All
Bob Bergen ever wanted to do was to become a cartoon voice actor. He reached
his goal after years of work. After studying under people such as the great
Daws Butler, Bergen has landed jobs as the voices of many of the Warner
Bros. characters created by the late Mel Blanc. Bergen can switch from
a Porky Pig that sounds just like Blanc one moment, to a rendition of Popeye
that sounds like Jack Mercer was in the room. It's a special talent honed
by experience and practice, and Bergen shared that experience with Colorado
convention fans. Bergen teaches acting in California, and would-be actors
got a taste of that teaching at Nan Desu Kan.
What
is acting? "Acting is the ability to be truthful under imaginary circumstances,"
said Bergen. "You have to pretend to be something else. The best actors
in the world have never had an acting class in their lives. They're little
kids at play - they honestly believe they're those characters." To make
a performance convincing and salable in a competitive world takes more
than belief, said Bergen. It takes the ability to create a character voice
on the spot during an audition. That includes something that other voice
actors have mentioned; physically playing out the role in the recording
booth to create the voice. "If you physically play the character, the voice
will follow. From head to toe, you have got to be in character. If there
is a picture of the character, stand like the character, take on the facial
expression of the character - the voice will follow."
But
the voice isn't enough, Bergen warned. "They're hiring actors first and
voice people second." The ability to create distinctive voices isn't as
important as being able to deliver good performances. Part of the audition
and acting process is developing a "signature" mannerism for each character
- Daffy Duck's lisp, Bugs Bunny's Brooklyn accent - that makes the character
distinctive. A good voice actor needs to be able to work up that signature
in short order, whether he's at an audition or working with a voice director.
Auditions are the toughest part of the acting business, and each actor
needs to be prepared for the word that he's failed to win a part. But Bergen
stressed that a failed audition is not a total failure; the actor has to
strive to leave a positive impression on a casting director so he has a
better chance of getting a part at the next audition.
All
Bob Bergen ever wanted to do was to become a cartoon voice actor. He reached
his goal after years of work. After studying under people such as the great
Daws Butler, Bergen has landed jobs as the voices of many of the Warner
Bros. characters created by the late Mel Blanc. Bergen can switch from
a Porky Pig that sounds just like Blanc one moment, to a rendition of Popeye
that sounds like Jack Mercer was in the room. It's a special talent honed
by experience and practice, and Bergen shared that experience with Colorado
convention fans. Bergen teaches acting in California, and would-be actors
got a taste of that teaching at Nan Desu Kan.
What
is acting? "Acting is the ability to be truthful under imaginary circumstances,"
said Bergen. "You have to pretend to be something else. The best actors
in the world have never had an acting class in their lives. They're little
kids at play - they honestly believe they're those characters." To make
a performance convincing and salable in a competitive world takes more
than belief, said Bergen. It takes the ability to create a character voice
on the spot during an audition. That includes something that other voice
actors have mentioned; physically playing out the role in the recording
booth to create the voice. "If you physically play the character, the voice
will follow. From head to toe, you have got to be in character. If there
is a picture of the character, stand like the character, take on the facial
expression of the character - the voice will follow."
But
the voice isn't enough, Bergen warned. "They're hiring actors first and
voice people second." The ability to create distinctive voices isn't as
important as being able to deliver good performances. Part of the audition
and acting process is developing a "signature" mannerism for each character
- Daffy Duck's lisp, Bugs Bunny's Brooklyn accent - that makes the character
distinctive. A good voice actor needs to be able to work up that signature
in short order, whether he's at an audition or working with a voice director.
Auditions are the toughest part of the acting business, and each actor
needs to be prepared for the word that he's failed to win a part. But Bergen
stressed that a failed audition is not a total failure; the actor has to
strive to leave a positive impression on a casting director so he has a
better chance of getting a part at the next audition.
