• Skip to main content

Kalmenson & Kalmenson

The business of voice casting. The study of voice acting.

  • Home
  • Casting
    • Voice Over Casting
    • Clients
    • Celebrity VO Casting
      • Celebrity Casting Credits
    • Casting Projects
      • Commercial Casting Projects
      • Animation Casting Projects
      • Industrial Casting Projects
      • Theatrical Casting Projects
    • Testimonials
      • Voice Actor Testimonials
      • Client Testimonials
    • Casting News
  • Classes
    • Classes
    • Class Schedule
    • Class List
      • FOUNDATIONS: FOR NON-ACTORS
      • FOUNDATIONS: FOR ACTORS
      • LEVEL 2
      • ANIMATION 1
      • ANIMATION 2
      • Demo Prep
      • Working Pro 1
      • Working Pro 2
      • Voice Over Mastery with Harvey Kalmenson
      • Refinements & Workout
      • Comedy for the Serious Actor with Stephen Tobolowsky
      • Improv: Level 1
      • Improv: Level 2
      • Improv: with Jill Remez
    • Student Testimonials
    • Student/ Alum News
    • Instructor News
  • About
    • About
    • About Harvey Kalmenson
    • About Cathy Kalmenson
    • Our Staff
      • Kathy Grable
      • Jill Remez
      • Andrew Racho
      • Stephen Tobolowsky
      • Ted Sroka
      • Andia Winslow
      • Kiff VandenHuevel
      • Adriana Colón
      • Leslie Wadsworth
      • Anna Graves
      • Amanda Parsons
      • Amy Selma
      • Mark Ballou
    • Clients
    • FAQ
    • Privacy Policy
  • da harv’s Blog
  • Contact

The Adlib

December 5, 2021 by Harvey Kalmenson Leave a Comment

Chapter 9
The Adlib
     In the world of voiceover, adlib is considered to be anything that wasn’t previously prepared and not included in the original script; many refer to it, incorrectly, as an improvisation. Improvisation is when the words, notes, or meter, are not scripted at all, whether they be words, music, or both.
IMPORTANT NOTES
     Make no mistake…the very best ad-libbers and improvisation actors in all of our voiceover world are good readers. In any given language, the correct pronunciation is an absolute must. What your voice sounds like is usually not the determining factor in selecting which actor gets the job, unless a particular timber is specified on the casting call, whether it be words, song, age, or dialect. In other words, practice your scales. Be a comfortable reader before you think you’re proficient enough to venture forth as a professional ad-libber.
     There are so many actors that are nothing more than laughable because they think all that is required in order to adlib is to say something that hasn’t been scripted. The more experience an actor has, the better they will become at the art of improvisation as well. It all boils down to the same thing: If you don’t practice your craft, you’re just kidding yourself. Practice won’t ever make you perfect. What it will help you to become is a working actor. Blemishes are in. They make you human. Human and real is what sells products.
     So here’s the bottom line: Improvisation is great, but it absolutely must be part and parcel of your honest to God, drop-dead signature. If you’re to be a clown… ask yourself what kind of a clown am I? Adlibs can be upscale, or blue-collar. They can be sarcastically off the cuff. The key, again, is your personal signature.
– HK –
No names necessary.
Disclaimer: Many, by the nature of what da harv has spent the better part of his life participating in as his life’s profession, have indiscriminately made note of a most glaring fact, he, da harv, happens to be a world-class name-dropper. To all those out there who have portrayed me as such, I take this opportunity to drink a hefty toast to your envy.

Filed Under: VO

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2023 Kalmenson & Kalmenson. All rights reserved.
Log in