accent it—  Emphasize it.

add life—  Put color into the reading. Punch it up. Keep it from sounding flat.

ADR (automated dialogue replacement)—  Recorded dialogue with poor original quality or new dialogue needed after the original recording session.

AFTRA—  American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. This U.S. union generally covers television actors whose shows are on tape. Many commercials are covered by this union. Newer television animation may be covered, although much television animation is covered by SAG, the screen actor’s union, because television animation has traditionally been filmed.

agency demo—  A demo put out by a talent agency containing a sample of the voices of each of their signed actors. This is also sometimes called a house reel or a house demo.

air—  If you pause too long, when you’re recording, you’ve left too much air.

ambiance—  Background noise, such as you’d find at a restaurant or sports arena. This is also called a bed.

animatic—  A series of storyboard panels or other drawings scanned or filmed together with sound to approximate a finished cartoon or commercial. There is no real animation.

attitude—  The general approach a character takes to life and the other characters. How a character feels about a situation or another character, such as concerned, upbeat, or bad.

audition—  A casting session. This is unpaid.

beat—  (1) A pause of about a second. These beats are important in the timing of comedy. Try to feel how much time you need. (2) Each section in an individual scene where the major action changes and the character has a different need or want.

bed—  A textured layer of background sound. This is also called ambiance. This is the only time that overlapping voices are used. The loop group splits up into smaller groups. Each will make conversations among themselves. They enter and exit with the hand cues of the group leader. The walla in the final bed may be so low that you can’t really understand it.

be real—  Be believable. Make it conversational.

bidirectional microphone—  Sound is picked up from the front and from the back.

billboard—  Underline or emphasize a word or phrase with your voice.

booking—  A confirmed recording session.

boom—  The tall stand with an arm that holds a microphone.

booth—  The room in a recording studio where the actors record. This is usually separated from the control room by a glass so that the engineer, director, producers, and so on can watch.

break character—  Lose or drop your character.

bring it up (or down)—  Raise the energy level or the volume. If it’s not clear, ask which.

button—  The clincher that ends a typical cartoon scene or commercial. A sting. It’s usually a laugh line.

buy-out—  Receive a one-time fee above the normal instead of residuals.

callback—  A second audition that has weeded out some of the original actors. An actor will usually be chosen for the job at this audition or a casting agent may recommend about three to five actors from this audition to the producers/directors and they will listen to the audition recording and choose.

call outs—  Wild lines. These are short ad libs that may be needed in crowd scenes. These lines will probably be heard over the walla. “Bob … over here!” Also known as free and clears.

cans—  Headphones or earphones. Cones.

cardioid microphone—  Most cardioids are highly sensitive within a 120 degree radius facing the mic. These are the mics used most often for voice-over work. When several voice-over artists are recording at once, this requires as much separation of each artist as possible to avoid pickup from adjacent mics.

casting director—  The person who finds and hires or recommends the actors for a project. This casting director may go through talent agencies, online casting services, or go to the talent directly.

cattle call—  An audition that is huge, open to many, many actors.

clear—  Often refers to the way an American clear “l” is pronounced (look, lilt, glance) as opposed to a dark l. The tongue is more relaxed, humped less, and then only slightly at the back.

cold read—  A performance without a rehearsal.

color it—  Add shades of meaning and life to the phrase. This may be done by adding more range to the melody, adding texture, or adding emphasis.

commit—  Decide on the specific details of your characterization and act on that fully, taking it all the way.

condenser or electrostatic microphone—  Uses fixed plates. These produce the highest-quality sound. They’re ideal for musical pickup. They usually have a clean, crisp sound. Relatively large in size, they need a special power supply. Condenser mics can be overloaded by loud noises nearby, and they’re very fragile. These directional mics are also expensive.

cones—  Earphones, headphones, cans.

continuants—  Sounds that are impeded on their way out, but not stopped. They may be impeded through the mouth or diverted through the nose. They include nasals, laterals, and fricatives.

control room—  The room in a recording studio where the engineer sits with his audio console or board. There is often room for the director, producers, and so on.

cut—  Stop.

damaged—  A voice with texture. It might be husky. It might break at times. This can be an interesting thing. A voice that’s too damaged will limit your ability to get work.

dark—  Often refers to the way an American dark l is pronounced (full, told) as opposed to an American clear l (lily, belong). For a dark l the tongue is humped forward in a bigger arch with more tension. Normally in English, the clear l is the initial l in a syllable, whereas the dark l precedes a consonant or is heard as the final l in a syllable.

