Voice 2012 Keynote- Pat Fraley

“Melt down Mix down”
What a great way to begin! Pat is a brilliant master of improv and humor. It took no time for Pat to warm up the crowd.

It wasn’t too hard for Pat to coax various attendees to get up on stage and perform and be coached by Pat to bring to life various scripts that Pat wrote.  Sound effects and music were added at the end and mixed to finish the ensemble readings with finest nuance. He brought a lot out of the voice actors, playing up contrast between characters.  The final recorded results were played back for us. And WOW! Audio Magic!  It was wonderful to watch how Pat works and directs.

Lessons to be learned and used while auditioning:

• Take time to digest the script and learn the story and allow it to unfold before you launch into your read.
• Text analysis- Consider everything in the script to put more reality,
  and any physicality that will add “movement” which brings the audience into the
  story. 
• Risk making sounds if you must move around.  Moving will show that will
  add tension and distraction which allows full performance. 
• Lessons: when you are ” phone processed” it’s impossible to be a bad
  actor. The processing erases much of the tonality of the voice, and it
  can be especially good to use a nasal read. 
• Read and pick up on script sound effects and act around them.  Feel free to change up your
  characters when auditioning. Give the director plenty of choices so he/she can pick the best of
  what you have to offer.
• Any catch phrase or slogan that appears throughout the script should get the most attention!