I should preface this by saying I am by no means an expert in accents, but I do know a thing or two about developing them. With that being said, let’s get started.

NOTE: Before you begin any accent work, we always recommend doing a vocal warm-up first up, to really get those articulators working and that breath nice and grounded.

A Tale of Two Brains

Something that I think it’s important to note, is that everyone learns accents differently. Some have a much easier time seeing the sounds on a page through the use of phonetics and others pick up accents by ear. I personally fall into the latter category. There’s nothing better or worse about either but I think it’s important to find out which works better for you. You might even be a combination of the two! I know when I’m really struggling to identify a particular sound I’ll turn to phonetics. Whatever way you get there doesn’t matter, only that you do what’s best for you. So have a play, try it by ear, try reading some phonetics, it will all help in the long run.

Mud Map

When you first start your accent journey, you should take a page out of your acting book and do some mental reconnaissance, or, investigating. Begin to think about everything that this person goes through in their daily life and how they live. Does your character live in a hot or a cold climate? Is the air clean? What is the culture like? Is it easy and laid back or more conservative and regimented? All of these things can affect the general default placement of an accent or a dialect. If developing an accent is like building a house then this is you surveying the land where you’ll build it.

Default Placement

So if we’re building a house then this is your foundation. Every accent or dialect has its own unique placement of the jaw, tongue, lips and mouth. This is such an important part of developing any accent because if you get this right the rest will feel and flow naturally as it will all make sense. The placement of an accent has a lot to with what we discussed before in regards to how it is affected by its surroundings. This is how that placement comes to being.

So figure out just how the jaw, tongue, lips and mouth naturally sit in the accent of your choice and you will be well on your way.

As an example let’s take a note from our very own Patrick Cullens playbook and have a crack at RP. So as an exercise, let’s try it on for size. 

Take your tongue and put it behind your top teeth, feel the hard palate. Good. Now move it back and feel the soft palate, nice – now lift the back of your tongue and feel the roof of your mouth at the very back there. Now take that back part of the tongue that you have lifted, and drop it down in your mouth as far down as it can go.

Imagine, that you have an egg in the back of your mouth, sitting on top of the very back of your tongue, you should feel a lot of space in the back of your mouth. Good – now – think about your upper lip, make it tight and set in stone. Know in your heart that all of the sounds that you make from here on out will use a lot of lip rounding. We want to keep the sound coming forward, with a stiff upper lip and absolutely no width in the mouth. This is not an accent that you smile with, it is an accent that you stoically, bear the universe with.

Finally, take a breath in, and really contact your chest resonance, try and work for a nice baritone sound encapsulating all of that chest power you have. Keep it supported and try and say the following sentence with Pat:

Try it a couple of times, and really make sure you’re holding on to that placement. If you ever get lost, just realign your placement! Practice, practice practice!

Pitch, Rhythm, and Pitch Rhythm

I know I know, that’s a little confusing but never fear! Hopefully, I can clear things up for you a little bit. Let me explain:

Pitch = The notes someone makes when they speak
Rhythm = The speed, and melody someone speaks those notes with
Pitch Rhythm =  The combination of the two as it applies to the voice

So basically what this means is: Pitch Rhythm is the musicality of someone’s accent. A great example of this is Southern Irish. There’s a beautiful melody to the way they speak as it varies in pitch and speed. Not that much as we’ll hear below but more so than say a General American, which doesn’t really utilise the full range of notes that the voice has in a single sentence, and doesn’t tend to speed up or slow down too rapidly from sentence to sentence.

Saoirse Ronan shows us a pretty good example of the differences here.

Vowel and Consonant Sounds 

Without getting too deep into the bowels of the phonetic alphabet we’ll take a little look at vowel and consonant sounds. Let’s start with vowels:

A,E,I,O, and U

These are our vowel sounds. In acting, vowel sounds are how we show emotion. Find out exactly how the accent you’re working on makes these sounds and try them out.

Now a consonant is any sound, that is not a vowel sound. That’s pretty straight forward right? In acting consonants are how we convey information so they are equally as important, but especially when it comes to accents. Find out how these sound too.

Bits and Bobs

Now, like all things in life, nothing is set in stone. There will be bits and bobs to an accent which are inconsistent, and this is where the real mastery work starts. Try and look (or should I say listen) out for these little idiosyncrasies in accents and dialects that make it what it is. 

For example in a General Australian accent, you’re generally not going to hear a rhotic ‘r’ or a hard ‘r’. 

Whatever, clever, misdemeanour, door, floor, where

None of those has an ‘r’ at the end of the word in the way that a General American accent has. But what you might get wrong if you were studying an Australian accent is rhotic ‘r’s used to connect words. Mostly words that both end with vowels. For example:

“I have an idea and I think it’s gonna work”

Did you hear it? If you have an Australian accent try saying this sentence without a rhotic ‘r’ between ‘idea’ and ‘and’.

“I have an idea(r)and I think it’s gonna work”

It sounds weird, right? That’s because in most Aussie accents this is how people connect words that end in vowels.

There are all sorts of these little gems just waiting to be found in any accent or dialect. Go find them!

Relax

Let me ask you this: when you speak, in whatever accent you may have, is it hard? Or does it just flow naturally? This is ideally where we wanna get to with any accent we’re working on. It should feel and sound natural, and this means not labouring every sound we make. Have a listen to native speakers of that accent and you’ll see what I mean.

Practice, Practice, Practice

When all is said and done and you’ve come this far it’s time to practice practice practice. In any way, you can! Learn a monologue (Ideally by a writer from that particular place).

Practice on your mates. Practice answering the phone (Unless it’s professional, I can’t endorse that). Anyway, you can just practice, and remember to check in to make sure you’re practising it correctly.

Hmm, Yes, Interesting… But How?

How do I gather all of this information? All of these sounds and phonetics and ah! Don’t worry, here are just a few ways for you to gather the resources you need to start your journey to accent mastery.

Google

I know I know, a bit of a cop-out answer but I mean it! Google should have a lot of the information you need to start learning about everything we spoke about in Mud Maps, and maybe if you’re lucky a lot of the other stuff too.

If you don’t have any luck with google, give analog google a try… The Library!

Reach Out

This can be a tough one but can be ideal for learning any accent. If you or someone you know are friends with or knows someone who is a native speaker of that accent, see if you can get in touch! Listen to the way they speak. Ask as many questions as you think is fair to ask them. Maybe even ask if it’s okay with them if you record them for later use. JUST DEFINITELY MAKE SURE YOU ASK, OKAY?

My favourite part of this one is you might even make a new friend! And you’ll definitely learn something about the world around you.

P.S It’s always nice to offer your new friend a coffee or some lunch in exchange for their help.

Video and Audio Files

Okay so sometimes you can’t always find exactly who you’re looking for. That’s okay! Remember that thing I brought up before? Starts with a g and kind of rhymes with noodle. That’s right. Google.

Take a look at youtube, or movies or TV, for inspiration, there’s plenty to be found.

A fantastic resource for actors is The Accent and Dialect Archives of the Western Australian Academy of the Performing Arts. They’re free and open to anyone with a passion for accents. There is a treasure trove of accent gold in here. Give it a squiz.

Another fantastic online resource is the IDEA website run by Paul Meier. This another collection of recordings and resources of different accents and dialects from around the world!

A note on this: It’s always best to pick someone who’s actually a native speaker of that accent and always to pick just one person, or it can get a bit muddled. Basically what I’m saying is if you’re doing Boston and you’re watching The Departed: Go with Mark Whalberg over Leo.

Books

If you do find that you’re more akin to learning from the page, there are a number of incredible books out there that, for one, will have a lot of information on particular accents and dialects and two will go into a deep deep dive of what I was only able to cover a fraction of. 

