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VOICE ACTING 20 Tips For A Passionately Human And Natural Voice Over Performance  By Elley-Ray HennessyVoice Talent & Coach Voicing has never been more necessary as a mode of communicating with each other. In a world where people no longer speak to each
another, but punch keys to express information digitally, it is of utmost importance that we keep the age-old tradition of talking alive. Oh, we are spoken to, for example, by Siri on the new iPhones, or by the digital voices in our cars, the "on hold" digitized message companies now use on their answering services, electronic cashiers at
airports, supermarkets and vast check-out services and even services
that take the written word and now give it computerized voices on most of our
personal devices. I am horrified that we no longer need a human being to help
us do things. Am alone in this reeling from technology sensation? IS THERE A HUMAN TO TALK TO? I want to talk to someone and have someone to talk to me. Is that so much to ask?
We long for human
contact and the greater
sense of community that storytelling brings to us, as a people.
So, my voice over friends, it is up to you. Get to your
stations at the microphone and reach out beyond the keys that keep us silent.
Give words, thoughts and actions shape and life through your
instrument. "How?" you may ask. TOP TIPS FOR VIBRANT COMMUNICATION Well,
here are a few key tips to keeping communication vibrant, believable and life
changing: 1. Always have an opinion about what you are expressing. 2. Emotionally connect to what you are expressing. 3. Actively push the thoughts through the vessel, from the
chest, not just the mouth. 4. Intellectually connect with what you are expressing. Take the time to "consider" what you are saying. 5. Imagine you are using the text to respond to a question you have been asked. 6. Remember that you are always in conversation, even if
the copy appears as a monologue. See and
feel who you are speaking with. You are not alone in a studio. 7. Always try to "help" the listener. Make their life
easier. 8. Give advice that can change the listeners' knowledge of
something. 9. Love what you are expressing. Make it the most
important information you can impart. 10. Tell the truth. 11. Believe in what is possible through communication with
community. 12.
Honor your voice as a tool of change. 13.
Have faith in your ability to change the world. 14. Give thanks for the opportunity to change the world. 15. Remember that communication is the highest
gift you can give. 16. Share your delight in expressing. 17. Risk expressing differently. 18. Play with how you communicate. 19. Fear nothing and abandon old concepts of expression. 20. Be uniquely you and find your own voice. REJECT THE WORLD OF MACHINES I don't want to live in a world of "I, Robot" or Wally where we grow fat and stupid, allowing digital devices to do the work for us. I am not a machine, but a living, breathing, vital being that has a mind that can formulate ideas. And I have definite opinions and emotional connections to these ideas. I am part of a large community of like-minded people who share the
desire to reach out and express and stay connected. CHANGE FOR THE BETTER Let us use voices
to change how we communicate to each other. It is time to take "the natural
read" to the next level, where to be real is truly what we do not want to lose, as technology pushes us farther away from each other. To be real is what will
keep our planet vibrantly alive and creatively functional. I want to be spoken
to and to speak to individuals who know that my heart, mind, body and spirit
are employed in what is being expressed. In this way, we can truly change the
planet, ------------------------- ABOUT ELLEY-RAY Based in Toronto, and with over 30 years experience in voice overs, TV, film and theater, Elley-Ray Hennessy is a leading voice talent and coach, specializing in animation, commercial announcing and multi-voice. She's won multiple awards, having voiced thousands of TV and radio commercials and countless animation series and films. Email: elleyray@hotmail.com Web: www.elleyray.com |
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Thank you, John, for another fantastic post!
John
Elley-Ray, since I've met you before, I know your passion! And it certainly comes through in this article. I like the way you started out: "In a world where people no longer speak to each other, punch keys... keep the age old tradition of talking alive." So true! We as "voices" now have a chance to be heard and stand out more than ever. And become strong effective voices (besides just the loud voices of politicians, especially the blowhards up in Washington, DC) keeping the power of the well spoken word alive.
We do have a lot of power, although we sometimes feel we don't while interpreting someone else's words (script). I guess this is one thing that drives so many celebrity actors to speak up for causes they believe in and speak out against those they don't.
Having a voice that people will listen to is really a pretty powerful and fascinating thing. It also affords us great responsibility to uphold the things we say. And that's another matter!