Vox Daily

Do you have a blog? Leave a comment and let us know what you write about!

Over the last couple of months, I have seen a surge in voice talent blogs out there... that's great! Each of you has a unique voice, both behind the microphone and in your daily observations.

I've seen voice-over blogs on blogspot.com, blogger.com, word press, and more. A growing number of you are hosting your blogs on your own websites or domain names, a smart decision that creates more content on your website leading more traffic (and business) to you!

As I said, every so often I am lead to another great blog, and tonight was no exception. While reading Bob Souer's blog, I found a post dedicated to David Houston's blog, specifically, to an article that David posted about his take on getting started in voice-overs.

If you have a blog about voice acting, voice preservation, or voice instruction, leave a comment at the end of this post.

Looking forward to meeting more of you in the blogosphere!

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. If I already read your blog, leave a comment so that other people can learn about you and visit your blog too :)

Where can you find Don LaFontaine, Dave Fennoy, Joe Cipriano all in one place? Check out this Entertainment Tonight feature.

A partial episode of Entertainment Tonight has made it up on YouTube.com, a website where anyone can upload video content to share with the world.

In the Entertainment Tonight segment Stage 28, Don, Dave, and Joe, three members of PrimeTime Voices, were interviewed and let North America in on their highly lucrative careers as professional voice talent.

If you've heard a movie trailer, you know the voice of Don LaFontaine. Don has voiced over 4,000 movie trailers and recorded somewhere in the neighborhood of 375,000 - 400,000 commercials and television promos, tags, and so on for stations around the world. Don revealed that he doesn't have to work a lot, and when he does, he simply goes downstairs and sits in front of his microphone.

Years ago, Don used to write movie trailers in the 1960s. Now he gets paid handsomely to voice them. Recording movie trailers earns Don LaFontaine million of dollars a year and he believes that recording voice-overs is truly a dream job. "It's the worlds' dream gig. That's why everyone wants to do it, and you can... just wait until I die".

Former DJ and CBS voice Dave Fennoy agrees that voice-over is a dream job that pays more than enough. Dave says "You don't have to spend a whole lot of time, you don't have to dress up. You just show up, you do the work and it happens fast, then, you wait by the mailbox for checks. Thankfully they pay you stupid money to do it."

The constant sound of Joe Cipriano's voice on CBS and FOX keeps him busy, and although his voice is a mainstay on the station, Joe does most of his recording from home at his Beverly Hills estate, complete with a tennis court and professional-grade home recording studio. "It certainly beats working, that's for sure," Cipriano said.

Joe Cipriano began his voice career in radio. About 16 years ago, an executive from FOX TV heard him on the air and thought his voice was perfect for the network.

"It's something that I've always wanted to do, so I think I bring with me, when I go to a session, kind of a 'I can't believe I'm doing this' and just a true joy."

As it happens though, Joe is not signed to a contract and faces the same occupational fears as most freelance voice talent, always looking for the next job.

"For me, heaven is a Friday, and you get a call that you have a Monday booking. It's always good to know that you've got a job come Monday."

These gentlemen mainly perform voice-overs for broadcast, so what you are about to see appears to be very easy, takes nearly no time at all, pays extremely well, and is a lot of fun.

How do you perceive voice-overs? Any comments?

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. You can also track down the rest of the PrimetimeVoices.com crew here.

Want to know who your fans are? Let them know the roles you have performed and you'll find out!

Unless you have done several interviews, been on TV (on-camera) or hit conventions and conferences, it isn't likely that your fans know you for who you really are.

The majority of voice actors are known solely for the roles they perform, for example, you might have heard a fan say "Did you hear the voice of so-and-so on XYZ cartoon? Weren't they great?" or "My favorite cartoon character is ABC because I absolutely love their voice".

One could argue that voice actors tend to keep out of the public eye and live peacefully, leading undisturbed lives in their recording booths.

Is it that most voice actors don't want to be known, or is it more probable to say that they do not consider themselves to be celebrities?

With all certainty, this issue spans the entire voice industry including fellow invisible celebrities such as the awesome movie trailer voice, that guys voice on a television commercial, and the voice of the lady in the fourth level of a favorite videogame.

For those of you who can relate to this article and would like to discover your celebrity, consider detailing your roles and projects for which you have performed in your Profile at Voices.com.

Once you have added your extended voice acting resume, Google, MSN, and Yahoo! amongst others will send their search engine spiders to your website at Voices.com, indexing your newly written content and create new search results for their customers, leading fans who search for your roles straight to you.

If a fan discovers that you are the voice of their favorite character, website, commercial, videogame or computer game, it will be a matter of great excitement for them and they will spread word about their findings in their respective social circles. This could take the form of bulletin boards, online chat groups, word of mouth advertising for you, blogging, podcasts, voice actor appreciation groups, and more.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to hear from people who love your work?

You'll also hear from people who may want to work with you who have already heard your work. By virtue of this, you might not need to audition because they know from previous knowledge that you'd be perfect for the part!

Releasing your full acting and voice acting credits to the public will also open more doors of opportunity with the press. You will no longer be just a voice, but a voice who is also a person with a name and a means of being contacted.

Have you discovered your celebrity yet?

Cheers,

Stephanie

Do you live in San Diego, love voice acting, and want to be part of a voice acting community?

