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Colin Campbell
Talent and/or Voice Producer - Voice Seeker
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Joined: 27 Feb 2006
Posts: 5287
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 Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007, 21:15 (GMT) Post subject: |
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Well, now. We've got a woman telling us that a "balsy" voice with resonance or our "pipes" are not important. Hmmmmm.... don't want to be imasculated here. But anyway... listen.
Phyllis... how ya' doin?
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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Sat Jan 27, 2007, 21:49 (GMT) Post subject: Todd's Declaration & Phyl's Exclamation |
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| Todd Ellis wrote: | | Phyllis - I hesitate to ask - because soooo many have, but could you ... you know ... I told myself I wouldn't ask - but it's killin' me ... |
Todd! Oh how I laughed at your cute note! Strap yourself in, here we go!
Quick review of the visual of the sound of voices: what I see is the original, natural voice, and what a person or life has done to change it. There are things that a person can do, (like letting the voice be more open by relaxing or not being afraid to let loose), to be closer to the original “perfect” voice. Everyone has one, some are more buried or damaged than others. When I say I love a read or something is great, I am talking about how they are using their voice and how close they are to the original perfect voice. I am not critiquing interpretation. Someone might say, "That wasn't a good read" while I might say "I love the way you used your voice and how it looked." On the other hand, I have heard voices that are supposed to be so great, so professional, blah blah blah, and because they look bad to me (because the original voice is being misused), they sound bad to me and it's hard to listen to them. I am so distracted by the visual that I cannot hear what others hear that is good.
Okay then!
Todd, I am so pleased to be able to talk about your voice! There are two reasons and both are very selfish. First of all, you’re my first vertical bar voice person here! Second, mine are vertical too. Yours are cylindrical, slender, shiny and smooth, they are silver, five of them. Mine are squared off, four, wood and brown, like hmm, maple. Your voice is so clear and very close to its natural, open form. When the sound also flows out of your nose, it sounds muddier, looks muffled, because it’s not your natural, original voice. It still cuts through and "pops out" nicely – that’s those verticals for ya and ain’t it great?
Do people almost always recognize your voice over the phone? Would you say you almost never hear anyone else who sounds like you?
Listening to your voice has an added resonation (is that a word?) for me, because of the verticals, I guess. I have a distinctly different pleasure listening to it, for example, on your History Channel spot. LOVE IT. The sound flows out so nicely – the reads on the Narration/Corporate demo match your voice well and it is as if you’re really living what you’re saying. Do you enjoy them more? Or do you try harder because you don’t?
Voicemail demo is very similar it its excellence to the Narration/Corporate. On the audiobook demo, you have to pull back on the intensity. This case is where having a “pops out” voice can be too much of a good thing. Instead, use your verticals to move up and down in pitch quickly and easily to keep it interesting and fun for you. For all the other reads, you have the appropriate amount of control and focus to your voice. For audiobooks, you have to let down, and speak as if you’re furtively and somewhat secretly telling someone this story over the phone. Do you find that your face, neck and/or jaw get tired after a few pages? My interpretation of an audio book read is one where the voice is almost an aside, like when a fashion model isn’t there to show off how beautiful she is, but how great the clothing looks.
Because vertical bars make it easier to go up and down in pitch, when you do make your voice sound deeper, it works. Your “Shoot for the Moon – Saturn 5 Rocket” narration on the “What’s New” reel was fabulous – you can throw it down there, no problem! You can also push it through your nose and teeth, and you’re “Jumpy the Wombat.” Looks muffled but of course, when I think wombat voice, I expect muffled and nasal, just be careful not to do it otherwise – again, as you are aware, a nasal sound is not your original, natural voice. (The visual is the bars getting pushed up against your nose.)
I’d like to hear your natural speaking voice (and not just the two seconds that we heard on your hysterical MP3 Hello). I’m sure all of us who heard Tom’s MP3 Hello, and then the clip of his natural voice (after the first 5 seconds, of course) could hear a huge difference. Todd, could you post a clip, just a shortie, here? That would be very nice.
My apologies that this went so long. There was a lot to talk about.
