Let’s Get Physical

No matter how long I have been in this industry, it never ceases to amaze me how little people truly know about how to have an effective performance. I can’t tell you how many students who have come my way that just stand stiff at the microphone and don’t move. You would think this topic would be covered so much that everyone knows, but that’s just not the case. If you come from a theatre background or you are generally a hand talker or a big personality, then getting physical is fairly easy. However if you aren’t, then you will join the rest of society and your body and facial expressions will freeze at the mic. It is so important that you physicalize all that you say. There is the ODD talent out there who performs better without movement at the mic, but that is like 2% of the talent population. When I studied with my dear friend Bob Bergen (voice of porky pig/tweety) he reminded us that if you physicalize the action, the voice will follow. I’m sure most of you assume I’m referring to animation, but that’s not the case. This holds true for every genre in Voice Acting.