VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Mike Paul · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2025 12:33 pm Post subject: Gibberish

I have a session tomorrow where I am to embody a cat that speaks only gibberish. I know I can come up with stuff at random, but does anybody here have specific experience with gibberish sessions and have any little tips/tricks around that? I've only done a couple of these, and each time it kinda feels like the dog catching the car--"OK, got it. now what?"

Obviously, I'm conveying meaning through emotion, but beyond the basics... do you find yourself speaking full phrases and just not articulating much of anything, do you get your body involved to make up for the lack of... words...or are there any techniques you've learned along the way that help you approach these types of sessions with confidence?

...or maybe somebody to study. Cristina Milizia stands out, but I've only just begun the search.

Thanks for your thoughts!
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Mike Paul
speakingofmike.com

Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 994

I do this sort of stuff all the time. When I voiced Bucky the squirrel for The Emperor’s New Groove, this character Kronk spoke squirrel and would translate my gibberish. I just gibbered his translation lines, adding the emphasis and intent in my inflection. You can check out scenes on YouTube. It’s still 100% acting. You just need to know in your head what the character is thinking.

Mike Paul · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2025 3:45 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Bob! Thought you did this kind of thing but wasn't sure. Will give a look.
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Mike Paul
speakingofmike.com

Mike Paul · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2025 4:00 pm Post subject:

Cool--great stuff, I feel good about my process then. When I do these, I generally just think about what I'm saying in English, and then kinda scat my way through it. You know, come to think of it this really is a lot like scatting, which is great because I don't care too much about what comes out of my mouth just as long as it doesn't sound like words and fits whatever character we're doing.

Thanks for the reference! That contrast with Kronk is funny.
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Mike Paul
speakingofmike.com

Lee Gordon · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2025 11:01 pm Post subject:

Not sure this will be of any help to you, but I found it interesting. My friend Chuck has written a couple of Curious George movies as well as multiple episodes of the TV show. He, and I assume the other writers, as well, writes full dialog for George and Frank Welker then interprets it as the grunts and other monkey sounds.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
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Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 994

Mike Paul · Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2025 12:19 pm Post subject:

Session went great! Thanks, guys. The takes they liked the best were the ones where I had a specific thing in mind, which gave me a point of view, and then we just let'er rip. In one A-B-C, they said "Yeah, all 3 work; each has as distinct point of view, these are great"

So yeah! It is acting after all, isn't it. I'll continue my studies in gibberish, but feeling pretty good about my progress in this fun little corner of VO.
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Mike Paul
speakingofmike.com