To wrap up our week on education, today you'll get a comprehensive list of everything on the website that can help you succeed in voice overs!

From blogs, podcasts, videos, free downloads, and educational packages, whatever you're looking for is right here in this article with handy links to get right to the source.

BLOGS

VOX Daily
Author: Stephanie Ciccarelli
A daily dose of voice acting news, articles, tutorials, interviews, intelligent conversation and business ideas.
Read this blog if you are: A voice actor, talent agent, voice over coach, casting director, journalist, audio producer, musician, public speaker, student, or member of the entertainment industry.
Subscribe >>

Casting Voices
Author: Erica Bontje / Stephanie Ciccarelli
Pick up tips on how to pick the perfect voice for your project and read about the latest in voice casting news from Hollywood and around the world.
Read this blog if you are: A talent agent, casting director, advertising agency, small business, manager, voice actor, student, or journalist.
Subscribe >>

Ask the Voice Cat
Author: Marc Cashman
Q&A with a professional voice over coach and commercial voice over talent.
Read this blog if you are: A voice actor, singer, student, teacher, voice over coach, actor, musician, or a talent agent.
Subscribe >>

Master VO
Author: Dan Lenard
Demystifying the home recording studio, one question at a time. Q&A with a professional voice talent and audio production coach.
Read this blog if you are: A voice actor, an audio engineer, student, radio personality, setting up a home recording studio, podcaster, or hobby engineer.
Subscribe >>

The Biz
Author: David Ciccarelli
Get the inside scoop from the CEO of Voices.com and learn more about the business of the business, including marketing strategies, how you can use technology, and more.
Read this blog if you are: An entrepreneur, small business owner, web designer, tech enthusiast, CEO, audio engineer, or a decision maker in the advertising or entertainment industry.
Subscribe >>

PODCASTS

VOX Talk
Host: Stephanie Ciccarelli
The #1 voice acting entertainment podcast covering voice acting news, business tips, technology, and an assortment of voice actor contributions. This show is produced weekly.
Listen to this podcast if you are: A voice actor, talent agent, voice over coach, student, audio producer, actor, theatre major, musician, podcaster.
Subscribe: Free in iTunes >>

Voice Over Experts
Host: Julie-Ann Dean
The #1 educational podcast featuring renowned voice over coaches from US, Canada and abroad. Join us each week for pearls of wisdom and tricks of the trade to improve your voice over career. This show is produced weekly.
Listen to this podcast if you are: A voice actor, actor, public speaker, voice over coach, student, producer, instructor, voice talent agent, or a casting director.
Subscribe: Free in iTunes >>

VIDEOS

Tutorials
Learn how to use the Voices.com website to your advantage with interactive videos that entertain as well as educate.
Watch these videos if you are: Voice actor, person hiring voice actors, or a customer of Voices.com.
Subscribe: Free in iTunes >>

Commercials
What if Life Had a Soundtrack? Find out in our series of commercials for the web featuring two great actors and hear a variety of narration styles as they hear a soundtrack narrate their lives, turning the mundane into the interesting.
Watch these videos if you are: A voice actor, casting director, agent, someone hiring voice actors, or a fan of videos.
Subscribe: Free in iTunes >>

DOCUMENTS

Official Voices.com User Guide
Find out everything you've ever wanted to know about how to use the Voices.com web service from both the perspective of a person hiring voice actors (client) and that of a voice actor.
Read this document if you are: A customer of Voices.com, whether a client or voice actor member.
Download the PDF now! >>

Getting Started in Voice Overs
Quickly learn the basics of what it takes to make it in the voice over industry with this attractive and useful guide.
Read this document if you are: A voice actor, actor, musician, changing careers, student or voice professional.
Download the PDF now! >>

Blueprint for Voice Acting Success
Discover how easy it is to succeed as a career voice actor. Learn more about managing and promoting your business online using the Voices.com website.
Read this document if you are: A voice actor, voice talent, public speaker, voice talent agent, or student.
Download the PDF now! >>

Voice Over in the Google Era
Google can help you in some major ways when it comes to running your business and being found online. This document will teach you the basics of Google, list Google properties that you can use, and demonstrate how you can make waves with search engine optimization.
Read this document if you:
Download the PDF now! >>

Small Business Podcasting Kit
Want to learn how to podcast? Download this free kit on how to bring your podcast from concept to completion.
Read this document if you are: Starting a podcast, are interested in podcasting, are a podcaster, voice actor, student, or an advertising agency.
Download the PDF now! >>

Voice Over Rate Sheet
Wonder how much a non-union voice over goes for? Download this sheet to find out the general cost of commercials, narration, telephone voice overs, and more.
Read this document if you: Hiring voice actors or are in need of a reference sheet for quoting clients.
Download the PDF now! >>

The Definitive Guide to Voice Over Success
Getting started in voice overs has never been easier with Voices.com's best selling eBook, The Definitive Guide to Voice Over Success. Learn how to build your brand, web presence, and record professionally from home.
Read this document if you are: Getting started in voice overs, are a voice actor, student, professional voice actor, or audio producer.
Buy the eBook for $29.95 now! >>

The Voice Over Script Collection
50 original scripts including telephone, commercials, promos, station IDs, narration and more. Use these scripts to practice from and change the fictitious names of products or companies to suit your needs. Perfect for rehearsal and material to record a voice over demo.
Read this document if you are: A voice actor, voice over talent, public speaker, teacher, voice over instructor, advertising agency or student.
Buy the eBook for $29.95 now! >>

Commercial Scripts for Radio and Television Ads
50 original royalty-free scripts to be used for television and radio advertisements covering a variety of industries. Comes with artistic direction as well as voice casting suggestions.
Read this document if you are: Producing a commercial for radio, television, podcast, or web broadcast.
Buy the eBook for $29.95 now! >>

Frequently Asked Questions
Search the Solutions Database that holds over 500 answers to common questions about the industry and how Voices.com works.
Visit the FAQs:
Visit the FAQs now >>

If you found this list useful, please leave a comment!

Thanks,

Stephanie

P.S. Happy Canada Day (July 1st!)

Do you want to learn the basics of recording from home quickly with the minimum amount of time and expense?

Check out this review on Pat Fraley's book / CD combo, "The Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording" to learn the rudiments of producing professional audio at home on your PC or Mac.

A little while ago, I received a very generous gift package from Pat Fraley with all of his published learning materials for review here on VOX Daily.

I thought it would be excellent timing to start our reviews off with one of Pat's Gypsy Guides, specifically the Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording, very apropos for what we've been talking about of late regarding audio production and professional home recording.

First, let me tell you a bit about Pat Fraley.

Pat is an extraordinary teacher based in Los Angeles, CA who is a sought after teacher of character, dialects, and audiobook voice over, and a performer who works in Hollywood providing his voice for animation and ADR (automatic dialog replacement).

Over his illustrious career, Pat Fraley has created over 4,000 character voices, placing him among the top ten performers of all time to be cast in animation. Pat also provides voice matching services for actor Tim Allen on movies such as Toy Story II and Wild Hogs to mention just a couple.

Teaching at events, workshops, conferences and seminars across the US, Pat's unique character voice curriculum is the only one accredited at the university level. He has taught voice over for 34 years, is a member of The Voice and Speech Trainers of America, and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Professional Acting from Cornell University.

What's more is that Pat also creates wonderful developmental products for purchase that get you going at prices you can afford.

One of Pat's sayings is that "Experience is not the best teacher, it's the slowest".

Having met Pat personally in Las Vegas at VOICE 2007, my first impression of him live correlated with how he presents himself online; a master voice actor and educator whose passion is to help people reach their full potential both in the training studio and in the real world of voice over work.

He is a professional that fully believes that as a teacher, one of his chief responsibilities is to expedite the learning process by sharing his experiences and he also plays an active role in getting work and setting up opportunities for his students, taking the classroom into the marketplace.

Now that you have a picture of who Pat is and his philosophies on education, let's get into the review.

Review of The Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording

In The Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording, Pat addresses:

• How to buy the least expensive professional-quality recording equipment
• How to set up the equipment
• Tips on recording and editing your own audio tracks
• How to convert your audition tracks to MP3 files
• How to upload and email MP3 files to agents, casting houses and producers
• How to direct yourself in the privacy of your own home
• How and where to set up a recording space in your home or garage
• Tips on how to record audiobooks

As I said before, Pat is a fan of brevity and likes to make your experiences learning this vital information as quick and humorous as possible.

The Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording comes with a workbook (37 pages of text with a number of pictures) and a companion CD which Pat co-hosts with his partner and recent Audie Award nominee, Hillary Huber.

You'll be delighted to hear that the CD is very entertaining, has great chemistry between the hosts, and is very insightful. The CD runs for about 57 minutes.

The Guide is made with voice actors in mind who haven't yet tackled setting up their own home recording studio.

At the onset, Pat revealed the immediate benefits of Home Recording which I will detail below:

1. Facility of recording auditions at home
2. Convenience
3. Inexpensive compared to former days
4. You can get yourself work without leaving home or paying for studio time elsewhere

One of the most impressive aspects of the CD was how interactive it was. Since Pat and Hillary were communicating directly with each other and their listener, all of the recording jargon / terminology was demonstrated on the recording so that you could hear the difference between say a condenser microphone and a dynamic microphone.

Another goal of this book was to help you find the best possible recording equipment for the least amount of cost. As Pat says, "Sound is about sound, not looks".

Pat dispels the myth that more expensive or elaborate is better and personally guides you through a tour of several different microphones, clearly showing that the most expensive doesn't necessarily sound best when compared to similar microphones that run at cheaper prices on the market.

At the back of the book, Pat includes links to websites where you can locate the items mentioned in the book and on the CD.

If you purchase the products that are listed in Pat and Hillary's grocery list of items, the tally comes in under US$350 to setup your entire home recording studio as a beginner starting out.

In summary, Pat's The Gypsy's Guide to Home Recording teaches more than just the how-tos of setting up and using a home studio. He also prepares you to direct yourself with several tools including text analysis (helps you to deliver lines and grasp the concept or purpose of the copy), an interesting interview with a prominent sound booth director on what makes the difference between an audition that gets work and one that hinders it, where to find free sound effects and how to interpret copy.

If you'd like to buy a copy of "The Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording", you can visit Pat's VO Store here:

Pat Fraley VO Store

Have any of you already listened to the CD and read this book?

If so, please leave a comment with your remarks.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Ever wondered about the technical side of voice over recording?

Discover answers to questions you may have never thought of here in this interview with Robert (Bob) Breen from the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology, Inc.

Earlier this month, David Ciccarelli, CEO of Voices.com, returned to his alma mater OIART as a guest lecturer to the graduating class of 2006-2007.

Upon his return, he was excited to share a new trend with me concerning new audio engineering grads purposefully starting up their own businesses out of their homes instead of pursuing work at larger, more established recording facilities.

In order to find out more information, I went straight to Bob Breen, Career Development and Industry Relations Chair at OIART and member of the Audio Engineering Society, Toronto Chapter, and asked him some follow up questions to learn of his perspective regarding this new trend.

Stephanie: How many graduates in North America (if you have the stats) and or at OIART specifically have aspirations to start their own recording studios?

Bob: Well, I don't have specific stats, but anecdotally I would say 40-50% of our graduates. I've likely guessed on the low side.

Stephanie: What is at the root of this trend? For instance, is it a lifestyle decision, business decision, etc.?

Bob: I'm not sure that it's lifestyle necessarily for my students... I think lifestyle is a consideration that becomes more important later in life. I'm not sure it's a business decision either! I remember being 15 years old - in the 1980's (gasp!) - and reading that Paul McCartney of the Beatles recorded his first solo album at home in 1970, and Pete Townshend of the Who had a home studio from the mid sixties onwards, where he recorded demos of all the Who hits playing all the instruments himself! From that moment forward it was a purely romantic notion for me.

The difference between now and then is, the technology to outfit even a B-Range professional studio in the 80's would cost a few hundred thousand dollars. A top notch studio would cost a couple million! Not out of range for a Beatle or a member of the Who, but the rest of us could forget about it. Nowadays, if my teenaged second cousin got the urge, they could buy a decent semi-pro recording package for a minimum of $300 that could run on the family computer. Everyone knows this, but it's still remarkable.

Statistically, 50% of all homes have at least one amateur musician... so you can see how it would be profitable for any gear company to cater specifically to this market. Much of the gear is pro quality, and even some of the classic high end equipment of yesteryear is available - for the first time ever - from local music stores. You know they're responding to demand.

So to answer your question, I think the root of the trend in aspiring students is mostly that they can.

For working professionals, who perhaps used to hire big studios, the reasons are indeed lifestyle and business. I've seen lots of both. Some people prefer to work at home, but I know plenty of composers and musicians who have simply figured out, "wait a minute, I can save money on my studio budget working at home - there's no time pressure, and I can actually bill the company for studio time and the gear will pay for itself. I'll save the company money and I'll make a few extra bucks myself. Wow!"

This financial model has become so prevalent that I've even seen people who don't want to work at home, or record themselves, having to do it to compete. Maybe they just want to play acoustic guitar without knowing how to get a great sound - but they have to learn how to do it anyway. The downside of any home business is you never leave work. The upside is you get to see your kids grow up and hopefully create your ideal environment. For most it's a dream come true.

Stephanie: How much does an engineer invest financially on average when outfitting their professional recording studio?

Bob: Depends on what you want to do.

A typical "voices.com" client probably has a good computer, one good mic, one good preamp, a set of converters, headphones, speakers, high speed Internet, and hopefully a quiet room! You could go top drawer on all those items for about $15,000. You could allocate the same money differently and record bands decently. If you have a less than ideal recording space, that's a whole other issue. A couple thousand dollars and a few hours on eBay can get anyone going nowadays.

What frequently develops, however, is "gear lust". There's always another piece of equipment that will improve your setup. Your computer is now out of date, time to upgrade.... etc etc... At that point it's a bottomless pit - albeit an incredibly enjoyable one that likely slows down the aging process and keeps you a teenager at heart!

Stephanie: What are the "must have" pieces of equipment / software? Do engineers usually purchase a variety of microphones to accommodate all instruments and voice types?

