I was listening to NPR and heard Madeleine Brand interviewing Beth Broderick (Aunt Zelda on Sabrina, the Teenage Witch) about how the economy has affected the acting profession. What would you do if you had your pay cut by 4/5ths? To read more or listen to the interview, go here.
I just finished reading Ken Levine's "Actors: How to give notes to writers" and thought it worthwhile reading, not only for the subjects mentioned, but also for those day-to-day encounters we all experience. Read it here.
Speaking at PodCamp London, Stephanie Ciccarelli, co-founder of Voices.com, shares tips on caring for your voice and preparing for a recording session.
It looks like we'll soon be able to read the memories of June Foray, the undisputed Queen of Cartoons. According to Mark Evanier's blog, News From Me, the autobiography goes to press this week. With help from Evanier and noted animation historian, Earl Kress, Foray's book promises to be a blockbuster for the voice acting community. Foray will be signing her book at the upcoming Comic-Con International in San Diego where it has been rumored she'll be on a panel with her old friend, the legendary Stan Freberg.
I find myself thinking about Daws Butler a great deal these days. Here's what people who knew him personally had to say about the voice acting innovator.
Laurie and I saw "UP" this morning and we loved it!
Sure, there was a willing suspension of disbelief, but this film contained many of the same tender and heart rending moments which made "Paladin of the Lost Hour", "It's A Wonderful Life", and "Day of the Dolphin" exceptional. Laurie and I both cried during the first ten minutes and we choked up several times through out the film. And we laughed. . .we howled during several spots in the film. This is a film about life and living, death and dying, and all of the ups and downs in between.
The voice cast is wonderful with Ed Asner as the curmudgeonly Carl Fredricksen, Christopher Plummer as the megalomanical Charles Muntz, and newcomer Jordan Nagai as Russell. Co-director and screenplay writer, Bob Peterson also supplies the voices of dogs,Dug and Alpha. Bob Bergen has told me that he provided the voices of a buncha dogs and a tv announcer.
We both recommend "UP" for ages 9 to 99. Stay through the credits!
The current voice of Mickey Mouse, Wayne Allwine, was stilled on May 18. The third vocalist for the mighty mouse, Allwine held the title the longest, starting with the New Micky Mouse Club in 1977 and ending with the Nintendo DS game "Kingdom Hearts Three-Five-Eight Days over Two" which he completed before his death. He will be missed.
Ventriloquism is rapidally becoming a lost art, but I hold out hope that future generations will be inspired by masters of the art when they see examples such as the following:
Harlan Ellison is one of those rare authors who can perform as well as he writes. Here is an interview conducted nearly one year ago by Studio 360's Kurt Anderson. Listen as Ellison has some fun making Anderson squirm a bit.
