Interview with Character voicing legend Marc Graue
Mark Graue is a legend in the voice industry, growing up in Hollywood around the movie studios, and now with his own studio in Burbankwhich has seen some of the biggest stars on and off the screen, grace it’s walls. Today on VO LIFE, I chat to Marc about:
- How people are now recording from home has this affected your voice studio business
- What are some tips for people recording at home?
- What separates pro talent from amateurs with home sessions
- How do you see yourself as a voice actor?
- Is versatility the key to characters?
- How has the role of actor changed?
- Do you have a bank of characters or customize the voice for every gig?
- What are the classic levers we can pull to create different characters?
- How should people approach casting in the modern context?
- Why you should listen to direction in the session
- Be prepared but not rehearsed
- Is doing voices still fun after 50 years?
- How did you break into the industry?
- Working hard vs being ‘discovered’
- How to get noticed in your auditions
- The difference between doing a voice and being a voice
- The state of gaming VO
- Is it important to play games to understand them?
- Video games and voice health
- Why listening is so important as a voiceover
- Where do you source work?
- Agents and the union
- Are videogames casting and recording in house?
- How to bring realism to videogames voicing
You can find more about Marc and his training at https://www.marc-graue.com/
Here is the transcript:
Toby Ricketts
Welcome to gravy for brain Oceania and VO life. This is the chat where I talk to the big names in voiceovers, the movers and shakers, the people who are really making things happen. And today, I'm so excited to announce. We've got a 35 year veteran in the industry. He's got a studio in Burbank, California. It's a total industry legend, a voice coach, winner of voice of the year, the one voice Conference USA this year and is about to be inducted into the savez Lifetime Achievement Award Hall of Fame. It's Mark. Don't introduce myself. It's Marc Graue. How are you doing?
Marc Graue
I'm doing great. I was thinking, Who is he talking about? Wow, I had no idea. I had all that going for it ask for my money down it. Exactly. Yeah.
Toby Ricketts
I didn't even get on to the second page. How you doing there in Burbank?
Marc Graue
I am doing so well. Actually. It's life is good. Yeah, absolutely. It's the world is a little topsy turvy and kind of upside down, as we all know. But as far as the voice voiceover world, it seems to be going very well for a lot of us, for most of us actually disappears. But it's yeah, it's good.
Toby Ricketts
Absolutely. Yeah. How's the the COVID sort of end the work from home thing. I mean, it's been great for voiceovers that already work at home. As far as studios goes, it put a pressure on you in terms of running studios?
Marc Graue
we still have larger set like a lot of localization and localization being where they'll take a Korean Chinese, just whatever it may be, whether it be a game or Netflix dubbing, that kind of stuff. And we'll go so there's still a lot of that. The studio has stayed busy, we're approved, sag approved for COVID. So we even have electric motors on the microphones, stands. So the engineer doesn't even have to go in, he just pushes go up and set it do all of those good stuff. I've never even heard of such a thing. Yeah, it's good. So it's good. It definitely if nothing else, for people at home, it certainly is up the ante meeting that where you used to have, you know, like a crappy USB mic or something. Now, people are actually who I need to kind of jump on the back and get upgraded a little bit. And and they do they're still, you know, that element of people that don't assume that it takes, you know, virtually no investment at all. It's like, well, you know, is there any way I could do this on my phone? It's like, well, yeah, that's, that's gonna go really good with a big client. You know, they hear me now. You know, but I think I think a lot of people have, you know, they really have upped the ante a bit at home and you're noticing more and more copy coming across with actual specs from the client, if you're recording at home, this is what we would like to see you have large diaphragm I can do even to like, you know, like, like a u 87. Which is pretty cost prohibitive for most people. But you know, what, TLM 103? What kind of mic pre are you using? Don't want to, you know, to to, actually, here are some traps stuff in front of your booth with no, you know, no speaking lights, speaking being very loud. The thing is to also in this room, if you have source connect, use it first Do not wait for a session and then go, Oh, I've never actually used it. Because that's not that's not the time for a tutorial, I've actually seen a couple of clients where the VO guys have lost the gig, because they weren't, you know, it's not it actually what they're doing now is they'll actually want a snapshot of your source next showing that the port is open meaning that it's been forwarded it's all up it's running, because I can't tell you how many people will I downloaded the program and it's like, yes, but it doesn't it looks nice, but it's not doing anything.
Toby Ricketts
It's not Skype and Skype. Yeah, I've heard that there's a worldwide shortage of Sennheiser four one sixes for that very reason that everyone's scrambling
Marc Graue
you know, it seems like there's a shortage of everything at this point. You know why I can't why there would be a shortage of that I have no it's like yes all of these people in the meeting when I need it for 16 Oh my god there's 1000s of them you know it's like they're at the door was George's shotgun mic I evidently there are there are shortages of all kinds of things seem to take a little bit longer to get but it's you know, the thing is too is you know your stuff know your system know what's going on. So that that becomes its secondary it's no different when I'm coaching for that becomes muscle memory. It's like you're not even thinking in redundancy is not a bad thing. If there's an issue with something if this isn't it, have a plan okay, you know what, I've had that happen where source connect just would not work. We tried source Connect Now that work. I've had other sessions where it wouldn't work at all ever. This is unusual. I didn't know I guess there are two different platforms it sorters connect one for PC and one for Mac. And if you have them interchanging with each other, sometimes there can be issues I guess with went because it goes to their servers. And so I've had So where it's like I know tell you what, why don't we do a zoom session, you can direct me. And I'll just track the sessions in Pro Tools and send you the session. Oh, great. Session saved, you know. So that's that's all just
Toby Ricketts
redundancy is one of the things that really does separate the sort of men from the boys if you like in terms of like being a professional voiceover artist, because you, you've been around long enough to to know what can happen in the session. And you don't want to do that again. So you always have a backup plan, like having a second interface. Because I've had two interfaces now that have spontaneously you go to turn off. It's just there's just no sound.
Marc Graue
I don't know what happened. That's, that's brilliant. That's I even at the studio, I've always even if it's a very seasoned engineer, been there 20 years before you'll go home, even check, talk back. I'll give you a great example. We had Bill Shatner now, actually, Bill now is great, because he's been in so many times, he's fine. And But initially, we were just a bit touchy about things. And so that's not an individual you want to go. Whoa, this isn't recorded right now. It's like, no, no, no, no, no. What had happened was we had the clients come in, and of course, because it was William Shatner, and we've got a room full of people in the control room. Someone did come in, set their briefcase down on the talkback button. Well, unbeknownst to me, I'm up in front of the sweats breaking out going, God, there's levels. Like, can I hear anything anymore? We're checking the arms. Oh, my God. Okay. And it's like, you know, it's Shatner sitting there, you know, are we ready to go and it's like, and then I've, you know, like, I'm getting right on the verge of calling by Bo takich. To get in, you know, look, we're gonna have to do so they're moving to another room and turned around and went, Oh, we were right. So ever since that we know how things around the target that you can't do that.
Toby Ricketts
So yeah, in a sense, like problems like having having issues in the booth like and things crop up, like that is the best thing because it makes you that much stronger every time I find like, as long as you do learn from the mistakes and and put things in place. And like my mind traveling kit now has so many little solving connectors, tape and problems and solving stuff. You know, it gives
Marc Graue
you a beautiful set of veins in your forehead.
