Amidst all the uncertainty in the world right now, big shifts are happening in the voiceover space: animation studios are recording artists remotely and voiceover talent is being encouraged to set up home studios to bring “professional-level” quality to their audio files.
You can spend all the time in the world sound-engineering your personal home studio, but it will count for nothing if your delivery falls flat.
The voiceover industry is made up of a lot of sub-categories, including commercials (radio & TV), promos, audiobooks, e-learning, podcasts, and of course, animation and voice acting. If you follow a few simple techniques and rules (from rehearsal to execution), you’ll be on track to get the best results for your clients in all categories -- even from the comfort of your home!
Craft Vs Technique
First, what’s the difference between craft and technique, with regards to voiceover acting? Craft is how you approach and break down a script or copy to better align your delivery with the intentions of the writer. Technique is what you do with your body (your instrument) to enunciate the words.
A lot of times people use the terms interchangeably. That’s because when you “work copy” or audition, the process ends up fusing the two symbiotically to achieve the best result possible.
Here are a few tips to help you get started on technique; things I wish I knew when I first started out that make a BIG difference to your performance and get you to #BOOKIT.
Basic Microphone Technique
TIP #1: The three-finger rule
When recording your voice, the microphone (or your iPhone) should be positioned right in front of you. As a rule of thumb, you want your mouth to be three fingers away from the microphone so your sound engineer will love you. Take your pointer finger, middle finger and ring figure and place it in front of the mic without touching it, and that’s where you should speak from.
TIP #2: Your feet and eyes matter
Even if we can’t see them! You should stand in front of the microphone with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in the legs. This is a technique I learned from The Second Circle by British voice coach and theatre director Patsy Rodenburg. Standing too wide means you come across like a presenter, not speaking directly to the other person. With a stance that’s too narrow, you lose your presence and confidence and withdraw into yourself. Be conscious about leaning to one side or on one hip, unless it’s part of your “character.”
Your eyes are also important: let them move to the paper. In the voiceover industry, memorization is NOT a thing; you will always have your copy available in front of you. The trick is to have it in your line of sight while keeping your mouth near the microphone. If the copy is too high or too low and you tilt your head towards the paper, the direction of your sound goes away from the mic and to the copy. Trust me, clients will be able to tell, and the job will go to someone else.
PRO-TIP: You want to make sure you don’t place the copy directly in front of or behind the microphone, (test this out for yourself at home and you’ll hear the difference). You want the sound to bounce off your surroundings, not the paper. Depending on your set up, find a place for your copy that’s comfortable for your eyes to read each line while keeping your stance and voice centered towards the microphone. Music stands work great, as does simply taping your copy to one side of your set up!
TIP #3: The person you are speaking to is right over your shoulder.
Because your microphone is so close to you, it’s capable of picking up TONS of subtlety and nuance in your voice that would otherwise be lost. A good rule of thumb is to imagine the person you are talking to as right over your shoulder.
You should speak as if the person you are talking to is literally right next to you, shoulder to shoulder, three fingers apart. It will feel weird, almost too close and intrusive, but that’s exactly what the voiceover industry is built upon: as if this information is for your ears only, coming from a trusted friend or ally. That dynamism that comes from our natural voice speaking to someone so close to us, literally, is what sets our voices up to be grounded, present and natural - and ultimately what will set you apart from the rest.
This is by far one of the hardest things to do with copy, especially copy that is very sales-y or announcer-y. But, it's what you should strive to achieve in your rehearsals. With practice, you'll start to get a better feel for what you do best that no one else can bring.
Next Steps
I know these tips may sound “overly simple,” but trust me, they make a BIG difference. Try two takes of the same script with these adjustments and hear it for yourself! With practice, you can hone in on your individual strengths and what makes your voice unique, and continue to build a career in the voiceover industry.
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Who, Me?
A little about me: I’m an actor and entrepreneur who works across film, television and commercial media. You may have seen me on Billions (Showtime), American Express spots during commercial breaks, or heard me on radio for GEICO and DENNY’S.
I graduated from Stern Business School at NYU with a B.S. in Finance and Marketing. I am a part of SAG and AEA, represented by Innovative Artists, Artists & Representatives.
Note From Tongal: "3 Tips to Improve Your Voiceover Craft & Technique" is part of a series of Tongal Community-written blog posts that were originally sourced in the Tongal Blog Open Call Project. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Tongal. Read more Tongal Community-written posts here and then Pitch us a topic you'd like to write about for the Tongal Blog!
