In ep 108 of “How Do You Say That?!” sponsored by britishvoiceover.co.uk, Melissa Sinden joins Sam and Mark to talk about the irony of being asked to play an AI voice, how sessions with lots of people involved can get quite unruly, and how to sound natural when you're playing the part of a voice actor!

Our VO question this week is all about how you create a rounded, three-dimensional character for animation.

Get involved! Have you got a Wildcard suggestion that we should try or an idea for the show? Send it to us via Mark or Sam's social media or email it directly to [email protected]

Script 1

Right... I’m just getting my characterisation sorted... do you want to hear my thoughts? So, with the main course... our seven nut ‘nut’ roast... I’m thinking I’m a nut connoisseur, but I not only embrace the taste of the nuts, but I also travel to where they’re produced and soak in the local culture, which gives me an insight into the source of their taste... and as for the vegetables... they’ll be picked by students on summer vacation, working on organic farms in Norfolk... they’ll be first and maybe second year students, from all around the world... How does that sound?

Script 2

MVO: (vintage style) In my day motor vehicles had keys not buttons and they didn’t need plugging in! When you get a ding, dent, chip or scratch in your techo Tesla, who can repair it now ask! Robots? Pah.

FVO: (modern voice of a smart AI) Prestige cars can be repaired at A and B Vehicle repairs. They are manufacturer approved for Audi, Mercedes, BMW and now also Tesla. Does that answer your question?

MVO: Who said that? what witchery is this?!

FVO: Go direct to A and B Vehicle Repairs; where accidents unhappen.

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About our guest:

Melissa is the child of a pair of opera singers and has been a voice actor for many years - despite being only 39!! She trained as an actor but went straight into voicing.

As well as corporate and commercial, she was also an animation voice - Jess the Cat's meow in Postman Pat as well as Strange Hill High, Little Monsters AND a background clucker in the first Chicken Run film! Melissa has also done tons of radio drama over the years as well as BBC Radio 4 short stories, book extracts and poems. Melissa finally went back into in vision acting about 15 years ago - programmes like Shameless, Brassic, Vera, Corrie and Emmerdale, as well as theatre and she writes and does public speaking gigs!

Melissa's VocalPoint Website

Resources: Click here for the Wildcard Generator and don't forget to think of an action your character can be doing!

Mark's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/britishvoiceovermark

Sam's demos & contact details: https://linktr.ee/samanthaboffin