LESS IS MORE

When understood and applied, this simple concept is one of the most powerful things you can do to create believability in your performing, and it works well in just about every aspect of the business from marketing to production.

Just because you love what you do does not necessarily mean you are good at what you do. In voice acting, accuracy with pronunciation or an obvious presentation does not necessarily create the highest level of believability. You will find that you can often create a greater level of truth and honesty in a character by simply holding back a little (or a lot). Some professionals refer to this as “letting go of your voice,” “making it real,” or “being conversational.” It may be that speaking a bit slower, a bit softer, altering the phrasing, or being somewhat more relaxed might be just the thing to make that emotional connection with the listener. If your character has a specific regional sound or accent to his or her voice, you may find that softening the edge makes your performance more effective. If your character is intended to be an exaggeration, the less is more philosophy probably won’t apply, and to be effective you may actually have to go overboard on the characterization.

Less is more is a technique often used by filmmakers to create tension

and suspense or as a form of misdirection to set the audience up for a surprise. For example, in the Steven Spielberg film Jurassic Park, the initial appearance of the T. Rex was not accompanied by a huge roar. Instead, the tension of the moment was created by ripples in a simple cup of water, implying the approach of something huge and menacing.

The same technique of minimalizing in your voiceover performance can create a moment of dramatic tension, or wild laughter. It often has to do with the character’s attitude, the twist of a word, the phrasing of a sentence, the pace of the delivery, or simply a carefully placed pause.

Understanding and applying less is more is an acquired skill, much like comedic timing. It requires a mastery of the craft of voice acting to a point where you are not thinking about what you are doing, and your delivery comes from someplace inside you. Although some people seem to have a natural instinct for interpretation and using the less is more concept to create a believable performance, most acquire this skill through experience. MORE IS MORE

As powerful as the less is more concept is, there are times when a script simply calls for taking your performance a bit “over the top.” To create a believable illusion of reality, you may occasionally need to present an attitude or emotion that feels slightly exaggerated. This more is more idea is common in dialogue commercials and character voice work for animation, cartoons, and video games, but will also be heard in single voice work.

More is more works in voiceover because the only thing the listener has

for creating a scene in their imagination is the sound of the voice. They don’t have the benefit of any visuals. Because of this, giving the performance a slight bit more that “real life” will often create a stronger, and more visual, sense of reality than if the words were spoken from a completely realistic perspective. The trick to using more is more effectively is to be careful that you don’t take it too far over the top or you stand the chance of breaking the illusion of reality with a delivery that sounds forced. PERFORMANCE DYNAMICS—PACING, VOLUME, RANGE

Performance dynamics are the fundamental elements of vocal variety and lay at the heart of any voiceover performance. It is the dynamics of your performance that makes less is more a powerful technique. When you understand and apply the dynamics of pacing, volume, and range, you will be able to make any vocal presentation interesting and captivating.

Pacing refers to the variations of speed in your delivery. It is closely

related to the rhythm and timing of the copy and to the tempo of your delivery. Pacing is how fast or how slow you are speaking at any given moment. I’m sure you’ve heard commercials or other voiceover that is delivered at the same pace throughout. There is no phrasing, no pausing for impact, absolutely nothing that makes an emotional connection. Only intellectual information being delivered often at a rapid-fire pace. Or you’ve heard people who… seem… to… take… for… ever… to… say… what’s… on… their… mind. Does either of these styles of delivery get and keep your interest? No! In most cases a steady pace is boring and uninteresting, if not downright hard to listen to. There are some exceptions in projects for which a steady or slow pace may be critical and necessary to the effective delivery of information, as in an educational or training program. However, in most cases, slowing down or speeding up your pacing to give importance to certain words, phrases, or ideas will make a big difference in your

presentation. Create interesting phrasing by varying your pace or tempo. Within two or three read-throughs, you should be able to find the pace and phrasing that will allow you to read a script within the allotted time and in an interesting manner. Some directing cues that relate to pace are: “pick it up” (speed up), “stretch” (slow down), “fill” (you have extra time), and “tighten” (take out breaths or pauses between words).

Volume, or dynamic range, refers the variations in the loudness of your

delivery, and is how soft or how loud you speak at any given moment. Just as volume changes in a piece of classical music keep things interesting, dynamic range in voiceover directly relates to the believability of a performance. Performing a script at the same volume throughout is much like speaking at the same pace throughout. Both result in loss of credibility in the mind of the listener, because real people change how fast and how loud they speak depending on how they feel about what they are saying. The dynamic range of a performance is directly related to attitude and tone—from soft and intimate to loud and aggressive.

