If you're having a martini... do it with some style.

One of the things I'd like to do with this blog is to talk about stuff that isn't just about VO, but still has some interest. If you're like me, you like to do things with a little style. There's nothing wrong with that so long as you stay within budget and do so for your own enjoyment, instead of trying to make a statement. Frankly, if you're trying to make a statement, odds are that you're trying too hard.

For me, enjoying a good martini now and again is one of those simple pleasures that everyone should have at least once in their lives (and if you're lucky, have a good eye, and a steady hand, you can enjoy as often as you'd like). One of the things which always bothered me though was that you were stuck with a wooden toothpick for your garnish. A good martini has often been referred to as being "clear, potent, and never misses its mark", and I'm sorry but a wooden splinter with an olive on it simply doesn't give me that feeling...

and then I stumbled upon this guy. Without a doubt, this is a man who knows his drink, and has turned an otherwise boring aspect to a classic drink into a work of art.

Ironically, if you think about what the martini represents, there's a lot of commonality between it and a good actor in that a strong actor will have a statement to make (regardless of whether we really understand it), is clear about what their particular goals are, and never misses the mark when it comes to leaving the audience with something to ponder or enjoy. Seems to me that the characteristics we give to the martini are also the same we ought to find in our work as voice actors.

or perhaps, I'm just really in the mood for a martini.