Voice-Over for Animation

Voice-Over for Animation

by Jean Ann Wright, M.J. Lallo
Released July 2013
Publisher(s): Routledge
ISBN: 9781136139499

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Book description

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 scripts
  4. Animation Talent Agent interviews
  5. Casting Director interviews
  6. Interviews with Animation Voice-Over Artists
    1. Nancy Cartwright (Bart, The Simpsons)
    2. Cathy Cavadini (Blossom, Power Puff Girls)
    3. Bill Farmer (Goofy)

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Halftitle
  3. Title
  4. Copyright
  5. Contents
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. CD Index
  8. 1. Introduction to Animation Voice-Overs
    1. Is This the Career for You?
    2. Major Objectives of This Chapter
    3. What Is Voice-Over?
    4. Work Opportunities Available in Animation
    5. The Animation Production Process
    6. Traditional Animation
      1. Computer Animation
      2. Other Animation Production Processes
    7. What Talents or Skills Do I Need?
    8. How Difficult Is It to Get Work?
    9. What Negatives Will Make It Difficult to Get Work?
      1. A Positive Attitude
    10. What Do I Do First?
    11. How Do I Pick a Voice-Over Teacher?
    12. Other Resources
    13. You Are in Charge of Your Own Career
    14. Support
    15. Union and Nonunion Work
    16. Early Experience
    17. Do I Have to Live in Los Angeles or One of the Other Cartoon Centers?
    18. How Do I Finance a Start in the Voice-Over Business?
    19. What Tools Do I Need Right Away?
    20. Work in the Future
    21. How to Use This Book
  9. 2. User’s Manual for Your Voice
    1. Voice Basics
    2. Warm-Up Exercises for Your Body
    3. Warm-Up Exercises for Your Voice
    4. A Calming Focus to Lose the Butterflies in Your Stomach
    5. Posture for Good Voice Production
    6. Good Breath Control
    7. Resonators
    8. Overall Sound Quality and Variety
    9. What You Have to Offer
    10. Learning to Mimic Sounds
      1. Imitating Celebrities
    11. Good Voice Production Habits
    12. Introduction to the International Phonetic Alphabet
    13. American English Vowel Sounds
      1. Consonant Sounds
    14. A Sibilant S
    15. Tongue Twisters and Other Warm-Ups for Your Lips and Tongue
      1. Short Twisters to Work Out Your Tongue and Jaws
    16. Tips to Keep Your Voice Healthy
    17. Some Common Remedies to Help a Voice Recover
    18. Your Voice in the Morning
    19. You and Your Dentist
    20. Voice Exercise and Care to Protect Your Career
    21. Answer to the Question about Double Vowel Sounds
  10. 3. Animation Voice-Over Techniques
    1. Chapter Techniques
    2. The Microphone
      1. Holding a Microphone
    3. Headphones or Earphones
    4. Copy on the Music Stand
    5. Marking Your Copy
    6. Slating
    7. Good Acting
    8. Practice Improvisational Techniques with Other Actors
    9. Playing Comedy
    10. Risk
    11. Using a Wrinkle
    12. Voice Placement
    13. Human Sound Effects
    14. Laughs
    15. Cries
    16. Animal Sounds
    17. Pacing
    18. Style
    19. Energy Level
    20. Tips for Reading Copy
    21. Tips for Running Your Voice-Over Business
  11. 4. Dialects
    1. Why Should You Learn Dialects?
    2. Phonetic Vowel Symbols
    3. Some Frequently Used Symbols for Diphthongs (Double Vowel Sounds) in American English
    4. Consonant Symbols
    5. Other Sounds
    6. Suggestions for Using a Dialect
    7. Tips for Studying a Foreign Dialect
    8. Brooklyn
      1. Educated Southern American
      2. European Dialects
      3. The Educated British Dialect
      4. Cockney
      5. Irish
      6. Educated East Indian
      7. Spanish
      8. Mexican
      9. Italian
      10. French
      11. Russian
      12. Japanese
    9. To Learn More
  12. 5. Developing Characters
    1. The Process
    2. Developing Someone Else’s Character
    3. Developing Original Characters
    4. Likability
    5. Status
    6. Summing Up Your Character
    7. Your Characters as a Reflection of You
    8. Types of Characters
    9. Voice Placement and Mouth Work
    10. Commonly Used Characters for Cartoon Work
    11. Baby to Old Age
    12. Robots
    13. Shortcuts
    14. More Tips about Comedy Characters
    15. Characters for Kids
    16. Standard Character Development Acting Techniques
    17. Getting into Character and Keeping in Character
    18. Original Characters versus a Character in a Script
