» Listings for 2017

1. Important Inspiration - how to breathe

   Posted on 9:00am Tuesday 5th Sep 2017

   Breathing is simple, you breathe in and out thousands of times a day and night. But are you breathing properly? To breathe properly is to actively acknowledge that breath in and out and knowing how to use your breath in a myriad of situations. It is important in daily life and as a voiceover artist it becomes a crucial part of your tool kit.

   Breathing is more than the two step process of oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange. This magical inhalation and exhalation process powers us. It has been shown to reduce stress hormones and dials down cortisol. For everyday life breathing mindfully can help us and for acting an awareness of breathing patterns can open doors to different characters and their state of mind.

   

   Have you every practised breathing mindfully? When we go through everyday life we get caught up in the minutiae and tend to shallow breathe. Then when we look at our phones, type, or concentrate we tend to micro breathe, holding our breath more so than if we are simply walking to put the kettle on. By breathing improperly we risk being lesser versions of ourselves, in effect not getting enough oxygen into our bodies. Tensing up in a similar way during a voiceover session can also lead to tensing of the voice and the performance falters.

   How do we breathe? While we start breathing from the moment we are born, like many things we can practice to make it perfect. Being completely concious of the process and what you are trying to achieve enables you to breathe much more deeply. For performance whether for voiceover or presenting to people the extra breath may allow you to bring much more to the table. 

   To achieve best practice in breathing, try the following steps:

   1. Physical release work – this will help you release tension enabling you to more deeply breathe. Find a quiet moment, free of distractions and shake out the tension from your body. Check your postural alignment and centre yourself by standing with your feet hip width apart, straight unlocked legs and pull yourself up with an invisible elastic.
   2. Corseting – This is one of my favourite breathing exercises, not just for voiceover work but for everyday lift. Thanks to the wonderful voice coach Yvonne Morley who teaches this exercise, it really delivers. This negative state exercise makes your tummy soften, releasing the tension and drawing more of the breath in lower down. Have a go yourself. Place your hands on your lower abdomen, imagine wearing a corset, tightening those tummy muscles then release or Corset off. Practice putting the Corset on and then Corset off daily. When in a stressful situation you can quickly Corset off to encourage the breath.
   3.  Pause – when we deliver information, whether in a presentation or a character we need to develop story telling skills. Your audience needs to receive information in chunks and then they will need a chance to take on board the information. Pausing allows for that and more importantly, allows for you to take a moment to check in with yourself and breathe deeply again.
   4. Inspire – we inspire every day! The process of breathing in and being mentally stimulated have the same name! Flashes of inspiration can hit us to create all sorts of ideas. How interesting that the process of taking in much needed oxygen shares the name.

   These steps will enable you to become mindful, think more clearly and reflect on you and your needs. Inspire, breathe, be. 

   

    

   

2. Creating Characters - how to layer

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 20th Apr 2017

   It has been a busy past few months in terms of character creation. I have been lucky enough to participate in not one but two courses on character creation. Having the ability to understand a character, develop it fully and do this in a blink of an eye is an incredible asset for any actor. As a British voice over it is something that I am very proud and honoured to say that I invest in myself so that clients know that I work hard at my art.

   In March I was on the amazing Dian Perry Character animation course. Dian is an incredibly talented and funny artist and watching her work is pure joy. So when a place on her course came up, I jumped at the chance.  There were so many acting gems and my favourite part was having to ADR an animated cartoon series. Best quote of the day was “If all the elements are the body then the rhythm is the soul”

   

   Then in April, I booked straight onto Stephane Cornicard’s course. He is a well-known voice actor and director and I have been lucky enough to work with him and be directed by him. He has also been in a Bond film which is amazing. I love working with him and watching him in action is magical. So over a course of two days, we played, acted, and developed, over and over again with some lightening quick rounds of accent/language improvisation. You know you have truly let go when you can talk to a fellow actor in their own made up language, be a super hero’s sidekick, a policewoman Vampire and play a Bishop at the trial of Joan d’Arc. Stephane was great at getting up to examine character creation by “defining things by their opposites”.

   

   Apart from loving to learn and exercise my acting muscles, I do these workshops for fun. They are incredibly liberating and when performed right, you just feel the flow and are completely in the moment. Pure Gold. However I do this to be ready, to polish my craft, layer myself and understand how to layer characters and develop. I do them because I am inspired to improve myself because with hard work, practice and dedication comes amazing things.

   

   Last week, I saw how hard work, dedication, practice and patience saw an amazingly talented voice over artist win at the Bafta Games Awards. Female voice over artist, Cissy Jones is an acting inspiration, and many many congratulations for a well-deserved Bafta. Such a humble person who gave such a unifying speech to the voice over community, Cissy has not had a conventional route into voicing and yet has shone through with such magnificent talent that she inspires me daily! She also let me hold her Bafta. I was lucky to meet Nolan North and Troy Baker, such amazingly talented people and funny as well – the voice over dream team! Now, time for me to dream big! 