An amazing book to get you started is Paul Meiers: Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen. I’m not endorsed or sponsored by Paul Meier and neither is Stagemilk, this book has some of the best resources for learning accents and dialects out there, and we’re big fans.

Accent Coaches

Now I know this won’t be accessible to everyone, be it financially, geographically or otherwise but I would be out of my mind not to mention the importance and value of a good accent coach. What an accent coach provides you that you can’t necessarily provide yourself, is another set of highly trained professional accent tuning ears. An accent coach can listen to all of your little minuscule bits and bobs in your accent that you might be missing or overworking or whatever, and help you fix them! Never underestimate the power of a good accent coach!

Conclusion

Now, I know that’s a lot to tackle, but I hope that this guide will serve as a resource you revisit time and time again any time you need a quick refresher. Dive deep, keep practising and have fun doing it. Happy accenting.

The post How to Master Any Accent appeared first on StageMilk.

It is important to know that one does not simply do a perfect accent on the first go. This takes years of work, practice and coaching from experts in your chosen field! Consider this a starting point for how you can make some British accent sounds if you need to work quickly. And remember that if you want to get this really spot on, it’s going to take a lot more work than this!

NOTE: Before you begin any accent work, we always recommend doing a vocal warm-up to really get those articulators working and that breath nice and grounded.

Default Placement

Every accent or dialect has its own unique placement of the jaw, tongue, lips and mouth. This is sometimes referred to as “vocal posture”, and every accent has one. Yes, even yours! If you are able to alter your own default placement and acquire that of another dialect, you should at least be in a similar position where things won’t stand out too badly. It also puts you in the best position to make the sounds of that accent correctly as you learn and practice them.

Now, I should mention at this juncture that I am not a voice coach or a dialect coach, I am merely an Aussie actor with fairly good proficiency in accent work. So I would also say if your voice or dialect coach tells you to do this in a different way, you should listen to them! Again, this is a fast and nasty way of getting to an RP sound.

EXERCISE:

Take your tongue and put it behind your top teeth, feel the hard palate. Good. Now move it back and feel the soft palate, nice – now lift the back of your tongue and feel the roof of your mouth at the very back there. Now take that back part of the tongue that you have lifted, and drop it down in your mouth as far down as it can go.

Imagine that you have an egg in the back of your mouth—sitting on top of the very back of your tongue, you should feel a lot of space in the back of your mouth. Next, think about your upper lip: make it tight and set in stone. Know in your heart that all of the sounds that you make from here on out will use a lot of lip rounding. We want to keep the sound coming forward, with a stiff upper lip and absolutely no width in the mouth. This is not an accent that you smile with, it is an accent that you stoically, bear the universe with.

Finally, take a breath in and really contact your chest resonance. Try and work for a nice baritone sound encapsulating all of that chest power you have. Keep it supported and try and say the following sentence.

‘Absolutely Sir Peter, that is a capital idea.’

You should hopefully sound a little something like this:

How did you go? It may not have been perfect, but like any new skill, it takes time and practice. So keep at it!

Signature Sounds

Every accent or dialect comes with its own dialectal features which make it unique. This article should be the start of your journey of discovery with RP. This is not an exhaustive list, more of a jumping-off point to put you on the right track! Here are some of the signature sounds for RP that you should keep an eye out for. I give more detail on my source, Paul Meier’s Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen, below.

The aspirated, released, plosive ‘t’.

Did that sound like gibberish? It’s less complex than you might think. Aspirated means there is a lot of air moving through it, released means we aren’t holding it in and plosive means it is at the front of the mouth exploding outwards as you say it (think the burst of air when you make a sound like “p” or “b”). English RP speakers treat this sound more sharply than almost any other group of English speakers. Some words to think about: Better, Lot of, shatter, motive, etc. Keep those “t” sounds sharp and clear.

Can’t or cahn’t? Dance or Dahnce? Plant or Plahnt?

Yes, the inexorable question of the short or long ‘a’ sound. The overarching rule here is that if your ‘a’ sound sounds weird … it probably is weird. “Cart”, for example, isn’t going to be right for “cat”, So have a play around with it. “Dance”, for example, needs a longer and more open ‘a’ sound as opposed to the short ‘a’ you would get in General American for the same word.

My general advice would be to experiment with elongating rather than shortening sounds. However, if you are ever confused, check with a pronunciation dictionary or ask a real-life RP speaker. Google Stephen Fry: hear him speak, perform or listen to one of his audiobooks.

Watch the “lot” and “cloth”.

If you’re an American, this is going to feel super weird. You want to make the vowel sound in words like “lot” and “cloth” in the back of your mouth, rather than the front—and with lots of lip rounding. You may feel very silly, but give it a go! “Knowledge”, “collar”, “want”, “fox” are all good practice words.

The linking ‘r’.

This is very tricky, especially for Americans. What if I told you that RP speakers may not say every ‘r’ in a word as written, but will also occasionally add an ‘r’ sound where there is not one written? Wild, right? For example, an RP speaker would say “library” as “li-bry”, as opposed to a General American speaker who would say “li-bra-ry”.

At the same time, an RP speaker would say the phrase “here is” as: “here-r-is” using an ‘r’ sound to link the flow of one word into another. The American speaker would pronounce these words as two separate sounds. The reason for this difference goes deep into the weeds linguistics-wise—which is a fascinating deep-dive if that’s your thing. But all you need to know as a starting point is there is a small linking ‘r’ sound in these words and phrases: “there are”, “her eyes”, “fear of”, etc. (This is one you might want to work on with a voice coach, it can get a little tricky! )

Common Mistakes

#1 Don’t get too fancy! Listen: it’s not 1932 and you are not Katherine Hepburn. I know, I know, I wish I was too… But at the end of the day we are going for a more modern approach, here, so record yourself on your phone and listen to yourself! If you sound like Kate McKinnon in the video below, keep practising!

#2 Those nasty ‘r’s. If you have a rhotic dialect, yourself (such as an American accent), you are going to find it very tricky to drop it. ‘R’s and ‘L’s are arguably the toughest sounds to deal with as an English speaker. I would highly recommend you seek out a voice coach to give you a hand on this front if you’re struggling.

#3 Emphasis: Remember that the RP speaker tends to emphasise fewer words in a sentence than an American. Also, usually, they use a higher pitch to show the significance of certain words, rather than more volume like you would see an American do.

Check out Steven Fry here:

You can hear how he emphasises the word “Princeton” not with volume, but with a slightly higher pitch. Going the other way will give you away as a non-RP speaker!

Further Reading

In my humble opinion, there is one person who stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to teaching dialects in book form. His name is Paul Meier and his book Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen is absolutely fantastic. I will mention at this stage I am not endorsed by Paul and neither is StageMilk. His book is simply the best resource for learning dialects that I have come across. He goes through each signature sound of an accent, builds it into words and from words into full monologues. He also runs the this website which stores audio recordings of real-life dialect speakers and allows you to practice saying what they do. It is a really wonderful resource and you should check it out.

Practice Sentences

All of these come from Paul Meier’s excellent book. Try the following sentences in your new RP accent!

1. A lot of better writers print a lot of little words.
2. An enormous tornado tore up the store this morning.
3. In Paris, Harry shot a sparrow from his carriage with an arrow.
4. The Shah of Persia insists that Maria is never to abandon her uncle.
5. Snow flurries fall fast and always when the ground is frosty.
6. I assume we all concur on the importance of the matter.

You can listen to me have a go at them here:

As you can hear, I am not quite perfect, but I am working on this accent all the time and I hope this inspires you to do the same!

Conclusion

There you have it, folks: a rapid rundown of the RP accent! As you can see, it isn’t as simple as just barging in! Any accent takes a lot of work, practice, repetition and is best done under the supervision of a great dialect coach. Google great dialect teachers in your area. In my humble opinion, Linda Nichols-Gidley at Voco Vox is one of the best in Australia, as well as Amanda Mitchell, Paige Walker and Felicity Jurd. But there are many others around the world who can help you achieve your dialect dreams!

