VAM 124 | Interview with Richard Tatum, Part 2

Welcome to episode 124 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 part of my interview with my good friend Richard Tatum! Richard is not only an accomplished voice actor, and voice over teacher, but also an amazing producer of voice over demos. You may know him as Rex Goodman in Fallout 4, the voice of Theodore Roosevelt in Civilization VI and Omar Harmozi from the animated series Static Shock. I first came across Richard’s work as a demo producer when one of my students played me her demos and I was blown away by how well they represented her abilities as an actress. Not only was her character demo very compelling, but her commercial demo was impressive as well. When I asked her who had produced them, she introduced me to Richard and he and I have been friends ever since.

In our previous interview segment, we discussed the beginning of Richard’s acting journey and how his strong theatrical acting background helped him pursue a voice over career. Amazingly, Richard broke into voice acting not just once, but twice! The first time was around 1996 when he got his first agent and started booking voice over work in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, when the actor’s union strike against commercials in 1999 dragged on for 6 months, Richard found that he needed to pursue other employment opportunities outside of voice over. Years later, in 2011, he decided to approach voice acting again. This time around he had a more methodical approach as well as far more experience under his belt. I think it’s incredibly useful to hear what changed and what stayed the same between both time periods when it comes to trying to break into the voice acting world.

In this episode, we’ll talk about how Richard began producing demos for voice actors. Through some wonderful synchronicity, Richard was able to join forces with a colleague of his to start coaching voice actors as well as help develop their demos. Not only do we discuss what you should and should not put on your demo, Richard also explains the mindset you need to have in order to use that demo to market yourself effectively to agents and casting directors. I certainly learned a lot from this segment with Richard and I’m sure you will as well!

If you’d like to find out more about Richard’s classes and voice over demo services, please visit his website at:
AbsoluteVoiceOverLA.com
or contact him via e-mail at:
AbsoluteVOLA@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #124 Here (MP3)

VAM 123 | Interview with Richard Tatum, Part 1

Welcome to episode 123 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 first part of my interview with my good friend Richard Tatum! Richard is not only an accomplished voice actor, and voice over teacher, but also an amazing producer of voice over demos. You may know him as Rex Goodman in Fallout 4, the voice of Theodore Roosevelt in Civilization VI and Omar Harmozi from the animated series Static Shock. I first came across Richard’s work as a demo producer when one of my students played me her demos and I was blown away by how well they represented her abilities as an actress. Not only was her character demo very compelling, but her commercial demo was impressive as well. When I asked her who had produced them, she introduced me to Richard and he and I have been friends ever since.

Like myself, Richard got his training in the theater and even had an opportunity in college to perform on stage with Patrick Stewart in a production of Shakespeare’s the Tempest! After moving to Los Angeles, Richard pursued both voice acting and theater and has made quite a name for himself as a director and adaptor of stage plays. He’s been nominated repeatedly for the prestigious LA Theater’s Ovation awards for his work as a director, and he applies these admirable directorial skills while helping voice actors create their voice over demos.

In the first part of our talk, we focus on Richard’s acting background and how he began his career as a performer. Early on he worked as an actor in a repertory theater company in Philadelphia, but it didn’t take long before he realized he wanted to make the move to Los Angeles to expand his acting prospects. Upon arriving in LA he began working as a tour guide at Universal Studios. This was fortuitous as it made it possible for him to take a workshop with a former tour guide who had become a professional voice actor, the famous Bob Bergen. Bob is probably most well known for being the current voice of Porky Pig, but he’s worked on hundreds of other influential voice acting projects. Bob was able to help Richard learn how to take his existing theatrical acting skills and best apply them in the world of voice acting. Making the transition from theatrical acting to voice acting can be challenging. I know it was for me at times. That’s why I really enjoy hearing how Richard was able to internalize Bob’s advice and apply it not only to his own voice acting career, but also to producing voice over demos for others. I think my listeners will really benefit from this time-tested wisdom.

If you’d like to find out more about Richard’s classes and voice over demo services, please visit his website at:
AbsoluteVoiceOverLA.com
or contact him via e-mail at:
AbsoluteVOLA@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #123 Here (MP3)

VAMFR 011 | Marketing and Self-Promotion for Voice Actors, Part 3

Welcome to episode 11 of the Voice Acting Mastery: Field Report podcast!

