Category Archives: Coaching

Marc Cashman Voice-Over Workshop Coming to Dallas

Photo of Marc Cashman

Marc is an L.A. based voice talent, director, writer and commercial producer. He is coming to Dallas to conduct a workshop the weekend of February 12-13 at CakeMix Recording.

Marc works on both sides of the glass both as a talent and as a producer and has done so for many years. I’m looking forward to what he has to teach us from that point of view.

Oh, and we are going to get a report card at the end of the class.  I wonder whom I’ll  have to show it to and get it signed.  My agents? Does this mean I’ll actually have to pay attention? Crap.

Kidding aside, here’s an email he sent yesterday with details of the class:

There are still a few seats left
in my two intensive 1-day V-O workshops for
Beginners/Intermediates and Advanced/Working pros!
Limit: just ten people for each workshop.
Here’s the info:

Beginners/Intermediates
“The ‘Cashman Cache’ Commercial V-O Workshop”
Saturday, February 12th, 2011, 10A-6P
at Cakemix Recording

Just four seats left!

Just getting started?
My direction and instruction will kick-start your V-O experience,
laying the strong foundation that every voice actor needs.
If you’re an Intermediate student and have a few V-O courses under your belt,
I’ll help you on your way to achieving solid competence in voice acting,
giving you the tools to diminish or eliminate your weaknesses and maximize your strengths!
With my proven, practical techniques, you’ll learn to:

*Find your signature voice
*Sound conversational
*Size up a script in 60 seconds or less

All with exercises designed to prepare you for the real world of voice-over.
And of course, time will be set aside at the end for Q&A.
You’ll also get the famous “Cashman Cache” V-O Report Card, an X-ray of your abilities,
where you’ll be graded on a 1-10 scale in eight critical V-O categories.

Advanced/Working Pro Master Class:
“Are You As Good As Your Demo?”
Sunday, Feb. 13th, 2011, 10A-6P
at Cakemix Recording

Just three seats left!

Got a bunch of classes under your belt?
Got a V-O demo or ready to make one?
Auditioning and/or working part-time or full-time?
I’ll help you hone your talent and give you the tools and confidence you need
to catapult your performances to the next level and book more V-O jobs!
And if you have a demo, the question will be answered in this humbling workshop:
Are you as good as your demo?
This workshop will be highly individualized, cover multiple genres,
will concentrate on the acting part of voice acting, and will reveal:

* The tricks for great self-direction
*How to submit stand out, winning auditions
*How to discern your target audience instantly
and much, much more.

Plus, the famous “Cashman Cache” V-O Report Card is included.
What do you think your GPA will be?
And there’ll be no wasted time rehearsing in this workshop.
I’ll be sending you your scripts (and tons of materials) ahead of time, before class starts,
so you’ll be ready to hit the ground running.
If you want to experience a fun, challenging, rigorous V-O workshop,
this is the one to mark your calendar in 2011.

But don’t take my word for it.
Read the testimonials in the attachment!
Dozens of my students are currently working full-time in voiceover,
AND LOVING IT!

Breakfast, Lunch and Snacks included!
Just $350.
No VISA, AMEX or Paypal or cash–sorry.
Checks, money orders or postal orders fine.
Call or email me to reserve your seat before it’s gone!
And contact me with any questions anytime.
I look forward to seeing you in Dallas!

P.S. If you know of anyone in or near Dallas who’d be interested,
please forward this email!

Sincerely,
Marc Cashman
661-222-9300
cashcomm@earthlink.net
www.cashmancommercials.com

A Voiceover Retreat for Men in Las Vegas

We received an email from Stacy Stahl this morning announcing (pun intended) a voice over men only retreat in Las Vegas taught by Marice Tobias. It is set for September 25-26th.  Testosterone levels will be off the charts.

Marice is one of the finest voice over coaches in the business today. She has helped my work tremendously.  Find details  here about the retreat and what to expect.

In this case, what goes on in Las Vegas shouldn’t stay in Vegas. Take it home in your head and in your heart.

Que the Announcer

A point of direction we see a lot in the voice over audition process is “no announcer” or “stay away from announcer sound” or “need real, genuine, no announcer” and 67 variations thereof. Why?