Bob: Well, the industry standard audio software is Digidesign Pro Tools. There are other programs like Nuendo, Logic, Performer, Samplitude, etc. but you can get in to Pro Tools on some level for a few hundred dollars. It's arguably the easiest and friendliest software to operate. The "bang for the buck" in quality is actually far better if you choose your components carefully and use something other than Pro Tools, but nonetheless it's the industry standard. They're the Microsoft of audio.

Preamps, specifically microphone amplifiers which bring the tiny signal from a microphone up to a level that is recordable, have a huge effect on the sound quality and you can't get by without them. Favourites include Neve, API, Presonus, Focusrite, Mackie, Behringer... those are all over the quality range. Neves are my preference on that list - but they're also outrageously expensive! Some computer interfaces, like the Digidesign M-Box, have preamps built right in and they're perfectly adequate.

Engineers do indeed select mics to complement instruments and voices. They usually like large "condenser" mics for low frequency instruments and voices, and small "condenser" mics for percussion and acoustic instruments. A condenser is a very detailed and sensitive powered microphone. They will use "dynamic" mics for loud instruments in particular, like electric guitars, tom toms and snare drums. "Ribbon" microphones, which are a very old design, are nice for brassy instruments. They're very smooth sounding.

Most "voices.com" clients probably already own a large condenser. Quality, tone and price vary of course. The subtleties are numerous - some mics work better on women than men and vice versa - but I never met a mic I didn't like.

I suppose I'd be remiss if I didn't mention here I have a nice little home business selling and servicing studio condenser and ribbon mics; " www.canadianaudiodistributors.com". Indeed, much of my current knowledge of home studios and the people who work in them comes from talking to my customers!

Stephanie: Are recording engineers who decide to strike out on their own aware of the opportunity to record voice over talent specifically? Is this an appealing area of audio production for them?

Bob: They are. I find, as our students progress, they discover a lot of audio jobs they hadn't imagined when they walked in the door. They think about the gear and technicalities at first, but not the people so much - and voice over people can be some amazing and memorable personalities! They discover that a quality voice recording isn't as simple as throwing up a mic in front of someone's face. How do you deal with sibilance? Low end pops and thumps? Dynamic consistency? Acoustic issues? The appeal grows as a full picture develops.

As a result, we have graduates recording voice overs for commercials, television shows, films, video games, and audio books - not to mention setting studios up for voice over talent to record themselves!

Stephanie: David mentioned that there were a number of engineers who were interested in exploring their own voice as voice talents in addition to pursuing careers as professional audio engineers. How many people would you say fall into this camp?

Bob: Probably a dozen or so... but we all know at least one person who would like to do it, for whom voices.com is a bit of a revelation. In my case, it's my wife! She's wanted to do voice overs since she was a little girl acting in TV commercials. Once I finish building my home studio, of course she'll have a voices.com account! You'll notice I used "my home studio", "building", and "voices.com" in the same sentence. One could take it as further evidence of the trends described earlier!!!

Stephanie: How much coverage or emphasis does the OIART curriculum place on voice over and spoken word recordings?

Bob: A considerable amount. There are several classes on the subject, and numerous assignments including a radio play and a 30 second commercial which is adjudicated by one of the advertising production staff at A-Channel.

Stephanie: Do you bring in professionals or aspiring talent to be recorded by your students?

Bob: We do, the students are also free to bring in their own in the last semester.

Stephanie: How do you differentiate singers from voice over talent? Do engineers treat them any differently?

Bob: They do. When you record a singer you are concerned with performance and dynamics as well as getting the vocal to blend in properly with a mix. In voice overs, intelligibility and a clean recording are absolutely key. As a secondary consideration, the engineer has tremendous flexibility to showcase the texture and tone of the voice.

Stephanie: What is the single most important thing you teach about a recording engineers relationship with voice over talent?

Bob: It's a customer service industry! All the gear in the world doesn't make you a great companion on a long session, or enhance your ability to get the very best out of your talent. This is an important skill to develop. Engineering chops are important, but they are a prerequisite. Interpersonal skills win and keep jobs, and ultimately ensure a long, successful career.

Stephanie: I'd also be curious to know what your thoughts are on file delivery methods such as ISDN in the wake of new products, particularly the software Source-Connect. Is ISDN going the way of the dinosaur and yielding to more cost-effective, environmentally friendly methods of file delivery?

Bob: Not my area of expertise - I don't know Source-Connect - but basically yep. ISDN isn't dead yet, but it's expensive and worked mostly because it was the only way to do an international session in real time. I know of a major Canadian TV network who has a satellite uplink with their flagship voice talent, who now has a little booth at home in cottage country. He simply logs in, and sessions run as if he was in the next room - not hundreds of miles away!

Thanks Stephanie!

If you would like to contact Bob Breen or OIART for more information about their program, you will find the complete OIART contact details below:

Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology Inc.
500 Newbold Street
London, Canada N6E 1K6
ph 519-686-5010 ext 21
fax 519-686-0162
www.oiart.org

Just learning the business of how to set up your home recording studio?

Do you need some assistance learning how to use the software or equipment?

Consider acquiring an education in audio production and audio engineering and find out where people with the proverbial "golden ears" go to school.

We've spent a lot of time on the artistic and promotional development of your business over the last while, so there's no better time to take a look at fine tuning the technical side of your voice over business.

What am I talking about?

Audio production, of course!

Just like how there are training sessions, classes and online courses for voice acting, there are formal schools to learn the art and science of audio production.

One such institution is OIART, the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology, located here in London, ON Canada.

OIART offers a one year intensive program that is renowned as the best in the country for producing professional audio engineering graduates.

At OIART, the staff immerses their students in the art and science of music production and sound recording technologies, nurturing their passion for audio while truly preparing them to meet the demands of the audio production industry. OIART helps students become recording engineers and their grads are among the most employable in this exciting industry.

Another school that you may have heard of is Full Sail's Recording Arts Associate Degree Program based in Orlando, FL.

Full Sail offers an intensive audio education that covers every facet of music and audio production – from tracking and overdubs to mixing and mastering – in a college environment unlike any other. Full Sail's professional recording studios allow you to record artists using the same microphones, mixing boards, and digital audio workstations used in studios all over the world.

Those are just two examples of educational institutes where you can become an audio engineer and gain a greater appreciation for audio production.

Another link I'd like to share with you is to the Audio Engineering Society (AES).

Are any of you graduates of these schools or similar audio education institutions?

Leave a comment!

Cheers,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/tyndyra

Remember when we talked about Podcasting last week?

There's a contest out now put on by the Create Business Growth gang where they are giving away $335 worth of podcasting gear and books.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

Want to learn more?

I received an invitation from Christine at Create Business Growth to spread the word about their contest to win some pretty snazzy getting started gear that would more than get a beginner podcaster or aspiring voice professional on their way to podcasting and audio production success.

Here's what you could win:

MXL 990 Condenser Microphone with Shockmount

Behringer Microphono PP400 Phono Preamp

Sony MDR-V150 Monitor Series Headphones with Reversible Earcups

CAD EPF-15A 6-Inch Flexible Pop Filter

Tricks of the Podcasting Masters

Podcasting: Do It Yourself Guide

To qualify, all you need to do is subscribe to the Create Business Growth RSS feed and email Christine to let her know you have done so. If you are really ambitious, you could choose to write about the contest on your blog and receive more chances to win.

I've already done this (as you can see) and if we win this prize package, we will give it to one of you at Voices.com to help you start podcasting and recording your voice.

Of course, you are more than welcome to enter the contest yourself and increase the likelihood that you will win the contest and the gear!

Learn more about the contest here:

http://createbusinessgrowth.com/what-is-rss/win-podcast-gear

Remember to subscribe to their feed by July 18, 2007 in order to qualify for the draw.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Alex Kalmbach

Would an aspiring singer perform in a recital before taking any lessons?

Would an entrepreneur go to a banker asking for money without a business plan?

Would an agent want to receive a demo CD from a voice actor who doesn't have any training?

Find out which baby steps will get you to where you want to go in the world of voice acting.

What is the likelihood that a parent would hand the keys to the car to their teenage child before instructing them on how to drive?

If you've ever been in a car with someone who doesn't know the first thing about gearshifts, how to steer, indicate, or parallel park, you know just how difficult it is to achieve the desired objective when the person at the wheel has little to no experience driving a car.

The same could be said for cutting an audition or voice over demo without any training or direction.

In Bob Bergen's lecture this week on Voice Over Experts, Bob made it clear right off the bat that he doesn't produce voice over demos for students until they have studied and are ready to do so.

Acquiring knowledge and skill is a primary goal. Application of those skills is the next step and shouldn't be rushed.

In essence, investing resources into making a demo prematurely would be a waste of time, money and also it is important to note that the performance would be shy of where it could be without the application of specific techniques and a polished performance.

Also, I'd add that the initial results may be somewhat disappointing, so it would be best to hold off on making a demo that you promote to agents until you are ready to make that next step.

To reiterate another tip Bob gave, it is hard for agents or producers to go beyond that first impression, so you'd better make it good.

Some sound advice, wouldn't you agree?

7 Steps to Take Before Making a Voice Over Demo

So, baby steps you can take to make sure that you are ready are:

• Invest in regular vocal training with a professional voice over coach
• Practice
• Have confidence
• Set achievable goals
• Have realistic expectations of yourself
• Listen to demos of established voice actors on Voices.com
• Take advantage of every free resource you can

There are many elements of interpretation and performance that when combined create the presence you are aiming to achieve in order to make a killer demo.

For starters, you can go back and listen to other episodes of Voice Over Experts to pick up some quick tips and techniques including how to color your words and find the music in copy.

On Friday, I'll be releasing a review that I wrote on Pat Fraley's "The Gypsy's Guide to Professional Home Recording" that will hit on a very important aspect of production and performance where auditions are concerned.

Be sure to read that one :)

See you on Thursday with some Tech Talk,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/bulent ince

Need help finding a coach to study with?

Perhaps the question really is who should YOU study with...

Pick up some tips on how to find the best voice over coach for you at VOX Daily.

Your voice is your instrument and is also the main component of your business.

That being said, it is crucial that you find the right teacher for you to study with as the decision made will directly impact the outcome of your goals.

For the purposes of this article, I am going to assume that you are a working professional or are on the brink of starting out as a novice voice actor who wants to study with a teacher to aid in the preparation of recording a voice over demo.

While a great deal of your success is reliant upon your actions and level of dedication a significant amount of weight is held where private study with a teacher of voice over is concerned.

We've all had teachers along the way, whether in public school or through private lessons, who have had left an imprint on our perspectives, goals, and potentially the directions taken in our lives.

Teachers have the ability to inspire or to deter depending on how you interpret their methodology, or bedside manner if you will.

This is why you need to select the best fit for you as a student of voice over to succeed.

For every person, there is most definitely an instructor who can open you up, develop, and refine your skills - the challenge is finding these individuals and having the ambition and humility to become a student of voice over.

Depending on your needs and aspirations, you will discover that certain coaches will make a better fit for you than others, particularly if you are working within a niche of voice over. The narrower your niche, the fewer qualified coaches there will be that meet your needs.

What do I mean by that?

Let's say you are specifically interested in studying with a teacher of audiobook narration.

Now let's add a few variables:

This teacher also needs to have at least 20 years experience, lives within a two to three hour drive of your home, and is a voice acting specialist in the field of audiobooks.

That's not even hitting on personality, teaching style, or educational facility.

To be certain you will have your own set of criteria that will need to be met that may be completely different from the example I've used above.

More options are opened up to you if you are interested in studying over the phone, Internet, or through reading books, so keep those avenues in mind if you cannot locate someone within a 200 mile radius of your home.

After you've settled on what your criteria is for studying with someone, it's time to start doing some research.

My advice is to ask your colleagues about their experiences with a particular coach (one with whom they study with on a regular basis) and get the inside scoop from them on why they love studying with the teacher they are with.

They'll have specific reasons why they chose and continue to work with the coach they are presently studying with.

Don't just ask one of their students - ask several.

Each person will have their own unique reasons for studying with that coach and you may also find that students in a given studio share similar thoughts on why studying with them has improved their performance.

What to look for in a voice over coach?

• Honesty and Integrity
• A Genuine Interest in You
• Positive Referrals from Past and Current Students
• Recognized by their Peers
• Education and Degrees
• Practical Experience
• National or International Credits for Voice Work
• Awards Won
• Community Involvement
• Good Business Ethics

One of the ways that the team at Voices.com is assisting you to find voice over coaches is by offering the Voice Over Experts Podcast.

Each week, you'll have the opportunity to freely sample the teaching style and expertise of a different voice over expert, helping you to learn more about the instructor before making a commitment to study with them.

Every coach has provided a bio for you to review and we've linked to their websites directly from the Voice Over Experts website making it easy for you to peruse a variety of voice over experts and acquire more information.

Here's a link to check out the Voice Over Experts website and podcast:

Voice Over Experts Website

Do any of you have a coach that you'd like to refer?

If so, please leave a comment identifying which coach you are referring and also let us know why you study with them.

Cheers,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Lisa Thornberg

Voice Over Experts is the #1 Educational Voice Acting Podcast that features voice over coaches from the US, Canada and abroad.

Want to get on the roster at Voice Over Experts?

Here's how!

Do you teach people how to do voice overs or how to become voice actors?

If you are a voice over coach and haven't added your name to the list of Voice Over Experts at Voices.com as of yet, here's an invitation for you to do so!

Voice Over Experts is the #1 Educational Voice Over Podcast showcasing the best in the business.

Contributing to Voice Over Experts is easy and you can do it often.

Each episode that you'd contribute would be about 5 minutes long, giving you enough time to cover a technique or concept and advertise your website and contact details at the end providing a way for interested people to contact you.

We'll also promote your episode(s) in many ways, one of which being a press release announcing your participation and lecture distributed through our online media channels and to freelance journalists.

How do you get started?

Please email me a brief bio that we can use for your press release. We will be using that bio and photo too (or image) on the Voice Over Experts website to provide listeners with biographical information and links to your website.

With regard to the lectures:

Each lecture (episode) you contribute should be 5 minutes in length, give or take, and be emailed to me as an MP3 file at 192kbps.