If you want to practice working in accents with StageMilk, check out our online scene club where you can work on scenes and monologues every month with great actors and coaches from around the globe!

The post How to do a British Accent – Fast! appeared first on StageMilk.

But after seeing the litany of superstars Mary has worked with, from Nicole Kidman to James Gandolfini, I was intrigued. We met for a coffee, and instantly I could see why her Australian trip was aptly named the “Let The Sun Shine Tour”. She was radiating, and I could tell instantly she was one of the good ones. Her passion was palpable and I knew I had to work with her.

Mary, and her wonderful producers William and Katie, invited me along to her weekend workshop. I immediately said yes, not knowing exactly I was getting myself into.

In the preceding days I was surprised how worried I was about the workshop. It had been some time since I’d taken time for my own training. And to be doing a singing workshop? I am an actor, not a singer. I just kept feeling like a fraud. I wanted to write to them and remind them “I’m not a real singer”, despite the fact that I love singing, have had vocal training since I was a kid, have recorded nearly 10 albums, and have worked professionally in Musical Theatre, and sing everyday! You probably know this feeling of struggling to own a certain title. For me calling myself a singer has always been difficult. You probably have your own stories, “I’m not a professional actor” or “I don’t deserve to be here” or any of the myriad stories we incessantly tell ourselves.

However, come Saturday I was there, pen and paper in hand, ready to go on the journey, and boy am I glad I did.

Mary is a Master Voice Teacher who works primarily in New York. Though her focus is singing, she has been a long time collaborator with Susan Batson, one of the leading acting coaches alive today. For me this workshop was an exploration of not just signing, but acting, performing and something much more important.

You cannot explain the power of an experience like this in bullet points, but I wanted to share with you some of what I took from her workshop. Though much of her work was centred around singing, all of these lessons apply to acting. I encourage anyone reading this to experience her work first hand. Like many of the great teachers alive today her passion is immense, and her love for the art of performing is something that will stay with me.

Here is what I learnt…

#1 If it sounds too complicated, it probably is. 

To begin the workshop Mary outlined the foundations of voice: breath, support and resonance. What shocked me immediately was the simplicity of it all. Assisted by some wonderfully fun animations she had on hand, I felt I finally understood things that I have studied for years. It was a reminder that if you are finding anything you are learning convoluted and complicated, it probably isn’t helpful. I believe any great acting theory can be explained simply. That doesn’t mean it can’t be detailed and complex, many of Mary’s techniques are very in-depth, but they all made sense.

#2 You can’t breath into your stomach! 

This was the one massive takeaway that I wanted to share with all of you. Whether you’ve done one voice class, or have been working on your voice for years, we are all aware of slogans like “breathe into your belly” or “you have to breathe from your diaphragm”. Mary reminded us that you can’t actually breath into your belly, you breathe into your lungs! The goal is to think about breathing into the bottom of your lungs, and that your diaphragm is an “involuntary muscle!” As the diaphragm pulls down, that pushes your belly out to make way for your lungs. This might sound like a simple differentiation, but it is really powerful. You may have been like me and forced yourself to have deep belly breaths only to feel more tense and short of breath.

#3 Fear is such a waste of time. 

This was a revealing class. It was incredible to be sharing the experience with such a mix of performers. There was a huge range of age and experience, but the one commonality among us all was the amount of fear that was holding us back. Unnecessary stories and beliefs that we clung to. I really think solving self consciousness and working through fears is one of the most powerful things you can do as an actor.

#4 The revolutionary send. 

This is the name Mary gives her powerful process. And though it has many layers, and I think you have to work with her to fully experience it, this is what I took from it: send your work, don’t hold onto it. Whether it is a song, or a scene, send your work to the other person. We are so focused on ourselves we often forget to share. It’s not all about you!

#5 Do something for yourself. 

As I mentioned in the introduction, it’s been a long time since I did something for myself as an artist. And even longer since I’ve done something where I SING. But I am so glad I did. It is important to remind ourselves that we are artists, even if society isn’t always seeing us that way. If you haven’t been working as an actor, or haven’t done any training in a while, take some time out to come back to what you love.

#6 The power of script analysis.

Mary talked through a powerful process of script analysis. Actors are often turned off by how complex these processes can be, but it is always important to breakdown a script and find what the intention of the writer is. We were working on “Bohemian Rhapsody”, a song I must have heard 100s of times, but have never understood so clearly. Breaking a scene or song into beats (complete dramatic thoughts) is a great start. But then you have to find what is really underpinning the work. I can’t go into Mary’s full process here, but I do encourage you all to keep exploring your own process and don’t be turned off by convoluted techniques that don’t work for you.

#7 Stop closing your eyes.

When I sing, I love to close my eyes. Mary didn’t love it so much. She encouraged us all to stay connected. It’s not about you. It’s about the story. Though this is a singing note, the theory applies to actors. We can often get trapped in the awareness of  how good, or bad, we think the scene or monologue is feeling. But it isn’t about us. It’s about the story!

#8 Support.

I have never had vocal support explained so clearly. I’m sure many of you have worked in vocal classes rolling about on the floor, or bouncing about while a teacher talks about support. For me Mary kept it so simple. Feel the power from your superhero belly button. This probably needs more explanation, and a few fun cartoons, but it was a huge learning curve that if you have a well supported voice you can speak and sing with power.

#9 Relaxation is not a lack of energy.

One great note that kept coming up was how relaxed everyone was after working with Mary. And she pointed out again and again through the workshop that relaxation doesn’t mean a performance was flat or de-energised. In fact it just means that it felt “easy”. If we think of all the great performers from Gene Kelly to Meryl Streep, we can see this same thing. They make it look easeful. You could even describe Usain Bolt as relaxed as he runs faster than any human ever has.

#10 Don’t focus on your weaknesses

Early on in the class I mentioned that I had “bad pitch” or a fear of hitting the wrong notes. Ever since a few embarrassing auditions as a teen, the idea of hitting the wrong note has haunted me. Through the weekend Mary reminded us that focusing on these kinds of things can bring about more issues. Instead we have to trust that the notes will be there when you really send the story to someone. When I think of all the negative self talk we all experience, “I’ve got a bad voice” or “I struggle with emotional connection”, are we really helping or just perpetuating a story that for most of us actually isn’t true in the first place? I encourage you all to think about what you are still holding onto and whether some passing note your singing teacher made when you were 13 really holds much merit today.

Conclusion

I can’t explain the full power of Mary’s work, only she can. So I encourage you all to get along and see her work.

It’s always important to find time to work on your craft. This class reminded me how much we all have in common. Whether it was the talented 10 year old girl in the class bringing us to tears, or students who bravely shared their health issues, that were so full of joy and warmth, I was reminded of our humanity. I was reminded of how we performers are so sensitive and that sensitivity is everything, but it can make living challenging. Work with teachers and actors that inspire you. And even if you don’t call yourself a singer, find some time to simply sing.

The post 10 Lessons from Mary Setrakian appeared first on StageMilk.

Warming up our voice should be a daily practice for actors, but sometimes there are things that get in the way. Usually that is time, or motivation, but for many actors, especially those in there 20s/30s who live in shared accommodation, it’s your roommates.

No one wants to be a bad house mate, and especially if you’re living with non-actors they are not going to be very forgiving of your 7am vocal sirens. So we wanted to help out. We are launching a new series of short vocal warm ups to help you get vocally prepped for the day, without being a nuisance.

When you’re warming up in a share house, or any shared living environment the issue is noise. So this warm up is largely focused on working on your voice without making excessive sound.

