A thought-provoking insight in tonight’s first session of a four-week course in self-directing skills… Approach every script as though you were going to direct another actor’s performance of it. That makes so darned much sense I can’t believe I didn’t think of it myself. After all, how many times have I, as a presenter, reiterated [...]
Archive for April 2009
Actor, direct thyself
April 30, 2009If it’s free, I’ll take three (hours)
April 24, 2009More often than not, you get what you pay for. This is not one of those stories. The ever-thoughtful folks at Voicetrax are doing a golden favor for their students this month — offering a selection of one-session group lessons on a variety of voiceover subjects, free of charge. When the schedule of free classes [...]
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain
April 20, 2009We still have some polishing to do, but you’re getting an advance preview of the new branding materials being developed for me by the World’s Greatest Graphic Designer — or Mr. G. (as in Graphics), as I like to call him. Technically speaking, this preview isn’t for your benefit. It’s here so that Mr. G. [...]
In the Zone
April 19, 2009It’s amazing what you can find when you aren’t looking. The other day, I dropped in at the local music store. When I think “music store,” I mostly think of a place that sells musical instruments and related paraphernalia. And indeed, the last time I was in this particular establishment, I was renting a clarinet [...]
The song is ended, but the melody lingers on
April 17, 2009Sad but true… I now have Friday afternoons free. As I was preparing this morning for the final session of this six-week workshop, it struck me suddenly how much I was going to miss this weekly gathering, and the people with whom I’ve shared the experience. The baker’s dozen of us — plus Samantha, of [...]
You do me, and I’ll do you
April 13, 2009We did an interesting exercise last week in my Friday afternoon workshop. During our first meeting five weeks ago, we were each secretly assigned another participant to “shadow.” For our fifth session, we were to bring a script perfectly suited to the person we have been observing, and perform that script in the booth as [...]
Private dancer
April 10, 2009Today’s private coaching session with Sirenetta touched off several new flashes in the old chandelier. We began the hour talking about some of my recent challenges. As Sirenetta rightly pointed out, confidence is the key. Once I trust myself enough not to overthink and overwork every word of copy, I’ll be better off. Toward that [...]
I must be butter, because I’m on a roll
April 4, 2009Speaking of sprucing up this joint — and I was — I’ve added a blogroll that links up the VO-related blogs and forums (forae? forii?) I peek into on a regular basis. The folks represented here inspire me often with their experiences and insights… even though most of them wouldn’t know me if we rubbed [...]
Pardon our dust!
April 4, 2009Don’t be surprised if you drop by here sometime in the next couple of weeks and see a strikingly different look. A friend and colleague from my corporate days — who also happens to be a graphic designer par excellence — is putting the finishing touches on The Mic Guy’s new branding elements, including a [...]
New morning, new day
April 3, 2009I had an infinitely better Friday this week than last. Today’s VO workshop was busy, busy, busy. I had six — count ‘em, six — opportunities in the booth today, and while I don’t know that any of the six displayed my finest work, all of them flowed more easily and less painfully than anything [...]
