Newsletter

February 2010 · Newsletter Archive

“The happiness of a man in this life does not consist in the absence but in the mastery of his passions."
- Alfred Lord Tennyson






For the LOVE of the Game

This time of year is always exciting, because there's so much going on. It’s award season in ‘Lalawood’, which usually gauges the tone of Pop Culture trends and styles. (The nominations Academy Awards is Tuesday, February 2nd. The ceremony, Sunday, March 7th.) And, of course, Super Bowl XLIV will feature the Saints and the Colts in Miami on February 7th, 2010, as well as this year's serving of commercial highlights.
As you know at SOUND ADVICE we’re constantly imparting to you the virtues of consistently and continually building on your ‘reference base’. It’s imperative you familiarize yourself with the latest in Pop Culture references and you continually expand your frame of reference to make you a much more effective and savvy talent. After all, you can’t play what you don’t know. So, study up! It’ll be fun! Game ON!


Establishing the Narrative

The coaching we deliver at SOUND ADVICE is unique in a variety of ways, not the least of which is how to approach your script. For instance, as you probably know, our coaching covers what we refer to as ‘The Rule of 3 or 4, respectively’, based loosely on ‘the comedic Rule of 3’ most commonly imparted in Improv training.
Our take on the Rule of 3 is simply this: all communication, all scripts, whether they are comedic or dramatic, are best communicated and understood by the performer and the audience alike if the scaffolding they hang on is broken down into three or four fragments or ‘beats’. This is the meter of speech we're most familiar with as Americans, which might account for the reason we segment up phone numbers, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, and the like such as 323.464.0990, rather than lumping everything all together. It’s too difficult to take in all at once. It's overwhelming.
Instead the SOUND ADVICE Rule of 3 allows you to break the piece down quickly and eat the elephant bite by bite rather than attempting to swallow the script whole because it determines phrasing and therefore your most dynamic options from the script beyond your sparkling personality.
To begin, you must determine the first ‘beat’ which determines the story, the narrative. This is where and how you establish what you’re talking about or the context in which the story’s being told.
The second beat furthers the narrative thread. The crescendo, or arc, occurs on the third or the fourth beat. (Thus the Rule of 3 or 4, respectively. The change occurs on the third or the fourth.) These are key components to unlocking the most potential from every script especially since far too many talent tend to “ramp up” into their performance without ever truly establishing what it is they’re talking about. This “ramping up” generally offers a strong middle, but leaves a weak opening and close to the actor's delivery.
In short, delivering a well-established first and last beat offers a smarter, more effective framework in which your performance can best be experienced—regardless of whether your performance is commercial voice-over, a dramatic film role, or a sitcom.
So, establishing the narrative in the very first beat is vital to your performance. Ask yourself ‘what’ are your talking about rather than ‘how’ are you going to say it. We’re well aware of the fact that this concept is not immediately intuitive. It’s a muscle that requires developing on your part, so keep at it.
Call us and schedule some continued coaching. In the meantime, keep in mind you're telling a story with every script!

How To Control Your Own Fate

It probably doesn't hurt to remind you how important promotion is to the success of your overall career.
If you're non-union or don’t belong to AFTRA yet, then as soon as you receive your demos we HIGHLY recommend you get yourself set on www.voice123.com. Granted this site violates scads of our best advice as a site, but the fact remains these guys offer you the opportunity to audition steadily while promoting yourself to Ad Agency contacts, and pursuing representation from the talent agents. Here's a brief sound byte from our most recent In-Studio Voice-over Workshop in Los Angeles detailing what you might expect from this source and what we recommend on how to conduct your business with them. Intro and Q & A - January 18th Workshop
The difference between www.voicebank.net and voice123.com is that anyone can pay to be on 123, but to be listed on Voicebank, an agent who’s already established themselves on that site must agree to represent you AND include you in their listing.
Voice123 has you post your own demos on the site and you're expected to “give your own rate”. Frankly, we don't recommend you accept any auditions unless the client is paying you no less than $150 - $200 per job—as a rule. Voice123.com offers non-union talent the opportunity to audition for as many as 10 -15 jobs a week. (not only is there a system called SmartCast that punishes you for excessive auditioning by not sending you as many, the auditions are not likely to pay much, and frankly, 100 auditions a week is excessive by anyone’s standards. Pace yourself!)
Back to Voicebank, once an agency (or two) agrees to represent you, they will post you on their Voicebank site. If after a month or so you’re still not included on their Voicebank roster, ask your agent to do so. It’s important to note Voicebank is the Gold Standard in voice-over casting. Nearly all Union commercial work, promo and animation is booked through this site. Which is why this is where you will most likely yield the greatest potential to secure work directly off your demo, especially if you secure a ‘Premium Page’ on Voicebank.
A ‘Premium Link’ is the blinking red star alongside your name, plus your name is made into a hyperlink that leads viewers directly to your specific voice-over web page. YOU pay Voicebank for the Premium Link and the talent agency pays Voicebank to maintain their voice-over talent pool on their site.
Voicebank offers you the option to post a link to your voiceover web site without representation, but it's recommended you refrain until you have an agent in order to yield the best results from this very vital, employable tool. Conversely, Voice123.com doesn’t require you have a talent agent and, while they now have a Union talent option, it's still probably best suited to non-union talent that are> only just establishing themselves and their careers.
Continually promoting yourself through auditions, sending your postcards and emails that promote your web site where your logo identifies you and your demos is as critical as the overall production of your demos themselves.
Without proper and consistent promotion, to the talent agents, producers and casting directors, all your best efforts to create a remarkable demo and to keep your skills sharp will be lost. Well, not on our watch, thank you very much. Get it out there and keep it out there. It gets easier. I promise.
And it's the most sure-fire way to control your ultimate fate!

