This year, sees Karl Jenkinson hosting the Prestigious LiveCom Awards Ceremony on behalf of the IVCA.  The event takes place at The Brewery, Barbican and rewards some of the most creative and innovative Live Events both Nationally and Internationally.

Further details  http://www.ivca.org/award-schemes/ivca-livecom-awards/ivca-livecom-awards-2011-ceremony-details.html

Coming soon: the ultimate bride war, Narrated by Karl Jenkinson.

If you thought Anne Hathaway and Kate Hudson were bad, you haven't seen anything yet.

Battle of the Brides will give 16 beautiful brides the opportunity to have the wedding of their dreams. 

Just one small snag though - they have to share their dream day with a complete stranger. 

Each week, two brides will go head to head in a battle to have their perfect day just the way they want it.

They have the budget, they just have to share it, and that includes having everything the same.

So that's the same venue, food, flowers and, yes, even their dresses have to match. Ouch.

Will these brides be blushing with rage or will they learn to compromise? Hmm...

Let the battle commence. We can't wait.

After all, 'tis the Season to be Jolly.

My Son recently did his first recording session with his band The Underdogs.

We had toyed with the idea of recording them in the Home Studio, but thanks to Lottery funding, there is a very affordable high quality Professional studio very close to us.

Tom was impressed, 'Guess What Dad? they even had the same gear as you!'

Check it out, see what you think.

http://soundcloud.com/tomj45/oh-maybe

I recently did a Voiceover for my American Agent, In Both Ears.

The Client, HP Mobile Printing Soultions, sent the script via email.  The Creative, sat in an office somewhere in Florida, listened into the session via Sype.

When we were done it was uploaded to the FTP server in Portland, and from there, who knows, what or where.

The digital age, really is most marvellous!

There's a move in the offing for me.

After 10 years in the same place we've decided to shift ourselves, lock, stock and two shiny hard drives to a new location.

When we get there, a new studio and sound booth will be the first items under construction. However, there will be a hiatus of sorts, and I’ve been looking at some short term options to assist with the move. I need to ensure that I’m still able to deliver quality VoiceOver audio to my clients.

One option that I'm currently testing, is the Porta Booth Pro from Harlan Hogan.  It's an all-in-one, bespoke recording environment for producing VoiceOver on the hoof. Consisting of a heavy duty carrying bag, and panels which simply, zip together. Once assembled, they form a mini booth for you, and your mic. The inside is lined with 2 in acoustic pyramid foam and the whole thing comes together in less than 2 minutes.

A rear zip arrangement allows for you to insert a mic on a boom stand, desk stand or on a mini stand within the booth. There's also a pull out acoustic curtain which can be used to quieten noisier environments. Particularly useful for getting rid of fan noise from the old desktop.

Thoughtfully, the whole package also includes a natty, led clip on light.  You can now squint at your script in the pre-assembled darkness. There’s a handy pocket for cables and a carrying strap. The whole thing is small and light enough that you should be able to carry it on as hand luggage. Not that you’d ever be thinking of recording whilst on your hols, I’m sure.

I have to say that first impressions are really very impressive.  The build quality is great and already I can imagine this returning years of service without any problems at all.

If you put your head toward the recording environment it's clear that the foam is doing its stuff very effectively, with what sounds like, a very acoustically dry environment, indeed.

Kj

One of the best books in recent years, The Voice Actor's Guide to Recording at Home, really does tell you everything you need to know, but were afraid to ask. 

Harlan Hogan and Jeffrey Fisher have put together a funny and eay to read book that takes you through, step by step, of the voiceover recording chain.

Whether you're starting out or an old hand, it's a great tool of reference.

You can buy this and many other tiltles, on The VoxShop.  Simply click on the panel and choose the location nearest to where you are.

Other titles available and new stuff is being added all the time, so check back for all your Voiceover needs.

I'm happy to have joined the IVCA and am listed in the Freelance Voiceover Directory. I look forward to meeting and working with fellow Industry Professionals.

The IVCA is the largest professional body of its kind in Europe with 1000 production members and 1500 Client Associates who commission business solutions from the industry.

http://www.ivca.org/index.html

Happy to say, I've just recorded New Voiceover campaigns, for Coral Betting and EH Smith for XFM London and Kerrang, respectively.

We're kickstarting the New Year with a bang! BANG.

