Voice Acting

Socrates used pebbles

Ok, he wasn’t an actor. He was a philosopher, but Socrates relied on his voice when addressing the multitudes. And in Athens 400 BEC there wasn’t a great deal of A/V assistance to call on. He had to communicate his thoughts in person.

The problem was that Voice Acting was not his forte. Socrates suffered badly from a speech impediment. This made it difficult for him to communicate serious concepts as he was constantly distracted trying to overcome interjections and ridicule.

 

No does not necessarily mean no

Through perseverance and a little ingenuity, Socrates overcame his speech defect.  Every day while walking through the local hills he practiced his oratory skills by speaking while holding several pebbles in his mouth.

This might seem like a fairly drastic measure. I am not sure if modern Speech Pathology practices would condone this treatment, but it worked for Socrates.

The analogy with Voice Acting is relevant as it demonstrates the need for doing what has to be done in order to get ahead. No does not necessarily mean no.

 

Find your best way

If you are contemplating a career as a voice artist be aware that as with skinning cats there is no single road to follow.

In the field of acting, unlike regular gigs such as becoming a Mechanical Engineer or a Paramedic, there is no well-defined career pathway.

Millions have graduated from acting schools and academies around the world. Very few of those millions achieve any notoriety as actors. Although many wind up as primo Baristas.

We could discuss the various aspects of the human voice an aspiring actor should study and develop. The physical attributes including the function of the diaphragm in vocal projection. How to breathe! When to breathe.

It’s more than just the bio-mechanical development of the voice. The aspiring voice actor needs to understand the correct use of sensitive studio microphones. There’s also a whole new vocabulary to master. The phrases and idioms are peculiar to the sound recording world.

Today in our Covid safe environment a great deal of voice recording is done by the voice artist working in isolation from a home “studio”- usually a spare bedroom or a closet lined with foam.

Media Group, the business audio specialists work with hundreds of professional male and female voice over artists from Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, and North America. Hear their samples here www.mediagroup.com.au