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Strong Lungs, Big Heart

Lisa@speakproud.co.uk

Wow!

As I walked into the indoor cycle studio on Friday, to coach 60 minutes of Just Ride at Third Space in London, I suddenly realised that it is nearly 30 years since I first started keeping fit by becoming a gym member. Yes, 30 years of regular attendance with the object of ensuring that I can carry out my daily activities with no problem.

I remember that first gym so well, my best friend and I were still at secondary school, and we wanted to shift our MacDonald’s muffin tops! We were given a paper membership card. I remember showing it to my late father in our kitchen so proudly, as he was always an avid fitness enthusiast. It was actually a body builder’s gym! Can you imagine- terrifying to any novice, not to mention two teenage girls. We hid away upstairs in the cardio area, in the days of no air conditioning, but those noisy fans that circled above us.

I soon got the bug for it though, and now training daily is like breathing to me. Indoor cycle for my cardio, mixed with the Tracy Anderson Method has kept me fit, flexible, and injury free.

You may think “But Lisa, you work as a voice over actor. It’s not as if you’re a boxer or an Olympic sprinter. Why do you need to go to the gym? You sit and talk into a mic all day!”

Not quite true. I never sit down when I am recording a voice over, and I still need to take care of my fitness. All of us need to keep fit of course, especially now that so many live sedentary lives sitting in front of a screen all day and all evening. However, in my case it is also a part of the job.

As an actor you spend quite a lot of time on your feet, both in rehearsals and on stage or screen. In fact, when performing, unless it is required to sit in a chair as a part of the plot, or even lying on the stage dead (!), you spend most of your time on your feet.

Keeping Fit Has Many Benefits

As a voice over actor I don’t have to do that so much nowadays, but keeping fit helps me in many ways. Just to begin with, a physical warm up before recording helps to loosen up the body, enabling me to focus on breathing. The way that you breathe has a big effect on the way that your voice sounds and if you can get more air into your lungs that helps with stronger vocal delivery which is important in my line of work.

Physical movement helps to increase lung capacity and also helps to make the muscles in the ribcage more flexible. I also carry out vocal warmups because these help to increase the acid in the muscles of the vocal folds and that helps them to work more effectively.

So, if you thought I was a couch potato sitting down at a microphone all day, nothing could be further from the truth. I must keep peak fitness to perform at my best for my clients.

Get in touch

Feel free to reach out if you're working on any projects, whether it's a commercial, an explainer video, or anything in between.

With my London voiceover style, I aim to bring a sense of everyday authenticity to every project.

If you're interested, I'm more than happy to provide a free sample of your script.

Hearing my voice first hand can help you determine if it aligns with your brand and vision.

Don't hesitate to get in touch—I'm always excited to collaborate with new clients and explore how my voice can enhance your project.

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Find the small wins with speaking proud!

8 October 2024

When I coach clients to embrace public speaking, they often associate it with high-stake events with lots of people in front of them and a tremendous fear of pressure to perform well. There are some individuals who are naturals at this. The fear factor is quite low on their barometer. The reason is because they are accomplished in this skill. For most of us, the idea of getting up in front of an audience, even if it is only a business meeting where we know the people, and speaking on a subject for even 5 minutes can bring out the voice of judgement, and we feel the heat rising up the back our necks. As a public speaking coach, I know this only too well. I will be speaking at an event in two weeks, and I know for sure my face will flush red. The good news is that fear and overwhelm can be overcome, it is a skill that can be learned. In fact, once you get started, with repetition, it can become a part of your business skill set. But you do have to get started! Building Confidence Requires Practice That means that you need to practice building confidence . Let’s use the analogy of learning to play the piano. Once you know how to get the notes in the right order, and read the music, then it is a question of practicing until you get it right. But guess what? Once you know that you can do it, it becomes easy, and you can’t wait to learn the next piece. Learning public speaking skills is much the same. It’s a step-by-step process. I always suggest find the small wins i n your week. Clients are often surprised when I share with them that a small win could be to have a short conversation in the corridor with a senior member of staff whom you normally avoid. Or standing at a train station, the train is delayed, and be the person in the crowd, who in front of everyone, asks the conductor why is the train delayed? You may be in the canteen at break time, and somebody makes a remark about the new product that your company is going to produce. Provided that you are up to speed with the information about it, you can use that chance to speak about it in front of a small group from a position of authority. Not only does this give you a chance to practice, but it will also impress your colleagues. They will look up to you. So, yes, public speaking can be scary but start small, and remember, speaking proud is not reserved only for conferences, and running online presentations. Building inner confidence with speaking can happen in every conversation you have, both personally, and professionally. In recent years some of my proudest speak proud moments have come from difficult conversations, asking for pay rises, and having the courage to say ‘No’, instead of ‘Yes’. Speaking proud is not a performance, it's a state of mind, that you can start to work with from today.

