(IN VIDEO ABOVE: ShowBiz Expo Panelists and top voice actors, Joe Cipriano and Rino Romano comment and riff about their VO panel experience at The ShowBiz Expo LA)

Voicebank.net’s Stewart Wilson-Turner set out to answer “Can you talk your way to an Oscar?” at last week’s ShowBiz Expo voice over panel in Los Angeles. Casting director, producer and voice actor himself, Rick Zieff, segued with, “Maybe the real question is, ‘Can you talk your way to voice over success?” Always a question on a voice actor’s mind.

The panel grappled with the fact that there are no actual voice over Academy Awards, but the voiceover industry does have their own awards shows. One way voice talent can win an Academy Award is for a role in an animated feature. The problem is celebrities seem to have all the starring roles. Top female voice, Tara Strong, who was nominated for an Emmy for Jakers, made the point that “Kids don’t care when a celebrity is in an animated feature. But often talent gets replaced by the higher profile voices.”

Seems the closest voice talent can get to the Oscars and the other top awards shows is to be the announcer of these shows! When asked if that was enough, “Voice of CBS” and top promo guy and announcer of the Prime Time Emmy awards, Joe Cipriano says, “It’s an honor to do a live show.”

When Stew asked the panel about the lack of recognition and the anonymity of the voice actor, Lifetime Television voice and the voice of The Food Network (among many other credits) Rino Romano says, “The recognition comes from just doing the job. I loved cartoons as a kid. (he’s the voice of the Batman animated series) It’s so great when kids will recognize my voice from their favorite cartoon or animated feature.”

Stewart opened it up to the audience for a Q&A. Here’s how the panel responded to “How do you get into voice over and how do you succeed?

•This is a business. You don’t just step into it. You have to have a plan. It requires a lot of work. If you can put in one hour a day, you’ll succeed. Joe Cipriano
•You’re always dissuaded in this business. The good news  is you can practice on your own.  A top French Canadian VO guy built his craft reading to the blind. Rino Romano
•Take improv classes. You have to be at the top of your game when the opportunity arises.Tara Strong
•Understand what you’re up against. Stewart Wilson-Turner

-Tracy Pattin

(Video Above) Hear from top voice actors, Joe Cipriano, Rino Romano, Tara Strong and Rick Zieff about their experience on the Voicebank.net’s Voice Over Panel last weekend at ShowBiz Expo LA. Then find out what the attendees thought.

-Tracy Pattin

They don’t have to sit for hours in hair and makeup, they don’t have to leave L.A. and they don’t even need to get out of their sweatpants. No wonder Hollywood’s top actors love doing voice work on animated films…..

Click Here for the Rest of the Story

I met Tom Gibis at the LA film screening of The Putt Putt Syndrome where he played “the boss” in a story about men and midlife crises. I was interviewing the actors on the red carpet. After the interview, Tom told me about his other acting life…as a voice actor.  A week later he was off to Australia and New Zealand on sort of an international voice over press tour for the anime character he voices. He would be going to cocktail parties, signing his name, and talking about himself. He says, “It’s like someone made up a job just for me.  Ha ha.”

Here’s the itinerary for one of his days on this 2 week trip down under:

Saturday March 27^th

10.45am – collected from event hotel

11.00am to 12.30pm – signing session

12.30pm – Photo session

1pm – anime panel in upstairs room to 2pm

2pm to 3pm – Signing session

4pm to 5pm – signing session

And, here’s what he wrote about the anime character that got him this great voice over gig!

“I attached some pictures of my character Shikamaru so you can get an idea of the look. Little back ground on Shikamaru.  (http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Shikamaru_Nara)The show started out as “Naruto” Naruto is a young ninja in training in the hidden leaf village. The story centers on the school where he trains with the other kids of the village. One of those kids is Shikamaru Nara the “lazy ninja” in fact he is incredibly smart, so smart, that he is rarely challenged by school.  Thus his boredom causes him to do as little as possible to get by. It turns out he is too smart for his own good and gets promoted before all his friends. He is a squad leader and is growing into the role. (Cartoon Network- Sept 05 –  Jan 09)

Three years passed in the story line (9 months real time ) and the series returned as Naruto Shippuden. (Disney XD – Oct 09 to present)

Next stop a 14 hour flight in coach to Sydney on thursday. I leave LA on thursday and land on Sat.”

