*** WARNING!!! ***
Joe’s Traffic School is not a school, traffic school, or otherwise knowlegable entity.
We really don’t know squat about the law, driving, or motor vehicles.
What follows is a rant about traffic.
Reader discretion is advised!
General notes:
Pay Attention!
Stay Alert!
Be Courteous and Considerate! (news flash: other people exist, moron)
Don’t Honk! (unless absolutely necessary)
Front of the Line – Stop lights:
Have you ever been in a situation where everything just seemed to “click”?
You’re at the right place, right time, and everything feels… Right!
Like a perfect storm of awesome!
Well, this isn’t about that.
It’s about the opposite.
How do you know when you’re the wrong man for the job?
Let’s look at a recent example (imho) from the media…
Last month, Bob Dylan released his new album “Shadows in the Night“, a collection of 10 show tunes (mostly), previously sung by Frank Sinatra.
Bob Dylan. Show Tunes. Frank Sinatra.
What could possibly go wrong? Continue reading
Joe’s Dump has been around over 2 years. With more than 100 posts, it’s time for a bit of Dump Digging to harvest out some of my favorite posts from the past year…
Organized by category for your convenience below – Enjoy!
Business:
V321.ru – The Story
Moth or Flame?
Technology Rising, Quality Sinking
You Actor
Good, Fast, Cheap – A New Take
Branding Versatility
The Myth Of Conversational VO
Silent Computer
Continue reading
Today, I’d like to discuss how a pop song from 1963 can provide some very valuable lessons about business, and about life.
“Wishin’ and Hopin’” was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. First recorded by Dion Warwick in 1963 and also released later by Dusty Springfield in 1964.
In brief, the song delivers advice to a woman who seems intent on landing a man. The conclusion is that wishing is not enough – she’s gotta actually do something!.
(video and lyrics are at the bottom of this post for your reference)
So let’s break the song lyrics down into three categories and find out how they can help us to achieve our own goals: Continue reading
A big part of the job of voice acting is auditioning. And a current trend seen in many auditions is the “Conversational” or “Non-Announcer” style. Rarely a day goes by that I don’t see at least one audition request asking for that guy-next-door sound. A friend. A neighbor. BUT NO ANNOUNCERS!
Well, I’m here to tell you, friends and neighbors… there’s very little VO out there in the real world that would be mistaken for an actual conversation. Here are just a few examples:
We live in California, and if you haven’t heard, there’s a drought here.
Heck, even in good years it doesn’t rain very much.
So what’s with all the lawns?
Continue reading
“Pick a Type…”
“Discover your Brand…”
“Find your USP (unique selling proposition)…”
“… Then, market the hell out of it!”
Whatever you call it, this is the marketing advice most experts give to actors.
And there’s a good reason for it: It Works.
Except when it doesn’t.
Continue reading
If you need a new character or dialect, an old book might be a treasure chest of inspiration…
While browsing through a used book store, I chanced upon an ancient copy of “The Code Of The Mountains” by Charles Neville Buck (pub. 1915).
Scanning through the pages, the first thing that caught my eye was that the character dialog was all written in dialect! For example, instead of “How far might it be to Winchester?” they say “How fur mout hit be ter Winchester?“.
This was an amazing way to learn a new dialect, or create a brand new character.
You can read the entire book here:
“The Code Of The Mountains” on Project Gutenberg
(warning: antiquated thinking may be potential offensive to sensitive individuals)
Below, you’ll find some select quotes from the first 20-or-so pages…
We open with Newt Spooner, a boy from Troublesome Creek in the Cumberland Ridges of Virginia. Or maybe Kentucky. Around 1897. He’s just gotten out of prison: Continue reading
There’s an old project management saying that states: “Good, Fast, Cheap – Pick Two”.
The implication is that it is impossible to have a project that embodies all three qualities (good, fast and cheap).
Using this saying, we are faced with the following possibilities: Continue reading
You. Actor.
Consider this an intervention.
If you really want to become a Voice Actor, there’s one thing you absolutely, positively, must do…
Act.
On stage.
In front of real people.
In a show.
With a script, director, rehearsals, and other actors.
Continue reading