Today is day 7 of my character archetype voice challenge — where, for 21 days, I’m creating a new character voice every day and showing the actual process I use as a voice coach.
The archetype for today is the Gatekeeper / Threshold Guardian — the character who blocks the hero, tests them, or decides whether they’re allowed through.
I focus on a stereotypical “policeman” voice as a launching point — not because stereotypes are the final answer, but because they’re fast, recognisable, and surprisingly useful when you’re building voices under pressure (like self tapes).
In this video, I play with:
* Why stereotypes can be a useful starting point for character voices
* How borrowing voices from audiobooks and fiction can spark ideas
* Using a single “voice seed” and letting it evolve naturally
* What happens when a voice starts drifting somewhere unexpected
This is very much process over polish — rough takes, experiments, and letting the voice find its own shape.
If you’re interested in learning more about your own voice — for acting, character work, or performance — you can add yourself to the Voice Lab Online waitlist here:
👉 https://sendfox.com/alexowenhill
00:00 Day 7 of the character voice challenge
00:24 The Gatekeeper archetype
01:36 Why stereotypes are useful
03:11 Using a “voice seed” as a starting point
04:13 First rough takes and exploration
06:49 Reviewing the voice & letting it drift
07:52 Final thoughts on stereotypes as tools
I’m doing this alongside the Puro Archetypes Self Tape Challenge, so the focus is on speed, play, and getting something interesting out the door, not perfection.
https://www.purocasting.com/the-acting-habit/the-21-day-self-tape-challenge
#voiceacting #charactervoice #actingprocess #voicecoach #voicework
#characterarchetypes #selftape #performancetraining #vocalplay
