The session proceeded as usual, ending with a satisfied client at its conclusion. Nice and smooth. Another day at the office. Except that the final read was almost 180 degrees different from what I had prepared.

What happened?

The many shades of "cool"

You see, what I thought a "cool and hip" 25 to 30 year old guy was didn't fit with what the director had thought a "cool and hip" 25 to 30 year old guy was.

And guess what? This is pretty normal.

As voice actors we do our best to prepare a script using the written directions as a guide. But once we get inside the booth, what we prepared might be anywhere from slightly different to vastly different from what the director wants.

We have to be flexible enough to throw away our preconceived image of the person we are portraying in order to fit the correct image that the director is guiding us toward.

The lesson for today

It's always a good idea to prepare and analyze a script before a session, but don't over-practice. Too much practice and preparation can often solidify a certain type of read in your head making it hard to go in a different direction when the director asks for it.

Oh, and when the director does ask for a change in your read, never ever say "but I was trying for more of a XYZ kinda read." You're not there to try to convince them to use your interpretation of the character, but to give them what they want — that's what you're getting paid to do.

During the webinar you'll learn:

• How to understand FULLY what all specs mean
• Know the difference between your VOICE and THE SELL
• How to get out of your EGO and into the writer's perspective
• When it's OK to improvise
• What an ALTERNATE read means
• How to create winning alternate reads
• How to nail the SELL and re-nail it
• How to re-create your winning audition in the actual session
• How to create more "range" in your auditions
• The 4 Easy Steps to cold reading
• And more!

To sign up for the event or to learn more, just follow this little blue link!

Get it here

I had one of those just the other day...

During a recent voice acting lesson, my coach and I were working on a piece of commercial copy. Like a good student of voice-over, I had first created a backstory complete with who I am (age, profession, personality, etc.) where I was, the full details of who I was talking to, and the other necessary visual tidbits.

The first few reads went well, but my coach wanted more — something was missing that didn't make the read as believable as was needed. "I can't completely hear in your voice that you are really seeing the scene you are trying vocalize" came the direction. "In this scene you had overslept, you're late for work, and you don't have time to do your normal morning routine. Paint that picture for me."

After a moment of thought I slapped my head and muttered the words "D'oh!" I regrouped and attacked the copy with renewed zest. Long story, short: I got it.

Talking to yourself

Beginners to voice over acting are often taught to imagine that they are talking to someone else when they read a script: a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, or someone that the voice actor personally knows. And while most scripts should be approached in this manner, some scripts (or even just a part of a script) need to be viewed from a different angle. Instead of talking to another person, you are talking to yourself.

This isn't a way-out-there concept because we all talk to ourselves from time to time. Sometimes the dialogue is completely internal — not a sound is uttered. At other times we might say our thoughts out loud even though there isn't a soul within earshot.

Final thoughts

As you prepare scripts, keep an eye out for internalized dialogue. It doesn't happen all that often and sometimes it might only last a few sentences within the script (then reverting back to a conversation between two people.) But there are times when such a performance is required to bring the scene to life.

Why is that? Why can we recognize when someone is reading and when someone is truthfully speaking?

In this post, I'd like to put on my "speech therapist" hat and offer up to you the answers. Be prepared, though. The explanation might get a little long-winded...

In a nutshell, language is just a combination of sounds that we, as speakers of that particular language, attach specific meaning to. This is why (obviously) we can't understand foreign languages unless we know the meaning behind the new combinations of sound. But what does "meaning" actually mean?

The meaning of the word "dog"

If someone says the word "dog" to you in a conversation, how do you react? Does your mind immediately recall the Merrian-Webster definition: "a highly variable domestic mammal (Canis familiaris) closely related to the gray wolf."? Of course not. In the blink of an eye your mind recalls an image of what a dog looks like, your feelings about dogs in general, or, depending on the conversation, your reaction to the speaker's opinion about dogs.

Let's take a look at each one, shall we?

The image of words

The first words babies learn to speak are objects: concrete things that they can see. Babies associate the image of what they are seeing with the sound of its name. To a baby, the sound of the word "Mommy" or "Daddy" has no meaning by itself. But when that sound is combined with the image of their Mommy or Daddy, then the sound has meaning.

Going back to our example above, when you hear the word "dog", you associate your own personal image of a dog. Maybe it's a dog you had during your childhood. Maybe it's your neighbor's dog. If you're a parent like me, then maybe it's the image of Clifford the Big Red Dog. (My kids love Clifford!)

Whatever the case may be, each person has their own unique mental image of what a dog is.

The emotion of words

As babies, we also attach emotions to the things around us. Seeing Mommy's or Daddy's face makes us happy (especially when we are crying for milk, attention, or relief from a messy diaper.) Again, the baby doesn't care about the sound of the word "Mommy" or "Daddy", it only knows the emotional connection to the sound.