David Johnson, a member of Voices.com, is fulfilling his vision to bring voice actors in the San Diego area together to form an offline community of talent focused on the development of their voices and the pursuit of the vocal arts.

David recently started the Amateur Voice Acting Group, an association that welcomes voice actors and voice acting enthusiasts, enabling them to share in this 'awesome medium'.

When chatting with David about what inspired him to start AVAG, he related "In September of 2005 I was having problems finishing my first feature length film called 'Planet Zero'. I became very dissatisfied with the project and shortly thereafter discovered my interest in producing audio dramas. I have always loved listening to 'books on tape'. I wanted to do a bit more, so I used my affiliation with Voices.com, then InteractiveVoices.com, to gather my cast. I hired a few professional actors and asked a lot of questions. I used Voices.com as a major resource. I also visited my local library and read and read. After that, I called my friend Hank Braxtan for more assistance regarding production and audio. He helped me a lot."

David continued, "The Amateur Voice Actors Group is for fun and experience. We do this for the ART of it and personal satisfaction. Everything is licensed under the Creative Commons and is free forever. New voice actors who need some help with experience and some bullets for their resumes are invited to send me an email. Currently, we have 27 members in the Amateur Voice Actors Group (AVAG)."

Want to know more?

You will need:

A Macintosh OSX or Windows XP computer with high-speed Internet connection (DSL, Cable), a good quality microphone, Audacity 1.3b recording software of Sony Sound Forge or similar.

Positions available:

Writers, actors, and people to produce the shows. Audio engineer and sound designers are also appreciated.

Location:

San Diego, California US.

Listen to AVAG's first show, Twilight Sleep, by clicking here.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

ISDN... At one point, it was celebrated as the height of recording and file delivery technology, but what is it to you now? Has ISDN gone the way of the dinosaur, or is it still alive and well?

I received an email from a voice actor asking me to explore ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network). He wanted to know if ISDN was relevant today, or if it is just like a Sony Beta videotape player (remember those?), discontinued, outdated and obsolete.

I searched around the web and found an ISDN tutorial at ralphb.net that thoroughly explains nearly everything you need to know about ISDN and how it is used.

From what I understand, operating an ISDN line is very expensive and ISDN is not requested as often as it used to be.

In your experience, is ISDN outdated or is an ISDN line your bread and butter?

Looking forward to this conversation...

Let the comments begin!

Best,

Stephanie

Irish-born Hollywood actor Colin Farrell has had enough of the on-camera cinematic scene and now wants to pursue voice acting in an animated film geared toward children. Do you have any advice for Colin on how to get the gig?

Inspired by his three year old son, former Hollywood bad boy Colin Farrell (Miami Vice, The New World, Minority Report) has decided to try his hand at voice acting in an animated film.

The only trouble is no one has called his agent yet.

Colin says, "I'd really like to do an animated film next but no one is calling me to do one."

It appears that even celebrity can't get you everything. It still takes hard work, perseverance, and talent.

Public image, with all things considered, may play a role in all of this, too.

Do you have any advice that you could give the aspiring voice actor Colin Farrell?

Any comments?

Cheers,

Stephanie

Itching to know more about what the team's been up to? Here's another feature release - enjoy!

It's Friday... everyday this week, we've been letting a feature or two out in the open, so here is today's feature release for you.

The search results have been giving a makeover. Clients will easily be able to listen to your voice demos with Flash players, read about you, view your star rating, add you to their Favorites, and contact you for work - straight from the search!

Pamela Chollet agreed to participate in this blog posting to help show how this new enhancement will benefit you right away.

What do you think of the new layout?

Cheers,

Stephanie

Looking for a way to build your portfolio while contributing to your community? Consider volunteering your voice talents and record audiobooks at LibriVox.org.

As some of you may know, Johannes Gutenberg, way back in the 1430s, created the first printing press, giving people the ability to print the written word on a large scale.

Since then, the 21st Century has seen advances in the printing field, and with that, the publication of works written in previous years that are now in the public domain. These books were all authored before 1923, and because of that precise factor, are now available to everyone as public domain works at Project Gutenberg, accessible for free online.

If that surprised you, wait until you hear about LibriVox.

LibriVox is likened to an audio version of Project Gutenberg, run by a small team of recording enthusiasts, founded by Hugh McGuire of Montreal, Canada.

The team and a host of other volunteers record chapters of novels, complete readings of books, fairy tales, plays, historical documents and more. LibriVox's goal is to record all of the literary texts in the world available in the public domain.

If you are interested in gaining some experience recording audiobooks or short tales for children, this opportunity may be just what you need to help build up your portfolio. All you need is a computer, some free recording software, and your own voice.

Don't want to record for free? Volunteering also includes activities such as listening and editing. If you have a calling to be a mentor, this is an ideal environment where you can share your skills.

For more information about how you can get involved and available opportunities, check out the LibriVox Forum.

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. I was reading one of the founding members' blogs. Kara Shallenberg mentioned on Wednesday of this week that LibriVox would be featured in the New York Times.

If you read the New York Times, scan the pages for an article by Craig Silverman featuring LibriVox.org in today's newspaper. Or, read the article here.

We've made checking your search engine rankings easy with new tools found within the 'Account & Settings' area of your account.

