Voiceover — Am I reading?Am I acting? Pass the M&Ms please!

Statue of Liberty from the Ferry

 

After reading several excellent articles on reading and recording voiceovers, I asked myself a question — when I do a voiceover audition or gig, am I — me — reading copy, or am I a character, acting. It’s a little bit of a toughie because I’m not just reciting the copy as I see it on the page. I am acting it/ interpreting it — even if it’s a message on hold.

But, I’m also using my experience and “left brain” logical type thinking to make technical choices such as deciding what’s the heart of the message; who’s the speaker; why is she there; and who is she talking to, and finally what result am I seeking – what do I want (or what does the client want) the audience to do.

Then I have to think, where to breath so the conversation sounds natural, and where to put my emphasis.

So, maybe it’s a kind of very conscious and aware acting — making adjustments as necessary (improv classes are good for developing this skill) instead of making knee-jerk stereotypical choices.

I think this is what gives the “natural” sounding read that so many of my voice over peers excel at!

Ok, I’ve worn myself out with all of this thinking — I think I’d better go lie down!

I’ve started work on the 1st of my series of children’s audiobooks on CDs. Lots of work there, but I’m loving every minute of working on it. More details to come later.

Got a sweet tooth? Did you know there’s an M&M’s (chocolate sweets) store in New York in Times Square? Yes! Here are the piccies to prove it. It was great, I couldn’t believe there was such a store. However with a belly full of M&M peanut samples, I had to believe it!

 

Cheers!

Grapes and Food today!

Grapes from our Garden!

 

Did a little harvesting yesterday. Plucked enough grapes from the vines to make a nice batch of juice once they all purple (ripen) up!

It’s so much fun to grow your own when possible. Even when you don’t feel like going outside to water and weed, it’s worth it in the end when harvest time rolls around.

Spent gobs of time this week putting together the new website. Old server’s shifting their business focus, so I had to find a new one and build another site. Now to sort out the domain name transfer. The peeps at Fusive Web, my old site have been brilliant in helping me with all the technical bits that need doing. Thumbs up! I’ve been beavering away at getting my various voice over demos listed, and embedding an MP3 player…so I’m getting to grips with that.  I’m almost there! 

Since I haven’t had much time to ponder and think about what to write today, I’m printing one of my fave vegetarian recipes. It makes a fine dinner….Give it a try!

 

Feeling peckish – a Vegetarian suggestion  from my cooking corner

 

How about cooking Aubergine parmesan with Potatos layered alternately with the aubergine – covered with alternating layers red leicester and mozarella cheeses, and lovingly topped with a homemade tomato-based herb and seasonings sauce with mince and shiitake mushrooms?

 

You only need about 3 aubergines, and about 4  jacket-style potatoes or other large potatoes.

 

 Slice the potatoes and aubergine thinly and cook them in a little olive/sunflower oil. Meanwhile soak the mince and shiitake mushrooms in boiling water (water that’s boiled in the kettle and poured into a bowl will do) so they get soft.

 

 Then mix 2 tins of chopped toms and some Italian seasonings such as garlic, oregano, basil, as well as some parsley in a skillet. Get this a bit warmed up and then add the mince and mushrooms.

 

Then oil a rectangle pan and next layer in a pan the aubergine, cheese, some of your sauce, potatoes, cheese, more sauce and continue alternating till you have used all the aubergine and potatoes. Finally top the mixture with the last of your sauce and sprinkle more cheese over it.

 

Put this in your oven at about 180/190 degrees for about 45 minutes. I usually cover the dish with foil and then put it into the over. You can check after about 30 minutes to see how it’s doing and adjust your cooking time accordingly.

 

Also feel free to add the spices that you like and other ingredients. I made this up myself so you can really adapt it to whatever you have to hand. If you eat meat, you can add that as well! 

Enjoy! 

Cheers…

 

 

 

Expectation, Goal Mapping & Travel

Seagulls at Brighton Beach

I was reading an article recently by Dr. Kem Thompson (www.totalsuccessforwomen.com) on the difference between “hope” and “speculation”. I tend to agree with Dr. Kem’s views. When I hope for something it’s like — maybe it will work out, maybe not. But, if I expect a particular outcome, I feel more empowered. If one method of achieving a voiceover – or other – goal doesn’t work out, I can find another way to approach the challenge. Maybe it’s like a maze. The end (expectation) is there, we just have to find the right path — or sequence of turns — to get us there.

By the way, it’s really cool when someone comes into our lives to help us find the way! Cuts the journey time in half! Thank you to all the people that have come into my life to help me on my voice over journey (and my life journey!). And, I hope I’ve been useful and inspirational to others as well.

