VAM 203 | Interview with Crispin Freeman, Part 4

Welcome to episode 203 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

Welcome to fourth and final part of an interview of me, hosted by my good friend and fellow voice actor, Julie Nathanson! As I mentioned in episode 200, Julie had offered years ago to turn the tables on me and interview me on my own podcast! I thought it was a great idea and I’m so grateful that she agreed to take over as interviewer for this 4 episode series!

In the previous episode, Julie and I talked about how I began my voice acting career working on anime dubs in New York city in the late 1990s. We talked briefly about my demos before we dove into a longer discussion about AI and whether I think artificial intelligence and machine learning can create meaningful storytelling. She then shared more questions from our voice acting colleagues, including one from Steve Blum about whether or not my deep analytical knowledge about storytelling ever gets in the way of my spontaneity as an actor. This gave me the opportunity to articulate my personal acting process with more specificity and nuance than I’ve ever done before. It was a very satisfying conversation and if you haven’t already, I would suggest that you listen to the 3 previous episodes of this interview before continuing with this final segment.

We begin this episode with some more questions from my voice acting colleagues. The first is from JP Karliak who says that even though voice actors may be facing some new and daunting challenges recently, he’d like to know if there’s anything about the voice acting industry that makes me optimistic and excited for the future. The next comment is from Stephanie Sheh who talks about how my willingness to admit my shortcomings as a director allowed her to be more honest and trusting with me as an actor. The final contributor is Jennifer Hale, who wants to know if there’s any question that I’ve never been asked, but that I’ve always wanted someone to ask me.

Jennifer’s query prompts me to share with Julie three stories or wisdom fables about the artistic process. While I’ve occasionally told one of these stories in previous interviews, I’ve never told all three of them at the same time. The stories were originally told to me by Rinde Eckert, a virtuosic theater artist and composer, and they are educational metaphors that are densely packed with wisdom. Furthermore, they encapsulate some of the core pieces of advice that I would want to impart to any aspiring voice actor. These stories also segue quite elegantly into my definition of the word “mastery” and how it applies to the artistic process. It’s a wonderful way to bring my time together with Julie to a satisfying conclusion and I’m so glad for the opportunity to share these insights with my listeners!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #203 Here (MP3)

VAM 200 | Interview with Crispin Freeman, Part 1

Welcome to episode 200 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

For this episode, we’re going to be doing something a little bit different! Back in episode 154 of the podcast, I interviewed my good friend and fellow voice actor, Julie Nathanson. During that interview, she offered to turn the tables and interview me in return someday! So I thought it would be an interesting experiment to ask Julie to take over as the host of this particular segment, and she graciously agreed! So as a special treat for this 200th episode, Julie will be interviewing me on my own podcast! A word of warning though, this interview was very in-depth, so I’m splitting up our incredible 4-hour conversation into 4 separate episodes! To be honest, we probably could’ve spoken for even longer, but we really did our best to restrain ourselves! And so, in an unprecedented first for Voice Acting Mastery, I’m very pleased to hand over my podcast to the very capable Julie Nathanson.

Julie’s Introduction:

Hi, I’m Julie Nathanson. Welcome to the first part of my interview with the Wondrously Multi Dimensional and multi talented Crispin Freeman. You may recognize him from his performances in Naruto, Hellsing, Ghost in the Shell, Young Justice, Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Demon Slayer, the Cowboy Bebop Movie, Howl’s Moving Castle, and recently The Bad Batch. Unsurprisingly, Crispin has also lent his voice to many of your favorite game franchises, from Kingdom Hearts to Call of Duty to Diablo to Final Fantasy, to judgment to Destiny. And of course, he is the incredible voice behind Winston in Overwatch.

Not only is Crispin a prolific and truly talented voice actor, but he is also an expert in mythology. He teaches classes on mythology and meaning where he brilliantly breaks down storytelling patterns in animation, film, and game. And just in case that is an impressive enough, Crispin is also a well respected voice over coach and teacher, whose passion and curiosity led him to create the beloved podcast Voice Acting Mastery, which has not only inspired countless voice acting students the world over but has inspired his many esteemed guests as well, coaxing stories and profundities from the voice acting community who share a common gratitude for the chance to dive deeper into their own processes.

The 1st 199 episodes are treasure troves of information and inspiration, and I am especially honored to speak with Crispin for this his 200th episode of Voice Acting Mastery.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #200 Here (MP3)

VAM 197 | Interview with Josh Petersdorf, Part 2

Welcome to episode 197 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

Welcome to the second and final part of my interview with voice actor and theme park voice performer, Josh Petersdorf! You may know Josh from his work in games like League of Legends, Fire Emblem: Engage, World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, and Overwatch. He’s worked on the English language dubs of anime shows like Aggretsuko and on live action shows like Project “Gemini”. He’s also the voices of both Megatron and Optimus Prime at the Universal Studios Theme Park during the live action show that takes place before the Transformers 3D ride.

