Screaming Help

[Cordelia LeFay]

Does anyone have any tips on how to scream effectively? I'm rather reserved...do you have any advice?

[Xzelion]

Think of things that get you mad, or someone you hate and you want to get the frustration out and just scream, XD thats how you get the most realest effect[in my case] unless your an angry looking person like me, screaming is not hard, screaming loud makes you feel good and relieves stress is all in the mind, just think off stuff atleast thats what i do.

[Edwyn]

Practice loud, practice often. Eventually it'll become second nature and you can turn it on and off naturally. Now working in a proper emotional layer to your screams - anger, fear, pain, surprise, indignation, consternation, constipation etc. that's a whole OTHER kettle of fish.

[Seishiro17]

Practice loud, practice often. Eventually it'll become second nature and you can turn it on and off naturally.

indeed, just throwing off that whole quiet lifestyle takes a little bit of time, and many sore throats.


Now working in a proper emotional layer to your screams - anger, fear, pain, surprise, indignation, consternation, constipation etc. that's a whole OTHER kettle of fish.

OH. GOD. YES! I've had some... interesting expiences with yelling. several in the beginning include passing out only to wake up with a concussion because I fell down onto a nice pionty bookshelf...yeah

many are the AVA who've glimpsed the cop car pulling up to thier house... learn this and join the crowd, but before that pay the fine for sound pollution (stupid neighbors calling it sound pollution it's an art form dammit!)

[gorecon]

You have to try to scream?
I try hard not to scream.Breathe in.Hold for 1-2-3-4-5.Exhale through mouth.Repeat twice.Dont scream.DONT SNAP.
But ya.Close your eyes and picture why are you screaming,get in character.There're different screams.It's AHHHH,but it can sound like "i'm in so much pain" or "DIEEEE"or"DAMMIT"...That emotion is what I think should motivate your screaming.
P.S.Wish there was a job where you scream.

[Matt Alan]

Q. How do I scream properly?
A. Ask Lucien Dodge.

XD;

[Lucien]

Q. How do I scream properly?
A. Ask Lucien Dodge.

XD;

Thank you for the 'nod' Matt :wink:


Practice loud, practice often. Eventually it'll become second nature and you can turn it on and off naturally. Now working in a proper emotional layer to your screams - anger, fear, pain, surprise, indignation, consternation, constipation etc. that's a whole OTHER kettle of fish.

I second this. If it helps you to be less self concious while practicing it, try screaming into a pillow as loud as you can...you know, without..hurting yourself. What you want to make sure of is that you're screaming with full support of your diaphram, meaning pushing out the air with your stomach, instead of straining it from your throat. It's really more a matter of focus, and becoming awear of how you breath. This will help you greatly in not damaging your voice while screaming. Once you develop the sufficient support and endurance and self confidence to scream with all your heart for your role, then it's time to adapt that additional emotion layer to it.
As Edwyn touched on, having a 'focus' while screaming will make it sound less like a girl screaming into a microphone, as opposed to the character screaming because __X__. Just like any other time when you're voice acting, you have to find the truth behind what you're doing, the subtext and circumstances of it, and screaming is no different. Figuring out these factors not only will make your acting truthfull, but also give you a focus that takes your attention off the actual mechanics of screaming, and instead letting your trained instincts do the work instead.

[teggy16]

Wait, what about screaming without it coming out wierd on the microphone?

[Lucien]

Wait, what about screaming without it coming out wierd on the microphone?

That's entirely a technical issue. As opposed to not screaming as intensly, which will come off sounding very fake and 'held back,' you want to experiment with your gain settings, and lower them to a point where you're still getting as full a sound as possible, but you're not distorting. Using a mix of both lowering the gain, and angling yourself away, or increasing the distance between you and the microphone is the most effective method I find.

[Cordelia LeFay]

Thanks for all your help guys! I pulled off some great screams the other day. Hopefully you will be able to hear for yourself once Mindy has finished the first half of mixing the episode!

[oyasumidesu]

note: the support is ESPECIALLY important while singing and sometimes talking for higher pitches, and remember lift the pallet and HAVE FUN ^___________^


Thank you for the 'nod' Matt :wink:



I second this. If it helps you to be less self concious while practicing it, try screaming into a pillow as loud as you can...you know, without..hurting yourself. What you want to make sure of is that you're screaming with full support of your diaphram, meaning pushing out the air with your stomach, instead of straining it from your throat. It's really more a matter of focus, and becoming awear of how you breath. This will help you greatly in not damaging your voice while screaming. Once you develop the sufficient support and endurance and self confidence to scream with all your heart for your role, then it's time to adapt that additional emotion layer to it.
As Edwyn touched on, having a 'focus' while screaming will make it sound less like a girl screaming into a microphone, as opposed to the character screaming because __X__. Just like any other time when you're voice acting, you have to find the truth behind what you're doing, the subtext and circumstances of it, and screaming is no different. Figuring out these factors not only will make your acting truthfull, but also give you a focus that takes your attention off the actual mechanics of screaming, and instead letting your trained instincts do the work instead.

