The Art of Voice Acting: the art and business of performing for voice over by James Alburger Page B
Authors: James Alburger
Ads: Link
you stretch your back. Try to touch the floor if you can. If you need to bend you knees, go ahead. The idea here is to stretch the muscles in your arms, shoulders, back, and legs. When you feel a good stretch, begin to slowly straighten your body, allowing each vertebra to straighten one at a time as you go. Don’t forget to keep breathing.
Now that you are once again standing, with your arms still over your head, slowly bend at the waist, leaning to the left, reaching for a distant object with both arms. You should feel a stretch along the right side of your body. Slowly straighten and repeat with a lean to the right, then straighten.
Next, lower your arms so they are directly in front of you. Rotate your body to the left, turning at the waist and keeping your feet pointing forward. Allow your hips to follow. Slowly bend at the waist as you stretch yourarms out in front of you. Keep your head up and your back as straight as you can. Now, rotate forward and repeat the stretch as you reach in front of you. Finally, repeat to the other side before returning to an upright position.
EXERCISE 3: RELAX YOUR NECK
A relaxed neck helps keep the vocal cords and throat relaxed. Begin by relaxing your mind and body with the techniques described in Exercises 1 and 2. If you want to close your eyes for this one, feel free.
This exercise should be done very slowly and it can be done sitting or standing. If, at any time, you feel any pain in your neck, stop immediately. There may be a neck injury present that your doctor should know about. Begin by sitting or standing up straight. Slowly tilt your head forward until your chin is almost resting on your chest. Allow your head to fall forward, slightly stretching your neck muscles. Slowly rotate your head to the left until your left ear is over your left shoulder; then move your head back and to the right. Continue to breathe slowly as you move your head around until your chin returns to its starting point. Now rotate your head in the opposite direction. This exercise will help release tension in your neck and throat.
EXERCISE 4: RELAX YOUR ARMS
This exercise helps remind you to keep your body moving and converts locked-up nervous energy into productive energy you can use. When you are in a session, it often can be helpful to simply loosen up your body, especially if you have been standing in front of the mic for a long time. Remember that moving your body is a very important part of getting into the flow of the script. Loosen your arms and upper body by letting your arms hang loosely at your side and gently shake them out. This relaxation technique works quickly and can be done inconspicuously. You can also expand your shake out to include your entire upper body.
EXERCISE 5: RELAX YOUR FACE
A relaxed face allows you to be more flexible in creating a character and can help improve articulation. You can use your facial muscles to add sparkle and depth to your delivery. Your face is one of the best tools you have as a voice actor.
Begin by relaxing your body. Then, scrunch up your face as tight as you can and hold it that way for a count of 10. Relax and stretch your face by opening your eyes as wide as you can. Open your mouth wide and stretch your cheeks and lips by moving them while opening and closing your jaw. The process of stretching increases blood flow to your face and gives a feeling of invigoration.
EXERCISE 6: HORSE LIPS
Take a long deep breath and slowly release air through your lips to relax them. Let your lips “flutter” as your breath passes over them. This is a good exercise to do alone in your car on your way to a session. By forcing the air out of one side of your mouth or the other, you can also include your cheeks as part of this exercise. As with the face stretch, this exercise will help you in creating character voices and aid in improving articulation.
EXERCISE 7: RELAX YOUR TONGUE
This may sound odd, but your tongue can get tense too. A simple stretching
Now that you are once again standing, with your arms still over your head, slowly bend at the waist, leaning to the left, reaching for a distant object with both arms. You should feel a stretch along the right side of your body. Slowly straighten and repeat with a lean to the right, then straighten.
Next, lower your arms so they are directly in front of you. Rotate your body to the left, turning at the waist and keeping your feet pointing forward. Allow your hips to follow. Slowly bend at the waist as you stretch yourarms out in front of you. Keep your head up and your back as straight as you can. Now, rotate forward and repeat the stretch as you reach in front of you. Finally, repeat to the other side before returning to an upright position.
EXERCISE 3: RELAX YOUR NECK
A relaxed neck helps keep the vocal cords and throat relaxed. Begin by relaxing your mind and body with the techniques described in Exercises 1 and 2. If you want to close your eyes for this one, feel free.
This exercise should be done very slowly and it can be done sitting or standing. If, at any time, you feel any pain in your neck, stop immediately. There may be a neck injury present that your doctor should know about. Begin by sitting or standing up straight. Slowly tilt your head forward until your chin is almost resting on your chest. Allow your head to fall forward, slightly stretching your neck muscles. Slowly rotate your head to the left until your left ear is over your left shoulder; then move your head back and to the right. Continue to breathe slowly as you move your head around until your chin returns to its starting point. Now rotate your head in the opposite direction. This exercise will help release tension in your neck and throat.
EXERCISE 4: RELAX YOUR ARMS
This exercise helps remind you to keep your body moving and converts locked-up nervous energy into productive energy you can use. When you are in a session, it often can be helpful to simply loosen up your body, especially if you have been standing in front of the mic for a long time. Remember that moving your body is a very important part of getting into the flow of the script. Loosen your arms and upper body by letting your arms hang loosely at your side and gently shake them out. This relaxation technique works quickly and can be done inconspicuously. You can also expand your shake out to include your entire upper body.
EXERCISE 5: RELAX YOUR FACE
A relaxed face allows you to be more flexible in creating a character and can help improve articulation. You can use your facial muscles to add sparkle and depth to your delivery. Your face is one of the best tools you have as a voice actor.
Begin by relaxing your body. Then, scrunch up your face as tight as you can and hold it that way for a count of 10. Relax and stretch your face by opening your eyes as wide as you can. Open your mouth wide and stretch your cheeks and lips by moving them while opening and closing your jaw. The process of stretching increases blood flow to your face and gives a feeling of invigoration.
EXERCISE 6: HORSE LIPS
Take a long deep breath and slowly release air through your lips to relax them. Let your lips “flutter” as your breath passes over them. This is a good exercise to do alone in your car on your way to a session. By forcing the air out of one side of your mouth or the other, you can also include your cheeks as part of this exercise. As with the face stretch, this exercise will help you in creating character voices and aid in improving articulation.
EXERCISE 7: RELAX YOUR TONGUE
This may sound odd, but your tongue can get tense too. A simple stretching
Similar Books
