On October 11, I got to reprise my role as “Voice of GOD” for Mother Jones Magazine’s annual dinner, produced by Organic Events, at the St. Regis Hotel in San Francisco. I have a special affinity for this organization because of its commitment to exposing and sharing Truth. When I was a journalism student at…
Author: Meghan Weimer
Voice-over Jobs: Breast Cancer Fund
Had a great time working on this voiceover for the Breast Cancer Fund, which is celebrating 20 years of breast cancer prevention. Congrats! Video produced by Sophie Constantinou,
Actors, Meisner, and Embodied Cognition
I first heard of Sanford Meisner when I did the Vagina Monologues last year. In the last six months, however, his acting technique has become an integral part of my training regimen. I’ve been studying the Meisner Technique with Rachael Adler of the Waterfront Conservatory (formerly known as Studio Magnetic). One of the key tenants…
Seeing Red at Berkeley Rep
“[Rothko] believed that it was important to the human spirit to create art, to experience art, to be open to art because he truly believed it allowed an exultation of the heart and the spirit.” -Playwright John Logan
Audition Reader
I recently had the opportunity to be a reader opposite actresses auditioning for JP Allen‘s upcoming feature film. First takeaway? Show up for the audition… I really loved being on this side of the audition process, seeing what choices each actress brought to the table and seeing how she adjusted to the director’s feedback. Ha…I…
Leap of Faith
I’m doin’ it. I’m takin’ the leap! After more than four years with Rainforest Action Network, I’m bidding farewell to one of the raddest organizations in the world and devoting myself to nurturing my creative spirit. …to acting, and voice over, and writing, and imagination. It’s scary, and the future’s uncertain. But it’s exhilarating, and…
7 Tips for Marketing Yourself
This post was originally posted on On Route to the Booth, the official VO blog of Internet Voice Coach. A marketing background is a bonus when it comes to freelancing as a voice actor and on-camera/print talent, but it’s not a prerequisite for successfully pushing your services out into the world. It is, however, something…
On Route to the Booth is Moving!
On Route to the Booth has partnered with Internet Voice Coach, and we’re moving on over to OnRouteToTheBooth.com! Not to worry, I’ll continue to use this blog to chronicle my journey–and my column will be syndicated here–but there’s a lot more juice over there, including tips, industry interviews, video and audio content, and links to…
How To Audition Using TextExpander
My friend Christine recently used TextExpander to find an apartment in San Francisco–and if you’ve ever done this without TextExpander, you know what a pain it can be. Christine introduced herself to more than 70 potential roommates on Craigslist by sending them each a form email that she created. She didn’t copy and paste said…
Authenticity
I’ve been struggling a lot lately–questioning myself. And then my partner swooped in and saved the day with this image. It ameliorated some of that fear…and I’m making an oath to tackle what’s left.
8 Tips for Dealing with Criticism
I know I said I would kick July off with a status update regarding my 2011 New Year Resolutions, but Gretchen Rubin’s “The Happiness Project” is one of my most favorite blogs. Her blog and her bestselling book recount “the year she spent test-driving studies and theories about how to be happier,” and both resources…
Meghan Weimer’s Commercial Voiceover Demo
It’s been a while since I last posted the latest and greatest tales from my route to the booth. Not to worry: it’s not for lack of words! Folks, I am living the dream! Literally! Since I started documenting this journey last January, I’ve been submitting to and booking on-camera, print, and voice-over work. Of…
An Evening with Bob Bergen, the Voice of Porky Pig
This past weekend, Bob Bergen graced San Francisco with his characters prowess at Voice One for its annual offering of “That’s NOT All Folks,” which promises to “take your character voice development to a whole new level.” I had a unique opportunity to spend some time with Bob prior to the class, and he was…
Victoria Holt On Gratitude
“I’ve always thought you’ve got to believe in luck to get it.” –Victoria Holt Every day, I fit in time to give thanks for the abundance in my life; but this morning, I woke up feeling exceptionally grateful and lucky. I’m most thankful for the people in my life, the opportunities afforded to me, and…
Penguin Dilemma with Voiceover
Originally posted on YouTube.com: “Cute, funny penguin couple overcome an obstacle in the rainy, windy elements. Shot near Volunteer Point in the South Atlantic Ocean by Carole Anne (babers201) and Ron. Edited by paulgrem. Copyrighted by Carole Anne and paulgrem.