Toby Ricketts
Again, a receding hairline and grayness. So, onto the onto the sort of the voice area, you are very sort of legendary as a character was such a huge sort of collection of voices that you've that you've created and curated over the years, is that sort of how you see yourself, do you do commercial sort of straight stuff as well, although straight stuff is kind of a character as well. You've put yourself in the industry?
Marc Graue
Well, I mean, primarily character stuff that's always been the running gag is I never play the guy next door, I'm usually the guy that kills the guy next door, you know, which is fun, you know, the lobby even have a real that's just evil guys, because I do a lot of that. But it's it's a primarily character. I mean, the, you know, I do have commercial clients that I work with gotten, you know, on a consistent basis. And, you know, like, we were just exchanging that story, which is coming out for Toyota. So, but you really, it's just being prepared. I'll give you an example. When I was booked for DCS legends of tomorrow at a TV show your that should be again, I'm thinking Oh, okay. And obviously, it's probably a woman who's busiest and it's on a federal clock, you know, galley chi and stuff. And I go in, and it's an homage to ET, and it's this adorable little character named gumball. And all it is is nine pages of ADR and every single loop says effort you know, and I'm thinking he should have got the right guy. Did they misspell? You know, is it misspelled something? It turned out five, but it was definitely you know, shakes the cage a little bit. You feel like this is not really, you know, the other stuff where it's like a no brainer, fine. Yep, let's do it. And I mean, my direction is usually can you make him sound like he just killed this person and eat his bones? It's like, Oh, okay. You know, you really should quit living in your mom's basement discover curls. But anyway, sorry.
Toby Ricketts
Funnily enough, I looked, I looked at one of those clips, just as preparation for the interview. And I was thinking, Is that is that mark making the noise for the little T things? And it was, I mean, I guess that is the key to, to, to being a character voice artist is his versatility, right? I mean, it's being able to really take on anything and not just have a go at it, but like, give it 150% 200 million
Marc Graue
you always have things that you're much much better at a great example is kids voices. I can't you know, me doing a kid's voice sounds like I'm trying to lure them into the van with a candy bar. Not going to work. So usually that kind of stuff I'll pass on because there's people that just nail that and are spectacular. And you know, another thing you know if it's in your wheelhouse The interesting thing too, is we've now gotten to a point where we're so segmented and I mean, if it's, you know, a an Asian voice than it has to be an Asian American actor, which I understand that but at the same time me acting is acting I mean, that's why you're being hired as an actor to do different, not maliciously, I don't mean NetBeans spirit or I have just recently done a project was pretty big. And they had me speak Cherokee. And they had a guy on the line that said, Can you so I did. And the heaps in American Union he goes, Wow, that was amazing. It was honestly I would know I be he goes, that was great. And I go well, thank you so much for being there. I was kind of cloning what he was doing. And somebody posted that in Boise, Idaho, Cooper hit the fan over that. It's like, How dare you? You're not an indigenous person. You bastard. That's Deadites typical white people like you that didn't was think, Whoa, whoa, I wasn't malicious. It's not. Well, you should have been it was like, but I'm sorry, when you've got a large company on the line. This was initially begins with D. It's not like you go, why not doing that? Get a? I mean, it's like, you'll go Oh, yeah. Okay, whatever you guys want either pay me a lot of money. And it's like, so I know, in retrospect, I guess I should have probably thought more down those lines now that I've been doing this something that that didn't, didn't used to be a consideration. And I don't mean that from a mean spirited aspect. I was just like, Okay, it's an anti job. Yeah, yeah. It's
Toby Ricketts
something I think a lot of us have wrestled with in the in the voice industry. And that the the role of actor has changed from you know, someone playing someone else to sort of like it has put restrictions on who you who you can play. And instead of just having a go at it, there's all these other considerations, like, have they tried to source this from a legitimate source? Is there some kind of bias involved, which makes it so much difficult, more proposition, you know, that the kind of brief has changed as far as
Marc Graue
everything varies very much. And you'll even see that in the in the actual copy direction, saying specifically what they, you know, and to me, I mean, I understand that or, or don't understand. But I think sometimes you can put too many rules on things. And I'll give you a great example is, evidently with the Academy Awards. Now, at least, I believe it's 20 to 25% of the cast has to be under everything, and I get that I understand. But what's happened is writers are going but now I'm going to I sit down and meet rather than letting the creative I have to go, Okay, wait a second, I have to do this and this and this. And there's now very specific rules I have to play by rather than just writing whatever's coming from my heart. And I don't I can't imagine, you know, a black individual and Asian American, I mean, all of those things. They've dealt with ridiculous shit. No doubt I I'm not trying to parlay that make that small by any means. It's just find the it's probably very rough, though, for a writer, you know, somebody had mentioned like, Well, what about you know, the godfather? I mean, it's an Italian family. How am I supposed to do you know, and I mean, it's just a story is a story, you know, and the thing I think we're starting to, you know, we all are humans, we all you know, kind of walk up right? We have very similar interests, we fall in love, we fall out of love, we get our feelings hurt, we don't get our feelings hurt. We're striving to do well for ourselves and our families. And, you know, when there's so there's kind of a common thread and sadly, that common thread seems to be kind of dissipating and very segmented, you know, I just like I was laughing talking to somebody the other day going, when it's gotten to the point where he should be able to buy a keyboard that has a fuck Yuki. You know, which is sad, but true.
Toby Ricketts
Yeah, absolutely. So I mean, and the tricky thing, I'm just just to do this a little bit more is the is the is how some of this appears to be like retrospective like and I feel I felt for The Simpsons voices going through that controversy about 12 months ago with like, having to apologize for characters they played decades ago, when times were different and and being accountable for that in the modern day. Seems a bit rough. I mean, I guess they can they can say like, we won't do that again, because we realize now as you know, in the Hmong context, it's it's insensitive. But yeah, that's that's kind of a tricky. Yeah.
Marc Graue
Well, at the time, it wasn't, it was acceptable, and it wasn't meant in maliciously at all. It wasn't like, oh, well, here, this other person people off it was like, you know, it was like, oh, okay, sure. All under the care. I mean, you know, look at that, you know, even going back to Mel Blanc with things like, you know, Speedy Gonzalez and stuff. I mean, now Oh, my God, of course not. But at the time, you know, and things have changed, you know, very much. And again, now, you know, I'm not Hispanic, I'm not Latino. So I don't know how that affects, but as a white guy, I never looked at that as like, ooh, that's where that's bad. Or that's, you know, that's Mexico. We just thought it was a cute cartoon character.
Toby Ricketts
Yeah. So onto cartoon characters. And I mean, you know, come out with a broad range of characters. Do you spend time kind of like creating characters and then putting them in some kind of bank? Or is it always sort of on the fly and you're pulling different handles, depending on what the gig is?
