ABSTRACT

Vocalizing Characters Many character and animation voices are an exaggeration of specific vocal characteristics or attitudes, which enable the performer to create an appropriate vocal sound for the character. A forced voice is rarely the most effective, is difficult to sustain, and can actually cause physical damage to your vocal cords. The most effective character voices are those that slightly exaggerate the attitudes and emotions of the character you are portraying, or that take a small quirk or idiosyncrasy and blow it out of proportion. Over the past few years, the trend in feature film animation has been to apply very real, human characteristics and voices to animated characters. Although there is still a place for the occasional wacky voice, the vast majority of animation work has moved to a more conversational style. ANIMATION AND CHARACTER VOICES Character and story analysis are most important with animation voice work. Many factors will affect the voice of the character, so the more you know about your character, the easier it will be to find its true voice. Consistency is extremely important in character voice work. When you find the character’s voice, lock it into your memory and keep the proper attitude and quality of sound throughout your performance, adapting your character’s voice when the mood of the script changes. The important thing here is to avoid allowing the sound of your character to drift. To make your character believable and real to the audience, the quality of the voice must not change from the beginning of the script to the end.