…I ran across the newest comments posted by my friend Mary McKitrick on her blog. Kara and Mary are two very talented ladies, both of whom offer thought-provoking and interesting things pretty much every time they post on their blogs. So, take a few minutes to a journey with Mary. You’ll be glad you make the trip.
Blog
Take a few minutes away from the rat race
Join me in reading Kara Edward’s blog post about perfection. Kara is a fabulously gifted story-teller. You’ll be glad you took a few minutes to read what she’s written.
Update: I’m delighted to note that Tim McLaughlin has read Kara’s thoughts. I agree Tim. Time for at least a short break to Stop and Smell the Roses.
James and Penny’s teleseminar series
James Alburger and Penny Abshire have been teaching voiceover workshops for years. They are two of the three very nice people who presented the VOICE conference (the third being Frank Frederick) in Las Vegas and will be presenting the VOICE 2008 conference in Los Angeles.
So, now that you know something about James and Penny (follow the links to learn a whole lot more), here is most of the contents of an email I received from them a few minutes ago. If you’ve wished you could find a way to participate in an interactive, group, voiceover training for under $100 a class, this is going to come as very good news indeed.
We’ve spent a great deal of time working on a Voice Acting Telecourse that will give you the essential information you need in order to master the craft and business of performing for voiceover – whether you’re just starting out . . . or a seasoned pro. You’ve probably noticed that there aren’t very many voiceover classes offered as a Telecourse – and those that are available are quite expensive – often more than $100 per class!
For most classroom voiceover training, you must deal with local traffic or travel to a different city. We still plan on teaching our San Diego and Roadshow workshops – and we’d love to see you there – however, we know hard it can be to learn the subtleties of performing for voiceover . . . especially if you live in a city far from the nearest VO coach, or if you’re not in a position financially or timewise to attend a classroom voiceover workshop. We’ve solved your problem!
We’ve studied just about every other VO course out there and we’ve come up with a Telecourse that will give you the basic skills and essential information you need – and more important – our 8-week Telecourse is very affordable!
No traffic.
No traveling.
No hotels.
No high tuition.
No hassles.
No kidding!
All it takes is a phone call! Actually two phone calls – one to register, and another to attend the Telecourse each week.
Here’s your official invitation (ed: and FAQ):
What?: The Art of Voice Acting 8-week Telecourse – a teleseminar focusing on the craft and business of voiceover.
When?: Every Wednesday evening beginning September 5th, 2007
Where?: Your telephone
What time?: 5pm Pacific Time (8pm ET)
How long?: This course runs for 8-weeks. Each class is approximately 90 minutes in length.
What’s the content?: The Art of Voice Acting 8-week Telecourse will include most of the primary lecture material we cover in our AOVA 8-week and Weekend workshops, plus a few surprises. Complete information is at www.voiceacting.com/training/teleseminars.How many in the class?: The AOVA Level 1 basic 8-week Telecourse is limited to 25. There will be assignments each week, and some submitted files may be played during a Telecourse session. There will also be on-mic coaching each week. Our Personalized on-mic coaching is reserved for our Level 2 class, which is limited to only 8 people per call. You must be a graduate of the basic 8-week Telecourse or one of our other 8-week or Weekend workshops to participate in our Level 2 personalized coaching Telecourse.
How will it work?: As soon as you register, you’ll receive an email that includes all the details for the first Telecourse call, PLUS a link to your Telecourse Yahoo Group for messaging, downloads, and uploads. Your first download will be an MP3 file that will give you an overview of voiceover and prepare you for the Telecourse. Each week you’ll receive a special phone number to call along with a password for each class. To attend, you simply make a phone call from the comfort of your home . . . or wherever you are.
Who teaches the Telecourse?: Each call is hosted by James Alburger and Penny Abshire, two of the top voiceover coaches in the US. You can learn more about Jim & Penny at www.VoiceActing.com and you can read what their students think of their workshops at www.voiceacting.com/testimonials.
