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Voice Actor
Provides voices for animated characters, video games, audiobooks, and commercials.
Did you know?
The voice of Mickey Mouse married the voice of Minnie Mouse in real life
How subjects help
- Drama: Create a whole character using only your voice, from a grumpy troll to a nervous hero.
- Communication: Read long scripts clearly with the right pace and expression for an audiobook.
- Languages: Record a role in another language or do accents that sound natural to native speakers.
- Music: Sing songs for cartoons while staying in character and keeping pitch and rhythm.
A famous name
Mel Blanc: 'The Man of a Thousand Voices' who voiced Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and Porky Pig for over 50 years.
Try it yourself: Warm up your voice like an opera singer
- Stand or sit tall. Breathe in slowly and let your tummy muscles relax fully, so the breath drops low. Do this five times, with normal breaths in between.
- Make long buzzing sounds on V, Z and the J sound, one breath each, and feel the air flowing steadily the whole time.
- Add a vowel to each buzz, "vvvah", "zzzoo", and keep the flow smooth.
- Glide your voice gently from low to high and back like a siren, on a hum or through a straw. Stay soft and never strain; stop if your throat feels sore or you feel dizzy.
- Say one sentence, like a news headline or a line from a song, before and after the warm-up. What changed?
Opera singers, voice actors and broadcasters warm up their breathing and voice before every rehearsal, recording or show, so they can be heard clearly without hurting their voice.
Adapted from Scottish Opera: Breath Cycle: learn and practise.
Also try: Bring a spoon to life.
Known for it in
USA, Japan, UK, South Korea, Canada