Comments

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  Deby Cedars August 11, 2008 at 7:36am

  I have the greatest respect for Pat but, this one "trick" usually comes off as being a newbie idiot or just being a phony. As a casting director it really irritates me. I once tried it on an audition and most of ratings on auditions are 5's and 4's....5 being the best rating you can get. On that audition I got a 2.....Now, from the prospective of a casting directer, I understand why.
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  Deby Cedars August 11, 2008 at 6:18am

  one thing that I suggest you don't do is rattle the papers while slating for internet auditions. This a trick that Pat Fraley talks about.....In other words studying the script for an hour but then acting like it's a cold read. It may work in other auditions but, rattling of script copy is actually a newbie mistake...If the audition is for an audio book it's one of the worst things you could possibly do. Granted a sound engineer can edit the mistake out sometimes....but many clients want YOU to be the sound engineer!
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  Michael Schoen August 10, 2008 at 11:54pm

  But some agents want you to slate... if they don't, then you don't..
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  Mike Patrick August 10, 2008 at 10:17pm

  The auditions that I perform for various agencies DO NOT want any slate let alone sound effects. The read is all that is necessary. You can title your audio ie: mp3, ex: audio-mp. The agency knows who you are and the client wants to hear your read of their copy. Now if your doing a steady gig ex: radio imaging....then your probably doing 3-4 takes of each line then it's cool to slate with either the name or number of each piece so it makes the producers job a bit easier. I don't know, it's just the what I've experienced over several years.
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  Michael Schoen August 10, 2008 at 5:23pm

  If you are speaking of a stinger sound effect under a slate -- that doesn't extend it -- but makes it sound unique, what's the harm?
  It's not extending the time the slate takes. But if it's extended -- it could be perceived as taking up extra precious time.
  I agree the slate should be for indentification purposes and not to make some sort of a creative statement.
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  Lani Minella August 10, 2008 at 4:19pm

  Hello everyone. Enjoying the Olympics? I wanted to add an interesting comment about putting sound effects or beeps on your auditions either before you slate your name or after your name. I'd be cautious when doing this. Sure, it may set you apart from all the rest but I've had a couple of discussions with people receiving auditions, and for the most part, they think the amusement may be short lived and they just want to hear the actual read.
  I'd love to hear any feedback from you concerning this.
  Thanks,
  Lani
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  Sue Colas August 4, 2008 at 1:00pm

  Hey Lani!
  
  I have been practicing new voices and think of you often. Thank you so much for your direction. I'm looking forward to more.
  
  Don't forget we can slice & dice files for you. We also have a full library of music beds, we do foley work, and often design music as our clients request.
  
  Always strong and sturdily forward,
  
  Sue Colas
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  Dan Roberts August 1, 2008 at 1:48pm

  Hi, Lani. I'm enjoying your forum. What a great resource!
  
  I wanted to comment on 'conjuring up a character.' I find that when I discover a new character voice, and personality for that voice, dialogue just spills out. I wouldn't consider myself a great ad-libber, but sometimes the words come out faster than I seem to be thinking of them. Just an interesting footnote, I guess. Folks might want to try it and surprise themselves with what they come up with.
  
  I also agree about the over-the-top-gestures and body language. I try to do whatever my character is doing. If they are standing, I stand. If they are leaning back in a chair, I lean back in a chair. Recently, I was voicing a character who was stopped mid-stride, leaning back, leg in the air. His muscles began cramping. Well, I couldn't have faked the slight grunts/groans in my voice that came naturally from holding that position.
  
  That's my two cents for now. I'm sure I'll have loads of questions for you in the future!
  
  -Dan
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  Lani Minella July 18, 2008 at 4:52pm

  Parry P. Nice rappin video BTW. I too have had cartoons as my ultimate goal for years. Done a few, but it's a small closed circle of people that typically get all the jobs. If you want to shop an animation demo around, get a lot of production value in there so it sounds like it came from a cartoon. Then it always helps to know someone at an agency to be introduced through someone that's repped by them.
  One way you might be a bigger fish in the sea is if you tried investigating avenues in African American productions. I worked on an all black cartoon once and there was a real need for better ethnic VO actors. If there's a PBS station in your area, ask there first because sometimes you can get involved with kids show cartoon voices where it pays to be ethnic and diverse.
  Also many agents are in more need of good voice talent that can sound a bit ethnic when needed. So use your skills AND sometimes your ethnicity to an advantage. So many black Voiceover guys are wonderful and have such great elocution, often it's hard to recognize them as black. I'm not even talking rap or ghetto-speak. It's a fine line....but often I've had to hire white guys to sound black since the black guys have worked so hard to sound white.
  Games is another area you can let loose and do the gang bang slang to your heart's content.
  Please don't think I'm implying that's all you can do. I'm sure you are extremely diverse and I'm happy to speak with you privately about that.
  For anyone else interested in breaking into cartoons, it's still a lot of who you know and being in the right place at the right time.
  Most cartoons are produced in LA but there are other animations and series produced elsewhere.
  You can try the long way around like I started to do. By a copy of Animation Magazine and start contacting the production houses. Find out who does their casting.
  Good luck to all.
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  Parry P July 18, 2008 at 12:06am

  How can I get in to the world of cartoons? I can do a lot of voices!!!!