MADIVA PODCAST - CREATING CHARACTER VOICES WITH THOREAU SMILEY

HELLOOOOO and WELCOME to SEASON 2 of MADIVA PODCAST!

And my goodness are we kicking off with some fun! Thoreau Smiley - producer writer actor, driver of the van of Attention Hellmart Shoppers and 1994 podcast (AHS website to be found here, 1994 Website to be found here) chats to Sarah about all things creating character voices for indie audiodrama.

This ep is not only useful for voice actors, but indie audiodrama writers and producers too, on ways in to working with actors to truly play with their vocal toolbox!

There is also an EXCLUSIVE RATHER VERY BRILLIANT INDEED offer for you - my wonderous listeners - from MANDY.COM - have a listen to fathom what delights await and please do utilise it! Browse their site and see what this wonderous offer brings to your door you lucky peoples!

HUGE thanks to THOREAU for spending some time with me and please do go rate and review this podcast on your fave podcatcher - I'd love other folks who'd find it useful to ...find it!

I am currently knee deep in editing the exciting fulsome and unmissable next few episodes - next week - THE AMAZINGGGG Jordan Cobb jumps on to talk diversity in casting and her amazing full plate of awesome creative endeavours. DO NOT MISS THIS FUN CHAT OF AUDIODRAMA JOYYY

I am blessed with a number of Patreon supporters and appreciate their help in continuing to help QUIRKY VOICES thrive. Quirky Voices is the Production Company run by me - SARAH GOLDINg - and produces Madiva, Teddy Story, and this Summer will bring you 7 new dystopian fiction stories in MADCAP 2019!

if you enjoy MADIVA and any other product coming from Sarah's brain and in collaboration with other amazzinggg folks, do feel free to support moooooore on Patreon or....FEEL FREEE to  buy me a KO-FI! I truly am ecstatic about any support and hope those doing so enjoy the extra fruits of my creative labours!

QUIRKY VOICES PATREON HERE
QUIRKY VOICES KO-FI HERE

LOOK FORWARD muchly to sharing the rest of season two with you! Learn how to scream with HEM CLEVELAND, Learn about ways in to creating characters with KARIM KRONFLI, Think and be more aware and proactive about representation with LUCY VALENTINE, Talk audio drama acting for apps with MATT WIETESKA, what its like to act in other peoples shows when you produce your own with LISETTE ALVAREZ and soooo much mmoooore!

DO JOIN ME IN A VOICE ACTING WORKSHOP at the SHOUT OUT network Festival AT Kings Place, London (Near Kings x) on May 18th from 11:45! Get your tickets from the SHOUT OUT SO LIVE FESTIVAL WEBSITE - I would SO LOVE to see you.

Post questions or thoughts to @madivap on twitter
@SarahofGolding
@QuirkyVoices
@AudioAuditions

Thanks for listening you #legends

Sarahx

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

[inaudible]

Speaker 2: 0:07

I love you. Wonder Solo, Sarah Building here, mud diva podcast, modern audio drama in the voice acting. You want to be a voice actor. Do you want to learn some ways in to finding new voices? Well his, the row smiley of 1994 and attention. How much shoppers chatting to me about all things, creating voices and watch out for the special offer for Voice Actors in association with mandy.com. We're excited to be back in joy. Y

Speaker 3: 0:36

Hello and welcome to muddy. But I have the Rose Smiley. Hello. Hello. I was just speaking to you saying how an honor it is to, to actually be speaking voice to voice and uh, I, I would do a massive lumbering introduction to you, but um, what are your two favorite projects you've worked on in the last few years through actually

Speaker 4: 0:59

favorites. I've worked on it probably, uh, the channels and Guerlain space, but uh, those, uh, neither of my own, but those were a lot of fun. I really enjoy, uh, voicing things that other people have written.

Speaker 3: 1:11

No, it's an oil. If your own shows currently that, uh, out and about in the world, uh, known as attention to hell much shoppers and 1994 per cast, has there been a plethora of other writings that you've done now? We are yet to, to be excited by. Um,

Speaker 4: 1:29

I have a few projects that um, maybe coming down the road I haven't done a lot of other writing that's made its way out to the public. Most of that's besides those two shows has a kind of a set here on my own other than us. Some, some, some sketches I did with a, a sketch comedy group I was with. Uh, but you some years

Speaker 3: 1:53

you see that's something I think should explode more and more as indie sketch shows. But that's another by the buyer. It's just because he hasn't bikes like us, I guess he who seemed to be versatile enough to produce different characters. I think sketch comedy is a wonderful thing to go and play in. So, so yes. So, so we are today focusing on all things, creating characters for audio drama. And as you well know, I'm sure if you've heard the amazing attention, how much thorough started out with creating almost every single character. How many characters are that in that show? I lost count after about 20, I think. Oh, it's, it's somewhere around there. Somewhere between 20 to 25. I'd say probably exciting. And, and initially it was a new lovely wife from what I gather, he was doing a a voice in the ether. Yes. Yes,

Speaker 4: 2:45

yes. That was, that was kind of a, by necessity. I, uh, she, she actually wasn't too keen to a voice with me, but, uh, I talked her into it because I just can't do female voices.