It’s time to start another Goal Map to plan a move to the next level of my voiceover career. From time to time I re-read Brian Mayne’s most excellent book, Goal Mapping – The Practical Workbook – How to Turn Your Dreams into Realities. It’s about making little (or big) maps that show the path from where you are now, to where you want to be.  You do one version with words of your goals in writing, covering the categories of main goal, when you want it accomplished, as well as the reason why, sub goals, who and how. And you indicate a time line from when you’re starting to your target date.

It’s kind of a tree with your timeline as the trunk; your main goal on top of the timeline; and branches indicating all the other points.

The second version of goal mapping covers the same structure, but everything is done in pictures that we draw ourselves. So that it has the energy of our own creation vs. using images from a magazine or newspaper.

If you follow through and do the actual work that you committed to do — goal mapping can work. I used it on planning a trip to Italy and things did work out.

Brian’s website is:  www.liftinternational.com

CN Tower Toronto (all pictures in these Blog posts are copyright S.Lintonbon-2008, unless otherwise indicated!)

When we were in Toronto, we enjoyed the very best view of the city from the observation floor of the CNTower. We had to queue (line up) for about 1-1/2 hour, but it was worth it. You can see all of the city and the lovely marina; you can take your picture standing on the glass floor if it doesn’t make you quesy to look all the way to down the ground through the glass; AND there’s a nice restaurant there where you can have a meal or a good cup of coffee, and rest your weary feet after all that standing up and walking around.

Keeping amused while waiting in the CN Tower queue!

The Marina has viewed from the restaurant in the CN Tower

 

Cheers!

Auditions, Aromatherapy and Travel

 

 Black-eyed Susan flowers

 growing in the public garden across the road from Niagara Falls (Canadian side).

 

 It’s a gloomy, rainy day around here. Hope the weather’s better where you are!

Got a text from my voice over agent the other day that I had an audition in central London scheduled for the following evening. A one-minute monologue was needed. After crunching out six on-line auditions, I did a little rummaging through my monologue collection and managed to come up with a beauty from The American Dream by Edward Albee. Did my best to learn it the next day in time for the auddy. Didn’t need it after all as the audition consisted of a screen test and acting via lines from the production company’s script. So … anyone who reads this … please cross your fingers, eyes and toes for me, for success in securing the gig (or something better!). And now, on to the next batch of auditions and v-over work gigs.

 

Found a great product from the Body Shop that promises to give one a feeling of instant alertness and energy (without caffeine!). I experimented with it last night & will use it a bit more. If it works favourably and consistently, I’ll tell more about it in a future blog on aromatherapy and voice over (though we all know — no strong scents in the v-o booth!). More research is needed first.

 

On hols, spent a stimulating 24 hours in Detroit hooking up with my childhood pal. The Renaissance Marriott is fantastic. It’s like a city within a hotel, and is right across the road from the lake.

There’s a fantastic “people mover” there that offers a really good, safe way to get an overview of the city when you’re short on time. It’s only 50 cents to ride it. We rolled around on its circular circuit snapping away. It stops at Times Square, Michigan Avenue, Fort/Cass, Cobo Center, Joe Louis Arena, Financial District, Millender Center, Renaissance Center, Bricktown, Greektown, Cadillac Square, Broadway and Grand Circus Park. You can find absolutely fabulous artwork on the station’s walls.

Cobo Center

Other sights from the people mover..

 

and we visited the famous Motown museum

 

Founder of Motown Records

 

Changing the subject, the view from the CN tower in Toronto, Canada is marvelous.

Piccies, and more on that in the next travel blog!

Cheers…

Don LaFontaine, a true voice superstar

On 1 September, Don LaFontaine, one of our greatest voice over actors passed away after much illness.

 

According to John Florian at VoiceOverExtra:

“The Don” was the voice-over industry’s most recognized voice and also its public face – a celebrity “in a world” where colleagues master the microphone unseen.”

I read recently that Mr. LaFontaine was the voice of countless movie trailers, corporate productions, TV networks, commercials and that he had worked on nearly 5,000 films. He is the king, and so well respected in this industry!

I’ve never met this fine actor, but I remember how pleased and honoured I was when he accepted my networking offer on a popular voiceover forum. I was very happy!

My love and good wishes go out to his family, colleagues and to Don’s spirit. Many, many of us voiceover artists are inspired by his work. Mr. LaFontaine’s work and influence will be felt on this planet for a long time.

You are the voiceover king…rest in peace!