Pitch, almost every time. Almost is my new favorite word in voiceovers. There is always the exception to the rule. Let’s get back to why pitch wins first and then we can discuss the juicy once-in-a-while rule breaking of volume being put first.
So many times in voice over auditions, especially comedy scripts, I remember directing my students to “make it funnier: let me hear the wink more, give me some more awkward pauses, say this line out of the side of your mouth like you’re embarrassed or it’s sort of a secret, etc…..” or at other times I might request “make it stronger: emphasize this word more, give me drama at the end of this sentence, isolate each word in this sentence for impact, etc….”. The very best actors did exactly these things and went on to book that voiceover job with ease. Those that didn’t do that – SHOUTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Shouting is not funny, shouting is not strong, shouting is just…..yes you got it – LOOOOOUUUUUUD!!!!
Pitch refers to the inflection detected in your words. Pitch is going up on a word, going down on a word. Go up on the word, you might sound friendlier or more excited, go down in your inflection and you might convey a sense of confidence, a sense that this is the in-arguable truth and you barely have to try to convince us because you are so convinced yourself that of course we would be too. Pitch can convey emotions. It can convey intentions. It is right up there with the hammer and the screwdriver in the toolbox of voiceover success.
So, yes, pitch will win every time because it conveys so much feeling behind the point that you are making without blowing out the ears of your listener. Now as for those exceptions: volume may come in handy when you feel it is relevant. It could be an intuitive thing or it could be common sense. Perhaps this is a moment of extreme excitement: you just won something, you are having an “I’ve lost it!” moment, etc…. Ok, step back from the mic a foot or so and let her rip. Maybe the writer, producer, casting director specifically requested you scream. Alright, have fun. But 9 times out of 10, you will want to rely on your pitch, and perhaps your speed to convey these things. Practice. Find those scripts that seem to ask for a ‘big’ reaction, maybe even those that are obviously the exception-to-the-rule scripts that call for you to shout a sentence. Find a way to emote that “quiet intensity” that lets us know this could easily turn into a scream, but isn’t going to. Give us something more sophisticated instead, pleasantly surprise the casting director, and book that voiceover job while saving your vocal chords.