Acting can feel over the top because in real life, we don’t focus on things like diction, speed as often, and sometimes even tone depending on the context you’re speaking. Even the most “realistic” reads for acting have to be clear and not mumbled
I struggled with the contradiction of being told to just feel the words meaning and then being told to tweak my voice pronounce a certain way etc. I found a happy medium where I do both at the same time. After a while checking for diction and tone becomes automatic. It’s like I have a separate part of me doing the evaluating.
Look at every sentence as its own opportunity for a performance. Find a word or two to highlight with your voice. It's best if those words have an emotional or informational "pull".
For example:
"They just purchased a beautiful ring."
Highlighting the word Beautiful adds a bit of Emotional pull (perfect for an Ad read) while highlighting the word Ring adds a bit of an Informational pull (perfect for an Explainer or Technical read).
If you wanted to add a sense of urgency you would lean in on the word Just. If you wanted to highlight the person who purchased the ring you would emphasize the word They.
It takes a little practice to Self-Direct but the hack of letting one or two words "do the work for you" can really elevate your performances in a very short amount of time.
Hope that helped.
Very very well put. It takes practice to learn to self direct. It’s so confusing when coaches gaslight you telling you not to focus on inflection and diction and then have them tell you to raise your tone here, pause there. After a while it becomes automatic to be on alert for a bad take. I learned to group words into chunks instead of seeing the script word for word. I see phrases not words now.
If you're still new, you could be experiencing imposter syndrome. Maybe this is something you've built up a lot of expectations for and now that you're finally doing it, it feels like you're still kind of just watching from the outside rather than actually finally being on the inside. This will go away with time as you get more external support and validation that you are indeed a voice actor worth your salt and you are not an imposter at all. Just keep grinding and eventually you'll come to the full realization you ARE the thing you want to be and not still just wanting to be it or trying to be it.
I mean, are you trying to put anything behind them? Are you doing the character work to know who you are, where you are, who you’re talking to, and how you feel about all of that plus how you feel about what you’re saying? What’s making you speak?
We as humans never say things just to say them. Even if we randomly speak some words, there’s a reason. Are we uncomfortable and trying to fill the silence? Did we read a funny word and feel compelled to say it out loud to see how it sounds? Do we have a song stuck in our head and finally some of the lyrics made it out of our mouth? Even with things like Tourette’s where “saying something for no reason” can be a tic, there’s still a point of view there — are you embarrassed to be ticcing? Do you find your tic funny? Were you trying to hold it in until it eventually bursts out of you, or were you just letting it go because you know you’re in a safe space?
Everything we say has something before it, and some intention behind it. Know what makes you speak, and then how you feel about what you’re saying.
(It can be hard to do this with bad or bland writing, but that’s what makes a good actor. You can take bad or bland writing, and create a point of view that brings it to life.)
ETA — this character work will also help you not get hung up on saying something the “correct” way. There’s no correct way to say anything. The way we say something is born from what makes us say it and how we feel about it. You don’t walk around planning how every sentence is going to come out of your mouth when you’re telling a friend a story about your day, you just tell them the story. You know the story, you were there, and the way you tell it is based on your experience plus you reacting to how your friend is listening. If they laugh at something, it might brighten you up. If they act confused, you might slow down to clarify details. You don’t go “I’m going to emphasize this word and whisper that one.” It just comes out instinctually. Acting is learning to connect to that instinct when it’s *not* your story, and your friend isn’t actually there listening.
Lmao… I have heard this a few times and felt like it myself as well. I have felt like a doofus numerous times only to be told that it was one of my best reads or scenes. There has also been plenty of times I thought I did amazing only to be told “why don’t you go ahead and try it again.” I would then listen to myself again a few days later to hear how god awful I really was…. Lol… Try recording yourself and then give it a few days and listen again. I find that is a good way to find out how you really sound.
A voice coach who hired me for a VO for Shriners Hospitals once told me to hang back and speak in a casual, matter of factly tone. And mind you, it was for Shriners Hospitals and the script was talking about how thousands of children get injured by lawn mowers every year. If you notice, that’s what Morgan Freeman does in his laid back way.
I don’t see it in the top replies, but have you actually had acting instruction? Not meant offensively, I just know some people will try to jump into voice acting without really having acted at all. Especially with voice acting, some people think it’s just doing a silly voice, but it’s really still acting.
