I went on an audition today. Already I can hear you asking, “How did it go?” If you mean from the perspective of booking the job, who knows? I’ve never been any good at judging these things. So I’m learning to evaluate from a different POV: Did I do everything I went there to do? [...]
Archive for the ‘Voice acting’ category
Magic Monday
June 22, 2009Who says I’ve got no class?
June 4, 2009The incomparable Shirley, the office manager at Voicetrax, called this morning to review my course schedule for the upcoming term. I managed to score most of the classes that I wanted to take. I’m on the wait list for one course that was rescheduled, but aside from that, I’ll stay pretty busy through early October. [...]
Carnegie Hall, and step on it
June 2, 2009Last Saturday, my chorus — Voices in Harmony, northern California’s premier men’s a cappella chorus (thank you, Blatant Plug Department) — presented its annual spring concert. Yours truly had the honor of narrating the chorus segments of the show. It occurs to me that if I was as comfortable behind the mic in the studio [...]
Call me Ignatz
May 29, 2009I’ve encountered my first obstacle in choosing a text for my entry in Scott Brick’s audiobook narration contest… …finding a good book that Scott Brick didn’t narrate. That’s not as inconsiderable a task as one might think. It is, from my perspective, an important one. After all, if you were a contestant on American Idol, [...]
Positive direction
May 22, 2009My four-week workshop on self-directing skills has concluded, and what have I learned? That my self-directing skills need work. Not that that’s a shocker. Actually, I’m proud of the work I did during these four weeks. My script analysis, though still light-years from perfection, is improving. I’m getting better at asking the right questions about [...]
What’s your chain?
May 20, 2009The other day, I was musing about the fact that, even though I hold a four-year degree in broadcast communications (from San Francisco State University‘s acclaimed Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts department, no less), my technical skills are rudimentary, to be polite. Okay, I’ll confess… I sleepwalked through my audio production classes. (Ask Professor John [...]
Horatio
May 15, 2009At last evening’s workshop, one of my fellow actors shared an epiphany she’d experienced in a private coaching session earlier in the day. “How would you describe yourself?” the coach had asked her. “Strong,” my colleague replied. “Authoritative. Forceful.” “But you’re not that way at all,” said the coach. “You’re funny. Friendly. Lively. Engaging. And [...]
The Voiceover Entrance Exam
May 6, 2009Every now and again, I read something that makes me say to myself, “I wish I’d written that.” Today’s entry into this continually expanding category is The Voiceover Entrance Exam, a brilliantly succinct, pull-no-punches e-book that every — and yes, I do mean every — new or aspiring voiceover talent should devour like a hunk [...]
Tell the story!
May 5, 2009Here’s irony for you: I’m a voice actor who was just assigned to help coach visual presentation. In my case, that’s not really so peculiar. I’ve been a public speaker and stage performer for decades longer than I’ve been a voice actor. By conservative estimate, I’ve delivered in the neighborhood of 5,000 presentations before audiences [...]
Actor, direct thyself
April 30, 2009A 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 [...]