How much?: A ridiculously low $47 per session -which includes access to on-line workshop notes and other materials. Of course, the cost of a long-distance call will also apply. (For most, that’s well under $5.00 for a 1-hour call).
Note: If you were an attendee at VOICE 2007, we have a very special price for you for this Telecourse. Please call Penny at 858.484.0220 for details.
What else?: As a Telecourse graduate, you’ll be entitled to our AOVA Graduate “Serious Discount” for future AOVA Weekend Workshops. That means you’ll be able to attend ANY of our live Weekend Workshop in the future at a “serious discount”!
Anything more?: Each class will be recorded and will be available on-line for about a week after each class. Download the MP3 file to your computer, put it on your IPOD, or burn it to a CD for future reference.
Why are you doing this?: Our goal is to provide you with the best information and training possible to help you learn the critical skills for working as a voice talent. The Art of Voice Acting book
has become the most popular book on voiceover, and our workshops have gained a reputation for being among the best training in the country. Now, it’s time for us to make our training available to more people who want to learn about voiceover.
How do I register?: Call us at 858.484.0220 to register. Sorry, but due to the nature of this Telecourse, we can’t take on-line registrations.
As a registered student of our Art of Voice Acting 8-week Telecourse, you’ll receive critical information, performing techniques, tricks of the trade, and insider business secrets that will get you started on the road to being a successful voice talent.
For all the details, visit www.voiceacting.com/training/teleseminars right now, while you’re thinking about it!
Or call us at 858.484.0220 to be among the first to register. Please call only between 9am and 5pm Pacific time M-F.
Stay in Character!
James R. Alburger & Penny Abshire
VoiceActing.com ~ We make you sound great!
13639 Freeport Rd.
San Diego, CA 92129
voice: 858.484.0220
fax: 858.484.7493
e-mail: info@voiceacting.com
visit our website:www.voiceacting.com – Training and Resources in The Art of Voice Acting
Email submissions become the property of VoiceActing.com. We reserve the right to re-print any questions and our reply in any media. If you prefer to remain anonymous,
please let us know. Please include the original correspondence in your reply.
Get your personally autographed copy of James Alburger’s book, (The Art of Voice Acting, 3rd edition) and Penny Abshire’s book, (Demo & Marketing Magic for Voice Actors), on-line at www.voiceacting.com.
Subscribe to the free Art of Voice Acting newsletter by visiting www.voiceacting.com/elists.
Actor’s Tool-Kit #16
ACTOR’S TOOL-KIT #16
SKILLS VERSUS TYPES
by Bob Fraser
I recently got an email that I felt I should share.
“Dear Bob,
“I was reading your article, Unique Character Presentation and I have a whole bunch of questions. “You wrote that we should choose the UCP (type) that fit us the best, and “align our marketing efforts with our natural tendencies.” “How does this fit in with versatility?
“If we market ourselves on our natural tendencies, aren’t we staying in our safety zone, basically portraying ourselves? “The reason I’m asking is because I asked my acting teacher on a level of 1 to 10, 10 being an Oscar/Tony award-winning performance … where was my skill level? I want to be at a very minimum at a level 7 – but preferably an 8 or higher.
“She said I was at less than a 5, but only because I don’t have the versatility I need. “My safety zone I’ve got down pat, but I need to stretch a lot more than I have been able to do. “And how does a character actor like Alfred Molina fit into UCP typing? He’s done just about every type of role imaginable, huge versatility, although he does “bad guys” more often than any other type. I admire Molina’s acting skills very much, and consider him one of my role models for what I would like to achieve in the industry. Not that I want to be “The Outlaw” type, but I’d like to achieve the quality and versatility he brings to every role he plays.
“So, UCP versus versatility? I feel I’m missing an important piece of knowledge that links the two together harmoniously.
“Thanks for your time.”
