VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio #672 – What Can You Bring To Character Work?
Voice coaches, radio, everything voiceover. I come to you back in action here on this Friday. That is also national loss Sock day. You know, there is a day to celebrate everything. Does this need to be celebrated? I mean, why not? It's Friday. Uh, but uh, seriously, like where do all the socks go? I know where they go in my house, honestly.
It's the puppy. She steals them. And then probably like goes and shoves them in the couch cushions. And by the time I find them, they're gonna have little tiny holes in them. I should probably just go buy new socks on. But, uh, I hope this is finding you. Well. My name is Marissa and, uh, we're, we're back at it here for a brand new episode of Voice Coaches Radio.
Uh, also just, you know, early Happy Mother's Day. If you are listening to this as the episode drops, um, you know, we are preparing for Mother's Day weekend. Tomorrow is actually my, my grandmother's 93rd birthday. Uh, like. Who, who would ever think 93? Uh, you know, it's you hope you, you pray, you wish. And then for her, here we are.
And she's just, uh, you know, very spry. She is just a spitfire. She's got Parkinson's, it's under control. So, you know, she's just over there living her best life. She still lives on her own. And we're taking her away this weekend to go back to her old stomping ground. So we're gonna be going to the cape. And, uh, that was like a dream that my grandfather had.
Like, he always wanted to live. At the Cape and they would go on vacation there all the time. And finally in the early nineties he did have a house built in Centerville and uh, we actually went back to it a few years ago when I was still living in Boston. Surprise Nana then. And it was just the whole thing, like the family that used it.
Uh, now that they have it as like a summer home, they gave us a whole tour. It was like, it was absolutely amazing. I, I mean, I cried the whole time 'cause I'm just a big baby. They were just being so nice, you know? And, uh, I don't expect that. To happen this time. We don't need to have a tour of the house and all that again, but, you know, maybe drive by it just to see it again and, uh, see if my grandfather's sign is still above the garage like it was last time that he had painted and, you know, just go to her old stomping ground.
So it's gonna be fun. And, uh, so we get to celebrate her birthday and we get to celebrate Mother's Day all in one. And, uh, hopefully you've got some good plans in order for yourself and your family. And, uh, likewise, uh, you know, I just. Hope that it's gonna be a good weekend for you. Um, you know, getting into voiceover today, there's just like so much that we could talk about, right?
Like, there's all these nooks and crannies and what I'll tell you is today it, it's, it really is more open and available for everyone more than ever. You know, I just, if you think back to. I mean, even the nineties, you know, there are certain people who will come forward now that have done character work and like they, they like apologize for what they've done because it's almost been a little bit racially offensive, I guess might be the right way to put it.
But that's why like these days, the. D diversity, the, the inclusion of it all is so very, very important because it's having the representation and, and in the correct way that authenticity. But that doesn't mean to say that someone with some amazing acting chops can't go ahead and get the same work that you might be able to with.
The dialect or the, the accents or the race or the heritage or whatever that you might come from as a human. Because like, here's, here's what it comes down to is like, you might have the advantage because you do have this naturally kind of built into you. However, there might be that slight occasion where it's like, all right, well, you know, I was born in Jamaica as as an example, and then.
You know, my family moved to the states when I was eight and, and now I've lived in Brooklyn and occasionally, yeah, Jamaica's there, but all of a sudden there's Brooklyn. Uh, you know what I mean? So it's like you are going to want to be still working on these aspects of yourself and not just believe that Well, you know, I.
I have it built in, so I automatically can get that kind of work. You can, most likely, I, I would have to believe that you're gonna have that advantage. However, um, you know, the, the thing is, is like, especially when it comes to character work, even, even with, you know, your natural background and dialect, it, it's like.
It's still character work most likely at the end of the day, I think is what it would be clarified as you've got so many people within this field that are working on these things to make them as as natural, authentic, and the correct kind of representation that they can, you know, because. Accents like a British accent or like an Australian accent.
Like these things are in high demand. There's, there's work out there. It's not gonna go to just anybody though. You know? It's, it's that ability to be able to master the, the different voice styles and the different accents and the the different dialects that are out there that are gonna set you apart.
And not everybody can go ahead and do it and be above and beyond with it, but we all kind of end up figuring out like, if character work is what we wanna do, then we all have to figure out where we need to start. And I, I think each one of us, if, if we wanna go into this field, chances are we're a silly goose, right?
Like we've probably been playing around with voices and stuff our entire life. Where are the strong suits for us? Maybe you've been doing some hyped up over the top like British accent since you were the age of 10, and now here you are 45 years old, you're thinking about starting to do all this kind of stuff and it's like, well, all right, well, I mean maybe, maybe you've taken it too far.
