Subtext is Everything: Your Secret Weapon for Voiceover Authenticity

Anne Ganguzza
3 days ago
3 min read

with Lau Lapides

BOSSes, Anne Ganguzza and her superpower co-host, Lau Lapides, assert that subtext in voice acting is the single most important element for delivering a powerful, unique, and castable performance. The bosses challenge the common mistake of literal reading, offering practical strategies—from audience analysis to efficient marking—that elevate a performance from predictable to profound.

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Chapter Summaries

Subtext Defines Uniqueness

(01:00) Lau states that subtext—the underlying interpretation of a line—is what makes a talent unique. The hosts explain that relying solely on obvious language or descriptive adjectives leads to predictable, robot-like reads. The true power lies in making nuanced choices about what the words really mean to the listener.

Audience and Empathy are Everything

(02:44) Subtext is entirely dependent on who you are talking to. Anne uses the example of corporate narration: the subtext for an investor (focused on financial facts) is different from the subtext for a consumer (focused on customer service and product benefits). The acting choice must be rooted in empathy and understanding what the listener cares about.

The Structural Journey of the Script

(14:30) Every script has a structural journey: introduction, series of steps, and conclusion. The subtext should align with this journey. The hosts emphasize that if you are running out of breath , it is the dead giveaway that you did not prepare the story, as natural conversation doesn't require breath struggle.

Techniques for Finding the Subtext

(22:34) To efficiently analyze copy, the hosts recommend:

Improv and Translate: Improvise the script in your own words to capture the genuine emotional wash and then plug the original words back in.
Marking: Use clear broadcast-style marking to denote phrasing and intent, but also pay attention to the ellipses and punctuation for clues about the emotional context.
Use AI as a Tool: Paste ambiguous scripts into an AI tool (like a chatbot) and ask, "What is the purpose of this script? Who cares about this information?" to provide a jumping-off point for human interpretation.

Avoiding the Literal Trap

(23:37) The hosts caution against taking common acting advice too literally. For example, constant smiling throughout a read, or persistent upspeak at the end of every sentence, sounds unnatural and is perceived as not genuine. Your performance must always reflect how you would behave and sound in a real-world conversation.

The Brilliance of a Point of View

(25:16) Subtext gives you a clear point of view. The hosts provide a simple example: saying "Are you wearing those pants?" can be interpreted in dramatically different ways (anger, excitement, disgust) depending on the subtext. This intentional interpretation is what makes your audition unique and elevates it above the predictable melody.

Top 10 Takeaways for Voice Actors:

Subtext is Everything: The emotional core and underlying meaning of your script is what makes your performance unique and castable.
Analyze Your Audience: Base your subtext on who the listener is (consumer, investor, business-to-business) and what they care about most.
Translate into Your Own Words: Use the "improv and translate" technique to efficiently find the genuine emotional wash before recording.
Embrace Emotional Ambiguity: Simple sentences can hold complex, contrasting subtext. That complexity is your unique acting choice.
Use AI to Find Backstory: Use AI as an analysis tool to find information about the brand and the script's purpose, but always apply your human interpretation.
Pacing is Preparation: If you struggle for breath, you have not prepared the story correctly. Good actors always know how to naturally navigate long sentences.
Mark for Meaning: Pay close attention to punctuation and structure (ellipses, introductions, conclusions) as cues for shifts in subtext.
Avoid the Literal Trap: Do not read adjectives literally (e.g., constant smiling). Your emotional choice must align with authenticity, not simple description.
The Share is the Subtext: Your goal is to share the story with the listener, not talk at them or talk in your head.
Point of View Stands Out: An audition with a clear, intentional point of view, even if surprising, will always get shortlisted over a generic, predictable read.

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