In my last post, I introduced you to Bryan Barney, who worked behind the scenes to bring the audiobook version of THE RECRUITER to your eardrums. Now, I’d like to introduce you to the voice behind the microphone, who made not only Rick Carter but every other character come to vivid life, Jamie Renell.
In addition to being a multi-talented actor who has appeared in films such as “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” and “The Change-Up,” along with TV shows like “Homeland” and “Prison Break,” he is also a multi-award winning voice actor. In fact, thanks to his brilliant reading, THE RECRUITER won an Earphones Award from AudioFile Magazine–a first for me, but not for Jamie!
Dude is super cool and was nice enough to shed some light on his side of the audiobook process.
How did you get into audiobook narration?
I received my BFA in Acting from FSU in 1998. After graduation I moved to Athens, GA with my 1st wife so she could get her Masters at UGA. At that time Atlanta wasn’t the film making hub that it’s become, but there were jobs to be had, and I knew I could get my SAG card easier in Atlanta than I could in LA. I would pass the time in the hour-long commute between Athens and Atlanta with Audiobooks and thought to myself that I could really get into doing those. Asked my agent to be on the lookout for opportunities and eventually got an audition to do The New Yorker and Science News Weekly for Audible. Booked them and never looked back!
What kind of prep do you do before a recording session? Like, do you rehearse, practice voices for the characters, etc.?
If I have time, I’ll read the book twice. The first time, I’m looking for pronunciation issues, characters, unfamiliar vocab, etc. The second time, I try to get a handle on the book itself… Make notes about themes, style, deeper character development, etc. I don’t rehearse an accent or dialect unless it’s something I’m not familiar with at all… or terrible at… like Afrikaans… hardest accent in the world to do.
Your resume includes books from all different genres, both fiction and non-fiction. Is there a type of book you tend to gravitate towards? If so, why?
This sounds like a canned answer, but I don’t really have a favorite genre. I have some that I like more than others (Thrillers, Westerns, WWII stuff). What I really end up with though, is a need for variety. If I get in a Fiction groove, let’s say, I find myself longing for some non-fiction stuff, and vice versa.
You have built a steady TV and Film career in addition to your voice work and did a series of videos on how to supplement more traditional acting roles with income from voice work. What advice would you give to actors trying to break into the audiobook world?
1) READ OUT LOUD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. It is a VASTLY different feeling than reading in your head. The more practice you have with reading out loud the better. You need to be able to read ahead in a manuscript (5 or 6 words) as you’re going through things, and that takes practice.
2) Check out narratorsroadmap.com . Karen Commins, an absolutely lovely woman and generous beyond the telling of it, put this site together as the ultimate Narrator’s resource and I recommend it STRONGLY to anyone that wants to get into the ring.
I was fortunate through Blackstone to have access to a vast network of talented voice actors like you, but if someone is self-publishing and wants to produce an audiobook, where can they go to find quality talent and how should they go about vetting them?
Indy authors should definitely check out ACX.com. It’s the independent route to getting an audiobook made and put onto Audible. Also may want to cruise on over to https://audiopub.site-ym.
Never EVER allow AI to do your books for you. I get that it’s probably cheaper, and definitely quicker, but there is a HUGE trade off when you sell your soul to the Devil. Once you grant the AI permission to “perform” your book, you have handed the rights to your IP to it. It will train itself on your book, your thoughts, your hard work, and can then use that ill-gotten knowledge to “create” its own work. Stay as far away from it as you can.
Time’s yours! As a thank you not only for sharing your expertise but also for the incredible work you did on THE RECRUITER, please take this time to say whatever you want! Plug an upcoming project, name the one book you always wished you could have narrated, or just tell us what The Rock was REALLY like when you worked with him on Jumanji. Whatever you want!
Authors, actors, film makers, artists, musicians, Please, please, please… stay as far away from AI tech as possible in your creative endeavors. There are a lot of things that AI is great for, but none of them should involve the creative process or creation of art. AI should be used to make your lives easier, not live your life for you. Art is a human experience at its core. Keep SkyNet out of it!
Best part about Jumanji was that Kevin Hart paid for a bunch of gourmet food trucks to show up on set and hand out awesome treats and snacks. I love food!
Who doesn’t love a good food truck? And yeah, screw AI. Thanks, Jamie!
