Welcome to episode 64 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 answering questions from my podcast audience! For those who may not be as familiar with the podcast, in past episodes, I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question about voice acting 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 questions from Wallace from Savannah, GA and Jacob from Melbourne, FL.

Wallace is unhappy with his regional accent and would like to know what he can do to get rid of it.

It is true that one of the first things you should become aware of as you begin your voice acting career is how you sound to other people. If you don’t become aware of the way you speak, then your artistry will be limited since you will not know what you need to change in order to adapt your voice to different characters and situations.

However, there is nothing inherently wrong with the way someone naturally speaks. Our speech patterns are influenced by the environments in which we grow up. We adopt the regionalisms of the people around us in order to be more socially acceptable and to “fit in”.

So rather than thinking you need to eliminate your accent permanently, begin to see it as just one tool in your toolbox, or one costume in your wardrobe. You don’t want to invalidate your native accent, you just want to learn to turn it on and off when you need to.

I give Wallace a couple of suggestions on what to do to work on his accent including listening or re-listening to episodes 19, 20 & 21 of the podcast where I interview J.B. Blanc on his expertise and experience in accents. I also give him detailed directions on how to voice match talented actors as a way to become aware of one’s habitual speech patterns.

Jacob wants to know why his voice sounds different when recorded on a microphone versus when he is recorded on someone’s video camera.

If one is recording oneself on a high quality microphone like the ones I recommend in the Toolbox section of this website, then chances are it is a large diaphragm microphone. Video cameras and smartphones tend to have small diaphragm microphones that are of much lower quality. Also, when recording on a large diaphragm microphone you are often much closer to the mic whereas in a video, the camera person may be many feet away from you.

It is best to evaluate your voice on a large diaphragm microphone, since that is the most common recording situation you will find yourself in as a professional voice actor. However, I also give Jacob some advice on what to avoid when working with a large diaphragm microphone.

I hope you find the answers useful in your own voice acting endeavors!

If any of my listeners would like to call in with your own thoughts, thank you’s or questions, the number 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!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #64 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 59 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’d like to share with you what it’s like behind the scenes when you’re voice acting in Animation, Video Games or Japanese Anime. Each one of these mediums presents unique challenges to a voice actor. While the goal in all of them is the same, to sound believable as a character, they each require a different mindset and set of skills in order to accomplish that goal. It’s incredibly helpful to to have an understanding of what acting demands will be placed on you in each of these professional recording environments before you arrive at the studio! I think you’ll find it an invaluable introduction so you’re not caught flat-footed when you enter a studio!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #59 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 57 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

It’s time for another round of Questions and Answers from my podcast audience! For those who may not be as familiar with the podcast, in past episodes, I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question about voice acting 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 questions from Ben from Washington D.C. and Leonard from Calgary, Alberta.

Ben is recording a number of projects from home and he has discovered that when he raises his voice or screams, he ends up getting a lot of unwanted echoes or reverb on his recording. He wants to know what he can do to improve the acoustics of his recording space without spending a lot of money. There are two aspects to acoustical treatment:

1. Isolation
2. Absorption

Isolation can be very expensive, but sound absorption is far more achievable. One of the best ways to increase sound absorption in your booth is to use acoustical foam. The foremost manufacturer of acoustical foam is a company called Auralex. You can visit their website for more information including tutorials on how to treat your recording space.

If acoustical foam is outside your budget, some of my students have recommended using a Porta-Booth solution which is marketed by the voice over artist Harlan Hogan.

I discuss 2 other possible solutions in the episode as well that are even less expensive.

Leonard wants to know what to do when you encounter a rude or demeaning voice director. While most voice directors are incredibly professional and respectful, you may run into voice directors who can be quite obnoxious. I share with Leonard my techniques for keeping my cool in the booth when trying to work under ridiculous or even hostile circumstances!

I hope you find the answers useful in your own voice acting endeavors!

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!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #57 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 55 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 part 2 of my interview with the wonderfully talented Monica Rial! You can check out her amazingly long list of anime credits on the Anime News Network website!

In this part of our conversation, Monica shares with us the skill from her theater acting background that she has found most useful in her voice acting career. Turns out, it’s a secret, and Monica shares with me how to use that secret to your advantage! Also, she talks about her own challenge in figuring out which character types suited her voice the best and she gives advice on what you can do to find the character types that fit your voice. I think you’ll find it very enlightening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #55 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 54 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’m pleased to be interviewing my good friend and amazingly accomplished voice actress Monica Rial! Monica has been in so many anime series, it’s impossible to name all of them here, from Dragon Ball to Excel Saga, from Noir to Soul Eater and everything in between. Monica has spent the majority of her career working in Texas and I was eager to get her on the podcast so she could share her knowledge of the Texas voice acting marketplace with those listeners who may be interested in pursuing voice acting in that area.