Speaker 3: 2:54

Oh, see, I don't know. I think you, you've got a little line there in fun, but, but yes. How, how did the script itself come about? Was this something you'd been harboring and working on for a long time in your head? Or is it something that would just kind of splurged out one day and thought, yeah, this is fun? Yeah.

Speaker 4: 3:13

Well I had, um, I had the idea for it for quite some time because I've been in retail for far too long and Yay, tiff wouldn't be towels. You work so hard all the time. We love you. Very underappreciated a group of people there. Yes, yes, yes. So I basically kind of had the idea of, it was kind of partially inspired by, uh, by shows like Buffy the vampire slayer or it's they uh, had the idea of, you know, high school is hell and I had the idea of retail is hell. So what if there was a portal to hell underneath a big box store? And that kicked around in my head for awhile. I thought of maybe just making it a book, but then when I started discovering audio dramas, that seemed the perfect place to, to bring that to life. So I finally, finally did. So

Speaker 3: 3:59

Supa and, and when you were writing it, did you know that it was something that you were going to do the voices? So how did the kind of quote from page two performance kind of a transition happened?

Speaker 4: 4:12

Yeah. I really had only planned originally to do a few of the voices. I was kind of working on it with uh, a friend of mine and then, uh, for various reasons he had to drop out of it based gutted because he's awesome, bless, bless. But uh, yeah, so, um, I uh, I thought about possibly recruiting people to record remotely, but uh, in the end I decided I'd rather be able to control the finished product a little bit more. A few people I had contacted ended up kind of flaking, so I decided I was just going to see how many I could possibly do without having to involve someone else.

Speaker 3: 4:47

Exciting. So how did the process start when you were writing? Did you have specific styles of accent and character in your head already or did that come through sort of standing up and starting to perform your work?

Speaker 4: 5:00

Yeah, well, I'd say it was probably 50% was on the page. I had an idea of who this character was, who I wanted them to be, somethings some characters did change as it went on after I started discovering a voice for them. It's interesting. So a Danny, Danny, Daniel for instance, started out as a much more a of a New York kind of guy and eventually he became, uh, more, uh, ivy league or Bain kind of a voice to them.

Speaker 3: 5:32

Did you start with that? You say that you had that transition for him? Cause let's like start with his, his character. So John, I just give us, uh, a couple of lines telling us about, uh, anything you like a podcast you've listened to in the style of, of Danny.

Speaker 4: 5:47

Daniel of course, started out originally as, as, uh, a New York stock broker. But, um, as I began talking, I realized that he had a bit of Frasier crane in him and that's really where the voice started to come alive from. Oh. Uh, as Emily says in the beginning, um, Frasier crane meets don draper vibe, which is really where a Daniel started to come into his own. Yes.

Speaker 3: 6:13

And that is, it isn't it with a lot of folks that they do say to kind of start with the impressions you can do. So, you know, we can all do certain things that we've grown up with either from I guess adverts and stuff, which from my generation there were a lot more prevalent in certain big adverts and big songs kind of got stuck in your head, pure a and so on, had so different types of voices. Matt, um, Matt, what's his name from little Britain? Significant in the side. He does a fantastic scene where you just basically is reciting all of the adverts for 1980s. And it is that whole thing of like picking up bits that are kind of ways of speaking and different characters that you would imitate that that you can then kind of grasp as a character actress and utilize. So I think just to fill pin about Melinda ash who uh, if customers, uh, towards the end of season one of attention, how am I think she's for me very much modeled on, on male characters doing females. Oh, that's, there's the League of gentlemen character who's at the job center and she's very, very pushy and very, very like that as well. So it's kind of come from a, a kind of conglomerate of her and, and the lovely lady who loved the cake from little Britain. And I'd just kind of found myself in the kind of audition phase pulling those two types of women because in my head, Melinda is kind of a big, big woman physically, you know, as well as perhaps as a bit bolshy and how she is. So yeah, I was kind of pulling from, from that kind of influence really. So it's interesting you say from, from the impression, because I do find that that is where we go for a few of the things I choose.

Speaker 4: 8:13

Yeah, no, I'm nearly all of the characters. I do start with some sort of impression and then evolve into what they need to be. I'm a terrible impressions, but yeah.

Speaker 3: 8:27

Thing isn't it? Yeah. They put like dot Frazier quickly. He, he said, oh yeah, of course. So come on, give us someone else who, who's very contrasting in style too to Daniel. Would you say it's quite a few I can think of.

Speaker 4: 8:43

Yeah. Well, yeah. Well, yeah. Then there's a, so yeah, I could like just running through for instance. Then there's Chet, which Chet originally started out as a job from arrested development. Oh yeah, yes. That, that kind of way that he'd speak like they're illusions, Michael. But then I added in a a, a southern accent to it and it became more like this. They met Denny.

Speaker 3: 9:04

Okay.

