September 29, 2009
From a Lower-middle class worker to Voice Actor in a Few Months
Hi, I'm Jon Bailey and I went from a lower-middle class hardworking father of four to a voice actor within just a few short months.
I did 3 TV spots, 2 radio spots, and 3 on-hold messages for Texas Steakhouse.
I voiced 9 out of 11 characters for the award-winning computer-animated short film "Desert Heat" and the promo for Captiva Creations.
I did 30 celebrity impressions and 3 promos for the "Shake" comedy album.
I then did the trailer and narration for "The Harps" documentary and the promo for "Pimp the World" podcast.
I did a radio spot for Intermountain Healthcare and then a videogame trailer for "Spectrobes: Origins" for the Wii.
And lastly, I did a national TV spot for the Star Wars: The Clone Wars "Turbo Tank!"
Click the links for videos!
Thanks for your time!
Jon Bailey
manof1000voices.com
September 28, 2009
Never a Hitch!
Transactions continue to go smoothly. Never a hitch.
Just wanted to say thanks again.
David Laird Voiceovers
September 25, 2009
The Voice of God in Alabama
Dear Stephanie,
I began my subscription to Voices.com about two years ago and in the beginning it was a struggle.
I would get up every morning, check my invitations and away I would go auditioning for as long as my voice could hold out in the heat of my small studio. It went on like that for 6 months, audition after audition with no results, sometimes the feedback would indicate I had come close but not close enough. I tried every voice nuance I could think of, every possible angle to make a breakthrough in the business but alas no such breakthrough was forthcoming.
Then one day, in the middle of a particularly loud and energetic read, I hit the red line and I just gave up.
I asked myself "Why am I doing this, why would I torture myself this way and all for no gain, no encouragement, just rejection."
In a total fit of anger and frustration I ripped my script in half and threw it on the floor and unbelievably began to jump on it , like an animated ape in a cartoon. What a sight I was, ripping, jumping, yelling at the world at full throttle.
Eventually the moment passed and I picked up the shreds of my script and deposited them in the garbage and I prepared to change the scenery a bit and go out for a walk.
As I pulled on my sweater and laced up my shoes I heard the familiar sound of an incoming email. I had no idea whom that email might be from but I poked my head in the my studio, just to take a peek, and there it was, my first paying gig, on the screen for all to see and, not just any voice over, it was a sign from above.
The client's name was Stacy Cobb and he ran a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Alabama called the Foundry. His ministry reached out to the homeless and the helpless and without judgment of any kind it would offer food, clothing and love to those in the most need.
What they had chosen me for was to be the voice of God in a television commercial.
The voice of God.
It was very humbling particularly in light of my previous tantrum and it served as a reminder that the universe is a wondrous place and if your heart and mind are open and you can keep your own faith and belief in yourself and your inner talent then keep on auditioning and working with your friends at Voices.com because every now and then miracles do happen, and you can take that from the voice of God in Alabama.
September 24, 2009
Great Opportunities For Jobs Available via The Internet
Dear folks at Voices.com,
Thanks for your words of welcome, albeit auto-generated. I still feel the love.
I appreciate the help and support that you provide to people like me who are just getting their toes wet and are very new to the industry. I'm probably a little late to the party, but that's ok--I'm a quick study.
I've been told for years that I should narrate and perform professionally, so now here I am.
I'm also thankful for the Internet and the more level playing field it creates in a profession like this. In the past, you needed to know someone who knew someone else in order to find an agent, find an agency, and then shop yourself around. The Internet opens many more doors, especially to those in the initial stages of a career.
So therefore, I thank you, Voices.com!
September 23, 2009
Voice Over Dinosaur Discovers a Miracle
Very, very recently, in a galaxy close, close by, there lives a Voice Over dinosaur who was completely oblivious to the wonders and technical developments of instant audition invitations and the capacity to zoom out custom demos at light speed with a moment's notice. Gone are the days of Dixie cups and string. Farewell to packing your demo reel on your back and trudging through the marshes and tundra trying to avoid the tar pits while foraging for your next gig.
