly fixed in your imagination. Now, open your eyes and allow your character to speak the words in the script, in a sense filtered through your experience.

Although mastering this technique may take some time, even doing just the basics will put you well on your way to becoming a successful voice actor. Many voice actors either don’t utilize this technique, don’t understand it, or are simply not aware of it.

Subtext

All copy has within the words, an attitude. Your job is to find it and exploit it. One way to find the attitude is to uncover the thoughts or feelings behind the words. This is commonly known in theater as subtext. Subtext is what sets your character’s attitude and establishes, or shades, the meaning of what is said. It is the inner motivation behind your words. Subtext allows you to breathe life into the words in a script and into the character you create.

Using your sense memory to unlock emotional hooks is a technique for setting attitude. Now take that process a step further and define the attitude in words to arrive at the subtext. For example, let’s say you have this line:

If the thought behind your words is “What is that disgusting odor? You smell like something that’s been dead for a week!,” the perceived meaning will be quite different than if your thought and/or feeling is “Wow! You smell amazing! That perfume you’re wearing makes me want to be close to you.” Each of these subtexts results in a different mental and physical attitude that comes through in your voice.

What you are thinking and feeling as you deliver your lines makes a tremendous difference in the believability of your character. You have a subtext in your everyday conversations and interactions with others. The idea here is to include a subtext as an integral part of your performance. Decide how you want the listener to feel or respond to your character—what emotional response do you want to produce? To get the desired response, use the acting tools you are learning to internalize the appropriate thoughts and feelings as you perform.

For some copy, creating a believable character can be challenging, even with a well-understood subtext. The problem may lie in the subtext itself. If you have chosen a subtext that is weak or unclear, try changing the subtext to something completely different, using an entirely different set of emotional hooks. You will often find that by shifting your subtext, your entire performance attitude, delivery, and sometimes even the character, will change.

Tone

Closely related to attitude and subtext is tone. Occasionally referred to as “tone of voice,” the tone of your performance is the sum total of pacing, volume, range, articulation, diction, tempo, rhythm, phrasing, attitude, and subtext. It is important to be consistent throughout your performance. Do not change your tone mid-copy unless there is a specific reason to do so. If you are doing a soft, intimate delivery with a friendly attitude, maintain that tone from beginning to end. If your attitude is fast-paced and aggressive, keep that attitude and tone throughout.

Tone can also refer to the quality of your performance. If you change tone as you read, you will fall out of character and your speaking dynamics may fluctuate, which can adversely affect your recording. To maintain a consistent tone, do not drift off-mic. Keep your head in the same position relative to the microphone from start to finish. Working close to the mic gives a warm, soft tone, while backing off as little as a few inches gives a cooler, more open, tone.

Occasionally a script is written that calls for a complete change of attitude and tone in mid-copy. If there is a logical motivation for your character to change attitude, then it would be out of character to maintain a consistent tone throughout the copy.

Pause for Importance

A pause is much more than just a beat of silence between words or phrases. It is an aspect of phrasing and timing, and a powerful tool you can use to take a voiceover performance to an entirely new level. A pause in your delivery can be from a fraction of a second to a few seconds, depending on the context of a script. You pause instinctively in normal conversation whenever you are thinking about what you’ll say next. It’s almost possible to hear the thought or the intention of importance that takes place during even the shortest pause. A pause implies that something big is coming and builds tension and suspense in the mind of the listener. When you pause, whatever follows is automatically perceived as being important. And that’s exactly what we want to achieve by using this tool.

Another way to look at a pause is in terms of timing. Comedic timing requires just the right amount of time—or beat—between the set-up of a joke and its punch line. If the timing is off, the joke isn’t funny. The same is true in voiceover. Timing is everything.

Improper use of a pause can result in an uneven or choppy delivery, or in a delivery that sounds as if the script is being read. If there is nothing happening in your mind during the pause, those beats of silence are little more than empty holes in the phrasing. To be effective, there must be something happening that fills those holes. There must be thoughts taking place that are in alignment with the wants, needs and feelings of your character. Those thoughts won’t be verbalized, of course, but their mere existence will be heard in your tone of voice, attitude, and overall delivery.

Learning how to use a pause effectively can take some time, but once understood, the concept can be used to help create humor, drama, tension, suspense, and emotional response.

The following phrase will give you an idea of how you can use a pause to create value and importance. Begin by just reading the line slowly and deliberately to get an understanding of its meaning and to come up with some initial delivery choices.

Now deliver the line out loud as one continuous thought—no pauses.

Since there is no punctuation to give you hints as to the delivery, you’re on your own to find the most effective way to say the phrase. Delivering the line as one continuous stream of words is certainly a valid choice, but it may not be the strongest.

Now, begin experimenting with placing a pause or two in your delivery. Use each hyphen in the lines below as a cue for a beat or brief pause in your delivery. Don’t emphasize the words in bold, but notice that no matter where you place a pause, those words will instinctively be spoken with greater value. A change in tempo or rhythm, or even a shift in facial expression will further enhance the meaning of the phrase. Be careful not to emphasize the words in bold. Instead, just notice how your inflection and interpretation changes as a result of the pause.

The only way you’ll find the most effective delivery when using the pause is to experiment with the many possibilities in every script.