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Phyllis K. |
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Tom Greenlee
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 07 Mar 2006
Posts: 945
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| Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007, 01:57 (GMT) Post subject: |
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Phyllis....I just listened to your clip in the Lafontaine thread....I laughed hysterically....that was very funny. Thanks for listening to my natural voice file....however, I have to tell you that the last part wasn't really my "natural voice....it's my natural voice when I speak more forcefully or louder(my pitch raises slightly when I have to speak louder). That last part because I almost forgot it, was a sudden blast....I belted it out quickly and with more force.....of course just having a casual normal volume conversation my pitch lowers and the first part of my file is my relaxed normal pitched voice. When I'm most relaxed, that's hw my voice sounds....there is no effort there....that is the natural place for my voice to be.....when I have to speak to someone accross the room or exert more force with my voice....like if I have to project my voice....the pitch raises slightly like you heard at the end of my file.....to sound like that in normal speech for me.....well...I don't know if I can without sounding like I'm speaking to someone accross the room....it's not natural at normal speeking volume and I would really have to force it I think. When I said I've ben speaking like that for years...I didn't mean that I just decided to start speaking like that years ago...what I meant was...I'm 48 years old and I've been speaking like that since puberty when my voice changed....hahahahahaha....so....in short.....for me to sound all the time like I did in that last part of my file, would not be natural for my vocal chords.....It requires me to speak louder than normal...or more forcefully to get that sound. I guess I'm SOL.  |
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Todd Ellis
Talent and/or Voice Producer - Voice Seeker
Joined: 27 May 2005
Posts: 817
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 00:19 (GMT) Post subject: |
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Phyllis, Thank you from the bottom of my diaphragm. Yes, the Corporate/Narration/e-learning gigs are my favorites. I really enjoy doing them. You are right - the audio book arena is easily my weakest link - I really need to either find the time to beef it up or cut it out all together. Probably 80% of my income comes from Message On-Hold. I like doing those as well.
It's odd - the "Jumpy the Wombat" bit IS my real voice - everything else is special effects. OK, OK - I'll post my "real" voice right here ... soon. Probably tomorrow.
thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you |
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Cameron Thomas
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 06 Dec 2006
Posts: 479
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 11:59 (GMT) Post subject: |
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I can't top what Phyllis has already said, but Allen, your demos are incredible. Nicely produced and...just...wow.
Tom, your second demo--the "natural one"--was exactly what I'd expect to hear on the radio. Your first one sort of sounded scripted (well, I know that they are, but...), if your commercials sounded like you were just rambling into the mic like the natural one, I think you'd have a homerun. Not sure if this is any help but I noticed a big difference in the two demos.
Cheers,
Cameron |
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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 17:01 (GMT) Post subject: Bars Replace...Buh buh buh you know what I mean. |
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| Colin Campbell wrote: | | Well, now. We've got a woman telling us that a voice with...resonance...or our "pipes" are not important. Hmmmmm.... don't want to be imasculated here. |
You bet! Colin, I like your natural speaking voice and it is very rich, far from anything close to be imasculated, IMHO. I think you'll get more gigs with it. From a visual standpoint, it's like you've taken the shag carpeting off of your bars - yep a set of four horizontal that just went vertical with that change.
And who, you might ask, has five? Lou Rawls did. Verticals.
At this rate, some of you will be able to do the bars, spheres, woven fabric, clay thing yourself! And you won't need me...I'll be okay...I just stand out here in the rain...don't worry about me.... 
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Phyllis K.
Last edited by Phyllis K. Day on Thu Feb 01, 2007, 00:23 (GMT); edited 1 time in total |
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George Karnes
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 905
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 17:14 (GMT) Post subject: |
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Hey i am not sure if this belongs in here....
Did anyone see the 60 minutes piece last night with the guy who sees numbers as colors?
He was able to memorize the PI sequence out to about 5000 numbers. It was really cool.
Anyway, Phyllis I was wondering if because you "see" voices do you have the ability to remember them extra well too. Like once you identify a voice, can you remember it forever like that guy could numbers?
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Allen Scofield
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 13 Jul 2005
Posts: 181
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 18:57 (GMT) Post subject: |
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| Cameron Thomas wrote: | I can't top what Phyllis has already said, but Allen, your demos are incredible. Nicely produced and...just...wow.
