MBA Media Management SPMVV

Sunday, July 16, 2017

Anchoring: VO: Resonance

Resonance

Discovering a Deeper Voice

When asked to describe a good voice, one of the qualities mentioned most frequently is “deep.” Everyone wants a deeper voice, believing it will project authority, strength, sexiness or whatever. Assuming it’s all about pitch, they press their voice down into the lower end of their range. Then they wonder why their voice tires easily and feels uncomfortable after any length of time. Their voice always seems “stuck” in their throat, and it actually sounds higher to other people.

Resonance is the reverberation or repetition of sound in the environment in which it was created. When someone speaks, resonance is created in the body as well as in the surrounding area. The resonance in the body can be felt by the speaker. The two extremes of resonance are “head voice,” which is where high sounds resonate, and “chest voice,” which is where low sounds resonate.

However, most sounds the human voice makes can also resonate in the mask, or the front of the face. A voice with plenty of mask resonance is strong, and clear, no matter how loud or soft. A voice with good mask resonance is pleasant to listen to and flexible, allowing for rich vocal variety.

Mask resonance is a combination of nasal and mouth resonance. The sound you are looking for will produce a pronounced vibration in the front of your face.

A good voice has a certain quality of depth, but it’s not necessarily related to low pitch. It’s more about having low resonance in your voice. Think of pitch as the actual “note” you are speaking. Think of resonance as the “space” you are using to produce the sound. Finding deep resonance in your voice requires attentiveness to three essential components:

·         The first is relaxation. Muscle tension stops sound vibrations. Tension anywhere in your body prevents the spread of sound vibrations. This restricts your voice to your throat and mouth and makes the sound seem higher. Feel the ground under you, allow your whole body to relax down onto the ground, and your voice will tend to drop into your body and sound deeper.

·         The second is breath. Breathing well relaxes the body at very deep levels, creates more space on the inside and keeps the channels very open. The quality of your in-breath will always set up the quality of your voice. If your in-breath is small and shallow, your voice will tend to be small and shallow. If your in-breath is full and deep, your voice will tend to be full and deep.

·         The third is space. Think of a bass drum. Its size and its large interior space tend to emphasize the lower frequencies of its sound. The same thing will happen with your voice if you enhance the feeling of open space inside your body

Ideally, you want your content to align with your delivery method and both to align with the sound of your voice. Vocal variety is all about the sound of the voice and, in this case, that vocal image is created through several aspects of your sound, including pace, pitch, pause, and power.

Pace

Pace is the speed of your delivery. In general, for vocal variety you are encouraged to vary your pace by speeding up and slowing down appropriately for the message you are delivering. However, some people have trouble with pacing due to poor breathing. If you speak too quickly, or if your speaking is labored or too slow, consider the following:

“Vary your pace by speeding up and slowing down appropriately for the message you are delivering.”

§ Speaking too fast is often the result of not stopping to breathe often enough.
Solution: To slow down your speaking with the breath, consciously take a breath before you begin. Remember to stop and breathe between ideas. The next time you practice a presentation, take time to inhale and exhale deeply five times before you start to speak. Then take one more deep breath and exhale vigorously into your first words.

§ Speaking too slowly can also be caused by not taking in and using enough air.
Solution: Not using enough air can cause a person to sound dull and lifeless. This may also be caused by poor posture. Practice the breathing technique above, paying special attention to posture. Be sure you move that air with the abdominal muscles as you speak. Overdo the latter when you practice so you really feel the breath in the sound. By breathing deeper and then using all the air in your sound, you create a more energetic sound and you feel more energized, too.

Pitch

Pitch is determined by the notes we use when we speak. Yes, we use notes when speaking just as we do for singing. Speaking notes, however, are random, informally ordered, and usually of shorter duration than notes we sing. To create vocal variety, one uses different pitches to make their sound more interesting. Sometimes problems with creating variety in pitch can be the result of poor breathing technique. Here are two such problems, their likely causes, and some ways to fix them:

§ A voice that is too high-pitched and thin can be the result of shallow breathing (without abdominal expansion and support).
Solution: The solution to shallow breathing is to relax the abdomen and drop the air in lower. This also relaxes the larynx so it doesn’t ride so high. A high larynx can create a higher, thinner sound.

§ If your voice sounds squeezed or strained, or too low, you may not be using all the air you take in.

