WINTER KILL was an interesting production. I was in hurry when I booked the first narrator--we were in the midst of moving--and because I'd been so fortunate in the past with other narrators, I ignored my doubts when I heard the first fifteen minutes (if you're new to self-producing audio, those first fifteen minutes are your last chance to pull out of the deal with no harm no fault). This turned out to be a huge mistake. When I listened to the final production, I knew it was a disaster. But just to be sure, I had a couple of friends listen as well and...yeah. Bad news. But it was my own fault, so I contacted the narrator, told him I'd pay for the full production but needed to scrap it. He agreed and I began the hunt for my narrator all over again. This time I went with a narrator who I knew would be a sure thing. I'd heard Gomez's previous work on the Psycop series, I checked out all his sound clips, all his previous productions, and then I approached him without putting the book up for any further auditions.
Anyway, the story has a happy ending because I love how WINTER KILL ultimately turned out, even if I did take the long way around. I hope you do too! So without further adieu...
Interview Questions
for Gomez Pugh
Tell us a little bit about
your background. How did you get started in narrating/producing audio books?
How many audio books have you narrated?
GP - My training is in
theatre. I have been acting professionally for over a decade. When I moved to
LA, a friend referred me for a title he thought would be a good fit and the
rest is history! I have narrated over 25 titles.
How much acting is involved
in narrating a story?
GP - A great deal. For the
narration, it is about being clear and moving the story forward. Figuring out
how to navigate long or complicated sentences. Funny enough, I find that my
training in Shakespeare helps this a great deal, no matter what type of story I
am reading. For the dialogue: it is figuring out who these characters are and
how to portray them without the physicality. Pitch, tone, dialects. I often do
a lot of research online and collaborate with the author. It is kind of the
same process of working with a director at the beginning of rehearsals,
figuring out who these people are. Then once I get into the booth, it is like
being on stage!
What was the most difficult
or challenging aspect of narrating WINTER KILL?
GP - Differentiating
between the two lead characters. They are similar in a lot of ways. I wanted
them to sound distinct, but without going too far with “character voices”.
What character was the most
fun to narrate? Why?
GP - There were a lot of
fun characters on this. Even though Aggie has very few lines, I really like
her. She always seemed slightly off her game, either stressed out or
overwhelmed. I like her a lot. The others that were a lot of fun were Sandy and
Bert. I am a character actor at heart and these guys were a great opportunity
to dig in.
What character was the most difficult to
narrate? Why?
GP - Probably Bert. I knew
what I wanted him to sound like, but it was challenging to produce that voice.
Especially when he spoke more towards the end.
Was there a particular
scene you think you read especially well? Or that you particularly enjoyed
reading?
GP - I enjoyed reading all
of the scenes with Sandy. He was a lot of fun.
How awkward is it to read
erotic scenes aloud?
GP - When I record these
books I am alone in the booth. So for the erotic scenes, I am in the moment and
connected with what is going on. So it isn’t a big deal. But after the
engineer edits and masters the book, if we have to go back and clean up or
correct any of those passages together, it gets a little awkward. They have
kind of become private moments.
What’s the most satisfying or rewarding part of narrating/producing an
audio book?
GP - For me, it’s if the author is happy. They spend so much time creating these
characters and this world. It’s like working with a
playwright. As an actor you want to do justice to their work. I always enjoy
hearing back from the author after they have listened to the audiobook.
Especially when they are excited about a particular character or losing
themselves in their own story.
You appear to be much in demand
as a narrator. Have you ever found yourself in the position of refusing to
narrate a book or a scene?
GP - Sure. A couple of
times. If I feel a piece is offensive, or just poorly written. But I like
connecting with authors I don’t know and forming new relationships,
so I am usually pretty open.
Where can readers/listeners
find out more about you and your work?
GP - On Audible and on ACX