Marc Graue
It really depends on what the gig is. And where I mean, you have an idea, I call it roadmapping copy direction, and I know they'll probably get in trouble over this one direction, though, is is so specific. Sometimes I always look at it liken it to Pirates of the Caribbean where well, it's not exactly rules. It's more guidelines and Really, I mean, if you've been doing this a while we've all seen or heard a spot the direction was very specific. And you were hurt or sad when really that's where they were, that's not even close to what the direction was. So if I think a lot of the time you know from your heart you know, but but look at the copy look at the you know, it's that classical knew who are you speaking to? How many people but but that point, how is it written? Is it written, where it's kind of, you know, smart as is written like a TED talk, where you got the mic coming down, and you're very passionate. And, you know, it really depends on the style of stuff you're doing commercials are all a call to action, CTA they want you to do something, they want you to go to the phone, go on the internet, get off the couch, buy something. So leave me feeling good. I mean, even the spots that run here with Sarah McLaughlin, and you know, that awful spot with the dogs and they show him what it's like, and you're $19 a month, by Biffi, a third leg so he can walk in a circle. I mean, let's try that. I'm sorry. That's terrible. But the thing is, again, it's very awful. It's a but here's the solution. And here's the end, even childhood cancer. Here's the problem, you know, your St. Jude's, it's like it's terrible. But you know what, here's the solution. And so you're leaving me feeling good. Same thing with with, you know, whether it being animation or video games, you need to connect with what that audience is, if it's a much younger, sweeter, you know, very, you know, like a kid's thing for Nick Jr. for Disney. It's very sweet. It's very non threatening. We years ago had done Hulk Hogan's rock wrestling. All the wrestlers and a brother, this is what we're gonna do. All right, we got to find the bad guy and stop them. And they don't got this, you know, so the wrestlers came in, they did 26 episodes, they went to test it and all the kids are going mommy's y'all. Hey, listen, you should. So they had to recast the entire thing to tone it down a bit, because it was it was just too intense. You know, so hit him, you know, things have changed. I mean, that's changed drastically, you know, as far as you know, this style of stuff and language and all of that kind of thing. But it's really, it's just identifying with that character and the personification of physicality. Absolutely. I mean, I'm all over the place. It looks like I'm having a seizure or something. You know, but it, you know, that comes through, it's like, I tell people, you know, if you put smile on the copy doesn't mean okay, I'm smiling. Now. I know physically smile. Okay, there and that will come through your voice. Hmm.
Toby Ricketts
What are some of the other the classic kind of character levers you can pull? I know, you do a great YouTube video where you take a red character, and then you make him like a little guy, and then you become a blue collar guy. And like, that's one. So Libra is sort of like age and size. Are there any other kind of obvious levers that when you're trying to tweak a character you can explore?
Marc Graue
Sure? Well, I think I think again, um, attitude for one, you know, age also, I mean, the thing is, there are such subtleties within like, age, people go, okay, he's an old man, they immediately go to you know, yard kind of thing or a gets even more not get out my yard, you know, kind of thing where it's, you know, it's, it just depends. But most older people now don't sound that way. You know, know, if it's a cartoon, a cartoon is just that it's an animated character. So sometimes they want that there's a lot of time you Adult Swim stuff, they want much more? They want realism. So what would it what would a person that age, sound like? And again, it's, it's sometimes sticking with what you do, like, you know, I'm an older guy now, obviously. So like me doing an 18 year old boys, it's not gonna happen. You know, it's just, it's better to pass. I mean, you could try and debit, it's just, it really isn't going to work for that, you know, so why, why waste the agent's time and a client's time, you know, but at the same time, I love it when they're very specific and go, well, the age of this character is 43. I'm sorry, that we got your idea was great. But it was definitely pushing 44. I mean, it's like, well, you know, there's not that many differences in certain age, you know, areas like that, where it's like, what's the difference, really. And really, it's, you know, the key now, especially, is to do something memorable. Because everything I come from an era where we still use like voiceover gypsies, you'd go to casting directors office, you'd go to your agents, you'd go to the buyer, and you'd actually as you made the rounds, you'd walk in the casting director Hey, Mark, how you doing? Well, we work together on Oh, yeah, and foots in the door. And you know, now you're relegated to being an mp3 so that the essence of you needs to shine through that mp3, you're not there to work the room, you know, so that when they hit Play show, even in your slate, and I don't mean going off on some you know, I've heard people where the slate I think was longer than the piece itself, but just like hey guys, how you doing great character, you know, hope I hear from you, you know, I'll shut up now. Let's get on with this. You know, and give them a few different tapes. You know, give mix it up a little bit. Look at an audition. That's Your chance, as you know, monologue night on camera school is like, hey, let's give it up for it. You're up in the light comes on, it's yours, you know, so So you That's your chance to bowl them over, there really isn't any right or wrong. It's what you feel you should do. That's what you should do.
Toby Ricketts
Yeah, that's so interesting. I hadn't really revisited that. Because when I first got started in voiceover, I did a couple of in person auditions, you know, with casting directors, when I lived in a big city before I moved out into the middle of nowhere. And it was a fundamentally different experience, because they were there. And you could tell from like, with their faces, whether you were doing a good job or not, and sort of change it on the fly. But now it is completely blind. You know, you're recording this a day or two before they listen to it. So you really have no reading.
Marc Graue
Yeah. And even without you get feedback on the spot, wonderful, love what you're doing, pull back a little bit, if you can, let's play up that Gil and say, Oh, great, thanks. Because it's, you know, that direction is invaluable. And that's why live sessions are wonderful. Now, that doesn't mean that I agree all the time with with, you know, necessarily with you kind of going, okay, sure, I'll be there. They're the boss. That's what they want. They they have an idea of the overall picture. So they know what's going on. We're just hired hands. It's like doing a little piece of this. And it's like, they know how that's going to fit into the overall thing. And we're just kind of like, oh, okay, you're sure its own? Sure. You know, and it's not, it's not unusual to ask you, can I just give you another take that felt at the end, but they'll almost always go? And of course, you know, absolutely not what Jake, that's it now shut up. You don't
Toby Ricketts
know who I am? Yeah, I think and I think it's really useful to have those sessions where a direction comes completely out of left field, and it goes completely against your instincts, when you've actually got the gig and you're just like, what, really, I can't I'll do it, I'll do it, you know, and you give it to them. And then you see the final spot. And you're like, that was the right call, I didn't realize the pictures were going to be like,
Marc Graue
that brings up a very interesting thing. And that is a lot of people will get, you know, they I've had a number of people you probably to ask when you get the copy, usually, as you're walking in the door, you know, there's like, here it is, here's, you know, this is the rewrite whatever, but be prepared. It's like when I was doing you know, like, even going back to like Avatar, the cartridge, I wouldn't read the script. And it wasn't because I was missing the script by the fish. We do smell that, you know, by God. I mean, you know, it was because I didn't want that set. You know, what do you mean, you don't want that laugh? Don't you know what that laugh brings to the you know, and your brains going. But that lab, I put the laugh in, it was supposed to go there, and you start getting, you know, very chill. It's the same situation as if you get an audition, and it's got links to YouTube. I always suggest don't listen to those first lay down a few ideas of yourself, then go back and listen. Otherwise, you're just doing a bad impression of what you just heard. And it's entirely you know, if it's a voice match, of course, you know, then you need to listen and get down all the subtleties and stuff. But voice matches are dead on not Well, it's pretty close. But that doesn't count. It's got to be dead on. But what happens is your brain starts with no, they put in more of a pause. No, they have that kind of crap. So they drop off at the end like that. Like that. Okay. And so when you read all of that said, it's like this or you're like that. And that's just like, it's like, yes, if he had Tourette's, sorry. There's not a lot of filters here. I apologize.
Toby Ricketts
No, it's true. I one of the best pieces of advice in terms of you know, going into a session is be prepared but not rehearsed. Because rehearsal kills that kind of, there's something you get from the first read that's like a spark of freshness that you cannot replicate after that first read. And we've all had
Marc Graue
that where you do that and go through three zillion takes, and they go, yep, they ended up going with the first day.
