#jon paget

[educationaldm]

The Pan Flute of Reflection. Homebrew magic item from Jon Paget (Rollplay Sidekick) I like more utility / ritual items that the players can use in creative ways.

Rollplaysidekick.com

[jonathanpaget]

Back to Basics

So, after a year of creating vocals online for songs, characters and presentations, I thought it was time to take a look at the many ways I could do things better.  I had recently paid up to a 1 year premium package with Voices.com, a site that acts as an online job market for clients and voiceover talent.  If I’m to sound attractive to a worldwide market and get noticed in auditions, what do I need to take into consideration?

In this first research assignment, I decided to start with Dee Bradley Baker’s website dedicated to imparting knowledge to others, iwanttobeavoiceactor.com.  Who is Dee Bradley Baker?  Well, you probably know him in one form or another.  He is something of a legend in the voiceover industry!

If I’m going back to basics (not far too go), then I may as well start with his Newbie Mistakes article.

Dee lists the following six mistakes:

1.    Overlapping (taking over someone else’s read) is a no-no. It also means leaving a space in between takes for editors and recording engineers to adjust their equipment.

2.    Not acting.  If you are asked to give multiple takes, switch up your read (more voice acting) each time.  Dee generally recommends three takes as a sort of little menu for the creator to choose from. 3.    Distracting Wardrobe sounds.  I didn’t even think of this, but yes, clanging jewellery is not a good idea!  He also recommends losing the watch, bracelets or bangles.

4.    Not being silent during recording.  Walking around, rummaging through a bag while others are recording is definitely not done.  I’ve noticed at home just how much outside noise is picked up on the microphone!

5.    Running takes with your mobile phone or electronics.  The rule is to silence your mobile (cellphone) completely.  It can also be a distraction for you if not careful.

6.    Ruining a take with page turning during silence.  Dee recommends that if you must page turn during a take, do so silently and in between sentences – the space can then be edited out.  Currently I use my Kindle device, which is great in terms of noise and allows me to have it in front of me when recording.

Dee also had a Runners Up list that mentions not moving on when the director is happy,  ignoring direction, not watching shows from an established series, turning your head during a take, giving the booth too many choices which can confuse and slow down the recording/editing process and only notating your script changes in a multi-character scene.

For me, #2 - the not acting and getting the number of takes right was definitely something to work on.  I’ll try and stick with the rule of threes in future and give a little more expression each time.  I’ll think Dee should get the final word on this blog post however.  Here’s what he wrote in response to a reader:

“My first year in L.A. I didn’t book any voice over gigs. This was after a number of years’ experience in smaller markets. As an actor, you get lots of no’s always. I still do!”

[dndservices]

Let’s begin...

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[jonathanpaget]

Playing the Baker

I first came across Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods when my girlfriend at that time (now my wife) was a student at the University of Bristol.  The University’s musical society was putting it on in the student union building.  The whole experience was new to me, from the venue to the musical to the composer.  This made the whole experience all the stranger but all the more appropriate because the show itself takes the audience and characters alike off the path and into the woods.

What I discovered that night was a mix of well-known fairy tales characters and plots combining with songs full of clever lyrics appropriate to those characters. Although all seemed wrapped up by the interval, the show then began to evolve into something quite different and unexpected from the usual storybook ending.  To quote the musical:

Into the woods, it’s always when You think, at last, you’re through and then, Into the woods you go again, To take another journey.

I was very excited when I heard that one of my regular groups, The Invitation Theatre Company (TITCo), was planning on producing Into the Woods and I was thrilled to be chosen to take on the role of the Baker.  It is a wonderful ensemble piece, with layers of meaning and character development that makes is quite unlike my previous projects of Bizet’s Carmen and Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds.

So what is needed in preparing for the role of the Baker?

The Baker and the Baker’s Wife is a fable created by James Lapine for this musical.  They are a typical suburban couple wanting to have a child of their own.  It’s through them that we meet the well-known characters of stories, such as Little Red Ridinghood, Jack (of beanstalk fame), Rapunzel and Cinderella.  Unlike these fairy tale characters, the Baker and his wife are relatable, as are their wishes of starting a family.  

Character note number 1 – Do not make the character too eccentric; there are wolves, witches and princes for that!  The Baker is the antithesis of these strange surroundings.

As a lead character, he has issues but is not so very flawed as the likes of Sweeney Todd or to a lesser extent Billy Bigelow from Carousel.  The Baker’s issues are to do with having lost his parents when he was young.  From a broken past he is trying to do the best he can. Unfortunately he has become over-protective when it comes to his wife and very afraid when his immediate world is under threat.  

Character note number 2 – The Baker has a lot of pride and control issues.

Perhaps because of his fear of the unknown and things outside of his control, the idea of being a father not only excites but also terrifies him.  This is surely in part due to his fragile family upbringing. There is also a major argument where he and the other characters blame each other for an unfortunate string of events.

