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VOICE ACTING
Question: How Do You Voice
A Question?
Not All Are Alike
May 23, 2014

By Hugh Klitzke
Casting Director and Coach

When reading a voice over script, the purpose and context of a question must be identified in order for your read to sound correct.    

In other words: if we made every question only sound like an upturn they wouldn't make sense on the ear. 

Why? Because sometimes questions in commercial text are rhetorical.  

A rhetorical question is designed to provoke thought in the mind of the listener - not to solicit a specific answer. Example: 
Why stop? I think we all know what roses smell like. AMP energy drink from Mountain Dew.  
Or this:
Got a cravin’ for Cajun? New Orleans style fried chicken, cajun battered fries, and buttermilk biscuits. Love that chicken at Popeye’s. 
Or this: 
A diet drink that's nutritious, too? How refreshing. Who says diet drinks have to be all style and no substance? Diet V8 splash not only tastes great …  
The sentences AFTER the question determine the proper inflection OF the question.    

ANOTHER QUESTION ...

But here the question is NOT rhetorical: 
Hey. You know the really cool thing about being a grown up? You can order Pizza Hut pizza ... whenever you feel like it.
And this: 
What kind of tea makes iced tea that can stand up to ice? A tea with so much flavor it won’t melt with the ice. A tea that’s made with tiny little tea leaves for big tea taste. Tetley Tea.
In these, the question is specifically answered.
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ABOUT HUGH
Hugh P. Klitzke is studio manager and voice casting director for a leading bi-coastal talent agency, who has directed more than 85,000 auditions for all voice over genres. Based in New York City, he is also a coach specializing in teaching voice over for actors, and writes VO4TA, a twice-weekly blog with helpful voice acting tips.


Email:  VO4TA@voiceoverfortheactor.com
Web: www.VoiceOverForTheActor.com
Blog: http://voiceoverfortheactor.com/hpks_blog

Subscribe to blog: http://voiceoverfortheactor.com/subscribe_for_free

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