Signed,
Curious
———————-
Dear Curious,
I don’t (or rarely) discuss acting as a craft. What I focus on, in my writing, is aimed at getting you working. Alfred Molina is very versatile, yes — but he is a unique actor with a unique “take” on the characters he plays.
It’s much easier to be a “versatile” character actor when you’ve got 10 – 15 years of paying work behind you. And again, the work that counts is the work that pays money because then it’s for real. Look up Molina’s credits on IMDb.com and see how far back they go. And that’s just his film and TV work – he also has a decade or so prior to that as a theatre actor in Britain. (Getting paid.)
My point about UCP is that it’s a way of framing the natural “typing” that happens on the other side of the casting table. If you think you’ll have the opportunity to play Juliet or Lady Macbeth based solely on your acting ability, you will waste a lot of time trying to practice “theory” and not much time making money. It’s the making of the money that allows actors to grow – in the context of the professional world. What you and your acting teacher have tried to do is quantify that which cannot be quantified.
Believe me, if I put you in front of Steven Spielberg tomorrow, to audition for his next movie — you wouldn’t be talking about “safety zones.” You’d be hoping to be picked.
And you wouldn’t care if it was a person just like yourself that you were being asked to play.
Please don’t attach your skill level to your results. That is just a blatant denial of reality.
Who is a better actor – Nicholson or Tom Cruise? No one can answer that question without knowing the role, the story, the purpose of the character they are playing in the story – and whole lot of other stuff.
Awards, “good acting on a scale of 1 to 10” “what’s the best method?” – those are party conversation – and IMHO a waste of time, when it comes to business. And I’m strictly talking about business.
On the other hand, if what’s important to you is the approbation of teachers and other actors … you might be on the right track. I’ve known some brilliant actors who worked at the post office and office supply stores. In the final analysis it comes down to what your real goal is.
UCP doesn’t fit with versatility because versatility is not what gets actors in the door, gets them cast in the role or gets them the opportunity to really “climb the ladder.”
Fully capable professional actors don’t show up “full blown” in Hollywood, New York or London — they learn their jobs on the job. Becoming a brilliant actor and THEN succeeding in the business is a pipe dream. It happens about as often as Haley’s Comet drops by.
You can take that to the bank.
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PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint articles from Actor’s Tool-Kit, on your website or electronic newsletter. However, in order to comply with my copyright, you must also include the following paragraph with your reprint:
“Reprinted from ACTOR’S TOOL KIT, the email course just for subscribers of Show Biz How-To — The Free Actor’s Monthly. Get your own free subscription by going to: showbizhowto.com Copyright © 2006 Bob Fraser Productions All Rights Reserved”
An interview with me?
John Florian has posted an interview he did with me on his Voice Over Xtra site. I hope you’ll find something of value there. By the way, sign up for a membership on Voice Over Xtra. It’s free. Lot’s of good information. I’m a member there.
Don’t miss these insights from my friend Bobbin Beam
Bobbin Beam is not only a very talented female voiceover artist, she’s quite a gifted writer. That skill, along with the ability to think clearly and carefully about what she’s writing, shines very brightly in her recent blog post about the turf war heating up between AFTRA and SAG.
Voice123.com and their ratings – a new FAQ
I received an email (along with thousands of others no doubt) from Alex Torrenegra of Voice123.com today, announcing that a new FAQ has been posted in their support center with details about their audition rating system and how it is used.
Summit 2007, Reading for Terry Berland
Among the greatest of highlights for me at Dan O’Day’s Summit this year was the final session presented by casting agent Terry Berland.
With my deepest thanks to my friend Rob Actis, here is photographic evidence that I did indeed get to read for Terry. First, here’s my friend Ric Gonzalez from Texas and I as we’re going through the copy.
And here’s a wider shot of the whole platform and all 3 of us.
My thanks again to Rob Actis for sending me the photos and to Terry Berland for coming to the Summit to speak and to Dan O’Day for putting on such a superb event each year.
So you think you can do a Simpsons voice?
