3 minute read
VOICES FROM ABOVE
Guests of Backstage’s “In the Envelope” podcast have plenty of voice acting tips to share
By Jack Smart
Jeff Bergman
AS WITH MOST AREAS OF THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY, NO
two careers in voiceover look the same. Nancy Cartwright, the awardwinning voice of Bart Simpson, reached out to and shadowed mentors to cut her teeth, while “Big Mouth” Emmy champ Maya Rudolph approached voiceover by combining her backgrounds in singing and sketch comedy. Listeners of Backstage’s weekly interview podcast, “In the Envelope,” are treated to technical tips and philosophical wisdom alike from stars of the screen and voiceover booth. So read on for firsthand tips from some of the voice industry’s living legends, and let their advice launch you toward a career behind the mic!
Jeff Bergman (“Space Jam: A New Legacy”)
“It was the love, the joy of wanting to do [voiceover], that I think propelled me forward. Anybody who wants to have a career in voiceover or a career in animation or doing book tapes or industrials, whatever it is—if you love it and you’re passionate about it, keep recording yourself. Listen to everything that inspires you and anyone that inspires you. Keep at it, don’t stop, and you’ll get there…. I think anything that you gravitate toward is probably something that you’re already inspired by and interested in, and you might even be led in that direction.”
Raphael Bob-Waksberg
(“BoJack Horseman”)
“Train yourself to come up with different, good interpretations of the line and the scene…. You want to allow yourself to be flexible. Part of that is just honing your instincts and your ability to be flexible on the day, so that even if you have an idea of what the scene means, if the director comes in and says, ‘This is actually about this,’ you can very quickly pivot and give that performance.
“Also, part of it is preparation and looking at the script beforehand and thinking, OK, my initial instinct is that it should go like this. What is the best version of my first instinct? But also, let’s take a step back and think, Are there other ways this thing could play? Are there different lines that could have that emphasis or different words in this sentence? The more variety and options you can bring your collaborators, the more [of] an asset you are to have on set or in the recording booth. I think it’s very frustrating when an actor comes in and they have decided how this line should be said.” “BoJack Horseman”
Nancy Cartwright
(“The Simpsons”)
“When it comes to doing voiceovers, just ask yourself: What is it that I can do today that will help me be able to do voiceovers a little bit [better] than I did yesterday? And that way, you can be causative over your career, and you can just start to move yourself up, so people will start to know who you are and what you do. We all had a beginning. I was a big zero when I started out! You take your baby steps, and as long as you keep on cultivating yourself and challenging yourself and doing what you love and putting yourself out there—as small as you might think it is, your confidence level will start to build, you’ll do more and more, and you’ll get a little bit of a following. So when the time is right, you’ll be ready for it.”
Eugene Mirman
(“Bob’s Burgers”)
“If what you want to do is voiceover and you don’t think you’re a great writer, there’s probably someone who’s a writer who would love somebody to perform their scenes. There’s probably an animator who would love to be an animator but needs actors and writers. The truth is you have to find like-minded people to collaborate with.”
