voice over talent

Voice Over Classes, Workshops, Webinars, oh my!

February 7, 2017 by MaryMorgan

Now that I have your attention here’s a warning! There are lots of questions that need answering. Still want to venture forth? Good! You’re very brave. Here we go!

How badly do you want to be a voice over? Like, really how badly? Quite a bit? A lot? Really? Great, now what are you prepared to do to make it happen?

The above questions are for you to answer. Over the next few weeks I’ll post questions with my answers so that you can determine if they’re of any help in where you want to be as a voice over.

Ready to begin? Alrighty then!

-Do you train with just a few people or with lots of people?

Whether you work with 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 10 coaches in voice over, you’ll never learn all you need to know. Why? Because as I type this and as you read this the business is changing rapidly. Think about it. Decades ago (in no particular order) there were announcements, then came advertisements, then came promos, then came jingles, then came animations, then came audiobooks, then came movie trailers, then came ADR (automated dialogue replacement), see where this is going? And to add on what we have already there are also medical narrations, on-hold messages, industrials, corporate narrations, museum tours, video games, toys, award show announcers, e-learning, translations, motion capture and now virtual reality is on the rise.

So with all that said, you need to find your niche. You might be great at commercials but not comfortable with animation. You might be terrible at medical narrations but terrific with promos. Audiobooks might be too much for you to handle, yet you can rock the house with video games.

But how, you ask, do you find out? Take workshops!

As I’ve said quite a few times, if you have a computer with internet then you have no excuses not to work with others in VO. The only downside is that they do cost money, some much more than others. You also have to do some research because a person may claim expertise in something but not have nothing to show for it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen continuing education classes at colleges taught by supposed experts yet find nothing about them on the internet: No website, no LinkedIn page, no IMDb page, not even a mention in forums or message boards. But in the bio of the course taught they’ve been a VO talent for 20 years doing commercials, narrations, video games, etc.

Here’s something I do when anyone claimed to work in cartoons or video games. I search the Internet Movie Database.

For example, look at Dave Fennoy, who teaches video game voice acting workshops. http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0271965/?ref=m_nv_sr_1

Or Pat Fraley who teaches animation and audiobook voice over workshops. http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0289710/?ref=m_nv_sr_1

Or Bob Bergen, who was the first true VO talent I learned from. http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0074036/

Now unfortunately not all animation voice over talent have IMDb pages, but they have experience and knowledge with companies like Nickelodeon, Disney, and others. Lisa Biggs for example is a phenomenal voice actress with 20 years of experience. I know Lisa and always recommend her. Sadly I can’t find an IMDb page for her. But if you visit her top-notch website you’ll hear amazing demos, see video clips of various jobs and toys that she’s voiced! You can ask if anyone knows Lisa Biggs in a number of voice over groups and discover that she’s not only well known but widely respected and incredibly generous. http://lisabiggs.com/

If you’re drawn to the world of commercials you still want to work with more than one person. Why? Because you still need to find out what kinds of commercials work for you. Always use your natural voice for commercials unless the client is looking for character voices (talking tomatoes, talking pets, etc.). If your voice is young you probably won’t book many ads about banks, real estate, or automotive spots; however, you might have luck with ads for cosmetics, restaurants, fashion, or vacation packages. If your voice is older or deeper you can do sultry ads for perfumes, authoritative commercials on serious subjects, pet foods, cleaning products, wine or beer products. Get the idea?

Can you talk for hours without sounding tired or damaging your vocal chords? Then try audiobooks or narrations. The hours are long and sometimes deadlines are short, but lots of people make good money recording audiobooks and it continues to be a market in high demand. But what genres fit your voice? Mystery? Science fiction? Fantasy? Horror? True Crime? Romance? YA? Children’s books? Non-Fiction? Erotica?

Can you sound like a young and energetic little boy or girl? A hyperactive robot? A bitter old woman? A sarcastic villain? A magic creature from folklore? A foreigner from a little-known country with a bizarre accent? Then you might have a place in the world of animation, anime and video games. But keep in mind all the above as just a few examples of what you might be expected to do just for one show. These days voice actors are expected to voice at least 3 different characters for a single game or show. And they must not sound similar!

Nancy Cartwright is famous as the voice of Bart Simpson, but look on her IMDb page and see the other voices she created for the show during the 27 years it’s been airing on T.V.! http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004813/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

What about Trey Parker and Matt Stone who created South Park? http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0121955/fullcredits/cast?ref_=m_tt_cl_sc

Browse Tara Strong’s list of credits and see how many shows she had to provide more than one character voice for: http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0152839/filmotype/actress?ref_=m_nmfm_1

This blog post could go on and on. Yet I imagine the info mentioned thus far is already taking its toll on your brain. You don’t have to be good with all voice over markets, but the more you can add to your repertoire, the more likely you’ll attract work and opportunities.

