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You wouldn't think it would matter what your face looks like when you're reading voice-over copy. But actually, you're facial expressions can really help sell your believability when it comes to voicing scripts.
Today I want to talk to you about something that I love to do when i'm reading copy, and that is facial expressions, and why it's important to be able to get a handle on your facial expressions to really help you in your performance and make things a whole lot more believable. As a coach, I'm always working with students online and I'm not always viewing their video. As a matter fact I work almost exclusively with just audio.
A lot of times when I want students to bring more nuance and more emotion to the story, I ask them to use their facial expressions. For example, if the copy needs a smile or to make something bright, a lot of times people will kind of put that smile on, and it'll be like very kind of a fake smile. But what I really want them to do is just give it a little bit a smile, like you're just gonna reveal something. As I'm talking to you now I just got a little bit of a little bit of a smile because I'm go to reveal something to you.
Also if I'm very sincere, very passionate, I'm gonna furrow my brows and I'm going to like scrunch up my forehead. I really really want you to know that I really believe in this and this is so amazing. So, notice that my facial expressions are kind of all over the place but they really really help behind the mic to make that performance nuanced and believable. For example, if I'm just going to read a piece of copy like "This is a piece of copy". I'm not really moving my facial expressions or I'm not really moving my face around at all. So you can tell that in my voice you can't really hear much emotion. But if I want to really give you some emotion and showcase that I'm a little bit excited about this product or maybe I'm really excited about this product, or maybe I'm just you know I'm OK about this product, or I might be a little confused about this product. Understanding that scrunching up your face and moving it around will really help. Also, did you notice my hands? I know it's Italian and you know I blame that on my husband. But moving your hands and doing that physical stuff behind the mic really helps you.
So don't forget next time when you go into the studio don't just go in there and read. Really get in there and express and use those facial muscles - use those physicians behind the mic to really bring your performance to life!
Thanks for watching,
About Anne:
Anne Ganguzza is a professional voice actor and award-winning director and producer who works with students to develop their voiceover and business skills - including voice over Coaching and Genre-based Demo Production. She specializes in conversational Commercial & Narration styles, including Corporate, eLearning, Technology, and On-Hold Messaging. Located in Orange County, California, Anne offers private coaching and mentoring services to students via ipDTL and Zoom.