“Eight-time Emmy winner Andrea Romano discusses the nuances of voice directing ‘All-Star Superman'”
Voice over from the director’s point-of-view (via Blast Magazine) Click here for the complete article by Blast Magazine Newsroom. “To vocally craft the characters within the DC Universe Animated Original Movies, DC Entertainment, Warner Premiere, Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Animation say they went to the best in the business – on both sides…
3 Audition Tips for Casting Calls
Last Friday, my partner and I auditioned for principal roles in a web commercial. We were paired with a 10-year-old boy and for seven minutes or so, the three of us became family. When we walked into the room together, the director said we were a “nice looking” one. He asked us to line up…
Welcoming Vulnerabiltiy
The East Bay 2011 production of The Vagina Monologues opened on Saturday evening to a sold-out house! I’m confident that my cast mates would agree that it was our tightest run yet. Everybody came in with such great energy. I think a lot of that had to do with the packed audience, which facilitated an…
Free Stuff: Entertainer’s Secret Winner
Last Monday, I shared my Entertainer’s Secret review and invited you to enter the contest to win a free bottle of the throat relief spray by telling me what you are interested in reading on The Blog. Thanks to everyone who spoke up and told me what they want to see here. I really appreciate…
Narration Sample on Chicago Tonight (WTTW Video)
“Jay Shefsky tells the amazing story of Vivian Maier” -Chicago Tonight Jay Shefsky’s narration in the video at the end of this post is a fantastic example of great storytelling. His voiceover effortlessly complements the video’s images, and he reels us in so we’re on the edge of our seats waiting for whatever’s next. Produced…
Meisner For Improv
I’ve been taking improv classes with Laura Derry at Bay Area Theater Sports (BATS), which is our equivalent of Chicago’s Second City. Although we’re tackling improv basics like spontaneity, I love our three-hour sessions because they demand vulnerability. Plus, being goofy and laughing your afternoon away is a pretty good way to spend the day….
Spotlight: Roxanne Wolff on Recording a VO Demo
Shining light on up-and-coming voice over talent and seasoned VO professionals Today’s spotlight is on Roxanne Wolff who recently recorded her first commercial voice-over demo. Roxanne and I met through our VO training (we’re in the same peer workout group, too), and I had the unexpected pleasure of joining her for the very first listen…
Contest: Win a Free Bottle of Entertainer’s Secret Throat Relief Spray
When I queried some folks about their pre-session voiceover routines, TJ Jones enthusiastically swore by Entertainer’s Secret, which naturally begged the question: “What the heck is this ‘Entertainer’s Secret’ and why is it so popular?” According to TJ, “Entertainer’s Secret is a throat spray. Comes in [2.0] oz. bottles, and is awesome. Eliminates dry mouth, mouth noise,…
The Truth Behind Ambiguous Acting Advice
I panicked after scanning the most recent rehearsal feedback provided to me by our Vagina Monologues directors. Why? Because their email opened with: “What happened this Sunday? You totally and completely changed the performance 180 degrees, you threw out our directions, you threw out all the original blocking…” I thought about all the work I…
Product Giveaways, Reviews, Demos, and Updates
Hot-diggity-dog! I’ve been so busy, but there’s so much good swirling around, and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. Vagina Monologues. Acting classes. Voiceover classes. Improv classes. More Synchronicity. It’s fantastically crazy! Stay tuned, as I’ve got some great posts coming up, including: ‘Entertainer’s Secret’–a review and giveaway of the throat relief…
How to Cultivate Vulnerability
Tammy Strobel over at Rowdy Kittens posted this a few days ago. My friend–the same gal who introduced me to Sasha Fierce–sent it to me after we had a chat about the acting class I’m taking. In said class, we defined the need we most wanted to fulfill during it. Mine? A need for vulnerability….
