VAM 010 | How to Practice Voice Acting Anywhere

Welcome to episode 10 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 give practical advice on how to practice your voice acting skills no matter where you are.

So many of my listeners have told me how much they enjoy the podcast. Some listeners espouse a belief that because they’re not located in the right area that they are unable to improve their voice acting skills. I decided to dedicate this entire episode to giving you practical ideas about how to practice voice acting no matter where you’re located.

The truth of the matter is, if you really want to do something, nothing will stop you. This is true in all aspects of life. A burning desire to achieve a goal will inspire a resourcefulness in you that will surprise you.

One of the most important aspects is identifying yourself as a voice actor and then asking yourself a series of logical questions:

  • I am a voice actor. What does a voice actor do?
  • A voice actor acts. What is acting?
  • Acting is playing pretend so believably that people will pay you to do it. How do you achieve that level of skill?
  • By practicing. Where does one practice acting?

That is the question I spend most of the episode answering. There are all sorts of places you can practice your acting skills and I address many of them in this podcast including:

  1. Classes: High School, College and Community College
  2. Community Theater: Acting with a multi-generational troupe of performers is enlightening
  3. Online Voice Acting Communities: Websites where you can post your work and get feedback
  4. Individual Study: Mimicking other voice actors can help you expand your range

I’m sure many of you out there have even more ideas about how one can practice their voice acting no matter where you’re located. I look forward to your suggestions, advice and comments here on the blog!

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 #10 Here (MP3)

 

VAM 008 | Interview with Wes Davis, Part 3

Welcome to the eighth episode 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 Wes Davis. If you’d like to learn more about Wes, feel free to check out his voice acting website:

http://www.gimmeamic.com/

In this episode, we get into some of the most important issues when pursuing a voice acting career including:

  1. Where does your confidence come from?
  2. How do you warm-up before a voice acting job?
  3. How do you achieve your goals?
  4. What do you say to yourself to keep from being discouraged?

In the next episode, I’ll be addressing an issue that has been asked many times in the comments here on the website: “What can I do to be more confident?” I look forward to giving you my take on it in the next episode!

As always, I welcome your questions and feedback! If you feel inspired, please leave a comment on this blog post.

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #8 Here (MP3)

 

Interview with Dino Andrade

I wanted to bring your attention to a wonderful interview with my friend, the very talented Dino Andrade. Dino has been involved in the world of voice acting far longer than I have and has more war stories than either of us care to count! What I love most about Dino’s Interview, however, is his obvious enthusiasm for games and animation coupled with a savvy and practicality about the business of voice acting.

He’s got a lot of insight into what it takes to be a successful voice actor. Some of his more important points are:

  1. He started as an actor on stage doing comedy improv.
  2. He knows the history of the entertainment industry and understands how to navigate its currents.
  3. He believes without reservation that games are in fact art.
  4. He brings all of himself to a performance, especially when voicing the Scarecrow in the game Arkham Asylum.
  5. He’s learned how to self-direct as a voice actor.
  6. He affirms that type-casting is your friend as a voice actor.
There is so much wonderful information, candor and useful advice in this interview. I highly encourage you to read it thoroughly!

Also, Dino runs an incredible dating site for fans called SoulGeek.com. It’s the place to find a geek of your own, a place where it’s okay to let your fan flag fly and share your enthusiasm for all things Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Animation, Anime, Gaming, Comics, etc. He has many testimonials on the website from people who have found romance on SoulGeek.com and I highly recommend it.

Resistance 3 Comic Con Panel Video

For those who couldn’t make it to San Diego Comic Con this year, I found a quick blog entry and video about the event. It’s short, and for some reason they cut me off, but I think it’s interesting nonetheless.

You can watch the video here:

And you can check out the article on GB Gamer:

http://www.gbgamer.net/2011/07/22/videos-for-resistance-3-comic-con-panel-and-global-resistance-released/

Enjoy!