Acting Tips: The 5 W's and H
Jan 20, 2018 0:30:30 GMT -8
Brittany Ann Phillips, Jeff Werden, and 7 more like this
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Jan 20, 2018 0:30:30 GMT -8
One of the pitfalls I notice with newer and/or less experienced actors is the tendency to have reads that don't sound fully committed or authentic. Sometimes the line will sound flat; other times you can tell they are trying to convey a certain emotion, but it sounds like an actor trying to convey one particular feeling rather than an authentic emotional response from the character they are portraying. It's easy to get stuck in our "actor brain" wondering "How do I sound?" rather than truly embodying our role.
Whether for an audition or an actual job, making informed acting choices and committing to them is important. But it can be difficult to know how exactly to approach the copy, especially if it's a character you're not familiar with or a type of role that you don't have a lot of experience playing. So here are a few questions you can ask yourself when you're having trouble making that informed choice and getting that emotional response that really sounds like it's coming from the character rather than a person reading the lines!
One quick caveat: Asking yourself these questions can serve as good practice and preparation when you have time to really sit down and go over a script on your own time. However, the goal will ultimately be to incorporate these elements into your natural instinct as an actor---when you go in for a live recording session (or record from home with someone directing), you won't have time to look over the script extensively and make notes. You'll be expected to have that good instinct right from your very first read, which can then be further refined by the director based on how they envision the line being said. But if you find yourself stuck, thinking of one of these questions in the back of your head can give you a quick push to help you make a strong choice, even if you end up getting redirected as will often happen. Remember, practice makes perfect!
You probably remember "the 5 Ws and H" from elementary school when you were learning about question words. They also serve as a handy, easy-to-remember tool for breaking down a character based on the script you're given.
WHO am I talking to?
Unless your character is monologuing to themselves, they're not just speaking into a void. One of the most basic pieces of information to keep in your mind (and this will become subconscious eventually) is to think about your relationship to whom you are speaking to. How well does your character know this person and how do they feel about them? Are they family? Friends? Colleagues? Romantic interests? A superior or a subordinate? Chances are you'll address each of these types of people in a different manner, even subtly so.
For instance, if a character is speaking to his or her father, what type of relationship do they have? Are they close and able to talk openly, or is there a lot of tension bubbling under the surface? If your character is speaking to a boss, teacher, commander or some other type of superior, do they look up to this person with great respect, or do they secretly resent them but know they have to put up a good front?
Even if you don't necessarily know who the other character is or how your character feels about them, a good baseline can be whether they are on the same social standing (friend/colleague/fellow student vs. superior/subordinate) and how well they know this person (close friend or family? acquaintance? total stranger?) And yes, sometimes you actually will be "thinking to yourself", and those lines need to sound different than if you are talking to another person. Generally, internal thoughts will be less projected and more intimate sounding (whether or not a reverb filter is added in post-production.)
WHAT am I responding to?
Don't forget the common saying! "Acting is REacting." Your lines aren't said in a vaccuum... they are responses! It's not only important who is speaking to your character but what they are actually saying, because your character is going to respond to that.
Being that voice actors usually record their lines individually, you don't have the other actors to play off of the way you would in a stage play or film, so you have an added layer of difficulty in making sure your responses sound like parts of a conversation rather than individual lines. This will be difficult in an audition because you'll normally only have your own lines on the page with little to no context. But when recording an actual job, you'll probably have the full scene in front of you, so look at the line(s) before yours so you can see what you're actually reacting to and respond accordingly. "Say" the preceding line quickly in your head if you need to so you can respond rather than just speak.
WHEN is this particular conversation taking place?
When you have the context to do so, consider the relevant events and circumstances that happened before your character engages in this particular conversation or scene. For instance, say your character just got out of a very tough and grueling battle. Maybe they're injured, out of breath, shaken up. It's going to take them a minute to regain composure, so they are delivering their lines while grimacing in pain or catching their breath.
