Getting to Know: Darren Dunstan and His Many Talents Part 3

Please read Part 2 of the interview before reading Part 3

Voice Director

Besides his voice acting career, Dunstan is also a voice director. When he was acting in Yu-Gi-Oh, 4 Kids began expanding and started producing a few new shows. He was asked to do some directing. After his training with other voice directors, Dunstan began directing his own show.

As a voice director, his schedule is usually 2 to 3 full days per episode “10am-6pm type of thing,” which is more time consuming than a 1 to 4 hour work schedule. This is because a director has to direct about 7 to 10 actors per episode, which results in a busy schedule and lots of responsibilities. Not only does Dunstan coach and direct each actor, he also reviews the script, handles the casting, makes sure that the performances combined “create a clear, cohesive & interesting episode,” and lastly, he reviews the final product. “It’s pretty concentrated work, meaning you can’t zone out! Ever!” said Dunstan. “Every minute of every session is about making decisions, assessing performances, addressing technical issues and thinking and communicating on your feet.”

Some episodes that he has directed are not limited to the Yu-Gi-Oh series. Dunstan has worked on many other children’s animation and recently, directed a non-children’s showed titled “Rick and Steve,” which airs on the LOGO channel. The comedic show involves a funny script and a cast of funny actors. Now what makes this a perfect fit for Dunstan? “It was totally up my alley humour-wise and I enjoyed the challenge of making it as funny (but subtle) as possible.”

So, how does a show like this compare to Yu-Gi-Oh? According to Dunstan, Yu-Gi-Oh tends to be focused on serious situations. I know. You are probably wondering, how is that possible? Even though the show is predominantly about a card game, the characters, since the early days of the series, all had serious goals that involved the cards, such as saving the world or one’s life. “It’s more like an action movie.” However, not all children shows are surrounded by such matters nor are all non-children’s shows are comedy. “That’s just been my experience in the shows I’ve directed.”

Although Dunstan has a few directing gigs under his belt, how does his voice acting career help him be a better voice director? He knows what it is like to be inside the booth and right behind a microphone. According to Dunstan, “it can be a vulnerable situation, and when the actors make choices and commit to their line reads I want them to know I respect their decisions. Validation and respect are really important things to communicate to the actors. It lets them feel uninhibited and makes them feel they’re being heard.”
© 2011 Linda Thai

Stay tune for Part 4 of the Darren Dunstan interview!