Melanie Scroggins's Lounge Discussions

Hi Melanie Scroggins - I love this!! Will send you some thoughts!!

The voice behind your favorite characters on TV, radio, and the web is the ultimate guide to voice acting. If you’re new to the industry, or just want to improve your skills, this book will teach you everything you need to know. Click this https://bestwritingsclues.com/reviews/boostmygrade-review/ site more best tips about voice acting for beginners. This book will show you how to get started as a voice actor and what it takes to be successful in this competitive business.

Hey, Henry! While I think you make a great point, each voice is so unique, and each journey so individual, that I'd say anyone's favorite voice should be used more as an inspiration than a guide to voice acting. This perspective is simply based on working as a professional Voice Actor and getting to work with the biggest names across the world.

Also, I think you shared the wrong link. Thanks!

Melanie - thanks for sharing this quick and easy breakdown of how to get started! Once again, proving how you can succeed in the entertainment industry from anywhere in the world with the right tools!

Absolutely, Shellie! Thanks for the note.

Haha, good point. Thank you Dan MaxXx !

Congrats Bruce

Much appreciated, Abdur Mohammed !

Fantastic post, sir! Thank you for the reminder to commit to your project's schedule and congratulations on your well-earned success!

Thank you very much, Karen "Kay" Ross ! Indeed, it's good that we put things down on paper so we can see where we're going, but it's another thing to take action on those plans, which will ultimately lead us to where we want to go. ;-)

Lovely to meet you, John Silver! Stage32 is such a great place to connect with other like-minded creatives so I'm glad you're here.

Nice to meet you John! I have a heavier background in theater as well. Do you have a favorite role you've played?

Welcome John!

Welcome, John. All the best from Aus.

Lydia Kalmen - Yes I do! I enjoyed playing the roles of East, Jimmy, Randy, and Dave in "Almost, Maine".

Umm, well... I've had to dissolve my company from Maryland and start anew in California - but that's more because of the move and less because of COVID. I'm also no longer afraid to both speak with and pay for a lawyer. That hourly rate is TOTALLY worth it for checking contracts before you sign anything!

Now it's about a knowing. Like you said in your article, it's business and now more then ever I must treat it as such. I've skilled up with audio (DAW) and now I'm an promo/trailer (writer/edit/producer) As for relevant in the industry...in these times,

finding a way to collaborate with other artists (not limited to vo) actors/directors/writers.

Oooooh good ones, Karen "Kay" Ross!

Love those, Marci Urling. "Skilling up" is such a good way to describe getting better and investing in yourself. Thanks for sharing!

Good read. Always the reminder...you are a business. I love the creative process and collaborating but at the end of the day, it's a business.

Melanie Scroggins voice acting must be incredibly fun. But I can imagine how your performance can undergo highest scrutiny because everything coming from you is caught on recording.

Do you have to do any prep work for your voice?

Side note: I heard a story from a video game voice actor that had to record a ridiculous amount of time. The strenuous recording took a tole on her vocal chords. All she wanted to do was drink milk to soothe her throat, but I guess milk is bad for voice actors. That's hard work.

Steve James Yes! That is so on point. Especially about being ready to take whatever direction is given, which often means pivoting from the initial delivery. It can be so hard to adjust, but it's crucial.

Oscar Ordonez So sorry I'm just now seeing this!

Yes, it is a lot of fun but can be nerve-wracking in a live session because it is 100% about you and your performance. To answer your question, f I have an earlier than I'd like directed session, I go through some basic vocal warmups I learned in musical theatre and I do some mouth opening exercises (I really like Bill DeWees's warm-ups on YT). But I usually don't warm up too much for auditions since auditioning in and of itself is a warmup. Ha!

Oh no! So sorry to hear about that actor. Hydration is key, but I've been hydrated and in sessions before where I feel like my throat is going to close up it's so dry. It just takes a lot of work to keep those chords warm and "watered", so to speak. Demanding video game sessions are really difficult I imagine, which is one reason actors get paid more for that kind of video game work. Pros and cons, right?

Melanie Scroggins I can imagine!! It takes a little talent but I'm sure it's a lot of work just like anything else! I'd love to hear more work that you do :) Best of luck.