"How did this come about," you may well ask. While wading through the waters of the internet while exploring the possibilities of how to get back into the v/o biz after a 20+ year hiatus, this "dinosaur" luckily happened across a miracle. This panacean web site not only has literally tons of valuable and pertinent information about how, what, when, and where. It also hosts a veritable gold mine of who's. A treasure trove of experts and professionals with the generosity and grace to share their copious knowledge of the ins and outs, the do's and don'ts, the why's and wherefore's with the entire voicing community with nuggets of wisdom--no matter what your experience level.
Of these shamans and spirit guides that could instruct and lead one out of the Jurassic era into modern day methodology one in particular drew my attention with the depth of her knowledge and the amount of information that she shares through this wondrous site and she lives right down the street from me in Dallas, Texas--REALLY!
That is how I found Bettye Zoller who has poked and prodded and instructed and encouraged me ever since. Discovering Bettye though Voices.com I soon learned from her the power and importance that Voices.com would play in my resurrection back into voice over work during my very first workshop with her. I even set up a profile BEFORE I had a demo, but got my demos up as quick as I could.
I also found out about the good folks at Reading and Radio Resource here in Dallas, home of North Texas Radio for the Blind. Bettye and I had emailed back and forth and she had advised me how beneficial working with them could be. Besides giving a helping hand to those in need it has also allowed me to get re-accustomed to the upgrades of sound booths and how things are recorded now, as well as familiarized me with changes in microphones and voicing techniques, etc. So I jumped in with both feet.
By doing this you also develop a comfort level that makes auditioning and equipment manipulation second nature and not so daunting. I started six months ago, hesitantly at first, as a substitute host reading THE ECONOMIST on the air, before my first actual workshop. After tax season the original host came back, but now I am the voice of READER'S DIGESTS at NTRB.
In the meantime, I fleshed out my profile and uploaded the demos Bettye and I made together. I was finally out there. I was actively seeking gainful employ doing what I have always wanted to do--Full Time. About a month after the site under construction dust finally settled, I received a blanket email from Dave Gilbert at Wadjeteye Games touting the upcoming release of the next installment in a series of the BLACKWELL computer games. I already had BLACKWELL LEGACY and BLACKWELL unbound and anxiously awaited the next one.
About two years ago, Dave and I had communicated when I had commented on one of his blogs and he had helped me with a computer glitch on one of my games. It just so happened that I had the wherewithal back then, while I was complimenting him on his games, to mention the fact that I had done voice over work and was considering getting back into it.
I replied to his email, told him that I now had a dynamite demo and asked if he had ever considered remote casting. (This was something I had NEVER heard of before my venture into Voices.com and my tutelage under Bettye Zoller). He emailed me back--almost immediately. Serendipitously, he was going to be out of the country and one of his character voice actors had dropped out. I shot him back a link to my profile at Voices.com suggesting that he check out my demos and voila--instant legitimacy with a photo, profile and demos at his finger tips. Consequently, he sent me copy. I sent custom demos. He hired me for three of the four characters that I had voiced for!
If you are interested you can find me at http://wadjeteyegames.com by following the GAMES link to BLACKWELL CONVERGENCE to the CAST PAGE LIST. I'm half way down the page. (I used the bomber jacket head shot instead of my Voice.com profile photo because it was more ominous.)
While I didn't actually get this job through Voices.com, I can honestly say that I got it because of y'all. (That "you guys" in Texas-speak. We have never grasped the concept of a plural "you".)
I have signed with Danette Linicomn at THE ELITE AGENCY here in Dallas and have submitted my information to an agency seeking representation in Atlanta. I guess I'm on my way! So, my advice to you is to JUST GO FOR IT! Onward and upward--and may the VOICE be with you.
Marcus Weems
Dallas, Texas
September 22, 2009
It felt as if the job was handed to me!
I just completed my first job on voices.com! At first, I was nervous, not sure of how it would all play out, but Voices.com made it sooo comfortable and simple. It felt as if the job was handed to me!
I simply auditioned for a job, the client wrote back with some questions and suggestions for his product, we worked it out til it was just right, and before I knew it, I was uploading his product and receiving payment!
Voices.com took me step by step through the process and now I feel like a pro.
Thank you so much for all you do.
We thought finding the right voices for our characters would be a problem. We couldn't have been more wrong!
Sampath Menon of Semnox agreed to answer a few questions about their experience at Voices.com and how they've used the service to find, select and hire talent.
Recently Sampath completed a couple of projects at Voices.com and hired Sophie N, a voiceover talent who specializes in Child and Teenage reads. Read more on the hiring experience of Semnox.