If you're recording your lines one at a time as is common, the flow should still be natural so that the emotion/energy/projection doesn't sound completely disjointed when put together in the same scene. Unless your character has a personality trait of changing emotions on a whim, transitions are always a good idea. For instance, if they're breaking down crying and another character comforts them, it might go from full blown sobbing into intermittent sobs and finally just some sniffles as they calm down, but suddenly snapping out of the crying with no transition would sound odd in many cases, because that's not normally how things play out in real life either.
Sometimes events will happen that makes your character change how they feel about another character, in which case you'll go into subsequent scenes with a different point of reference for the "who".
WHERE am I?
Environment is an important, but often overlooked aspect of a scene---especially so if you don't have the visuals available. (If you don't have a video or scene description, imagine in your head what it might look like.)
One of the reasons the "where" is so important is because it affects your level of projection. If you're outdoors with lots of noise going on around you, you're going to speak up more in order to be heard. If you're sneaking around to spy on someone, you're going to whisper so you don't get caught.
The proximity of the other character is also an important aspect of the "where". Regardless of whether your indoors or outdoors, in a noisy or quiet environment, your projection will change based on how close they are to you. If you're calling out to them from across the room, that's going to have a very different sound than if they're right in front of you and you're having an intimate conversation. Don't be afraid to play with dynamics and go loud and soft when you need to based on the circumstances---just make sure to set your levels appropriately so the take isn't rendered unusable for technical reasons. Changing your proximity to the mic can also add to this effect---stepping back when doing called-out lines can give a distant, roomy sound, whereas stepping in closer to the mic can sound more intimate and heartfelt. (You can play with this on your own at home, but don't move from your spot in an in-studio session unless you are asked to.)
*The environment can also affect pacing, believe it or not. If you're on the battleground with no time to waste and your job is issuing orders to your team, you better get those orders out quickly and efficiently. If you're relaxing in a nice forest, however, your pace will probably be slower and calmer. (Of course, if you're dubbing to picture in cases such as anime, you don't have the luxury of changing up your pacing, but it's a good thing to be able to play with on projects where you don't have timing restrictions.)
WHY am I saying this?
If you've ever taken acting classes, you may have heard your teachers talk about the importance of a character's motivation. Chances are, a character isn't talking just for the sake of talking---they have a reason for saying that line. Sometimes it's deep or important, but it doesn't always have to be, especially in more casual or conversational scenes. If the character says "I'm hungry", it probably means just that---they want food, and that's why they're saying it! But other times the motivation can be part of something much bigger.
Shoutouts to my old college acting teacher who would always make us answer the question "what do you WANT?" when approaching a new character. Everyone (including your character) has some kind of end goal they want to achieve. It could be a big, lofty goal (wanting to become King of the Pirates!), a time-sensitive goal (solving the labyrinth before time runs out), or even just a minor short-term goal (getting out of this meeting so you can go get a coffee.) Sometimes it's not necessarily a concrete goal, but even a philosophy that shapes how they conduct themselves (wanting to live a quiet life).
What your character wants isn't always going to be evident if you don't have a lot of character description or context to work with, such as on short audition sides with only a few lines. But if it's information you can gain or even assume/invent based on what you have to go off of, it can be a helpful tool in determining how your character's actions and interactions are shaped by their hopes, fears, and desires.
If you've ever heard bad acting in a project, chances are that acting was bad because it sounded like actors reading lines off a page, rather than characters actually talking to each other. Without some semblance or understanding of motivation, the read will fall flat, because you're just "saying a line". Everything has a reason behind it, even if the reason is something mundane.
HOW am I really feeling?
Just like in real life, words can often have deeper meaning. It's not always about what is actually said, but also about what is unsaid. An easy example of this is if your character is lying or otherwise being manipulative or dishonest. But even if your character is telling the truth, there can often be more there than just what's on the surface.
For example, take the line "I don't care." Many times, the underlying thought is "I'm actually really upset about this, but I don't want to cause conflict with you, so let's drop it." Or maybe the character truly doesn't care, in which case the line is said flippantly with an underlying meaning of "This is a waste of my time, so let's move on to something else." Or maybe it's even in a heightened and dangerous environment, where it means something more like "I don't care WHAT we do, just hurry up and make a decision before somebody gets hurt!"
