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Article: "Celebs Drown Out Vetran Voices . . . "
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TQuinn
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Joined: 29 Apr 2008
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Location: Washington, DC

PostPosted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:27 pm    Post subject: Article: "Celebs Drown Out Vetran Voices . . . " Reply with quote

Below is a link to an article in The Washington Post on celebrities who voice animated features, crowding out the less-well-known voiceover artists.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/19/AR2008061903010.html

Thought that there might be interest.

Tony
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louzucaro
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 9:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

The most disturbing thing about this article is that, um, I can't get to it.
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Lou Zucaro
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bobsouer
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tony,

Thank you for posting this. Unlike Lou, I can get to it. (I hope you're able to solve that problem Lou. It's a really good article.)
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imaginator
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

lou. i'm sending to you as a word doc via pm.

read it and weep (or rant).
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rowell gormon
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dhouston67
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 10:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lou,

Here's a link to the print-friendly version. Hope this works for ya.
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scottnilsen
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here's another link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/patio3900/447962262/
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bobsouer
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scott,

You are a funny, funny man. Laugh
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
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louzucaro
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Rowell and all.

Well, I may be going against the grain here, but I don't see why this is a problem. True, "celebrities" are voicing a lot of roles, but they're ACTORS. It's not like they're football players, politicians or high-profile Fortune 500 CEOs who are voicing these characters.

I happen to like Jack Black.
And Angelina Jolie.




I'm sorry, what was I saying?

Oh, yeah, right....anyway...I guess I just don't understand what the problem is, especially since an article like this seems to be written at least once or twice a year someplace. If this is a "problem", what's the solution? Convince Americans not to like celebrities? Enact a law that would disallow anybody who's instantly recognizable either by face or by voice to work as a voice actor on something animated? Maybe a new union reg that requires 5 non-famous actors to be hired for every famous one?

Am I being silly enough yet?
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Yoda117
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

maybe it's me, but hasn't this been the case since Disney made the first full-length feature animation?

The cast was mostly radio celebrities. Same happened once television became the medium of choice.

Unless you're famous, the best way to deal with it IMO is to be better at being in front of the mic than them. Reputation is great, and you can ride one for a while, but there has to have been something there in order for you to have earned that reputation in the first place.

The best voice actors in the industry do get jobs based on reputation. Not all of them, but enough that we admit it. That said, they've earned the reputation that allows them that privilege.

Until such time as I also have that ability, I'm content to take the Disney approach. Do the best I can, learn all I can, and plus every job, then plus it some more.
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Dan-O
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

May I ask a side note question? What ever happened to the animated musicals (Lion King, Little Mermaid, etc)? Why aren't they making those any more? Is it because the name stars can't really sing (AHEM, Mel Gibson, AHEM)?
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Yoda117
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They seem to be concentrating more on DTv and letting Pixar and Studio Ghibli do the feature length stuff as of late, but Walt was such a big proponent of music and singing in his films, and it's something which has stuck with the company since he first introduced it. Still, it wouldn't surprise me to find out that in the years since they've last done a true feature-length animation that they've got something in the works to remind us all why they'd earned all those Oscars.
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James Lorenz
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wonder if it's just part of a cycle. After a while the studios will look into the bottom line and realize people generally don't go to these movies for the "names" behind the voices.
That said, anything that brings more popularity to animation is all right by me. It only means more work for the rest of us.
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Deirdre
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

When celebs are part of the cast, the studio honchos take more interest, more money is put into a project, and more of us "additional voices" get work.
It's wicked good for folks in our line of business.
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mcm
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I certainly don't see this as taking work away from other voice actors - if somebody is determined to make a feature film with a lot of celebrities, there's nothing any of us can do about it, and I'd be pretty happy to be Fish #47.

I do find it odd, though, when the casts of some of these films have more stars than the sky and yet are completely forgettable. One wonders what is the point. I would love to see an animated feature cast solely on the basis of talent. What would that be like?

Probably sort of like The Incredibles, "only more so" Smile
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louzucaro
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mcm wrote:
I do find it odd, though, when the casts of some of these films have more stars than the sky and yet are completely forgettable. One wonders what is the point.


The point is money. And unfortunately, great actors can't make stinky scripts any better than they are.

As an example, IMO Robert De Niro was brilliant in "Midnight Run"...understated, subtle, real and vulnerable thanks both to his acting chops and a great script.

On the other hand, De Niro was also in "Analyze This".

That's all's I'm saying.
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