When you're listening to the radio, what makes you stop flipping from channel to channel? Of course your favorite song will make you pause, or maybe you catch an important news broadcast. But do you sometimes find yourself stopping to listen to a commercial? If a commercial is read correctly by a voiceover talent then you should be drawn in to the story-line. If it's a topic that you're interested in, and if the voiceover actor is acting the script well, then it really comes to life!
I am referring to a growing field in the entertainment industry that many people aren't even aware of. Last year, the voiceover industry increased 7% to a $11.7 billion dollar industry! So yes, it can be an incredibly lucrative career that is also fun, rewarding and flexible! If you've been told you have a great voice or distinctive sound, you may have the "chops" for voiceovers. However, there's a lot more to becoming a great voiceover talent then just having a good sound. Voiceovers are voice acting. You need to bring the script to life! When you're reading copy, which is another word for script, you become that character. You need to ask yourself a few basic questions when analyzing the script:
1) What demographic is the script geared toward? Who is the audience that you're speaking to?
2) What is your personal connection with the product? Remember that voiceovers are voice ACTING! So if you can't connect with the product from your personal experiences, how can you (as the actor in this situation) connect with the product?
3) What is the emotion that you want to convey while reading this script?
4) Who do you know who you can picture while reading this script? If you can't personally relate to it, then who (as the actor in this situation) are you picturing that you're talking to? Visualization is very important in voiceovers!
There is always a big-picture reason for reading the script, other than being hired by a client for the voice over job! You can have the best voice in the world, but if you sound like you're reading, you're probably not going to book the job.
In addition to analyzing the script, another important skill you want to master as a voiceover talent is breathing. Using proper breathing techniques as a voice actor is critical in helping you sound natural. When we talk, we take a breath when needed, and usually we never sound like we're running out of air. When a person is reading, if they don't breathe properly, they will sound that way. So the key is to always sound like you're SPEAKING, not reading. Remember to breathe naturally in the correct places within your script.
When breathing properly as a voice actor or singer, you need to intentionally use your diaphragm. By intentionally engaging your diaphragm, it will give you the ability to control your breath will result in more natural sound. It will also help with reading through complete phrases and give you better stamina for longer reads.
How to take a diaphragm breath:
1. Raise your arms up over your head and lower them gently while keeping your ribs raised. This isn't needed to take a diaphragm breath but helps pre-set your body when you're learning how to do it properly.
2. With your hands slightly above your waist position your finger tips so they're towards your belly button and your thumbs on your back. Also, not needed to take a diaphragm breath but it will be a good indicator if you're doing it correctly.
3. Once your hands are in place and your ribs are raised, then focus on taking a low, deep breath. This will feel more like a "filling up like a balloon" sensation, or a downward motion, instead of filling your lungs up with air. When you take this breath, make sure that your shoulders do not move up. In actuality, your stomach should move OUT when you INHALE and move IN when you EXHALE. This is very similar to how a baby's stomach moves while it is sleeping.
4. In addition to seeing your stomach move and feeling the motion on your finger tips, you should also feel a slight movement in the palms of your hands as your entire diaphragm is moving outward. If you were to study your body while you're taking a proper breath, the front, sides and back of your lower torso should be moving with each breath that you take.
5. Here are some exercises that you can practice to help learn how to breathe with your diaphragm:
a) Sit down on a chair with your legs together in front of you. Then bend over so that your chest is touching the top of your legs. Let your arms hang down towards your feet and take a low deep breath. Focus on feeling your stomach moving against your legs.
b) Lay down flat on your back with your hands placed on your stomach. Then relax and take a low, deep breath. You should see your stomach moving UP when you INHALE and DOWN when you EXHALE. You should also feel the movement in your hands, which is a great indicator if you're doing this correctly.
c) Lastly, try lying down with your body curled over a large yoga ball (or equivalent) with your arms hanging along side, kind of like you're hugging it. Then roll back and forth to position yourself so that your stomach is the center of your weight, not your chest. Then focus on taking a low, deep breath and feel your stomach move OUTWARD against the ball while you're inhaling.
As discussed above, having a correct diaphragm breath is very important in voiceovers, but so is knowing where to breathe in the script so that you sound natural. You should mark up your script before you record to make sure you're breathing in appropriate places and not running out of air. A lot of things can be edited out in digital recording; however, running out of air isn't one of them! When you're notating the breaths in your script, don't forget about natural phrasing and conversational pauses.
You can use whatever notations work the best for you to show breath. Often times voiceover talent will mark a breath by using a mid-air comma (like a musical breath notation), or a line like this | or this / You can also draw a long, continuous line in an arch shape over the words you want to notate NOT to breathe in between.
