VO Buzz Weekly

Chuck and Stacey continue talking with versatile actor Phil LaMarr, from animated shows like Milo Murphy’s Law, The Lion Guard, Futurama, Family Guy, Turbo Fast and Samurai Jack.

As an original cast member for five years on MAD TV, Phil shares more about the process of how the sketches on the show were created, some of the most valuable lessons he’s learned working in the entertainment business and why all you can control is your performance.

He talks about his love of comic books and The Walking Dead Motion Comic he worked on as the voice of Rick and Shane. Phil offers sage advice to those wanting to have success in voiceover that requires working your skills and working your business.

Phil answers how he would navigate the business if he were starting out today, what factors have contributed to his success and some things he still wants to accomplish in his career.

Hear more about some of Phil’s current projects and career highlights like working with Carol Burnett and John Travolta. Phil expresses what he likes about appearing at fan conventions and the IF Question reveals a memorable experience he had that offers amazing wisdom about living with gratitude.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com

Chuck and Stacey kickoff Season 5 of VO Buzz Weekly with acting powerhouse Phil LaMarr, from animated shows like Futurama, Family Guy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Static Shock and Turbo Fast, an original cast member of the sketch comedy TV series MAD TV and “Marvin” in the iconic movie, Pulp Fiction.

Phil talks about his performing career that started in high school, took him to Yale University then brought him back home to The Groundlings in Los Angeles. He shares the benefits from his background in improv and how his work on MAD TV led to working on Family Guy and Futurama.

As a gifted impressionist, Phil performs some of his best like Humphrey Bogart, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Billy Crystal, Prince, Sammy Davis, Jr., Michael Jackson and some of his personal favorites like Jack Nicholson, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro. He talks about how he masters doing impressions and the way he discovered the range of his voice early on.

Phil explains why decided to stop auditioning for on-camera commercials and offers some great advice when auditioning for animation work that includes finding the balance between play and technique.

He reflects on how his voiceover work has changed over the years and whom he looks up to in the voiceover business.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com

Chuck and Stacey continue talking with their final guest of the year, Andrew Atkin, Talent Manager at ACM Talent who offers amazing tips for making strong choices in animation, narration, promo and trailer auditions.

He shares things that new voice talent do that could be detrimental to their career advancement and some of his survival jobs he had from driving an ice cream truck to working in a video store.

Andrew forecasts where he sees the promo and trailer business in five years and the current trends that he is noticing now. He shares some of the challenges he deals with on a daily basis as a talent manager and what he believes have been the keys to his career longevity and success.

He explains the way work he and ACM Talent partners, Marc Guss and Phil Sutfin, work with their clients and why they make such a great team. Andrew, a loyal VO Buzz Weekly viewer, shares what he likes about the show and the episode closes with the IF question that reveals his curiosity about the idea of cause and effect.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com

Chuck and Stacey welcome their last guest of 2015, Andrew Atkin, Talent Manager with the bi-coastal management company ACM Talent, who turned his love of movies into a successful career in the entertainment industry.

Andrew shares how he got started as an assistant and booth director at SBV Talent and went on to become an agent at William Morris in Los Angeles. He talks about what he learned from directing actors in the booth, explains the role of a good manager and the collaborative role they play with voice talent and their agents.

He describes how his experience as an agent influences his management style and the importance of learning the nuances of selling and networking. As a longtime colleague and friend, Chuck compliments Andrew for his flair for building and maintaining industry relationships, asking the right questions and being so effective at working with people.

Andrew answers what he listens for in a demo and why you should showcase your unique voice and confidence. He speaks to the business practices and skills a talent needs, including paying attention to the trends and knowing what is in demand.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com

Chuck and Stacey continue talking with versatile voice actor, Jay Britton, who shares how he navigates through the challenging times and the fortuitous turn of events that landed him a sought after London voiceover agent.

Jay talks about why he wanted to give back and mentor newcomers to the industry about the business side of voiceover so they can get started with a solid foundation. He reflects on what he feels are his strengths as an actor and how his music background helps him find the melody in the words.

He reveals some of his upcoming work including a new virtual reality, full performance capture project, called Spirit City with Troy Baker and what is ultimate goals are for his voiceover career.

Jay offers some good storytelling and performance tips, stresses the importance of having a great professional support system for networking and guidance and why he doesn’t allow negativity to be a part of his business plan.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com

Chuck and Stacey welcome the two-time Voice Arts Award winning actor, Jay Britton, who shares how the love and support of his wife helped him leave a successful, yet unfulfilling career in the IT industry in order to pursue a career in voiceover.

