Big difference in vocal tone when reading script

WilliamRayWalters

WilliamRayWalters

I Love YTtalk
I've used a script before with certain types of videos (machinimas, things that are acted out, etc) but usually not when I'm doing a tutorial. This time I wrote a script because I thought it would be quicker (when I don't use a script there is a lot of editing). My tone completely changed...you couldn't necessarily tell I was reading from a script, but I had a very 'coached' tone to my voice...a lot of inflection, a lot of different levels of pitch, etc...like someone doing a news story on TV. I sounded a lot like Kipkay the tutorial guy and I don't like that tone. I need to be a little more off the cuff.

Have any of you run into similar problems when reading a script? I think I'm going to try to read off the script again but somehow make it sound more casual. If that doesn't work I think I'll use bullet points as guidelines and ad lib it instead. I just couldn't believe how fake I sounded.
 
Improvise it!
Example:
  • Original Script: "Hello guys today I'll be discussing about Milk."
  • How I would say in camera: "Hey there guys, so I'll be talking about my favorite drink, Milk."
Notice how I mix it up a bit but still focus on the same subject. Its okay, it doesn't matter how you're suppose to talk when recording. For an examples news anchors & social media people screws up their scripts all the time but yet stay relax and still kept their job. Now if your going into the real professional media such as acting or narrations, then yes you would have try your best to get every word in the sentence to please those greedy producers.
 
as long as you keep reading and talking out loud, it will be a dual task that will effect your performance. basically you are reading and performing, when you could be directing and performing. You need to free up the reading part so your second task is dedicated to monitoring your performance and adjusting it in real time. maybe if you rehearsed the script a few times and used cue cards to keep the reading to a minimum, you can place more attention on directing your performance to your liking. Much like a singer, a singer that has a song memorized can focus more on a sincere performance where as a singer that's reading, doesn't have as much flexibility and more often than not a more sterilized performance.
 
Last edited:
Ricky - AniRhythm said:
as long as you keep reading and talking out loud, it will be a dual task that will effect your performance. basically you are reading and performing, when you could be directing and performing. You need to free up the reading part so your second task is dedicated to monitoring your performance and adjusting it in real time. maybe if you rehearsed the script a few times and used cue cards to keep the reading to a minimum, you can place more attention on directing your performance to your liking. Much like a singer, a singer that has a song memorized can focus more on a sincere performance where as a singer that's reading, doesn't have as much flexibility and more often than not a more sterilized performance.
Click to expand...
Hmm thats actually sounds pretty handy Im gonna try that on my next voice acting addition thanks pa, also great solid info!! :D
 
my pleasure, experience from many years in a recording studio, a singer that's reading is harder to produce than a singer that has the song memorized - it's like telling them you want something sung a certain way with a certain breath but they are too distracted from the reading to deliver it. you could see the mental overload from all the multi tasking and was very frustrating for them.
 
Ricky - AniRhythm said:
a singer that has a song memorized can focus more on a sincere performance where as a singer that's reading, doesn't have as much flexibility and more often than not a more sterilized performance.
Click to expand...
Your entire post is some really logical advice. I've been trying harder lately to sing and play piano at the same time and I've noticed that both my singing and my piano playing are much...much better when each is done alone, and presumably for the same reasons that you mentioned above. When I'm just singing I can concentrate better on the emotion I'm putting into it.

I should probably also stop having the expectation that I have to get things right on the first take or two. I've done very amateur voice acting for various machinimas and other animations and sometimes I don't get the tone I like until 20-30 readthroughs. Of course, that's a little ridiculous for a tutorial, but I should be open to at least several takes and being patient in trying to get the tone I want.

Anyway, thanks for the advice.
 
Maybe don't do a full script do an outline script, where you know the main points your covering and kind of what your saying, but there's still room for improve. Or pretend your in an over dramatic play and your on stage, and just completely ridiculous as can be.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top