DAT—  Digital audiotape. This is a small tape cartridge for holding high-quality digitally recorded sound.

dead air—  A pause that’s too long.

demo—  (1) A demonstration of your abilities, usually on CD. This is an initial audition for a talent agency, casting director, or someone else who hires actors. (2) This can also be a preliminary version of a commercial spot.

dental—  Pronounced with the tip of the tongue against or near the front teeth (like d, t).

dialogue tag—  Word or pet phrase that is unique to one character.

diaphragm—  The muscles and tendons just under the ribs (between the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity). This is the floor of the breathing apparatus, located in the midriff.

digital recording—  A recording that converts sound into numbers, stored on a computer, DAT, CD, or MP3.

diphthong—  A double vowel that glides from the first sound to the second.

directional or unidirectional microphone—  Sound is most sensitive from one direction.

director—  The person in charge of the session. Occasionally, there is only the engineer who then acts as director.

donuts—  Walla that’s recorded in groups of one, two, or three actor groups. Each group lines up behind the microphone. As each group approaches the mic, they improvise a conversation that fades in and back out as they pass by. Only one group talks at any given time.

drop—  Lower the volume or energy level.

drawl—  To prolong the vowel sounds.

dry—  A demo with no music or sound effects.

dubbing—  Dubbing is actually mixing the sound for a project. However, over the years it has come to mean dialogue replacement in a foreign film. Dubbing is replacing original language with another language, as in English to Spanish. We use the term dubbing in this way in this book.

dynamic microphone—  Uses a moving coil. These are pretty rugged and provide good quality sound. They’re not easily overloaded by loud noises. The mics are classed as nondirectional, but they do tend to be directional at higher frequencies (with lower-quality sound to the sides). Dynamic mics are relatively inexpensive; however, the more expensive models give the best quality sound.

epiglottis—  The lid-like piece of cartilage that helps close the larynx over the opening in the windpipe, protecting the vocal cords during swallowing.

flow—  “Make it flow.” Keep it from being choppy. Smooth it out.

Foley effects—  Sound effects recorded live in postproduction to sync with the animation.

free and clears—  Same as call outs.

fresh—  “Keep it fresh!” Make it sound real. Sound like you’re reading it for the first time. Give it lots of energy.

fricatives—  Sounds made by the narrowing of the vocal passage at its exit. These include the sounds made by f, h, s, or v.

gag—  Joke.

glottal stop (/)—  This is produced in the larynx by suddenly closing and then opening the glottis. It’s like a slight catch in the throat.

glottis (or rima glottidis)—  The space between the vocal chords.

hard palate—  The bony area of the roof of the mouth immediately behind the upper teeth ridge.

high—  Refers to the position of the hump of the tongue. Usually, high indicates that the vowel is closer to the I.P.A. vowel before it on the chart.

hot mic (or live mic)—  The mic is turned on.

improv—  Improvisation.

International Phonetic Alphabet (I.P.A.)—  Alphabet, including symbols, used internationally to break down sounds in speech.

in the can—  Finished. Originally referred to a reel of film in a film can.

intimate read—  Read up close to the mic. Give it a sexier, more breathy sound, like talking into someone’s ear.

ISDN—  Integrated Services Digital Network. This network is used to connect two or more recording studios together. The quality is identical at each end so that a director at one end can direct talent in a home studio at the other. The cost is high.

jewel case—  The clear plastic case that encloses CDs.

labials—  Letters where the breath is stopped at the lips. In English these are b, m, p, wh, and w. English lip-teeth consonants include f and v.

larynx (voice box)—  The muscles and cartilage that contain the vocal cords at the upper end of the human trachea just below the base of the tongue. The larynx acts as the vibrator to produce sound.

laterals—  A consonant formed as the tip of the tongue presses against the teeth ridge and the air is emitted over the sides of the tongue. There is one English language lateral: l. Lily, light, wild.

