Actors can cash in with "voiceover" ads, but ...

Actors can cash in with "voiceover" ads, but they face plenty of competition

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2003675982_voiceover22.html

By Jack Broom

Seattle Times staff reporter

The dark-haired young woman facing the microphone in a Lake City recording studio is struggling. And who can blame her?
With a dozen people listening in the control room, Carey Bolden is reading a sample script for a cosmetics commercial. She's supposed to sound authoritative, friendly and relaxed — all at the same time — while breezing through terms like "bio-performance intensive clarifying essence" as if she says them every day.
As her sighs and grimaces indicate, this is hard work, but instructor Kathy Levin offers no apology. "If it were easy," says Levin, "everybody could do it."
Indeed. At times it may seem like everyone is doing it.
Turn on your radio or television any hour of the day or night, and someone is selling you something.
A British-accented gecko peddles car insurance. A talking cactus wants you to eat at Taco Time. Voices you half-recognize from movies and TV shows tell you what to drink, what to drive, what to feed your cats — even what pill will help your sorry sex life.
They're called "voiceovers." They don't win Emmy Awards, and they don't put actors' names up in lights. But they're likely the most common form of acting you encounter — messages that come at you dozens, if not hundreds, of times a day.

We're talking big bucks
It's no mystery why actors do this work; an hour or two behind the microphone can pay what some stage actors in Seattle earn in a week.
"It's not unusual to make $200 or $300 for a hour of work, but it's getting that work in the first place that's time-consuming," said Dave White of Bothell, one of the area's busiest voice actors.


If you meet White, 46, at his favorite Starbucks, you likely won't recognize him, unless perhaps you were a frequent Bathhouse Theatre patron more than a decade ago. But as soon as he begins to speak, you know he's been in your car and your home, impersonating a Providence physician, selling Jorve Roofing, inviting you to the Clearwater Casino.
"I can be an old guy, a tough guy, an obnoxious neighbor. Yesterday, I was a snob from the East Coast in the morning and a Marine drill-sergeant voice in the afternoon." Perhaps his most unusual gig was supplying the voice of a talking beer-can opener, and even in a midmorning interview, he still delivers the line convincingly: "Oh, yeah. Time for a beer!"
White, a University of Washington drama grad, eased out of live theater in the mid-'90s when his voice work took off. He spent thousands having an audio engineer install a recording studio in his home, so now he can not only audition for work from home, he can perform it there, too, giving him more time with his wife and two young sons.

Acting like a pro
But the same technology that allows White to send his work to Chicago, Atlanta and Los Angeles allows actors in those cities to compete for work here.
"Yes, it can be very lucrative, but it's also extremely competitive," said Topo Swope, a talent agent who represents White and some 220 other Northwest actors. About a third of her clients do voiceover work — ranging from commercials to in-house corporate presentations to "on hold" messages played on companies' phone lines. There's even a budding market for voicese in video games.
But breaking into the business isn't easy. "I get calls from people all the time who say, 'Everyone has been telling me I have a good voice,' and they want to do voiceovers," Swope said. "But the people who get the most work are actors, not just 'voice talent.' "
Experienced actors are more likely to have believable "non-announcer-type" voices. They may be able to do a variety of characters, and since they are used to taking direction, they can often nail a performance quickly — saving the client money on studio time.

A varying volume of work
Another voice you'd likely recognize is Mary Kae Irvin's. She's the spokeswoman for Sleep Country USA — on TV, radio and in print — and has been heard in commercials for Alvin Goldfarb Jewelers, the Mariners, the Seattle Opera and dozens of other clients.
Voice work "comes in fits and spurts," she said. "You might go through a period where you're throwing things at the wall and they aren't sticking, then maybe you have a Renaissance and things start clicking again. It depends if you're the flavor of the week."
Irvin, who earned a masters of fine arts from the University of Washington and has worked for several local theater companies, would offer voiceover wannabes three pieces of advice, which she says she distilled from nine years of college: "Be on time. Be here now. Participate fully."

Deluxe speakers
In terms of acting experience, the voices on Seattle airwaves run the gamut. Perhaps you've heard Shuttle Express commercials in which Gregg is bumming a ride to the airport from Sue? Neither is an actor. Sue is Shuttle Express's marketing manager, Donita Leeson, and Gregg is Gregg Arnold, who runs the company's marketing firm, Rainmaker Marketing.
"Shuttle Express is a costly business to run, and there's not a lot of money left over to produce expensive commercials," says Arnold. "We're a small company just trying to get our message out."
In contrast, the long-running "Clark and Lewis Expedition" commercials for Horizon Airlines feature accomplished actors with extensive credits. Lewis is Patrick Warburton, who played Elaine's boyfriend, Puddy, on "Seinfeld." Clark is Richard Kind, whose TV appearances include "Spin City" and "Mad About You."

Score!
With everyone from A-list celebrities to corporate officers making voiceovers , can a novice possibly hope to become the next "flavor of the month," the voice clients absolutely have to have to hawk their new gizmo or revolutionary service?
Back in that Lake City sound studio, Carey Bolden and the other nine students hope the answer is yes. And even though Bolden is just starting to develop her skills, she's already had her first impressive payday.
In November, she recorded two 30-second radio spots for a jewelry store, and collected $500 for each. "We did the two commercials in about 20 minutes. I did it on my lunch hour," said Bolden, who works in corporate services for a hedge-fund company.
In one of the spots, she needed to act as if her sweetheart had just given her diamond earrings. "I had to say something like 'You didn't!' and do that whole scream thing."

Molding talent
Levin, who teaches the voiceover class through Creative Talent Development, has another one of those voices you instantly recognize, whether it's from Macy's ads (and The Bon before that), Tony Roma's, Southcenter Mall, Emerald Downs or others.
She takes a no-nonsense approach to her teaching, quick to point out which students need more energy in their performances, and which need to ease up. "You're trying too hard," she tells one. "We don't want to hear you try too hard, 'cuz we'll feel like you're a huckster."
In each commercial script, she says, there are two or three critically important terms. Make sure you stress those, but don't "overpronounce" everything else.
At 27, Bolden is the youngest student, while Harry Bonnette, 63, anchors the other end of the age spectrum. It's been 35 to 40 years since the acting he did in college and community theater. Now he's looking for possible part-time work when he retires from his customer-service job at United Way of King County.

In his normal workday, Bonette may spend 60 percent of his time on the phone, and he has a calming, fatherly voice. But at one point, Levin says it's too mellow for a particular spot he's reading. "Let's goose you up a little," she says.
Levin is frank with her students about the competition they'll face. This is no get-rich-quick scheme, and they may suffer rejection after rejection before they find work.
But she also tells them they each have something to sell: themselves. "There's something unique about every single person, and that one thing could be what an ad agency is looking for."

Cartoon voice, actor Sid Raymond dead

Sid Raymond (left) and Vic Damone (center) with Arthur Godfrey
after both won first place in Arthur Godfrey's
Talent Scouts competition--1948.......
Top Right .....Sid Raymond & Jerry Beck, 1994

Cartoon voice, actor Sid Raymond dead

Sid Raymond (right) with Paul Newman in The Hustler -- 1961

Cartoon voice, actor Sid Raymond dead

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/11/obit.raymond.ap/index.html

