| This article has been on the shelves in the back of my | | | | Our natural character, more than how we sound when |
| mind for a while. I was waiting for the time to write it | | | | we speak, is what makes us whole. Though some of |
| as much as I was waiting for the right words and | | | | us might not entirely like ourselves, when we are free |
| phraseology to come to the forefront. This is and | | | | to be ourselves we seem to be most at ease. When |
| always will be a sensitive subject so I will attempt to | | | | it comes to the business of voice over, being at ease |
| treat it as such. I was further inspired to get it on paper | | | | is one of the main keys to success in front of the |
| now, by the recent departure of Isaac Hayes from the | | | | microphone. We want to be relaxed. We want to be |
| hit comedy cartoon South Park. Though the story of | | | | able to focus and concentrate on the task at hand, |
| his departure includes religion and politics, neither one | | | | both of which are quite difficult when a portion of our |
| applies to this article. Isaac Hayes was the voice of | | | | energy is spent trying to be someone we are not. The |
| the character Chef on Comedy Central's animated | | | | best example would be the type of discomfort a |
| series because of who he was and what he sounded | | | | singer experiences when they try to sing a piece that |
| like when he spoke. Why he left the show has nothing | | | | is out of their range. That experience is identical to the |
| to do with this article, but his situation while working for | | | | experience of the voice over talent who is trying to |
| the show may have some correlation. It seemed now | | | | bury an accent or dialect, and sound like someone he |
| was just as good a time to write it as any other, with | | | | or she is not. |
| a little national attention being given to a topic in the | | | | However, if our natural character is one that speaks |
| same family. | | | | with a southern draw, an urban accent or foreign |
| So ok already, enough with the justification for writing it. | | | | dialect, any time we speak as ourselves, we will be |
| Get on with it... | | | | speaking in fashion not very well suited to performing |
| In several years of learning the ins and outs of the | | | | voice over here in America. So what are talents of |
| voice over business, I have always wondered if voice | | | | various regions and ethnicities to do? To answer that |
| over might someday become a great pillar of equality. | | | | question we need to explore the implications of hiding |
| Something that leveled the playing field for the diverse | | | | or learning how to perform around who we really are. |
| multicultural society we call America; a business with | | | | That brings forward the dilemma I alluded to a few |
| open doors for all, regardless of where we came | | | | columns back; how do you wake up, look in the mirror |
| from or what color our skin happened to be. As I | | | | and accept that the way you were born into this world |
| continue to ponder the possibilities of such a level | | | | isn't good enough to participate in this business? It's a |
| playing field, the answer to the overall question is a | | | | rather tough pill to swallow. |
| resounding no. It will not be a playing field of equality | | | | On every forefront, in every corner of our society |
| anytime soon, but maybe not for all of the same old | | | | forces are struggling to preserve their culture, and this |
| reasons you might suspect. | | | | industry in many more ways than one, asks that you |
| In no other business would it be acceptable, or for that | | | | abandon it. Not to say there aren't opportunities out |
| matter legal, to post a job opportunity or listing with | | | | there for people of different culture, color and dialect, |
| criteria or parameters such as "Wanted, African | | | | but the majority of voice over jobs are going to the |
| American male or female." or "looking for north | | | | average Joe or Jane who speaks with a typical middle |
| American Caucasian male for this job."; job postings | | | | America type affect. |
| that in their limits not so subtly say, "No others need | | | | My first opportunity to coach an African American |
| apply." | | | | student came several years ago. She was a young |
| But in the voice over industry, the ability to pick and | | | | woman, very poised with a charming smile. She came |
| choose between male or female, black, white or | | | | to my studio with a fair amount of acting experience |
| Hispanic is not only an every day occurrence, it is the | | | | which was a true advantage for her. Due to some of |
| way business is done. Producers and casting directors | | | | her Shakespearian stage experience her regionalism |
| are at liberty to be as finite as they like in their pursuit | | | | and dialect were only very subtle attributes to her |
| of the perfect match for their part. Does this make | | | | voice. I found her to be a very pleasant speaker, and |
| them evil, horrible people? No. But there is no shortage | | | | after hearing her behind the microphone, thought that |
| of talking points when it comes to how equally | | | | with a little tweaking, we could produce a demo reel |
| opportunities are spread among performers in the | | | | that had no identifiable characteristics that would |
| movie and television industry. Imagine the front doors | | | | announce to the listener what she looked like, how tall |
| of a large American corporation covered in posters to | | | | she was, what kind of shoes she liked to wear, and |
| this effect: "wanted, computer programmer must be | | | | yes, what color her skin was. |
| black female with a slight urban tinge to her voice." | | | | After some discussion about the concept of having |