[Malfestance]

Take it from someone who is in a touring band AND is a part time voice actor. (and a newbie to the site...LOL)

Screaming has nothing to do with the emotion you're feeling at the time, it's ALL about HOW you're doing it. Remember you're acting...it's the same as the Metal artists of today, the "Lamb of God's" or the "Killswitch Engage's" of the music world. They in fact had a vocal teacher for that, Melissa Cross...she taught me the basics but I had to learn to fine tune it myself.

But anyway, Screaming is all about technique and knowing your instrument...and I don't mean your voice. The microphone is your instrument, and it has the all powerful volume knob. You can make some of the most ear-splitting screams to ever come out of a PA...whilst only TRULY making the noise at a slightly higher than normal speaking level. But the technique is important, or you WILL (it's been said before) sound fake and forced. I learned to fine tune it by traveling to the middle of nowhere, so as not to alert the neighbors, and doing REAL screams at REAL levels. never more than a few at a time and ALWAYS with plenty of water and rest in between. I tried to understand and mimic the physical feelings and sensations that the REAL screams caused, but at a volume less painful.

It took practice, and some real thinking and research on the properties I was looking for...but the results speak for themselves. Without any formal training save for a little "basics" from Melissa Cross, I've learned to find my own screaming voice for both Modern Metal styled vocals and REAL faked screams for voice over projects.

[Malfestance]

I disagree with this to an extent -- singing is not the same as voice acting...

It IS and it ISN'T at the very same time. Singing is a form of acting...example: last time I checked, not to many people break into random well-thoughtout and rehearsed songs about little things that happen during a day. A song is written...rehearsed...then a performance happens.

The original feelings regardless of how important they are, will never be reprised within the confines of that song. Just as in reading a script, the written representation of the feeling the writer was having at that moment, can never be that TRUE feeling again. It's an assumption of how to best represent that feeling, a forever loop of "maybe this was how it's meant to be felt".



it should be worth knowing there is NEVER a "safe way" to use your voice that often, in that manner (screaming)... Damage will occur but whether it happens sooner or later in life is up to you.

Very true, but in the same token. You CAN hurt your voice simply from talking...great example is Michael Dorn from Star Trek: The Next Gen. He intentionally forced his voice down for the character of Worf...so now he's pitch changed his voice a complete 3 octaves lower, and can never go back. Control your damage, and your voice will last a lifetime.

Nodules are BAD things, most of the time surgery CAN'T cure them you just have to let them go away on their own. The price any artist pays.

Painters notoriously have weak wrists


Melissa's DVD's can help you get the BASICS but nothing can be a substitute for a REAL vocal teacher....just gotta find one that isn't a self important one in need of an ego stroke.

[Russ]

You CAN hurt your voice simply from talking...great example is Michael Dorn from Star Trek: The Next Gen. He intentionally forced his voice down for the character of Worf...so now he's pitch changed his voice a complete 3 octaves lower, and can never go back.3 octaves??? I don't think so. The male voice range is not much more than that. I rather doubt that he changed from a counter-tenor to a 2nd bass. Maybe a third?

[Hatomikazuki]

;~;'' Most things I would have said, have been said by others...But I just want to pop in and say...That Nikkita you've actually really scared me by reminding me of vocal nodules...>>'' Now I'm going to be paranoid that I have them all the time...<<''

[anime_master2005]

If you're trying to scream out of pain or like in voice acting, then I have no idea.

Screaming in a metal band, I do. If you still want to know reply back, I don't want to make a long post only to have it not be of any help to you. ;)

[Kae-chan]

I really need help with screaming too v.v;;

[VoiceActorDreamer]

A scream out of pain is the easiest. Just kick something hard barefoot. Doesn‘t get realer that that.