We have an interesting and exciting project in development and are particularly keen to hear from published or aspiring authors of original material. 

So, if you have a dusty manuscript or a shiny new one, why not drop us an email. You never know.........

It's difficult not to to be moved by the plight of the Homeless Guy with the 'Golden Pipes'. Seen all around the world on a YouTube near you. He was discovered by a local news team panhandling at the side of a road. A dollar per announcement. I just hope people don't get the idea that,that's the current rate.....

It just goes to show, you never really know when an opportunity will knock. Are you ready?

Geoff Thompson has written 30 published books – 250,000 copies in print – and was on the Sunday Times Best-Seller list with his autobiographical book ‘Watch My Back’ about his nine years working as a night club doorman.
He’s a BAFTA award winner,Best Selling Author, Screenwriter, Teacher and Martial Artist.

Karl Jenkinson: Hi Geoff , welcome to kjvox.com and into what is lovingly referred to, as The Bunker. Now, much of what has been written about you, and by you, centres around your passion for the Martial Arts. After all these years, how important is that side of your life, today?

Geoff Thompson: Thanks Karl, yes, it’s still very important, but in a different way. What I practice and what I teach now is much more art than it is martial. My early practice/teaching was to do with gross physical martial arts, how to overcome fear, how to fight etc, in other words self defence against others. These days I concentrate much more on metaphysical self defence, or what I like to call self defence against the self. This is about knowing yourself (or your separate selves), isolating the sub personalities that no longer serve you (old habits, defunct scripts, past grudges, beliefs and fears) and processing them. It is still martial art, but the fight is on the inside rather than on the outside.

Kj: I first came to know you, through my regular readings of Martial Arts illustrated. I wasn’t entirely sure of the chronology, but was this your first foray into serious writing?

GT: I was a writer at the age of eleven, but a writer with nothing particular to write about. I had a huge passion but with no obvious or immediate material. After lots of colourful life experience I found myself at the age of 30 with suddenly lots to write about and a massive energy urging me to sit down and produce some words. My first published article was called Confrontation, Desensitisation (about confronting fear) and it was published in a magazine called Terry O’Neil’s Fighting Arts International, It was without question the best MA magazine in the world at that time. I was thrilled. My belief system really expanded and I remember thinking ‘if I can get one article published why not two? If I can publish an article, why not a book, why not two books why not ten, and if I can publish a book what is there to stop me from writing for TV, Film, Theatre?’ That one article opened the floodgates, within a few short years I had published lots of articles and books, and of course I have now added film and theatre to the list.

Kj: You often say that ‘Self Defence’ is about learning to defend against the Self. I’m sure most Artists feel, your biggest critic is often the ‘Self Critic’.

Did you or do you find that this is the case for yourself, and if so, do you have a particular coping mechanism?

GT: This was my biggest realisation Karl, that the only thing stopping me from experiencing the kind of reality I dreamed of, was me. In the early days I did what many artists do, I blamed others, and once I started to blame the blame never ended. It was my wife’s fault because she didn’t believe in me, it was society’s fault for discriminating against ‘people like us’ (working class people), it was the governments fault for not having incentives in place to help the struggling artist, I even blamed God for not giving me the breaks I needed. I was full of self pity, it was quite delicious actually to marinate in blame, I guess that is why so many people do it. But of course the moment you engage blame, you disengage your own power. If it is someone else’s fault, that means I have to wait for their permission or assistance, which means that they have all my power. What I realised about myself was that I was just scared, and blame was my way of avoiding the responsibility I had to confront my own fear, and to build a personal infrastructure that would enable me to cope with life as an artist. Artists by their very nature are supersensitive, so if you are going to cope you need to build a little warrior armour. I was scared of my own potential, I was scared of change, I was scared of life. I was like the terrified Messner stuck half way up the inhospitable mountain Nangar Parbat, he was too scared to go up, too scared to go back down again and too scared to stay where he was. In fact he says that at one point when the wind was trying to blow him off the mountain he was too scared to live. So the main thing I did was admit that the responsibility was with me, no one else, if I didn’t do it I have no one to blame by me. Then I had to admit that I was scared and do something about that, and to build my courage by doing the things that scared me most. I recognised also that my sub vocalisation (the internal voice) was set on a negative default, so I started to dissolve old beliefs (‘not for the likes of us’) and build up a strong internal voice, by telling myself that I could achieve anything. I also proved the old scripts wrong by succeeding, when you have a book published for instance, the old voice that says (or those old friends who say) ‘you’ll never get published’ loses its power, because it has simply been proven wrong.