I'm happy to share that we've just released our third episode today. So far, students around the globe have had the privilege to study with Voice Over Experts Marc Cashman, Julie Williams, and most recently, Bob Bergen.

Over 20 voice over coaches are on board and we'd love to have you as a member on our expert panel.

If you haven't heard the podcast yet, click through the link below so that you can get a feel for the length and type of content:

Listen to Voice Over Experts

As Voice Over Experts is a weekly podcast, I am going to make sure that there is a good rotation of coaches and material to keep versatility and diversity flowing for the audience. This will also ensure that lectures that are similar in nature are not grouped too closely together, giving you the coverage you deserve and better feature your areas of expertise.

Sound good?

To sum up, here are the details:

1. Please send an updated bio and head shot or logo (.jpg or .gif is fine, I'll crop on this end) for press releases and articles promoting your lectures

2. Each lecture you present should be 5 minutes (or slightly longer), recorded as an MP3 at 192kbps and emailed to stephanie@voices.com

If you have additional questions that I can answer or suggestions, please let me know via reply email.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

While many kids and teenagers may be singing the refrain "School's Out For Summer", there are still workshops and classes going on in the world of voice acting for you to participate in.

If you are craving professional development, check out some of these courses being offered in the final days of June, and the months of July and August, 2007!

Just because your kids, nieces, nephews or grandchildren have ditched their books for the next couple of months doesn't mean that you have to do so too!

We've consolidated many of the learning opportunities going on in the next couple of months here on VOX Daily to give you an idea and preview of how you could be spending the Dog Days of Summer.

For simplicity's sake, here is your Summer 2007 Voice Acting Workshop Schedule in chronological order:

June 30, Fort Myers, FL - Welcome to the World of Voice Over - Randy Thomas

June 30, NYC, NY - Voice Over Immersion - Joan Baker

July 7 (4 classes starting on Saturday July 7), Boston, MA - Voice-over Toolbox - DB Cooper

July 7 (free seminar), Sherman Oaks, CA - All About Voice Over - Becky Bonar

July 9 (free seminar), Sherman Oaks, CA - All About Voice Over - Becky Bonar

July 14, Los Angeles, CA - Voice-over Workshop - Rodney Saulsberry

July 21-22, Los Angeles, CA – "Silly, Serious & Subtle" An Animation, Interactive & Audiobook Character Voice Event - Pat Fraley

July 21, NYC, NY - Voice Over Immersion - Joan Baker

July 21-22, Dallas, TX - The Business of Voiceovers & Voiceover Techniques for Today's Worldwide Marketplace - Bettye Zoller

July 23, Dallas, TX - Character and Cartoon Voice Techniques - Bettye Zoller

July 28, Dallas, TX - Singer's Workshop - Instructor: Bettye Zoller

August 4-5, Buffalo, NY – 56 Slick Tricks/9 Critical Skills Event - Pat Fraley

August 11, San Francisco - Voice Over for Teens - Elaine Clark (Voice One)

August 11, Los Angeles, CA - Voice-over Workshop - Rodney Saulsberry

August 17, Los Angeles, CA – Dan O'Day Radio Summit - Pat Fraley participating

August 18, NYC, NY - Voice Over Immersion - Joan Baker

August 26-27 Calgary, AB Canada - Creating Voices 1 (Private/demo sessions Aug 24 or 28 near sold out) - Deb Munro

~~

If you know of any other classes going on that are not mentioned here, send me an email at stephanie@voices.com and I'll gladly update this page :)

~~

About the Instructors

Joan Baker

Joan is the author of Secrets of Voice-Over Success: Top Voice-Over Actors Reveal How They Did It. She's been teaching and lecturing nationally for over 12 years and is one of New York's top coaches and voice-over professionals. Clients include HBO, Olay, NBC Sports, ABC News, Learning Annex, Nickelodeon, and American Express. Joan is also available for private coaching.

Becky Bonar

Becky Bonar has been an award-winning writer/producer/director for radio commercials and promos since 1984, both with Dick Orkin and The Radio Ranch, and as a freelance talent. Also, Becky is a voice over actress, currently with the William Morris Agency, where, prior to returning full-time to the Ranch, was a Booth Director for two years. Becky Bonar has taught in various workshops in the Los Angeles area, and is looking forward to developing an acting-based curriculum for the new school.

Elaine Clark

Elaine Clark is an award winning actor, director, producer, certified teacher, playwright and the author of the quintessential voice-over book, There's Money Where Your Mouth Is, in addition to being the owner/founder of Voice One. As an actor, she is a member of SAG and AFTRA, having performed in hundreds of voice-over and on-camera commercials, industrial narrations, video games, cartoons, film and made for television movies. She also serves as an audio engineer, casting director, and multimedia & anime director.

DB Cooper

DB Cooper is a voiceover artist as well as a film and stage actor, director, and radio personality. She’s a staff commercial announcer for WBZ Radio and traffic reporter for a number of Boston-area radio stations. DB does character voices and sound effects for web comics and interactive games, is the call center voice for Northeast Utilities, and has provided voice for corporate video, web presentations, and television commercials.

Pat Fraley

Patrick Fraley has created the voices for over 4,000 characters, placing him among the top ten performers of all time to be cast in animated programs. He has taught voice over for 30 years and holds his workshops in L.A., San Francisco, and New York. His is the only character voice curriculum ever to be accredited at the university level. He holds an MFA degree in Acting from Cornell University, and is a member of the Voice and Speech Trainers of America.

Deb Munro

With over a dozen years in broadcasting, 5 years in animation/freelance voicing and over 6 years training in acting both on and off camera, Debbie Munro is able to offer a unique perspective into the Voice-Over industry. Debbie is able to incorporate her incredible training, her broadcasting degree, years in theatre and on camera acting, experience as a Casting agent and more into doing what she loves best, spreading her passion for this incredible industry.

Rodney Saulsberry

Rodney Saulsberry is the author of the best sellers, You Can Bank on Your Voice and Step up to the Mic. The voice of Twix Candy Bars, Toyota Avalon and the Zatarain’s Jazzman, is also in demand worldwide for his voice-over coaching and commercial workshops. For more than two decades the Detroit native and University of Michigan graduate has given voice to many movie trailers such as, Finding Forrester, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Dumb and Dumberer, The Best Man, and Friday After Next. As an announcer, he has worked on the NAACP Image Awards and the Essence Awards television specials. Saulsberry, the voice of Joe Robbie Robertson on the cartoon series Spider-Man, resides in Agoura, California.

Randy Thomas

Randy Thomas is one of the most recognized female voices in America. Randy has the distinguished honor as the first and only woman to announce the biggest and most prestigious award show in the world not once but six times including her most recent return in 2005 for the 77th Annual Academy Awards. In 2006 Randy returned to the Tony Awards in NYC for her sixth consecutive appearance as announcer. The American Film Institute brought Randy back for her fifth time to announce their continuing series of “100 Years...100 Greatest Movies.” Randy can be heard daily on Entertainment Tonight and The Insider television shows from Paramount Television.

Bettye Zoller

Owner, voiceover professional and educator Bettye Zoller, with 35 years experience as a degreed educator (colleges and universities, workshops, private coaching and consultations) and 50 years as a professional performer. Bettye began at age five when she was signed as a contract player and went to school on the famous movie lot at MGM Studios in Hollywood. Bettye is the owner of Voicesvoices Educational Events and the Voicesvoices Recording Studio in Dallas. Bettye also is a professional audio engineer, producer and a Simon and Schuster audio author and narrator.

©iStockphoto.com/Dragasanu Mihai Octavian

If you ask Apple, iTunes is defined as the entertainment center of your world.

To bring Podcasting Week 2007 to a close, we'd like to ask one question of you...

What's in your iTunes?

Ah, the question of the day: What's in your iTunes?

iTunes is amazing, isn't it? You can search through literally thousands of different podcasts and find shows that are easily subscribed to and fun to consume.

Now that iTunes is both Apple and PC compatible, we can all enjoy access to the iTunes Podcast Directory, a virtual hub of podcasts from around the world that is compiled by category as well as popularity.

One of the beauties of the Apple iTunes Podcast Directory, as we learned earlier this week, is that iTunes is also an aggregator of content. It updates your favorite podcasts whenever the host of the program releases a new episode. iTunes is a one-stop-shop for browsing, listening, and subscribing to podcasts, many of which are absolutely free to subscribe to.

Check out this pic of the iTunes application below:

The iTunes software (regarding both the storage of your music collection and podcast episodes) is also free, so really, it's a win-win for everyone.

Now, to share a few podcasts that are in my iTunes:

1. Grammar Girl
2. TWiT (This Week in Tech)
3. Everything Acting Podcast

What's in your iTunes?

Leave a comment with the name of the show and host.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Ever heard of The Everything Acting Podcast?

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Darbi Worley, host of the Everything Acting Podcast as part of Podcasting Week 2007 at Voices.com.

Find out more about this awesome podcast and how you can listen in.

Stephanie: I'm pleased to bring you this special interview with Darbi Worley, host of the Everything Acting Podcast. Thanks for coming by! How are you doing today?

Darbi: Well, I am fabulous, thank you very much, and how are you?

Stephanie: I'm great thanks. I'd like to start off by asking you about how you came to co-host the Everything Acting Podcast with Roz. Could you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to start Everything Acting?

Darbi: We started the podcast for a number of reasons, of which was kind of altruistic and one of which is very selfish. The first reason was because it just seems like everyone is always asking the actor for money. Everyone is trying to sell us something and we wanted to bring something to the community that was free. The second reason was because there’s still casting directors here that I don’t know and there’s still people I want to meet and this gives me an excuse to call anybody I want in the industry and introduce myself. And to that end, it’s also great to be creating your own work. It’s great to have something going on all the time even if I don’t have auditions or a booking... I always have the podcast to work on. They say that work begets work and I would say that really has been the case with the podcast. I don’t know if it is because my attitude has changed in my auditions, or if it is helping me network, or how it’s working, but I am working more than I ever had since we started the podcast and so has Roz who is on Broadway right now understudying for Tanya Pinkins, so it has been great for us.

Stephanie: How would you describe the Everything Acting Podcast?

Darbi: Everything Acting is a weekly podcast and our mission statement is to inform, inspire and demystify the actors’ journey and we do that by interviewing working actors and various industry professionals.

Stephanie: How do you choose the people you interview on Everything Acting? Which guests have been your favorites so far?

Darbi: So far we’re barely new, not even a year old yet, so we’re still just kind of using out network. We really like to interview actors who are making their own work. We have a segment on the show called “Make Your Own Way” and we really like to get people who are writing their own material and producing their own stuff. And although we’ve interviewed a few quasi celebrities we feel like celebrities get interviewed all the time so we want to interview the rank in file working actor because that’s where most of us are going to end up. I really enjoyed interviewing Aaron Yoo ( Disturbia ) because he’s someone I’ve seen progress from being a downtown theater guy to starring in the #1 movie in America – that was a fun interview. I also enjoyed interviewing Danny Burstein who I met at The Flea, a little tiny theater in downtown Manhattan. I also enjoy interviewing voiceover people because that’s my career focus.

Stephanie: Do you interview guests in person or do you use tools like Skype or ISDN? I personally haven't tried either, but know that it is a definite plus to be able to connect that way with an interview subject or co-host. Have you had good experiences doing remote interviews?

Darbi: We kind of do both. We interview most of our guests in person and will either cart over a laptop and a microphone or there’s also this really cool thing, I think it’s called an H4. It’s a teeny little digital recorder that records WAV files so it records at the quality level of ProTools, and if you listen to the interview with Scott Wojcik, I used that device. It’s almost too good of a microphone because it really picks up a lot of background noise but it’s really tiny and handy and easy to carry around.

Now in terms of doing remote interviews, the best thing to do is to have each person recording into their own microphone and then have an ear piece in my ear under my headphones where I’m talking to them on a land line where I’m talking to them on the phone but we’re each recording our voices separately and one of us will send the MP3 to the other and then sync up the files. That’s the best recording quality that we’ve been able to accomplish on remote interview, but most of our guests don’t have that so I use a splitter in the phone line then goes in the preamp and records on the same track as my voice.

Stephanie: As podcaster and blogger, I know that receiving comments or encouragement from your audience means the world and also inspires you to keep up the good work. What kind of feedback do you get from your listeners? Is there anyone specific that you'd like to acknowledge?

Darbi: Oh we get great feedback from our listeners. It’s awesome to hear that we’re affecting peoples’ lives and hear things that the podcast has inspired them to do. We’ve heard from a couple of people I know are from Voices.com. Bob Elliott is a listener and Bob Souer has linked to us on his blog and Joe Rodriguez listens to the show. Those are some voiceover guys that I’ve heard from and I’d love to hear from more of the Voices.com community.

Stephanie: Is there anything exciting coming up that you would like to share with us?

Darbi: We do have some exciting things coming up on the show. We’re actually offering our first Everything Acting Podcast Award for the best newcomer and we’ve invited people to send in any kind of file timed at two minutes or less, whether a YouTube video, a video of you doing a monologue, it can be a voiceover reel, it can be a commercial demo and the only requirement is that you have been acting for two or less years and we’re going to evaluate that along with some agents and casting directors, vote and come up with the best female and best male newcomer.

Stephanie: So, how can people find your podcast?

Darbi: People can listen to the show on either on our website EverythingActingPodcast.com but the best thing to do is to go to iTunes and subscribe. There’s a link right on our website to do that at. If you do a search in the iTunes Music Store for acting, we come up as the #1 Featured podcast, so give us a click and subscribe.

Stephanie: Thanks for the tip. I hope you get some more listeners from this interview and wish you all the very best! Thanks for chatting with us today.

Darbi: Thanks so much for having me!

Stephanie: We were just speaking with Darbi Worley of the Everything Acting Podcast. You can learn more about the podcast by visiting EverythingActingPodcast.com.

Stay tuned for this interview in audio format on the VOX Talk Podcast next week (Episode 35).

