FOCUS LIKE 20/20

I simply have never felt my actual age. 30 however is finally an age I feel at peace with, and it’s rather ironic turning 30 in the year 2020. My focus has truly never been clearer, and my purpose never more defined than now. Though I have comfortability in my age and stage of life (in a sense); I know that I cannot stay here. Which brings me to my most intriguing find in turning this specific age. The “Focal Point”.

As we know from many artists in their various mediums; it takes around 10,000 hours to master a skill or craft (or at least be on your way towards mastering it). A focal point is the center of an interest or activity. I can say with certainty I’ve set my focus on my personal focal point. Though I am nearing 10,000 hours of Voice Acting; I dare not take a stance of “arrived”. I have much more to learn and to develop in. This I’m well aware of.

All I can say is that at this point, if there is any way to find your unique “focal point” ; focus your attention and intention on it however you possibly can. Here’s to centering in on the “Focal Point” in this year of 2020.

BE A “CHAMELEON”

The title to this post comes from a statement made to me by my mentor when I was living in Australia. The context for this statement was him speaking on the topic of longevity in the industry, and also of what separates an artist from a common “voice”. Thankfully I met this wonderful man early on in my career; and he has certainly saved me years of struggle trying to find sustainability within this craft. He made it clear to me to not be a “one trick pony”. Now, at first I was in wonderment of what he might mean by this seemingly strange nickname. He went on to describe there’s nothing worse than being “just” a commercial voice. A commercial voice has a place and a purpose; but those few artists who can consistently produce wonderful commercial voice over and then turn around and be a character voice (you’d never recognize in a million years) they are the ones that are the, “Chameleons”. They use their own rare palette of character, richness and unique vocal technique to change the color, mood and styling of whatever project they are working on. Perhaps a similar character actor (who would be known in the on camera world as a “chameleon”) would be the presence of, “Sir Johnny Depp”. Not a one character of his is likened to another; each its own stand alone presentation and performance in his own personal outward and unique flare. This is the art form that a voice actor strives to create behind a microphone; and this is what truly makes a “Chameleon”.

So here are my personal two cents on this subject for those in the industry. Though I am not your typical union voice actor or own some multi million dollar vocal pipes; I can only tell you the way I experience our industry and a little of what I’ve learned thus far. Being a “Chameleon” goes far beyond accent, pitch of a vocal or aging of the voice; it’s in the subtle characteristics you might bring to the character that you’re creating. Meaning when you approach a character or a project, define and envision the past, present and future of your character; their hardships, maybe even the way their put together physically, the silly quirks that make them simply them.

To become them is to show another color on your palette and also to present the world another facet of the artist you truly are. So cheers to your career, your brand and most importantly cheers to the “Chameleon” YOU MIGHT BECOME.

CIRCLES GET SMALLER

When you first look into someone's life, you begin to realize that there are quite distinct circles of trust, friendship and relationship. These circles start very broad and vast, and can even be evidently seen within a person's social media circles.

One combing over a persons social media can quickly decipher friends who are more actively engaged in the "postings" that an individual makes, or even those persons who comment with an "inside joke" or "personal reference" to something that the general populous would not associate with.  This gives us an inside look into (friends) who might be deeper than surface level or who might have been apart of a missing persons day to day (current lives). 

WHO WOULD'VE EVER THOUGHT

I felt this blog title, "Who Would've Ever Thought" would be very appropriate for the way in which life takes a pregnant pause and smirks or giggles under it's breath at us (we, who think we know what we might do upon getting older or anticipating the future with our own ideas).

In all seriousness, If you would have told me that I would be involved in investigating stories, missing persons or their environments and lives two  and a half years ago when Payne asked me to be apart; I might have said that you were mad. What a privilege.

We continue to seek the truth and answers knowing full well that this very may well be a lighthouse for some to feel safe enough to come forward, or in turn place enough heat on the necks of those guilty to step forward and tell us what happened.  

