The John Morris Interview

John Morris, (Toy Story 1, 2 & 3,) has already made an indelible impression on millions as the voice of Andy in all the Toy Story movies. But what bodes well for this 25 year old actor is his attitude about the business and his craft. He knows that play has been at the core of his success, and he doesn't plan to ever let go of that creative spirit that has served him so well.

In this month's Industry Interview, John and I talk about his career, his experiences in the VO world, and making the transition from child to adult actor. He also offers some great tips and advice on voiceover preparation and what it takes to have staying power in this industry.

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1 of 1 people found the following comment helpful:

Fun Inteview, January 25, 2011

By Dr.D - See all my comments

So much great information! Thank you John!

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1 of 1 people found the following comment helpful:

John Morris Rocks!, January 24, 2011

By Mary_Windishar - See all my comments

Go John Morris! I loved you in Toy Story 3.

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IVC embraces the use of audio and video as teaching tools -- and you should too. Examples come to life when heard, and become 3-D when seen and heard. We provide a transcript to help you with note taking or searching our site…but recommend that you push "play!"

David: In this edition of Internet Voice Coach's "celebrity interviews," we have John Morris. Welcome John.

David: John was the, is the, voice of "Andy" in "Toy Story" 1, 2 and 3. One of the first questions one of our members wanted to ask you was, "How early did you know you wanted to be involved in the performing arts, and in voice over in particular?"

John: Well, I grew up in New York, in upstate New York, and my parents tell this story about how, from an early age, from when I could walk, I was entertaining, singing little songs, bringing appetizers up to the guests, and complimenting them -- just very gregarious. And when we moved out to the West coast when I was four, my mom and dad sort of had a sense that it would be a great outlet for me. They were like, "he has all this energy, he has all this expression, this could translate to, you know, the stage, the screen." So where I started was Judy Berlin's "Kids on Camera" in San Francisco. I just started with workshops on camera, and did a voice over workshop, which I actually didn't know anything about. When I was that little, I knew Disney movies and I loved them, but I didn't know how they came about you know?

John: And um, what I loved about voice over was that all of the sort of imagination, and physical, it all goes through your voice! I mean it all, you just sort of like, harness all of this energy and expression and character and your voice is the medium. It just was so exciting.

John: Such an exciting thought. It is such an exciting thought. So, you know, when I first started with my agency…

John: Judy is wonderful, Judy Berlin is wonderful about having showcases, at the end of her workshops and series. So you'll do a six week series, have a workshop, parents will come, and agents will come, in the city. And so we were doing little "Oreo" commercials, sort of mock "Oreo" commercials, and I just got picked up by an agent, at that.

David: So, what steps did you, and at that point obviously your parents, take to help you really sort of kick start your career as a voice over person, very young, still. Were they doing anything to market you or promote you, or was it just your agent?

John: Right, it was mostly my agent. My parents were incredible about driving me to all these auditions. I think I was going to three or four auditions a week. It was just really a lot of auditioning, and you know, I wasn't playing sports, wasn't hanging out with friends, I was really focusing on my career and coming into the city, because we lived in Marin, for audition after audition. And my agent was great about making calls and introducing me to people, sending out headshots, sending out voice demos, and being really proactive.

David: Now, was "Toy Story" your first voice over project? How did you get that job?

John: "Toy Story" was my first voice over project. It's kind of a fun story. My agent called me and said that this local Bay Area production, an animation production company, who's done shorts up to this point is casting a feature. Their first feature.

John: And that was Pixar, yes. And they needed a young boy to play the part of Andy. And I remember very specifically the audition; Pixar called my agent and said that for the audition they would like the talent to bring in a prop, a toy. Their favorite toy -- and they essentially recorded us, playing with our toys. That was the first audition; there was no scripts, no copy -- that came later in the callback. And so, I was really into the "X-men" figures.

John: You know, early nineties, really into the "X-men" and this was, of course, before the films, and my mom came into my room and said, "Okay, John" and I was seven at the time, "you need to bring one toy for this audition, and you're going to play with your toy, so pick a toy." And I of course could not pick one "X-men" figure, so I brought all forty-five in my huge box. My carrying case of "X-men" figures.

John: And so I walk in and John Lasseter and Pete Docter and Lee Unkrich and all these….

