The Art of Voice Acting: the art and business of performing for voice over (30 page)

As with single-voice copy, dialogue copy involves a conversation between two or more characters. The primary difference with dialogue copy is that your one-person audience is present in the script.

Unlike most single-voice copy, dialogue usually involves a story with a specific plotline and interaction between two or more characters. It is important for you to understand the whole story, not just your part in it. If you limit your understanding to just your role, you may miss subtle details that are vital to effectively interacting with the other characters, or for creating the dramatic tension that is so necessary for giving the characters life and making them real to the listener. When two or more characters are having a conversation, I refer to it as
interactive dialogue
.

Another form of dialogue is one in which the characters are not talking to each other, but are instead speaking directly to the audience. A conversation is still taking place, but in this case, it is more one-sided with each actor sharing a portion of the overall delivery. I refer to this type of dialogue as
shared information
. This is very similar to a single-voice delivery, except that in this type of performance each character is interacting primarily with the audience, but must also respond appropriately to the other character sharing information.

In the area of multi-voice ADR and looping, the dialogue lines may be adlibbed and a scene may involve many voice actors.

Regardless of the structure, all dialogue requires excellent listening and performing skills. Interactions between characters must be believable and timing must be correct for a dialogue performance to be accepted by the listener.

Comedy is a very popular form of dialogue copy. It is not the words on the page that make a script funny; it is the intent behind the words. In part, comedy is based on the unexpected—leading the audience in one direction and then suddenly changing direction and ending up someplace else. Comedy is often based on overstating the obvious or placing a totally serious character in a ludicrous situation. Comedy can also be achieved by creating a sense of discomfort in the mind of the audience.

Think of a comedy script as a slice of life—with a twist. Playing lines for laughs doesn’t work. Laughs come only when the audience is surprised.

Rhythm and timing are essential with dialogue. A natural interaction between characters, overlapping lines, or stepping on lines, gives a more real feeling and helps set the rhythm and pace of the story. Pauses (where appropriate), and natural vocal embellishments can add naturalness.

Ask the producer or director before taking too many liberties with any copy; this is especially true with comedy dialogue. If the producer understands comedy, you may be given the freedom to experiment with your character and how you deliver your lines. Ultimately, your character should have precedence over the copy and certain ad-libs or other adaptations may be necessary to create the illusion of reality. Say your lines in a natural, conversational way, appropriate to the situation, and the comedy will happen.

To be effective, comedy dialogue must have a sense of reality, even if the situation is ludicrous and the characters are exaggerated. The following tips and suggestions will help you perform comedy copy effectively.

Title/Media:
“What are you waiting for?” Radio :60
Agency:
AM Strategies
Writer/Production:
Elliot Rose;
www.am-strategies.com
USP:
“Spend a minute, save a life”
Target Audience:
Adults
Style:
Very conversational, young and old share their stories
Characters:
Young boy—happy. Older woman—somewhat sad. Tag.
VO Talent:
Young boy—Ethan Rose, Woman—Stephanie Riggio, Tag—Jack Dennis
Copy Notes (as described by the writer):
This commercial was produced as a demo for Donate Life California, an organ and tissue donor registry. I wanted to create a sense of drama, of urgency, of hope, of happiness, and sadness in this spot. I wanted to shake people up and make them realize that the difference between life and death all comes down to a very simple task: marking the box that says “I want to be an organ donor” on their driver’s license renewal, or registering online. For the talent I cast my six-year-old son, Ethan, and a wonderful actress from Los Angeles named Stephanie Riggio. Unfortunately for various reasons, the spot never ran. But it’s one the most meaningful projects I’ve ever had the honor of working on.

Copyright © AM Strategies. All rights reserved.

Title/Media:
“Lost in the Mall” Radio :60
Agency:
Enjoy Development
Production:
The Commercial Clinic;
www.commercialclinic.com
USP:
“In the middle of things”
Target Audience:
Men and women who shop
Style:
Real person, conversational
Characters:
Wife helping her husband navigate his way through a mall.
VO Talent:
Penny Abshire, James R. Alburger, Ross Huguet
Copy Notes:
This is one of several spots created for a radio advertising campaign to promote a small shopping mall. The client’s requirement that every store in the mall must be mentioned in the commercial created a real challenge, not only in the writing, but also in creating a delivery that would tell the story without sounding like it was selling anything. The purpose of this commercial was to bring awareness to the mall as a whole, and especially to stores that had traffic problems, which included the food court. A typical, relatively uninteresting, spot for this type of client might simply provide a list of stores and talk about the great food at the restaurants. However, we chose to take listeners on a virtual walk through the mall, which resulted in a strong visual image and better client identification.

Copyright © The Commercial Clinic. All rights reserved.

Title/Media:
“Holiday Magic”
Agency:
Gelderhead Productions;
www.holidaymagiccd.com
Production:
Gelderhead Productions;
www.gelderhead.com
USP:
“A gift for children of all ages”
Target Audience:
Children
Style:
Multivoice dialogue
Characters:
Jeffrey, the surfer San Diego reindeer; Kate, the adventurous reindeer from Milwaukee; Carlito, Jeffrey’s cousin from the Wild Animal Park; Santa Claus.
VO Talent:
Jeff Gelder (Jeffrey); Heather Martinez (Kate); Greg Dehm (Carlito); Phillip Tanzilo (Santa)
Copy Notes:
The Holiday Magic CD is an independent project to brighten the holidays for children under care at Children’s Hospitals. The full-length audio CD includes songs and stories submitted by voice actors, singers, and other professionals woven together by a story about the adventures of Jeffrey the surfer San Diego reindeer. Each year’s CD features a different story requiring a cast of 10 to 15 voice actors. The following script is a good example of the current trend in multivoice production in which four voice actors in different cities (most of whom had never met) recorded their lines independently. The dialogue was then edited, and music and sound effects added last. Each actor had to determine the attitude and personality of their character, and how to create a believable conversation—all while recording alone in their home studio.