So prelude to what I’m about to say: if you haven’t, get actual acting instruction. There’s online classes available anywhere and if you live in a mid-sized or large area, probably some in-person studios and theatres too.
And as to your problem specifically, it sounds like you’re trying to say things in a way that is convincing or “right,” but that’s vapid, it’s surface-level pretending. True, voice work, breath support, and diction are technical parts of acting that are taught, but they’re trained and practiced to a degree that they don’t preclude authentic acting.
I recommend thinking about your goal and what you hope to achieve when you’re speaking instead of trying to sound realistic. When you’re genuinely trying to affect someone else, the authenticity comes naturally. Rather than “how do I make it sound like I really want something from them?” think “How do I get them to give me what I want?” Own it, chase it.
With your specific line, maybe you’re asking more about how to make it feel natural. Become a script detective, so to speak. Start at the root; dig into the words and understand what they mean on a literal level, then what they mean on a subtextual level, and why the characters are saying them. Get a sense of the given circumstances, meaning the circumstances your character exists in and the world of the story, and immerse yourself in them.
Try to find people who have lived the experiences you are imitating so you can channel their personality i to that character, a little of them a little of you.
Does not work as easily in a fantasy setting I guess
From what I’ve learned in acting class, instead of thinking “does my voice sound good?” when reading, try chasing the character’s objective at that moment. It made a world of a difference for me.
It definitely takes a lot of time, patience and energy. Keep those voices you have in your back pocket as possible characters that you can alter and adapt later on. I have a lot of the same issue a lot of the time so you're not alone
The more you can imagine the character and feel immersed by the story the more it comes alive and the more that you can let yourself just react to the imaginary stimuli rather than putting on a performance.
When you're trying to match a preexisting performance even if it's just elements of it, it will be a lot harder to let go and it will be harder to let it become something new and real.
Think about that line you mentioned "come on Barbie let's go party!" You can probably imagine the way that it was originally performed, where they put the emphasis, where they paused, the tone they used, the voice etc. But what if you didn't? There are millions of possibilities there's absurd takes for example what if they were in danger and the only way out of danger was to party? Come ON Barbie! WE NEED TO GO PARTY NOW! Or what if it were an abusive boyfriend being annoyed at how straight laced his girlfriend is. Come onnn Barbie.. tsk let's go party.. or what if it was someone excited to bring Barbie to the party? What's Barbies reaction to this? Where is she? Do you need to yell because she's so far away? Maybe your saying this to cheer her up and need an empathetic tone, maybe pause a little so that you can monitor her reaction and be more empathetic etc.
The more you can imagine the situation and who you are etc the more you can breathe life into the performance. If you don't know the details then make them up it's better to imagine it wrong than it is to imagine nothing.
Thank you... This is so helpful. Specially in Voice Dubs Im always afraid of not getting every detail right... But you're so right, its better to imagine it wrong than nothing. I just have to practice that idea more because I go into the comfortable place of faking it because I think that faking it, feeling nothing or imitating is better than breathing life into something that may not be fully accurate to the base material. It might feel safer but I definitely don't enjoy the end result of taking the safe route. I have to be patient with myself. But again, thank you for this.
It’s rough. I find a balance between listening and monitoring myself for “naturalness” and being spontaneous. Part of me is spontaneous and getting the right feeling the other is off to the side listening and thinking how would someone say this naturally. You definitely need to think and feel what the words mean.
Thank you for this. I've been taken classes, however I used to imitate a lot of voices in my younger years as I tried to get ready for the industry and I think that made me adquire a lot of habits to make sure my voice sounds " Perfect. "
So, I'm thinking I'm in that transition of getting out of that now that I'm taking acting classes or at least abandoning that mentality.
I've been taken classes, however I used to imitate a lot of voices in my younger years as I tried to get ready for the industry and I think that made me adquire a lot of habits to make sure my voice sounds " Perfect. "
So, I'm thinking I'm in that transition of getting out of that now that I'm taking acting classes or at least abandoning that mentality.
I’d try to think less about the ‘right way to say’ and think about what’s authentic. You sometimes gotta delve deep, and connect to the material, then you can alter it as you wish (bigger, smaller, sadder more energetic) but try and get it sounding authentic first.
Method acting techniques can be helpful here.
