Get ready for Break Into Voice Over!

A couple of weeks ago, I listened in on a teleseminar for Break Into VoiceOver, a new service provided by Nancy Wolfson of Brain Tracks Audio and Anna Vocino, professional voice talent and working VO actor.

The teleseminar was free, a half hour long, and for the time allotted gave an impressive overview of how the voice industry has changed and the state of Voiceover today.

For those of you who know Nancy Wolfson, she has a unique perspective on the industry.

Nancy started out on the other side of the business as an agent. For quite some time, Nancy was head of a voiceover department at an agency in Hollywood, where she noticed that there was an alarmingly large intersection between auditioning and booking.

Recognizing the massive gap between what people were being taught to do in classes and what she knew in her heart of hearts was really going to book that job pushed Nancy to switch career paths and start a crusade to help break through gatekeeper agencies, and by doing so, ensure that great voices were heard and cast.

By providing voice talent with vital information that she knew as a former agent, Nancy would assist to close that gap and help voice talent establish profitable careers.

She retired from agency work in 2000 to start a private consulting service and carry out her mission to help voice talent succeed.

Nancy Wolfson currenly casts for voiceover projects and coaches people who are interested in pursuing voiceovers. Nancy also produces demos for students who have completed her course and have demonstrated that they are ready to enter the market.

Anna Vocino, a professional voice talent and student of Nancy Wolfson, has been asked on a daily basis how to break into voiceover, hence the name of their new venture.

Anna, who describes herself as a Girl Who's Been-There-Spent-That, wants to make sure that those who are just breaking into the voice industry are armed with the information that they need in the new era of voiceovers, identifying costly mistakes she has made in the past that she wants new talent to avoid.

This project has spent a year in development and the two ladies are moving ahead full steam with their second 2-hour teleseminar this evening (6 p.m. PST) focusing on the Business of VoiceOver.

The teleseminar will give aspiring talent a plan to work from, spelling out what you need to do, what you need to do it, and what to expect to spend.

Topics discussed this evening will include: education, budgets, demos, equipment, marketing strategies and pipelines, when to spend, when to save and when to see results.

With two hours to get into the subject matter, be sure to have your computer handy or a notebook to jot these nuggets of wisdom down. I know that during the half hour that Nancy and Anna spoke last time, I personally took 5 pages of notes in Microsoft Word - and that was just an overview of the state of voiceover today!

I will be sharing more of their insights as time goes by from that particular teleseminar, but for now, I simply wanted to get the word out about their teleseminar scheduled for this evening on the business side of voiceovers.

So, here are the specifics:

Teleseminar: Mapping Your Voice Over Business Plan
Date: Wednedsay January 31st, 2007
Time: 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m. EST)
Cost: $49
Register: Go to BreakIntoVoiceOver.com to register online via PayPal

* Call-in number will be emailed to you upon confirmation of your paid spot.

Read a review of Rodney Saulsberry's "You Can Bank on Your Voice".

Over the last couple of months, I've been corresponding with Rodney Saulsberry through MySpace. While we were talking, I suggested that I'd love to review one of his books for the Book Club at Voices.com.

I was thrilled when Rodney shipped me a copy for review and am now eager to share my thoughts with you about Rodney Saulsberry's You Can Bank on Your Voice.

The book was a real page turner. In truth, it kept me up all night!

Published in 2004, Rodney's book covers all aspects of getting started as a voice-over talent coupled with well chosen vignettes from his own career to entertain and inspire.

While the book was literally brimming with useful information about getting started, setting up a home studio, growing your business and taking care of your voice, I'd like to present the three elements that stood out the most to me.

These elements were Rodney's storytelling capabilities, the attention given to the importance of relationships in the voice-over business, and a comprehensive guide on how to interpret copy for commercials, tags, promos, trailers, and legal tags as well as hard sell / soft sell reads and so on.

Let's start off with the flow of the book.

I found Rodney's style to be encouraging, sincere, and open. There was no way to misinterpret anything (that's a comfort for readers), and he was able to give the message wings by providing real situations incorporating every day examples that people could relate to and pursue with limited cost.

Giving people step by step plans off the bat to follow ensured the readers' comfort level while helping them to discern whether a career in voice-over was right for them. Rodney starts off with a three week regiment to help someone distinguish whether they should consider voice-over as a viable means of supporting themselves.

As the book progressed, Rodney clearly identified the significance of the relationships that a professional voice talent experiences, including their relationship to the union, agencies, casting directors and recording engineers.

A strong advocate of the union, Rodney encourages his readers to join in order to receive benefits including financial, legal, and medical benefits. AFTRA and SAG were mentioned as unions to join and quite a bit of detail was provided regarding the functions and intricacies involved with union membership, including its perks and rules.

He stressed that if someone were to get an agent to be sure that they were licensed, offering tips on how to present talent to agents and also how to turn the tables on the agent to interview them to make sure that they meet the expectations of a client.

If I may, I'd like to circle in on casting directors. Many people are intimidated in audition situations, however, what they don't know is that casting directors are there to support them and get the best possible performance out of an actor or voice actor.

Rodney featured interviews with four leading casting directors in the Los Angeles area. Each prepared a concise description of their expectations as casting directors, what they are willing to do for a talent, and also why it is that they are supportive as opposed to condescending. If you look good, feel good and perform well, the casting director is rewarded by your positive experience.

What I found interesting is that each of the casting directors shared the same core expectations and values when it comes to auditioning talent.

To sum up, be on time (that means be at least 10 minutes early), be focused (read the script ahead of time in the waiting area), and be confident and follow character instructions (let the real you come out, also referred to as truth by one casting director).

One tip that I'd like to include before long is that when you go to a session, Rodney says to write down the name of the engineer and director before you get in the booth. It is a courtesy to address people by their names and that courtesy is elevated if you are working exclusively that day with those people for a period of time and need to ask them questions throughout the session.

Lastly, Rodney as a professional voice talent himself, was able to convey how to prepare for different styles of reads.

Copy interpretation is often the difference between getting the job or not getting the job.

You can have the most beautiful voice and still be passed up for somebody else who gave it their all with an imaginative spin on the copy.

Rodney outlines the different reads for commercials, promos, tags, trailers, and more bestowing useful advice along the way. Sample scripts are included as well as tools to help you interpret the vocal direction, copy and style.

It's amazing how subtle interpretation can be to be effective. Rodney zeros in on how to craft the best interpretation that you can with the copy presented to you. An emphasis is placed on the most popular niche in voice-overs, the movie trailer voice-over.

As someone who has been heralded as the voice of black cinema and has a substantial list of movie trailers to his credit, you can be sure that what you are reading is what truly makes a winning voice-over fit for Hollywood and beyond.

Something that I found I was drawn to throughout the entire book (foreword included) was the humbleness and grace of Rodney Saulsberry. He more than once mentions that he credits God for the blessings that his career in voice-over has yielded and recognizes that his voice and talent are gifts that he is a steward of.

It is because of Rodney's humility that he continues to work in the service of others, not just as a singer, actor or voice actor, but as an author and spokesperson who can reach people using his gifts to help them reach their goals.

To learn more about Rodney Saulsberry and his books, visit his website or go to Amazon to buy You Can Bank on Your Voice today.

Let us know your favorite - vote here on the VOX Daily blog!

We're about to launch a multimedia campaign including audio, video, images and text.

It's very exciting and we want you to be a part of it.

Remember, that the tag line needs to resonate with both voice talents and the clients using Voices.com.

Which one do you like best?







"Be Heard" or "Find Your Voice Today"...

Which one do you like and why?

Looking forward to hearing your comments!

Stephanie

Should Wikipedia be trusted to make or break a case?

The New York Times reported that more and more judges in the US justice system are turning to select entries from Wikipedia to make their rulings.

The New York Times reports that entries from Wikipedia, an online human edited encyclopedia, are now being used by judges in their rulings, albeit selectively.

More than 100 judicial rulings have relied on Wikipedia, beginning in 2004, including 13 from circuit courts of appeal, one step below the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court thus far has never cited Wikipedia.

