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Tom Wagner

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 4:04 pm

Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 597 Location: Long Island, NY

How proficient, do you feel, should voice actors be at accents and dialects? Should they be authentic or is it okay for them to be in the ballpark? How much of a need is there for accents these days?

Thank you.

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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 6:29 pm

Joined: 14 Dec 2007 Posts: 905 Location: HERE!

In a traditional "Voice Man" sense, I'd think it essential to be a virtual Swiss Army Knife of utility voice acting techniques, borne of irrepressible natural talents and consistent enthusiasm to refine those talents and accumulate techniques in the presence of any viable open microphone. That would include impressions/mimicry, the ability to "double" with shifts in placement, pitch, timing, and attitude (which all can apply to "impersonation" of authentic to comedically exaggerated or fanciful dialects), along with a few vocal "tricks" and amusing sound effects, for good measure. However - pure quality Acting/Performance talent (especially with uniquely compelling, interesting or amusing attributes) is ultimately the most valuable of all basic skills to earn a living in the marketplace of commercial show business; and building a platform of good solid characterization, adaptable to a limitless range of roles and projects, to lend a high degree of believable "charm" to imaginary scenes - enough to stand out and be subsequently remembered by audiences and "insiders" alike - is the real "golden ticket" for consistent success.

Tom Wagner wrote:

Should they be authentic or is it okay for them to be in the ballpark?

For comedic/cartoon performance, broad exaggeration of a dialect's distinguishing markers is all that's necessary; and for dramatic roles, a handful of subtle 'hints' to highlight a restrained portrayal of an accent's identifiable musical "theme" is better than "playing Dress-Up" with over-rehearsed note-by-note simulation of a self-conscious "rented voice costume" from The Standard Thespian's Big Book of Prescribed Stereotyped Accents for Stage and Screen. But just like other forms of artistic expression, a truly competent craftsman should really be properly schooled in classical techniques, before venturing into the realm of impressionistic or fanciful interpretation of character voice delivery. It's much more entertaining, for example, to hear an accomplished musician cleverly mock up amateurish or tone-deaf singing, than to subject an audience to the cringeworthy failings of a truly incompetent "non-singer"* as a creatively negligent substitute for the hard work of composing naturalistic dialogue - to "shortcut" storytelling gaps with a derisive laugh or evoke maudlin feelings of empathy for underdeveloped characters.

(*Is it just me, or doesn't everyone squirm with embarrassment during the all-too-common "spontaneous" eruptions of obnoxiously bad singing, clumsily forced into road trip, office cubicle or phony "street" scenes, to portray an awkward comedic or romantic "slice of life" moment in a commercial/movie scene? Do we have to "smell the poop" to be convinced that we're hearing "real" amateurs "murder" a familiar song in a contrived "unguarded private moment"? Instead of endearing the audience, it usually only serves to interrupt the illusion of life, while offending ears and musical sensibilities with overtly inept renditions of otherwise affectionately regarded classic songs and jingles.)

Quote:

How much of a need is there for accents these days?

Broad or caricatured accents tend to be frowned upon by focus groups and entertainment media executives in recent times, but there will always be voice acting assignments requiring at least a few accented characters to add some diverse colors to the cast spectrum in most production soundtracks. Probably more opportunity for understated "realistic" ones than ever, in fact - though very few American actors are legitimately skilled enough to pull off a believably accurate representation of a definable accent "on demand" anymore, while maintaining the integrity of a full-fledged vocal characterization - on par with one delivered in their native style of speech. But a convincing three-dimensional performance with only a hint of the intended accent, when written in correct context, will always work well, regardless. All the better if a professional voice actor has done their homework before taking on the challenge - so they don't have to try and get away with "faking it" through mechanically applied pronunciation gimmicks and artificially stereotyped melodies of speech.

So - if you've got the ear, and desire to dedicate your performance talents to beyond your innate "natural" accent or regional affectations, you should absolutely learn and refine as many accents as you can keep in your head. If not - then it's best to concentrate all your efforts on bringing a comfortably natural range of fully nuanced vocal characterization to any and all performance assignments, and avoid turning in anything less than first-rate as a professional offering.

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