So after everything I said above, what do you think? Should you train with just a few VO coaches or as many as you can?

I’ve worked with LOTS of people. And I’ll probably work with more, because I never want to stop learning.

Here’s a list of people I’ve trained with as well as what I learned from them and a list of people I have not worked with but whom I trust in what they teach.

People I’ve trained with and highly recommend:

Lisa Biggs: Animation, kids voices, voice over for toys

Pat Fraley: Animation and Audiobooks

Bob Bergen: Animation

Mary Lynn Wissner: Commercials

Bill Holmes: Commercials

Everett Oliver: Animation

Marc Cashman: Commercials

Dave Fennoy: Video Games

Ginny McSwain: Video games

Lani Minella: Video games

Richard Horvitz: Animation

Marice Tobias: Commercials and Narrations

MJ Lallo: Animation

Katie Leigh: Animation

Joyce Castellanos: Promos

Ned Lott: ADR Looping

Cliff Zellman: Commercials

People or Places I haven’t trained with (yet!) but still recommend:

Anyone who teaches at Global Voice Acting Academy

Nancy Wolfson – Commercials

Angel Burch – Beginning Voice Overs, Animation, Techniques

Elaine Clark – Narration, Commercials, Video Games

Debi Derryberry – Animation, Commercials

Terri Douglass – ADR Looping

Bill Farmer – Animation, Commercials, Trailers

Marc Graue – Video Games, Trailers, Commercials, Narrations, Promos,

Often the names above will teach workshops across the USA and sometimes abroad. Unfortunately, one or two only work with talent in person. Otherwise, the majority will also teach workshops over Skype, group classes through Zoom or webinars. Take advantage of the opportunity to work with them!

Google their names and see what you find or find them on social media.

Always remember to do your research and follow your instincts!

Exercise and Voice Over

January 30, 2017 by MaryMorgan

Can exercise make you a better VO?

Anybody and everyone will say the same thing over and over: exercise is good for you! You know it’s true. It has many, many MANY benefits for the body, the mind and I’m going to share how it’s helped me in voice over.

Breathing for example. We all have to breathe in order to live, but to do hours of voice over you need to understand the right way to breathe by using the diaphragm instead of the chest. It’s also a common necessity for classically trained singers when performing live concerts or stage musicals. However, those not interested in voice lessons can learn to breathe correctly by practicing yoga. As someone who also teaches yoga I can attest to this.

Yoga promotes better breathing, balance, flexibility and strength. When doing animation or video game voice overs sometimes the body must be in motion even if the player only hears your voice. If the character is in motion you need to sound like you’re in motion. For those who want to act with motion capture technology, being in good shape is essential. You could be asked to run, do somersaults, choreographed fight scenes, etc., over and over until the director has the best footage for animating.

Martial arts is fabulous for breathing, as well as learning to protect yourself in real life and understanding how to take a punch, a kick, a slap, or handling weapons. I often promote Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art, as a style worth time and money to learn because the training is intense and realistic when it comes to defending yourself from danger. I don’t mean zombies, or supernatural enemies, but real life. It took me 7 years to achieve my black belt and it was one of the best investments I ever made. You’re taught how to get out of choke holds, bear hugs, knife attacks, gun attacks, ground attacks, stick or pipe attacks, and much more. Lots of video games are first-person shooters. Can you create five different ways to sound like you’ve been punched or kicked? How about exertion sounds such as lifting something heavy, reacting to a gunshot wound, holding a heavy rifle or sword and having to fight with it? Then there’s the fact that you’ll need to be comfortable doing all the above while standing in a booth for 3-4 hours — or possibly 6!

Or if you don’t want to take lessons in martial arts, try dancing. If you hope to be in musicals someday then it’s another must. Few musicals don’t include dancing of some sort. While I’ve yet to hear about a VO or motion capture session involving dancing and speaking at the same time, it’s still part of performing arts and great for singers. Broadway performers often make great voice actors due to their ability to be animated when speaking as well as singing. Before celebrities came aboard to voice characters in animated Disney Films, stage actors and singers like Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid), Paige O’Hara (Belle in Beauty and the Beast), Richard White (Gaston in Beauty and the Beast), Susan Egan (Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and Meghara in Hercules) and others voice iconic characters doing the speaking and singing. To be stage performers they had to be in good shape, have flexible vocal chords and excellent breath control.

And you don’t like the idea of any kind of exercise class then you have no excuse not to go for a walk or jog. Get used to being on your feet for an hour or two and practice getting your lungs nice and strong.

