Fifty plus years of voice over...

As told to Harvey by da harv: Fifty Plus Years of Voice Over

…And I still can’t get myself to write a how-to book (until now). Some things I almost know for sure, other things are no more than an inkling of what may be the right way to get there. But of certainty and a fact of life, albeit a subjective one, is what has stayed essentially the same since an actor raised the first grand curtain on the first dimly lit stage.

“At rise the audience must be grabbed, or they may not be there for the second act!”

“Voice over is an acting craft.  Those that don’t consider it as a trade for actors will always be on the outside looking in.”

Yes, I am an educator. As such I realize that there are a variety of ways to teach. Often times the term "teacher" is misused. I believe confusion sets in when an understanding of what the teacher and student goals should be is not clarified. When it comes to an acting craft, the teacher is extremely limited. He or she (the average teacher) usually can only present the student with the technical know-how. Of course, a good teacher is one that can inspire and stimulate a student to reach beyond what they thought their limits were.          On the other hand, the students’ responsibility burns forever. An actor’s process for learning is always subject to change, subject to the dictates of time and nature. Not to worry… if learning has become your personal driving force, then its propensity can never be satiated during one's lifetime. The human spirit, in order to constantly remain as one's most plausible nourishment for life’s desired fulfillment, is yours and only yours; the individual is free to cultivate what nature has endowed. You will never reach a saturation point. Your truth should always be treated with reverence.         So while we, the teachers, present an endless parade of how-to tips and formalized instruction, the actors are asked to search on their own, or in tandem for a way to secure purity, by way of truth. While some actors might stay with a method for a lifetime, most will undergo some degree of change during the course of their life’s pursuits. Pursuing excellence is the actor’s responsibility. Constant pursuit guarantees endless growth.

Getting Started         Not an uncommon occurrence is the frequency of which I am asked for my opinion on how to get started in this wonderful voiceover world of ours. I use the term “ours” because voice over and the commercial world, in general, has been my way of life—almost upon my first utterances and for more years than I can recollect. Time alone has provided me with the entitlement of referring to voice over as “ours”, or on my more pompous days as “mine”. So, without further explanation, I’m going to charge into my world with the sole intent of sharing it with you.    Disclaimer: Not to worry, just about everything I write has been registered and or protected by copyright— if you get my drift.

Written by: Harvey "da harv" Kalmenson Editor: N.Chung

Intention

Intention

My intention for writing book one, as a short story of my life from age nineteen to this day of ripeness, is to help in understanding why and how I entered, maintained, and continue to elevate my station in the world of commercial and theatrical voiceover.          Some maintain: being in a certain place at a certain time is all the reason a person might need in order to determine their life’s pursuits; agreeing or disagreeing is really a supposition to an unproductive theory. My intent is to present some thoughts about what carried me from one point to another, while chasing down answers concerning the who, what, why, when, where, and how of what turns out to be one of the more subjective art forms relative to modern times. Or ancient history as well.         Not to worry, it isn’t my intention to parade my entire life’s story in writing. My starting point is as a nineteen-year-old who volunteered and proceeded to find himself as an infantry soldier in Korea.

Harvey Kalmenson, 1953

The year was 1953, July 24th to be exact. I found myself in the infantry, some thirty-five miles north of the Thirty-Eighth Parallel. For three days and nights, I would experience a change that would stay with me and I would be enhanced with each breath of air that God found fit to grant me.          It was three days before the fighting stopped when I arrived. What I was experiencing for the first time in my young life was my mortality. Without dwelling with descriptives pertaining to personal danger, on three separate occasions I found myself in the wrong place at the right time. Obviously, I didn't buy it or someone else would be writing this thing.         On July 27th, 1953, at 9:00 pm, the shooting ceased. It’s now closing on seventy years since that day when subjective quiet again entered my life. No more than a week ever goes by without me thinking, one way or another, about my Korean experience. My sixteen months in Korea will always remain permanently etched in my mind's eye.         Korea, the country, and its people affected what I was to become. It provided me with a better understanding of what the other guy is all about. It was a time when empathy was really introduced and became my continual tangent to build on. My extreme sensitivity began its cultivation with the first in-person sights of human pain and suffering. All that I had grown up taking for granted now became thoughts of how fortunate I was.          Seeing children wandering aimlessly in search of something better with their eyes hollow and daunting, straining to merely stay alive. Adding to my mortality recognition was the massive sobering effects of these children in despair. It was during this time period that I recognized the compassion being shared by my fellow troopers. I am convinced that nowhere in the world, will you ever be able to find more caring individuals than those who are members of the United States armed services.          Each company area had an unofficially adopted family. From day one in Korea, we shared whatever we had with the street urchins. Especially when it came to the children, many of our officers turned a blind eye to what transpired (it was against the rules and regulations to share our food with Korean civilians).         After six months of living in North Korea, I was thrilled when our outfit was transferred to Seoul. From way up in the mountains to the confines of an overcrowded city. My life was about to change again.