About Darbi Worley

Darbi Worley is a working actress who disproves the myth that women can’t enter the business after thirty. She was a member of the The Bat Theater Company at The Flea where she appeared in the world premiere of Design Your Kitchen. While at The Flea, she also had the great honor of working alongside Sigourney Weaver and John Lithgow to develop A.R. Gurney’s, Mrs. Farnsworth. In three short years as a full-time actress, Darbi has taken the commercial world by a storm, appearing in on-camera and voice-over spots for McDonalds, Blistex, Lipitor, Cheese Nips, Dove Skincare, Papa Johns Pizza and many, many more. Film and TV credits include All My Children, Rescue Me, Breaking Vegas and a starring role in the feature film, The Krone Experiment. Prior to embarking upon her acting career, Darbi was a leading sales rep at CareerBuilder.com. That experience, combined with her experience as an assistant at one of the busiest commercial casting companies in the city, makes her uniquely qualified to provide business coaching to emerging artists as they enter the world of commercial acting. Darbi lives with her boyfriend in the West Village and spends a lot of time working out.

What percentage of the general public has even heard of "podcasting"? Out of those that have, do more men or women listen to podcasts? Find the answers and a whole lot more in this extensive post on podcast statistics.

THE HISTORY OF PODCASTING

Wikipedia's entry for Podcasting   History of Podcasting   CliqueComm's History of Podcasting

THE IPOD

4/7/2007 - Apple - 100 Million iPods Sold   10/26/2006 - The Evolution of the Apple iPod

PODCAST USAGE

1/2007 - Hitwise - Consumer Generated Media Report   12/07/2006 - Nielsen/NetRatings - 6.6 Percent of Adults Downloaded Audio Podcasts Within the Last 30 days 11/22/2006 - Pew Internet - Podcast Downloading 4/18/2006 - Podcasts Surpass Radio Stations Worldwide; Podcast Demand Growing Faster Than Supply

THE PODCASTING AUDIENCE

16/4/2007 - Arbitron/Edison - Media Research Internet and Multimedia 2007 Study .: 37% of the US popualtion have heard of podcasting (up from 22% in 2006) .: 13% of the US population have listened to a podcast (up from 11% in 2006) .: 11% of the US population have watched a video podcast (up from 10% in 2006) 7/2006 - Edison Media Research - The Podcast Consumer Revealed: An Exclusive Early Look at the Growing Podcast Audience 4/14/2006 - Arbitron - 27 Million American Podcast Listeners; Podcast Users Young and Rich

PODCAST DEMOGRAPHICS

16/5/2007 - comScore - Males Between the Ages of 18-24 More Likely to Download Podcasts via iTunes   16/4/2007 - Arbitron/Edison - Podcast listeners in the US are split across men and women with 51% being male and 49% female

PODCAST ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

2/23/2007 - eMarketer - Podvertising   7/12/2006 - Nielson - Podcasting Remains a Niche Activity

PODCASTING TRENDS

1/23/2007 - WebProNews - Podcasting Trends of 2006   9/6/2006 - Pew Internet - Latest American Life Trends

PODCASTING ANALYSIS AND FORECASTS

6/12/2007 - The Boston Globe - eMarketer, a trade publication, projects ad spending on podcasts will reach $300 million, while social network ad spending is expected to rise to $2.5 billion worldwide by 2010, from just $350 million in 2006   2/12/2007 - MediaWeek - Podcasting to Generate $400 Mil. in Ads by 2011   7/06/2005 - News.com - Forrester Research is projecting that some 12.3 million U.S. households will be listening to podcasts by the end of the decade

Did any of those numbers surprise you?

Add your comments below...

Stephanie

Want to make your own podcast?

Follow this recipe, being sure to account for all of the ingredients ahead of time.

If there is anything that most podcasters will tell you, it pays to be prepared!

Learn how to make your own podcast at VOX Daily with our Small Business Podcasting Kit.

We spent some time and methodically broke down the steps necessary to build a framework around your podcast production.

These tools below will help you to lay the foundation of your podcast.

1. PLAN YOUR PODCAST

With anything, including a podcast, it truly benefits you to be prepared. Whether you are in podcasting for leisure or business you will need a plan.

Planning topics to discuss, possible guest interviews, and the duration of your show in advance will go a long way when producing a professional sounding podcast. Since you'll be recording your podcast in an almost live fashion, you will have the flexibility of going back and re-editing sections before committing your show as "podcast-ready".

Before you started, you'll need:

* A web publishing tool ( Try Blogger, TypePad, WordPress or MoveableType )
* A file hosting service ( Try LibSyn for free, AudioBlogger is also a good choice )
* Recording software ( Try Audacity for Window-based PCs or Garageband on Mac - both are free )
* Microphone ( Try a good headset microphone or better yet the Marshall Electronics MXL 006 Condenser USB Microphone for only $129

Identifying The Theme of Your Podcast - The Nucleus of Your Podcast

Developing your podcast description is a necessary step in the branding process. When you are brainstorming your podcast description, make sure that it explains the purpose of your show and accentuates the theme of your podcast. This description should be no more than two to three sentences in length.

Selecting a Name - Personify Your Podcast

When selecting a name, be sure that the name of your podcast reflects the content that you are recording. For example, if your subject matter is about travel, your podcast name should be branded to complement your show. To illustrate, a podcast about travel might be called Globetrotter, Passport Podcast, The Travel Guide, and so on. Make sure that the name you choose is also available as a domain name online. Try to make your name unique but easily understood and recognizable.

Acquiring a Domain Name and Blog Name

Once you have picked a name for your podcast, purchase the domain name for your podcast. This is extremely important because interested listeners and inquisitive searchers will be able to find your podcast in Search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, MSN and others. As a reward for consistently branding your podcast, search results will display your website and podcast accordingly.

2. WRITE A SCRIPT

So, you've got the voice or at least a voice in mind for your podcast. What's missing? A script or your game plan! Take a look at a typical outline that will help you to plan out the duration and distribution of content throughout your podcast.

Sample Show Outline

- Show intro monologue (who you are, what you're going to talk about): 30-60 seconds
- Intro music jingle (repeat for each show so listeners identify the jingle with your show): 30-60 seconds
- Topic 1: 3 minutes
- Topic 2: 3 minutes
- Interlude (music or break): 30 seconds
- Topic 3: 3 minutes
- Topic 4: 3 minutes
- Closing remarks (thank audience for listening, thank guests, talk about the next show briefly): 2 minutes
- Closing music jingle (suggest same as Intro music jingle): 2 minutes

3. SET-UP RECORDING EQUIPMENT

Now, in with the hardware! Experimenting with recording your podcast can be done with your existing computer, some free software and online tools. Experimental is the key word here, as you do get what you pay for.

Bear in mind that this set-up won't give you or your audience a good indication of your vocal quality and may reflect poorly on your business. Yikes! For this reason, I'd strongly recommend investing a modest amount ( less than $500.00 ) in some basic recording equipment, specifically a microphone and a book about audio recording.

4. RECORD YOUR PODCAST

Recording a Long-Distance Interview

For interview-style podcasts, you can record using Skype to record or plan to record via a conference call with free services such as FreeConference.com. Both services allow multiple people to participate on a call.

Recording an In-Person Interview

For those of you who intend to record on-site interviews, I'd recommend visiting the location of the interview ahead of time to become familiar with your surroundings. Scope out the best place to setup shop and minimize any extraneous or background noise (unless that's the atmosphere you are trying to create).

Recording One-Person Shows

If you are hosting the podcast and are speaking directly to your audience, life becomes a lot easier because you are in control of where you record, how you record, and the material you present. Simply have your show outline ready, plug in your microphone, set-up your recording software and hit record. Be sure to record in a quiet environment and let anyone present in the office ( or house ) know that you are not to be disturbed until the recording is finished.

5. EDIT, MIX AND EXPORT YOUR PODCAST EPISODE

Room Tone - Natural sound temperature

A location’s room tone is its auditory fingerprint. These are non-specific sounds generated by the natural acoustics of the room.

Editing may also be required when sounds overlap. If they occur while you or another individual in your podcast are speaking your editing can be more challenging. To preserve the original performance, try to find another take of the word(s) in question (the one you want to replace) and edit or splice the word in to replace the unusable take.

Automatic Dialog Replacement - Replacing unusable lines with pre-recorded audio

Automatic Dialog Replacement or ADR, is simply re-recording specific lines that could not be salvaged in the edit. The sound and performance of the lines must be matched to the original performance. For a successful re-take, attempt to create the original take by recording in the same tone of voice, through the same microphone.

Production Techniques - Mixing in your show intro, imaging, and musical transitions

Remember when you wrote your podcasting script? Now is the time to mix in your show intro, the section that announces the name of your podcast and the episode number. It is most effective if this is the voice of an announcer, distinct from your own. Try fading your background music in when a new segment beings. Lower the volume level of the music when you are speaking so that your listeners can hear every work you say. At the end of the segment, fade your background music out. Use musical transitions between the various segments of your podcast. These musical transitions are known as bumpers, stages or sweepers.

Your finished podcast should flow seamlessly from one sentence to the next. If your editing has caused abrupt interruptions, or simply doesn’t make sense (not a good thing), then perhaps you should reconsider your editing style or seek help from a professional to fine tune your production and achieve a "podcast-ready" podcast.

Key points about mixing

In this section you balanced the volume levels of the voice-over(s), music and sound effects. You are now ready to export your podcast recording into an MP3.

6. UPLOAD YOUR EPISODE TO A WEB HOSTING PROVIDER

Next, you'll need to upload your MP3 file to a web hosting service. By doing so, you'll be making the audio available for download by anyone with Internet access. Sounds great, doesn't it?

The easiest solution is to host your MP3 at a podcasting hosting service, such as LibSyn.com or AudioBlog.com. These are wonderful web services that will not only store the MP3 file of your podcast, but also provide you with some statistics including number of downloads.

If you currently have a web host, for example, the company that is already hosting your website, you can just as easily work with this set-up. You may need your webmaster to assist you with configuring this part, however in short, you'll need to create a new directory on the server called "podcasts" and upload the MP3 file to that directory using FTP, short for File Transfer Protocol, which is the standard means of adding new files to a website.

At the end of this step, you should have your first episode uploaded to a web hosting provider.

7. CREATE YOUR PODCAST EPISODE AND SHOW NOTES

This is where your web publishing tool comes into place. For simplicity, we'll use Blogger as the example. In essence, you'll be creating a "New Entry" just like you would when posting an article on your blog.

How does it differ then from a regular blog post?

You'll be including a media player and code in the file path from your server where the MP3 is hosted.

Tips for a Podcast Episode Entry:

Give your podcast a title
Number your episode
Add a short description for your episode
Add a hyperlink to the MP3
Add tags to help search engines identify the contents of your podcast episode

Once you’re done creating the episode, click “Publish” and you’ll see your post on the Internet.

8. BURN YOUR PODCAST FEED

FeedBurner is an excellent service that manages your RSS feed for you. What exactly is RSS? RSS, commonly referred to as Really Simple Syndication, is a subscription mechanism that enables you to receive new content as it becomes available, either downloaded to your PC or media player. RSS files are used to summarize the contents of the audio programs.

At FeedBurner, you add your blogs RSS feed ( i.e. http://yourdomain.com/yourpodcastnamehere/index.xml ) and burn that URL into FeedBurner, which makes your podcast available for subscription using any feed reader such as Google Reader, FireFox Feed Reader, Bloglines or hundreds of others.

This feed is also used to submit to iTunes, so it's best to use FeedBurner to make the next step. If you do, the marketing and promotion of your podcast, a whole lot easier.

9. ADDING YOUR PODCAST TO iTunes AND OTHER PODCAST DIRECTORIES

iTunes - How to submit your podcast to iTunes

1. Open the iTunes program.
2. Sign-in to the iTunes Music Store. You may need to create an account if you don't have already one.
3. Within the Music Store, there is a section called "Podcasts" on the left hand side menu bar. Click on "Podcasts".
4. Click on "Submit a Podcast" on the left hand side menu bar.
5. Enter in your podcast feed URL.
6. Follow the simple on-screen instructions provided.

There are also a few dozen great podcast directories that we've listed below.

AllPodcasts
Website: http://www.allpodcasts.com/
Submit here: http://www.allpodcasts.com/Update.aspx

Blinkx Podcast and Video Directory
Website: http://www.blinkx.tv/
Submit here: http://www.blinkx.tv/beta/PodcastSubmit/

BlogExplosion Podcast Directory
Website: http://www.blogexplosion.com/podcast/
Submit here: http://www.blogexplosion.com/members/podcast_main.php

BlogUniverse Podcast Directory
Website: http://www.bloguniverse.com/radlinks/

Digital Podcast
Website: http://www.digitalpodcast.com/
Submit here: http://www.digitalpodcast.com/add_anywhere.php?cat=1

GetAPodcast.com
Website: http://www.getapodcast.com/addfeed.aspx

Gigadial
Website: http://www.gigadial.net/

IdiotVox
Website: http://www.idiotvox.com/
Submit here: http://www.idiotvox.com/index.php?spid=7

Internet Archive
Website: http://www.archive.org

Odeo
Website: http://www.odeo.com/
Submit here: http://odeo.com/create/import-feed

Ourmedia
Website: http://ourmedia.org
Submit here: http://ourmedia.org/publish

Open Media Network
Website: http://www.omn.org/
Submit here: http://www.omn.org/submitfeeds.htm

Penguin Radio
Website: http://www.penguinradio.com/podcasting/#version

Plazoo
Website: http://www.plazoo.com/
Submit here: http://www.plazoo.com/en/addrss.asp

Pocketcasting
Website: http://www.pocketcasting.com/
Submit here: http://directory.pocketcasting.com/

Podcast.net
Website: http://www.podcast.net/
Submit here: http://www.podcast.net/addpod.cgi

Podcast Alley
Website: http://www.podcastalley.com/index.php
Submit here: http://www.podcastalley.com/add_a_podcast.php

Podcast Bunker
Website: http://www.podcastbunker.com/
Submit here: http://www.podcastbunker.com/Podcast/

PodcastDirectory
Website: http://www.podcastdirectory.com
Submit here: http://www.podcastdirectory.com/add/

PodcastHost
Submit here: http://podcasthost.com

Podcast Pickle
Website: http://www.podcastpickle.com/?p=home
Submit here: http://www.podcastpickle.com/actions/addCast.php

Podcast Ready
Website: http://www.podcastready.com/
Submit here: http://www.podcastready.com/

Podcasting News
Website: http://www.podcastingnews.com/
Submit here: http://www.podcastingnews.com/

Podcasting Station
Website: http://www.podcasting-station.com/index.php
Submit here: http://www.podcasting-station.com/submitrss.php

PodcastShuffle
Website: http://www.podcastshuffle.com/
Submit here: http://www.podcastshuffle.com/submitpodcast.cfm

Podcast Tools
Website: http://www.podcasting-tools.com/
Submit here: http://www.podcasting-tools.com/submit-podcasts.htm

PodCatch
Website: http://www.podcatch.com/
Ping URL here: http://www.podcatch.com/howToPing

Podfeed
Website: http://www.podfeed.net/
Submit here: http://www.podfeed.net/add_podcast.asp

Podfeeder
Website: http://www.podfeeder.com/
Submit here: http://www.podfeeder.com/add/

Potkast
Website: http://www.potkast.com

Podscope
Website: http://www.podscope.com/
Submit here: http://www.podscope.com/submiturl.php

Podsites.com
Website: http://podsites.com/index.cfm
Submit here: http://podsites.com/submit.cfm

PublicRadioFan
Website: http://www.publicradiofan.com/podcasts.html

RSS Network
Website: http://www.rss-network.com/index.php
Submit here: http://www.rss-network.com/submitrss.php

SingingFish
Website: http://search.singingfish.com/sfw/home.jsp
Submit here: http://search.singingfish.com/sfw/submit.html

Spanish Directory
Website: http://www.podcastellano.com/directorio-de-podcasts

Spain Podcast Directory
Website: http://www.podcast-es.org/index.php/Directorio

Syndic8 Podcasts
Website: http://www.syndic8.com/podcasts/

Get reviewed at Podcast411
Website: https://sourceforge.net/projects/opda/

Once you've got your podcast listed in all the top podcast directories, remember there are millions of people on social media websites who may be interested in your new podcast. We covered Social Media websites last week, so be sure to circle back if you missed those posts.