The Gaming Industry Is The Fastest Growing Media Art Form

by NM417394 • 15 September 2024

It’s true. A few years back, gaming was regarded as something to keep the kids occupied while the parents watched TV, a movie, or listened to music. Today, gaming is booming. And it’s not just kids any more. The average age of regular gamers is now just over 30. Note that is the average, so many gamers are in their 50’s or more. According to the Boston Consulting Group, a study that they did recently showed that gaming is the second largest media sector and has just reached the yearly $200billion dollar mark. That’s more than the GDP of Australia, according to Wikipedia! Over the last 5 years, games have held a regular share of 40% of all global mobile app downloads. In the Middle East, in Saudi Arabia in particular, it is between 45% and 50%. And the market shows no sign of slowing down. Many people finish one game and then can’t wait to buy the next one. Voice Acting Is In Demand This is why voice acting is in constant demand to help keep up with the need for more and more games . The voice over is what brings the game to life. This is what I do. I carry the storytelling and inject life into the game. The voice of both the actor and the narrator are what creates the characters, which are typically animated figures which need to be made compatible with humans. A good voice over can create a personality for the game using the right type of voice to match each character in the game. It needs to create a good narrative voice that will help to guide the player through each game . Of course, voice acting can also create an atmosphere of any sort such as fear, getting a good result, getting a bad result, danger, something unknown around the corner, and much, much more. It should draw each player into the game and excite them. Equally, choosing the wrong voice can cause the character to become boring or non-essential. So, it is necessary to have the right voice for the characters in order to keep the player’s attention. Luckily so many games are being made, that there is a voice for everyone! Finding the right talent to play each of the characters in a game so that it is exciting for the participants, and the word spreads, so that others will want to invest in it as well. The interactive nature of video games allows me to explore a wide range of emotions and personalities, making each project unique and creatively fulfilling. My actor training means I know how to take ownership of the character, be bold with character choices, and find the connection and intention of the character with ease. I live for storytelling and adventures! Get in touch Feel free to reach out if you're working on any projects, whether it's a commercial, an explainer video, or anything in between. With my London voiceover style, I aim to bring a sense of everyday authenticity to every project. If you're interested, I'm more than happy to provide a free sample of your script. Hearing my voice first hand can help you determine if it aligns with your brand and vision. Don't hesitate to get in touch—I'm always excited to collaborate with new clients and explore how my voice can enhance your project.

The Power Of Authentic Human Connection

by NM417394 • 15 September 2024

Anybody in the acting profession will understand that the job of an actor is to have the script reach the audience with realism and conviction. The actor needs to convey the message that the writer intended when writing the script, story, or screenplay. For example, Juliet’s Nurse in Romeo and Juliet can be shrewd, sarcastic, old and doddery, loving, grumpy, and more. It takes a skilled actor to convey the message that Shakespeare intended. The same skills are required for a voice over acting and public speaking. The only real difference between being an actor in a vocal booth, and a person speaking on the stage is the amount of physical engagement needed. The intention remains the same. Truth above everything else. Whether on stage, or through a pair of headphones, audiences will know immediately when they are not connecting with the actor . This is why it’s so important to engage the voice, breath, and body when performing. The face can be used to convey anger, laughter, dismay, shock, and many more, in the same way that we all react to certain situations. The actor can also use hands, arms, and the whole body to add to the message of the writer. The voice can translate every number of emotions, and the breath! Even the breath alone, can conjure up a story, a feeling, an atmosphere. The Audience Cannot See The Actor Working as a voice over actor in London , I convey the message in the script through the voice, body and breath even though the audience cannot see me. Nonetheless, the message must come across in an authentic fashion which means that I must adapt to the circumstances. I am often asked to read in a conversational tone , as one would do if talking to one’s neighbour over the fence. In other words, not overly performed, yet still making sure that the message gets across to the listener. Sometimes I am asked for an energised read for a radio advert which must be delivered in under 30 seconds, sometimes 20 seconds! This requires great control of the breath, and being “in my body,” meaning I am physically awake, physically engaged, like an athlete at the start of a race, as opposed to sitting on my sofa, and delivering the words- how under energised would that be as a read! I love the conversational read because in today's world of AI, nothing beats hearing a cracking voice over where the voice sounds like they are in your room having a REAL conversation with you. Any acto r will tell you that heart led, connected, storytelling, is what gives us our kick, and connection is where it is. Get in touch Feel free to reach out if you're working on any projects, whether it's a commercial, an explainer video, or anything in between. With my London voiceover style, I aim to bring a sense of everyday authenticity to every project. If you're interested, I'm more than happy to provide a free sample of your script. Hearing my voice first hand can help you determine if it aligns with your brand and vision. Don't hesitate to get in touch—I'm always excited to collaborate with new clients and explore how my voice can enhance your project.