Question for Feb. 22-28, 2010

[Amby Leigh]

How do you go about choosing a voice/creating a new voice for a character?

[Subaru-camui]

this is a hard one. I guess I look at the character and try out a few voices that i have, then decide between what I got and see what sounds better. ^^ this is speaking for an original project mainly, if they want a diffrent voice for an already dubbed person than i just try it and see what comes out for the character. For something that hasn't been dubbed i do my best to keep it sort of like the japanese voice, *raaspy or high* but put a little of myself in it ^^

[Steven Mane]

It really depends on what the producer is asking for. Example: The character is deep-voiced. Okay, which should I choose? The Brad Garrett, the Peter Cullen, the Bill Fagerbakke?

Description of the character: Cynical, tough.

Peter Cullen-type.

Another example: The character is high-pitched.

Helium-high? Annoying?

Description of the character: A real nerd.

Eddie Deezen it is.

Read the description of the voice and the character to see what you should come up with. There can be many variants, but eventually, only one voice can be chosen. That one is left to your own best judgment.

[TamTu]

Pat Fraley on creating the voice of Krang (brain-villain of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. (http://www.voiceoveruniverse.com/video/video/show?id=2070077:Video:113236&xgs=1)

Just throwing it out there.

[InuKai]

The thing that tells me what a character sounds like is how they look and act. A good description can go a long way for Radio Play directors.

[halfmillennium]

I usually try a few stock accents (Geordie, Mancunian, Liverpudlian, Cockney, if all else fails BBC) first, unless the character has an accent which is easy to recognise from the way the words are written, and check them against the character's style of speaking. I tend to avoid giving a character the kind of accent which is usually used for that character type (for example, Character A is a farmer, therrrefore 'ee arbveeaslee talks loike a country person off Larkrise to Candleford).

[Tiana Sidhe]

When deciding on a voice to use, I take a look at the visual of the character, take into account what the director wants, and what has been done before (if it's a redub rather than completely original), then let the character prance about in my head for a few minutes. :-P I try to give voice to what comes up first, going back to adjust inflection and mood as I work out the flaws.

[Rahne]

I analyze and study the character; familiarize myself with them and if it's an original character, then I think of what kind of voice would match this character's personality. I try my best to make sure the character's voice is an accurate reflection of everything this character is, stands for, wants, their experiences, etc. I like to take into account everything I can about the character, until I'm comfortable enough to say "this character sounds like this."

[ValkyrieCeles]

If I'm using a voice for an audition, I just go by the character description and voice type and kind of play around with the voice in the specified range until I've found a voice I think suits the character and my acting ability. For a fandub of a game/anime I adore however, I've already had a voice in my mind for a very long time and just voice how I think the character should sound. Sometimes when I feel that the english VA has captured the character, I try and use what they've done for the role as well, but don't try to mimic their performance entirely.

[Amby Leigh]

To be honest, while a good description is great, I can come up with a voice much better is I have a clear visual of the character, wither it be an actual picture or just in my head. I'm weird like that. Especially since when I was capably of recording still (I'm not anymore with my busted up mic) I was more into original radio plays that didn't usual have any hint of a visuals of the characters.

A description of such things like the range of the voice helps with the base, same as some kind of hints to the personality, but I need to really visualize the voices I create coming from that character's mouth and tweak it until I decide on the voice I am gonna use. Also, fun fact about that voice I eventually do create.... when I later have to do lines, I have to repeat the audition line I used to come up with the voice over and over and over again to get into the voice again. Only repeating that ORIGINAL line can get me into it.