The Art of Voice Acting, 4th Edition

The Art of Voice Acting, 4th Edition

by James Alburger
Released November 2012
Publisher(s): Focal Press
ISBN: 9780240812113

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Book Description

Are you just starting in Voiceover? Do you have some experience, but aren't getting booked? Are you a working pro who wants to expand to new areas of VO work?

The Art of Voice Acting is a must read if you are serious about a profession in voice over and looking to maximize your efforts for success in the business.
Packed with basic acting techniques in The Art of Voice Acting, you will discover
* All new scripts
* 20 more pages of new and updated information
* A completely new chapter of studio stories and 'tricks-of-the-trade' from professional voiceover talent around the world
* Updated information for voiceover demos and marketing
* A comprehensive index that makes it easy to find what you're looking for
* More voice and acting techniques
* Contributions from some of the top voice talent in the world
* Audio content with the actual audio for every script in the book, http://voiceacting.com/aovaextras/ 
* PLUS: exercises, demos and more!

Written in an accessible and engaging style Alburger shares his experience as a performer, producer, director and performance coach to give you a clear no nonsense introduction to the business and art of voice acting. 

Table of Contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword by Beau Weaver
  7. Preface
    1. Acknowledgments
  8. Introduction
  9. 1 What Is Voice Acting?
    1. The Many Roles of the Voice Actor
    2. Types of Voiceover Work
    3. The Difference between “Voiceover” and “Voice Acting”
    4. Breaking into the Business of Voiceover
  10. 2 The Best-Kept Secret
    1. The Realities of Voice Acting
    2. Full-Time or Part-Time
    3. 7 Things You Must Know about Voiceover Work
  11. 3 Where to Start: Voiceover Basics
    1. The Voiceover Performer as Actor and Salesperson
    2. Getting the Skills You Need
  12. 4 The Business of Voiceover: Getting Paid to Play
    1. It’s Show-biz, Folks!
    2. Making Money Doing Voiceover Work
    3. Talent Agencies, Casting Agencies, Personal Managers, and Advertising Agencies
  13. 5 Using Your Instrument
    1. Where Do You Sit in the Voiceover Orchestra?
    2. All about Breathing
    3. Be Easy on Yourself
    4. Exercising Your Voice
    5. Correcting Speech Problems and Habits
    6. Voice and Body Exercises (CD/4, CD/5)
    7. Tips for Maintaining Your Voice and Improving Performance
  14. 6 The Seven Core Elements of an Effective Performance (CD/6)
    1. It Starts with Pretending
    2. Audience: Core Element #1
    3. Back Story: Core Element #2
    4. Character: Core Element #3
    5. Desires: Core Element #4
    6. Energy: Core Element #5
    7. Forget Who You Are and Focus: Core Element #6
    8. Gamble: Core Element #7
  15. 7 Developing Style & Technique
    1. Style
    2. The Road to Proficiency
    3. Three Steps to Creating an Effective Performance
    4. The Elements of a Voice Acting Performance (CD/7)
    5. Shortcuts that Trick Your Brain (CD/8)
    6. Advanced Techniques
    7. Microphone Technique
    8. Using Headphones
    9. Your Signature Voice
  16. 8 Voice Acting 101
    1. It’s Not about Your Voice
    2. Commit to Your Choices… and Adjust
    3. Physical Attitudes to Help Delivery
    4. Your Clothes Make a Difference
    5. The Magic of Your Mind: If You Believe It, They Will!
    6. Trends
  17. 9 Woodshedding and Script Analysis
    1. The Director in the Front Row of Your Mind
    2. “Woodshed” Your Copy
    3. Creating a Performance Road Map
    4. Woodshed Your Script to Be More Believable
    5. Tips for Woodshedding
  18. 10 The Character in the Copy
    1. How Will You Play the Role?
    2. Your Best Tool Is Your Own Personality
    3. Socio-cultural Awareness and RISC 3-D
    4. The RISC Ten Socio-cultural Cells & Your Character
      1. Cell 1 — Enthusiasts
      2. Cell 2F — Pathfinders
      3. Cell 2S — Connoisseurs
      4. Cell 3F — Surfers
      5. Cell 3S — Daredevils
      6. Cell 4F — Caretakers
      7. Cell 4S — Guardians
      8. Cell 5F — Jugglers
      9. Cell 5S — Wannabes
      10. Cell 6 — Contenteds
    5. Theater of the Mind
    6. An Exercise for Creating Real Characters (CD/9)
    7. Making Your Characters Believable
    8. Tips for Performing All Types of Copy
  19. 11 Single-Voice Copy
    1. Tips for Performing Single-Voice Copy
    2. Single-Voice Scripts
      1. Public Awareness Campaign — “Expectations” (CD/12)
      2. “My Open House” (CD/13)
      3. “East Cambridge Savings Bank” (CD/14)
      4. “Small Business Success” (CD/15)
  20. 12 Dialogue Copy: Doubles and Multiples
    1. Types of Dialogue Copy
    2. Tips for Performing Comedic Dialogue Copy
    3. Dialogue and Multiple -Voice Scripts
      1. “Donate Life” (CD/16)
      2. “Towne Center Plaza” (CD/17)
      3. “Holiday Magic” (CD/18)
