Rober Mott - The Audio Theater Guide: Vocal Acting, Writing, Sound Effects and Directing for a Listening Audience

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Je f ferson, North Carolina, and London

Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

Mott, Robert L.

The audio theater guide : vocal acting, writing, sound effects and directing for a listening audience / Robert L. Mott.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-7864-4483-0

softcover : 50# alkaline paper

1. Voice culture. 2. Acting. 3. TheatersSound effects.

4. TheaterProduction and direction. I. Title.

PN2071.S65M68 2009

792.02'4dc222009031699

British Library cataloguing data are available

2009 Robert L. Mott. All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,without permission in writing from the publisher.

On the cover: Keene Crocket creates sound effects during a live broadcast of Inner Sanctum , 1944 (courtesy of Keene Crockett)

Manufactured in the United States of America

McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers

Box 611, Jefferson, North Carolina 28640

www.mcfarlandpub.com

This book is a tribute to Norman Corwin,who in addition to being a friend and inspiration gave the radio theaters listening world the words and sounds they could picture in the privacy of their imagination.

Acknowledgments

To my wife Cinda, for all her encouraging and loving support. To Ruby and Patrick Raymond, for all their helpful assistance. And to you, the reader: I hope you enjoy reading what Ive enjoyed doing for so many years. Then again, if I didnt really love it, would I still be doing it?

Table of Contents

Preface

Voice-only acting? Is this really something new? Werent the puppet voices of Punch and Judy entertaining King Arthurs Court long before Elmos voice was heard on Sesame Street ? And didnt Walt Disneys squeaky voice surprise early movie audiences that a household pest named Mickey could actually talk?

Later, but long before the creative voices of Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) or Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson), there were a host of talented radio actors headed by the legendary Mel Blanc, who in addition to using his normal voice as an actor on numerous radio shows used his voice for such unusual vocal effects for everything from a polar bear to a clunky, old Maxwell cars motor. Then, when he wasnt using his versatile voice for radio, Blanc crossed over to movie cartoons and created vocal effects that included the exasperated quacking for Donald Duck. There was also the lovely June Foray, doing her versatile voice for the television cartoon Rocky and His Friends and Chuck McCann, doing the many voices on Cool McCool.

What did Mel Blanc, June Foray and Chuck McCann have in common? They all began their careers in live dramatic radio ... the birthplace of voice-only acting. It was there that they gained the experience needed for the demands of providing voices for cartoons, animations and anything else that required a versatile, talented and imaginative voice.

Mel, June and Chuck are only three out of scores of talented voices that pioneered the art of voice-only acting in the atmosphere that live radio generated during its golden years. Today those same opportunities now exist in your audio/radio theater. All thats needed is a normal voice, desire and the imaginative ability to pretend

The human voice is a magical instrument. Words on papercold wordshave only as much color, as much power, as the reader gets out of them. But take these same words and have them performed into a microphone and they suddenly become pictures in the minds of the listeners.

The audio theaters microphone doesnt care a hoot what your gender is, what color your hair is, or whether youre skinny, fat, bald, or tall. Its only concern is the sound of your voice. Voices have the versatility to cry like a baby on one page, and on the next, sound like a creepy old witch whose screeches are so scary that the wicked witch of The Wizard of Oz would give her broomstick to have such a voice. Audio theater, however, isnt just a one-man or one-woman band. There are other cast members youll be working closely with in front of live audiences.

Yes, live in front of audiences! Its like giving the audiences a backstage pass to see and hear the body and vocal motions the actors must go through to create a terrorizing scream, or what sound effects are selected to create a picture in the audiences imagination of a human body being turned inside out, or a head being chopped off!

This use of common household items being Foleyed (used to provide sound effects) is quite a departure from the way its done in a modern recording studio with computers and time codes. One requires actors with years of voice-only experience, compared to the audio theater that provides this much-needed experience. Whether its for a professional career, improving your ability to speak in front of an audience, trying your hand at writing a script, or using your imagination to create sounds, everything you need to know is included in this book. To get you started and show you some shortcuts, Ive included some sketches and scenes that can be used for practicing or performing before your live audiences. Now all it takes is your imagination to create, and your determination not to be afraid to succeed.

Voice Acting

Have you ever given a thought to how important the sound of your voice is in regards to your appearance? If not, you should, because there are only four different ways we are evaluated and classied as to who we are.

1. How we look.

2. What we do.

3. What we say.

4. How we say it.

If you dont believe the power of your voice and speaking, consider former president Ronald Reagan who began his career as a radio sports broadcaster at WOC-AM in Davenport, Iowa, in 1932. Back then when an announcer was needed to broadcast the University of Iowas homecoming game against Minnesota, Reagan was given ve dollars and bus fare. Much, much later, after all his accomplishments as a movie star and his terms as governor of California and president of the United States, Reagan was asked the secret of his radio, television, lm and political successes. He said, I owe it all to my best friend, my voice.

Perhaps now youll understand what makes audio theater so unique. Instead of spending yearsyes, yearsimproving your voice, audio theater gives you the opportunity now. Whether your goal is a professional career, speaking in public, speech and debate classes, or simply having fun working with a group with similar interests, audio theater will give you the knowledge and experience needed to succeed.

Not only will you gain experience cooperating with others, youll have the excitement and fun of performing on radio, television, in school auditoriums, dinner theaters ... wherever live audiences are looking forward to seeing entertainment that is new and exciting. Who else provides this training for inexperienced talent.... The Disney Studios? The Simpsons ? Nickelodeons SpongeBob SquarePants ? Sesame Street ? I dont think so; and that in a nutshell is why I wrote this book ... to give you the much-needed experience ... now .