We collaborated with top voice coach, Amy Hume, to create a short, succinct and beneficial warm up that doesn’t infuriate your room mates. So let’s dive in!

Set up your space…

This warm up does get physical. So create a space in your room or living room where you can work safely. I would avoid any busy shared spaces, ideally you want to be somewhere you won’t get distracted, or embarrassed. Though all the movements are fairly simple, it is important to always be safe. Make sure you have ample room to move freely. None of these exercises are about how far, or high you can go. It’s not a competition. The priority is relaxation and ease.

How to warm up your voice…. In a share house

There’s heaps you can for your voice without making too much noise.

Throughout the exercises, make sure your breath is centred. Allow time for the thought and breath to drop in at the start of each sigh.

1. Physical release – Go through any stretches you like to do. Make sure you don’t hold the breath as you stretch – keep reminding yourself to sigh out.

2. Yawning – this is a great soft palate stretch and opens the throat. When you yawn, keep the tip of the tongue down behind your bottom teeth, and think of yawning horizontally (into a wide smile) rather than vertically. You can yawn with or without making sound.

3. Open your ribs – to ensure they are flexible and ready to move. Take one arm up and over your body, breathe in and out into your side ribs for about 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

4. Arm swings – this is a great way to activate the breath. Take one arm forward and one arm back, and gently bounce the knees as you swing your arms forward and back. Release the breath on a firm, full “F” sound. Feel how the movement of the arms energised the breath. Try this on a firm “V” and “Z” (if you’re comfortable making a little sound).

5. Whisper your text – on a complete whisper, not a very quiet voice. This will energise your articulators and ensure you’re staying connected to breath.

6. Energise your body – shake your muscles, pat yourself down, jump up and down. Your physical energy can be redirected into your voice.

7. Add any voice exercise you like – as long as you’re connected to thought and breath, it doesn’t matter how much sound you’re making.

Remember, warming up your voice is about clarity and intention, and not about volume.

How to Warm Up in a Share House [VIDEO GUIDE]

DOWNLOADABLE PDF

Warm-up-in-share-house-PDF

The post How to Warm Up in a Share House appeared first on StageMilk.

Here are just a few reasons why breaking into the voice over industry is definitely worth it:

Differentiation

Firstly, if you have any acting training and experience at all, it can be an invaluable tool as a voice over artist, and help differentiate you from a lot of the competition out there.

The ability to take redirection, and change your read to fit whatever the job demands is a skill that actors often find easier than standalone voice artists. It’s one of the reasons famous industry heavyweights like Stellar Sound, a leading voice over studio, became synonymous with the industry for so long, as they continually discovered and nurtured actors into voice over talents that went on to dominate the industry. Some voice over artists only really have one style of read, which admittedly serves them well, but makes it hard for them to change things up, and can also lead to them being a little overexposed. Trained actors are known for their ability to change their read to suit the gig.

Solid returns on investment

Voice overs are lucrative, and not particularly time demanding. You can easily tread the boards at night, shoot a commercial or two and even hold down a solid TV guest role, while maintaining clients with regular voice overs each week. And with rates from between $400 and $20,000 dollars for the hour, the math checks out.

Like the idea of a family? Maybe even owning a house? You can afford to do those things if you make it into the top bracket of the voice industry. When so many of my peers are dropping out of the acting game so they can lead the “normal” lives of others and enjoy parenthood, home ownership, and holidays, the voice actors I know are still going strong, and can do all those things (ok, small holidays, but holidays nonetheless). What’s more, as a result of their financial security they can remain in the acting game, picking up work while others drop out, sick of the sacrifices for such minimal financial gain.

It’s fun!

Voice overs are FUN. It involves you making creative choices, injecting your personality and skills into a script, and communicating an idea or emotion in a way that it is specific to you. It is highly collaborative, and you get to work with amazing sound engineers, producers and writers who respect you and what you bring to any read. You don’t have to deal with any workplace politics, you come in and deliver, and once you leave the booth, it’s on with your day, and hopefully onto the next one!

Anonymity

Voice overs are largely ANONYMOUS. Ok, some keen ears and industry peers may recognise your reads on the waves, but your face is nowhere to be seen. That means you don’t run the risk of being overexposed as an actor, and indeed, even as a voice, if you display enough range and different styles of reads. You also don’t have to work a job in the public gaze, and deal with people recognising you from TV, Film or Theatre projects, and asking why you’re pouring beers or making coffee. That means more self-esteem for you, and less belittling and patronising from randoms who never had the guts to pursue their own creative dreams! Yay!

Collaboration and creativity

You get to work with other creatives. Often they are passionate about music and film, and extremely interested in your own creative passions. Many of them go on to direct TV and Film, in fact, while voicing World Movies Channel, one of the talented producers there cast me as the villain in the feature film he was directing, which went on to win multiple awards and was bought by SBS. It’s inspiring and exciting to work with other creative people who share your focus and are striving to a produce work in this country.

Conclusion

Not convinced? Perhaps it all sounds a little too good to be true? The fact is, the industry is very hard to break into, for many of the reasons listed above. A lot of people love the idea of the life a voice over artist can lead, but not everyone can lead that lifestyle. It is extremely competitive, and of course if you secure a small piece of the pie it means you can live comparatively well compared to the majority of other creatives in this country. The trick is to be vigilant, and hone your skills, so that when the opportunity comes, you break the door down properly, and announce yourself as ready.

You really are your own brand, and your personality, punctuality and professionalism are important, but the most important thing is what happens when you’re in the booth, with your script in hand, and headphones on. That’s where careers begin. Because no matter how great you are at networking, butt-kissing or hand-shaking, if you can’t deliver in that hour of booked time, the phone will most likely not ring again.

But if the magic in that booth DOES happen, then the rewards are enormous, and potentially, longstanding.

Your career, awaits.

Want to get serious…

If you are interested in training in voice over, Dorje Swallow and StageMilk Founder Andrew Hearle run a weekly voice over acting class. It’s a great way to learn about the industry and get confident in front of the microphone.

Brand new: if you are based in Brisbane we have just announced a brand new Brisbane Voice Over course.

The post Why should I try to break into the voice over industry? appeared first on StageMilk.

What is it?

General American, also known as Standard American, GenAm, American English, or US English, or also Detailed American English is the most commonly required, and the most commonly observed accent in US film and television today. It is also somewhat of a constructed concept. What I mean by that is that nobody grew up in Standard America. The sound we’re talking about is what is called a prestige dialect. Most countries (and most languages) have a prestige dialect which is exactly what it sounds like: the speech sounds most commonly identified with status within a given society.

Linguistically it’s not simply status but also clarity, intelligence, socioeconomic influence and general power. As listeners we absorb our unconscious biases about people based on the sounds they speak with as much as we do about the way they look or behave. Received Pronunciation (RP) is the equivalent in the UK. The French established by the Académie française is the French equivalent. In essence, it is the sound most commonly associated with clarity, eloquence and authenticity. It is also free of anything which may give a clue to the speaker’s geographical origin, ethnic background, or their socio-economic status. It is what is assumed to be “good speech.” But as I always tell my students, no sound is in and of itself “good” or “bad” – those associations come from social constructs, be they good or bad. Humans make judgements, but sounds are independent of that.

All that said, let’s talk about what makes GenAm what it is, and what it’s not. In this article I’ll be going over some basic elements and exercises. For more detailed and individual information and work you should always consult a professional coach as we all bring our own idolect (our individual voice) to the work.

How to Start

FOCUS OF THE SOUND or PLACEMENT.

This aspect of accents is sometimes called the “point of placement” or “point of tension.” Another nice term I’m hearing a lot recently is “oral posture.” This is a vital part of accents for performance, but it is also a source of a lot of confusion for people because it is the most subjective element of accents. Why? Because we all don’t think we have one. So how I would describe my accent as opposed to your accent (if it is different to mine) will be informed by my accent’s placement. How you would describe my accent as opposed to your accent would be informed by your own accent’s placement. So, we need to come to an understanding of what this concept is. How it works, and how it can benefit us.