What do you think of this?

Most of the information in the Wikipedia is contributed by people around the world, who are not necessarily experts on the subject matter and may not posssess the qualifications necessary to legitimize the work presented.

Also, Danny Sullivan of the Daily Search Cast said that Wikipedia has just instituted a rule where when they link to external sources, they use a "no follow" linking strategy that tells search engines not assign a value to a link, disregarding the submission's worth thereby telling search engines not to validate a source that has been accepted into Wikipedia.

What this means is that people will be able to click through a link but search engine spiders will take no notice of them.

Sure, it will cut out spam entries from the search engines, however, it will also in effect rob people of learning more or cross-referencing from the true source of the information in a natural search result (Wikipedia revokes their 'vote' and the link, other than for visitors purposes from that Wikipedia page, is worthless).

That fact alone makes a world of difference where the quality and authenticity of an entry in Wikipedia is concerned.

Should Wikipedia be considered a source worthy to tip the scales let alone be referenced in the court of law?

You can read the full article from the New York Times here.

Watch the SAG Awards this Sunday and see a salute to those who work in the voice over field.

Not too long ago, the Golden Globes graced the scene, and now it's the SAG Awards!

Why should you be watching the SAG Awards this year?

SAG is honoring people who work in voice overs such as voice talent, voice actors and the like, complete with interviews and footage of pros sharing their stories.

Don LaFontaine of movie trailer voiceover fame was interviewed for the feature and his piece may air in the segment. Keep your eyes and ears out for him!

The SAG Awards air this Sunday (January 28th, 2007) on TNT and TBS at 5pm Pacific time (8 p.m. EST).

Best,

Stephanie

We're working on the third generation of the Voices.com website! Want in?

In the beginning we were InteractiveVoices.com, then, we became Voices.com, and now we're ready (with your help!) to take the Voices.com website to the next level.

We have lots of plans in place for the new website, making it exponentially better, to the power of three!

Since we're on the subject of metamorphosis, let's take a look at how the face of our company has changed over the past three years.

Remember the first InteractiveVoices.com home page? Wow, that's really taking a step back in time! Here's a glimpse from March 2005.

OK, so that was a bit interesting :) How about a snapshot from June 2005:

Finally, here's one of the Voices.com website, taken in January 2007:

Suffice to say ladies and gents, we've brought this website a long way in a short period of time, but I want to let you know that we didn't do it by ourselves. You helped build this!

And now, you can help shape the 3rd Generation of Voices.com.

The team is asking you what you want to see added or changed for the newest version of the Voices.com website.

Share your wish list with us by replying to this email or commenting on the blog :)

Looking forward to hearing your suggestions,

Stephanie, David, Carol, Laurynda and Jay

Analog recording (or a very close facsimile) is back!

Just when you thought analog went the way of the dinosaur, DigiDesign, creator of the recording software ProTools, recently announced their new Reel Tape Suite, a suite that creates analog tape emulation effects.

The Reel Tape Suite provides simulated tape saturation, simulated tape delays and also simulates tape machine flanging effects.

Think back, way back to the Beatles album Sargeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band released in June 1967.

That album used many different effects, including the Flanger, among others.

DigiDesign claims that their new plugins will warm up your digital sounds with unbelievable realism, also stating that whether you’re a professional audio mixer, musician, or live sound engineer, Reel Tape Suite (which includes TDM, RTAS®, and AudioSuite™ versions of all three plug-ins) will bring the richness and vintage sound of analog gear to your Pro Tools|HD® Accel, Pro Tools LE™, Pro Tools M-Powered™, Avid Xpress®, Avid Xpress DV, Avid Xpress DNA, or Digidesign® VENUE live sound environment system with ease.

What do you think of this product?

Will you be investing in the Reel Tape Suite for your digital home recording studio, or is this product simply made to satisfy a nostalgic craving for audio production techniques of the past?

Has anyone tried it out?

Stephanie

Just how far will some radio show hosts go with their contests to endanger their listeners? As you may have heard, recently there was a radio contest in Sacramento where two radio personalities running a Nintendo Wii contest were prepared to take contestants to the grave... and did.

I read a post at Bob Souer's blog reprinted with the permission of Dan O'Day that was incredibly shocking and insightful.

Dan commented on the fact that radio is one of the only regulated, interactive mediums that purposefully puts their listeners into harms way or humiliates them for jest, often rewarding their degradation with prizes worth far less than the embarrassment caused by the contest, resulting with the loss of self-esteem.

To paraphrase, there was a contest in Sacramento, California (I'm not going to go too far into it here) that resulted in the death of a 28-year old wife and mother of three, who happened to place second in the contest to win a Nintendo Wii.

The contest was senseless, caused severe discomfort, and was immoral.

The radio program hosts knew that someone could die as a result of what they were asking them to do. People even called in to the station to request that they stop the contest so that no one would get hurt.

One of the contestants, who died later that day, was even documented as saying that she was feeling nauseous and had a terrible headache, similar to what another contestant compared to a drunken state.

She was ignored, and as a result, paid with her life.

The personalities simply said that the contestants understood what could happen and had signed off on it. In their opinion, these people knew what they were doing and as a result, they (the hosts) were not responsible for the consequences of the activity.

Such tragedies can and should be avoided.

A human life has immeasurable worth, and if lost, cannot be retrieved, cloned, or compensated for.

The fact that there are some among us who do not respect and value the lives of other people is disturbing. The fact that some of those people have the ability to broadcast said sentiments is more disturbing still.

Even if the young woman had survived and won the Wii, would the end have justified the means?

One thing you can do is report content that you think is offensive, obscene, profane or indecent to the FCC. I've found a page where you can learn about filing complaints and get your voice heard. It's titled Obscenity, Indecency & Profanity.

If you have a moment, please go to Bob's blog to read Dan's article in full before commenting so that you fully understand what happened in Sacramento.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

How can you get your voice moving early in the morning? Read these tips.

If you've ever had a recording session early in the morning (many of you who are on-air talent will identify with this), you've really got to warm up those pipes to sound professional and alert.

Coming from a classical singing background and years of 7 a.m. choir rehearsals, I find it really helps if you are up at least one hour before you are expected to perform.

If you're awake 60 minutes before you hit the mic, you'll be alert (hopefully!) and also may have already spoken to someone, using your voice a wee bit to prepare for your warm up. During that interval, you may have possibly eaten breakfast, had a drink, showered, and dressed for the day.

Waking up earlier for an 'early' session does more than stabilize your vocal folds, it gets you in form mentally as well.

OK, so that's getting up an hour before. How about these ones?

Have you ever tried humming?

A loose, gentle modulating hum is a nice way to ease in your facial muscles as well as create space for resonant sound. It gets your resonators going which in turn will help restore your vocal tone quality after sleeping for several hours.

One of the favorites at the Don Wright Faculty of Music was The Hum closely followed by lip trills.

On one occasion, a classmate of mine had to run from her residence at the main gates on Richmond Street over the bridge at UWO (if you're from London, you know what I'm talking about) doing lip trills in the dead of winter as she scrambled to get to her lesson in the Music Building near Talbot College. She sounded great! Now, that's a feat.

Also, another good trick to open up the passages is to descend on a nasal consonant sound. If you are a fan or student of IPA (the International Phonetic Alphabet), you know that there are a number of ways you can warm up your sinuses and nasal passages.

Take the English word onion for example. It's quite nasal, particularly the second syllable. The gn sound, as in the Italian gnocchi is precisely what I'm thinking about.

Take that 'gn' sound and lovingly stretch it, slide it, and descend glissando style. Go from the fifth down to the root of a scale on that with an 'ah' sound.

Another fave is anything that ends in a Z, like buzz or fuzz. Linger on the Z to get resonating as well.

If there was an audio component here in this post, I'd demonstrate, but that's for another day :)

Back to some more ideas.

Articulate, articulate, articulate. In your business, this is one of the most important aspects of your performance. If you don't articulate or enunciate clearly, no one is going to understand a word of what you are saying.

