Looking for advice, if any is available

[Aleolus]

I have recently been informed by someone who I trust more than basically anyone else that I have a tendency to voice my parts in essentially the same way regardless of the part I am trying out for. I was wondering if anyone on here might have some advice regarding good ways to get into the character more so I can give a more accurate voice and so I might be more likely to get parts. I also realize that my microphone is not the best, which can affect my chances, and I am willing to post recordings of my voice in different modes and so on for other peoples opinions. Thank you all for your consideration.

[DeepAnimeGuy]

well, what i do is i take note of the characters story and how he behaves then in whatever scene i pretend that i am that character experiencing that scene and react the way that i think the character would

[AmyAnn]

Yeah, having background information on the character helps. Knowing their personality well is key to getting a fitting voice for a character.

Another point: Practice. Practice. Practice. Don't just record your final lines right away. What I do is record myself for a good while and try out all of the lines then listen over them. If I feel like my voice doesn't fit then I'll figure out how and change it for another test recording. Your voice sounds different on the recording than when you hear it so it's good to do it this way so that you know what others are hearing.

[Aleolus]

That is actually something I do, but the differences end up being really subtle to her (I hear them, but I don't think I am the best judge of that sort of thing).

[AmyAnn]

Then ask the person what they want different and keep going at it until the difference is noticeable. If you can hear a difference then there must be one but it is just a case of practicing and continuing to practice.

[topleka]

I've been holding off from posting here because the advice I'm about to give can easily be misconstrued.

But, here goes. Sigh.

Practice imitations. There. I said it. And before I go any further, let me just add the disclaimer that impersonations do NOT go on demo reels, should NOT show up in auditions (unless the director specifically asks for it), and generally are not really bragging points for anyone trying to go pro. If someone walks away from this post saying "topleka says that impressions are the way to become a better actor!" just punch them in the face.

And back to the original point. Practice your imitations. Imitate characters from shows you watch. Imitate famous politicians. Imitate people in your class. It doesn't even matter if you don't sound alike - you're aiming to pick up other ways to deliver words. That guy in class who always seems to speak a little louder than he has to? Practice his style of speaking. When you need a loud character, you can use that to build a base for your character. Imitate different children in cartoons. Now if someone needs a child voice, you've got a couple different ones to pick from.

What you're facing right now isn't uncommon. If a script calls for "sadness," your first inclination is to draw from your own sadness. However, everyone expresses sadness differently. Some people cry. Some grow quiet. Some turn to sarcasm, and others try to mask it with a smile. The only way to learn how to portray the same emotion in different ways is to practice, and you can do that by drawing on everything around you.

Remember, this is just an exercise to help you develop new ways to say the same words. Impressions and imitations are not the end goal, and you need to build new characters on what you pick up - not just rely on others to give you a different performance.