We're only a week away from launching Voices.com... time is flying by very quickly!

Another feature that we've created for you is the ability to check your search engine rankings in Google, Yahoo!, and MSN respectively.

Your new ranking tools will appear in your account exactly as you see below. Diane Burket, one of your colleagues at Voices.com, agreed to participate in this blog post to help demonstrate how this new feature works.

Here are the current Google search engine results (natural listings) for Diane Burket's name:

Here are the current Yahoo! search engine results (natural listings) for Diane Burket's name:

Here are the current MSN search engine results (natural listings) for Diane Burket's name:

Our goal is to make is as easy as possible to conduct business online, and that includes knowing what your search engine rankings are on a regular basis.

Stay tuned for more releases...

Stephanie

P.S. Don't forget to subscribe to our blog to receive VOX Daily everyday in your email!

Tony Gonzales (formerly with Disney TV Animation Casting) will be teaching his 2-day Hollywood Animation Young Actor's Voice Acting Workshop on October 14 & 15! Although Tony's workshop is mainly for kids 8 and older, bigger (and much older) kids are also welcome.

If you're a Kid (or a kid at heart) and you've always wanted to do voiceover for animation, you won't want to miss this workshop presented by VoiceActing.com.

We received an email from James R. Alburger and are pleased to help promote this unique animation voice-over workshop for children. This workshop has a great poster. Take a look!

If you go, be sure to leave a comment on the blog about your experience.

Take care,

Stephanie

Beli Sullivan, a fan favorite from “Stellaluna” and heard nation wide on Clear Channel Worldwide, has recently joined Voices.com.

Ever since she was little, Beli Sullivan has been telling tales, some taller than others. Fascinated by radio, young Belinda would listen for hours at a time, mimicking on-air personalities and aspiring to a career of her own in theater and storytelling.

Upon hearing a broadcast of Orson Welles’ infamous “War of the Worlds”, Beli was well on her way to creating characters and making the stories she told her own. Beli graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Drama at San Francisco State University and later augmented her education with courses at the Academy of Radio Broadcasting.

Beli’s career began as a storyteller, a profession she enjoyed for eight years. Her ability to voice multiple roles quickly set her apart and it wasn’t long before prominent companies came courting her with job offers, most notably Broderbund Living Books.

As the voice of “Mother Bat” in Broderbund Living Books’ “Stellaluna”, Beli’s reception with children is near celebrity status. Beli intimated of her celebrity, “I’m a huge hit with kids when they find this out.” When visiting children at their homes, Beli likes to scan the bookshelves for “Stellaluna” products, and more often than not, she spots a book or CD.

Presently, Beli is employed as a producer and voice artist in commercial radio for Clear Channel Worldwide (CCSF). Beli was also recently elected onto the board of directors for WAM, Women’s Audio Mission, whose goal is to change the FACE of Sound.

Beli Sullivan is versatile and polished. When you listen to Beli, you get immersed in everything from NPR style reads to upbeat, contagious, pure energy.

In early 2007, Beli has plans to launch a storytelling website where she can feature her own brand of out of the box quirk in a multi-media format. She currently works from a professional home recording studio with 24 hour turnaround time and access to ISDN.

Wonder what a 'tag' is? You're not alone. Tags are one of the newest feature additions to Voices.com. Tag your demos to increase your search rankings at Voices.com!

At Voices.com, you will soon be able to add 'tags' to your voice-over demos. A 'tag' is like a keyword used to describe a specific item, in this case, your voice-over demo.

These 'tags' act as identifiers for clients searching for a specific sound or voice type.

For example, if you have tagged your commercial demo as Enthusiastic, Coy, and Determined, your commercial demo will appear for keyword searches relating to tags you have associated with your commercial demo. The tags will be displayed directly under the flash player on your webpage, describing your demo for visitors as well as attract those who are searching.

A client searching for the keyword "Enthusiastic" would find your commercial demo in their search results, simply because you took the time to tag your demos with appropriate adjectives or keywords.

Want some tips?

• Keep tags to three words, separated by commas that best describe the content of the demo.
• Natural, simple language is best.
• Capitalize the first letter of each word.
• Tags should explain the demo title.

Here are some tags that you could include to describe your voice-over demos:

• Fresh
• Clear
• Funny
• Silly
• Deep
• Light
• Smart
• Hard Sell
• Soft Sell
• Gritty
• Friendly
• Narrator
• Young
• Old
• Character
• British
• French
• Spanish

The tags that you select must reflect the content of your voice-over demo. The more accurate the tags are, the more likely a client will find what they are looking for quickly and easily.

To help you out, we created a template that you can work from. Click here to download the Tags Sheet.

Take some time in the next couple of days to evaluate your voice-over demos and preselect tags that best describe each voice sampling.

Be sure that each demo has different tags associated with it. This will increase the number of keywords you rank for in the search engine and will also diversify your tags.

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. If you have trouble describing your demos or voice, ask a friend, colleague, or your voice instructor to give you a hand. Consulting a thesaurus is another option that will help you to choose unique keywords.

Keep your eyes and ears on the lookout for "My Dog Tulip", an animated film due out in 2007 featuring the voice talents of Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave and Isabella Rossellini.