Character note number 3 – The Baker does not deal well with new responsibilities.

 The potential difficulty with the Baker is that he is in danger of not being very likeable and risks alienating himself from the audience.  Happily he does have redeeming qualities, such as his determination to do what’s right and some very caring moments with his wife and other characters.

Character note number 4 – Don’t forget to make him amiable and to smile now and again.  He is human, after all.

So in summary, the Baker is the Everyman character in a fantasy world.  He has issues, as we all do.  He has too much pride, is overly protective and shirks responsibility. But he also has a good heart and loves his family dearly.  His journeys into the woods change him and those around him and he grows as a person because of them.

Rehearsing the scenes with the TITCo crew has been great fun and I can’t wait to go into the woods in June.

TITCo’s production of Into the Woods is on at Devizes Wharf Theatre from 5-10th June 2017.

http://www.titco.org.uk/

[jonathanpaget]

Playing Escamillo

There is something both scary and liberating about preparing to play a showman like the celebrated Toreador or bull fighter.  He is a character in Bizet’s opera masterpiece, Carmen.  It’s based on the novella of the same name by Prosper Merimee.  The characters of Carmen and Don Jose are already very fleshed out but Bizet does a brilliant job in turning the story into a full-scale opera.  The music is also stunning with so many memorable tunes and pieces containing such exotic flavour, both in rhythm and style. 

Two principle characters in the opera do not exist in the original story - Escamillo and Don Jose’s maiden friend from Don Jose’s village.  They represent two different facets of Carmen and Don Jose’s brief relationship.  Micaëla represents the simple, innocent life that Don Jose used to enjoy whilst Escamillo could be Carmen’s future, however brief their love affair might be.

So, who is Escamillo?  What is it like to step into his shoes?

In my audition, I said I pictured Eric Cantona after he scored a sensational goal for Manchester United.  The way he slow-turned on the spot allowing a rapturous stadium to drink him in; this to me was the modern-day Matador.  Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the other football showman I have in mind.  He is so sure and convinced of his own brilliance that he is perceived as arrogant.

As a role, it is brief but explosive.  He appears three times, once to promote his next bull fight, then in pursuit of Carmen and finally arriving at the bull ring.  In those three moments, he sings about how great he is, has a knife duel and serenades Carmen in front of his adoring public.

Now that the lines are learned, I’m learning the fight choreography and how to appear more macho and arrogant, physically.  For this I have Choreographer Herbert DesLauriers to thank as he works with us to refine our character movements.  Anything which gets you into character and out of your head is useful, such as a new posture, a focus, a costume.  I’m hoping I get my Toreador swagger soon...

Bristol Opera’s production of Carmen will be performed 26-29 April 2017.

[jonathanpaget]

Voice Acting Demo Update!

Voice Acting Demo-July 2016

Demo updated! Thanks to the 40 Voices Challenge, I have made my first update to my voice-over demo.  I’m encouraged that there is improvement in sound quality and I believe that my voice is demonstrating some versatility.  Oh, so much room for improvement however, so onward to the next challenge!

[jonathanpaget]

Vocal Observations

Breathing Capacity

Last week, I mentioned the way the Bradfordians prepared their performers so that they could better project their voices in a Tithe Barn.  The other exercise they did in the same workshop was designed to increase the performer’s breathing capacity.

The exercise was simple but it is effective if practiced; the recommendation was doing it every day to see improvements.  So what was it?  Saying the alphabet… three times through…in one breath.  The rate should be constant (approximately 3 letters per second).  In the workshop, the first time through was done in a whisper, then in a normal voice, then in a loud voice (using diaphragm, not shouted).   As an exercise it can be added to a general vocal warmup.  The first time through only about half the performers could do it, but I can testify that with practice, this does improve!

[jonathanpaget]

Vocal Observations

Voice Projection

For a recent stage performance the Bradfordians (based in Bradford on Avon, England) prepared their actors the daunting task of projecting the voice so that everyone in the auditorium – in this case, a long Tithe Barn – can hear what is being said.

John Palmer had us partner up and one half walk 20 metres away.  We then had to try and pick out from the ensuing sounds what phrase our partners were saying without them yelling and damaging their voice.  We found it was still possible to speak and be heard, so long as we used the correct technique.  The next exercise had small groups walk a third of the way down the barn and say in a quiet voice a phrase that the remainder of the group had to repeat. Those speakers then repeated the exercise by walking further away -  two thirds of the way and finally the whole 51 metres of the barn.  Again, the remainder of the group picked out what was said and repeated it back.  So how was this done?  By engaging the diaphragm (such as ‘Breath for Singing’ video by Felicia Ricci) and articulating the words.

For Voice Over work, the target is very different as the target – the microphone  - is inches away from the performer.  I am currently using the tip of Troy Dean, who provides a great visual concept called the ‘Tiny Box’.

I think that using both these tips – engaging the diaphragm and projecting correctly – will be very important in providing a good vocal performances in future.