THE ACTOR’S VOICE  How does the voice work ?  Why is breath control important?  What are vocal strategies ?  How does the actor create a FLEXIBLE voice ??

THE ACTOR’S VOICE  GRADES :  VOICE QUIZ  LINE VOCAL STRATEGY SCENE SUBTEXT FOR ONE LINE  VOCAL STRATEGY SCENE: SUBTEXT IDENTIFICATION SCRIPT MARKING SCENE EVALUATION

The VOICE  For a person to make sound, he must have :  BREATH PRESSURE  VOCAL FOLDS

VOCAL FOLDS VOCAL FOLDS are folds of TISSUE found in the LARYNX or voice box. There are two VOCAL FOLDS.

THE VOICE …

THE VOICE PROCESS  3 STEPS MUST OCCUR FOR SOUND TO BE CREATED : 1. VOCAL FOLDS CLOSE 1. VOCAL FOLDS CLOSE 2. AIR IS EXHALED 2. AIR IS EXHALED 3. VOCAL FOLDS VIBRATE 3. VOCAL FOLDS VIBRATE THIS PROCESS CREATES …. SOUND. SOUND.

SO, HOW DO WE SPEAK WORDS?  WE SPEAK WORDS BY THE PROCESS OF … ARTICULATION ARTICULATION  ARTICULATION IS THE WAY THE SOUND MOVES AROUND OUR ARTICULATORS TO CREATE SOUNDS THAT WE USE TO FORM WORDS.

ARTICULATORS  WHAT ARE THE ARTICULATORS THAT WE USE TO FORM WORDS? THAT WE USE TO FORM WORDS?

THE ARTICULATORS …  TONGUE  LIPS  LOWER JAW  TEETH  HARD PALATE  SOFT PALATE

ABUSE TO THE VOICE …  WHAT ARE VOCAL NODULES ?  A VOCAL NODULE IS A CALLOUS ON THE VOCAL FOLD CAUSED BY INADEQUATE BREATH SUPPORT WHEN USING THE VOICE IN A STRAINED WAY… ATHLETE, ACTOR, SINGER, TEACHER

SO HOW DO WE AVOID VOCAL NODULES ?  BY USING PROPER BREATH SUPPORT TO GAIN VOLUME IN THE VOICE.  LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR BREATH PRESSURE !!

OTHER POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH THE VOICE THAT CAN BE AVOIDED …

THE ACTOR’S GOAL … TO CREATE A FLEXIBLE VOICE !! A FLEXIBLE VOICE CAN BE DEVELOPED WITH THE USE OF VOCAL STRATEGIES …

THE VOCAL STRATEGIES … 1. VOCAL QUALITY

VOCAL QUALITY  VOCAL QUALITY IS THE SOUND OF THE VOICE.  AN ACTOR CAN CREATE SO MANY DIFFERENT SOUNDS WITH HIS VOICE.  THE VOCAL QUALITY SHOULD REFLECT WHO THE CHARACTER IS AND THE SUBTEXT OF THE CHARACTER.

2. INFLECTION  INFLECTION IS THE … RISE AND FALL OF THE VOICE. RISE AND FALL OF THE VOICE. INFLECTION GIVES THE WORDS COLOR… INTEREST…MEANING. AVOID THE MONOTONE VOICE… THE VOICE WITH NO INFLECTION. THE VOICE WITH NO INFLECTION.

USING INFLECTION…  FIND YOUR VOCAL RANGE…. USE IT !!!! USE IT !!!!

3. INTENSITY  INTENSITY IN THE VOICE IS THE ACTOR’S USE AND CONTROL OF VOCAL ENERGY. VOCAL ENERGY.  BELIEVE IN YOUR CHARACTER’S EMOTIONS WHEN YOU SPEAK !

4. RATE AND TEMPO  RATE : THE SPEED OF A LINE … THE STRATEGY …VARY IT !! THE STRATEGY …VARY IT !! TEMPO: THE SPEED OF A SCENE… TEMPO: THE SPEED OF A SCENE… THE STRATEGY …VARY IT !! THE STRATEGY …VARY IT !!

WARNING… WARNING !  BE CAREFUL WHEN CHANGING THE RATE AND TEMPO … RATE AND TEMPO … * DON’T RUSH …REMEMBER, VARY ! * DON’T RUSH …REMEMBER, VARY ! * DON’T DRAG THE SCENE OR LINE… * DON’T DRAG THE SCENE OR LINE… KEEP THE TEMPO VARIED ! KEEP THE TEMPO VARIED !

LET’S HEAR IT !! SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT ???

5. EMPHASIS  EMPHASIS IS WHEN THE ACTOR PLACES FORCE ON A WORD TO CHANGE THE MEANING OF A LINE.  BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU PLACE THE FORCE…IT WILL CHANGE THE MEANING !

USING EMPHASIS …  DID STEVE GET AN A IN MATH ??

6. DRAMATIC PAUSE  THE DRAMATIC PAUSE IS A HESITATION IN SPEECH … HESITATION IN SPEECH … THE ACTOR PAUSES …WITH MOTIVATION. THE ACTOR PAUSES …WITH MOTIVATION. MOVEMENT MAY STOP, OR IT MAY CONTINUE DURING THE PAUSE.

