Working on a COVID-Safe Film Set & The Finicky World of Corporate Voiceovers | Ep 46

MAX: 00:12
Welcome back to Two Unemployed Actors. I'm Max. I'm Sam. We have a great show. Today I'm going to talk about some voiceover issues in a positive, constructive kind of way, kind of. The Russo brothers get a mention, and I'll tell you why. And Sammy has been on set for the movie Ruby's Choice. Yes. Lots to talk about. First of all, uh yes, I keep wanting to say Rosemary's Baby, and I don't know why. It's got absolutely nothing to do with it. Even a different genre. Oh, it's gonna be a long show today, isn't it? Always genre. Give me some rose wine while I talk about genre. Oh my god. Some rose. So Ruby's Choice, what are you doing? What's going on? Ruby's Choice.

SAM: 00:48
It was so I had um a friend of mine contacted me uh I think I spoke this last week from Three Weeks in Spring. I knew her through Three Weeks in Spring, and she was the COVID nurse on set of Ruby's Choice, which is a new Aussie feature film coming out next year.

MAX: 01:02
I'll stop you there. The COVID nurse. So this is the world we live in, right? So we've got to have a plague attachment to each uh COVID. I mean, it's great. It sounds it sounds like safety first.

SAM: 01:13
It is it's a requirement now for productions to have a nurse on set um in it so to give a talk, make sure everyone's wearing masks um and kind of just keep people up to speed. It's gonna take a look at the case. But also be the nurse nervous as well. Right, right, yeah. So that also helps, yeah.

MAX: 01:29
It's gonna take a while for everyone to get used to that life on set.

SAM: 01:31
Yeah, I mean, so we all like to wear masks. Um obviously, not in front of the camera, it would have been a completely different film. Probably very creepy because we were in a cinema.

MAX: 01:40
Yeah, that wonderful documentary.

SAM: 01:42
Oh god. Um and so that was it was great. So I saw Jane Seymour from across the room and I was like, oh my god, it's Jane Seymour.

MAX: 01:51
Oh my god, it's Jane Seymour. You didn't say that? Oh my god, it's Jane Seymour. I didn't say it to her first. Don't be that guy. No, um be next to that guy, laugh at the guy, don't be him.

SAM: 02:00
Yeah, it was cool. It was cool. Um she she kind of didn't talk to us or any like anyone too much. She was kind of in the zone. Right. She was working work mode, but she she was good and she she seemed lovely. And so Michael Budd is the director. Yep. Uh he has directed multiple things. He's been in The Matrix, he's been a stand-in and a body double for Lawrence Fishburne.

MAX: 02:20
Because I know it just before we went on there, you showed me a photo, and after you told me he was a stand-in for Lawrence Fishburne. Now every time I look at him, I'm thinking Lawrence I can't unsee Lawrence Fishburne in him. Here's the thing, I like Which is not a bad comparison.

SAM: 02:33
Like No, no, no, no, no. He's it's so it was clear, right? He was yeah, and he he was lovely. He said uh he would uh say he said hello to everyone and thank you for coming. Because it's a film about dementia, so it's a very uh heavy topic and and but an important one to tell. Um so he seems very excited about this. And they were gonna start shooting in January in Brisbane and it got cancelled because of COVID.

MAX: 02:56
Oh, this January, yes, of course. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SAM: 02:57
January before, so it got cancelled and then they started again on Monday. Okay. First day was Monday, first day was yesterday. And they're filming all of it in New South Wales, filming it all in New South Wales for for about a month. And what happened was they so they flew in Jane Seymour and she had to be in quarantine for two weeks, and she just got out of quarantine on Sunday.

MAX: 03:15
Wow.

SAM: 03:16
Straight into it months.

MAX: 03:17
Because I know we talked about last week how uh the new Nicole Kidman Lane Mariarty uh miniseries, eight episodes, uh, is being filmed in northern New South Wales, and that got greenlit just recently. $150 million, thank you very much.

SAM: 03:30
I realise now why the budget is that. Because of have you looked at the cast? Oh yeah, I know, I know. It's like I want to roll. It's gonna be amazing.

