Today I got stuck into a wonderful project I am working on (which I can't reveal yet) and I realised how in the zone I was to the point I lost all concept of time. I thought I would have a test run to try and feel in tune with the characters for a script that is not yet finished. I am playing mutiple roles and I had a free afternoon and thought it would be a good way to use my time. Firstly, I was right, it was a wonderful way to spend my time. I now feel I really know who these characters are and I am prepared to move forward with them. Secondly, I was so into what I was doing that I lost all track of time until I reached a point where my entire body started to scream at me to TAKE A BREAK! I also recorded everything in a way I do not usually do it, but given the way the script was written it seemed easier for me to just read everything in the order it was written and this meant I was switching between characters constantly (which I now know is incredibly draining). Some of the characters had very small parts and maybe just one or two lines of dialogue and making sure everyone was sounding completely different from each other was fun, but again very draining. The main thing for me though was that I was loving bringing the characters to life! This is what I love and this is why I got into Voice Acting in the first place, to bring imaginations to life! I have however learned a valuable lesson that pacing myself is important. My voice is my instrument and I need to take care of it. Just because I have a spare three hour window, does not mean I need to spend the entire time recording. I could in reality have done half the amount of work and still have been really happy with what I had done, but I guess it's a case of 'now I know'.
I shared what I did with the client (who to be fair did not ask me to do any work until the script was finished) and they loved what I had come up with and really felt that I understood what they were going for with the tone of the project. The script needs to be finished and the things already written will likely be rewritten, but that's fine because I know gave myself a head start and can go into the official recording of the characters full of confidence in the knowledge that I now understand the characters.
The important takeway however is to take a break (or maybe several) to ensure that I am taking care of my voice as well as generally just taking care of my entire person. Hydration is also key and I made sure that I was on top of my water intake which is just as important as pacing yourself. Quality beats quantity hands down every time and this session today has given me much food for thought.
I look forward to sharing this project with you all soon, but for now I am off to have a chilled evening in front of the telly so I can you know TAKE A BREAK!
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