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Ask Futurama Star Billy West About...?
Posted by
Roblimo
on Thu Jun 29, 2006 01:00 PM
from the is-this-really-happening-or-just-being-staged dept.
from the is-this-really-happening-or-just-being-staged dept.
In case you haven't heard, Futurama is coming back — in like 2008, so don't go channel-flipping in hope quite yet. This is the first interview Billy West (who voices Fry, Prof. Farnsworth, Zapp Brannigan, Zoidberg, and other Futurama characters) has done since the announcement. Realize, too, that Billy has also been the voices of Ren and Stimpy and hundreds of other animated characters over the years, and old-school Howard Stern fans will remember that part of his career, too. Ask Billy about anything you like; we'll send him 10 top-moderated questions (and maybe he'll answer a few extra ones of his choice, too). We expect to post his answers Wednesday, the day after Freedom Day's 21st Century predecessor, the 4th of July (which, sadly, is not known for nude hot tub parties). Meanwhile, to tide you over, here's a little MP3 voice montage Billy did in his home studio just for Slashdot.
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Futurama Star Billy West Answers Slashdot Questions 258 comments
So. You had some brilliant, whacky, and insightful questions for Futurama star Billy West last week. Today we have his brilliant, whacky, and insightful answers. Thanks go to long-time Slashdot reader Kevin Day for arranging the interview, but the real thanks goes to Billy, who was so excited about doing this that he and I ended up talking about Slashdot via cell phone -- and he caught me while I was at a local lumberyard, thinking about plywood, not Slashdot or Futurama. I wish I'd recorded the conversation. It was totally surreal. But reading Billy's answers -- and using your imagination -- will give you a good idea of what it was like. :)
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Futurama Flavored Humor (Score:5, Interesting)
First I'll state my question in the form of a question: What do you think it is that gives Futurama such a unique kind of humor? Do you think that only a small part of the population finds Futurama funny?
More specifically, I enjoy the humor in Futurama. Maybe it's because I'm a nerd and appreciate the N-NP references or maybe it's because I read a lot and I like obscure references (or perhaps even the two are inherently married). What I can't seem to understand is why I like Futurama so much.
You do a great job on the voices and the writing is pretty good. But every so often there will just be these little "intellectual" jokes left and right that just make me laugh every time I see them. Some shows try to be scientific and just dribble the facts down the leg of their pants. It annoys me to no end. Futurama seems to manage to make fun of itself and in the process keep me entertained.
I don't want to sound like a snob but I wonder if Futurama suffers from being too genre or personality specific. Does it target only graduate level people with its nerdy humor?
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I'd also like to ask a second question: Do you select what shows you work on by their quality?
You've been in a lot of my favorite shows as a voice actor ever since I was a kid. I've also noticed that from your IMDB entry [imdb.com] that you really stick to some genuinely funny shows. There are some where I've never found the shows funny but that's just me. I've always wondered if you only like to do shows that you yourself find funny. Do you think that many people in your business do this? I mean, assuming you're not starving and dying for work.
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Third question: Why do you think Futurama was cancelled?
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Fourth Question: What were your favorite voices you've done? What were your most hated?
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Fifth Question: When you're approached to do a voice for a show, how is the type of voice (sound, texture, pitch, etc) determined? Is there a line of people ready to do their interpretation of a character? Do you come up with your own idea based on the character's personality and then sit there refining it with the show's creators/writers? What does this process entail? Do you think of someone you know with the same personality and mimic their voice as a base for the character? If not, where do you get your ideas from?
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Sixth Question: What made you want to do voice acting as a profession? It must not be very glamorous if the only way a fan could recognize you is by your voice, why'd you choose it?
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Seventh Question: What exercises (if any) do you use to warm up your voice when you perform? Is it just something you're naturally good at or do you go through daily techniques and practicing like a musician or singer?
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Eighth Question: Have you ever used computer enhancements for your voices? Does this ever occur?
Re:Futurama Flavored Humor (Score:5, Funny)
Each to their own I suppose. I appreciated the P-NP references.
Parent
Copyright permission? (Score:5, Interesting)
Your projects (Score:5, Interesting)
Question number plz99 (Score:5, Interesting)
and what are your favorite moments or stories with them?
Guidance and Backstory... (Score:5, Interesting)
How much of a role do you like to play in shaping the worlds you play a part in?