If you're having trouble with a read not sounding authentic, stop thinking (for instance) "I need to sound upset in this line" and think instead about WHAT is making you (as in, your character) so upset.
**Emotions are complex. It's easy for actors and even directors to get caught up in a one-note emotion, as in, "the character is angry here." Well, anger is often accompanied by other emotions---perhaps sadness, fear, disgust, shame, resolve, etc. Suppose a character confronts her husband about cheating on her, and the line is "I'll never forgive you!" Sure, she'll be angry, but underneath that anger she could be hurt at feeling betrayed, afraid of what's going to happen next, jealous of the new person he's seeing, etc. Those emotions can subtly creep their way in when appropriate, and give your reads more depth. You can even imagine a real-life example where you suddenly get a call from your boss telling you not to come in for your shift today. You might say "Okay, thanks for letting me know," but in your head you're feeling a mix of relief that you have the day off but worry because it means a loss of income. You don't have to overthink things, but when you need to, imagine what's actually going through your character's head when they're saying what they're saying.
___________________
I know what you're probably thinking: "This is crazy! I'm not going to go through all this just for a couple of lines!" Of course you don't have to do that, and in a live session you'll be expected to perform quickly and efficiently. But remembering the 5 W's and H in your head can be a quick point of reference when you're stuck on a line at an in-person audition during those 5-10 minutes you have to prep before you get called in, or when you're recording a script from home and just can't seem to nail that one particular scene. It can also be important for things like demo reels where you actually have to flesh out the scene and make informed choices even for just a couple of lines. When things like motivation become second nature to you, it'll be easier to get in the moment, get in the mind of your character, and "just be".
Now, keep in mind that many times you may not have context for some or most of this information. That's okay! If you need to, make it up (especially when recording a demo---even if you're just saying one or two lines, you need to have the rest of the scene fleshed out in your mind so that your words have meaning behind them rather than just putting on a voice and the emotion you think you're supposed to have. It will keep your reads from sounding one-note.) If you're really stuck during a live session, you can ask the director for clarification, but try not to bog them down with too many questions and just focus on giving the best reads you can! Practicing and honing your actor instincts will help all of this become much more subconscious.
____________________
Side note: All of the guides and resources on this forum are provided free of charge, as I believe everyone deserves to have access to this information. However, if you found them helpful, I'd love it if you buy me a coffee!
Whether for an audition or an actual job, making informed acting choices and committing to them is important. But it can be difficult to know how exactly to approach the copy, especially if it's a character you're not familiar with or a type of role that you don't have a lot of experience playing. So here are a few questions you can ask yourself when you're having trouble making that informed choice and getting that emotional response that really sounds like it's coming from the character rather than a person reading the lines!
One quick caveat: Asking yourself these questions can serve as good practice and preparation when you have time to really sit down and go over a script on your own time. However, the goal will ultimately be to incorporate these elements into your natural instinct as an actor---when you go in for a live recording session (or record from home with someone directing), you won't have time to look over the script extensively and make notes. You'll be expected to have that good instinct right from your very first read, which can then be further refined by the director based on how they envision the line being said. But if you find yourself stuck, thinking of one of these questions in the back of your head can give you a quick push to help you make a strong choice, even if you end up getting redirected as will often happen. Remember, practice makes perfect!
You probably remember "the 5 Ws and H" from elementary school when you were learning about question words. They also serve as a handy, easy-to-remember tool for breaking down a character based on the script you're given.
WHO am I talking to?
Unless your character is monologuing to themselves, they're not just speaking into a void. One of the most basic pieces of information to keep in your mind (and this will become subconscious eventually) is to think about your relationship to whom you are speaking to. How well does your character know this person and how do they feel about them? Are they family? Friends? Colleagues? Romantic interests? A superior or a subordinate? Chances are you'll address each of these types of people in a different manner, even subtly so.
For instance, if a character is speaking to his or her father, what type of relationship do they have? Are they close and able to talk openly, or is there a lot of tension bubbling under the surface? If your character is speaking to a boss, teacher, commander or some other type of superior, do they look up to this person with great respect, or do they secretly resent them but know they have to put up a good front?
