ANÁLISIS DE LA VARIABILIDAD DE LOS RESULTADOS EN

Many people feel their natural accent or dialect is a problem when doing voiceover. This can certainly be true if you are unable to adapt your style of vocal delivery. In some cases, an accent or dialect can be used to your advantage to create a distinctive style for your performance, when you create a character, or when you are working in only a certain region. However, if you want to be well-received on a broad geographic level, you will need to develop the skill to modify your delivery style to one that is expected, and accepted, by the general population. In the United States, most people have come to expect a certain “sound” for a voiceover performance, commonly referred to as “nonaccented American English.” But even though there may be a generally accepted “standard,” different regions of a country may respond better when hearing a message in their regional accent. If you want to do voiceover, and have a foreign, or thick regional accent, you have two choices: 1) develop your acting skills to a high degree and create a niche for the sound of your voice, or 2) learn how to adapt your voice to create characters with an accent different from yours, and that includes the “expected” generic accent. This may require some time spent taking some training for accent modification or accent reduction.

Many famous actors have learned how to either use their accent to enhance their performance image, or have learned how to adapt their voice to create uniquely believable characters: Sean Connery, Mel Gibson, Patrick Stewart, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep, and Tracy Ullman to mention only a few. Mel Gibson has a thick native Australian accent, yet he can play a very believable American. Tracy Ullman has a native British accent, yet she creates dozens of characters from around the world. And Meryl Streep has developed a reputation for creating incredibly authentic and believable foreign accents, even though she is American.

When we first learn to speak, we imitate and mimic those around us as we develop our speaking skills. By the time we are two or three years old, the mannerisms and vocal styling that we adopt become the habit pattern for our speaking. Over the years, we become very comfortable with our speaking patterns to the point where it can be difficult to modify them. Accent reduction, modification, or minimization is, in essence, a process of learning new habit patterns for speaking. For most adults, it is impossible to eliminate completely their native accent. However, reducing the accent or modifying the way words are formed is certainly possible. There are many good books and audio programs designed to help people speak with a more “natural” American, regional, or foreign accent. An Internet search for “accent reduction” will result in a wealth of resources.

The process of retraining your speaking habits can be lengthy, and may involve working with a dialect coach or speech pathologist. Contact your local University’s speech department for recommendations of a licensed speech pathologist, or look into an English as a Second Language (ESL)

program in your area. The time and energy required can be more than most people are willing to invest. But a basic level of accent reduction or modification can be achieved if you simply listen to someone with the desired accent, study the sound of their speech, mimic the sound of their words, and practice the speaking pattern until it feels comfortable. This is essentially how actors do it.

In the United States, most voiceover talent perform with the standard nonaccented American English. Regional inflections, dialects, and other tonalities are, for the most part, absent unless required for a character in the script, or unless the production is intended for a regional audience. Although this has become the generally accepted sound for American voiceover, it does not mean that someone who speaks with an accent or dialect cannot be successful. The most successful voice actors are those who are versatile with their speaking voice and who possess the ability to create a variety of believable characters. If you have an accent (foreign or domestic) there are several things you can do to make yourself more marketable as a voice actor:

1. Refine your accent and learn how to use it to your advantage. Although you may be able to create a unique performing style, you may find that you are limited in the types of projects you can do if you focus only on improving your native accent.

2. Learn how to adapt your speaking voice to mimic other accents for the purpose of creating believable characters. Learn to do this well and you can develop the ability to create any character on demand. 3. Work with a diction coach or study methods of modifying your

speech patterns. All of these will require some time and effort on your part, but the results will be well worth it.

Voice and Body Exercises—

A variety of methods to use to care for your voice are covered later in this chapter. But first, let’s begin with some ways to create a relaxed body and mind. That will be followed by a variety of exercises designed to tune your voice and exercise the muscles that comprise your vocal instrument. When doing breathing or relaxation exercises, it is important for you to breathe correctly. Most of us were never taught how to breathe as children—we just did it. As a result, many of us have developed poor breathing habits. See the All about Breathing section starting on page 33 for breathing techniques and exercises to help you become comfortable breathing from your diaphragm.

You will find it much easier to get into the flow of a script and concentrate on your performance if you are in a relaxed and alert state of mind. The exercises that follow will help you relax and serve to redirect

your nervous energy to productive energy that you can use effectively as you perform. Breathe slowly and deeply, and take your time as you allow yourself to feel and experience the changes that take place within your body. Try to spend at least a few minutes a day with each of these exercises. It’s best if you can do these in a quite place where you won’t be disturbed. EXERCISE 1: RELAX YOUR MIND

This exercise is a basic meditation technique best done while sitting in a quiet place. Begin by allowing a very slow, deep breath through your nose. Expand your diaphragm to bring in as much air as you can, then expand your chest to completely fill your lungs. Hold your breath for a few seconds, then slowly exhale through your mouth—breathe out all the air. As you do this, think calm thoughts, or simply repeat the word “relax” silently to yourself. Take your time. Do this about 10 times and you will find that your body becomes quite relaxed, and your mind will be much sharper and focused. You may even find yourself becoming slightly dizzy. This is normal and is a result of the increased oxygen going to your brain.

This exercise is an excellent way to convert nervous energy into productive energy. Do this in your car before an audition or session—but not while driving.