| The idea should be so far from the realm of possibility | | | | her demo be ethnically neutral, she and I both agreed |
| as to be laughable, at least in this day and age. But in | | | | we would work to have it not be completely neutral, |
| the voice over industry there are daily postings that | | | | but instead trickle some of her natural flavor in with the |
| don't imply or infer this. They come right out and say it. | | | | more mundane, conservative reads on her reel. It was |
| No one will ever be able to tell the true intentions | | | | important to me that she was able to demonstrate her |
| behind the people hiring for the project, and for our | | | | ability to turn her urban dialect on and off, and not have |
| own sanity we might as well assume their intentions | | | | it lean more in one direction or the other. I didn't want to |
| are good and with merit. With all of the attention and | | | | suppress or try to hide that fact that she was a |
| criticism Mel Gibson received for his hand in The | | | | young, dignified, intelligent black woman. I wanted her |
| Passion of the Christ, I don't think the thought of a | | | | demo to show that she was a young, intelligent, |
| black male lead ever crossed the minds of the people | | | | dignified woman who by the way happened to be |
| in the casting department, and oh what a ruckus there | | | | black. |
| would have been had that been the direction they | | | | We both wanted to embrace her culture. My |
| decided to take that movie in. Did they cast a white | | | | overwhelming desire was that she got a fair shake |
| male lead actor for the part of Jesus in order to | | | | when someone listened to her demo. I wanted them to |
| preserve the accuracy of the story? If so, there are | | | | get a few tracks in before they discovered that there |
| many in this country and the rest of the world that | | | | were more layers to the product. My primary concern |
| question that accuracy. | | | | was that someone would pop in her demo reel, hear |
| Wait a minute... I can feel this article spiraling... Apply | | | | the first track and disregard it as an ethnic demo, or |
| breaks, return to original intention, and get back to the | | | | add it to the black pile if there was such a thing, or |
| topic... | | | | worse throw it out. We discussed all of these |
| Ok, I think I got it. | | | | possibilities and took them into consideration when |
| Suffice it to say, that people's true intent is generally | | | | crafting her demo. I knew from the beginning I was |
| buried so deep it is pointless to begin looking for it. If | | | | treading in ethically unknown territory by bringing these |
| we want to move beyond the possibilities of prejudice | | | | issues to the forefront, just as much as I am by writing |
| and exception in this business, we will have to find a | | | | this article. But I felt as strongly then as I do now, that |
| way to fool the directors and casting people. A way | | | | until society finds a conscience and some decency, or |
| to beat the system that may or may not be in place. | | | | we can turn back the hands of time, it may do more |
| A way to overcome, so to speak, an obstacle that to | | | | harm than good by choosing to pretend the world isn't |
| this point remains faceless and so illusive it may never | | | | the way it is. |
| be tackled. We wont know what we are fighting, or if | | | | When it came time to select cover art for her demo |
| we are fighting anything at all. Not a very bright | | | | reel, the question became whether or not she should |
| prospect. | | | | put her headshot with her demo. My answer to that |
| Breaking Down Barriers. | | | | question was not to. After all, this business is called |
| When I have the opportunity to coach voice over | | | | Voice-Over, not Face-over, or |
| talent with ethnic backgrounds different from my own, | | | | Where-Did-I-Come-From-Over, or |
| my mind opens to the fascination of the unknown. I am | | | | What-Color-Am-I-Over. In this business, as with any |
| peering into a crevasse so deep and different from | | | | other business, it should make absolutely no difference |
| my own, that my receptors are on high alert. Inside that | | | | where you come from or what you look like. The only |
| crevasse are many things I haven't ever seen, culture I | | | | thing that should matter and often does is what you |
| may have never witnessed, beliefs and experiences | | | | sound like. |
| that I may have never considered. Many are portions | | | | Isolating your abilities |
| of human existence that I have never encountered, | | | | One of my greatest concerns when a new talent |
| and as they have shaped this person, might shape me | | | | comes to my studio is that they understand the |
| a little as well. I must witness them, learn from them, | | | | difficulty of achieving success. It takes a great deal of |
| feel them and hear them in order to better mold my | | | | investment, time and energy to move forward in the |
| approach to teaching this craft. That is usually much | | | | industry, and informing a talent of what obstacles |
| easier said than done. Many times I encounter actors | | | | stand before them up front before they ever get |
| or broadcast talent who have fought so hard to | | | | started, or ever spend a penny on the business only |
| suppress their regionalism, ethnicity or nationality that | | | | seems fair to me. Most people have the same |
| getting them to lower the wall they have been at times | | | | obstacles when getting started: Lack of experience, |
| forced to create, is not an easy task. | | | | cold read ability, and audition technique, lack of technical |
| Much of my ability to break down these barriers is | | | | knowledge when it comes to editing and uploading files |