Toby Ricketts
Yeah, exactly. Yeah, everyone's had that experience yet. So speaking of those sort of sessions that do go on for 300 takes when you know they're going to use the first one. This is a really fun gig. I think that's the one of the big things I've never heard an occupation spoken of. as highly as also in terms of just having fun. Like it really does not feel like work. If you've been doing it for 35 years. Is the magic still there? Like is it still fun? It was
Marc Graue
actually the living has been closer. It's almost been almost 5050
Toby Ricketts
you go. Obviously that video is 15 years old, and I might just
Marc Graue
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's yeah, it's sadly as it's true. Yeah, it's, you know, like anything else, you there is a certain amount of birth. I don't think you still retain the excitement of you know, I remember my brother is a musician. And he was like, Hey, man, we're, we're in town. Do you want to come down to the studio is like, Absolutely not. I mean, when all day. I mean, like, you know, it easy. He's all like, well, this is really cool. It's like, No, it's not my life. You know, it's like my kids. You know, their friends are like, can we go to the studio? God, that's so cool. My kids are like, Oh, it sucks. It's boring. You know, and if you're born in it, you kind of I was actually born in Hollywood of a Queen of Angels. My dad used to do News Channel Five here. So I grew up up I'm a lot there with dinosaur and Bob Hope and all these guys. So to me that was like, Okay Daws Butler was my godfather he used to do a live puppet show is Stan Freeburg golf time for BD EBD boys. And I remember sitting there was it while I was very young night for maybe five, and just enamored, it was like, wow, this is so cool. You know, these guys are great, you know, and watch them rehearse, you know, worries that they had, at that point, they didn't have stage lights. So they have these massive pieces of plywood spotlights. I mean, just so these poor guys are working at night, you know, it's got to be 300 degrees and sweating. And he's like this. And as he's talking like this, all of a sudden that you could see the puppet starting to go, oh, abd chef. And I remember thinking, this is so cool. It's puppets and bad language, you know? And of course, my mom's like, You're never going back. That's, you know, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. You know, I didn't at that point, you really have any idea with that? That's what I would end up doing. But no, it's been a it's a spectacular idea. As far as stealing how, you know, I still absolutely love what I do. There's no doubt about it. There's times it becomes overwhelming. There is the business aspect of it that you do need to deal with, you know, and sometimes that's not as much but it's like any other business. Not a lot of fun. You know, but overall, yeah, I can't think of it. I mean, this is really, it's all I've ever done in my entire adult life. You know, paid for let's say two divorces, three kids, we call it four houses. And I'm still over.
Toby Ricketts
Yeah, so what was your first sort of like, what would you say was your big first big break into the industry? Can you can pin it on a certain event or a gig?
Marc Graue
Well, it depends I can't it whether it's the first one for studio wise for engineering, was I was I had be asked my way into a big music studio called Cherokee way back when that when this was like the Mecca. I mean, all of the cars albums and journey and Michael Jackson and Azia match. I mean, it was just me. In fact, when I first went in interview, I almost knocked Pat Benatar over it was like, oh my god, I had not a clue. As far as the music part at all was always watched but they decided they wanted to open a media studio doing voiceover stuff. So I actually talked Warner Brothers Records into bringing Van Halen for their first album, then came in the whole thing to do spots was high price talent they did the thing this guy is the I've told the story a zillion times but he was looking to patch an effect and well you know, man, if you do this and he turns around in front of this roomful of people that goes I'd appreciate it if you'd shut your mouth and stay out I said I was like you know right side let it knock him off the chair left side just said sit here and shut up mark so I did and it was like I you know that I listened to i We got you know, this is Van Halen This isn't now it's like I mean it's it's good but it's not. So I put I went in and voice to spot and put together a blistering you know, Van here where you know, phasing where you do left, right, champ day and then a Chet. So Leo van him. And I mean, the thing was, you know, there's like, the old Panasonic spots where your hair is fine. And probably not very cozy, but I stuck it on the end of stuff when I sent it to Warner Brothers 3300 Warner bit of art in Burbank. And they called and it was like, I'm going oh, God, like, there's my career. It's getting smaller and smaller. You know, I'm thinking, Oh, my God, I'm so excited. Man, we loved it. And I had Warner Brothers as a really good client for probably 20 well up until AOL bought them out, which was, you know, but I had them 2024. And they to the point where they go, you know, Madonna's in town, we need an interview. Here's the bio, she'll show up at three. And it was like, Really, so I've got some amazing In fact, I've got this collection of stuff that I'm at some point gonna work out something with, you know, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that because it's one out, I mean, it's like Brian Wilson and REM. And yet all of these huge acts from back then. And I've got the original voice tracks the original interview that nobody else has him because it's the uncut version of all this stuff. But yeah, was that and doing contract spots, and they have a thing they do every month called the the guide, which was all their new releases. And at that time, it was not just Warner records. It was Warner Brothers, but they also distributed Kevin sire quest, Paisley Park, you know, metal blade, all these others. So all of those were all combined. So it was yeah, it was really an amazing ride. And in the first voice gig, someone had said, Well, there's they're having general auditions at Hanna Barbera. I mean, I've done a lot of voc. I don't think I'd ever auditioned for anything. It was like, Oh, okay. And so when I wrote this script, and I think they thought I was on crack. Because it was, you know, now we'll have to find the great note of stuff. He may call me. Great, great. Yeah. So I get you know, and it's like, jumping or doing a Robin Williams thing you could tell they were like, you know, in Gordon Hunt was the director, you know, Helen hunts guide. And a lot of the big directors now they Are were Gordon's assistants at one time there. And so that was my first and they said, you know, you get yourself an agent will have yell at her work and was like really? Wow. And so I had made wonderful friends with Don Pitts, who is like this iconic Holly. He was like the voiceover agent in Hollywood. His clients were Mel Blanc, Casey Casey and Gary Owens, Orson Welles. I mean, it was like, if you're tuned for a I mean, you name it, if you were, you know, he was the guy. We became very good friends. When I was doing stuff at the studio. Because I was doing, I started doing demos for his clients. And I called him up and he said, Get down your hog. We'll sign the paperwork today. And it was a Wow, really. So that was kind of that's kind of how things started. Mm hmm.
Toby Ricketts
Very interesting. And it kind of cements for me because I know, you know, like most voiceover careers, you hear about, at least the sort of ones with longevity are based on just consistency. Like I've been in the industry for 10 years, it started really tiny, was kept being really tiny for the first five years. And then suddenly, it just gets bigger and bigger. And success leads to success. And you meet people and you know, people and it just all suddenly catches on fire. And versus the people who were discovered in Walmart or something, and they do, you know, they're the new voice of Disney or something. And it was just like, it's their first gig, which is very uncommon, like, it's that's basically playing the lottery.
