Thoughts from the voiceless actor.....

 Thoughts from the voiceless actor.....

              I remember sitting on the living room floor as a kid, watching Saturday morning cartoons. I was not only amazed by the visual wonder of the moving, speaking art coming to life on my screen, but also totally enthralled that actual people were speaking for them. The fact that someone was acting with only their voice to bring these characters to life fascinated me, and I quickly fell in love with all forms of voice-over.

Two gentlemen in the field quickly became heroes of mine: Mel “The Man of a Thousand Voices” Blanc and Daws Butler. Although there were other voice actors at the time, no one was as talented as these two industry pioneers. These greats were responsible for voicing most of the most notable cartoon characters of all time. A few of Blanc's many characters included Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, and Yosemite Sam. A few of the many Butler was known for included Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, and Huckleberry Hound.

Throughout my childhood, I loved cartoons so much that I watched them every chance I got. It did not matter which ones I watched. Of course, I had my favorites: the classic Warner Bros. cartoons, Tex Avery, Terrytoons, and Hanna-Barbera. I could go on forever. I did my best to mimic all of my favorite characters, and I had a couple of good impressions, if I must say so myself.

My fascination with the artists behind the characters only grew. I went to the library to look for books about voice actors, trying to find as much information as possible. Information like that was much harder to come by before the internet. Even when I could not find anything about them, I still watched in awe, secretly hoping that one day my own voice would be heard on television or radio.

               Unfortunately, around the age of fifteen, I came to the conclusion that being a regular guy from a small suburb of Dallas, Texas, wouldn’t get me where I wanted to be. That realization, combined with a lack of self-confidence—which is an entirely different story—led me to keep those crazy dreams of becoming a voice-over artist to myself. I went on with my life, though I still watched cartoons and listened to commercials with a critic’s ear. The dream of standing behind a microphone in a dark recording booth was kept on the proverbial back burner for so long that it was soon forgotten.

One thing I have always done, and still do to this day, is try to get a laugh out of someone every chance I get. I truly believe that if you can make someone smile and laugh, especially in this day and age, you have accomplished something truly special. Over the years, people would tell me, “You’re silly,” or “You’re funny—you should be an actor or something.” I usually just brushed it off, responding with a casual, “Yeah, okay,” while secretly thinking to myself, I wish.

Then, one day, I searched the internet for local schools that offered voice-over classes and found a highly credible one. After discussing it with my incredibly supportive wife, I signed up. The classes were, for lack of a better word, awesome. I learned excellent techniques and received highly positive feedback from the instructor. The course description promised that students would walk away with a professionally recorded and directed demo, improved vocal techniques, and knowledge of how to break into the field. Ultimately, however, I walked away with a demo but no real direction on what to do next.

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                  After searching endlessly for voice-over jobs, I came to a frustrating conclusion: if you don’t have representation, you aren’t going to get very far. To make matters worse, you generally can’t get work without representation unless you are already established. I sent my demo to what must have been two hundred different people, and the one or two responses I actually received were rejections.

Deciding I just needed to get my foot in the door, I found out about a production company in town shooting a film. They were looking for background actors. It wasn't a speaking role, but it was a start. I submitted my information and was chosen. While I was in line for wardrobe, casting pulled me out for a different role. I had a lot of fun and learned a great deal during my few days on set.

Fast forward a bit, and I got a call for another production. It was still background work, but it started a chain reaction. While on that set, I found out they were shooting a sequel simultaneously, and they wanted me for that as well. During that shoot, I received a call from a casting agent for a television series who wanted to use me in a recurring background role, which also led to a couple of credited roles and lasted into the next season. Unfortunately, my credited footage with the series ended up getting cut. Finally, however, this journey led to my very first official on-screen credit: a reenactment for a medical documentary.

Although none of my on-screen work had anything to do with voice-over, I hoped it would be the foot in the door I needed. Alas, it wasn't. While it was incredibly fun and a great experience, my heart remained in voice-over. Every chance I got, I practiced reading out loud. Whether it was the newspaper, a random thought, or the television screen in the office elevator, I practiced so that when the time finally came, I would be ready.

I know it will not be an easy task. I have met and read about many people who want the same thing. Some possess the same drive I do, but most think it is an easy job that requires no real effort. I beg to differ. Even though I haven't worked professionally yet, I have taken classes, watched documentaries, and spoken with industry professionals about the "business." I believe my knowledge goes a bit deeper than the average person who just wakes up one day and decides they want to do voice-over. It requires dedication, confidence, and passion.

One obstacle I must overcome is a growing industry trend. When a new animated movie or television show is released, producers often cast big-name celebrities for the lead characters, blatantly pushing actual voice-over artists down a level. Don't get me wrong; I understand why studios want a major star. They want to sell tickets. The story doesn't even have to be good, as long as a celebrity gets top billing. However, this makes it much harder for dedicated voice talent to be considered for lead roles in big-budget productions.

Over the past few years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking one-on-one with some of my current voice-over inspirations. They have given me excellent guidance and professional feedback. I also asked for their opinions on "Hollywood" voice actors. I could tell by the expressions on their faces that they feel the same way I do about screen actors invading the voice-over booth. The way I see it, they are taking money out of the pockets of people whose true passion is voice-over—artists who do this as a full-time career, not just as a side gig between on-screen roles. This trend doubles the competition for aspiring enthusiasts like me. Personally, I would rather see an animated movie starring proven talents like Tom Kane, James Arnold Taylor, or Michael Bell, rather than a subpar movie with a weak storyline starring Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, or John Travolta. That is just my take, though. What do you think?

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