Learning Accents: Four Helpful Hints

If you want to open more doors for yourself as a voiceover actor or actress, then you might want to consider learning how to mimic accents from around the country and the world.  For many projects, casting directors desire a particular accent or dialect.  If you can’t make it sound convincing, then you are immediately ruled out.  So, it is most definitely worth learning to master this skill.  So, here are four helpful hints to get you started:

#1. Take Advantage of Training Videos There are many training videos available.  Some cost money and some can be found on Youtube for no cost.  It is recommended that you opt for the videos versus the audio training options.  It is often easier to mimic accents when you can see the movements of the lips and facial muscles.  By copying both the movements and the sound, you can often master the accent faster. You can get good practice while auditioning for jobs that require accents.

#2. Watch, Listen, Practice, Repeat Load up on as many films and videos as you can find that feature the accent that you are attempting to learn, and just keep watching and listening.  Between films, take time to practice reading aloud in the accent.  Record those practice sessions and listen to them, so you can pick out weak spots to work on later.  The more you watch, listen, and practice, the more natural it will feel.

#3. Know the Character It is always important to understand the role that you are trying to fill with your voiceover readings.  It can help you develop a consistent voice.  This is even more essential when trying out a new accent. 

#4. Practice with a Pro By this, I don’t mean that you should look for another voiceover professional with experience mimicking accents.  I mean that you should find someone who genuinely knows the accent (because he or she lives with it and speaks with it daily).  The beauty of the internet and social media is that it can be quite easy to meet people from other corners of the world.  Reach out and attempt to find a practice partner who will critique your attempt at the accent in a way that only a native speaker could.