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Sid Raymond, an actor who landed roles alongside A-list stars and was the voice of beloved cartoon characters but went largely nameless himself, has died. He was 97.
Raymond died December 1 in Aventura, where he lived with his wife, from complications of a stroke the week before, his daughter Cynthia Raymond said Sunday by telephone from New York.
His agent called him the day he died about an audition for a cholesterol drug commercial, she said."Obviously he was kind of typecast as an older guy," she said. "But he would go to any commercial, anything."
The voice of the obese cartoon duck Baby Huey, the comical bartender of 1960s beer commercials for Schlitz and a familiar face on television from "The Ed Sullivan Show" to "The O.C.," Raymond was a show business fixture for six decades. But decades of brief, sometimes uncredited appearances on Broadway, in movies such as "The Hustler" and "Big Trouble" and on the small screen made him a familiar face.
"Having the job was not the hard work, he said. Getting the job was the work because he had to go to these auditions and they would have all these character actors together," Cynthia Raymond said.
Born Raymond Silverstein in Manhattan on January 21, 1909, Sid Raymond began his career as recreation director at a Catskills resort after dropping out of New York University. He went on to lead the traveling version of the radio show "Major Bowess Original Amateur Hour," which scoured America for talent.
During World War II, Raymond led a small troupe that performed at the front lines, sometimes under fire. He took over the role of Finnegan, the bartender on the radio show "Duffy's Tavern," in 1950.
Throughout the 1950s, Raymond appeared in televised dramas such as "Kraft Theater" and episodes of "The Honeymooners."
Raymond also lent his voice to Katnip, the cartoon cat that appeared in the "Herman and Katnip" series of animated film shorts in the 1940s and 1950s, and to mischievous cartoon magpies Heckle and Jeckle.
Documentary filmmaker Howard Weinberg profiled Raymond in a 27-minute film short in 2002 titled "Sid at 90."
"An inspiration for anyone who has ever clung to a passion, Sid Raymond concedes that, as an actor, he was never a star," Weinberg writes on the documentary's Web site. "But in the context of an enduring spirit, fame seems somehow beside the point."
Raymond is survived by his wife of 69 years, Dorothy, his daughter Cynthia and another daughter Margo Cohen, along with two sisters and a granddaughter.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Keep Your Voice Young, Healthy

Healthy voice


http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IE320060328041330&Topic=168&Title=Features%20-%20Health%20&%20Science&Page=3
Keep Your Voice Young, HealthyTuesday March 28 2006 14:35 IST
Dr R Jayakumar

Speech is unique to human beings, and voice is its powerful medium. The voice is not only the medium for conveying the message, but also an outlet for expression of feelings. Depending upon the purpose for which the voice is used, individuals can be classified into conversational, presentational and performance voice users.

A conversational voice user is the person who uses his or her voice for conversation with fellow human beings. Most of us belong to this group. Though not uncommon, voice problems are less likely to develop in this group compared to the other two groups. Presentational voice users are those who need to talk a lot, because of their profession. Teachers, advocates, clergymen, preachers, salespersons etc constitute this particular group. Obviously, they put much more strain on their voice and consequently are more likely to develop voice problems. At the top of the spectrum are the performance voice users like singers, actors, dubbing artists, mimicry artists, ventriloquists and TV presenters. These are the individuals, whose voice needs utmost care and fitness, if they are not to develop voice related problems. Presentational and performance voice users together are known as the professional voice users.

Voice Of The Pros

Vast majority of the professional voice users have had, at one time or the other, some problem with their voice. And it is quite natural for them to get really upset, because for most of them their voice is their livelihood, apart from the fact that their ability to use their voice in a creative manner, gives them a sense of inner joy and contentment.The ENT surgeons, to whom most of these persons with voice problems presented, were also not fully alert to the nature and impact of these problems, till recently. Luckily, the development of laryngology (branch of medical science dealing with disorders of the voice box) as a super specialty of ENT has changed the scenario considerably. Many a voice disorder, for which there was no effective treatment, can now be dealt with successfully. And with better understanding of vocal physiology, care of professional voice has become more scientific and more evidence based.


Professional voice users are like vocal athletes. An athlete needs to maintain body fitness, if he or she is to perform to potential. Similarly, the vocal athlete or the professional voice user should maintain vocal fitness, to avoid injury and to perform well. In order to do this, it is essential to have a basic understanding of vocal physiology. For easy understanding, it is better to compare the human voice producing mechanism to a musical string instrument like guitar.

The guitar has strings, which can be set into vibrations by an external force (striker). The sound thus produced is low in amplitude and devoid of much quality. But the air in the body of the guitar imparts loudness, richness and individuality. This phenomenon is called resonance. If the shape or content of the body of the guitar is changed, so will be the sound produced. Human voice apparatus also has all these three components. Our vibrating strings are a pair of vocal cords situated in the voice box, which is in the neck. The force that set these vocal cords into vibration is the air we breathe out. Finally the air column in our lungs, windpipe, food pipe, mouth, nose and sinuses imparts the resonance.
Problems in any of these three aspects can produce voice problems. We all know that prevention is better than cure and voice is no exception. Careful maintenance of vocal tract fitness will go a long way in keeping the voice healthier and younger. We will look into each of these three vital parts in vocal physiology.


Care For The Cords

We have already seen that it is the expiratory air, which acts as the force causing vocal cord vibrations. Hence breathing assumes a very important role as far as voice producing mechanism is concerned. To have a good expiration, equally good inspiration is needed. For this, healthy lungs and a healthy heart are essential. Effortless and powerful breathing is the aim. Abdominal and chest breathing techniques are very useful for this purpose.
In abdominal breathing, the lungs expand vertically up to the level of umbilicus (belly button). Chest breathing also is an efficient technique, and is common in the fairer sex. Two wrong breathing techniques are clavicular breathing, wherein neck muscles overact during breathing, and paradoxical breathing, in which the abdominal muscles go inwards during inspiration. Both these techniques are harbingers of voice strain.
Normally inspiratory phase is much longer than the expiratory phase. But during voice production, the aim is to take a quick inspiration and to prolong the expiration as far as possible. Hence a regular breathing exercise, with emphasis on smooth voice production is very useful for all professional voice users. These exercises are done preferably on empty stomach. This has to be done in both standing and sitting positions.
Now we turn our attention to the strings- the vocal cords. They are twin strings, which vibrate simultaneously. There are many muscles acting on the vocal cords and they control the length, mass and tension of the vocal cords, thus controlling the pitch and loudness. Normally men have a lower pitch and women a high pitch. Children have even higher pitch and the newborn babies the highest pitch. Occasionally men can have a feminine pitch and this condition is known as puberphonia. The opposite condition, androphonia results in a masculine pitch for women. Both these conditions are correctable, with voice therapy and surgery.
Depending upon the structural and functional aspects of the vocal cords, each individual has an optimum pitch. This is the pitch at which one’s voice is most powerful. The habitual pitch is the pitch at which, an individual speaks or sings. Ideally both these values should be very close to each other, or better still should be the same. It is a common mistake among female singers to sing in a pitch, much higher than their optimum pitch. Over a period of time they are likely to develop voice strain.
Hydration is extremely important for the health of the vocal cords. Hence it is advisable to take frequent sips of water. Lukewarm water is most ideal, even though there is nothing wrong with minimally cold water either. Any agents causing excessive loss of water from the body must be avoided. Alcohol, excesses of coffee and tea are all to be eschewed. Hyper acidity, very common nowadays, courtesy fast food, irregular food habits, alcohol, smoking, stress and injudicious use of medicines is a well-known cause of vocal dysfunction.
Finally we will look into the resonance aspect. Without the resonance, the voice will sound monotonous and without character. Again with subtle changes in resonance, better expressions of emotions can be imparted. The palate, the nose and the tongue play important roles in controlling the resonance. A good control over nasality is very important for efficient expressions of different emotions. Practicing humming in different pitches is a very effective method of developing control over resonance.

Dispelling Myths

Two other areas, important to the professional voice user are diction and rendering. Diction is correct pronunciation with the suitable emotional expression. Diction requires a very good articulation technique as well as a good understanding of the literal and figurative meaning of the material to be presented. Rendering is the style of presentation, which again has to suit the occasion. A monotonous speech will be boring to listen, while adding intonation will make a speech much more impressive.
Age will catch up with all faculties of the human body and voice is no exception. Around the age of 45, subtle variations in the voice start occurring in both sexes. In males the habitual pitch starts to go up and in females it tends to slide down. The age at which and the rate at which these changes occur vary wildly from individual to individual. However, constant practice can prevent the aging process to a great extent. This is a hot topic today in phonology, and lot of research is going on.
Many voice professionals think that surgery on their vocal cords will spell the end of their career. Nothing can be more far from the truth. If the vocal cords develop lesions like cysts and polyps, the voice can be brought back to normal with micro laryngeal surgery. Another common misconception is that laser surgery is the panacea for all vocal cord problems. Sadly, reverse is the case. Barring carbon dioxide laser, all other lasers produce damage to the delicate voice producing parts of the vocal cords due to the heat generated. And most of the time the damage can be permanent.