Here are five tongue twisters that are old hat for some but may be new to your repertory:

1. Unique New York, Unique New York, Unique New York.... (repeat and speed up as necessary)
2. A big black bug bit a big black bear
3. She sells sea shells by the sea shore
4. Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers
5. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

One trick to see if your diction is clear is to ask someone who doesn't know you to listen to you speak. If they have trouble deciphering your message, it's time to go back to the drawing board and really start spitting out those consonants.

Well, that may be good for resonators and articulators, but what about range?

Yawning is a good thing. Yawning naturally drops your jaw and regulates oxygen while extending your soft palate. With more oxygen flowing up to your brain, you'll also find that you are more alert. Yawning is one of those involuntary responses produced by your autonomic nerve system.

Have you ever heard of the 'yawn-sigh'?

You open your mouth as if to yawn and slide all the way down from the top of your vocal range to the lowest grumble you can muster. You'll know when you bottom out. Only do this a few times tops per warm up and never start with this one - leave it until the end when you have already exercised your voice.

Now, those are just a number of things you can do to get going with your voice.

It may go without saying, but a good sleep the night before, about eight hours if you can swing it, and a well conditioned, lubricated voice is the best preparation for warming up at the crack of dawn.

If you're a multi-tasker, you could probably fit your warm ups into your morning shower routine. The acoustics will be great and warm water is also a plus.

Just so that we're all aware, these warm ups are not solely reserved for early risers but for any vocal activity at any time.

Do you have any warm ups to add? What works for you?

Best,

Stephanie

Disclaimer: The sillier you sound and the better a warm up makes you feel, the more elastic, agile and comfortable your voice will become. Have fun with it!

We've all heard how to monetize a podcast, but just what does it take to make money as a producer of one?

You may have read the inspiration for this blog post already, but if not, check in to see how much to charge for podcast voiceovers.

Now that we have a foundation, I'd like to shift back into podcast mode and how you can make money as a talent producing them.

The following are 5 ways that you can make money from podcasting.

1. Research
2. Copy writing
3. Voice Over
4. Music Production / Jingles
5. Distribution

Although #2, #3, and #4 look familiar to you as a professional voice talent and producer, the first and fifth may seem a bit irregular.

Trust me, these are services people will pay for as well.

Let's start from the beginning.

1. Research

Researching information about markets, products, services, or special interest topics is a task for most people and doesn't fall under the heading of "Enjoyable". It's also time consuming. Many people will not have the time, desire or skill to research their podcast format or topics to be discussed.

I suggest charging an hourly rate for this sort of work - you suggest the wage :)

2. Copy Writing

A large number of you are gifted in this area of skill. If you are good with words, phrasing, and highlighting key points to summarize for a segment or show, this service is also something that could be charged for on a per word or per episode basis.

If episodes are timed out to last X amount of time, you'll be able to calculate how many words should be written for each podcast. Don't be afraid of scripting! Scripts keep voiceovers on track and also maintain professionalism, minimizing tangents and useless information.

3. Voice Over

Ah, this is home, you say! The voice over component of a podcast is without a doubt the quickest and most exciting part of the production cycle.

This is where you can explore different reads and really customize the podcast for an audience and your client. If you are the host, opportunities for you to communicate are greatly increased. If you're the imaging and promo talent, make sure that you fully embody the essence of that podcast program. It will show in the recording and school of public opinion.

4. Music Production / Jingles

What podcast nowadays is complete without music production? Music plays a role unlike any other element. Music can take on the identity of a segment or transition to the next gracefully and distinctly.

Some podcasts have jingles in them to start off the show. This isn't as common as musical interludes (or, if you're into Classical music 'ritornello'), but they are effective if used the right way. Again, these are services that you should be charging for, especially if you have composed and performed the music yourself.

5. Distribution

If you've ever submitted your website to directories, you'll understand how significant this area of promotion is.

Distribution is another area that customers have little to no time to execute. A podcast relies upon gaining new listeners in order to become successful. If you were to take the time to properly setup the RSS feed and manage a blog for your client, going the extra mile to submit to podcast directories will yield amazing results and get that podcast out there and into the hands and ears of the public.

Because of the tedium this may create for you, charging a premium for this service is strongly suggested. No one wants to volunteer themselves for this activity unless they are a glutton for punishment :)

So, what do you think? Are you already putting these steps into practice?

Share your stories!

Best,

Stephanie

How much do you charge for podcast recordings?

The idea that new media consumption should be free is one thing, however, being compensated properly for production services will never go out of style!

Recently we received a question about what to charge for podcasts.

To paint a picture of our experience with talent and podcast rates, we treated the fees like any other broadcast medium, paying $250 for an intro, podcast imaging (one liners for 4 segments), and 25 episode numbers, full buy-out.

That was in 2005. When we changed our name to Voices.com, we continued to use the imaging for the new podcast and are very happy with it.

Now, you could argue that we understand the value of a voiceover, regardless of its usage and reach, hence why we went with a quote on the top end of the scale instead of a lower fee.

It's the same in any business. If you want a quality product or service, you will pay for it.

For some reason, there is the misconception that because a podcast is technically not for 'broadcast' purposes that the voiceovers should be less expensive for this medium.

I beg to differ.

Podcasts can potentially reach more listeners and more highly targeted listeners than broadcast commercials can depending on the audience size and following of a podcaster.

Some popular podcasts have thousands if not tens of thousands of subscribers which in some cases equates the so-called medium broadcast markets.

Podcasts are also available to listeners in two ways. First off, they can download the audio from a podcasters website or they could subscribe to the feed via iTunes or similar aggregators of content.

Essentially, podcasts are available to listen to again and again, getting more mileage out of a voiceover, imaging package, or music production. This should count for something.

One of the issues on the table concerning the ACTRA strike is that union members of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television, and Radio Artists are not being fairly compensated for the use of their work on the Internet. This use could take shape in the form of a podcast, website tutorials, online commercials, presentations, eLearning, or promotional material.

ACTRA is still on strike (now 2 weeks and counting...) over this sticky issue.

Producers are claiming that they shouldn't have to pay for the work to be used online if they had already bought it for other purposes and compensated them fairly for it.

For example, let's pretend a commercial had been recorded for television with union talent.

According to the producers, a commercial made for television could be used free of charge on the Internet.

People in general are deceived by the notion that everything on the Internet should be free, free, free!

When you look at it, nearly everything minus key services and products are free. You can always upgrade a service level somewhere, but almost anything that you can participate in on the web comes with a free trial, a free account (think email), newsletters or free downloads.

OK, I've said my piece and identified the landscape / challenges that new media presents us with.

Now, it's your turn.

What do you think the industry should be charging for podcast voice over packages?

Share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Best,

Stephanie

P.S. Stay tuned to learn more about how you can profit from podcasting :)

Try an apple!

In VOX Talk Episode 5, correspondent Julie Williams shared some tips on how to get rid of dry mouth when recording.

One of the tips was to have water close by and the other was to have an apple on hand for yourself each time you record a voiceover.

To test this theory myself when recording for Episode 6, I kept a freshly sliced Granny Smith apple at my desk and ate a couple of slices before I started recording the intro and news.

Some apples are more acidic than others, and from what I understand, Granny Smith, also known as malus sp., is at or very near the top of the list in that department.

Logic would lead us to believe that the more acidic an apple, the better job it will do to act as an equalizer to balance wetness or how as the chemists might say, bases (remember acids and bases?).

So far as I can tell, dry mouth and wet mouth are the same thing but bear different names. There are similar clacking noises and saliva sounds associated with both voiceover 'conditions'.

What else are apples good for?

Apples also have a soothing, calming aroma so having a bowl of them around is a good idea anyway, not to mention hospitable, particularly if you have other voiceover colleagues over to record during a session.

So, now the floor is yours:

Do you subscribe to the Apple a Day theory? If so, which type of apple works best for you?

Looking forward to hearing your stories!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. If you'd like to send in an audio clip instead of typing in a comment, send your audio to media@voices.com

P.P.S. To read an article by David Houston about similar ways to get rid of unwanted mouth noise, learn how to clean your instrument here.