John: Directors are just laughing, cause here's this little kid coming in with, like, a suitcase, of toys. So they say, "Okay, start playing with your toys." And I just open the case and throw them all on the ground and just start diving in with all of the voices and the scenarios that I would always create in my room. And to this day, to this moment, the best and most enjoyable audition I've ever had, because it was just play! It was just…

David: One of the things we feature on this website is that sense of play, and how freeing that is.

David: And how it can ultimately help you to sustain and grow yourself, not just as a person but your career in voice over. Because they're always looking for people who still know how to play. Now obviously as a child, you had no problem with that.

David: But it also seems like, knowing you today, that that's still there. That it never left.

John: Sure! I mean I think, in its essence, voice over should be fun and enjoyable. And yes, there are different types of voice over, of course, and different media, but it is something that you're just able to let your imagination go, and enjoy yourself, play, like you said, experiment, stretch, you know, just really let your creativity out.

David: And that's what we try to promote here as well, it's not something a lot of adults have an ease with, if they were not brought up with an awareness about how important play was. And for you, with your career, at an early age was built around the idea of play. So, that sense of play was totally supported in your environment.

David: And in the work you were doing. So let's go back a second. Take us through the Pixar audition process of being chosen. Did you have to go back for another audition?

John: I believe I went for the first audition with the play and just the recording, and then there was a callback. And I believe after that there was one more call back. Because I think they were narrowing, narrowing, narrowing. And then there was a script from the film. And then, I remember John Lasseter talking to me about the character of Andy and what the toys mean to him, and I found a lot of parallels.

John: And so, Woody and Buzz to Andy, were my "X-men" figures, my "Legos" my "Ninja Turtles" to me. And so that was really helpful at that young innocent age, to that simply say, "Oh! The way that I feel about my toys, is the way that Andy feels about his toys!"

John: Which is something that is taught in acting training. About personalizing…

John: Right! Transference, yes, personalizing…and it's hard to do as you get older and reaching back to memories and things, so it was just very, fresh at that point. Just very present, and you know what I remember saying to John Lasseter? He's like, "Well what toys do you love?" And I said, "my 'X-men' figures, my 'Ninja Turtles!'" And it was right there.

David: So describe the work, the actual work, once you were in the studio and voicing, at a very young age, the first "Toy Story."

David: Were you alone when you performed? Or were you with other actors from the film? How did that work?

John: Most of the time, it was myself and the director, John Lasseter in the room together. Which was wonderful because I got really close to him and I really felt I could trust him, and really connected with him. You know, being a seven year old, with adults, you know your parents, but besides that, it's like, "who is this new person?" And so John is just so warm and wonderful, and so it was very easy to connect with him. And we would play! Sometimes it was more structured, and he would ask for specific, "John please give three of these lines and make them kind of different and unique." Or sometimes, it would just be me laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing, playing, playing, sort of this track of just this, wild…

John: Wild sound! That they would then edit and of course go back, and in terms of other characters, you know, when Andy comes in, the toys go to sleep. And so, I never actually recorded with any of them, and didn't record with Laurie Metcalf who plays my mom, it was all individual.

John: And then sort of pieced together. And, some memories I have, you know to create some of the folley and effects. Like I remember at one point in "Toy Story" I'm running up the stairs. It's my birthday party and I'm really excited, and I think I actually took my shoes off and I had my socks and I was running in place!

John: They were…right! They were my feet, my body, and yeah so that was fun too.

David: It sounds like the actual recording process for this young, seven year old, John Morris, was a ball!

John: Absolute ball. I loved going. When my mom said, you know every few months, "Okay, it's time to go to Pixar to record!" I was like, "Yes!" I loved it! And they had jars of candy around and you know Pixar, everyone has these awesome little "Razor" scooters and it was so much fun, because they know how to have fun. So of course I had fun and it was a blast.

David: Now, let's take a jump to a few years later, "Toy Story 2" is coming out.

John: Yes. So the first one I was seven to eleven years old, and then we have a little jump to thirteen.

John: Yes. My voice was starting to drop, as it does with thirteen year-old boys.

David: It all goes together doesn't it folks? So, how did you work with this? I mean first of all, it wasn't a done deal then right? You were going in and they wanted to know, because at this point, Andy in "Toy Story 2" is still roughly the same age?

John: Older, older. Yes, than Andy. So, to get back to that youthful, I mean I'm still youthful, but to get back to that sound, that sound of Andy, and his energy and his vocal energy, and all of that, I hired a very, very, very, very good voice coach: you, thank you.