We will conclude with the dos and don’ts for the professional voice users.

* Always drink plenty of water. There is no better medicine than water, as far as vocal cords are concerned.
* Regular breathing exercises are invaluable. If you are a hectic voice user, please find at least one hour everyday for absolute voice rest, while awake. There are no alternatives for regular practice of your art.
* Always do warming up prior to a programme. It is advisable to plan your programme in such a way as to put the most difficult number in the middle, and start and end with relatively easy numbers. This is known as vocal pacing.
* Avoid irritants like spicy foods, alcohol, and smoking. Excessive coffee and tea are both harmful to the voice. Extremes of temperature are not good for vocal cords. Hence avoid very hot and chilled foods. Give up irregular eating habits.
* Frequent clearing of throat is to be discouraged. Talking very loudly and fast can be very damaging to the vocal apparatus. So is the habit of talking in noisy surroundings.

These are the most frequent types of voice abuse, and should be minimized. Speaking or singing in a pitch, which is far higher or lower than the optimum pitch is the commonest type of vocal misuse. As mentioned earlier, this is a habit, which should be strictly prohibited.

(The author is vice chairman, Association of Phonosurgeons of India, chairman KIMS Voice Foundation & Consultant Laryngologist, Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thiruvananthapuram-29)

Meet the voice actors behind the city’s spoken-word soundtrack

Lawan, one of the country’s top voice actors in English, records an announcement for Central department stores.

Meet the voice actors behind the city’s spoken-word soundtrack http://www.manager.co.th/IHT/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000013033&#Comment

Lawan is a woman of average height with brown hair that she usually pulls back into a ponytail. She’s in her early 40s and wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, but as soon as she speaks she sounds familiar to everyone around. “She haunts you everywhere you go,” says her friend.People listen as she walks by. They ask if they know her from somewhere. Well, she asks, have they flown on Thai Airways, shopped at Central, used Bangkok Bank’s autophone service or browsed at HomePro?Have they sent a package through DHL, or booked a room at the Westin, Novotel or Princess Hotels?No? Then have they seen that commercial with the little cartoon bear, the infomercials for TAT, or watched Cindy Crawford selling Pizza Hut in Thai?


Lawan has been in the voiceover industry for more than 20 years. For her, hearing her voice in Bangkok is almost as commonplace as walking through a cloud of smog. She did a recording for Foodland 22 years ago. They’re still running it. “Think of food, think of Foodland,” she mocks.Breaking into her industry takes time and persistence.

Local sound studios such as Cine Sound keep their talents’ voices recorded on discs. So when clients come in, looking for the right voice to promote their product or enterprise, the studios can match them with the right vocal chords. Many studios use time-tested talent, such as Lawan, over and over again.This means that in Bangkok, only a select few get regular gigs doing English dubbing and voiceover work. They are like a family. There’s Ricky, Martina, Leena, Jeff, Jackie, Andy, Trevor, JJ, Ken, Russel, Pat...“We talk for one hour, and get 5,000 baht cash as we walk out,” says JJ Kasher, whose voice might have a familiar ring to UBC viewers and customers at Tesco Lotus or Asia Books.

Voice work is sporadic and jobs are intermittent. Lawan gets between five and 20 calls a month. When she’s hired for a “spot,” the routine begins. She goes to Cine Sound at the appointed time and climbs the six flights of stairs – past the mixing, dubbing and editing floors – to the voiceover recording studio.She often doesn’t know the script until just before she is to perform it. She rehearses the script several times before putting on her headphones in a room lined with black foam. She marks with a pen where she will add emphasis and then puts on the voice designed to dazzle shoppers into splurging at Central for weeks to come.“Twenty-eight days are not enough for this amazing month,” she reads, “as February monthly gift exchanges are a must for you to have!”Within 20 minutes, Lawan is out the door with a check.

Though it seems like easy money, voiceover work isn’t all sugar dumplings and egg floss. Lawan explains that not only are voice workers denied the same recognition as actors, they also have to work twice as hard to convey emotion. “Actors can show emotion physically and vocally. We have to go the extra mile,” she says.Another challenge is trying to meet the unrealistic expectations of some clients.“They say, ‘We want you to sound excited, but excited and sexy. Excited and sexy, but with a smile in your voice,’” explains Lawan. JJ has been asked to whisper, but in a loud way. If the talent wants more work, he or she must comply.Then there are those particularly Thai challenges. Not any English speaker can do voiceover work; he or she must be well-versed in the intricacies of what, in the industry, is called “Tinglish.”Tinglish is the art of giving English words a Thai flair. That means that even though Bangkok Airways is in English, the recording would pronounce Airways as though it were singular. “Thais drop the ‘s,’” explains JJ. There are other rules of that kind.


Another challenge is that English scripts are often sub-standard, but advice from talent is not always appreciated. Lawan remembers the time when she recorded an advert for steak. “‘The steaks are wet,’” she recalls the script saying. “I think they meant succulent and juicy. I was speaking rubbish.”Unlike singers who “la-la-la-laaaaaa” to warm up before going on stage, practiced dubbers such as JJ and Lawan talk to themselves to get their voices well-oiled in the morning. Jackie Russell, whose voice one might recognize from ads for Singha fruit juices or Bangkok Airways, sometimes listens to music that will put him in the mood for his role. For example, something pop for a perky advert, something sentimental for a UNICEF campaign about poverty.They also say a warm drink get the voice up and running. But all agree that the secret to good vocal quality is a good night’s sleep.

A promising voiceover career can be derailed by chance – such as getting sick the night before an appointment – or error. Talking about clients while the microphone is “live” is the biggest. “You never know,” says Lawan. “Never say anything bad in front of a microphone.”Russell had the opposite problem. Some clients ordered his all-American voice based on a sample disc, but when they met him and saw his Singaporean looks, they had regrets, which he heard only too well. “They were expecting blond hair and blue eyes,” he says. “They had the microphone on and I could hear. I took the money and cried all the way home.”

Though Lawan, Russell and JJ have been in the industry for many years and enjoyed much success, they each have something they would change about the way they sound, like a supermodel who wants to lose just one more pound. Lawan wants a bigger range – her voice has gotten low in recent years. JJ, who is usually pigeonholed into teenybopper roles with her high-pitched shrieks, wishes she would be chosen for more mature jobs.Russell dreams of having “the” voice.

“I aspire to have the big voice . It translates well in any country. Deeper, with loads of bass and baritone,” he says. “You know, the hero voice. I can put it on, but I can’t sustain it.”Unfortunately, the most sought-after roles are hard to come by in this country. There are too few feature-length films or serial cartoons, so voice talent must always rely on the odds and ends – ads, phone recordings and small cartoon ad campaigns.As for JJ, she won’t stop until she reaches her highest goal. “I want to get on the BTS,” she says of the SkyTrain’s announcements. “It’s everywhere!”

Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney

I meet Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney, whose programs are what got me interested in TV. Winchell is a genius, and I'll bet you didn't know that he held a patent for creating the first working artificial heart!

Mike Clark
http://www.big13.net/tvt&me.htm

Paul Winchell ( 1922-2005)

Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney

VOICE OF TIGGER DIES

PAUL WINCHELL (1922 - 2005)




http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/voice%20of%20tigger%20dies

American ventriloquist and inventor PAUL WINCHELL, the voice of TIGGER in DISNEY's WINNIE THE POOH films, died in his Los Angeles home on Friday (24JUN05).

He was 82.
The New Yorker led an extraordinary life, after contracting polio at the young age of six and fighting a speech impediment, he went on to be a huge success in all three of his chosen careers - in inventing, TV hosting and as an ventriloquist.

