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Surround Yourself…
(0)Talent without ambition goes nowhere. But even talent with ambition needs more… I just viewed a film documenting the life and career of a well-loved stage and screen star. She came from showbiz royalty and possessed great talent and focused ambition from her youth. All amazing advantages in fulfilling her potential. But her life was… Read More ›
Lost—>Found
This page is more for those at the beginning of their long journey, when talents have yet to be unearthed and refined and a sense of progress is frustratingly elusive. Looking back on the earlier days of my career path, I notice a trial-and-error wandering, aided by patience and luck. I was more focused on… Read More ›
Audition Slow Down: The Dreadful Crickets
The pullback These days, I hear a lot about the “pull back” of shows and auditions, work drying up or leaving town, etc. Even for voice actors. Crickets… “Why am I no longer booking?” “Where did the auditions go?” “How can I book more?” Let’s first consider our ever-shifting industry before exploring some ideas for… Read More ›
“Should I Move To L.A?”
I’m often asked, “Should I move to Los Angeles?” Of course not. The odds are horrible and getting worse and everyone’s leaving. It’s expensive to live there, A.I. will take everyone’s job and there’s just less and less being made. At least that’s what you’ll hear. But the cherry-picked negativity of the sour-grapes haters is… Read More ›
What is Lost
How can a beginner learn to audition well in a vacuum? Yes, it’s all easier and more efficient to audition and work from home. There’s much less driving and more free time. Auditioning is now much less “hassle” for everyone. It seems a good thing, but it’s not. There is a significant aspect of becoming… Read More ›
Learning It Versus Living It
Those aspiring to voice acting imagine the work- but do they imagine the life that accompanies the craft? There is a big difference between an art and the life that it brings. When you learn VO in a classroom you learn the art in isolation. The life surrounding that craft is left aside. It’s an… Read More ›
Weathering the Creative Climb
This is my response to a younger L.A. writer friend who asked for some guidance re: “imposter syndrome,” gaining useable insight in his craft and the uncertainty of the long journey of a freelance creative entrepreneur: It’s essential to get honest and constructive feedback on your work in order to grow. While classes can be… Read More ›
“What About My Accent?”
“I’m from [a foreign country] and/or have a [regional] accent or speech challenge. Can I make it as a voice actor in Los Angeles?” Your current regional flavor of English is not a fixed limitation. With talent and the necessary training, you can compete in a larger voiceover market and gain enough control to selectively… Read More ›
My Ideal Acting Class
If I had the time to put together a VO learning program this is what I would do. First, naturally, I’d recommend reading through my website. In a class setting, I would aim to strengthen acting, improv and auditioning competency while complementing this with a real world business mindset. 1. For anyone interested in “show… Read More ›
short form insight for (voice) actors, part 4
Insights 1, Insights 2, Insights 3, Insights 4 More quick takes on acting, life and “going for it” How you live, what you take from life, what you give to life, breathes power into your art. * The words on the page are the vehicle not the destination. * The tiniest adjustment of a rocket… Read More ›
Short form insights for (voice) actors, part 3
Insights 1, Insights 2, Insights 3, Insights 4 A third randomized list of thoughts on VO, acting and a life of going for it. The best cure for stage fright is more stage time. * Rejection is an actor’s dumbbell. * With no costumery, set, audience energy or eye contact, in VO there is nowhere… Read More ›
Short form insights for (voice) actors, part 2
Insights 1, Insights 2, Insights 3, Insights 4 More random thoughts on acting, career and the challenges of going for it… You become what you do. A side hustle is fine, but not for too long. * An actor can learn things from a live, paying audience that they can never learn in a classroom…. Read More ›
Newly Signed and Worried
“After months of auditioning at my agency I’m still not booking, I worry- is my agent going to drop me? Should I stop paying for audition coaching and instead just wing my auditions? Are the low odds an actor faces even worth the money and effort of getting coached? Will anyone ever even listen to… Read More ›
Short form insight for (voice) actors, part 1
Insights 1, Insights 2, Insights 3, Insights 4 Thoughts on acting, VO and going for it, in no particular order. Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent. * Become a magnet: The question isn’t, “Where do I find opportunity, representation and work?” It’s, “How do I get good enough so that opportunity, representation and work… Read More ›
Avoid the “Talent Mill”
An aspiring voice actor recently conveyed to me an interest in finding an agency that promised to “find them work” while offering in-house actor “training.” Beware the “talent agency” that purports to both “train” and “solicit work” for their actor clients. This is a business that typically sells a series or package of on-going classes… Read More ›
Easy Errors
Here are some common errors for beginners to avoid. Scared of stage or microphone? Take a deep breath and realize that taking a voice acting class or auditioning for a play is far from signing up for the marines. You are merely exploring a new hobby, like taking a guitar lesson or a class in… Read More ›
What About Making Creature Vocals?
Half of my work as a voice actor has me vocalizing something outside my own species. I’m occasionally asked about this utterly weird and fun VO niche, so here’s my take on it: “What is creature voice acting?” Bringing believable vocal life to animals, monsters and aliens for movies, TV and games calls for everything… Read More ›
No Matter What
Step up and place your bet. When you find something you not only want to do but have to do, you will have no choice but to move towards it. The pursuit may be work, but it feels easy because it pulls you and you can’t get enough of it. With this inner necessity compelling… Read More ›
The One Question to Ask Yourself
Judging by comments, the top concern of aspiring voice actors is how to get an audition. But there is a better question to focus on. Aspiring voice actors constantly ask: How can I get an agent? How can I get an audition? How can I get a gig? Where do I get a demo? Important… Read More ›
Take In the Lives of Your Heroes
I’m often asked about what an aspiring voice actor can do these days. We all face a profound isolation with most live performing and in-person learning being offline. Many just haven’t the means or opportunity to leave their apartment or home to explore or pursue their dreams or curiosity. And what would that even look… Read More ›