As of the recording of this podcast, Funimation is currently the largest distributer of anime in the U.S. and their studios are based in Dallas. ADV films, which helped fuel the anime market in the late 90’s and early 2000’s, is based in Houston and have now remade themselves into Sentai Filmworks. Suffice it to say, there’s a lot of anime that gets dubbed in Texas! In addition, more and more video games are now being recorded in Texas including such titles as Orcs Must Die!, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Halo Wars.

Monica will not only be able to give to you her insight on what it’s like to work as a voice actor in Texas but she’ll also share what it takes to succeed!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #54 Here (MP3)

Regular listeners to the Voice Acting Mastery Podcast may remember the interview I had with my good friend and legendary voice actor, Jack Angel. You can listen to the interview in episodes 13, 14 & 15 of the podcast. During that interview, Jack discussed his thoughts and insights from many years working on such famous animated series as Superfriends, G.I. Joe, Voltron and the original Transformers. Many of my listeners found Jack’s wisdom helpful and encouraging.

Well, Jack has now published a book about his approach to voice acting. It’s called:

How to Succeed in Voice-Overs Without Ever Losing

This book takes an inspiring and refreshingly candid look at the world of Voice Over, offering some perspectives you may have never heard anywhere else. In it, Jack expands on many of the concepts we touched on in our interview together, especially the idea that auditions in voice over are not a “rejection” process, but merely a “selection” process. To quote Jack on page 5 of his book:

“The plain truth of the matter is that there ain’t no damn rejection! The process of auditioning is one of selection, not rejection. Rejection happens only when you cause it.”

The power of Jack’s book is in the upbeat yet professional mindset he shares with his readers. His explanations are detailed, accessible and entertaining. They also come from experience. Jack’s view of the industry has been battle-tested, yet he remains essentially optimistic about a newcomer’s chances of breaking in to the world of voice over. On page 1 he begins his book by saying:

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, “You can’t break into voice-overs. It’s a closed profession.” Well, it may look that way, but guess what? All you have to say is, ”I’m in!” and everyone will scooch over a tad to make room for you.”

In Jack’s paradigm, it’s almost like the world of voice over is a mirror that reflects back to you what you believe about it. However, this doesn’t mean Jack believes that all you need to do to make it as a voice actor is to think positively. Far from it. He continues on to say:

“Of course, we’ll eat you alive if you jump in without knowing what you’re doing. That’s why classes were invented. So take a few classes, learn the language of the game… Then, practice, practice, practice!”

Clearly, in addition to fostering a positive outlook, one needs to develop the craft of voice acting in order to succeed. Voice over is a competitive business. But what I truly appreciate about Jack’s approach in the book is his belief that the mindset of a professional voice actor is the first ingredient. Working on one’s craft comes after the mental and emotional decision that one is fascinated enough with voice acting to make a career out of it. If you can commit to identifying yourself as a voice actor first, the actions you need to take in order to realize your dream will begin to appear to you. While this approach may sound a little mysterious at first, trust me: many successful voice actors have had personal experience applying it in their careers, and those who know Jack appreciate his viewpoint.

Case in point: I was recently filling up my car at a gas station not far from my home in southern California. A man on the other side of the pump recognized me. He asked, “Are you Crispin Freeman?” I was a little wary at first, not knowing who he was, but my fears were quickly allayed. He introduced himself as Scott Menville, voice of Robin in the animated series Teen Titans in addition to many other famous roles. I was honored to meet Scott and was surprised our paths had not crossed before. Scott complimented me on the Voice Acting Mastery podcast, and I thanked him for his appreciation. As we were both turning to leave, he stopped me and said, “By the way, I really loved that interview you did with Jack Angel. He was dropping science!” I totally agreed with him. When Jack speaks about voice acting, it really feels like you’re getting profound life wisdom directly from a veteran of the voice over world.

I highly recommend How to Succeed in Voice-Overs Without Ever Losing to anyone looking to become a professional voice actor.

You can purchase Jack’s book on Amazon, or you can find out more about Jack and his experiences on his website at www.JackAngel.com. I hope you find Jack’s insights useful and best of luck in your voice acting endeavors!