How Important is the Actress' Vocal Performance in Clips?

[heartbreaker]

I don't think this has been discussed much on any forum, but the appropriate vocal performance from an actress is essential to a clip, IMHO. I don't care for animal sounds or 'little girl' begging & whimpering, but she must express what she's feeling with the right sounds, at least for me. Often there is little to no voice performance as an actress is going down. I've assembled a montage of moments in one clip that demonstrates what I mean:

Vocal Montage
(Link to Vocal Montage video has been moved to the "Video and Image Share Forum". See topic entitled: "Clip for Poll: Fetish Actress' Vocals - See On-Topic Forum"!)

What do members think on this subject?

[nicknichols56]

Great question. It's all about realism for me (even though it's fantasy) and the good vocals really enhance the effect.

[DaleCar]

Very important. But it can ruin the video if the actress and actors can't pull it off. There is also the fact that everyone probably has there own preferences. Thats probably why more silence is the safe bet for most producers.

[Sandi]

Ok, HB, you've now confused a Blonde as to which Forum to use for Reply. , and the state of confusion is not a good place for an already addled Blonde's mind to reside.

But anyway.....

no surprise, I am totally with you, Heartbreaker, in that the Vocals are Essential to me! I equivocate a bit by saying that I agree also with DaleCar that if the vocals are NOT good, I opt for less dialogue, because 'bad vocals' kill a scene, so to speak, for me.

Even if it's a 'fun at home' type of video like the GunFunGirls ones, if the dialogue is 'too campy' I will turn off the sound and just watch.

And I am not at all into the whimpering or begging, either, not at ALL...but of course that is all personal preference that depends at least somewhat on the types of fantasy scenes each of us enjoy.

But 'oh, don't shoot my belly' or some such wimpiness, only turns me off. But begging in some form must turn many people on because it's prevalent in so many Producer videos.

I a bit more prefer 'rocked' and resistant, to begging and immediate 'yielding'. I want my surrender to come 'hard', not easily, for the most part, and that does not mean I do not enjoy quickie deaths, either.

ROCK that actress BACK with that first shot, to use one example....SHOCK HER....into momentarily FREEZING in place, ALL of her.....

that, I want to FEEL, HB, in the actress, I want to SEE it and HEAR IT....again, it's intercourse, it IS a 'surprise' when 'it' slips over the lips.....well, so should a bullet or blade cause that reaction in fantasy for me...lol.

And that's the 'key scene point' where it devolves into either begging....or a 'resistance' or 'immediate surrender'. The surrender IS what it's all about for me, so of 'bloody' course I love the surrender INTENSELY and want to know SHE feels it also when I'm watching..

and her vocals have very much to do with how that 'comes off'.

There is the vocal reaction to 'the first impact' in a shooting/stabbing scene, and then there are the vocals that show her increasing frenzy from that moment forward to her final breath.

And each 'stage' is different, in terms of those vocals, for me...again, simulating the 'stages' of the feelings and reactions and vocals in a sexual cycle.

Even one with Petra in your GREAT attached clip, where she is stabbed twice in her chest while on her back on a bed, is too much over the 'begging line' for me, between stabs that is, re her vocals.

BUT, her first vocals and her final 'surrender' vocals are enhancing for me, though the whimpering between thrusts is not what I'm after...lol.

There are ways to depict 'oh, god, no more!' reactions that sort of mirror the 'real intercourse' aspects of 'oooh, MORE! NO, STOP....ooooh, I mean MORE....no, please....I can't take any....OOOOOOOH, that felt good'....in other words we go through a bit of that during actual sexual activity, so I enjoy that 'mirror' in a fantasy scene but for me it's not conveyed erotically by begging, that's all. Nor whimpering.

Excellent selections by you for your clip (again, no surprise that I would relate to this thread because of the similarities we share VERY deeply about scenes) here, too, HB.

I think it's time for another round of 'private sharing' that we so hotly get into periodically!

The vocal can be 'anything'.....soft and sultry....whispered......clever.....designing.....manipulative.....tough, strong, resolute, determined, angry,, resistant......suggestive, sexy........

and then the reactions need to mirror 'sexual' reactions in my mind for the vocals to enhance the scene and, again, I'd rather she 'suffered in silence' and just showed her reactions physically if the 'screams' or moans are not 'convincing' or 'enjoyable'.

I actually don't know how to say what I'm trying to say.....just that YES for me, vocals are essential to the mood....or can destroy the mood completely.

That sounds sorta like actual sex, too, huh?

So for me, either of the first two Poll answers apply, though I voted for 'Essential'; the key for me is that there be no BAD dialogue or vocal reaction that 'kills the mood'....and again, that is obviously completely a matter of personal choice for each type of scene.

The strongly delivered 'you BASTARD!' works well after a gunshot....lol.....or in the right situation and whispered the 'right way', a soft 'you got me' works for me very often, showing that moment when her surrender is complete and she's on the downward side of the wave.