Try this: make a sound, any sound. It could be an AHH, an OOH, an EEE. Then speak a piece of text. Read these words aloud if you like. Imagine that your voice, while you are making these sounds and speaking these words, is a ball of red, vibrating warmth. Where in or around your mouth is that ball sitting, or focused? There are no right or wrong answers – this is subjective remember? Where do you feel that ball is concentrated?

The next layer of that could be asking yourself – is the shape a ball? Or is it a cone? A cylinder? Is it a tube which curves upwards or downwards or outwards? In other words, the way we speak feels natural to us, hence we’re more likely to think of its features as “neutral” or “central” or “free.” That’s why I refer to it as the focus of the sound, because while we all think we don’t have an accent, what this practice is intended to do is bring your voice into another place, to help you find your voice in the accent. So while it is the most nebulous and subjective thing in accents for performance, it is the most useful tool to help us to discover our voice in a different way. And while it is subjective, we can make some generalisations, which may or may not apply depending on your home base.

So, as an Australian speaker, my accent is focused in the middle of my mouth. But if it was a ball, that ball would be halfway between the dome of my hard palate and my nasal cavity – this is because in my accent the jaw tends to be quite closed. I might also, upon examination feel that the space is not so much like a ball, but like a wide flat disc, and thus that the “direction” of my accent is outwards to the sides rather than directly forward.

Now that is my experience of my accent. It’s crucial to develop a sense of this for yourself because this is your “home base” or your comfort zone. To effectively realise an accent, you need to be able to move outside of your comfort zone!

The Standard American accent is conceived of by most non-speakers as being focused in the back of the throat – the pharynx. This is the “engine” I mention below with the K-breath. The sound is focused here but arrives on the lips and teeth and tongue-tip, which are quite active (in my accent the lips are quite inactive). The jaw is also free and open (compared to many other dialects).

The image I often use for my students is to imagine you are talking around a baseball in the back of your mouth. Alternatively, picture two silver quarters between your back molars.

LOOSEN THE JAW

As humans, we tend to hold a lot of our anxiety and worry in our jaw. Some dialects also employ a close or tight jaw to realise their sound. For the Standard American accent we need to loosen the jaw so that we are free to experience a new space, and the sounds we make have space in which to resonate.

Start by massaging the jaw joint and muscles. There are a few primary muscles involved but the most important to start with are the masseter and the temporalis.

Masseter: Using the thumbs, massage this strong muscle on a point down and forward from your ears. These directions are approximate as we are all shaped slightly differently, but you are looking for the points at which when you press you feel the muscle i.e. not the cheekbones and not the soft tissue of the cheeks (see diagram). Press gently on those muscles and then (also gently) massage them in small circular movements. At the same time, let the jaw open and loosen, and breathe. Keep breathing and focus on freedom, release, and ease.

Temporalis: This muscle is like a fan that extends upwards across the sides of your skull from the jaw. When we clench our jaw, our temples tend to bulge a little – this is part of the action of the temporalis. Using the palms of your hands, massage this area that bulges – or just a little back from it, usually past the hairline. Gently press and gently massage this point – you will know when you’ve found it. Again, make sure the lips are unsealed and you are breathing, while experiencing freedom, release, and ease.

There are lots of other exercises to loosen the jaw like yawning, or stretching the jaw slowly down and up with your hands. Any of these or similar exercises will help open up the space you need.

OPEN PHARYNGEAL SPACE

The pharynx is the back of our throat. The space between the back of our tongue and the soft palate or velum is the gateway to our pharynx. The first thing to do is breath in but place a soft K sound at the beginning of your inbreath – it may sound a bit like a whispered “KAAA” – but should be open and free of tension. Think about a free open in-breath, a bit like when your are pleasantly surprised by something, just with a K at the beginning of it.

Next, breathe out with a soft K at the start. Again, it should sound like a whispered “KAAA” but open and free – imagine you are fogging up a mirror or your glasses if you wear them.

Do this a few more times – breathing in and out on that K, feeling the back of the tongue and the soft palate coming together, and then springing apart. The more you can freely spring them apart, feeling the breath on the back of the throat (but free and open not cold and dry or tense), the more space you will be creating for what I call the “engine” of the Standard American accent.

Next on an outbreath add sound: YOOOOOO. Breath in on that K again, then out on: YAAAHHH. Breathe in on the K, then: YEEEEEE.

Then immediately and in your own natural accent (preferably a broad or exaggerated form thereof) say YOOO, YAAH, YEEE… Now try contrasting each sound individually – a YOO with the open space, then a YOO with your natural space, then the same for the YAH and the YEE.

What you should hopefully feel in your mouth is the sensation a bit like a rubber band having been stretched in one direction for the open YOO YAH YEE, and then of that rubber band releasing or slackening for your natural YOO YAH YEE. The sensation of the open, stretched place is the “placement” of this accent. It is a key to the oral posture.

GET TO KNOW YOUR R’s.

There are more types of R than you might think. Approximant, tapped, trilled, fricative, uvular, and that’s ignoring voiced and voiceless variations! I’ll be writing a whole article on rhoticity and discovering your R and other R’s, but for the Standard American accent we just need to focus on one type – the approximant.

I like to describe the feeling of this R by imagining that your tongue is a turtle’s head. To make the R we’re after, the turtle pulls its head back into its shell (the tongue root retracts), then it looks up slightly (the tongue tip gently lifts). A lot of time is spent by other accent coaches on the nature and quality of the American R. My focus (at least initially) is on making sure you can feel that R position and know it intimately, so that you can know when it is not happening in the right places, or is happening in the wrong places.

The Standard American accent is what is called RHOTIC. This means that they pronounce the letter “r” every single time it is in the spelling, and never when it’s not in the spelling. If your natural accent is rhotic already this will present fewer problems for you – aside from making sure you are using the correct variety of R! However if your natural accent is non- rhotic, which means you only pronounce the letter “r” in specific circumstances, then you will need to pay particular attention to this sound. Some examples of Rhotic dialects include Standard American, Canadian, Irish, Scottish, Cornish, and even specific parts of South Island New Zealand. Some examples of Non-Rhotic dialects include Received Pronunciation, most Northern English dialects, New York, classic Southern American, Australian, South African.

Note that for many people for whom English is their second language, rhoticity is a common feature (often in learning languages we are guided by the spelling or orthography), but the type of R used will often be very different, and it depends very much on whether you have learned American English, or British English. If English is your second language you should definitely seek the guidance of a dialect coach who specialises in what is usually called foreign accent reduction or FAR.

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS.

The rhythm of accents is another “musical” feature which is key to their authenticity. The Standard American accent uses pitch and volume to shape sense and make thoughts clear. For a contrast, Received Pronunciation largely relies on pitch to convey this layer of meaning.

Word emphasis is a big topic (see below on Little R’s) but basically English as a language emphasises the most important words in a sentence, and it’s on those words that the pitch and the emphasis changes. Other languages don’t always do this: many Chinese or African dialects use pitch to change the meaning of words, while in French syllabic emphasis is largely irrelevant to meaning.

In English the pitch and stress changes on the most important words in the sentence or thought. When it comes to dialect, it’s a matter of how far the pitch changes and where it goes when it does. In Received Pronunciation as mentioned before, the pitch moves a lot, and usually doesn’t depend too much on emphasis or stress.

In Standard American the pitch generally moves very slightly – in tones or semi-tones – and is always accompanied by a decisive emphasis on the word or syllable. Thoughts also tend to end on a downward inflection (not always, but it is a tendency).

