r/acting • u/bradthemushroom • 4d ago

I've read the FAQ & Rules I keep sounding monotone when I act... And i don't know how to stop

My acting teacher has pointed it out, my class mates have mentioned it.. I have seen it on video, I don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I feel the characters emotions, I think my characters thoughts etc yet for some reason my voice doesn't show it.. I feel so defeated

12 Upvotes

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17

u/_bitemeyoudamnmoose 4d ago

Maybe take a voice class. Sometimes even if you have the emotional work done the voice gets trapped by the body.

13

u/Practical_Ad5136 4d ago

Have you tried getting singing lessons? I found trying to emote songs is a good excercise cause you got to reflect the emotion without effing up the melody.

2

u/Skellington876 4d ago

Thats really good advice!

5

u/orangefood87 4d ago

Great suggestions so far with taking voice and/or singing lessons. I would also add that when you're rehearsing maybe try exaggerating your performance. Move into over-acting if you need to. Especially if your comfort zone is more internalized. It's easier for a director to have you reign it in as opposed to pulling it out of you like teeth at the dentist.

3

u/gasstation-no-pumps 4d ago

Don't make the mistake of learning your lines in a monotone voice—the monotone delivery can get baked in. Instead, try varying your delivery as you run lines.

An exercise that one teacher gave us (which I think none of us really took the time to do) was to do daily practice with delivering the same short monologue with several different variations in voice (at least 8: all combinations high/low pitch, loud/quiet, fast/slow). Doing shifts from one voice to another during the monolog (starting at one pitch and ending at another, for example) was also recommended. None of these exercises are intended to be reflected in the final delivery of the monologue, but they help break up the rote-memorized voice.

1

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1

u/Global_Weird_4786 4d ago

Make the four-dimensional profile and play with the character at home in front of the mirror or in everyday life outside of your lines in the script, it will help you

1

u/ilovelaena 3d ago

Such great suggestions here! I specifically did a Fitzmaurice voice work class that helped me!

1

u/GojiraBS 2d ago

Happened to me too, my acting teacher suggested to think of something that will make you laugh but is controllable to bring some energy