This document provides exercises and techniques for relaxing the body and voice, as well as improving enunciation, breath control, and developing character voices. It includes exercises for specific parts of the body and vocal range, as well as tips for understanding characters and maintaining consistent voices for animation work. The overall goal is to help actors develop a versatile voice that can be used and modified for different characters.

2. VOICE AND BODY EXERCISE
EXERCISE 1: RELAX YOUR MIND
EXERCISE 2: RELAX YOUR BODY
EXERCISE 3: RELAX YOUR NECK
EXERCISE 4: RELAX YOUR ARMS
EXERCISE 5: RELAX YOUR FACE
EXERCISE 6: HORSE LIPS
EXERCISE 7: RELAX YOUR TONGE

3. VOICE AND BODY EXERCISE
EXERCISE 8: YAWNING
EXERCISE 9: THE CORK EXERCISE
EXERCISE 10: THE SWEEP
EXERCISE 11: ENUNCIATION EXERCISES
SPECIFIC LETTER SOUNDS
SHORT PHRASES
TONGUE TWISTERS

4. VOICE AND BODY EXERCISE
I slit a sheet; a sheet I slit, upon the slitted sheet I
sit.
A proper cup of coffee in a copper coffee pot.
A big black bug bit a big black bear, and the big
black bear bled blood.
The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.
Better buy the bigger rubber baby buggy bumpers.
Licorice Swiss wrist watch.
Tom told Ted today to take two tablets tomorrow.
The bloke’s back brake block broke.

5. Specific Letter Sounds—do each four
times, then reverse for four more.
Make a clear distinction between the sounds of each letter.
Gudda-Budda (Budda-Gudda)
[Emphasize the “B” and “G” sounds.]
Peachy-Weachy (Weachy-Peachy)
[Emphasize the “P” and “W” sounds.]
Fea-Sma (Sma-Fea) [pronounce as FEH-SMA]
[Emphasize the difference between the “EH” and “AH” sounds.]
Lip-Sips (Sip-Lips)
[Make the “P” sound clear and don’t drop the “S” after lips or sips.]
TTT-DDD (Tee Tee Tee, Dee Dee Dee)
[Emphasize the difference between the “T” sound and the “D”
sound.]
PPP-BBB (Puh Puh Puh, Buh Buh Buh)
[The “PUH” sound should be more breathy and have less
vocalizing than the “BUH” sound.]
KKK-GGG (Kuh Kuh Kuh, Guh Guh Guh)

6. ESSENTIALS
1. A DECENT SPEAKING VOICE
Voice Acting is not about your voice – it’s
about what you can do with your voice.
2. EXCELLENT READING SKILLS
Reading not memorizing
3. AN ABILITITY TO ACT AND TAKE DIRECTION
Change delivery in an instant
4. PASSION
Time, Energy and money

7. Vocalizing Characters
1. Most Character and animation voices are an
exaggeration of specific vocal characteristic or
attitudes.
2. Character Voices can be difficult to sustain for
long periods of time.
3. Be careful not to overexert or injure yourself
when doing character voices
4. A forced voice is rarely the most effective, is
difficult to sustain, and can actually cause physical
damage to your vocal cords.
5. The most effective character voices are those
that emphasize or exaggerate the attitudes and
emotions of the character you are portraying.

8. Animation and Character Voices
• Character and Story Analysis are most
important with this type of copy.
• Consistency is extremely important in
character voice work.
• Most animation voice actors have a repertoire
of several voices. Versatility.
• In addition to voices and sounds for animation:
dialects, foreign and regional accents, and even
celebrity impersonation.
• Celebrity Voice Impersonations are often the
most challenging because they are well known.
(Usually done in the context of a humorous
commercial/exaggerated.

9. 6 Critical Elements of a Character Voice
•1. Pitch (Higher or lower than your own?)
•2. Pitch Character (Gravelly? Breathy? Husky?
Constricted?)
•3. Tempo (Faster or slower than your own?)
•4. Rhythm (Loping? Vocal thumb print)
•5. Placement (Nasal? Back of Throat? Normal?)
•6. Mouth Work (Accent? Lisp? Tight Lips?)

10. Voice Placement – Finding your
Voice By Body
 Top of head (tiny)
 Behind Eyes (nasal)
 Top of Cheeks (bright)
 Front of Mouth (crisp)
 Under tongue (sloppy)
 Diaphragm (strong)
 Loose cheeks (mushy)
 Back of throat (breathy)
 Nose (nasal)
 Throat (raspy)
 Stomach (low)

11. The Sweep Method
 Vocal Range is important for
achieving emotional attitudes and
dynamics in your performance.
 Range from the lowest note to the
highest note
 Take a deep breath, hold, release
slowly by saying HAAAAAA sound.
 Gradually increase the pitch of your
voice, sweeping from low to high.
 HELP: Hold your hands near your
stomach and gradually raise your
hands to raise the pitch.

12. BREATH CONTROL AND
FLEXIBILITY EXERCISE
 Villain: You must pay the rent. GIRL (in your
 Girl: I can’t pay the rent. highest
 Villain: You must pay the rent. possible pitch)
VILLAIN ( in
 Girl: But I can’t pay the rent.
your lowest
 Hero: I’ll pay the rent. possible pitch)
 Girl: My Hero. HERO (In your
 own beautiful
Villain: Badtrip… Palpak na naman. Hay!...
 Girl: Mwaaah (kisses the Hero) voice)
 Hero: Sarrraaaap!! Heheheh!

13. Tips for Character and Animation Copy
Character voice work can be challenging, but lots of
fun.
1. Understand your character and situation.
Remember that acting is reacting. In animation, you
often must make up what you are reacting to.
2. Discover who the audience is and understand how
the audience will relate to the character.
3. Maintain a consistent voice throughout the copy
and be careful not to injure your voice by stretching
too far to create a character. It is better to pull back
a little and create a voice that can be maintained
rather than push too hard for a voice you can only
sustain for one or two pages.

14. 4. Be willing to exaggerate attitudes or personality
traits for the sake of finding the voice.
5. If a drawing, photo, or picture of the character is
available, use it as a tool to discover the
personality of the character.
6. Find the place in your body from which the voice
will come.
7. Experiment with pitch, pitch characteristics,
tempo, rhythm, placement, and mouth work to
discover the most appropriate vocal delivery for
your character.
8. Experiment and use your physical-ness to take on
the physical characteristics of the character.
Physicalize the moment and the voice will follow.