Kj: You’ve written many self help, as well as numerous self defence’ manuals, moving seamlessly into the world of the Screenplay. In 2003 came ‘Bouncers’, a short film, which starred, I have to say, two of my favourite Actors, Ray Winstone & Paddy Considine. How did you find the experience of working with Actors of this calibre and was this the first time you’d done so?

GT: It was a revelation actually. The first short film I wrote attracted, as you said Ray and Paddy, and watching them work not only inspired me, it also empowered me (Hollywood Actors, actually saying my words) and it informed me. I remember watching them do one of the scenes outside a Coventry pub and thinking ‘ah! So that’s how it works.’ Everything sort of fell into place. When you are writing your first few films you are never quite sure if what you are doing is right or not, but when you see great Actors lifting the words off the page, there can be no denying that it is working.

Kj: ‘Watch My Back’ is a gripping and compelling story. How did you set about writing the book? And later, when you turned it into the script for the feature film, ‘Clubbed’, how did you then feel about compressing it down into a 90 minute screenplay?

GT: Watch My Back was written in a factory toilet. I was working as a labourer (cleaner) in the day and as a bouncer at night. I used to sit in the loo every day writing down the stories that happened to me the night before. I didn’t have much idea about what I was doing to be honest only that the stories were very strong. It took me two years after finishing the hand written text to find someone to type it out. My reality was so small that I didn’t even know anyone that owned a typewriter. A friend’s sister did it for me in the end for free. That was the basis of what became my first book. I took it to the local newspaper and one of the reporters (a lady called Sue Lawry) read it and gave me some great feedback. I then did a re-write and expanded it with more detail. I eventually sent that version off to a small publisher called Summersdale (who are now a big publisher) from the Writer’s and Artist year Book and the rest, as they say is history. That book has sold over a 100,000 copies now. And my other books are translated into 12 languages. When I translated it into film I started with the true story, and eventually allowed a little fiction in so that I could draw together what, in the book, was a series of disparate anecdotes. That eventually (it took fifteen years) became a feature film that premiered, in London, Birmingham and Paris. I did my screenwriting apprenticeship on that film.

Kj: What sort of reaction did you get from those around you?

GT: Mixed really. I come from a very working class background where people like us did not write books. So some people reacted very badly, lots of jealously and envy which I did not expect, I lost a few friends along the way. Success always weeds out the wheat from the chaff. I learned a lot from that actually, about expanding my reality, about creating entire new realities, and about letting go. There is a lovely old saying, those that would be born must first destroy worlds. Success in any field means change, and those around you that will not be a part of that change often stay behind, not that you leave them, they just choose not to come with you. This is sad, but inevitable.

Kj:Overall though, were you pleased with the final results?

GT: I was massively happy with the first book, and I have made about five films now, all of which I have learned a lot from and most of which I adore. My favourite, I think is Romans 12:20 directed by the Shammasian Brothers. I love that film.

Kj: So, Geoff, what plans for the future? Do you think you’ll continue teaching Martial Arts and Writing? Have you got any more film scripts in the pipeline?

GT: I am a teacher at heart, I still love it, so I think that no matter where I am or what I am doing that will always be a part of the milieu. I have lots of things in the pipeline Karl, Paddy Considine is directing a new feature that I have written, he is also going to star in another feature of mine called Lat Will, I have three plays placed with different directors, and a TV series in early development.

Kj: Geoff, it’s been an absolute delight. I wish you continued success in all you do and look forward to the new projects, as they come out.

GT. Thanks, Karl.

Geoff’s latest work,’Warrior-the Search for Self Sovereignty’ is available now in the VoxShop under Business & Personal Development. For further details www.geoffthompson.com

Lorelei King is an American Actress & Voiceover, living and working in the Uk. Her credits include Notting Hill,The Saint,Cold Feet,Jonathan Creek and Monarch of the Glen, to name but a few. Having recorded over 200 programmes for the BBC, she was once described, as the ‘Most well-known American Voice on Radio’.

Hi Lorelei, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to, Talk the Talk.