Speaker 4: 9:04

You, you, you know what you're doing here. You're, you're, you're, you're not supposed to be here at him

Speaker 3: 9:10

Martin. Oh, awesome. And also just thinking about how different that is, the, the placement of that voice compared to where you're speaking from us. Daniel is very different isn't it? So that one is very throaty, very base and lower in pitch than Daniel, which is sort of more nasal isn't it? Perhaps. And Yeah. And Yeah, and Chet for instance, a everything is, is essentially in a very hoarse whisper. Oh my, there's almost a little Sam Elliott in there too. There's some of that up in there. And then this sort of very, for some very pacy characters isn't there as well because I think both Daniel and chair quite similar pace wise, but there's a couple of the characters are really slow it down. Listen, they're not, I think that's something also to consider if you are going to take on doing all of the voices all at a time that yeah, you really need to think about the different ways in which your character speaks and then not all speaking the same patterns that you have yourself.

Speaker 4: 10:14

Yeah, definitely. Um, and so like for instance, Jimmy tends to speak in, I'm terrible similes that make absolutely no sense. And besides the fact that has a much higher voice. So

Speaker 3: 10:24

now at bay up here like this say a na talk like a come in and out of an aqueduct is superb and and so, yeah. So again that's like the raised pitch, nasal and, and speedier, your pace. So as an actor you got so many different ways, haven't you, of of placing that voice and playing with that pitch and that volume. I mean, I know I've been in acting classes where a donor, if you want to do it now, but if you just do a up and down your own range, putting your finger on your throat to feel your larynx go up and down. So now I haven't gotten my, how I arrange at the moment because my voice is just coming by him. But then if you create character's up the top of your voice, they generally are kind of very cartoony as well as the, the voice was going look, the bottom are rewards. They're also quite cartoony. So it's about, yeah, playing with the, the range between those two places can create some really exciting kind of characters. I mean, who would you say is the most, if this can be utilized as a word, normal character who speaks most normally as in we do every day within your cast? Yeah,

Speaker 4: 11:40

I mean it then hell mart. There's a couple minor characters who are pretty close. Uh, so like somewhere in the middle there's a, uh, FDA inspector who comes in who, yes, basically speaks like this, but very slowly and very precisely. But otherwise that's essentially my voice cause um, I wanted him to be as normal as he possibly could. But, um, as far as the main cast, there's very little of my normal speaking voice in a, any of that. Carlos is very much like an um, for instance, it's very much in, in our back are you nurse and then, um, there's a, so like Ruth of course is very,

Speaker 3: 12:23

hi in up here, honey. Let me tell you babe, I talk very much like a Baylor from Nightcore. Yup. I love her and as much as I can almost smell her as well from herbalists. Oh God. Yeah. She's smoking cigarettes apps. But that's what I love about the richness of your characterizations is that I can totally imagine what they looked like, how they're moving. And then in my own imagined version of your hallmark shop that we've all been into, I'm sure, well most of the Western World Anyway, and folks who travel, I've been into some kind of, uh, of place that they've got a reference for what ComOps setting it. But yeah. Is there any characteristic you try not to put together? Just do it as much as, uh, the, the, there perhaps a more similar sounding than others perhaps? Oh yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 4: 13:15

Okay. Yeah, no, definitely. Um, there's, there's certain ones that, um, I definitely, uh, try to separate out. And it's funny cause sometimes in, not until I'm listening back door I realized, but there's a certain times like for instance, a strangely like, like Ruth and then the leprechauns are just enough like that cause they're in the same range, the same speaking range. But then, uh, just with a different different accent kind of, uh, uh, a New York accent as opposed to a southern accent, but other, they're both up here. But, um, then I'll just pitch the leprechaun up. So yeah. Uh, those Evan Devil Kin, um, and Carla strangely because they're both very smooth, right? Like that. But every once in a while when they're talking together, they'll kind of, they'll kind of merge a little. Yeah. And part of that too is that I'll a put characters that are talking to each other that sounds similar in different channels to have the left and right channels so that they are actually physically further away.

Speaker 3: 14:10

Yeah. Just to be wary of that. Yeah. Yes. So creating that spacial and there's recording. Yes. Superb. With the cards to how you record it so that say you've got a session ready, do you record each character individually first or do you just go through and do them all at once? Yes.

Speaker 4: 14:29

Yeah, I go through each character cause um, I definitely find that's important for keeping with a particular voice. Yes. So I'll do all of, I'll generally start with um, whoever has the most lines and run through theirs and kind of just go down to that then to the minor characters. But otherwise I tried going through, um, and just through chronologically, but I, I found I ended up losing a lot of a characterization.

Speaker 3: 14:56

Yes. And how much do you physicalize these characters, these different people? Just for example, not just vocally and perhaps where you hold that, the sound in your head, but also like physically stamps wise. Do you create different stances for your characters as well?

Speaker 4: 15:14

Yeah, it's funny. I'm actually, so a Chet is very hunched over and tends to talk down to the microphone a lot. Daniel of course, straightens up and my posture goes up. It's, it's, it's completely involuntary when I do it actually. So it's, I, I realized I was actually doing it when I was doing the voices here talking to you that, um, there's, there's, there's no way for me to do chat without, ah, hunching up and talking down to the microphone.