So there you have it. One slice of one voice actor’s life. The possibilities are endless. That’s what keeps us going in the crazy, competitive, thrilling life of the voice actor.

-Tracy Pattin

In keeping with this week’s theme of Social Media strategies for the voice actor and other entrepreneurs, watch this CNN interview with internet sensation Gary Vaynerchuk. He discusses the opportunities and the importance of personal branding online. He has made millions building his brand through his unconventional web TV show, Wine Library.TV. The result? A seven figure book deal for a series of books on building your business on the internet. Gary says the time is NOW to build your dream career!

-Tracy Pattin

In tomorrow’s podcast (part 2) New Media/Social Media expert Doug Welch talks about:

•The power of Social Media groups

•How to find groups on Linkedin

•How to join a group

•A great search engine for Voice Talent

•The power of getting your voice out there

•How the Sony executive found talent on YouTube and gave them a development deal

and much more…

So what happens when 5 top voice over guys (including the late and loved Don LaFontaine) take a ride in a limo? Watch, listen and learn!
-Tracy Pattin

1. What has sustained your Porky career all these 20 (?)years!

Well, it kinda sorta hasn’t.  I’ve gone long stretches where the studio didn’t have any Porky projects.  But since Space Jam it’s been pretty consistent.  After that we did Duck Dodgers for a few years.  Now we are doing a brand new Looney Tunes series that is scheduled to start airing this fall.

2. Any advice for other VO talent trying to break into this hugely competitive part of the business?

Well, you have to be a great actor first.  Study, study, study!  In fact, if you haven’t studied acting and improv start there.  THEN take voice-over workshops.  It’s all about the acting.  The difference between a trained actor and a non trained actor is this: a trained actor makes choices and a non trained actor makes guesses.  Not only do you need to make choices, but you need to commit!  And for longevity in this business originality is key.  Most of my work in non Pig.  You need to bring something to the table the agents and buyers don’t already have.

3. Any other famous voices you’d like to be?

I’d love to have the next big “thing.” Original thing.  Love to create my own “Spongebob” or “Bart Simpson” type of character.  Something new that becomes classic.  Tom Kinney and Nancy Cartwritght have created characters that are as solid and rich as anything from the golden era of animation.  Plus I’m starting to explore animation voice casting and directing.  Gotta always have goals and always grow!!

Thanks Bob for great insights and inspiration!

-Tracy Pattin

In tomorrow’s podcast, New Media/Social Media expert Douglas E. Welch, talks about:

•New Media marketing strategies for voice actors

•How to use Facebook more effectively for your VO career

•Targeted internet searches on Twitter

•How to strategize for voice over jobs

•The changes in the entertainment industry because of New Media

•Quantity vs. Quality and Social Media

•Twitter general ground rules

And more…

-Tracy Pattin

Congrats Bob!!

-Tracy Pattin

1. Describe your first Porky audition.

Well, my first audition was in my agent’s (Arlene Thornton at the time) office.  The first callback was for the fabulous Andrea Romano.  I had several callbacks for various WB execs.  Chuck Jones (co-creator of the Looney Tunes) was at my final callback.  I tell this story in my one man show.  I rarely get nervous at auditions, but when I went to shake Chuck’s hand my hand was shaking like Katharine Hepbern.  Chuck asked me why I was so nervous.  I told him, “I’m about to do Porky Pig for Chuck Jones.  It’s like doing Jesus for God!!

2. How did you even get the chance to audition for this big role?

I’d already been in the business for about 8 years.  So fortunately, having an agent (and an agent who knew I wanted this part badly!!) I was able to read for the part.  But I often think about the odds.  And there are many.  I was born in the Midwest.  The fact that I eventually got to LA, was able to secure an agent, AND was able to even do the character at the exact time WB needed to replace Mel Blanc…well, all I can say is I knock wood daily!!!  I never take anything for granted and I’m count my blessings”

Stay Tuned for part 2. Click here to read part 2.

