I am delightedto have the opportunity to brag about what a great job I have. I absolutely love this part of the entertainment industry and, quite frankly, I'm feeling terribly clever for having stumbled across it in the first place. In the last few years, animation and voice-over have become a source of great interest to folks, but for quite some time it was a niche that was enjoyed and appreciated mostly by children. As the field has become more and more sophisticated and `toons are more artfully executed, the entire subject has become far more mainstream.
It's a commonly held notion that there is only a small group of actors who do the great majority of voice-over work and I would like to say that, for the most part, it is true. I have spent the last 12 years of my life voice-over-wise in the company of pretty much the same band of thieves. I am very sincere when I say that they are among the most creative, interesting and hilariously wild artists around. We all agree that we have the absolute best job on Earth. Basically, you get to do all the stuff you got in trouble for in school ... and they pay you buckets of dough to do it. It's perfect!
In terms of the work itself, the variety is infinite. No two days are evenremotely alike. If you are a fan of predictability, trust me, this is not the field for you. The structure of your week will change continuously, sometimes hourly, as your busy and frazzled agent tries to fit as much as possible into your schedule. You need to have a cell phone, pager, voice mail - every possible form of communication available - because that leisurely two-job day that you were mildly looking forward to last night can become a seven-job, three-audition crunch within hours.
In addition to animation, there is an entirely different part to the business centered around advertising. This can include radio and television commercials, promos and narration. Most of us do a little of all these things and it can make for a very interesting mix in our day. In deciding how to go about giving you an idea of how a week really plays out for me, I felt it would be good to find one with the most variety and exciting projects. I settled on the last week of March, 1997.
Getting Started: Monday
This week is of a particular interest because we began work on Rugrats,
The Movie. It's been seven years since my first audition for the Rugrats
which turned out to be one of those shows which took a while to become
really popular. We've done tons of episodes through the years and being
apart of this show is a privilege. It's full of all the exact elements...vision,
imagination, clarity and sharpness of observation, tenderness and just
the right amount of silliness.
The movie script is fine with a lot of fun scenes and plenty of opportunities
to ad lib and let loose. And, yes, we are given the opportunity to add
our own spin on things, contribute a few lines and alter a "bit"
that doesn't seem quite authentic or true to character. This show has always
been a completely collaborative effort, with almost zero ego on all fronts,
and with the true intention to create something unique and pure.
The session goes well. All my faves are there: Christine Cavanaugh as Chuckie,
E.G. Dailey as the heroic Tommy and Cheryl Chase as Angelica. I'm Phil,
Lil & Betty. There is definitely a different feel in the booth. This
is a feature after all, not just a lowly series. There's a different energy,
higher stakes and better snacks! We're scheduled from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
and we make good progress for our first session.
Rugrats is recorded in Hollywood which is about 20 minutes away
from my next session at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons in North Hollywood. We will
be recording two episodes of Dexter's Laboratory in which I play
Dexter's mother and his computer, as well as, from time to time, several
incidentals. Christine Cavanaugh also plays Dexter, so between Rugrats
and Dexter we will pretty much be spending the entire day together.
As I mentioned earlier it is not uncommon to see the same actors several
times a day both on the job and at auditions. We've been working on Dexter
for many months now, usually completing one or two episodes a week.
It's interesting for me to do several shows a day. The style of every director
is completely unique and it's a real challenge to understand and fulfill
each approach as closely as possible. We finish up with Dexter around
5:45 p.m. which will end my Monday work day. I live about an hour outside
of town on the Pacific Ocean which adds a considerable amount of time onto
my day driving-wise but the peace and beauty to be found there is well
worth the drive. Books on tape are my constant companion while in the car!
What A Long (Tues) Day!
Tuesday begins at 8 a.m. with more Rugrats.
We work our way through most of the script, plus there are a few changes
and pickup lines from yesterday's session. A pickup line is when a line
from a previous session has to be re-recorded due either to technical imperfections
or re-writing. It's all the same crew again and everything goes smoothly.
The people at Paramount have sent us gift baskets to commemorate the official
start of the film.
After my morning session I do a quick run up the street to a recording
studio called Waves where I do a fast couple of radio spots for Ziploc.
