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What is voice over you ask?
Any time you hear a voice in any type of media and can't see the person
talking i.e., calling for the time, a radio commercial, a cartoon character
or the infamous "Mr(s). John Doe, white courtesy telephone please...",
that's a voice over. The degrees of voice over vary as much as
any art form. One minute you could be reading a starchy corporate narration
and the next you could be reading a zany cartoon character, it all depends
on your individual talent and strengths.
The best way to get an idea
of what you can bring to the table is to simply, listen. Listen to any
type of media: the radio, TV, CD-ROM games, books on tape, video trade
show presentations, infomercials, voice mail systems or any other type
of voice over you hear. As you listen, try and mimic what you're hearing.
Try to match the rhythm, tone and inflections you hear. If you can, sit
down with a tape recorder and record your own voice doing the same spot
or lines. Listen to what you've recorded. This is an exercise that can
help you get comfortable with hearing the sound of your own voice. Many
people starting out have been known to say, "Is that ME?!" Try
reading aloud some ads in your favorite magazine, put your own spin on
them. The more you read, the more your own personality and style will
naturally come out.
Similar to stage acting, having
emotional range is very important in performing a good voice over.
Okay picture this, an actor standing alone on a stage during an audition,
trying feverishly to convince a casting director that "I've got range
I tell ya, I've got RAaaange!", as he's being
dragged off stage by a large hook from the side curtains. The point is
to really wow them with emotional range, this is good prevention for getting
the hook.
The foundation of voice over
is acting. Learning to make the words come "alive" from the
page and conveying it with the proper emotion, that's key. Try it yourself.
Pick up today's newspaper and read a story, any story...okay now try reading
it again and make it sound as if you weren't reading it at all. Make it
sound as if you were telling a story to a good friend. Express in your
voice how you personally feel about what's being said. Are
you happy, are you stoic or maybe your heart is breaking. Nine times out
of ten, that is what's required in a good voice over session.
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