MAX: 03:37
It's gonna be amazing. But anyway, so my point is they they had to come in, they being Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban and staff on the private jet and go, and they went straight to her property in the Southern Highlands, just south of New South Wales, just south of New South Wales, south of Sydney, to to um quarantine. They're not leaving. Yeah, um, but but also primarily to also pre-production. They all flew in because they've already casting already.

SAM: 04:02
Yeah.

MAX: 04:02
Uh they've cast the leads, but they're casting a lot of uh roles, even trying to get uh people, as many people as possible, local to the area of Byron Bay. Yeah, okay. Uh which I think is gonna be a challenge because of the COVID issues and traveling unknown people? Um, I don't know. Lots of different I mean, over eight episodes you've got lots of 50 worders.

SAM: 04:20
So has everyone everyone flown in with her thing in her place?

MAX: 04:23
I have no idea, but I mean in terms of quarantining, it's so important and we sort of get it now. Yeah. Because Victoria's spiked again. I mean, it's nothing compared to the US or Brazil or something, but but um, yeah, so they had to quarantine, but to to still make the movie on schedule, yeah, it was about quarantining in a pre-production world as they turned their huge property into um pre-production studios.

SAM: 04:46
Jane Seymour had to be in quarantine as well, and they had to like send costumes through police and then up to a room, and so getting her ready for the shoot was a pain in the ass, apparently.

MAX: 04:57
Um imagine the pressure on wardrobe.

SAM: 05:00
Yeah, I know. I know.

MAX: 05:01
I mean, obviously you have to sanitize everything as well. Yeah. Oh, wow.

SAM: 05:06
But she's so sh it was very cool. We were in the cinema all day, and being an extra was being an extra, and it's lots of waiting. Lots of waiting, but but it was cool to be on set again, and it was it was really fun. Um and we all like to wear masks, and yeah, that's just firstly for a safety issue, but also like if some if a paparazzi sn like gets a shot of Jane Seymour and one production member's not wearing a mask, it's shut down.

MAX: 05:28
Yeah.

SAM: 05:28
So there's strict there's strict.

MAX: 05:30
I mean, it look it's a blessing in that there's investment locally, that that the industry is moving forward in Australia, and that's great, but it comes with such responsibility, right?

SAM: 05:39
Yeah, but it was a lot of fun. Um, and two of my other friends were there as well, like as well as Jess. Oh, that's great. Um, so it was a lot of fun just chilling out and because there's an extra you realize just how long it takes to set up shots. Yeah, yeah. Um not but the crew was so professional that it like that. Yeah, it's so good. Um, and everyone was lovely. It was it was really cool. It was a really cool experience. It's nice.

MAX: 06:02
It always is good to be back on a like a big set. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SAM: 06:05
But I I just want to roll roll on a big set. We all do. Uh but it's been good. Our break. Went back to Grant last Friday as well. For a reality check for a reality on your skills. But we actually so here's the thing. So I've been reading this book, uh Freeing of the Natural Voice. Okay. It's about opening up and and kind of the the m your voice is so important, it connects you to your emotions as well. Right. So once you're loose and chill, you can actually then be more emotional and and your voice is important about like resonance and all this stuff.

MAX: 06:40
So does that involve certain exercises to help you get into the state?

SAM: 06:44
But the intro is amazing. Like she's written it so well, and it's so interesting. How we like act on secondary impulses, which is which have been like kind of um ingrained into us from from childhood. So, you know, when we're trying to Fred, don't try and kiss Sam while he's talking about it. When we're trying to be polite, we may go a bit higher in pitch in our voice, just being overly polite, and but that can affect your vocals, and then your chess resonance slightly disappears. But you get taught that just through it's very interesting to be. Throw in an accent. I I yeah, I um recommend it for anyone. Okay, not just actors, but for anyone who wants to open up.

MAX: 07:21
Because I know certainly with voiceovers, I mean it's all about the voice, so you've got to make sure you're warmed up and I actually think you'd love it.

SAM: 07:27
But I was doing that and I I've also realized, you know, I've been rushing, I've been like comparing myself to 35-year-old actors who have made it already. Yeah. I'm 20. Yeah. I should like take myself.

MAX: 07:36
Relax, take it and make sure you and that also frees you up to enjoy each opportunity, each project that comes your way.