First of all congratulations on your recent successes. I was looking at the Audiobook titles released over the last few years, and it’s apparent that your work is both commercially successful and also, highly regarded. ‘Sizzling Sixteen’ by Janet Evanovich, is currently the number 1 bestseller in the Top 100 chart from Audio Titles. That must feel rewarding.

Thank you! It is very satisfying work – getting paid to read is the best job in the world! And it’s great about Sizzling Sixteen – I love Janet’s books and it’s wonderful to record such a popular, fun series.

So, do you have any kind of relationship with the authors, whose books, you bring to life?

Well, I have to say that the authors have already brought the work to life! I simply interpret it in a different medium, which is a great privilege. But to answer your question: I usually never meet the authors. I have been lucky enough to meet Janet Evanovich and spend some time with her. She’s a great gal – so much fun! Occasionally I’ve met some of the other authors I’ve recorded when I’ve interviewed them or when I’ve chaired an author seminar – it was wonderful meeting Sue Grafton and Michael Connolly, for example – but normally our paths simply won’t cross…

I’m imagining that some authors might be a bit guarded or even possessive about their characters? Your interpretation gives them a Voice for the first time, and brings them to life, from off the page. Do you ever get any feedback or notes?

Not at all! In my experience, authors are very generous about entrusting narrators with their characters. I’ve never known an author want to have input into the audio versions of their titles and I’ve never received notes. I did speak to Kate Mosse when I was recording Sepulchre, as I wanted some help with the ancient Occitaine, and she was utterly charming – she said her job was to write the book, and she wouldn’t dream of telling me how to interpret it into audio! And again, I have to stress that good writers have already fleshed out the characters and brought them off the page – I simply interpret the book, as an actor interprets a script.

Over the years you’ve recorded a lot of Audio books. In fact, last weekend, whilst visiting my Mum, she proudly showed me her complete collection of Sue Grafton‘s ‘A is for Alibi’, ‘B is for Burglary’ and so on. It’s fair to say, that my Mother’s Crime Collection is infamous.

Excellent! That’s a terrific series…

How long have you been a narrating Audiobooks? And in that time, how many titles do you think you have recorded ?

Gosh, I can’t remember how long I’ve been narrating – probably since they put them on wax cylinders! I must be pushing 300 books by now. Never really counted! The number is increasing, as I’m also recording some of the titles for Creative Content Ltd, the digital publishing company I started two years ago with Ali Muirden, former head of audio at Macmillan. That’s been a blast.

Have you been asked to narrate a book that you really didn’t take to?

Oh, yes. It happens from time to time – but I’ve only burst into tears and thrown the book across the room on one occasion…. :O)

When approaching this type of work, Do you have a particular routine? Would you read the whole thing through (once or more)? Mark up the script, detail the characters etc, all in advance of the record?

My routine is to read the book once, keeping a list of characters and any pronunciations I might have to look up. Sometimes I know straightaway the kind of voice a character will have – other times I have to think about it a bit. I look for clues in the writing. If there aren’t any, I just assign a voice from my ‘collection’ – my Uncle Lou and Henny Youngman often make appearances…

Audiobook narration always strikes me as the Marathon of all Voiceover work. How long does it take it record an average book and how many hours would you record per day?

How long is a piece of string? Books are different lengths, so it depends. 10,000 words works out to about a finished hour – many crime fiction books, for example, are about 80-90,000 words, which would be about eight finished hours. I would expect to record a book of that length in two days. A normal recording day for me is 10.00-5.00.

Finally, Is there a particular part of the whole process, you enjoy the most?

I love being in the studio. There’s nothing more wonderful than being able to sit in cozy recording booth and tell someone a story….

If you’d like to hear Lorelei’s work, there are many titles available on the Audiobook section of the VoxShop.

And if you’d like to know more about Lorelei you can visit www.loreleiking.com or www.creativecontentdigital.com

Thanks Lorelei it’s been a pleasure.

You’re Welcome.

All rights reserved Karl Jenkinson

VoxShop goes Stateside

Advanced Warning- The VoxShop is rolling up, downtown. Yep, get ready for all things Voice and Voiceover related.  Sign up for our Newsletter and get the heads up on all the gear, equipment and products, you'll ever need.

Plus unbelievable special offers and articles with leading Industry professionals.  Do it NOW!

Steve Carrell talks Voiceover.

