Actra conference
Happy sunny Monday!
I’m happy to announce that I will be speaking at the 2012 ACTRA Winter Members’ Conference! Below is the blurb about the workshop from the ACTRA site:
February 23rd 2012-9:45 -11:45 am
Ready, Set, Show!*
Voice with the pros. One of Canada’s top voice talents and teachers, Melissa Altro, joins moderator John Nelles to get your voice warmed up and READY. Then ACTRA’s 2012 Voice Award nominees share how they get SET to audition and perform. We’ll even put you on mic to up your game and SHOW you what you can do to succeed in the vibrant world of voice performing. Participants will be selected from the audience.*Please see Master Class application details.
P.s. This conference is FREE for members, so all you have to do is go the ACTRA site to sign up. I hope to see you there!
3 Steps
The following 3 steps mentioned in this video are definitely essential when “getting in to voice”.
Thanks Jonathan at www.jonathansvoice.com for posting!
two thousand and twelve
It’s a new year and time for starting new things! Yes! You may have noticed that the blog posts have been scarce so far this year and I do apologize. I was out of town doing the vacation thing, but I’m back in action and really excited about what Voice Pro has to offer you in 2012!
First up, the next session of in-studio classes begin next week. The dates are January 19th-February 23rd for ADULTS and January 18th-February 22nd for KIDS. I’ve extended the registration for a couple more days, so if you want to sign up send me a message immediately! I can’t promise there will be a space available so don’t hesitate to get on board! All the deets are on the classes page.
A holiday gift for YOURSELF!?
Ho, ho, ho! It’s almost Christmas and the spirit of gift giving is at its strongest. Here’s a suggestion! Give yourself the gift of voice over training and register now for the Voice Pro Studio 6-Week Cartoon Voiceover Class Thursdays from January-February! How’s that for sounding like a cheesy infomercial?! Eek! Seriously though, this session is almost full and your next opportunity to take a VPS class won’t be until the spring. So that being said, send me a message if you’re interested in signing up. For more details, visit the CLASSES page!
Video Game Voice Action
How Does Voice Over Work for Video Games?
By Tara Platt & Yuri Lowenthal
Similar to dubbing animation, voice-over for video games is most often recorded one actor at a time, alone in a booth. But as with recording for pre-lay animation, there is seldom a need to record to an already created animation or picture. When you begin, you may have a character sketch or some sample gameplay (a demonstration of what the game will look like when the player is playing it), but there’s rarely more than that to hang your hat on.
There are, of course, a few exceptions to this – the first being when you’re recording a version of a game that was originally produced in another language. In that case, you may have reference tracks in the original language, cut scenes (the short movies that play in between gameplay) that you’ll have to match, and strict timing concerns to be aware of.
In another scenario, near the beginning of a game’s development, you may have done some work on the game while no animation was yet available; and then eight months later the producers ask you to come back and do more work on it. Only now they’ve got animation and gameplay to show you as a reference.
But most often you’ll have very little (if any) preparation, and not a lot of time to learn about the game before you’re thrown into the fire. And this is where the director will be your best friend, giving you context for your dialogue – which you will sometimes record very quickly, one line after the other, two or three takes per line (i.e. two or three different recordings of the same line), with not even the other characters’ dialogue for reference. Other times you might get the entire script, but it’s unlikely you will have the time to do much more than scan it as you jump from line to line.
We’ve said that a strong imagination will help you in this business. To make this stuff work, you’re gonna have to imagine quite a bit. So, listening to the director, using your imagination, and making bold choices – all at high speed – are important, and together can often be the key to finding yourself on the top of the call list when a studio is auditioning and booking future jobs.
Very often these days, video games are developed in tandem with major motion pictures so that when the movie comes out, the game based on that movie is also available. Now before you get too excited about doing the VO for these video games, we have to let you know that voice actors in video games get paid a lot less than their on-screen counterparts. Why? Because the budgets for video games are nowhere near the budgets of the movies they accompany.
But now’s your chance to get excited again because, in most cases, a major motion picture actor will not want to lend his or her voice to the video game; the salary paid is simply not worth the time involved. This is where you come in: the game will likely require a voice actor to voice match the actor from the film. See, you always knew those impressions would come in handy one day.
On the downside, video game work, because of the nature of video games themselves, can be very stressful on your voice if you’re not careful. This is certainly a place where vocal control is important. If you play a lot of video games, you know that they’re chock-full of shouting, screaming, yelling, getting blown up, being set on fire, and falling from great heights. And that’s just in the opening cut scene.