SAM: 07:41
And I've free that up, and I and one thing that I actually I've heard from Jonah Hill before in an interview, yeah, which I loved eight years ago, was that you know don't chase that thing that you want, because it'll come if you just keep doing what you love. And I would have liked to think that I was just doing what I love, but there was that moment I'm trying to get there. But you know, I so I've let go of I guess caring as much, even though it's my life goal. Um, and I think it also helps that I finished work an hour before we got to Grants, so I was a bit delirious, but it all helped, and I was more chill. It was as chill as ever seen me, which was great. And Jess and I both read through this awesome storytelling monologue, and he was he loved it. He was very happy that week. It was it was one of the first weeks in a while that I left not frustrated with myself. And being frustrated in myself is a bit of a catch 22 because I'm frustrated because I'm not calm, but because I'm frustrated, I'm then frustrated for the next week.

MAX: 08:41
I'm I'm an overanalyzer like massively. Me too, yeah. And I think I think I've learnt over the years how to harness that because I'm not gonna change it. And instead of walking out of the room and going, why didn't I do that? Well, why didn't I do that? Why didn't I? I just throw it onto the next thing and I'm analyzing forward. And obviously, some things you do you learn from, and it's great. And it's and it in a constructive way, not a negative way, is what I mean. Because otherwise you can spend forever diagnosing what just happened to the point where you're you you're you're what's the word I'm looking for? Yes, yes, you're you're um doing yourself a disservice for the next opportunity.

Speaker 1: 09:14
True.

MAX: 09:15
Um, and to the point, I mean, you know, uh for on radio when it was live to air and that I'd be like after a shift going, well, why did I say that? Or why'd that happen? Or there was one second of dead air, and I'm like beating my head against the wall. It's like, come on, man, in the in the scheme of things, you'll be okay. Yeah, and getting over it at a young age is is great. And I knew then, you know, I'm not gonna make no matter what I do, I'm not gonna make everyone happy. Yep. And that's fine. That's great. So prepared me for the world of social media, that's for sure. There we go. And of course, acting.

SAM: 09:42
Yes. I'm still waiting to hear back from Helgers as well. Helgers crash. Fingers crossed.

MAX: 09:47
And that was a self-tape?

SAM: 09:48
Self-tape.

MAX: 09:48
Yep.

SAM: 09:49
I'm just Anousha Zarakesh. I realised I got her last name wrong last podcast. So I apologise, Anusha, if you're listening, but I know you and I know That's why you haven't got a call back yet.

MAX: 10:01
Yeah.

SAM: 10:02
Oh no, she's listening to two on import.

MAX: 10:04
She's listening, she's got the red pen out and just crossing out your name.

unknown: 10:07
No.

SAM: 10:08
That's right. I'm sure it's actually she downloaded my tape to delete it. Wait, what? No, I'm just going. Oh, oh, I see what you're saying. She purposely downloaded it to be able to chuck it away because I got her name wrong.

MAX: 10:23
Speaking of getting things wrong, I I've struggled. I've struggled with a specific job in VoiceOver Land, okay? Voiceover Land. Every week I find there's a voiceover project that has a word that maybe it's because of how it's placed in there or the type of emphasis on the word before, or you know, I know I just had a micro sleep too, but hey, hang on. No, I'm and and it's like and it's like I just can't get it to sound right, you know? And I knew it when I said it, and then I and I and I gave and I even oh, I spent so many so many takes getting this particular section right. Then I gave them like three or four options to choose from and sent it away, and of course, the feedback comes back. Could you just redo Don't change the levels, Fred? Could you just redo this word patented? Patented. Because it's another okay perspective, another corporate read. Obviously, you know, they're very dry and it's all about the product and we're selling and it's written by committee, and okay, it's not, you know, about the emotions, but but um a part of it was this new patented process. Pay pa I don't know why. I can do it now. I can do it now. What were you doing before? Pay pay patented. Oh no. Like there's lots of teas. Patented.

SAM: 11:37
It is a weird word. It's been patented.

MAX: 11:39
Patented. This new patented pro patented process.

SAM: 11:42
Patented. Patented. Patented. You see?

