Monday, May 28, 2012

Stu-Stu-Studio....

I know. It's been a few weeks. I HAVE A 2 MONTH OLD. Well....almost 3 month old....but still, it's hard to find time to blog. BUT due to having new assistants, who are an EPIC help with the baby, I shall make it my goal to blog every Thursday from now on, so be sure to keep a lookout!

As you may or may not know, I have been converting my tiny, TINY, back bathroom into a home studio, to do work in. So far it is coming along VERY nicely. I wanted it to be removable, since we rent, so I got pretty creative.

I ordered an acoustic foam kit on Amazon, along with some adhesive that can be easily peeled from the wall, so its not a super hassel when we move. The foam covered the whole front area, and most of the sides, I decided I only needed to dampen the sound a bit more, so I hung curtain rod along the back wall, and hung a moving blanket from there. I got a very nice USB mic, so I can plug right into my trusty airbook...heck I can even blog AND record at the same time, though it may be difficult, sort of like rubbing your stomach and patting your head.

Where I had to get creative was covering the sink area, and the commode. For the sink, I enlisted the help of my ever talented Father in Law.  He made basically a wooden, upside-down box to nest over the entire vanity area, which will now act as a table to hold my mic stand, music stand, and laptop. It turned out pretty wicked, and very usable.

Next, the toilet. As hilarious as it may be to just use it as a chair in its original state, I needed something with a bit more height to match my newly raised countertop. Also, I don't sit much when I record, because I sound different, so the chair didn't need to be particularly comfortable or amazing. So, I got a wide-legged barstool, that sits directly over the ol' John. Simple, yet highly effective.

I'll post pics when it is entirely finished. Just a lil' more foam installation needed, and getting some carpet to cover the table and music stand. All in all, I'm pretty happy with the way  its shaping up, and I expect to spend a great deal of my "free time," (need I remind you how little of that new moms get?). I'll even try to post some things I record in there when I get a minute...and get the help I need to figure out HOW to post recordings here...I'm not so much a techno-wizard.

My studio may not be perfect, but it's my place. To work, to play...to have some alone time. I love the way it's shaping up, and CANNOT wait to do some amazing work from it!

Monday, May 7, 2012

BotCon Part 3: The Script Reading

"I'm not worthy." That was the thought going through my head during the introductions for this year's script reading. Gary Chalk, Buster Jones, David Kaye, Dan Gilvezan, and.... Me?! It just doesn't compute. It didn't compute last year either, when it was Gregg Berger, Morgan Lofting, Neil Ross, David Kaye, and, well, me again.

Honestly, this past year of perusing this elusive dream has been many things: overwhelming, disappointing, exhilarating, too fast, too slow, hopeful, random, and amazing... And I wouldn't change any of it.

This years script reading was a little bit different than last years. In two main ways, one: I actually knew what to expect! Last year, I was a BotCon n00b and had no idea what was going to happen. Luckily, in what I've learned is just the way people are at BotCon, everyone was warm, welcoming, and wonderful. The other, was that I played two very different characters. Which meant not mixing them up, and making sure they sounded different enough. You know, taking it one voice at a time. The different enough turned out to be pretty easy, when we did our run thru, the writers and I decided Texan would be fun for Road Rage, since after all, we were in TX!

Everything ended up going pretty smoothly...we had some technical difficulties with the mics, but powered through with out much other incident. The audience laughed at all the right parts :-). Afterward, I went and signed autographs for about 45 min. (it will never feel normal being asked for my autograph. Ever). Then I had to book it to catch our ride to the airport, and, sadly, back to reality.

What I came away with by the end of all of it, was that...I AM worthy. I can hold my own. Maybe I really am finally on the path I'm meant to be on. I have a family, who is beyond supportive, and I'm doing what I love to do. I am a mom now, and what better way to convince my little man to go after his dreams, than to pursue my own.

So that's what I'm doing. One day at a time, one audition at a time...one voice at a time.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

BotCon Part 2: Hall of Fame

I've been struggling with the right words to describe what the Hall of Fame ceremony was like on Saturday night. I've come to the conclusion that if I wait for the perfect words, this blog will never get done, SO I'll just spew my usual stuff :)

I suppose I'll start with thank-yous:

Rik Alvarez- The video you made was incredible. Honestly, it was such a beautiful dedication to his life, training and work. My family and I will always be grateful for the care you put into it.

Hasbro- Thank you for choosing my father for this honor. His work was his life, and he would have been so honored to be recognized for the voices he created.

My husband- for being such an amazing and supportive human being, I don't think I would have been able to stay put together enough to accept the award if you hadn't been there.

His colleagues: Frank Welker, Flint Dille and Peter Cullen, thank you for participating in the video, hearing your memories and kind words about my dad truly warmed my heart.

And, last but CERTAINLY not least...His fans- You are why we do this. Why actors like my father and myself want to keep going. Your enthusiasm, your encouragement, your passion. With out an audience like you, we would be useless. Your reactions are our ultimate high, the energy you give us makes us want to give it back 10 fold. When I stood onstage looking out at the 1000s of you standing, and applauding my father's legacy....I was speechless. It took all the strength I had to get through thanking all of you, without breaking into tears (Which I DID do back in my hotel room). My dad would have been awed and humbled by your reaction, and probably a lot funnier than I was when accepting the award.

Phew. Ok. I got through the emo part.

The HoF dinner and ceremony itself was so much fun! I got to sit at a table with PETER freaking CULLEN! Simon Furman (the other inductee and comic book author) sat with us as well, and was one of the nicest people I have met in a long time. Rik Alvarez and Sarah Carroll, from Hasbro, and Pete Sinclair from Fun Productions were also sitting with us, making our table the fun table for sure. The food was actually pretty awesome ( I usually have some complaint with mass catered food...but this was darn tasty!)

After everything was said and done, I was approached by a lot of my dad's fans. That was probably my favorite part. People who so loved and appreciated his work that they wanted me to shake their hand, or hug them, or sign something of my father's work....it was so surreal. Transformers fans are the best fans in the world, and I am privileged to have gotten to interact with them, to share my thanks with them, and in some cases to share my grief with them.

After the HoF ceremony, there was a (I'm sure incredibly fun) casino night, which I skipped.
Liam had been SUCH a well behaved baby, and slept through the whole ceremony, that we decided not to push our luck. We headed back to our hotel, where grandma, put Liam to bed, and James and I stole 30 min to enjoy the pool, and jacuzzi.




It was an amazing night, with amazing people and memories. I am so blessed to have these experiences,  and to have all of you to share them with!