Is Nancy Cartwright MasterClass Still Worth It?

Nancy Cartwright’s Masterclass is one of the surest ways to step into voice acting without hassle. Delivered by the very talented Nancy Cartwright who has been in the business for over four decades and has brought many beloved characters to life, this Masterclass delves deeply into the original acts of animation and how to hold your forte when it comes to giving life to animated characters through your voice.

What You Should Expect To Learn from Nancy Cartwright MasterClass: 

• Learn all the working techniques for developing/refining your voice and tailoring it to specific characters authentically.
• Train your breath and vocal range
• Find out the unique texture identity of your voice
• Learn how to make voice characters that are distinct to you
• Get tips on how to start your career as a voice actor
• How to perfect your voice recordings while auditioning for voice roles

Pros

• Class is taught by a seasoned professional with over four decades of experience
• Lessons are broken down into clear-to-follow demonstrations in high-picture-quality videos
• Class examples from Cartwright’s real-life On Set experience
• Demonstrations are structured and straight to the point
• Breath and voice exercises are good for your health

Cons

• Contains field acting voice Jargons that might take you some time to decode
• A personalized feedback system with the instructor is not in place
• Visual effects demonstration aids can create a distraction

Overview of the Nancy Cartwright MasterClass

• Course Led By: Nancy Cartwright – A renowned voice actress best known for being the voice behind Bart Simpson in The Simpsons. She started out as a radio host before working her way up to voicing cartoons. Since then, she harnessed her skill and expertise for well over 40 years. Cartwright gained a reputation as one of the most versatile voice actors of her time. Armed with this knowledge, she is set to groom many more in her stead with this masterclass.

• Course Length: 14 lessons broken down into short videos of different durations that total 2 hours and 43 minutes.

• Key Focus: Voice acting techniques, character creation, industry tips confidence hacks and breath/vocal balance for rhythm.

• Learning Through Real-World Examples: The teaching approach includes demonstrations from The Simpsons and other popular animated series with detailed explanations on how best to achieve a close to real imitation of the styles.

• Target Audience: Perfect for aspiring voice actors and fans of animation looking to refine their skills.

Course Objectives

• Teach practical voice acting skills: Helps students develop vocal techniques for creating distinct characters.
• Guide career development: Offers insights on building a successful voice acting career, including creating demo reels.
• Foster creativity: Encourages students to explore their vocal range and find their unique voice identity.
• Improve script interpretation: Teaches methods for breaking down scripts and preparing for recording sessions.
• Prepare students for the industry: Provides tips on working with directors, handling auditions, and navigating the business side of voice acting.

Lesson Breakdown: What Nancy Cartwright’s MasterClass Covers

Lesson One – Meet Your Instructor

This is the introductory class that sets the tone for the rest of the other lessons in the masterclass and of course, you get to meet Nancy doing her thing right away. I am particularly intrigued by how much fun she makes the class just by introducing her own animated character which she uses to voice the lesson. Here are some of the things you’ll get from the first lesson.

• You’ll meet Nancy Cartwright and her avatar
• Hear about her career background from how she started and how she grew
• Explore with her what to expect and everything you will learn from the masterclass as a whole
• Cartwright emphasizes the need for creativity and a good sense of play in voice acting

Lesson Two – Vocal Techniques

While the second lesson is grouped in a video with the first lesson, it clearly divulges the key ingredients for creating a voice act with demonstrated examples of how to differentiate and make your characters distinct using pitch, tone, and rhythm. Here’s what I got from it:

• Voice differentiation just by using a higher or lower pitch
• you have to experiment as much as you can with diverse vocal techniques
• Remember to maintain consistency with any chosen pitch/tone/rhythm for a character

Lesson Three  – Your Vocal Identity

For the third lesson, Nancy progressed to the simple ways you can create characters that are interesting and engaging. She stressed that these kinds of characters are best derived from actual past experiences, other cartoons, and real-life happenings around us. I got that:

• The inspiration for your voice character can be cartoons, past experiences, animal behavior, inanimate objects, or just everyday happenings.
• Getting a complex character will require layering different traits and personalities
• Incorporate gestures and mannerisms into a character to strengthen its voice sound.