As an inventor, he patented over 30 ideas, including ones for an artificial heart, a disposable razor, a flameless cigarette lighter and an invisible garter belt.

After hosting children's TV shows in the 1950s and 1960s, he landed the voiceover role as the bouncing tiger in the Disney adaptations of AA MILNE's Winnie The Pooh stories in 1968 and provided Tigger's vocals until 1999.

His first outing as Tigger in WINNIE THE POOH AND THE BLUSTERY DAY contributed to the movie picking up an OSCAR for Best Short Film, and he went on to win a GRAMMY for Best Children's Recording for the song THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT TIGGERS from the film WINNIE THE POOH AND TIGGER TOO in 1974.

Winchell is survived by wife JEAN, five children and three grandchildren.

John Fiedler (1925-2005)

Remembering John Fiedler

Piglet


Remembering John Fiedler (1925-2005)

Jim Hill remembers that great big talent who provided Piglet's very small voice:
Character actor John Fiedler, who passed away this past Saturday at the age of 80.
by Jim Hill

You know, it's kind of bizarre that John Fiedler -- the original voice of Piglet -- actually died within 24 hours of Paul Winchell's passing.
"Why bizarre?," you ask. Well, you see, there's this story that I had originally wanted to tell as part of yesterday's Winchell tribute. About the very last time Paul was hired to provide Tigger's voice for a Disney animated feature. A project that was then entitled "Winnie the Pooh and the Family Tree."

Winchell's first (and only) recording session for this movie came in the Spring of 1998. And -- as the guys in the booth listened to the obvious rasp in Paul's voice -- it quickly became apparent that the 76-year-old performer no longer sounded like Tigger. I mean, sure, Winchell had originated this character's voice back in that 1968 Disney featurette, "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day." But now -- over 30 years later -- this voiceover veteran could no longer produce Tigger's distinctive bouncy, trouncy sound.

So -- after that single session -- Paul was let go from the project. And Disney eventually brought in vocal pro Jim Cummings, who was already doing Pooh's voice for "Family Tree." And -- given that Jim had already been doing Tigger's voice (On various Disney television shows and/or for Disney Consumer Products. Where it had proven to be very cost effective to hire a Paul Winchell sound-alike, rather than pay full price for the really-for-real Paul Winchell ... Anyway ... ) -- it only made sense to replace Winchell with Cummings.

Of course, what Disney hadn't counted on was all the bad publicity that would erupt as a direct result of Paul's dismissal. The trades were immediately full of headlines like "Disney Bounces Tigger" and "Winchell gets thrown out of 'Family Tree'." (Which may explain the studio ultimately decided to change this film's title. Dropping "Winnie the Pooh and the Family Tree" in favor of "The Tigger Movie.")

Anywho ... The press keeps looking for ways to keep this controversy going. Which is why reporters eventually approached John Fiedler, the last remaining member of the original vocal cast that Walt Disney Productions had assembled 'way back in the 1960s to do those first three "Winnie the Pooh" featurettes. John was the only member of that ensemble who was still under contract to the studio.
So -- hoping for a good quote -- a columnist asked Fiedler point-blankly what he thought about Disney replacing Winchell with Cummings.
John replied: "I'm just glad that Jim can't do Piglet's voice."
That's a cute little story, don't you think? Which was why I was originally thinking about weaving it into yesterday's article. But eventually I decided against including that particular anecdote.
Why For? Well ... Because that joke actually comes at Paul's expense. It's a laugh that only occurs because of this extremely trying time in Winchell's life. That period when this entertainment vet just felt that he had become too old to perform anymore.
So I guess you can understand why I originally decided to spike that story. Even though it obviously showcased Fiedler's quick wit, this veteran character's ability to continue to surprise people with his awesome comic timing.
Well, who knew that -- just hours after I'd decided to cut that anecdote out of my Winchell tribute -- that I'd now have a logical reason to bring up that particular John Fiedler story.
Speaking of Mr. Winchell ... I guess I should mention there's actually sort of a happy ending to that Paul-gets-fired story. You see, just around this same time, the Imagineers were beginning work on WDW's new dark ride, "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh." And -- after they saw all those stories in the paper about Disney dismissing Winchell from the "Family Tree" project -- the guys at WDI obviously thought that this was a pretty lousy way to treat a television legend.

So when the Imagineers began recording the soundtrack for this new Fantasyland attraction, they insisted that Paul come in and perform Tigger's vocals. The guys from WDI ... They really didn't care that Winchell sounded a little raspy. What mattered to them was that the man who had originated this character's voice was now providing Tigger's vocals for their "Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" ride.

The message that the Imagineers were obviously trying to get across to Paul was: We're not all like those guys over at Disney Feature Animation. We actually value who you are and what you've done for our company. More importantly, we appreciate all the entertainment that you've provided us with over the past 50 years.

And -- given that the Imagineers also made a point of hiring John Fiedler to record Piglet's dialogue for this new Disney World attraction -- I guess it's pretty obvious that the guys at WDI thought fairly highly of John too.

Unfortunately, the "Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" ride was pretty much Winchell's last hurrah with the Walt Disney Company. Whereas Fiedler ... He actually went on to do a number of new projects for the Mouse House after that. Providing Piglet's vocals for "The Book of Pooh" TV series, the "Mickey's House of Villains" & "Winnie the Pooh: Springtime for Roo" video premieres as well as the "Piglet's Big Movie" & "Pooh's Heffaump Movie" theatrical releases.
In fact, there's still one more project in the pipeline -- "Pooh's Heffalump Halloween -- The Movie" -- that John also did voicework for. Though that video premiere isn't due to hit store shelves 'til September 13th of this year.

Anyhow ... I just wish that Winchell could have experienced what Fiedler did over the last few years of his life. That sense that -- even though John was a man in his late 70s -- he was still someone who could add something unique to the mix. Which is why Disney deliberately sought Fiedler out whenever they were getting a new "Winnie the Pooh" project off the ground.
But now that John's gone ... Well, given the billions that the Mouse makes off of the sale of Pooh-related products each year, it's pretty obvious that this franchise is going to have to continue. Which is why the guys over Disney's voice department are probably already wondering who they're going to get to fill Fiedler's shoes.

Maybe they'll get lucky and find another huge talent like Jim Cummings. Someone who -- thanks to their own comic genius as well as the gift of mimicry --will be able to create a close approximation of Paul Winchell's Tigger.

Still, given that Tigger's voice was obviously patterned after the voice that Winchell used to do for his Knucklehead Smiff character, it was fairly easy for Disney to come up a replacement bouncy, trouncy tiger. Whereas Fielder's distinctive take on Piglet -- that halting delivery, the sense that this character was constantly struggling to keep his fears under control, the obvious heart that John poured into this part -- it might take Disney's voice department quite a while to come up with an actor who can accomplish what Fiedler did.

Which was make us care about -- even fall in love with -- a small, fretful pig.

The entire JHM staff wishes to extend its heartfelt condolensces to the friends & family of John Fiedler during their time of sorrow.

Need to setup a home studio to record voice narration

Home Recording Studio


Jeffrey P. FisherBolingbrook, Illinois, USA©2003, Jeffrey P. Fisher. All rights reserved.



http://www.creativecow.net/articles/fisher_jeffrey/recording_voiceovers/index.html

Need to setup a home studio to record voice narration for home videos, indie productions, commercials, and more?

Here's how ...
Do you already have a computer with a sound card that can act as your digital recorder? You just need to add some inexpensive recording equipment and software to your PC, and you can produce high-quality, effective voice recordings easily. What other gear do you need?

Microphone

To get your voice into the computer, you need a microphone. Don't use the crummy little one that came with your computer. High-quality, inexpensive mics abound and sound far better than that trash. For basic voice work, I'd suggest either the Shure SM57 or SM58. These are rugged, good-sounding dynamic microphones. The '58 is especially suited for female voice as it reduces sibilance (excessive esses) somewhat. Males can choose either. Both mics are available from music or audio equipment suppliers for under $100 (American Musical Supply, BH Photo/Video, Musician's Friend, and others). Also, get a proper mic cable and a desk stand to hold the mic while you're speaking.