These recording sessions can last up to four hours at a time. There have been times when we’ve emerged from them sweaty, hoarse, and shell-shocked – as if we’ve actually been through the war we were just playing at. Many voice actors refuse to do video games for this reason, and some will intentionally schedule VG sessions in the afternoon on a Friday so that they have the whole weekend to recuperate. But don’t let that scare you. Just keep reading: we have ways of keeping you safe.
This article is courtesy of www.raiseyourvoiceacting.com.
*audition notice*
**CASTING CALL** Looking to cast male and female voice actors for an all-new online multiplayer video game for kids debuting in 2012. Non-union. Recording asap. Contact Allan Turner at https://www.facebook.com/theaftend for details.
It’s all about time management!
Time Management by Deb Munro
How well are you managing your time?
Some of you are realists and manage your time very well. You know exactly how much time it takes to get your duties done and even know how to account for your personal time in that equation, while others aren’t as lucky.
Some of you may think “Time Management? What time!?” Sometimes I think that’s the category I fit into. There never seems to be enough time in the day for me to get done all that I set out to do. The difference however is that I am a realist as well and I do try to account for JUST the right amount of time. I am known to never be early and never be late – but I get everything done JUST IN THE NICK OF TIME!
Breaking myself into three careers isn’t easy. I feel that I am a full-time Voice Talent/Business Owner, Full time Coach and Full time Mom/Spouse/Grandma, so I tend to spread myself pretty thin. Not to mention I have some big goals yet to accomplish. It’s so important you see where you want to go and try and plan out exactly what is required in both time and money to accomplish it.
I got so busy that I just wasn’t able to keep up and hiring an assistant was my only hope. I was blessed when what I needed presented itself to me and now I’m able to manage my time much better.
How Much Is Your Time Worth To You?
How are you best spending your time?
It’s frustrating to watch talent have goals but do nothing with their time to achieve them. We all have circumstances that change our time management and daily routines, but much like the dreaded workout at the gym, if you don’t keep at it, you will never grow. This is one industry where complacency can be your enemy.
I want you to set out a realistic schedule for yourself and start recording your time spent on your craft. If you are devoting FULL TIME HOURS to this – then you will start seeing full time results, but if you’re only putting in an hour here and an hour there, that isn’t commitment, that’s a hobby and most of us don’t make money at our hobbies.
It’s so easy to make up excuses, so as we approach a new year, I encourage you to approach your train of thought in a productive direction, but then you have to stick to the plan you set out to achieve. I truly believe there is power in writing out your goals and your schedule. I myself work best under a written schedule.
Quantify And Assign Your Time
Here are some things I want you to consider for your schedule. How much time is spent PER DAY doing the following:
• Vocal and Physical Exercise
• Auditioning
• Editing
• Educating
• Research
• Invoicing
• Following up
• Effective Marketing
• Social Networking
• Family Time
• Friend Time
• Me Time
As you can see there isn’t enough time in the day to do ALL of these things, but when you run your own business, you don’t have a choice.
Some Things To Consider When Trying To Make Time
How much time is spent PER DAY doing the following:
• Social Networking
• Watching TV
• Listening to Music
• Drinking Coffee
• Smoking
• Driving
• Sleeping
• Eating
• Complaining
• Procrastinating
• Playing Games
• Cleaning
• Taking Care of Family
• Working
As you can see some of the things on this list are unavoidable, but if you actually monitor your days and write out exactly how much time is spent in each area of your day – you may be able to find time.
If all else fails you HIRE someone to help you achieve your goals and needs.
There are so many things in this list that someone else can do for you. The problem is you:
A) Don’t have the money or
B) Want to take on everything yourself to prove a point.
The only point you have to prove is to succeed and show you are worth the time and investment it takes to succeed.
I couldn’t afford the time or the money to make this career happen, but I knew it wasn’t going to do it itself. So I set out a schedule and a goal plan and I’ve been following it and adapting it every since.
Pace Yourself And Set Realistic Goals
How much is your time worth to you? Remember not to overload yourself either. Set realistic goals for yourself so that you don’t burn out. While you may be gifted to be all things to all people, until you take care of you – you will only let others down. Take care of your needs first. Set boundaries for yourself and your support team so that you can realistically devote the time and effort you need to creating the best you that you can create.
——–
This article is courtesy of www.voxdaily.com
8 Tips to starting a VO career
8 Tips to Starting a Voice Over Career by Tara Platt & Yuri Lowenthal
1) You must have a strong dream to get you through the dry times as you get started in VO industry.
2) Be sure to get ready before you start offering your services.