   

3. How to rule the red carpet – my own “LA LA Land” story

   Posted on 11:33pm Sunday 26th Feb 2017

   As the Academy Awards nominees take their seats tonight, I recall my own LA “Oscar” like red carpet experience. In November 2016, I was in LA as I had been nominated for a Society of Voice Arts and Science award. What an honour to be recognised by the great and the good in the voice world. It is such a prestigious award ceremony that I was thrilled. I had made the shortlist for outstanding TV promo campaign for my work with Sony TV. Hopping across the pond, I was ready for a great adventure. My destination? The home of The Big Bang Theory: The Warner Bros. Studio. In the high-spec Warner Bros. studio, I watched a live radio drama; saw a panel talk led by ACX with narrators and producers; witnessed a live audition for a contract with an agent; and heard million-dollar voices talk about work. In the afternoon, I had a one-in-a-million chance to meet and greet some casting directors, agents and managers in a speed dating session. It was a huge opportunity to play my reels to people with over 300 years of cumulative experience.

   The LA red carpet

   Drum roll please! The day of the Voice Arts Awards gala ceremony! A knock at the door: a Redken artist appeared ready to make me look fantastic. What a fantastic gift – thank you Redken – Zoraida Saray is amazing! Joan Baker and Rudy Gaskins were our hosts and – wow - they host in high-octane style with a fantastic red carpet. It was a glitzy affair and lights flashed on and off as I walked along it. I smiled widely, stepping along in my pink high heels that were clashing wonderfully. I stood centre stage and grinned as the light bulbs went off left, right and centre. What a wonderful red carpet moment!

   

   My top tips for the red carpet:

   1.       Lights, Camera, Action - It can be daunting with banks of cameras and lights set up. When you stand on your mark, adopt a comfortable stance and turn slightly with the upper body to the camera (photographer’s top tip) and smile. Smile, smile smile.

    2.       Stars are wonderful up close - At red carpets events, with everyone all dressed up, it is like a show but this time when you are there taking part, you realise that even the Stars and Celebrities are like you and me. Or rather, wonderfully normal people like you and me.

    3.       Keep hydrated - From prep to red carpet it takes hours, so in warm weather keep hydrated by drinking water in sips, little and often.

    4.       Be more cat - Red carpet events can be overwhelming with something exciting to look for at each turn. Be cool and, just like being a cat, own each step you take on the red carpet.

    5.       Enjoy - Looking great on the red carpet is hard work but it is a lot of fun and an utterly fabulous place to shine, but it can be over in quick as a flash! Work that smile, take that step and ENJOY IT!

    And the award goes to….

   What a spectacle! The awards categories were announced in style. Everyone was cheering on their favourite nominee. My highlights included an academy award winner on stage, famous voices being honoured and Erin Brockovich making an impassioned speech. I held hands with other nominees that night and, although I didn’t win, I still felt like a winner. The best part was seeing and feeling the passion, respect and love for the art of voice over. Thank you. For all the Oscar nominees tonight, good luck y buena suerte! 

   

4. Celebrating Creativity

   Posted on 11:46am Monday 9th Jan 2017

   After the fun festivities and gatherings in December, January can often look boring and grey in comparison. Not so. January is ….CREATIVITY MONTH. This is a great reason to carry on celebrating.  

   

   Being creative can take many forms and I love how you can feel fulfilled when you uncap a pen, bring out the paint, tap away on the keyboard or simply head out to take some photos.  Even rustling up batches of some homemade cooking or baking can encourage the creative juices to flow. I even have a friend whose doodles during meetings are things of creative genius.  

   Creativity is magical. I love how taking a moment to imagine something can take you to new ideas and directions.  As I was typing this, the radio was on.  I sat through Pop Master in the morning and then came by my favourite feature, on the Jeremy Vine Show: What Makes Us Human. This time it was Brian Eno who talked about imagination and creation. Have a listen.

    

   Many people tell me that they are not creative.  I beg to differ.  Everyone has creativity bubbling away inside of them; the form of expressing it just varies.  I love to express my creativity through voicing, writing and even social media.  I carve time and space for creativity so that I can come up with something personally and professionally satisfying.

   This quote from Leo Burnett sums up that magical secret ingredient to creativity:  

    

   Being creative through curiosity brings us back to being a child.  Remember those days when you had no concept of time as you played and played, making up stories, giving them life through the magic of your imagination?  That joyous state should be celebrated.  

   But just how to unleash your creativity?  Some of my favourite creative outlets include: bringing characters to life, dancing, taking photos, hiking and storytelling.  The list is endless and I keep adding to it every month. What brings out the creativity in you?  What do you enjoy as a creative outlet? 

   To tap into your creative side, take a moment and reflect what “being creative” means to you?  Is it writing, painting, planning or something else?  Even organising your books into colour-coordinating sections is being creative.  Make the time to be creative and when you get the urge, use that energy to concentrate on your creative project.  It will be rewarding.

   Make January a creative month and celebrate what your imagination and curiosity brings to you.