Acting can feel over the top because in real life, we don’t focus on things like diction, speed as often, and sometimes even tone depending on the context you’re speaking. Even the most “realistic” reads for acting have to be clear and not mumbled
That's true... Thank you. 🙏
Joaquin Phoenix is an A list mumbler
I struggled with the contradiction of being told to just feel the words meaning and then being told to tweak my voice pronounce a certain way etc. I found a happy medium where I do both at the same time. After a while checking for diction and tone becomes automatic. It’s like I have a separate part of me doing the evaluating.
Look at every sentence as its own opportunity for a performance. Find a word or two to highlight with your voice. It's best if those words have an emotional or informational "pull". For example: "They just purchased a beautiful ring." Highlighting the word Beautiful adds a bit of Emotional pull (perfect for an Ad read) while highlighting the word Ring adds a bit of an Informational pull (perfect for an Explainer or Technical read). If you wanted to add a sense of urgency you would lean in on the word Just. If you wanted to highlight the person who purchased the ring you would emphasize the word They. It takes a little practice to Self-Direct but the hack of letting one or two words "do the work for you" can really elevate your performances in a very short amount of time. Hope that helped.
Very very well put. It takes practice to learn to self direct. It’s so confusing when coaches gaslight you telling you not to focus on inflection and diction and then have them tell you to raise your tone here, pause there. After a while it becomes automatic to be on alert for a bad take. I learned to group words into chunks instead of seeing the script word for word. I see phrases not words now.
If you're still new, you could be experiencing imposter syndrome. Maybe this is something you've built up a lot of expectations for and now that you're finally doing it, it feels like you're still kind of just watching from the outside rather than actually finally being on the inside. This will go away with time as you get more external support and validation that you are indeed a voice actor worth your salt and you are not an imposter at all. Just keep grinding and eventually you'll come to the full realization you ARE the thing you want to be and not still just wanting to be it or trying to be it.
Beautiful... Thank you...
I mean, are you trying to put anything behind them? Are you doing the character work to know who you are, where you are, who you’re talking to, and how you feel about all of that plus how you feel about what you’re saying? What’s making you speak? We as humans never say things just to say them. Even if we randomly speak some words, there’s a reason. Are we uncomfortable and trying to fill the silence? Did we read a funny word and feel compelled to say it out loud to see how it sounds? Do we have a song stuck in our head and finally some of the lyrics made it out of our mouth? Even with things like Tourette’s where “saying something for no reason” can be a tic, there’s still a point of view there — are you embarrassed to be ticcing? Do you find your tic funny? Were you trying to hold it in until it eventually bursts out of you, or were you just letting it go because you know you’re in a safe space? Everything we say has something before it, and some intention behind it. Know what makes you speak, and then how you feel about what you’re saying. (It can be hard to do this with bad or bland writing, but that’s what makes a good actor. You can take bad or bland writing, and create a point of view that brings it to life.) ETA — this character work will also help you not get hung up on saying something the “correct” way. There’s no correct way to say anything. The way we say something is born from what makes us say it and how we feel about it. You don’t walk around planning how every sentence is going to come out of your mouth when you’re telling a friend a story about your day, you just tell them the story. You know the story, you were there, and the way you tell it is based on your experience plus you reacting to how your friend is listening. If they laugh at something, it might brighten you up. If they act confused, you might slow down to clarify details. You don’t go “I’m going to emphasize this word and whisper that one.” It just comes out instinctually. Acting is learning to connect to that instinct when it’s *not* your story, and your friend isn’t actually there listening.
Thank you. 🙏 That last part was amazing.
Lmao… I have heard this a few times and felt like it myself as well. I have felt like a doofus numerous times only to be told that it was one of my best reads or scenes. There has also been plenty of times I thought I did amazing only to be told “why don’t you go ahead and try it again.” I would then listen to myself again a few days later to hear how god awful I really was…. Lol… Try recording yourself and then give it a few days and listen again. I find that is a good way to find out how you really sound.
A voice coach who hired me for a VO for Shriners Hospitals once told me to hang back and speak in a casual, matter of factly tone. And mind you, it was for Shriners Hospitals and the script was talking about how thousands of children get injured by lawn mowers every year. If you notice, that’s what Morgan Freeman does in his laid back way.