Are you able to keep it consistent? Are you able to maybe pull back a little bit so it maybe has more of the authenticity there and a little less of the, the animation, depending on what you need to do. Like, can you do both sides of it because, hey, maybe it is some like, you know, cartoon that is gonna require you to be a little, a little bit crazier maybe.
Maybe it's a documentary piece or a travel piece and you need to be a little bit more. Just subdued with it, you know, being able to Perfect. That is key. It is so key. Um, you know, maybe, maybe southern accent is, you know what your specialty is. You're actually from Minnesota. But somehow you've gotten rid of your Minnesotan accent and you can really, really do like deep south.
Um, you know, and, uh, you just wanna be able to lean into that kind of stuff in a really good, natural way. But like, you know, uh, feel free to have that diversity and, and get it to be like to an extreme as well. And you wanna really be just practicing and, and. Doing your best to kind of create a memorable performance, something that's gonna stand out in just about anything that's put in front of you.
Again, it could be like documentary style stuff, but you know, for true like character work, you gotta think of those animated series that are out there. You gotta think of like the video games that are out there. Do yourself a favor and go back and re-watch some of this stuff. How are they doing it? I, you know, what, what are they doing that you are lacking right now?
And see how you can start to slide in some of that stuff. And as you're building these different accents and, you know, a variety of performances, these memorable characters that maybe you can kind of create along the way, you wanna be able to stretch. You know, there's, there's emotions behind these characters.
You're creating, uh, there's, there's feelings. You wanna be able to really, again, like play on the authenticity of like, the human behaviors and, and how can you bring them into what you're doing? It's crucial. I mean, again, this is gonna be the acting part of all this. This is where the challenge comes in.
But to be a character, like you need to be the character, like that is a big chunk of it. Um, you know, you're not just necessarily being you, but even then. Sometimes, you know, depending on the script, it's like, well, that might not be how you feel in this moment, so you've gotta act it out instead, and you gotta put yourself in those shoes.
You know, a really good test for yourself could be to, you know, maybe you have some other friends that are interested in doing this, or, or maybe you have joined an, an acting group, or, or maybe this would be the time to. See if there's anything locally that you could do, like some improv with some of this character work you've been building.
You know, that is also really, really helpful in, uh, creating some of the best characters out there. So, you know, it really, it kind of just like sharpens your, your abilities, you know, all around when you can have a spontaneity to it, you know, and, and allow that to really come across. Just supernatural in, in that delivery that you have.
So what do you think, I mean, do you, do you have what it takes to be a character? Do you have what it takes to try to tackle an accent? Maybe even one that. Might be built into you slightly, uh, but maybe needs to have some things reworked just because you maybe have lost a little bit of it. You know, are you ready to put the work in, you know, because this is gonna allow you, like, when you are in the process of, of building these characters, developing these accents, and focusing on, on the authenticity of the dialect and everything that comes along with it.
You're able to go ahead and, and, you know, push the limits and, and do the animated side of things and like, you know, the, the video game side of things, you're able to do the narrative, whether it is more kids related stuff or, or maybe, you know, again, we're going back to some things that might be a little bit more subdued in, in the travel or documentary style of things.
Do you think that you're gonna be able to put in the work to get yourself to the point? Where you'll be able to go ahead and do a, a variety of styles of work, you know, have that versatility. I think that you can, and I really feel that way about almost anybody, as long as you're putting the actual work in and you're, you're doing what you need to, to get to that point.
Uh, not everybody sets aside the right amount of time. Um, you know, and it needs to be. Kind of a daily situation. You've gotta, if you wanna get it, if you wanna be. The best then you're taking the time, you know, look at some of your favorite athletes, uh, you know, or favorite actors in general. Uh, you know, like it didn't just happen for them, you know, they worked hard and like they worked harder than you can ever imagine to get to the point where they are a household name.
And you know what? That might not even be the goal, right? We don't necessarily wanna be a household name. A lot of voice actors aren't, but, um. To be able to have that versatility to get across many platforms or, or styles of work. It is gonna take a lot more skill and, and like determination and time than it would be to just do, you know, kind of like that regular old, I'm just gonna be me, kind of Reid.
If you're gonna need a lot of the same skills behind it. But you know, character work is a whole nother scenario. So you wanna put the work in. I think anything can happen. Let yourself have fun with it and don't get too frustrated because like, you gotta be able to allow yourself the time. To take those steps forward.
And sometimes what happens is you take steps forward and then you take some steps backwards. There's a whole song about that from the eighties. You can go, or early nineties. You can go ahead just search Paula Abdul. Some of you will know, some of you will have no idea. Uh, but uh, that being said, we will have a brand new episode of Voice Coaches Radio Katch you next week.
Hoping to get some more guests on soon. If you've got questions that you want answered Marissa at voice coaches com. And you know, enjoy your Mother's Day weekend. Stay safe everybody. I'll talk to you soon. Visit voice coaches.com for more voiceover news and information.