What not to do

Don’t go for the “twang.”

Many people attempting the American accent think of “the American twang” but really, what does this mean? “Twang” is an undefined, non-specific mood. My first-year acting teacher taught me that “mood” was DOOM spelled backwards. So don’t go for something vague and undefined. “Twang” tends to lead to nasality, which while it isn’t necessarily a bad thing for American accents, is not something you should reach for or aspire to. Finding your voice in the accent as I have already said is key. My go to for this is always warmth. Focus on warmth in your voice as an attitude and as an approach. This invariably brings you to a more authentic place and back into yourself.

Focus on the R too much.

Don’t get me wrong, the R, or the rhoticity, is vitally important to achieving an authentic American accent. I describe it as one of the key architectural features – it’s like the foundations and the supporting beams – if it’s not there the whole accent falls down. However, the R is a sound which most of us will find easy to achieve and realise. It does not need to be OVER-pronounced. This is why I usually focus less on how the R is made than on where it is used. The most common mistake I observe with the R is over-pronouncing it, that is using too much tension. Say that R again – feel the turtle pulls its head back and slightly looking up. How far up is the turtle looking? Keep the R going as you curl the tongue-tip further up, then further, then all the way back so it’s what we call retroflex. Do you feel how the “quality” of the R changes depending on how far the tongue-tip curls up or back? It also depends on how much the tongue root is pulling back as well, but hopefully this shows you how the approximant R can vary.

So long as you know what the basic approximant R feels like, you will be able to notice where you are doing it and where you are not. The R is no different to the M or the T or the SH. They are all phonemes (sounds) which we are all capable of making as human beings. It is simply a case of the order in which we place them, the oral posture that communicates them, and how we understand them together. That is language and that is dialect. Discover the sound, even if it is new to you, and then trust it.

Common mistakes and how to overcome them

Little R’s

Syllables in English are either stressed or unstressed – emphasised or not, weighted or not. In other languages syllabic emphasis is irrelevant, and in others there are strict rules for syllabic emphasis. What syllable to stress is important to be aware of in English because syllabic emphasis can change the meaning of the word you are using. For example:

recount – to count again
recount – to relate or tell a story
resource – a noun, a source of supply
resource – a verb, to allocate resources
produce – a noun, what has been produced
produce – a verb, to bring forth
attribute – a noun, a quality of something
attribute – a verb, to ascribe a quality to something

Furthermore the word that you stress can change the meaning of the sentence. For example:

She is happy – as opposed to some other emotional state
She is happy. – confirmation or affirmation, as opposed to some other emotional state, she is not sad.
She is happy. – as opposed to someone else.

How does this relate to rhoticity? Well if you are a non-rhotic speaker then one of your main tasks is to ADD a sound in to your speech in places you are not used to adding it. So when it comes to the R, the rule, as we have said, is simple – R is pronounced every time it is in the spelling, and never when it’s not – but because of the way English syllables and word-stress works we have two types of R: stressed and unstressed, which I sometimes call Big R’s and Little R’s.

A word like “smarter” contains a big R then a little R because the first syllable is stressed and the second is unstressed. It’s those unstressed, Little R’s that are so easy for we non-rhotic speakers to forget. In other words we are more likely to make the mistake of saying:

“SMAR-duh” than the mistake of saying “SMAH-der.”

Long story short, every R is important, hence becoming familiar with what R feels like because it always needs to be there, even if it is unstressed. Your R should feel relaxed and natural as opposed to hard and stressed. It is the syllable that is stressed, not the R.

“Been”

For Americans this word is always pronounced with a short vowel rather than a long vowel. In other words:

“bin” not “been”

How’ve you been?
I’ve been good.
It’s been hot lately.
How long have you been here?

If, to your ear, it occasionally sounds like “ben” that’s because the short vowel involved in “bin” is more open for that person.

“Our” “Your” We’re” “For” and “Or”

These words can vary in their realisations across dialects of English. They are also usually unstressed words in most sentences. But whether stressed or unstressed, when attempting the General American accent the following guidelines should make things easier, at least until you’re more confident.

“our” : Think of this word as “ARR” (i.e. not “ow-r”); “OW-er” is usually “hour”: Our journey took hours.
“your”/” you’re” : Think of these like “yrr” or “yer” (i.e. not “YAWR”) You’re thinking of the days of yore.
“we’re” : Think of this word as “wrr” or “wur” (i.e. not “WEE-uhr”) We’re going to the weir.
“for” : Think of this work like “frr” or “fur” (i.e. not “FORR” or “FAWr”) Four for me, and five for you. Foresight for forethought.
“or” : Think of this word like “er” or just “r” by itself (i.e. not “ORR” or “AWr”) This or that? Mine or yours?

A great trick is to join the little or unstressed word on to the previous word to create a nonsense word that when you run the thought together it becomes clear.

They liked our house (they laiktar house)
We heard your speech (we heardyer speech)
Cold or hot? (colder hot)
Get some for me (get sumfer me)

Time to talk

I hope this introductory article has given you some more specific things to think about for when you speak in an American accent, but also when you listen to an American accent. Take everything I’ve just talked about and use it the next time you watch an American film or television show. What do you notice about that actor’s R’s? How about that actor’s oral posture? What about that actor’s pitch and word emphasis? How are they different to you? Repeat these things as you hear them, feel them in your mouth and your body. Feel their unfamiliarity, and find a place where they can feel familiar (building your voice in the accent)

Now be bold, pick up a random piece of text and start to read it in your best American accent. Do not be afraid to fail. Discover words you’re unsure of. Start to try to discover what it is about those words which are tripping you up. Is it the spelling? The syllabic emphasis? Is there an R involved? Could it be to do with the words on either side of it?

BE CURIOUS.

I’ll end with something I also often tell my students: the safest place to practice your accent is in public.

Yes, truly. No one is going to question what you present yourself as – unless of course they’ve met you before or know you well!

Be brave and bold, and experience. And if you need to, contact a professional coach. We’re here to help!

The post American Accent Guide appeared first on StageMilk.

As actors we sometimes want to fast track the process. We’re passionate, and all we want is to get out there and do it already. But alas, acting is a craft, and we are always, always learning. After recently working with Patsy Rodenburg, a master voice and Shakespeare teacher, I am reminded of just how much work actors need to do, in order to honour any piece of great writing. As she says, you wouldn’t expect to be an elite athlete or musician, without hours of rigorous training and daily work, so why should that be any different for an actor?

It can be tempting to be lazy as an actor. It’s easy, and safer, to rely on the tricks and habits that have served you in your career so far. The problem is that these tricks often circumvent a deeper, and simpler truth. A truth that is manifested in all great writing, especially Shakespeare, and all we have to do is meet that text with generosity and ambition.

Out of respect for Patsy’s work, I won’t be able to share all my notes from our work together, but the cornerstone is simple: be present. Follow each word and thought to the very end, and never give up on the words!

A common trap for actors is to think they need to be cool/interesting/sexy. They feel they have to colour the language with some unique flavour. This is often because we’re used to working with terrible writing. The problem is when we add all these layers to a Shakespearean monologue, it falls apart. We lose the sense and the richness that is already there.

During the workshop Patsy worked with a number of actors, some whom were very experienced. It was fascinating to see how much further and deeper even actors of this calibre could go. How much we can excavate the text and really give our words to the other actor.

“We can’t expect people to listen to us, unless we reach them”.

That isn’t just about speaking louder. In fact, shouting is a very inefficient and ineffective way of communicating with another human, just as whispering is. Instead, it is about simply being present with your ensemble, and the audience. That requires you to be open and willing to reveal yourself, and this often puts us in a very vulnerable place. A lot of Patsy’s work is about getting comfortable with working from this space. And as a result, she brings out heightened, nuanced and more connected work from her students.