John: And truthfully, you were incredibly helpful in getting me back to that place. We listened to my work in "Toy Story" and to Andy and we really did bridge back. And that's what they said when I auditioned! They said, "Oh! You still have the Andy voice."

David: Right. And what we worked on, not only was the, from what I remember from this time, was not only the range or the particular pitch that was going to be needed, but that you were able to communicate the same energy that Andy had while you were working with the team to get that pitch at the same time.

John: Yeah, no, there was a lot coming together. I remember us talking about breath and focus and talking about the resonance and where Andy's voice is, literally, where I felt it, you know?

David: And I actually remember you just being so intent on making this work. You were having such a good time, even with the coaching process, and that's something that I kind of want to instill in our members and our listeners here. Is that you have to have fun with every step of the process. And that comes back to that sense of play. That even when you're in a situation where, oh, I may not get this, that you're having fun.

David: Because I think that will actually help you have a better chance of getting that part. So, that's what I really liked, because even though we were working really hard on trying to maintain pitch and character, energy, that you were having a really good time doing that too.

David: So, all right great, so, you come back in, they were pleased, it all works out. Was it the same situation for you as a thirteen year old? What did you bring to that experience?

John: Right, I mean I had worked with them for three years, and seen them at the premieres. And just being part of "Toy Story" I felt very comfortable coming back and they were wonderful and welcoming. But it was different! I was older. And I had started more focused acting training. As I'm getting older, I'm then getting more into scene study and getting into high school and it's a different bag, it's a different acting bag.

And so at that age and with "Toy Story 2" I remember thinking more internally about Andy. Like, where is he emotionally? And of course again, John Lasseter and Lee Unkrich, who co-directed, were really wonderful and contextualizing, you know, this is where Andy's at in this part of the story, and this is what he's feeling, and then of course left a lot of it up to me, but they sort of set the scene. They were always, to this day, wonderful about setting the scene.

David: So, it sounds like they were sensitive to the fact that you were now thirteen. They weren't going to work with you as a seven year-old, or an eleven year-old even.

John: Mmhmm, exactly. And so I felt very comfortable when we then would start the actual recording. Okay I know where Andy is, I can do this, you know? I can launch into this.

David: Now were there times when they would say, "Watch your pitch" or "watch your tone?" Or was that all pretty much taken care of by then? You were living back in that voice and in that character.

John: Yeah, I mean there were times where I would get a little tired. You know it was…

John: It does. And I hadn't had quite the extensive voice training that I've had now, through high school and college and beyond. And so it was, there were times where it's, "okay I'm just gonna take a little break," but they were very present, always with the recording and keeping it in the performance of Andy and in that vein.

David: All right, good. So was it the same process of doing three versions of each line and your own interpretations, different interpretations, same kind of?

John: Mmhmm, same structure. And if I recall we didn't have, in the first one there would be those tracks of just me laughing and me playing … but in the second one, it's more, sort of specific, in terms of his play and scripted lines and so it was more of the three lines, three lines, three lines. Which taught me the importance of variety!

David: Okay so now, a number of years have gone by, you've been in college and…

David: Graduated college. And they come along and say, "Hey, we're doing this new 'Toy Story' movie." And again, it's a situation where now, obviously, your voice is completely different, your experience is different, so they want you to audition again!

David: Was that okay, the fact that they were asking you to audition? That they didn't just invite you in? Were you okay with that?

John: Right, it's nice. Yes. I mean I understood, because it's been about seven years. And you know, that's a long period of time!

John: So I was completely okay with it, and excited to come back and audition.

David: So tell me a little bit about that audition experience. How did you prepare for that mentally, knowing that you still had to prove yourself, right? Did you feel like you still had the inside track still? Or were you in there with a lot of others, did you know your competition? Tell me a little bit about that.

John: Yeah I wasn't really sure because it was all individual. And I just tried to, you know, I watched "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" and I just sort of got myself back in the world. That's what I did. And it worked out!

John: Yes, yeah, I took some time, you know to watch the film and I just sort of played around a bit, before the audition, and then when the audition came I felt pretty confident.

David: Did you do this in New York, or did you come out here to do the audition?