I auditioned for these at my agent's office just the week before. I got
to do the whole spot as Martha Stewart which was a blast. She has very
precise mannerisms which makes her great fun to imitate. Of course, it
can only be a spoof as opposed to dead-on mimicking...no law suits here!
Next is another cartoon: Disney's Hercules. This show has been recorded
by a celebrity cast in all the lead roles. James Woods, Jennifer Aniston,
Tate Donovan and tons of others. I'm there to play a pair of slave girls
and a poodle. Hmmm...sometimes the college education seems such a waste,
know what I mean? They record everyone separately on this show because
of hugely divergent schedules and I arrive just as French Stewart is finishing
his spot. This guy is amazing to watch. His ad libs are hilarious and he
just utterly and absolutely becomes his character. He's very uninhibited
and very imaginative.
My session is brief, brief, brief. A couple of "Yes, your Highness"'s
and a bark or two and I'm out of there. This session is being recorded
at Screen Music in North Hollywood which is one of my favorite places on
Earth, which is a good thing since I sometimes spend part of every single
day there. As it turns out, my next session is also at Screen Music and
also for Disney. It also contains barking! It's 101 Dalmatians,
the series, where I play Rolly, Cadpig and Anita. We end up recording well
over a hundred episodes of this show throughout the year, often up to four
episodes a week. Also, once the episodes come back from overseas where
they are animated, we have dozens and dozens of sessions of looping to
perfect the dialogue for broadcast. Often the animators will create "lip
flaps" where there is no actual dialogue taking place or a line will
be garbled or unclear sound-wise and need to be re-recorded for clarity.
Sometimes a scene just isn't funny in it's finished form, so the writers
will come up with a (hopefully) more clever series of lines. In these sessions
we watch the scene on a television and drop the new line in over the old
line. This kind of session is very challenging as you are trying to feel
the scene properly but in a specific time frame. Also the new lines can
be very tricky to fit into the established lip flaps (movements).
101 is wrapped by 6 p.m. and my day is once again done; except,
of course, for the two scripts I find waiting on my doorstep when I arrive
home. Often the scripts for the next day's work don't get delivered until
the night before which means "homework" awaits. There is also
a tape that has been delivered with a rough track of a song that needs
to be learned for tomorrow's session.
Television Plus Some: Wednesday
The next morning is yet another Rugrats session but this one
is scheduled for all day, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We complete the last scenes,
do pickups and, in the afternoon, record songs. From this point on, all
ensuing work on the movie will be only the occasional pickup session. My
next session is back at Screen Music in North Hollywood. It's Casper
for Universal Cartoons. I play the part of Kat, Casper's young human
friend. We do two episodes where Ginny McSwain directs. Ginny is a legend
in the animation world. We all adore her. She is hugely bright, utterly
irreverent, fast, precise and direct. To be bossed around by her is a joy.
We complete the two Casper episodes and then I have one more thing
to do before the day is done: drive to the voice casters and audition for
an Airtouch Cellular advertisement. This appointment is in Burbank and
I have to get there by 6:15 p.m. With a lot of careening around and breaking
of laws, I just make it. (I do end up booking this...several radio spots
and a television spot which record the following week.)
One Busy Day: Thursday
Thursday starts with a 9 a.m. session
at Screen Music. This time it is Invasion America. Steven Spielberg
and Harvey Bennett are executive producing the show and it is a vastly
interesting project. The vision of the show is an utterly real, very prime-time
feeling science-fiction adventure. It is also a very celebrity-heavy show.
We all work together at the same time which makes for some great scene
work. Leonard Nimoy, Kristy McNichols, Robert Urich, the amazing Edward
Albert...all great actors. My parts on this show are wonderful and offer
me great opportunities to play around. The scenes are taut and highly emotional.
We all have a good time hamming it up while at the same time reining it
in.
My day is very tightly booked today so while my contract would normally
have me staying the entire four hours, my agent has arranged to have me
released early so that I can get everything in. My next stop is in Burbank
at Horta Sound for an episode of Hey Arnold in which I play Helga's
mother, Miriam, and Harold's mother, Marilyn. This show makes me about
as happy as I can get. I can't possibly describe to you how wonderful this
set is; it is the most creative atmosphere of which I have ever been a
part. The scripts are beyond compare. The talent is really original with
the children's parts being played by child actors, who are refreshing and
great. Furthermore, everyone on the production team is a pal. They pickup
my lines separately so I can make my 1:30 session in West Hollywood.
