Tara Platt

Tara Platt is an extremely talented individual. Her career spans Acting, Voice Over, Producing, Author, and a certified Feng Shui consultant. I’m tired just thinking about all the work she does. You may recognize her from Naruto, Teken, Digimon, Mortal Kombt Vs. DC, Final Fantasy, Shelf Life and so much more. After this interview I went and checked out Shelf Life It’s hilarious! I kept thinking how have I not seen this before make sure to catch this web series. I got a chance to speak with the women of a million talents…

BBM: How’s life treating you?

Well, thank you. I am producing and acting in projects that are fun and fulfilling, so I certainly can’t complain.

BBM: What was your first major experience with acting and how did you know it was for you?

I saw a musical when I was a kid and it looked like such fun, so I told my mom that I wanted to do “that.” She explained that it was a lot of work but that if I was serious, I should check the audition section of the local paper. A few months later I saw a notice for the play Wait Until Dark and I auditioned and got the role. It was amazing and even better than I could have imagined, and I have never looked back!

BBM: Of all the characters you played who do you associate most with yourself?

That is a tough one. There is so much to be learned from each role you play. But I loved getting to play Juliet in Romeo & Juliet, and then of course Wonder Woman in DC vs MK – I mean, c’mon, iconic roles like those are a dream. But I’m not sure I’ve played a role that I would associate with myself just yet – which is part of the adventure.

Click Pic to go to Con-Artists Official Site!

BBM: Tell our readers about Con Artists and how did you choose the name?

Sure, it is a mockumentary feature about conventions. My husband Yuri Lowenthal and I are both actors who do a lot of voice-over work. From our VO work, we have been asked to attend conventions around the world to do panels, autograph signings and meet fans. We were on one of our con appearances when our good friend Boris Kievsky, a filmmaker, director and actor, said that it was such an interesting thing that we were up to we should really make a movie. And then the idea just percolated. He came up with the title “Con Artists” which is a fun play on the idea and words of convention/guests (called “artists”)/and confidence tricks or scam artists. Since our movie is a mocku we have actual documentary footage from over 10 cons that we attended over the course of a year, and then additional scripted funny scenes with us playing “heightened” versions of ourselves and getting swept away with the “fame.” In fact, our tag line is “Friends, Fans, Fame… What could possibly go wrong?” I am really excited to get this movie out into the world.

                         

Sounds brilliant! What can fans expect from the upcoming season of Shelf Life?

As far as the question is concerned, Season 4 of Shelf Life is going off the shelf, quite literally. After our hugely successful crowd-funding campaign last month to raise $30K (we ended up with $34579) we have an amazing season arc'd out. We will not only be physically taking the characters off the shelf, but we will be introducing new characters and adding in the traditional television story lines of main story and secondary story line, which we are really excited about. Basically  you can still watch any episode as a stand alone ep, but when watched in sequence you will get additional info and more well rounded on-going story points. We couldn't be happier about the show and the coming season!

      

 BBM: That is so awesome it’s heartwarming to see fans care so   much! Where do you find inspiration in life?

Everywhere! I mean we are lucky to be alive on this amazing planet with talented, creative, imaginative and passionate people who build buildings, ideas, and infrastructure. Everything around me on a daily basis is inspiring and thought provoking.

BBM: What would you say is the biggest challenge for doing voice over work?

I think the biggest challenge with VO work is the same challenge with any self-employed individual: procuring more work! The “work” part of it is the fun…That said, with VO, since so much rests on your physiognomy, keeping your voice and body healthy is definitely important and then pushing yourself to find new creative ways of working.

BBM: You have worked in a ton of iconic anime and video games. Is there a difference in the way you make a voice for an anime character as opposed to a video game character?

The actual way you create a voice is the same, regardless of what genre you might be working on: you think about circumstance, character, scenario, etc. And nowadays more than ever games and animation want realistic and natural sounding voices, so the key is to not go “cartoony.” But the main difference is in how vocally stressful something might be, a book on tape will likely be lower stress (more narration, longer sessions) while animation might be higher energy and more action, with video games also having combat and high energy throughout. So maintaining a voice is the most important task.

BBM: I have to ask you’ve done some great roles in video games are you a gamer if so which games do you enjoy?

I would actually much prefer to watch someone who is really good at playing a game play thru a title I have been on than to try to learn how to play thru the game myself. That said, I go back to the Persona games and the recent Saints Row the Third as being wild and crazy fun!

BBM: Of all your talents which one would you say is your passion and why?

Acting brings me the most joy, but at the bottom of that is about play. I feel that my purpose is to create excellence thru play and I do that most when I am acting on-camera in highly aesthetic films (often other time periods, and usually in costumes or disguises!). When I’m not acting, creating and using my imagination to envision new ideas is a close second.

BBM: Do you have any upcoming roles in video games/ anime?

Luckily, yes! I have been very fortunate to work steadily. That said, many of the titles I work on have not yet been released/disclosed. But you can check out Tiger and Bunny, a fun anime where I play Agnes airing on Neon Alley.

BBM: Most memorable moment from your career?

Probably being asked to perform as Juliet for a Valentine’s day performance of Romeo and Juliet directed by John de Lancie will always be a highlight.

BBM: Funniest moment?

Most definitely working on our web-series Shelf Life (we are heading into production on season 4 this fall and the whole journey has been hysterical). The whole cast and crew are amazing and we have built a silly family that plays well together. We laugh so much while filming that it is always a surprise to have gotten any work completed, cause we were having such fun! Travis Willingham is a laugh riot!

BBM: What are some words of wisdom you would give a youth wanting to pursue a career in acting?

Follow your dreams. Don’t allow someone else’s misguided idea about you and your talent hold you back. Passion is everything!

BBM: I see your also a Feng Shui consultant is there anything you can’t do?

Haha! Most definitely. There are a great many things I can’t do or aren’t interested in, and I thank my lucky stars that there are other more talented, interested people out there to get those done. But when I have a bee in my bonnet, I have to pursue or learn or investigate whatever is pulling me.

BBM: What’s coming up for you in the future?

So much: getting Con Artists out into the world; shooting Season 4 of Shelf Life; I have a feature script heading into pre-production; and then, of course, auditioning, VO and life!

BBM: Any last words anything you want to add?

You can find out more about Shelf Life on our website www.ShelfLifeSeries.com or on YouTube, the channel is ShelfLifeTheSeries and we just hit over 100K views. Con Artists should be coming out of post-production this fall and you can find out more at www.ConArtistsMovie.com. To learn more about me you can always check out www.TaraPlatt.com or follow me on FB TaraPlattFans or on twitter @taraplatt.

Click Pic to go to the Shelf Life site!