NEW CASE // NEW SEASON

By all means I have no intention for it to sound cliche' or repetitive, but we truly couldn't make up the content in, Up & Vanished: Season 2. Every interview, every situation we have found ourselves in and most sacredly every missing person's life we have become involved with is 100% true and undeniably (un) elaborated on.  I am sure as a culture that we have become disillusioned with the fact that producers of television shows, movies or podcasts (feel the need to) must fashion fictional elements onto a story/non fiction to make it more interesting or attractive to viewers/listeners. 

If there is one thing we cannot predict, it is the turns that cases take. We simply cannot anticipate the actions, words or reactions of people that we interview or speak with. As you can imagine, this can be alarming when someone flies off the handle and is abrasive in response to us asking questions; or when they feel a need to become defensive and put up walls. 

With Up & Vanished, Payne has always had the aim to respect the reality that he is becoming intimately involved in the details of someones life.

UP & VANISHED : SEASON TWO //

Season Two / New Case and it's not in the southeast of the U.S. I have been more than privileged to have been asked by Payne and the Tenderfoot Tv team to be apart of the investigation and journalism of this case in a greater capacity this time around. I can say with complete honesty that Up & Vanished hasn't set out to be a branding, hasn't set out to be a money maker or a means by which to exploit real people and the real stories of their deaths or missing status'

Up & Vanished is continuing to do exactly what it set out to do not but just three years ago ; which is to shed light on these cases that have gone dark/cold, and to continue a consistent communication and conversation about the context in which these individuals went missing. 

To say that we couldn't script out the variant positions we find ourselves in, or the things that are told to us in bringing up these cases up and talking to those involved in missing persons lives (at some point or another), is a complete understatement. We have been floored "to say the least" at what we have found out in this new case. Our team has been surprised at times, and personally I have realized that the more you allow people to speak on what they have been closed about over years period of time, the more things naturally flow out that have been kept in dark closets.

We as a team are personally invested in solving this new case, seeking justice for the family that lost their own. Payne is going to tell you a story in a masterful way, but not compromising the truth for entertainment purposes. The team is here to show all the facets of this case and to do our very best to again do what we could only hope to do, and that is to bring this person what they deserve (what any human deserves) and that is justice for the cause of their missing status. 

Come along with us on this journey with its winding dirt and gravel roads, out in the middle of nowhere (literally) and I believe you'll find that you've never heard of such a place in all your days on earth. 

August 20th, 2018, Up & Vanished: Season Two, We are in real time and as always, when you do hear of this missing person's story, if you have any information on their disappearance please give the hotline a call. 

• Rob

UP & VANISHED PODCAST //

I first met Payne Lindsey in 2015, essentially both of us were fans of each others work from afar and equally had the desire to collaborate with one another. We worked on a short promo video for a hip hop/rap clothing company in Atlanta, GA but that was just a one off. Payne was filming documentaries at that time and also doing high end rap industry music videos for many different professional rap/hip hop artists.

In our affinity for each others expertise in our field and industry, we also developed a friendship. There are few times that work colleagues connect as true friends, but that was the case with Payne and myself. We struck up a friendship and trust.

Up and Vanished began with Payne & his business partner Donald reaching out to me and his brother Mason, to be involved with something he himself didn't even know would be as in depth as it has been. It started with us being available and open to a story with its twists and turns, and it begged Payne to bring justice to a woman and her family, Tara Grinstead. Justice to a situation and environment that seemed hopeless. Up and Vanished has now created a format that has never been implemented before. A comfortable and safe place for people to come forward with knowledge of true crimes; and above all it has shown that the podcast industry is more than just easy listening, but an industry that can solve cases that have gone cold or been misrepresented/misinterpreted.  

As time goes on Payne has allowed me the privilege of becoming more involved with the Tenderfoot Tv team in the overall investigation and journalism of the cases on Season 2. Since then I have had the honor of lending my voice to their ongoing creations of seasons. Even up until this most recent season of season 4; Payne has allowed me the privilege to be a small part.

