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VOICE ACTING BOO! Let Your Inner Freak Out ... Play Halloween All Year Long!  By Deb MunroVoice Actor & Coach Have you considered that voice acting is a healing process? In fact, acting of any kind usually lends itself to a sense of healing for those who seek it. There are many types of personalities dabbling in the VO market. Some are actors, broadcasters and more, while others are lawyers, doctors - or garbage men on the street. The point is that all walks of life enter this profession, but many of us have common needs. Namely - the need to be heard. For some it's about appreciation, while for others it's a need to be the center of attention, or the ability to hide behind a mask/character and let our hidden personalities do the work for us. Depending on your background and what you gain from taking this incredible journey, your reasoning will help you decide where you might fit in the industry. WHERE DO YOU FIT? Your personality also has a lot to do with what you'll be best at in this field. For instance, if you like to "let go" and be super silly, animation, video games, and audiobooks might be a great place for you. If you are more reserved and confident, then perhaps commercial and narration is for you. It just really depends on your desire. CHILDREN DON'T HOLD BACK Many just like to get lost in character work - like those of us with a theater background or a serious love for NOT GROWING UP! Actually, that's one of my favorite places to be. A child who is responsible but doesn't feel the need to stop playing! The one thing that children do more than adults, and why they are worth studying, is that children don't hold back. They just LET GO. For a better term, "They let their inner freak out." RELEASE YOUR INNER CHILD It isn't until we start judging children or teaching them to judge that they stop letting go. This is where much of my coaching comes in. I spend a lot of time teaching students how to let out your inner child:
STOP JUDGING YOURSELF Perhaps you laugh when I say that. You may feel that there is NEVER a time you are not judged. We as adults judge all the time, and this is what stops us from letting our inner freak out! We worry so much about what people think about us that we don't take the time to NOT CARE and just get lost in the feeling. FEEL IT ... RECORD IT If you are feeling angry, sad, happy, mad - get to your audio recording set up (whether pro or makeshift), and create a character suiting that emotion. Allow your frustrations to come out as you are a cartoon character dealing with your situation. You might have heard the term, "Get Drunk in your Character." This is very similar to what I'm describing. For instance, perhaps you're super excited about something. So make up a script, or write down a comic book scene, or voice a commercial or copy you already have - or just plain ad-lib. RECORD AND LISTEN Record yourself in that other world - ESPECIALLY when you lose control and you have NO idea what you just did. That's usually when you truly let your freak out and are lost in the character. I just can't tell you how good this feels! Then listen to what you recorded, and you will be surprised. The raw YOU can be an incredibly humbling experience to embrace. BUT STAY 'DIRECTABLE' Of course, we can go too far and get too lost. Even though we need to be lost in the character and comfortable to let our freak out in front of complete strangers, we still must make ourselves directable. And we should NEVER, NEVER, JUDGE. When you begin thinking about someone judging you - YOU are the one truly judging. GET TO THE MIC ... So now I challenge you to a "Let Your Freak Out" session in your home studio - especially if you're a stuffy shirt type. Let go. Get out of your own way. And listen. Then create a name for this character you've created, and add it to your character roster. This will work for cartoony characters as well as the regular guy/girl next door. -----------------------------------------  ABOUT DEBDeb
Munro is a leading voice talent, coach, and owner of Chanti
Productions, in the Vancouver, B.C., Canada area. She offers private
voice over coaching by phone and Skype, and workshops on voice acting,
business and demo prep in many Canadian cities. Email: deb@debsvoice.com Web: www.debsvoice.com |
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timely, as i am starting a book with a good number of characters
Thierry Laflamme
Toronto, Ontario