It’s not uncommon for the average person to hear a great radio commercial and think to themselves, “I could do that!” This is especially true if somewhere along the line they have been told that they have a nice voice.
I also once heard someone say, “Well, how hard can voice-overs be? You’re just reading from a piece of paper!”
But the truth is, being an excellent voice-over artist requires much more than a good set of pipes and competent reading skills. One thing that sets a superb voice-over artist apart from the rest is acting skills. The craft is actually called “voice acting.” That reality is surprising to some people who want to get into voice-overs.
It’s why voice-over students who begin their training with a strong theatrical background usually do so well. Sometimes their coaches need to tone them down just a bit, since projecting on a stage is very different than the intimacy of sitting in front of a microphone, but they know the basics.
So what are the basics of acting? My favorite description of the craft is “behaving truthfully under imaginary circumstances.” An actor needs to understand what emotion is called for in each script – be it a scene in a full-length play or a 30-second commercial spot – and be able to convey that emotion in a way that affects his or her audience. Our job as actors is to make our audiences FEEL something.
When an actor is labeled “bad,” it is most often because he or she failed to connect emotionally with the audience; they were not believable, and we felt nothing. Although, actors who overdo it and “chew the scenery” are not admired either. Exceptional actors like Robert DeNiro lose themselves completely in the character. We forget who they are in real life, and see them only as that character.
So as a voice actor, we need to figure out the overall emotional tone of each script, who we are, and what situation we might be in that would lead us to speak the words of the script in a natural way (the “moment before” technique.)
Let’s look at an example:
Heat-N-Glo Fireplace
A soft kiss. Whispered secrets. Stories told into the blaze of a roaring fire. This moment is perfect. The right fireplace can warm more than just the room. Heat-N-Glo warms the hands and the heart.
To convey this spot successfully, the voice-over actor needs to picture the scene:It’s Christmas time, and the snow is coming down. You’ve just returned home from a lovely holiday party with your spouse, you’ve both kicked off your shoes and are relaxing in front of the fire with a glass of wine. Nat King Cole is crooning in the background, and romance fills the air.
If you use your imagination and really put yourself into that picture, the soft vocal tone, relaxed pace, and pauses needed will likely come naturally.
One thing any actor must do is let go of worrying about sounding silly, or doing it “wrong.” Adam Driver once said, “Acting is about having the courage to fail in front of people.” After all, what’s the worst thing that could happen if you do sound silly or go “over the top?” No one’s going to die. A director or coach can always pull you back a bit.
Now let’s look at a spot that needs a character voice:
Woodies
I hate Woodies! I’m the only dog on the block that doesn’t get any love, and I tell you, I’m fed up! It’s just Woodies, Woodies, Woodies, every doggone day. She never has time for me anymore. When I want to romp in the park – “Sorry, darling, Mommy has to go to Woodies to buy a new dress.” When I want to play fetch the stick – “Not now, canine cutie, WOODIES is running a sale on shoes.” I thought it was supposed to be a dog’s world out there. If only I were a cat!”
So here the dog is speaking English just like a human being. It’s helpful to imagine what your own dog might sound like if it began talking, or to picture a cartoon pup. An expert voice-over artist will find an appropriate character voice, go BIG with it, and let go of any inhibitions in the process. This is a time to have fun and just play. Go back to being a kid again for a few minutes. That kind of freedom and relaxed performance will really help bring this script alive.
Our final example is a short excerpt from the audio book Ordeal in Space.
The main character is an astronaut who’s been sidelined by recurring panic attacks when he’s out in space carrying out his duties. He’s being checked out by the company psychiatrist who is talking to him about acrophobia.
“The reminder sent him to shaking again. He closed his eyes and saw the stars wheeling below him again. He was falling…falling endlessly. The psychiatrist’s voice came back through to pull him back. “Steady old man! Look around you.”
“Sorry.”
Strong acting skills are needed here to make the listener believe the character is slipping into another panic attack – and make us feel that we’re right there with him. A good fictional audiobook narrator takes the listener on a journey in their imagination. We want to escape reality for a while – to feel as though we’re actually in outer space, or in Paris, or living in the 1800’s, etc. If the acting is not believable, or intense enough, the script falls flat.
Beginning voice-over students who have no previous theatrical training are strongly encouraged to take an acting and/or improv class on the side. Those skills will make you more versatile – and more marketable as a voice-over artist.
