5 Ways to Sound Like a Voiceover Actor In Everyday Life
Being a voice actor is a pretty sweet gig -- just ask Roger Craig Smith.
Smith lends his pipes to well over ten shows CURRENTLY on the air including ‘Yard Crashers’, ‘Say Yes to the Dress', ‘Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta', ‘Avengers Assemble’ and so on, and so on, and yeah he's kind of busy. Aside from being the king of all voiced television acting,
An impressive voice and proper annunciation is more important than most men realize. Think back to some of the more pressure-filled moments in life and we'll bet your vocal chords, a slight case of the stutters and odd inflections of tone were prevalent. Speaking correctly and coherently, like the voices in car commercials and movie trailers, could help you land a job, land a woman and even land a plane (Kind of -- Smith voiced Ripslinger in the recently released Disney flick ‘Planes').
We caught up with Roger to get a few tips on how to sound like a voiceover actor in everyday life. Here are five quick tips he shared that will make any man sound like the voice of a god.
Pace Yourself...and Get Ready For Peculiar Stares
Enunciate and elevate your voice to the point of sheer absurdity. Hit every syllable and be a notch or two above the normal conversation level. Having said that, it might garner some public problems and odd glances.
Remember Pitch and Inflection
These are how high, and how low, your voice goes. Remember to go higher where it feels right and lower where it feels right. Emphasize the right words.
Turn Phone Conversations Into a Radio Talk Show
Phones are a great place to practice since spotty reception usually ruins most calls. Answer every phone call as if you were a radio personality. Call out their city first: 'Cincinnati, you’re on the horn. Go!' Also, put them on hold, wait five seconds and return and say “Thank you for holding. We’ll be with you in just a minute,” like an operating system. It’s a great way to either add some humor to the call or end it quicker than you could have imagined.
Practice With Headphones
As a voice actor, I find myself constantly wearing headphones to clearly hear my own voice. Sure, it may be odd wearing headphones connected to nothing, but it’s worth it.
Have Fun With It
Be conscious of how you sound but don't go nuts. Practice in normal conversation. Practice on women at the bar because why not? The next time you’re hitting on a girl, and you take a drink, say 'It’s not that I’m thirsty. I have to lubricate my instrument.' Make sure to hit all the right words and spots or that comes off really creepy.
Interviewed by Kyle Dowling.