The voiceover industry is pretty unique. It acts as a form of performance in the acting sphere. Yet it is exceptionally diverse in its offerings. From the ab-clenching screams of Anime to the subtle comedy of an Audiobook novel. Voice actors are required to offer exceptional diversity in their delivery. None do this better than the British Actor, Voice Talent, and Entrepreneur Alan Shires.
The British Actor
Having lived in Britain for 31 years Alan hosts a huge spectrum of clients including Ford, Krispy Kreme, and Crunchyroll from the voice acting side through to Starbucks, Samsung, and an Amazon Prime TV series on the on-screen side. Being theatrically trained during his schooling years Alan was able to combine this talent with his entrepreneurial drive to build his own brand and company in the United States of America.
Truthful Acting
He is a massive advocate for a truthful performance. How does one discover truth and where does it sit amongst entirely different genres? Let’s take a quote from Alan directly. ‘’Truth is found in the universe of which the character and narrative sits. So, a talking space dog on planet Zapatos is made true by the voice actor, animation, and writers coming together and making a whole new world. Then we have the naturalistic world of commercials. This requires something a little bit more organic and conversational. The idea of talking to a friend shines brightly in this genre because it’s more relatable to what we understand. Ultimately, if you can’t connect with the world you’re watching and listening to, it’s not entertaining’’.
So, looking at Alan’s technique it seems voice actors are needed to display a massive variety of skills. We can see this when studying Alan’s credits. Having delivered an extraordinary performance as ‘Kevin’ in the hit video game ‘Elmwood Trail’ and having voiced a comical spot for ‘Krispy Kreme’ we can see his approach to deliver truth to be, well, truthful!
The Diverse Actor
The question is, can one actor really be narrating a historic piece for a museum one moment and then a hard-core anime the next? Let’s look at one more quote from Alan. ‘’I remember a recent piece I did for a fashion museum. The terminology was a challenge, so I had to do my research. But the thing is, the listener is interested in this content, so even though it isn’t my bag, as an actor I must deliver this piece as though I am interested in it. To go from that one minute to an anime the next is a complete U-turn in performance styles. All the sudden I am following the rythemo band and voicing for multiple characters which require a lot of differentiation and energy’’.
The Power of a Voice Actor
Tone, pitch, and pace seem to be three words a voice actor learns to modulate on an almost daily basis. None do that better than Alan with his unique soft northern British accent, 15 years of experience, and entrepreneurial drive. To wrap this up, voiceover is acting that everyone hears but rarely sees. Delivering a truthful performance is the key to a good voiceover. To deliver this in multiple areas one needs to be able to deliver a diverse performance through character, research, experience, and training.