Amateur Voice Acting - A Geeky Hobby

I have a lot of really geeky hobbies. One of them is amateur voice acting. A lot of anime fans have a desire to lend their voices to their favorite characters. Maybe they think they can do a better job than the dub actor that was hired. Maybe they think they can get rich doing voice acting. Maybe they just like doing silly voices. For those of us that don't live near the major studios (basically New York, California, Texas and a few places in Canada), there is amateur voice acting. This is when a group of fans get together to put together a show using their voices. Sometimes the project is dubbing an animated series, though they aren't always anime shows. Sometimes the project is a radioplay where you don't have to worry about matching your voice something visual. No one gets paid for working on these type of projects and most people are just doing it for fun. However, some people use amateur voice acting as a springboard for paid voice acting. They will use clips from productions to put together a demo reel to send out to various companies.

So how does one get into amateur voice acting? First, make sure you have a good microphone and headphones. Producers, the people who are putting all of the pieces of the show together, don't like recordings with a lot of background noises, clicks or fuzziness. The headphones will help you listen to the original work while you record your piece of the puzzle.

Next, find an amateur voice acting community. I usually visit Voice Acting Alliance when I'm searching for roles. You'll find a wide variety of people and projects on their forums. From teens to adults and anime dubs to singing groups, this is one of the largest amateur voice acting communities today. I'm also a member of Dream Realm Enterprises. They have a very active Yahoo Group where they will list auditions for their new productions.

Finally, audition a lot. Find some projects that interest you and audition for as many characters as you can. Don't get upset if you don't get cast for your favorite character. Great casting can make a great production. Chances are there was someone else with that little extra something that made them perfect for the role. Keep your chin up and keep auditioning. You can only get better by working hard and practicing a lot. Most producers will give you feedback on your audition if you ask for it. If you think you nailed an audition but someone else was cast, ask the producer what he/she thought of your audition and really listen to what they have to say. They will most likely give you some tips that will help you be a better voice actor.

I suppose I should give you some links to productions that I have been in. Some of my early works are quite embarrassing. In my opinion, I was really bad when I was starting out but I'm pretty sure I've gotten better with time. The main acting project that I am currently working on is a radioplay based on the Batman: No Man's Land comics. I play Sarah Essen, Commissioner Gordon's wife. None of my past projects have websites of their own. I have uploaded a lot of the older productions on my Vox.com account.

Hopefully everyone that would like to do some voice acting will give amateur voice acting a try first. You'll quickly find that it is not an easy job and the professionals don't get paid nearly as much as everyone thinks they do. I find it to be a pretty fun hobby though. It's your chance to be a star in the comfort of your own bedroom.

Japanese news - Musical group edition

It's been awhile since I've posted any news from the world of Japanese entertainment. Let's take a peek to see what's been going on. Luna Sea will be getting back together for a one-night concert on December 24 at the Tokyo Dome. This will be their first concert since their Christmas 2000 performance at the Tokyo Dome. The band has said they have no plans to perform together after the one-time event.

This six-girl ska-punk group Oreska Band have wrapped up their time on the US Warped Tour. They will be staying in California to work on an upcoming and yet-unnamed Hollywood film.

The brilliant green have announced their first concert since their reunion will take place at Namba Hatch in Osaka on October 6. They recently released a new single five years after the group's break up.

m.o.v.e. will be performing their first European concert at the Connichi anime convention in Germany. The con will be taking place in Kassel, Germany from September 7 - 9.

Akanishi Jin, a member of Johnny's group KAT-TUN, will be starring in the upcoming drama "Yukan Club." The show, based on the popular manga of the same name, revolves around a group of high school students who form a club and end up solving mysteries in their spare time. This will be the first show for Akanishi without any of his fellow KAT-TUN members.

J-Actor mini bio: Fukada Kyoko

Name: Fukada Kyoko Nicknames: Fukakyon Birthday: 11/2/82 Height: 5'3" (164 cm) Weight: 99 lbs (45 kg)

Where do I know her from? Five (Yodobashi Kanae), Strawberry on the Shortcake (Misawa Yui), To Heart (Miura Toko), Ringu 2 (Sawaguchi Kanae), Onmyoji 2 (Himiko/Amemiko)

Tell me some more! Fukada-san is a singer, as well as an actress. Her songs have been used as the theme song for Imagine and Soshite, tomodachi. She has released 4 albums and 10 singles.

What is your opinion of her? I've enjoyed watching her in various dramas. From what I've seen so far, she has the ability to bring innocence into a character, even if they may not actually be innocent. As for her singing career, I've tried to listen to a few of her songs. For the most part, they are too syrupy sweet for me. She hasn't released an album for a couple of years. Maybe she's left the pop behind for acting, where she really seems to belong.

Music review: m-flo - EXPO EXPO feat. Towa Tei, Bahamadia & Chops

Artist: m-flo with Towa Tei, Bahamadia & Chops Members of m-flo: Taku Takahashi, VERBAL, Lisa Album: EXPO EXPO Release date: 3/28/01

Lyrics: (Sorry, I don't have a translation for the few Japanese lyrics) + people unite, and celebrate no reason to fight all living creatures hear the soothing future music easin' your plight, so unite, and celebrate, no reason to fight all living creatures hear the future EXPO m-flo...

we globally achievin' new heights, innovative creative we made this exposition mission, eli-minated those seekin' to bite

trifocals increasin' ya sight, vocals release and ignite flo bright like a mediarite, chops like chubb rock treatin' em right

future music even tonight so we can excite, the crowd leavin em hype, computer love produces lucid dreamin' in flight,

pantagalactic rhyming, keepin it tight planet shining, seein' the light Verbal Taku Lisa unite with me & Bahamadia freakin the mic, like that!

species of technology collaborate with human breed say we are one yes we are one cosmic message in the breeze will free the world to unity say we are one yes we are one

+ repeat

to cats who spit zirconium, I vomit jewels with supreme cut and clarity, audible, tetra-sonical telescopic visions wandering from planet earth we got media, compatible, with all machinery appropriately called The Miracle, with 1950's aestheticals host of sick technology to shatter most obsolete ones, we pull stunts beyond your wisdom satellites to venture unknown solar systems

CHATAA ZA kasei kara kita ABENJAA KYAPASHITII mugendai EKISUPO sen kan Zendai-mimon kenbikyou TORINITORON NOOBERU shou FUROO OOTO saikidou Komaku KOCHOKOCHO 48 TORAKKU Saisentan tsumami sousa chakushoku HAADOUEA chuu ni mau Juuryoku mushi joutai suu jikan

C-H-A-T-R (EMUSHII BAABARU) High-tech's the way we are (ANAROGU daisakusen) We on the vehicle, at large (uchuusen GUROOBARU) Shooting off to new stars (kasei kara dai-nana wakusei) Yo, it's about that time (EKISUPO EKISUPO) Yo, it's about that time (SHISUTEMU saikidou) Yo, it's about that time (EKISUPO EKISUPO) Yo, it's about that time (SHISUTEMU saikidou)

peep the architecture, dwellings sectioned off with metallic textures even engineers failed to make predictions 2012, viscious liquid silver condominiums transform to suit residents, state of the art, to transport, we teleport instantaneously, we send them off, multi-dimentional, incredible acceleration of velocity exponential electromagnetic motor aviation in collabo with SwissMetro breakbeat overdrive, cold crash data roller-skating tetsuwan Atom cataracts on photo micrographs particles compact, Duration Studio is re-vamped, enormous voltage back draft last century is brought back

spit spectacular, vernacular, miraculous, m-flo backing it up with the chain-ja' stacking up, 24 bars of me acting up Illadel and Japan be like "ah," similar to the sound when you making love, peep radius of vocal influx catering to thugs and to intellects, EXPO EXPO banging like four-fours expose souls like Edgar Allan Poe, sick live show you know how Bahama' go freak speech techniques from a long time ago breakbeat to techno i get it in through, making your slow on some "3 triple 0" next shit eclectic wit, brain like computer chip esoteric logic infused in it data transmit past 64 bit transfixed in orbit metamorphosis got my MP3 file hot as august it download then burn 2 minidisk analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process analyze, dissect, detect, process About the song: This song joins an interesting group of people together. Towa Tei is famous as the DJ of the early 90s New York trio Deee-Lite who had a hit with "Groove Is In The Heart." Bahamadia is a Philadelphia-born hip-hop artist, DJ and MC. Chops is a Philadelphia-based Asian-American hip-hop producer and rapper. As such, the song is mostly in English. Mixing the rapid pacing of the rap with the lyrics, I wouldn't be surprised if most Japanese people have no idea what they are saying. (I had a hard time myself!)

While hip-hop is not my favorite genre of music, I really like this song. I think my favorite part is how the rap doesn't stay at one steady pace. It starts out at a 'normal' pace then speeds up just before hitting the chorus and going back to regular again. m-flo has definitely changed my view on hip-hop music.

Geeky Parenting Tips: Reading

As everyone knows, reading to your children is very important. But how do you choose what books to read to your child? Here are some suggestions to help you. Before I start talking about book titles or series, I really want to recommend that everyone get a library card. Library cards are generally free at public libraries and it gives you the opportunity to read a wide variety of books to your child. At my local library, you can renew your books online if you need to. If you forgot to renew your books and you haven't finished reading them, there aren't any penalty fees for returning children's books late. I'm not sure if every local library offers these features but I find them very helpful.

The books you choose to read your child depends on your personal comfort zone. I am a big fan of the Great Illustrated Classics series of books. Granted, these books do make changes to the original texts. However, they have short chapters and large pictures that easily capture a child's attention. Through these books, my daughter has been introduced to King Arthur, The Wind in the Willows, Little Woman and many more. We will probably reread these books in their original form when she is a bit older but she is enjoying them for now.

Another series I adore is the We Both Read books. These are made for teaching children how to read. One page is for the parent to read and one page is for the child to read. If there is a word that may be difficult for the child to read, it will be in bold on the parent's page. It's wonderful to be able to read with my daughter instead of just reading to her.

As always, you can always fall back on books like Winnie The Pooh, Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein. Don't be afraid to read anything to your child. As long as you are comfortable with the material in the book, your child will most likely enjoy it as much as you do. How else will they learn that Disney's Tinkerbell is a lot nicer than the book version?

Feel free to leave any suggestions for additional books in the comments. It's great to see what other geeks are reading to their kids.

Music review: Barenaked Ladies - I Live With It Every Day

Artist: Barenaked Ladies Members: Steven Page (vocals), Ed Robertson (guitar), Tyler Stewart (drums), Jim Creegan (bass) Album: Born On A Pirate Ship Release date: 3/19/96 Video link: On YouTube

Lyrics: On August first, nineteen-eight-one I cycled to Scott's house with a BB gun We were almost twelve, but we looked thirteen He had baby-blue eyes that I shot him between Nature provides for us a safety net Whatever we do, we can never forget

Chorus: I live with it every day Even though we moved away Our yesterdays are on a loop; A marathon of heartbreaking moments I live with it every day For every step I have to pay The only thing that they can't take The guild that spirals in my wake

The day they found me asleep on the floor Engine running, closed garage door Was the day the For Sale sign arrived on the lawn Two weeks later, and we were gone Everyone falls through time and the funnel it makes But I'm staying here inside my biggest mistake

Chorus

The love I put away Like games that children play The hearts you choose to break Like cars dumped in the lake The laugh lines on your face The life I won't embrace The cold house I won't leave The guests I won't receive

Chorus About the song: What can I say about this song? BNL has been pigeonholed as a 'funny guy' group due to songs like One Week, Pinch Me and Another Postcard. Meanwhile a lot of their albums contain deep songs about drunk driving, war, domestic abuse and other serious topics. The lyrics to this song are pretty straight-forward. A couple of kids are playing around with a gun and one of them is fatally shot. The surviving kid has to live with the guilt of killing his best friend.

I Live With It Every Day is a good example of why I love this group. I'd also like to note that in the video I linked above, Kevin was recovering from battling leukemia. This concert was aired on PayPerView and I was lucky enough to be able to watch it. I'm glad Kevin has fully recovered and I look forward to many years listening to the band's music.

J-Actor mini-bio: Oguri Shun

Name: Oguri Shun Nicknames: Ogushun, Guri, Ogurin Birthday: 12/26/82 Height: 6' (183 cm) Weight: 154 lbs (70 kg)

Where do I know him from? Hana Yori Dango (Hanazawa Rui), Hana Yori Dango 2 Returns (Hanazawa Rui), Gokusen (Uchiyama Haruhiko), Densha Otoko (Minamoto Munetaka), GTO (Yoshikawa Noboru)

Tell me some more! He has been in commercials for J-Phone, as well as performing in stage plays and doing voiceovers for anime. Recently, he was cast as the voice of the main character in the Japanese dub of Surf's Up. In 2005, tabloid Friday Magazine discovered his relationship with Morning Musume member Yaguchi Mari. This is rumored to be the reason that Yaguchi suddenly left Morning Musume in April of that year. Another popular rumor is that Matusmoto Jun (Domyouji in Hana Yori Dango) insisted that the producers cast Oguri as Hanazawa Rui in Hana Yori Dango. The two have been close friends since working on Gokusen together and Matsumoto refused to play Domyouji if Oguri was not hired.