Lesson Four – How to Become a Voice Actor: Jump Starting Your Career

By now the masterclass was beginning to take shape because she moved on to interpreting characters in any script you are given. This particular lesson explores understanding the context, analyzing the script, and summoning the perfect emotion and energy to match. Note that:

• Script analysis requires you to analyze and understand the emotions and intentions of the character
• Search for emotional cues to help you shape the voice of your character
• Ensure that your delivery accounts for mood shifts and other nuances

Lesson Five – Creating Character Voices

Next, we dug into the importance of spontaneity and improvisation as the key to creating some unexpectedly amazing character performances. Most importantly:

• Improvisation is your friend. You can use it to facades that make your performance more dynamic
• Don’t overthink, stay in the playful mode while experimenting.
• Feel free to add your personal flair and use your creative freedom to mold the role

Lesson Six – Creating Distinct Characters

Then we moved on to techniques for creating non-human and animal character voices and how to make the unconventional work believable.

• You have to think beyond the borders of your imagination and creatively adapt your voice to different sounds
• Pay attention to and imitate little things like everyday sounds, animal movement, and the sound when objects fall
• The background story of your character matters because even inhuman objects have personalities that can inspire you to shape their voice

Lesson Seven – Breaking Down Your Script

By lesson 7, it was time to put all that Nancy had taught in the previous 6 lessons into practice by building a full performance. She began by demonstrating the integration of key factors to create a compelling whole.

• You will need a fine mix of script interpretation, developed character traits, and vocal techniques you have mastered to render a full-bodied performance.
• do your best to stay consistent with the pitch, tone, rhythm, mannerisms, and traits of a character all through the performance.
• You will achieve emotional depth and complex character nuance if you layer all the aspects taught in all previous lessons correctly.

Lesson Eight – Voice Acting Tips For Recording

Once you have practiced all previous lessons and have been able to give a full performance, then it is time to create a professional quality demo reel for your future submissions. Lesson eight is a clear explanation of things to include in your reel, how to best display versatility with your voice range, and tested industry tips for impressing casting directors.

• Your Demo Reel should showcase your voice range and versatility in different demonstrations.
• The length of your reel should be no more than 2 minutes – keep it straight to the point and interesting.
• Use the highest possible audio quality and ensure your reel is clean and clear to the ear.

Lesson Nine – Keeping Your Character’s Voice Consistent

At lesson 9, your reel is ready and it is time to navigate the corridors of auditioning for actual roles. Nancy explores how the process works and gives insights and tips on how to prepare, perform, stand out, and handle constructive feedback/rejection.

• Prepare beforehand by researching the role you want to audition for thoroughly and coming up with different interpretations for it.
• Remember to add your own distinct flair to the audition without disrupting the description of the original character.
• Be prepared to accept rejection as a valid part of your growth and refinement process

Lesson Ten – Performing a Range of Emotions

Next, we delved into key facts about creating a voice act for an animated character. Cartwright goes into specifics about the importance of synchronization, timing, and exaggerated expressions to fit.

• Time your voice act carefully to synchronize with animation effects by paying close attention to your rhythm and pace.
• Heightened expressions, exaggerated mannerisms, and a charged vocal energy match animation perfectly
• Be sure to use physical gestures while recording, this will greatly improve the quality of your act.

Lesson Eleven – The Ultimate Vocal Challenge

Lesson 11 was about voicing more than one character in one project. This is a further breakdown of how to use differentiating voice techniques to go from one character without hassle and stay consistent with each one without mix-ups.

• Differentiating voice acts using simple voice traits like pitch height, rhythm, and tone to distinguish characters
• Voice transition while voicing multiple characters in a single scene.
• Techniques for staying consistent with a character’s specific voice traits and mannerisms in extensive projects.

Lesson Twelve – Taking Your Career to the Next Level

A walk through the little details about setting up a small studio in your home for your future recordings. This covers tips on equipment, how to soundproof your studio, and how to record high-quality sound.

• Setting up your home studio with the right equipment and investing in the right things to get the right sound quality.
• Spend more on equipment that helps you create high-quality clear sound while eliminating echo and the noise of your background.
• Your home studio is every bit a professional space as any other work studio, so treat it accordingly.

Lesson Thirteen – Lessons from a Ten-Year-Old Boy

Lesson thirteen explores the complexities of how to make money as a voice actor. This covers tricky aspects like signing contracts, getting agents of representation, networking and building relationships as well as effectively making the most out of your career.

• Building your network circle through industry relationships will create opportunities to get work
• Find yourself a good manager for representation. This is a key component of also getting new opportunities
• Take your career and the opportunities you get very seriously and do everything you can to upscale by marketing with long-term goals in mind.

