Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It’s Like Behind the Mic

256 Pages·2010·3.875 MB·English

by  Yuri Lowenthal, Tara Platt, Candace Platt, Jerzy Drozd

voice - over
voice actor
what it’s like
behind the mic
Yuri lowenthal
and tara platt
Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It’s Like Behind the Mic
by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt
Bug Bot Press
1335 N. La Brea #2233
Hollywood, CA 90028
[email protected]; http://wwwBugBotPress.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author,
except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Unattributed quotations are by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt
Copyright © 2009 by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt
Edition ISBNs
ISBN 13: 978-0-9840740-0-6
ISBN 10: 0-9840740-0-7
Cover design, layout and typesetting by Cyanotype Book Architects
Illustrations by Jerzy Drozd. Photographs by Boris Kievsky.
Printed in the United States of America
Printed on recycled paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lowenthal, Yuri.
Voice-over voice actor : what it’s like behind the
mic / by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt. -- 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
LCCN 2009931112
ISBN-13: 978-0-9840740-0-6
ISBN-10: 0-9840740-0-7
1. Voice-overs. 2. Voice-overs--Vocational guidance.
3. Voice actors and actresses. I. Platt, Tara.
II. Title.
PN1995.9.V63L69 2009 791.4’023
QBI09-600111
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT
Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It’s Like Behind the Mic
“As professionals, we attempt to recognize talent and integrity. Yuri and Tara are
heads and shoulders ahead of their contemporaries. Their combined integrity and
work ethic, along with a strong acting aptitude, keep them on their own personal
and joyous track for success.”
• Harvey & CatHy Kalmenson,
Kalmenson & Kalmenson, Inc., Voice Casting & Instruction
“In my eight years of coaching actors of all levels, I have never seen such a
comprehensive and clear explanation of the ins and outs of the voice industry. Yuri
and Tara offer up a book that is not only easy to follow, it’s also in-depth, inspiring,
and funny at the same time!”
• Dallas travers, Founder of
The Thriving Artist Circle & Author of The Tao of Show BuSineSS
“Lowenthal and Platt delve deep into the world of voice acting, with stories from
behind the mic and trenchant observations from fellow performers. They bust the
jargon-packed world of loop groups and walla work, voice matching and phone
patching. They have produced an excellent road map of the surprisingly wide
world of vocal performance, including unexpected areas like studio socializing,
the ethics of networking, audition tips, and even health and hydration. The result
is an invaluable guide to professional voice acting, from two of its leading stars.”
• JonatHan Clements, Author,
Schoolgirl Milky criSiS: advenTureS in The aniMe and Manga Trade
“Whatever Yuri and Tara say, I wholeheartedly disagree with. They’re a couple of
shysters. And if you believe that, then I am Elmer J. Fudd, millionaire. I own a
mansion and a yacht. Buy this book, you maroons!”
• JoHn Dimaggio, Actor,
fuTuraMa, gearS of war, halo 3