| simply a developmental approach to building trust. You | | | | to servers and configuring home studios. All of those |
| may ask why I would try to break these walls down | | | | obstacles are pretty general. But when a talent has a |
| at all; why not just leave them be and skim over | | | | regional, ethnic, or cultural background that directly |
| them? Probably for the same reason when I speak to | | | | effects their delivery of voice over copy, it becomes |
| someone I want them to look me in the eye. As a | | | | much more of a challenge for them as a talent and |
| coach, it is my job to dig as deep as I can to find the | | | | me as a coach. |
| raw talent. Then I need to bring that talent to the | | | | In my early days of coaching, commenting on |
| surface where it can breathe, grow and flourish. This is | | | | someone's cultural background as a hindrance to their |
| a performance art, a human business, an art form that | | | | success felt a little like walking a tightrope. I wasn't |
| requires people be their true selves. I am trying to | | | | exactly sure of what approach I should take and |
| teach voice actors how to create characters, not | | | | saying anything at all was a little uncomfortable. But |
| teach one character how to become another. I need | | | | when I considered the alternative of not telling the |
| to be able to see the real person. It is there I will find | | | | student and letting them go into their training only to |
| the voice I am trying to coach. I cannot coach the | | | | have someone tell them later, I felt I might as well take |
| person adorned with a shallow façade. I need to | | | | the risk and tell them up front. Each time I have had to |
| talk to the real person behind the wall. | | | | do it, there has been a mixture of responses, most of |
| Reality dictates that societal pressures and | | | | them non verbal so it is hard to tell exactly how the |
| socioeconomic status along with cultural background | | | | talent perceived what I was saying. I can think of no |
| will be the strongest influences governing how a | | | | easy way of saying it. So up to this point I just come |
| person presents themselves to others. In the far from | | | | right out and tell people that their accent or way of |
| Utopian community of commercial voice over talent, | | | | speaking is going to have a negative impact on their |
| producers, and companies that hire freelance talent | | | | success as a voice over talent. I usually try to explain |
| outright, if the above mentioned factors lead you to | | | | the process of installing a switch that rather than |
| speak anything but "The Kings English" (along with his | | | | completely ridding them of their natural style of |
| accent) the world of opportunity in voice over will be | | | | speaking, enables them to turn it on and off. Installing |
| forever very small for you. The way we speak, our | | | | this switch takes time and effort, and time of course in |
| intonation and the regional artifacts in our sound play a | | | | the pursuit of coaching costs money. Money continues |
| huge role in whether or not we see any success in this | | | | to be the one major prohibitive factor that keeps |
| industry. | | | | people for entering this business or continuing to pursue |
| Becoming better versions of ourselves. | | | | it for very long. When someone considers the |
| So many people pursuing voice over or broadcasting | | | | prospect of spending some of their coaching budget |
| careers are forced by some unwritten word of law to | | | | on getting rid of something they never saw as a |
| mold their sound into something considered more user | | | | problem in the first place, it occasionally prompts them |
| friendly. Who makes those laws or sets that policy is | | | | to throw in the towel early and decide this business |
| unknown to me, as well as the rest of us, but more | | | | isn't for them. |
| often than not it dictates that: Urban accents and | | | | Though it may sound cruel or untoward, when most |
| dialects are eliminated or suppressed. Culture is lost | | | | students decide to back out at this point I am elated. |
| and regional flavor is buried. What is left over is a | | | | Turning tail and running at the first sign of difficulty is |
| completely manufactured sound which in turn | | | | what keeps everyone and their brother from having a |
| becomes the person's permanent public or | | | | voice over demo on the market. But when a talent |
| professional voice. Many times it sounds forced, which | | | | from an ethnically diverse background decides to back |
| in turn makes it sound fake. When it sounds forced or | | | | away upon being informed of this, it hits me a little |
| fake the announcer sound starts to creep through. | | | | closer to the core. I can't help but feel that I am just |
| Forced, fake announcer style reads are not at the top | | | | another in the long chain of people that has said |
| of the hit list in the voice over business. | | | | throughout the course of their lives, "I am sorry, but |
| Producers and even regular people who might be | | | | because you are (place ethnicity here), this business |
| casting voice talent are looking for the voice and/or | | | | isn't right for you." One, it is not at all what I am saying |
| feeling of real people; the guy or girl from the coffee | | | | and two; it couldn't be further from the truth. Though on |
| shop, a person they met at the bank, the people who | | | | a human level, this is what it feels like I am saying and I |
| provide their daycare services, the people at the deli's | | | | never wanted to be a person who said things like that. |
| and small shops they frequent. In essence, people they | | | | I have known for a long time that the truth hurts and |
