Accent help

[DuCoeur]

I am having trouble with my french accent...It is coming across as a bit Cajun. or Inspector Clouseau (From the original pinck panther movies).

I have tried listening to Depardeau...buit he is too over the Top.  Jean Reno, and Olivier Martinez is closer to what I am going for...

Try some of Catherine Deneuve's films.

Would the Hunger count???  I will look into that.  I have also been watching the Crow:city of angels over and over listening to Vincent Perez....

[Dev]

Great suggestions by everyone, I really have nothing to add as far as source material.  I will say, though, that I am in full favor of using films and audio books as reference and source for various accents.  It truly helps to be able to actually hear an accent rather than just reading how one is done.

A tip I will pass along is something our Dialect Coach at MiRF says and that is to have a keyword or keyphrase that helps you trigger your accent.  This is a word or words that you say outloud in your chosen accent that mentally switches you over to start speaking in that accent.  It can be something as simple as your character's name or repeating a limerick.  With practice, some people can instantly get into their accent without any verbal queues simply by thinking in their accent (like the classic line from the Clint Eastwood film Firefox, "You must think in Russian!").

I'm also a believer of person's cultural history having a bearing on what accent(s) they can do well.  I've found people with English backgrounds can pick up an English or Irish accent fairly easy, perhaps even Scottish or Welsh, too.  People with Italian backgrounds are naturals with that accent and pretty good with Spanish, and those with a Slavic history are good at German, Russian, Romanian, and other such accents.  French accents can be very difficult for anyone but having some French blood doesn't hurt there as well.  Of course, these are all just my opinion as some people have "the gift" and can learn any accent (oooo, I envy them!).

I asked my manager since he was into theatre through college.  He said something about the phrase that enters into the accent.

He said when I start losing my accent say, "Een Sveeden, vee do eet like dees..."  It helps kind of, but I'm a bit shy about looking dumb like the person who speaks in a British accent, and other people upon their leaving snicker back and forth, "He said he's from London...he kind of sounds like he's from Liverpool, but sounds Australian, because he called me 'mate'  He's doing it wrong!"

[brier patch charlie]

I just wanted to thank all you who had some in put on this page, because you have all answered a question that I have had for a long time, were can I find tape or cd's to help with ascents. Now I have and I just ordered one. So to all Thank You.

[BLAKDUKE]

I am having trouble with my french accent...It is coming across as a bit Cajun. or Inspector Clouseau (From the original pinck panther movies).

I have tried listening to Depardeau...buit he is too over the Top.  Jean Reno, and Olivier Martinez is closer to what I am going for...

Try some of Catherine Deneuve's films.

There are a couple of other movies that you could try, but neither are rennie films they are westerns

The first is Vera Cruz and has in it that gorgeous hunk of french fluff Denise Darcell

The second is a jimmy stewart western called(I think) The Far Country with Corrine Calvert

Denise Darcell also starred in a movie called Flame of India if you can find it.   

[Katie Bookwench]

Another thing that might seriously sell your accent is using words in that language, and picking up a few basic phrases to use while on the street. Sometimes speaking in the language and learning the proper pronunciation of words gives you a clue as to what sounds would carry over when the native speaker attempted English.

For instance the short vowel sounds in German in words like good, or and. They are much more gutteral, and the consanants are stronger in the native-- goot and oont

The only trouble with this is that eventually, you'll run into is someone who is fluent in your accent language of choice. You might want to prepare yourself for that situation, or it'll get a tad embarrassing. 

[Lady Renee Buchanan]

My husband is British, born and raised and spent all his life there until we got married.  He has been told more than once in our faire-going history to drop the fake accent because it sounds ridiculous.

I don't even bother with accents (of course, we are not on cast, that makes a difference) because being from New Jersey, I'll never get past saying "foive" and "wauk the dawg."

[Nikita]

Ever Scot I know, without exception, regales Braveheart and Scotty from Star Trek as the most laughable accents being passed as Scottish.

"Love Actually" has Liam Nesson nicely in his native brough (sp) very good for northeastern Ireland, if i recall the region properly.  Apparently, Brad Pitt is rockin' good in "the Devil's Own" for Belfast/Northwest Ireland.  Interviews with U2 are also very good to listen to for south Ireland.

I suffer from Roullette Accent.  I go from Russian to Irish to Scottish in hours and beers...

[PrincessSara]

I have this talent at being able to mimic voices (mostly just ones that are nowhere near Canadian) but not to make up my own.  For example, I can quote lines from Lord of the Rings almost exactly as the actors say them, but if I try a phrase that an actor didn't say, I sound like a dork.  It's weird but I can maneuver my vocal chords around things I've heard but I can't make them do anything new.  I sound like such a tool when I try to put an accent on.

Also, I apparently do a really good Treebeard impersonation in my sleep.  Can't do it when I'm awake though. 

[SandrineDeLaTombe]

It's funny, I've the French and English accent down.  But Irish eludes me. I end up sounding like I'm impersonating Sean Connery trying to do an Irish accent.

For the poster asking about the French accent, Julie Delpy is a French actress who has done several American movies.  Her accent is pronounced, but very easy to understand.

[Annastina]

Another good Scottish source is a TV show available on Netflix. "Hamish MacBeth" is sort of a cross between Northern Exposure and any British murder mystery.  Monarch of the Glen is ok, but I like Hamish much better.  After one disc, it won't be hard to at least think with an accent, and it's helped me with some vowel pronunciations.  I'll never be able to roll my r's, tho.

[BLAKDUKE]

Another good source that is readily available on tv is the french vampire in the 'Librarian' Curse of the Judas Chalice.  It may not the best but it sounds good.

[Cateyes]

This site helps me when I want to change my faire accent for a new persona.
http://web.ku.edu/~idea/dialectmap.htm

[lys1022]

I second the recommendation for the Acting with an Accent series.  It was recommended to me many years ago by Miguel of Don Juan and Miguel when I was trying to improve one of my accents, and I've found it to be invaluable.

Another suggestion if you're trying to get a decent and UNDERSTANDABLE Scots is to get some Billy Connelly comedy CD's and talk along with them.  Believe me, I know it works.  I spent a solid six months listening to Billy Connelly every time that I was in the car with my hubby when he was developing his Scots.  (I learned to hate the poor comedian for a while!).

For English, there's also "The Well Tempered Dialect" as a decent overview kind of CD.  Acting with an Accent goes into a lot more detail regarding the placement of the sounds, but WTD is a nice basic beginner's accent resource.

http://www.penztv.com/index.html

Lys

[Fast Eddie Seymour]

Thanks for the plug Lys!

For those of you who are interested, The Well Tempered Dialect is now available via MP3 download from either Amazon or I-Tunes, or you can get a CD from Cafe Press.
Go to   www.welltempereddialect.com  to take a look at the script or to listen to samples.

Happy listening!