-Tracy Pattin

Voice Talent Dick Ervasti thinks each audition should follow these three important steps:

3 Steps to Improving Your VO Audition Technique: “Now that we all seem to be connected via SocNet, everyone is pouring their hearts out online about the frustrating process of auditioning for voiceover work. For years, I used to share the feeling until one day, in 2003, I turned a corner on the whole matter. Since then my Audition Conversion Metric (ACM) has tripled, and I also get way more FIGs (Found-Gigs, where they just called and booked without any audition) than I used to.” Click here for Dick Ervasti’s 3 steps…

In tomorrow’s podcast (part 4) Hispanic (and English speaking) voice over actor, Gustavo Rex talks about:

•The different (and) Spanish accents and how Hispanic Voice Actors deal with this

•The difference between Spanish VO sessions and English sessions

•Whether the Hispanic market is a great opportunity for Spanish voice talent

•Current trends in the Hispanic market

and more….

-Tracy Patitn

“I met Bert de Coutere at Online Education in December. He chaired the Battle of the Bloggers in which I participated.

Recently Bert sent me a copy of his intriguingly titled Homo Competens (Beta Book, 2009), an exploration of competence and how humans acquire this. I only got so far as page 31, when I encountered the following analysis by Bert of the stages in the building of competence.”  Read more.

-Tracy Pattin

Thanks,
Erica L. Kelly

Just like the mainstream voice over market in the U.S. the Hispanic voice over market has its set of challenges. In tomorrow’s podcast (part 3) Hispanic (and mainstream) voice talent, Gustavo Rex, talks about:

•How he markets to advertising agencies

•Why the Hispanic voice over market is struggling

•Issues with the Unions

•NBC and Telemundo

•Advice for emerging Hispanic voice talent

•Differences between East Coast & West Coast accents

-And much more…

-Tracy Pattin

Click here for:

•Gustavo Rex part 1

•Gustavo Rex part 2

In yesterday’s post, I wrote about live streaming (The Stream.TV), a new way to distribute content and its possibilities for voice actors. Turns out The Stream had two voice actors on one of their shows, Coin-OP TV.

-Tracy Pattin

The interesting thing is they engage their viewing audience from the get-go making them the perennial guest. One person on each show sits at the computer with a camera overhead, reading and reacting to the plethora of comments from the chat room proving to be as entertaining as what the hosts are saying and who they’re interviewing.

They have sponsors but it’s still an uphill climb. According to LiveStream. Tv’s Brian Grammo, “It’s a technology that is still working out the kinks but it’s getting better and better.”

So what are the possibilities for voice talent? Perhaps they’ll be used for promos just like broadcast television. And if advertising kicks in, then that’s a whole new opportunity for voice actors.

Just like so much of this emerging technology, it’s a wait and see.

-Tracy Pattin

In tomorrow’s podcast (part 2) voice actor Gustavo Rex continues sharing his experiences and insights about the Hispanic Voice Over market. He talks about:

•The Hispanic Voice Over Market and the audition process

•Pay structure. How it’s different from the mainstream voice over market

•Straddling the Hispanic and the Mainstream market. How he’s able to do it.

•The Hispanic Voice Over job. How the delivery is different.

•Getting typecast

and much more…

Click here to listen to part 1with Gustavo Rex

-Tracy Pattin

I was at Real Time with Bill Maher at CBS Studios last night for the first episode of season 8. Family Guy’s Seth McFarlane was a guest. Bill Maher asked him about the Sarah Palin controversy over Down’s Syndrome Voice Actor, Andrea McFarlane played a Down’s Syndrome person. Sarah Palin was outraged and felt that Family Guy and that character was making fun of her Down’s Syndrome son Trig.

McFarlane defended the character choice of using a person with Down’s Syndrome to play the role, saying that Andrea “loves her life as a voice actor and is proud to be part of the show.” As a sister of a Down’s Syndrome person, this was great to hear!