Cheers,
Cameron |
Thank you kind sir! I proudly say I do my own producing 
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Allen Scofield
http://www.voiceoverallen.com
allen@voiceoverallen.com
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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 21:40 (GMT) Post subject: Seeing Voices, hearing voices (uh oh!) and Colors, Numbers |
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| George Karnes wrote: | | Anyway, Phyllis I was wondering if because you "see" voices do you have the ability to remember them extra well too. Like once you identify a voice, can you remember it forever like that guy could numbers? |
Yikes, that guy has another thing going on, to be able to remember stuff like that. (I didn't see the show, BTW.) He does have synesthesia, as do I, which refers to joined senses.
Though I don't memorize voices (I don't think) I will hear one and recall how it sounds like so and so from a long time ago, and if I listen closely enough I will know for sure it is, or isn't that person. Usually, every time I hear a piece of music or voice, I see pretty much the same thing every time.
But here is why I know I don't memorize: the guys were joking about their bars and spheres and I jumped in the fun and mentioned that Lynn had spheres. But I had to stop and try to remember what she did have and only by listening or re-reading my post could I be sure I remembered it correctly. That might be because I'm hearing so many of them and looking into it so closely. Usually I hear some music on the radio, and it is pretty, or ugly, flat and sometimes there is nothing there - but I don't go father than that. Looking as closely as I do for ya'll wakes me up and wears me out because of the detail that I look for. That's why I have sworn off writing them at night, LOL.
If you understand that I've always done this and didn't know everyone else didn't until I found out when I was 28, you'll know that I don't know what it is like not to have it. My daughter asked me what was it like to see music as a baby and I told her I don't remember because I didn't know it was different. However, I distinctly remember the first song I heard that had a dance with it (that's usually how I see music, as a dance form). It was "Sugar Shack" by Jimmie Gilmer and I was five years old. And I still see the same dance, for the most part when I hear it now. But I can't say that I memorized it because I see it, like a cue card to read each time. I don't have to memorize it.
When I worked as a choreographer, I could also manipulate the song as to whether or not it would have one, two or more dancers, what they were wearing and so on. After the dancers learned their parts, and later, if I came along while they were in, say, the dress rehearsal, I saw the dance take on a flow and shape that I was not aware of and I did not say "Oh that's my dance" because I didn't feel that it was - it was just something I "read."
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Phyllis K. |
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George Karnes
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 26 Dec 2006
Posts: 905
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| Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007, 22:15 (GMT) Post subject: |
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"He does have synesthesia, as do I, which refers to joined senses. "
That is exactly what they called it. It was fascinating and I thought there might be some corollary with your abilities as well.
Thanks,
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Phyllis K. Day
Talent and/or Voice Producer
Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007, 00:27 (GMT) Post subject: Seeing Voices, hearing voices (uh oh!) and Colors, Numbers |
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| George Karnes wrote: | They called it...synesthesia. It was fascinating and I thought there might be some corollary with your abilities as well.
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George, you were right, it is related indeed! That guy has a lot more than just the synesthesia if he’s memorizing lists of numbers. Now, if he’s “memorizing” the colors, it’s right there for him to see – no memorizing. Voices are different, because they do change, especially voiceovers, because it’s about acting.
For example, when Colin took the “shag carpeting” off his horizontal bars, and goes up in his voice (still a deep full voice!), his bars go vertical (as mentioned earlier in another thread). You should have seen my face when I heard his “emasculated” MP3, I was expecting horizontal bars and fwwippt! Verticals! I was so stunned that it didn’t register at first, I thought I was nuts but that’s what they were.
And as I mentioned in another thread about J.S. Gilbert, his bars/clay/ etc. are off the chart – a different voice pattern each time he “becomes” someone else. Talk about acting! In one read, I couldn’t see anything of his voice (though it still sounded good), like it was behind a curtain. Wow. So the picture does change depending on just how big the change is.
And that’s not the only time I find that I can’t see because something is in the way. Amy Snively’s voice is hiding behind something on the demos I’ve heard. Sure wish she’d done the MP3 Hello, that would have been great, I think I could have gotten a look at her voice. She’s got a lot of energy so I’m sure it would be interesting.
So to say the least, it is a different sort of capability, “seeing” sound. Music is the most compelling for me, though. It can be so distracting that I have to turn it off, or ask a person to turn down or off the music, I literally can’t concentrate.
SO WHO IS NEXT?!
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