VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
What does it take to get a foothold in the competitive world of voice acting? The creator and director of NZ’s first Asian-lead animated TV series shares her top tips
If you’re anything like me, you grew up avidly watching Saturday morning cartoons with your nose two inches from the TV and your mum screaming something nearby about square eyes. The brilliant work of legends like Eartha Kitt, Nancy Cartwright and Robin Williams proves that a great performance by a talented actor has the power to take a character from good to unforgettable. Because of that, and my never ending quest to entertain my family in any way possible, voice acting was my childhood dream job.
In 2018 I began working with Kiwi animation heavyweight Mukpuddy as an editor, writer and voice actor. In the recording booth, without cameras filming all my chins or the pressure to attempt telepathy on a casting director, I remembered why I fought my way into this confusing and oftentimes demoralising industry in the first place. Then in 2019 I had the profound joy of creating and casting my own animated series, Tales of Nai Nai. My favourite moments were when an actor ruined a good take by laughing or when they would blurt out, with surprise, that they were actually having fun.
If voicing the next Cruella de Vil or Tina Belcher is in your future, put together a strong but short reel of specific voices and accents you can perform confidently and consistently. Don’t include your Rhys Darby impression — we can just get Rhys to do that.
Lean into what’s unique about you and know that it makes you valuable.
More often than not we’re inspired to cast based on personality and whose work we enjoy, so continue making content that showcases your strengths and brings you joy.
Three tips for voice jobs or auditions:
- Warm up before you arrive. Your brain, voice and body all need to be awake and connected for you to perform well and take direction. Be hydrated and well rested too — your voice is first to suffer when you haven’t slept.
- Do your homework. You wouldn’t arrive on set without having read your script, but it happens so often with voice actors. If you don’t know your character’s journey and the story we’re telling, you force the director (or worse, the editor) to do your job for you.
- Make creative offers. We don’t need 15 identical takes of a line; we need options. The most memorable characters are born when an actor can improvise and have fun. In an audition for Tales of Nai Nai, instead of reading the line “yuck” straight like everyone else had done, one actor yelled “eugh!” and booked the role.
Tales of Nai Nai is a fun and heartwarming series about two Kiwi twins and their exciting adventures throughout Asia, voiced by a talented cast of Kiwi-Asian actors like Xana Tang, Yoson An and Madeleine Sami. Support this local work by streaming the entire first season for free on Heihei.nz
Becky Kuek is a multi-genre writer, director and actor and in 2019 created and directed Tales of Nai Nai, NZ’s first Asian-lead animated TV series. Becky can be heard in animated shows like Quimbo’s Quest and Jandal Burn, and seen in TV shows such as Ao-Terror-Oa and Murder Is Forever.