| choose to interact with during their normal course of | | | | people's perception is their truth. How people perceive |
| business. When many voice over jobs are cast, it is | | | | what I am saying can lead to it being be misconstrued. |
| the feeling we get when we see a familiar face or | | | | I have also known that in order to be a leader you |
| hear a familiar voice that producers and casting people | | | | sometimes have to make some very unpopular |
| are trying to recreate. | | | | decisions. This is why I continue to follow a path of |
| When we see a familiar face, or hear a familiar voice | | | | honesty, and provide assessments of how I see this |
| and it is one we want to see or hear, it is generally | | | | business to all comers and how I feel they will fit into it. |
| comforting. When something is foreign to us, or | | | | I find it an act near criminal to take a person's money, |
| strange and unrecognized, we are usually anything but | | | | push them through training and launch them into the |
| comfortable. That in a nutshell is why we don't want | | | | world with less than the appropriate tools and barriers |
| our voices to be strange, unrecognizable or foreign to | | | | standing in their way. I am afraid that not all in this |
| the general audience. Our ability as voice actors to | | | | industry share the same foundation of principal. This is |
| create the desired imagery with our voices is what | | | | certainly something I think voice over talent with |
| gets us hired and lands us jobs. What gets us | | | | ethnically diverse backgrounds should be aware of |
| overlooked if not pigeon-holed completely is not being | | | | when entering this marketplace. |
| able to deliver these voices without some sort of | | | | If you are a voice actor who feels some of the |
| regional, urban or ethnic affect. When a voice actor | | | | characteristics of your voice may have something to |
| auditions with any of the above artifacts in their voice | | | | do with your lack of success in this business, then I try |
| for a job that does not expressly require or request | | | | to offer you a hand of understanding. In such a detail |
| them, they most likely will not get the job, and the | | | | oriented business where even the slightest variation in |
| person hiring for that job, by making a discriminate | | | | our voice can mean the difference between getting |
| judgment, will have in essence discriminated against | | | | hired and not getting hired, it is of the utmost |
| them because of the sound of their voice. | | | | importance we are able to analyze our product and |
| Understanding the brisance of the word "discrimination" | | | | see if there is anything holding us back. If we lack the |
| I ask that you please entertain all definitions of that | | | | ability to self analyze, it is a process that can be |
| word before going off the deep end over my use of | | | | learned through steady coaching. Also, don't feel as if |
| the word. It is not at all meant to imply the producers in | | | | your natural style is something that needs to be |
| the world are directly discriminating against anyone | | | | crushed, wiped away or stuffed into some deep dark |
| who sounds as if they are anything but white. That | | | | corner because it doesn't. Look at it as a tool, another |
| was not the intention of the comment, but the reality of | | | | arrow in your quiver, and another voice with which to |
| that idea, is we will never know if they are or not. The | | | | demonstrate your versatility. Try to look beyond it as |
| only way to remove it as a possibility is to subvert it | | | | your only voice and see it as one of the many things |
| by becoming a better, more versatile voice over talent | | | | that make you unique, diversified and intriguing. It can |
| and learning to speak with or without our regional or | | | | be a very valuable piece of your portfolio, but as your |
| ethnic affect. Essentially through training and practice | | | | only piece, may be a detriment to your success. |
| becoming better versions of ourselves. | | | | There are walls all around people of culture in this |
| Embracing our natural character. | | | | country, let alone the world. Some are made of granite; |
| I can think of nothing more hurtful, insidious or nefarious | | | | some are not so easy to see. Some have fallen in the |
| than telling a person of any color, culture, race, | | | | last 25 years and some are still in the process of being |
| nationality or creed that the way they were born into | | | | constructed. Some are meant to keep people in, |
| this world isn't good enough to participate in - and | | | | though many now are meant to keep people out. |
| prosper from its harvest. However, that is the | | | | These are the realities of the world in which we live. |
| message received daily by people of various cultures | | | | They may continue to be realities for as long as we |
| from directions and sources that are too many to | | | | live. Though this doesn't mean we have to bow to |
| name. There are some who may conclude by my | | | | them, or attempt to tunnel our way beneath them, we |
| simply writing this article, I have become one of those | | | | only have to imagine there are ways to rise above |
| sources. I beg to differ, but at this time decline to argue. | | | | them and make them disappear. In the faceless world |
| Once again, I will not allow this article to spin out of | | | | of voice over, a little training can go a long way toward |
| control. My only comment is this: The longer we go on | | | | creating a new reality. A reality where we are not |
| without talking about these issues, the longer we will | | | | judged buy the color of our skin or where we come |
| ultimately end up talking about them. | | | | from, but by the content of our demo tape. |