Why Sasha is so Fierce (60 Minutes Beyonce Video)
I recently told y’all about my timely introduction to Beyoncé’s alter ego Sasha Fierce, which made the superstar my hero within minutes… Well, yesterday I found out Beyoncé is even more badass because one of my Vagina Monologues directors sent this 60 Minutes segment to me. In it, “Steve Kroft profiles the superstar singer on…
Synchronicity: Black Swan
I was recently gifted with a simple truth: there are no accidents; and it seems as though the Universe is on a mission to prove her point, bombarding me with synchronicity. Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events, apparently causally unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance, that are observed to occur…
7 Guidelines for Voice Over Work Out Routines
I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends My VO pals and I had our first small group workout of 2011 last night. Per the advice and the encouragement of our professional voiceover coaches, about a half-dozen of us get together every other week to run scripts, provide each other feedback, and of…
Why You Shouldn’t Lilt On Mic and In Real Life
Lilting–or lifting up the voice–is a vocal affectation predominantly associated with, like, Valley Girls, but it seems to have taken on a life of its own amongst twenty- and thirty-somethings, you know? I do it, too. But I was unaware of the tendency until my voice-over coaches called me out on it. Lilting conveys uncertainty;…
Ira Glass on Storytelling (Video)
Ira Glass of “This American Life” talks about the building blocks of a great story “[One thing] nobody tells people who are beginners–and I really wish somebody had told this to me–is that, if you’re watching this video you’re somebody who wants to make videos, right? And all of us who do creative work…we get…
Session Lessons
I wrote too soon about the cheat sheet mentioned in my last post. Last night during my private voice over session with Elaine Clark at Voice One, I realized I’ve hardly been using my cheat sheet to the extent that I should. Who cares if you can markup a script? Writing notes on a piece…
The 12 C’s of Voice Over…And Then Some
Today on its Facebook page, Voices.com re-published voice over instructor and actor Marc Cashman‘s April 2010 podcast about the 12 skills you should hone as a voiceover talent, specifically detailing what he believes is necessary for the survival of VO’s fittest: Clarity Cleanliness Consistency Connected Conversational Cold Reading Chop-chop Coordination Characterization Convincing Control Confidence Give…
My First Rehearsal for The Vagina Monologues
Yesterday was our first rehearsal for The Vagina Monologues – East Bay 2011. It was also my first rehearsal for anything beyond musicals in grammar school. Prior to, I was insanely nervous, pacing around the house–monologue sputtering from my lips. And then I got to our space and met a slew of cast members: plenty…
Alter Egos: Beyonce is to Sasha Fierce as Meghan is to…
Beyoncé Knowles’s alter ego Sasha Fierce was born with 2003’s “Crazy in Love,” but Sasha wasn’t formally introduced until the pop/R&B sensation’s 2008 studio album, “I Am… Sasha Fierce.” That said, it wasn’t until yesterday, January 6, 2011, that I had ever heard anything about the likes of Sasha Fierce. And just like that, Beyoncé…
Audio’connell’s Faux-ditions: Unofficial Voice Over Casting Call for The Price Is Right!
Originally published by Peter O’Connell on his blog audio’connell’s voxmarketising. Click here for the complete post. You know how new products come out with a new version and say “It’s Better Than Ever!”? Well, with this year’s unofficial announcer’s audition (faux-dition), it’s true because we have one doozy of a prize for the winner. GREATEST…
Do You Have a Routine Before Voice Over Sessions?
I’ve been thinking a lot about routines as they relate to voice over: you know, that methodology that gets you into a good physical and mental state, prepared to deliver the best read of your life. Surprisingly–if you know me–it’s not something I’ve given much thought until recently. I’ve been thinking about routines because I…
Improv’s Golden Rule “Yes, and…” at Work
I’m not a seasoned improviser–yet. But I’m completely aware of improv’s golden rule, “Yes, and…” Simply stated, “you are not allowed to negate other people’s statements. Instead, add on to them.” The first time I heard about the “Yes, and…” rule, I knew it was my career’s guiding principle. I’ve always striven to find a…
Video Games Are Taking Over!
Recently, I had a voice over coaching session with Elaine Clark and mentioned my relatively new interest in voicing educational toys and games. One thing led to another, and Elaine brought up the explosion of social media gaming and its impact on the industry at large. Games like Facebook’s FarmVille and Mafia Wars are far…
10 New Year Resolutions for 2011
We had a lovely and low-key New Year celebration at our friends’ home in Boulder Creek, California. It’s their first place, and it’s amazing–at the top of a mountain 13 miles into Highway 9 and surrounded by trees reaching for the stars. The lot of us gabbed and downed several bottles of delicious, local wine…
Do I have a chance in Voice Over (VO)?
I’ve heard plenty of my voice over classmates ask this question of our instructors. Heck, I’ve asked the same thing once or twice! The response is almost always the same: “Absolutely.” But for many people, “absolutely” just isn’t enough. We want our egos stroked, dammit! We want to know that the money we’re investing into…
Welcome to the voice over blog “On Route to the Booth!”
Welcome to “On Route to the Booth”–the blog chronicling my adventures in voice over (VO). Late last spring, I attended my first VO class at San Francisco’s Voice One. I haven’t stopped since, and now I’m going to write about it! My goal is to inspire and inform other voice over actors with stories about…