Places please: How to work with voice actors
Leo Bloom: Actors are not animals! They’re human beings!
Max Bialystock: They are? Have you ever eaten with one?
This exchange between milquetoast Leo Bloom (yep) and theatrical con man Max Bialystock comes from Mel Brook’s classic comedy The Producers. While we don’t take as harsh a view as this, actors are a special breed. In this course veteran audio theater producer Sarah Montague will teach you how to assemble the best realistic cast for your project (no, Brad isn’t going to call you back). You’ll listen to examples from pieces with exemplary casts. From the Golden Age (really) to The Truth, Welcome to Night Vale, Desire, Homeland, The Handmaid’s Tale and others. And you’ll learn how to get the best out of your cast whether you are creating a single drama or a series.
Course Content:
CASTING
- Fantastic cinemascope? Bleh. Don’t think Hollywood first
- Where to look, what to listen for
- Casting inclusively
AUDIO IN PERFORMANCE
- Performing in audio—what’s different?
- What makes a strong text from the actor’s perspective
- Reading vs. playing (audio books vs. plays)
- How to create a sense of engagement/ensemble
- Awareness of the medium (as in film much will get added later)—dress, working with mics; etc.
- What we can learn from the Brits