Welcome to episode 72 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

In this episode, I continue answering questions from my podcast audience! For those who may not be as familiar with the podcast, in past episodes, I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question about voice acting as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.

For this round of Q & A, I answer questions from Ted from Florida and Sam from San Lorenzo, CA.

Ted wants to know if there is such a thing as a good or a bad voice for voice acting.

His question is one that I get asked quite often. Let me answer it as concisely as possible.

No, I do not believe there are good and bad voices. However, there are good and bad actors. Also, some people are more or less good at identifying what type of voice over work may suit their voice the best. Developing competent voice acting skills as well as the ability to cast yourself appropriately are far more important than having a certain type of voice.

I explain to Ted in more detail what it takes to know how and when to use your voice so you can work consistently as a voice actor.

Sam is excited about pursuing a voice acting career, but wants to know if he’s doing it for the right reasons.

Sam has been told by friends and acquaintances that his voice is distinctive and that maybe he should pursue voice acting. This has made Sam excited about the possibility of starting his own voice acting business.

However, like most people, Sam also has doubts about the feasibility of pursuing a voice acting career. Unfortunately, a quote that I like to share with aspiring voice actors has added to his confusion. The quote is originally from the great acting teacher Stanislavski, but I modify it slightly from the original. My version of it goes like this: “I believe it is important to love the art in yourself more than yourself in the art.”

Sam is worried that he may be pursuing voice acting for the wrong reasons. I’m very happy to explain in more detail what I mean by that quote and to reassure him that it was never my intention to discourage anyone from pursuing their inspiration.

I hope you find the answers useful in your own voice acting endeavors!

If any of my listeners would like to call in with your own thoughts, thank you’s or questions, the number is:

323-696-2655.

Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #72 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 65 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

In this episode, I continue answering questions from my podcast audience! For those who may not be as familiar with the podcast, in past episodes, I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question about voice acting as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.

For this round of Q & A, I answer questions from Arron from Lake Elsinore, CA and John from New York, NY.

Arron wants to know what classes he should take in college in order prepare himself for a career in voice acting.

His question is a popular one. I often get asked some variation of his question during voice acting panels I attend at conventions. Many people would like to know what classes they should take in college in order to pursue a voice acting career.

I answer his question in detail, but I also help him understand some of the assumptions underneath the question that need to be addressed first. College courses may not be enough to prepare you for a career in the performing arts.

John wants to know if casting directors discriminate against voice actors who don’t have a formal education.

I chose John’s question specifically to be a counterpoint to Arron’s question. Arron is asking me what he needs to study to help develop himself as an artist. John is asking me what casting directors are looking for when it comes to hiring voice actors.

I explain to John that in my experience, no one in voice acting has ever asked me what my grade point average was in college or where I got my diplomas. Not once. Ever.

However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take training to become a competent and professional voice actor. I tell John exactly what casting directors expect from voice actors.

I hope you find the answers useful in your own voice acting endeavors!

If any of my listeners would like to call in with your own thoughts, thank you’s or questions, the number is:

323-696-2655.

Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #65 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 59 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

In this episode I’d like to share with you what it’s like behind the scenes when you’re voice acting in Animation, Video Games or Japanese Anime. Each one of these mediums presents unique challenges to a voice actor. While the goal in all of them is the same, to sound believable as a character, they each require a different mindset and set of skills in order to accomplish that goal. It’s incredibly helpful to to have an understanding of what acting demands will be placed on you in each of these professional recording environments before you arrive at the studio! I think you’ll find it an invaluable introduction so you’re not caught flat-footed when you enter a studio!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #59 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 52 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

In this episode, I continue answering questions that my listeners have been leaving me on the podcast voicemail number. I’ve been getting so many good questions lately, that it seemed appropriate to go through a number of them. For those who don’t know, in past episodes,  I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.

For this round of Q & A, I answer questions from Stuart from Westhill, Scotland and Victor from Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Stuart wants to know how to do higher pitched characters without his voice cracking or feeling pain in his vocal cords. In order to help him with his question I explain the basics of traditional western vocal production, a skill I learned from my classical singing training. I demonstrate with my own voice the best way to do higher and lower pitched characters without straining your vocal cords. I then explain why one’s voice “cracks” and what can be done to minimize the effect.

Victor wonders if it’s possible to pursue voice acting part-time instead of full-time. I begin by reiterating the two types of voice over work that I discussed in episode 16 of the podcast:

1. Narration style voice over
2. Character style voice over

While it is possible to do one of these on a part-time basis, it is far more difficult to do the other part-time. I talk about what agents and producers are looking for and how if you’re going to play in the major leagues of voice acting, you need to show a major league mindset and commitment level.

I hope you find the answers useful in your own voice acting endeavors!

As a reminder, the number where you can call in and ask your question is:

323-696-2655.

Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #52 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 29 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, I thought I would play some of the voicemail questions that I’ve been getting from my listeners and do my best to answer them. For those who don’t know, in the last episode I gave out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.

For this round of Q & A, I answer two of my listeners, Kimberly from Bernie, CA and Wes from Palm Springs, CA.

1. Kimberly asks me how she can know when it’s safe to use her voice again after she’s recovered from being sick.
2. Wes asks me if I could give him some tips and tricks for how to do voice matches.

I think you’ll find the answers very helpful.

As a reminder, the number where you can call in and ask your question is:

323-696-2655.

Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

If you’d like to purchase the tea I recommend, you can find the Throat Coat Tea on Amazon.com.

To rip audio from DVDs you own, you can download the Handbrake program here.

Thanks for listening!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #29 Here (MP3)

Welcome to episode 27 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

In this episode, I want to talk about Vocal Health. Your voice is your instrument. Your artistry and your livelihood as a voice actor depend on keeping your voice healthy and in good shape. But how much do you really know about how your voice works? What can you do to keep your voice healthy and ready for action and what should you absolutely avoid in order to keep from damaging your voice? Let’s take a look at how to care for the engine that drives your entire voice acting career: your voice.

The topic of Vocal Health can be broken down into three subjects.

1. Vocal Production
2. Vocal Maintenance
3. Vocal Recovery

Vocal Production is the mechanics of how your body produces sound using your throat. Vocal Maintenance refers to the regular regimen of exercises and health practices that will help keep your voice in good shape. Vocal Recovery is when your voice is suffering, either from illness or abuse, and you’d like to do your best to get it healthy again as soon as possible.

I spend a lot of time exploring all three aspects of vocal health including the golden rule:

If anything you’re doing vocally hurts your throat, don’t do it.

Also, I mention two resources to help you with your Vocal Health.

The first is Kristin Linklater’s book, Freeing the Natural Voice, a great book on vocal production.

The other is my favorite tea for helping a hurting voice recover. It’s called Throat Coat.

I hope you enjoy the episode!

Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #27 Here (MP3)