Lesson Fourteen – Harness Your Voice

By the last lesson, it gets a bit emotional with Nancy Cartright delving into advice for aspiring voice actors, dishing out tips on how to sharpen your skills, tackle challenges, and never give up.

• While it is important to have a competitive edge, you will need a positive attitude to wade through tough situations
• Never stop rehearsing, practicing, and honing your skills even at times when you have no auditions lined up.
• The rejections you get should be your stepping stone to work harder

Pros and Cons of Nancy Cartwright’s MasterClass

• Pros:
  • Learn from a highly experienced and successful voice actress
  • Strong visuals and on-set demonstrations
  • Clear and structured lessons that are easy to follow

• Cons:
  • Lacks individual feedback from the instructor
  • Some technical terms not thoroughly explained
  • Occasional distractions from visual effects and teleprompter use

Is Nancy Cartwright’s MasterClass for You?

Nancy Cartwright’s MasterClass is best suited for:

• Aspiring voice actors
• Those interested in animation voice acting
• Fans of The Simpsons and other animated series
• Not recommended for those primarily interested in live-action or stage acting

Cost and Value

To access Nancy Cartwright’s Masterclass will cost you the usual subscription fee of $120 on MasterClass website, paid at a monthly cost of $10. The subscription options are as follows:

1. Standard Plan

Cost: $120 Yearly

Access: Unlimited access to all classes

Devices: One at a Time

Offline Access: No

2. Plus Plan

Cost: $180 Yearly

Access: Unlimited access to all classes

Devices: Two devices simultaneously

Offline Access: Available on mobile devices

3. Premium Plan

Cost: $240 Yearly

Access: Unlimited access to all classes

Devices: Six devices simultaneously

Offline Access: Available on mobile devices

The price plans for MasterClass is a big cheat because you will have access to all of the over 190+ videos on the platform which is profound value for your money.

If you also consider the fact that these other Masterclasses are also taught by industry experts, there is no better way to get the knowledge and expertise you are looking for. Since the cost of MasterClass is the same irrespective of the course you decide to take.

Moreover, since the course is broken down to suit all kinds of learners, I believe it is worth the investment for beginners and intermediate learners

Alternatives to Nancy Cartwright’s MasterClass

Nancy Cartwright’s Masterclass is one of its kind on the Masterclass platform. There is no other course that is tailored specifically to voice acting. However, there are other courses on acting that one can take and they include:

• Samuel L. Jackson Acting Masterclass
• Natalie Portman’s Acting Masterclass
• Helen Mirren’s Acting Masterclass

All of the above cost exactly the same as Nancy Cartwright’s Masterclass.

If you are not particular about where to get the course, you can also check out cheaper options on other platforms like Udemy but of course, they will not offer the same amount of value.

Student Feedback and Reviews

While I loved Nancy Cartwright’s Mastersclass and the way she structured and taught it, the reviews from other students has been a mix of what they loved, what they were not okay with and what they would absolutely change about it. This is to be expected of course because what works for one may not work for another.

One student who equally loved the class said she learned a lot because the class was well-paced and structured to challenge without overwhelming the student. As such, she would recommend it.

Another appreciated how much work Nancy put into unearthing the technical know-how to voice acting and was also grateful for the solid life advice. According to this student, Nacy Cartright’s masterclass is the best they have seen.

The class was an outright No for some other students who gave a rather constructive criticism for why they were not impressed and would not recommend the class for anyone looking to make it as a voice actor.

One expressed worry about the fact that even though Nancy Cartright has been in the industry for many years, she has only voiced a few characters.

Another thought taking the masterclass does not get you work or even audtions, so rather than a masterclass, one should look into getting director’s and project managers’ workshops.

Besides the lack of personalized feedback on the program, Nancy Cartwright’s Masterclass has a strong content and is well-loved.

In Conclusion: Is the Nancy Cartwright MasterClass Worth It?

After considering the quality of the content that Nancy Cartwright packed in her class, her instructional and demonstrative approach, the practical life tips she gave, and seeing how much better I am at creating voice, I would say The Nancy Cartwright Masterclass is worth every penny.

If you have your eyes set on a career as a voice actor particularly the kind of cartoon and animated characters that Cartwright is famous for, then you will have no regrets with this class. The class is also Ideal for anyone serious about enhancing a voice acting career in animation.