Vocal range, or vocal variety, refers to a performer’s ability to put

variety into the performance by adjusting the pitch and placement of the voice to maintain interest. You’ve, no doubt, experienced a seminar or lecture at which the speaker spoke in a monotone, resulting in the audience tuning out and losing interest. Vocal range covers the spectrum from your lowest pitch to your highest pitch. Voice actors for animation have developed a wide range from which to create many characters. You have a normal vocal range for speaking in everyday conversation, and you can speak at a lower or higher pitch when necessary or when you are expressing an emotion. Practice speaking at a slightly lower or higher pitch and notice how a small change in vocal range can result in a big shift in interpretation.

Listen to the way people talk to each other and you will notice a wide range of speaking styles. Excitement, enthusiasm, awe, sarcasm, pity, wonder, sorrow, cynicism, and sadness are all expressed in different ways by different people. The variations in the way a person expresses herself or himself reflect that individual’s vocal range.

Observe how you instinctively adjust your pacing, volume, and range in your everyday conversations. Practice altering your dynamics as you speak to your friends or at work, and notice how they pay more attention to what you have to say.

Be aware, however, that performance dynamics can be easily misused, forced, or overdone. The secret to understanding these dynamics is in the interpretation of a script. What is the writer’s objective? Who is the intended audience? How should the words be spoken to achieve the maximum emotional and dramatic effect? How should the intellectual content be delivered so the listener can understand and use it?

When combined, the dynamics of voice acting serve to help create drama, humor, and tension in a performance. When effectively used, they go hand-in-hand to result in a performance that inspires, motivates, and is believable.

ARTICULATION

Complex sentences are an everyday occurrence that every voice actor must deal with. Words must be spoken clearly and concepts communicated in a way that can be understood. Voice acting, and effective communication in general, is a blend of intellectual and emotional information delivered in an interesting and understandable manner. Unless a specific speech affectation is called for in a script, it is generally unacceptable to stumble through words or slur through a piece of copy. Articulation refers to the clarity with which words are spoken. Most common problems with articulation are the result of lazy mouth, or the tendency to not fully use the muscles of the tongue, jaw, and mouth when speaking. Good articulation, or enunciation, can be especially tricky when copy must be read quickly.

The script we worked with earlier works well as an articulation warm- up exercise. Read the following copy, this time making sure that your articulation is crisp and clear. Don’t worry about getting it in “on-time,” just focus on making every word clear and distinct. For the purpose of the warm- up exercise, you’ll want to force yourself to over-articulate —and don’t forget to speak the ends of every word. (See “The Cork” exercise on page 48 and CD/5.) After doing this exercise, your conversational articulation will sound natural, but will actually be more clear because your vocal instrument is warmed-up.

Come in today for special savings on all patio furniture, lighting fixtures, door bells, and buzzers, including big discounts on hammers, shovels, and power tools, plus super savings on everything you need to keep your garden green and beautiful. When the same letter is back-to-back in adjacent words such as the “s” in “hammers, shovels” and “plus super,” it’s easy to slide through the words sounding the letter only once. In a conversational delivery, it’s fine to tie those letters together, but for this exercise speak the end of each word clearly. It is also easy to drop the letter “d” from words like “and” and “need,” especially when the next word begins with a “t,” “d,” “g,” or “b.” The letter “g” on words, such as “big,” can sometimes be swallowed resulting in the phrase “big discounts” sounding like “bih discounts.” The suffix “ing” can often be modified when in a hurry, causing words, such as “lighting” and “everything,” to sound like “lightin” and “everythin.” With good articulation, the ends of words are clearly heard, but not overenunciated and suffixes are properly pronounced.

The “s” and “z” sounds should be clearly distinct. The “s” in “door bells” should have a different sound from the “z” in “buzzers.” The consonant “s” should sound like the end of the word “yes,” which is primarily a nonvocalized release of air over the tongue. To properly pronounce the more complex “z” sound, the tip of the tongue starts in the “es” position and a vocalization is added. Say the word “buzz” and hold the “z.” You should feel a distinct vibration of your tongue and teeth.

Plosives are another articulation problem area. Plosives are caused by

excessive air rushing out of the mouth when speaking letters such as “P,” “B,” “G,” “K,” and “T.” When this sudden rush of air hits a microphone’s diaphragm, the result is a loud “pop.” Plosives can be corrected by turning slightly off-axis of the microphone, by using a foam windscreen, or placing a nylon “pop filter” in front of the mic. To feel the effect of plosives, place your hand directly in front of your mouth and say “Puh, Puh, Puh” several times. Turning your hand to the side will show you how the blast of air is reduced when turning off-mic.

To achieve a conversational and believable delivery, it is often necessary to violate some of the basic rules of crisp articulation. However, it is important to understand and to master the correct way to do something before you can effectively do that thing incorrectly and make it believable. In other words, you’ve got to be good before you can do bad, believably. When speaking in a conversational style, be careful NOT to over-articulate.