That last time we spoke, Josh shared with me how he became a voice actor. He was inspired to pursue performing at a young age after watching his sisters perform in dance recitals. However, during high school, he focused more on athletics, and it wasn’t until after he was living on his own that he realized that he wanted to pursue voice acting as a career. He moved to LA, started taking classes, and was fortunate enough to be able to book work at the Universal Studios Theme Park and to also get agent representation. He started booking voice over work, but when he landed the role of Roadhog in Overwatch, it definitely took his career to a new level.

In this episode, I ask what inspired Josh to become a performer in the first place. He shares with me how much the artists from his childhood influenced him to try to create things himself, and how his love of pro wrestling and his nostalgia for 80’s cartoons still inform his artistry today! The characters from the entertainment he consumed often served as role models for him and helped shape not only his creative sensibilities but his personal development as well. He and I also talk about how the most successful voice actors are always looking to expand their capabilities and grow into different areas or niches of the industry. And finally, Josh gives me his advice for the aspiring voice actor, which at its core seems to contain a paradox: He suggests that actors both be ready to work hard and also be easy on themselves. He thinks they should both be demanding when it comes to their own skills, but forgiving as well. It’s a fascinating contradiction that I actually think you’ll find very insightful as we explore it in this episode.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #197 Here (MP3)

VAM 191 | Interview with Courtenay Taylor, Part 2

Welcome to episode 191 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 and final part of my interview with the extraordinary Courtenay Taylor! You may have heard her performances in games like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Resident Evil, Fallout Legacy, and the Mass Effect series. In animation she’s starred in the Regular Show and OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes. In addition to her voice acting work, she’s also helps run NerdsVote, a non-partisan organization that encourages nerds of any fandom to register to vote and participate in American democracy! You can find out more about it at NerdsVote.com.

In the previous episode, Courtenay shared with us how she got started as a voice actor. We talked about the rather unconventional path she took which included her getting her start in a high school play, not as an actor, but rather as a make-up artist. Her experiences backstage piqued her interest in performing so she tried taking acting classes in both high school and college. She developed a sincere interest in acting which was put to the test when she decided to audition for a graduate level acting program. The man she was auditioning for told her that her voice sounded so damaged and raspy that she would never work in the theater. Courtenay relayed that feedback to her acting teacher at the time who encouraged Courtenay to pursue voice acting. That led to Courtenay falling in love with being behind the microphone and deciding to devote her attention to building a voice over career.

In this episode, we dive deeper, not only into what inspired Courtenay to become a performer, but how any negative feedback she received would often energize her rather than discourage her. I find this aspect of her psyche fascinating because it differs so greatly from my own! When I was criticized during my acting journey, it would often sap my enthusiasm, but for Courtenay it spurred her to prove the naysayers wrong! She and I also discuss how unlike some of her colleagues that studied extensively at acting schools from a young age, Courtenay had to rely instead on the wisdom of her life experience and her ability to share her raw emotionality when she was performing. After that, we end our conversation with Courtenay’s advice to the aspiring voice actor and how she uses the metaphor of emotional fish hooks in order to help her identify more deeply with a character and find the places where her emotional life and the character’s emotional life overlap. I love hearing about an actor’s unique journey and personal process, and Courtney has a lot of insight to share!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #191 Here (MP3)

VAM 186 | Interview with Lucien Dodge, Part 1

Welcome to episode 186 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

I’m very pleased to share with you the first part of my interview with voice actor and voice director, Lucien Dodge! You may be familiar with Lucien’s voice acting work in anime including Zoisite in the Viz Media dub of Sailor Moon, Amuro Ray in Gundam: The Origin and Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway, Keita in Sword Art Online, Akaza and Kazumi in Demon Slayer, and Waver Velvet in Fate/Zero! In games he’s played Dust, in Dust: An Elysian Tail, Mega Gnar in League of Legends, Buzzard in Mad Max, and Dr. Vanus in Smite. Lucien also voice directed me in the dub of the anime Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon where I played the main antagonist, Kirinmaru. I had such a great time working with Lucien on that dub that I thought it would be a good idea to have him on the podcast to talk about his own voice acting experiences and his approach to the art form.

Lucien and I share a lot of similarities when it comes to our voice acting journeys. We both have a great appreciation for anime, we both were incredibly shy when we were young, and we both became fascinated with what it took to be able to share the most authentic and believable acting performances with our audiences. Lucien grew up in Ithaca, NY where he went to a private school with very small classes. While his school didn’t have an acting program per se, they did encourage all of their students to participate in a play every year. You might think that since Lucien was so shy, he would not have any interest in participating in the school play. It turns out that the opposite was actually the case. Lucien found that playing a character gave him permission to be more courageous and assertive than he would be if he had to perform in public as himself. I had a similar experience when I was young! Acting as a character gave me an opportunity to build up my own courage and confidence without feeling like I was making myself personally vulnerable to criticism.

