What is Voice Acting? Definition and Guidelines

Ever wondered how all those animated characters got their voices? Thanks to voice actors, people all over the world can be entertained by cartoons, anime and commercials. Voice acting can be a wonderful career in entertainment. Here's how you can get started:

What do you do?
Voice acting is a job that requires providing the speaking and singing voices for a variety of characters in film, TV, documentaries, animation, video games, commercials, puppet shows and audio dramas. Of course, there's also the dubbing required for foreign language movies. Your job as a voice actor is to bring a character to life without being seen, using just your voice.

Do you need to be famous to be a voice actor?
You don’t have to be a big name star to become a voice actor. Most of the voice actors who work in the industry today aren’t famous, probably with the exception of the late great Mel Blanc, who voiced Bugs Bunny. If the character you voice becomes famous, expect to have your name known as well.

What's the advantage of voice acting?
In an industry where looks matter, voice acting allows you to come to work without makeup or costumes and you don’t have to be a certain age, provided you can act with your voice. You don’t have to worry about lighting or blocking scenes either. However, don’t think it's going to be an easy job. It's hard work and quite challenging.

Where can I learn voice acting?
Training is being offered at many acting schools. Some cities even have learning facilities that offer lessons. Check with your local community centers for a list of clubs or associations that provide voice acting classes.

What can I expect as a voice actor?
Expect to voice some very unlikely characters. Women, for example, are often cast to voice the role of a male child. You might also be asked to provide voices for animals, even monsters and robots, with the accompanying sounds. It would be a great advantage to you if you have a wide range of character voices, ranging from that of a small child to a teenager to an old person. And having a good singing voice wouldn’t hurt either.

Most voice acting jobs can be found in larger cities, such as Los Angles, New York and Chicago.

Will I have fans?
Once you work for some time in the industry and if you voice a character that gains popularity, you’ll have fans. They will be significantly smaller compared to famous actors but they are dedicated, often arriving in droves at conventions and special events. Who knows? You might even have your own website.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Acting Activities During Summer

Want to make your summer productive? Why not take acting lessons from summer acting programs? It's not just a fun way with which to spend your free time, you can also learn some skills that could turn into a real job someday. Furthermore, if you're an aspiring actor, a summer acting program can help refine your acting skills. Here's how to find the perfect program for you:

Which technique?
Before you enroll in a summer acting program, find out what acting technique is being taught. There are different types of techniques and methods in acting. The Method and the Meisner Method are just two of them. Learn about the particular method first before signing up so you'll know what to expect.

Find out about the requirements.
Summer acting programs have certain requirements, some of which depend on their curriculum. Some programs also have age limitations, so make sure to check. There are also summer acting programs that will only accept actors with previous work experience.

Ask for the location.
If the summer acting program will be held in your locality, that's good news for you. But if the program will be held someplace else, find out if it's convenient and cost effective. You could be spending a lot of money on a program unnecessarily.

Where to go for a summer acting program
Young Actors Camp
The acting program offered by this camp is intensive. Junior and senior acting students can take core classes to learn the basics of acting and then expand their skills with elective classes. Classes last from 1 to 3 weeks and are limited to film and television acting. Learning is presented in a summer camp environment, so expect to be uprooted and spend many days with fellow aspiring actors. Some classes are taught by professional actors.

California Actors Workshop
This summer camp is held on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley and is designed for students in middle school and high school. There are three acting programs being offered: Middle School Workshop, High School Workshop and Intensive Workshop. Classes in basic acting are held daily.

Before the end of the acting workshop, participants in the high school and middle school programs will do a monologue during their performance on the last night. For intensive workshop participants, however, monologues will be used as exercises during the course of the program but they will be producing a full play to complete the course.

A letter of recommendation from the participant's theater director or teacher is required for admission to the programs.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Protagonist - Learn to Play The Lead/Star Role

As the protagonist, do you know what is expected of you? In acting, the protagonist can be many things and he or she can be any age, social status and background, regardless of the genre. What he/she does will be the result of his/her motivations and emotions. Are you ready for protagonist acting? Here's what you should know:

What is a protagonist?
The protagonist is the main character in a movie, play, TV series or novel. Contrary to what most people think, the protagonist doesn’t even have to be the good guy. He can be anything from a man, woman, child, even an animal, as long as he or she is the central character around which the story revolves. It is possible to have more than one protagonist in a given medium, especially if you'll be working with an ensemble cast.

