VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[PJHawke]

And not da kind dat comes after dis April, either.

I've been given a novel to read. Hooray! , I thought. Finally something non-academic. Audiobooks is an area I have really wanted to get into. I got good reviews and marks from my acting and voice classes, so I figure It'd be easy.

So I'm listening to my tape, and I hate it. Way Too Flat. I don't understand. When I'm on stage, I'm good, fer cryin' out loud. When I fire up the mic and practice a 30-sec ad spot, I think I do pretty well at getting into character and being animated. But when I pick up that damned book, by the second page my voice has crept back into that same explanatory-sounding delivery I use with a friggin' history book. I don't understand.

I'm not done with my first tape yet, so it hasn't been heard by my "handler" or the dubber...I hope to heck it doesn't suck so bad they take me off novels permanently...I clearly need lots of practice. Jeez...I don'twant to launch an entire career as Dr. Info all the time...I thought I was more versatile than this...

Sorry. No one likes hearing a Noob who's never done a paid spot whine, but I had to vent. I am most definitely my own worst critic, and right now I'm going totally Simon Cowell on my ass. *sigh*.........

Who here does audiobooks?

[Mike]

We are usually our own worst critics, so it's probably not as bad as you think. Why not post a sample and let us hear it. That way you'll get some honest feedback and, positive or not, you'll have a much better idea of where you are with the read.

Maiku
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"If grass could run, cows would look like tigers."
Murray Wiggle

[brianforrester]

PJ... it's very easy to lapse into a style that takes less effort than the copy requires, that's why narration is so darn challenging!

Like everything with this silly business, you have to practice a tonne and there are many pro's that I know who still have extreme challenges with this... (I personally have a loooooong waaaaay to go!) However, you said that you seem to be good until you get a couple of pages in and then you fall into "boring guy." Well, here's my suggestion, stop after 2-pages, do whatever it takes to get you back into that character and then start again.

With narration, it's soooo easy to let your mind wander, what's for lunch, oooh I forgot to pick up the bread that the wife asked for, oh s*#t I have a very interesting and important piece of copy in front of me... where was I, oh darn I'm lost and I don't even remember what I'm reading about... sound familiar?

One of the most difficult things to master, is the ability to stay in character for extended periods of time without any interaction from another actor! There are no cues, there's no 3rd party dialogue, so you don't have anything but your own mind and creativity to keep you on track. One of the main reasons that I think you're finding this such a 180 degree experience as compared to your stage career, is that you tend to develop your character, and are constantly reminded of the context in which you are working, by the other actors on the stage... in v/o you're the show! So, find another way to jog your mind back into context... maybe mark up the text with little cues or highlights.... Whatever works for ya!

Stopping every couple of pages may take you a while longer to get the project recorded, but in the end, if you can make a habit of taking a quick break every couple of pages, and re-read your character development notes, I would be willing to bet that your performances will stay dynamic and involved throughout!

I'm sure that there are many other ideas, techniques, tips and tricks that can be offered, but in the end find a method that works for you... practice using the method religiously, and in time staying in character will become easier.

All the best,
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Brian Forrester Voice Overs
www.brianforrester.com
brian@brianforrester.com
778.668.5715

[donrandall]

Having not heard your stuff, I can only speculate, but just consider that any advice you get will be well worth what you pay for it.

I believe that we tend to be our own toughest critics - and that is good, to a point - just don't let is become a neurosis! That little bit of gnawing insecurity is what keeps us trying harder to do and be better. Insecurity is my friend.

You probably are not as flat and dull as you think. If your read is overly dramatic, you run the risk of being tiresome. It is easy to bore the listener, yes of course, but it is also easy to "wear out" the listener by being overly emotive.

One thing to keep in mind, is to vary the tempo, cadence and inflection to match the material. What is the story doing at any given point? Are you laying ground work, setting up for what is to come? If so, that does not usually require an emotional read, but since the details are going to become important to the story later on, don't rush - but do not go into a monotone, either. Some lines will likely require a bit of sarcasm while others will need to be read with a bit more enthusiasm - a fight or a thrilling chase for instance.

Your read will need the changes in order to provide some audio contrast. We are not dealing in a visual medium and can not rely on bright flashy colors, we are unlikely to have mood music or sound effects to lean on - although those things are found in some audio books. . Our contrast must come from how we use all the things mentioned above. Now, be careful to keep it all under control - do not let the mood swings travel to far from the middle. We are reading a story, not acting out a radio drama.

Talk to your producer. Ask him or her for some guidance. If they are any good, they will welcome and appreciate having you solicit advice. Once you get advice, don't take it personal if they are just telling you what it is they want and how they want it.

[Charlie Channel]

I wish I had your problem, Don. I'd like to do a project like that.

Because doing an audio book is one of the tasks I'm looking forward to, I decided to hear what a pro sounded like. So, I went to Borders and bought the Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, narrated by Joe Morton. That was a humbling experience.

Here's what I learned:

- The pro has read the book, done character analysis and made decisions about who, what, when, where and why for each character, and how to voice it for that character.
- The pro has analyzed the plot and has the big picture.
- The pro has a clear understanding of each and every scene in which the characters are acting. Pace, pitch and power is the key. It's complex and hard because each character is different in every scene.
- The pro brings the story to life by losing herself or himself in the imagery of the prose.
- The pro has a director! The director (even if the director is an engineer) who tells the pro when there's been a possible violation of what the pro needs to do.
- There's a reason a pro is a pro.

After hearding the book, I'm scared! My admiration for and awe of those who do books on tape has overshadowed my ambition. I'm sure the project will turn out well for you.

CC

[donrandall]

Charlie - one advantage we have over those who do a live performance, is that we can go back and revise things when necessary.

I have thought that I understood what was happening and read accordingly - then later on, as the story progressed, new information came into play which made me realize that the emphasis, inflection or the way I portrayed and presented something just wasn't quite right, after all. Once it is finally done, if we are attentive and careful, it will be right and anyone listening will never know how many retakes and patches, revisions and corrections were necessary. They will think it must be wonderful to have such an easy job. Imagine that - the man reads books and somebody pays him, whatta life!

[PJHawke]

[Doc]

Hmmm... it lists .mp3 files, in fact it's first on the audio filetypes list on the very front page.

That ain't right! Besides, .wav files are nearly extinct when it comes to the internet.

Please let us know what you find out.

[donrandall]

[PJHawke]