PRO-TIPS FOR F.S.A. PERFORMERS

CONTENTS
Pro-Tips About Thread Behavior
Recording Tips
Ko's Tips on Sultry Voice
Glossary: Terms for Talking about Voice

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Comment add and/or suggest on the thread.

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 PRO-TIPS FOR F.S.A. PERFORMERS

    Would you like to be one of those girls who is called for when she stops posting? Want more requests and respect? Read on.

    1.  Always announce yourself to set ID, if you feel like recording. Pick a name to use (not your own) so it’s easier to find your stuff.

    2. There’s a difference between READING and PERFORMING. Reading is fast and impersonal. Performance is slower-paced and personal. A great voice actress puts a lot of herself in her performances.  Slow down and Put what you can into yours

    3. Be very conscientious about doing requests. That’s one of the quickest ways to build fans and get respect.

    4. Post something. It is hard to get attention if you aren't posting anything. That’s what we have ‘Questions for New Girls,” challenges and stories available on the thread for.

    5. Get to know the other girls. They have probably done what you have questions about. Use that resource.  And if you don’t want to do that singing request you got, pass it to the girl who does them.

    6. Ignore trolls and haters. It’s a sad fact that a lot of people don’t like what they see but don’t have the social skills to not express themselves about it.  Just let it slide. They are not worth your time.

    7.  It’s not about voice quality all the time.  Here’s what one anon said about voice quality:

    “……as long as your recordings aren't 50% ear-rape static someone will probably get off to what you record. So long as it's a female voice. Yea, you could have the most nasally, monotone, down-syndrome voice and someone will be into it...”

    8. Subject matter is important. Be clear on what you will and will not do. But don’t be too picky if you want more requests. Our anon on  subject matter:

    “These threads are supposed to be fun, just record what you like. If you're really into a kink, or an idea just ask someone to write or post something. No matter how weird it is, someone is likely to be into it.”

    9. Finally, cut yourself some slack. Here’s what a current performer had to say:

    “I completely sucked when I first started... I'm still not all that great, and I don't have a huge fanbase because I'm pretty tame (I do poetry and crazy gf scripts lol).... but people are generally pretty welcoming.”--SIREN

    You will get better with practice, and build a fan-base. Follow these tips  good performer behavior and you'll have fun. Everyone is someone's cup of tea. You will be too.



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RECORDING TIPS

1. Rule one for anybody doing these is to slow down a bit, unless the script is designed to be frantic.
As writer/performer Ollie says, "One of the key things I noticed whenever giggle did one of my scripts was that it was at least 25-30% longer than anyone else's version. Taking your time to add in more moans/giggles/cries/etc. helps too."


2. Rule two is to read through them aloud before doing them, at least once, but twice if you trip-up a lot. Part of the reading ahead is knowing what is coming so you aren't distracted as you are PERFORMING the script. Particularly when something is full of jargon, like "Code Girl", or with deficient English.

3. This is also the time to change any of the wording in the script that you don't agree with, or can't get past (words that offend or grammar mistake etc...)We encourage people with less than perfect grasp of English to post scripts and requests and that can lead to issues in vocalization, and even veteran writers sometimes forget complicated syllabic transitions--think tongue twisters.

4. If you do mess up while performing, just pause and resay it correctly. If the requester or audiofile wants to, he or she can edit the mispronounciation out.

5. Turn off: the radio, cel, TV and the sound of all your Skype notifications. It breaks the mood.

6. Nobody likes the way their recorded voice sounds when they first start hearing it. That being said, you really should listen to your recording before you post it. It could be blank, full of interference, too low or too loud. Soon enough you will be used to your voice.

7. If you have a visceral reaction to a script, by all means express it. As a writer I am thrilled when my words excite a performer. However, most scripts just need a sultry "I need you" kind of tone that builds to climax or just gets more intense. Check out Ko's bit on sultry speech below.

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Tips on a Sultry Voice:

1. Relax your throat and your ribcage. Do some push-ups if you need to. Stretch. Just get all of that loose.

2. Sound out your breath with a short, effortless, "huh" or "hah". Feel where it is. For most people, it is in their throat. Try to move that sound to your chest. Feel your chest vibrate (usually a much lower pitch than your regular speaking voice)

3. Always pay attention to your breath support and how much you exhale. Most people don't exhale all the way when they talk.  Don't feel bad if you have to take another breath in the middle of a very short sentence - in fact, REVEL in this! Take. Your. Time. Your breath does not control you, you control it, and you are using it to be deliciously, delightfully seductive.

4. When you finally feel it, you'll know it. It's like learning a dipthong or strange consonant in a different language. Sometimes you'll do it easy and sometimes it takes a lot of work. Never let this discourage you. It took me more than a year to understand how to do chest resonance and even now it is still a big struggle for me.

5. Be wary of straining your throat in an attempt to sound lower-pitched. You're not trying to feign a man's voice, you're simply re-directing your own voice's source.

Great examples of chest resonance in films:
Lady Galadriel from LOTR
Meryl Streep from The Devil Wears Prada
Lady Eboshi (if I remember right) from Princess Mononoke (English)


I truly hope this helps everyone! It's not just for the scripts and vocaroos, it's for your voice in general. the more vocal variety you have in everyday life, the better you can express yourself in general! :)

Love,

Ko <3


Ollie again, "I do feel overall most easily ignore how important breathing can be. Especially for say, first person scripts. It is very common for people to very calmly read the text lines, then switch into moaning, then immediately go back to calm. If you're actually turned on it doesn't really work like that, your breathing will pick up and you'll sound a bit different.

In the male thread I remember having a script where it was two characters fighting right at the start...and I actually had to make myself get almost out of breath before I even started recording for it to work right. ;

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GLOSSARY: TERMS FOR SPEAKING ABOUT VOICE

Volume – relative loudness of voice

Pitch – relative highness or lowness of voice

Rate – speed at which you talk

Pauses – small breaks carefully timed for impact, but not too many vocalized pauses like 'er' and 'um'

Vocal Variety – VV refers to changes in volume, pitch, rate, and pauses, and is crucial to making your voice lively and animated. This is one of the main ways to differentiate between reading and performing.

Pronunciation – words should be pronounced correctly and articulated distinctly

SFX- sound effects including slaps kissing sucking etc...

Accent/dialect – regional variations of inflection
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Volume:
Pitch:
Rate:
Pauses:
Vocal Variety:
Pronunciation:
SFX
Accent
Mic. Quality