Developing Characters Using Pictures, Descriptions & Abstractions

By Eric Hunt

One of the most popular ways to develop a character voice is by looking at a mock-up of the character you will be voicing.  Getting a sense of their facial expression, their posture, their attire, their physical features, their age, even their environment... is extremely helpful when first jumping into playful exploration.  Practice identifying the details in the picture(s) you receive and let those details help you make choices.

Sometimes the producer or animator you are working with won’t have visual renderings of the character for which you are auditioning.  In those cases, you will most likely receive a description of the character.  This can be challenging because you must create images in your mind based solely on words.  It can also be helpful because you must create images in your mind based solely on words.  Don’t worry, you read that right.  That process works well and is desirable to some but others find it hard to conjure up images.  Many who find success with this process equate it to the classic comparison of reading a book to seeing a movie.  Most of the time, many of us would agree “the book was better.”  

Often times our minds can create wonderfully complex images that are rarely lived up to the actual visual production.  It is important when you work with character descriptions that you trust your imagination.  

Sometimes character voice actors are asked to create a voice for a thing, like a nose or the color green, rather than a person, an animal, or some other creature.  Working with abstractions like those can be challenging but locking in a great fit for a voice is very satisfying.  Take, for example, a recent run of Geico commercials featuring a talking pothole in one and a talking parking garage pipe in another.  

Creating characters for voiceover work requires more than just a versatile voice.  Your physicality plays a big role in connecting with your characters and developing them to whole new level.  Watching video footage of Robin Williams during his work on Disney’s Aladdin is good way to get an idea of the effectiveness of getting physical with your characters.