One Day Voice Acting Woes
Voice acting's no easy business!
I finally got around to trying my lines for a collab I'm participating in. The animator asked for them this week, and it's currently the last day of this week, and I'm not really feeling at the top of my game right now. Some of the lines require laughing like a black man, and never mind the black part, but laughing, naturally?! It may be one of the hardest things you can try. Especially when you're acting.
In real life I've always been somewhat proud of how naturally laughter came to me. When I was younger. When I actually laughed out loud.
I still do just not as frequently; not with the same ease as I did back then. Now it sometimes feels like I have to force authentic laughter just to keep myself happy, and in the realm of voice acting... no dice. Can't do that. Gotta make it sound not forced no matter what.
To make things worse I am running out of voice! I should've started on this when I had plenty of time to spare, for consecutive warm-up's and recording sessions, not one final day after a week without particularly much voicing, where it's all the more difficult to warm up to the warmer tones I need right now. Reminder to keep your voice consistent. And constant. At all times. Always ready.
I voiced a quick role earlier this week, just two lines then, but with this particular project I'm in company of three professional voice actors, of which one usually always does her lines for money, and it'd be a lie to say I'm not slightly intimidated by working with such greats. Like I have a place in their bastions of vocal mastery. Like I can actually do accents. Like I didn't start rapping more because I can't sing than because that's my true passion... or is it?
Maybe it is? Maybe it just really is the best modern day amplification of poetry there is, where focus is on lyrics more so than music and voice; the elements that I feel really matter?
But I better get back to my black voice now. Almost wish I wouldn't have applied for this; that I'd have let the animator find a black dude instead. Or any dude who's good at sounding like a black dude.
But I am good at black dudes! I have the perfect black dude voice.
You'll hear when this collab comes out y'all.
I over-dramatize a bit but that's why I blog you know. To clear my mind and so. And it's good to get out of your comfort zone. Just gotta relax, sound natural, laugh a little, and move onto whatever other dues await today...
They're piling up lately. And making me go crazy. Slightly. But it may be.
Okay.