Taking a lead in your productions...

[UltraRob]

For my fellow producers, I have to ask- why did or didn't you take the lead in your own productions? Also, do you think it was a good idea in retrospect? Has there been a downside to it?

In my own case, I took the lead in a KFAT's Little Gou series because it was my first show, I had limited access to a cast and I structured it with myself holding up the story while the others supported me with minor roles. If I hadn't done that, I don't think I could have produced an audio drama on my own, and it felt more natural to be the one to voice my lead since I was the one writing all his lines anyways.

That said, I later came to question my own decision and recast someone else in the role for two episodes as a test. I've always been self-conscious about my voice, and felt that I might be able to make the production stronger by putting a better actor in the lead as the stories continued.

Well, my audience felt otherwise and let me know about it, so I later returned to the role and have kept it ever since, not planning to give it up again because ...heck...I enjoy it!

The only real downside I've found is that because I'm the one I have the most control over, I tend to push myself harder than I do my actors. I often re-record my lines as many times as I have time for in my production schedule so I can use the best takes and am quite critical of my own performance.

Rob

[Wesley]

Great question!

I did not take the lead (Or, in the first draft, any part) in The Stargate Cafe. Back when I started, I (like many of us) was very uncomfortable listening to my own voice. Also, I didn't want to compromise my already poor directorial skills by concentrating on acting. I only ended up in the show when I realized I hadn't cast Al, the cafe's cook, in final editing. I recorded the lines because I didn't want to go through finding someone (and, 2 years ago, it wasn't as easy to find talent).

I'm very glad I did.

Over that year, I nabbed larger and larger parts in shows, so when it came time to do The Log of the Crimson Lien, it was a no-brainer to take one of the two lead parts myself when it became obvious that the strongest actor in our troupe should be the "main supporting character in every episode" person, because he could do different voices, inflections, accents, and whatnot. I have about 3 voices, he has dozens. Also, now that I've got some experience under my belt (But every show I learn something new) I can act AND listen for problems as director. Ideally, someone should be directing me, but you work with what you have, not what you would want.

I, like you, find that I'm more critical with my own lines. I sometimes, after several takes with the other actors, claim a scene is "good enough" to cut. With me, though, I go over and over and over. It does help, a bit, that generally Bob (Quincy) and I are recording at the same time, so I'll sometimes ask him how it sounded if I'm not sure. He has no problem being brutally honest which helps tons.

[JoeMaster]

I have some bigtime experience with this because... well... my first audio production Star Wars: Conquest of the Empire (well the original Chapter I, anyway) featured myself doing about 20+ different characters, and my sister doing three.

This was because, at the time, I was too nervous and scared to put out Casting Calls.

Since then, however, I have been taking as small a role in my productions as possible. I mainly do "Wild Lines" only now. The only one of my currently running productions that I portray a semi-lead role in is The Age of the Swords, in which I play the dwarf, Dorn Hammerhelm.


I believe it was necessary with my first project, because if I hadn't done it I probably wouldn't be doing audio productions today. But doing that "broke the ice" and I began to realize that I needed a variety of voice actors.

[Gregg]

Interesting... Good topic!

I was doing "The Red Panda" before there was ever a show for him to be in... originally clowning around after getting a very bad sunburn while wearing a pair of wrap around sunglasses (leaving me bright red with a white mask - hence "red panda")... And then I wrote the original "alternate universe" Red Panda mini-series for him to be in... but he was already me.

Five years later, when the time came to start the new Red Panda Adventures, even though I was changing everything about the character and his world, there was never any question of re-casting. I was him and he was me and we were stuck with each other. Besides, I never have any trouble getting myself to come in for the recording sessions.

But early on in the process of writing season one, when I decided to partner the show with Black Jack Justice, there was never any thought of my playing Jack too... I know too many terrific actors to take all the best stuff for myself. - I'm often in Black Jack episodes, mostly in small roles... though I did enjoy Sabien enough to turn him into a semi-regular, and I make no apologies for that. In fact, it's often scheduling around the recurring characters that is the toughest... Chris and Andrea are great about scheduling, but they're the stars of BJJ, and are very invested in the shows. And through luck and determined courtship, Clarissa is always here.