Even if you don't necessarily know who the other character is or how your character feels about them, a good baseline can be whether they are on the same social standing (friend/colleague/fellow student vs. superior/subordinate) and how well they know this person (close friend or family? acquaintance? total stranger?) And yes, sometimes you actually will be "thinking to yourself", and those lines need to sound different than if you are talking to another person. Generally, internal thoughts will be less projected and more intimate sounding (whether or not a reverb filter is added in post-production.)
WHAT am I responding to?
Don't forget the common saying! "Acting is REacting." Your lines aren't said in a vaccuum... they are responses! It's not only important who is speaking to your character but what they are actually saying, because your character is going to respond to that.
Being that voice actors usually record their lines individually, you don't have the other actors to play off of the way you would in a stage play or film, so you have an added layer of difficulty in making sure your responses sound like parts of a conversation rather than individual lines. This will be difficult in an audition because you'll normally only have your own lines on the page with little to no context. But when recording an actual job, you'll probably have the full scene in front of you, so look at the line(s) before yours so you can see what you're actually reacting to and respond accordingly. "Say" the preceding line quickly in your head if you need to so you can respond rather than just speak.
WHEN is this particular conversation taking place?
When you have the context to do so, consider the relevant events and circumstances that happened before your character engages in this particular conversation or scene. For instance, say your character just got out of a very tough and grueling battle. Maybe they're injured, out of breath, shaken up. It's going to take them a minute to regain composure, so they are delivering their lines while grimacing in pain or catching their breath.
If you're recording your lines one at a time as is common, the flow should still be natural so that the emotion/energy/projection doesn't sound completely disjointed when put together in the same scene. Unless your character has a personality trait of changing emotions on a whim, transitions are always a good idea. For instance, if they're breaking down crying and another character comforts them, it might go from full blown sobbing into intermittent sobs and finally just some sniffles as they calm down, but suddenly snapping out of the crying with no transition would sound odd in many cases, because that's not normally how things play out in real life either.
Sometimes events will happen that makes your character change how they feel about another character, in which case you'll go into subsequent scenes with a different point of reference for the "who".
WHERE am I?
Environment is an important, but often overlooked aspect of a scene---especially so if you don't have the visuals available. (If you don't have a video or scene description, imagine in your head what it might look like.)
One of the reasons the "where" is so important is because it affects your level of projection. If you're outdoors with lots of noise going on around you, you're going to speak up more in order to be heard. If you're sneaking around to spy on someone, you're going to whisper so you don't get caught.
The proximity of the other character is also an important aspect of the "where". Regardless of whether your indoors or outdoors, in a noisy or quiet environment, your projection will change based on how close they are to you. If you're calling out to them from across the room, that's going to have a very different sound than if they're right in front of you and you're having an intimate conversation. Don't be afraid to play with dynamics and go loud and soft when you need to based on the circumstances---just make sure to set your levels appropriately so the take isn't rendered unusable for technical reasons. Changing your proximity to the mic can also add to this effect---stepping back when doing called-out lines can give a distant, roomy sound, whereas stepping in closer to the mic can sound more intimate and heartfelt. (You can play with this on your own at home, but don't move from your spot in an in-studio session unless you are asked to.)
*The environment can also affect pacing, believe it or not. If you're on the battleground with no time to waste and your job is issuing orders to your team, you better get those orders out quickly and efficiently. If you're relaxing in a nice forest, however, your pace will probably be slower and calmer. (Of course, if you're dubbing to picture in cases such as anime, you don't have the luxury of changing up your pacing, but it's a good thing to be able to play with on projects where you don't have timing restrictions.)
WHY am I saying this?
If you've ever taken acting classes, you may have heard your teachers talk about the importance of a character's motivation. Chances are, a character isn't talking just for the sake of talking---they have a reason for saying that line. Sometimes it's deep or important, but it doesn't always have to be, especially in more casual or conversational scenes. If the character says "I'm hungry", it probably means just that---they want food, and that's why they're saying it! But other times the motivation can be part of something much bigger.
