A couple of days ago, I had a chance to read for a series of voice over gigs, any one of which I would be pleased to have offered to me. My voice type identified specifically with two roles, but I found a liking for third–one for which I am not correct. And I know it. The character is a seasoned legal professional and the descriptor specifically stipulated she sounds 40 to 60 years of age. Seeing as I am neither, I still did my best to create a believable and likable delivery for this role as well as the others, which brings me to the concept of range.
Currently I’m having a new commercial voice over demo edited. The demo in use is nearly ancient. Not only is it poor form to shop around old material (not unlike mailing out an old resume), but I am selling myself short by doing so. Or, so I thought. After throwing together a rough cut of the new demo, the editor, who is a long-time friend, accurately observed, “…the problem is: I only hear one style of delivery–perky young female. Most…prefer demos showing…the range of a talent’s voice.” I agree completely! The problem for me is: I am routinely and nearly always hired for “perky young female.” This of course begs the question: Do I even have range?
I’d like to think I have range, but in fact I may not. I’ve read stories of a famed silver-screen film actress who would yell into a canyon for hours to deepen the tone of her voice and enrich its texture. (Is it Lauren Bacall or Vanessa Redgrave? I can’t recall at the moment. I don’t believe it’s Katharine Hepburn.) Should I holler into a ravine to advance my range? That might not be so great for the quality of my singing voice. I have noticed lack of sleep gives my voice a naturally lower spoken tone. Perhaps I should sleep less. Though I don’t drink much, alcohol certainly alters my voice and dries it out.
In the end, I was very pleased with all three of my reads, but I feel confident when I say I don’t think they’ll hire me. How do I know? I’ve read for these folks before.
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