§ Pause

“Awareness of breathing makes for natural pauses.”

When speaking, pauses are the golden silences that allow your listeners to take in what you are saying. They are the “beats” an actor uses between phrases; they are that special something that leads to “comedic timing.” Importantly, pauses also give us time to breathe.

Here’s how to apply breathing to your pauses:

§ Breathe before speaking your first words.

Taking that first breath allows you to align everything physically, mentally, and emotionally. It also allows your larynx to be stimulated but relaxed. And finally, it gets the oxygen flowing so that you can think more clearly and look your best.

§ Be aware of your breathing.

It is amazing to see how many people simply forget to breathe when they are in front of an audience. As you may have experienced, nerves can play a big part in forgetting to breathe and feeling out of breath. So the short term solution to this is to pause and breathe! The long-term solution, however, is to practice being aware of your breathing all day long. Awareness of breathing makes for natural pauses. The more you practice, the more likely it is you’ll remember to breathe when you’re speaking in public.

Power

A common misconception about Power is that it is the same thing as volume. The truth is that vocal power is so much more than how loud you are. Vocal power is all about the impact your sound has on others. Your personal vocal power may be found in the tone of your sound or in how you phrase a thought. Many people are surprised to learn that power can be heightened or lessened by how they breathe and how they use their breath.

§ Sound moves on air, so you need to have air to get a powerful sound. You can speak loudly, but if you aren’t incorporating that air into your sound, you will be shouting. Your impact on others may be quite different than you intended! In addition, keeping the air moving with the sound allows for wonderful control of your voice so that you can use all of your vocal variety techniques more effectively.

§ A powerful speaker is one who is relaxed and comfortable. A powerful voice is relaxed and comfortable. Breathing deeply relaxes the larynx so the voice can settle into a comfortable, natural sound rather than one that is contrived or forced.

The Effect of Breath on Voice and Speech

The voice is responsive to emotions and sometimes gets 'blocked', which can prevent or hinder the expression of a range of feelings.

However, it is possible to use physical exercise to help produce a more flexible voice, in the same way that people who use vocal sounds professionally take lessons, to ensure that their voices are kept in a versatile condition and ready to vocalise a range of sounds.

It is common knowledge how much breathing affects how a voice sounds. Singers must use deep breathing in order to project a strong voice across a crowded auditorium to reach every single person in the audience.

The ability to harness your breath is one of the most important, and least taught, areas within public speaking. It’s critical when you’re speaking up in a meeting, and it’s crucial when you’re giving a speech or presentation. It’s one of the key elements of executive presence.

So how do you harness the power of breathing in order to speak with confidence and power?

Start with the right posture

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, weight equally distributed, and raise your arms up over your head. Breathe in deeply. Now as you exhale, slowly lower your arms down to your sides and keep your ribcage where it is. Make sure your shoulders are back, not hunched up behind your ears. This is the best posture for speaking (and singing); you are standing tall, you are owning your full height, and you are resonating confidence.

Breathe deeply

Put one hand on your belly button and one hand on your chest. Breathe in deeply, noticing which hand moves. Lot of people breathe while heaving their chest up and down, but keep your chest steady and think about breathing into your stomach as you take in breath. Then exhale slowly, like letting air out of a balloon.

Having difficulty?

Try “wall sits” – when you lean against a wall with your back flat against the wall and your legs slightly bent. This position helps you focus on your abdomen while breathing, instead of moving your chest. Disclaimer: if you feel light-headed or dizzy, stop this exercise and breathe normally. It shouldn’t hurt – it should simply feel different.

Speak “on the breath”

Once you take in that full breath, you might not know what to do with it. Instead of holding it in, use that breath to support your words, letting it out steadily while you are speaking.

When you speak, practise exhaling slowly while speaking and letting your voice resonate with a full, supported sound. First, practise exhaling while slowly counting: “1.2.3.4.5.” and then practise exhaling on the words, “Hello, my name is [your name].” Practise with a smartphone or a partner. It’s much easier for others to hear the change in your voice than it is for you to hear it yourself.

How often should you breathe? At the very least, at the end of every sentence! If you are prone to rushing through your speech or presentation, then practise breathing at every punctuation mark – it will force you to slow down.

Anchoring: VO: Rhythm

RHYTHM

In phonetics, rhythm is the sense of movement in speech, marked by the stress, timing, and quantity of syllables.