Table of Contents
Acknowledgements......................................................................................9
Dedication.................................................................................................11
Disclaimer..................................................................................................13
Foreword by Paul Jenkins............................................................................15
Introduction...............................................................................................17
Chapter 1: SO, WHAT IS VO ANYWAY?.............................................23
And … We’re Rolling … 23
What It Is 24
Where Can You Find Voice-Over? 25
History and the Different Kinds of Voice-Over 26
Chapter 2: YOU REALLY WANT THE JOB, BUT WHICH ONE?...31
So Many Delicious Flavors ... 31
Animation 32
Video Games 38
Film/TV 40
Commercial or Promo 42
Narration 44
Chapter 3: FINDING YOUR VOICE.....................................................47
Know Your Voice 47
“So How Do I Find My Own Voice?” 49
Adjective/Adverb Quality List 50
“But I Like How That Guy Sounds!” 52
“People Tell Me I Sound like So-and-So …” 54
A Healthy Voice is a Happy Voice 55
Know Your Boundaries 56
“I Use My Voice All the Time. How Hard Could It Be?” 57
Chapter 4: BEFORE YOU GET TO THE AUDITION.......................59
Creating a Character – the Acting Part of Voice Acting 59
The Importance of the W’s: Who, What, Where, When,
Why, and hoW 62
Playing with Speed, Pitch, and Volume 64
Impressions and Timing 67
Professionalism 67
Be Willing to Play 72
Fight Sounds/Efforts 73
Yelling/Screaming 74
Your Diaphragm and Breath Control 74
Breathing: Just Do It 75
Reactions 76
No, Seriously – Just Do It 76
Warm-up Time 77
Chapter 5: THE AUDITION ITSELF...................................................83
This Is the Fun Stuff 83
Expanding Your Comfort Zone 84
Making Bold Choices 85
Using Your Real Voice 87
Taking Direction 88
Working with the Material: Be a Detective, a
Miner, and a Gardener 91
What’s Not on the Page: Improvising at an Audition 97
Ask Questions in the Audition Room 99
Auditioning from Home vs. Getting in the Room 101
Chapter 6: THE BOOTH......................................................................103
Where Your Friend (the) Mic Lives 103
The Proper Distance from the Mic 104
P Pops, Popper Stoppers, and Blowing a Take 107
Watching Your Volume 109
Mouth Noises: Clicking, Smacking, and Gurgling 109
Not Just Your Mouth: Shuffling, Rustling, and Squeaking 112
“What’s That Stuff in the Booth with Me?” 115
“What’s That Sound?” 118
Be a Conscientious Camper 119
Chapter 7: THE STUDIO.....................................................................121
“How’s the Studio Different from the Booth?” 121
Don’t Psych Yourself Out 122
“What Do Those Guys/Gals Do Anyway?” 125
The Director 126
The Engineer 126
The Producer 133
The Client 134
Chapter 8: YOUR HOME BOOTH......................................................137
“So How Do I Set Up My Own Studio? What Do I Need?” 137
“So What’s Your Home Booth Like?” 141
Changing Technology and the Future of VO 143
Chapter 9: WHAT TO DO TO GET STARTED................................147
Be Prepared: The Way of the Boy Scout 147
Read Much? 149
Start Small 150
Your Routine 151
Classes, Classes, Classes 153
That Shiny, Happy Thing We Call the Demo 154
Staying Prepared 155
Ready, Set … GO! (No, Seriously, Go) 157
Top VO Cities 159
Chapter 10: THE DEMO.......................................................................161
Your Calling C[ar]D 161
Fake It ‘til You Make It 162
Play to Your Strengths 166
The Commercial Demo 167
The Promo Demo 171
The Animation/Video Game Demo 172
The Narration Demo 174
Making Your Demo: Costly, but Worth It 175
Short and Sweet 178
Chapter 11: AGENTS/MANAGERS &
PERSONAL MARKETING..............................................................181
“Who’s in My Corner?” 181
“Do I Need Representation?” 182
“Where Do I Find Them?” 184
Self-Promotion 101 185
What to Do with Your Demo 186
Web Site 187
Postcards and Business Cards 189
The Mailing: Ships out to Sea 190
Network, Network, Network 191
Swag 193
Your Contact Info 194
Union/Nonunion 195
Chapter 12: PRACTICE MAKES PERMANENT..............................199
Script Notations 200
Time Code 200
Line or Loop Number 201
Mouth Movement 201
Hitches 203
Practice Script and Copy Section 205
Commercial Copy 205
Animation Scripts 208
Video Game Script 210
Promo/Trailer Copy 211
Narration Scripts 212
A Fun Exercise: The Phrasinator! 216
Chapter 13: HINTS, TIPS, & PARTING THOUGHTS....................219
How to Stock Your Pantry 219
Tara & Yuri’s Short List 222
Resources 225
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants … 227
And That’s a Wrap! 229
Glossary of Terms....................................................................................231
References................................................................................................241
Index........................................................................................................243
Author Bios..............................................................................................253
Acknowledgements
This book would never have been possible without the gener-
ous help of our fellow VAs, our friends, our families, and most of
all our fans. And here’s to those who really got their hands dirty:
Jennifer, Juan, Stephanie, Candace, and Jonathan, who read what
we had written and gave their honest opinions so that we might
bring you, the reader, the best possible book. Tod and the gang
at Thomson-Shore, you helped demystify and yet romanticize
the process of actually printing a physical book. To our fantastic
design team Scott and Sarah at Cyanotype, for making things,
well, look so darned good. To Casey and Rudy for making us look
cool on the intarwebs. To Boris for so much more than the pretty
photos you took of us. To Jerzy for finally turning us into what
we’ve always wanted to be: cartoons. To Paul for writing a kick-ass
foreword. To SomeAudioGuy for taking us to technology school.
To Dallas for lending guidance and support. To Wil for being a
trailblazer whose path we could trust. To Dr. Bear for making a
last-minute house call on the book. To our amazing and immacu-
late editor, Candace, for catching all our little oopsies but not
messin’ with our style. So thank you. Thank you to the wonderful
team of people who actually made this book possible.
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