I found an interesting news bit from UPI at PoliticalGateway.com about "My Dog Tulip", an animated U.S. feature film about a man and his dog, starring the vocal talents of Christopher Plummer, Lynn Redgrave and Isabella Rossellini.

UPI noted that the 1956 novel by British writer J.R. Ackerley describes his 14-year relationship with Tulip, the German shepherd he rescued, Daily Variety reported.

"This is a profound and beautiful love story," said Norman Twain, one of the producers. "It just happens to be between a man and his dog," Twain said.

The independent film is geared to an adult audience.

The other voices, to be recorded soon, include those of Brian Murray, Paul Hecht, Peter Gerety and Euan Morton. Animation will follow.

"My Dog Tulip" is slated to be released in December of 2007.

Best,

Stephanie

In an effort to help build community and awareness on a large scale, we thought we'd seek out your help and ask that you consider placing an "I Recommend Voices.com" badge on your personal website or blog. Choose from 3 great designs!

Want to show your appreciation for Voices.com?

Simply place a badge on your website or blog by doing a copy and paste of a snippet of code. Here are three badges for you to choose from. We hope you like them :)

Copy and paste this HTML code into your website.
<a href="http://www.voices.com/"><img src="http://www.voices.com/images/badges/irecommend_thumbsup_150.gif" alt="I Recommend Voices.com" width="150" height="36" border="0" /></a>

Copy and paste this HTML code into your website.
<a href="http://www.voices.com/"><img src="http://www.voices.com/images/badges/irecommend_heart_150.gif" alt="I Recommend Voices.com" width="150" height="36" border="0" /></a>

Copy and paste this HTML code into your website.
<a href="http://www.voices.com/"><img src="http://www.voices.com/images/badges/irecommend_star_150.gif" alt="I Recommend Voices.com" width="150" height="36" border="0" /></a>

Thank you for helping to spread the word.

Have a great day!

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team

P.S. If you'd like to help but don't know how to insert the code into your website, forward this page to your webmaster.

Joy Lyn Shaw recently launched her voice-over business and has chosen Voices.com to help her promote her voice artistry and vocal talents.

Joy Lyn Shaw began her career in broadcast radio when she was 18 years old. After applying for the position of radio announcer, she was immediately hired by the station’s manager and delved into the world of broadcast radio, going on to work in public radio and television for seven years. Concurrently, Joy Lyn pursued post-secondary studies and graduated from Brigham Young University in 2003 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

During this period, Joy narrated documentaries, hosted music programs, anchored news and weather, produced and voiced long-form shows as well as promos and hundreds of short-form stories for broadcast purposes. Joy Lyn also served as a news director for a short time before her recent career change, presently working as a professional voice artist. Joy Lyn's voice-over demos and resume are listed at Voices.com, the voice marketplace.

Despite being relatively new to the voice industry, Joy has already achieved a great deal of success recording voice-overs for US companies, particularly providing narration for “How-to” guides. Business clients are enamored with Joy Lyn’s friendly, lyrical voice, hiring her to brand their telephone systems, commercials, real estate marketing, and corporate videos.

Joy Lyn Shaw has a magnetic voice, perfect for reaching out to customers as an audio support and commercial sales representative.

When asked about her services, Joy Lyn Shaw revealed “I’m very easy to work with and do my best to please the client by getting the job done in a timely and efficient manner. I understand that some companies have a smaller budget and I am always willing to negotiate price. Most of all, I truly enjoy this business and enjoy working with new people and making new contacts.”

The didactic nature of her voice and interpretation is evident in her work. Five years of singing training combined with her career experience in broadcast make Joy Lyn Shaw a voice artist to look out for.

In 2005, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) signed the Interactive Media Agreement, an agreement that raised the fee of videogame voice-over recording sessions. Will there be more on the table in 2008?

Michael Bell of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), chair of the interactive committee for SAG, is lobbying to raise the session fees in 2008, battling it out for the residuals.

Why in 2008? SAG and AFTRA will go back the bargaining tables at that time and reevaluate the outcome of the 2005 agreement with the videogame publishers.

Back in 2005, it was understood that if SAG and AFTRA wanted to have the recording session fees raised, they had to remove their request to receive residuals. Residuals are ongoing payments made to the voice actors, connected to the popularity or syndication of their voice acting work.

In effect, the unions' negotiating residuals would inspire the publishers to hire only non-union talent to provide voice acting services for their videogames as an alternative to paying union fees and subsequent residual payments.

To that, veteran videogame voice actor, Bell said, "No union actor, stars included, may work for a non signatory producer without facing disciplinary action from their union. They obviously want celebrities, so that threat holds no teeth."

With 2 years to wait, only time will tell. Until then, read the full editorial here on GameDaily Biz.

Are any of you in this boat?

Cheers,

Stephanie

With just over 10 days to go, we've let a few cats out of the bag! Want a sneak peek of Voices.com?

Hi there,

We've been working hard throughout the summer and have been listening to all of your ideas, aiding us in our mission to make Voices.com the absolute best place that it can be for you.

Here's a glimpse of what you can expect at the new Voices.com website.

Account & Settings - Preferences, Statistics and Account Description, Type and Renewal date all one click away. Preferences have been simplified and now govern your complete experience from the email notifications you receive to the types of jobs you see.

