Johnny Heller’s - NEW ENGLAND VIRTUAL NARRATOR RETREAT 2020
Join us on - SATURDAY OCT. 24, 2020 2PM – 9PM
3 SESSIONS – DEEP DIVES, DIRECTED READINGS, PUBLISHER ROUNDTABLE & A HAPPY HOUR!
FEATURING:
JOHNNY HELLER, JO ANNA PERRIN, SEAN PRATT, STEVEN JAY COHEN, SIMON VANCE,
CAROL MONDA, PAUL RUBEN, PAULA PARKER & TOM DHEERE
We can’t go to Whispering Pines this year but we can still gather together and learn and share!
AGENDA:
1:30-2PM SIGN IN AND HANG OUT IN LAUREL LODGE
(Attendees/coaches should all check into the Zoom Room 10-15 minutes before we begin)
SESSION I: LEARNING STUFF: 2PM- 3:15PM
(Groups will attend 30 Minute Lecture/Q&A Session & then the group will move to the lobby -LAUREL – and then to a different Lodge for a new session)
MAIN LODGE: NON FICTION WITH SEAN PRATT & JO ANNA PERRIN
Boring is Not an Option
Acting Choices
Voices of Non-Fiction
Entertainment as a performance target
Q& A
SPRUCE LODGE: FICTION WITH CAROL MONDA & SIMON VANCE
How to Make Informed Choices
Research/Prep
Sustainable Characters
Q&A
NETTLES LODGE: SELF-DIRECTION WITH PAUL RUBEN & JOHNNY HELLER
Best Practices
How the hell do I self direct? What am I even talking about?
Keeping track of Every damn thing for myself
Q&A
SYCAMORE LODGE: WORK FLOW/TIME MANAGEMENT WITH TOM DHEERE
Managing a day, a week, a month…
Keeping on task
Creating a Process
Q&A
MAPLES LODGE: MULTI-CAST AUDIOBOOKS WITH PAULA PARKER & STEVEN JAY COHEN
Different Prep
Different Compensation/different commitment
Actor Choices, Director Choices, Publisher Choices
Q&A
After the session, attendees return to the lobby (Laurel Lodge) and from there to the next session.
SESSION II: DIRECTED READINGS 3:30pm-5pm
Notes:
All attendees who wish to read, Please prepare a 1 – 2 minute reading from any genre you like.
WE CANNOT GUARANTEE EVERYONE WILL GET TO BE DIRECTED. WE CAN GUARANTEE EVERYONE WILL LEARN SOMETHING USEFUL! Coaches will simply call on attendees and off we go. You will be heard by the coaches and by the group.
Publishers may be present as observers or participants. So, that’s nice. (It is up to them to pop by if they choose).
MAIN LODGE: PAULA PARKER & SIMON VANCE
SPRUCE LODGE: SEAN PRATT & JO ANNA PERRIN
NETTLES: CAROL MONDA & STEVEN JAY COHEN
SYCAMORE: JOHNNY HELLER & PAUL RUBEN
After this session, attendees return to the lobby (Laurel) and then to the next session.
SESSION III : PUBLISHERS’ ROUNDTABLE 5:30-6:30PM*NOTE: If this session runs longer, which would be swell, we will start Happy Hour a little later as well!)
Time for Speed Dating in Reverse! Let’s hear from the audiobook publishers!
1. How to contact us
2. How often to contact us
3. Favorite/New projects
4. What do they look for in a “new” talent?
5. Q&A (send in questions in advance -I actually made a Google Form! – but we will try to take new questions in the chat room as well)
PUBLISHERS EXPECTED TO ATTEND: (sometimes things come up, but we hope for these and maybe more!)
GUY OLDFIELD – McMILLAN
JULIE WILSON – PRH
CAITLIN GARING, IRIS MCELROY – HARPER
ERICK BLACK – DREAMSCAPE
BRYAN BARNEY – BLACKSTONE
STEVEN SMITH, LISA SMITH – OASIS
PAUL GAGNE, MELISSA REILLY ELLARD – SCHOLASTIC
TAMARA MARSTON, FRANKIE GALVIS – PODIUM
STEVEN JAY COHEN – SPOKEN REALMS – (representing the Indie Publishers)
7PM-8:30PM HAPPY HOUR — and a half! (we may start this at 7:30pm…but you’ll know that cuz you’ll be there.)
Relax. Unwind. Drink. Heck, you’re home – do what you want! (adjust your camera if you don’t want us to see what you’re about.)
You will join a big “home room” and then be moved to other rooms where you can chat with your colleagues for 15-20 minutes or whatever these things require and then Annaliese Rennie will move you to another room and so on until we all meet for a tearful affectionate good bye til next time!
(and there will be a next time!)
NOTE: This is the first time we’ve done this and it couldn’t happen without the magic of ANNELIESE RENNIE of Spectrum Audiobooks. She’s a gem.