How do I sound Old-Timey?
January 2, 2010 6:32 PM   Subscribe

How can I sound like Old-Timey like Edward G. Robinson? In voice and language, most specifically.

I am starting to work on a series of videos where I need to sound like Edward G. Robinson, or any other gangster figures from the 30s or so. I've watched all the YouTube videos I can find.

I have been trying to emulate his (and other gangster voices) as much as I can, but I need to learn as much of the lingo from that era as possible. Anything old-timey is helpful.

My video is The Shining by Mickey Finn. As much as I tried to capture the old-timey feeling, I'd like help for my next video. Thanks Hive Mind.
posted by santaliqueur to Computers & Internet (9 answers total)
 
Practice by reading Damon Runyon aloud? As the wiki says, "Runyon wrote these stories in a distinctive vernacular style: a mixture of formal speech and colorful slang, almost always in present tense, and always devoid of contractions." It sounds like you already have some of that going on, such as using the present tense. It also seems to have a "newsreel"-style delivery, rather than something more conversational. I'm not an expert, but I'd also suggest shorter sentences - no conjunctions - and even more colourful or obscure slang.

Runyonese: http://www.moorsmagazine.com/onzinbak/slang.html

The folks over at the Fedora Lounge forums might have some suggestions for you, as well.
posted by peagood at 7:00 PM on January 2, 2010


Rent the movies in which he does this voice, note the dialogue (i.e. write it down), record your best impression of it, listen to his, listen to yours and compare. Note what works and what doesn't. Repeat until your recordings start to sound, if not in voice, at least in inflection, just like his.

peagood's suggestion might yield some more thorough, results, however. :)
posted by smallerdemon at 7:44 PM on January 2, 2010


I can't give any tips for the lingo or accent, but you may want to check out drezdn's songs over on MeFiMusic. The songs have an Old-Timey sound, which I think is partially due to the type of mic

Ocean Bottom
and
No More Room in Hell

I think using a similar mic to get that tinny old-timey sound could really add some authenticity.
posted by johnstein at 10:50 PM on January 2, 2010


A glossary of hardboiled slang might help a bit.

I assume you have been watching as many old gangster movies as you can get your hands on, for the slang, style, way of speaking? Besides Edward G. Robinson, you can look for movies with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, John Garfield, Paul Muni, and George Raft, for starters.
posted by gudrun at 12:32 AM on January 3, 2010 [1 favorite]


There was a great article in the New Yorker about a language coach to the stars. It had some good ideas about how to learn an accent. Basically, as I remember it, learn the accent phonetically.
posted by sully75 at 4:28 AM on January 3, 2010


Watching movies is probably the best advice, but I would add "Read period fiction." If you pay attention, you'll notice a lot of catchphrases, patterns of speech, verbal tics, etc. I'm thinking specifically of the Studs Lonigan trilogy (though IIRC only the final volume is set in your desired era) and pretty much anything by Sinclair Lewis, although his best works are set in the twenties.
posted by scratch at 9:17 AM on January 3, 2010


Edward G. Robinson talks pretty fast.
posted by kirkaracha at 9:29 AM on January 3, 2010


You probably know this, but you can (more or less) duplicate the effect of one of those period microphones by applying a filter. Almost as good and a far sight cheaper than buying a new mic . . .
posted by flug at 11:04 AM on January 4, 2010


It's funny that I was recently thinking about this again and was thinking how useful a modern computer would be for it. You could use Quicktime, loop the video, launch your webcam, and let the video loop while you tried to do your best impression and just keep refining it over and over again until what you were watching of yourself mirrored what you were watching in the video.
posted by smallerdemon at 6:47 AM on April 1, 2010


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