lay it down—  Record it.

level—  Audio control levels. When an engineer asks for levels he’s asking you to read some lines into the microphone in the position you’ll be using for recording so that he can set his audio controls correctly.

loop (to loop)—  Looping is the older method of dialogue replacement. Scenes are cut into individual lines and joined into loops. Loops are played through a projector so that the voice-over artist can see them replayed over and over, enabling the actor to match the visual performance exactly. Looping is replacing original language with the same original language, as in English to English.

loop group—  A group of actors experienced in ADR. When a crowd is needed, a group coordinator is called. The coordinator calls as many experienced actors as needed from the loop group to work.

low—  Refers to the position of the hump of the tongue. Usually, low indicates that the vowel is closer to the I.P.A. vowel after it on the chart.

mask—  The area where the sinuses are.

master—  The original recording from which all duplicates (dupes or dubs) are made.

melody—  The pleasing rhythmic arrangement of sounds in sequence.

milk—  To get the most out of a gag.

mix—  The final combining of all the elements: voice, sound effects, and music.

motivations—  What drives a character and makes him do what he does.

mouth noise—  The clicks and pops sometimes produced by the mouth and picked up by a microphone. Usually, these sounds get worse with a dry mouth. Cigarette smoke is one cause of dry mouth.

MP3—  A compressed audio file that can be sent easily by email and downloaded quickly. This has a file size of roughly one tenth that of a raw, uncompressed audio file. The quality suffers. MP3 files are often used online.

nasals—  Sounds that go through the nose, including m, n, and ŋ (ng).

need—  What the character wants. His driving force, his deep desire.

omnidirectional microphone (or nondirectional microphone)—  Sound can be picked up from all sides equally. This type of mic is rugged and the least expensive.

over the top—  Exaggerated. Outrageous. Excessive. Cartoon characters may be over the top. Sometimes meant as a criticism, meaning that you are being too broad and should bring it down a bit so that you’re more believable.

payoff—  A gag has its payoff or completion after being carefully set up. The payoff brings the laugh.

personalize—  Bring some of your own personality into the copy. Make it yours.

pharynx—  The cavity with its muscles and membranes that leads from the nose and mouth to the larynx and esophagus.

phrasing—  How the words are grouped, where the pauses are placed.

physicalize—  Use your body while you’re acting in front of the microphone. It helps you become more believable. Use it, as well, when you’re developing a character to help you remember the voice.

pick it up—  Read faster or give it more energy. If you’re not sure, ask which.

pickup—  One section of copy will be redone and edited into what has already been recorded.

pitch—  The place on a musical scale that a sound sits. The highness or lowness of a sound, determined by the frequency of vibration of the sound waves reaching the ear. The greater the frequency, the higher the pitch. The frequency is determined by the pressure of air, tension, mass, elasticity, and length of the vocal cords. Most of these adjustments are made in the larynx.

placement—  Where your voice seems to originate in your body, such as the stomach, nose, or back of the throat.

play with it—  Have fun with it. Try different approaches to the delivery.

plosives—  The breath is somehow checked in its passage through the mouth and then released suddenly with a small explosion. This is a stop or plosive. The English plosives are b, c (as in the k sound), d, g, k, p, and t. Care must be taken so that these sounds don’t cause the microphone to pop.

poignant—  Touching, moving. Evoking compassion.

pop filter or pop stopper—  A screen for the mic used for softening popping sounds.

post—  Postproduction.

pre-demo—  Developing the characters in a demo session prior to recording the demo.

residuals—  The fee paid to a performer for each rerun of a performance as in television.

reverb—  Resonance that’s added to the voice electronically. Some call it echo, but it’s not really repeated like echo is.

run-through—  A rehearsal.

SAG—  Screen Actor’s Guild. This U.S. union is for feature film actors. It also covers much television animation, which was filmed, traditionally.

scale—  Minimum union-designated salary.

session—  The actual recording event.