Seoul City Stadium, 24th Engineers (not Harvey Kalmenson)

After a brief stint with an engineering company, I was able to qualify for our group’s baseball team. For the uninformed: sports in the service is a big and important thing. Since in those days we were mostly a draftee (civilian) army, the teams were equal to what you might find in a professional league. We figured out that our baseball team would have been the equivalent of athletes in a Class B minor league. Today, most of that was replaced by college baseball.         I immediately began experiencing the finer things that the army had to offer. We were housed in dormitory-style quarters at the University of Seoul. In those days there weren’t very many students. The school's curriculum was just in the process of being reestablished. Because of the war, the university lowered its requirements. It boiled down to a student body of very rich Korean kids. Very rich Koreans and one American soldier— that would be me. (Yes, you read right.)         While it only lasted for four short months, I enjoyed every minute of it. Sleeping in an actual building, instead of a ten-man squad tent doesn’t take a lot of getting accustomed to. There was another big plus, athletes were treated to a special diet. The army took great care of us. We slept in each morning, worked out twice a day, and played a league game twice a week.         Though the baseball season ended all too quickly, what followed was even more good fortune. As a reward for playing on a winning team, I was put in charge of a massive engineer supply point. And though my rank was only that of corporal, the job came with the automatic provision that the man in charge (that would be me) was assumed to hold one rank higher than anyone who entered the supply point in order to conduct business. The army’s theory was in actuality a sound maneuver. The reason for it insured against anyone holding a higher rank than I did, ordering me to give them whatever supplies they asked for.          Along with the some fifteen American soldiers assigned to my supply point, a contingent of forty Korean men were there daily to provide help with a number of back-breaking jobs. (Some would wonder what any of this could possibly have to do with voice over. Stay tuned.)         While Korean laborers aren’t exactly a made-in-heaven theatrical starting point, they did provide a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience. These forty men were just that: men. For whatever reason, I was instantly able to identify with them. It did create some degree of animosity with a few of my colleagues, but it didn’t last long. Some of the guys thought the Koreans were being assigned to us as slaves. As quickly as they learned that while the Korean laborers dressed in these horrible quilted style outfits, it had nothing to do with their intelligence or life’s experience. …And another thing.         Though my given name is Harvey, I am usually referred to as da harv. That moniker was coined by a couple of my wife Cathy’s relatives during one of our many trips to Chicago. They, her relatives, reasoned that since they already had "da Bears", "da Bulls", and "da Cubs", it was most appropriate for them to have "da harv".          Appropriate or not… the name stuck. Today, even our clients refer to me as “da harv”. Not excluded are my wife, my children, and my colleagues at work. In a way it’s nice. Often I too refer to “da harv” as if he is a separate entity. Somehow, I’m more comfortable being able to put blame on da harv as opposed to Harvey. So with that in mind, if you have a problem with my book… blame it on da harv. The idea for writing this book was suggested to me on more than a few occasions by a variety of actors who counseled: “da harv should write a book”.

da harv’s Book To be continued…

BOOK ONE — CHAPTER ONE

“Memoirs Before The Fact”         It so grieves me to lose good friends. Mere death should not be a good enough reason for a relationship to end. When there is mutual respect, and all people in relationships thrive on helping and stimulating the other to grow to endless horizons, then why should we accept departure when we don't have to?         I have decided to not accept announcements of any of my treasury being depleted. I will hoard the substance of what I was given, or have gained by being in the presence of a valued nurturer. If a person allowed tenderness, stimulated my smile, or shared with me their discomfort over the human condition, then that person will forever remain as a mainstay of my life's fortune. Then if what I practice is shared and obtainable, I, too, shall live forever.         I will never lose a friend. I will share what I was given, and nurture when I am allowed to nurture. I will remain a teacher, and perhaps practice what they have given me, forever. A thought relayed becomes a memory forever; never to be lost, never to be forgotten. After that, who knows? hk da harv November 6, 2002