Fortunately, Lucien’s mother noticed how much acting seemed to be helping him overcome his shyness. She encouraged him to pursue more acting opportunities, and helped him to attend acting classes based on Sanford Meisner’s techniques. She also helped him attend a convention for radio dramas known as the National Audio Theater Festival. But it wasn’t until a family friend gave Lucien the video box set of the anime series, The Slayers, as a birthday present, that Lucien discovered his love for anime. Coincidentally, that was the first anime show that I ever worked on! After Lucien saw it, he was hooked. For his next birthday, his father gave him a microphone and a small 4 track cassette recorder so Lucien could start practicing his voice over skills. Lucien became obsessed with trying out different kinds of voice acting with his new tools. Fun fact: I also had a 4 track recorder when I was young and actually recorded some of my earliest attempts at voice acting on it!

After high school, Lucien decided to pursue voice acting as a career. He spent a year in college, but quickly realized that it didn’t serve his purposes very well, and decided to dive into the voice over industry in New York City. I too began my voice acting career in New York. Lucien and I even got our first New York anime dubbing jobs from the same studio, TAJ Productions where I got my start on The Slayers and he first worked on an episode of Pokemon. Lucien faced many challenges pursuing voice acting in the Big Apple, and during his eventual move out to Los Angeles, but I’ll let him tell you all about his adventures himself!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #186 Here (MP3)

VAM 170 | Interview with Darin De Paul, Part 1

Welcome to episode 170 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

For today’s episode, I want to share with you the first part of my interview with the incredibly enthusiastic and completely inimitable Darin De Paul! Darin took the voice acting world by storm the moment he arrived in Los Angeles in 2013. You may know him as the voice of Blackhand in World of Warcraft, Warlords of Draenor, Emperor Valkorion in Star Wars: The Old Republic, Arden Izunia in Final Fantasy 15, Revenant in Apex Legends, and one of my personal favorites, Reinhardt in Overwatch. Darin’s passion for voice acting is infectious and he has become a fixture at many different fan conventions, including BlizzCon where he often hosts panels and events.

As we begin our discussion, Darin recounts to me the unique and serendipitous journey he took into the world of voice acting. Darin began his acting career in the theater. He spent many decades acting both in Florida where he was born and raised, as well as in New York City. While his focus was on stage performance, he had always had a fascination with character voice acting work. Unfortunately, most of the people he spoke to in New York told him that the majority of voice over work in the area was for commercials, not characters. This didn’t deter him however. While working on a show at the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, he met a man who ran a loop group. For those of you who don’t know, a loop group is a group of actors who are hired to provide the background voices in films and television shows. This particular loop group was about to work on the animated film, Ice Age, and Darin was eager to participate! He auditioned and was accepted. Because of his extensive theater background, Darin was able to improvise many different voices for the film and came away from that experience excited to do more. However, it took him quite a while to find an agent who would be willing to represent him as a voice over talent. Eventually, an agency did take a chance on him and sent him out to audition for a monster character in a commercial for an airline. He booked the job and has been hooked on voice acting ever since!

Even with his newfound success, it still took many years before Darin and his wife, Deborah who is also an actress, finally decided to take the plunge, leave New York and fly to Los Angeles to see what voice over and acting opportunities they could find in Southern California. It was a fortuitous decision. Within 6 months of landing in LA, Darin took a voice over class with Andrea Toyias at Blizzard Entertainment, impressed her with his abilities, and began working on projects with her. His voice over career has done nothing but expand since then.

What I love about talking with Darin is that you can feel how much appreciation he has for the craft of acting. He didn’t get into acting because he wanted to become famous. After all, pursuing an acting career in the theater is definitely not a path to great celebrity or vast riches. Instead, Darin’s love for characters and story inspired him to become an actor for the sheer artistic satisfaction of it. He just loved it so much. That passion for acting coupled with a deep commitment to continually challenging himself to grow as an artist, took his theatrical acting career in so many interesting directions, which you’ll hear about in this episode! Nowadays, Darin draws on the wealth of his diverse theater experiences when voice acting characters. I hope that listening to his journey will inspire you to broaden your own acting skills so you can apply the rich experience you gain to the characters that you voice, just like Darin does!

One last thing. Debra, Darin’s wife, was kind enough to be the sound engineer for Darin’s interview so you may hear her voice in the background from time to time. They often help each other out when one of them has to record something for an audition or an acting job. I’m so grateful to Debra for helping make this interview happen! So without further ado, here’s Darin.

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #170 Here (MP3)