Acoustic Analysis of the Vocal Quality of the Character Merlina in the Film "The Addams Family"

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.51572626310313

• Palavras-chave: Voice quality, Acoustic phonetics, Voice acting, Animated films, Phonation modes.

• Keywords: Voice quality, Acoustic phonetics, Voice acting, Animated films, Phonation modes.

• Abstract:

  This study investigates the vocal quality of the character Merlina in the animated film "The Addams Family" (2019), in its Spanish-American dubbed version. The main objective is to analyze, from the perspective of acoustic phonetics, the parametric variations between two distinct facets of the character: a regular state of apathy, called "Regular Voice," and an altered state of agitation and sadism, called "Crow Voice." Using VoiceSauce software, thirteen acoustic parameters were extracted from a corpus consisting of speech segments taken from the film, which were subsequently subjected to statistical contrast tests (paired t-test and analysis of variance). The results demonstrate that the distinction between these facets does not occur at the articulatory level of the vocal tract (first and second formants), but exclusively at the glottal source. Statistically, the "Crow Voice" differs significantly from the "Regular Voice" by exhibiting greater energy (intensity), a lower harmonic-to-noise ratio in the low-frequency bands, and a narrowing of the first formant’s bandwidth. It is concluded that the "Regular Voice" corresponds to a typical modal phonation, while the "Crow Voice" is configured as a composite adjustment of Harsh Whispery Voice, characterized by the biomechanical paradox of greater adductive tension concomitant with greater turbulent air escape.