When you hear the word "dog", you have a unique emotional response as well. Maybe you love dogs, and so your reaction is one of fondness. Maybe you hate dogs, and so your reaction is one of loathing. Maybe a dog bit you when you were a small child. In this case the word "dog" sends a tinge of fear running up your spine.

Each person has their own unique emotions to the sound of the word "dog".

The reaction to words

For this explanation, we'll skip the whole baby phase since we'll be looking at adult conversations. Let's say your friend speaks the following:

"I just can't understand why some people hate dogs, can you?"

From this one utterance, you can immediately see that your friend is trying to illicit the response of "I completely agree with you!" I this case, your mind isn't totally focused on an image of dogs or your feelings about dogs. It's focused on your reaction to your friend's words and how you will respond to that opinion.

If don't agree with your friend's opinion, your mind doesn't first picture an image of a dog, nor does it bring up deep feelings of canine hatred. Your mind reacts to the opinion of your friend. So a typical thought might be: "How dare he assume that I like dogs?!"

If you agree with your friend's opinion, then your feelings wouldn't necessarily be that of labrador love. Instead, you'll be filled with emotions of camaraderie. "We feel exactly the same way!" you might be thinking.

Getting to the point

Okay, okay. I know the road to this point in the post has been a long one. So let's get to it.

In normal conversation, we all have images, emotions, and reactions running through our minds as we listen and speak. So...

When someone speaks without images, emotions, or reactions in the sound of their voice, then there is NO BELIEVABILITY.

From babies on up we are conditioned to hear the emotional content in a speaker's voice. When that emotional content is missing (i.e. when you just read a script instead of speaking it with images, emotions, and reactions firmly in mind) then no one will believe you. On the flip side, if you add too much emotion then you will sound fake, sarcastic, or just plain announcery.

If you are a beginner to voice-over acting, then you must stop reading the scripts. You must speak the scripts as if they were your own words. You must say the sounds of your language with the images, emotions, and reactions in the front of mind and behind the words themselves.

It's sort of like looking at a river from different perspectives...

If you dive below the surface of a river, you can easily see the geology — rocks, outcroppings, etc. — that give the river's surface its own unique ripple of eddies and currents.

From the view just above the river's surface, you can see the ripples that give character to the river. You can even look ahead to see the next bend in the river's course. But what's beyond that? Only the next view can tell us that...

From high above we can finally see the full course of our river. Where it begins, the winding, twisting, snake-like course it takes, and then its inevitable end when it empties into the sea.

Where are you viewing the river?

As a voice actor, you have to be everywhere. You have to be deep below the surface, looking at the minute details that helped shaped the river's surface. Think of this as the emotions, intentions, needs, and desires of the person being depicted in the script. This gives character to the character.

You have to be on the surface — showing the details hidden deep below through your performance. You do this by using phrasing and intonation to let the listener know what's coming up, but no further than around the next bend. There needs to be an element of "the unknown" as your performance continues.

And finally you have to be high above looking down. From here you must give the listener the feeling that the script has a beginning, a middle, and an end. The listener has to be able to hear the flow of the scripted words. Your performance must lead them through it to its logical and emotional conclusion.

Time to dive in

The process of script analysis in voice acting (in any acting for that matter) has been called "breathing life into a script" or "reading in the white space" just to name a few. I have my own take — and it goes something like this:

Yeah, I know. With words like process and applying it's a little stiff sounding. But it's also a little artistic. And in the end, isn't that what script analysis is anyway? There is a technique to it. But it's a technique that allows for artistic choices to be made.

So now, dear intrepid reader, it's time for you to take a look at your scripts with a little more critical — yet creative — eye. Why does the river flow the way it does? Where is it going, and why? Give your listeners the answers to these questions using only the tone of your voice, and you will have made their journey an experience never to be forgotten.

Boy was I wrong!

While it is true that each script has its own "flavor" (for example: a comedic read, a serious read, a thoughtful read, etc.) how you do that kind of read is up to you and your own take and interpretation.

When you are in the booth preparing to do a read for a client, you first do your best to analyze the script using the information you have at hand: direction written on the script, advice from the client or producer, and the clues hidden within the script itself. You then use your first best guess as how to read the script. That initial interpretation doesn't have to be perfect the first time, but it does need to show that you have done your due-diligence in preparing the read.

As the session continues the people behind the glass will let you know if you are on the right track or need to adjust your approach. It's your job as a voice actor to listen without complaint to their direction and either adjust your read or reinterpret the script as per their guidance.

When I first learned about this, it took a huge weight off of my shoulders; because for the longest time I thought that I had to perfectly interpret the script from the first read. It just isn't so.

From time to time on Voice Actor's Notebook, I'll be presenting and analyzing scripts so you can see, and hear, my thoughts on how I interpret them. My interpretations and reads aren't necessarily the only ones possible — you might have a completely different take — and so I encourage you to post a comment or two sharing your thoughts. In this way, everyone in the VAN community can benefit, learn, and grow.