Welcome to episode 31 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 the discussion I began last time about how to act professionally in a recording studio.

In the last episode of this podcast, I explained how to think and act like a professional when you go into a studio to record. I talked about how important it is to have the right mindset when approaching other people in the industry. This “professional” mindset is the foundation for how to behave in any voice acting situation. If you haven’t listened to the previous episode, I suggest you do so now before continuing with this one.

In this episode I want to walk you through a virtual recording session and give you some helpful “in-studio” tips. I’ll start with your arrival at the studio, continue on to what you should and should not do when you’re in the booth, and I’ll end with how to make a gracious exit. When combined with the professional mindset you learned in the previous episode, this advice will help you behave more like a seasoned veteran.

I hope you find it useful!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #31 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 30 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 wanted to talk about what it means to be professional when you go into a studio to record.

As the cost of recording equipment has dropped, more and more people have decided to enter the voice acting field by creating their own home studio. While this is a wonderful convenience, it does mean that voice actors spend less time going into studio recording booths to audition and perform.

For some who are just starting out, you may not have had as much experience working at a professional studio. You may find the idea of walking into a room with producers, directors and an audio engineer intimidating. I want to help alleviate your fear by giving you some basic tips on how to behave when you visit a professional studio.

More importantly, I want to share with you the mindset you must have in order to act like a professional. Even as a seasoned veteran, I find it helpful to remind myself of this mindset before I walk into the studio to record. It raises my confidence level and puts me more at ease, which then improves the quality of my performances.

In this episode, I’ll focus on and explain the professional mindset, which is the foundation for your success. In the next episode, I’ll share with you some helpful in-studio tips that will improve your recording experience and enhance the impression you make on other industry professionals.

I hope you find it useful!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #30 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 29 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

For this episode, I thought I would play some of the voicemail questions that I’ve been getting from my listeners and do my best to answer them. For those who don’t know, in the last episode I gave out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.

For this round of Q & A, I answer two of my listeners, Kimberly from Bernie, CA and Wes from Palm Springs, CA.

1. Kimberly asks me how she can know when it’s safe to use her voice again after she’s recovered from being sick.
2. Wes asks me if I could give him some tips and tricks for how to do voice matches.

I think you’ll find the answers very helpful.

As a reminder, the number where you can call in and ask your question is:

323-696-2655.

Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

If you’d like to purchase the tea I recommend, you can find the Throat Coat Tea on Amazon.com.

To rip audio from DVDs you own, you can download the Handbrake program here.

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #29 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 26 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 very important aspect of voice acting that is often overlooked and sometimes deeply misunderstood. I mentioned it in episode 22 of the podcast, where I outlined 5 Essential Steps for Voice Acting Beginners. It was step 3 in that list of 5 and it is this:

You must discover your Character Types.

It is vitally important to your success as an actor to understand which kinds of characters you can believably and competitively play. This is true of acting regardless of the medium in which you’re performing, but it is especially true in voice acting. Most people think that a voice actor can and should play any character they want to. While this is theoretically true, the reality is that there are always going to be certain types of characters that suit your voice better than others. Without understanding which characters are most appropriate for your voice, chances are you will try to audition for roles that do not suit you. Doing so lowers your chances of getting hired. This can make you incredibly frustrated as you try out for role after role and can’t seem to make any headway.

Let me help you avoid that headache. I want to explain to you just how important it is to understand which characters do and do not suit your voice. Armed with that knowledge, your chances of getting cast will improve astronomically.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #26 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 22 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 want to talk about 5 Essential Steps any Beginner should take when approaching Voice Acting. I get inquiries from many people who are brand new to the idea of voice acting and would like to pursue it professionally. Often, they would like a clear recipe on how to become a working voice actor. The irony of this, of course, is that there is no one recipe for becoming a voice actor.

While there may not be a linear recipe to follow, there are certain abilities or criteria that I find common among the most successful professional voice actors. These are concrete things you can work on in order to improve the likelihood that you will be able to take advantage of voice acting opportunities. Any beginner, (and even some veterans), will benefit from focusing on these steps. I’ve narrowed them down to 5 Essentials:

1. You must become an actor.
2. You must learn how to use your voice as an instrument.
3. You must discover your character types.
4. You must become capable of and comfortable with recording yourself at a professional level.
5. You must be confident.

I explore each of these topics in depth in the podcast itself. While these essentials may seem obvious, you must truly understand and internalize these ideas if you want to become a successful professional voice actor. A superficial understanding is not enough. I encourage you to listen to the podcast thoroughly!

I hope you enjoy it!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #22 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 21 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 third and final part of my interview with my fellow voice actor and accent expert, J.B. Blanc.

In this episode we conclude our discussion by talking about a number of different topics including:

1. What someone can do to work on an accent by themselves.
2. JB’s favorite resource online for researching accents. (Hint: it’s the International Dialects of English Archive or IDEA)
3. Realizing that not everyone speaks a certain dialect in the exact same way.
4. How to contact JB to get individual coaching from him. (Hint, visit his website: http://www.jbblanc.com/)

A big thanks to JB for spending time with me talking in so much detail about such an important topic. And thanks to you for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #21 Here (MP3)