Welcome to episode 25 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 an interview with my friend and improv teacher, Melanie Chartoff.

As we wrapped up our time together, Melanie and I discussed many interesting topics including:

• The deep interrelationship between improv and scripted acting.
• How improv helps keep a scripted performance feeling fresh, as if you’re creating that performance anew every time.
• The importance of getting past the words of a script and instead basing your performance on the inspiration of a thought or a feeling.
• The need to have a childlike state of mind when you’re acting and to leave all judgement behind in order to fully play pretend.

At the very end, Melanie was kind enough to share with me a personal technique of hers for alleviating fear when she finds herself in an acting situation that makes her feel nervous. I think you’ll find it incredibly useful!

To sign up for classes with Melanie, visit Chartoff Teaching.com. I highly recommend it!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #25 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 24 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 an interview with my friend and improv teacher, Melanie Chartoff. In it, we talk about how important it is to find your character’s point of view from inside it, in order to give life to a role. Melanie also shares a three part technique for helping you develop that point of view. In order to imbue your voice with more character, you should ask yourself three questions:

1. What is your point of view on yourself?
2. What is your point of view on the world around you?
3. What is your point of view on your current situation?

By asking yourself these questions, you can begin to bring a richness and believability to your vocal performance.

We wrap up this episode by talking about how voice acting is not about hiding behind a silly voice, but about revealing who you truly are so you can make the emotional journey of your character believable.

Enjoy!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #24 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 23 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 my last podcast, I discussed the 5 Essentials for voice acting. I talked at length about the first of those essentials: the need to become an actor. I also said that of all the different acting training I have had the pleasure of experiencing, the one that helped me the most in my voice acting career was improvisational acting.

So I thought I would invite my improv teacher, Melanie Chartoff, on the podcast to talk about the importance of improv and how it relates to voice acting. Melanie has had an extensive acting career both on stage and on screen, but those of you who follow animation will probably be most familiar with her performance as Didi Pickles, the mother in the famous Nickelodeon series, The Rugrats. Melanie has taught me a lot and I think you’ll benefit from her insight and experience.

Enjoy!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #23 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 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)

One of my listeners, Jaden, was generous enough to share a link with me to a fantastic article on Backstage.com! It’s called:

Ask an Agent: What Do You Listen for in an Audio Reel?

There are some wonderful agents represented in this article including:

• Cathey Lizzio from CESD
• Stephanie Blume from Imperium-7
• Cynthia McLean from Sutton, Barth & Vennari
• John Erlendson from JE Talent

Each one of the agents explains what they’re listening for when they receive demos from prospective voice talent. Remember, these are the people who have to decide whether or not they’d like to represent someone based almost completely on 60 seconds or less of hearing their voice acting. Each one of them approaches demo submissions differently.

However, there is one similar pattern that emerges from all of them:

They all want to hear solid acting.

Acting ability is the key to an animation performer’s success in traditional animation and gaming, now more than ever before. – Cathey Lizzio

When I cast on animation projects, I look for acting ability, comedic/dramatic timing, and an interesting vocal quality. – Stephanie Blume

Overall, we expect competitive talent to display in an audio reel strong acting, comedic timing, a wide range of vocal and performance ability, and the ability to make a character walk off the page into life. – Cynthia McLean

Like anything else, we listen for acting. – John Erlendson

Developing your acting skills is the single most effective thing you can do to elevate your chances of succeeding in voice acting. It’s more important than vocal range, your age, or your recording equipment. You must be able to act believably and competitively in order to be considered to play characters. This is something I stress extensively in my podcast, especially in Episode 10: How to Practice Voice Acting Anywhere and in my special report The Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid in Voice Acting. You should check them out!

Hopefully this article gives you some insight into the minds of agents. I certainly found it enlightening! Best of luck to you in your voice acting endeavors!