Search - The search engine has been improved to index all the text of your web page. The search results include a Flash player, so your MP3 demos will load quickly and play back in high-quality, 128 kbps.

Navigation - Whenever you hover over a link, the entire word lights up, making it easier to tell that the highlighted word will take you to a new page. You may have already noticed this in place on the Vox Daily blog.

Your Web Page - Union status has been standardized which now allows you to check the box beside the appropriate item.

The recording studio area on your web page is divided into four distinct areas, where you can type descriptions for your microphone, computer software, special equipment, delivery method and turn around time. Having a complete recording studio description lets prospective clients know that you are fully capable to record, edit, mix and master their audio project to perfection.

Studio - After much debate, and various layouts, the Studio is still a central focus for many voice talents. Uploading, editing and deleting files is a day-to-day activity, so we've decided to keep the 'Studio' tab, as opposed to merging it with the Profile. You can now select the category of demo which will improve the search results and inform clients of the style of work they'll be hearing - before clicking the play button.

Audition Preview - The online audition screen now includes a preview button, so you can see exactly how the clients will see your audition. Preview the MP3 file you've included with your audition. A PayPal button is automatically created, so if the client wants to move ahead with payment, they can do so easily. Text formatting includes spaces and line breaks, plus you can 'attach' your signature, saving you from retyping your contact information with each audition.

People - An new area for clients that allows them to invite their colleagues and team members to listen to, review and rate voice talent that respond to their job postings. People also includes their 'Favorites'.

Ratings & Reviews - The feedback system has also been simplified in order to help you better gage what clients think of your work. A simple 5-star rating is located in the search results and in your auditions.

PayPal - PayPal buttons on your web page now allow the client to input any amount. This means, that there's no need to login and change the value of your PayPal button to specific amounts. Clients send money to you directly, for the agreed upon amount.

Help - There are four ways to have your questions answered, all organized under the 'Help' tab. You can browse the FAQ's and read solutions then print those you may want to reference again in the future. Live Chat is a great option when you are navigating the website. Alternatively, you can send us an email using the online forms. Finally, call us toll-free, Monday to Friday and we'll be happy to give you a hand.

Here's a snapshot of the new Voices.com My Account page:

Don't forget to tell all of your friends!

Cheers,

The Voices.com Team

Lex Lang and Sandy Fox have teamed up to give your their spin on everything you wanted to know about voice acting. Three workshops are available this fall in Burbank, California.

I came across a press release on Anime on DVD this morning for Lex Lang and Sandy Fox's Voice Actor Boot Camp, a series of classes to be held this fall in Burbank, California.

All sessions are held on Saturdays at Bang Zoom! Studios. The duration of each session is one day only, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Choose from one of the following classes:

Saturday September 16th, Saturday October 14th, or Saturday November 4th.

The workshop will:

* Give you lots of experience working with microphones
* Unlock the secrets of getting a good agent
* Learn how to nail a voice acting audition
* Receive handouts on how to become a great voice actor and more.

Sandy Fox sent me some great details about the workshop, which I've included below:

"The Voice Actor's Boot Camp is a really great one day course in everything you wanted to know about voice acting. It was developed for people who have always wanted to be a voice actor, but did not know how to break into the business. The class is taught by Lex Lang, voice actor, writer and director and myself. We start by going over the tools necessary for getting an agent, making a good demo and voice over etiquette. The class encompasses the voice actor's career from commercials, TV promos, Walla for live action film and TV, mainstream animation to the intricate technique of Anime and dubbing. Each student will get time on the mike and receive direction."

To learn more about the workshop, visit the Bang Zoom! Studio Voice Acting School to contact the studio and register for one of the sessions.

About the Instructors

Lex Lang

Lex Lang is quickly becoming Hollywood's most in demand voice actor and director. His work is versatile and professional, and his vocal abilities include: Promos, Narration, Documentaries, Movie Trailers, Animation, Celebrity Voice Matching, Internet Multimedia, Games, Radio, CD-Roms and more.

Clients Include: Universal Pictures, Lucas Arts, Warner Brothers, HBO Pictures, CBS, The Discovery Channel, ABC, Disney, Home Shopping Network, MTV, Sony Pictures, NBC, Replay TV, Fox, IMf8AX, Fox Kids, Activision, 3DO, Kronus Digital Entertainment, Interplay, UBI Soft Entertainment, The Weather Channel, Porchlight Entertainment, VH1, The Family Channel, Digital Pictures, Saban Entertainment, Comedy Central, and the National Geographic Channel.

Sandy Fox

Sandy Fox has over 27 years of entertainment industry experience. She has been working in the voice over industry for such clients as FOX, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, NBC, PBS, Disney, Universal, Pioneer, Fox Kids, The Disney Channel, Geneon and Bandai.

Best,

Stephanie

Did you know that you can receive VOX Daily every day via email? It only takes a jiffy :)

Subscribing to the VOX Daily Voice Actors Blog is very easy.

If you want to receive daily updates with the story headlines via email, all you need to do is subscribe to our blog by typing in your email address.

What are the perks of subscribing for free by email to VOX Daily?