Marc Graue
Yeah, that doesn't help. It's the same thing with getting an agent. That doesn't happen a lot now, because the field is kind of flooded with so many people. So there's ways to approach that. It's like I always say it's like embellishing on a resume. Do you want to lie? Of course not. Because you're getting Oh, well, yes, I'm the voice of Ford, Chevy and Fox and NBC. It's like, really? Okay, I mentioned Budweiser. It's like, you know, and I've seen people do that. I've actually was at a party. This happened a couple of times, and people go, Well, yes. Because I'm the lead. And it was like, No, oh, yes. I and it was like, little miliar not because we recorded that, and you're not, you know, it was? Well, I mean, I was involved with the scratch tracks, you know, and it's it's just to be true to thine own self. It's very interesting in that sometimes it's not supportive. You know, my dad, who was a newsman verions, he was like, what you sit in a room and talk and they pay like kind of shits out, guys, but he had pipe dreams, you have smoke too much pot, but that was wrong. But you know, I didn't you know, it was like, you know, that that's unheard of. But it's just, you know, if you just, you know, follow that dream, it can be interesting thing, is it a lot of people expect that overnight sensation thing and think well, I mean, I, you know, I put my demo together myself and send it out. And I haven't heard anything. And it's like, well, it does, you know, even with a demo, it's a one off, grab attention. You know, I always use the other tip of the song Happy by for you know, it's like, if you're that song comes on, it'll be in your ears forever. Even if you hate this song. It's like, there it is your legs moving and it'll grab you. That's what you need to do in with a demo, be memorable, do something where they go holy, come here, come here, you got to hear this, you know, and that could be you know, comedy drama. So it's not just you know, here I am doing my voices. You know, and you know, I do a dad on Homer Simpson, DOH. Doh. It's like, well, let's see, there's a couple of things here. That's not dead on. Dan's not going anywhere. So why?
Toby Ricketts
Yeah. And speaking of that, one of my next questions was, like, there are lots of people, especially from the sort of computer game player world who are told they have great voices. And, and they do do like, you know, great impressions at parties. They're an absolute hoot. But there's a difference between being good at parties and being a professional voiceover actor, although it doesn't seem like it on the face. So what is the sort of key difference between having a great party voices and turning them into like professional voices?
Marc Graue
The main key honestly, is that when you do a party voice, there's three lines that you do and you nail those and it sounds exactly like the character. If I go there to go, here's the script. You mean in that voice? Then we're gonna start doing that now you're gonna find it's going to be a little more difficult to do. There are certainly things you know voice matching is very good, big movies. That is a huge huge business for people that really do dead on carriage ALPA chinos you know contract make you know call how many million dollars to do that thing but if to come back in and do ADR either reply says I don't want to do it or it's an extra $5 million and they can pay you know a stand up comedian who does a dead on ALPA Chino and is asked to come in and do it and you know, work for you know, a grand two grand for the day, you know, and knock it out of them and you would never know that that's who that was that was in there and so that that kind of stuff is great. But with with that sort of thing, too. You need to be brutally honest here. So but and also realize, you know, like, Okay, who are you voicing? I mean, did you know it's like, is that person going anywhere? I mean why? So why? I It's a great thing to have in your cache of voices, you know, but putting that on, I mean, it's like, does that mean? I mean, why? It's, it's kind of a moot point, if the person's already doing that voice, it's not like they're gonna, what did you hear the guy do that product, let's fire the guy that's done it for 10 years, we're gonna, you know,
Toby Ricketts
it's, it's kind of, it's kind of realizing that they said, like, trying to reverse engineer the commercial imperative of like, why are you doing these voices? Who will pay for these voices? And why? Like, you know, it has to be a great original voice or, or, like you say, you know,
Marc Graue
that's really above and beyond, that's what they're paying you to do is to bring, you know, every everybody has the same words. So why am I gonna hire you? You know, show me why, you know that. And that's where all the subtleties and there's only one you. So you need to bring that that bring you to that audition process, where it's like, oh, this is kind of a different take. You know, and that's what I was saying before, as far as play a little bit. You know, play a little sometimes if you carry something. I've done auditions and booked the job and go, God, we got your ideas, and geez, which I mean, it was so pumped up twisted was like, Gee, you sounded like a, you know, a total, you know, mass murderer was like, Well, great. I'm here you hired? You know, and it's like, well, maybe we'll have to pull it back a bit. That's good.
Toby Ricketts
You know? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, showing that you can go the distance, you know, is a really important thing. And one of the other things I want to talk about is that, like, you know, what separates really good actors, from from sort of novice talent say, is their ability to really commit to a roll, like more than 100% Like you hear people trying to do voices where you can hear that they're kind of, they're doing a voice. They're pretending to be a voiceover artist. They're not actually living that character. So how does one like start to from starting to do voices Gulf to and being voices?
Marc Graue
Well, first off, visually, picture in your head. What what is this guy? Is he is he fat? Is he going to be Roatan? So he has a guy, you know, like, it's down in here, or take anything up in this thing? When he's a little, we
Unknown Speaker
usually say what do you think? Yeah, you know, that's easy, you know, kind of thing. It could, you
Marc Graue
know, whether it's, you know, but but think in terms of, you know, a little eating outside of the box, I felt like Tony, let's all walk out a call, you know, it's just, you know, it's like a witch boys, if you ask a girl to do a wish to immediately she's gonna go out and get you my pretty and your dog fit. You know, it's like, well, why couldn't she be a 400 pound witch with a list and an English accent. You know, that just and I mean, sometimes, you know, copy can get very specific, but feel free on that. Like, if you're doing a second take, give them something that's, that's very, very different. The interesting thing is a lot of people when you're doing two takes, one is going to be loud, and one is going to be quiet. And it's like, and the problem is that we all have we, we all have our own personal natural style of reading out loud. And so change. I always tell people change your inflection change, like put the emphasis on a different set of words when you get locked in now that's going to change that up and make it sound very different. Rather than Oh, he sounded loud, he sounded soft, you know, but understand that that audition process they don't know till they hear it, you know, when it's like wow, this this is and there's certain things that just you know, the sky's but a great example it you know, is there a motor come of luck absolutely, positively. Night at the Museum. Brad Garrett originally did the big Tiki head, right that the Eastern event it was at yum, yum. And so he didn't want to do the ADR. So I got to get doing the ADR, which was great. And I got video game that was great. The ridiculous thing was Hershey's and McDonald's where it just they don't you like grabs this thing throws it and I go, yo, yo. That's it. You know, at that time, we still with William Morris, and even to the point where they call and say we'll look Hershey's wants to use it as a rollover on your website. Yum, yum, yum. You know, it was but they don't want to do another session. You know, they're asking you know, if they could just do a buyout for 15 minutes like oh, wait, I just sold out for lunch for about it's like seriously so occasionally those do come in where it's it's a ridiculous amount of money and things fly and you know, you have those big but the real reality is no journeymen voiceover person. You're doing a little of this a little without this out, you know, my thing is pretty much carry so a lot of video game stuff. animation, video game stuff is huge. Right now, it's massive, captive audience. So but like dialects are very real. And it's not like really look without its lucky tolerances. There's big yellow balloons and whatever the hell it was brown things are not putting, you know, it's, you know, it's you want it to be more realistic than that, you know, these are pretty, you know, their triple A's are pretty gritty. You know,
Toby Ricketts
I want to talk about the difference between what the key considerations are between sort of like games and cartoons, which is, you know, the stuff that you're famous for. So starting with games It's like, what's what is the state of Gambia it's gone. You know, we used to just say computer games knew what it meant. Now you've got triple A's, you got casual games, you've got mobile games. I mean, it's a huge, it's more diverse in the movie industry and bigger than the movie industry. So like, what would you say the status of a game? Not only
Marc Graue
bigger than the movie industry as as of this year? Right now, it's twice with the movie industry and sports industry combined. Wow. That's incredible. It's, it's, you know, a captive audience, you
Toby Ricketts
know, especially Gen COVID.
Marc Graue
Oh, yeah, they came out with a new Playstation five and the new Xbox. And then of course, they had problems with it. But I had a pipeline of like old Zealand games were sitting, you'd never need to play them on. So it's like, well, or not? Are you in? I can't really talk about that right this minute.
