Just Be Yourself…On Purpose

Photo by Noelle Otto from Pexels

Hey there, hero!

I heard Dan O’Day pretty much perfectly express a concept I’ve been interested in for my radio-veteran VO clients.

It describes how to mindfully shed the announcer-y-ness in your voice.

And I loved the way he put it. I think it might be useful to you as well, even if you’re not an announcer.

Hope this helps!

David

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  1. Very sound advice. What do you do if that person tries to do this, but still cannot get that presentational voice OUT because they cant hear it? I have directed talent in the past, said similar advice, the talent assures me they totally “get it” but their read remains announcer. Its like they cannot allow their normal speaking voice because they have their training stuck in their mind. I find this is also true when I work with singers who try to simply read copy. They over enunciate and cant settle their voices down. I would love your quick thoughts on how you help actords shed the effects. This will help me too with my VO.

    1. I have a whole process that I’m now going through to help people attack the real problem: being comfortable with doing less than they’ve been rewarded for in the past. It’s a work in progress, and it varies with each individual.

  2. “Guilty as charged.”
    It’s a funny thing that I can easily hear that artificial style in other people’s delivery, and I can repeat their script, sounding natural…until I’m in front of the dang microphone! I’m gonna be a tough case, I think. But if anybody can deal with me, it’ll be you, I bet!

  3. I remember early on in our workouts you telling me you’d make it your personal mission to cure me of my announcer-it is. I loved hearing that! Because it meant there was hope for me. 🙂 I’ve gotten much better since then.

      1. After last week’s workout I’d say I’m farther along, but still have a ways to go. I had a really good online workout with Sean Pratt related to non-fiction audiobooks that helped too. That’s an area where some assume non-fiction is narrated like a documentary, but it too requires an ability to be personable. 🙂

  4. This is a lesson I had to relearn after doing my undergrad in an acting program. There is (or was) a stigma around being typecast that can lead to being afraid of using “you” in your work.