Going to the VOICE Conference? I hope so, because we want to meet you!

I'm pleased to announce that we'll be in Las Vegas at the VOICE Conference!

We're very thrilled and are looking forward to putting smiling faces to the voices we know and love.

If you'd like to meet up with us during the Conference, just let us know! There appears to be plenty of time during lunches and after conference hours to do just that :)

The conference promises to be action-packed and a true learning experience.

Now, you might be wondering which Voices.com team members will be coming...

I'll be traveling with Laurynda. We're extremely excited to say the least to be involved with the VOICE Conference and their staff, but most importantly, we're looking forward to meeting our customers.

Carol and David are remaining on Canadian soil for the interim to serve customers.

Are you going to the VOICE Conference?

Leave a comment and we'll meet up with you in Las Vegas :)

Cheers,

Stephanie

Got a blog? A podcast? If you do, you are likely familiar with FeedBurner, King of the Feeds.

Anyone who manages an RSS feed is familiar with FeedBurner.

To quote:

"FeedBurner is the leading provider of media distribution and audience engagement services for blogs and RSS feeds. Our Web-based tools help bloggers, podcasters and commercial publishers promote, deliver and profit from their content on the Web."

When I was checking my feeds for our blog network and podcast earlier this week, I noticed something different... what should I see but the smiling face of Donna Papacosta of Trafcom News looking down in the top right hand corner of the screen!

David noticed first and then told me to go check it out. I've included the snapshot that I took in this post.

FeedBurner not only distributes feeds, it also tracks them. You can view how many subscribers you have to your blog, for instance by viewing something called "My Feeds".

The culture of the company is fun and inviting.

They've even made a sticker available of the famous FeedBurner flame. You can send in a self-addressed stamped envelope to get your very own FeedBurner sticker.

Pretty nifty, I must say.

If you're curious about this company now, you can visit them here:

FeedBurner Website

If you have any feedback that you'd like to share about your experiences with FeedBurner, leave a comment or send in some audio feedback to media@voices.com.

Bye for now,

Stephanie

With the sixth season of FOX's "24" now in full swing, I thought we'd take a look at how voiceover is used in this hit television series.

For the past 6 years, we've become accustomed to hearing these three simple words:

"Previously on 24"

Although they are only three little words, they have made a significant impact on millions of television viewers around the world.

The voiceover is recorded by star and executive producer of the program, Kiefer Sutherland, known as Jack Bauer, a modern day superhero who won't let anything stop him from protecting the American people from terrorist attacks with the aid of the CTU (Central Terrorism Unit) and the US Department of Defense.

Back to the voiceover.

The voiceover is tough and exudes authority, intensity, patriotism, and strength.

The voice talent recording this line is portraying the role of a hero and someone who does not fail, even when it means sacrificing his own life or that of those he is close to for the greater good.

As I mentioned above, the voiceover is distinctly tough, and if you recall, the voice itself is Ford Tough.

Does that sound familiar? Well, Kiefer also happens to be the voice of the Ford Motor Company, recording for their truck commercials.

The velvety grit of Kiefer's voice in the commercials for Ford is quite similar to the voiceover recorded for the 24 liner.

Remember also that Jack Bauer's voice and persona are also deemed popular and magnetic. Jack Bauer's James Bond ability to fight evil doers physically and psychologically is filed under society's 'cool' heading.

Taking another step into reality, Kiefer Sutherland is also the technically savvy and powerful voice that recorded the commercial copy announcing that the Intel chip was incorporated into a Mac in 2006.

If you look carefully, there's a lot of Kiefer Sutherland in Jack Bauer. For instance, did you see the Mac laptops that the character Chloe was sporting this season? There are Macs positioned in CTU and likely the White House, too.

The Apple culture (maker of all things Mac and iPods), is cool, technical, and highly sophisticated. It's associated with passion, intelligence, and overachieving.

All of those associations help to strengthen the brand of 24 with the voiceover as the glue that holds it together.

Any comments that you'd like to share about the voiceovers mentioned or the show 24?

Cheers,

Stephanie

Photo courtesy: FOX Broadcasting Company

P.S. Here's a link to a recent interview conducted with Kiefer about 24, including a burning question about looping and his voiceover work for the line "The following takes place...".

If you haven't heard Kiefer's voice and would like to, watch this video of Kiefer explaining hockey. It's tough and patriotic, just like the voiceover on the show.

We're pleased to help promote Los Angeles Voice Coach Nancy Wolfson's free teleseminar to take place on January 17th, 2007! Reserve your spot now.

Join Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino on Wednesday January 17th, 2007 at 7 p.m. PST (10 p.m. EST) for a free, 30 minute teleseminar entitled:

"The State of Voice Over Today"

Nancy and Anna suggest that you have a pen and notebook handy to jot down aspects of the seminar that interest you.

Topics to be discussed include home studios, agents, regional work, NY / LA, union vs. non-union, demos, casting, branding, voice prints and more.

Space is extremely limited. The call-in number will be emailed to you upon confirmation of your reserved spot.

To secure your spot for this free teleseminar and signup via email, visit:

BreakIntoVoiceOver.com

Cheers,

Stephanie

How did the worlds fastest talking female adapt to podcasting? Fran Capo, Guinness Book of World Records Worlds Fastest Talking Female, tells the tale of her first foray into podcasting.

I remember when I got my first computer, to me it was a glorified typewriter. I remember typing in a book I was working on, didn’t know anything about the stupid save button that you should use every few minutes and lost 80 pages of my book…just like that. I cried, I cursed, I swore I would never use a computer again.

Eventually I mastered the document aspect, and realized a computer was a heck of a lot easier than using wite-out. Then the Internet came along.

At first, I was scared to even do email because I thought if I pressed the wrong button, I’d wipe out everything on my computer. But I took a class and was told about all the wonderful things a computer and the Internet could do.

Wanting to jump on the bandwagon, I even had a website built for me…you know back in the day when you’d write http:// and a whole long description to get to your site.

To this day I still know only a fraction of its uses. But in the interest of business I try to move along and somewhat keep up with the times, and when all else fails I call on the help of my son, Spencer. (Jeez, it reminds me of when my mother couldn’t figure out how to use the answering machine…I was totally baffled at that…now I know how my son feels.)

As time went on I learned how to build a buddy list, send IM’s, put links in my emails, burn a DVD and do the basics to communicate.

Now, four websites later, I'm feeling pretty confident. I'm happy doing my emails and business on the web. One day my son turns to me and says, "So mom, how come you don’t use AIM instead of email?"

"AIM? AIM at what? What’s wrong with emails?"

He rolls his eyes and explains. "AOL Instant Message."

"Oh, I do that instant message thing."

"No this is different, you can send whole videos instantly…blah, blah, blah."

I tune him out. I know I'm going to keep doing the emails.

Then I hear about “my space” so I look at it, see a bunch of teenagers posing for each other half naked and wonder, why the heck do I need a my space site? My son lovingly says, "Ma, trust me, you do". So for my birthday he builds me a myspace site. Now I'm thinking that's it. I've got it all.

Of course, can the Internet ever stay still.

So in enters, the new craze…BLOGS are all the rage. I'm still figuring out ways to promote my website, now I gotta write a blog! For the life of me, I can’t figure out why I’d need a blog, or how people know to go to it. Isn’t the marketing the same as with a website? Why not just write a journal on your website?

Soon I see articles written about blogs. I hear blogs mentioned on the news. People are quoting blogs…Blogs, blogs, blogs!

So I speak to this very successful friend of mine, Nik Halik, who I meet while on the Titanic expedition. He says, ”Fran you need a blog.” Again with the blog. He takes me to a computer on the ship, sits me down. He goes to some website and sets one up for me. He has me write a paragraph about my expedition. “There.” he says proudly. “You now have a blog.”

I never go there again, because in my mind I don’t see the value of it yet. In my mind you can have the greatest product but if there is no way to market it and let people know it exists, then it's useless.

A few months later, the WB…yes, the wonderful guys and gals at MySweetConnection.com come along and said, “Hey Fran would you like to write a blog called Fran’s World?”