MAX: 11:46
Patented. And then once you've locked onto it, and you're focused on it, good luck. Good luck trying to say it ever again. This patented patented came back, and do you know how many times I had to do two revisions? Like it came back. And that's like it's okay sometimes, but the clients heard it and gone, you might just want to, yeah, just that. Oh no. And the and feedback like, um, you know, there's an extra couple of seconds. Can you um say this sentence a bit faster but make it longer and with emphasis on this word? I'm like, what? And it's the patented word that's called out. Patented. So anyway. So did you get it? Uh yeah, well look, it was great. Like that I I fortunately, I think I got the job because the audition script, and you never do the whole if they if they supply the whole audition, and generally they don't, bless you, Fred. Wear a mask. They generally um give you just a piece to read. You don't, even if you have the whole script, you don't read the whole script because then they can just the risk is they might use that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whereas you're doing the job and getting paid. So um fortunately in the audition, the word patented was not um forever known as that word. That word was not in it, which is probably why I got the job. Yeah. But once getting the job.

SAM: 12:53
It was just an audition, wasn't it?

MAX: 12:55
Uh no, this is for uh a corporate um I think it's I think it's a video for their it's for their website, but also um part of a welcome pack for employees and for trade shows and things to talk about this new process that they've been developing and like it's the biggest things in slice bread for them. This is what they do, and it's gonna unlock lots of opportunity, and Max is there going, it's pay t t. So, you know, we got there at the end. Because the process is I send an audition away, yeah, it gets listened to, hopefully, and if they like it, thumbs up and I'm shortlisted, and then they'll say, Congrats, you got the job. And uh you send you send through your best. And if there's like different catchphrases or things that are really important, I might do different versions of those particular things to get them more options, okay. And generally it's fine. Uh sometimes there's a revision or two that are required, and I include that in my quote. But uh, this was I did use the two revisions to get this word right, so it was oh it's just one of those weeks, and it just haunted me. Unfortunately, there was no other scripts that week with that word. Yep. Edited everyone. Everyone's got the memo. Television commercial. My goal is to make life insurance more interesting, and that was really something I didn't think I'd ever have to say.

SAM: 14:07
How how? It's telling people you need this because you're gonna die soon.

MAX: 14:12
My three lines, I've got more time to learn them now for because it's moved from Monday to Friday. My real insurance television commercial for life insurance, where my on-screen child is actually of driving a car age, which I'm still not used to at all. My god. I know. Wow, it's freaking me out. Uh and uh for a guy who doesn't have kids, having your on-screen kid um able to drive a car, feeling older. Look, it's just me. Um moving on. Um Russo Brothers. So the reason why I call out the Russo brothers, we're talking about Joe and Anthony Russo. Let me just get Fred Ranch. Fred. Russo, Russo, Russo. I say Russo, you say Russo, it's the same. It's Malay. It's the same two guys. Um Fred, you'd be a good boy. Okay, intense eye contact there like that. Joe and Anthony Russo, Russo. Uh they're the guys behind Agbo Productions, which is important because we're talking the movie Extraction.

SAM: 15:17
Ah, yes.

MAX: 15:18
Biggest ever on Netflix, 90 million views. Awesome. Relic, which was filmed in Melbourne, and that was a great horror movie on Amazon Prime in Australia. Oh, scary. Uh, 21 Bridges is another one. Community. Have you seen Community, the television series? With uh it's pretty it's pretty funny. Uh they produced together Avengers Endgame and Infinity War, and I think they actually directed both of them directed Endgame, uh, Captain America, that sort of stuff. That's how they met um Sam Hargrave, who was stunt coordinator on those, and then he ended up with the extraction funded by them, and he was directing. Written as well.

SAM: 15:53
Small world by by the researcher.

MAX: 15:55
I don't think they wrote extraction. Uh, but let me talk to you about why I'm in love with them at the moment. Russo Brothers Pizza Film School is what it's called. The Russo Brothers Pizza Film School. Basically, the way this school works, and it's it's really cool.

SAM: 16:09
And you don't know why it's pizza.

