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Toon-In-Talk Episode 07: Interview with Ronald M. Banks

Posted by :storysequence On : May 1, 2015
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Category: EPISODES

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Hello and welcome to seventh episode of Fanboy Nation’s Toon-In-Talk, your rendezvous for animation interviews.  Mortal Kombat X is the latest game in the legendary fighting series and Whitney scored a interview with the voice of the villainous Quan Chi.  Ronald M. Banks is the extreme opposite of the villain roles (meaning he’s a swell  guy) he tends to get cast for in his extensive musical and theater career.  In this interview, he discusses his journey into voice over and how he plans to grow his career.

Episode 7

Show Notes

  • Ron’s famous voice over role as Quan Chi in the Mortal Kombat series: Mortal Kombat X, Mortal  Kombat, and Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.
  • He also played Jafar in the Aladdin Musical Spectacular at Disney California Adventure.  On stage, he is most famous for playing the king in the King and I as well as Sweeny Todd in Sweeny Todd.
  • Ron loves playing the bad guy and finds it very cathartic.
  • Ron describes Quan Chi as a sorcerer, who is evil but is not an epic villain.
  • He used to be a gamer and his game of choice was World of Warcraft, but he found that he needed to devout more time to real life.
  • When he voiced the role of Quan Chi, Ron is still learning what the character’s role in the game is.  As Jafar, Ron understands the menacing sorcerer’s mind quite well.
  • Whitney got the reference right (though it’s sweat, not silver blood).
  • The game has over the top violence and he thinks players will find it more humorous than gory.
  • Ron thinks that when CGI gets too real it won’t appeal to people.
  • He’s also been in some movies: No Connection and Sentimental Over You.  For Ron, when he acts on TV or in movies, he has to back off with his voice.  He’s used to projecting his voice.
  • Some of the challenges Ron faces is the newness of being a voice actor and keeping a show fresh when he’s on stage.
  • It’s important for actors on stage to be in the moment to keep their role fresh for the audience.
  • Ron is a vocal coach and he shares some advice on keeping your voice strong and healthy.
  • Whitney wants to know some funny theater stories and Ron reveals a whopper.
  • Both share their thoughts on Andrew Lloyd Webber.
  • SPOILER ALERT!  Ron explains Quan Chi’s fate.
  • They discuss the wonders of technology and the trouble of finding silence in a house.  (Whitney recorded this episode in her closet.)
  • Voice acting is a very competitive market.
  • During the day, Ron works as a Disney guest relations host, he teaches voice, and also works with kids.

 

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Toon-In-Talk Episode 03: Interview with Britni Brault

Posted by :storysequence On : March 19, 2015
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Category: EPISODES

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Episode 3

Hello and welcome to third episode of Fanboy Nation’s Toon-In-Talk, your rendezvouz for animation interviews.  Whitney decides to interview a special part of the animation industry with her special guest Britni Brault, a talented and prominent paper artist.  Britni has created paper sculptures for the Walt Disney Company and it’s possible you have seen some of her work at the parks.  She also makes pieces for other studios and clients.  Britni and Whitney discuss everything from what a paper sculpture is to copyright laws.

Show Notes

  • Britni details her background as a wife, mom, and a professional, freelance paper artist.
  • Britni explains there are different kinds of paper artists and what type she is.
  • While in art school, Britni discovered that paper was the only medium that made her feel satisfied as an artist.
  • People contract her to make a piece. Sometimes clients know exactly what they want and other times they ask Britni to use her imagination to create a piece.
  • She discusses her creative process when designing a client’s project.
  • A maquette is a simplified version of the larger piece Britni will sculpt.
  • Whitney and Britni talk about different paper artists, their careers, and how they work with clients.
  • Disney is one of Britni’s biggest clients, but she can’t discuss any of the projects she currently has them.
  • She got her job with Disney by entering a D23 contest and winning with a Mary Poppins sculpture. People started contacting her and since then she has been networking and working.
  • All of her Disney projects have been very inspiring and she has to work a bit harder to please her other clients.
  • Britni uses many copyrighted characters in her pieces. According to copyright law she is allowed to use the characters in “one-off” pieces. Translated that means she can’t make more than one copy.
  • They both share their views and experiences with copyright law and fans respecting intellectual rights.
  • Artists usually incorporate their influences in their own unique style.
  • Whitney can’t help but mention her favorite paper artist Lotte Reiniger.
  • Britni has considered making her own stop-motion short, however, she considers storytelling to be her weak point.  She is a work horse, however.
  • Both agree that paper is a versatile medium and would love to see a movie using entirely paper.
  • Britni shares some views on the Disney Renaissance and how a lot of creative ideas come out times of desperation.
  • She’s not a very big fan of 3D movies and she has a neat idea for something that can replace.
  • They discuss how creepy Coraline is and how much they love Jim Henson.
  • In November she worked on a Disney villains project for Van Eaton Galleries.
  • Britni is an inspiration for not only paper artists, but other artists as well.

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