I take it as a sign from God, and jump at the opportunity.

Why? Because a blog on their site makes sense to me. They have a way of letting people know that the blog exists. I even do a promo commercial for it.

Which makes even more sense. So now I think I’m set. I got my new website, my emails, my MySpace.com/FranCapo, my blog and I even got a digital camera (I was still using a 35 mm camera up until July of this year-what can I say old habits die hard.)

Then, just when you think you got it all figured out…I start getting emails from a couple of places.

”Hey Fran would you like to do a podcast for us?”

What on earth is a podcast? Sounds like a fishing expedition that would take place in the movie "Cocoon."

I look it up on Google. “Podcasting, a portmanteau (whatever that means) of Apple’s “iPod” and “broadcasting”, is a method of publishing files to the Internet, allowing users to subscribe to a feed and receive files automatically by subscription, usually at no cost. It first became popular in late 2004, used largely for audio files.”

I still don’t get how I do one. Do I record it on a tape recorder and then just post it somewhere? Is there a file called a pod? How will people know this podcast exists? Is this an MP3, a DVD, or an IUV? I don’t even own an iPod!

I am put in touch with this guy Richard Arfin, he hosts a radio podcast out in the Hamptons. He has a place called, Podarama studios. We talk. He’s tells me he’s looking for unique, creative, content, like New York underground music or something.

We talk and come up with some ideas. But again, I’m still not getting why this is the next cool wave. Richard says, “Listen there’s no FCC rulings with a podcast, just like with XM and Sirius radio. We can look for sponsorship and link onto that website. A 45 minute program can be downloaded in 45 seconds, just like an email or another bandwidth. Nine months ago it was the MP3 files, now we turn them into RSS files…it’s an alternative to radio.”

He’s so excited I don’t want to stop him, but I am totally lost. He tells me about some Adam guy who is the creator of podcasting…says that podcasting has the ability to program into iPods and MP3 players in seconds. Says something about computers, mutitrack software, USB ports…that the Apple itunes firefox feeds through windows media and quick time…I phase out.

My pupils look like two large pods.

Fast forward a few months. My good friend, John Basedow tells me he doing a regular fitness segment on my other friend, Donna Drake’s podcast called, “The After Party”. He sends me his glossy promo banner that he has announcing his podcast. Now I’m feeling left out.

I call Donna, "Can I come and do your podcast and see what this all is about?"

“Sure Frannie. We’d love to have you as a guest our show. We tape the first Wednesday of the month.”

"Great that coincides with my new book coming out." I hang up happy.

I’m all set. I call John just to make sure. “Hey, John a podcast is audio or video”? He laughs, “Just video dear, you can dress like a slob if you want.”

I have an HBO audition later that day anyway, so just in case I decide to dress decently.

I get an email from Donna the day before our podcast.

"We are changing the taping time to 5:15 p.m. and putting more “production value” into our show. We currently have 12, 000 hits so far. By the way you can hear the After Party at TheAfterpartyweb.com the most recent interview I did was with Tom Chapin, Harry Chapin’s brother.

The event I did last week with him earned over $30,000 for Long Island Cares and World Hunger Year. I’m so happy about that!

See you soon.

Xx000 Donna.”

The great thing about being involved with anything Donna does is she has a big heart and is always successful. She has done so many wonderful things from being a television producer, to doing the voiceovers for John Basedow’s fitness videos, to being a spearhead of the Huntington Arts Council, to pitching television shows at festivals, to creating the annual Laff Off Contest Event (now in it’s fourth year) which is a huge success and of which John, my friend Janette Barber (who works at the View) and I do every year.

I drive out to the studio where they are taping. It’s a two-hour drive. I get there early. John is sitting in his car in the parking lot. We talk. He hands me a house warming gift he’s been carrying around in his car for month.

We go inside the studio. It looks great. It’s changed a lot since I’ve been there last. It’s very modern looking. The owner/engineer of Waterworks, David, tells me about some of the latest projects. We think maybe there’s a fit for something.

I go into the room where we will be taping the Podcast.

The room looks gorgeous. A table is set up, complete with table cloth and these retro type plates with pictures of Lucille Ball on them and the likes.

We all have wine and water glasses, crackers and anchovies are laid out. The lighting is very funky.

I turn to Donna, “I thought this was an audio thing?”

“It is, but we are setting the ambiance”. She smiles.

“This is cool, I love it!”

There are four key members in Donna’s After Party podcast.

Linda Bruno, Steve Strangio, Rob Altman and Donna Drake. John does an exclusive fitness feature. With this setup, I think the segment is going to be an hour long. Nope just a quick 15 minute feature.

We all have microphones in front of us, are given the cue by David.

Donna starts as host. It’s very casual, as if we are all eating dinner together and I am the invited guest. We talk about my new book, how I broke the world record, the greeting cards I’m selling to raise money for the African village, etc. etc.

Everyone joins in. Soon Steve Strangio is giving us the two minute sign, then the 30 second sign. I go into warp speed to get everything in.

Steve holds up the wrap up - the end sign which means, stop talking now! I nod to acknowledge the sign, we clink glasses and are out. Done, my first podcast under my belt.

The piece will get edited and uploaded to the Internet on their website and will be there for about a year. The people who subscribe to the service will have it automatically sent to their iPods. Very cool.

I think it's over but as with all recording sessions you always try to make the most of the studio. So they are not only taping my segment today but a few more.

Next up is John's fitness segment. I'm on a roll now. Why do one podcast when you I can do two? So, I stay as a guest on his segment and read the questions from the listeners. I joke with John about our long walks in Manhattan and losing weight. Again, it’s over in no time. I am liking these podcasts very much.

The group is taping a few more segments, and I’m invited to stay but I have to get to the HBO audition for the Aspen Film Festival in Manhattan.

We all kiss goodbye. I still have no clue how exactly the podcasts get uploaded to the website, then get sent to iTunes then to the people’s iPods, but at least I feel I’m in the updated world now, and can add podcasting to my list of accomplishments.

By the time I get home that evening, John as already sent out his email blast that the new podcast is online. Wow, talk about not wasting any time!

I guess the thing I have to learn about technology is that it moves as fast as I talk, and if I want to keep up, my lips better not be the only thing going at 603 w.p.m.

Till my next podcast, see you at my blog.

Fran Capo
(the Guinness Book of World Records Worlds Fastest Talking Female)

P.S. To hear my podcast segment on the After party go to AfterThePartyWeb.com.

Have you noticed that some people have more visibility at Voices.com than others? Find out why and learn how they do it.

Many talent have discovered that they can increase their online visibility, send more traffic to their websites, and reach a wider audience by participating in the voiceover community at Voices.com.

A large part of why they do it is because they want to give back to their community, share knowledge, and inspire others.

While doing these things, they also become a person who makes a difference.

Does this sound like something you'd like to be a part of?

If so, there are several ways that you can contribute to your community at Voices.com.

Here's a short list:

1) Comment on Blog Posts

Commenting on blogs is a very important and surprisingly simple activity. By typing some of your thoughts and sharing them, your voice and opinions are heard, spurring on more conversation and inviting others to partake. You can also get a link to your website for commenting on blogs.

2) Submit an Article

When you send us an article for inclusion on either VOX Daily or Casting Voices, you will be recognized by your colleagues and also gain another link to your website. If you have any articles that you have written, why not share your insight with peers online?

3) Send in Audio Feedback

If you prefer to record your thoughts, you can send in your opinions and comments to be included in the VOX Talk podcast. We record twice a week so there are lots of opportunities for you to be part of this innovative show. VOX Talk covers industry news, business, technology, and has a segment specifically for audio feedback. Just email your voice feedback to media@voices.com.

4) Ask Questions

Ask the Voice Cat and Master VO are blogs that enable you to ask the pros for answers related to the voice industry, your career and technology. Take advantage of decades of experience by asking a question of these gurus. Remember, if you have a question, there's at least 5 or 6 other people who may be wondering the same thing, so ask away! A link is also provided to your website at Voices.com if your question is published.

