Did you catch the story on Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood that went behind the microphone, to focus on Voice Over Acting the Actors?
It was pretty interesting….Take a look:
Animation Voice Acting, Education, In The News, Personalities, Recodring, Technique Tips, Uncategorized, Video, Video Games
This kind of relates to the last post, but a former student sent me a demo to listen to.
She couldn’t figure out where the faint hum was coming from in her recording. She was asking if I thought it might be the microphone or something else. Wellll…..after listening several times, very closely, I realized what the low hum was….
TRAFFIC! Outside her window….the same window she cracked open to let some of the warm fresh spring air into her studio.
Remember as the weather gets nicer and you open those doors and windows to let a little fresh air in…You have to close them again, tightly before recording. Or you too may find yourself scratching your head, wondering where that “low hum” is coming from on your next recording.
Just a quick tip….Talk soon…
Voice Acting skills can take a back seat to the nice weather this time of year. I know that it’s tempting, but don’t stop with your training and marketing of your services to spend time having fun in the sun!
Actually, there is a way that you can kind of have your cake and eat it too. Simply stick to a simple schedule….nothing fancy or complicated. Literally block out specific time during the day when you work on your training or marketing….Then go out and have fun in the sun…AFTER you’ve finished your work.
I’m working on a simple scheduling technique that I’ll be releasing soon (maye today or tomorrow,) that will increase your productivity by at least 400% AND give you plenty of free time! Don’t believe me? Well, just check back….
AND….Be sure to sign up to the newsletter on this page to keep up to date and to get free videos, tutorials and reports that I don’t always put on the blog. Maybe this scheduling technique/report will be one of those bonuses. 
I just shot this out to everyone on my email list…(If you want to stay in
touch and get the latest news, offers and tips that you don’t always
find here on the blog, just leave your email address in the form in the
upper right column of the blog.)
I thought I should post it here as well, since it really could save your
next audition or recording session. I hope it helps you out!
So, I was holding auditions this morning for a commercial
I’m producing and this guy comes running in just as we
were about to end.
**He’s all disheveled…says he was running late. (No apology,
just said he was running late.)…. No-No #1 – ALWAYS
Be On Time…(or better yet, a bit early)
**As he’s signing in, he’s finishing up a milkshake. (This is
actually 3 separate No-No’s all in one:
- Don’t eat or drink anything real cold before recording
as it will tighten your vocal chords
- Don’t eat or drink anything dairy before recording as
it will create a thick mucous in your mouth and will make
your voice “smack” whenever you open your mouth.
- Try not to eat RIGHT BEFORE a recording. (This guy’s
burping and hic cupping proved that!)
**And the 3rd Big No-No (actually the 5th, in this example) -
This guy was wearing a watch that was real loose on his
wrist, so every time he moved his arm, you could hear the
watch sliding around, so we had to re-record. NEVER
wear loose jewelry or anything else that can make noise
during a recording session.
Needless to say…he probably wasted a trip to the studio
for his audition. Although he didn’t sound bad and I
probably could have used him…. I won’t. And I probably
wouldn’t use him again in the future just because of this.
I shouldn’t say that…and who knows, maybe I will use him
after some time…but remember that you only get ONE first
impression.
Some good info for the aspiring Voice Over Actor. This posting came from a blog at The Southernexpressbluegrass.com Blog and was written by Vicki Amorose…Major props to her on a great posting!
This is actually written for Voice Over Directors…from a Voice Over Actor’s perspective, but it’s always good to get a feel for things on both sides of the microphone!
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Advice for directors and producers, written from the perspective of the voice-over actor. Intended to improve the recording session experience. Use this article as a crash course, or to tune up your directing skills. These tips apply to voice acting of all types. The terms voice-over actor/voice-over talent/talent/actor are used here interchangeably.
When you are in the director’s chair at a voice-over session, the process can sometimes become a struggle for both you and the talent. You have a vision you need to share with the voice actor, a person who knows far less than you do about the product, message, or concept. At the same time, you hired that actor to bring his or her own unique skills to the project. Unlike the making of a film or a stage production, you do not have weeks to rehearse and analyze the script. The studio clock is ticking and that alone adds an element of anxiety to the recording session.
The following tips apply well to both in-person and long distance sessions. Read more…