WHY USE THE DRAMATIC PAUSE ??  USE IT FOR EMPHASIS  USE IT TO DIVIDE THOUGHTS  USE IT TO INCREASE THE AUDIENCE’S CURIOSITY  USE IT FOR A BREATH BREAK

7. ARTICULATION / PRONUNCIATION * ARTICULATION : USING CLEAR SPEECH SPEECH GREAT EXERCISE : TONGUE TWISTERS * PRONUNCIATION : SAYING A WORD CORRECTLY

8. PROJECTION  PROJECTION IS VOLUME … HOW LOUD AND SOFT IS THE VOICE ? HOW LOUD AND SOFT IS THE VOICE ? HOW DOES THE ACTOR PROJECT ????

WITH BREATH BREATH PRESSURE !! PRESSURE !!

HINTS FOR USING PROJECTION AS A VOCAL STRATEGY …  USE A VARIETY OF VOLUME  DON’T YELL LINES  ALL AUDIENCE MEMBERS SHOULD BE ABLE TO HEAR YOU SPEAK… WHETHER IT IS SOFT OR LOUD !! WHETHER IT IS SOFT OR LOUD !!

TERMS… TERMS… FOR THE ACTOR AND HIS OR HER VOICE …

1. POISE

1. POISE…  THE WAY THE ACTOR PRESENTS HIMSELF ON THE STAGE.  THE CONFIDENCE BEHIND HIS PRESENCE ON THE STAGE  POISE CAN AFFECT THE ACTOR’S VOICE !!

2. AD-LIB

AD – LIB …  TO AD-LIB MEANS THAT THE ACTOR MAKES UP LINES AT THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT….LINES ARE NOT REHEARSED.  WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS FOR USING AD-LIBBING IN A SCENE?

PROS AND CONS FOR AD-LIBBING … THE PROS ???

 THE PROS … AD-LIBBING CAN SAVE A SCENE !

THE CONS OF AD-LIBBING ???

AD-LIBBING CAN CONFUSE OTHER ACTORS IN A SCENE !!!

3. THE CUT-IN…

THE CUT – IN  A CUT–IN IS A VOCAL STRATEGY USED TO INCREASE THE TEMPO OF A SCENE.  A CUT–IN HAPPENS WHEN ONE ACTOR INTERRUPTS ANOTHER ACTOR.

TIPS FOR EXECUTING THE CUT-IN EFFECTIVELY …  THE EXAMPLE … (TWO BURGLARS OUTSIDE A BUILDING)  A: DID YOU BRING THE …  B: SHHHH, SOMEONE’S COMING. HOW SHOULD IT BE PERFORMED CORRECTLY AND EFFECTIVELY ?

 TIPS TO USE THE CUT-IN … EX: A: DID YOU BRING THE … B: SHHH, SOMEONE’S COMING! EX: A: DID YOU BRING THE … B: SHHH, SOMEONE’S COMING!  1. “B” MUST START HIS LINE ON “ A” WORDS …BRING THE …  2. “A” MUST HAVE A FINISHED LINE… JUST IN CASE ! JUST IN CASE !

4. HOLD FOR LAUGHS

HOLD FOR LAUGHS…  TO HOLD FOR LAUGHS IS A STRATEGY FOR COMIC SCENES.  THE ACTOR PAUSES FOR AUDIENCE LAUGHTER…HE DOESN’T FREEZE…HE MAY CONTINUE TO MOVE, BUT HE WAITS FOR LAUGHTER TO FADE BEFORE SAYING THE NEXT LINE.

 WHAT HAPPENS IF THE ACTOR DOESN’T HOLD FOR LAUGHTER HOLD FOR LAUGHTER ?????????????? ??????????????

THE AUDIENCE WILL LAUGHING AT THE LINES.

5. THE OVERLAP

TO OVERLAP IS … WHEN ACTORS SPEAK AT THE SAME TIME. HOW DOES IT AFFECT TEMPO AND WHAT DOES THE OVERLAP CREATE ?

HMMMMM…..

 IT CREATES CONFUSION AND  IT CAUSES THE TEMPO TO SPEED UP

6.CUE  A CUE IS A SIGNAL FOR THE ACTOR TO SPEAK OR MOVE.  WHAT ARE CUES FOR THE ACTOR ??

CUES FOR THE ACTOR …  WORDS  LIGHTING  MOVEMENT  SOUND

7. SUBTEXT  SUBTEXT IS THE CHARACTER’S THOUGHT BEHIND A WORD SPOKEN OR MOVEMENT.  WHO CREATES SUBTEXT ?  DO YOU ONLY HAVE SUBTEXT WHEN ONLY YOU ARE TALKING OR MOVING?

MORE VOCAL STRATEGIES…  1. DELIVER LINES WITH ENERGY  2. HOLD OR REPEAT WORDS  3. LIFT AND LOWER THE VOICE

MORE VOCAL STRATEGIES… 4. USE THE DRAMATIC PAUSE. 5. DELIVER A LINE WITH ENERGY, VARIETY, SUBTEXT ! 6. USE A VARIETY OF RATE, PITCH, VOLUME 7. IDENTIFY KEY WORDS IN A LINE.

SOOOOOO…. WHAT IS THE VOCAL GOAL OF AN ACTOR?

 TO CREATE A FLEXIBLE, EXPRESSIVE A FLEXIBLE, EXPRESSIVE VOICE !!

YOU MADE IT …THANKS !