BONUS

Time for a Check-Up

Now that you've released your podcasts and are gaining an audience, give yourself the opportunity to measure and evaluate your success, thereby taking your podcast to the next level and expanding your audience.

Evaluation

There are a number of key areas that you'll want to evaluate. Here's a list to help you get started.

- Number of Subscribers Vs. Number of Listeners
- Website Hits
- Feedback
- Promotional Efforts
- Web Presence
- Elements of your Podcast

ACTION PLAN

Now that you fully understand the process and psychology behind creating and promoting a podcast, you are ready to go!

If you'd like to download a copy of the Small Business Podcasting Kit, you can do so here!

Let us know about your success by leaving a comment.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Why are people Podcasting?

What's going on out there that inspires so many people to book time at professional recording studios, build their own home studio, or carry portable devices to record their thoughts and those of others and make them public?

Find out why people are Podcasting and why Podcasting is a frontier that no Marketer should ignore.

In my next article, we're going to learn all about how you can make your own podcast, but before we get started on the "How", let's look at "Why" you should start your own podcast.

Why Start Podcasting?

The short and sweet answer is that you can reach a target audience and share your message at a very low cost to you.

For organizations or individuals, this means that you can create your very own syndicated radio show and deliver it over the Internet to attentive and permissive listeners.

That being said, this is a great way for businesses to market their products or services, educational facilities to deliver on-demand e-learning, organizations to promote their causes or activities, corporations to provide off-site training, or even individuals to share their knowledge about a specific topic.

Right now, I'm reading a book by Seth Godin called "All Marketers Are Liars", and I'd like to share a tidbit from the book with you that I feel applies directly to how you can market through podcasting.

Consider what it was like for people in the Golden Age of Advertising. Companies would readily spend all of their advertising dollars and throw money at the super medium of television to market directly to all television viewers in the country.

More often than not, even an average product, if marketed well, would make some kind of a profit and the products that were remarkable or exceptionally useful would enjoy incredible amounts of success.

As TV become more complex with expanded channel offerings, it became harder for companies to have a presence on all stations (there weren't just 3 any more) and with that, it suddenly was not as easy to reach customers who were once more than willing to believe whatever mass media was telling them.

What happened?

The seemingly permeable exteriors of consumers grew thicker and less susceptible to advertising. People quickly realized what the difference was between being marketed to and choosing to believe something presented on television for themselves.

They became pickier and demanded that products met their own desires, wants and standards, not the other way around.

This period of time or cycle was called the Dark Days if you will.

Marketers, not to be left behind for too long a duration, emerged with a new way of getting the attention of the people they had once lost through the old regime of television advertising by creating stories and weaving their way through to communities who already accepted what they had to say thereby planting their flag in a smaller, but more receptive niche that would embrace the stories they told and spread them to others about their product or service.

By telling stories that people chose to believe for themselves, they weren't simply advertising anymore, they were marketing (they aren't the same thing, as you already know or will come to realize).

Those people would readily talk about the product or service and refer it to their friends, family members and co-workers.

As their adoption rate grew and enthusiasm for the product or service became apparent to those outside of the niche (spreading to the mainstream or significantly close to it, to be exact), the acceptance of the product would also increase its reach and gather new customers who had also adopted the product as a useful, essential part of their lives.

This is where we are today.

Marketers, and to a great degree, Podcasters, are required to create stories that people identify with, tell themselves, and choose to believe. Seth Godin calls these stories "lies", but he soon reveals that they aren't really lies at all.

The only requirement other than good storytelling is that these stories that are told need to be true and that an audience or group of people needs to accept the story as truth.

A good example of this is "I only listen to X podcast because they have the most reliable information", or "This product is better because it's the safest on the market".

Those are both stories that may very well be true that engage a listener and get them to spread your message for you.

This prelude about marketing to our next article was important because without knowing the background and mindset behind the evolution of marketing and consumers of the 20th and 21st centuries, it would be a frustrating task indeed to build an audience and experience success as a Podcaster.

Just as with marketing, success in podcasting can be measured by the number of people who are listening to or are subscribed to your podcast. Also, the more people they tell or the more subscribers there are, the more impact and exponential your reach and influence will be.

That is a Marketers goal and it should be yours as a Podcaster too, otherwise why podcast, even if just as entertainment for your friends, in the first place?

Marketing can be as simple as a passing phrase of referral, a mention of a source, or wearing a piece of clothing. Marketing is everywhere and we all do it to a degree, whether we're conscious of the fact or not.

Whenever you have an audience, you are marketing.

Therefore, Podcasting is Marketing, and you are very fortunate that in this endeavor you are equipped with the most powerful marketing tool of all - the persuasiveness of the human voice, an instrument that is second to none when it comes to communicating and conveying a message.

If you haven't realized it yet, your voice is a marketing tool, the most organic, universal, and influential on earth.

That's why there's an entire industry of people known as professional voice actors who are hired to record messages, commercials, training videos, audio books, narration for documentaries, sales pitches, business presentations, animation voice overs, video game character voices, telephone systems, and more.

For each market, niche, and underground movement, there is a voice or number of voices that provide you with a verbal image of what you are told, what you may accept as truth, and finally, voices that you trust.

It is by harnessing the strength, passion and speaker in you that you inch closer to your goal, but you will still need something more...

As effective as your voice is on its own, you need to have an attractive story to tell, and make it a story that is true.

Now that you're ready to start your own podcast, we can explore how to do it!

See you in a few,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Chen Fu Soh

Whose voice hosts the Voice Over Experts Podcast?

We had very specific voice casting requirements in mind when we set out to find the perfect voice to host Voice Over Experts, and this charming voice actress from the UK met and exceeded all of our expectations.

Want to meet her?

To start off, I must say that picking the voice for the Voice Over Experts Podcast was an exhilarating experience.

Why was that?

Voice Over Experts is one of my favorite projects as well as one of the most uniquely helpful to both aspiring voice actors and established professionals.

When we went about casting for this position, we were looking for a voice that was clear, exuberant and quintessentially sophisticated with an edge of spunk. Also, we were interested in giving this podcast more of a universal feel.

Female British, South African and Australian voice actors (a prerequisite was that they had to be native speakers of the dialect) were considered for the role of host.

I'm pleased to announce that we did find the perfect voice for this specific project and it is with great pleasure that I introduce you to Julie-Ann Dean of the United Kingdom.

Julie-Ann Dean has a beautiful, sophisticated and endearing voice that exudes an air of confidence, wrapping a ribbon of authenticity and a youthful glow around the Voice Over Experts podcast in typical “English Rose” style.

A native of Coventry in the United Kingdom, Julie-Ann’s clear, crisp delivery embodies all of the characteristics that the team at Voices.com had in mind to inspire and encourage voice actors, whether beginners or seasoned professionals.

There were several aspects that set Julie-Ann apart that contributed to her being hired for the job as the host of the Voice Over Experts podcast. Contributing factors that made all the difference include Julie-Ann’s invigorating voice, her voice type, and native British accent coupled with the quality of her recording studio, Julie-Ann’s quick turnaround time and her ability to take vocal direction.

To listen to Julie-Ann Dean host the Voice Over Experts Podcast, you can subscribe to the podcast in the iTunes Podcast Directory (free of charge) or go directly to the Voices.com Podcast Center.

Please share your comments and support for Julie-Ann here. I will be notifying Julie-Ann by email to read them in the near term to hear from her colleagues!

Thank you and best wishes,

Stephanie

Looking for advice from the best in the business of voice acting?

A brand new podcast christened “Voice Over Experts” has just entered into the world of podcasting, offering a unique perspective on the art of voice acting and the business of voice overs from a variety of acclaimed instructors hailing from North America and abroad.

Becoming a voice actor or getting into voice overs is one of the hottest entrepreneurial careers at present, much in part to the boom of celebrity voice acting in animated films and video games along with the attention paid to actors from Hollywood who narrate films, documentaries and of course, provide their vocal talent for broadcast television commercials.

Bearing this in mind, we took the initiative to provide aspiring voice actors with a podcast that shares industry secrets, tips on technique, and candid advice about voice acting and performing as a voice over talent in the age of New Media.

As you'll hear from more than a few dozen people in the industry, there has never been a better time to get into voice acting, and with the arrival of the Voice Over Experts podcast, getting started as a voice actor and honing your craft has become even easier and more exciting than ever before.

Our first episode is already out featuring Marc Cashman of Cashman Commercials lecturing on "Finding the Music in Copy".

I'm also pleased to announce the lineup for the next couple of weeks!

This week, Julie Williams of Voice-Overs.com will be lecturing on "Coloring Words" complete with exercises you can try and next week, Bob Bergen of Porky Pig fame will be lecturing on "How to Make a Commercial Demo".

This is the podcast to subscribe to if you are thinking about getting into voice acting - it's also a podcast you should be listening to if you are an established pro or someone who has been in the biz for a short time.

The nuggets of wisdom presented to you by our team of Voice Over Experts on a weekly basis is free for you to subscribe and listen to.

There are currently 16 voice over coaches from across North America who are participating on the show! That in itself is an education... imagine getting to learn from the best in the business with varied lectures, perspectives and insights from the comfort of your own home and at your own pace.

This podcast is a goldmine of information that you should take advantage of, whether you're contemplating a career in the field, are training already, or are working as a professional voice actor.

To learn more about Voice Over Experts, go to the Voices.com Podcast Center.

Happy learning!

Stephanie

Need a helping hand finding a podcast you like, listening to it and then subscribing to receive it on a regular basis?

This article will help you do just that!

Learn more about how to browse, listen and subscribe to podcasts at VOX Daily.

What is podcasting?

Podcasting is radio your way. Podcasts are radio-style shows - some from major media, others from passionate individuals - delivered over the Internet to your computer. Unlike streaming audio, which requires you to listen in real time, podcasting lets you control how and when you hear your favorite shows.

According to our good friend FeedBurner, a publisher of podcasts, blogs and video podcasts, they are now managing over 114,939 podcast and video podcast feeds (a feed is basically another word for a podcast, for our purposes).

What does that statistic mean?

There are quite a few fish (and podcasts) in the sea that are out there for you to browse through, listen to and subscribe to.

As you know, there are many a directory online where you can find items that you are searching for. The same is true for podcasts.

There are literally dozens of podcast directories that break up podcasts by genre, content, and more.

When it comes to browsing through the labyrinth of feeds, using a service such as Apple iTunes, Odeo or any one of the podcast listing services out there helps significantly.

Once you arrive at one of these directories, it is easy to find a break down of the kinds of podcasts that they list.

Let's say you were using iTunes to search for a podcast.

iTunes is a software application created by Apple that allows you to store and organize music on your computer as well as subscribe to podcasts and video podcasts. By downloading the software, you'll be able to enjoy as much audio as your computer's hard drive can afford, including podcasts!

Great News: You can download iTunes even if you use a PC. iTunes, though made by Apple, is compatible with all computers.

A technical word for what iTunes does regarding podcasts is that it acts as an "aggregator" of content, always updating so that it has the most current material ready for you each time you open the iTunes software application.

To go a little further, an aggregator is responsible for locating a podcast RSS feed, updating podcasts when new feeds become available, and delivering the new feeds to you, the subscriber.

This is highly advantageous for subscribers hooked on podcasting.

Similar to a news ticker on television, feeds are sent on demand and are accessible at your convenience. Not only are podcasts available on your personal computer, you can also receive them on your iPod or media player.

So, let's assume that you have iTunes or have just recently downloaded it.

Now, the browsing, listening and subscribing can commence!

When you open iTunes, go to the Podcast Directory. Once you're there, you can search for podcasts and even listen to a preview of a podcast to learn more about the show before you subscribe.

Subscribing to most podcasts is a free activity, however, there are some podcasts out there that charge you as the listener to receive their content.

At Voices.com, we have two podcasts available for your edutainment, VOX Talk, and the newest addition to our podcast family, Voice Over Experts.

Both of these podcasts are available in the Apple iTunes Podcast Directory and are free to subscribe to.

You can find podcasts through iTunes by searching by genre, podcast title, or author name. For instance, if you wanted to subscribe to either of our podcasts, you could search for my name Stephanie Ciccarelli or Voices.com.