What to expect when you're acting as the protagonist
In protagonist acting, you are the core around which the progress of the play or film depends. You, as the protagonist, will not always have control of the situation but very often, it is your point of view that will be in focus. Your character's thoughts, what he does and says will have an impact on how the drama is played out.

As the protagonist, your character will be well-rounded, meaning that your audience will be able to know your character well enough to understand why you do what you do. Your character will be joined and interacted with by the antagonist, deuterogamist and other supporting actors.

How you act as the protagonist will depend on the role. If you play the standard hero, you will be presented as the character who faces a challenge and works against it to emerge victorious in the end. As a tragic hero, you will be faced with difficulties that you won’t be able to surmount, even if you started out with good circumstances.

Another type of protagonist is the anti-hero, someone who isn’t always likeable and whose motivations may not always be pure but who has a story that is exciting enough as to interest the audience and make the drama work.

Famous protagonist roles
If you want to be familiar with protagonist acting, there are several protagonist roles you’ll need to know. A good example would be from the works of Shakespeare, who often showed clear delineation lines between protagonist and antagonist. Some of his famous protagonists include: Macbeth, Othello, Romeo, Juliet, Hamlet and Richard III. In films, there's Capt. Willard (Apocalypse Now), Terry Malloy (On the Waterfront) and Michael Corleone (The Godfather), among others.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Online Acting Classes - Learn Acting Online

If you want to learn acting but don’t have the time to go to acting classes, there is a way you can obtain lessons without leaving your home. No need to sign up for acting classes in studios or join your local theater group in order to learn. There are online acting classes you can take to hone your craft.

What you can expect from online acting classes:
With online acting classes, you don’t have to leave your job. You can learn acting on a part time basis. If you're a novice actor and are rather shy, an online acting class is perfect because it lets you act within a comfortable environment. You also don’t have to contend with criticism from friends and family. You do everything on your own. It's also less expensive than one on one acting classes.

ActingOnTheWeb.com

Acting On The Web was founded by Frank Cavestani who came up with the idea after coaching an acting student over the telephone. He then decided to create an acting school that used the technology provided by the internet to offer classes to students.

Students can get their acting classes through streaming video. This is where you'll learn the tricks and techniques of your craft. Simply play the video so you can take note of the lesson and apply it later on. If you need to practice lines, you can click on the Acting Page and choose a monologue. You can then videotape the monologue and send it to your AOW instructor for an evaluation.

As a student, you can access the site's archives to check out the written lessons. You will also receive acting tips from your acting instructor. A one time fee will be charged and you'll only need to pay for the acting evaluations you request.

ActingConnection.com
Another site that offers online acting classes is ActingConnection.com. It offers one-on-one acting classes so you can expect to have your own instructor to guide you through the learning process and give you advice during the exercises.

If you enroll in one of their classes, a representative from the company will call you and discuss your acting needs. You can also communicate initially through e-mail. Acting Connection will then design your very own lesson plan. Using detailed homework, you can practice the techniques using the exercises. Once a week, Acting Connection will get in touch with you over the phone for an assessment. If you pass, you can move on to the next level.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Acting Methods - What to Learn and Where to Get Them

So you want to learn Method acting? Method acting is probably the most famous acting technique being used today. It has launched the stellar careers of actors such as James Dean, Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro, and of course, Al Pacino. Ready for your close up? Here's what you need to know about the Method:

What is it?
Method acting is a particular acting technique based on the teachings of Konstantin Stanivslaski which encourages actors to use their own emotions and experiences and replicate them into the performance. This results in real, life-like acting, with an actor being able to create a character that resonates with genuine feelings and emotions.

While Method acting was pioneered by Stanivslaski, who taught similar ideas, it was made famous by Lee Strasberg, who taught in New York City's The Actors Studio in the 40s and 50s. The difference between what Stanivslaski taught and the technique popularized by Strasberg is that the Stanivslaski System urges the actor to analyze his character's emotions and motivations in order to be able to portray him with realism. With Strasberg, whose technique is what we now refer to as The Method, the actor uses his own emotions and experiences and identifies them with his character.

