AboutRoland Parliament Expertise I can answer any questions regarding voice-over work in commercials, animation, dubbing
and narration. I can coach actors in audition technique, performance requirements and demo
tape preparation. I can help break down sides for all of the above.
Experience I have directed 55 episodes of the hit anime series "Sailor Moon", several other dubbed series and one theatrical release animation entitled, "Ferretina" (release date to be announced). I have voice-acted in over 2,000 commercials, several animation series and a number of narration productions. I have been sent by ACTRA to St. John's, Winnipeg and Halifax to educate and produce demo tapes for ACTRA members.
Organizations ACTRA, AF of M, SOCAN
Publications I am currently writing a textbook and instructional CD for voice performers.
Education/Credentials I am an award-winning graduate of the Radio & Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, Toronto (1971). I have completed several acting courses at George Brown College (Toronto). I have taught voice in the Theatre Program at Ryerson University (1990-2002) and am currently teaching voice and dialects in the Acting For Film & Television Program at Humber College Toronto. I taught for 7 years in ACTRA's Apprenticeship program.
Awards and Honors Over 75 international awards for advertising music plus the Don Hudson Award for Creative Excellence at Ryerson
Past/Present Clients Advertising: Rowntree-MacIntosh, GMC, McCains, Coca-cola, Swiss Chalet, McDonald's, Ford Motors, Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Blood Services, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, Royal Bank of Canada, Zellers, etc.
Animation: DIC Productions, Nelvana, Avianca & Associates, etc.
Narration: The LongPen, Audience Productions, INCO, etc.
Question Thats okay, thank you anyways. Could you tell me though, a list of dos and donts of a good accent coach or anything that I may find useful to know to help become a respected accent coach.
Answer Hi Katelyn;
Again, sorry that I couldn't help with your last question. This one I think I can handle.
First off, you have to be able to execute the dialect very well yourself . Most actors don't know the IPA and learn by mimicking. That is, in fact, the way I teach. I immerse them in the dialect by speaking nothing but the dialect in class and I encourage them to do so as well. We have ad lib conversations so they are not married to the printed word and any visual cues they may have put on their scripts.
Secondly, you have to be a very good observer both visually and orally. I listen intently for accuracy and strength of dialect, and I watch their mouths carefully for mouth aperture (specifically on tight British sounds) and lip and tongue movement. Many students will contort their faces drastically in an attempt to make the sound. This not only does not look good on camera, but it also produces an inaccurate sound. Their mask should look relaxed, and their articulation muscles should look natural.
The hardest concept I have putting across is placement, where the sound vibrates most strongly. It varies greatly from dialect to dialect. For example, the Received Pronunciation British should resonate behind the front teeth, the New York (Brooklyn) should resonate between the lower front teeth and lower lip, and the Cockney high up and back where the hard palette meets the soft palette, just in front of the uvula. Paris French and Quebecois French pronunciations differ radically because Paris French resonates at the back of the mouth and Quebecois French resonates at the front of the mouth.
Musical people, I find, are far more adept at dialects because they are used to detecting nuance of sound. They also have a developed sense of tempo and phrasing.
Most of all, be gentle. Actors generally are far more self-conscious and shy than most people think. That's the reason a lot of them become actors, because they can inhabit someone else's personality other than their own. I use the sandwich approach - compliment them on what they did properly, deliver your real criticism, then compliment them again. These are fragile egos we deal with.
These methods have served me well and produced (mostly) successful results through 20 years of teaching. I continue to learn with each successive class. There - I've just saved you several years of learning.