1. You receive daily updates about what's going on in the voice industry.

2. You can read summaries of the articles and click through to read more.

3. You can forward interesting posts to your friends easily with the click of a button.

Reading VOX Daily, served fresh at breakfast time courtesy of Feedburner, does wonders for your voice-over morale and gives you the spring in your step needed to get through the working day.

Another perk is that your VOX Daily email notifications, or blog post summaries, can also connect you with other voice actors. When you click through to read an article that interests you, you're invited to join the conversation and meet a variety of your voice-over colleagues from around the world.

A source of entertainment, encouragement, enlightenment, and education... VOX Daily is also a place where you can express your views and band together as an online voice-over community.

Subscribing is free and is as easy as typing in your email address and clicking on "subscribe" to receive your daily dose of voice industry news. You can also click on the subscribe text link at the bottom of each post. It has an orange icon beside it :)

Think of it like a newspaper, delivered each day to your home... but highly tailored to your interests and for free!

Get your VOX Daily everyday. Subscribe by email by filling out the form, the orange menu on the far right of your computer screen.

Sincerely,

Stephanie Ciccarelli
Editor, VOX Daily

Bobbin Beam signed up with Voices.com within the last year and launched her new website, bobbinbeam.com, which she designed herself.

Bobbin Beam is a steadily working voice talent.

Recently, Bobbin was hired to be the new voice of the Los Angeles Times Auto Attendant Customer Service IVR system, a job she landed through Voices.com. The complex IVR system is a convergence of state of the art computer programming, hardware, software and digital voice integration. The session involved about 2600 voice prompts and took nearly six hours to record.

Her voice has been aired by many, including AT&T, Microsoft and Hewlett- Packard. Bobbin’s work has even been on display at the Smithsonian.

Bobbin began her career over 35 years ago as a radio announcer in Milwaukee, where her work took her to Chicago and San Diego. While living in San Diego, she also began to do voiceover work in Los Angeles, and Orange County as a voice over and on-camera actress.

In 1994, she grew tired of all the driving, and created and managed a successful digital sign and graphics firm for 12 years and did voice on the side. In 2003, Bobbin faced breast cancer, sold the sign business but came through as a “survivor” more determined than ever to rededicate herself to her first love, her voice acting career and outfitted her professional in-home studio in 2005.

“I feel Voices.com has all the right stuff going for it. Voice talents have so many resources to help their careers along here. The Voices.com staff is completely on top of trends of this ever-changing, dynamic industry. It’s great. Not only do I have clients in LA and New York, but now in Moscow, Germany and Spain.”

Bobbin recently launched her website bobbinbeam.com

Cheers,

Stephanie

Bethesda Softworks recently announced that the five lead actors who played the Star Trek series captains, William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Scott Bakula, Avery Brooks, and Kate Mulgrew, would give voice to their characters in the new video game, STAR TREK: Legacy.

The 40th anniversary of Star Trek will be marked in several ways, including the release of a video game featuring the voices of all 5 captains, the first time that all of the respective captains will join each other in a single project.

William Shatner, the first captain in the series, commented “I am delighted to have the chance to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Star Trek with my fellow captains by providing our voices to STAR TREK: Legacy,” Shatner said. “Bethesda Softworks has done an excellent job in creating an exciting game that stays true to Star Trek’s roots and accurately incorporates elements from each series.”

As mentioned in the Bethesda Softworks press release, the five actors will reprise their roles from their respective series as follows:

* William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk from the STAR TREK: The Original Series – 1966-1969
* Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard from STAR TREK: The Next Generation® – 1987-1994
* Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Lafayette Sisko from STAR TREK: Deep Space Nine® –1993-1999
* Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway from STAR TREK: Voyager® – 1995-2001
* Scott Bakula as Captain Jonathan Archer in STAR TREK: Enterprise™ – 2001-2005

STAR TREK: Legacy places you in the role of the Admiral of a task force of warships, which you control in small and large-scale battles. Test your strategic and tactical skills in real-time combat featuring over 60 authentic spaceships, full damage modeling, and spectacular visual effects. Play through the single-player campaign or in the extensive multiplayer mode with a group of friends online.

The compelling storyline in Legacy spans the entire STAR TREK Universe, including the Original Series, STAR TREK: The Next Generation®, STAR TREK: Deep Space Nine®, STAR TREK: Voyager®, and STAR TREK: Enterprise™ eras.

STAR TREK: Legacy is in development for both the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft and Windows PC. STAR TREK: Legacy is scheduled to launch this fall under license from CBS Consumer Products. The STAR TREK franchise, which debuted with the Original Series in 1966, will celebrate its 40th anniversary this fall.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Peter Prins went from stand-up comedian in the Hollywood Hills to voice-over talent.

Peter Prins started his career in the entertainment as a stand-up comedian in Hollywood. Subsequent to his career in comedy, Peter’s desire to share his voice on a larger scale inspired him to become a radio disc jockey for KUCI 88.9 FM in Irvine, a public ration station comprised of local volunteers.

Peter joined Voices.com to broaden his voice-over horizons and reach a new audience. Peter has a number of voice samples uploaded to his web page, displaying his character voices, commercial demos, and telephony samples. His portfolio includes stand-up comedy, character voices, musical skills, and on-air experience.

Peter has great aspirations. We are pleased to be of service to Peter and provide a means for him to meet his voice-over career goals.

