I had one of my favourite voice over directed sessions recently.
Why?
Because of the language used.
Most actors who have done any form of improvisation will be familiar with the 'Yes, and...' approach.
In short, this means that an improviser should always accept what another improviser has stated and then 𝘽𝙐𝙄𝙇𝘿 on it.
What they shouldn't do is 'block' it by rejecting or undermining the suggestion.
Why is this approach creatively effective?
✅ Because it means people feel heard.
✅ Their suggestions are being explored.
✅ They're contributing.
So, in the session, this director never said 'not like that'.
Instead, they always took what I gave them and then built upon it.
Rather than creating a binary of right or wrong choices, the recording became a G͟A͟M͟E͟ (very meta) of exploration.
Searching for different flavours.
This does NOT mean I didn't make wrong choices.
This does NOT mean I wasn't corrected.
And it certainly doesn't mean that I'm a sensitive soul who needs to be spoken to in a particular way to get results.
But when we're talking about the difference between good and GREAT (which is what I'm aiming for), using language that opens people up will always lead to a win.
Has the WAY someone spoke to you helped you do your job better?
By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor