Voice Actor Kick Start interview with Tara Platt

Voice Actor Kick Start Interview with Tara Platt

Written by Ayu, Tuesday, 04 August 2009 17:01

Would you believe that some people still write books these days? Well they do, and anyone looking to break into voice acting will definitely want to check out this one, co-written by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt. We had the opportunity to ask Tara a few questions about the book and voice acting in general. 1.) Okay, standard question first. How did you get into voice acting? Well, both my husband [Yuri Lowenthal] and I were actors first (theatre, film, television...) and we were trying to expand and explore other options within the industry and we actually just took a voice-over class, loved it, and the rest...was history! ;) 2.) Could you tell us a little about the book you wrote? What's in it? Sure, the book, Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It's Like Behind the Mic, is a book filled with tips, tools and information on how to be a voice actor, how to get into the business, how to market and promote yourself, as well as exercises and practice copy. It is also filled with anecdotes on various aspects of the world of voice-over from 20 other industry professionals (actors, writers, directors, agents, casting directors, engineers...) . 3.) What inspired you to write it? Yuri and I were each getting so many emails and calls from both friends of ours in the entertainment business interested in branching out into VO as well as fans of our work looking to get started. We always try to share what's worked for us, and what we've learned and we were sending out lots of emails each week and giving the best information we could, but we quickly realized that a lot of people were interested in this information, and we had enough of it to create a book. We began the process last November, and when it comes off presses this November, the whole thing will have taken us the better part of a year! 4.) Did you each write a part individually, or did you collaborate on the writing? Actually a bit of both. We sat down and did a rough idea of the table of contents and what we wanted to cover. Then I wrote the first draft alone, poring over all the things we knew we wanted to hit. I took notes and expanded them as well as writing new sections and details. Then I turned the first draft over to Yuri to go through (since we have such different methods of writing, this was easier than sitting together). Then when he was done, we read the entire manuscript aloud together to find inconsistencies and make sure that the voice of the book was consistent and clear. Then we actually had a wonderful team of peer reviewers go through the book on their own and give us notes on what they felt worked/didn't work and we did another pass together. 5.) It sounds like a great starting point for any aspiring voice actor. What suggestions to you have for someone after they've read the book? What's the next step that people should take if they're serious about this? I think it is a wonderful tool not only for an aspiring voice actor but anyone who's even curious about the world of voice-over. There is a whole section of the book on what the next step should be for someone interested in building a career. I would just say, once you've read the book, look at the variety of options we explore and see what feels the best to you. Whether that is getting into a class, moving to the best VO city for you, or getting your demo together. Everyone is at a different place and has a different comfort zone and focus. We try to make sure to offer a lot of ideas on what the next step might be for every person's situation. 6.) Thank you so much for your time. If I may be so bold, could you share a gem of wisdom from your book for our readers? Sure. You are most welcome. A gem of wisdom, huh. I guess it would be to always follow your heart and your dreams, don't let other people's ideas on the way the world works interfere with your passion. Do what you feel is the best thing for you so that you can be happy, confident and enjoy your life! Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It's Like Behind the Mic is available currently through http://www.BugBotPress.com and we're offering a 15% pre-order discount on all orders by October 31st, 2009 (before it comes off presses November 1st).