Oxford Thought

Often when I am coaching my voiceover students on the best voiceover techniques, I am tempted to give them a line read. Since no girl from Jersey without some serious background in Theatre should ever be doing that, I refrain. My next best option outside of pure direction (explaining through adjectives and description the way to a technique) is to refer to what is already out there that has proven to be voice over gold. I often refer them to Voicebank where they can hear demos of proven successful voiceover artists. We can also just go to the movies! We can learn voiceover strategy often just with our ears, in the most entertaining of venues.

When I think of a “great voice” from an animated film, the first one that always pops up for me is Sterling Holloway’s Cheshire Cat from the original 1951 version of Alice in Wonderland. The voice is at once quizzical, satiric, bemused, and ethereal. It calls to mind another place and time -so fitting for a character living inside of a “wonderland”. Presently my new favorite, while less “magical”, offers a whole different bag of treats. The voice of the Once-ler in The Lorax is modern day comedian Ed Helms, known for his work on the Daily Show, his iconic Andy Bernard character on The Office, and for his big feature role in The Hangover. Ed brings a mixture of good-natured, self-effacing humor to most roles, but also a deep intelligence that balances that modesty and pleasantly confuses the audience. He is familiar, and yet refreshing. In The Lorax, I am finally impressed once again after so many long years of animated films without anything beyond incredible eye treats. Ed’s delivery has texture, range; a whole set of adjectives come to mind when hearing it. He can be innocent at times, fun and quirky at others, and then turn on a dime and become fearsome, overly confident, aggressive. This mixture is what makes him stand out. Yes I loved listening to Chris Rock’s Marty in Madagascar; it was hysterical. What I love even more are voices like Ed’s, that bring a whole universe of emotions and energies all at once and ask you to digest it slowly and savor it. It is this texture and style that comes to mind when I am teaching my students what it means to be interesting and engaging (without losing your authenticity in the process.)

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