Voice-over artist behind new film character

Voice-over artist Ji Guanlin is known for working in blockbusters such as Avatar.

Ji leaped to fame in 2013 after voicing the title character in Legend of Zhenhuan, a highly rated period drama that followed a young woman's rise from innocence to a powerful queen.

"It's my most influential character by far. It not only introduced me to the public but made our profession visible to all," Ji says.

"From then on, people began to realize how voices can contribute to drama."

For a scene to really move audiences, the voices sometimes must carry a mood beyond what's seen on screen.

"Sometimes the most suitable voice for the scene sounds exaggerated, but that works on big screen," Ji says.

Her voice has become a "chameleon", where a change in tempo, mood, breaths and a host of other tweaks make her sound true to every new character.

For foreign characters, sometimes the lines are modified so that gags and emotions are quickly grasped by Chinese viewers.

"It's like touch a magic cube," she says. "The texture may stay in a range, but you get to create different voices by changing the attributes.

"Most of all, when you successfully lead the viewers in a scene, they forget about who the voice belongs to."

Ji was brought up in a family of Peking Opera singers. Her earliest memories include her parents discussing how stage scenes evolve and how dialogues are delivered.

"That could explain why acting comes naturally to me," Ji says.

"I was young and used to doze off during their (parents') performances, rehearsals and discussions. I didn't know it was to help me today."

With more than 10 years in the profession that continues to transform, Ji says her only wish is to try out more with her voice.

"I always look for breakthrough characters - it's only when you have tried a variety of roles that you can improve."

sunye@chinadaily.com.cn