For many, watching theatre has become a chore. We are no longer drawn to theatre in the way we were in Ancient Greece. We love the immediacy of sport, but only rarely find that palpable energy in the theatre. She credits this largely to a lack of presence on stage. Actors who are either hiding, internalising, or performing only for themselves, or actors who are pushing, and ‘acting their pants off’.

Pushing is one of my favourite traps. I guess like most actors there is a part of me (perhaps a significant part) that wants to be liked. And so I push to show how funny, dramatic or good I am. The ironic thing is that the more we push the less we connect, and the less we connect, the more the audience switches off.

An actor’s job is to send thoughts and ideas to an audience, and without an authentic, powerful and free voice, we cannot possibly expect them to understand.

So, with all that delicious wisdom behind us, what can you do to improve your voice and presence as actors?

1. Body – your body is all you have to express yourself, so take care of it. Tension in the body prevents us from connecting, and connecting is our job. As actors, being physically fit, is just as important as being mentally fit. If you have any desire at becoming a Lead actor, you’re going to need to be nimble, flexible, grounded and connected (like a Ninja). Build your own routine, and work on it Every. Single. Day. Sensei.
2. Breath – your breath is your fuel, and without proper breath support, doing the simplest of scenes or monologues as an actor, becomes infinitely harder. Work daily at breathing to full capacity, you’d be surprised at the habits and tensions which prevent us from doing so. And you’ll find your voice has more power behind it, simply due to more oxygen in your lungs.
3. Voice – speak text everyday. Not just quietly in bed before you sleep (oops, guilty) but on your feet, embodying the words, with passion and energy. Work on a variety of different pieces, well-known classics, to unusual contemporary’s. Stretch yourself, and keep stretching yourself, you’ll be a better actor for it.
4. Experience – read, watch, listen. It’s simple really, garnering these second hand experiences, stretching your imagination and being present for everyday life makes you a better human, and therefore a better actor.
5. Practice – we are so incredibly lucky to have this little thing we call, Education. Get along to as many courses and classes as you possibly can, soak up all that knowledge and continue to get up, and do the work.

Patsy Rodenburg Interview

As much as we try to explain techniques and advice in our articles, at the end of the day, much of acting work is learnt by simply doing. Patsy Rodenburg has certainly raised the bar for us – there is so much work we can do as actors to connect body, breath and voice, before we even think about speaking.

If you can get ever get along to a Patsy Rodenburg masterclass, do it!

The post Patsy Rodenburg Raises the Bar appeared first on StageMilk.

After I left high school I started working with other acting coaches and they kept coming back to my voice. I wanted to learn scenes and monologues and they wanted me to walk around the room singing scales in tights. WHY!

It was only when I began performing in bigger theatres and working with professional actors that I started to see I was getting eaten alive by these trained actors. And it wasn’t just there acting. It was how they connected with text, how they expressed that text using their full voices, and how they resonated and articulated in any space.

How to become a better actor through voice work

Voice, movement and acting aren’t separate.

The first truth you have to accept during your training as an actor is that voice, movement and acting are not three separate fields. They all work together to express the truth of the text and tell a great story.

Storytelling is what it all comes back to. If you have tensions in your shoulders that limit how you can tell that story then that matters. If you can’t be heard in a theatre then that matters to the story. If you line droop (lose the energy at the end of your sentences) then you lose the energy of the scene and can unravel a whole production.

In Shakespeare’s time, the best seats in a theatre were behind the stage. That’s because the language was what was important, and it was easiest hear from those seats. Nowadays the visual element of theatre has become so converted, but it’s words that are the backbone of storytelling.

So, though this may take a while to sink in, trust me. Working on becoming more expressive vocally, will make you a more expressive storyteller.

Language dominance

Read great works out loud. In a recent interview with Damien Ryan, one of Australia’s leading Shakespearean actors and directors, he spoke about how reading Shakespeare aloud is one of the keys to becoming a better actor.

The more relaxed and comfortable you become with the language the more fun you can have with it. If it remains an archaic scrabble of words, then when you come to an audition or performance, the audience will hear it that way.

The more you work on monologues, poems and scenes from a diverse range of writers the better your text chops become.

Being heard

Projection is a word that gets bandied about in theatre circles a lot. And I hate it. It implies pushing and can lead to some pretty presentational acting. When someone is expressing themselves fully they will be heard. When a mother is stopping their child from running across a busy street they aren’t thinking about their breath support, but my god are they being heard by that child.

The key to “projection” is intention. Know who you are talking to in a scene and what you are trying to say. If you commit fully to your intentions you will be heard. There are technical elements to working in certain spaces, but most “projection” issues are solved by doing your acting homework.

What you can do to work on unlocking the full potential of your voice is a daily warm up. Include plenty of work on resonance, breath and articulation. These are the key areas to work on if you are struggling to be heard in large theatre spaces.

Tip: don’t expect most directors to use this kind of language. They will often say “project” or “louder” and you have to find a way of achieving that direction which doesn’t damage your voice or the scene…

All acting issues are voice issues are life issues

I would argue all vocal issues are acting issues are life issues. If you resolve something vocally you will resolve it in your acting and the way to do that is by resolving it in your life.

The voice is intertwined with how we perceive ourselves. If you lack confidence, your voice will often be thin or higher than it naturally sits. If you’re trying to prove something in life, you will often push and strain your voice. If you’re indecisive you won’t get to the end of your line, which is a really common problem with actors.

These issues can also be linked to physical issues. Depression and insecurity can cause us to fold inwards and hunch, ruining our natural posture. Or push out our chests in an attempt to be “strong”. Working on these issues and becoming a more open and direct person will allow you more freedom in your acting.

I’ve always been a strong advocate for counselling and phycology, where suitable. Working through issues in yourself means those issues don’t slip into every character you play.

Invest in your voice

Hopefully this article has gone some way in motivating you to take voice work more seriously. If you haven’t trained and don’t have a warm up, check out our vocal warm up page. If you do know some great vocal exercises, and you’re just not doing them, start a daily practice – even just 5 minutes each morning. Getting into the habit of humming in the shower is a great start.

Remember the value or reading, and if possible, reading aloud. Work on texts that challenge you and push you outside your comfort zone.

Start making your voice an asset not a liability.

The post The Importance of Voice Work appeared first on StageMilk.

Voice acting can be a really lucrative occupation and having a great voice demo is the key to landing more auditions and more jobs! I recommend choosing 6-8 scripts for a reel. You never know which ones will turn out the best once they are properly produced with sound effects and music.

Note: You don’t want your voice reel to sound like every other actor in town, so change out the name of the product and feel confident tweaking the adverts. You can also write your own from scratch. In some scripts I have cut the brand and inserted [BRAND] you can therefore play with whatever you like! 

Commercial Voice Over Scripts

Introduction for your Voice Reel

It’s important to give your reel a short introduction. Keep your intro simple, upbeat and direct. Something like this works great:

Hi I’m [First Name] and this is my voice reel.

Hi I’m [Full Name] and this is my demo.

Note: You can be more creative here, but I like these simple options as they add some contrast to the more colourful entries on your reel.

Upbeat Voice Ads

Generic

Want to try something new?
Want to meet like-minded individuals?
Sign up for a workshop, short course, or summer intensive today.
To find the perfect program for you, visit [BRAND].com.au

Car Dealership

Slap on the sunscreen, turn up the music. Summer is here!
No matter how you beat the heat, there is no beating the scorching deals across all new, demo, and used vehicles at [CAR DEALERSHIP] four day Summer Sale.

Health Brand

I don’t consider [HEALTH BRAND] a diet, because I still have the freedom to eat what I want!
With my lifestyle, juice and shakes just won’t cut it. I have to feel energised and focused to keep achieving my goals.
[HEALTH BRAND] allows me the freedom to build healthy habits and to not feel like I am on a diet!