TV and movie star Steve Carell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin,  NBC's The Office) provided the voiceover for the film's protagonist, a top-heavy supervillain with a very unusual accent indeed. Carell says that Gru's bizarre diction — a "kind of pseudo-Eastern European" thing — came from minutes of inspiration, rather than months of fine-tuning. http://n.pr/aeelA5

Yep! So good, they named it Thrice!

Exciting News, as this month, sees the launch of the all new, all singing, all dancing, on-line, VoxShop. It's dedicated to all things Voiceover and Performance related. It doesn't matter Whether you're an Aspiring Talent, an Old Hand or simply interested in how you can improve interpersonal communication for Business, or Pleasure. (Deep breath removed from edit!)

If you need a bit of inspiration, some performance guidance or Kick up the Backside! Check out the Career Boost section.

If you're looking to set up a home recording studio, or adding to an existing, then check out the Hardware and Software Section.

Or if you want to hear some of your fellow proferssionals at work, then look no further than, the AudioBooks and Videogames sections.

Over the coming months, we will be adding more top titles. So, if you have recently finished or are still working on a project, drop us a line and we'll try and include it. We may even be able to feature it in the News Section.

Ahaarrrr!

'Written by and starring top English voice over and actor Jonathan Kydd, Ahaarrr! Is an hilarious comedy that explores the almost horrific and frequently humiliating world of voice over advertising.'  Don't say you weren't warned!

I'm sharing this video with Jonathan's permission.
www.jonathankydd.com.
All Rights Reserved.

In depth Interview with British Actress and Voiceover Amelia Tyler  http://bit.ly/bfxt6y

It's time to stop the teasing and show some real eye-candy. Enter the first full-length trailer for Call of Duty: Black Ops, the upcoming CoD title from Treyarch.    http://bit.ly/cIld7b

Check out this excellent blog from Paul Strikwerda, the Nethervoice. http://nethervoice.com/nethervoice/2010/04/27/open-letter-voiceseekers/

Great Blog from Babble On, on the best way to direct Voice Talent.  http://babble-on-recording.com/babble_blog/?p=849

Producers, social media experts and a distributor reveal secrets of using Facebook, Twitter and email for TV and film projects. http://www.hollywoodtoday.net/2010/04/24/social-media-rocks-tv-and-film/

Pixar's 2001 film Monsters Inc - about monsters who scare kids for a living - is to have a sequel, the Disney studio has announced. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8639142.stm

The Film Business is, as the title suggests, a 'Business'.  Plain and simple.

But it's a business chock full of creative artists. And a hard nosed attitude towards the bottom line, can often stifle if not kill off, creativity.

How many times have you seen the same tried and tested formulaic dross, churned out like a real life 'Ground Hog Day'.  Everyone wants success, sure, but if you're an investor you want a return. So, in the early days, it's  a question of 'What is it like? ' 'How successful is it going to be?', and of course,' Which star is attached'.  AND, If it does ever get made, you then face the uphill battle, of trying to get it distributed. See 'The Infidel'

I've always felt, that in the UK, we 've been disadvantged to a degree, by sharing, the same language as our American cousins. Film makers tend to view Hollywood as the Holy Grail and as such, try and emulate the success of the big budget blockbusters. European films on the other hand, often tend to show a more adventurous spirit, where producers create for their local markets.

Check out any picture made by Pedro Almodovar, for example.  There have also been some crackers from Mexico(Y Tu Mama Tambien), Argentina(Nine Queens) and Australia(Rabbit Proof Fence) to name a few. Closer to home, we've had a long line of independent and independently minded producers Shane Meadows' Dead Man's Shoes being among the best.

But in this, the Digital age.  Where fantastic technology is available to all, at a fraction of the costs that they once were, it is possible to achieve some fairly spectacular results.  Armed with a digital DSLR and a bit of know how, YOU, yes YOU, could have what it takes to me the next big thing or small thing.  For inspiration check this out  http://filmutopia.typepad.com/lone_gun_manifesto/

Lost recordings of Orson Welles to be used in new Childrens film, 25 tears after the death of the famous actor/director. http://bit.ly/axkkFV

Journalist Mark Ryan, Blogs about his time spent with Lorelei King & Ali Muirden of Creative Content.  If he thought narrating his audiobook was going to be easy.....................http://bit.ly/9ygM42

With the ever increasing rise in popularity in Video Games, it's worth re-evaluating your skillset . This article by Game Culture, interviews leading Casting Director and founder of Outsource Media UK, Mark Estdale. He gives a frank account and a few pointers on what it's really like, to get inside one of your favourite Game Characters.