Forward (as opposed to backward, I hope):   “CLICHÉ TIME”         It’s almost impossible to believe that I have devoted over fifty years of my life in joyous pursuit of the correct way to convey verbal communication. I have been taught, and have taught. Each and every day of my life has been, and will continue to be, a vital part of my learning experience. I live with a constant flow of messages coming in. The looks, the smells, the sounds, the acknowledgements, and the supposed motivations behind them. All are part and parcel of my quest for continual learning.         If my words are sounding like they're driven spiritually, you’re on the right track. Not from my beginnings, but as a cultivation of my years spent in a total learning process. It appears my greatest discovery has been the growth that comes with an ability to feel for others. It is that feeling that provides an unequaled satisfaction. It’s hard to explain. Knowing is magical. I never take it for granted. As if given a gift, I open the pages of a book and the spirituality begins to take hold.          When I was younger, I truly didn’t comprehend what was happening to me. As I grew older, I was not only cognizant of my transitions, but I sought them out on a continual and relentless quest. From others I discovered self. From my inner self came my sensitivity as a director.  Certainly, listening is synonymous with learning. I didn’t invent the theory. In my work, I practice it with unbridled verve.          Through the years, many of the actors have caught on to my methodology. On a regular basis, a variety of trivia and depth stirred by the inquisitive minds of creative people is presented to me. While my studio runs meticulously on time, we’ve been known to occasionally fall behind when without warning a new learning experience presents itself.         Actors in general, contrary to the beliefs of the average man, are a special group of extremely bright people. Only when actors become mired in the dark areas of political venues, do they lose all of their charm. This book is, by design, intending to stay as far from politics as possible. I will, however, not stray from who I am and who I have become because of what this great country has offered and afforded me.         Mine is not an uncommon story. My immigrant grandparents, mother and father entered this country following an arduous boat ride, to say the least; allowing what only the United States of America could provide. I grew up hearing my father's words and deeds. His doctrine was simple: “plant, harvest, and never extend your hand looking for something to be given to you free”.

LIST OR MANIFEST OF ALIEN PASSENGERS FOR THE  U.S. IMMIGRATION OFFICER AT PORT OF ARRIVAL (Above) #19 - 22: Ethel, Max, Ben, Charles Kalmenson To be continued...

"Sold Out"

“Sold Out” The very best I had to say!    INTRODUCTION if such a thing exists…           Since the very earliest of modern theatre, as we’ve learned to know and understand it, the most welcome statement being posted by a producer is a simple two word statement: “Sold Out”! It just doesn’t get any better than that people!

What questions should I ask, when I don’t know what questions to ask?         The questions rarely ever change from generation to generation—for as long as actors have ventured forth, on whatever the stage, whatever the time of day, whatever their age, or where they happened to be. Actors would and will continue to raise their questions. First, they aspire to the heights. Then, they fall from favor. Families have debated the question for centuries. Why would their children —their fathers, their mothers, their aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, or just passing acquaintances— ever want to become an actor?         Long before anyone ever heard of the voice over artist, the same questions where being asked. Remarkably, not only are the same questions being asked today, but also the same answers are being given. Many of you are wondering whether or not you bought the right book for a prospective voice talent to learn from. This book is about voice over; voice over, as the truly subjective art form it happens to be. And make no mistake, voice over is an acting craft.         For me the bottom line will always be the same for actors: I always advise actors to look out for those (out there) professing to be the last word when it comes to how an actor can accomplish success. What we are involved with is a method for helping actors to establish their true signature. It’s a way for actors to find out who they are today. Nothing is ever a tougher direction for an actor than when they are told to be themselves. "Act natural" is another of those seemingly simple enough directions for an actor to handle. In truth, it’s these simple directions that send many actors into a state of shock.         Fifty years has allowed me to gather what certain individuals have found as their important tricks of the trade. As I began this book, I couldn’t help but look back at the actors who have come my way, in what feels like such a short period of time. Some folks might receive a great deal of satisfaction as they sit in their counting house, looking at what coinage they’ve been able to accumulate. In my case, the satisfaction comes from the thousands of voice actors that have gained from my teaching method, the thousands that have crossed my path as a director.         From telephone answering machine announcements to the likes of Orson Welles reading a dessert menu... from a voice at an airport warning that the yellow zone is for loading to Buddy Hackett portraying a troll in an animated feature film... from the joy of Brock Peters functioning as the voice of a sage to experiencing the patience, and professionalism of Cloris Leachman... coupled with the relentless over and over approach of a John Houseman, or Howard Duff.         And the beat continues to go on. The list swells, and the learning process continues.The names that I mentioned are a mere sampling of the actors and directors that I have gleaned from. It is virtually impossible for an actor to exist by him or herself. Watching and listening plays a big part of any good study program.         I can remember as a very young guy, having the privilege of interning for a short period of time during the Alfred Hitchcock anthology series. With Mr. Hitchcock, this intern learned (when he wasn’t doing a wide variety of tasks) by watching and listening. Certainly Hitch, (that’s how the "in" crowd referred to him) wasn’t about to talk to anyone of my limited attainment. Maybe a small amount of eye contact took place if he was trying not to fall over me.