Adventure Brand

Looking for a great adventure on the [LOCATION]?
Well, that’s easy!
For a jam-packed adventure day on the water, it’s got to be [BRAND] A great day for the whole family!

Convenience Store

So it’s 1:00 in the morning … and you’re starving.
Nothing in the fridge, and nothing in the cupboards.
You think about cooking, but then you remember the fire you started last time you tried using the stove.
Well, check out [STORE]. They have everything from burgers to tacos … 24 hours a day … 7 days a week.
[STORE]: think of it as your own personal walk-in kitchen.

Telecommunications

A living room or a launch pad, where would you rather be? From your place to out of space, sitting with your family, it isn’t fantasy…

Seductive Voice Ads

Chocolate

I’ll tell you a secret. Seductive, tempting, and irresistibly smooth.
Only a chocolate this pure could last this long on my lips.
Fall to your knees and savour the taste of [BRAND] salted caramel swirl.
My secret. My [BRAND].

Soap

Do you have any idea how luxurious [BRAND] feels against your skin?
It’s soft and soothing—a cool morning breeze on a perfect, hidden beach.
Give yourself the ultimate indulgence.
Try the silky perfection of [BRAND].

Medical Voice Ads

Aspirin

Headaches.  We all get them. We all wish they would go away.
Luckily, there is a solution: [BRAND].
I just take two, and there’s no more tension, no more throbbing, no more pain.  My headache completely gone.
[BRAND]: relief you can rely on.

Joint Pain

They say you’re only as young as you feel.
This can be tough, when 40% of Australians over 55 complain of daily joint pain.
With [BRAND], you can feel confident about the tennis court, the golf course, the game of tag with your grandkids.
[BRAND]: Get back out there and start living.

Skin Care

If I say “summer”, you might say “barbecue”, “family” or “football in the yard”.
Something you might not think of is getting a skin check-up.
See one of the doctors at [CLINIC] today for a free consultation.
And you can head into summer with the confidence you deserve. [CLINIC].

Soft/ Emotional Voice Overs

Pet Adoption Service

We all need that special someone.
Someone to make you laugh. Someone to listen.
Someone to appreciate your cooking, but also to get you off the couch.
Someone to be your best friend.
Adopt your special someone today at [BRAND].

Donating Blood

Did you know that one in three of us will need blood, or blood products, at some point in our lives?
Yet only 1 in 30 Australians actually donate blood.
Be the type to help save lives. Do something special. Give blood today.

Fire Safety

It’s bushfire season, and for a lot of families that means hoping for the best, and planning for the worst.
Have your fire safety plan in place this summer, or you might leave more than just memories behind.

Activism/Social Cause

Change is coming, whether they choose to accept it or not.
And the damage being done by climate change is now too great to ignore.
For those who put coal before people, no more excuses:
Change is coming, will you be part of it?

Real Person

Hey, my name’s Tom.
I drive the same route to my kid’s cricket game every Saturday.
I’m a safe driver. Hands at 2 and 10, the whole lot.
But last time, this motorbike he just appeared out of nowhere. Gave each other a real fright.
Look out for yourself on the road, yeah? Look out for motorbikes.

NOTE: these scripts are for educational purposes and are not to be replicated. Please do not use these scripts in your voice demos, or for any public use.

Voice Over Tips

#1 Nail the Tag. The tag is very important. By tag I mean the final line of each ad which includes either the product or the brand, or both. Always aim for clarity here. Generally speaking we also have a nice big smile through the brand name, which just gives the read a beautiful warmth.

#2 Have at least one scene. Having a voice over script that includes another actor can give your reel a professional lift. See if you can bring in another actor to record with you on the day. Ideally get someone of the opposite sex, or with a very different voice.

#3 Keep it short. Don’t go over 1.30 for a first reel, even less (1 minute) in some countries. Keep them wanting more!

If you want to learn more about voice over and are based in Sydney, we run a weekly voice over class at our studio. Get in touch: andrew@stagemilk.com

The post Voice Over Scripts appeared first on StageMilk.

So whether you are looking to work on a dialect or to improve an area of your voice, here are the best voice coaches in Melbourne:

Voice and Dialect Teachers in Melbourne

Updated March, 8th 2021

Tyler Coppin

Tyler Coppin was born and raised in the United States and primarily works as an American accent coach. He has coached some incredible actors such as Heath Ledger, Madeleine Madden, Magda Szubanski, Melissa George, Joel Edgerton and Ben Mendelsohn, just to name a few! Tyler is based in Melbourne, and also teaches at Brave Studios.

Jenny Kent

Jenny Kent is a voice and dialect coach in Melbourne, with a background in acting, as well as speech pathology. She teaches at Australian drama schools and coaches across many disciplines from actors and presenters to corporate professionals.

Leith McPherson 

Spoken Voice & Dialect Coach

Leith McPherson is a professional voice coach and senior lecturer at the VCA. Leith is a regular voice and dialect coach at MTC but has also worked alongside some elves in the Hobbit trilogy and more recently with a few wizards and witches with the cast of Harry Potter and The Cursed Child. Originally training as an actor she then went on to study voice in London and is now recognised as one of Australia’s leading voice and accent coaches. 

Chris Nolan 

Spoken & Singing Voice

I have no words for this man – I’ve been working with Chris for a few years now and can honestly say that this man has changed the way I approach and use my voice. He has so much expertise and knowledge, and will skillfully help you to overcome any challenges you may face. Chris offers private lessons, in-person and via Zoom, but throughout the year also offers a variety of workshops and masterclasses that are affordable for even the most struggling artist. 

Chris is a Voice Trainer, Vocal Coach, Pianist and Casting Consultant. He was previously the Head of Singing & Music at the VCA (Victorian College of The Arts) and has worked as a casting consultant for David Grindrod for Andrew Lloyd Webber. Chris trained as a singer and pianist in Australia before going to further study and work in the UK and is now back in the land down-under. 

Lisa-Marie Parker

Singing Voice

Lisa-Marie has been a Voice Coach, Audition Coach and Career Mentor for over 20 years. She is also an accomplished actress and singer who has worked in productions like We Will Rock You and Les Mis over her 22 year long career. Lisa has so many credits and career accomplishments to her name we could be here listing them all day – but all you need to know is that she is a phenomenal teacher.

Anna McCrossin-Owen

Spoken Voice & Dialect Coach

Anna is a Melbourne based Voice coach for Film, Television, Theatre, Music Theatre, TVC and Animation. Anna is one of MTCs (Melbourne Theatre Company) main Voice Coaches, working on over 50 of their productions and teaches privately from her studio. She has worked on A View From The Bridge, Glitch, Please Like Me, Heisenberg and Relic to name a few. Anna is one of Melbourne best Voice Coaches and comes highly recommended. 

Suzanne Heywood

Spoken Voice & Dialect Coach

Suzanne is a Melbourne based Voice and Dialect Coach – Her career has seen her work for Melbourne Theatre Company, Redstitch and Malthouse Theatre. Working across an array of mediums from Theatre to Film she is recognised as one of Australia’s best voice coaches. She is currently the Artistic Associate Q44 Theatre. She has worked with people like Hugh Jackman, Margot Robbie, Jackie Weaver and Kat Stewart. 

Andrew Hearle 

Voice Over Teacher + Acting Coach 

Andrew is the founder of StageMilk.com. Though Andrew is mainly an acting coach, he is also one of the leading voice over teachers in Australia. If you are specifically looking for a voice over teacher, definitely reach out. Andrew offers private voice over coaching, and also runs the leading Melbourne Voice Over Course. This course takes place a few times a year and places are strictly limited.

Andrew is also one of the leading Voice Reel Producers in Melbourne.

The post Voice Coaches Melbourne appeared first on StageMilk.