Ventriloquists perform in theaters for adults and childrens alike.
Ventriloquism is a stage art, where a performer attempts to instill life into a puppet by speaking for it and moving its body parts. Ventriloquists are often thought to "throw their voice" so that the sound seems to come from the puppet rather than the mouth of the ventriloquist. The belief that a voice has been thrown to the lips of a puppet is purely perceptual, however, and based on how convincing the performance is. However, some training exercises can improve your skills as a ventriloquist.
Voice Style
A successful ventriloquist should choose a voice that's distinct from his own voice. You can opt for a high-pitched voice such as Betty Boop or for a deep, booming voice such as King Triton from "The Little Mermaid." You could also go for a grumpy, gravely voice or a soft, sweet tone like a Disney princess. The more different it is from your own voice the better.
Movement
The art of moving a ventriloquist puppet is often referred to as manipulation and is one of the most difficult aspects of ventriloquism to perfect. Your puppet should have natural, lifelike movements rather than just the odd jitter in a limb. Practice moving your puppet in front of a mirror or record your performance on a digital video camera. Move the puppet's head so it sometimes looks away from you and move its body, arms and mouth when you are talking. This will add to the sense of the puppet having a life of its own.
Character
Your puppet needs clearly defined personality traits as well as independent physical movements. It doesn't particularly matter what these characteristics are, whether it be a penchant for football, movies, classical music or ice hockey. Decide on characteristics and ensure your performance is consistent in displaying the traits of your puppet.
Moving Lips
The most crucial part of a ventriloquist performance is to keep lip movement to a minimum. Ventriloquists use several techniques to achieve this, including reciting letters of the alphabet that require your lips to come together (such as B, M, F and P). Ventriloquists substitute different letters to mimic the sound of the letters that make your lips come together. For instance, they will substitute the word "boy" with "doy" or the word "fun" with "thun." This allows them to concentrate on refining their pronunciations without using words that necessitate lip movement. The more you practice, the more skilled you will become at making these sounds resemble words that require lip movement.
