Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling – Rule 5

Hey there!

I love to talk about storytelling, and how important it is to your VO career to develop and hone your storytelling skills.

It’s essential.

So, every so often, I like to roll out items from this list from Emma Coats, who used to work at Pixar as a story artist, and who serially tweeted Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling.

I’m giving you one of these rules every so often as we move through the next several months, along with how you can apply the rule to your VO artistry.

Today, Rule 5…

Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.

We spend an awful lot of time second guessing ourselves when it comes to choices we make as voice talent.

Am I doing this right?

Do I have enough energy?

Do I have too much energy?

Am I selling this well?

Should I do it over?

Here’s a great piece of advice: don’t doubt yourself. Make decisions quicker by trusting your instincts.

Explore, but don’t get lost in the jungle. Drop ideas and approaches and vocal choices that don’t work. Be ruthless.

Don’t make things too complicated, and, as a practical note, don’t get too crazy marking up your script.

Keep it simple, and you won’t have to spend time trying to decipher all those chicken scratches, while you should be telling the story.

Have faith in your artistry.

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Next rule?

Opposites attract.

I’ll share that with you next time we talk about these rules.

Hope that helps.

David