Doing Things The Right Way

[kbachelder]

Hi again everyone,

I want to start working on getting myself into this field.

I don't, yet, have the time or available funds to attend one of Julie's seminars or any similar type training programs. However, I am going to start committing some time and some limited funds so I can learn more about the right way to do things.

I've been doing podcasting for a couple of years now so I'm very comfortable doing recordings and dealing with basic equipment, etc.

I've worked in small businesses for my whole life and I do some computer tech support work for individuals and other small businesses during the evenings and weekends on occasion so I'm used to being a "do it yourself" person.

I'm not looking for any "quick fix" or "shortcut" systems here. I don't expect to get any jobs right away.

I'd just like to know what you would recommend for good books, websites, blogs, podcasts, etc. that would assist me on my journey.

Any feedback is greatly appreciated!


Thank you,

Kevin

[dnegrey]

Hi Kevin,

I found "The Art of Voice Acting" by James Alburger to be very informative. It's an entertaining book as well :-)

His website: http://www.jamesalburger.com/

Best Luck!

[kbachelder]

Hi Kevin,

I found "The Art of Voice Acting" by James Alburger to be very informative. It's an entertaining book as well :-)

His website: http://www.jamesalburger.com/

Best Luck!


Thanks very much for the recommendation Dana.


Kevin

[dnegrey]

My pleasure. I hope it's a suggestion that helps. :)

[nishamody]

Voices.com has two great podcasts that I listen to every week. One is generally about Voiceovers (what's going on in the business, workshops, special interviews, tech talk), and the others are special topics presented by Voiceover Experts. You can find them at podcasts.voices.com. It's been very helpful to me!

[kbachelder]

Voices.com has two great podcasts that I listen to every week. One is generally about Voiceovers (what's going on in the business, workshops, special interviews, tech talk), and the others are special topics presented by Voiceover Experts. You can find them at podcasts.voices.com. It's been very helpful to me!

Thanks for the tip on the voices.com podcasts. I had found them earlier and am catching up now.


Kevin

[Jon Morss]

Kevin,

I ditto the recommendation on the Algurger "The Art of Voice Acting" book. It is an excellent resource and has a CD with examples on it.

Also, I would suggest having a peak at the material that Pat Fraley offers http://www.patfraley.com/store.htm.

If you can not attend one of Julie's workshops or one similar, look into buying her written material. This should give you a good start.

An important one: Look for places around town that offer acting classes. This can be the local theater or community college, but you really should take some classes first. VO is acting with your voice, so the classes should offer some insight in developing acting chops.

Another great source of training is your radio and TV. Record radio and TV commercials that seem like something you could voice and transcribe them. Then get a recording device and record yourself reading the same spots and see how close you can get to the original, or better yet see if you can put your own spin on them. Also, a suggestion I have read and one that has been mentioned to me a few time times is to look through magazines for advertisements. Grab a few advertisements with something to read and try to make a voiced commercial out of it. This is good practice since you don’t have a reference voice to hang you up.

Also, look online for Radio Dramas. There is no pay in recording a voice for one of these but it is great practice and you’ll gain experience in the process.

And, depending on the quality of your voice I would recommend the following books to help develop you vocal skills:

Make Your Voice Heard: An Actor's Guide to Increased Dramatic Range Through Vocal Training (Paperback)
by Chuck Jones

The 3-Dimensional Voice: A Fun & Easy Method of Voice (The Wilson Voice Series) (Paperback)
by Joni Wilson

Speak with Distinction: The Classic Skinner Method to Speech on the Stage (Applause Acting Series) (Spiral-bound)
by Edith Skinner

This should get you started.

Jon

[avitoots]

I also would recommend reading books by Harlan Hogan (he is one of the top VO in Chicago and known for his marketing) and JoBe Cerny. They're both informative and entertaining reads. You may be able to pick them up at a library if you're in a large urban area.

Arlene