Have you ever looked at a voice-over script and thought, “I know exactly what to do with this” … but then you were afraid to do it? Very often I find myself asking students or the talent I hire: “If nobody was looking, what would you really do with this script?”
Unfortunately, many of us have been cautioned by parents, teachers, older siblings, etc., not to show off. Not to go too far. Not to stand out in any way. So, even when it’s appropriate (as it certainly is in voice acting), we may be holding back from what we’re really capable of doing, for fear of looking like a fool. How’s that working out for you?
Trust yourself
If you have talent for voice acting, the first thing you need to do is trust that talent. Do what it takes, not just to get the job done, but to do it brilliantly. That usually means going further, even taking a risk that you’ll go too far. If you’ve never taken that risk, how will you ever know when it actually is too far? If you trust yourself, you’ll take it as far as it needs to be taken. And you’ll never worry about looking like a fool.
The bottom line is, stop waiting for permission. You already have it, courtesy of your own talent. After recording a script a couple of times you find yourself saying, “That wasn’t bad,” you need ask yourself if you really did what you should have done. If your reaction to your performance isn’t “Wow,” you know the answer.