It's the puppy. She steals them. And then probably like goes and shoves them in the couch cushions. And by the time I find them, they're gonna have little tiny holes in them. I should probably just go buy new socks on. But, uh, I hope this is finding you. Well. My name is Marissa and, uh, we're, we're back at it here for a brand new episode of Voice Coaches Radio.
Uh, also just, you know, early Happy Mother's Day. If you are listening to this as the episode drops, um, you know, we are preparing for Mother's Day weekend. Tomorrow is actually my, my grandmother's 93rd birthday. Uh, like. Who, who would ever think 93? Uh, you know, it's you hope you, you pray, you wish. And then for her, here we are.
And she's just, uh, you know, very spry. She is just a spitfire. She's got Parkinson's, it's under control. So, you know, she's just over there living her best life. She still lives on her own. And we're taking her away this weekend to go back to her old stomping ground. So we're gonna be going to the cape. And, uh, that was like a dream that my grandfather had.
Like, he always wanted to live. At the Cape and they would go on vacation there all the time. And finally in the early nineties he did have a house built in Centerville and uh, we actually went back to it a few years ago when I was still living in Boston. Surprise Nana then. And it was just the whole thing, like the family that used it.
Uh, now that they have it as like a summer home, they gave us a whole tour. It was like, it was absolutely amazing. I, I mean, I cried the whole time 'cause I'm just a big baby. They were just being so nice, you know? And, uh, I don't expect that. To happen this time. We don't need to have a tour of the house and all that again, but, you know, maybe drive by it just to see it again and, uh, see if my grandfather's sign is still above the garage like it was last time that he had painted and, you know, just go to her old stomping ground.
So it's gonna be fun. And, uh, so we get to celebrate her birthday and we get to celebrate Mother's Day all in one. And, uh, hopefully you've got some good plans in order for yourself and your family. And, uh, likewise, uh, you know, I just. Hope that it's gonna be a good weekend for you. Um, you know, getting into voiceover today, there's just like so much that we could talk about, right?
Like, there's all these nooks and crannies and what I'll tell you is today it, it's, it really is more open and available for everyone more than ever. You know, I just, if you think back to. I mean, even the nineties, you know, there are certain people who will come forward now that have done character work and like they, they like apologize for what they've done because it's almost been a little bit racially offensive, I guess might be the right way to put it.
But that's why like these days, the. D diversity, the, the inclusion of it all is so very, very important because it's having the representation and, and in the correct way that authenticity. But that doesn't mean to say that someone with some amazing acting chops can't go ahead and get the same work that you might be able to with.
The dialect or the, the accents or the race or the heritage or whatever that you might come from as a human. Because like, here's, here's what it comes down to is like, you might have the advantage because you do have this naturally kind of built into you. However, there might be that slight occasion where it's like, all right, well, you know, I was born in Jamaica as as an example, and then.
You know, my family moved to the states when I was eight and, and now I've lived in Brooklyn and occasionally, yeah, Jamaica's there, but all of a sudden there's Brooklyn. Uh, you know what I mean? So it's like you are going to want to be still working on these aspects of yourself and not just believe that Well, you know, I.
I have it built in, so I automatically can get that kind of work. You can, most likely, I, I would have to believe that you're gonna have that advantage. However, um, you know, the, the thing is, is like, especially when it comes to character work, even, even with, you know, your natural background and dialect, it, it's like.
It's still character work most likely at the end of the day, I think is what it would be clarified as you've got so many people within this field that are working on these things to make them as as natural, authentic, and the correct kind of representation that they can, you know, because. Accents like a British accent or like an Australian accent.
Like these things are in high demand. There's, there's work out there. It's not gonna go to just anybody though. You know? It's, it's that ability to be able to master the, the different voice styles and the different accents and the the different dialects that are out there that are gonna set you apart.
And not everybody can go ahead and do it and be above and beyond with it, but we all kind of end up figuring out like, if character work is what we wanna do, then we all have to figure out where we need to start. And I, I think each one of us, if, if we wanna go into this field, chances are we're a silly goose, right?
Like we've probably been playing around with voices and stuff our entire life. Where are the strong suits for us? Maybe you've been doing some hyped up over the top like British accent since you were the age of 10, and now here you are 45 years old, you're thinking about starting to do all this kind of stuff and it's like, well, all right, well, I mean maybe, maybe you've taken it too far.
Are you able to keep it consistent? Are you able to maybe pull back a little bit so it maybe has more of the authenticity there and a little less of the, the animation, depending on what you need to do. Like, can you do both sides of it because, hey, maybe it is some like, you know, cartoon that is gonna require you to be a little, a little bit crazier maybe.
