I did some foley today for one of the scenes. Foley is creating live sound effects. I had to pour water. Yep, that’s it. But with foley, it’s almost like a character in the scene. You must time it just right, not overdo it and make it as real as possible. Sounds like voice acting, any acting for that matter right?

Here’s the cool part. I’m kneeling at a table between the actors doing their scene, ready to pour the water (6 inches above the glass for the right sound effect), and the actors start the scene. I close my eyes and immediately I’m transported to Brother Martin’s bedroom, when the young Brother Luke comes in to tell him about what Father Michael had done (you’ll have to listen to the play on BBC radio mid-August to find out). Instantly I’m a fly on the wall, listening in. I feel like I’m right there in that room. That’s the power of radio, the power of the voice. Just goes to show you, there’s a lot more to voice acting than meets the….(okay I’ll say it)…ear.

By the way check out the Voice Registry podcast with The Invisible Studios engineer and owner, Mark Holden. He’s the one who makes magic with sound…
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The stellar cast includes; Alfred Molina who plays Bertie, a worldly-wise but world-weary Friar, the Prior played by Martin Jarvis is Father Michael, devoted yet always on a spiritual quest, Mave (Rosalind Ayres) runs the office and is the power behind the altar, elderly Brother Martin (Roy Dotrice) has seen it all and surprisingly done it all. Then there’s Brother Luke (Darren Richardson) the wide-eyed newcomer who is the conduit for the audience taking them into the world of monastic life. This is a unique order as they are exposed to the outside world yet prefer the safety of the monastery. Listen for my upcoming podcast with director Pete Atkin.

This is truly voice acting at it’s very best. “Kicking” comes out mid-August on BBC radio. U.S. audiences can listen to it over the internet live or one week after broadcast. I’ll keep you posted. You don’t want to miss this!

By the way, Mark Holden is the engineer and owner of these fantastic new studios. Check out my Voice Registry podcast interview with him.

-Tracy Pattin

Rosalind Ayres is a regular contributor to radio and audio on both sides of the Atlantic, as a director, producer and actor. With her husband, Martin Jarvis, she has produced plays and readings for the BBC - Most recently DR NO, by Ian Fleming, dramatized by Hugh Whitemore, also PACK OF LIES, by Hugh Whitemore. Rosalind directed ON THE WATERFRONT for BBC Radio and was the first person ever given permission to direct David Mamet’s classic, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS for radio and also the premiere of his comedy KEEP YOUR PANTHEON. Rosalind and Martin’s productions have won both Audie Awards in the U.S. and Talkies Awards in the U.K.

right + click here to download podcast (14MB)

On the connection between film acting and performing in radio plays, Ros says “radio performance is much closer to working on film than it is to working in the theatre. The microphone is ruthless like a camera, exposing any lack of thought. What you say is modulated by what you’re thinking.”

Seems that the power of the microphone is equal to the lens.

Hear more about what Ros looks for (and listens for) when casting voice talent and what it takes to be successful in radio theatre.

-Tracy Pattin

Here are 4 tips on negotiating the deal:

1. Ask what the deal is BEFORE you do the job. For non-union we often have to be our own agent.

2. If you don’t know ahead of time and find yourself in an after-the-fact situation, let the client know what your normal rate is. This reminds them you’re a professional and sets a precedent for future jobs.

3. If they call again, ask them the particulars in that conversation. Then you can negotiate right then.

4. Don’t let your ego get between you and the client. If the rate is lower than you want and you want the job, you can always say, “Since you’re a first time client, I’m willing to work with you.” (FYI-This is a common move with business consultants)

Obviously, if you’re Union, this situation wouldn’t occur.

-Tracy Pattin

“It has probably happened to a lot of you as non-union voice talent (yes, I am still non-union, in LA!). You go in to do a voice over job and it ends up being different than you expected. It’s more work for the same money. You’re so thrilled to have the gig. You don’t want to burn bridges but you don’t want to burn your VO dignity. What do you do? At the end of the session, I walked out wondering how I could have handled this tricky situation better.”

Here’s the rest of the story.

Two weeks later, I got a call from that same producer. She had another voice over gig for me! Of course I was thrilled. Then I wondered. Will this be a repeat of the last voice over session with her? Will they turn one job into yet another voice over marathon?

I walk into the same beautiful recording studio. The producer’s there with her colleague sitting in the same places. Then….just before we get started, the producer hands me a check…for those other two spec projects and for this upcoming one. So I got paid for all four jobs in two sessions!

I wondered if the projects really got picked up or was it because I let her know that I’m normally paid per tag? Either way, it turned out to be a good deal for me. What do you think?

Check out tomorrow’s blog….4 Tips on Negotiating The Deal.

-Tracy Pattin

A few months ago, I got a call from a casting director. I got the job! We all know how sweet those words are. I get to the studio early, prepared to wow this new client. I’m hired to do a commercial tag, so it’s not a big money maker. The session takes about 20 minutes. The producer then asks me to wait. Maybe they want me to do the bigger role! They buy me lunch, and I wait some more, with no idea what’s happening. But you know how it is, you don’t want to be difficult. You want to make a great impression and get hired over and over. (of course this seems to be a random occurrence).

Finally the producer comes out and brings me back in. I’m now doing more tags for other projects. I keep wondering about the rate. Should I say something? Are all these tags adding up to more money? They start writing even more tags on the fly. It was a tag marathon and I was able to fly through them, giving the client what they wanted. I even had to pronounce some tricky names from another language. The session ends and the assistant takes me to do the paperwork. I ask her about the rate and she confirms my fears. It was all under that initial fee. Now I’m stuck. I’ve done the tags. The session is over and the deal is done. I can’t say no, now. The producer gets wind of my question and comes out to explain. The other tags were for spec projects. If they get picked up, I get paid.  I let her know that normally I’m paid per tag. So there you have it.

Voice actors. What would you do or have you done in this situation? Is it a Deal or No Deal?

Tomorrow, you’ll find out how this all ends. Then I’ll have even more questions and my own tips after this experience.

-Tracy Pattin

Bill Holmes is an award winning director who has freelanced with casting houses over the past 15 years including, The Voicecaster, Sight n’ Sound Casting, Sheila Manning Casting, Danny Goldman Casting as well as his own company Compost Productions. Not only has he been working very successfully in the voice over business for the past 25 years but he has been teaching commercial voice over classes for the last 15 as well. Currently Bill can be heard on radio and TV commercials nationwide. This guy doesn’t mess around! He knows how to drill in and find the truth of it all. It’s an entertaining and educational experience you really don’t want to miss!

right+click here to download podcast (9.8 mb)

So how much do we really need to practice? Is it better to know what we do well, instead of analyzing the copy and practicing it over and over again? Dominic Catrambone echoed this in my podcast interview with him. Obviously it’s important to study the basics and build your voice over foundation through classes. After that? Maybe it’s simply a subjective choice.

What do you think?

-Tracy Pattin

Actors Guild Faces Drama In Its Ranks

- Stewart Wilson-Turner