He talks about the importance of continuing to study with top industry teachers like Rob Paulsen, Nancy Wolfson, Richard Horvitz and Jodi Gottlieb to keep his skills sharp and to stay on top of what is happening in the industry.

Jay explains the process of getting an agent and auditions in the U.K. and why he decided to master other accents besides his native tongue so he could be versatile and work more. He describes the biggest differences between working in America and the U.K. and how he handles challenging sessions.

He describes his experience recording demos with Chuck, the importance of having specialized demos to make yourself stand out in the industry and why he just recorded a new a promo demo with an American accent.

Jay shares what professional level gear he has in his studio and why taking himself seriously is a great marketing tool that gives clients confidence to hire him. Jay talks about some of the things he did and the mindset he adopted that really took his career to a whole new level.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com

Chuck and Stacey continue talking with Samantha Paris, founder of Voicetrax SF and voice actor in the TV shows Jem and Bionic Six, who talks about the elements of the voiceover demo and why it should showcase your strengths. She talks about the ways she mentors her students so they can accomplish their voiceover dreams which includes responsible business practices and knowing their value.

She shares what she still loves about being in the voiceover industry and expresses gratitude to her agents, Jeff Danis and Natanya Rose at DPN, for supporting her, Voicetrax SF and her students. She talks about why she is so selective about the people who teach her students and celebrates the industry leaders like MaryLynn Wissner, Bob Bergen, Jeff Howell, Rob Paulsen and Townsend Coleman who have shared their talents at Voicetrax SF over the years.

Samantha talks about the demographic of her students, what they want to accomplish in voiceover and reflects on what she believes have been the keys to her success and longevity. She explains what she means by “Safety lies in the risk” and the IF Question is one of the most poignant to date, answered beautifully by Samantha.

Get all the details for how to enter the Giveaway to win the weekend class at Voicetrax SF in 2016, valued at $400. Giveaway entry ends December 15, 2015.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com

Chuck and Stacey are happy to welcome Samantha Paris, the accomplished actress, teacher and founder of Voicetrax SF in Sausalito, CA that’s celebrating its 27th anniversary. Samantha talks about her acting career beginnings in Los Angeles and why she fell in love with voiceover the first time she got behind the microphone. She shares what inspired her to follow her instincts and leave LA for San Francisco to start teaching and voice casting.

She speaks to the importance of patience when developing your voice acting skills and finding joy in the journey. She explains the goals and aspirations of her students and how she prepares them for the voiceover business as well as some of the classes that are offered at Voicetrax SF.

She gives some great tips for self-direction from interpreting the script and specs, to not relying on editing to create your auditions. Samantha expresses what she is most proud of in her life and why she decided to change her name from Bobbie Block to Samantha Paris.

Get all the details of how to enter the Giveaway to win the weekend class at Voicetrax SF in 2016, valued at $400. Giveaway entry ends December 15, 2015.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com

Chuck and Stacey continue talking with Disney’s classic movies’ voice, Mark Elliott, who answers how his background in radio was beneficial to his career, what he feels are his strengths as a voice talent and some of the work he is most proud of doing.

Mark talks about his longtime friend and colleague the late, Don LaFontaine, which includes a clip from the famous Five Guys in a Limo video produced by Aspect Ratio. He reflects on what career he would have chosen if he had not pursued voiceover and why he feels he has such a great life.

He talks about his approach to auditions, getting out of your comfort zone and offers some of the most memorable lessons he has learned in life like remembering what is important and not living in the past. Hear what Mark still wants to accomplish and the IF question that reveals Mark’s love of television.

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Chuck and Stacey welcome Mark Elliott, one of the most iconic and beloved voices in the industry who shares stories of his early days in radio in Des Moines that ultimately led to voicing network promos for CBS and FOX. Mark talks about getting his first trailers for hit movies like Smokey and the Bandit and the radio campaign for George Lucas’ Star Wars.

As the memorable voice of Disney trailers and promos from 1977-2001, Mark talks about what it has meant to him to have that opportunity and how he captures his authentic signature sound through knowing the value of the words on the page.

Mark explains how he landed a cameo part in Lake Bell’s movie, IN A WORLD, with VO veterans Joe Cipriano, Marc Graue and Fred Melamed and talks about the changes in the voiceover business that he likes and some of the things he misses.

Watch more videos and get the latest voiceover news, advice and updates on contests and giveaways at http://vobuzzweekly.com