  21. 13 Industrials: Long-Form and Narrative Copy
    1. Tips for Performing Corporate and Narrative Copy
    2. Corporate and Narrative Scripts
      1. “The Art of Risk” (CD/19)
      2. “The Power of Your Thoughts” (CD/20)
  22. 14 Character Copy
    1. Vocalizing Characters
    2. Pat Fraley’s Six Critical Elements of a Character Voice
    3. Finding Your Voice
    4. The Character Worksheet Voice
    5. Tips for Character an d Animation Copy
    6. Character and Anim ation Scripts
  23. 15 Imaging, Promo, and Trailer
    1. Radio Imaging, Branding, Signature Voice
      1. Gabrielle Nistico — Radio Imaging (CD/27)
    2. Promo & Trailer
    3. Tips for Imaging, Promo, and Trailer Copy
  24. 16 Other Types of Voi ceover Work
    1. Audio Books
      1. Hilary Huber — A Bit about Audio Books
    2. Video Games
      1. Zach Hanks — The Truth About Video Game VO
    3. Telephony
      1. Connie Terwilliger — Co ncatenation (CD/23)
    4. ADR/Looping
      1. James Phillips — Automatic Dialog Replacement
    5. Anime
      1. Debbie Munro — Inside Anime
  25. 17 The Brave New World of New Media (Joe Klein)
    1. A Revolution in Media Content & Delivery
    2. Social Networking & New Media
    3. The Present & Future of New Media
    4. The Voice Actor’s Place in New Media
  26. 18 Your Voiceover Demo
    1. Your Professional Calling Card
    2. Demo Rule #1: Don’t Produce Your Demo Until You Are Ready
    3. Demo Rule #2: Your Demo Must Accurately Represent Your Abilities
    4. Versatility Is Your Selling Tool
    5. Demo Basics
    6. Types of Voiceover Demos
    7. Producing Your Demo
    8. Your Demo Recording Session
    9. Demo Tips, Tricks, Dos, & Don’ts
    10. An Alphabetical Review of Voiceover Demo Categories
  27. 19 Your Demo Is Done, Now What?
    1. Present Yourself as a Professional
    2. Setting Up Shop
    3. Print Materials
    4. Getting Your Demo Out There: To Duplicate or Not to Duplicate
    5. Your Website
  28. 20 How to Work in the Business of Voiceover
    1. Promoting and Marketing Your Voiceover Talent
    2. Finding and Working with an Agent
    3. A Business Plan for Voice Actor You, Inc.
  29. 21 Setting Your Fees and Managing Your Business
    1. Setting Your Talent Fee
    2. Negotiating Your Fee
    3. Getting Paid for Your Work
    4. How to Guarantee You’ll Be Paid
    5. Union Compensation
    6. Documenting Your Session
    7. Keeping Records
    8. Banking and Your Business
  30. 22 Shedding Light on the Dark Side of Voiceover (Sciglimpaglia)
    1. Legal and Business Issues in the Voiceover Industry
    2. To Incorporate… or Not
    3. Potential Liability Issues Specific to the Voiceover Industry
    4. Contractual Issues and Considerations Relating to the Voiceover Industry
    5. Intellectual Property Issues: Copyright and Trademarks
    6. A Few Words on Business Insurance: Is it Really Necessary
    7. Tax Tips and Considerations
    8. Are You a Business? Or Just a Hobby?
    9. Final Thoughts
  31. 23 Your Home Studio
    1. A Million Dollar Studio in the Corner of a Room
    2. The Challenge of Recording at Home
    3. Home Studio Equipment
    4. Understanding Room Acoustics
    5. Advanced Home Studio Technology
    6. Managing Your Computer
    7. Wearing the Hat of the Audio Engineer
  32. 24 Auditions
    1. The Audition Process
    2. Auditioning from Your Home Studio
    3. Preparing for Yo ur Audition
    4. What to Expect at a Live Audition
    5. After the Audition
    6. Agency Demos
    7. The Voiceover Su rvival Kit
  33. 25 You’re Hired! The Session
    1. A Journey through the Creative Process
    2. Types of Sessions, Setups, and Script Formats
    3. The Session: Step -by-Step
    4. Common Direction Terms
    5. Wrap It Up
  34. 26 Tips, Tricks, and Studio Stories
    1. Beau Weaver — The Beginner’s Mind
    2. Mike Harrison — It Ai n’t Just Talking
    3. Bill Ratner — Do It Like You Talk
    4. Janet Ault — Leads From Biz Journals Work
    5. Philip Banks — The 10 Top Traps Voice Overists Love to Put their Feet in …and the Real–world Truth You Need to Know
    6. Sylvia Aimerito — What’s the Big Deal?
    7. Bettye Zoller — It Used to Be So Easy: Wearing two Hats
    8. Paul M. Diaz — Caring Makes a Difference!
    9. Marc Cashman — Coloring Our Words
    10. David Kersten — On Getting Paid
    11. Jeffrey Kafer — Do Your Voiceover Clients Know What Kind of Salsa They Want?
    12. Amy Taylor — The Announcer Vortex
    13. Dan Hurst — SHUT UP, Already!!!
    14. Michael Minetree — Timing Is Everything!
    15. Maxine Dunn — The Importance of Marketing Materials
    16. Connie Terwilliger — Auditioning in The 2000s
    17. Beverly Bremers — Helping Hands
    18. Penny Abshire — If You Think You Can… or You Can’t…You’re Right!
  35. Index

Product Information

  • Title: The Art of Voice Acting, 4th Edition
  • Author(s): James Alburger
  • Release date: November 2012
  • Publisher(s): Focal Press
  • ISBN: 9780240812113