Drama Kids - The Power of Voice

The Power of the Voice

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Drama Kids - The Power of Voice

 

Radio, podcasts, audiobooks. You might not think of these things as acting but they are!

Any voice you hear where you cannot see the person speaking is a voice-over. According to Studiobinder.com, “Voice over is a production technique where a voice is recorded for off-screen use.”

The most recognizable form of a voice-over is radio. Radio dramas were incredibly popular as a form of entertainment. Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on the radio. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music, and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story.

Then voice-over started to slowly make its way to movies with narration over the physical action of the characters. And soon, voice-over made its way into animation. Disney’s animated short, Steamboat Willie, was among the first to use voice over in animation.

Today, we use voice-over in movie trailers, podcasts, e-learning, video games, instructions in theme parks, audiobooks, and so much more.

 

So How is Voice Over a Form of Acting?

According to Sovas.org, The art of voice acting in voice over starts with a script. The voice actor’s job is to faithfully interpret the script and render a vocal performance, usually under the visionary guidance of a director. If the voice-over performance is not genuine, authentic, and organic (all skills that are used in acting), then the voice-over sounds like a sales pitch and people do not like having things sold to them. It can be very easy to sound like you are reading a script when the audience cannot physically see you.

If we use video games or audiobooks as an example, listeners want to be fully immersed in the story and relate to the characters just as if they are watching a movie. If the voice artist is not using acting skills to create emotions, relationships, and authenticity, then the immersion is broken.

While you do not need acting training to start a career or even a hobby in voice-over, the skills you can be taught, especially how to project, articulate, and emphasize, can ensure that you are taking care of your vocal health and giving a unique and genuine performance.

 

Drama Kids classes offer children and teens the opportunity to build and explore the power of voice. To get more information on classes near you, please contact us!

Speaking Out Against Cyberbullying

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October is National Bullying Prevention Month and along with individuals around the nation, Drama Kids unite to present a powerful message that bullying should never be a part of childhood.

According to a study done by Comparitech, almost 60 percent of parents with children aged 14 to 18 reported them being bullied with nearly 83 percent of parents saying the bullying happened at school, and 32 percent saying it happened on the bus.

However, due to the pandemic, children increasingly find themselves on the internet taking classes, participating in after school activities, and engaging in social interactions. This increased online time can lead to an increase in cyberbullying.

What is Cyberbullying?

Cyber Bullying itself is a very broad term but includes any form of repeated abuse to a person directed through technology from another person.

According to “Cyberbullying: What Is Cyberbullying and How to Stop It”, an article on CallerSmart.com, The difference between traditional bullying, which takes place in person, and cyberbullying, is that the latter must involve the use of technology. Additionally, to be defined as cyberbullying, the interaction between two or more people must contain the following elements:

  • The action must be willful. The behavior has to be intentional, not accidental.
  • The incident must have occurred more than once. Bullying reflects a repeated pattern of behavior.
  • The victim must perceive that harm was inflicted.

Where can Cyberbullying Happen?

Social media sites are where cyberbullying is the most prevalent. Websites like Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter, though some sites pose a higher risk than others. Comparitech shows that parents perceive Facebook to have the highest risk of  cyberbullying incidents but in reality, studies have shown that Instagram is where a higher number of cyberbullying incidents take place. This is due to the increased number of teen users on instagram while parental presence is greater on Facebook.

According to Comparitech, Children aged 6 to 10 spent an average of 50 minutes a day on social media, while those aged 19 and older spent an average of 72.7 minutes online. Over a year, kids aged 6 to 10 spend an average of over 18,000 minutes on social media.

These numbers might seem alarming and cast a bad light on social media but social media is not inherently bad. It connects children and teens to their friends and enables socialization. Simply limiting the amount of time kids spend on it each day can broaden their horizons to other activities and decrease their risk of being bullied.

 

What can Parents Do?

There are many resources available to assist parents in identifying, addressing, and stopping cyberbullying.

Make sure your child knows the signs of cyberbullying.

Teaching your children appropriate ways to respond to bullying is extremely important.

You can help them improve their social skills and learn the importance of their words. When children can stick up for themselves verbally and be assertive, it can drastically improve the situation. These commanding words and sentences include things like:

“I want a turn now.”

“I don’t like this.”

“No.”

“Stop.”

“Cut it out.”

Stay aware of any changes in your child’s behaviour. Children usually do not share with their parents when they are being bullied but their attitude and behavior might change.

Suggest enrollment in safe activities or hobbies that keep children and teens away from social media.

Encourage “offline time” away from devices connected to the internet. Use this time to spend together eating family dinner or engaging in a new hobby.

Communicate the importance of a “digital reputation”. Share with them that anything put online, stays online and to only post things you want others to see.

Other ways to help your child can be modeling positivity, instilling a healthy self-esteem, emphasizing friendship skills, and teaching them positive self-talk and how to learn from mistakes. You can also role-play various bullying scenarios so your child will be ready and prepared to handle them if it were to happen.

 

Drama Kids International is proud to offer ACT UP! to Stop Bullying, a series of anti-bullying workshops that is designed with 3rd through 5th grade students in mind. If you are interested in learning more about this drama program and how it can be brought to your school, please don’t hesitate to contact us!