|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Q I am 35-year-old and an economics graduate from Panjab University. I would love to work as a voiceover artiste and want you to please guide me so that I am on the right path to become one. Are there any reputed institutes that can train me? — Rachna Gupta In the star-studded stratosphere of silver screen, voice actors like Ellen DeGeneres have become household names in America after lending voice to the adorable and amnesia- afflicted fish, Dory in ‘Finding Nemo’. More recently, Shahrukh Khan paired up with son Aryan to lend voice to the characters of Mr Incredible (Mr Lajawab) and Dash (Tez) of Hum Hain Lajawab — the Hindi version of ‘The Incredibles’. But don't let anyone mislead you into believing that voice acting is just about doing ‘funny voices’, mimicking or mouthing dialogues. Getting paid for being funny is serious business. In some ways voice acting is tougher than 'real acting'. You really have to get into the skin of this imaginary character and carefully sculpt it into a real flesh and blood person. It is an absolute delight to watch a voice artiste at work. Animators simulate the movements of a cartoon personality based on the facial expressions of the voice artiste. At any given time you may be asked to play several different roles of characters in different age groups and some of them not even human! You should not only be fluent in the language but also versatile enough to synchronize every inflection, tone and pause with the gestures and body language of the character in the original sound track. So when you marvel at Spiderman speaking Hindi or Disney characters speaking flawless Tamil, it is really the ‘kamaal’ of voice actors. Clarity of voice, diction and emotive dialogue delivery are the forte of a true professional. You must also be careful about the choice of words while translating the script. A literal translation can fall quite flat and kill the programme. You (or the translator) may need to indigenise (pun intended) the script by adding dashes of local flavour so that the humour and storyline is culture-specific and relevant to the target audience. Job opportunities exist not only in animated films but also in TV programmes catering to kids like Hungama TV, Cartoon Network, Pogo channel, Disney Channel; etc Courses in Voice Acting: Xavier Instt of Communication, Mumbai www.xaviercomm.org offers a course called ABCD (Announcing, Broadcasting, Compering & Dubbing) Toonz Animation India Pvt Ltd, Animation Production, 731-739 Nila Building, Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram 695581 (www.toonzanimationindia.com) teaches voice acting as part of its 6-month advanced certificate courses in 2D and 3D animation. Business economist Q I have done graduation with economics. Now I want to do MBE. Please tell me what is the scope of MBE in India. What is the difference between MBA and MBE? — Manvir Saini A In the increasingly globalised world order with newer business risks stemming from inflation, currency fluctuation, varying interest rates, regulatory risks, foreign markets and now the WTO, large private companies are increasingly looking at business economists for help. The token one-man economic cell is now getting staffed. These are tasks for which an MBA is not strictly geared. As a business economist, you may also specialise in market research or international trade, exports and imports. While a good master's degree in economics or an MBE is a prerequisite for a corporate economist's job, the clincher is your ability to marry fundamental knowledge of economics with market and business requirements. Banking and financial institutions also hire business economists. As a matter of fact, a number of recruitment advertisements for management trainees ask for an MBA/ MA (economics) degree as a desired qualification. You can also enhance your job prospects by doing an MBA or Master's in finance, international trade or insurance. Besides teaching, you could also take up business journalism in television or newspapers, economic journals and business magazines as commercial editors, business reporters, feature writers, economic analysts and commentators. Scope of BTech (electronics) Q I am a third year BTech student pursuing Electronics and Instrumentation. I want to know about its scope and jobprospects. — Uday Singh A Instrumentation engineers design, construct and maintain instruments, and instrumentation systems that are so essential to all industrial undertakings and specifically in the Process Controls industry. As part of the Process Engg team in industry, they determine the type of instruments and tools needed to ensure quality and efficiency of the end product. Instrumentation engineers also find jobs in R&D units of public and private sector companies. Heavy industries such as petroleum and chemical industries, thermal power stations, steel plants, refineries, cement and fertiliser plants, employ these specialists. They are also employed in laboratories, hospitals, petroleum and chemical industries, and in all areas where automation has to be effected. A number of universities offer MSc courses in Instrumentation/Instrumentation & Control. Similarly, a number of engineering colleges, including CEDTI (an autonomous scientific society of MIT, GoI) and Indo German Tool Room Centre, offer MTech and Post-Diploma courses in Instrumentation Technology. The writer is a noted career consultant Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers@tribunemail.com
|
A Voice acting or doing voiceovers showcases a talented artiste's ability to play different voice roles ranging from zany, animated characters, background narration to mimicry and singing jingles. With increasing specialisation, voice acting can no longer be clubbed under the head of 'screen acting'.