There’s a contest running right now over at Vox Daily, you might like. If you do a Simpson’s voice, even if you’re not a professional voiceover talent, give it a shot.
Summit 2007, Day 2
The first half of this day was given to writing. But, as is nearly always the case when Dan O’Day is teaching writing, much of that time included opportunities for us to get up and read what we’ve written. Taking part in those exercises this year were my friends Donovan Corneetz, Dick Terhune and Pam Tierney. Here the three of them are waiting in line for their turns to read.
Donovan does his read.
And Pam follows.
Pam got a chance to work one on one with Dan O’Day at one point as well.
And Dan was nice enough to take a moment to pose with my friend Mike Carta and me.
In between sessions, there was plenty of times for conversation. Here Pam is talking with Chris Wagner and Melanie Myers.
The final 3 hours were given over to casting director Terry Berland.
She gave us a great look behind the scenes of the way casting works in the highest echelons. And then worked with many of us as we read copy she’d brought along. It was great fun to experience reading for someone of her stature and talent. And Terry’s description to us at the end of her presentation was that it was great fun for her as well.
Another great year is in the books. I hope you’ll join us next year. And as time permits over the next couple of days, I’ll add some further descriptions and details from some of these sessions.
Summit 2007, Day 1
This year is another great experience at the Dan O’Day Summit in Los Angeles. We began on Thursday evening with our annual closed door session for those of us who have been to previous Summits. Dan calls us “Repeat Offenders.”
The main events kicked off this morning with Dan O’Day presenting a superb session about writing powerfully. It’s a seminar he calls Hypnotic Advertising. Lots of insights into the way people understand and receive information.
Then Pat Fraley came and presented a pile of terrific ideas drawn from his Slick Tricks Smuggled Out of Hollywood seminar. Excellent, with loads of valuable information for voiceover work, as well as tips for directing. (By the way, Pat gave an update on his wife, Renee. She’s not completely back to full health, but is doing much better. He offered his thanks for all of the prayers and kind thoughts.)
After Pat’s presentation he joined us for lunch. Here are a few shots. In the last photo are James Alburger and Penny Abshire talking with Pat.
Don LaFontaine had to cancel his appearance at the last minute because of a family medical situation so Dan was able to arrange a last-minute substitute: Harry Shearer.
Dan was also the presenter on the final session of the day, which focused on Directing and Thinking About One’s Career. These 2 hours were worth the price of admission, alone. Very thought provoking and helpful. In fact, I think this was probably the best presentation I’ve ever heard by Dan and after 11 years, I’ve heard a lot of Dan’s presentations.
A great chance to learn (updated and bumped to top)
Anna Vocino and Nancy Wolfson have a new teleseminar coming up later this month, which I mentionedd just a couple of days ago. Go to their Break Into Voice Over site to sign up. Price is just $39 this time. It’s taking place Wednesday, August 29, 2007 and starts at 6:00 PM Pacific, 9:00 PM Eastern. The title is Acting for Advertising, part 2. Again, details on how to register are at their web site. I’ve already paid my registration. I hope you will join us, too.
VOICE 2008
While the site hasn’t been updated as I type this, according to the latest edition of The Art of Voice Acting Newsletter, VOICE 2008 is going to be in Los Angeles, CA from May 18 through May 21, 2008. I look forward to seeing you there.
Calculating PayPal fees
Using PayPal has given me the opportunity to do business with clients who must use a corporate credit card to make payments. And of course, it’s a very quick way to be paid. But, sometimes it’s nice to know how much the fees will be, in advance.
My thanks to my friend Brian Hart for posting this link on the VO-BB.
(Edited to add link to PayPal.com)
If you need to record while you’re traveling
MXL has a new tool coming out soon that just might be the perfect thing for your travel pack. They’re calling it the MXL USB Mic Mate, which supplies 48v phantom power to your analog condenser microphone on one end and connects to one of your computer’s USB ports on the other. Perhaps best of all, the list price is expect to be only $79.99.