Similarly, what level of informational feedback do you think is appropriate from producers?
Ryan Fenton
Well... (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
The correct answer is "1", unless you meant "XOR", in which case the answer is "0", and you can bite my shiny boolean ass.
Parent
PLEASE read his FAQ first (Score:5, Informative)
If you read Billy West's FAQ before asking a question, you won't repeat things that he's been asked before, and make us all look like a bunch of uneducated monkeys without cooling hats!
And that wouldn't be good news at all!
http://www.billywest.com/index4.htm [billywest.com] is where you find his FAQ. I've already seen a post moderated to 5 that asked questions answered there.
Hank vs. Billy (Score:5, Funny)
New Series: Writers (Score:5, Interesting)
We've heard a lot about the original voice actors who are returning to Futurama. This is great, and I believe it is absolutely essential to the success of the new season. However, what about the other staff? Are the writers of the Fox episodes returning for the new season? Is there anyone who isn't coming back to the show who you'll miss?
Thanks! Can't wait for the new season!! Can I be cryogenically frozen until 2008?
Phil Hartman (Score:5, Interesting)
Other cartoons he watches? (Score:5, Interesting)
And keep up the good work.
Hello Billy (Score:5, Interesting)
Did you get a chance to listen to any international version of Futurama, and what did you think of the performance of the voice actors?
Which brings me to the following question: Did you ever do voiceovers for a foreign production, say, a turkish sitcom , and if so, what kind were the challenges you were faced with?
Cheers,
Palad1,
Foreigner
"Pirates" (Score:5, Interesting)
In particular, I mean those that pay for cable TV, but don't enjoy being bombarded with ads interupting the shows every 5 minutes, and find major network schedules highly restrictive.
Voice alterations (Score:5, Interesting)
Voices (Score:5, Interesting)
Way back when Futurama began in 1999, did the creators and producers specify fairly specifically how they wanted your various parts to sound? Or did you maintain a relative degree of autonomy when coming up with all the great voices we know and love?
Can't wait for the new episodes; if they are nearly as good as the 3rd and 4th seasons we'll all be grateful. The simple, sardonic humor and geek references can draw on so many new phenomena of the past three years. Let's hope the cynicism is utterly dispeled and that Futurama hasn't even thought about the shark, let alone jumped it as some persons say.
My question for Billy (Score:5, Funny)
Writing (Score:5, Interesting)
The Web (Score:5, Interesting)
How important do you feel the internet has been in the success of Futurama? I know there are tons references to fan posting's and web sites on the Futurama DVD's. Do you think Futurama episodes online contributed to the continuing success of Futurama after it was cancelled? I'm sure there are plenty of people who weren't significantly exposed to Futurama until the episodes began making their way online...
do you take requests? (Score:5, Funny)
Your voice? (Score:5, Interesting)
Damien
Leave it at the beep (Score:5, Interesting)
What's the message on your answering machine?
Re:Getting in the Biz (Score:5, Informative)
What advice do you have for someone trying to get into voice acting?
"Have a recording studio do a professional demo tape of straight reads and character voices. They usually have all the stuff for you work with on your demo. Always consider critiques of your performances. You take the demo and try to get an interview with a commercial talent agency for them to listen to. Try everywhere. I started in radio and got a job doing VO's in 1980 after the star of the morning show heard it. I worked for free at first and then it turned into a paying part-time job. Try stations to see if any of the shows need a good voice person. Radio shows are most likely to use a person that can do political figures or celebrities. They mostly rely on their on-air talent to read the straight stuff or let the production director do it. It's a good idea to think about re-locating to where the industry is, namely New York or LA, even though it's frightening.
When I left my hometown there were a few guys that called me after they heard me in a cartoon or saw me on TV or in a commercial doing voices. "Wow man, what's it like to have a job like that? Must be nothin' but tits and ice cream!" All I said was "Hey, I took the risks you guys never did. You got married too early and had kids and got steady jobs and took the safe path of least resistance. I had the balls to get in in a business of 90unemployment and bet on myself. I did real well but there were no guarantees of even a small success. I was a gunslinger that wouldn't listen to advice and got lucky. But so could you."
Parent
Re:Eek 404! (Score:5, Funny)
- Robin
Parent