I record with “Working Pros” everyday. Voice actors who not only have an agent, but in most cases also have their own home studios. I am often impressed with their vocal quality and ability to effortlessly “lift” the words “off” the page and deliver the right emotion and style in the allotted time. How “DO they do that” I ask myself.
However, there are also times when a voice fails to deliver on a session and I feel embarrassed for them. I want to help them get the read to sound better, but it’s often tricky in front of a client who thinks they have hired a “Pro” voice and expect Pro results.
This got me thinking. Why can some voices deliver session after session while others can’t?
Even as a working Professional Voice artist, you need to keep your tools sharp! By evaluating how you deliver and interpret a script, you will continue to improve and ultimately get more work.
So, Pro or not, Agent or no Agent, Home Studio or no Home Studio you need to:
Keep Your Tools Sharp!
Okay, here’s the reason why “God” invented GOOGLE. Just do a quick search for “Tellyads”. This is a great website were every commercial ever made is now on-line and will be a good friend to you, in many ways.
All you have to do is find any advert (and there are many) that you like, write it down and record it on your iPhone, Dictaphone or Gooseberry. Don’t read it through first, just sight-read it and record it once only. Don’t worry about the audio quality, this isn’t going to Broadcast – this is for “Self Evaluation”. Once recorded, then listen back to the original to compare.
Question to ask yourself on “Playback”
1 Did you go too fast? Did your teeth get in the way? did you stumble on any words? Which words and why?
2 Did you hesitate on any words? Which words and why?
3 Did you leave any words out of the script? If so, which ones?
4 Did you add or change any words? If so, which ones?
5 Did you run out of breath or breath in the wrong place?
6 Did you have “energy” or did you sound “flat” or “monotone?”
7 Did you have too much energy and pitch it too high?
8 Did your delivery sound “sing-song”? Or have another odd pattern to its delivery. ( starting each phrase with a rising inflection and ending each one on a downward inflection ) Describe what you heard.
9 Did you “stress” or “hit” the right words or the wrong words compared to the original recording? Do you over emphasize certain words? Ask yourself why?
10 Did you come in on time? Was your recording too long, too short or around the same time as the original?
By doing this exercise on a regular basis with Commercials and Narrative reads you will start to understand what you are really doing behind the Microphone.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Such a simple but very effective exercise, why didn’t I think of this before.
Thanks JP for another great tip.
x
Thanks for the advice! x