MAX: 16:11
They pick a um blah blah. You're getting to it, I'll tell you. They pick a favorite, good question. They pick a favorite movie to discuss on Friday night, and this is like on a Monday, and they send it out on social media. This is the movie we're going to talk about on Friday. It gives you the time to actually watch it if you haven't or refresh your memory.

Speaker 1: 16:26
Yeah.

MAX: 16:27
They then source pizza from a different local business each week in their area because hey, they love pizzas, they love movies. Who doesn't? You're just not human if you don't. They invite others to come on their Instagram live and discuss movies of the week. They've had Ronan. I love that movie. Empire Strikes Back. Oh, yeah. Uh, No Country for Old Men, heaps more. They and just to give you an idea, they had Mark Hamill come in and talk through Empire Strikes Back with them.

Speaker 1: 16:51
Very cool.

MAX: 16:52
Yeah, as you do. Uh, the one I really enjoyed was Tika YTD coming in and talking about Flash Gordon, the movie from the 80s. I've seen this movie so many times. It's just so cool. I mean, the soundtrack by Queen on Flash Gordon, it is intense, and it is just so it's just cool. It's cool.

SAM: 17:10
The visual effects. I know, but it's hilarious.

MAX: 17:13
And the way the sort of and the story behind it about how the script sort of unfolded as it went, and then the lead didn't want to come back due to pay dispute, and they had to dub him with someone else's voice. Basically, it's awesome. You learn so much about storytelling involving, you know, how they film certain shots, the the special effects that they had to make sure they balance not take over, and then um how they they struggled with the second act, um, how they prefer to frame if it's not, you know, if it's a mainstream movie versus if it's an art movie. Yeah. Uh, like I've learned a lot and I cr I really enjoyed the one with Tyco. I think I'll I'll link it, I'll link it in our social media on our Facebook page because it's worth a look. And they've got their YouTube channel, which you you can subscribe to, which I'll I'll forward as well on social.

SAM: 17:58
Yes, please.

MAX: 17:59
And you can see all of the Q ⁇ A's they've had based on all their pizza movies of the week. I look, it's just a great idea. And at a time when there is some downtime, and although they're producing heaps, you know, nothing, well not nothing, but you know, LA's running at 20%.

Speaker 1: 18:13
Yeah.

MAX: 18:13
Um, it's great that they're wanting to just give some more time and give back. Like it's not like they're getting paid for this and something else to do and the rest of it. But what a great way. Yeah, it's because they love, yeah, and literally they order pizza, turn the cam on, and they're on Instagram live. That's very cool. And it's just all about the craft. And I just I love it. And the movies they pick, like movies they grew up with, movies they love, like Flash Gordon, Ron, come on, some great movies. Yeah. Um, and why Tyker is significant for QA around Flash Gordon is because guess who's attached to the upcoming Disney animation, Flash Gordon.

SAM: 18:49
I'm gonna say Tyker YTT. What?

MAX: 18:51
Oh god, it's like he read my mind. Oh no. Uh he's writing along with a couple of others, and I I the rumour is he's directing it, but he hasn't been certified a live action version of Flash Gordon.

SAM: 19:05
Yeah. Oh my god.

MAX: 19:06
And how cool with Tyker who and so it was really good to get because he's done heaps of research.

SAM: 19:11
So are they gonna redo the Queen soundtrack? No, but but you know you know how talk about pressure.

MAX: 19:19
Whoever's gonna do the score. Yeah, absolute pressure.

SAM: 19:22
Yeah. Well, you know how the you know the film Bohemian Rhapsody? Yes. So they like had parts of Freddie Mercury, and then that guy in Canada who can do an amazing Freddie Mercury impression, and then a bit of um what's his name? Who's the lead? I forgot the lead's name.

unknown: 19:36
What?

SAM: 19:37
How could you do that? I've forgotten to. Um anyway, so they could do that for Flash Gordon. Um I don't know, maybe they they would or maybe whatever.

MAX: 19:45
Well, I mean, it's not cheap to buy uh to have uh queen tracks on your look, it it could be, it could be that I don't know. I mean, I think there's also an opportunity for a fresh approach in the spirit of the Flash Gordon.

SAM: 19:57
Rami Malik.