Shoutouts to my old college acting teacher who would always make us answer the question "what do you WANT?" when approaching a new character. Everyone (including your character) has some kind of end goal they want to achieve. It could be a big, lofty goal (wanting to become King of the Pirates!), a time-sensitive goal (solving the labyrinth before time runs out), or even just a minor short-term goal (getting out of this meeting so you can go get a coffee.) Sometimes it's not necessarily a concrete goal, but even a philosophy that shapes how they conduct themselves (wanting to live a quiet life).
What your character wants isn't always going to be evident if you don't have a lot of character description or context to work with, such as on short audition sides with only a few lines. But if it's information you can gain or even assume/invent based on what you have to go off of, it can be a helpful tool in determining how your character's actions and interactions are shaped by their hopes, fears, and desires.
If you've ever heard bad acting in a project, chances are that acting was bad because it sounded like actors reading lines off a page, rather than characters actually talking to each other. Without some semblance or understanding of motivation, the read will fall flat, because you're just "saying a line". Everything has a reason behind it, even if the reason is something mundane.
HOW am I really feeling?
Just like in real life, words can often have deeper meaning. It's not always about what is actually said, but also about what is unsaid. An easy example of this is if your character is lying or otherwise being manipulative or dishonest. But even if your character is telling the truth, there can often be more there than just what's on the surface.
For example, take the line "I don't care." Many times, the underlying thought is "I'm actually really upset about this, but I don't want to cause conflict with you, so let's drop it." Or maybe the character truly doesn't care, in which case the line is said flippantly with an underlying meaning of "This is a waste of my time, so let's move on to something else." Or maybe it's even in a heightened and dangerous environment, where it means something more like "I don't care WHAT we do, just hurry up and make a decision before somebody gets hurt!"
If you're having trouble with a read not sounding authentic, stop thinking (for instance) "I need to sound upset in this line" and think instead about WHAT is making you (as in, your character) so upset.
**Emotions are complex. It's easy for actors and even directors to get caught up in a one-note emotion, as in, "the character is angry here." Well, anger is often accompanied by other emotions---perhaps sadness, fear, disgust, shame, resolve, etc. Suppose a character confronts her husband about cheating on her, and the line is "I'll never forgive you!" Sure, she'll be angry, but underneath that anger she could be hurt at feeling betrayed, afraid of what's going to happen next, jealous of the new person he's seeing, etc. Those emotions can subtly creep their way in when appropriate, and give your reads more depth. You can even imagine a real-life example where you suddenly get a call from your boss telling you not to come in for your shift today. You might say "Okay, thanks for letting me know," but in your head you're feeling a mix of relief that you have the day off but worry because it means a loss of income. You don't have to overthink things, but when you need to, imagine what's actually going through your character's head when they're saying what they're saying.
___________________
I know what you're probably thinking: "This is crazy! I'm not going to go through all this just for a couple of lines!" Of course you don't have to do that, and in a live session you'll be expected to perform quickly and efficiently. But remembering the 5 W's and H in your head can be a quick point of reference when you're stuck on a line at an in-person audition during those 5-10 minutes you have to prep before you get called in, or when you're recording a script from home and just can't seem to nail that one particular scene. It can also be important for things like demo reels where you actually have to flesh out the scene and make informed choices even for just a couple of lines. When things like motivation become second nature to you, it'll be easier to get in the moment, get in the mind of your character, and "just be".
Now, keep in mind that many times you may not have context for some or most of this information. That's okay! If you need to, make it up (especially when recording a demo---even if you're just saying one or two lines, you need to have the rest of the scene fleshed out in your mind so that your words have meaning behind them rather than just putting on a voice and the emotion you think you're supposed to have. It will keep your reads from sounding one-note.) If you're really stuck during a live session, you can ask the director for clarification, but try not to bog them down with too many questions and just focus on giving the best reads you can! Practicing and honing your actor instincts will help all of this become much more subconscious.
____________________
Side note: All of the guides and resources on this forum are provided free of charge, as I believe everyone deserves to have access to this information. However, if you found them helpful, I'd love it if you buy me a coffee!