Why Moving Around When Acting Can Make Your Recordings Sound Better
When you voice act, you may imagine yourself sitting on a chair, with the only thing moving being your mouth. But to get the best performance, moving around may be the best. Here are some reasons why you should move around when you’re recording a voice.
Nonverbal Communication is How People Talk
Most people have some nonverbal communication when they speak. You’ve probably seen those factoids saying that nonverbal communication makes up the majority of communication. When you move your arms around when you perform the character, it can help you deliver your lines more naturally. Even if you think that it doesn’t matter, nonverbal communication may change the nuances of your performance without you realizing it.
You Become the Character When You Mimic Their Actions
Say a character is punching someone. You may swing your fist while you perform. Or, if a character is crying, you may put your hands on your face and pretend to cry.
These actions help you get in character more, connect with the character, and thus deliver a higher quality performance. Obviously, there are limits; you probably don’t want to be running around the room while recording a voice. But if you insert some nonverbal movement into your recording session, your performance may be better.
It Relieves Stress
If you’re a new voice talent or you’re taking on a significant role, you may feel stressed. And no matter how you try to mask it, it can come off in the performance. Unless the character you’re playing is stressed, you do not want this in your performance.
There are several healthy ways to eliminate stress, one of which is to move around. Movement may help reduce stress, which, in turn, will make your voice sound more relaxed. But again, if the character you’re playing is stressed, then embrace your emotions.
And It Increases Confidence
Besides stress, another thing that may destroy your performance is the lack of confidence. It can be so easy to be your worst critic when you are giving your performance, and your mind may focus on your negative emotions, leading to a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Because moving around can give you more energy and distract your negative thoughts, you may find you’re more confident when you move. Your confidence will shine when you give the best performance you can.
It Improves Your Energy
Besides reducing your stress, moving around can help to improve your energy. Exercise is one of the best ways for you to feel more energetic. If there’s a character who is naturally energetic, or you’re in a high-stakes scene, do a quick jog before your performance.
By the way, if your performance is high-energy, one tip is to try to stand rather than sit for the role. This can depend on your setup, but if you can adjust it so that you can stand, all the better.
And Loosens Up Your Vocal Cords
Most voice actors do exercises before their performances to loosen up their chords so they can articulate things better. Movement may also help get the blood flowing and help you deliver a better performance. If you stumble over some words or syllables, consider moving around during or exercising before a performance.
Better Posture, Better Breathing, Better Performance
When you stand or stretch before a performance, the blood flows. You can breathe better and have a better posture, which will show in your performance.
In general, your posture should be decent when performing. You don’t need to act like you’re in the army but don’t slouch too much unless the character does that. Your performance may be way better if you just change your posture, and your back will, too!
Mistakes to Avoid When Moving
When you’re moving around, there are some things to be mindful of.
Not Realizing the Limitations of Your Space
If you have a small home studio, you may get into the character a little too much and punch out a monitor or knock over your microphone. Whenever you perform, be sure to have the space where you can move nonverbally move around, or understand the limitations and try not to go too wild. If you feel too limited, consider rearranging some things to give yourself as much room as possible.
Tiring Yourself Out
You should also understand your energy limitations. While moving around can make you feel energetic, too much can lead to fatigue, thus diminishing your performance. If you quickly tire yourself out, make exercise a regular thing to give yourself more energy. Or, if you must, have an energy drink. Just don’t have too much, or your performance may not be the only thing you’ll have to worry about!
The Mic Should Not Be Picking Up Your Movements
The mic should only capture your movements. But if you’re getting into the performance and doing things like stomping or swishing the air too hard, the mic may pick it up, and you’ll have to re-record. You should have a background noise filter on and make movements that aren’t too noisy. Adjusting frequencies or changing some microphone settings may eliminate background noise.
You Should Be The Right Distance from the Mic
Finally, as you’re performing, you may move your head or even pace around as you give your performance. But the mic may not be picking up your voice entirely. Unless it’s for an effect, like the character being far away from another character, thus a quieter voice, you should stick as close to the mic as possible or get yourself a microphone you can carry around with you.
Final Thoughts
When you want to enhance your voice performance, you need to move around, not sit or stand still. Moving around is so important for your performance. When you just sit down and talk, you’re not getting into the character, and your body may be stiff and not delivering the best performance. So, move around nonverbally when performing or exercising beforehand. It may make a big difference.
