VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Deirdre]

I'll be attending a dialect and accent workshop in Hollywood-- Saturday, January 21st.

Patrick Fraley, Larry Moss, Hillary Huber will be instructing.

It's at Bell Sound Studio.

12 participants.

I am looking forward to it!


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[DavidFuller]

We'll have to play while you're out here! I looked at that workshop but it conflicted with a concert I'm singing that week & weekend.

But we'll definitely have to find time to paint the town fuchsia!

David

[Philip Banks]

I know that such workshops/seminars can quickly slide into ego trips for the teachers and that delegates can spend so much time being impressed that they leave with nothing.

Do people have strategies they use to avoid wasting their time and money?

[Hart]

Now that's a great question. There's a "tele-seminar" I've been thinking about, but I really hate to waste money on it.

[Deirdre]

[Philip Banks]

I haven't heard of any of the people who are holding the seminar being attended by DB and would never presume to judge their abilities or motives. You'll notice that at no point did my post refer to a specific seminar or specific teachers.

My point was a general one designed to solicit guidance and tips from people who have or plan to attend coaching sessions or seminars. I have met or spoken to so many people who have walked away largely empty handed that I feel it's good to go into such things with a clear goal in mind as well as being open to the unexpected.

Let's look at a hypothetical class

I'm going to charge VO-BBers $250 to attend a Philip Banks voice over "masterclass". I need you to be at the Richmond Arms at 7.30pm tonight with $250 in cash. Having established what I need from you, what do you want to take away with you at the end of the evening? How are you going to ensure you get it.

[Deirdre]

[Philip Banks]

Hypothetical class, it can be about anything you like. Creating characters, learning dialects and accents is as good an example as any. For newcomers it could be how to get that first gig. The difference between voice overing and acting.

How does a person attending a class/seminar/coaching session relevant to voice over work ensure they get what they need or want from it?

[Deirdre]

When I asked "What did you intend to teach?" I was making the point of establishing focus in your clearly hypothetical class.

For instance-- my VO classes in Boston are about the mechanics of speech production and how to approach scripts. I don't tell people where to get a demo made or how to find work. That's not part of the agenda.
When an agenda is very clearly defined, I think the chance of disillusionment is much less. If a class strayed into crap of an ego-driven kind, a savvy student would ask pointed questions to get it back on track or speak to the instructor about getting his money back if the intended subjects weren't covered.
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[Philip Banks]

Are you able to post the agenda for the seminar you're going to attend DB or is there a web page promoting it?

[kgenus]

I was told from the getgo to stay far away from seminars because they were too much info, too many people and not enough time to digest and put into practice what you had learned.

BUT....

I own three of Pat's CDs and they are, in my opinion (which isn't entirely worth much for the individual who may be reading this), some of the better materials I have seen and heard for those searching for a practical, methodical approach to voiceover. Combined with an instructor using Pat's methods, I would imagine a very fertile learning environment for the individual using both avenues of education.
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Genus

[Spacegypsy]

If it's me, I call and ask questions, or, if it's a series, I ask if I can audit the class.
Many many times, it turns out I'm not going to get my money's worth, so I'm better off not going. Just a couple of weeks ago I went to audit an On-Camera class in its last session of the series. Those guys were coming away with nothing as far as I could see. Of an 8 week course, they got in front of a camera on the 6th week!
I was going to have some speech training for a speech anomaly I have (or had, I should say, I corrected it myself with face exercises) - and it turned out I was more useful to the speech trainer than she was to me - she answered none of my questions about what she could do for me, and wanted to know all about how to get into voice over (and even had the cheek to ask me where I got my business from) . Bye Bye.
There's a lot of folks who do this type of thing solely as a money-earner, with very little experience themselves.
DB's a savvy student, and I encourage others to not be shy about asking questions before parting with the check.

[SoundsGreat-Elaine Singer]

I agree that going to some of these things can be a phenomenal waste of time. I try to talk to people who have taken the course and find out what they walked away with. You have to ask a lot of specific questions but it can give you an idea of whether it's worth it or not. I've heard Pat Fraley speak and have also talked to someone who took one of his seminars. From my own personal experience and this other person's, I have concluded it would be very worthwhile taking one of his seminars.

My favourite was a half day seminar (out of town for me) on how to build a home studio for under $500 - the cost of the seminar plus the cost of my getting there would have come to something like $895! Money definitely better spent on the home studio
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Elaine
The Youthful Mature Voice (Emeritus)
Senectitude is not for the faint of heart.

[Deirdre]

Back in ancient times, I certainly wasted more than a few bucks on "classes" that were simple money-making schemes for the "instructor" who seemed "famous".

My more recent experience has been far more fruitful.
Add to this the fact that part of Pat Fraley's audio teaching includes audio from his live classes and workshops. You can sure get a feel for the type of teacher he is, and I like him.

Here's the lowdown on this accent and dialect workshop:

patfraleypresents

Accent on Dialects Master Event
Hollywood, 2006

COMING IN 2 WEEKS!!! Saturday, January 21st

The first and only Dialect System designed specifically to address the rapid demands of the voice over industry.

FIVE MASTERS guide you through the invaluable voice over skill of dialects.

LARRY MOSS - The nation's PREMIERE dialect coach to the stars (Hilary Swank, Helen Hunt, Hank Azaria, Jason Alexander) will be on hand to field questions on accents and dialects.

PATRICK FRALEY -has taught voice and dialects for 32 years. Patrick's performance of the audiobook version of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” called for 43 dialects and over 100 characters, and was heralded as “The Best of this Evergreen Ever.” (People Magazine) Has created voices for over 4,000 characters, placing him among the top ten performers of all time to be cast in animation.

HILLARY HUBER - One of the most successful commercial voice over performers in the industry. Hillary also produces, directs and performs audiobooks where she is called upon to wield dialect after dialect. Her most recent performance of the audiobook, “The Light In The Piazza” called upon her to switch back and forth from Southern U.S. to Italian at breakneck speeds. Author of 'Piazza', Elisabeth Spencer is quoted as commenting, "I don't know how she does it. I want her to do all my books."

KIMBERLY BREAULT-Performer/Producer/Teacher, who most recently starred in the Los Angeles production of My Fair Lady (Eliza Doolittle), will be here to personally guide, cast, and rehearse you with the perfect material to best suit your abilities.

ROBB HOLT - The premiere producer/engineer in Hollywood records your best work in pristine quality. With over 26 years experience, Robb gets it right.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
-How to determine your own dialect in minutes.
-How to effectively come up with a viable, essential dialect within an hour.
-Extended recording time - lay down your best efforts at British, Irish, Russian, German, and N.Y. dialects.
-Learn the most requested Character-Types for each dialect.
-Insider tips on preparing and performing dialects.
-Hear dialect examples from film clips, and learn how to discern between “the good, the bad, and the ugly”.
-Receive an Essential Sound Change & Lilt Sheet on each dialect taught.
-All materials are supplied, Event Workbook, and a master CD of your recorded work.

When: 10:00-6:00 Saturday, January 21, 2006
Workshop is limited to 12 participants
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[mcm]

How wonderful DB! I hope you have a blast.

And I hope you can recruit Mr. Fraley to come to Boston and teach a class there!!!