VAM 034 | Interview with Kimlinh Tran and Edward Bosco, Part 2
Welcome to episode 34 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 interview with Kimlinh Tran and Edward Bosco, two of my former students who have gone on to play main characters in the popular independent video game Dust: An Elysian Tail. You can find it on the Xbox Live Arcade. If you haven’t heard the first part of their interview, I suggest you check out the previous episode before you listen to this one.
This time around, we discuss both the casting process for the game as well as some interesting acting lessons Edward and Kimlinh learned while working on it. While they each had very different paths to being hired as voice actors for the project, once they were cast, they both faced the same challenge any voice actor has: how to portray a character believably and authentically and not simply demonstrate a caricature of that character. I think you’ll find it very enlightening!
Thanks for listening!
Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #34 Here (MP3)
14 Responses to “VAM 034 | Interview with Kimlinh Tran and Edward Bosco, Part 2”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- VAM 035 | Interview with Kimlinh Tran and Edward Bosco, Part 3 | Voice Acting Mastery: Become a Master Voice Actor in the World of Voice Over - [...] it on the Xbox Live Arcade. If you haven’t already, I suggest you listen to episodes 33 and 34…
- VAM 089 | Better Voice Acting Through Critical Listening | Voice Acting Mastery: Become a Master Voice Actor in the World of Voice Over - […] on this topic briefly in my interview with Edward Bosco and Kimlinh Tran back in episodes 33, 34 and…
Lovely podcast. It was really amazing in Edward’s story about being assistant casting director. I found that really enlightening.
Can’t wait till next podcast!
Thank you for returning for part two Kalyn. A lot of actors don’t ever get to see the casting side of things, much less be a casting director. I’ve had that opportunity multiple times and my internship with Nickelodeon only further my interest in it. I consider myself very blessed to have that experience this early in my career.
Excellent. Glad you’re enjoying it so much.
Excellent. I look forward to the next episode.
Kimlinh’s character kinda sounds like a Navi from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
I’ve actually heard that comparison before. As I mentioned in the podcast, Mac’s goal was to make the performance memorable and as far away from annoying as possible. He and Kimlinh were able to do that, I believe, as well as anyone could have with Fidget. We’re all very proud of the mostly positive response she’s gotten thus far.
Thanks so much for checking out the episode Eric.
Kimlinh mentioned that while we were talking actually. It’s funny you mentioned it.
It’s oddly refreshing to hear Crispin’s story about wanting to add “too much sauce” to Alan Gabriel. I guess even the pros had to learn the “you are enough” lesson at some point.
Definitely going to check out Dust. It seems like having the entire cast record from their home studios would be a big gamble, but I’ve heard nothing but good things, so props to your engineer(s) 🙂 Also, hey Edward, crazy that you’d mention Laura — I met her at VOICE 2012 at an AiVA workshop. Got to talk to her briefly about life in LA. She seems like good peole. Were you there too, by chance?
Thanks again, Crispin, for sharing Edward & Kimlinh’s stories with us. Can’t wait for part 3! Also, one quick question that I can’t think of anywhere else to ask. If, hypothetically, you were to spend a week on a playa in the desert, what steps would you take during/after to minimize the effects of the dust? There are voice actors who would be interested to hear the steps you might take. Thanks!
First off, thanks so much for taking the time to listen David. It’s very much appreciated. Our engineer was Deven Mack and myself. Mac cut up and edited 95% of what you hear in the game. So I again give him the bulk of the credit. I had to edit all of Ahrah’s stuff and work on the filters used in the game. The “Ducks” were in charge of mastering everything and eventually partnered with me to create the final version of Ahrah’s filter.
Laura Post is an amazing person and an unfairly talented actress. We’re both from Chicago so we’ve known each other for a little while. I wasn’t able to make the trip to Voice 2012, but hopefully next year I can get out there and see what it’s all about.
As for surviving in the desert, I’d take Ahrah with me and perform the appropriately named Dust Storm should I ever need to clear a path.
Thanks again for listening. I really means a lot to be able to help Crispin’s listeners, even if it’s just sharing experiences and telling stories. Both Kimlinh and I are still rookies in this giant industry and to see people interested in our stories still baffles and humbles me.
You’re very welcome Dave! Glad my own stories help give perspective on things. I’m constantly having to remind myself of the basics of acting and confidence. Just like a pro basketball player, I’m constantly practicing the fundamentals.
As far as your question about the playa, I assume you’re referring to Burning Man which I’ve attended for the past 3 years. To be honest, I’ve never had any problems with the dust affecting either my voice or my lungs. I know others have complained about the dust on the playa being harsh on their throats, but I have yet to experience that, and I’ve gone out in dust storms and even played my didgeridoo in the midst of billowing dust clouds.
I think the key is staying hydrated. That’s the best advice I can give. Keeping yourself hydrated gives your lungs and throat the moisture it needs to make sure it expels any accumulated dust in your system. Hope that helps!
I’ve loved these last two episodes Crispin and I’m looking forward to the next one. It’s so interesting to hear two people on the podcast I previously heard some months ago on a little Youtube series called “Bryson Interviews.” Good stuff. My question to all of you is how do you avoid adding too much sauce to a character or making your performance seem like a caricature?
Thanks so much for taking the time to listen to both parts Terance. That’s awesome that you also listen to Bryson’s interviews. I hope I didn’t repeat too much.
For me, it’s all about creating a believable character. I find that when I listen to a performance the ones that pop are the ones where the actors really makes the character interesting. Simon Templeman on Dr. Doom is a great example of that. He would have a very unique way of saying everything. The language was very interesting because Doom would use very large and uncommon words to insult the Fantastic Four or illustrate a point. Templeman complimented that writing with a very distinctive personality and way of delivery lines.
You never really knew what Templeman, as Doom, would say next or how he would say it. That keeps a character interesting. When you can start guessing at what’s coming, you run the risk of being put to sleep by a performance.
I think the opposite of that can lead into adding too much sauce. If you try too hard to create something, it can often times come off like you’re trying to hard. Sometimes simply adding more of yourself is exactly what’s need. You don’t always have to create the most interesting character in the world because who you are as a person is exactly what’s going to make it pop. It’s a line you can really only discover by trying things out, seeing what works and studying the performances of the great actors currently working. Hope that answers your question and thanks again for listening.
So glad you’re enjoying the interview!
The best way to avoid “over acting” a character is to practice good acting fundamentals and to get good feedback from a coach or teacher. I have to remind myself to always be talking to someone, rather than talking at them. I’m constantly asking myself, “what reaction do I want from my scene partner?” As long as I keep that in mind, I usually can stay grounded in my performance.
i notice crispins frist hellsing recording sounded different from the 2nd hellsing.
my question is what was he recording with in the first hellsing?
If you’re referring to the differences between my recordings of the Hellsing TV series and the Hellsing Ultimate OVA, those shows were recorded at completely different studios on completely different equipment. The TV series was recorded at a place called the Post Office on a Soundeluxe microphone I believe whereas Hellsing Ultimate was recorded at Central Command Studios and I believe we used an AKG 414 microphone. I can’t remember what pre-amps were used at each studio since they will also affect the quality of the sound.