Thought Pacing—Using the Ellipsis

Interruptions are a way of life. You experience them every day. You might be in the middle of saying something really interesting about… and then someone breaks in or cuts you offbefore you finish what you are saying. Or you might be talking about one thing… and suddenly change to a different topic in mid-sentence. Interruptions are used a lot in dialogue, but they also often occur in single voice copy. The challenge for the voice actor is to make the interruption sound real and believable.

I call this concept Thought Pacing. In a voiceover script, an interruption is usually indicated by the ellipsis, or 3 dots ( … ). The ellipsis can also indicate a pause or beat in the delivery, a bridge between phrases or to replace a comma or other punctuation. In almost all cases, the ellipsis indicates that a thought is interrupted. There are three common situations in which this is used:

• 1) The ellipsis implies a thought in the mind of the speaker, usually indicated by a slight pause in the delivery. In this situation, the thought is often vocalized.
• 2) The ellipsis indicates an interruption by another person, indicated by an abrupt stop mid-sentence.
• 3) The ellipsis indicates a continuation of a thought following an interjection by another person. In this case, the ellipsis is used at the end of one line of copy and the thought continues after the other person’s interjection.

This example demonstrates all three uses of the ellipsis:

The vocalization of thoughts implied by an ellipsis is rarely scripted. It is up to the voice actor to determine if vocalized human sounds will enhance the delivery. In the above example, a simple “uh,” “um,” or a throat clearing after the word “Peterson…” might make the Boss’s first line more real by implying the thoughts behind the words.

The trick to making an interruption sound real is to continue the thought beyond the last word to be spoken. Much like a pause, if the line is simply read as written, the performance can easily sound like the words are being read, or the interaction between characters may sound “off” or artificial.

To continue the thought, all you need to do is make up something your character might say that is appropriate to the context of the script (a lead-out line). Write it on the script, if you like, but at the very least, keep the complete thought in your mind as you deliver the line, and be prepared to speak the words. Completing a thought will enable you to create a believable delivery. This concept works well with most copy.

Let’s take another look at the conversation between Peterson and his Boss. The Boss begins with a self-interruption of his own thought. When Peterson speaks, he continues his thought until interrupted. By completing the thought “Well, sir, I…” you will set the tone, attitude, and pace for your delivery of the line.

When the moment of the interruption occurs, simply hold the thought and let the interruption happen naturally. The continuation of the thought is often more realistic if verbalized. If the other actor is a bit late with the interruption, no one will ever know, because you kept the thought going. If you are the actor who is interrupting, you need to make sure your delivery has the appropriate energy and attitude, and that you cut off the other person in a way that sounds like a real conversation.

When the ellipsis is used to indicate a scripted interjection, it is important that the timing be correct. The first person speaking must allow for a natural beat, or pause, as he speaks both parts of his line. The beat must be just enough so that the actor speaking the interjection can speak her line in a very natural manner. If the timing is off, the conversation can sound awkward, and lack authenticity.

Imitation

It’s said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. This may be true, but as a voice actor, you want to be unique. If all you can do is mimic someone else’s style, dynamics, or attitude, you are doing nothing unique.

Be yourself and find the uniqueness of your voice. That’s what will get you work! Only mimic other voice talent or actors in an effort to learn their techniques. Then adapt what you learn to your personality, style and signature voice.

Standing or Seated

Standing for hours at a time while recording auditions or during a session can be stressful and uncomfortable. Narrating a long-form script or audio book from a seated position might allow you to work for a longer period of time.

Standing is the preferred performing stance for nearly all short-form copy, like commercials, promos, trailers and most character voice work. Standing will give you better breath support, more flexibility of movement and allows for a wider range of motion without being restricted.

If you sit, remember that a straight back will help your breathing and delivery. If possible, use a stool rather than a chair. Sitting in a chair tends to compress the diaphragm, while a stool allows you to sit straight and breathe properly. If a chair is all that’s available, sit forward on the seat rather than all the way back. This helps you keep a straight back so you can better control your breath.

Many voice actors will prefer to sit when they are recording and submitting their auditions. This is often more for expediency than anything else, as it can allow for a much more efficient use of time and will generally make editing and submission delivery quicker.

If you are performing a character that is seated during a scene, it may be advantageous to sit when performing that character. Although standing will give you more freedom of movement and better breath support, the physical position of being seated can allow for a more realistic portrayal of the character.

The configuration of the studio, the role you are playing and the story being told are all factors that will help determine if standing or sitting will be the most appropriate stance for your performance.

Experiment with both standing and seated positions for recording to develop flexibility. Most recording studios are designed to record performers who are standing and may not be willing to make adjustments for a demanding voice talent. Of course, if you have a physical condition that requires sitting during your session, you should let your client, agent or studio know in advance so the studio can be prepared prior to your arrival.

Be in the Moment

Creating a believable representation of a given moment in time is a fundamental pretext of all acting. Every technique in this book is intended to help you reproduce the reality of the moment in the story of any script, which in turn allows you to create the authenticity and believability of your performance.

Being “in the moment” requires an understanding of the story, your character’s role in the story and a great many other factors that will ultimately allow your audience to momentarily suspend their disbelief.

This basic concept will be repeated throughout this book in a variety of ways, using an assortment of techniques. To effectively “be in the moment,” you will need to develop a personal process for getting out of your own way in order to bring the words in the script to life. Your personal process will eventually reveal your unique performing style.