‘Efforts’ vs. ‘Added Sounds’ – Character VO Auditions – Animation & Video Games Characters

I recently had an actor come to me and wanted to work privately as there were some things that his Agent was criticizing in his animation auditions. This was a top Los Angeles agent who teaches animation, so you would think that she would know what she meant.

The Agent’s critique of the actor was, “You need more efforts.” He was constantly given this note on animation auditions from this same Agent. “You need more efforts,” was always her only critique. This actor asked me what that meant.

Effort SOUNDS is what she meant – but even that was a misunderstanding. The Agent meant that this actor needed more ADDED SOUNDS to the text for the authenticity of the character. Effort sounds are what are requested mostly from video game characters, although animation characters use those sounds as well.

Effort sounds are the sounds you make when you pick up something heavy, pull something weighty towards you, or push something away that is hefty. Throwing a punch, taking a punch, or even pulling your body up the side of a cliff are examples of EFFORT SOUNDS.

Animation actors need ‘added sounds’ and ‘effort sounds’ while effort sounds are usually asked for specifically. ADDED SOUNDS are the sounds we make when we want to say something you are thinking – instead, change your mind and say something else. An added sound is SLID into the words so that we barely notice.

ADDED SOUNDS

“Where are you going?” could become “Ah-where are you.. Eh-going, hm?”

How do you make the added sounds authentic? By adding subtext. Say this phrase internally before the added sound line – “this is hard for me to ask you but…” thinking that you don’t want the other person to leave –

“Ah-where are you.. eh-going? hm?”

ADDED SOUNDS are made SUBTLELY so that we barely notice you have added the sounds. The added sounds are SLID gently into the words. Most animation voice actors are scared to do this because no one ever told them they could. Come to class and see how we can use your flow of musical lines to add those sounds in a way that other actors auditioning never would.

Remember that your job is to give us what no one else can in the audition – not just to read lines and sound like everyone else but to sound uniquely like YOU.

EFFORT SOUNDS

Pretend to pick up a 5lb weight. Now add 20 lbs to it. Add 20 more and 20 more. What sound would you make executing that effort if you did make sounds. Those are ‘efforts.’

That Agent’s job might not let her know the difference between ‘added sounds’ and ‘effort sounds,’ but YOU SHOULD KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. Now you know the difference.

Paul Liberti
https://paulliberti.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VoiceOverTuneUp