Cody Christian: In the film/tv world, I have so much aiding my performance. From the wardrobe, to the set design and lighting. Not to mention the masterfully written scripts and insightful direction. I’m able to put an authentic feeling behind the story being told through a very “fake but real” immersive environment. On set when I’m running and jumping or having a physical interaction with another character, I’m doing it for real.
However, as a voiceover actor, I’m not flipping through the air or swinging a Buster sword or feeling the fear of Sephiroth’s presence while I’m in the vocal booth. In fact, in most cases, my motions have to be restricted due to the sensitivity of the microphone. It will pick up any excessive movement. There is a constant risk of going “off-mic” and compromising the integrity of the vocal quality.
I learned very quickly that I had to almost go inside and use my imagination to really put myself there, I couldn’t rely on an outside world. I had to create motion and intensity while remaining stagnant. I immediately began fine-tuning the skills required to use your voice as a tool. Annunciation. Inflection. Tone. Clarity. All while feeling the present emotion yet not being able to outwardly express anything. Physical acting and voice acting are certainly different tools and different methods, but both share the common thread of story telling!