My voice-over coach has a theory: The classic announcer sound from the 50’s-70’s is representative of the generation of admen who lied to us. Can’t imagine what she means.

Photo of happy hardworking housewife

The Marice Tobias Fall Workshop Schedule

Stacey Stahl emailed yesterday the dates and cities of the remaining Marice Tobias workshops for voice over pros this year.  See them here.

Marice has a magical way of spotting things that are getting in the way of your most authentic performance as a voice actor. I highly recommend her workshops.

Great Weekend with the Voice Over Whisperer

The Marice Tobias commercial and narration workshop in Dallas wrapped up yesterday.  What a wonderful seminar. I learned some great techniques for self direction which is so important these days in that we work so much from our own spaces. Had fun with fellow voice actors. And it’s always amazing to watch a director like Marice pull reads out of actors that they didn’t know they had.

Also, thanks to audio engineer J.D. of Janimation for letting us kids play in his room.

Finding a Voice Over Coach

table

I’ve secured my place at the table for the Marice Tobias commercial and narration  intensive workshop in Dallas next month.  Marice is one of the premier voice-over coaches working today and has been instrumental in moving my career forward.

You can see other cities where  she’ll be holding workshops here.

If you are looking for a voice over coach in your area, Harlan Hogan has a  list on his website you should take a look at. Thanks Harlan!

Should I slate in Character?

That’s one of the questions that floats up during the four part podcast interview Voicebanks’s Tracey Patton has with Bob Bergen and Bill Holmes.  Both are busy voice actors and teachers.

So when auditioning for character or animation roles, should you slate in character. Some say yes. Bob says “no” for a simple reason that make sense.  If you slate as “you” and the “character”, you’ve just given the producer two voices.  More choices.  They love that.  Just make sure you give them good seperation between the two.

Voice Over Coach Marice Tobias In Dallas This Summer

I just got word from my agent Nancy Johnson that the “Voice Over Whisperer” Marice Tobias will have a Dallas stop on her summer schedule.  August 22-23 at Janination.  Contact Stacey Stahl of Creative Entertainment Management for more information and other cities Marice will be holding workshops in 2009.

As I’ve said elsewhere on this blog, if you have a chance to work with Marice, jump on it. With both feet.  You’ll never look at a script quite the same way again. She has been instrumental in moving my career forward. In spite of myself.

Improv Training and The Voice Actor

Tracy Pattin over at VoiceRegistry continues her interview with improv teacher Bill Applebaum and a panel of students. Here are a few tips as to how improv training can give the voice over actor a competitive edge:

• The client LOVES Voice Actors with Improv Experience because “they can’t be thrown.”

•Improv gives you a plethora of choices. The more choices you bring to the table, the more your odds improve of getting the job.

•Improv helps the voice actor help the client to figure out what they want by offering a new delivery of the copy. Often something the client never thought of!

Be sure to listen to the podcasts.  They are well worth your time.

Thanks, Tracy, good work!

The Voice-Over Whisperer

Tracy Pattin at the Voice Registry has a podcast featuring an interview with voice-over coach extraordinaire Marice Tobias. Marice specializes in taking her students beyond technique and word manipulation.

True Story: About ten years ago I was doing a phone session with Marice and was reading a piece of New Mexico state tourism copy.  She stopped me mid-sentence and asked what had happened to me in New Mexico.

“I love New Mexico,” I said.  I met my wife there, started a radio career, graduated college, have a dear friend there and go back to visit often.

“What else happened?” Marice asked.

Oh, that part of it. The part where I was uprooted from California at age 15 and sent to military school in New Mexico.  I didn’t know a soul. The marching and yelling, homesickness, and the physical hazing part of New Mexico. (My Dad had attended there and thought I should too.)

So 20 years later I’m reading New Mexico copy and Marice senses that there is something wrong in my spirit, something getting in the way, that I don’t even recognize is there.  She’s hearing and feeling it in my read. That’s what makes her the “Voice Whisperer” and a very unique coach and person.  If you ever have a chance to study with her, do it.