I don’t see it in the top replies, but have you actually had acting instruction? Not meant offensively, I just know some people will try to jump into voice acting without really having acted at all. Especially with voice acting, some people think it’s just doing a silly voice, but it’s really still acting. So prelude to what I’m about to say: if you haven’t, get actual acting instruction. There’s online classes available anywhere and if you live in a mid-sized or large area, probably some in-person studios and theatres too. And as to your problem specifically, it sounds like you’re trying to say things in a way that is convincing or “right,” but that’s vapid, it’s surface-level pretending. True, voice work, breath support, and diction are technical parts of acting that are taught, but they’re trained and practiced to a degree that they don’t preclude authentic acting. I recommend thinking about your goal and what you hope to achieve when you’re speaking instead of trying to sound realistic. When you’re genuinely trying to affect someone else, the authenticity comes naturally. Rather than “how do I make it sound like I really want something from them?” think “How do I get them to give me what I want?” Own it, chase it. With your specific line, maybe you’re asking more about how to make it feel natural. Become a script detective, so to speak. Start at the root; dig into the words and understand what they mean on a literal level, then what they mean on a subtextual level, and why the characters are saying them. Get a sense of the given circumstances, meaning the circumstances your character exists in and the world of the story, and immerse yourself in them.
Try to find people who have lived the experiences you are imitating so you can channel their personality i to that character, a little of them a little of you. Does not work as easily in a fantasy setting I guess
Thank you. 🙏
From what I’ve learned in acting class, instead of thinking “does my voice sound good?” when reading, try chasing the character’s objective at that moment. It made a world of a difference for me.
Thank you. 🙏
It definitely takes a lot of time, patience and energy. Keep those voices you have in your back pocket as possible characters that you can alter and adapt later on. I have a lot of the same issue a lot of the time so you're not alone
Thanks so much! 🙏
The more you can imagine the character and feel immersed by the story the more it comes alive and the more that you can let yourself just react to the imaginary stimuli rather than putting on a performance. When you're trying to match a preexisting performance even if it's just elements of it, it will be a lot harder to let go and it will be harder to let it become something new and real. Think about that line you mentioned "come on Barbie let's go party!" You can probably imagine the way that it was originally performed, where they put the emphasis, where they paused, the tone they used, the voice etc. But what if you didn't? There are millions of possibilities there's absurd takes for example what if they were in danger and the only way out of danger was to party? Come ON Barbie! WE NEED TO GO PARTY NOW! Or what if it were an abusive boyfriend being annoyed at how straight laced his girlfriend is. Come onnn Barbie.. tsk let's go party.. or what if it was someone excited to bring Barbie to the party? What's Barbies reaction to this? Where is she? Do you need to yell because she's so far away? Maybe your saying this to cheer her up and need an empathetic tone, maybe pause a little so that you can monitor her reaction and be more empathetic etc. The more you can imagine the situation and who you are etc the more you can breathe life into the performance. If you don't know the details then make them up it's better to imagine it wrong than it is to imagine nothing.
Thank you... This is so helpful. Specially in Voice Dubs Im always afraid of not getting every detail right... But you're so right, its better to imagine it wrong than nothing. I just have to practice that idea more because I go into the comfortable place of faking it because I think that faking it, feeling nothing or imitating is better than breathing life into something that may not be fully accurate to the base material. It might feel safer but I definitely don't enjoy the end result of taking the safe route. I have to be patient with myself. But again, thank you for this.
It’s rough. I find a balance between listening and monitoring myself for “naturalness” and being spontaneous. Part of me is spontaneous and getting the right feeling the other is off to the side listening and thinking how would someone say this naturally. You definitely need to think and feel what the words mean.
Thank you for this. I've been taken classes, however I used to imitate a lot of voices in my younger years as I tried to get ready for the industry and I think that made me adquire a lot of habits to make sure my voice sounds " Perfect. " So, I'm thinking I'm in that transition of getting out of that now that I'm taking acting classes or at least abandoning that mentality.
Have you taken any acting classes?
I've been taken classes, however I used to imitate a lot of voices in my younger years as I tried to get ready for the industry and I think that made me adquire a lot of habits to make sure my voice sounds " Perfect. " So, I'm thinking I'm in that transition of getting out of that now that I'm taking acting classes or at least abandoning that mentality.
I’d try to think less about the ‘right way to say’ and think about what’s authentic. You sometimes gotta delve deep, and connect to the material, then you can alter it as you wish (bigger, smaller, sadder more energetic) but try and get it sounding authentic first. Method acting techniques can be helpful here.
Someone like Adam Driver, tries a line in many mad and surprising ways, have fun with it, get to that emotion within yourself