If you are not familiar with Up and Vanished, Payne Lindsey or our Tenderfoot Tv Team please have a read below: 

Atlanta filmmaker Payne Lindsey of Tenderfoot TV & Team originally envisioned Up and Vanished as a true-crime documentary. Lindsey selected a missing-person case from his home state, Georgia, and embarked on a journey as an amateur investigator. After starting his research and initial interviews, he decided to present the project in audio form as a podcast. Season 1 of Up and Vanished explored the 2005 disappearance of beauty queen and high school teacher Tara Grinstead from her home in Ocilla, Georgia. The cold case was the largest case file in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s history, with no arrests in 11 years. The podcast quickly drew attention, both in South Georgia and nationwide. Reviewing old leads and uncovering new ones, Up and Vanished quickly expanded from a planned six-episode season to a final count of 24 episodes with numerous bonus episodes. As the people of Ocilla began talking about the case again, new leads and stories emerged. In February 2017, the GBI arrested two suspects for Grinstead’s murder. Up and Vanished will continue to provide updates on this no-longer-cold case as the criminal trial proceeds in 2018. A second season of Up and Vanished, covering a completely different true crime story, will debut in early 2018.

You can find Up & Vanished Podcast anywhere podcasts can be found. https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/up-and-vanished/id1140596919?mt=2

INTERVIEW

What’s the best story from your life that has an underlying, valuable message?

Firstly, throughout school I was a very poor math student and hated testing, quizzing and hours of plaguing numbers, formulas and rules. All that to say I thrived and was intrigued by english / literature and history. *Now, I have to say something to teachers out there who are in private or public education (you truly do help to shape and formulate our minds and world-views our likes and dislikes throughout the short time we are young") Shoutout and Thank you to Ms. Miller and Mrs. Boyer out there! Thanks for allowing a strange kid and his buddies to cut up over and over again in class. Thank you for taking a very big problem in a classroom and turning that into an opportunity for my friends and I to take turns crafting the characters we read of and shape their voices and narrate for the class; or act and dress up as characters in history. Mrs. Boyer brought her husband in to help calm our minds and hushed the classroom with his low booming and authoritative tone in reading to our class. It was voiceover, without knowing exactly what voiceover was at the time. The underlying valuable message from this would be that maybe whats been a joke to you or others all your life, maybe what has been your quirk (but this thing that you have an aptitude for) could be the thing that brings the most joy to you or the thing that you should pursue most in your life and future. Who knows it could be your brand and business and your own way of getting your unique art out into the world.  

What’s the most valuable piece of information we should know that’s within your expertise/industry?

* Your craft is your own personal responsibility. There is nothing specific you can go study or go to school for; nor is there any method to the madness in this industry. Don't necessarily seek out originality, but stay true to your true tone and your voicing.You may be surprised in the digging of this WELL how your voice can become a brand in and of itself and a landscape for your art to be heard or seen. Be aware and explore your own quirks and individuality. ALSO Don't give into a breed of impressionism; its flattering to those you impersonate and its good to take away elements of other peoples quirks or unique characteristics, but be you and create your own recipe. 

What’s your best piece of overall business advice?

If you must take losses for the sake of quality in your business when starting out; then sometimes you must and should. Quality over Quantity. It speaks so vibrantly and EVIDENTLY to people and they cannot help but notice and be aware of YOU consistently producing quality and consistency in your brand or product. 

If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Move to a place where you aren't the best at what you do; there is something so very important about healthy environments that breed creativity and also a place where others are hustling and working their tales off in their craft. They are Moonlighting and spending their time, energy, resource etc. on gettting better and scheming. So it begs you and presses you to be better and not to settle for mediocrity.  

In your opinion, what's the key to happiness?

Happiness is when you have a peace that surpasses all understanding. 

What's the best book you've read and what was the #1 thing you learned from it?

I will give you an answer of an industry book, because I believe that is what might be of most assistance or help to people. 

" Freeing the Natural Voice" - by Kristin Linklater 

One thing I had learned is that the exploration of your own tone is of paramount importance and use in finding your very own unique tone and individuality. 

What’s your favorite quote and why?

One is, Every man dies, not every man really lives- William Wallace 

Why? 

Cause it’s true and death is final. Life is a choice I believe .