In our next article, we're going to explore more about the podcasts offered at Voices.com and how you can listen to them for free either here at our website or through services such as iTunes.

Did you find this article helpful?

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Hey Hey, it's Podcasting Week!

At Voices.com, we're covering the ins and outs of podcasting including how to find, listen to and subscribe to podcasts as well as the business side of podcast production and making some dough as a podcaster or as the voice of an independent or corporate podcast.

As the intro to this article said, it's Podcasting Week!

Over the next five days, we'll learn all about podcasting, including how to consume podcasts and how to produce them.

There's so much to share on this ever evolving topic never mind the sheer number of podcasts that are produced and the growing audiences they continue to enjoy!

We'll also take a look at how radio and podcasting are similar, some podcasts grown in our own backyard, and also how to get involved with podcasts as a listener - this is one of those interactive mediums, after all.

It's amazing just to think of how podcasting and podcasts in general have changed the lives of creative producers, companies, and the people who listen to them.

Stay tuned all week for entertaining, educational and interactive articles on how to podcast and meet people who are truly iconic in the field.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Looking for specific articles or themed blogs online?

Ever thought of searching for content on blogs using a tool other than the Google Blog Search?

Try Technorati, your gateway to tens of millions of blogs and the stories they tell.

To wrap up our Social Media week, I'd like to touch on one of the coolest sites that everyone can use.

Whether you're seeking out new information or trying to get your blog out there for people to read, Technorati is the top blog search engine for finding articles and other content by keyword search.

Technorati, the recognized authority on what's happening on the World Live Web, right now, is responsible for tracking over 86.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media.

That's quite a bit of content, isn't that?!

Something cool about Technorati is that you can use it as a search engine and also a place to monitor the popularity of your own blog.

Interesting statistics from Technorati research:

The World Live Web is incredibly active, and according to Technorati data, there are over 175,000 new blogs (that’s just blogs) every day. Bloggers update their blogs regularly to the tune of over 1.6 million posts per day, or over 18 updates a second.

As I said before, you can either use Technorati as a search engine for blog content or track your own success as a blogger and see how many other blogs are linking back to you.

You can also save blogs to your Favorites and read all of your Favorite blogs in one place, for instance, you could save VOX Daily as a Favorite.

As a blogger you will need to "claim" your blog at Technorati in order to gauge your progress.

As always, registering for an account at Technorati is free of charge.

Here's a link to visit Technorati today.

Cheers,

Stephanie

If you think something is "delicious", you can share that fact with everyone by bookmarking the page or website using a service aptly named...

del.icio.us !

Learn more about the social bookmarking tool del.icio.us at VOX Daily.

Have you ever used del.icio.us?

del.icio.us is a social bookmarking site that allows you to bookmark, describe and tag web pages that you like or find particularly useful.

Essentially, del.icio.us lets you share your favorite websites with the world and lets you in on what everyone else has bookmarked as their favorites, too.

According to del.icio.us, you can use their tool to:

- Consolidate your bookmarks and access them from anywhere you have an Internet connection.
- Share bookmarked pages with friends, family, associates, and colleagues.
- Explore the bookmarks of others to discover new things.

Sounds good, del.icio.us, but what else do you offer?

The answer to that question is readily apparent on the del.icio.us About page. I've summed it up below.

What can you use del.icio.us for?

- Research
- Wishlist
- To find, listen to and promote podcasts
- Plan a Vacation
- Linklog
- Cookbook
- Collaboration

Something else that is great about del.icio.us is that since the application is web-based, you can access your bookmarks from any computer, anywhere in the world.

You can get started with del.icio.us quickly. Start by reading this page about how to sign-up and use the service.

Best,

Stephanie

Where can you meet up with old friends, make connections, and join countless groups that align with your hobbies or career?

Why, Facebook.com of course!

If you haven't yet checked out this free Social Networking site, it's well worth the time.

After being member on Facebook for a few months now, I have to say that the service is extraordinary!

Many of my teammates here at Voices.com have Profiles at Facebook and it gives us a means to collaborate online in a different way as well as keep in touch with customers and develop relationships with people who are interested in what we do.

If you've been looking for an alternative to MySpace, Facebook is an excellent choice and is also the fastest growing Social Networking website on the Internet.

Both services have their perks, however, Facebook provides more control to the user regarding how much information they share or hide from people who are viewing their Facebook profile.

In order to view anyone's profile, you need to be a member and you also need to be logged in. The interface at Facebook is also more organized, slick, and has better graphics.

Many see Facebook as an evolution of MySpace and as an accessible web presence to people in general, ranging from grandparents to kids close to high school graduation. It can also be compared to a very sophisticated version of ClassMates.com. You can join networks and clubs that connect you with people you went to school with, worked with previously, or new friends that you meet along the way.

Quite a few people use Facebook as a tool to keep in touch with family and friends, but a growing number of people are realizing the potential of Facebook by using it's marketplace, creating groups, or using the website as a virtual hub for their business.

For instance, we have a group at Facebook called The Voice Acting Hub.

In order to join, you'll need to be a member of Facebook (join for free), but once you've signed up at Facebook.com, you are automatically eligible to join our group as it is open to everyone to be a part of.

Facebook, unlike MySpace, is more like a gated community where the search engines are concerned. Because you can only access pages by being logged in, there aren't very many references that you can access from a search result indexed unless you are a member.

For quite a number of people, this feature is very important as they likely chose Facebook over MySpace for precisely that reason.

Where Facebook lacks in SEO for user content in the main search engines, it more than makes up for it through it's own internal search tool that allows you to find people, groups, events, and other items. You can link internally from your account and also send outbound links forth for others to visit when logged in to Facebook.

One of my favorite features is the ability to share web pages on Facebook. As you may have noticed below, there is an opportunity to "Share on Facebook".

If you are signed in to your Facebook account, you can share this page as an example with your friends on Facebook to let them know what you're interested in at present or share something of value to people that they may not find on their own.

Are you a member of Facebook? Leave a comment about your experience!

Cheers,

Stephanie

Has anyone ever referred you to their MySpace page?

What is MySpace, what does Rupert Murdoch have to do with it and why should you care?

Learn more about this social networking site, the first giant in the field.

Nearly everyone has a presence at a website like MySpace. Perhaps you do, too. If you don't, then you likely know someone who does.

MySpace.com, a social networking website, is a meeting place for people with similar interests that allows you to Add Friends and manage your relationships online using a variety of different tools.

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch bought MySpace two years ago. The website proudly boasts 183,602,678 members and grows by the tens of thousands each day.

MySpace is particularly appealing to people in the entertainment industry as there is functionality for uploading audio, video, and also has blogging and bulletin features that make spreading the word about your talents a simple mini-project.

The primary reason why most people go on MySpace is to add friends and build up a network of people who are interested in the same things as they are.

Something else that you may be interested in knowing is that MySpace, unless your website is set to "Private", is crawled by Google and other search engines - and they take notice. It is an excellent platform to expand your network and affords you free advertising if you use the service to your advantage.

One way to gather links at MySpace is to leave comments on a Friend's MySpace page. For instance, if you were a friend of Voices.com at MySpace, you could leave a comment and link to your voice over website.

Another way is to make use of the blogging feature. If you link strategically, you'll not only see a rise in your inbound links but also in traffic from people visiting your website who were referred by MySpace.

See you on MySpace,

Stephanie

Hey, does the word StumbleUpon mean anything to you?

Our next article in our mini series on Social Media gives you the power to virtually StumbleUpon websites or web pages that you like and give them a Thumbs Up to show your appreciation and approval of content on the web!

So, how does StumbleUpon work?

Welcome to a world where stumbling is merely a step in the right direction to the next big thing!

Whoever thought that you'd be able to aimlessly click "Stumble" one day and find all sorts of interesting and relevant websites that match your search query?

The StumbleUpon toolbar allows you to connect, meet and share:

Connect with friends and share your discoveries, meet people that have similar interests, and check out what other people are discovering.

This is no passing fad.

Currently, there are over 2,541,581 "Stumblers" who are actively voting on the coolness of websites or identifying the 'not so spiffy' on the world wide web to help save you precious time and provide instant value for other people with similar interests who are looking for content to discover.

According to StumbleUpon:

You can channel surf the Internet with the StumbleUpon toolbar to find great websites, videos, photos and more based on your interests. StumbleUpon learns what you like and makes better recommendations.

You may have noticed that there is a StumbleUpon link on our blogs that allow you to Stumble pages at Voices.com.

Sound good so far?

Let's get to signing up now, shall we?

Just like Digg, StumbleUpon is a free website to join and use.

How do you join?

Go to StumbleUpon.com
Register here
Install the StumbleUpon Toolbar
Start Stumbling!

Let us know what you think of the StumbleUpon service.

Are you a member of StumbleUpon already?

Cheers,

Stephanie

What is Digg?

Why are there so many Diggs on a given article at Voices.com?

Find out how you can leverage the power of Digg and help the most relevant content get to the top of the charts!

You may have noticed that once you finish reading an article at VOX Daily or any number of the blogs in the Voices.com Blog Network you are given the opportunity to comment on what you have read.

As far as blogs go, being able to share your thoughts by commenting is a standard practice and probably the most universal way that readers let their favorite bloggers know that they appreciated a story or tip.

Did you know that there are other ways to give support or acknowledge the value of an article?

This week, we'll be looking more at Social Media and several of the tools you can use to ensure that content you think is useful or amazing can be recognized as such and found by others who have similar interests.

Say for instance you liked the article you read on CNN.com about several of your voice acting colleagues and Voices.com.

If you look at your options just above the comment box, you'll notice that there are a number of links, one of which says "Digg This!"

What's a Digg?

A Digg is a digital vote of confidence and public display of an article or resources popularity. At Digg.com, the more Diggs you have, the more popular your and relevant your article.

By the power invested in Social Media, your vote, or in the founders of Digg, Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht lingo, your "Digg" has influence, and with the strength of a large number of Diggs from other people, the article that you Dugg (Dugg is the past tense of Digg) can raise its profile significantly on the Digg.com website, giving it more publicity and spreading the word about the news item, resource, or popular article, resulting in more people finding it, Digging it and propelling your story to the top or coveted home page elevation on Digg.com.

What does all of that mean?

The original article that was Dugg (a Dugg item is something that you chose to Digg), and by association its author, is promoted to new heights and audiences, gaining the author an enormous amount of free web traffic and notoriety in the Digg community.

Getting on the Digg home page is just as good in some circles as getting on a national late night show or headline news.

The Digg community decides what gets its due, praising interesting and relevant content with Diggs. As these Diggs accumulate, the profile of the article and Digger rises significantly.

In a nutshell, that is the power of Digg.

So, now that you are familiar with Digg and the concept of Digging articles that you like or find useful, it's time to talk about how you can go about acquiring an account to Digg articles and show your enthusiasm for the content you appreciate!

Here are some simple instructions:

1. Go to Digg.com
2. Click "Join Digg" in the top right hand corner of the page
3. Fill out your registration information (this is FREE)
4. Agree to the Terms and Conditions (read them first and then agree)
5. Submit your application for a Digg account

After that, you should be all set.

You may have noticed that throughout the article, I've been capitalizing the words Digg and Dugg. This was done merely to introduce you to the new verbiage that you will encounter.

Just as Google is a verb now, so is Digg!

OK, once you have created your account at Digg, you are a free agent and can either submit new stories to Digg (Digg this story), Digg stories at Digg.com that interest you, or Digg stories submitted by other people at the Digg website or directly from their blogs.

Here's what the good folks at Digg have to say about why you should register:

Why Register?

* Become part of the editorial process by digging and burying stories.
* Submit new stories you find on the web.
* Follow what your friends are digging, submitting, and commenting.
* Keep a history of everything you digg.
* Customize the topics you want to follow.
* Get sneak previews of beta features.

Join the fun and exert your influence!

Sign-up at Digg.com for your free membership account and get Digging!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Have you seen the new iPhone TV commercials yet?

David blogged about the iPhone Voice on The Biz and I'm also going to share a bit more with you about the actor who narrated the commercial for Apple promoting the new iPhone.

Do you watch the show The Office?

If so, you'll be happy to hear that one of your favorite actors from the hit sitcom landed the role as narrator for the Apple iPhone campaign on television.

It's no surprise that Apple decided go with an actor from the show to perform the voice over.

Apple has promoted "The Office" before during the unveiling of the new widescreen iPod.

Subsequently, "The Office" is the #1 downloaded show through Apple iTunes, so the timing of marrying voice from the comedy with an Apple product, specifically, TV ads for the iPhone, was a perfect choice.

John Krasinski of The Office (pictured above) has been making a name for himself on and off camera.

Did you know he's also the voice of Ask.com and the talent behind the voice of animated character Lancelot in Shrek the Third? That film is just teeming with great voice actors!

Apple is always on the cutting edge when they hire voice actors. If you recall, they recruited Kiefer Sutherland to promote the new Intel chip in Macs in 2006.

The Apple iPhone comes out on June 29, 2007.

Watch the ads for the new iPhone and let us know what you think.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

P.S. If you are an Apple fan and haven't caught the Apple TV commercial yet, it has been uploaded to YouTube.com.

Watch it here:

Image sourced from : GiveMeMyRemote.com

It seems like everybody is talking about getting started in voice acting!

While that may be true having a trusted news source such as CNN.com validate the market by covering the opportunities therein confirms to the rest of the world that voice acting has hit the mainstream and is now officially a part of pop culture.

Catch a link to a fascinating article on the state of the biz from industry leader Voices.com and voice actors Kara Edwards, Moe Egan and Michiru Yabu at VOX Daily.

Last week we were interviewed by Steve Mollman, a writer for CNN.com, and lo and behold the article "Internet Gives Voice to Unseen Actors" has been published!

The write up also prominently features Voices.com voice actors Kara Edwards, Maureen "Moe" Egan and Michiru Yabu.

Click here to read the article in full at CNN.com, hit the back button and then leave your comments!

Cheers,

Stephanie

Image © CNN.com

We're pleased to announce our new relationship with WebEx and are excited about what that bridge we've built means for you!

Starting this coming week, you'll be able to enjoy world class webinars from your friends at Voices.com.

