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VOICE ACTING
Do your kids want to become voice actors - just like you? I have found in my 10 years of coaching kids that the kids who have parents in the business already have a great head start. After all, they listen to you! They pick up the rhythm of voice over, and they imitate what they hear. Whether your child wants to BE in voice over or just PLAY in voice over, it’s a great way for them to build self-confidence, learn speaking skills, have more confidence in speaking in front of others, and have a lot of fun. Here are some tips and tricks you can utilize to help your child both in and out of the booth. PRACTICE: READING: The more kids read out loud, the easier it will be to handle scripts when they come your way. And you’ll be a more interesting person to boot. Just think of all the fun and exciting things you’ll be able to talk about. Reading aloud will also give your kids greater fluency at the mic. WARM UPS: SIRENS: TONGUE TWISTERS: Try some of these to warm up your articulating muscles:
Next, try this ...
... and then turn it around:
Do your tongue twisters 3x slow and then 3x fast. These will really get those articulator muscles going. Now on to the technical stuff… SLATING & FILING: I know Casting Directors who will throw out an audition simply because directions are not followed, and an underscore was omitted. For real! So, pay extra attention to the directions. I can’t tell you how many parents make this mistake. Also when slating, in most instances, SMILE! My associate, the well-known coach Lynnanne Zager says: Pretend you are meeting someone you always wanted to meet, extend your hand and say: Hi, I’m ____! Or just your name. And never state your age when slating, unless asked. The people who are listening can’t see you, so if they are looking for someone older or younger, as an actor, you don’t want to give away your age. You might actually lose the job. Many times, they will tell you what they want in the slate. If not, just say your name and the name of the spot. Do NOT say: Hi, my name is___, and I’m reading for___. These guys listen to hundreds of submissions. Just give them an energetic slate and not a lot of blah blah. Of course, if you are reading for Children’s Hospital, you don’t want to give a huge, smiley, energetic slate. Be conscious of what you are auditioning for. TAKE SCRIPT TO THE 'WOODSHED' All voice over is storytelling. So to help your child tell a story, teach them to “woodshed” their script. For those who don’t know, “woodshedding” refers to breaking down and preparing copy prior to performing it. I recommend reading the script aloud several times before recording. A script will never sound like it does in your head… so read it aloud enough times that it flows. And here's how to woodshed: A is for Audience*: Kids don’t talk to their mom the same way they talk to their dad. Knowing who their audience is will help the read be more conversational and authentic. B is for Backstory*: If your child knows the Audience and Backstory, it will help them stand out amongst their peers and make it sound like they are not just reading. C is for Character*: Are you the son or daughter? The student? The friend? You are always someone, and it isn’t always the same person. You have many different personalities. So look at WHO you are in the script. 3 IN A ROW Many of the auditions I get for kids require 3 in a row, or as they call it in the booth, an ABC take. I often hear kids give me the same 3 takes in a 3 in a row. The idea here is to give 3 DIFFERENT takes. Overall, the most important thing is for voice over to be fun for your child. Enjoy and Voice ON! *From The Art of Voiceacting – James Alburger |
By Martha Kahn
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