An important aspect of articulation is the ends of words. It is common in every-day conversation to drop the ends of words, and we instinctively fill in the missing sounds as we listen. But in voiceover, those ends of words are important and need to be heard. As you begin to work with copy, learn to listen to yourself to hear if you are dropping the ends of words. The technique of Linking on page 96 is a good way of correcting this problem. DICTION

Diction is defined as the accent, inflection, intonation, and speaking

style dependent on the choice of words. Diction is directly related to articulation, the clarity of your delivery, the correct pronunciation of words, and the sound of a character’s voice. One of the best ways to improve your diction is simply to slow down as you speak and focus on your enunciation and clarity. Diction is important in all voiceover performances—you really do want to say the client’s name correctly and clearly.

If you are creating a character voice, your diction becomes even more important. A character voice may be a dialect or specific speaking style, and it is vital that your words be understood. Listen to yourself closely to make sure you are speaking clearly and at the correct pace for the character. As with articulation, Exercise 9: “The Cork” on page 48, can help with diction. TEMPO, RHYTHM, AND TIMING

All voiceover copy has an ideal tempo. Tempo refers directly to the speed at which the words are spoken. A performance may be delivered at a constant tempo or at a varying tempo. You speak at a comfortable tempo when you are in conversation. When performing, your delivery tempo may be slower, faster, or about the same as your normal, conversational tempo.

Voiceover copy also has a built-in rhythm. Rhythm is an aspect of phrasing and is closely related to tempo. Combined with tempo, rhythm

gives a voiceover performance its sense of musicality. It is the flow of the words, the way the words are organized in sentences, and the placement of importance, or value, on certain words. Rhythm is also directly related to the emotional content of the copy. Poetic copy has an obvious rhythm (or meter). The rhythm of narrative copy is a bit more challenging to find, but it is there. Dialogue copy has a distinctive rhythm, which often includes a sort of verbal syncopation, gradually, or quickly, building to a punch line. Just as you speak with your own personal rhythm, the characters you create for a voiceover performance will each speak with their own rhythm. It may be choppy, staccato, smooth, or even vary throughout the delivery. Finding the proper rhythm is critical to an effective and compelling performance.

The combination of tempo and rhythm in a performance is known as timing. Timing refers to interaction between characters or the manner in which pauses between lines of copy, and general phrasing are handled. As a voice actor, where you place a pause or a beat can create tension, humor, or drama in a performance. How quickly does one character speak after another finishes a line? Do the characters step on each other’s lines? Is there a long silence before a character speaks? These are all aspects of timing.

If you have a natural sense of timing, you are ahead of the game. If not, the producer will direct you into the timing, and you will get a sense of what is needed as the session progresses. As you become comfortable with your character’s tempo and rhythm, timing becomes automatic.

Watch TV sitcoms to study tempo, rhythm, and timing. Study the interaction between characters and how they deliver their lines. Listen for the jokes, and how a joke is set up and delivered. Watch the physical characteristics of the actors as they work together. What are their gestures? What facial expressions do they use when they deliver a joke? What expressions do they have when they react to something? How do they express emotion and dramatic tension? Use what you learn to help develop tempo, rhythm, and timing for your performances.

The combination of tempo, rhythm, and timing works differently for different media. Theater has the slowest tempo and rhythm, then film, followed by television and finally, radio with the fastest tempo and rhythm. In some ways, radio can be performed at almost any rate, but generally a radio performance is faster than the same copy performed on-camera for television or film. Because radio uses only one of the senses, the rhythm, timing, and pace are set a bit faster to create a more real and believable interaction between characters. The faster tempo of radio gives the copywriter and talent an opportunity to quickly establish and develop an interesting story that will grab the listener’s attention and hold it while the message is delivered.

PHRASING

One of the most common challenges when working with a script is to determine the proper delivery speed and variety. How quickly or slowly

should you speak? And how will you adjust your phrasing or pacing to add variety to your delivery?

Phrasing in voiceover is very much like phrasing in music. It refers to

the overall flow of your delivery; the variations in tempo, rhythm, and timing as you speak; and the subtle nuances of your tone of voice. More specifically, phrasing relates to the way you say certain words or sentences. For example, a short statement—“I would like some more, please”?—can be phrased in several different ways. The first word “I” can be emphasized to give personal emphasis. By the same token, changing the tempo, and emphasizing the word “would” can give an entirely different meaning. Breaking the phrase into two sentences by putting a period after the word “some” can result in a completely different delivery.

Try this exercise to discover different ways to express this simple phrase. Read each line at different tempos and rhythms, giving importance to the word in bold:

I would like some more, please! I would like some more, please! I would like some more, please! I would like some more, please! I would like some more, please I would like some more, please! SUSTAIN TO SLOW DOWN AND ADD INTEREST

An aspect of phrasing is sometimes referred to as pulling words. This technique focuses on sustaining, or stretching, specific sounds, words, or phrases. Sustaining an entire phrase can usually be achieved simply by