Want to know more?

As you may have heard, we're really excited about our new digs at WebEx, voices.webex.com.

Each week, we'll be conducting webinars to help you maximize your membership as well as learn industry secrets along the way from the experts at Voices.com.

Want to know when the next webinar is?

Check out this link and click on "Upcoming" to see what's going on:

Voices.com Webinar Schedule

Here's a screen shot of what you will be seeing when you register:

You can register for any of our webinars by visiting the link I provided above. It's a simple process and ensures that you will have a seat on the call.

Laurynda Vineyard will be hosting the webinar "Blueprint to Voice Acting Success" next Tuesday and Erica Bontje will be hosting a webinar for clients entitled "How to Find Voice Actors Online".

If you'd like to register for either or both (depending on if you are a talent and a client), go to this address:

Voices.WebEx.com

Later on, I'll be doing some webinars too, so I'll be sure to keep you posted on those when they occur.

So, what are you waiting for?

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Do you love reading the VOX Daily blog?

Did you know that you can receive VOX Daily in your email box every morning?

Subscribing to the blog is fun, easy and has many benefits with our good pal FeedBurner - learn how here.

If you've been a fan of VOX Daily for quite some time and haven't yet subscribed (if you're seeing this in your email box, you are subscribed, don't worry!), you can sign up to get a daily dose of VOX in your email every day.

On the right hand side of this web page, you'll see an orange box that says "Email Updates". This box gives you the opportunity to subscribe by email.

Simply type in the email address that you would like to receive VOX Daily to and click "Subscribe".

This action will let FeedBurner (our service provider for subscriptions) know that you want to receive VOX Daily via email.

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What's your next step?

Click through the emailed link from FeedBurner to activate your subscription.

It's that easy!

If you don't click through the link or ignore the email from FeedBurner confirming your request to receive the articles to your email box, your subscription attempt will not be successful.

Be sure to read the email that FeedBurner sends and click through the confirmation link in order to get VOX Daily straight to your inbox.

Just to reiterate, subscribing is free and doesn't cost you a penny, but what you get in return is worth it's proverbial weight in gold :)

We'll do a similar article next week on how to subscribe to the VOX Talk podcast.

If you have any other questions about subscribing that I can answer for you here, please let me know and I'll address them through comments.

Have a smashing weekend everybody,

Stephanie and David

P.S. Cool fact: FeedBurner was just purchased by your friendly neighborhood Google guys (they also own Blogger, by the way). Read more about the Google acquisition of FeedBurner.

Image © FeedBurner.com

Looking for a great workshop in Lake Tahoe?

Pat Fraley and Julie Williams are teaming up to present you with two awesome days of classes in their Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend on June 23rd and 24th with a very special (optional) demo producing session on June 25th, 2007.

When I chatted with Julie a week ago, there were only 3 spots left in the Saturday / Sunday workshops a the Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend!

Here's a breakdown of each day, courtesy of the Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend:

Pat Fraley's Cartoon Voice
Saturday June 23, 2007

Cartoon Voice is based on the only character voice curriculum in the country that has been accredited at the university level. The method Pat teaches will prepare you for character voice opportunities in ANIMATION, INTERACTIVE/GAMING, COMMERCIALS, and AUDIOBOOKS.

All workshop materials are supplied including a bound workbook, and a download of your recorded tracks. Lunch provided. Limit of 12 participants guarantees you more individual attention!

THREE SPACES LEFT!

Workshop Highlights:

• Learn how to break the character voice down and manipulate the six elements for versatility.
• Create unique, evocative character voices from visual, oral, and written sources.
• Learn to develop "psychological agendas" for your characters.
• Identify Character Archetypes, the "Casting Common denominator" for commercials and cartoons.

Julie Williams' Proven Voice-Over Techniques
Sunday June 24, 2007

Workshop Highlights:

• Overview of the VO business
• Julie's 1-2-3 start
• Techniques that set you apart
• Getting REAL
• Marketing yourself
• Using the internet to grow your business

Proven Voice-Over Techniques is a comprehensive hands-on workshop that covers specific techniques for copy interpretation and making your copy come alive. Techniques taught in this workshop span all genres of voice-over. From commercial, to narration, interactive, etc. You'll refine your craft with tools that will set you apart from those who audition against you.

Limited class size ensures that each attendee receives a lot of individual attention.

If you'd like more information about cost, method of payment and studio location, download the Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend PDF here.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Emerald Bay image ©iStockphoto.com/Jay Spooner
Pat Fraley Image © PatFraley.com
Julie Williams Image © Voice-Overs.com

What do you need to get some buzz?

All it takes is one line!

Kari Wahlgren's role in Shrek the Third may have been minor, but it got her foot in the door.

Read more about Kari's experience and leave a comment!

Earlier this week, I sent an email to Kari Wahlgren to ask her about her experience recording for her role in Shrek the Third.

Modest to a fault, Kari sent me the following about her experience:

Unfortunately, I don't know if my role in Shrek III makes for the greatest article... I have ONE line! I didn't meet any of the stars or attend the premiere or anything. I was basically in and out of my session within ten minutes! It was fun, but not very glamourous!

Although that may be the case, Kari's got quite a bit further than many working voice actors in animation voice over and definitely has a foot in the door because of this role with a variety of different contacts and received media attention to boot.

Kari does a lot of character voice acting, specifically for video games, so when I heard that she had even just a line or two in the third installment of the Shrek franchise, I was compelled to let you all know about her recent credit, even if it was a ten minute session, give or take :)

Thank you Kari for getting back to me so quickly and also I want to express on behalf of the whole VOX Daily community that we're rooting for you!

If you have a story similar to the one you are reading here, perhaps a minor role in a film, animated movie, or as an extra in a production that we may have seen in the theatres, leave a comment here on VOX Daily!

Cheers,

Stephanie

Image © KariWahlgren.net

Have you seen Shrek the Third?

Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, and Antonio Banderas are back in The Land of Far, Far Away starring in the finale of the Shrek trilogy with a baby Shrek to boot.

I've been itching to get out and see this one!

Shrek the Third is now playing in a theater near you. Have you been yet?

We covered the announcement of the Shrek the Third cast last July on VOX Daily and have been waiting with bated breath for the release of this animated film.

It seems that everyone, including the fast food restaurant franchise McDonald's, has come out with a way to celebrate this movie.

Recently I touched base with voice actor Kari Wahlgren and am hoping to hear back from her to share an interview with you about her character role in the third installment of the Shrek trilogy. You might remember that we interviewed Kari Wahlgren last July, so I'm really looking forward to having her back on VOX Daily to chat with you.

If you're a Shrek fan and have seen the movie, please leave a comment about what your experience was. Did it live up to your expectations or did Shrek the Third exceed them?

Best,

Stephanie

Ever been in a scenario when someone asked you if you had a business card and you had to write your contact information on a slip of paper or a napkin?

It's not the ideal situation, is it?

Find out how you can make a good first impression with a professional business card at VOX Daily.

Having a business card is integral to running a successful business and networking with other people.

Your business card is a portable and mini version of who you are, what you do, and how to get a hold of you. It's real estate in someone's Rolodex as well as in their mind.

Being able to quickly trade or give a business card to a potential client or business partner is not just convenient, it's a necessity and suggests that you are someone who takes their line of work seriously.

I can still remember various business cards over the years that have made an impact on me visually.

In fact, the card I have in mind at present is one that I received at the VOICE Conference in Las Vegas. It was from Daria M. Dutzmann of Queen Bee Productions. The branding was quite unique, had catchy colors and an obvious, identifiable theme.

Even though I haven't looked at this card for a couple of months (and do not have it in front of me now), it left an impact on me and because of its originality, it still owns a piece of my mental real estate today.

If you are reading this Daria, a job well done!

While it's good to be memorable and to brand effectively, it's also good to make sure that you have all of your bases covered regarding the information that you make available on your business card.

What should be included as mandatory business card information?

- Your business name
- A few words describing what you do (i.e. Professional Voice Talent, Voice Artist, etc.)
- Your first name and last name
- Your business telephone number
- Your business email address
- Your business website
- Your business mailing address

I've seen all kinds of business cards and something I've noticed along the way is that paper quality matters. It's not necessarily about flashy colors all the time or how many of them you have. The difference that the weight of a piece of paper can make is incredible.

My sister-in-law Lisa, a graphic designer who specializes in letterpress, taught me long ago what the difference is between a common piece of paper and one that has rich, strong fibers that give a piece of paper that extra texture and durability.

If your business card selection is being made based purely on cost, don't skimp out on the weight or quality of paper that your cards are printed on. Cards that have a physical weight or robust feel to them are associated with strength, professionalism and are pleasing to touch and examine when held in your hand.

Although business cards are extremely important and for the most part are inexpensive, some people do not purchase them because of printing and shipping costs.

If you are a member of this camp, perhaps a beginner, re-branding, or just about to move locations, there are a couple of options you can consider for more economical business card production.

You could always design the card yourself at home using a template from a software package and print off the cards yourself or explore using services on the Internet that provide printing free of charge if you agree to list their company information on the back of the card.

Printing (ink related) and paper expenses may prove too costly to print up massive quantities of business cards at home, so the second option may be more viable for you to consider.

If you are looking to get some printing done online for next to nothing, if not nothing, one such service you can use is VistaPrint.com.

Why do they offer that option?

Every time you give a card out, they get advertising for their website and printing services. By printing off your cards in a high volume, they are in effect saving money on advertising by supplying you with business cards to give away to numerous contacts. It makes more sense to have your cards bear their information and give you the cards for free than it does to throw more money into advertising on their own.

You have cards, can use them, and are happy. They made you happy, have their name printed on your cards, and may also receive more business because of that fact.

VistaPrint also gives you the option to pay for your cards without printing their information on them. The choice is yours.

Now, those are just the basics.

While you need to have effective branding, clearly communicated contact information, and a paper weight that you are comfortable with, it is possible to add bells and whistles to your business cards if you have budgeted for them.

This past weekend in Albany at the Voice Coaches Advanced Marketing Expo, Mike Massa gave us a very impressive mini package that accompanied his business card which included a compact disc (miniature size) with his voice over samples on it.

Ingenious!

The package itself is a plastic sleeve marginally larger than his business card with enough room to slip in the CD housing his commercial and narration demos, complete with his Mike On The Mic branding on the disc and play list, including a breakdown of all the spots in each demo so that when you are listening along, you know what is coming up next.

You could think of it as a miniature jewel case with inserts only this is a soft sleeve. There is still cover art as well as the play list and Mike's contact information. He has a regular business card in addition to this package, so if you are planning to present your prospects with something more tangible, be sure not to overlook the basic business card when marketing your talents.

Key points to remember:

- Brand effectively
- Include your full business contact information
- Be aware of the paper weight
- Do your research
- Always have a stack of business cards on hand wherever you go

Do you have an experience related to a business card that you'd like to share?

Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Floyd Anderson

And now for something completely different!

Enjoy this break from academia courtesy of Jesse Charles Springer (pictured here) and his interview "Behind the Mic" with promo and movie trailer voice actor Ben Patrick Johnson.

Jesse Springer, a Voices.com voice talent, interviewed voice actor Ben Patrick Johnson at Ben's home in Beverly Hills, California.

What you are about to see is the very interview itself!

Awesome work Jesse and thanks for sharing!

If you'd like to add to this article, please leave a comment :)

Cheers,

Stephanie

Image © Jesse Springer

In the wake of the Voice Coaches Expo, I thought it would be appropriate to follow through in the same vein with articles about how to run your business.

Let's kick this off with some branding tips!

One of the best ways to be found as a voice actor for freelance opportunities in this day and age is through search on the Internet.

It's no secret that there are many people who are online for this type of work, however, there are tips and strategies that are not quite as evident when it comes to differentiating yourself from the other people who do voice overs online.

Here's an avenue that you may not have thought of when it comes to branding your voice and voice over services, but it's quite opportune and timely considering the current state of environmental affairs in the world due to Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming.

It's amazing how the increasing awareness of these issues has and continues to impact businesses directly.

Let's visit this back story to get an idea of what is going on and how people are being affected.

Up here in Canada, there is a company I heard about on the radio that is actually citing "Global Warming" as their reason for shutting down one of their factories, a factory that happens to employ hundreds of people and is laying off veterans in the workforce who have served them for decades.

This company produces snow blowers and the like.

With a very mild winter and relatively no snow this past year, the company couldn't justify producing additional stock for this year when there was still inventory that hadn't sold from the previous season. Because of climate change, this company will need to look into manufacturing other seasonal products, perhaps golf carts or similar items as was suggested on the CBC Radio One Sunday morning program.

It is through these realizations and corporate decisions that new, enviro-conscious business deals and procedures will emerge.

By virtue of an ever-growing demand for environmentally friendly products and practices, the adapting global marketplace will propel this diamond in the rough niche for green branding opportunities worldwide for so-called green initiatives.

You may be wondering what this has to do with branding for voice overs... I'm getting to that, not to worry :)

Essentially, as business changes for many corporations in the manufacturing industry, they will need to change their messaging or product offerings to accommodate Green Initiatives such as the Kyoto Accord or Kyoto Protocol.

While going green may pose certain financial commitments for companies and branding strategies, it does present new opportunities to market to their customers and prospective customers.

After making agreements and going green, these companies will want to flaunt their new status as an environmentally friendly company and will need to market that message through commercials, printed materials, updated phone system recordings, website voice overs, podcasts, public speaking engagements and more.

This desire to promote support for the environment will ultimately benefit you as the content producers, in this case, of voice over services.

New opportunities will arise for work as well as new opportunities for you to brand your image as an environmentally conscious voice over professional and businessperson.

That could mean updating your company colors, logo or even your entire brand itself to position yourself as an ideal choice for a company re-branding themselves as environmentally sensitive.

Have you checked out the templates you can use for your website at Voices.com to brand your web presence?

There are a wide array of nature-inspired themed templates you can use to make your website more appealing and branded to attract clients who are embracing the new way of going green in their business.

Some of these themes focus on water, greenery, solar energy, floral patterns, and oxygen. There are 10 that you can choose from to help brand your website at Voices.com!

Here's a snapshot for you:

Branding your website with those themes opens the door to text branding as well.

