Podcast Length: 12:29

“Who am I?” Now there’s an age-old philosophical question.

Once upon a time, in an alternate universe, I was the perfect Peter Pan type: a sprightly, high-spirited tomboy belting out, “I Gotta Crow!” And, if it wasn’t for a few frighteningly high notes in the “Little Lamb” solo, I was once the ideal Louise in Gypsy, a character who does a complete 180, going from a shy, awkward introvert to a sexy, confident sophisticate.

Fast-forward a decade or two and it would be safe to say that identifying me with either of these two characters is not only a stretch—it’s flat-out comical!

Okay, so what does that tell us? Your type can and will eventually change. Age range alone will see to that.

Certainly there is a germ of that sassy Peter Pan in me still that now plays out commercially as “the fun mom”. That awkwardly bashful girl–turned–sexually confident sophisticate that was Louise now reads as a confident authority with a trace of vulnerability. All these elements translate into who I am and how I’m perceived in an instant. I’m referring to type.

Type can be especially elusive in voiceover for a number of reasons, besides the obvious: we can only hear you. Therefore the audience must imagine what you look like; how you feel, what you think, how you approach the world, or at least the world your voiceover immediately exists in.

How you look speaks volumes before you even utter a sound as an actor. Your face, your build, already have an entire performance built into them for stage and on-camera. Your presence, whether you realize it or not, or even care to admit, says a lot. Hopefully, it’s saying what you intend it to say. Now there’s the rub.

As stage actors we’re generally taught we’re supposed to be everything. You’re expected to be as well versed in Shakespeare as Arthur Miller, as comfortable with comedy as you are with pathos, able to tackle Euripides’ Medea and, just as easily Tyler Perry’s Madea. For what it’s worth, each of these tasks demand a formidable skill level from you as an actor, yet we’re generally told that’s what being versatile entails, as if that’s the entire job—regardless of the innate strengths you may bring to the table that evolve around you simply being you. No wonder so many budding talent are confused as to how they’re perceived.

The question is when it comes to type, without the benefit of being seen, is there an equivalent to determining type when it comes to voiceover? Other than graduating out of a type that once felt the most comfortable to you, you may discover yourself growing into a type you might never have previously considered suitable in the past.

For one, do you sound as old as you are? Age, or at least an age range, is typically one of the first elements determined in casting.

For instance, if you’re thirty years old it’s very likely you may authentically play up to ten years younger and older than you truly are. And if you’re fifty years old, most of us can pass for up to twenty years younger and possibly up to twenty years older than we actually are when voicing projects. Provided, of course, you understand and relate with what it is you’re talking about. It’s all relative.

Understanding the context of the script often determines whether your read is believable or not. And may shed light on the fact that you may see yourself one way, but those hoping to hire you might not. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong, necessarily, either.

You may technically be correct for the job, type-wise, but the concept eludes you. This happens more often than you might think. In that case, you need to further study the common genres or current formulaic styles, especially if you find yourself coming close but not quite booking a specific style of delivery.

These formulas don’t typically have definite classifications but are more general than that and they’re continually evolving. But then you are too!

You have to study the medium you intend to book work in because much of understanding how you’re immediately perceived is rooted in genres we’re most familiar with—it’s often where you’ll discover where you seamlessly fit into this vast industry. At Actors’ SOUND ADVICE, we refer to this form of study as “feeding your read”.

Begin by studying the film and television styles that appeal to you most. What are you most interested in? Your interest, whether it be in the subject or the style, will read as energy. Are there styles that immediately come to mind that you’re already familiar with, such as musicals, or the Marvel Universe, or rom-coms, or suspense, or forensic science, for instance. Divide and conquer!

Be sure to focus your efforts on commercial work as well, whether it’s you’re interested in commercial work, or not.

I was producing national commercials at 25 years old and I completely negated their value as a line of work for myself, thinking they were beneath me as an actor. Commercials were cheesy and a complete sell-out in my mind. Until a Creative Director came to see me in a play. The next morning at a creative meeting he asked me in front of the entire team as we were preparing to cast the voiceover for an on-going, national campaign, “Why aren’t YOU going after this job?” Until that moment, booking that project was the farthest thing from my mind. I didn’t see myself as a “Young Mom”, but I suddenly realized everyone in the room saw something I never considered.

