VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Neil K. Hess · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:32 am Post subject: "Conversational"

I have been working with people and a lot of time they are wanting "conversational" but I am finding that peoples definition of conversational can vary. Anyone else experiencing this? Any advice?
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Bish · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:02 am Post subject:

This is becoming a minefield. I think we've all see directions that are contradictory... "announcer & conversational" etc. Many people interpret conversational to mean that you're just talking to someone (duh!). You've just got to look for clues in the copy and any covering message that gives you a clue about who you are and who you're talking to. Although I try to avoid it, there is always the two-take approach... if you're truly confused, give them two reads rather than hope you're right on a 50/50 coin-toss.
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

Mike Harrison · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:05 am Post subject:

Yeah... like so many things, 'conversational' can be very subjective.

"Make it a little lighter... and more purple."
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

Bruce · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:26 am Post subject:

Conversational can mean anything from:

Sound like a person who's never acted a day in his/her life, lots of mental pauses, imperfect diction, and the occasional scratching of the butt,

to:

Read link an announcer but pull out the lower end of your vocal register.

I can't tell you how flummoxed I am Shocked

when they want "conversational" but they fill the copy with all kinds of terms a person would never ever say in a conversation.

You just have to guess where in the spectrum it is if it's an audition and work with their direction if it's a session.

B
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I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

Mike Harrison · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:38 am Post subject:

Frank F · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:54 am Post subject:

cyclometh · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 7:57 am Post subject:

"Conversational" means "Sound like the voice in my head".
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Corey "Vox Man" Snow
http://voxman.net

DougVox · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:04 am Post subject:

What Corey said.
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Doug Turkel (tur-KELL)
Voiceover UNnouncer®
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Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 980

No one in this business needs another voice. They have all the voices they will ever need.

What they don't have, and what they do need, is YOU! Your heart, your brain, your sense of humor, your own unique cadence, etc. This is your style, or your brand. It's the you that you are with your family and friends.

This is conversational.

And it's the hardest thing in the world to do organically. This is why God created acting and improv classes. The read needs to sound honest and truthful. I spent 2 years in vo classes hearing my instructors tell me to be more conversational. But between my ears and my mouth, it just wasn't happening. I'd tell my teachers that in my day to day, I don't talk to my friends about toilet paper and laundry detergent. But I was told that I still had to sound like I did.

Then I studied acting and improv. I "got it." I then went back to vo classes to apply the acting skills I learned with vo technique. Success!!!!

Many, if not most acting scripts are not conversational. But it's the job of a brilliant actor to make them sound conversational. Vo is acting. No matter how you slice it. You can call it whatever you want. But it's acting. Acting is being truthful under imaginary circumstances. Be it a commercial, narration, promo, etc., the audience has to believe you. Go to Voicebank and listen to the commercial demos of Rob Paulsen, Eddie Deezen, Lori Alan, Jack Riley. The people on the demos are the same people you will meet on the street.

Several years ago I was on a vo panel at SAG and someone asked what celebrities bring to the table. A casting director responded that a celebrity is so confident in who they are or what their brand is, their read is infused with their personality. They don't try to be anything but themselves or conversational. They know who they are. And if the non celeb were as comfortable with their own personality and style, they'd book more.

B

Ben Amos · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:41 am Post subject:

DougVox · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 8:46 am Post subject:

And what Bob said.

(A thousand times over.)
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Doug Turkel (tur-KELL)
Voiceover UNnouncer®
UNnouncer.com

Scott Pollak · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 9:19 am Post subject:

Rob Ellis · M&M Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 2385 Location: Detroit

The Four Career Stages

1. "Who's Scott Pollak?"

2. "Get me Scott Pollak !"

3. " Get me someone who sounds like Scott Pollak !"

4..".....who's Scott Pollak?"

(hopefully last one doesn't hit til around age 150 or so...)

cool

captain54 · Lucky 700 Joined: 30 Jan 2006 Posts: 744 Location: chicago

What Bob said .. but please allow me to add to his eloquency..

the magic "AS IF" truthful under imaginary circumstances... is only part of the equation in acting.. I think everyone thats in VO would benefit from Meisner classes.. that's been the bulk of my stage training going back to the days in NYC with Bill Esper..

the gist of Meisner is.. don't create a performance.. get out of the way and leave yourself alone.. that's where the magic happens.. on stage or film, it's much easier because you have a partner in a scene to work off, and their actions and reactions propel your performance..

But VO is like a monologue.. imagining the people you are addressing, being specific about who they are, having what you say come off of how you think they might be reacting.. is kind of how I see it..
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Lee Kanne
www.leekanne.com

Zach Meissner · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:10 am Post subject: