Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling – Rule 8
Hey there!
There’s nothing more exciting to me than to talk about storytelling, and how important it is to your VO career to develop and hone your storytelling skills.
It’s essential.
So, every so often, I like to roll out items from this list from Emma Coats, who used to work at Pixar as a story artist, and who serially tweeted Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling.
I’m giving you one of these rules every so often as we move through the next several months, along with how you can apply the rule to your VO artistry.
Today, Rule 8…
Finish your story, let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
This is especially important to the art of auditioning.
I see so many of my students and clients laboring over insane numbers of takes, slicing and dicing and spending far too much time coming up with the “perfect take.”
Don’t do that.
Get really good at doing your auditions in one or two takes, at most.
Do your best to quickly triage your choices, then voice the ones that best suit your brand and are filled with appropriate heat.
And then send it in.
And move on.
I don’t want you letting the artist in you completely exclude the producer/businessperson in you. I don’t want you getting tired of being a VO talent.
I don’t want you suffering from “audition fatigue.”
Strive for excellence. But don’t let it kill you.
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Next rule?
How to get unstuck.
I’ll share that with you next time.
Wow-e-zoweee So true! After taking a few of David H Lawrence the XVII classes I was hired by ACX and signed my first SAG-AFTRA contract and entered into a contract with Best selling Author Brandie Knight on an awesome steamy novel called Hollywood Under the Covers…when finished it will be a 10+ hour audio book with 55 chapters in a “radio play style” we have 20 + VO Artists voicing 55 or more characters and first up was Warren Durso a popular Voice Over Artist/Actor/Stand up Comic/drummer and great humanitarian who has become a great friend. Warren come in right at the very begining of the project and laid down 3 of the main characters- he was such a pro, He came in and read each line 3 different ways and moved on to his next lines, same thing…that way I have 3 lines to chose from to match what the scene/chapter is requiring.
After Warren was wrapped, We brought in the other actors to do their lines and followed the same format – it goes quickly and with slight direction I get the approach and conviction from the actor/actress I desire!! For any future VO auditions,those voice actors are ready for the next audition…and I too will use this wonderful tool for any future VO auditions, if one tries to take too long or read it too many times in the recording….well…lets just say, the last take is not always the best take-but if you stick to the magic # of 3…THAT can be thee take that excites you and you say THAT’S IT, THAT’S THEE ONE!!! Rock on and have fun on your next VO assignment or audition…hope this helped in some small way! B-) Cheers, KK Ryder Voice Candy Studios