Speaker 3: 15:37

I find that so important for, for characters and I have to a couple of kind of power hungry folks. So Minister Orsham definitely is kind of a, I'm looking down on the microphone as I would in talking to similarly with Fredericks and starship Iris, but then there's kind of, uh, the, the more Sassy characters I've played, so we're in a bigger worry is southern Belle. She, she moves around a lot more. So I've got to be able to move my booth so I can physicalize her that bit more, which is quite of fun. She, she's, she's sachets. He certainly does sir. Yeah, it's interesting. I do find that whole thing fascinating. And with regards to um, sort of face shapes as well. You know, I find myself pulling some, some quite interesting shapes. I was trying to, I was listening to an interview today and I was listening to character and he like, I seem to talk like this, so, so I was trying to emulate that and now it was just almost clenching my teeth. You can probably hear I'm doing that, but it just gives a certain attitude to the character and I really liked that. It's some, a couple of different male characters actually, so I wouldn't never get roles, but I just feel that yeah, changing that, the shape of your mouth can really up the ante for the range of characters you can play. Oh definitely. Cause I guess though, even though he's like if you get to do in New York, you can do, if you just talk out at the side of your mouth than you[inaudible] wanted to kind of go into the lilt Paris, New York. Yes.

Speaker 4: 17:15

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So yeah, like yeah, when I do Jimmy, um, I ended up a squinting and talking to other side and they're all like, Hey Damon, overall may or it's all coming out the left side of my mouth.

Speaker 3: 17:24

If we should do diagrams of phonology or whatever it is, I can to the familiar. Is it the physiognomy I think it is, yes. You can see what each character does for your face. Cause I would love to see, so say that for the face, different types because of the, is there anyone else you have liked to change your mouth shape for?

Speaker 4: 17:42

Um, well yeah, I mean, so yeah, like Carlos has a very round, open kind of mouth feel. Like I in lines, he doesn't even close his mouth. He's a bit, yeah.

Speaker 3: 17:52

Slash um, see dribbling buddy, end of it. Then,

Speaker 4: 17:57

uh, the, uh, like a counselor on girl in space actually is, uh, I have to loosen my job almost the, he actually, um, very, very round, open mouth and that voice comes from me doing a British person doing an American accent, kind of a benedict Cumberbatch in a Dr strange kind of thing.

Speaker 3: 18:19

Ah,

Speaker 4: 18:19

yeah. Where it's, it's definitely American, but it's not quite really American. It's almost to a marriage.

Speaker 3: 18:28

Yes. That little extra lilt to it. Yes. I like she could bit secret bed in the middle of the podcast. Hello. So that not everybody finds this by just listening to the beginning of the end. I just wanted to pop in to say I went to see mandy.com the people who are some of the coolest folks to be supporting actors in the industry on all different mediums. And because they're so lovely, they've offered McDiven listeners two months free. Yes. It means you can apply for all the jobs there and hopefully crack on and get all the other, all of the parks. So you know, you can hunt for an agent and paying them your things in that month. You can utilize all the things that being a full member gives you. So to get that when it asks you for any kind of prompt of code authorization wise or otherwise type in pod offer or one thing in capital letters and you'll get two months for free. How exciting is that? Good luck. Go forth and tow the world of your vocal us. Where's okay. Back to the interview. I just, I worry for folks like make itself in you who can do these lots of different types of characters who wants the world, finds out how much fun Odo is. There's going to be real people from Scotland and Ireland and Kentucky and uh, everywhere that I can do the accents of the, we'll get the jobs because they're properly from those places. Uh, and, and little old me. We'll have to see sick to speaking like what I do. Nobody wants a Sam a voice. Plenty of people want a Sarah. No, no, I do think is quite fascinating, isn't it? I think, you know, in the professional world, generally that is what happens. If they need a Scottish person, they will get a Scottish person. Um, and I found a wonderful kind of opportunities for me, especially in, in audio drama. I've been huge, you know, playing freaks from, from all over the world, Germany and Russia and Australia and all kinds of lights of places that I never thought that I would be able to like pretend to be. Um, cause I thought, you know, the stage was the only place to, to play for, for someone like me with my responsibilities. But

Speaker 4: 20:50

yeah, no, no. And you do, you do, you do a wonderful job. I feel personally very uncomfortable trying to do any, uh, any accents outside of American. My Britain and my British accents are terrible unless I'm doing like a, uh, like a Monty python doing a female type one,

Speaker 3: 21:11

otherwise dare try to do British, the pepper pot. I think there's, there's a massive gap for a whole show done by pepper Potts directors because we love pythen. So why hasn't someone done that yet? There's this train that into the world. Come on, pepper please somebody but not is interesting isn't it? You know, nobody wants it. A DVD moment, a Dick Van Dyke moment where he listened back and just think, oh my gosh, that sounds terrible.

Speaker 4: 21:43

Gosh no, I can, I can, no, I'm sure I would have to, if I ever got cast as a British person, I would have to practice for a long time.

Speaker 3: 21:52

I'm very happy to give you any British lessons you need free. Um, but you know, I was, it's interesting is the accents. I do find that fascinating and I think as I say, more and more people are connecting up from all different parts of the world now and I totally celebrate that. And people like the wondrous folks at the white volt, Caitlin and Travis who are her trying to get other voices and other countries and other cultures, you know, um, in their shows I think is fantastic. And I hope that we get more collaboration like that. I know Emilia project is doing similar, I think with, with their next season. But yeah, it is interesting isn't it? Because, you know, we are just all American and English in this, or British I should say in the wealth, there are hundreds of thousands more more accents and types of folks. So, so yes, it's, that's what's exciting I think is that, you know, so many more stories to be told. But back to characterization, regards to like character types. Yeah. There's, they say, uh, eight archetypal characters. So we've got the protagonist, the antagonist, the reason, the emotion, the skeptic, the sidekick, Guardian contact agonists. Now all of eyes, I'm a writing a way as well. And so these kinds of things I'm trying to, to just explore and look at the relationships with my characters. Do the attitudes and voices of the characters you choose change because of their role within that?

Speaker 4: 23:18

Yes. I find it hard not to us or come to us some standardization to where, um, we're in, they do tend to become characters of themselves after a while. Um, I do find myself having to pull that back sometimes, although it's, it's not terrible for audio. Only sometimes because it does, it does make the character more instantly recognizable. But certainly, you know, for, um, my characterization a for instance of Daniel has become more, more pompous and more rigid as it's gone on. Um, as he's become less of a leading man and more a comedic yes. Unexpectedly for him. Yes, certainly. You know, it's funny because despite the plot elements have essentially remained the same as in my first rough drafts of the season. But it's funny how much the characterization has changed in that it hasn't really changed the poppet. It's very much changed who the characters are. So, um, you know, in the end I ended up in season one, I ended up where it was going to be, but, um, the people were completely different people then and then I had a thought they were going to be at the end.

Speaker 3: 24:27

Wow. Exciting. They'll brains are amazing when they do that. So in a better way, I hope then you, yeah. Yeah. I certainly think correct. More or entertaining. Yeah.

Speaker 4: 24:39

Less predictable than the on the written page. Certainly. I, uh, generally we'll do the lines and then we'll do a little riffing on them, which sometimes makes it in and s a lot of the characterization can come from that. It's just like a one offline that I rift that ends up informing the character as it goes forward.

Speaker 3: 25:03

Awesome. So yeah, inspired moments of spontaneity. I think that's grabbed and I, I've had feedback from people who I've done auditions for and I did similarly riff. I did, you know, the first couple of takes, not normal but just to, you know, very differently. But the third one just add a little bit Sarah Brain and see what happens and the and that is generally, yeah, inspired. So some thought or even some folks saying, okay, were you wearing like for any of these, but I've got, this is coming up in season two and that sounds like something you could do. And I love it when people say that is so exciting. So I think I have a seasoned to let me know. Okay.

Speaker 4: 25:43

Editing near files is, is always entertaining and absolutely has informed my writing of the character going forward. Just the, the, the Sarah Isms you bring into it.

Speaker 3: 25:53

Oh goodness lists quite frightening. I hope they never get out in public. That's great. I think that for me is one of the key things about character acting is having fun doing it. It is immersing yourself and not kind of sweating it or beer or fretting and all words that rhyme with sweating and fretting lit or bad. But it's really, honestly, I think about just letting go and pin that character in that moment. And do you in your mind's eye, see yourself kind of physically as that character in that space when you're, when I'm

Speaker 4: 26:28

doing well? Yeah, I definitely see myself and that's part of the, uh, I've taken on a different physical posture too. When you do it as is, uh, imagine yourself as a character I'm staying in that character has a lot to do with, with physically be in that character and just allowing yourself to remain in that mindset rather than thinking about the lines you're going to say. And uh, just, just existing in that place.

Speaker 3: 26:59

Hundred percent. I mean I find the whole process of creating a new voice, very exciting. I think when I am given free reign and I've, I've perhaps auditioned with a couple of different accents and someone said, I don't know, I like all of them. What do you want to do? And this, so that I find exciting and also scary at the same time. What sort of is your process for, for actually creating the characters? I mean there's just say, I know with this particular incident you've written them as well, so it's slightly different to perhaps never having been immersed in the material as you are a writer. But, um, so for example, Jake's character who is very definite, how did it come about that voice? What kind of experimentation do you do before you settle on what's actually happening? Yeah,

Speaker 4: 27:49

well, so Jake's voice for instance, he, um, obviously owes something to a Matthew mcconaughey.

Speaker 3: 27:56

There will quite frankly, I'd like to owe a lot to math. Hey, if given the chance.

Speaker 4: 28:05

So, but yeah, no. So originally he was, um, towards the end of the season, his vans introduced. And that was kind of the idea I had originally for him was he was kind of a, a school dropout stoner guy. Um, who reminded me a lot of, um, a character from dazed and confused. And so I just started thinking about that. He's from a southern town, he's a drop these, it's kind of a stoner guy and being a very slow drawl. And eventually I relapsed. He was just going to be talking like this and he gets very true bad. And that's just Jake man. But uh,

Speaker 3: 28:39

yeah. And

Speaker 4: 28:41

so it really came from thinking about the characters backstory and who he was because really none of that is introduced into the show. Um, you don't talk about him and his, his background at all, but that's where that came from. So it, it's, it's really just thinking about who these characters are, where they exist in their world and where, where they are in their lives.

Speaker 3: 29:06

Yes. Uh, on the, on the human scale, obviously some folks that are a lot more comedic than others and you obviously can't have everybody being hilarious because that would just tie her everybody out. So with the goddesses of the straight guy, I guess, and the comedic guy, how did you work out, uh, the kind of patterns of behavior folks and how to really hit the notes right, for timing because that's one of the key essences isn't it? Of of the humor of, of the the, yeah.

