Comments

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  Scott Stackhouse March 12, 2010 at 12:04pm

  Hey Bob! How've you been? I attended your workshop last fall in Chicago and I'm still inspired and working towards getting the video game demo together...Hallmark in Kansas City got the approval from Warner Bros to make me their voice for Scooby Doo!! Thanks for the help!
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  Shane Shellenbarger February 27, 2010 at 11:51am

  Oops! forgot to post a link to The Torch Theatre: http://www.thetorchtheatre.com/
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  Shane Shellenbarger February 27, 2010 at 11:49am

  Adam,
  Following on the heels of Bob's comments, I'm currently taking improv classes from The Torch Theatre, a Phoenix-based improv collective with instructors who've trained in NYC and Chicago (Second City, IO, etc.)
  
  Each level is 8 weeks in length and there are currently 6 levels. At the end of Levels 1-3, the class gives a student performance. At the end of Level 4 (which I am currently attending) we will give two performances. At the end of Levels 5 & 6 the students give a run of 4 public performances.
  
  Improv has helped me overcome a fear of public speaking, it's helped me think on my feet, and it's helped me to understand what it means to work as an ensemble. A similar program may be available in your locale. Here is a link to videos of some of the productions: http://www.vimeo.com/videos/search:torch%20theatre
  
  And speaking of Sandy Meisner, I just finished reading "Sanford Meisner on acting" by Sanford Meisner and Dennis Longwell and I'm almost done reading "The actor's art and craft : William Esper teaches the Meisner technique" by William Esper. Both are beneficial in different ways.
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  Bob Bergen February 26, 2010 at 4:26pm

  Hi Adam! UCB is great for improv. So is Second City, Acme, IO, and Groundlings. Not sure if any of those are in NYC.
  
  As for acting technique classes, look into Meisner technique. I'd love to see you do something more long term than 8 weeks. You need technique and then scene study. Most programs are 2 years. It sounds like a long time, but it will be so beneficial.
  
  ;-)
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  Doug de Nance February 26, 2010 at 3:04am

  Bob,
  
  You've just kept me in reading material for months!! Thanks for the link. Practicing voices with comic books was the way my mom encouraged her dyslexic son to practice reading. It lead to decades of work in animation voicing (just in the studio last week doing ADR for Viper's Creed). Great advice.
  
  dD
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  Bob Bergen February 26, 2010 at 2:19am

  There are tons of online comic resources. Just google em. Here's one:
  http://www.lorencollins.net/freecomic/
  
  There are oodles more!!
  
  ;-)

  

  Free Online Comic Books
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  Jon Bailey February 25, 2010 at 11:38pm

  Good luck finding comics at the library. Might I suggest graphic novels instead? You're more likely to find those at the library than comic books other than regular children's storybooks... which I would assume would work just as well?
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  Christine Ivy February 25, 2010 at 10:31pm

  Thank-you off to the library I go blessings:)
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  Bob Bergen February 25, 2010 at 8:46pm

  Gotcha. Comic books are great! They are basically storyboards, with dialogue and scenes. And there are as many kinds of comics as there are cartoons.
  
  ;-)
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  Christine Ivy February 25, 2010 at 8:28pm

  Oops copy to practice with. Blessings:)