Voice work in video games is coming under more and more scrutiny. As games become more involved and deeper productions, the role of the voice actor plays an increasing role. To that end, we contacted Mark Estdale, a casting director and founder of Outsource Media in the United Kingdom. He has worked on games since the early '90s and pulls no punches about his frustration with existing practices in the industry. He set up Outsource Media in 1996 to bring the audio craft in film and TV production to games. He has worked on such games Need for Speed III, Pac-Man World 3, Wipeout (Fusion, Pure and Pulse), Timesplitters 2, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, Pro Evo Soccer, Wallace and Gromit's Grand Adventures, and many more. As you can see from his answers in this interview, he still beats a production values drum:

GameCulture: What is the general process a video game company goes through to get voice actors involved in its project?

Mark Estdale: I'm a casting and voice director, I also provide character and dialogue development support to developers and publishers, as well as coaching professional actors for working with games. Although I started off as an actor myself and occasionally get in front of a mic, my main roles are directing, casting and coordinating voice production.

It is common (and bad) practice to seek voice actors late in the development process when the script is almost finished when "getting the voices in" is high on the agenda. The process: get game working, rewrite voice script to match final gameplay, cast actors, record actors, get voice assets in game and get it mastered before the deadline.

A high percentage of my time is spent talking with dev teams and publishers regarding best practice as this common practice, deemed expedient, doesn't lead to good results.

GC: Is it usually the developer or publisher that contracts the work?

Estdale: Both do, but as a rule it depends on whether the developer has the competence and staff within the team to manage and assure the quality of the dialogue. But unfortunately, sometimes neither developer nor publisher has the competence and it's the one with financial responsibility that picks up the responsibility.

GC: How does one become a voice actor and what credentials are necessary?

Estdale: Apart from mime, all actors use their voice but only a minority have the craft skills to be good game voice actors. With games, the demand for voice performance is increasing as is the variety of the work on offer. Video games rival the film industry. Obviously this is good news, but with the good news comes challenges. Game voice work is the most demanding of all voiced media. On the practical front, script sizes can be massive. A typical film script is around 120 pages with just a few hundred lines of dialogue. A game script can be thousands of pages with hundreds of speaking characters and tens of thousands of lines of dialogue. And because of interactivity, the script can be an incredibly complex, non-linear document. The dialogue branches, loops, and converges. If the narrative paths and dialogue are mapped out, the map will look like a complex 3D national road map. Furthermore, production models are changing, for example, with performance capture and motion capture.

In performance terms, games by their interactive nature demand a far greater precision and attention to detail than with any linear production. The non-linearity of interactivity means the audience may spend, hours, days, even weeks with your character. The slightest blemish will be under a microscope. It is the tiniest flaw can shatter the audience's suspension of disbelief, even if NPC 3,102 blew it.

Add to this the fact that single lines may be used multiple times in different contexts the script may be impossible to follow without complex computer software. If you've not had experience with working with this type of script, do a voice in video games workshop, it'll empower, immerse and enlighten. Check out Utter Brilliance.

To get hired, it is helpful to have a pertinent voice reel. If you have a voice reel break it up into three parts. 1) An advertising reel, necessary for voice agents but not for us. 2) A narrative reel and 3) A character reel to show off your range. Both 2 and 3 are pertinent. Narrative reads are great for showing your ability narration and tutorial work and character samples are great for getting an idea of your ability and range. A good voice reel won't get you a job, but it will get you in front of a casting director. The key to a good show reel is: "real." Game characters are real characters under a microscope. It is essential that the actor can get under the skin of a character.

As a casting director, I want to hear the character's heart beat, I want to feel their thoughts and see the artwork leap off the page. Even if the line is "I need a key," I want to sense the characters need and their purpose. To my mind, good game acting is very subtle and needs great sensitivity. If you send a cartoon reel, it will get rejected.

Secondly, it is good to know what to expect both in casting and in production. Thirdly, It is essential that you can sight read. You may also need to hold a character consistent for hours, even days in the studio and lastly, having a clear and good repertoire of character voices to call upon is something that a casting director will note, as you will frequently be required to record multiple characters in one session.

