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Comment by Mike Coon 12 hours ago

Happy St. Patrick's Day all....just joined this group and read a couple of pages of recent comments. Regarding the "dry mouth" problem...I've used "Entertainer's Secret" spray to get me through dry times during recording sessions. It's commercially available, has an apple taste and really does the trick! I just uploaded a video clip of a promo that's now running on cable in San Jose for the local reperatory theater. (If you get really bored, please check it out....I'd appreciate any feed back!) This was a gig I landed by not giving up on networking activity. My $0.02...always follow up with potential clients you meet if you don't hear from them every 3 months or so!
I look forward to learning more from y'all! Mike

Comment by Nicole Cabell on March 8, 2010 at 6:57pm

Hi everyone, I am new to the group as well. I am enjoying VU immensely.

Comment by Adam Marcus on February 26, 2010 at 11:00am

Hello everyone! I'm new to the group. My goal this year is to continue studying craft and take acting/improve classes because its SO important in voice action. Acting is more than just a voice! I love all the advice and suggestions on here lets keep them coming!

Best,
Adam

Comment by Sean Crisden on February 23, 2010 at 3:23pm

Lani, I see you subscribe to what I call the "Phil Collins" school of performance. I read an interview with him once where he said that he rarely if ever does any vocal warm ups before a show. I applaud that ability! I still stick with a 10 minute routine of facial stretching, vocalizing and general tomfoolery that I used in my 10 years of being the lead singer of the rock band Divided Sky. Perhaps out of habit, perhaps out of my need to make what appears to the casual observer to be my best facial imitation of a gorilla in heat.

I am going to have to check out your Diet Coke vs. mouth noise match up. I also find that water doesn't always do the job well enough, no matter how much I've downed that day. I have had some success with warm Throat Coat tea on longer audiobook sessions, but still can fall prey to the occasional snap, crackle and pop. Its typically the middle of my tongue in contact with the roof of my mouth that makes for a nice "ok, lets get that last line again".

Comment by Lani Minella on February 20, 2010 at 4:38pm

Here's another suggestion about what to drink during sessions to avoid mouth noise. Everyone has their preferred potion, but I find if I drink water, it flushes out the natural slime coating and I get a lot more ticks or clicks and my throat feels actually drier and drier as I proceed. Diet Coke is my choice, but anything that has a slight bit of syrup, sugar or artificial sweetener in it is worth a try. Apples never did a thing for me concerning mouth noise, but theoretically the sugar in the apple could temporarily help provide a quick coating. Trust me, water can be guzzled by the gallon and any mouth noise you get rid of may soon return. Not trying to push soda on anyone, but I've been relegated to water after I run out of my Diet Coke, and I find myself drying out and having to drink more and more water in shorter spurts.
Another tip, if you use lip balm, lipstick or something somewhat sticky on your lips and this causes noise or lip smack, simply lick your lips frequently and also don't close your mouth completely after saying a word (unless the word ends in an "m") If you can leave your lips parted before beginning a new word, you won't have to worry about "lip smack."

Comment by Lani Minella on February 20, 2010 at 4:30pm

To be honest with you Sean, I don't warm up at all. Sometimes I cough or talk loudly or do a long loud Haaaah just to get the dust and mucous out, but I've never done some of the ridiculous looking and sounding warm up exercises I've seen others do. Whatever floats one's boat is ok with me. I have other tricks I've taught in classes or coaching that get you instantly through difficult or fast reads.
Just moving and contorting your face and lips quickly to wake them up is good. AND ALWAYS READ YOUR SCRIPTS aloud the night before.

Comment by Sean Crisden on February 14, 2010 at 2:36pm

Agreed all around. I keep a handy list of all of my favorite warm up exercises in my iPhone. Its also convenient to add new ones that I stumble upon and have them ready for easy access. Now, the challenge then is to either arrive early and warm up while parked, (you DO arrive at auditions early right???) or risk life, limb and odd stares by warming up as you're driving. If you catch public tansportation, depending on the city you live in you will either be ignored, threatened or arrested : )

Comment by Bill Sleeper on February 12, 2010 at 8:10pm

Thank you Lani!

It's a real treat to have an experienced professional validate what I thought might be the right way!

Your sage advice and tips are most appreciated!
Bill

Comment by Kevin Scollin on February 12, 2010 at 8:04pm

Lani,
Great advice...common sense...but not very common these days!

Comment by Lani Minella on February 12, 2010 at 7:19pm

Here's a tip some of you might find silly, but in my opinion, if you have weird vocal exercises you do for warm ups, do them in your car, outside, or somewhere other then in front of your client. I find it hilarious to watch and quite amateurish.
Also I find it aggravating to have a talent stumble through lines as though they've never read them before, even though I've sent them the script days ahead of time and even asked them to please speak them aloud before they come to the session. One thing about scripts is not to mark them up and practice them to a point that you are in a rut and can't be directed in a different direction than you've practiced. Also you may be handed another updated script when you get to the session, so all your notes are for naught. However, I can easily tell if it's the first time a talent has read something. If you have script in advance, I don't care how experienced you are, you need to say it out loud at least once, so you don't stumble over words, or so you can come to the session and point out possible tongue twisters or words you might want to contract or change. Do your homework everybody! That's what you get paid for. :)

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