Toby Ricketts
And you do have to, do you think it's important to play games as a voice actor to see what everyone else is doing? And see what's expected?
Marc Graue
You know, I've had I've had a lot of people see that I've seen stuff on the internet with, you know, I, you know, clients? Well, I've had so and so told me that. I mean, you really can't, you know, be you know, voice games unless you've played them. And it's like, Well, I'm a great example. I'm too old, my fingers are too fat. You have a director that's telling, and they'll give you a full backstory. And it's no, it's exactly the same as as, you know, an on camera session or whatever, except they're giving you this is what's happening. In this case, they're running up, you're trying to, you know, keep these people at bay or you just, you're we really want to motion you're actually walking up and realizing that your village the village is burned down. Your family is dead, you know, and that's where that emotion waiter will lead up. You know, it's Yeah, I mean, it's pretty serious. You know, war cries full volume. I mean, these are the the cinematics are so real. It's crazy, huh. That's, that's, I think, probably of all the genres of yoga. Video games, so probably requires the most out of teacher because they really, that emotion is huge.
Toby Ricketts
Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And there's always that disconnect between them. You know, if you do, like, I think students are always really surprised at how much more you have to give this side of the mic then comes out the other side, like through a video game or through it through to like, you have to give so much more when you see the sessions for like Spongebob Squarepants is that people can't believe that people are like, a kind of like, veins popping because there's so much effort going on. Oh, how do you remind yourself that that's the amount of effort do you just sort of set a standard for yourself and you just like, absolutely throw everything you've got there?
Marc Graue
Well, it depends on what it is. You know, it depends on what kind of a character you're playing. I mean, you know, I've done a bazillion orcs, you know, all going all the way back to the first very first word crab all the way up through the Warcraft movie. You know, all the different versions of it. I don't think I've done I don't know eight or 10 or something. And so you know but an orc you know, he still wants to come home he said so there's still a I don't want to say humaneness but there's still emotions there. You know, we were laughing the other day though. Even dialect wise it goes when When did all trolls become cockney or? Face? You know, it's like, like anybody from the Bronx will see this face. They know they've all got that very raw, you know? And you can you know, definitely we when we did the Warcraft movie, everybody was like Yeah, that's great. See you Monday we'll throw reference going on there.
Toby Ricketts
And how does that work? Because I've always struggled with I've wanted to sort of just dip my toe into video games see if it's something because it because you know, I'm mainly sort of in the commercial sort of corporate space and it does get a bit sort of like same time and I'd like like to mix it up and do and it's fun characterizing
Marc Graue
you know, baby mom I'm dipping my toe
Toby Ricketts
but like I struggled with that with with like the screams exertion scripts for example they they're quite hard on your voice like how do you what are your some of your tips in terms of staying healthy and keeping your instrument in one piece?
Marc Graue
Well, I think I've been doing it for so long you don't really even think about it. But I'm honestly I've had sessions where I came up via the only thing honestly above and beyond every Shut up you just need to not talk for a couple of days which microbrand seems to think is wonderful. I don't know why that is you know all the things with you know honey throat code, you know limit to always that's fine I'll dry you know Ghazal throat coat what I'm doing a session like that. But you just you know it you just need to rest. And you know, there are certain things you know, even efforts virtually all characters have efforts if it's like you're being attacked, air is going out. And they'll go you know, give me a set of five you've been hit give me a set of five you've been stabbed, give me a five you know, you've been a sword and attacking is usually a two part what you're picking up. Yeah, you know, and that kind of, you know, feel to it. And there's tricks with that to you know, as far as efforts and stuff but usually a good draft We'll keep that till the end. You know, you're at the end of this session, and kind of let you know. And sometimes, you know, it's hard. I mean, it's got to be honest with you. Because half the time Honestly, even more than it, I really don't know what I do is like, Okay, I booked this character. And it's like, okay, great. And so we do it and go, Okay, that was it. Let's do the average grade, do it. And I'm thinking, Oh, right. Oh, here, we've got one another character here real quick. It's like, Ah, okay. And even even two is you can have you do three characters and then only pay with usually, then you've got one mean, and the other two are incidental. And they're usually very good about it. It's not like they're mean are terrible, you know, but it's some sessions can be very, very grueling. In that video game, guys, they pray, you know, if, like, when you've worked with them a while and stuff, be prepared. Video games are usually an ABC of each line, meaning you're doing three different takes. So you don't want to go and it's great. And it's great. And it's great. That's not really helpful. So you want to make sure you switch that up, because different intent. That's not if they've worked with you a while and stuff you'd like with now, they'll usually let me get get away doing a full page of stuff and going through, and then I'll go back and have to do pickups, you know, if some, or they'll just go, Yep, let's move on. You know, it just depends on whatever they they want. But just you know, it's kind of be prepared for whatever, whatever comes your way. And sessions can be, you know, the interesting thing with video games is a lot of the time, the casting process may only be four or five lines. And if you book the game, it may be 22 pages of dialogue, you know, so it's a very different kind of a feel. And so it's just, you know, it's, it's really not, you know, it's not brain surgery, if it was IP and a lot of trouble. You know, so it's really just kind of, you know, but thinking in terms to have what they have, there's some people that don't have that thought process that we call it American Idol syndrome, or it's a no, no, just bring it down like this. I am no, bring it down like this. I am and it's like, okay. And it's just it's not going to happen. I've got a great show we did with a, we were doing spots for Captain Morgan raw. And the line is Captain Morgan, what do you say? That's it? Captain Morgan, what do you say? The guy keeps going? Captain Morgan, what do you say? It's like? No, it's Eddie. Eddie. Wasn't here. A good? No, no, man. It's just a throwaway. Why do you say why do you say? No, we're not asking a question. It's just like Captain Morgan. Why do you say, got it? Captain Morgan. Why did you say it's like, no, you're doing No, no.
Toby Ricketts
Actually, I've had that experience, you know, like, in terms of mentoring and stuff, and just come to the conclusion that like, voiceover really is more about listening than doing like, it's listening to yourself. And it's listening to others and what others are sort of asking you to do and making sure you're doing
Marc Graue
networks to the interpretation of what they're telling, oh, nudge, you know, and that's why when you do this, we're like doing three in a row. I mean, it's like, but I always pride myself on, you know, they book me for three hours, and I've done in an hour in 10 minutes, you know, because I'm usually pretty fast and can zip through stuff pretty well. You know, did you not like, Oh, it's just, you know, you kind of been like anything else? Again, muscle memory, you just you know where to go? You've done a zillion I'm gonna say, Okay, sure. No problem.
Toby Ricketts
I think it's easy to forget as Mossad is that we, the we, like, part of the skill is knowing what we sound like when we do certain voices, like we know exactly what sound like as opposed to like normal population, who, when they hear themselves go, Oh, my God don't sound like that. You know, like, there's that disconnect. Whereas, like, the the point of being a voiceover is being a sounding board, nothing all these ideas, but knowing exactly what we to those sound like and being able to modify
Marc Graue
them. It's true, you know, to that point, I mean, again, a lot of the time, I don't, many times I don't listen to the finished. I had a series for 11 Siri or 11 seasons on NatGeo, calling Alaska State Troopers and generating it. And I don't consider myself an overwhelmingly great narrator. You guys do a lot of characters. So it was a great, I mean, obviously, 11th season, that's a great run. I think the best comment was at a family gathering and somebody, my daughter was there, they said, that must be really cool to hear your dad on TV. And she goes, No, because every time I hear that voice, I think I'm in trouble. I want to hear this done.