The three essentials for games VO work are the ability to sight read extremely well, ability to improvise and to take direction well. Go to http://www.omuk.com/casting.html to see how actors are evaluated during casting as this will give more insight.

I've seen thousands of actors over the years and there are factors that stand out. First, actors who are professionally trained in their craft have a better understanding of their voice, as well as the ability to engage with character with a more subtle focus. Also, there are very few good voice actors who don't regularly act elsewhere. Actors who are do a lot of character improvisation work either on stage, radio or for film are the best equipped. People who do voice-overs only are not the same breed and are generally lousy for games as they usually don't know how to act. Unfortunately, they do creep into games and, to my mind, they need shooting along with the dumb asses who hire them.

GC: What is the going rate for voice acting in games these days? Is it different in the UK than in the States?

Estdale: Fees vary depending on the type of production. UK and U.S. rates are very similar. In the UK, it is usual to pay up to £200 per hour plus a buyout of up to £250 for a talented professional actor on a AAA title. This matches the union rate in the U.S., the difference being the minimum session length in the UK is one hour and in the U.S., it's four hours. There are always actors doing it on the cheap and the cheapskates who hire them can usually be identified by the quality of the voice work in their games. You get what you pay for, but in the end, it's the player spending hard earned cash to play the game is the one getting screwed. Crap.

GC: How does a voice actor prepare for a role? It's not like you can see their expressions on camera.

Estdale: Most actors have their own methods; there's no standard way. Ideally, they know what the character's role is, what they look like and how the character sounds. They will have been cast so would have a flavor for the character. Some actors will read through a script others want to come in cold and shoot from the hip. Both work. But because game scripts are interactive, huge and non-linear it is nigh impossible for the actor to follow the narrative map without complex software. If the actor is lucky, they will get rehearsal time or at least time for a table read. In game production this is a rare luxury. I advocate it but the opportunities and provision for it is like rocking horse shit. Actors are usually hired too late so cannot bring the full weight of their craftsmanship to bear. I rant about this stuff because to not have it is to jeopardize the quality of the whole production. I think it makes a mockery of the artists craft to hire them late. The consequence is a poorer game and a diminished playing experience.

GC: Do voice actors face different treatment in the game community than on-camera counterparts in full-motion video sequences?

Estdale: Within games, generally, the same actors are used for both in-game dialogue and FMV, especially as more and more games are using full performance capture. Their treatment is pretty uniform.

Unfortunately only few in the game community are fully aware of the contribution an actor can make to a production and the steps necessary to facilitate the actor to gift the game development with the full weight of their craft so it can be a frustrating experience for the actor.

In film and other media, the actor is key and we know what an actor brings to the production. The key factor of how an actor gets treated is down to the awareness, skill and experience of the person responsible for the actors' performance.

GC: What are some of the problems you see with voice acting in games at the moment?

Erstdale: The biggest problems are caused by ignorance.

Poor dialogue writing: an actor can't polish a turd. Good acting starts with a good script.

Poor character design: There are too many ill thought out, simplistic and ill defined characters. Acting a cardboard cut-out stereotype character gets a cardboard cut-out stereotype performance.

Poor casting: Casting is a craft that includes looking for fine balance, contrast and conflict between characters to bring narrative to life. Idiot casting has a list of movie actors for the actors to sound alike.

Poor direction: Directing actors is a subtle craft that evokes performance. Bad directing kills performance and evokes wood.

Poor dialogue editing: A good dialogue editor polishes performance, another subtle craft that can make a great performance shine, bad editing is file chopping.

Poor scheduling: Too little, too late is typical, so sadly the craftsmen of character are denied the time.

Poor budgeting: This is not necessarily too little but badly used. Great performances can be done on a shoestring if you know what you're doing.

GC: In your opinion, what needs to be done to rectify the problems?

Estdale: Education, education, education. To get the best voice results developers need to use the craftsmen and women of character: dialogue writers, casting directors, voice directors, actors, editors and studios. Just before Christmas, I bumped into a well-known head of a leading UK dev studio. He's a man I respect and someone who I thought cared about character. Although I was just being friendly saying hello, nice to see you're surviving the downturn etc, he wrongly assumed I was touting for work and his first line was a dismissive: "We've built our own recording studio you know." I was flabbergasted. I'd always thought him brighter than that, but his response in many ways is typical: they dismiss the stonemason because they've acquired a chisel.