"In music, the rhythm is usually produced by making certain notes in a sequence stand out from others by being louder or longer or higher. . . . In speech, we find that syllables take the place of musical notes or beats, and in many languages the stressed syllables determine the rhythm. . . .

"What does seem to be clear is that rhythm is useful to us in communicating: it helps us to find our way through the confusing stream of continuous speech, enabling us to divide speech into words or other units, to signal changes between topic or speaker, and to spot which items in the message are the most important."
(Peter Roach, Phonetics. Oxford University Press, 2001)

Two ways of defining Temporal characteristics of a spoken utterance:

1)Tempo

2) Rhythm

Tempo is the rate at c utterance is spoken.

Rhythm of an utterance is the pattern of time intervals c elapse b/w occurrences of stressed syllables.

Rhythm is defined as a pattern of movement that occurs on more or less with temporal regularity. It is a certain swing or balance in bodily movement, Music, verb or phrase. In Sanskrit literature, ‘Rhythm’ is a nature of time. It means metrical movements. (eg., clock)

SPEECH RHYTHM

Some rhythm exists in Speech, but may not be regular.

Rhythm gives a shape to a sentence, an idea of length of a sentence & Melody. It also marks the beginning and end of a Phrase. It helps in memorizing a particular prose or poetry and leads to ease of pronunciation.

Rhythm is speech pattern of vocal change which is inherent in speech or draws attention to the need for breathing pattern which underlies pause, stress, rate, pitch & intensity.

Rhythm in Speech is special in 2 ways.

Firstly, it is not strictly regular beat Tempo & rhythm changes during utterances in relation to word & clause boundaries. If there is no rhythm, Speech breaks down leading to ‘dysprosodia’.

Functions of rhythm:

Rhythm tends to promote / enhance fluency

Rhythm assists in rapid speech production.

It aids to anticipate up coming movements.

It is an Important perceptual cue for the recognition of meaningful stimulus.

The movement of the listeners tend to be in synchrony with syllabic rhythm of speech produced by speaker.

Rhythmic patterns are classified as:

1. fast

2. Slow

Fast rhythm: we hear it as a whole. A machine gun is a fast sound, we can hardly count its beat.

Slow rhythm: we can hear each beat separately. Eg., hand clapping for music.

Anchoring: Voice Over

VOICE OVER

“Voice over" is simply a person reading a script - generally for Radio and Television commercials, narrations for instructional or promotional videos, audio books, or acting in animation, but not limited to those pursuits.

Being a successful voice actor takes time to figure out how to use your voice. It’s not just about your voice, but also how you use it. Although you use your voice in voice acting, it’s much more than just talking, and the craft can bring you a lifetime of enjoyment.

Today most voice actors work from home recording studios, away from the glitz and glamour. Voice actors generally rely upon their skills honed from years of working with casting directors, voice directors, producers, and instructors.

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO VOICE ACTING

IT'S ALL ACTING

Many people with a "good voice" think they can waltz in and start voicing ads for big brands or cartoon shows without any preparation, but here's the deal; it takes dedication, multi-faceted skills and, most of all, time.

It doesn't happen overnight so if you are really committed to trying your hand at it or, rather, your voice, then of all the things we could stress about getting started, it is the importance of training with a professional voice-over coach.

A voice-over coach will help you find your "signature voice." Your signature voice is that sweet spot where you sound the best. They will help you develop that style for the various niche markets that your voice is suitable for. They can also demystify the recording equipment you will need as a voice-over artist and will help you prepare your first voice-over demo. Your demo will be your calling card, comp card, and resume all in one so it is vital that you have it professionally produced.

You've likely gathered by now that there is more to voice-over than just having a "good voice." Whether you doing freelance voice work or work with an agent, or both, there are a number of complementary skills and attributes that can help to ensure you are headed in the right direction. Remember, skills you don't already possess can always be learned.

REQUIRED SKILLS

ACTING

Exhibiting acting skills.

TECHNOLOGY

Being comfortable with technology.

Acting Abilities

Do people hang on your every word when you tell a story? Are you able to mimic characters on television or in the movies? Do you enjoy reading out loud? Are you animated when you do, giving the characters different personalities as you read? If you answered "yes" to the above questions then you are in good shape because, whether you realize it or not, you are already exhibiting acting skills - and acting is the cornerstone of voice-overs.

