Voice Acting: A Story Told Well Stays With Listeners. Voice It From Your Singular Perspective, by Kim Handysides
Voice Actor
So&what’s your story? Or rather, what is your relationship with story?
Chances are it’s tight.
We humans love
story. We swim in it, soak in it, eat it up daily. Hourly, even.
story. We swim in it, soak in it, eat it up daily. Hourly, even.
But
have you stopped to consider your relationship with story as a voice-over
artist?
have you stopped to consider your relationship with story as a voice-over
artist?
Levar Burton (Reading Rainbow guy, Geordie from Star Trek:Next Generation, Kunta Kinte in Roots) as the keynote speaker at DevLearn 2017, stated that story telling is
our super power as human beings. Intrinsic to that power is the ability
to project ourselves in a moment outside this one.
our super power as human beings. Intrinsic to that power is the ability
to project ourselves in a moment outside this one.
Speaking that day to a few
thousand eLearning
developers and creators, Burton recommended habituating the gateway to
story, using the ubiquitous chestnut “What if” to better engage their
users and learners.
thousand eLearning
developers and creators, Burton recommended habituating the gateway to
story, using the ubiquitous chestnut “What if” to better engage their
users and learners.
‘WHAT IF’ IN VO …
How can voice-over artists use “What if”? By bringing it to everything you read.
If you’re trained in acting,
you recognize this as incorporating Meisner technique or Practical
Aesthetics. If your background is broadcasting, think of it as finding
that personal angle to hook the 6 o’clock supper hour news story on.
you recognize this as incorporating Meisner technique or Practical
Aesthetics. If your background is broadcasting, think of it as finding
that personal angle to hook the 6 o’clock supper hour news story on.
But
make it personal to you.
make it personal to you.
If the copy
doesn’t provide it, build your backstory to better present it. For example:
doesn’t provide it, build your backstory to better present it. For example:
The copy is a retail radio spot for a weekly
special about cheap chicken and toilet paper? Use “what if” to imagine
those prices really making a difference in your life. How? Maybe you’re a
millennial who’s just left home, you’ve got a new family and all your
money is going toward diapers, or you’re on a fixed pension.
Your
“what if” world-building will help your message connect on an emotional
level.
“what if” world-building will help your message connect on an emotional
level.
STORIES LIGHT UP BRAIN
Settled around the crackling fireplace, the smells of Sunday pot
roast lingering in the air and your grandfather tap, tap, tapping the
tobacco in his pipe as he launches into a story about his youth.
roast lingering in the air and your grandfather tap, tap, tapping the
tobacco in his pipe as he launches into a story about his youth.
How did
you feel? Lit up like a Christmas tree?
you feel? Lit up like a Christmas tree?
Our brains are actually wired
to process info best through storytelling. We have an eons old history
of passing everything on aurally. Whether legend, cautionary tale or
recipe on how to live life, we figured out over millennia that kids would
get it faster, deeper, better if sewn together in story.
to process info best through storytelling. We have an eons old history
of passing everything on aurally. Whether legend, cautionary tale or
recipe on how to live life, we figured out over millennia that kids would
get it faster, deeper, better if sewn together in story.
In fact, three
times more areas of our brains light up when we bake info in a story
cake than if we just slice it up into naked factoids.
times more areas of our brains light up when we bake info in a story
cake than if we just slice it up into naked factoids.
PERSUASIVE VOICE-OVER
Your story (i.e. commercial ad, corporate narration, explainer video,
etc.) if told well (i.e. with emotion, with enough world building and
an appropriate “what if”) will prompt your listener to action (which is
what your client wants) and fill out their time cards appropriately or
sign up for the corporate baseball team or go and put that brand of
frozen pizza in their shopping cart next time they need groceries.
etc.) if told well (i.e. with emotion, with enough world building and
an appropriate “what if”) will prompt your listener to action (which is
what your client wants) and fill out their time cards appropriately or
sign up for the corporate baseball team or go and put that brand of
frozen pizza in their shopping cart next time they need groceries.
What
we do is powerful stuff (when done well).
we do is powerful stuff (when done well).
Our clients entrust us to tell
their stories to their clients. It’s a big responsibility. We are the
Hermes of humanity. The messengers.
their stories to their clients. It’s a big responsibility. We are the
Hermes of humanity. The messengers.
To ply our trade well, we need to
understand both the needs of the message maker and message receiver.
understand both the needs of the message maker and message receiver.
FROM MESSAGE TO MEMORY
A story told well stays with you. Romeo and Juliet. A Christmas Carol. Harry Potter.
Yes, these are all written stories which we’ve read at one time or
another, but the same holds true for stories told in spoken word. Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption, Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, Kate Winslet in Titanic.
another, but the same holds true for stories told in spoken word. Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption, Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump, Kate Winslet in Titanic.
Great stories, but also, really great voice-over narrators. Those
voices, telling those stories stick with you. Same with ads. The Alka
Selzter man from the 70’s moaning “I can’t believe I ate the whoooole
thing,” the tiny grandma from the 80’s shouting “Where’s the beef?” or
more recently, Matthew McConaughey rubbing his fingers and musing,
“That’s a big bull” in the Lincoln ads.
voices, telling those stories stick with you. Same with ads. The Alka
Selzter man from the 70’s moaning “I can’t believe I ate the whoooole
thing,” the tiny grandma from the 80’s shouting “Where’s the beef?” or
more recently, Matthew McConaughey rubbing his fingers and musing,
“That’s a big bull” in the Lincoln ads.
Story makes the message stick.
TELL YOUR STORY
Back
at the DevLearn conference, LeVar Burton wrapped up his speech on
storytelling to the eLearning crowd by telling us what we imagine and
what we create are inextricably linked.
at the DevLearn conference, LeVar Burton wrapped up his speech on
storytelling to the eLearning crowd by telling us what we imagine and
what we create are inextricably linked.
So true. Everything man has ever
created existed first as an imagining, shared with another in, most
probably, story.
created existed first as an imagining, shared with another in, most
probably, story.
It begs the question, whether copywriter, voice-over
artist, producer or “other” creative: what will your unique contribution
be? What are your stories? And how will you tell them from your
singular perspective?
artist, producer or “other” creative: what will your unique contribution
be? What are your stories? And how will you tell them from your
singular perspective?
—————–
ABOUT KIM
Kim
Handysides is a top voice-over artist in commercials, eLearning and
narration. She loves dogs, mountains, beaches and story. With a
background in theatre and film and a thorough grounding in radio and
television, she works a lot and loves sharing advice, tips and
experience with anyone who asks.
ABOUT KIM
Kim
Handysides is a top voice-over artist in commercials, eLearning and
narration. She loves dogs, mountains, beaches and story. With a
background in theatre and film and a thorough grounding in radio and
television, she works a lot and loves sharing advice, tips and
experience with anyone who asks.
Email: KimHandysides@gmail.com
Web: www.KimHandysides.com