Speaker 4: 29:35

So that definitely comes from character. So I mean, the funny people are the people that are unselfaware and all of that comes from being in the mindset of the character. So Chet is not aware of his effect on the world and those around him, so he can end up being very funny, whereas Daniel knows is very aware of who he is and where he is. And he thinks very highly of himself. So any humor with him comes from him being very aware of himself, but he's much more of a straight man, uh, to everyone else. To me that's one of the, the, the major things is, is the, the humor will always come from the character just being themselves. And uh, those that aren't as funny aren't as funny because they know that they're not funny. They, they're, they're aware of how ridiculous everyone else's around them.

Speaker 3: 30:32

Yeah. I've got a couple of questions here that came from, from some folks. Um, Karen Home Depot, we've answered some of the things she's raised, but she's asked do you have any tips and tricks for sustaining the voice that you've chosen? A, she says she tends to slip off afterwards.

Speaker 4: 30:49

Wow. Yeah. And that's, I mean that's, that's a danger really is, is, is slipping out of a voice. But I find a lot of it isn't stuff we've talked about posture going forward and don't be afraid to, to, to ramble on outside of your lines. Cause if you can find a place where that, that voice lives, then you can stay in it and bring it back to the lines. Some characters have like kind of just specific phrases that I say to like find the voice when I first start. And if I lose it, I'll go back to that. So, um, uh, Jimmy says, God dammit, God dammit. So if I'm looking for Jimmy's voice, I start there and if I find myself slipping out, I'll come back to that. So I'll start with like, God dammit. What are you both? Thank you. You're doing round here and then I'll start slipping off. So I'll come back to God. Damn man, I told you what I was doing.

Speaker 3: 31:37

Yes. So cool phrase that brings you back. Awesome. I find that, oh, on the day of recording, if I go roam my kitchen and uh, just to, uh, talk aloud about whatever I'm doing and the style of the character a little bit, then I find that when I come to the microphone, I've kind of quarter in my head more and my daughter will often come in and go, what are you doing mom? And them being chunk Kellen around the kitchen is not particularly good. It has ended in a few packages as well. But I just think that is immersing yourself in that role. Practice it if you, if it's one that you've come newly too. I find that I'm my Russian accent, I need to make it better. So, um, I have to practice. So practicing the car and perhaps in the car as much as I can and I record myself doing the lines and I listened back to that in my ear phones. If it's a character that I'm not particularly fe with some accents or I can just trip off the tongue and they just come out and I don't know how Bob gold off they do. And, but others I have to work harder at and there are some parts of American accents I know I need to, to refine and finesse. So, so yes, it is all about just keep consistently working on things, record yourself, play it back, be hard on yourself and go, that's rubbish.

Speaker 4: 33:05

Yeah, playing it back as a lot of the times if I haven't done a character in a while, I will have to go back and just listen to, um, previous recordings, um, repeat the lines that were recorded back to myself and find my way back into that.

Speaker 3: 33:21

Yes. Yeah. I have to do that. I mean, no certain characters I've played for a couple of years and although they are ingrained in my brain, I still have to listen to what pitch they start at because there are some characters that I do that in turn here and some that are later and higher than I can do right now. But yeah, so it is just finding that right pitch level to start at and the nature of them. Because again, you know, some of my characters are very melodic and sing song the end do the range of up and down, some stay within certain tone rangers. And I think that's an important thing as well is to think about talking to my students about this last week. It's where your, your tone go. So even if you're going to be the most cross you are is that character that is the highest she'll go and the Lewis to go is to hear. And it's having that kind of journey and you chuck that feel characters. Whereas other characters might be a little bit more sing song. So their highest range is a lot higher than the other characters. So, yeah, it's about really playing with the amazing vocal ranges we have really and to to learn, learn the kind of music of your, your character's voice. I feel, I feel, I think of them as melodies, really different bits of, you know, you could almost let them as music.

Speaker 4: 34:40

Yeah, that's, that's, that's a very good point is, is, is the characters do have a very specific vocal range I find most of the time. And that's a, for instance, the character I do, I'm like clarity. Every time I have to go back and listen and it's so much lower than I thought it was in my head until I go.

Speaker 3: 34:59

Yes, yes. It is interesting, isn't it? And don't be afraid to keep doing that. It's like, just because you've forgotten, it doesn't mean to do care about them. Just go. Yes. Getting back and listen. Grant, I have another question. Um, what is the balance when it comes to inside versus outside inspiration for new character voices? As in how much do you listen to other voices and how much is trying out different things until something works? It

Speaker 4: 35:27

depends on the character. For me. Um, so there are certain characters that the voice sprung full formed from what is written. There are certain characters that I've, I've really had to work on. Finding the voice for that depends a lot on the, the specific character. As far as myself personally, every character voice I bring to something I've, I have something that I've heard that I'm not mimicking, but that I've, that, that I am using as an inspiration. My very earliest voices I did to start it out as doing characters that I heard like on Saturday night live or cartoons. Um, so there's always some sort of outside force that I bring into it or an outside voice I've heard. Yeah. And in large part, that depends greatly on the different characters. One of the, uh, best practice techniques I've ever had was when my son was very young. I used to read to him a lot and I do the character voices and that, that was great, great practice for me. I'm used to read the Scooby doo books and so