In an article with The Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/Beyonce-to-fight-childhood-obesity/articleshow/8888356.cms), Beyoncé revealed her training regimen from her early days, stating, “My father, who was also my manager, made me run a mile while singing so I would be able to perform on stage without becoming exhausted.”

Running may not be the most fun thing to do but Beyoncé has a strong point. The exercise kept her in shape, improved her ability to use awesome breath control when singing and moving, and her energy is all over the place.

If weather is unpleasant, then get on your computer and use YouTube exercise videos. There’s an abundant amount of them! Start with 30 minutes a day till you feel you can do 45 minutes, then an hour.

Now, forgive me if I’m blunt here, but if nothing mentioned in this blog inspires you to move to keep you voice and body healthy, then you’re either depressed or lazy. If you’re depressed, please don’t think you’re alone and believe there are ways to get help. If you’re lazy, that’s a choice. Just don’t expect opportunities to come your way. This is not a business for people who are lazy. Neither will do you any good in building success as a voice over. You MUST take care of yourself. No one will do it for you. If you ever want to compete with the amazing talent already out there, then you have to do the work and keep at it.

Are you a member of a gym? See if they offer yoga or martial arts classes.

Not interested in a gym? Try finding a studio dedicated to yoga, Pilates or martial arts.

If you can’t get to a gym, a yoga studio or a martial arts center or don’t have the money to join them guess what? You have Youtube! And there’s no more excuses to use from here because you wouldn’t be reading this blog if you didn’t have internet or access to it.

However when it comes to martial arts I don’t recommend learning through YouTube or any online videos. It’s best you take lessons in person with a mentor who’s certified to teach.

But with yoga fear not, here are some good sites I’ve come to appreciate when it comes to exercise and inspiration. Good luck on your journey!

https://www.youtube.com/user/RachelBrathenYoga

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kayla-matthews/9-great-yoga-youtube-channels_b_6737360.html

http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/best-videos-yoga#10

https://www.youtube.com/user/lesleyfightmaster

http://takelessons.com/blog/yoga-for-singers-z02

Video Game Voice Acting with Dave Fennoy

August 25, 2015 by MaryMorgan

The world of voice over is growing in ways that can’t be calculated. Think about the markets. For example: Commercials, industrials, corporate videos, Internet videos, animation, anime, narrations, audio books, announcers, theme park rides, political endorsements, toys, video games, and as technology progresses, imagine how much longer the list will grow.

Now look at sub-genres of a market like video games: First-person shooters, role-playing games, point-and-click adventure, tower defense, interactive movie, survival horror, MMO (massive multiplayer online), just to name a mere few.

As video games continue to expand, again — thanks to technology — voice over talent must follow with what’s current. Reading lines isn’t enough anymore, because believability is in high demand. For those wanting to pursue voice over in video games it helps to learn from someone steadily working in them such as Dave Fennoy (http://m.imdb.com/name/nm0271965/).

Mr. Fennoy took time out of his busy schedule to travel to Dallas, Texas, and share his incredible wealth of knowledge in voicing video games, and the results were nothing less than impressive.

For example, when reading an audition, it helps to read the character bio if it’s provided. However, for times when one isn’t available, the imagination becomes a most important tool.

Ask yourself these six questions:

-Who, What, When, Where, Why and How?

Depending on what’s in the script, you might need to get more technical with the questions:

-Who am I? What am I doing? Where am I? When am I doing it? Why am I doing it? How did I get here?

Now consider answering those questions. If little to no background of the game or the character is supplied then create them.

Who am I? Leesa, a dinosaur expert and time travel hobbyist in my late 20s.

What am I doing? Protecting a group of travelers from man-eating beasts.

Where am I? A prehistoric jungle.

When am I doing it? Right here, right now.

Why am I doing it? A. Something went wrong and I’m responsible for everyone, B. It’s all about survival, I want to get back with or without the others, C. maybe both.

How did I get here? A time machine malfunctioned at a science convention sending me and a couple of unfortunate participants back to the Jurassic Period.

Although the information above probably isn’t in the script, it helps establish a character and a driven purpose for him/her being in the game. The more detailed backgrounds developed the more you train yourself to be creative with the mind when looking at a new script.

Beginners, intermediates and experts took away valuable insight from Mr. Fennoy’s workshop that will undoubtedly help them as they progress in their careers. The energy and encouragement shared by all over the course of two days proved to be an invigorating experience worthy of recommendation.

Please note the information above is only the tip of the iceberg. To learn more visit Dave Fennoy’s website to see if he’ll be in your city/state anytime soon!

http://www.voforgaming.com

Look for more posts on topics like voice over, food, art, music, writing, travel, animals and other forms of awesomeness regarding the world we live in!

Mary Morgan

Exercise and Voice Over

Video Game Voice Acting with Dave Fennoy

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