Charlotte's whispered 'How could you' is a classic example of minimal dialogue that is absolutely perfect, in "I, The Jury". But I want different reactions to different stimuli moods and scenes, so in another scene I want that 'shock' on Charlotte's face to be shown more 'dramatically', as with the body slammed BACK and those eyes WIDE with a grunt of reaction....but if I don't feel her being 'into it' vocally, it will definitely have a negative effect for me and often be such a mood-killer that I turn off the sound and invent my own dialogue for 'the moment' depicted on screen.

"Farewell, My Lovely" is another favorite classic of mine, and other than a her facial reactions, Charlotte Rampling says and emotes no vocals....but it is one HOT scene of emotions conveyed as she staggers and holds on and then slides down. VERY effective without vocals there.

Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker, however, HAS to be SCREAMING as she thrashes about and is ROCKED in that car seat. And she is, which is what really 'made' that scene, at least for me. She was in "ROCKED" mode and mood from the first impacts and obviously took the rest of them HARD...and her 'vocals' and body movements were key to that.

And then, to use just one more example (because there are as many examples as there are scenes...lol), if she's in a gunfight and is to take a required 3-4 or more to finish her off, I want her shocked when first shot, yes, but then I want to HEAR her strength through her vocals as she raises that gun again.....she REFUSES to go down, refuses surrender, and she WILL still TRIUMPH, she believes.....

all of that, including each succeeding bullet's impact and vocal reactions from her, make or break those scenes for me.

Face it, if a woman ain't into the sex, both parties know it....

And if she isn't into her 'sex' or 'death scene reations', I won't be viewing it a second time.

And though I do not play asphyx scenes much at all, over at Blue's Forum with all the old clips right HERE at FF is one of THE most intense VOCAL reactions I've ever seen that absoLUTELY, for me anyway, makes the scene...VERY violent thrashings....as she ASKS for MORE.....
as he strangles her during sex...she thinks it's a game and he accidentally goes too far. Now THAT aspect of the mood I do NOT like, because I am NOT into accidental nor innocent demises.

The movie is "Lady in Waiting", and she's a call girl, it seems, who also wants it 'hard' while he pretends to strangle her. She makes that quite obvious from her vocals, and I say all this because it is beCAUSE of her vocals and body reactions that the scene ended up VERY intense for me.....

frighteningly real, I might add, so much so that it disquieted me....yet I viewed it again later....

meaning the vocals did 'work', obviously, because they were so intense.....for me in that case, anyway. I simply suspended my disbelief and imagined the scene to be where she DOES enjoy the breath play during sex and that he knew that and led her there for the evil purpose of finishing her in a manner he enjoyed.

So I injected my own emotions because I am not turned on by it being accidental, and still could FEEL her vocal intensity.

Sandi

[heartbreaker]

Sandi Wrote:

Ok, HB, you've now confused a Blonde as to which Forum to use for Reply. , and the state of confusion is not a good place for an already addled Blonde's mind to reside.

I decided that the clip should be seen only by registered members, and Blue helped me out with that. I should have place the entire thing in the Video/Image board, but that's for next time.

Sandi wrote:

that, I want to FEEL, HB, in the actress, I want to SEE it and HEAR IT....again, it's intercourse, it IS a 'surprise' when 'it' slips over the lips.....well, so should a bullet or blade cause that reaction in fantasy for me...lol.

and her vocals have very much to do with how that 'comes off'.

And each 'stage' is different, in terms of those vocals, for me...again, simulating the 'stages' of the feelings and reactions and vocals in a sexual cycle.

I can't say how all this works for a woman, but you've put it well. As I've discussed here and on other boards, it's not about sex for me. It's about a beautiful, exciting woman performing an emotional, dramatic demise. It's not realistic at all, but highly dramatized. I want to see her act the way I like it. That's why I don't want to see guys in clips - for me, they don't belong there, and the subject can turn to porno.

Sandi Wrote:

I think it's time for another round of 'private sharing' that we so hotly get into periodically!

I think you may be correct!

Sandi Wrote:

The vocal can be 'anything'.....soft and sultry....whispered......clever.....designing.....manipulative.....tough, strong, resolute, determined, angry,, resistant......suggestive, sexy........

Yes, her vocals can be seductive, even though the performance is a dramatic demise. They go together well.

Sandi Wrote:

Faye Dunaway as Bonnie Parker, however, HAS to be SCREAMING as she thrashes about and is ROCKED in that car seat. And she is, which is what really 'made' that scene, at least for me. She was in "ROCKED" mode and mood from the first impacts and obviously took the rest of them HARD...and her 'vocals' and body movements were key to that.

And then, to use just one more example (because there are as many examples as there are scenes...lol), if she's in a gunfight and is to take a required 3-4 or more to finish her off, I want her shocked when first shot, yes, but then I want to HEAR her strength through her vocals as she raises that gun again.....she REFUSES to go down, refuses surrender, and she WILL still TRIUMPH, she believes.....

all of that, including each succeeding bullet's impact and vocal reactions from her, make or break those scenes for me.

Exactly. That's what I mean by proper and appropriate vocals and acting. Leave it to a veteran pro like Faye!

*************************

[Steph]

I think every element can enhance or distract from the whole. The location, dialogue, the clothing, the lighting all can help or hinder.

