As you may or may not be aware, I'm currently in the middle of mainlining VO training, so I can start seeking auditions and/or representation that will do the seeking for me. I've already done an animation (character) workout, and Voice-To-Picture, and a couple of commercial workouts.
Workouts are set up to record stuff in the booth, with feedback from the other actors and the person running the board (the engineer). Workshops still get you in the booth, but you don't get feedback from anyone other than the "teacher", for the most part. Unless the copy you're reading is restricted, like in the VTP workshop, you usually get to take your recordings home on a flash drive.
So, last night's workshop was all about narration, which covers documentaries, PSAs, museum guide (recordings, of course), and corporate/industrial, but not audiobooks! It was being led by a man who's a staple in that arena, without necessarily being famous. The voices you know you've heard in this arena include Peter Coyote and Morgan Freeman. They are not going to teach a workshop to get you more work in this particular playing field. The guy last night basically told us that there is a ton of work out there, if we're interested in focusing on Narration.
Which leads me to my title. He asked us to introduce ourselves, with a little backstory into our experience to date, and why we wanted to take that particular class. His response to mine was to tell me/us that I'm/we're "probably getting" ADHD, as there are So. Many. Worlds. to choose from in VO, and if I/we've not yet "chosen" which world I/we want to "live" in, it can get overwhelming.
Yes, that. The overwhelm is strong in *this* one.
HOWEVER, I'm loving attending these workshops. Now I just need someone who "knows" me (or at least my voice/range/acting abilities) to give me a nudge in one direction. Which is why I want an agent. But it's also why I need to fine-tune the demos I already have and/or record fresh, new demos. But for which specific worlds?
Dammit.
*****
Also, in case you're wondering how my juice cleanse/fast is going, Stephen informed me today that his leg cramps and my back pain are probably related to the detox, and that we should both be consuming electrolytes in addition to our juices. I can do that. I'm loving the juices, for the most part, and I think I have my ingredients list narrowed down (after doing a couple of massive shops), for next week, at least, when Stephen returns to chewing again and I'm still juicing. I've got access to electrolytes to add to clear water, between "meals", too. So we're good.
If you're wondering what the fuck I'm talking about, you obviously haven't been following along. You needn't go far into the archives to get caught up, unless you feel like it, just for your own sense of accomplishment. So, please. Peruse my archives. They're right there ==>
What fun things are happening in YOUR life these days? #TellMeAllAboutEm
Are you going to be the next Morgan Freeman? I hear agent Ari Gold is available.
ReplyDeleteBwa. Ha. Ha.
DeleteI'm not looking to replace Mr. Freeman. I'd be happy to work. 🤗
I have always wondered how people manage to do the voices of animated characters. Timing etc. So it doesn't look like a spaghetti western!
ReplyDeleteAnimation is one area of VO that is voiced first, I believe. Videogames, too, probably. Most VO that's added in post-production is NOT going to have to match anyone's lips, except in the case of "looping" (ADR, or Automated Dialogue Replacement). Sometimes the original actor will loop their own dialogue, and sometimes it's done by a sound-alike. I'm too ADHD already to even investigate that realm!
DeleteVoice-To-Promo is more of a timing matter to make the "narrator" voice fit in between dialogue clips of the show/channel being promoted. A world I never even knew existed, and I think already filled with just a handful of voices that do it all.