Thanks so much, Oscar Ordonez! You can check out my previous work here if you're interested: https://www.melaniescroggins.com/previous-voice-over-work/

Reach out if I can ever help you in any way!

@Melanie Many thanks for these user friendly insights. I just LOVE your white and tortoiseshell cat. You are right, intellect and ability to market artistic product does not require the square footage of a studio.

Thank you so much for this Melanie! great info.

I must get the audio interface. Do you audition through Source Connect?

Debbie Croysdale thank you so much! Her name is Fiona and she's basically my sidekick. ; )

Lilo Grunwald so sorry this has taken me so long to respond! I am so glad you found the article helpful. I do not audition through SourceConnect, 99.9% of the time, I audition via recording myself in Adobe Audition then submitting that audition directly to my client or through a marketplace like Voices.com - it just depends on the audition.

I use SourceConnect for live directed client sessions where the client 1. prefers and 2. has that software.

I hope this helps. Reach out anytime!

Some auditions are like playing dress up for your parents or living a fairy tale. If we do the work during the preparation stage and then get into character, it will ease many of our anxieties and allow us to play relatable characters that will be transforming on and off screen.

@Karen I love your words “Don’t aim to impress, just own it.”

Queen Victoria had two brilliant statesmen who held sway over the British Empire at the height of her dominion -- Gladstone and Disraeli.

Someone asked her whose company she preferred.

Her Majesty replied that, when with Gladstone, she felt as though she was talking to the most interesting person in the world.

With Disraeli, however, she felt as though she was the most interesting person in the world.

You know which one she had in her pocket.

Woody Allen echoes Jeff Daniels; he'd make himself watch bad stuff to learn what NOT to do.

Watched an interview with Stephen Sondheim years ago. A student asked him if he had any advice for young writers -- which also applies here, I think.

"Read Chekov," was one suggestion.

Chekov's best advice? "Pay attention."

I love that.

Thank you so much for sharing this! These are words every actor needs to hear.

You may want to try learning other languages to open up additional opportunities. If you need resources for this let me know.

Matthew Cornwell - nice to meet you! Yea, the production companies I've been in touch with over the last few months were in the exact same spot as you. They're just now seeing more work, which is really encouraging. I'm glad to hear things are looking up now! Thank you for sharing.

I've put it all ONLINE.

I actually started acting during COVID - so - this is business as usual for me! Haha.

I'm starting to get back into the groove of hunting for VO auditions. On-camera work is still a no-go for me for the time being.

Hey, Melanie Scroggins! Great to see you here! For those of you who don't know, I met Melanie on LinkedIn. It became obvious early on that she is a powerhouse entrepreneur, and that is a huge boon when you are selling your services remotely! I highly recommend you reach out to her with any acting or producing needs! Speaking of special skills, how did you create those green checkboxes for your bio?! They look great!

To answer your question, with the restriction of lockdown, it seemed obvious that I wasn't going to have any more work on set for a while, so I began a VO and writing regimen. Not knowing if a gig was going to come my way, I just had to keep producing, and help others to keep producing, until I worked myself into more choices - if that makes any sense! LOL! Now, it seems, I am filled to the brim with projects all at the same time.

Actually, since it's Monday, would you be interested in participating in the “Monday Motivation" challenge I posted in the Producing Lounge? It's just a fun way to get to know people through their favorite quotes: https://www.stage32.com/lounge/producing/Monday-Motivation-No-one-can-ac...

You are also more than welcome to participate in the “Cross-Pollination" challenge I posted in the Acting Lounge? It's just a fun way to get to know people through their favorite resources:

https://www.stage32.com/lounge/acting/Love-the-Camera-Learning-Photograp...

If you have any questions about how to engage with more collaborators on Stage 32, please enjoy my intro blog on the Stage 32 Community:

https://www.stage32.com/blog/Find-Your-Community-on-Stage-32

I'm so glad to have you here, Melanie, and I look forward to seeing you in the lounges! Enjoy exploring the lounges, and don't forget to comment and respond to others’ posts, too! It's the best way to really connect!