    19. Character Files
    20. Research! Research! Research!
    21. To Be in Demand
  13. 6. Your Animation Demo
    1. What Is a Demo?
    2. When Do You Get Your Demo Made?
    3. Listen to the Demos of Others
    4. How Do I Find a Good Recording Studio and Demo Director/Producer?
      1. Direction
    5. Demo Length
    6. Demo Material
    7. Copy
      1. Other Demo Elements
    8. Price and Other Issues
    9. Rehearsal
    10. Recording Day
    11. Editing and Masters
    12. Duplication
    13. Packaging
    14. Cover Letter
    15. Marketing
    16. Updating a Demo
  14. 7. Finding an Agent or Representative and Looking for Work
    1. Looking for Work
    2. What Does an Agent Do?
    3. What’s the Difference between an Agent and a Manager?
    4. Are You Ready for an Agent?
    5. A Reputable Agent
    6. The Cover Letter
    7. Creating a Resume
    8. The Package
    9. Finding Agents Who Represent Voice-Over Actors
    10. Sending out the Demo Package
    11. Follow-Up
    12. What Attracts Agents to a Voice Actor?
    13. The Thank You Note
    14. More Follow-Up
    15. Choosing an Agent
    16. The Contract
    17. Once You Have an Agent
    18. Your Responsibility to Your Agent
      1. Holding the Agent Accountable
    19. Changing Agents
    20. Branching Out
    21. Getting Work on Your Own
    22. Nonpaying Voice-Over Experience
    23. You Are in Charge of Your Own Career
  15. 8. Voice Casting and Marketing Your Talent
    1. Casting Worldwide
    2. Casting Directors and Demos
    3. Other Ways to Showcase Your Talent
    4. The Casting Process
    5. Before the Audition
    6. The Audition
    7. Dos and Don’ts of Auditioning
      1. Audition Tips from the Pros
    8. After the Audition
    9. What Makes Casting Directors Bring People Back?
    10. The Follow-Up Card
    11. The Callback
    12. Internet Casting
    13. Recording Quality
      1. Directing Yourself
      2. Sending Your Audition
    14. Your Home Studio
    15. A Very Basic and Inexpensive Home Studio for Practice and Auditions Only
      1. A More Professional Home Studio
    16. Setting a Fee for Your Services
    17. Casting Celebrities versus Experienced Voice Actors
    18. Comedians
    19. Child Actors
    20. Ethnic Actors
    21. So You Want to Be a Casting Director
    22. Trends in Casting
    23. Marketing Yourself
  16. 9. Recording for Cartoons
    1. This Chapter
    2. The First Job
    3. The Script
    4. Before the Session
    5. What to Expect at Your Session
    6. Checking In
    7. What Does the Studio Look Like?
    8. Rehearsals
    9. The Actual Recording
    10. Dos and Don’ts for the Recording Session
      1. Physicalization
      2. Ad-Libbing
      3. The Difficult Director
      4. Other Possible Delays
      5. Series with Stand-Up and Improv Comics
    11. After the Session
    12. Your Career
  17. 10. Recording for Animated Features, Games, Theme Parks, Toys, and Narration
    1. Other Areas of Animation
    2. Animated Features
    3. Games
      1. Dubbing Games
    4. Toys
    5. Theme Parks
    6. The Internet
    7. Narration
  18. 11. ADR
    1. What Is ADR?
    2. The Loop Group
    3. Research
      1. Sample Call Outs (for a Scene at a Fair)
      2. Sample Conversation Starters for a Walxla Scene (Diner Scene)
      3. Sample Improvised Conversation
    4. To Practice
    5. Getting Work
    6. Union and Nonunion Work Available
  19. 12. Dubbing
    1. What Is Dubbing?
    2. Where Is Dubbing Done?
    3. Dubbing Can Be Big Business
    4. What Skills Do I Need?
    5. How Do I Get Work?
    6. Do I Get a Script before the Session?
    7. The Dubbing Process
    8. Actor Challenges
    9. Bigger Actor Challenges
    10. Synchronization
    11. The Mouth
    12. Sound Effects
    13. The Challenges of Anime
    14. Getting Work in Anime
      1. The Anime Process
    15. Budget
    16. The Director’s Point of View
    17. Advice from Other Actors
    18. Wrapping Up
  20. More Practice Copy
    1. 1. Tommy Growler Practice Script
    2. 2. Cool.Net Practice Scene (Practice Scenes Are Adapted from Cool.Net, Script)
    3. 3. Cool.Net Practice Scene
    4. 4. Cool.Net Practice Scene
    5. 5. Once Upon a Bed Practice Copy
    6. 6. Copy Example for MJ Lallo’s Character File Workout
  21. Glossary
  22. Index

Product information

  • Title: Voice-Over for Animation
  • Author(s): Jean Ann Wright, M.J. Lallo
  • Release date: July 2013
  • Publisher(s): Routledge
  • ISBN: 9781136139499