MAX: 19:58
Yeah, it could be an opportunity for a fresh approach. Who knows? But I tell you, that that soundtrack is amazing and just goes with the movie, its whole camp, like a scenario. It's it's it's just like it's just so cool. So I think it's hard to kind of I don't think you'd want to replicate it. Yeah, copy paste it. I think it's an opportunity to do something completely fresh, mindful of the legacy though, and respectful of the vision from that that original movie, but anyway, oh original movie, I think there was one in 1936, but hey, you know, I sure I can't remember that. Um I was too old, too young then to that was gonna be a joke, but I just couldn't even say I don't know what's wrong there, I can't talk today. I don't know how we've gone through 20 minutes. Yeah, but today in particular, and this guy does voiceovers for a living. Yeah, what do you do? I talk a lot. That's all you do, right? I just need a script, obviously. Yeah, better with a script, except for patented. So look, I feel like I just did it. Stop being able to do it in front of me now because that's the thing. That word. It's great to be on set. It's like I've had an opportunity each week this month to to do it. A couple of corporate, even the corporate stuff was great, fun and having fun with it. It's just great to be back in front of the camera. And then the the commercial on Friday is gonna be a lot of fun. I mean, okay, it's insured. Yeah, it's still commercial. I've worked with the I've worked with the crew before, and I I I know their pace and I know um like you just if you turn up and you know your lines, you know how you're gonna deliver them, you know what you need to do, then it's easy to play around with those finicky things like okay, we've got an extra few seconds, we need you to pad that out a bit. What have you worked with? Have you worked with the crew on commercial? Finder before.com. Yeah, finder, right? Did you have a different client? Uh so different client, different budget. I've got that direct. So uh this one I got through the agent, um, and it's a it's a bigger project. Um, but uh yeah, I've worked with them before and I know they're pace, so it's all pretty quick. If you turn up, you know your stuff, you know how you're gonna deliver the lines. I know it sounds weird because there's only three lines, but there's different ways. To sort of get things across in certain times because it's like the on the brief with the script, it talks through the timings for because I've got to do a 90-second, a 60-second, a 30-second. Yeah, right.

SAM: 22:10
And so did you self-take this or you went in for an audience?

MAX: 22:13
Oh, this was in in the room audition. Don't you listen to me when I talk to you in which we're going to do it?

SAM: 22:16
Who was it? Who was it with again?

MAX: 22:18
Who was it with again? Oh my god. I can't you interrupt my stories to ask me the questions that you asked me last week.

SAM: 22:25
No, I didn't. Yes!

MAX: 22:26
Wait, hold on, let me remember. For real insurance.

SAM: 22:29
Yeah.

MAX: 22:30
Which I've mentioned several times.

SAM: 22:31
And forget the casting agent. Um You didn't say that last week.

MAX: 22:35
I don't know because I think they went direct. The production company. Yeah, so the practice went direct.

SAM: 22:40
But uh don't apologize, even though you should.

MAX: 22:48
Yeah, so it's important to yeah, because although it's only a few lines, you really need to have practiced, you know, at different paces. And I appreciate them telling me, you know, what sort of versions they need because you're standing there in an uncomfortable position that's supposed to look natural and you're going through all this stuff, and then you get direction like, well, that's great, but it's too fast, you've got an extra two seconds, you need to slow it down, and you've just got to be able to sort of it's I find well for me personally, I find it easier to adjust like that when you absolutely got the script absolutely down.

Speaker 1: 23:19
Yeah.

MAX: 23:20
So um, so that I don't see it as gonna be too challenging, it's gonna be fun. I'm really gonna enjoy it. Looking forward to making life insurance more interesting with my on-screen son who's old enough to drive.

SAM: 23:33
Yeah, that old old man Maxi.

MAX: 23:36
Oh man. Anyway. Oh no.

SAM: 23:39
Senior. Let's do senior instead of old.

MAX: 23:42
Senior. Can you get one of those things at event?

SAM: 23:44
Are you senior now?

MAX: 23:46
Pension or discount cards. Thanks for listening to Two Unemployed Actors. I'm Max. I'm Sam. And don't forget to subscribe on all your favourite podcast platforms, or just one of them, really. Uh, we're on YouTube as well and social media. And we've got lots coming up in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. Stay tuned for interviews and more. Bye.