Toby Ricketts
Again, it's so funny. How about that I heard I heard a clip of that, that that documentary when I was researching this and, and it is it's almost a character that kind of, you know, that kind of police documentary. It's like, you know,
Marc Graue
these guys don't get away from the cops. And that's what they want it Yeah, yeah, that's, that's, and that's the key is that it's not, I've had people, you know, look at, well, this copy is just stupid. I'm gonna cheat and it's like, this is that's not how it works. You know, you're gonna get copied. It's like, really? Okay. I mean, it's like, you know, you can, you know, make it at least so that it's made because a lot of time it'd be maybe was written by someone who doesn't be English is not their first language. So you may be able to clean things up a little bit, you know, a great example of that, which which is prime for that is anytime you're doing localization, or ADR for like a foreign film and doing dubbing into America, you're constantly having to change stuff to make it fit lip flap, you know, are gonna fit, you're gonna have to add an hander or, you know, if that's looking closely to it, and that that's a constantly changing kind of
Toby Ricketts
thing. And I mean, Netflix is really and the others are doing it, too. But like they've changed the localization game and that they change everything into every language basically, to just you know, give it complete worldwide reach. And they say
Marc Graue
okay, nothing
Toby Ricketts
but it's kind of a special skill, isn't it? Like and do you have the facilities at your studio to sort of you know, do the the impersonator Yeah, watching the lips recording?
Marc Graue
Oh, yeah. We've got the ADR stage. Yeah, it's got a big 15 by 15 foot screen with a yeah, we've got banners and they've come across, it'll go into lock so it'll go beep beep and you know, when to Tyrion, playback production audio. Yeah, we've done a ton of I mean, even I think probably the coolest it was we were worked on a what was it at the sea? With Ron Howard movie, they said, Hang on, he was at Pinewood he was the director. Jelena was wrong. It was like, Oh, cool. Yeah, that was kind of neat. Yeah, we do a lot of that. And we always laugh if it's a particularly bad Christmas movie, and it's on Hallmark. Let's see, hold on to any of those Shannon's got Billy Ray Cyrus, chances are we probably did the ADR saying,
Toby Ricketts
I found it an interesting fact that like overseas, like the big American stars have their own ADR voice, which always voices for that, that character disease, you know, that's kind of a thing, which
Marc Graue
it's finally starting to open up. Because one of the things that really bothered me a lot, I've got a bunch of, you know, obviously I live in LA. So I've got a ton of Hispanic friends, Latino guys that I grew up with. And it was really bothers me that they'd have first run shows like, you know, CSI or something that's making millions and they do it, you know, the Spanish version for Telemundo. And guy, by the way, you know, we'll pay him 100 bucks or something. It was like what, and this is like, the voice of this mega series, you know, through the entirety, like how many ever episodes I think that we're finally starting to realize, you know, big market for us should be paying these guys because they're good. They're phenomenal at what they do. Absolutely.
Toby Ricketts
Absolutely. Yeah. So switching tech a bit like where do you? Where do you source jobs? And would you suggest people source jobs because now like, there's a whole diversity of different ways to get jobs now online, mainly, that it's the pay to play sites, there's agents, there's just having contacts, like, you know, how has that changed over the years? And what do you say is the most you know, where can people find work these days?
Marc Graue
Well, I found that public bathrooms it scale. Alright, I don't have to like it. Right. Okay. Sorry.
I apologize. Um, it really, it depends on your skill set. As far as what kind of stuff you want to be looking for you there will be you'll see tons of stuff on the internet about you don't need an agent about it. And it's like, well, that's because you don't have one. It's like, why would you not want someone in your corner whose only only job is to get your work and they don't get paid? Unless they're getting you work? I mean, that's you know, and a good agent has contacts it's like and there's there's agents that are more connected in specific areas. I mean, if you want to do video games, you want to find somebody who's in bed with Brian Scotland and dead with Insomniac Games and a bed with you know you know, Blizzard and all the you know, same thing with you know, if the you know, the animation and you want to do that that make sure that they've got those contacts, you know, portion. Scott over coast to coast is brave, you know, why don't you whether it be outlets, I mean, all these guys cabaret, she's leaving CSD, but you know, I mean, there's a bunch that are real, and they have those connections, they build those connections over years. So if, let's say so and so it you know, Disney is doing a dub got to they're going to go to which means you're going to audition for it, you know. And that's the that's the bigger jobs. Which brings us to an interesting thing to Union. In the States, obviously, the governing Union, where it used to be too little vitals stuff anyway, it was, you know, it was American Federation, television, radio artists and Screen Actors Guild now they've combined definitely opens the door to better paying jobs. There's residuals, there's that kind of stuff. However, what's happened at this point, seriously, if to be very honest, it's probably about 8020, about 80%, non union work and 20% Union. And that's changed dramatically. And quite honestly, the union should have jumped on that a long time ago, rather than it kind of treated the voiceover thing. It's kind of a vouchered redheaded child like a delta. And now they're going Oh, I see that little tiny speck. That's the boat that sailed, you know, So, you know, hopefully they'll they'll catch up and you know, but it's, it's a cross. There's the Taft Hartley Act which can get you into the Union if it's just the you know, that's a whole nother Bucky but
Toby Ricketts
yeah, it's pretty, it's quite complex, but people on the outside I mean, I know I've definitely I mean, I've been tapped out laid onto a few things. And yeah, boy, when you get a taste of Veta, sweet, sweet nectar of the Union, it's hard to have to stop. But, you know, it's hard for people to get that first for Giga seafood outside the states because you then kind of have to either commit fully or not, and, you know, becomes a very confusing mess. And the biggest thing
Marc Graue
without if you're outside of the states or outside, you know, if you're, you know, Mid America, make sure that connectivity, you've got that, and you know how that system works. You know, ipdtl stuff works pretty well. But source Connect is kind of its source Connect is like Pro Tools. They came. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, everybody had. And if you do that opens the door, you don't have to be. I'll give you a great example, that Raina in the drag the Disney movie that was all done at people's homes because of COVID. And for Disney to do that is unheard of. And a lot of the time companies will even send out a rig, you know, they'll actually do which I've never really understood the printing side. Because if you have a crappy space, it's it'll reproduce that crappy and as long as you know, you know, but But sure, so that recording in the home I mean, it's become a much more where it used to be. It was like, you know, two or three you know, Don I mean, I LaFontaine I knew Don we used to do all those crappy Steven Seagal movies back in the 80s. You know? And it's, it's just, you know, I mean, Don Aveeno, home studio, Danny, dark boys of NBC. I mean, you know, those were like, Oh, my God, you have a home studio. Jeez, really. And at that time, the whole reason Don had a limo was not because he was dead, is because it wasn't ISDN there wasn't, you know, so we had to actually go from session to session to session to session to session and in Los Angeles, that can very well very quickly, you know, so that was really the main reason. But, you know, it's that connectivity thing will open the doors to everywhere, you know,
Toby Ricketts
they will exactly and it is just a sign of just how things have changed and and how it's democratized in some respects like it like for me than the old New Zealand Yeah, being able to get these these gigs in the states boot with with just no work and and just hanging in there for a long time. Yeah, but it's, it has kind of opened the door. It's fantastic. I really were run with fostering at a time. And we've we've, we've covered,
Unknown Speaker
let's talk really fast.