[Quark]

Hey, I don't know if this has been answered yet or not because I haven't read through this thread all the way, but really the key is to not hold back. I used to wonder the same thing: Why did my screams sound so fake? Well, quite simply it was because I didn't want to disturb my family and have them come running to see if I was ok. What you have to do is tell everyone in your house you're recording a scream sound and not to panic. Then, scream as if it were happening. Yell at the top of your lungs and don't hold back because you're afraid of being too loud because... well... if you were screaming in real life you'd be loud as heck. xD

It's just something I figured out on my own when I tried starting a few projects a while back. I mean, maybe it's a given, I dunno.
*insert good ending post line here*

Edit:

Also, if you feel awkward telling your parents you're going to be screaming your head off, simply find a nice secluded area to do it with the proper recording equipment. I do some of my best screams in the car, but unfortunately don't have good equipment to record myself doing so. I'm stuck recording with my phone, which I can't seem to send to myself. xP
An example: http://qwark-tastic.deviantart.com/art/Purely-Insane-77007123

[Blue Bunny]

its one thing to get into character and know why your screaming. I always think of screaming as a release of energy that can't be held inside any longer, the best way for me is to build that can be something within script,intensity,just breathing harder. But ya, there's so many different kinds of screams from comical or something more serious like you just saw your best friend get stabbed.But ya for the scream to be effective you definitely need to be in the moment.

[Dblauv]

During rehearsals at the Renaissance Fair we have a screaming session. The number one rule is to scream from the diaphragm as Lucian said. The second one being, don't care that you are being watched. Make an ass of yourself and don't care. Freaking out at a fair patron and running away screaming or screaming at another actor from across the field if always a lot of fun. Practice and you will get it.

[EKYO]

Anyone have tips for RECORDING a scream?

Of course, I'm really loud when I scream, so it ends up distorted most of the time. To deal with that, I turn the mic volume all the way down on my computer, but that's not enough, so I have to move the mic further and further away from me. I end up catching the scream, but it sounds far away and bleh (or it has that nasty distortion).

I have a Logitec headset mic that I have to take off for screams. Would a better quality microphone (such as a Snowball) help out with that issue?

[Trihan]

I was actually using the microphone on my webcam until someone mentioned using the mic that came with Rock Band so I tried it myself and it works like a DREAM. If you have Rock Band, I'd recommend trying that mic for recording if you're looking for something a bit better than the headset. It's obviously no professional rig, but it does what I need it to.

[Russ]

Yes, I have found that screaming into the Blue Snowball using the #2 setting works very nicely.

[EKYO]

Ooh, I do have Rock Band. I used the microphone once on Ventrilo... for some reason, it never occurred to me to try recording lines with it. I'll give that a shot later -- thanks, Trihan!

Next month I plan on getting a Snowball, so I'm happy to hear it works well with screaming. Thanks, Russ!

[Hatomikazuki]

Just don't yell directly into the mic. Turn your head, (if you have some sort of cushion to stop the sound this shouldn't produce echo) and scream~ (+ snowball on #2 like Russ said. =P)

[Sheepy]

Yes, I have found that screaming into the Blue Snowball using the #2 setting works very nicely.

Agreed, although I have noticed that it muffles just a little bit.

[scottoka1]

I know if this wouldn't really apply to EVERYONE...maybe a person or two, but if your mic picks up sound on two different volumes (i.e. Right track is louder than left track) then Delete the track that is louder and keep the quieter, to avoid distortion. I hope this helps, and I really hope what I said makes any sence.

[Kiramaru16]

(Im still practicing screams) The first step to a good scream is to keep voice healthy, drinking water NO SPICY FOOD OR SODA! ABSOLUTELY NOT! that retards a voice. once your voice is clear enough practice screaming 2-4 times a month. start with small screams. than go to the bigger screams. even though it may sound off at first, dont give up hope. you will nail it someday.


A good example of screaming is my new Yu Yu Hakusho Fandub of kuwabaras death (i'll post it here later) but its on youtube right now.

cant get the link atm but go on youtube and type Kiramaru16 kuwabaras death REMASTERED

[mjcantor]

In terms of not damaging your voice? Diaphragm, Diaphragm, and more diaphragm. Even with that, for recording, you and your producer should set your levels beforehand to compensate for the loudest parts of a take. You should also make an effort to back off from the mic a little when raising volume. You can bump up soft stuff in post-production, but you can NOT un-clip clipped (distorted) audio if you come in too loud.

[Nemirin]

Not sure if this is mentioned.. But also, another slightly (possibly) insignificant tip that would probably help save your ears or if you really wanna go crazy at it, plug some cotton balls or ear plugs in your ears.

I did that cause my ears are sensitive... >>

[mjcantor]

That's always a good idea! I'd never be able to do that though, because I always want to hear myself through the headphones!