Speaker 3: 36:32

go in and be like zoinks Scooby, right. A row records and, and that, uh, the Harry Potter books, I did the different voices all the way through, which I would never do him cause I was terrible. Let's see, I'm going to go, no go, go, go, come on. Um, but I find it, no, no, no, none of them were good. They were all terrible voices. But, but it really helps you find, I bet

Speaker 4: 37:04

different voices within similar uh, characters cause those are all like British school children. So doing Ron and doing Harry with uh, my son. Yes. You find something specific in Ron's voice. It's not inherited. That helps you differentiate and then you, you tend to start making that more prominent. Yes. And before you know it, you have an all new voice.

Speaker 3: 37:30

Absolutely. I can hugely condone that as well. Are going to something I get my students to do. And I think just picking up any book and just doing whatever voices, I mean, if it's full of characters even better and you want to be trying out playing, you know, old people, young people, space aliens, rubbish. Yeah. Yeah. You don't, you don't have to have a, you don't have to just start reading books aloud. Just go to the library and just to know everyone until he gets thrown out in public. Preferably just do public readings. Put a little sign up and little hat. It'll probably make more doing that. The newer than podcast in over here. Oh. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Should have said that. That's where all games were rich and voices. Oh yes. I'm sharing the trail. Ask what's your favorite character to voice and why? Ou

Speaker 4: 38:27

uh, my favorite character is God. Um, I don't know if I even have, I don't know if I have one. Um, Jimmy's always fun because he's, he shouts everything. I also, uh, I really like add about, um, because it's, it's fun discipline.

Speaker 3: 38:46

Yeah. That's, I cut up my husband and put him in the freezer because it, it's just, it's fun.

Speaker 4: 38:59

Yeah. It's fun to be so sweet and so I'm awful at the same time.

Speaker 3: 39:04

Yes. That, that dichotomy is beautifully put across, I feel in this show for sure. Thank you.

Speaker 4: 39:11

But, um, yeah, the, um, those are, those are a lot of fun chats. Always fun. Um, most of the main characters I really enjoy doing for the most part.

Speaker 3: 39:20

It doesn't have to be an intelligent, it could be anything.

Speaker 4: 39:23

Yeah. Um, I've, uh, like I said, I really enjoyed the counselor on girl in space. That's fun. I get to vamp a little and Oh, and a Dr. Barton on tunnels is a lot of fun.

Speaker 3: 39:34

Yes. Yes. I do love, I can, I'm looking forward to singing this year. Yes, yes, yes. We're going to be doing a music array. Rubbing justice. Yes. I don't use good version of the tunnel. Is that, is that secret public? I Dunno. Uh, well I did this, I think Robert said it once or twice. Um, but yeah, I think the other kind of things come to, do you use tech to change your voice in any way and for what kind of characters? A little bit.

Speaker 4: 40:04

So, you know, for the Leprechauns I pitch my voice up for demon voices. The obviously he was a lot of effects. There's several there that are clearly outside the realm of the human voice. But uh, the most I'll do for most of them is there, there's a little bit of slight pitching I'll do and I'll adjust the Q a little bit. And so some of the higher voices, I'll take a little bit of the base out, that kind of thing. But um, I, I tend to mostly leave them alone for the most part, other than just a little bit of tweaking here and there other than the noni human.

Speaker 3: 40:39

This is cool because I find find is a female voice and my voice is generally quite low and soft, but I do have some shrill characters, mainly old women actually, which you can't do now cause we, no, but I'm very simply, I found the world of pitching to make my voice sound like a man and I'm just having a lovely play time with that right now with the aim to, I'm producing a good few things currently that are all in the works and yeah, I, I, I would love to play all of the characters. I think that is possible with tech. And a little bit of a play here and there. So, so what is the space? And I actually, I tried doing some of the, like I tried doing, I'm Valerie's voice. Um, and it just, it wasn't coming off so well I would suggest strongly you play around with saying things slowly in your women's voice, like really slowly and then pitching that up, see what happens. Quite fun. Um, top tip of play. So Robert Jones, he asked, Oh, we told him rob early. Hello Robert. How does it feel having a much, how does it feel having a much smaller role in 1994 as far as acting compared to doing everything?

Speaker 4: 41:49

I thought it was going to be a lot less work, but it turns out that the producing is actually the bulk of the work, so that, uh, yes, it's so much, but um, that's your amazing understanding. So slow. But um, and after having learned other people's workflow, apparently I've been doing it all wrong. So, but doing it your way. Yeah, I kind of have to edit as I go. So I know a lot of people will kind of assemble a rough track and then tighten it up. Um, I pretty much have to have a completed product second to second as I go forward so it can be really slow. Okay. So yeah, no, but it's, it's, it's, I've really enjoyed 1994 because I've gotten to have so many more voices. It's always a surprise when I listen to other people's, uh, readings cause they say so differently than I would, but it's so fun to hear that.

