Welcome to episode 20 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

This is the second part of my interview with my fellow voice actor and accent expert, J.B. Blanc. In this episode we explore the difference between having regionalisms in your natural speech patterns versus actually having a physical speech impediment.

We also discuss the psychological aspects of accents. Your accent is the survival technique you adopted when you were young in order to survive in your surroundings. For some people, being asked to modify the way they speak can feel very threatening. J.B. shares with me the techniques he uses when coaching A-List celebrity actors with their accents.

You can find out more about J.B. at his website:

http://www.jbblanc.com/

We’ll finish up our discussion of accents in the next episode!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #20 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 19 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

Many of you have asked me about the subject of accents or dialects. I usually get similar questions from my listeners:

1. How do I learn an accent?
2. How can I remove or lessen my own accent?
3. How can I overcome a speech impediment?

I thought the best way to address these questions was to interview a wonderful friend of mine and fellow voice actor: J.B. Blanc.

J.B. and I first met working on the anime show Hellsing. Since then, both of us have gone on to work on many important and influential anime, video games and American animated series. J.B. is not only a fantastic actor, but he has an amazing facility with accents. I think you’ll really enjoy what he has to say!

You can find out more about J.B. at his website:

http://www.jbblanc.com/

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #19 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 18 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In this episode, I continue my discussion about a common question that I get at conventions and events outside of Los Angeles:

“What city should I move to in order to pursue voice acting?”

In the last episode, I discussed 5 cities I’m aware of that have thriving voice acting communities. Since then, listeners have commented on my blog and told me about additional cities that also have large voice acting communities. I really appreciate everyone’s insights and suggestions! If you’re curious about what city you should be in to pursue voice acting, I suggest you check out the discussion in the comments section of the blog post for episode 17.

In this episode I explain how to assess yourself before moving to a new city. There are 3 questions you should ask yourself:

1. How do you know if you’re artistically ready to move to a new city to pursue voice acting?
2. How do you know if you’re financially ready to move to a new city to pursue voice acting?
3. How do you know if you’re psychologically ready to move to a new city to pursue voice acting?

It is important to answer these 3 questions as honestly as possible. In the podcast, I tackle each of these subjects in depth. I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #18 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 17 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In this episode, I talk about a common question I get at conventions and events outside of Los Angeles:

“What city should I move to in order to pursue voice acting?”

You would think the answer to this question would just be the name of a city. But that is not the case. It turns out there are many cities that have vibrant voice acting communities.

In addition, there are many things to consider before you decide to move to another city to pursue voice acting. Are you artistically, financially and psychologically ready for such a change? In order to address this question effectively, I’m going to split this topic into two different parts:

1. Cities with Significant Voice Acting Industries
2. How to Assess Yourself Before Moving to a New City

In this first episode in the series, I’ll break down for you which cities have thriving voice acting communities. My short list of cities is (in no particular order):

• Los Angeles
• Vancouver
• New York
• Dallas
• San Francisco

In the podcast, I also explain the different types of voice acting work that is done in each of those cities. My knowledge is limited to cities in North America, but I’ll do my best to share my expertise and experience with you. I think you’ll find it very useful.

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #17 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 16 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In this episode, I address a question that comes up a lot when people want to talk to me about voice acting. The conversation usually goes something like this:

“Hey! I’d really like to get in to voice acting, but I don’t live in a major city. If I buy all the right equipment, can I have a successful voice acting career recording myself from home?”

This is a complicated question and so the answer takes some explanation. Basically there are some types of voice acting you can do from home, and some that you cannot. They basically break down into two types:

1. Narration-Style Voice Over
2. Collaborative-Style Voice Over

Narration-Style Voice Acting is the kind of work that only requires one voice, like industrial narration, audiobooks, promos and telephone trees (those automated menus you have to slog through when you call a large company for assistance). Rarely is more than one voice recorded for that type of work, so it is possible to do that kind of work from home.

Collaborative-Style Voice Acting includes animation, video games, anime and ADR or Looping. This kind of voice acting cannot be done from home. It requires many actors to come together to create a finished product. Therefore, every actor must be recorded on the same equipment, in the same recording environment with the exact same audio settings in order for the production to sound consistent.

Also, it turns out that even when a voice over job could be done from a home studio, it often isn’t. Producers have good reasons for wanting to use professional studios. I outline their reasons in the podcast. I also discuss what it takes to run a voice over business from home if that’s what you decide to do. But if what you’d like to do is collaborate on animation, games, anime or any other storytelling, the bottom line is you’re going to have to be in a city where that kind of work is done.

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #16 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 15 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!

As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:

http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast

In this episode, I conclude my very special interview with one of the great talents in the world of voice acting, Jack Angel. What I really love about talking with Jack is hearing his mindset and his philosophy about voice acting. It’s wonderfully inspirational and completely unconventional.

Jack also shares with me his advice for aspiring voice actors. I can honestly say that I never get tired of listening to Jack speak. His insights apply not only to voice acting, but to life in general. I think you’ll find it incredibly useful to listen to his interview over and over again. You’ll hear something new in it every time you do. I certainly do!

If you have any questions, please post your question as a comment to this blog post. Chances are, someone else has a similar question. By posting your question here on the blog, I get to communicate with all of you at once.

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #15 Here (MP3)