-Tracy Pattin

Compost Productions is at it again with their infamous Margaritas, Mojitos and Microphones class this Friday, February 19 in Los Angeles. Once again the fabulous Bob Bergen is teaching the class. (check out my post when I attended one of the MM&M classes.)

-Tracy Pattin

Here’s the blurb for the class:

VO actor and coach Bob Bergen and an L.A. based VO agent will be here at Compost Productions directing this special event. Bob’s credit list is huge, but he is most famous for being the voice of “Porky Pig.”  Our other guest director worked for over 25 years as an audio director/producer and currently works as a VO agent at an L.A. agency.

The focus of the evening will be on voiceovers for animation and promo.  The event will last five hours, and include a Q & A with the directors at the end of the evening. The cost is $150 and payment is required in advance to secure a spot in the class.  For your convenience, you can pay online via paypal at our website, http://compostproductions.com/Classes.html.  Just find the Margaritas, Mojitos, and Microphones poster and click the “Buy Now” button.  Space is limited and enrollment is on a first come first serve basis.  Email us at composthq@gmail.com or call us at (818) 567-1489 for more information.

Don’t miss out on the first session of 2010!  This is your chance to partake in a fun night of hard work and hard alcohol!

What:             “Margaritas, Mojitos, and Microphones”

Who:               Directed by:

Bob Bergen (“Porky Pig” among thousands of others)

&

An L.A. Based VO Agent

Where:             10707 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood

When:             Friday, February 19th

6-11pm

Cost:                $150

Tomorrow you’ll find out:

•How classical Spanish theatre helped him in voice over

•How doing “oohs and ahhs” began his VO career

•How he had to relearn his Spanish accent although Spanish was his first language.

•What was his first big break in the Hispanic commercial voice over market

and much more…

-Tracy Pattin

After the play is recorded, then starts another huge process; post production. Sound Engineer, Mark Holden, owner of The Invisible Studios, works with the director (Rosalind Ayres) to piece together all the scenes, the best takes. Part of this process is music and sound effects. With sound effects, there are two kinds; computer generated and live foley.

For our foley session, Ros brings in a box filled with potential sounds to go with each scene. She’s marked in the script exactly where those sounds are required. Then we got to work.

Foley is fascinating and fun. I’ve had the opportunity to work with Ros and husband Martin Jarvis (Jarvis Ayres productions) on many foley sessions. You’d be amazed at what makes a particular sound.

First we had to replicate long woolen clothing (these Moliere plays were period pieces taking place in 16oo). Ros had a large woolen scarf that I draped in front of me walking slowing from a corner of the room up to the mic. Suddenly I was transformed back to that time, imagining a woman walking in that clothing.

Next, was a man in armor. Ros used large aluminum cooking pot tops and chains. I had to walk in a masculine way holding the tops against my body with the chains hanging in front. Once again, I became that man in 1600 in armor as I approached the mic. (Ros was in hysterics in the corner because it sounded so real!).

We went on to create a necklace dropping on a cobblestone street, a man in street clothing and a special box with a love letter being looked at then passed along to one of the characters.

When we were done, I felt like I was transported back to the scenes in School For Husbands and Imaginary Cuckold.

Just as the voices bring the play to life for the listener, the sound effects act as other characters, all creating this wonderful aural magic genre of entertainment.

These LA Theatre Works radio plays will go on the air across the Country in the next couple of months. Go to www.LATW.org for more information.

The plays were recorded at The Invisible Studios in West Hollywood, California.

-Tracy Pattin

I have in-studio managed many of these plays, often with high profile casts (Alfred Molina, Michael York, Brendan Fraser, Hector Elizondo, Juliet Mills, Stacy Keach and many others) and I’m  constantly amazed at the magic that’s created all in a recording studio, all behind a microphone.

The process begins with a table read-through a day or two before the recording. Rosalind Ayres, the director on this project, explained to the actors what the set-up would be in the studio. I marveled at how this was like a film set. She described how they would come up close to the mic for the “close-up” scenes where the character reveals his private thoughts and they would step back from the mic for a “wide shot” when they wanted everyone to hear them. Since many in this cast are film actors, they immediately understood the analogy.