Microphone preamp

Microphones put out such a low amount of electricity that their signal needs to be boosted. The sound card's mic input includes the necessary preamplifier. Unfortunately, much like the cheapo mic that shipped with your box, most sound card mic preamps are too noisy for serious work. In a pinch you could use it, but at least, use it with a better mic. For the preamp, you can choose either a small mixer to work with your mic or a dedicated device. Mixers essentially let you connect several microphones and other devices (such as a CD player) to one place and adjust their volumes independently. The Behringer Eurorack MX602A 6 Input Mixer has microphone inputs, level controls, and costs less than $60. Alternately, two good choices for stand-alone preamps include the DBX Mini-Pre Tube Mic Pre-amp and the ART Tube MP Studio V3 Mic Pre-amp. Both are under $125 and available from the same sources listed above. If you do a lot of recording invest in higher quality mics, preamps, and a dedicated computer audio interface. Two better mic choices include the Marshall 2003 and the Rode NT1. For preamp needs, choose a combination preamp and computer audio interface device such as the Edirol UA-5 or M-Audio Duo.

Speakers and headphones

While computer speakers are adequate for recording, editing, and finishing basic recordings, those built-in to laptops are useless. Invest in some decent powered speakers, such as the Roland MA-8 Micro Monitors, and use them instead. Play your recordings on a variety of systems--home stereo, car, etc.--to check how they translate to other listening environments. Also, you can't listen on speakers when recording because they'll feedback when the microphone is on. Wear closed-ear headphones that keep sound leaking from them from being picked up by the mic.

Recording software

Choose recording software with editing facilities for fixing mistakes, compiling the best bits, adding music and/or sound effects, creating special effects, and delivering your finished voice tracks in the formats you need. A "light" version of a professional recording program is Sonic Foundry's Sound Forge Studio 6.0

Quiet recording space

Your goal is to record a clear, intimate voice track, and that means keeping noise and the sound of the room OUT of the finished recording. Professionals record in a sound booth specially designed to keep noises out and make their voice sound good. These costs thousands of dollars and are a bit impractical for occasional work. A clothing-filled, walk-in closet works as a makeshift sound booth, though.

Getting a good level

Even the most basic onboard sound card has three connections: mic in, line in, and line (or headphone) out. Hook up your equipment by plugging your mic into the mixer (or preamp) and plug the output of that device into your sound card's line in. Connect your headphones, too. (If you're using a dedicted external interface, you'd plug into that. It connects to the computer through a USB port.) Next, set your volume at the mixer (or preamp) using its controls and level meters. Start speaking, watch the meters, and slowly raise the volume until you get close to 0 (zero) without going over.
Launch the software that controls your sound card (it's usually the little speaker icon in the system tray). Here is where you select your recording source (line in) and adjust its volume. Set this at 100%--all the way up--and then control your recording level with your external mixer or preamp. Start your audio recording software and get into record ready. Record in mono, not stereo, and at CD-quality (16 bits and 44kHz sampling rate). You'll notice that the audio software doesn't have controls for setting levels, but you do rely on its meters when recording. Never, EVER exceed 0 (zero) on your digital level meters. Anything above that level will sound horribly distorted. You want any loud sound to fall below digital 0 with the majority of your level well below that (between -6 to -15 dB).

Mic technique
To greatly improve the sound of your recordings, get closer to the mic. The farther away you are from it, the more you pick up the room around you. Your voice starts to sound thin and distant, like a home video. Get closer and your voice is more intimate--the prototypical narrator sound. Another advantage to getting closer is the microphone itself may accentuate the lower frequencies in your voice and that can make you sound more powerful. How close? Put your lips between four and six inches away, about the width of your hand. Don't talk down into the mic. Instead position it above your nose pointed down at your lips. Also, don't position the mic dead center of your lips. Move it over to the right slightly, say 20 degrees, off axis. This leaves a clear view of your script, too. Obviously, locate your recording area away from noisy equipment, such as computer fans. Put a little distance between the mic and the noise source. Also, avoid salty foods immediately before your recording session. Have some tepid water nearby and apply a little lip balm. These will keep your mouth and lips lubricated. Nibbling on some sliced apples can help overcome dry mouth, too. When you're ready to record, turn away from the microphone. Take a deep breath. Exhale. Take another deep breath. Open you mouth, turn back to the microphone and begin to speak. This technique eliminates the sharp intake of breath and lip smack that often occur when starting to speak. Speak clearly and slowly. You can always tighten up your recording during the editing stage. If you make a mistake, go back to the nearest sentence start and continue on again, even if you flub just a word or two. Cutting in a single word or phrase is difficult and doesn't sound natural.

Editing the recordings

You don't have to nail everything in one take. Record as many run-throughs as needed and compile the best parts into the final recording. Listen back and evaluate what you did. Is everything there that you need? Does it sound good? Is the level right (not too low; not distorted)? If not, go back and re-record the bits you need, listen back again, and repeat the process until you're satisfied. Editing sound is much like editing in a word processor. You can't see the words, but you do see a two-dimensional representation of the words as sound waveforms. And you can hear the words as you play them. You manipulate these waveforms just like you move words around in your word processor. Cutting, copying, pasting--all the techniques you're already familiar with apply when editing sound.

Before you begin editing, turn off the mic, disconnect the headphones, and switch to speakers. Obviously, delete what's not needed, such as a throat clear before you started speaking, any chatter between takes, extraneous noises, and so forth. Once you've eliminated the junk, move toward improving your performance. If you did multiple attempts at the script, find the best takes and build your final version from them. Listen critically to any changes you make. I find that taking a long break let's you approach the recording once again with fresh ears.

Can you make it better? Is the volume consistent? Are there any noises, background sounds, or other unwanted parts that you could eliminate or reduce?

After editing the voice, you can add music or sound effects to sweeten the final version. To add music using Sound Forge, open the music file in your audio software, select, and copy it to the clipboard. You may need to trim the music to match the length of your voice recording, first. Then, position the cursor at the start of your voice recording, and select Edit > Paste Special > Mix. Here you can control the level of the music (source) in relation to your voice (destination). Double-check the mix to make sure you can hear your voice recording clearly with the music playing in the background. As a final step, use your audio software's normalization process to maximize the recording's volume. Select the entire waveform and normalize it to -0.10 dB (98.86%). Save this file to the audio format you need, for instance, MP3.

###Jeffrey P. Fisher

STUNT GRUNTERS

DISNEY HIRE 'STUNT GRUNTERS' FOR VOICE-SAVING TRICKS http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/disney%20hire%20stunt%20grunters%20for%20voicesaving%20tricks

DISNEY bosses hire "stunt grunters" in a bid to save the stars' voices when they're making animated movies. The voice extras are called in to add vocal sound effects to save the stars from developing rasps after talking into a microphone for long periods.

RICK DEMPSEY, the animation director for Disney, reveals the grunters are also called upon to save executives asking movie icons to make revolting sounds. He explains, "We actually have stunt grunters if it's getting too late, and we were working with LAUREN BACALL on the dubbing for HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE until about 10pm one night. "She plays THE WITCH OF THE WASTE and when the character is going through her transformation, we didn't want to put her through that grunting, so we had this actress do it and you can't tell where one starts and one stops." Dempsey admits the use of vocal extras doesn't always help to save stars' voices.

He adds, "For JEAN SIMMONS (in Howl's Moving Castle), we always had hot tea available and fruits and lemon because she was dealing with some things with her throat and we had to cancel BLYTHE DANNER's session three times because she had laryngitis and couldn't get rid of it for a month. "We ended up going with a little bit of a rasp because she's an invalid in a wheelchair, so it worked."

Voice actors sound off

Voice-Over Talent

Voice actors sound off

By JOE NEUMAIERDAILY
NEWS FEATURE WRITER
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/story/313036p-267800c.html

It's scary hearing an animated voice actor get angry.