Technology Prowess

Being comfortable with technology is important for voice-over artists today. While you don't necessarily need to be a recording studio tech-guru, it is important to understand how your equipment works and be comfortable using it. From recording gear to working with digital files and navigating the Internet, there are a few basics that every voice actor should have in their home studio.

Not exactly what you'd call technically inclined?

That's okay. If you typically run in the other direction when someone mentions technology, don't let that deter you from pursuing voice-over. You can hire someone who can help you with your studio setup. Find a reputable company who will explain how things work and why; such as V.O.StudioTech. You could also pursue training from local recording studios or, better yet, talk to a company that specializes in training home-based voice-over artists, such as Edge Studio.

Business Acumen

You are the CEO of YOU. Your voice is your product. You are the sales team, marketing team, customer service team and accounting team. Running your own freelance business means you will be responsible for all these areas and more.

VOICE OVER TRAINING

Voice over training is far more than just getting on a mic and talking — to enable yourself to have a successful career in the business, you need to get down and make sure the most important element is in tip-top shape: your voice.

Remember that cliche: “it’s now what you say, it’s how you say it?” That truism extends to the voice acting world, too. Take the time to improve your voice, your ability to convince people, and your commitment to the script.

Voice Over Training Tip 1: Speak Clearly

This is one of the no duh’s of voice acting. With any voiceover — no matter how fast — clarity is key. Every word needs to be heard by the listener; thus, any muddled phrase could destroy that.

Practice speaking with correct pronunciation and enunciation. It might feel a little “over the top” at first, but on the recording, it’ll sound just right.

Voice Over Training Tip 2: Speak With Confidence

A lack of confidence hurts everything, especially your voice over.

Own what you say. Speak it with all the confidence in the world. Imagine that you’re trying to karate chop through a cinderblock — any bit of doubt will lead to a broken hand, not a broken block. The same goes for odd voiceovers where you have to make a weird sound or voice.

Voice Over Training Tip 3: Mean What You Say

The last tip was about speaking with confidence; this tip is about speaking with connection to your material: you have to believe what you’re talking about.

When you speak with enthusiasm, people can hear the difference. It’s subtle, but truly resonating with your script makes your voice more believable and convincing.

Voice Over Training Tip 4: Kill Your Ego

To improve, surround yourself with people better than you. You’ll learn dozens of lessons you couldn’t have learned otherwise and take your craft to the next level.

Go to classes and workshops where everyone is more advanced in their career than you are. Listen to their feedback; it could be brutal, but it WILL make you better.

Voice Over Training Tip 5: Treat Your Voice With Kindness

Unlike a guitarist, pianist, or drummer, with voice over acting, your body is your instrument.

Watch how professional musicians take care of their instruments: they obsessively clean it, maintain it, fix any broken parts, and store it in a nice, comfortable place. How do you handle your instrument? What do you do to take care of it, maintain it, and keep it in pristine condition?

Here are some great tips:

Build the foundation with good breathing patterns — from your diaphragm, not your chest — so you prevent any unnecessary strain on your vocal cords.

Keep hydrated throughout the day. Drinking water with every meal and fill up a liter bottle and sip it periodically. It might seem like a lot of water, but most people are chronically dehydrated.

Avoid places where you have to shout over noise to be heard.

Sleep at least seven hours a night. A tired voice sounds bad. A tired body is also bad for your voice.

Avoid whispering. It’s hard on your voice and strains on your vocal cords.

Voice Over Training Tip 6: Warm Up

Start each morning with your warmups. Stretch your facial muscles. Go through your progressions. Do your lip rolls. Hum. Relax your neck muscles. Do your breathing exercises.

Even if you’re never spent time to warmup, just take five minutes in the morning to prep your voice. It’ll do wonders for your sound and the health of your instrument.

Voice Over Training Tip 7: Start “Sight Reading”

In music, sight reading is the ability to read a sheet of music — something that you’ve never seen before — and play it on your instrument.

For major projects that could take hours and hours — like performing the voice over for an audiobook or educational video — it could become needlessly time-consuming to read, reread, and reread the script again before starting your voiceover. Instead, practice speaking well during the first read through: it might take a while before your mouth and eyes start working in sync, but that blends nicely with our next tip:

Voice Over Training Tip 8: Practice

The best voice over artists can say thousands and thousands of words before they make a mistake. But it takes years to cultivate that skill. Practice makes perfect and the same goes with voice overs. Soon, you’ll get into the rhythm where your reading and speaking is so connected and flawless — you’ll save time, get more gigs, and reap the benefits for your career.

