​The VO Trick?  Make Declaratives.

Delcarative definition:  serving to declare, make known, or explain.

Throughout your commercial VO copy - in most lists, and at most natural beats - deliver each phrase or line in the copy as a declarative.  Make definitive statements.

In commercial copy, you are the authoritative voice.  You are in the know.  There is no question in your mind that what you’re saying or telling the listener is a fact – a statement.  Deliver your VO read this way.

Watch and listen to the VO in this Autozone commercial, produced by McCrary Productions, Inc. 

​(Commercial Script and Video Credit to AutoZone and McCrary Productions, Inc.)

Many new VO artists will deliver a list of items somewhat grouped together, without making each item in the list an isolated declaritive statement.  Listen to the incorrect delivery and compare it to the more declarative delivery. The correct VO delivers each item in the list as if they're individual sentences and definite statements.

​VO: Show off the battery. The break job. The rebuilt 454.

Also, many new VO Talent will deliver a line as a question, as if they're uncertain and they're questioning what they're saying. 
​
Remember, as the Voice of the commercial, you’re the authority.  There is no question in your mind that what you’re saying or telling the listener is a fact – a statement.  You're certain.  You know.  Deliver your lines as definitive statements.

Listen to the first line in the following Incorrect VO Line Delivery.  Compare it to the correct delivery, where each line in the sentence is delivered as a declartive statment.

​VO:  There are a lot of places you can go to do it yourself, but there’s only one place that can help you do it right. AutoZone.

Here's another example of an incorrect "question" VO Delivery of a line.  Compare it to the correct declarative VO delivery.

​VO:  Because even the pros know - parts are just part of what we do.

Now that you know, give it a go!  Try voicing this, or any other script with Declarative Statements.

To learn and practice this Voiceover technique, along with many other VO skills, contact A Plus Voice Overs and enroll in a Voice Acting Class today!

Voice actors from the Transformers animated series put together a fun video announcing season 4!
Check out their mad lip syncing skills too!  Featuring voice over talent Nicole Dubuc, Brian Hohlfeld, Maurice LaMarche, Jason Marsden, Lacey Chabert, Imari Williams, Steve Blum, Parvesh Cheena, D.C. Douglas, and LeVar Burton.

If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to be a voice actor for video games, the San Francisco Chronicle has a great article on voice actor and video game voice over artist Adam Harrington. 

Adam has voiced over 1000 characters in over 100 video games!

Check out some of his voices in the video below!

Sometimes it seems you just haven't been booking as many auditions!  What gives?

Backstage.com posted a great article with advice on a way to improve your flow of voice over creativity.  If you're also an "on camera" actor, you have probably already tried this.  Improv classes.

Taking Improv classes help you loosen up and "get off the script".  This inevitably leads to more of a natural, believable you, in your theatrical acting or voice acting, since you are not bound by the words. 

Take these "loose", free flowing skills into the booth the next time you record.  Get playful in your rehearsing your copy.  Make choices that you normally wouldn't try and see if it works!

Wish no more!  This weekend, August 23, "In A World" opens.  Lake Bell directs and stars in the movie, playing an aspiring voice-over artist trying to make it in the male-dominated movie trailer narration business. 

Bell is also a voice talent, so there may be more reality of the voice over industry in the movie.

You can read a nice Q and A article with Bell in this Miami Herald story.

The reviews are mediocre, but probably still worth checking out if you're in the VO biz or an aspiring voice actor. 

Yes it's simple.  Yes, you've probably done this before, sometimes without realizing it.  But if you're stuck with a piece of voice over copy, and feel like it's stale no matter how you read it, using the art of the transition can bring it back to life.

Try transitioning your emotion midway through your copy, at a natural point in the  voice script.  If you start with a joyful/happy emotion, midway through, transition into another emotion...possibly "contemplative" or "mischievous".

Or try transitioning with loudness/softness of your voice.  Or with a brief pause or beat at certain points in the script.

You most likely already do this from time to time.  But it's great to remember to do it when you're stuck!

Learn more voice over skills and techniques in our 6 Week VO 101 Voice Acting Class