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Character Voice Acting Basics

Posted by JohnMatthewVO in All Posts | Instruction | Voiceover Techniques & Tips - (Comments Off)

I found this video of one of my favorite character actors, Hank Azaria, explaining how he came up with one of my favorite Simpsons characters, Professor Frink (also Comic Book Guy). Take a look – it’s short and fun – and I’ll be right back.

In the video, Hank mentions that he gave the Simpsons producers a list of the various impressions and accents he does, as a basis for writing characters for him to voice. This reminded me of one of the basic lessons voice actors are taught when it comes to doing characters: it’s not about the VOICE, it’s about the CHARACTER.

A lot of beginners are initially attracted to voiceover work because they do some funny voices or impressions. But just doing a voice is NOT ENOUGH. You must develop fully realized characters.

Impressions and accents are a good place to start to build characters, but it has to go beyond that. You’ve got to give us a multi-dimensional personality – a character with a history, with attitudes and opinions and motivations and various character traits (and flaws!) if we’re really going to believe it and be compelled by it. Grandpa Simpson comes to mind as a very complex, layered character who displays all of these elements.

If you take an animation voiceover class (and you should, even if you don’t plan on focusing on character work, as it’s a great stretch and will help your other work), you’ll probably be given some sort of character sheet – this is a form that you can copy and fill out, to help you build and keep track of your characters. They typically have room for the character’s name, voice type, accent, personality traits and so on. Using these forms (make your own if you need to) and supplementing them with audio recordings of your characters is a great way to start to build your character voice repertoire.

Stay tuned for interviews with some great character voice actors…

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Talent Interview: Matilda Novak On Audiobooks

Posted by JohnMatthewVO in All Posts | Interviews | Voiceover Community & History - (Comments Off)

Matilda Novak recorded her first audio book, Jhumpa LaHiri’s Pulitzer
Prize-winning collection of short stories “Interpreter of Maladies”
in 2000. Since then she has recorded other works of both fiction and
non-fiction. She also records in nearly every other facet of the voice
over industry. http://voice123.com/matildanovak

For you, what are the best and worst aspects of audiobook work?

My favorite thing about audiobook work is getting to play everyone, including people who in other genres I’d never be cast as (all the men, women, old, young…you get it). The worst thing is, these days some companies want to have the reader produce everything, so it would be a zillion times more work, for less pay.

After doing my homework, I like to focus entirely on my performance. I still love it when I can go into a studio and let someone else worry about everything not connected to that.

What qualities does a voice actor need to possess to be successful in audiobook work?

You should definitely know if you have the stamina for this kind of work – recording for long sessions – not everyone does. And of course, you need to be able to create and sustain characters for the duration of the book.

Any other thoughts?

Non-fiction is “easier” in that you’re not dealing with characters, but it’s still a completely different animal in terms of voiceover.  Stamina is important.  Being able to create and sustain interest for the listener is key.

Whatever the subject matter, be interested. If you’re not, that will come across.

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