But that's what happens when some of the most prominent names in voiceover acting discuss the celebrity voices who are taking their jobs in animated movies. "What the producers of animated features are doing is indefensible," says Tony Jay, a 40-year veteran best known as the voice of the villainous Frollo in Disney's 1996 "Hunchback of Notre Dame." "What they're doing is putting actors like myself out of work because they think it affects the box office."

Consider:

• "Madagascar" opens tomorrow, "starring" Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith.
• Next month Disney releases the Japanese anime "Howl's Moving Castle," starring Christian Bale, Uma Thurman and Billy Crystal.
• In August, "Valiant" arrives with Rupert Everett and Ewan McGregor (who also voiced the main character in this spring's "Robots").

And, says Jay, there's little evidence to support the idea that big names return big box office: "Look at failures like 'Treasure Planet' (Martin Short, Emma Thompson) or 'Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas' (Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones). "Yes, there are exceptions where the voice is unique, like Robin Williams in 'Aladdin' or Eddie Murphy in 'Shrek.' But for every big success, I can name a failure." It was Williams' work in 1992's "Aladdin," in fact, that reversed a long tradition that cast actors for voice talent, not name value.

But after Williams' performance, the genie was out of the bottle. "'Aladdin' put a light bulb over producers' heads. From then on, we were toast!" says James Arnold Taylor, a voice of Fred Flintstone, among other characters. "It's become about celebrities wanting to get easy money," says Taylor. "

They all say they 'want to do something for their kids.' I want to do something for my kids, too - put them through college!" Debi Derryberry, the voice of Jimmy Neutron on TV and in the movies, says that when it comes to feature films, "Audiences really can't tell between a star or not. "Sometimes it's the name that sells the actor to the studio, not the voice," says Derryberry. "And while Eddie Murphy was worth every penny, there are a lot of voice artists who offer just as much humor and variety and don't require the major money."

"The pay at Disney is pretty commensurate between celebs and voice actors," says Rick Dempsey, a co-director and producer of "Howl's Moving Castle" and a senior vice president at Disney's Character Voices division. "We go with celebs because we want to home in on a certain acting style. We can grab onto how this person is going to do the role. You recognized Tom Hanks and Tim Allen in 'Toy Story,' but you bought it because they were perfect for those characters. "I empathize with voice actors who say there's been a shift, but ... some voiceover talents do good voices but are not great actors."

Still, many voiceover actors, like Billy West (voice of many Warner Bros. characters, including Bugs Bunny), Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh) and Thurl Ravenscroft (the voice of Tony the Tiger and many classic Disney characters, who died Sunday at age 91) are legends to newcomers like Derryberry and Taylor. But today, it's common for actors like them to audition for and get lead roles - only to be bumped for a celebrity. "There's a joke we say: 'Gee, I wonder who'll replace us?'" says Arnold. "I heard Chris Rock once say something like, 'Voiceover is the best job. You just go in and read.' Don't say that, Chris. That hurts. What we do is about subtlety and pauses. It's not just doing squeaky voices."

Originally published on May 26, 2005

Audio Book Recording


Audios, Amigos
http://www.backstage.com/backstage/features/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000913612
Actors discuss the challenges of narrating books on tape.
By Terry Morgan

Audio books could be considered the equivalent of a one-person show, except in this case the show could last 30 hours or more if the book is unabridged. Unlike other areas of voiceover, the recording of an audio book can take a month, or even months of full workdays. An audio book requires an actor with great speaking skills who can perform multiple characters, often in rapid succession or even in conversation with one another.

Ellen Reilly, the reader of the Random House Audio production of the popular children's book and New York Times bestseller Chasing Vermeer, had plenty of experience leading up to her audio book work, from radio and voiceover to theatre and improv. Her introduction to the audio book industry was a little unusual, but it got her foot in the door."It was through a theatre contact," she says. "Somebody knew somebody who's always looking for new voices for things. I was recommended by a friend of a friend and went in and auditioned, and, lo and behold, I got it. That was a couple of years ago, and it was a very illustrious title: Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, the novelization of the film. I was Velma, the bookish one."

Reilly points out that the successful recording of an audio book requires more than a mellifluous voice. "It's sort of a different skill set," she says. "People who have fantastic voices that you just want to listen to for hours and hours on end may not necessarily be the best choice. There are other things that may make a producer want to work with you again: You read well and don't stumble too much--just the practical things. Do you pop your p's too much? Do you mix up the words constantly? Those are boring details, but I think they may figure in to why a producer might call you." Reilly says she reads the book before she records and may research accents. "Sometimes I'll write down the character's names and put down a little description so that it'll trigger for me what I did for their voice," she says. "I'll have two characters [separate in my mind], and then they'll meet, and they're speaking to each other, and I [realize] they sound too much alike. If you're not a man of 1,000 voices, you have to rely more on what the character is about: their speech patterns--do they speak rapidly, do they speak with authority--are they meek, is the voice way deep down inside of you, whatever. You have to rely on that; there's only so much that the human voice can do. It's a lot of that acting stuff. You think in terms of their intentions and their self-confidence, all that sort of stuff. All those levels can come out in the voice."

Tony-winning actor Roy Dotrice performed the narration for the Random House Audio production of George R. R. Martin's fantasy epic A Song of Ice and Fire, and his path to the audio book world was equally unorthodox."A friend of mine introduced me to it, a man called Ted Kryczko," he says. "He was in charge of all the Disney recordings. You know how they do all these read-along books for kids? I did these, a number of them, things like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast. Along the way I picked up a platinum record and a couple of gold records for doing these things. So I suppose I got a bit of a reputation for doing this voiceover stuff. George R.R. Martin, who wrote A Song of Ice and Fire, he was one of the producers of [the TV program] Beauty and the Beast, which I was in for three and a half years or something. George knew me, and so when he'd written this novel and wanted to record it, he knew I'd done a lot of voiceover work, so he asked me to record them. I did, and it was a mammoth task." We did the first three volumes, and each one was well over 1,000 pages," Dotrice continues. "During those three volumes I had to find voices for over 800 different characters. I found it very difficult, because [the book's setting] was sort of medieval, and therefore you couldn't use American accents, for a start, because America hadn't been discovered at that point. One had to do all one's German and Italian and French and Russian, you know. With all of these characters I had to do, I could only get through about 30 pages a day. Working five days a week, I was probably getting 150–160 pages a week. I was really getting bogged down toward the end, because I was running out of inspiration for voices. I found I was repeating myself. There must have been 20 different sorts of Cockney accents I was doing there, trying to make each one different, giving them a lisp or sibilance or stammer, just to make variations on one particular accent."

Although Dotrice says he was responsible for coming up with his interpretation of the characters, he credits director Janet Stark with helping him keep the massive cast clear in his mind."I had to depend on her to a tremendous amount," he says. "And she was awfully good in this: She would make notes as to what character had what accent. You'd be reading Volume 3, and a certain character would appear on Page 3, and then he might not appear again until Page 253. Between [those two points] I had done over 100 different characters, so I'd have to go to Janet and ask, 'What sort of character was that, on Page 3 that we did?' She find out for me. That took a lot of time, obviously."

As to what talents an aspiring audio-book narrator requires, Reilly says being a good sight-reader is important, and knowing how to adjust performance levels for the more intimate environment of narration is useful, but recording skills are vital."Get as much experience recording things as possible, no matter what it is," she advises. "Audition for whatever kind of voiceover experience you can get, because I think you never know who's working on other kinds of projects. It's sort of inadvertent networking: You're working on one thing and have no idea that so-and-so is also producing other things. You're in [the recording booth] for hours and hours, so you have to know how to pace yourself."