Voice Over Training Tip 9: Relax

This final tip could be the most important. Why? Because if you’re new in the business, it might seem like every audition or gig could be your last. Suddenly, everything is riding on these 20 or so seconds and that makes you super tense.

Take a deep breath from your belly and exhale. Smile. (You can actually hear it through the mic.) Feel confident your abilities and know that, no matter what, you’ve tried your hardest.

Anchoring: Essential Skills

Essential skills for anchors

1. The best news anchors and "live" reporters make their work look easy, but it isn’t. Beyond voice, looks or delivery, the best possess is “skills without script.”

2. They communicate with command, comfort and clarity.

3. “Skills without script” are built on mental agility, critical thinking and continuous learning.

Here are eight essential “skills without script”:

1. Knowledge base: An understanding of issues, names, geography, history and the ability to put all of these in perspective for viewers. It comes from the journalist's commitment to being a student of the news.

2. Ability to process new information: Sorting, organizing, prioritizing and retaining massive amounts of incoming data.

3. Ethical compass: Sensitivity to ethical land mines that often litter the field of live breaking news -- unconfirmed information, graphic video, words that potentially panic, endanger public safety or security or words that add pain to already traumatized victims and those who care about them.

4. Command of the language: Dead-on grammar, syntax, pronunciation, tone and storytelling -- no matter how stressed or tired the anchor or reporter may be.

5. Interviewing finesse: An instinct for what people need and want to know, for what elements are missing from the story, and the ability to draw information by skillful, informed questioning and by listening.

6. Mastery of multitasking: The ability to simultaneously: take in a producer's instructions via an earpiece while scanning new information from computer messages, texts or Twitter; listen to what other reporters on the team are sharing and interviewees are adding; monitor incoming video -- and yes, live-tweet info to people who have come to expect information in multiple formats.

7. Appreciation of all roles: An understanding of the tasks and technology that go into the execution of a broadcast, the ability to roll with changes and glitches, and anticipate all other professionals involved.

8. Acute sense of timing: The ability to condense or expand one's speech on demand, to sense when a story needs refreshing or recapping, to know without even looking at a clock how many words are needed to fill the minute while awaiting a satellite window, live feed or interviewee.

· Communicates Well: Those in the broadcasting industry need to have excellent communication skills. Reporters and anchors should have top-notch speaking skills, as well as excellent writing skills. Anyone working behind the scenes in broadcasting should have excellent communications skills also, as the elements of production cannot come together without good team communication.

· Has Good Investigative Skills: Broadcast journalists should have sharp investigation skills to get the best information for the story at hand. Camera operators and producers should also have a strong sense of investigation to help generate story ideas, get the best shots, and also to fuel the story along.

· Possesses a Good Personality: Most important for those on camera, anchors and reporters should have a friendly disposition that viewers can connect with. A smiling face and a gentle tone help viewers to develop a sense of trust and rapport.

· Has a High Technical Aptitude: Those working backstage in broadcasting should be comfortable working with a variety of technical equipment and also stay on top of changing technologies.

· Is Versatile: The entire broadcasting team is often expected to complete a number of varying duties. Reporters, for instance, might be called upon to find a story, conduct interviews, shoot footage, write the story, and report the story. Everyone involved should be willing and able to perform multiple duties.

· Is Able to Handle Pressure: Media, by nature, is a deadline-oriented, pressure-driven environment. Everyone in the business should be able to handle pressure and meet deadlines as they are assigned.

· Has Good Graphics and Animation Skills: Those involved with the final production should have a solid grasp of graphic and animation skills. Promotional pieces and weather reports, as well, are usually very graphics-heavy.

· Is a Team Player: Dozens of elements have to work in tandem to produce a successful program, and therefore, every member of the broadcasting team must work well together and recognize that the ultimate goal is a team effort.

· Is Highly Efficient: The deadline-oriented nature of the broadcasting business warrants that all team members work quickly and efficiently. There often is little time to find a story and get it to the production floor before a scheduled broadcast, so all involved need to be sure things come together as quickly as possible.

· Maintains a High Level of Accuracy: Especially in the news media, accuracy is vital. It is important for anyone collecting and reporting information to be sure that information is true and up-to-date.

VOICE OVER