September 21, 2009
Voices.com Has Fast Forwarded My Path to Success
I have been in the voice-over industry for less than 3 months, and Voices.com has fast forwarded my path to success.
I had no idea how to make the cross from an on camera actor and get into voice-overs.
Voices.com website had a wealth of resources at my fingertips. Rather than create my own website, I decided to use my profile page as my site, complete with Demos.
I have been contacted by clients to do some corporate work. I auditioned for, and was hired as the voice of a videogame character for an upcoming title. I am told that to have this success in a short period of time is unusual.
The website is easy to use and the feedback system is wonderful. If it were not for Voices.com I would be lost.
The monthly payment option was great for someone starting out like myself.
Thank you,
September 20, 2009
A Connection Bridging the East and West Coast
Spring 2009... a client sends a request to gather voices to be used in training their employees how to better their positions of safety and deliver quality products by means of total success.
During their selection process, the client researched their potential voices.
The decision maker went to my web page and learned of my writing skills and the books available to help motivate adults and or teens to unlock their doors leading toward incredible creations.
Her son was having a horrible time in school and it was affecting his personal life at home with family and friends. The clients journey of reaching for a voice to help teach her employees turned into something more valuable... a writer who took the time to build a bridge to her son.
Voices.com served as a connection between two separate lives on opposite ends of the country that very easily could've just saved a troubled teen.
This is why I take the time to build relationships with the clients. I don't bang out a spot. I don't rush a voice over job to them only to never hear from them again. I've made it my passion to opens doors and never treat a client like the next big gig.
September 18, 2009
Voices.com Goes The Extra 2 Miles To Ensure Integrity
As expected when one staff member Laurynda Pasma, earns a promotion, her brightly lighted torch of uncompromised Talent-Producer customer care along a knack when it came to dialoguing with concerned customers continues to be a hallmark at Voices.com.
Although, I was so pleased to hear Laurynda's deserved promotion, I felt comforted by having my submission issue addressed by Jessica, a Voices.com staffer who is patently as caring as her predecessor.
From David to Stephanie Ciccarelli, to the whole team that includes everyone, if a client fumbles by forgetting a crucial component in submitting a custom demo that he or she has produced for the client, Voices.com will go that extra 2 miles to ensure both integrity within the submission process while doing whatever they can to assist talent with a problem.
As a three year member, I would never consider leaving this marketplace of superior talent, viable new platform and finally but most importantly- the way that Voices.com engenders a sense of caring for each of the vocalists, like me, who work so hard to meet a clients high expectations of professionalism. Furthermore, if any vocal talent is contemplating on whether he or she should spend the money to join Voices.com, please contact me at debsbook@aol.com.
Sincerely,
September 17, 2009
Voices.com connected Edvantage with German, Polish and British Talent
Klaus Petersen of Edvantage group agreed to answer a few questions about their experience at Voices.com and how they've used the service to find, select and hire talent.
Recently Klaus completed a project at Voices.com and hired Jaroslaw Juszkiewicz and Alex Robinson. Read more on the hiring experience of Edvantage group.
September 10, 2009
I've landed 3 pretty good size jobs over the past 2 months
Hi Laurynda,
Hope all is well and you enjoyed your Summer. Just wanted to say that I've landed 3 pretty good size jobs over the past 2 months through Voices.com and thought I would share. I've never really sent in any feedback since I joined so I thought why not? It seemed all my work was coming from the other 'market place' but lately that is changing. It's all good!
Kind Regards,
Matt Dratva
Professional Voice Talent
www.mattsvoice.com
September 4, 2009
Fast turnaround , Professional and Cost Effective
Gayle Murphy of Corporate Disk Company agreed to answer a few questions about their experience at Voices.com and how they've used the service to find, select and hire talent.
Recently Gwen completed a project at Voices.com and hired Lora Cain. Read more on the hiring experience of Corporate Disk Company.
September 1, 2009
We went from panicked and reading our own material to professional VO in 36 hours
Josh Greenfield of Zapoint agreed to answer a few questions about their experience at Voices.com and how they've used the service to find, select and hire talent.
Recently Josh completed a project at Voices.com and hired Mandy Kaplan. Read more on the hiring experience of Zapoint.