David: Okay. And when you went in there, you were ready. You were prepared, you had the sense…

John: Yes! Well I'd say I have about a twenty minute warm-up that I do, that's pretty set. And, fortunately it can be done in the shower, in my room, in the car, and so, it starts with just some humming, maybe I'll give a little example. Just a little * Lip Trill * just to warm things up…

John: And then some tongue twisters and a lot of opening sighs and yawns. Just, I like the idea that coming into voice over work, no matter what the project is, that I'm just ready to go.

John: That my vocal range has been exercised and warmed up, and I'm ready for anything. I'm focused, I have water, you know I'm ready to just dive in rather than feeling unsteady.

David: Right, and also, it puts you in a different world. I mean if you're trilling and doing tongue twisters you're not in the world of linear chronological, "here's my schedule, here's my day;" it puts you in a different place.

John: It does. It really, really helps focus the work and it's funny because, especially in New York, you know I'm taking the subway! I'm not taking a car. And so, you know, I just had to adjust to the fact that people are going to look at me like I'm nuts! Because I'm going * trillllllllll * on the subway! I just do it.

David: But you know what there are probably about five others doing the same thing!

John: Right, exactly so, I've gotten used to it, but it does, you know people are like, "what are you doing, motorboat?" But it's what I need to do.

David: Right, so you actually were doing these exercises before you went into the audition for, and it worked out again!

David: Now I know that at this moment we can't talk too much about "Toy Story 3" because you have been put under a cone of silence, that wonderful cone of silence by Pixar for at least a little while, but, once the movie comes out I'd love to have you back and just hear a little bit more about that experience.

David: So, can you tell our members, did you learn anything from doing all these films that you can apply to every audition you go, on or every job you get? I mean is there something that you've learned from having this wonderful experience now for a number of years, many of your living years, that you can bring to an audition, because of your experience?

John: Right, that's a good question. I would say, going back to Judy Berlin and "Kids on Camera," and then acting training in Marin, and Berkeley and Berkeley Rep and Marin Theater Company, I really learned from an early age what professionalism meant. And that, I think, was central. Because I think with a lot of kids, yes there is the "play," which is so central, but it is work, it is professional. So it's a hard sort of concept.

John: And so, having literally classes called "Professionalism in Acting." And you know at ACT the was so paramount to, as a child, understanding what that means and how that translates to the work, and…

John: Yes, exactly yes. And so I think that, coupled with what we were talking about earlier, the play, is just what I've learned most from, and what has been most beneficial in my work and effective and just allowing my imagination to go. Yet, with a professional context and arriving on time or early, those things seem simple, but they're very important.

John: Absolutely, and I think it was Woody Allen who said something like, "70% of success," or, "80% of success is showing up."

David: Good. And I love the idea that you bring your own play to the table in a professional way. And if you can do that then you have demonstrated in one fell swoop that you are the whole, the real deal. The whole package is there, because they're gonna want your play, but they're gonna want your professionalism.

David: Thank you for that. How important has coaching, or getting coaching been for your career, and to that effect, are you studying acting in any way now? Do you think every actor should study, get coaching?

John: I absolutely do. The coaching I've received has been so incredibly helpful because while I can work through a script or a character with family or friends, who are wonderful and support me and are incredible…having a professional view and professional input before I'm going to an audition is just really valuable and incredible.

And again, the idea of getting into the world of the character and the world of whatever I'm auditioning for, the vocal coach or acting coach that I'm with understands that. We can play, professionally, in order to then embody the world. So, I'm able to embody the world and feel very confident. And, in terms of training, acting training, I think it is so essential and crucial, to keep you fresh and in the game. To answer the latter part of your question, I do still continue my acting training, I go to workshops…

David: As it is for most actors, and again, that's something that we really want to drive home here, is that coaching is a supporting tool for you at all times so that you're always on your best game when you do go into an audition.

John: And likewise, the industry changes, I find. I mean, new people are popping up all the time, everything. New plays, playwrights and if you're in these acting classes, acting sessions, workshops, you're going to stay abreast of those and it's incredibly important. And then when you go to an audition and they have a breakdown and they say, "Sort of a Topher Grace feel," and you're like okay I know Topher Grace.

John: Or you know, if you're a young teenage girl, you know, she has a Miley Cyrus attitude and you're like Okay. You know?

David: Right, exactly. And in a sense, by staying on that cutting edge, you have the knowledge, the awareness, to be able to bring that into your auditions.