3) Keep your job, unless you are independently wealthy! You will need finances to train, create a demo, and it takes time to get started. You need tenacity and perseverance.
4) Don’t have unrealistic expectations – that way lies heartache. Just because your friends tell you that you have a great voice and are going to make a ton of money, the fact is the competition is huge.
5) Create a good quality voice over demo (get help with this – it is NOT something to be done on your own).
6) Further to the last tip, do not think you can be self sufficient in this industry. Even the best VO actors get critiques, engage a coach for continual training, and they practice, practice, practice!
7) Get a website up! Some people advise that you should wait until your demo is ready to create a website. But these days an online presence is practically mandatory and you might be losing contacts to hold off until your demo is completed. So create it as soon as soon as you can so people who find the site have something to listen to.
8) Oh, and did we say this already? Practice, practice, practice!
Keep the dream alive. Be realistic and know it will take time. And the more you practice and train, the better your chances of having a fun and rewarding career as a Voice Over artist!
——–
This article is courtesy of www.raiseyourvoiceacting.com.
sounds: laugh
- Evil
- Old
- Childlike
- Goofy
- Nervous
- Snooty
- Manic
the animation voice demo
Hey there! Last month the Vox Daily Blog featured the article I wrote called The Animation Voice Demo- 6 Key Elements. For those who missed it, here it is today featured on the VPS bloggedy blog. I hope you enjoy the read :)
THE ANIMATION VOICE DEMO- 6 KEY ELEMENTS BY MELISSA ALTRO
Let me break it down for you folks, if you want an agent to represent you in voice, you NEED a voice demo to submit to them in order to be considered. That being said, you need a character demo to be cast in general regardless of where your job opportunities come from. Below I’ve put together a list of the key 6 elements in my opinion that makes a voice demo great!
6 KEY ELEMENTS:
- Length
- Collection of solid character voices
- Writing
- Music/Sound Effects
- Direction
- Editing/Sound Mixing
1. LENGTH
The ideal length of a voice demo should fall between a minimum of one minute long and at a maximum of two minutes. Like any kind of entertainment or impactful art, if it’s worthwhile, it will keep your listener’s attention. Also, the length will depend on the amount of character voices and length of the individual pieces. These are choices your director will make depending on your range and quality of delivery.
2. SOLID CHARACTER VOICES
You want your character voices to be strong and distinctive so you should only have between 8-12 characters. If you have a collection of voices that are truly unique and stand a part from the rest your number might be closer to 12. If you are still in the process of developing your range you should stick to a number that’s closer to 8 character voices. Overlap creates for a redundant demo. You want to impress and surprise, keeping your listener engaged so you want to avoid having a collection of character voices that sound too similar. Ideally you want a variety of stock characters and your own “one of a kinds.” This is an important mixture so that you can convey to your listener that you have the ability to play popular types of characters and that you have pulse on what’s current. While the “one of a kinds” will allow your listener to know that you are creative and thoughtful. This is a dynamic combination and if executed successfully will without a doubt impress any listener!
3. WRITING
The writing in your demo is very important. Humour is key. Everybody loves to laugh and it’s essential when we’re talking cartoons that humour is involved. Also, you don’t want to take yourself too seriously so it’s best to have material that’s light and clever and perhaps even include some moments that are a bit self-depreciating of self-referential.
4. SOUND EFFECTS
Sound effects can really bring a read alive. A good sound effect or music choice will bring energy to a read. It can even give it context and will further support the character’s intention or mood of the read, i.e. an evil sounding music piece will heighten the suspense and danger of a scheming villain character voice. That being said, it’s very important that the music or sound effects do not over power the read or distract from the character. You want to include music that’s in sync with the actor’s delivery and avoid adding anything that is too busy or chaotic sounding or by contrast too slow or dull sounding. It’s a fine balance!
5. DIRECTION
How important is good direction? Well, a good director knows how to bring out the best in you. This director will get your reads to be varied with changes in pacing, mood and energy levels. It’s also essential that you director is creative and imaginative. Wacky vision and exploring sometimes what seems “weird” is what will make your demo stand out from the rest.
6. EDITING AND MIXING
Finally, it’s time for editing and sound mixing. Once your demo material is all recorded and you leave the studio, the editing process begins. It’s crucial that the sound engineer works with the director to make the transitions snappy and the gaps between the lines as small as possible. The awkward breaths and mouth noises should edited out as well leaving your reads sounding clean and clear! Sound effects and music are thoughtfully added and ta da! A brand spankin’ new voice demo!