Commercial is king, as the saying goes. Regardless the industry, a commercial success is how you keep the lights on and a roof over your head. It’s quite literally how you keep the dream alive and well fed. And talent agents are more likely to represent you if you embrace this line of work for all those reasons and then some. So, even if you can’t imagine yourself being suitable for commercials, it is the most abundant and lucrative form of voiceover work, and well-worth your time and attention to develop your skills in this area of the industry from the start. So don’t ignore the benefits to be had here.

Besides if you can’t communicate who you are and what the story is in fifteen to thirty seconds or less, it’s unlikely giving you a half hour to do so will help your case. Or at least that’s the general assumption.

Start by studying national commercials that are targeting the shows you watch most, commercials you might normally fast forward through. These ads are already geared to your specific demographic. Advertisers know you’re watching, it’s their job. And, again, you’re more likely to book jobs that are within your frame of reference, that you know best, that you’re most familiar with, and that comes more naturally to you.

If the genre or subject is completely foreign to you, it will be a greater degree of difficulty to adapt to the specific style or format you’re required to perform in. As an actor you’re either playing into your type, full throttle, or you’re leaning into the complete antithesis of it. There’s no middle of the road when it comes to type. The middle of the road is where you get run over, so avoid. Do go halfway into anything. Find out what too far is.

If you don’t watch much TV, do a quick search of the top 25 most popular shows you may have heard of but have yet to see. This is important for a variety of reasons, not the least of which pop culture references are used most by directors and producers to give the talent direction and to offer a better idea of the context, tone or overall feel of what they’re looking to produce. These references are commonly used in casting. For instance, “We’re looking for a Jon Snow meets Don Draper type.” (To which I have to say, ironically—so am I.)

Watch a good eight hours of programming a week for a solid month. Ideally, six to eight consecutive episodes of a single show to get a better idea of the tempo of speech, humor, suspense, and specific tone of the characters and of the overall series.

A few good examples to study: the Today Show, Ted Lasso, Chicago Fire, Deadline: Whitehouse (with Nicole Wallace), Yellowstone, The Bear, The Voice, the evening news (as depressing as that may be), The Simpsons reruns on Fox, something on HGTV, something on the Food Network, from The History Channel, Animal Planet, and maybe a little something on IFC (Independent Film Channel) and the Sundance Channel, if you’re so inclined. The idea is to study a wide variety of work, not just standard narratives. Determine what interests you most. And the opposite, for that matter.

And when studying commercials be sure to make note of the following:

1. What is the commercial spot for? Is it an on-going campaign you recognize?

2. Is the spot for a product or service you’d find nationwide? Or is it strictly local? (Concentrate primarily on nationally relatable products and services.)

3. Do you use the product/service the commercial is promoting?

4. Do you wish you used/had the product/service (but maybe can’t afford it—yet)?

5. Are you personally opposed to the product/service?

6. Would you appear on-camera in the commercial, film, or TV show? Or would you be better cast solely as the voiceover?

7. Is there an unusual character affectation in one or more of the voices, or is it a more natural delivery?

8. What is the overall emotional tone of the spot? Is it solemn? Hopeful? Sarcastic? Playful? Stoic? Confident? Anthem-like? Is it a manifesto? Is it edgy? Is there an attitude (snarky)? Is it witty?

9. Does the delivery seem realistic, thoughtful, personable and conversational?

10. Is this spot airing during a show you watch frequently? Or a program you’ve never seen and might never watch?

11. Observe the commercials you got lost in more closely. Play them a few times over. Make note of what drew you in.

12. Does the voice talent’s age seem to coincide with the age the commercial, film, or program is geared to reach? Or is it the opposite?

Considering most of us stream TV today, use iSpot.TV and YouTube to study commercials more in depth. You’ll be able to view current commercial campaigns and isolate them with the added benefit of observing them in detail.

What you’ll likely discover is being yourself is what is needed and wanted of you a bulk of the time, and that’s far more interesting than watching you try to uncomfortably attempt to present yourself as something or someone you’re not. It’s an obvious, uncomfortable contradiction.

And yet being yourself is often the greatest challenge you can confront as an actor, on- or off-camera. By focusing on voiceover, many on-camera actors often master finding themselves by finding their true voice.

Hopefully the inspiration for your most memorable, most notable roles will be forged with this simple but surprisingly effective technique that demands you sharpen your ability to observe what makes a successful production work. Time will tell.

Copyright © 2023 by Kate McClanaghan. All Rights Reserved.