How To Do Impressions: Everything You Need To Know to Be An Impression God So You Can Rock The House!

By Tony's Takes

BONUS: purchase of this eBook now includes FREE access to video tutorials!

The ability to do great impressions, impersonations, voices, accents and characters is not a special gift reserved for the few. It is a learnable skill. Whether your goal is to entertain thousands, spoof your co-workers, or tell entertaining stories at happy hour, YOU can learn the Art of Duplication. These easy-to-follow instructions, unique insights and industry secrets are sure to unleash your inner performer!

Tony is a professionally trained actor, popular impressionist and diversely talented voice artist. He has combined acting theory and practice with 25+ years of personal experience to give you the very best program of proven methods, techniques and perspectives on Impression work. You’ll learn how to study your character effectively and begin duplicating his or her characteristics. Once you get some of the basics down, Tony’s secret weapon is revealed! This brings you into the realm of professional-level impression work.

This book is uplifting and encouraging, above all. Many people believe you must be born with a “good ear” or “good eye” but Tony assures you that, with the right attitude and an arsenal of powerful tools, you absolutely can learn to do what he does: kick-ass impressions.

In his “How to Do Impressions” Course—which you will gain access to as a gift for purchasing this eBook!—Tony also includes video instruction and in-depth character case studies for Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, John Travolta, Morgan Freeman, Antonio Banderas, and many more.

Check out the popular "Tony's Takes" YouTube channel for examples of Tony's impressions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tony's Takes
• Release date: Aug 29, 2013
• ISBN: 9780985410186

Tony's Takes

Tony was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts to proud Greek parents. His early years were spent in restaurants, mostly sitting in the back kitchen on potato sacks by the ice machine watching “Flash” sling BLTs and cheeseburgers in downtown Boston. (Cheeburger! Cheeburger! No Coke, Pepsi!) His extended Greek family provided endless fodder for character studies, ranging from a bristly-mustached uncle who removed bottle caps with his teeth... to an adopted homeless brother with no teeth who routinely insisted he was being wrongly charged for the shooting of Adolf Hitler. Tony started doing impressions from an early age, and further developed his innate talent with formal actor training at CP Casting in Boston. He later moved to Hollywood where he studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse under Milton Katselas from 1999 to 2004. He’s done independent film, television, and commercial voice-over work and is excited about the diversity of creative projects currently on his radar.

Book preview

How to Do Impressions:

Everything you need to know to be an

Impression God so you can Rock the House!

by Tony’s Takes

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2013 by Tony’s Takes

All Rights Reserved

License Notes: No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in reviews, articles, and recommendations.

ISBN: 978-0-9854101-8-6

BONUS GIFT:

While the material covered within these pages stands alone, it is also part of a larger educational product, the How to Do Impressions Course. The video course, which previously retailed for $129.95, is now free to purchasers of this ebook!

Table of Contents

Introduction

Definition of Impression

What Makes a Good Impression?

Having a good ear

Having a good eye

God lives in the details

The Basics of Duplication

1. Physical characteristics

2. Vocal characteristics

3. Bring in the Soul

Practice, Practice, Practice

Record yourself

Use of Mirrors

Demonstrate

Confidence

Introduction

Welcome!!

You are about to embark on a fascinating journey. You are entering the world of impressions where you can be anyone you want, anywhere and anytime you want.

What motivates a person to do impressions? And why is it that people never seem to turn down an opportunity to see one? There are many reasons but the obvious one is that it’s just plain fun. Doing something for fun is its own sufficient reason. You don’t need another reason. Never lose sight of that because if you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong! I believe that applies to everything in life.

There is something so incredibly fun about being able to shift into a different character, on command, for someone else and make them feel good. You are helping them to escape, if only for a moment, from the cares and worries of everyday life. It’s been said that laughter is the release of tension and painful emotion. It’s a powerful form of healing. So this is what you’re giving them when you do a great impression.

In the beginning, learning how to do great impressions is like a video game. With your first attempts, the impression is not where you want it to be, and your guy dies rather quickly. Your character is not developed, the voice may be off a bit, you run out of material and it seems all over the place. But like a video game you always get another man (another chance). The next time, you’re able to hold that impression just a little longer and maybe you even get a laugh or some positive feedback (500 points!).

I like that, you think. You get a little high out of it. You adopt a sporting attitude toward