Peter’s forte is character voice acting. Some of Peter’s character voices include Surfer Dude, Cowboy, and Nerdy, while accents comprise of European, Asian, and British accents.

Thank you for reading,

Stephanie

Modern grandparents and great grandparents know a thing or two about the 'web' and have embraced the Digital Age with flying colors. Technology pioneers of the 20th century share how the Internet has affected their lives.

Today I interviewed my mother and father-in-law to learn more about how they use technology, particularly the Internet. Both of them were born in the mid 1940s and belong to a generation that grew up with home freezers, television, and space expeditions as major technological advances. When I suggested that I wanted to interview them about technology, they were excited and pleased to share how computers and the Internet specifically have changed their lives.

Terry and Sharon's first computer was a Commodore 64 purchased in the 1980s and was primarily used for entertaining their children. Things have changed quite a bit since then and they are using their Dell Computer for a variety of leisure, educational, and occupational activities.

Sharon's favorite activities include reading and sending email, reading articles on the Globe and Mail website, and gathering information about gardening, recipes, and health. My mother-in-law is also an avid writer and uses their computer to compile our quarterly family newsletter, incorporating articles and photographs submitted by relatives via email, connecting the extended family both online and offline through traditional means by sending off printed copies of the newsletter in the mail.

The computer has simplified the collaboration and editing processes immensely. Desktop publishing is as easy as copying and pasting text from an email into her newsletter template in Microsoft Word.

Terry prefers to visit financial websites and blogs related to investment. One of his favorite blogs is BillCara.com, a blog that focuses on the stock market and enjoys a very popular following from people interested in buying and selling stocks. Yahoo! Finance is another favorite. The Yahoo! website keeps him logged in which is another element of the user experience that Terry appreciates.

For the past several years, Internet Explorer has been the browser of choice, but in recent days, they have made the switch to Firefox, an Internet browser that simplifies navigating the web to a formidable degree. Instead of saving their favorite home pages to their computer desktop, Firefox gives them the option to create 'tabs' or bookmarks on their navigation bar. They also installed a Google search bar in their Firefox navigation bar for easier access to the information that they seek.

When polled about their which search engine they prefer to use, the answer was unaminous: Google. Google, a search engine that has been online since 1998, is both familiar and trusted in their opinion. Terry and Sharon find that the search results are relevant to their needs and they don't mind seeing the sponsored search results on the side, realizing that everything that is free to use comes with a cost, usually in the form of corporate advertising. When asked about what they didn't like, pop-up ads and ads that took too long to load were at the top of the list.

The Internet has made a great impact on their everyday lives, bringing them closer to the people they love and making it easier to research, conduct business, and communicate with others. Sharon, whose background was in the field of nursing, has connected with a global community online that discusses blood types and diets associated with specific blood types. The Internet has enabled her to find a group of people who are interested in the same niche and has provided them with a forum to converse about health related issues.

Terry, whose background is financial and estate planning, uses the Internet to communicate with his clients from anywhere in the world. Current news, whether business or general, is conveniently available to him at the click of a mouse. Email is one of the most useful applications for Terry, particularly where work is concerned. Just this morning, he sat down at the desktop computer and emailed business clients in Kelowna, British Columbia, received their reply, and was able to email them back in the course of several minutes, something that would have been unheard of even a decade ago.

Although the computer has been a welcome addition to their home, certain elements of their everyday lives have remained untouched by newer technologies such as iTunes and handheld MP3 players. They have both listened to podcasts but don't feel the need to subscribe. They key to gracious living is simplicity, and they have their boundaries set. In a day and age where most people can't leave home, ride a bus, or do the dishes without their iPods, Terry and Sharon prefer quiet contemplation and conversation.

When asked what their next computer would be, both agreed that they would probably buy an Apple Computer. They really like the graphics on the Apple computers and are mainly interested in the user experience. The mere mention of iTunes, iPhoto, and other applications I really love were not factors in their decision to go with Apple. Again, it all came down to quality of product, user experience, and simplicity. Terry also mentioned that he would find a PDA (personal digital assistant) useful, such as a BlackBerry, or a handheld device that could play videos of corporate presentations and speeches.

It's amazing how far technology has brought us and yet how much further it will take us. The new technologies that we experience today will be the same technologies that our children will take for granted. Our generation takes home freezers, television, and lunar missions for granted. The next will take computers, the Internet, and GPS sytems for granted.

For those of you who have been pioneers of the 20th century, you have our sincere thanks and utmost respect. Without your adoption, embrace and support of these innovations, they would not have been possible.

I publicly want to thank Sharon and Terry for sharing their experiences and wisdom with us.

If you have something to share, please leave a comment!

Stephanie

How can you help make your clients' telephone systems and customer service even better? The answer lies in the IVR menu.

I was reading an article printed in the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal this week pertaining to corporate telephone systems and how they irritate callers who want to talk to a 'real' person.

The article featured GetHuman.com, a US based database that publishes a cheat sheet to help those who are frustrated by telephone system recordings get through to a real person, whether it be getting through to someone who works for a business or for the government.

Using these automated systems is a sore spot for a growing number of people, particularly elders and those with hearing problems.

One of the communications businesses mentioned in the article argues that the "IVR speeds up access to services, data, and information through immediate and real-time interaction."

