In the age of television, radio, and the internet, we hear voices all the time, pretty much everywhere we go. From advertisements to customer service prompts to video narrations, voiceovers have become so commonplace that we don’t give them much thought.
That is, until we see someone actually doing those voices we’re so accustomed to hearing.
Professional voice actor Tawny Platis shared a video to her Tiktok demonstrating 10 voices most of us will instantly recognize, and it’s as uncanny as it is impressive. She seamlessly transitions from a text-to-speech voice to a “detached casual conversation” voice to a bright “We’ve got denim for the whole family!” department store voice and more.
As she shares these voices, you’ll swear you’ve heard her doing them before, either on a call with your bank, in your workplace’s onboard training, or while reaching for a tissue during a holiday commercial. It’s downright freaky. Watch:
@tawnyplatis 10 common reads you’ll hear in voiceover! #voiceactor #funny
People in the comments had the most relatable responses to Platis’ voiceover demonstration.
“This is incredible. I’m ready to buy something. I’m not sure what.”
“I feel like you’ve been there for all the important moments of my life. Thank you.”
“Bright was so triggering as a retail worker.”
“Can’t tell if i’ve heard your voice before or if you’re just that good.”
Being in the virtual presence of such greatness made some folks rethink their own voice acting ambitions.
“Me at the beginning of the video: I could be a professional voice actor!…… me at the end of the video:… there’s a reason SHE is a professional voice actor. Well done. 👏”
“Me sometimes ‘I bet I could voice act’ me after this video ‘nope. I can’t do that.'”
“Welp I can cross this off my list of potential professions. That was amazing.”
Mostly, people were rightfully impressed with her range and talent. To have that much control over how your voice sounds with such consistency is remarkable.
But this video also offers interesting insights into the psychology of how this kind of acting impacts modern-day life. Each of these voices evokes a specific response in us, from comfort to excitement to trust to awe. It’s a bit unsettling to clearly see how easily we can be influenced by someone’s voice and how well-honed those cues and responses have become.
Voiceover professional Simon Lewington explained this phenomenon in an article on LinkedIn: “Just as colors evoke emotions in visual art, the tone of voice creates an emotional palette in auditory storytelling. The psychological impact of tone is profound. A warm and inviting tone can make viewers feel welcome, while a serious tone lends an air of authority. Choosing the right tone consciously allows voice-over artists to evoke intended emotions in the audience.”
Lewington writes that voiceover artists are “emotional architects” who “use the psychology of voice to subtly shape how viewers perceive and engage with content.” It’s an art that can be used to enhance our enjoyment of an experience, but also one that can be used to convince us to buy or believe something. Voiceover work is powerful, and when it’s done well, it’s almost spooky how much it can affect us.
If you want to see more from Tawny Platis, you can follow her on TikTok or find her courses and tutorials for voice acting here.
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/voice-actor-seamlessly-demonstrates-10-different-voices-we-all-recognize-and-holy-moly