The Last of Holden Caulfield

You remember Holden—from High School English? Yep, that’s the kid. Most likely, that kid was YOU! Well, sort of. “The Catcher In The Rye” spoke to us at an age when we were all fed up with being fed up. When we were pubescent and impatient, and even that too was too much to bear. Yet it spoke to something relatable, honest, flippant and half tongue-in-cheek, half serious. All this until it actually got very serious. Well, that was J.D. Salinger for you.
Salinger passed away last weekend at the ripe old age of 91. He defined the term ‘recluse’ and never allowed his work to be anything but the written word. No movies of the week. No sequels or plays. Not even a staged reading. Nope. He had an ironclad agreement with his publishers that his work would remain ONLY for the printed page. And, for one who tried and failed to make “Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters” into a radio play, I quickly learned why: the language is so rich, so precise and appropriate to the imagery and tone he set. To transfer his prose to any other medium would require a great deal of editing. I think Salinger knew that and his work would have been reduced to fall dramatically short through neglect or by omitting any of it. I couldn’t part with a single word!
It had crossed my mind, and then Stephen Colbert spoke to it, but Salinger may be the last of his kind—known solely for being a writer. Stephen Colbert on J.D. Salinger. Unheard of today really in a world where so many are now known for being known and not much else. Isn’t that odd?
So we salute him. This guy who not only was a remarkable writer, but a man who fought for your right to engage your own imagination. That’s some powerful stuff. Takes “cojones”, and it seems J.D. had more than his share.
Maybe there’s a clause in that contract that will allow us to do a reading of my favorite short story. But then again, maybe it’s better left alone.



Our passion… is YOU!

February offers so much: people in the industry start to hit a stride and it's up to you to insure you're among them.
As for us, we're dedicated to offering you the very best opportunity to succeed—self-promotion! Our mailing lists have never been as vast or up-to-date and, as you know, they have less than 5% margin of error when you receive them, so it’s vital to get your promo out as soon as you receive them. If you sit on these lists when you get them they will spoil. So, you really need to purchase an updated list if yours is more than three months old.
Be relentless about this. Your future depends on it, we can't stress that enough. Ask anyone who's ever been successful at anything, “How'd you do it?” Answer: INTENTION and follow through. Your relentless promotion forwards BOTH! It's how you will ultimately make yourself known and remain accessible to the work.
If you've had the thought, “But aren't I pestering the people I'm sending my promo to?” Consider this: #1) we’ve worked very hard to create the most-remarkable demo and graphics package that is appealing and successful in the extreme. #2) You're continually maintaining and developing your performance skills in order to continue to deliver the product promised. Why would making your skills and services available be considered “pestering” or wrong? Maybe because it’s simply YOU and that can feel quite vulnerable when you’re first getting started. But I promise you you are not bothering anyone. Not a single soul. No matter what ANYONE and I mean anyone says. That’s just your doubts (or someone else's) flailing around, kicking and screaming—because God forbid you actually accomplish your goals. I mean, what then?!
Don’t pay attention to ‘the Doubts’… whether they're yours or somebody else's. They never amounted to hill of beans. (And they're scared to death you just might.) But they have managed to dash scores of dreams on the spot. Just don’t let them at yours! You’re the keeper of those and it's up to you to keep the ball in play. So, get going and stay in the game! We’re with you and will always continue to be.
Until next month… keep warm, inside and out!