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Home The Art of Voice Acting, Fourth Edition: The Craft and Business of Performing Voiceover | |
|  | |  | | | The Art of Voice Acting, Fourth Edition: The Craft and Business of Performing Voiceover | | | | | | | |
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| | 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
* An all new audio CD with the actual audio for every script in the book,
* 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.
*Learn insider tips on marketing, finding work, making audition tapes and establishing yourself as a professional voice over actor
*New chapter 'Tricks of the Trade', explains how to maximize your efforts and avoid pot holes in the industry
*Perfect your performing skills using easy-to-follow voice exercises and demos on CD Rom
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| | Product Details | | Author: | James Alburger | | Paperback: | 432 pages | | Publisher: | Focal Press | | Publication Date: | August 30, 2010 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 0240812115 | | Product Length: | 8.96 inches | | Product Width: | 6.54 inches | | Product Height: | 1.05 inches | | Product Weight: | 1.59 pounds | | Package Length: | 8.8 inches | | Package Width: | 6.0 inches | | Package Height: | 1.1 inches | | Package Weight: | 1.55 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 20 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 20 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 Good content, but please hire an editor Oct 17, 2010
By Jon Warshawsky
"Sinatra Guru"
There's no doubt that someone looking to get into voice acting will find a lot of useful advice in The Art of Voice Acting. The content is there, and as someone who is not a professional voice actor I will defer to the author as to what is essential knowledge in the field.
Ironically, where the book stumbles is in all the throat clearing that precedes anything useful. The initial chapters seem to drone on about how important it is to get a coach, for example, and I have no doubt that it is. But someone who bought this book presumably wants to just get on with it and cover the basics without being told every other page that this will be difficult and that he or she needs a coach. This may be true, but after the eighth or twelfth time reading it it starts to feel as though the real goal is to sell coaching sessions.
It is also a bit of a frustrating read when it lapses into common sense for pages at a time, for example spending several pages on the definitions of practice, rehearsal and performance. The author seems to find nuance where there needn't be any. A good editor could easily knock 100 pages off of this book.
On the plus side, if you can make it through the self-indulgent prose, the techniques in here are helpful. For example, the approaches to creating a back story to copy can change your perspective (and performance). Finding the music in a script can also help. Similarly, the CD contains some excellent examples and wisdom -- from pronunciation to enunciation to facts about the voice in general -- that are very welcome. (On the downside, the woman doing the reading on the CD has a noticeable breathing problem.) Especially good is the section about selling versus informing, which is a persistent problem with written as well as spoken compositions.
Overall I strongly agree with the authors that coaching is essential if you want to hone your speaking and voiceover skills. In the meantime, The Art of Voice Acting delivers much or perhaps most of the crucial context. It can be tediously basic at times, but when the insights eventually come along it should be enough to keep the aspiring voice actor reading.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Insider track on how to break into a lucrative business that no one knows about Sep 15, 2011
By Shelley Gammon
"Geek"
I first found out about voice over work in college when taking an advanced elective for my degree. The professor did voice over work and somehow this got mentioned in class. He said he'd get checks in the mail periodically for work he had done years before - royalty check magic anytime a commercial aired on radio or TV that he had done work on. I was in awe, but when I asked him how to get into such a business, he was elusive and made it sound like your only way to get into it was to have started 30 years earlier.
This book is written by an insider - one who has been deeply entrenched in voice over work - and now that I'm better educated, voice ACTING work. I never had really thought about it before - but this is definitely acting, not just voicing. Many people have great voices, but could lull a hungry bear to sleep with their reading of any copy.
The book has a realistic take - this is not a get rich quick scheme. The author lets you decide - do you want this as a hobby or a full time job? He goes over what the obstacles are, how luck is involved and how to present yourself professionally on the first go.
The included CD brings to life the examples in the book. There are times when the book tends to ramble, but considering the value of the content, it's worth it. It's like sitting in the classroom of a wise sage and having to indulge in their occasional random segues into stories about how they first met their next door neighbor - but worth it for the years of experience & wisdom they have acquired and are dispensing. The book could have been edited down quite a bit without losing any relevant content - but it's still a great book on how to break into this field.
Not everyone is going to have a voice like Gene Hackman, but those who produce commercials, video games, etc., are not always looking for Gene Hackman's voice - they could be looking for yours. The instructions won't change your voice, but can improve your delivery and give you a better ear to notice things you never noticed before.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Where do you sit in the voiceover orchestra? Sep 23, 2010
By haskpts
Be the next Alec Baldwin or Peter Coyote!
The book discusses the field, how to develop your talents and skills, where to possibly find employment etc.,. Interesting tidbits about those "behind" the stage are interspersed with famous voiceover actors/actresses ... they lend tips and tricks for the semi-professional.
The book also comes with an audio CD for examples of the book's techniques.
A niche market book - but I found it very interesting as a layperson. I also wondered what kind of people are doing those crazy ads ... like Viagra and similar products?!
"When you want the time to be right ....."
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Best book on voice acting, ever! Jan 07, 2011
By J. Christopher Dunn
What is woodshedding and is it painful? If you are a seasoned voice over professional or just beginning your journey, the forth edition of "The Art of Voice Acting" is one resource your bookshelf should not be without. Author James Alburger, winner of Emmy Awards, Omni Intermedia Awards, and Silver Microphone Awards for his work as a Director and Audio Producer, covers a wide range of topics specific to the business of voice over. From understanding what it takes to become a voice over talent to developing style and technique and ending with tips and tricks every talent should know. You'll even find out what woodshedding is and how it can improve a voice over session.
As I read the book, I found myself discovering new gems that had me thinking about how I was currently running my voice acting business and planning the implementation of improvements. "The Art of Voice Acting" sits on my desk with several pages marked for easy access. I've read a number of great books that focused specifically on one aspect of voice over. James' book seems to be compilation of the best parts of those books with his experiences added to the mix.
This is clearly the best reference book for voice acting.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
Comprehensive? Oh, yes. Oct 31, 2010
By Chris Swanson
"I'm just this guy, you know?"
I've been known to entertain the notion of doing voice work. I've often been told I have a great face for radio, and people frequently are entertained by the voices I do when I'm at work (a personal favorite being the "Five Pack a Day Cafeteria Lady"). So I've considered before trying to get into the business, especially when I lived in Los Angeles.
But real life intruded, as it often does on one's dreams. I moved to Phoenix, a place not known as a great Mecca for acting of any sort, and life went on. But always the dream remained. So when I got the chance to get this book from Amazon Vine, I jumped at it! And boy, talk about a dream killer! But in a nice way. :)
This book is chock-full of more information than anyone would've thought possible for voice work. You'll read about everything from the basics of how to train your voice up to rules of behavior at a studio and everything in between. You'll learn about what's expected of you, what you can expect of others, how to do a demo and when you need to. There's more information here than you ever thought you'd need, but from what I can tell, you need it all.
I do dock the book a bit because it's a little overwhelming and not terribly well-organized. Also, frankly, much of it reads like an advertisement for the author's classes (including an actual advertisement in the book). This isn't something that's bad, but it should be noted.
I mentioned the book is a dream killer, but in a nice way. Here's why: It exposes a reality to voice work that I didn't know anything about and really kicks my dreams to the curb. It makes me look at the industry as something more than I'd expected it to be. And that's a good thing, because it means that if I want to go into voice work, I now know what I need to do, so I'll be better prepared. And that's very nice indeed.
See all 20 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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