Although Reilly finds audio-book narration challenging, she says she enjoys the experience. "It's kind of like when you're in a play, and you like your own part just fine, but you think, 'I could play all of these parts.'" she says. "In a way, this satisfies that fantasy, because you are playing all those parts. To a certain extent, you're also the director, the lighting designer.... You're everything, because you spin the whole story with what you do with the voices. It's like any actor's dream, because you're in charge of the whole experience for the listener."
BSW

Actors Eye Video-Game Voices

Merle Dandridge in "Half Life 2"


http://www.backstage.com/backstage/features/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000817090

Actors Eye Video-Game Voices
Trained Performers Tap a Market Seeking Higher Audio Quality
By Paul Hyman

Video game developers and publishers believe that "a high level of voice talent is an excellent way for them to distinguish their product in a video games market that has become increasingly more competitive," explains Brent Weinstein, a talent agent at United Talent Agency who specializes in deals involving interactive entertainment. "It's also good for the game, especially if it's based on a film or TV license. If you're going to make a game based on a movie we'll call 'Super Dude,' what better way to give the gamer an extension of the filmgoing experience than to feature the voice of Johnny Superstar, who played Super Dude in the movie, rather than some unknown's voice?"

But what does signing an A-list celebrity do to a game's budget?"

"An A-list actor participating in a game that's based on a big licensed product can expect to make six digits for a job," says Weinstein. "But it's well worth it, especially if the voice acting of a name actor is going to help the publisher differentiate his game from the other games out there."Some game developers, however, absolutely refuse to pay that much for celebrity talent, and one of them is Valve Software, whose "Half-Life 2" soared to No. 1 on the NPD Group's list of best-selling PC games in December."The going rate for audio talent is $570 for a four-hour day," says Bill Van Buren, content lead for the game, "and we paid everybody more than that. Our entire voiceover budget was a six-digit number, probably a little less than 1% of our entire budget of $40 million plus."Valve didn't budget more for voice over work simply because the original game, in 1998, got fairly high marks for its voice talent -- and the budget then was a total of just $10,000."

Frankly, we didn't think we'd sell a lot more copies by putting stars' names on the box given who our audience is," adds Van Buren. "It didn't seem to us that we'd get huge returns on a bigger investment."Van Buren explains that the production team was less interested in name value than it was in two things: achieving a level of voice acting that was on a par with the game's sophisticated graphics and technology, and creating "flexible" working conditions with the actors."If we could get somebody at a cheaper rate, we could do more sessions with them," says Van Buren. "And we do tend to make lots of changes until we get it right. It would be really hard to work with a diva on that kind of process. As it turned out, we actually got the best of both worlds. We were able to get the people we wanted and we got them at a rate where we could do several sessions with them and not break the budget."

Work With a Casting Director

The team wanted to bring back a few of the original game's actors for nostalgia's sake, and then worked with a casting director to identify the actors who could best fill the other roles."It may run contrary to what other developers feel, but for us the game and the characters come first," says Valve director of marketing Doug Lombardi. "In that spirit, we cast Robert Culp because we thought he'd make a great Dr. Wallace Breen, not because we thought we'd sell more copies with Robert Culp in the game. Similarly, we'd made a note on one character profile sheet that we should find 'someone like Robert Guillaume' for the part of Dr. Eli Vance. Then, to our surprise, we discovered that we could actually get Robert Guillaume."

The 130-page script was quite larger than the typical movie script, and each actor was recorded individually in three to six sessions of one to four hours each. Most of the work took place in a recording studio in Los Angeles, but occasionally, when an actor couldn't leave New York or San Francisco, they were connected to the studio by ISDN line and the directing was done long-distance."We found that the actors really liked working in this format; it was very casual for them," says Van Buren. "They didn't have to be on camera; there was no makeup or setup or anything. They just came in and we went at it. The reason each actor was recorded individually was so we could be sure we got the quality of performance we wanted for every single line."While it may have been true at one time that A-list actors had no interest in video game work, UTA's Weinstein says games have become so mainstream, and "everyone has heard the statistics about software sales, that most actors understand that games are no longer the ugly stepchild of TV and films."

Indeed, some actors are such big gamers that they view video game work as an exciting opportunity, while others don't necessarily understand the medium and need a bit more coaxing.The role that the Valve team found the most challenging to cast was that of Alyx Vance, who, according to Van Buren, needed to be sweet and feminine and then turn into "an incredibly strong action hero." The casting director did tryouts for the part with 100 actors and recommended 50 to the team, who narrowed the list down to the five best possibilities. They flew to Los Angeles and live readings were done with all five."It was immediately clear who the best person was," says Lombardi, "but we had to throw a pretty wide net in order to cast that one character."The role went to Merle Dandridge, a Broadway actress who has appeared in "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Aida" and who can currently be seen as Joanne Jefferson in "Rent." But, she says, the clear majority of her fan mail now comes from "Half-Life 2" fans."When I was first approached to do the project, the guy in my life thought I'd gotten the coolest job in the entire world. But, frankly, I had no idea what a big deal this was. And I don't think I really began to understand the magnitude of it until I started getting feedback from the public," she recalls. "Every time I'd mention to someone that I was in 'Half-Life 2,' they got so excited. There's this entire community out there that I had no idea existed."She admits she's no gamer and that she really needs to buy a more powerful computer before she can build up her "game-playing muscles."

Dandridge had been in Los Angeles guest-starring in several TV shows when she received a call from her agent asking if she'd like to do some voice over work. She recalls that her first reaction was that this was an opportunity to try something new and different, and that maybe she could learn something from the experience."My voice over work had been minimal and I was concerned that maybe I couldn't do the job," she explains. "But I worked with the Valve people for six sessions over a span of a year and a half, and I think they were very pleased with my delivery."Her only regret was not having the opportunity to meet her co-stars -- Culp, Guillaume, and Louis Gossett, Jr. Instead, her performances were done solo, responding only to their recorded dialogue.She describes the gig as much more lucrative than some of the TV work she's done and definitely less time-consuming. On TV, she says, her shooting days are 12 hours long; her entire workload on "Half-Life 2" took no longer than 15 hours over 18 months.
Would she do another videogame?"

Absolutely!" she says without hesitation. "I can't even tell you how great this experience was. If there is a 'Half-Life 3' -- heck, I'd work for Valve anytime. They were so good to me, so generous, that I can't say enough good things about them. If I can do more video game work, I certainly will."Dandridge may have that opportunity. According to Valve's Lombardi, as game production becomes more and more professional, game actors will need to be as good as actors in any other medium."I'm expecting to see more voice talent in games rather than less," he says. "From our point of view, it's a quality issue, not a marketing or promotional issue."And while it may increase game production budgets even further, Lombardi describes the cost as insignificant compared to the quality it can instill in a game."If you spend all this time developing great digital actors and then the minute they open their mouths, the whole illusion falls apart," he says, "using excellent voice talent is a no-brainer."

How To Achieve a Great V/O Without a Great Studio Setup

Voice-over


http://www.digitalgamedeveloper.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=30326

How To Achieve a Great V/O Without a Great Studio Setup

By Douglas Spotted Eagle
Getting a good voiceover seems to be a mystery for some digital storytellers. This spawns from a wide variety of reasons that can usually be narrowed down to three basic issues:

1. Poor monitoring or recording environments
2. Lack of knowledge
3. Lack of understanding existing tools.

A good voiceover recording doesn't require that you have expensive gear or a super-well designed recording room, nor does it require a tremendous amount of schooling to achieve. Common sense, a little effort, and a trained ear are necessary, and everything else is gravy. Is it easier to get a great V/O sound with good equipment? Absolutely. If you plan on doing a lot of V/O work, you should be planning on spending a little cash to make your life easier.The front end of the system is by far the most important aspect of the recording process in today's world, and I'll touch on this later in the article. First considerations for a good voiceover is to pay attention to the room or environment in which you'll be recording the V/O.
Look for the following;

Noise sources such as computers, air vents, windows exposed to streets, kids playing upstairs, (This is where the Big Little Feet Studio got its name) noise from any other source such as a television in the next room, flourescent light ballast buzz, etc. Stand in the center of the room, close your eyes and really LISTEN to the room. Dismiss all sounds from your mind except the room and find the problems. If you have none, be surprised, because that's fairly unusual except in professionally designed or well-thought out rooms.Clap your hands and listen to the way the audio bounces back at you. If it bounces back at all, your room is going to require treatment at some level. It could be minimal, it could be a major reconstruct, depending on your desires and needs. Reflections are your enemy.