SFX—  Sound effects.

slate—  An announcement of your first and last name, agent’s name or contact information, character name, and title of project. Slating is done when you’re at the microphone ready to record. Slating for a class can be as simple as stating your name and character name. Other times more information may be requested.

soft palate (or velum)—  Soft area at the rear of the roof of the mouth.

specifics—  Specifics are specific conversations in a crowd or other lines assigned by the group leader to singles, pairs, etc. They include hospital pages, police radio calls, and more. These are usually cued to a certain place in the time code.

specific revoicing—  Replacing lines for a specific actor who may be unavailable or revoicing a performance that the producer/director didn’t like.

staccato—  Read your words with a quick, crisp pace.

sting—  The clincher that ends a typical cartoon scene or commercial. A button. It’s usually a laugh line.

storyboard—  The script in visual form with the dialogue underneath the artwork.

subtext—  The real meaning hidden behind the words. What is not being said. The thoughts and emotions behind the words.

supercardioid or shotgun microphone—  This is a directional mic that picks up sound mostly from the front. This has a very limited range and suppresses sounds from the sides and rear. However, this type of mic is sensitive to ambient noise, reverberation, and echo.

sync—  Synchronization.

table read—  In prime-time animation, actors sit around a table prior to the recording session to read through the script. Based on notes from the table read, another rewrite is done afterward. The table read is especially important for feedback on the jokes.

take—  Each new reading of the copy.

take it from the top—  Start from the beginning.

teleclass—  Classes given over the telephone. Students call in. There is interaction as there would be for any other class. However, you really need some one-on-one coaching in person to get to a professional level.

tempo—  Pace. The speed of a reading. How fast a character talks.

texture—  The quality of the sound, such as gravelly, nasal, or breathy.

throw it away—  Say it casually without any emphasis.

tray card—  The paper insert inside a jewel case under the CD that folds over the spine.

triphthong—  A triple vowel that glides from one vowel to the next.

unvoiced (or voiceless)—  The sound made by air that has traveled through the glottis without being voiced but meets with interference as it passes on out. Consonants that are unvoiced are f, h, k, p, s, ʃ (sh), t, ɵ (th as in think), and wh.

upper teeth ridge—  The ridge on the roof of the mouth where the upper teeth meet the gums.

uvula—  The small bit of flesh hanging down from the soft palate above the back of the tongue.

velum (or soft palate)—  Located at the rear of the roof of the mouth.

vocal cords—  These are located inside the larynx. The upper pair of ridges are the false vocal cords, which work with the epiglottis to prevent food from entering the lungs. Just underneath these are the true vocal cords, used to produce sound. The space between the vocal chords is the rima glottidis or glottis.

voiced—  Sounds where the outgoing air has been set into vibration by the vocal cords so that a murmur is produced. All vowels and most consonants are voiced. See exceptions under the definition for unvoiced.

voice-over (VO)—  The voice communicating unseen on an audio track used in radio, television, film, multimedia, or the business world. Voice-overs are used primarily in commercials, narration, training or other corporate audio, and animation.

wacky—  Eccentric. Over the top.

walk and talks—  Same as donuts.

walla—  The sound of many people speaking at once, such as you’d find in a restaurant, shopping mall, baseball game, party, and so on. Actors hired to record walla improvise real and appropriate lines that blend in with the others.

warm it up—  Read it with more warmth. Friendlier and more personal.

wild lines—  Lines recorded separately from the rest of the script. These are ad libs that may be needed in a crowd scene. They may be lines that will be heard above the rest of the crowd over the walla. Looping work is wild when it’s not necessary to sync it with a specific mouth. The lines will be inserted at the right place by the sound editor. These lines are not recorded to picture.

wind sock or wind screen (or muff)—  Hollowed-out foam positioned between the mic and your mouth for softening popping sounds.

working to picture—  Voicing a character as a scene is playing on the screen. This can be a specific character or it can be an unseen character in a crowd.

wrap—  “That’s a wrap!” The end.

wrinkles—  Wrinkles are characteristics added to a voice that change its sound. They’re generally done with the mouth, but may be done with phrasing as well. Wrinkles include a lisp, a jaw that’s jutted out, a stammer, talking with your tongue between your teeth or out of the side of your mouth, a crack in the voice, or a snort in a laugh. It’s best not to add more than one wrinkle per character.

wry—  Ironic. Subtly sarcastic.