In this episode our correspondent, DanWill McCann, concludes his special report on how to market and promote yourself as a voice actor!

As was mentioned in parts 1 and 2 of this report, while attending a Los Angeles area convention called Wondercon, DanWill was able to ask several talented and successful voice actors about how they approach these topics. They were generous enough to share their insights, and DanWill found their methods and stories very valuable. In part 1 of this report, DanWill discussed business cards, websites, and the importance of both acting training and diligent participation in the industry. In part 2, he discussed social media, its rising impact on the voice over world, and some best practices for how to use it.

In part 3, DanWill would like to address the subject of agents and their role in getting your name out there, as well as what kinds of self-promotion and networking can be done at conventions like WonderCon. He’s also going to talk about demos, which are a major component of every successful voice actor’s marketing strategy.

Once again we’re lucky to hear from five impressive voice acting talents, including Dino Andrade, who recently announced he’ll be voicing the Scarecrow once again in Batman: Arkham Underworld, and Rikki Simons, who played the lovable Gir from Invader Zim. David Sobolov lends his voice to Draxx in Marvel’s animated series, Guardians of the Galaxy, and he was kind enough to speak with us as well. DanWill will also share advice from Sandy Fox, the voice of the Black Lady and Sailor Chibi Moon from Sailor Moon Crystal, and Lex Lang, an ADR expert on voice matching and creature noises whom you may have heard in recent movies like Jurrasic World and Deadpool. So here we go!

The VAM Field Report will be released on the 1st Wednesday of every month so stay on the look out for it!

Download VAM Field Report Episode #11 Here (MP3)

VAMFR 004 | Interview with Robin Armstrong, Part 3

Welcome to episode 4 of the Voice Acting Mastery: Field Report podcast!

In this episode our correspondent, Ashley Huyge, continues her discussion with writer, director, and VO talent, Robin Armstrong.

As of now, there’s no traditional academic path for voiceover. You can’t go to college, study for four years and leave with a degree in voiceover. Finding someone to guide you as a mentor is invaluable and in today’s episode Ashley is joined by one of her mentors, actor, director and VO talent, Robin Armstrong. In the two previous episodes of this interview, Robin has treated us to stories about his journey to becoming a voiceover talent, and how he keeps his business and artistry balanced. Today he’ll be sharing a couple of very important concepts: generosity and community. It’s due to Robin’s generosity and his ability to develop his community that he and Ashley met. I think you’ll find the final part of their interview very enlightening.

The VAM Field Report will be released on the 1st Wednesday of every month so stay on the look out for it!

Download VAM Field Report Episode #4 Here (MP3)

VAMFR 003 | Interview with Robin Armstrong, Part 2

Welcome to episode 3 of the Voice Acting Mastery: Field Report podcast!

In this episode our correspondent, Ashley Huyge, continues her discussion with writer, director, and VO talent, Robin Armstrong.

In entertainment, there are often people who wear many different hats and have multiple skill sets: Actor/ director. Model/ actor. Singer/dancer. In our last episode, Robin was kind enough to share with us his background as an actor, director and writer and how self-motivation was a key to his success. Now he’ll share with us his leap from film director to VO talent and how he believes the combination of artistry, science and business are important for balance in the entertainment industry.

The VAM Field Report will be released on the 1st Wednesday of every month so stay on the look out for it!

Download VAM Field Report Episode #3 Here (MP3)

VAMFR 002 | Interview with Robin Armstrong, Part 1

Welcome to episode 2 of the Voice Acting Mastery: Field Report podcast!

In this episode our correspondent, Ashley Huyge, is fortunate to be speaking with writer, director, and VO talent, Robin Armstrong. Winner of a Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, Robin began as a young man in Arizona, creating commercials, chasing after opportunities and building a career in entertainment. He continues to coach, craft and create in Los Angeles. Today he shares with us a bit of his journey through the making of a career, and the importance of self-motivation.

The VAM Field Report will be released on the 1st Wednesday of every month so stay on the look out for it!

Download VAM Field Report Episode #2 Here (MP3)