My thanks to Steve Stone for the email alerting me to this sweet little unit.
Bee sure to check out Kara Edwards’ new site
OK. If you didn’t know this about me, I have a very serious affliction. I’m rather fond of puns. When you see Kara Edwards’ new web site, you’ll understand why I’m starting this post with this confession. Meanwhile, do check out Kara’s site. You can read Kara’s thoughts about the new design on her blog, which has also had a face lift.
As you’ll discover while reading Kara’s blog post, Nancy Wolfson was involved in all of these changes. Kara studies with her, as do I. In fact, lots of talented people study with Nancy. Maybe you should, too? (And when you sign up, if you mention to Nancy that you read about studying with her on this blog post about Kara Edwards, she’ll give Kara a free lesson.)
A great chance to learn
Speaking of Anna Vocino, she’s a graduate of Nancy Wolfson’s voiceover training, and has been working in partnership with Nancy on a site they call Break Into Voice Over. More importantly, they have a new teleseminar planned for Wednesday, August 29, 2007. The class starts at 6:00 PM Pacific, 9:00 PM Eastern. The title is Acting for Advertising, part 2. The price is just $39.00. All details on how to register are at their web site. I will be there. I hope you will too.
Anna Vocino’s Point of View article
Anna Vocino is a friend and an inspiration in the voiceover world. A few weeks ago she was featured in one of Bonnie Gilespie’s The Actor’s Voice – POV pieces. While the focus of her article is on voiceover work in Los Angeles, there’s a ton of great information that applies to anyone interested in getting serious about voiceover work.
And while you’re poking around that site, be sure to visit Bonnie’s main section with all of her The Actor’s Voice columns. There’s an amazing amount of wisdom and insight archived there, including lots of good material for us working as voice actors.
Brand Identity
Branding is one of those terms that gets tossed around by a lot of people, some of whom know what they’re talking about. Others, not so much. I’d be in the latter category, at least most of the time. Tom Asacker, on the other hand, is one of the good guys. He’s just put out a very interesting thought piece he calls The Brand Identity Delusion (link is a PDF file) and I encourage you to read the whole thing. It runs to only a couple of pages and will be well worth your time.
And then think about how you can implement these ideas in your voiceover work. Here’s an example of what I mean. It’s my goal to leave what I usually call “a sweet taste in the mouth” of every one of my clients. I know I don’t succeed at that perfectly, but it’s my goal. I strive for this, for example, by doing everything in my power to help my clients understand that they’ve made a smart decision in hiring me to provide the voice for their project. I ask questions to be sure I understand what they need. I invite them to listen in on the phone or to direct the session live using ISDN or Source Connect. I guarantee their satisfaction by doing all needed updates and corrections at no additional charge. I can afford to make this promise because I’m not cheap. And needless to say, I suppose, I deliver their project on time.
These are just a few of the ways I’ve already put Tom’s suggestions into practice before even reading his article. I’m sure there is more I can do. And I’m going to keep thinking until I come up with at least a few of them.
(edited to fix typo)
Keeping the human connections going
Yesterday was a delightful day of keeping in touch with new friends and staying in touch with others’ we’ve known longer. For example, I wrote a few days ago about meeting the very talented Rowell Gormon and Jay Shapiro for lunch. Yesterday, while helping Rowell ever so briefly with his blog, I not only got a chance to spend some valuable further time with Rowell, but also with Wendy Zier, another talented friend of Rowell’s.
Even better, I got a chance to introduce my friend Brian Hart to Rowell and Wendy, thus helping to foster even more of these connections and friendships; which can only help all of us.
And best of all, I got a nice long visit in with Brian. We were joined at his house by the rest of my family, including my son Eric who is working with me both as a budding voiceover talent in his own right and as an audio editor.
From the left this is me, my son Eric and Brian all squinting into the blazing North Carolina summer sun in front of Brian’s house.