The direction seems simple enough, “Please sound authentic and real”. But is it simple? There are a few techniques you can use to make sure you stay focused on the story of the script, who you’re talking to, and sounding like you’re not reading from a page.
Today I wanna talk to you about how to be more authentic when you're reading.
There's a lot of different ways to approach this, I think that the first and probably the simplest way is to basically get out of your own way. LOL. That means to stop listening to what you sound like, because when you listen to what you sound like it then detracts from the authenticity of the story or the copy that you're trying to tell or sell.
A lot of people I know will take their headphones off. Sometimes the headphones distract because you're listening to yourself and it really is that extra layer of unnecessary listening. You end up wondering if you sound good? Was I pausing enough? Was I bright enough? Was I emotional enough? So try either getting rid of your headphones or maybe having one ear on and one ear off. That might help so that you're not distracted by listening to yourself.
The other is to actually actually be engaged and reactionary to the story. If you have done your research on the script and you read it through and you have a good idea of the context that you are speaking, then I want you to feel as though you're in a scene and you are reacting to that context. Or you're reacting to dialogue or a discussion that you're having. That's telling that story. When you react to the story or to the words it's a whole lot more authentic than simply just reading the words from left to right. If you read the words from left to right it's hard to put an emotional overtone to it.
When you actually understand the context in a phrase or phrases of what you're saying in the story that you're trying to tell, you can then recount that story and be much more authentic. If you're just reading those words one after the other you have no time to put that layer of comprehension that layer of understanding that layer of the story. Which by the way if you've got your headphones on or you're listening to how you're sounding you have no time to understand where to put the story.
So take away the things that are distracting you and are getting in your way of being authentic and read it with an understanding of the context and react to it like you're in the story.
Much love and Keep on rockin' your biz!
XOXO,
Anne
About the Author: Anne Ganguzza is a full-time voice talent and award-winning director and producer who works with students to develop their voice over and business skills - including VO demo training and production. She specializes in Conversational Commercial and Narration styles, including Corporate, E-Learning, Technology, Healthcare - Medical, Telephony, and On-Hold. Located in Orange County, CA, Anne offers private coaching and mentoring services to students in person and via Skype, ipDTL or Zoom.