Greetings…my name is Doug Abrahams and I would like to welcome you to 77 Sunset Beach…and thank you for stopping by!

Since everyone always asks about the name…let me get that out of the way first. Being an avid hockey player all my life…and having the number 77 emblazoned on my back for most of hockey playing days…that’s where the number came from. Sunset Beach is where my family and I spent many of our summers and holiday weekends enjoying the pleasures of a lakeside cottage…swimming…boating…bonfires and great folk! And that covers the name…

Dialect Coaching is something I’ve also spent many years enjoying since I first started my Acting and Coaching career. It all began…I won’t say how many years ago…when I was so enthralled by our minister’s rich Scottish brogue and would leave there trying my best to mimic those dulcet tones even as a young boy. From that time on every time I would hear someone from another country whose accent made them stand out from the crowd…I would work away at it until I could master it and be able to turn around and reproduce those sounds.

When I began my career as a performer…working in theaters across Canada…it became such a valuable tool to be able to pull a dialect out of the hat that suited the character I was cast as. Then other actors would seek out my help so they too could produce a workable dialect. This blossomed to an even greater extent when I began work in the medias of Film and Television and was able to use dialects for myself…but even more so…began coaching other actors on a regular basis. From there I would get calls from Agents whose clients had to have a particular dialect for an audition…and finally from Casting Directors who had a request from their production’s company to provide a Dialect Coach…and to this day…that is what I love and keep very busy doing!

Although I don’t follow anyone else’s established methods of teaching dialects…I can assure you that my own methods are extremely effective and fun to both use and learn. Unfortunately, I am seldom given much prep time by production companies with which to work with an actor…or a number of cast members…and thus have found that it is important to discover a way that works for each individual actor and gets them where they need to be quickly…efficiently…and with the confidence necessary to do the job right! I’m exceptionally good and exceptionally fast at what I do…and I love my work!

Most actors…in fact most people in general…are not familiar with dictionary phonetics other than having had a minimal introduction to them during their early educational years. I do not use dictionary phonetics in my coaching sessions…there is never time to teach an actor or actors that process before you start coaching them for their particular dialect needs…and I find it a much slower and cumbersome route to get where you need to be…usually in a very short period of time. My methods accommodate each individual and allow them to understand the changes necessary between their normal speaking dialect…and the dialect they require for their role. Having spent so many years in front of the camera as well…unlike those who only coach dialect…I am able to work with actors to produce the dialects they require under the conditions they will have to work in. I have a wealth of experience in working scenes and applying dialect "at speed". On set…aside from being able to hear and take note of any changes that may be necessary…I also watch out for my actors and let them know what kind of shot they are in…pointing out little things that might otherwise get overlooked and take them out of the scene. My background as an actor becomes an invaluable tool in offering more than just dialect coaching…another thing that makes my services unique.

So please feel free to browse through my site and I will do my best to keep things up to date and let you know what I’ve been up to.

Cheers…

Doug