Although they’d always have script-in-hand at the recording, it’s very important that the actors work out the scenes with the other actors so they’re ready to record when they go into the studio. Time is money. And there’s rarely time for a lot of takes.

Once they’re in the studio, just like a film set has marks on the floor, the rug has strips of tape, almost like sun rays streaming out from the microphone as markers. Where they stand and how they move gives the illusion different sized environments, entrances and exits and any other situations to create a particular scene.

Before the actual recording, the actors then do a rehearsal (as done on a film or TV set) and finally they lay down the scenes, usually doing around 3 takes.

So you see, a radio play isn’t always actors standing at the mic, it’s much more complex than that.

Find out in part 3 about creating live sound effects in the post production phase of this fascinating process.

-Tracy Pattin

To hear this play go to the LA Theatre Works website. Moliere’s School for Husbands and Imaginary Cuckold will be airing across the country in the coming months. These plays were recorded at The Invisible Studios in West Hollywood, CA.

There is a whole other world for voice talent. It’s the radio play. This past week I was the in-studio manager for LA Theatre Works’ productions of Moliere plays, “School For Husbands” and “Imaginary Cuckold.”  Both were all British casts, except two American actors who can do perfect British Accents.

In Tuesday’s podcast, Amy Stoller, talks about accents and audio books. This is one of the areas where  a voice actor doesn’t have to have an authentic accent. It’s more about the characters and attitudes than a perfect accent. But there are exceptions.  Because these casts were all British, it was important that the two American actors have spot on British accents. Which they did. The Brits were impressed!

Speaking of the Brits, the radio play is alive and thriving in England. Seems British audiences grew up with the radio play and still love the medium. Why not in America? After all, before television, there was radio. It was THE place for information and entertainment (in addition of course to the newspaper) So why has it not withstood the test of time? (check out an upcoming blog post)

Listening to (and watching) these marvelous actors, Juliet Mills, Emily Bergl, Lloyd Owen, Brian Bedford to name a few voice their characters,  makes us realize the magic and power of the voice.

In Part 2 about the LA Theatre Works Moliere radio play recordings, find out how director, Rosalind Ayres works with the actors and how similar it is to a film set.

-Tracy Pattin

Mary McKitrick responded to the Amy Stoller podcast with these resourceful comments:

“Doing VO with accents can be great fun, and it is definitely worth pursuing this kind of work if one enjoys it and has an aptitude for it. Some relatively low cost approaches if you just want to explore: 1) Gillian Lane-Plescia at http://www.dialectresource.com/ has a series of Dialects for Actors CDs that are very helpful; 2) youtube is a bountiful resource – if you have an actor in mind (e.g., Billy Boyd, Scottish; Simon Baker, Australian) you can look up interviews; 3) Films: e.g. My Left Foot, Dublin); 4) accent archives such as http://accent.gmu.edu/ and http://web.ku.edu/~idea/ 5) theater department at the local college. I was lucky to find a course at a nearby university called Dialects for Actors. Taking language classes from native speakers is a great investment. I’ve been auditing French, German and Spanish classes at the college in my town for years (you have to forget about the fact that you might be 2-3 times older than anybody in the class – ha!). Concentrate on a few accents with which you have some facility, work on perfecting them, read out loud with them, work with a dialect coach like Amy and, ultimately, market them – and have a blast!”

Thanks Mary!

Listen to the Amy Stoller podcasts:

Amy Stoller podcast part 1

Amy Stoller podcast part 2

-Tracy Pattin

In tomorrow’s podcast interview with Amy Stoller (part 2) she talks about:

-Authentic accents vs. character accents

-When is an authentic accent required?

-When is a character accent okay? (a “good enough accent”)

-Do accents need to be perfect for audio books?

-What are the current trends with accents and audio book narration?

And much more…

-Tracy Pattin

Check out my upcoming podcast with Gustavo where he talks about his longtime career, how he got started, and how he’s able to be in both the English speaking VO market and the Hispanic market.

-Tracy Pattin