Game developers are masters of game development (sometimes) but they frequently don't understand the art and craft of performance. It's a young industry, they will learn and what the future will bring will astound us. From my experience the teams that produce good voice work are simply those lead by senior decision makers who are passionate about, and understand the power of voice (and audio) and they factor into their schedules and their budgets what is needed to facilitate results. They know.

GC: Do you think game companies spend enough time with the scripts and stories they want to create? Explain.

Estdale: Time isn't the issue, quality is. A billion monkeys will never write a masterpiece. A good writer might.

GC: What is the most memorable voice acting you have seen in a game, or been associated with?

Estdale: Uncharted 2 was ground breaking and deservedly has collected a fistful of awards; I'd love to work with Amy Hening. Uncharted 2 really demonstrates the impact of what getting the production model right can do. It makes my job easier in trying to convince those who don't understand or believe.

I also liked the flawed genius of Heavy Rain as it gives us a tiny glimpse of what is to come, I know it has been criticized for its voice work, but Quantic Dream has vision and it clearly shows. They get my vote. From games I've worked on: Timesplitters: Future Perfect was crammed with magic moments thanks to the passion and vision of the Free Radical Design team and I loved working on Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures with Telltale Games because the writing was delightful and subtle.

But I guess one of my all-time favorites is Worms. My kids quote them forever.

GC: Give us an example of voice acting gone horribly awry, be it during recording or post-production.

Estdale: Years ago, I was asked to produce voices for Overblood 2 (a PlayStation One game). I read the script. It was awful, translated to English from Japanese by Italians so I suggested rewriting the English to match the stylized Japanese, or making it into an acted comedy or to scrap the whole thing. I was told the script was perfect and couldn't be changed and that we must do it with seriousness. We squirmed and the actors wept. When the game finally came out we discovered amongst many painfully awful mistranslations that the hand bomb throwing device was a grenade launcher and the whorehouse key level was actually a warehouse. A bit like the classic football team with a clean sheet having clean bed linen in the French version.

GC: Any humorous anecdotes you recall from recording sessions?

Estdale: I should have written a book or kept records, every session throws up some mirth and some embarrassment. Being trapped by unintentional innuendo is usually the killer. I have a recording somewhere in the archive of a session in breakdown, laughing uncontrollably, one word had us locked and we were all in tears for the best part of an hour. We once had an actor crap himself in the booth in a moment of method - an effort too far.

GC: In your experience, what video game companies treat voice actors the best? The worst?

Estdale: Best: Those who value the actors craft. Worst: Those who don't understand it. But as much of my job is to educate the companies and to protect the actor, whether the company is good or bad, it's us, as experts that handle the actors so the actors get pretty good treatment however well they are resourced. We're the buffer.

GC: If you could change one thing in the current way voice acting is done in games, what would it be and how would you do it?

Estdale: One thing is not enough. The biggest need is educating those in control of development to understand what is needed to get results. Throwing money at voice doesn't help if the basics are wrong.

GC: Anything in closing?

Estdale: I have been somewhat critical. I'd normally spend a bit of time comparing where game development is now to the development of film and TV production. Film nearly took 50 years to mature and be recognized as what it can be today. Same goes with TV but TV had film's back to climb on and both had the narrative history of humankind to draw upon. The scripts they use are no different to the one's Shakespeare was familiar with.

Games on the other hand are extraordinary as a narrative form because they represent the first radical deviation from the linear artist/audience relationship, They are the cutting edge of an interactive revolution that will change the way we are entertained, trained and educated. The illusion is their true artistry, the emotional immersion enhanced by the illusion of choice and its consequence is the heart of the magic. This is why I got excited and embraced the industry nearly 20 years ago. The industry is still embryonic. What is yet to come will astound us all. Interactive media are here to stay. Trying to work the magic and controlling the economics has lead to many casualties but the visionaries pick themselves up, dust themselves down, learn and continue with the struggle. It's a great industry. I love its genius and its youth. What is done with voice isn't core to creativity. Yes it has value but the beating heart is genius otherwise directed. Every day I still wake up inspired. Things will change.

An interesting article in The Guardian highlighting some of the problems associated with Voice Acting in Video Games.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2010/mar/16/games-controversy

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