Because of the gasping similarity to le petit mort a good vocal performance can be highly erotic. At the basic level someone just standing there when they've been shot can be a bit offputting (as opposed to the sudden dawning of knowledge about what has just happened which really nworks for me.)

I think there is something to be said for a good loud scream, but that is hard to do well.

[Nightposter]

First, an off topic apology. I'm medicated again today for another big spike in my blood pressure. (I really should be in the hospital, but just can't afford it, so the Doc is doing as much as he can "at home") so while I may not be as eloquent (or long) as Sandi, I just hope I make sense....

Vocals can make or break a scene, make something that is a stinker otherwise into a very sought after clip, or chase people away from a good scene.

Examples:

I bought a belly shooting clip years ago solely because of the preview images. Great looking brunette in a white uniform looking shirt, black mini and boots. no skin showing, not even midrift. First shot and she moans repeatedly " You shot me in my belly button!" Fast forward a couple of minutes of her staggering around complaining about her belly button, she stumbles to the floor, on her back and the bad guy reappears and pops her in her left boob. You guessed it , now it's "you shot me in my tit". A couple of minutes of her grabbing her boob with one hand and smearing the fake blood across her belly with the other, all the while loudly moaning about my belly button and / or my poor tit, he returns and puts another shot into the other boob. yup, now she's complaining about that shot, groping both boobs to the point that she pops the buttons of the shirt open to show part of a nice bra.
Now visually, the clip was great...her voice was almost cartoon quality, add the crap dialogue, I put the clip away for a year until I got a program and devise that i could pull this off the VHS and edit it in my computer - I over dubbed music...much better.

I bought a strangulation scene. A real estate agent done in while showing an empty home. Nice blonde in a tight white shirt and brown suit. She had the patter about showing the home down perfectly, very natural ( in fact the guy was the poor actor here, until the killing started) He grabs her and chokes her out, the noises she made were just great and made up for the hand held camera work. Now she gets tied to a radiator and the guy just has to have sex with her mouth. Again the sounds that come from her make the scene. Next she's thrown on the floor , her jacket is ripped open, skirt yanked up and panties ripped off. She pleads the whole time ( the only "off moment" for me is that just before he "enters" her she states that she has two kids ) He stuffs her panties in her mouth, and again the noises make the scene. he rips open blouse and bra and then pulls the panties out of her mouth, closes both hands around her throat and the final scene begins. about three minutes of squeaking moaning gasping and coughing. One last moan, he holds tight at her neck as she stares and relaxes....he lets go and there is a final exhale sound....

Both of these producers left the business (closed their web sites) when 2257 came in, and i have never seen the blonde working for anyone....

I had a straight porn scene from the 70's where one of my favorite bondage icons Jennifer West did a straight bed scene. It was the only time I ever heard her and she made up for the scene (which was shot from a tripod pointing at the bed) with the sounds of her enjoying the scene.

one of my other favorite bondage icons from back then, Rene Baker was the exact opposite.
like nails on a blackboard and a southern accent that sounded like someone from Deliverance, I preferred her silent.

[heartbreaker]

Thanks Nightposter. Now you have me trying to find Jennifer West and Rene Baker. I'm not getting any hits and would like to see them.

As far as the bad shooting clip you describe, I know exactly what you mean and for that and other reasons, my NicheClips account was cancelled some time ago. I got tired of wasting money on the ripoffs, disappointments, and just plain crap. It's rare now when I gamble on a clip from other sites.

[Sandi]

Nightposter,

Your 'tit' dialogue reminded me of one place where that did 'work' for me....Megan Fox in one of her 3 death scenes in "Jennifer's Body".....LOL.....when she's fighting with her former BFF and she gets stabbed in the breast, with her friend's face right above her, Megan whispers "my tit" as her face sort of screws up in her pain, in a way that worked for me that time...lol. Silly memory, but it's where my mind went from that poor excuse for dialogue you presented...lol.

I'm hearing what is probably a near unanimous vote for 'sometimes it is best for the erotic mood to turn off the sound or dub in one's own sounds'.....

Sandi

[Nightposter]

Renee Baker:

bb10528.jpg (69.19 KiB) Viewed 13720 times

The attachment bb10528.jpg is no longer available

Jennifer West:
(pic is from Harmony's archives- they don't even clean the slides)

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Last good shot I've seen of her - 1984 in Chicago

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[eyes110]

Important (tried submitting my vote but received a message several times saying it was invalid). Reason, not that i am being lazy but Sandi pretty much covered my reasons. Also, i reviewed the video montage and i agree with the various 'noises'. i think that in addition to just the actresses speech, it is certainly those special noises they make that enhances the vid (for me anyway). another example, if u have or ever get the chance to see Samantha in 'Samantha Electrocuted' from Chris B, i luv the noises that she makes while being electrocuted. really 'enhances' the effect.

[jubbaduffa]

for me it's important,since I have a belly button fetish,I like for them to say "Belly Button" somewhere in the video,most videos don't though

[heartbreaker]

Renee Baker

Jennifer West:
Last good shot I've seen of her - 1984 in Chicago

Thanks Nightposter. I'll see what I can find.