Even at my then young age, I understood how important focus was to any creative person. I marveled at the way Hitchcock watched and listened with unbelievable intensity. But it was his listening to what the actors looked like that astounded me.         What I learned then is what I practice today as a director. If I can hear the smile or feel the emotion of anguish or frustration without being influenced by the actor’s visual display, then, as the director, I've received a very strong message that I am on track. For that ability to listen, I respectfully submit my thanks to that one short, round man.          It has always seemed like such an obvious trait for the actor to develop. The ability to listen and the ability to focus are just about one and the same, you might think. Often people profess to be listening, and while they appear to be listening the what’s missing is the fact they are simply not focused on the direction. Direction might come in the way of a question. It might be a case of the director asking the actor a question in order to get a response allowing for where the actor is emotionally in that moment.

And how can you get started on your long journey? We advise you to begin by getting a trained professional guidance counselor to listen to your needs. Doesn’t that sound hokey? Wait! Don’t hang up on me. Remember what I said about listening? Well, that’s what a trained counselor is trained to do: listen.  Who can you trust? Where do you find people like that? Will it cost a great deal of money?         All of the above are valid questions. You are not only entitled to a straight answer, but an honest and informed answer is an absolute must in order for an actor to have even the remotest chance of succeeding in our world of voice over.

Work Shops & Coaches         In general, actors have the very best handle on the good, the bad, and even the most ugly of what’s out there, professing to be the actor’s helper. The larger the city, the more good and bad helpers you will find. I call them the in and outers. These are the folks in our business who find themselves in a struggle to make a living. They turn to coaching.

What I suggest first is the most tried and true method for finding help in a big city like Los Angeles. Word of mouth. Actors talk to one another. While advertising can be a marvelous signpost, that’s all it is. Read the sign, and then ask an actor or two if they have had experience with the people whose name appears on the signpost. The really good workshops have a tendency to stay around for long periods of time. The bad ones disappear quickly. Word of mouth works both ways.          When an actor calls a workshop enquiring about what they have to offer and his calls are consistently being answered by a machine (with no one getting back to him that very same day), well, for me, that isn’t the kind of a place that I would like to trust my career too. It may be a workshop that you’re calling about, but it must be run like a business.

For me, personally, I wouldn’t think of signing on with a workshop, unless it was recommended by an actor or two who I respect. Agents are also good authorities on where to go for education. Even if an agent does not represent you, they will usually be amenable when it comes to making workshop suggestions.         Before enrolling a workshop, have your questions answered in advance. Either by online research or by calling. It is important to know how long they have been in business, as well as their qualifications. How many different kinds of classes do they offer? It is important for you to be studying with a like group of people. What I’m getting at is that you obviously wouldn’t want to be in a beginners group if you happen to be an actor with twenty years of experience in the theater.

The workshop representative should be amenable in giving you a reasonable amount of telephone time. That representative must be knowledgeable. Too often a person who is acting as nothing more than a telephone receptionist will handle your call. When your career is at stake you should expect a great degree of caring to be displayed by the people running the workshop in question. Never settle for second best. Los Angeles is the home to the finest acting coaches in the world. Just ask another actor. They’ll know where to find them. HK