[VoiceActorDreamer]

That's always a good idea! I'd never be able to do that though, because I always want to hear myself through the headphones!
This may seem really stupid but I've never understood that part about hearing yourself in your headset/headphones when you record (playback is the only thing that comes to mind). Isn't it kinda distracting to hear yourself like some gigantic echo in your head? :(

[Sarifus]

This may seem really stupid but I've never understood that part about hearing yourself in your headset/headphones when you record (playback is the only thing that comes to mind). Isn't it kinda distracting to hear yourself like some gigantic echo in your head? :(

I always listen to myself through headphones while recording. After getting used to it I just found I could hear my own performance much more clearly that way - you're hearing the final product as it's happening, as opposed to pressing record and hoping everything works. I dunno. I think it helped me a lot with things like voice differentiation etc. It also means you can hear if there's any mic popping and whatnot straight away.

[Tara St. Michel]

I always listen to myself through headphones while recording. After getting used to it I just found I could hear my own performance much more clearly that way - you're hearing the final product as it's happening, as opposed to pressing record and hoping everything works. I dunno. I think it helped me a lot with things like voice differentiation etc. It also means you can hear if there's any mic popping and whatnot straight away.

I definitely agree that this helps, as long as you don't have a problem with latency (a delay between you and the sound in the headphones). If you do have latency issues, you'll be screwing up your lines more than you get them right... it's just plain confusing to have it echoing back at you. This is not a problem in audacity cause it has latency reduction.

@Cordelia Lefay: I'd also like to add for the screaming thing that you don't just want to be shouting "AHH" into the mic as this sounds really fake. You have to actually scream. I mean shrill screaming if you're a girl and if you're a guy... I wouldn't know since I'm not one XD.

Here's an example of how I scream for lines that require it:
http://www.4shared.com/audio/aZL5QYNM/Scream.html

To do this you need to reduce the volume of the mic input then adjust the recording a bit with normalization, Equalizer, and compression. Just reducing the volume will work well enough most times though.

[Cydonia]

I always listen to myself through headphones while recording. After getting used to it I just found I could hear my own performance much more clearly that way - you're hearing the final product as it's happening, as opposed to pressing record and hoping everything works. I dunno. I think it helped me a lot with things like voice differentiation etc. It also means you can hear if there's any mic popping and whatnot straight away.
Can I ask how you do that? Listen to yourself whilst recording? It sounds really helpful... And I need help right now. x3

[Sapphire]

I'm guessing he's able to listen to himself record through his pre-amp/usb interface. At least I'm able to do that. It's reeeeaaally nifty.

[McTricky]

Some computers are also able to do that automatically. Not sure how, though.

[Cydonia]

Wah. :( Google may just be my best friend right now then. *searches*

[Toya]

Since I use adobe audition, I just go to options > monitoring > audition mix
And from then on I can hear myself as I record.
But if there's a delay when you record just go to your audio hardware setup and change the buffer rate.
The higher the buffer rate, the more latency you'll get or a longer delay. And the shorter, well you get the idea, less delay lol


But yeah it mainly depends on your program. Just find the monitoring tab and there. ~

[Sapphire]

Since I use adobe audition, I just go to options > monitoring > audition mix
And from then on I can hear myself as I record.
But if there's a delay when you record just go to your audio hardware setup and change the buffer rate.
The higher the buffer rate, the more latency you'll get or a longer delay. And the shorter, well you get the idea, less delay lol


But yeah it mainly depends on your program. Just find the monitoring tab and there. ~

I should check this out. Thanks!

[Cydonia]

Since I use adobe audition, I just go to options > monitoring > audition mix
And from then on I can hear myself as I record.
But if there's a delay when you record just go to your audio hardware setup and change the buffer rate.
The higher the buffer rate, the more latency you'll get or a longer delay. And the shorter, well you get the idea, less delay lol


But yeah it mainly depends on your program. Just find the monitoring tab and there. ~
Wow, well I have Audition so I'll definitely have to try that! Thank you very much! <3

[Sarifus]

Can I ask how you do that? Listen to yourself whilst recording? It sounds really helpful... And I need help right now. x3

I use a mixer, and plug my headphones into that, so there's never any problems of latency etc. But I use a mixer because my microphone is XLR rather than USB; I gather most people on here use USB mics, so...yeah. What VA Schoolboy said does indeed sound useful hehe.

[Tara St. Michel]

Can I ask how you do that? Listen to yourself whilst recording? It sounds really helpful... And I need help right now. x3

in audacity, if you go into the setting/options, there should be an option called software monitoring somewhere in there. When you have that checkmarked, it should automatically play your voice through the headphones while you're recording. Audacity is a good one for this cause there's no latency (latency is delay between your voice and the output through the headphones).

[Cydonia]

in audacity, if you go into the setting/options, there should be an option called software monitoring somewhere in there. When you have that checkmarked, it should automatically play your voice through the headphones while you're recording. Audacity is a good one for this cause there's no latency (latency is delay between your voice and the output through the headphones).
I've just adjusted this setting so I'll give it a whirl now. :3 Thanks a lot!