Voice-Over for Animation

Voice Over for Animation takes animation and voice-over students and professionals alike through the animated voice-over world. The book provides information, exercises, and advice from professional voice-over artists. Now you can develop your own unique characters, and learn techniques to exercise your own voice gain the versatility you need to compete. You can also learn how to make a professional sounding demo CD, and find work in the field. Author MJ Lallo opened her own studio in 2000. She is a VO artist, director, producer, and casting director, casting from her own VO roster. She teaches VO as well and hires pros in the industry to guest direct. She just cast a video game for DreamWorks and also cast and contributed character reads to a Houghton-Mifflin American history book. The accompanying CD is professionally recorded, and features:1. Improvization in character development 2. Examples of how to make an animation demo from beginning to final product.3. Adapting your characters to animation scripts4. Animation Talent Agent interviews5. Casting Director interviews6. Interviews with Animation Voice-Over Artistsa. Nancy Cartwright (Bart, The Simpsons)b. Cathy Cavadini (Blossom, Power Puff Girls)c. Bill Farmer (Goofy)

Auteur

Jean Ann Wright serves as an animation pre-production consultant, specializing in writing and development, design, storyboard, casting, and voice-overs. Jean worked at Hanna-Barbera for eight years as an assistant animator. Her animation training included classes in writing and development, voice-overs, storyboard, layout, character design, and animation. She took voice-over classes from Michael Bell, a well-known voice-over professional. Professionally, she's worked as an animation writer, assistant animator, dancer, model, and television production assistant. She's worked for television networks, animation companies, and assorted television production companies.

Contenu

Chapter Outline

Chapter 1: Introduction to Animation Voice-Overs

Introduction to the industry. What is voice-over? The basic voice-over recording process. How animation is produced (the short version). How do you begin? What equipment will help you?

Chapter 2: Voice Techniques and Exercises

The voice needs to be trained. Exercises for the voice (including tongue twisters). Exercises for the entire body.

Chapter 3: Animation Voice-Over Techniques

What do you need to know in order to be a good voice-over artist? This chapter lists basic animation voice-over techniques, microphone information, advice from experienced voice-over artists. Both Jean Ann Wright and M.J. Lallo know many voice-over artists and have access to more. In addition to the basics, some of these artists will give their own advice.

Chapter 4: Dialects

Many animated characters have accents. This chapter will give the bare bones basics of the most commonly used accents in animation recorded in the United States. It will include information, as well, on where to find recordings with dialects. Included: a system for writing down dialects. (I'd like to utilize the symbols used by the International Phonetic Association, as they are more accurate than the standard dictionary pronunciation keys, but I'm having trouble finding a software program that provides them. I will continue to look. If Im unable to use the symbols, then Ill use some sort of dictionary key.)

Chapter 5: Developing Characters

How does a future voice-over artist develop characters? This chapter gives a description of voice placement in the head and diaphragm for various kinds of characters that are commonly used in animation and suggestions for techniques for placing the voice for characters that are unique. How do you make a character younger or older? What is a ?wrinkle?? Motivations. How does an actor get into character and keep in character during the recording session? Included: a list of commonly used characters that a voice-over artist might want to provide for cartoon work. How can you keep files of your characters so that you can access them when they are needed? How do you research characters? Included: exercises (with one on making animal sounds).

Chapter 6: Your Demo CD

What is a demo CD? Why do you need to have one? What do they sound like? How can you make your own CD? Writing the CD copy. Recording. Duplication. What do you do with it after you have it?

Chapter 7: Finding an Agent

What does an agent do for you? How do you go about finding one? What does an agent look for in a voice-over client? What does an agent expect from you, the client?

Chapter 8: Voice Casting

How do you get work? Networking. What can you do to promote yourself? This chapter will give advice from casting agents and provide information on auditions. Online voicecasting. Joining a union.

Chapter 9: Recording for Cartoons

What is expected of you in a recording session? This chapter will include a checklist of voice-over etiquette. Experienced voice-over actors will give advice.

Chapter 10: Recording for Animated Features, Games, Theme Parks, Toys, and Narration

What are the differences between cartoon recording and recording for features, games, theme parks, toys, and narration? What do you need to know about each?

Chapter 11: ADR (Automated Dialogue Replacement)

What is ADR? Why is it needed? What do you need to know if you want to be included in a loop group? What should you expect at the recording session? There will be a sample list of call-outs (researched background dialogue needed for specific kinds of stories).

Chapter 12: Dubbing

What is dubbing? What does casting look for in an actor? Local publicity value. What do you need to know? What happens in a session? Where is dubbing done? How can you get work?