How difficult is it to learn?

There are many people who consider Method acting difficult to teach and learn. This is probably because there is no single method in existence. Even Stanislavski made changes in his system, some of which were quite dramatic.

In general, Method acting is just a combination of determining the character's psychological motives and how an actor identifies with that character. This combination results in a reproduction of the character's state of emotions in a very genuine way.

What you can expect from Method acting
If you attend an acting class that teaches the Method, there are several things you can expect to learn and experience. One is that you will be working with a coach that may be using a different version of Method acting, so be prepared to learn certain practices and ideologies. You can also expect a lot of character surmising that will require sensitivity and emotional openness on your part. Expect to learn how not to act, but how to become.

Where to get Method acting

Method acting and similar techniques are taught all over the world in acting schools. The more famous ones include the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and the Actors Studio Drama School.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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What is Humor Duet Acting? How To Do It.

Humorous duet acting is when the flick or play has two people as main characters of the story, and the story is about a humorous situation involving the two characters. The two characters are usually the main characters of the story and they are then surrounded by supporting characters.

Among the humorous and interesting duet acting feel good films that have been shown are the ones French kiss with Meg Ryan and Kevin Kline and most recently Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in Notting Hill.

French kiss is the story about Kate, Meg Ryan, who traveled all the way to France to look for her fiancé, Timothy Hutton, only to find that he had already hooked up with a gorgeous and sexy French lady. On her way to France, she bumps into Kevin Kline, Luc, a French guy who tries to help her find Timothy because he accidentally places a very expensive necklace in one of her bags. To get the necklace, he follows her around France as she looks for her fiancé. Together they embark on an adventure around France and in the process fall in love with one another. Cute.

Notting Hill is the story of the love between Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant. It is the story of Anna Scott, Julia Roberts a famous Hollywood star and William a local bookstore owner in the small town of Notting Hill, England. The story lets the two character meet in the film and they fall in love with one another in the process of their meeting. Anna is a very rich Hollywood actress and William is just an ordinary resident of Notting hill who rents a house with some eccentric roommates. The story is about two people from different social classes falling in love with one another and making their love possible even with the situation that they are in. It gives a very entertaining feeling to the audience as the story grows until its end.

Other duet acting film include, Batman and Robin, Shanghai Noon with Jacky Chan and Owen Wilson and Starsky and Hutch and Zoolander with Ben Stiller and several others. Others would be Brothers’ Grimm and Van Helsing 2.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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How to Act in A Horror Scene or Movie

What are horror films? Horror films are usually scary, unsettling films, used to frighten and cause panic and dread and alarm to bring up the worst hidden fears as it ends in a terrifying finale. Horror films usually tackle topics that center around the dark side of life, the forbidden, strange and alarming events. Most of the time they deal with the most primal nature of the human psyche and human fears, like nightmares, vulnerabilities, alienation, revulsions, fear of the unknown, fear of dismemberment and death, loss of identity or fear of sexuality. (Tim Dirks, 1996-2007)

There are many famous horror films that come out every year in Hollywood. Some of the most famous horror films that came out on the big screen were household names like Nightmare on Elm Street, Night of the Living Dead, Jason Goes to Hell and its predecessors, and several other teenage oriented horror films. Did you know that one of Johnny Depp's first roles was in Nightmare on Elm Street? He was the guy who was eaten by the bed. Yes, our Pirates of the Caribbean Jack Sparrow started as an extra in Horror films.

Based on the definition of what horror films are, it is then necessary for the actor to be able to exude these elements of the film to the audience. A horror film actor should be able to cause a feeling of dread and alarm to the audience by bringing up their worst fears and at the same time entertain them. Since it appeals to the fears of the audience, it should bring about a scary feeling as they watch the film.

If you want to be a successful horror film actor, it would be good to learn from the historical records on horror films. Film libraries have records on the earliest horror films , those about vampires, monsters, like the Death of Dracula, Nosferatu, A Symphony of Terror, Phantom of the opera, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dracula films, Original Frankenstein and the newer ones like The Wolfman cycle.

Sometimes horror films are combined with adventure, comedy and romance like, Van Helsing, Underworld, Constantine, Resident Evil, the Omen and others. If you are serious about acting in a horror flick, watch these and learn.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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