What is your opinion of him? I've found Oguri to be a decent actor. While I haven't seen a majority of his work, the roles that I have seen him in tend to be loners that only speak when it is necessary. This leaves a sort of mysterious air about him, which tends to make him very attractive. I would like to see more of his work and I hope that he branches out into some more versatile roles.

Music review: Gackt - Mirror

Artist: Gackt Album: Mars Release date: 4/26/00 Video link: On YouTube

English translation by Mina-P: You're never around during the crucial times You're not sure what's important to you Someone's sick of you

You only chase after novelties "Where did those good old days go!!" You have no right to lament things like that

Reflected in your eyes, my face doesn't return anything From the beginning you must have known...

Rush down underneath these heavens By yourself... I wonder if your arms can catch my fostered body

"I'll save the things I believe in" you say The angels are good at excuses with their nonsense, but god's also good at lying

Reflected in my eyes, your tears are all phony In the end I knew you must be smiling...

Embrace each other underneath these heavens The two of us... Your voice shouts, like it's reaching out to my broken heart... And then Hold me tighter

In order to get something, you have to lose something and someone will be hurt

Fall in love underneath these heavens Just a little bit... Because your voice lit a fire in my shyness

Because if these great emotions don't reach out Courageously... Your finger will strike the last blow to my shattered heart About the song: I love this song. It's extremely upbeat and it tells people to GO for what you want. Stop whining about things that happened in the past, look forward and find what it is that you want in life. It's a little annoying when Gackt performs this song because he always stops in the middle to yell with the audience. He runs and jumps around for the beginning of the song so I guess he gets tired and that is the closest he gets to a break. At least he looks like he's having fun performing it. I recommend this song to everyone. It's great to listen to when you're feeling a little down about life or even when you're happy and just want to listen to an awesome song.

JDorama review: Akihabara@DEEP

Title: akihabara@DEEP Broadcast date: 6/19/06 Number of episodes: 11 Genre: Action and Adventure Cast: Kazama Shunsuke, Ikuta Toma, Himura Yuuki, Hoshino Gen, Matsushima Hatsune, Kosaka Yuka, Honjou Manami, Kitamura Kazuki Plot: A group of otaku come together to form a troubleshooting company. They try their best to solve the problems of the people in Akihabara. What is good: Kitamura Kazuki is an awesome villian What is bad: Maybe it's because the concept of Japanese otaku is so foreign but they seemed to overreact to just about everything. Letter rating: A+ Overall: I went into this series expecting something along the lines of Densha Otoko. However, I think this is so much better because it doesn't revolve around the life of one person. You have six people, each with some sort of oddity. Each of them turned to a website, Yui's Lifeguard, in order to help them live their daily lives. It's through this website that they come together and become friends. It was really awesome to watch these people grow into something more than just otaku. They really become close friends.

On the other side, you have Nakagomi Takashi (Kitamura Kazuki) as the bad guy. Kitamura played the bad guy in the latest Densha Otoko special. I think he may be getting a little too close to his otaku side! While Nakagomi is a creepy character, Kitamura plays him perfectly. He really was my favorite character here.

I would recommend this series to anyone interested in the otaku culture. You may not understand a lot of things if you don't have at least a tiny grasp of what otaku means to the Japanese people. "Otaku" in America is very different from "otaku" in Japan. If you can make that distinction, I think you would really enjoy the series.

Entertainment News From America

I'm sure a lot of you out there watch 24. The seventh season of the show will be starting early next year and Janeane Garofalo will be joining the cast this time around. She will be playing a government agent assigned to assist Jack Bauer. Madonna is in talks to part ways with her record label, Warner Music Group, after her current contract ends. The contract will end after she releases two more albums on the label. It is rumored that she is considering heading over to LiveNation, an Los Angeles-based promotions company and venue owner.

Speaking of music news, The Violent Femmes are heading to court. Bassist Brian Ritchie is suing lead singer Gordon Gano, claiming he was denied credit for some of the group's songs and the earnings that go along with it. There are also accusations of Gano trashing the band's reputation by allowing "Blister In The Sun" to be used in a Wendy's commercial. Ritchie seeks a ruling that will name him half-owner of the band, an accounting of past and future royalties, as well as unspecified damages.

Finally, Lionsgate has filed lawsuits against several companies for selling merchandise with the phrase "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" from Dirty Dancing. They are claiming that 15 companies are using Lionsgate's registered trademark without permission. The suit alleges that the unauthorized merchandise, which is mostly baby apparel, has created a likelihood of confusion with official Lionsgate merchandise. They are seeking a court order requiring the defendants to pay restitution, a myriad of damages and stopping the sale of all merchandise featuring the famous phrase.