When I have coached aspiring voice over talent, I have always made this point: “The script you read is not just a script. It’s a story. Its someone’s story that needs to be told.” No matter how short or long or for whatever reason, someone has made the decision to put important thoughts to pen and paper. The ability to “think” and “reason” is what makes us human. So, our thoughts are extremely valuable. Our thoughts become ideas and our ideas become stories and those of us who tell those stories are storytellers. We call ourselves Voice Actors. That’s US!
The art of storytelling is ancient and deeply rooted in the human experience, dating back to the earliest human societies. Before the written word, history itself was passed from generation to generation by storytelling. Storytelling evolved as a fundamental way for humans to communicate, share knowledge, and entertain.
Then came the day the human found a way to record those stories in audio form. Radio was a groundbreaking platform for entertainment, news, and music. Actors who performed in these early radio dramas were pioneers of the voice acting profession, using their vocal talents to bring characters to life solely through sound, without the benefit of visual aids. In the early 1920’s Radio Drama was the first significant form of audio storytelling. Then around 1928 it is thought that Walt Disney voiced the first synchronized animation piece when he recorded the voice of Mickey Mouse.
Then came commercials and documentaries. Then safety and training films. Followed by the ability for the human to hear recorded stories began to expand at a rapid pace to become a global artistic form where anybody’s story can be heard by millions.
In conclusion, the voice actor is more important than ever before. We have the privilege of having digital technology at our fingertips allowing us to create, record, market, distribute and most importantly, touch more lives with important stories that ever before.
Storytellers!. This is serious business. Each one of us is special. Keep telling those stories.
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