Animation Voiceover Cheating

“Fake it till you make it.”  I’m a fan of clichés like this because they serve a purpose.  As long as your journey to your goals doesn’t trample on anyone else, do whatever works.  In the case of animation voiceover – perhaps “faking it” can translate to “copying it” till you make it.  Copying another’s voice till you find your own.  Many of the very best people in their fields today went through some type of schooling, and that entailed studying and often mimicking those that were already accomplished in the field.  I am sure that Steven Spielberg, Toni Morrison, and Marc Chagall spent some time studying their “idols” or learning how others were excelling at their craft first before they rose to the top themselves.  Education in your field, even in the arts, will always help – don’t think that the work of others will dampen your own “voice.”  Your voice, your own powerful sense of self and the ultimate expression of it can never be squashed just by hearing others first.  Your voice will always find its way through, as the tiniest of shoots in spring find their way up through countless layers of dirt, rock, leaves, and other fallen gifts from autumn and winter.  YOU will emerge.  But first you must learn.

               Oh yes, I had almost forgotten about the “cheating” part of the title.  Try stuffing your mouth with bread and reading a voiceover script.  Try reading it with some water in your mouth.  Try reading it while talking out of the side of your mouth the whole time.  Read it once REALLY sweetly.  Then really angry.  Then really inspiring….and so on and so forth.  You won’t know what is IN you until you explore it.  There’s no safer way to really explore your range, your voices, your potential – than OUTSIDE of the voiceover audition process – so do it with abandon.  There are no consequences outside of you holding back what should be let out, what will ultimately make your voice unique.  Listen to Marcia Savella’s voiceover animation demo for inspiration, or to Bill Lobley’s character voices.  Then listen to your inner voice(s).