David: I know that for myself and for many acting coaches, that we are regularly working actors as well, and to be able to bring that back into a coaching session and be able to say I was just doing this yesterday and this is the way they're doing it now, is a great help so that when people walk into an audition situation, they say, "Oh David," or whomever, "Just told me about this yesterday," and they feel immediately relaxed and comfortable with what they're supposed to do.

David: And I think that comfort level is so important to be able to book that job. That comfort so that you're not thinking in your head, that it's more of an organic thing that's happening.

David: So you're living in New York now, or right now you're bi-coastal because you're still recording "Toy Story 3," but when not, you are living in New York?

John: It's um, it's varied, I mean I audition, personally, for theater, and I'm a member of SAG and Equity, so theater, voice over, film, not too much film in New York, but there are some incredible sound stages and there's more film.

John: More and more film, so that's evolving, and then voice over, meaning, animated series, TV commercials, animated TV commercials, radio. But the auditioning, the climate, yes we're in a recession, but there is work. There's a lot of work and I'm fortunate and blessed to have a great voice over agent who sends me out on a lot of great projects.

David: Fantastic. There was one you were telling me about, before we actually started this interview, where it was kind of like a little bit of a heartbreak story. I think it's important for Internet Voice Coach members to understand that not everybody has this golden life where they just merrily trip from one job to another, that everybody has to work with disappointment sometimes. Tell what that was about.

John: Well I had auditioned and been called back, and had booked, an animated series. A new animated series. And obviously, I was thrilled because that's twenty-six episodes, you know, guaranteed, very exciting.

John: Yes. And then I could still continue to audition while I was having that job.

John: Yes, and so I was incredibly excited, and started working on it, the cast was great, the producers, directors, everyone was phenomenal, and I was enjoying myself and getting good feedback from my agent, it was a great story, up to that point. And then they lost their money, their funding from one of their producers, one of their producers pulled out. And the project grinded to a halt and that was it. So, here I am and I've recorded two episodes and I was *chugging along * and just starting the process, and it was over. And it was out of my control, so yea that was a hard story, that was a heartbreak.

David: It was, it was out of your control and we have to deal with it constantly in this business.

David: It doesn't happen just once, and if you're going to do this for your life's work, or at least partially for your life's work, you're going to come up against that quite often.

David: And so it's very important, as you just said, to say it's out of my hands. As disappointing as it was, a lot of people tend to say, "why did this happen to me and maybe I'm just not that good." The project was such that the money was gone and it was purely financial and so you have to move on with that. So, thank you for sharing that!

David: So this is an interesting question here, has being the voice of "Andy" in all those "Toy Story" movies helped, hindered or maybe had no effect on your ability to find other voice over work?

John: That is a good question. It definitely has had an effect on my voice over work, and especially when finding agents, or moving and switching agents, to say that I've been "Andy" in "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2" and "Toy Story 3," and that I have that experience of working in animated feature films does say something to them. But on the other hand when people ask me about my career, it is the first thing that comes up. Like you said, it has been years and years and something that I'm proud of and something that I've enjoyed, and so to say that I'm pigeonholed is perhaps going to far, but it is a sort of defining element of my career. So, evolving, and as I get older, especially as I'm now an adult, there is a pronounced shift and transition that I'm feeling right now as my age bracket in voice over is…

David: Adult roles and adult projects. And are you finding that you need to do a little extra self-promoting, a little more pushing as far as making them understand that as far as you're concerned, that you're ready to do other projects? Or do you think that there's this sense of, "oh he's this kid, he's 'Andy' in 'Toy Story,'" do you find that at all?

John: I do sometimes and I do verbalize that, that I'm actually interested in exploring this and that, and I'm very vocal about it. One other thing I do, that I feel does help, is I know sometimes when people talk about resume, they talk about if you have commercials and voice-overs, "list available upon request" or something of that nature. And I include all of those so that they see that there is a range of voice over that I've done in addition to the "Toy Story" trilogy. In terms of CD-rom, radio, TV so they get a sense that…

John: Right. And that I've experienced that as well, and that's on my demo, that sort of thing.

David: We talked earlier about how you prepare for an audition, at least the vocal exercises that you do. Are there other things that you do as well? Metally? Emotionally? Even the night before, if you know that you have an audition the next day? And then, more specifically, certain things that I always recommend people do, is first to read things through for comprehension, any words that they might not know exactly how to pronounce that they get that done before they go into the audition process, as far as saying it out loud a number of times before they go in there. What's your process?