Is the room comfortable, lending itself to a sense of relaxation, inspiration, and enery? This is much more important that many recordists first starting out might consider.
You can always eliminate some of these concerns by simply building a voice-over box/booth such as the instructions found here . You can also access great rooms from companies like Whisper, or use treatment applications from manufacturers like Auralex.

Next, we need to examine our front end. The front end means the acquisition tools used to record the audio. Are you using a digital system or an analog system? For purposes of this discussion, we'll only be talking about digital systems whether they be dedicated hard disk solutions, DAT, or a software/HDD based system. In this event, recording noise is not an issue at all, as digital on its own isn't noisy, but the tools used to convert the analog sound into a digital sound may be.

Starting with microphones.....

Microphones for V/O come in a lot of different styles, brands, and formats. While large diaphragm mics are often considered the "standard" of the industry, there are many unique opportunties out there that are oft-overlooked. As an example, There are some small diaphragm mics such as the AT 4053 that are great, and there are shotgun microphones that are often used to create the tight, narrow but pushed sound of many of todays voiceover artists. Cheaper mics, such as the Shure SM-58 are quite usable as well, but they'll require more work in post-production than one of the better mics. This is one of the tradeoffs of not spending a little money up front; you either pay in cash, or you pay in time. Choose wisely, because if you're doing a lot of voiceover work with a cheap microphone , then you're spending a lot more time in post tweaking that sound, but if you purchase a more expensive microphone that's closer to your desired sound, you will spend less tweak-time. How much is your time worth? Only you can answer that.

There are many opinions on what microphones should and shouldn't be used for voiceover work. Ignore most of them and spend a little time trying a variety of microphones with YOUR voice or the voice of your talent. Find an audio supplier that allows you to monitor microphones either through headphones or speaker monitors. Monitors are best, if they're in a good room without a lot of noise. Most professional shops will have some sort of arrangement for this. Mics to listen for as a starter might be:

• Clarity
• Punchy bottom end
• Tight midrange
• Crisp top end

Do you want warmth or a colder, more tight sound? This is dependent on the type of voiceover work you're doing. If the bed music is rock n' roll, you'll likely want a tighter sounding mic so that the voice isn't conflicting with the bed, and if the bed music is a single harp or classical piano, you might want a warmer mic such as a tube mic might offer. Personally, I like the AT 3060 tube mic, but it's in the lower end of the pricey ranges for some users. Next let's examine the preamp and/or digital audio converter. Sometimes, these are one and the same. The preamplifier provides a step between the mic and the recording medium, necessary to raise output while not incurring noise. Some systems have a preamplifier built into the same device as the analog to digital converter, such as the M-Audio Firewire 410 or the EchoFire 8, and even the new Mackie Onyx series mixing consoles have a great sound, providing preamps, EQ, and other standard mixing functions while acting as an interface with the Apple or PC computer. Only Apogee has a super high end input pre with a DAC (Digital Audio Converter) but the devices mentioned above are very, very good. Emu Systems ( Creative Labs ) just announced and is shipping a new sound card that appears to be promising.

Look for a device that manages at least 24 bit, 48Khz sound. Better still, get a card that can record 24 bit, 192Khz. This is a very high end recording process that slower computers don't manage well, but it leaves a tremendous amount of dynamic range available to the recording engineer. Sorry folks, sound cards from CompUSA or Fry's just ain't gonna cut it. Visit your local Guitar Center, Sam Ash, or B&H store to get the good stuff. Prices on a good DAC start at around $300 and if you want a good preamp built in, plan on spending more. The mid level cards are decent, and usable for most things. In our facility, we usually use the John Hardy preamps with the Echo Layla or the M-Audio Delta 1010, depending on what room you might be recording in that day.A good preamp will be capable of substantially increased gain without inducing noise to the output. This is critical. Listen to this through headphones. Pay serious attention to the amount of noise increase as you turn up the volume. This is where cheap $99.00 soundcards show their ugliness and the better cards start to shine. If you're serious about playing in this game, expect to spend a minimum of $500.00 to get the goods.

Regardless of the software you use, you'll need a good EQ, a good compressor, and a good maximizer at absolute minimum. Whether you're using Vegas , Sound Forge , Final Cut Pro , Adobe Audition , Nuendo , Sonar, or any other similar application, forget about the manufacturers installed plugs if you're serious about audio. They simply won't work as well as tools from iZotope or WAVES. My favorites are the WAVES Renaissance EQs and UltraMaximizer for the Mac and PC, and I'm nearly as equally enamored with the iZotope plugin suite from Ozone. The Sonic Timeworx plugs that are available separately or bundled with Cakewalk Sonar are really sweet as well. I'm a huge proponent of "invisible" EQ, that provide exceptionally smooth balance between EQ points, and don't get brittle as the higher frequencies are pushed, and don't become muddy as the lower frequencies are pushed or as the middle frequencies are pulled.You'll usually want to use a rolloff with your voiceovers, rolling anything below 80Hz out of the mix and eliminating any rumble caused by any heavy equipment such as room vibration, furnace fans, etc. It also can help clean up a mix, and you may not even be able to hear what's down in that range, depending on your speaker monitoring system. Look at boosting lows in the 80-110Hz range for most voiceover work, and look at boosting some of the extreme frequencies in the 15KHz region if you'd like a breathy, airy sound. Otherwise, look more at frequencies in the 8KHz area to add a little bite to the vocal. Depending on the mic used and the techniques employed during the recording, you may not need to do any EQ at all, but generally a good V/O requires EQ of some sort or another.

Compression is critical; be SURE you have a good compressor. The compressors that come installed with most of the above listed applications are adequate, but when compared to the plug in compressors such as the WAVES C-1 or the iZotope Ozone, or the Sonic Timeworx compressor, they pale pretty quickly. A compressor not only helps keep dynamics in check, but they also allow for a greater output without going over the top. (past 0dBFS) Look to start vocal compression with a compression ratio of 2:1, using a soft knee, and fast attack time. There is a fine balance between having a too fast release time and having a too slow release time. If your plugin has auto-release time settings, you may want to use these. You may need to set a deeper compression ratio, depending on the voice and recording. Never go more than 8:1 with a voice-over, and even that is a fairly extreme setting.

Be cautious of compressors set too high, or using auto-gain makeup. This can easily induce noise to the audio, or rather enhance existing noise in the recording. Of course, you can use a noise gate to "hide" the noise, but noise gates can also create more problems if the threshold is set too low or too high.Another couple of valuable tools for some types of V/O styles is the BBE harmonic enhancer, or the WAVES L2 UltraMaximizer. (in this authors opinion, every video editor should have the L2 UltraMaximizer anyway, it's a HUGE benefit to any audio programming. The iZotope Ozone has a terrific maximizer as well, although it's more musical than it is dialog oriented in terms of how it's setup. The WAVES tool offers less control and is basically "dummy-proof" whereas the Ozone tool can be controlled a little more completely, and if you don't know what you're doing, you could create more problems than you'll solve. Either way, use a maximizer of some sort to get your final audio output to it's maximum level without being concerned about distortion.

With a little practice, you can easily create good voiceovers. More than anything, it boils down to the room, mic, soundcard, and your ears. Listen closely to radio voices, voice-overs on PBS documentaries, and movie trailers for ideas of how you want a voiceover to sound. Keep in mind that not everyone has a good voice for voiceover work. Practice might not make perfect, but it certainly can go a long distance when training your voice and ear for good voice over sound quality. Being a good narrator is difficult, just as it will take time for you to learn the tricks and techniques for getting the best settings and delivery for voiceover sound. These tips are mere starting points; keep working with the tools you have, or try demo versions of the tools listed in this article, and you'll quickly find how much more you can do with the voice.