The origin of the Kalmenson Method was much more than a single thought or a single time sit-down-and-write-it kind of a thing. My method was, and remains, an evolution. My words have evolved as have the time and presence we live with, by making use of our God-given skills and the ability to…
“From within our life’s reflections, the truth will emerge, and we will see it if we choose.”Harvey Kalmenson I’ve often talked about my amusement over what I found when I first entered the world of commercial voiceover. Like so many before me, theater was my passion. The excitement of putting on a live…
Dealing with the audition?DON’T! Actual sign from the early 1900s. I like to call this my “advice about love” to the lovelorn. In this case, da harv is cast as the advisor, while you as my vagrant reader will be playing a used-to-be successful voiceover thespian. (I’m assuming it’s politically okay to refer…
Toughest Assignment?Be Yourself The toughest assignment for an actor is to remain natural. As a young director, I was warned by my mentors to try to stay away from asking an actor to be themselves. I was told that many actors haven’t a clue as to who or what they really are. In…
Sound Design & Demo Production Disclaimer: For professionals only. Should not be attempted at home. You may be in possession of great sound equipment, and have become a very astute self-director— WARNING…DON’T FALL INTO THE COMMON TRAP. Merely being able to control a soundboard doesn’t qualify a person as a VO demo producer. It’s almost…
Los Angeles Today (Well, not anymore.) – Recap – The year was 1970, and just about every commercial talent agency not only had a complete in-house recording facility, but many of the bigger agencies were able to boast having multiple recording booths to conduct auditions in. In retrospect, it is kind of fun to know…
Agents (Necessary, but not necessarily evil) Commercial talent agents: you will, by necessity, have to be in a working relationship with them. I use the term necessity because, without an agent, the voice-over artist has far less chance of success. Let’s begin by understanding what an agent actually is, and then examine the relationship between the…
– 10 – Basic Training Is Over Okay, it’s completed. What’s completed? What do I do now? Who do I do it with? Who do I do it to? When I do it, how do I know what I should be doing? How come I’m so confused? Those questions are similar to the questions that many of the troops ask…
Chapter 9 The Adlib In the world of voiceover, adlib is considered to be anything that wasn’t previously prepared and not included in the original script; many refer to it, incorrectly, as an improvisation. Improvisation is when the words, notes, or meter, are not scripted at all, whether they be words, music, or both. IMPORTANT NOTES Make no…
Chapter 7 – Dealing With The Direction That You Are Asked To Perform – “Good, bad, sad, glad, mad, happy, snappy, crappy, nappy, lappy, lippy, snippy, dippy, lead, plead, greed, bleed, smell, dwell, yell, kvell, heavy, light, mean, delight, please, thank you, I don’t care, neat, sloppy, well aware, I told you, scold you, hold you, revere,…