Well, dear readers, we had us an exhausting but fun first day of recording the audiobook for GEE. Diana Canova has always been a wonderful performer, ever since I first happily came in contact with her at LACC, where I first used her in shows. We’ve had quite a long history, working together many, many times. When she first messaged me after seeing my post seeking an actress, something about it felt so right, and she even was willing to send me an audition tape. One listen to that confirmed instantly that it was absolutely right. And she loved the book, so that’s always helpful.
We began promptly at noon – I knew it was going to be taxing to attempt to do the entirety of part one in one four-hour session and it was. 107 pages (the book proper starts on page eleven after all the front matter and ends on page 118 for part one. We’d mark anytime there was a dead space or a page turn, so that later all those would be edited out. And when there was a mistake, we stopped and went back and picked it up. I have to say that I didn’t stop her much for interpretive things, and when I did she took the note instantly and instantly we got the right reading. When you’re on this kind of schedule you know going in that perfect is never going to be part of it. But she did a great job, all the characterizations were terrific, and to her what she does vocally as GEE goes from ten to ninety-four was actually amazing. I was an emotional puddle during the final ten pages of part one, and I have to say, so was the engineer, who had no idea what the book was about but was totally invested in the story instantly. On one of our breaks, he said, “If she’s ninety-four at the end of part one, where does the story go?” We didn’t tell him. We took small breaks throughout, which caused us to go over by thirty minutes, and then our engineer was going to edit for another thirty after that, but I’m hopeful today will go quicker, although it’s actually about ten pages longer in part two. We shall see.
Prior to that, I’d gotten about seven hours of sleep, despite actually getting to bed on time – just had a bit of trouble falling asleep. After the session, we went to nearby Mucho Mas for some Mexican food. I had a beef taco and cheese enchilada, and she had a chicken taco and chili relleno, and of course it comes with rice and beans. I ate some of the rice but no beans. It was very good. We had tons of fun yakking and catching up.
After that, I headed directly to the mail place and picked up some nice mail and one little package. Then I came home and realized just how exhausted I was. It takes total concentration doing this because I’m proofing along AND listening for the performance. So, things do get by you and then there’s not really time to go back and do it again. I listened to music and relaxed, answered all the e-mails that had arrived, had a few crackers as a snack, and that was really about it, save for a short telephonic conversation. I also gave the gal who’s voicing the Adriana pages, the additional pages I want her to redo for the character of Billy. It’s really not all that much, actually, maybe five or six pages all in. It’s really two lines here, a half-page there, and only once where I’ve asked for an entire page.
Today, I have to be up by ten at the latest, then I’ll shower and mosey on over to the bank by eleven to do some banking, and then I’ll be on my way to the voiceover studio to do part two of the book. Hopefully, it will go smoothly. She’s got all new characters to voice in part two, so that will be fun. After we finish, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, eat, and then go home and relax.
Tomorrow, I will absolutely need at least half a ME day, and then I’ll use the other half choosing songs and doing whatever needs doing. Thursday, I will see the fruits of Marshall Harvey’s labor, The Creature Wasn’t Nice-wise. I’m not only interested to see what he’s done but am actually excited about it. Saturday is a short work session for a show I’m helping with. I think there are a few other things happening, but I can’t remember what they might be.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, bank, record part two of GEE, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are favorites of the audio books you’ve heard? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a good first day or recording part one of GEE.