[Jack J Ward]

Jack Ward sucks as an actor.
He's got a terrible voice, and his acting is stodgy. And if you think I'm playing for attention, ask Shannon she'll tell you this is a regular "discussion" we have.

That being said, I have a few reasons for casting him in some of the shows.

Similar circumstances with Biff Straker. I was dubbed "Biff" one summer by some visitors at a camp who _mistakenly_ assumed I was all brawn and no brains after a rather unfortunate accident.
So, I play Biff for that reason.

Other roles I just adore too much... and I give in when Shannon says I should do something (Honestly I think she takes pity on me).

Muse of Madness I ended up taking the role at the director Joe's insistence. As the writer, I had a better understanding of where we wanted to take the character in a short time frame.

I have a love/hate relationship with acting. All of this will go away when the old witch comes through and I wake up with Orson Welles' voice.
J

[UltraRob]

	Quote:	Gregg
	But early on in the process of writing season one, when I decided to partner the show with Black Jack Justice, there was never any thought of my playing Jack too... I know too many terrific actors to take all the best stuff for myself. - I'm often in Black Jack episodes, mostly in small roles...

When I did my other productions, I felt the same way. Doing Little Gou I had met a number of great actors, and wanted each of my productions to feel different from the others, so there was no question of finding others to do the leads. (Well, Team Iron Angel's main cast is all female, so that made for an easier decision there too...)

I think it's important that different shows have different leads, otherwise there's too much chance of them all running together in the listener's heads.

Rob

[Brokensea]

I'm not keen on taking a lead role in stuff.

I usually perform under a nom de audio.


It just seems ultra wankey to be listed as writer, director, post-producer and star of a show.

Besides, there are much better actors available.

[ClymAngus]

I don't know maybe not a lead, but certainly in a supporting role. I find I care a lot more about the quality of a production if I'm in it. It stops me being a lazy bum and compromising. It's like building a house to live in. If you do a good job you'll reap the benefits a thousand fold.

I also had a fair bit of experience at univercity, handing off scripts to other students to produce, with very little input from me after the initial stage. 99 times out of 100 they were a crushing disappointment. Not only was I not happy with the outcome, I was also becoming a bore telling people I was not happy.

It does make me something of a control freak at times and I would rather miss a deadline then hand in a substandard piece of work. This is one of the reasons I try and at least do artwork for most of the productions I act in. It helps me care about the production (and do a better acting job) despite only being a "small cog" in the over all process. (DP will attest to love of all things gif)

So in a nut shell, I use self casting as a motivational tool, which also (being honest) doesn't hurt the ego any, and is enormous fun. If it was good enough for Hitchcock, then it's good enough for me.

[Azure]

I get annoyed by my own voice so I don't actually do it that much. I gave myself a bit part in Red car / Green Car my current production and so far all my takes annoy the heck out of me!

[Paeter]

Yeah, I've taken the lead so far and it will be a hard thing (but a welcome relief) to give it up in the future. Why?

1. Okay, I'll go ahead and admit something here. Creatively, I'm a bit of a control freak. That doesn't mean I don't let my actors experiment and have fun, but it does mean they need to give me at least three solid takes of the line the way I want it. (I don't come out and say it like that, but they may notice that we don't actually move on to the next line until I've gotten what I need.)

2. I'm selling what I produce and so demand alot from the final product. It's hard to direct actors who aren't recording in the room with me. Additionally, proliferation of sub-professional quality recording equipment means I have to be very particular about what I can use recorded from outside my studio. So this means I mostly use local actors, reducing the number of qualified and reliable actors I have available for large roles.

3. I'm here every day and can re-record at the drop of a hat. If I miss recording a line with another actor, or want to interpret it differently after doing some preliminary mixing, it can be hard to get an actor back in for re-takes.

4. I'm doing sci-fi and fantasy material that can be dark and twisted at times, yet there's an obvious Biblical philosophy driving everything. Some Christians just don't get how to marry those two, but I have some very clear ideas on how I think it can be done. Other actors may be turned off by the "religious" themes, so that limits the number of actors available as well.

I've learned so far that the further I want to travel outside the box, the more I have to rely on myself. I'd LOVE to delegate more and am always waiting for the right people and circumstances. In the meantime, I refuse to compromise quality in order to do that.

So while I love all the work I'm doing, any burden it causes is unquestionably self-inflicted.