5) Produce a Segment for VOX Talk

Become a correspondent for the VOX Talk podcast. As a professional voice talent, you are gifted with a sonorous voice and the ability to use it to your advantage. Many of you also have copywriting experience and are expert creative producers. If journalism interests you or you have a keen desire to contribute to your community with your voice, VOX Talk might just be the perfect outlet for you!

Well, that's just five ways you can help to nurture and build your community. The sky is the limit.

Remember, at Voices.com, we're all about you. We'd love to hear what you think!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Read what several ACTRA talent have to say about the strike that has rocked the acting community, the country and the Canadian broadcast and film industry.

As of this blog post, we are now fully in day 4 of the ACTRA strike, and news of any progress in mainstream media is scarce - that is, until now.

I polled several professional voice actors who are members of ACTRA to see how they were faring and if they had any projections to share with us here at VOX Daily.

The answers came rolling in like wildfire, demonstrating their devotion to their union.

My questions were simple and straight to the point. I asked how they were affected by the strike among other things, taking the pulse of those directly involved in the struggle to see Canadian talent paid on a scale closer to par with their American counterparts, SAG and AFTRA.

First, let's do away with some of the misconceptions surrounding this strike and learn of the catalysts that triggered it with some insight from Bruce Marshall, pro voice talent, on air talent, and instructor at Humber College and Seneca College:

The first is that this strike won’t have much affect on voice-over people. If you’re working on a contract under the Independent Production Agreement (IPA), then your production may on hiatus. But even in that case there are conditions under which ACTRA members can continue to work on some productions.

However, most voice over work (other than narrations and animation) is done under the Commercial Agreement – not the IPA.

Canadian film and television production was profoundly affected by the SARS crisis several years ago. That was the start of a slide in production. But a contributing factor also has been changes to CRTC regulations that have gutted the home-grown, produced-for-Canadians TV industry. There’s Corner Gas on CTV, a few others on CBC and that’s about it.

That type of production has been so hard hit that a friend of mine who was Gemini nominated as a lead on a now defunct Canadian series has had to go home to Vancouver: There’s no work in Toronto for someone of Gemini-nominated, series-leading-experience in what used to be the biggest film and TV production market in the nation – often # 2 in North America.

The strike is significant: ACTRA went to the bargaining table looking to close the gap with SAG in the US. (Who support ACTRA) What the producers offered instead was a 25% cut across the board. It doesn’t look like there’s been much movement – even with over 97% of ACTRA members voting to go out.

The biggest “affect” to voice performers might be that there are a lot more series leads available to audition – but that’s been the case for several years. It’s a regular thing to run into someone whose name appeared in the first dozen or so in the credits on a Canadian program at voice auditions.

Bruce Marshall

Moving eastward across Ontario to Quebec, Dawn Ford replied with the following thoughts:

I am a grateful member of Actra and have been for about 17 years.

Sincerely,
Dawn Ford

In Ontario, ACTRA Apprentice Glenda Gerrard said:

I am a part time actor and get a few auditions a month, so the strike is not really a hardship for me at this time. I am an ACTRA apprentice member and receive no type of compensation, in any case.

Glenda Gerrard

Neil Whitely shared the following insights with us:

I haven’t felt the effect of the strike personally yet as this is traditionally a slow time for the industry in Ontario. If the strike were to drag on for an extended period, I would expect a drastic drop in the frequency of my auditions.

Best regards,
Neil Whitely

And for some famous last words, all of which we can agree upon from John McGrath in Ajax, ON:

I'm hopeful for an early end so everybody can get back to what we love to do - entertain.

John McGrath

If you are a member of ACTRA and would like to share your experiences with the strike or thoughts about it, leave a comment on this blog post to keep the conversation going until an agreement has been reached!

Sincerely,

Stephanie

P.S. To listen to some audio feedback graciously provided by Bob Brewster of Quebec on this matter, listen to Episode 4 of our podcast, VOX Talk.

Remembering the old and ringing in the new voice casts of Charlotte's Web.

If you've read the classic children's novel Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, you've likely heard about the new Charlotte's Web movie (2006), complete with computer generated characters alongside a human cast, starring the voice talents of Julia Roberts as the beloved spider and heroine, Charlotte A. Cavatica.

Charlotte's Web is the story of how an ordinary pig, a runt in a reality, was saved by a little girl named Fern who lived on her family's farm.

Fern reminds us of the right to life at all stages by challenging her father in the barn that fateful morning; a morning that would set the tone for the rest of the movie, placing an emphasis on friendship and the dignity of life for all of God's creatures, big and small.

In the end, a community was strengthened and brought together by means of the miraculous writings of a devoted friend on her web to save the life of a spring pig, declaring Wilbur as "Some Pig", "Terrific", "Radiant" and "Humble".

Charlotte's Web teaches us about life and death, trust and friendship and also proves that we can all make a difference in the lives of others if we try.

Going back to the movie, the film is stocked with Hollywood superstars, starring Julia Roberts as Charlotte the Spider, Steve Buscemi as Templeton the Rat, John Cleese as Samuel the Sheep, Oprah Winfrey as Gussy the Goose, Cedric the Entertainer as Golly the Goose, Kathy Bates as Bitsy the Cow, Reba McEntire as Betsy the Cow, Robert Redford as Ike the Horse, Thomas Haden Church as Brooks the Crow, André Benjamin as Elwyn the Crow, Sam Shepard as the Narrator, Dakota Fanning as Fern, and Dominic Scott Kay as Wilbur.

While today's generation of children will remember the film starring Dakota Fanning and Julia Roberts, those of us born in the eighties and beforehand know a different, gentler Charlotte's Web, presented as an animated feature film produced in 1973, starring the voice talents of Debbie Reynolds as Charlotte the Spider, Paul Lynde as Templeton the Rat, and Henry Gibson as Wilbur.

You may also appreciate that Don Messick played the role of Jeffrey and that Rex Allen was the Narrator.

Something I loved about the first version and miss in the new version is the music. I tracked down all of the lyrics to the songs featured in the original Charlotte's Web movie for those who are interested in taking a stroll down memory lane.

If you've made the trek to the theatre, leave a comment about what you thought about the new Charlotte's Web.

If you remember the first movie, you're invited to leave a comment too :)

Lastly, if you've seen both, let us know which one you prefer and why.

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. Check out the official movie website for Charlotte's Web. Loads of interactive fun!

Want to make your reads more compelling? Read this post to learn how.

If you can imagine it, you can voice it convincingly!

Even the thought of something can stir up the same feeling or emotional response as actually experiencing it.

John Tesh mentioned on his radio show last week that people who only imagined laughing experienced the same level of happiness released by endorphins as people who actually laughed out loud.

What that means for voice actors is that if you can summon a memory of a particular event or imagine yourself experiencing a feeling, it will trigger a reaction just as real as if it were happening to you.

We could refer to this as ‘method acting’. Method actors draw upon life experiences and personal memories to perform their roles.

So, imaging something happy could make your voice happier sounding; a poignant memory could make your voice sound melancholic; imaging that you’ve just stubbed your toe could even make you feel pain... ouch!

Surely there are days when inspiration is lost before the mic or you've hit the proverbial brick wall and feel that you have nothing left to give.

Calling upon memories, images or thoughts will lift your spirits will make you and your voice react, resulting in a more genuine interpretation of the copy.

Another tip John suggested to boost your mood was to look through old family photo albums. Remembering happy times and seeing images of people you love has an amazing effect on your spirit and outlook.

Why don’t you give it a try and let us know how this theory worked for you by leaving a comment or by sending in some audio feedback to media@voices.com.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Al Gore may not have won the presidency, but he has won the hearts and minds of countless people around the world with his documentary "An Inconvenient Truth". Have you seen it?

Last week, I rented the movie An Inconvenient Truth, a startling documentary produced and narrated by former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore.

The documentary has a simple message: humanity needs to change its fossil fuel consumption habits to turn back the Global Warming clock.

When polar bears drown in the Arctic after swimming more than 60 miles to find ice to rest on, we have a problem.