Maybe it's a documentary piece or a travel piece and you need to be a little bit more. Just subdued with it, you know, being able to Perfect. That is key. It is so key. Um, you know, maybe, maybe southern accent is, you know what your specialty is. You're actually from Minnesota. But somehow you've gotten rid of your Minnesotan accent and you can really, really do like deep south.
Um, you know, and, uh, you just wanna be able to lean into that kind of stuff in a really good, natural way. But like, you know, uh, feel free to have that diversity and, and get it to be like to an extreme as well. And you wanna really be just practicing and, and. Doing your best to kind of create a memorable performance, something that's gonna stand out in just about anything that's put in front of you.
Again, it could be like documentary style stuff, but you know, for true like character work, you gotta think of those animated series that are out there. You gotta think of like the video games that are out there. Do yourself a favor and go back and re-watch some of this stuff. How are they doing it? I, you know, what, what are they doing that you are lacking right now?
And see how you can start to slide in some of that stuff. And as you're building these different accents and, you know, a variety of performances, these memorable characters that maybe you can kind of create along the way, you wanna be able to stretch. You know, there's, there's emotions behind these characters.
You're creating, uh, there's, there's feelings. You wanna be able to really, again, like play on the authenticity of like, the human behaviors and, and how can you bring them into what you're doing? It's crucial. I mean, again, this is gonna be the acting part of all this. This is where the challenge comes in.
But to be a character, like you need to be the character, like that is a big chunk of it. Um, you know, you're not just necessarily being you, but even then. Sometimes, you know, depending on the script, it's like, well, that might not be how you feel in this moment, so you've gotta act it out instead, and you gotta put yourself in those shoes.
You know, a really good test for yourself could be to, you know, maybe you have some other friends that are interested in doing this, or, or maybe you have joined an, an acting group, or, or maybe this would be the time to. See if there's anything locally that you could do, like some improv with some of this character work you've been building.
You know, that is also really, really helpful in, uh, creating some of the best characters out there. So, you know, it really, it kind of just like sharpens your, your abilities, you know, all around when you can have a spontaneity to it, you know, and, and allow that to really come across. Just supernatural in, in that delivery that you have.
So what do you think, I mean, do you, do you have what it takes to be a character? Do you have what it takes to try to tackle an accent? Maybe even one that. Might be built into you slightly, uh, but maybe needs to have some things reworked just because you maybe have lost a little bit of it. You know, are you ready to put the work in, you know, because this is gonna allow you, like, when you are in the process of, of building these characters, developing these accents, and focusing on, on the authenticity of the dialect and everything that comes along with it.
You're able to go ahead and, and, you know, push the limits and, and do the animated side of things and like, you know, the, the video game side of things, you're able to do the narrative, whether it is more kids related stuff or, or maybe, you know, again, we're going back to some things that might be a little bit more subdued in, in the travel or documentary style of things.
Do you think that you're gonna be able to put in the work to get yourself to the point? Where you'll be able to go ahead and do a, a variety of styles of work, you know, have that versatility. I think that you can, and I really feel that way about almost anybody, as long as you're putting the actual work in and you're, you're doing what you need to, to get to that point.
Uh, not everybody sets aside the right amount of time. Um, you know, and it needs to be. Kind of a daily situation. You've gotta, if you wanna get it, if you wanna be. The best then you're taking the time, you know, look at some of your favorite athletes, uh, you know, or favorite actors in general. Uh, you know, like it didn't just happen for them, you know, they worked hard and like they worked harder than you can ever imagine to get to the point where they are a household name.
And you know what? That might not even be the goal, right? We don't necessarily wanna be a household name. A lot of voice actors aren't, but, um. To be able to have that versatility to get across many platforms or, or styles of work. It is gonna take a lot more skill and, and like determination and time than it would be to just do, you know, kind of like that regular old, I'm just gonna be me, kind of Reid.
If you're gonna need a lot of the same skills behind it. But you know, character work is a whole nother scenario. So you wanna put the work in. I think anything can happen. Let yourself have fun with it and don't get too frustrated because like, you gotta be able to allow yourself the time. To take those steps forward.
And sometimes what happens is you take steps forward and then you take some steps backwards. There's a whole song about that from the eighties. You can go, or early nineties. You can go ahead just search Paula Abdul. Some of you will know, some of you will have no idea. Uh, but uh, that being said, we will have a brand new episode of Voice Coaches Radio Katch you next week.
Hoping to get some more guests on soon. If you've got questions that you want answered Marissa at voice coaches com. And you know, enjoy your Mother's Day weekend. Stay safe everybody. I'll talk to you soon. Visit voice coaches.com for more voiceover news and information.
This week on Voice Coaches Radio, Marissa talks about what it really takes to be working with accents and dialects and the art of characters. These days, more than ever, it’s all about inclusion and authenticity…but, can you learn the skills that you need to bring a character to life in the appropriate ways?