The next session is an odd one. It's at a new studio that I've never been
to before that is clearly set up to record music. The engineer seems to
have been hired for only the day. This is a pilot for a new series which
is funded by a Japanese gentleman who doesn't speak English and the session
is run by folks who have no previous experience in animation. Chaos would
about sum it up. I play all of the female parts and a couple of other voices
as well. Five roles in all made it a lucrative session if not a, shall
we say, easily experienced one. Somehow I got through it. I survived it
and the subsequent ten sessions over the ensuing weeks, even though the
`chaos factor' never really lifted.
After this session is over, I have one more to do, so it is back to Screen
Music for more 101 Dalmatians. This runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and then
it's in the car and home.
Commercials Abound: Friday
The last day of the week was more of a commercial day than the previous
ones. The day starts a little later than usual -- 10 a.m. I am not an early
riser by nature and any extra time to be had sleeping in the morning
is hugely appreciated. My first call of the day is a quick stop to record
a television spot for Mattel's Rapunzel Barbie. Apparently, Barbie now
has really, really, really, long hair that she can just pull right out
of her head so old Ken can climb up it and rescue her. Not to mention a
castle with a turret and a cool medieval dress and shoes - that girl has
everything! And I get to tell the world about it on national television.
I couldn't be more proud...
Next is a radio spot at Bell Sound for Eckerd Drugs. Phil Proctor and I
have been doing a campaign for Eckerd for about a year or so. We play your
typical Mad About You bantering couple whose conversation seems
to center around what great stuff they're going to buy at Eckerd that week
and how much they're going to save doing it. Phil and I thoroughly enjoy
ourselves with a lot of improvisational work which we love. Phil also plays
my husband Howard on Rugrats; yet another instance of how actors'
days can often intersect.
When this session wraps, I drive to Margarita Mix and do a series of commercials
for Greyhound. This is a national campaign that is a new account for me.
I very much enjoy working with these people. They are a different breed
from most other people in their part of the industry. They are very earnest
and meticulous and every possible interpretation is tried on each spot.
There are some instances where this approach can be tedious and mind-numbing
but with this particular group, there is such a very good feeling about
the project that it proves to be inspiring and a challenge.
The final session of the week is another Disney cartoon, Recess,
directed by Paul Germain. Paul was one of the original creators of Rugrats
and directed all of the early episodes so we are old friends and partners
in crime. This show is another that employs children playing children and
the writing is superb as well. I am guessing on this show and I'm playing
a sort of "dooms-day" little boy whose job is to warn all the
other little kids on the playground about how awful it's all going to be.
He has just seen his big brother kissing a girl for the first time and
is appalled at the heinousness of the sight. He warns all of the boys that
this is a terrible event that awaits them in their future. There's no escaping
it. Then he describes the kiss in graphic detail, giving all the little
boys terrible nightmares and hives. Paul and I have a great time with this
and I get to play the thing to the hilt. We wrap at 5:30.
So, that's about the size of my week, guys. When I was a little girl, I
only knew that I wanted to do something absolutely unique, be around fascinating
and dashing people all day long, and never be bored. Mission accomplished.
Kath Soucie is a Los Angeles-based voice actor. Her animation credits
include voice work on Disney's Beauty and the Beast, 101 Dalmatians,
Jungle Cubs, Quack Pack, Gargoyles, Pepper Ann
and Recess; Nickelodeon's Rugrats and Hey Arnold; DreamWorks'
Invasion America and Toonsylvania; Universal's Casper,
Earthworm Jim and Savage Dragon; Hanna-Barbera's Dexter's
Laboratory; HBO's Spawn; Warner Bros.' Space Jam, and
LucasArts games Full Throttle, Outlaws and Mortimer.
Links:
[1] http://www.awn.com/imagepicker/image/346
[2] http://www.awn.com/imagepicker/image/347
[3] http://www.awn.com/imagepicker/image/348
