Voice actors use more than just their voice! Here’s why…

Are you surprised when you see how much voice actors move around while recording voiceover?

I mean it’s right there in the title – VOICE actor – so why are we using our hands and limbs and eyebrows and even hips and legs so much?

🎙 Physicality generates vocal energy: moving your body around directly impacts the breath and voice. Think of how you speak when you’re lying still in bed vs standing and pacing around your office. Movement creates more power and energy, meaning your performance is more dynamic and engaging.

🎙 Movement creates naturalism: when you communicate in “real life” (as opposed to inside a recording studio with a script) you move a lot – hand gestures, head tilts, shifting your weight around. It would feel very strange for an able-bodied person to keep still while telling a story or asking for something. It’s simply a natural physiological response to move while talking – especially if you’re keen to get a point across – so if you want to sound natural while recording, you’re going to move your body.

🎙 Body language expresses emotion: You know when you’re listening to a person that you can detect their feelings by more than what they say – you see sad eyes, excited jiggly shoulders, an aroused lean forward… And while the audience doesn’t see these things in a recording, they still make their way into the voice performance so they do hear the emotion. Everything’s connected!

🎙 Movement releases tension and improves vocal flow: Your body needs to be relaxed and comfortable in order to breathe properly. And how important is breathing to speaking? Yes, correct: rather essential. When you’re breathing properly (relaxed, full, controlled breaths) your voice actually functions a million times better and speaking feels good, which helps you relax, which helps you breathe better, which… okay? Got it.

🎙 For character voice work, rearranging your physical body connects you to the character you’re creating. This helps with the characters thoughts/feelings but it can also create actual physical changes in the voice of the character. If the character has a hunched back, for example, they’re going to breathe and therefore speak differently.

There are more reasons. But that is five and that will do. 😁 Move around a bit today (have a dance party!) and see what happens to your voice. 🔥