I believe so strongly that Improv is a necessary skill for voice actors; I sometimes turn myself into a pretzel explaining the value of it to Voice One students. I say “Improv helps you break the rules of voice acting by teaching you the rules of spontaneity” or I say, “Improv gives you the confidence to make a choice and then make a different choice”. Obviously, neither of these endorsements seem to work. Students’ fear of Improv generally gets in the way of seeing the value, and I find myself resorting to “Improv is fun!”
Luckily, our amazing school admin, Danny, forwarded me an article written in the Chicago Tribune by Jackie Pilossoph where she interviews Second City actor Kim Greene Hiller. Hiller speaks eloquently about how Improv can teach people concrete life skills like resiliency, team building, listening and creativity. Reminding me that Improv goes beyond merely being an asset for an actor. It is, more significantly, a valuable asset for navigating life. Here is Hiller speaking about teaching Improv and resilience:
“I see children who were scared become brave, I’ve watched adults who were cut off become present, and I’ve seen kids who have anxiety become creative and not afraid to be wrong. Resilience helps people realize that no matter how much you think you failed, if you get up again, you didn’t fail.”
She goes on to speak about other valuable life skills, taught by Improv:
“Listening: In improv, you have to be an active listener. You’re constantly reading social cues, maintaining eye contact, looking at body language. All of these things are important for socialization and better citizenship.”
“Team-building: You need to be able to build trust and to work collaboratively and creatively. In improv, you can’t be successful if you’re not saying yes to other people’s ideas. You have to solve the problem and make it work.”
“Creativity: Improv teaches students that there is no right or wrong answer. We encourage students to tell us what they think, not what they think the right answer is.”
I particularly raise my hands in the air over this last comment about creativity, since so many voice over students want to “do it right”. They feel they must perform the script “right,” choose their classes “right”, make their demo “right”, design their career path “right”. When in truth, being in the moment, saying yes to the offers that come their way and following their gut are more reliable than any imagined “right way”. And if something does fail, Hiller reminds us that “the genius is not in the plan, it’s in the way you handle the piece that didn’t go according to plan.” In other words, get back up and try again.
October 28 - November 11 (3 Mondays)
6:30-9:30pm
$225
October 11, 18, 25
December 6, 13
6:30-8:30
$20 at the door
No prior improv experience requried
We spoke with the legendary dialect coach on learning accents
Embracing your "imperfections" can make you a better creative collaborator.
It's not "one style fits all" in Character work.
Mary Lynn Wissner, Award Winning Casting Director
Join us for a free webinar! March 17, 10am PST
One of the most highly influential players in voice acting history
A change in perspective can really change what you bring to the table!
Dani and Lee speak about their histories with Anime, representation in voice acting, and inspiring fans to follow their dreams.
Cheryl Rosenthal, Video Producer and Director!
Check out what we have in store for you in February!
Join us for a free webinar! February 4, 10am PST
We get to see how the VO Boss assesses a high quality corporate narration spot.
Jim Edgar shares some perspective on resolving changes in your space's sound over time.
Ann Richardson shares suggestions on audiobook narration that can help you and others in the process.
Sally suggests letting these four words become your mantra for 2021.
Practical Advice for Achieving your Goals in Acting
Check out what we have in store for you in January!
Tiburon Actress Discusses her Role in Pixar's Soul.
An intriguing evolution of a Voice Over career
This holiday season put a little voice over in your gift basket!
Listen to two wonderful demos fresh out of the studio! (plus learn more about our Demo Production process)
Lake Bell talks about getting into the VO business and what it means for her.
Announcing December's Professional Invitational guest!
Texas-based company is making more opportunity for English dubbing beyond Anime
Check out what we have in store for you you this coming month!
Prolific voice actors of animation talk about their careers
by Clay Robeson October 1, 2020
Announcing October's Professional Invitational guest!
As a voice actor, you are your brand, but you can also become part of a company's "brand voice"
Check out what we have in store for you you this coming month!
A quick look at classes starting this week and next week!
Voice Actor phenom here to teach our VO Master Class
A quick look at classes starting this week and next week!
Voice One's new line of "Vocal Athlete" t-shirts are now available in red and black in the Voice One store!
Announcing our first Professional Invitational guest of the Fall 2020 Semester!
Angeli Fitch e-laborates on her experiences in E-Learning
Don't worry, a lot of people think that...
Check out what we have in store for you this month!
A quick look at what's coming to Voice One next week!
A quick look at what's coming to Voice One this week!
A quick look at what's coming to Voice One this week!
A quick look at what's coming to Voice One this week!
Join our official server! Open to current students, Voice one alumni, and prospective students too!
Sign up for both of our Advanced Character classes in June and save $50!
Download the Summer Brochure and check out our July-August classes!
Join Sally every Wednesday morning and start your day with a free 20-minute Vocal Workout!
We are excited to announce our new guest instructor for Anime Mania!
Our next "Nailing the Audition" guest is from outside the Bay Area!
Three 2-hour "deep-dive" sessions have been added to the class calendar. Join one, two, or all three!
Starting in just a few weeks, this class is the perfect class for beginning and intermediate voice actors.
We've got four incredible workshops coming your way next weekend! Find out more in this update from Sally!
We've moved this class on the calendar to better suit the online format
How to Manage your Training and Career During Social Distancing
Look who's coming to Voice One next week!
Join Sally in the morning or evening for an 8-person 2-hour voice over workout!
For the time being, all Voice One classes have been moved online. Here are the confirmed dates.
