I saw Wonder Woman last week
It was so good I’m compelled two share my two cents. And yes I’ll make it relate to voiceovers somehow…! (FYI there are no spoilers here, I wouldn’t do that to ya)
Casting: Gal Gadot was cast perfectly as Princess Diana. Chris Pine was a fantastic Steve Trevor and her supporting cast were hilarious, three-dimensional, and human. I think the second act, which seems to be showing up less and less in these big summer movies, really grounded the characters and made us love each of them for the right reasons. Read this fantastic article to see what I mean.
Story: Despite the exotic and sometimes horrifying locations, Wonder Woman was taken on a wonderful, human journey. It was incredible to see the story and the world unfold before her in such a grand but personal way. The action was gripping while not gratuitous like Batman v. Superman. The 2 1/2 hours raced by for me. I also like that it wasn’t tied too firmly to the already-released DCEU films. That may have been deliberate so as not to remind movie-goers of the other flops.
Loyalty to Canon: There are always adjustments made to a comic book movie story to accommodate cinematic continuity and the fact that you watch a movie for two hours as opposed to reading comic book for about fifteen minutes. Yes, Diana was made from clay and in the “New 52” continuity (a reboot of the DC universe in 2011) she is the daughter of Zeus. A big difference between the movie and canon is that the story takes place during World War I and not World War II. I think this was a brilliant choice! It worked on multiple levels. The first Captain America movie took place during World War II and I have a feeling many comparisons would be drawn anyway. Also, World War I is a largely unexplored part of history in American cinema so it was relatively unexplored territory for most of the viewers.
DCEU: This film may actually save the DC Extended universe! Click here to read last year’s blog when I panned, er, reviewed Batman v. Superman.
TIP OF THE WEEK
How does Wonder Woman relate to voiceovers? If you want to be a voiceover superhero, you must be:
Properly Trained: Wonder Woman is well-read, can speak over 200 languages, is at the peak of physical perfection, and trains in the art of combat every day. In all fairness she is about 5,000 years old so she had more time to hone her craft than the rest of us, but you know what I mean. Get proper training from a reputable voiceover coach who will help set you up for success.
Value-Driven: Wonder Woman has a very clear, strong set of values that make her both a good person and drive her to do the right thing. Her upbringing and her personal convictions guided her to overcome many challenges. Figure out what is important to you as a voice talent and let that be your guide to success.
Brave: facing the loss of her home & family and the risk of dying in a strange world, Wonder Woman courageously sailed off to face the unknown. Was she a fool or was she a properly-trained, value-driven hero trying to do the right thing for herself and the people she loves? Diving into the world of voiceovers is a scary proposition there is no “perfect time” to enter the business. Once you’ve gotten your training & demo and are armed with your values, it’s time to jump off the cliff.
NEWS AND NOTES
Announcement! I’m going to FaffCon 9! I am proud to be one of the sponsors and I look forward to hanging out with my fellow Faffers both old and new. See you in Charlotte!
Reminder! My next Edge Studio “Business and money 201” webinar will be this Thursday, June 15th @8PM EST. The subject: Keeping Clients Coming Back. We’re gonna talk about not just the finer points of client retention but the most important part: good communication. Click here to sign up.
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Iced Tea Day and Peanut Butter Cookie Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, The H is Silent, but I’m Not.
Tom Dheere is a 20-year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a coach at Edge Studio, voiceover business consultant known as the Voice Over Strategist, and is currently producing the comic book “Agent 1.22”.