An increasing percentage of callers find it difficult to accept that response. While it's true that the information buried within these systems is useful, the very tools built to serve shouldn't make receiving personal customer service an obstacle.

Something that the article suggested as a starting point, if not a solution, was for the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to include an option that allows a caller to get through to a person for immediate assistance.

Many of you serve as the voices for automated telephone systems. Bearing that in mind, the next time you receive a script to record for a company telephone system, it may be prudent to suggest that the IVR contains an option to reach someone immediately for service and not another IVR menu or on-hold message.

For example:

For sales, press one
For support, press two
To speak with someone immediately, press three

This minor suggestion will benefit your customers greatly and provide their customers with a better experience all around.

Any thoughts on this?

Stephanie

When Tom Hanks can't make it back to the studio to redo a line, what do the producers do? Well, hire a sound alike, of course!

Being a professional Sound Alike falls in the territory between celebrity impersonators and the real thing. Different altogether from traditional character voices, sound alikes have the incredible task of recreating the voice and vocal mannerisms of another person... not to be someone who kind of sounds like a celebrity, but to produce an indistinguishable vocal likeness.

Why are sound alikes perceived to be the actual person they are mimicking?

Whenever you hear a sound alike recreate a famous persons' voice, you recognize and trust its authenticity, not simply based upon the total sum of their vocal qualities, but on the distinct similarities between the two voices. For instance, if a sound alike for British Prime Minister Tony Blair were to address the public via radio, a listener in the United Kingdom would perceive the information delivered by the sound alike to be true, recognizing the voice that they hear to be both familiar and authoritative.

You can think of a professional sound alike as an understudy. An understudy is a person who is assigned to a role as a backup for the lead actor, or in our case, voice actor. For instance, if Tom Hanks was on vacation and unable to attend the recording session, a Tom Hanks sound alike would stand in to record the dialog for him.

There is a large market for sound alikes, including duplicating the voices of working celebrities, media personalities, and even replicating the voices of those who have left us, including Elvis Presley, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, John Wayne, Marlon Brando and so on.

Sound alikes have also entered into the field of music, manifesting themselves in tribute artists for popular bands and solo singers in local dance halls, stadiums, and on the big screen. In the recent movie "Walk the Line", Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are featured in the lead roles, portraying Johnny Cash and June Carter in both a visual sense and in a vocal capacity.

The most famous sound alikes are so good at what they do that you will never know that 'they' are not the real McCoy. These people are nearly always working behind the scenes, which makes their performance even more convincing, if done well.

Are you a sound alike? Leave a comment on the blog and mention whose voice (or multiple voices) you perform.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Like Open Source? Ogg Vorbis ( .ogg ) is for you.

Earlier we covered AAC as a potential replacement for the omnipresent MP3 file format. Open Source fans will be familiar with Ogg Vorbis, commonly known as "ogg".

Here's what the Adobe Support Centre has this to say re: Audition 2.0

"Ogg Vorbis (.ogg)

The Ogg Vorbis format is comparable to other formats used to store and play digital music, such as MP3, VQF, and AAC. Unlike those formats, however, Ogg Vorbis is license-free, so it’s often used for commercial video games.

When you save an OGG file, you can either select one of three basic encoding options, or use advanced settings for detailed control:

VBR (Target Bitrate) Lets you specify the target bitrate in kilobits per second. Maintains audio quality by varying the bitrate depending on the complexity of the audio being encoded. This method can maintain higher audio quality, although file size is not as predictable as with Fixed Bitrate encoding.

VBR (Quality Index) Like VBR (Target Bitrate), but lets you specify quality on a scale of 0 to 10.
Fixed Bitrate Varies the quality level as needed to ensure that the bit rate stays at the specified rate. This method makes a consistently sized file, although the quality may not be as high as with Variable Bit Rate encoding.

Use Advanced Settings Enables the following options:

Minimum, Target, and Maximum Bitrate Let you precisely specify compression settings.

Bit Reservoir Size Specifies the amount of surplus bits to reserve during variable bitrate encoding.

Bit Reservoir Bias Determines how surplus bits are distributed. Lower settings store surplus bits during consistent audio, instead applying those bits to transient peaks and troughs. Higher settings store surplus bits during transients, instead applying those bits to consistent audio. The default setting, 0.2, slightly favors transients.

Impulse Noise Floor Sets the amplitude above which the encoder looks for artifacts in transient peaks. Lower noise floors improve transient response but increase bitrate.

Damping Time Determines how quickly bitrate returns to the targeted average. At lower settings, bitrate varies less, but audio quality suffers; at higher settings, bitrate varies more, but audio quality improves.

Lowpass Filter Specifies the highest frequency to retain in the encoded file."

Are there any Open Source supporters out there who can share their experience with Ogg?

Best,

Stephanie

Will the AAC format take over the common MP3?

Martyn Lloyd submitted an interesting topic for us to consider: the upcoming .aac standard for mp3.

AAC stands for Advanced Audio Coding, a file format that most people associate with Apple, particularly iTunes.

Martyn understands that it is a 5.1 Dolby version, and may well rewrite the format in time.

He found add on encoders and decoders for popular software at the RareWares.org website, which may be quite useful to our audience at VOX Daily.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Best,

Stephanie