Speaker 3: 42:50

Yeah. I really loved, we did financial 94 really cool read through each of this episodes so if, if we could get there we were and um, yeah I really loved that connectivity, you know, for everyone all over the place in Israel and parts of America and yeah, fun, fun, fun feel to that. So I hope that affects when she do get involved. If you are already in order to drama that you ask your producer to give you a fun time, Skype for hassle because honestly it's so cool to actually speak to the other folks who are involved with as well. Cause otherwise it's quite inshallah really isn't it as a remote tending to just crack on and do it yourself. So any and if moments are that I think are very good and there's a couple of other ways of connecting isn't there? So you have the discord channel up, um, people can, can jump on and talk to, to fix. We'll put links to that on the show notes. The how active are you on that? Is that quite a funky way of communicating?

Speaker 4: 43:54

You know, I uh, my mom discord I a chat a bit. I'm not super active. I should probably be more, I'm going to tie it. Yeah. You know, we, uh, we all have lives. Um, most, most creators are, are doing this around working a full time job or having a full time life in some other way. So this is very, very few of ours. Main Gig.

Speaker 3: 44:19

Yeah. Yes. And we do hae some magical one. Does Keynes be waved to enable fixed to more easily? Do they won multiple time? Cause it wouldn't it be great if you could do this all time thinking of it throw out. Ah, so yeah, throw money, throw please everybody throw money at Sarah of well why not? I'll throw to ping it to you. But yes, there's a little patriot on accounts and all sorts of, and again, I will put these links on things, but just as a final kind of couple of parting thoughts, what kind of advice would you give to a actors or writers or actors who want to produce their own stuff and do all of the voices? Don't, she said do some of those voices

Speaker 4: 45:07

as far as advice goes, just no, it's, it's going to take some trial and error to find those voices. If you feel confident enough that you're going to try to do a show where you do the majority of the voices yourself, then, then Mazal Tov to Ya. But, um, it's, um, you're going to listen to your first read through and think that you're absolutely terrible. And that's okay. You're supposed to then try again and go back. It's it. It was really, it's really just about keeping at it until you find something that you can live with as far as a finished product goes. Um, and, and don't be afraid to experiment.

Speaker 3: 45:53

I like. Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. I guess the main thing is I worry a little bit about inner these texts to speech robots. Soon enough, they're going to get intelligent enough, they're going to replace all that and Lewis actors with, with AI robots that can, do you think it will be out of a job? Is that that was going to happen. I mean, eventually robots are going to take all the jobs aren't there, so maybe, maybe we are going it robots. Yeah.

Speaker 4: 46:25

I mean, yeah, I mean, yeah, eventually they're not even gonna need Samuel L. Jackson to play his younger self. They'll just

Speaker 3: 46:33

do it. I'll say I want to do an impression of him. All I can think of now is red words and it's not appropriate. I would imagine his voice in your head. Very good. I would love to hear you doing as Samuel Jackson impression. Oh Man, I would love one day, one day. The world is not ready. So when is season two coming out? When, when, when have Anton Chanel much shoppers

Speaker 4: 46:59

season two? I'm shooting for the fall Octoberish um, I'm currently, yes, yes. Yeah, that's a, that's the season we're shooting for. So, um, I've, I'm, I'm currently writing, I should actually, I should have something just send to you fairly soon

Speaker 3: 47:16

actually. I honestly, I do actually kind of, I'm like a little child at Christmas when I get a script for someone like kick itself because it is like what's she going to do now? And uh, it's very, very exciting. I think care that really has made me very excited. Sorry I stopped talking. That makes me so happy that you are because otherwise I'm just sitting here looking at the scripts wondering if, uh, they're actually any good. So, you know, don't let that doubt creep in your shows that you currently go. Oh, astoundingly, wonderful. Hugely different. And, uh, I think she'd be more celebrated than they are. Say 1994 podcasters had the first three released as on to number four. Two four is out for, is that, sorry, five should be coming as soon as I finish it. Yes. Groovy. So it's all kicking up often. So if you haven't already binge listened to everything and have a good listen to, to, to, to rose. Wonderful, different character. And I think, I mean I, I'm really excited to see what you do next as well, you know, because I feel you are a hugely talented man and I think there's a lot that you've given also to the, so the community in lending your voice out to other things that that should be lauded more than they are. So, so huge accolades and, and amazing boughs of awesome your way. Um, and I say, look forward to seeing what you do next. Thank you. Thank you. Was as always, I, I waiting with bated breath to see everything you're in. Goodness is a huge number of things, but not nearly enough. I'm slowing down now. I'm just taking, taking my time now. But yeah, no, I'm very much enjoying it and I think that hopefully, uh, taking the step to produce my own anthology this summer, uh, with five guest writers, I'm very excited to, uh, to, to hopefully a sing their praises from the heavens and, uh, see what happens. I'm very excited, but huge. Thanks for coming on the show today. And if anyone has any questions, please just ping them on our Facebook group on to Twitter on a email that's on the Facebook group, any way you can just let me know that, uh, you've, you've had this and what you want to know more about what you want to us the right next time we have him on. But yes, thank you so, so much. How Fun. Yeah. Thank you for having me. Awesome. Okay. Bye. Bye.

Speaker 5: 49:59

Right.