When majestic glaciers disappear from the peaks of mountains over several years, resulting in drought for people who have been sustained by waters that descend from the ice each year for thousands of years, we have a problem.

When hurricanes strike with the power and devastation of Katrina, we have a problem.

When the elements come in one colossal dump instead of regulated precipitation and there is not a flake of snow at Christmas in Canada, we have a problem.

The human population has quadrupled in the last 100 years, magnified the power of our technologies a thousand times over and has lived in a blissful ignorance and apathy concerning the welfare of our Earth for far too long.

The good news?

We have everything we need to solve this except political will. Please take some time to watch the videos featuring Al Gore below to hear for yourself.

Part I of George Stoumboulopoulos' Interview with Al Gore on CBC's The Hour

Part II of the Interview with Al Gore on CBC's The Hour

To quote Al Gore, "What changed in the US after Hurricane Katrina was a feeling that we had entered a period of consequences..."

I cannot stress how compelling this movie is and how dire its message. We only have 10 years to turn back the clock.

If you haven't seen the movie yet, see it as soon as you can. It takes every one of us to make a difference.

Learn more about how you can help by visiting ClimateCrisis.net.

Best,

Stephanie

With negotiations going on until 6:20 a.m., ACTRA walked out, disabling nearly 21,000 Canadian television and film performers overnight and grinding production to a halt for production companies across the country.

ACTRA, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, said January 3rd that they were going to strike on January 8th, 2007 if their demands were not met by producers.

As you may have guessed, things didn't go as ACTRA had hoped and now a random array of made-for-tv-movie and drama actors are walking the picket lines while their commercial counterparts are shooting in the studios.

Actors who are in productions affected by the strike were told not to go to work, even though the union was in midst of negotiations.

On January 7th, 2007, ACTRA posted the following strike conditions for members on their site:

"In the event of an ACTRA strike, performers are not to report to work, auditions or ADR on any IPA production that has not signed a continuation letter with ACTRA.

If ACTRA does go on strike, performers can still do work under other ACTRA contracts: UBCP, commercials, student films, broadcast agreements.

ACTRA By-Laws set out the rules for the conduct of ACTRA members during a strike. ACTRA members - including Full, Apprentice and ACTRA Extras - must not work for struck engagers during an ACTRA strike. Members are expected to know the strike rules and regulations, and are expected to uphold the strike. Any member who fails to adhere to the strike rules is subject to disciplinary action."

Some programs have special permission to keep filming, including the Rick Mercer Report and Royal Canadian Air Farce.

According to the CBC, ACTRA may get into hot water over this "wild cat" strike. This strike is grounds to take the union to court, sources say.

Now, you might be wondering what this is all about, eh?

ACTRA is striking over 2 issues.

First, they want a pay increase. Currently, ACTRA is 32% behind their American counterpart, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). ACTRA aims to get a wage increase between 10% - 15%.

Secondly, there's something about new media that needs to be taken care of. ACTRA is very concerned with how talent are to be compensated for the use of their work on the Internet which includes coverage on websites, podcasts and the like.

Talks actually broke while discussing this sensitive issue at 6:20 a.m. this morning.

Remember when DVDs came on the market? ACTRA does, and the organization is not prepared to see what happened to them back then repeat itself in 2007.

When DVDs first came out, there was significant doubt about the staying power and influence of the product with consumers. ACTRA was lead to believe that the reach of the DVD would not be great, so they agreed upon lower rates than would be expected if negotiated today.

Retrospective vision is 20/20 after all and history does repeat itself, hence the concern from ACTRA over the 'new media' phenomenon, a form of media consumption that is quickly becoming a standard means for PC users and owners of portable media players to enjoy their content.

Provinces that are affected by the ACTRA strike include Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. ACTRA will be on strike in Quebec on Wednesday, January 10, 2007. Other provinces will follow shortly after.

For more information, check the ACTRA website.

Best,

Stephanie

Sources: CBC News, ACTRA

P.S. Click to read a personal message from ACTRA's National President Richard Hardacre.

Read about Bob Souer's favorite jobs from 2006 and share yours with Voices.com.

With last year now in the recent past, Bob Souer took time to reflect upon some of his voiceover highlights of 2006 with VOX Daily.

Among Bob's favorite jobs of this past year were recording voiceovers for two PBS specials which were both edited and produced by Northern Light Productions. One is called "Making Sense of Place", and is part 2 of a series. Bob narrated this hour long documentary.

The second is a collaboration between Northern Light Productions and Sam Tyler. It's a special called "Good to Great" and is based on the business book of the same name by Jim Collins. Bob was also the narrator of this hour long television documentary.

Bob also worked on several audiobooks, including a project for Argosy Publishing, an interactive dictionary of 67,000 words all of which had to be pronounced correctly! Currently he is working on an interactive medical training project for them involving 30,000 medical terms.

Critiques on Darwinian Evolution, the Da Vinci Code, a movie trailer, a host of regional/national radio and television commercials for Sky Bank, regional commercials for the Lancers minor league hockey team, a series of commercials for regional radio and television airplay for Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, WV, dozens of PSAs, and voiceovers for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association also kept him busy in 2006.

As you know, a voice talent wears many hats.

One of the churches Bob works with is South Hills Bible Chapel. Their daily radio program is called The Journey. Bob is responsible for editing, writing, voicing, producing and delivering this program for the church each day.

That's a short list of what kept Bob humming last year.

What were your favorite voiceover projects that you worked on in the year 2006?

Share your fave jobs of 2006 by leaving a comment.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Stephanie

What's older than your Granny and more important than a Birch Bark Canoe? Click here to find out.

Once upon a time, someone had a brilliant idea.

The date was Christmas Eve, 1906, the man was Reginald Fessenden, and his idea included transmitting his voice and the singing of a Christmas carol to ships in the Atlantic and as far as the Caribbean.

By doing so, he gave what is considered to be the first radio broadcast.

Although the glory often goes to the Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi, history tells us that it was Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian citizen who happened to be in the United States at the time of producing the first radio broadcast.

Truth be known, Reginald Fessenden transmitted history's first wireless voice transmission in 1900 while Reginald was under contract to the Weather Bureau. Later that year, he would go on his own, proving his theory on December 23rd from an island in the Potomac River.

Speaking to an associate who was a mile away with a receiving unit, Fessenden said:

"One - two - three - four, is it snowing where you are Mr. Thiessen? If it is, would you telegraph back to me?"

As was documented, Mr. Thiessen's reply was "yes".

On January 3rd, the CBC aired a program called The Greatest Canadian Invention, showcasing a top 20 list ranking Radio as #19, just in front of #20, a Birch Bark Canoe used by our native peoples, voyageurs and fur traders as far back as and even before the 1600s.

To quote Bob McDonald of the CBC, "While Marconi was merely sending beeps, Fessenden was sending words."

At the time of his death, Reginald Fessenden had over 500 patents to his credit.

Among the Top 10 (50 are listed at the CBC website) were the following Canadian inventions:

Insulin
Telephone
Light bulb
Five Pin Bowling
Wonderbra
Pacemaker
Robertson Screw
Zipper
Electric Wheelchair
Poutine

If you missed the show, are in Canada and would like to catch it again, an encore presentation will air on January 7th, 2007 on CBC Newsworld at 10:00pm PT/Monday Jan. 8 at 1:00am ET.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Photo of Reginald Fessenden courtesy of MentalFloss.com

VOX Talk, the official podcast of Voices.com, is now up and running! Get voice industry news and career development ideas via podcast.

We are very excited about this!

I'd like to share a bit with you about VOX Talk, our new podcast.

VOX Talk is your connection to the voice industry covering news about voice-overs and voice actors, hot tips on how to grow your voice-over business, technology, and Q&A with the experts at Voices.com.

Episode 1, which was published on January 2nd, 2007, already has over 54 subscribers tuning in and we'd love to have you as a member of our audience.

VOX Talk is about you. It's about people, companies, events, technology, and success stories... all key ingredients that contribute to a vibrant and progressive voice industry.