Toby Ricketts
So I guess actually, one of the things that came off the back of the games thing was, have they started taking casting and recording in house? Are these because they're such big games? They require so much recording? Do they still outsource?
Marc Graue
As far as the studio itself?
Toby Ricketts
Yeah, like, like the outsourcing the recording and the casting to agents and stuff? Or do they seem to maintain their own books,
Marc Graue
it's still sure they'll, they'll still, it's the bigger companies, they pretty much know who the players are and what they do. But yeah, they'll they'll still, there's studios that they feel comfortable working at, and that so then they know the engineer, they know, the and they know the quad, so you have a report, just like you would with anybody else. It's like you've got this this group that's recording, so your writer is in their directors in there, you have your engineer in there, you know, what the place is, like, what the food's gonna be, like, what the data, how the day is gonna go, how the tracks will sound, all of that stuff. So there's that portion of it, although occasionally, they will actually bring, you know, Blizzard still has a big facility down in, you know, down in Orange County, and I went down there recently to do a thing that's coming out later, but so you have that kind of stuff. As far as casting, yeah, but they don't, they'll outsource from a standpoint that sometimes they'll throw a wide net, just to see and the interesting thing is now that net is even wider, because of what we were talking about earlier, they want various if they want, you know, northern Asian, we want somebody that's that's Czechoslovakia, they want somebody that's Czech, that's it speaks Czechoslovakia that may have an accent that debit it sounds very real. There used to be a guy in town here that did de Burgh, Middleton Berg would get ADR for films, and he had this ridiculous list of stuff where you know, he'd do his Sylvester Stallone film, and it would be like, Okay, well, this next scene, they're in Pakistan and he go, what province and they go it's data and he'd have three guys would come in and do the huddling in it. So you're watching and so even even somebody from pet would go God they're there you know, even though they're on a backlot, you know, similar so it sounds weird, but games are even evolving to that where they are looking depending on what it is, you know, but a lot of realism so you know, those two put a call out to you know, you'll you'll get stuff from your agent, you know, going here this isn't new for this and that kind of thing. And then they know kind of what the you know, the big directors of video gives a credit they're pretty aware of who does what you know, and tell me they kind of know what not to say there's not new but they kind of know you know, this person nails that this person nails had a record or group of people.
Toby Ricketts
And again, on the realism thing with games like that does seem to be a real, a real trend is that people are going for this really dramatic sort of realism. But it's, I mean, how do you, like teach people to be realistic? Like, what what are some tips to because as soon as you put normal people in front of microphone, they sound like a scared rabbit. So like,
Marc Graue
biggest thing of all, it's emotion, you know. And so think think of it, I'll give you a great example. And this is not not a fun example, it's, I have coached Special Needs soccer teams for years, right? That's been my thing away from voiceover and just, it's very sweet and very endearing. About three months ago, I got a call from a mob. Daniel, who's now 22nd died from COVID. And which was just like, in two days later husband died. Now that's like, I mean, see even your facial expression that just connected emotionally, it's like, wow, so if you bring that up, and you have that, in my, in my head, when I'm doing something emotional, I guarantee you somebody listening is going to be going, Holy shit. This is like, crazy, intense, you know. And that's, and that's when you've connected. I always use the analogy of it's like walking down the street, and you see a little girl sitting on the side of the road, she's crying, we're not going to walk by and go, you know, what the hell is your butt? No, you'll get down to her level, your facial expression changes your eyes connect your vocal pattern changes, because you're connecting with that person emotional. And that's, that's the key. And if you do that, man you're in. I mean, there's no that because then it's very real. And it's very raw, and all of that. It's like, it's right there. You know, and you can't, you can't and that's not it, it's just putting you in that in that mode. You know, and and really, really going knows animation. It depends anime, you know, you've got two schools of thought on that you've got the cute and remember, don't judge Mr. Squirrel by his tail, you know, kind of thing. And it's very sweet and endearing. Then you've got Adult Swim, which is like, Did you see the tail on abroad? Oh, a shit. I mean, it's like, you know, they're, they're all over the place. So it's really just be prepared for whatever comes your way. You know, that's, that's the key, but whatever you do, just make sure you excel in. I always use that phrase, just be memorable. You know? And that's sometimes hard to do. But you could emotion I mean, if you see an adult or hear an adult crying, or even wait, I mean, man that affects you, that that you don't just go to I mean, you're like, even if you don't know the person, you okay? And what's going on? You know, and you're, you know, I'm writing it's like, it's gonna put me in tears to me, what do you okay? What's gonna, you know, and that's, that's that human part. And if you connect with that dam you're in. There's no doubt about it.
Toby Ricketts
I've had such good advice. Just before we go. One of my favorite films in a world that was in your studios, right. I love that was shot there. Yeah. What was that like to be involved with?
Marc Graue
It was awful. No, okay. No, it was wonderful lake I I was very lucky that I had known Lake beforehand because she'd come in and do to do stuff and so so I was probably the only was it I didn't have to audition or anything or to beat you know, we were I think SIP dead and Mark Elliott and everybody. And, you know, that's a Fred's a good friend, Bella Meadow was in there, too. That's, you know that with the Plater dad. It was great. It was really quiet. You know, the only thing it always ends with any issue. I mean, that was phenomenal. Great, you know, cows to show you. Lake was amazing. I mean, she put that thing together on a shoestring one, all kinds of right. Her career has just taken off. She's directing. And I mean, she's doing all kinds of stuff. But there were those moments, you know, where I, you know, go okay, you know, I know I've got okay, I said, Guys, we can do this, but hallway is fine, but we can't use Studio A today. I've got sessions, and then I walk Epico there's the fucking door. We had to take it out. You can't take the door off. It's a studio. But you know what I'm thinking going. We've got a session in 10 minutes, put the door on, you know. So there was some of that, you know, but overall, it was it was it was really, really, I mean, they were very thoughtful when it was a great, great cast. It was it was one of those those kinds of things, but we also did a series or BH one called Free Radio. You should look that up sometime. It's very fun. Okay. That's good.
Toby Ricketts
I thoroughly recommend to it. Yeah, we'll love you as if you haven't seen in a world. It's like the number one film about voiceover for voiceovers. It's It's classic. It's very nice.
Marc Graue
It's got a heart to it. Yeah, absolutely.
Toby Ricketts
It's it's a very nice way or anything. Well, we found we've reached our time. Thank you so much for joining me today. Um, I wanted to say as well you offer coaching on VoiceOver and a broad range of things. What's the best way for people to get in touch?
Marc Graue
Um, you can reach me out to www Oh god, that's novelistic. Just do lowercase Mark Ma, RC dash, grouchy R e u e calm so it's my dash browser.com that email from that goes directly to me It bypasses the studio so it doesn't get lost in that way and I'm pretty good about getting back you know immediately but yeah, it's me RC dash g or UE don't try to pronounce your last name. It's pronounced. Yeah. Obviously, my parents didn't believe in so
Toby Ricketts
you have all the vowels all the vowels! Well, thank you so much for joining me today and I really look forward to watching the ceremony. So that's this year, which I can't be there in person because of the whole COVID thing.
Marc Graue
But yeah, I It's funny when they called it said you know her life it was like he should have got the right number. Okay, it's you know, and I'm flattered I just I think I think at this point, it's because it's because I'm old and still alive. So I want I'm still here. My pants are squishy again. Anyway. You got it man - thanks for having me!