Taking a proper diaphragm breath, knowing where to breathe in the script and analyzing what you're talking about and who you're talking to before recording are all key elements in voiceovers. If you keep all three of those things in mind, you're sure to get a natural, conversational recording.
I am referring to a growing field in the entertainment industry that many people aren't even aware of. Last year, the voiceover industry increased 7% to a $11.7 billion dollar industry! So yes, it can be an incredibly lucrative career that is also fun, rewarding and flexible! If you've been told you have a great voice or distinctive sound, you may have the "chops" for voiceovers. However, there's a lot more to becoming a great voiceover talent then just having a good sound. Voiceovers are voice acting. You need to bring the script to life! When you're reading copy, which is another word for script, you become that character. You need to ask yourself a few basic questions when analyzing the script:
1) What demographic is the script geared toward? Who is the audience that you're speaking to?
2) What is your personal connection with the product? Remember that voiceovers are voice ACTING! So if you can't connect with the product from your personal experiences, how can you (as the actor in this situation) connect with the product?
3) What is the emotion that you want to convey while reading this script?
4) Who do you know who you can picture while reading this script? If you can't personally relate to it, then who (as the actor in this situation) are you picturing that you're talking to? Visualization is very important in voiceovers!
There is always a big-picture reason for reading the script, other than being hired by a client for the voice over job! You can have the best voice in the world, but if you sound like you're reading, you're probably not going to book the job.
In addition to analyzing the script, another important skill you want to master as a voiceover talent is breathing. Using proper breathing techniques as a voice actor is critical in helping you sound natural. When we talk, we take a breath when needed, and usually we never sound like we're running out of air. When a person is reading, if they don't breathe properly, they will sound that way. So the key is to always sound like you're SPEAKING, not reading. Remember to breathe naturally in the correct places within your script.
When breathing properly as a voice actor or singer, you need to intentionally use your diaphragm. By intentionally engaging your diaphragm, it will give you the ability to control your breath will result in more natural sound. It will also help with reading through complete phrases and give you better stamina for longer reads.
How to take a diaphragm breath:
1. Raise your arms up over your head and lower them gently while keeping your ribs raised. This isn't needed to take a diaphragm breath but helps pre-set your body when you're learning how to do it properly.
2. With your hands slightly above your waist position your finger tips so they're towards your belly button and your thumbs on your back. Also, not needed to take a diaphragm breath but it will be a good indicator if you're doing it correctly.
3. Once your hands are in place and your ribs are raised, then focus on taking a low, deep breath. This will feel more like a "filling up like a balloon" sensation, or a downward motion, instead of filling your lungs up with air. When you take this breath, make sure that your shoulders do not move up. In actuality, your stomach should move OUT when you INHALE and move IN when you EXHALE. This is very similar to how a baby's stomach moves while it is sleeping.
4. In addition to seeing your stomach move and feeling the motion on your finger tips, you should also feel a slight movement in the palms of your hands as your entire diaphragm is moving outward. If you were to study your body while you're taking a proper breath, the front, sides and back of your lower torso should be moving with each breath that you take.
5. Here are some exercises that you can practice to help learn how to breathe with your diaphragm:
a) Sit down on a chair with your legs together in front of you. Then bend over so that your chest is touching the top of your legs. Let your arms hang down towards your feet and take a low deep breath. Focus on feeling your stomach moving against your legs.
b) Lay down flat on your back with your hands placed on your stomach. Then relax and take a low, deep breath. You should see your stomach moving UP when you INHALE and DOWN when you EXHALE. You should also feel the movement in your hands, which is a great indicator if you're doing this correctly.
c) Lastly, try lying down with your body curled over a large yoga ball (or equivalent) with your arms hanging along side, kind of like you're hugging it. Then roll back and forth to position yourself so that your stomach is the center of your weight, not your chest. Then focus on taking a low, deep breath and feel your stomach move OUTWARD against the ball while you're inhaling.
As discussed above, having a correct diaphragm breath is very important in voiceovers, but so is knowing where to breathe in the script so that you sound natural. You should mark up your script before you record to make sure you're breathing in appropriate places and not running out of air. A lot of things can be edited out in digital recording; however, running out of air isn't one of them! When you're notating the breaths in your script, don't forget about natural phrasing and conversational pauses.
You can use whatever notations work the best for you to show breath. Often times voiceover talent will mark a breath by using a mid-air comma (like a musical breath notation), or a line like this | or this / You can also draw a long, continuous line in an arch shape over the words you want to notate NOT to breathe in between.
Taking a proper diaphragm breath, knowing where to breathe in the script and analyzing what you're talking about and who you're talking to before recording are all key elements in voiceovers. If you keep all three of those things in mind, you're sure to get a natural, conversational recording.
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