Segments include:

The Loop

The Loop is a voice-over newscast. If something noteworthy is going on in the industry, you'll hear about it in this segment.

The Biz

The Biz focuses on tips for growing your business through marketing, customer relations, management and more.

Tech Talk

Tech Talk is exactly what it looks like! Reviews of recording studio equipment, tutorials, and production ideas will be discussed in this segment.

VOX Box

This is where you get your say! Send in your MP3 feedback and have your questions answered on the show. Commentary on past shows or blog posts are also welcome.

To learn more about the podcast, you can visit the VOX Talk blog. At the VOX Talk blog, you'll be able to listen to the podcast and visit helpful links that are mentioned in the podcast recording.

If you'd like to subscribe directly, visit iTunes to subscribe to VOX Talk right away.

We're accepting voice feedback too in our VOX Box segment, so if you have a question or insight you'd like to share with your community, email an MP3 recording of your commentary to media@voices.com.

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment or sending in some audio feedback :)

Have a great day,

Stephanie

Pat Fraley says that it can be done! To find out how you can turn a non-union job into a union job, read this post.

Avi Melman's holiday podcast featured the illustrious Pat Fraley, voice actor, author, guru and all-around great guy.

While I was listening, something struck me. I'd never heard of this before, but upon closer examination, it makes perfect sense.

If someone offers you a job and states that it is 'non-union', you as a union talent can still take that job on by following a new formula, deemed kosher by the union.

For instance, Pat is a union player. A client offered him a job to voice a talking parrot. The job itself looked like it could cost about $500 to do, perhaps less.

Pat quoted $1000 and the client was fine with that, but insisted that the job he was offering to Pat was still non-union. No problem, says Mr. Fraley.

And why was it not a problem for Pat?

Although the job in the clients mind was still non-union, he was compliant regarding the higher fee and Pat was able to turn that job into a union job.

Here's how you can do it too:

By union ruling, you can turn a non-union job into a union job by taking the fee appropriate to a payroll company who tells you how much it's going to be and they act as a union signator. The job is thus unionized. The union gets paid, the agent gets paid, medicare gets paid, etc.

Rule of thumb: The fee needs to be 40% more than the AFTRA or SAG minimum for this formula to work. In other words, non-union jobs that pay lower may not qualify to be 'turned' into union jobs.

Thank you to Avi and Pat for entertaining us and for your insight :)

Cheers,

Stephanie

Think you have the voice for promos and movie trailers? Check out Rodney Saulsberry's teleclass.

This week, I had a chance to chat with Rodney Saulsberry, author of "You can bank on your voice" and the voice of television promos and numerous movie trailers such as, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Finding Forrester, Tupac Resurrection, Friday and Dumb & Dumberer.

Rodney is teaching a 6-week teleclass on Thursday evenings starting on January 11th through February 15th 2007.

Seating for this teleclass is limited to 12 participants on a first come basis (3 spots are remaining as of January 2nd). Participants can dial in from the comfort of their home or office. Call-in information and class workbook will be sent when your registration is confirmed.

Rodney's curriculum is as follows:

Week 1: The Hard Sell Promo Read

Week 2: The Soft Sell Promo Read

Week 3: The Dramatic Promo Read

Week 4: The Dramatic Trailer Read

Week 5: The Comedy Trailer Read

Week 6: Movie Reviews Trailer Read, Interstitials, EPK's and other exciting aspects of the Trailer world.

Each week you will receive six scripts and be instructed to pick one of them to read aloud twice during our session.

Rodney will direct you for your first read and critique your next read. Your second read should reflect your ability to take direction and give you an idea of what you need to work on to be better at the next session.

Extra perks include:

Home studio discussions
Voice-over marketing techniques
New cable stations and networks
Finding your signature voice

Recap

Class: Rodney Saulsberry's Promo and Trailer Teleclass
Dates: Thursdays, January 11, 2007 to February 15, 2007
Time: 8-9 p.m. Eastern Time / 5-6 p.m. Pacific Time
Where: From the comfort of your home or office
Tuition: $695 paid in advance at time of registration
Click here for more information and to register

Hungry for radio drama? Read an interview conducted by William Spear of Lit Between the Ears with Stephanie Ciccarelli of Voices.com.

LIT: How is radio drama similar to, and different from, stage, film or television?

STEPHANIE: Radio drama is truly theatre of the mind.

Similarities do abound of course between radio drama and pieces performed on the stage, film and television, however, the ability to move, inspire, and create solely through the collaboration of the human voice and the mind is a magnificent feat that requires the utmost discipline, insight and flawless interpretation of a voice actor.

To recognize the obvious, radio drama lacks a visual component and therefore is subject to the interpretation of the listener through sound and speech.

Theatre, film, and particularly, live performances, are all visual experiences that generously communicate to their audiences through additional senses such as sight, smell, and touch while incorporating sound and speech.

As radio drama caters specifically to sound and speech, the most universally heightened of the senses, opportunities arise for a richer listening experience free from external distraction while enabling an audience member to conjure up their own visual version of the radio drama.

In radio drama, the script needs to be expertly written, accommodating the intellectual needs a listener.

The voice actors role is to breathe life into the script and the producers role is to observe all Foley elements as are required to enhance the performance while providing additional mental stimulation for the audience.

I liken this parallel to the intellectual experience and satisfaction that reading quality literature brings.

Performers of radio dramas are actors, there is no question about it. It is simply a different application that provides its own unique set of challenges and adventures. In order to perform a voice acting role, a person needs to be first and foremost an actor at heart.

In fact, many people use physical gestures and dialog with each other in sessions similarly to how actors feed off of each others energy on stage, film or television.

There is a real chemistry that comes across when voice actors have synergy with their cast mates, quite comparable to the same electricity that face-to-face acting brings.

LIT: What should radio dramatists and production companies do to reach new listeners?

STEPHANIE: Radio dramatists and production companies have an enormous opportunity to reach new listeners on a global scale.

Using podcasting as a means to attract new listeners is fundamental to the success and continued discovery of this art form through popular and new media.

There are several independent radio theatre troupes around the globe that have sought to expand their audience through podcasting and have affiliated themselves with websites that facilitate the spreading of their message, including organizations such as LibriVox.org, a group of people dedicated to recording audiobooks and making audio dramas more accessible to the public.

Submitting an established radio drama to podcast directories is also a brilliant way to increase the circulation, mind-share (and ear-share) as well as awareness for the craft.

One popular radio drama I discovered this year, The Radio Adventures of Doctor Floyd, leveraged the celebrity status of one of their cast members, June Foray, to boost its appeal and gain a larger listenership.

Voice actors who perform audio dramas ally themselves with Voices.com to help promote their work and gain a wider reach concerning new listeners and even new members of their radio drama clubs. For instance, there is the Amateur Voice Acting Group (AVAG) in San Diego, California established by David Johnson, a member of Voices.com.

We helped to promote his voice acting group and have covered several podcast and audio drama releases that their club has produced.

A membership at Voices.com is without question one of the best investments and outlets for voice professionals in the radio drama field. Voices.com is home to over 8,000 voice actors who are representative of over 100 languages.

Each voice actor is encouraged to upload a sample of their voice and list their work or voluntary experience. Many of our talent have started out as narrators for audiobooks produced for the blind as a stepping stone in their careers.

LIT: What is your favorite piece of radio drama and why?

STEPHANIE: I’d have to say, anything narrated by Canadian actress Mary Walsh has my vote. Although I don’t have a particular favorite, the CBC (similar in format to the American NPR) has a wonderful selection of audio dramas and audiobooks (Between the Covers) to choose from that are aired weekly via radio and podcast.

One of the more cutting-edge audio dramas that I have heard recently is Afghanada, an audio drama that chronicles the experiences of a fictitious group of Canadian soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. The wit, humor, and sound effects as well as fantastic voice casting make this radio drama something to aspire towards for new producers of radio dramas.

LIT: Thanks for stopping by, Stephanie, and Happy New Year.

STEPHANIE: Best wishes for a Happy and Healthy 2007 to you and yours.

To read the interview at Lit Between the Ears, click here.