John: Uh, well, I'll receive the copy from my agent, usually in an e-mail, I'll print it out, and right, I'll give it a read, first read for comprehension like you said, and usually where I start, usually there is a description of the character or the spot, and that's usually very helpful, again, to get into the world of this copy. And you know if they say, "sort of a 'Bart Simpson' feel," versus, "sort of a 'Lord of the Rings' feel."

John: That's a good question. I use it to inform the way I look at the copy. I mean I won't listen to "Bart Simpson" over and over until I can do the voice because that's "Bart Simpson." To get that feel, I think, is what they're trying to convey, and so I will watch a clip or two if I need to, if I don't know someone that they mention, I definitely look it up.

John: That's right. And then I'll read the copy over, make some notes, if something's emphasized or if I want to take a breath here or take a pause here, and then I'll just read through it and start to get on my feet, as you said, physicalize it. Some are higher energy than others, if you're doing a TV spot for student loans versus an animated robotic hippopotamus, that's like a totally different world. You know and I read through for clarity, that's huge -- especially with radio.

David: Cool. And there really is a process that I think everybody needs to, they really need to find what works for them.

David: Right, but at the same time, that you have to be regular about as much as possible.

John: And there's a small addendum. I'm at the point now too that my family and friends understand what it means when I say I have an audition. They're very respectful, and not calling me five minutes before saying , oh my gosh, bringing in this drama so I can stay focused. They understand to give me a little space.

John: Which is helpful as well, which I've verbalized in the past, and that really helps as well.

David: If that's part of your process is being able to focus in on that, don't be afraid to tell them that you need a little extra space for an hour.

John: My agent does most of it for me, but I would like to do more self-marketing!

David: Well we have a lot of tips here on self-marketing and how to do that, so go take a look.

David: Now just some more fun things here, any great, or hell-ish stories from the auditioning trenches? Yes?

John: Yes. I do have one story that sticks out in my mind. I was, my agent e-mailed me that I had an audition the next day, and he hadn't gotten the copy beforehand which is rare, he usually does, so I didn't know really what to expect. Although he did say it was for a video game! So I go "okay a video game." I haven't actually done a lot of video games, it's sort of a new voice over sub-genre to me, and so I went and the video game was set in sort of an apocalyptic, "the world is ended," space. And so while I'm used to creating characters that are…

John: cheery. In the galaxies or adventure, it was quite intense and dark. It was a bit dark. And so these lines are very real, hard-hitting, and intense, about finding supplies and water and wounds and helicopter evacuations and it felt more like being in a play than anything. This very intense play or film.

John: But I went for it! And I gave it my all and I tried to put myself in the context and it was quite a surprise, I would say, because I didn't know what to expect. And so I warmed up, so I was vocally ready for it, and I just, in a way, played! I just sort of went for it.

John: They did, yes, they asked me to die. I asked a lot of questions on that one. I was like, "from what angle am I being shot? Where's the bullet?" And it was helpful to imagine these sorts of things.

David: That's fantastic. Not every person would know to ask those sorts of questions or be that involved -- depending on where you're hit, you'd make a different sound even!

David: Right, the way you'd fall, yes! Good stuff. All right so we're winding down here, I do have a couple more questions. What's the number one piece of advice you have for anyone wanting to get into animated films or voice work in general?

John: I would say my number one piece of advice is to stay focused and to just stay driven. Because it's just a huge industry, there are a lot of people who are voice over actors, and just to keep going and stay driven and ambitious and to not say "oh my gosh this is overwhelming or just too much," just to go for it.

David: Fantastic. That's a great piece of advice and I hope everybody has the patience to make that work for them.

David: Okay, and what's your number one piece of advice for someone who's done voice over work and in this recessionary period is having a hard time, but would like to keep doing it to stay fresh, what would you recommend for them?

John: I would say to stay on top of their game, vocally with training, and also to challenge them to expand and try new things. Try new characters, try new vocal ranges, and try new media within voiceover. I mean I don't know any other medium that has a greater range than voiceover.

John: Exactly and so for people to find dialect tapes, work on their dialects, stretch, work on themselves.

David: Great piece of advice, especially since when we do eventually come out of this recession, they will have a larger repertoire to use.

David: And I wish you well on all your projects, and we look forward to actually talking to you again once "Toy Story 3" is out.