Puppet voices

[CaptCrouton]

I find that alot of my puppet voices tend to be imitations of Muppets. It's frustrating to know that I have an Ernie voice, a Grover/Yoda Voice, a Walorf voice, Sweetums Voice. The characters themselves are completely different. But whenever I do my Schmutz character, people say, "You do a great Grover."

I want to create my own voices, but I keep tending to gravitate. Anybody deal with the same thing?

 

[fluffmuppet]

Yes...sometimes I can't stop myself from sounding like Kermit, but since I'm a girl, it's the only thing, and my *Swedish Chef* voice that I can do for male puppets...bleeh.

Oh well, I'll figure out my own voices someday..hehe

 

[Traveling Matt]

Yeah, I have the same problem.

What you can do to expand your vocal repetoire is to use what you watch on TV (other than Muppets LOL), hear on the radio, or hear when people talk in real life. Especially cartoon voices on TV, or humans with unusual-sounding voices that you might meet.

Imagine how you think your puppets might sound based on their looks, and then "create" a voice based on the other voices you've heard. Sometimes combining two voices into one can be fun

Whenever I encounter someone with an unusual voice, I imagine a puppet or drawing of that person that fits their particualr description, and then I match that voice to them.

That should help (some)

- Billy

 

[Ryan]

My Candy is a close resemblance to Miss Piggy. Just voice, not personality.

 

[CaptCrouton]

Those are some great ideas Matt. I think I'm going to start studying and imitating cartoon voices. Hey, I got the Monsters DVD. Sounds like a place to start. Even if I can't do the voices properly, it probably would become an original character voice for me.

I think maybe because my biggest influence in puppetry is the Muppets, (how couldn't it be?) my mind pulls from them the most.

 

[Drtooth]

If you want to know, I can do a mean Swedish Chef and Link Hogthrob voice. Capt. Vegtable too, since Jim used a similar voice as Link.

But here is a list of other voices I can do well,

Bullwinkle Moose

Baby Kermit

Fearless Leader

Boris Badenov (kind of a stretch, I got his accent and speaking mannerisms down Pat!)

Spongebob 9though a tad lower)

Patrick Star

Daffy Duck

Sylvester (this and the last one sound more like Joe Alasky's interpretation, he's the guy that voices him now)

Taz (like Jim Cummings)

Foghorn Leghorn

Cuckooman

Strongman

Cookie Monster (not extreemly well, I can squeak by)

Grover

and Professor Hastings

 

[CaptCrouton]

In a way, it's kind of good that your voices aren't perfect so they sound like your own.

After starting this thread, I began really studying some of the voices on TV. You know what cartoon has a great library of voices? Darkwing Duck!

I'd forgotten what an all out great show, Darkwing and Ducktales were, until I sat and watched them with voices in mind.

 

[Drtooth]

Originally posted by CaptCrouton

After starting this thread, I began really studying some of the voices on TV. You know what cartoon has a great library of voices? Darkwing Duck!

Yes! If there is one thing to say about those old 80's an' 90's DISNEY cartoon shows, they had excellent voice casts.

THere's Jim Cummings, who..well, it's pretty hard to find a cartoon he does NOT do a voice over on.

Dan Caslenetta (sp) who is best known as Homer Simpson, Groundskeeper Willie, Krusty the Klown, and assorted others from th Simpsons (on Darkwing he voices Megavolt)

Then there's Russi Taylor who can do quite a bunch of children's voices. She played Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Weby on Ducktales, and Baby Gonzo, and a bunch on The Simpsons.

And also, June Foray, who is my favorite VO actress. She did old Looney Tunes cartoons, Bullwinkle, George of the Jungle, Gummi Bears, Smurfs, Ducktales, and Garfield.

 

[puppet builder]

Finding the hidden voice...

This is why puppet actors are more often than not equally talented as puppet builders. Puppet personality and voice comes from the creative process. Sketch, build and perform!

Find a someone willing with complimentary sense of humor and the rest will fall into place. The more people you involve, the better the end result.

Think about what you want to puppets do, why they do it, and well... (to borrow the phrase) just do it!

Good Luck!

 

[Drtooth]

Re: Finding the hidden voice...

Originally posted by puppet builder
This is why puppet actors are more often than not equally talented as puppet builders. Puppet personality and voice comes from the creative process. Sketch, build and perform!

Well, performers usually bulid the characters in the sense that they create the personality. Look at what Dave Golez did with Gonzo!