Consider the following brands if you'd like:

• Green Voice
• Fresh Voice
• Pure Voice
• Solar Voice
• Aqua Voice
• Enviro Voice
• Organic Voice
• Clean Voice
• Pristine Voice
• Clear Voice

Have you been inspired to go green with your branding?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Enjoy a Q&A period at the Voice Coaches Advanced Marketing Expo!

Learn from industry experts Jim Sciancalepore, Heather Frenz, Bob Souer, David Ciccarelli, Billy Serow, Evan Farmer, and David Bourgeois.

Moderating the discussion was Voice Coaches Marketing Director, Warren Garling.

This aspect of the Voice Coaches Advanced Marketing Expo was definitely something that I looked forward to.

To wrap up the day, Voice Coaches Client Services Director Don Bowers introduced all of the experts on the panel, including Jim Sciancalepore, Heather Frenz, Bob Souer, David Ciccarelli, Billy Serow, Evan Farmer, and David Bourgeois.

Warren Garling, Voice Coaches Marketing Director, asked the first question of celebrity guest Evan Farmer from the hit TLC show "While You Were Out" and the new HGTV program "Freestyle".

I've included the thoughts of each panelist below, including some parting advice towards the end of this article from each expert.

Evan Farmer on VO on While You Were Out: The specifics of voice over in narrating for a television series is very different from the process of acting. The hardest part is to try not to go into autopilot doing a schtick. On television, you need to be very conscious of not falling into autopilot voice over responses.

Billy Serow on picking one voice over another: You could take anyone off the street and even uneducated ears could pick out who the best voices are. The masses will try to take the safe road and give interpretations that they think are expected of them instead of stepping out and giving their boldest go. Just as something can step off a written page, voices can step off of a recording. Interesting and creative choices book jobs, not safe interpretations.

Bob Souer on how he got his start: I started by working at a radio station doing everything, including answering phones. One day, I received a call and was asked if anyone would like to audition. I said "what about me?" Nine months later, I was working at a different radio station and still hadn't heard from the client. All of a sudden the phone rang and I had landed the government gig I auditioned for nine months previously. Thus started my voice over career.

I only work at 2 studios; the one at the Billy Graham Association and my own. The only work I record in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association studios is the work I do for them. All of my work for any other clients is done in my own studio.

David Ciccarelli on what impact the Internet has had on voice overs: The Internet and technology has given voice actors another communications channel to find work. It is a viable option to market your talents and is one of the most opportune methods to gain new clients and prospects.

Heather Frenz on working from her home studio: On-camera host for a real estate company and they wanted her to do real estate listings for them everyday. Heather reads it at home and sends the work back to them. Sending MP3s as audition material from her home, but no broadcast work yet because she wants to preserve her relationships with the local studios she has worked with.

Jim Sciancalepore on receiving CDs from talent: It goes without saying but the CD needs to arrive on the right day at the right time. Random unsolicited email promotions get deleted so the successful items are more traditional deliveries - postcards, demo CDs, etc. No seasonal recruiting - it used to be - now it is entirely random with other mediums in the fray like new media (podcasts), and keeping under the radar of local studios or casting directors or agents - networking.

David Bourgeois on the business of voice over: It's easy as a musician or actor to be aware of the fact that you need to develop your art skill, however the fail to recognize that it is a business where money changes hands. Make a business plan, develop a plan, make some goals, write down the steps that you are going to take to reach your goal. Make a plan and be aware that 95% of startups fail in the first 5 years.

Evan Farmer on liberties of being a host: While You Were Out, produced by the BBC, is formal, structured, news based but my producer was flexible and ended up giving me a large sum of creative freedom. You have to make big strong choices. When you do, you tend to enjoy it and become very passionate about what you are doing. I'm recognized more often for my voice than my face even though I am an on-camera host. Voice acting advice? Take the risk and you can pull back later. Most people are innately too shy to break out but this industry is all about acting like a fool or an entertainer if you want to be a success.

Billy Serow in agreement with Evan Farmer: A Casting director saying: "I can always pull you back but I can't always get you there".

David Ciccarelli on the difference between Voices.com and voice123: We have a comparison chart, but it really comes down to customer services and the fact that everyone here has a livelihood and needs. We truly believe that your success is our success. To differentiate even more specifically, Voices.com has entry level budget ranges for every job posted at Voices.com whereas the other site does not. The client needs to commit in order to work with Voices.com talent. From what is apparent, voice123 has no standards and people know that they can find professional voice over talent at Voices.com and get the job done right.

Bob Souer on his career: Longevity over 24 years working for a company doing narration. Many of my clients turn into longterm relationships. You will do well as a non-union talent and can make a living if you develop ongoing relationships with clients over the years. It's about starting and maintaining relationships. This is true of the people who hire you, of agents, of websites, it's all about the people.

Percentage of New VS Established clients for Bob: 30% - 50% of work each month is new work. 50% - 75% is ongoing.

David Bourgeois on getting voice over work: It's always easier to get the next job than the first job. In B Markets, there is more work in relationships than anything else.

Bob Souer on getting work: Once somebody knows that you can deliver the goods, you don't want to have to go anywhere else. Under pressure, under time, to the exact tenth of a second. It's risky to just go out there and try if you are not prepared.

Billy Serow on talent being too social at sessions: Voice talents can be their own worst enemies because they (the studios) want people who can come in, do their work and leave. You need to know the difference between schmoozing and work.

Jay Silverman on keeping front of mind: Stay on top of your marketing so that you remain in that category where people remember you and want to go back to you.

David Bourgeois on jobs: Capitalize on a work opportunity in every way that you possibly can and nurture that relationship.

Jim Sciancalepore on relationships with talent: We're hoping that this is a recurring relationship with a signature voice to impress the clients. It's being reliable, dependable and likable. It's a personal business and a fun business.

Heather Frenz on working in the field: I know most of the people I tend to work with. I goes in, know them, feel comfortable, know the client, and has developed skills as a likable professional and has fun at the same time. Always show your interest in other people.

Bob Souer on being professional: Being professional means knowing how to keep your cool. This always gets me "Perfect! One more time". There are times when it can get very emotional but you have to stay pleasant under extremely difficult circumstances, otherwise you won't be working as much as you could be.

Billy Serow on getting an agent: When looking for an agent, be careful to know something about the agency and how the agency works. Target specific people or it (your CD) won't find it's way into the right hands.

David Bourgeois on marketing: Don't imagine the Internet is the only way to market yourself. It's a great tool but there are many other ways to do it. Many beginner talent have a misconception that all they need is an agent and to be found online hosting their demos and not do any work on their own to try and improve their career.

Evan Farmer on breaking into on-camera from voice over: It's simple to get caught up in "I'm not ready yet or as soon as I've finished this course". You can't be afraid of rejection, because it's not personal. Don't be a passive performer. It's the last person standing who gets what they want. If you want it, you'll get it. Don't settle for comfortable when you can have outstanding. You have to think "I'm going to do it and whatever level I'm going to do it on is fine". If you want to work, you can work. You don't have to be the best, you just have to be the one who keeps showing up.

David Bourgeois on success: People who have made the decision to be successful take it to the next level.

Bob Souer on volunteer work: Yes, I do volunteer when I have the opportunity and time to do so if it is appealing to me. For example a science fiction audio drama. Or a church ministry asks, I might do it if I has the time.

Jim Sciancalepore on who has the most say in choosing the VO talent?: It depends on the client, but many of their clients trust us to make the right decision. We provide them with a few finalists to choose from giving our preferences and let the client decide.

David Ciccarelli on success at Voices.com: Success stories at Voices.com are numerous, for example, Bob Souer. Also many people get their very first jobs at Voices.com which is a success story in itself.

Heather Frenz on VO VS On-camera: I prefer VO work because I'm not up ironing every piece of clothing that I own. Wardrobe coordinating is not fun. I love VO because I can walk in as myself and get going. On-camera work is wonderful and I wouldn't give it up, but I feel that my image has become overused so I turned to more voice over work. No preference overall between the two.

David Bourgeois on the state of the VO industry: The lions share of the work is narrative (non-commercial in nature) Conversationality VS Announcer, broader range of voices, Internet is exciting, more than 1/2 VO produced at VoiceCoaches.com was Internet work this past year. Opportunities have never been greater or range has never been better in commercials or narrative - Voices for websites, DVDs, CD-ROMS, video games, cable television opportunities. Tremendously lucrative industry with loads of opportunities.

Billy Serow on men and women in VO: When I started in voice casting, the percentages for hiring VO talent used to be 90% men and 10% women. Now it's more like 55% men and 45% women.

Billy Serow on receiving material from talents: Cover letters are important to know if someone has been referred by someone I need to be aware of. Don't send gimmicks - also, pictures on CDs are not a good idea.

David Ciccarelli on watermarking: The point of watermarking is to use a watermark as a precaution to prevent unscrupulous clients from using your work without paying you. Place subtle tones throughout the audition, crippling the audio just enough so that it cannot be used without your permission.

Bob Souer on watermarking: Be very careful to say that you've made changes to the script in the custom demo or any alterations to timing. Actions were deliberate, not that you don't know what you're doing.

Evan Farmer on success: Inner instinct, listen to that voice - the "I wish I" is your gut and you need to listen to it, not your insecurities, and if you've figured that out, you're head over heels further along than many in this business.

Jim Sciancalepore on hiring talent on the web: Instant auditions are very convenient and a great source.

Parting advice:

Jim Sciancalepore: Put yourself out to the world, the Internet has made it possible. A world of opportunity out there. When you are in session, go for it and let loose.

Heather Frenz: Start thinking of yourself as a voice over talent as someone who is going to be successful - stick to it and believe it now.

Bob Souer: This is a business, it's not a game. If you want to make money at it, you have to treat it as a business. Find ways to market your career and actually do it - things that are comfortable for you to do. For instance, Bob writes a blog to help promote his career.

David Ciccarelli: Treat VO as a business. As much as the marketing component is important, you need to focus on your operations and how you manage your clients. Develop systems and routines because next time you are in contact with a client, it's good to have details on hand to personalize your communications. Monetary rewards will come after an initial investment. Find out what works best for you and how to allocate your resources and time.

Billy Serow: There is nothing more fun or greater than winning a job. It's such a high and is so cool that you are actually being paid for this. Feel incredibly blessed to be working in this industry.

Evan Farmer in response to Heather Frenz's statement: I too didn't want to tell anyone I was an actor or musician because I didn't want to hear it. Once you do say that, you are committed and people can hold you accountable. It really is great when your art affects other people and the feeling you get - the rush, exciting, probably the most fulfilling thing you could imagine.

David Bourgeois: Do not care for words "break into" - you develop a skill, hone that skill, become aware of opportunities and then go out and do them.

About the Experts

Evan Farmer: Host of TLC’s “While You Were Out”and HGTV’s design show “Freestyle”.
Billy Serow: Head of commercial VO Casting for Abrams Artists Agency in NYC and VO teacher at Yale University.
David Bourgeois: Voice Coaches President and voice over producer for clients including Discovery Network.
Jim Sciancalepore: As the Vice President / Senior Creative Director for Media Logic, a major award winning Advertising and Communications firm, Jim regularly casts voice actors for a broad range of projects. Their clients include Visa, FYE, Cornell University, MVP Healthcare, and numerous others.
Bob Souer: Professional voice over talent and industry blogger.
Heather Frenz: Professional voice-actor and Voice Coaches Marketing Trainer.
David Ciccarelli: CEO of Voices.com, the #1 Voice Over Marketplace and professional audio recording engineer.

David and Stephanie Ciccarelli presented on the topic of Voice Over in the Google Era.

With so many ways to promote your voice using the monolithic conglomerate that is Google, there's no stopping the voice over industry online!

Discover ways that you can improve and increase your presence on the Internet as a voice over talent regardless of your location.

David Bourgeois invited us to come to the Voice Coaches Advanced Marketing Expo to lecture on the topic of Internet marketing and search, so we brought our Voice Over in the Google Era presentation down for the ride.

David gave the background on Voices.com, an overview of the industry ,and we co-presented on search engine optimization and various Google properties that you can use to market your talents online.

So, just what is the demand for audio production and language services?

The voice over market was worth over $8.8 billion worldwide in 2005!

That's right, a substantial amount of money was spent on language services and voice recording with $12.3 billion spent on language services and voice recording projected for 2010.

The ways of the past are no barrier to success for savvy voice over entrepreneurs of the new Google Era. Google has brought more to our fingertips than any other web portal on the Internet, corralling relevant websites and taming the Wild West of the World Wide Web.

Google is not just a search engine, it is an advertising company that makes billions of dollars a year through one of its programs, Google AdWords.

Essentially, the Google AdWords program is an advertising platform where buyers of advertising who are featured on the main Google search can bid on keywords to attract new business on a pay-per-click basis. These ads are also called "Sponsored Links".

Google AdWords was one of the properties we talked about in addition to Google Web Search, Google Image Search, Google News Search, Google Video, Google Blog Search, Google Directory (DMOZ), Google AdSense, and Google Analytics.

Now that I've mentioned some of the properties and services available to you as a Google visitor and customer, that leaves one last question...

How can you make Google work for you?

Remember to:

• Submit to the Google Directory
• Start a Blog
• Build Links to your Website
• Advertise your Services
• Track your Progress
• Create a Press Release

The audience at Voice Coaches was privy to a significant amount of added-value information that is not included in the PDF, like the scoop on Link Love among other things :)

At our next opportunity we'll present you with the details that are not included here in this article.

If you missed this lecture in person and would like more information about Google and their various web properties, you can download the PDF document Voice Over in the Google Era to get a more detailed account of what we were talking about.

Keep your eye on the VOX Daily blog and subscribe via email if you haven't already!

Best,

Stephanie and David

Does your demo have a case of the uglies?

Join the graphic design experts Dan Dinsmore and Phil Montelone from Overit Media as they give tips on how "putting on the makeup" for your Demo CD and branding materials.

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is a form of visual communication that combines words and imagery to convey a message.

Graphic design is everywhere. It's on stationary, booklets, business cards, carpets, paint, street signs, and more! Every design that you encounter starts with an illustrator or artist.

A design evokes emotion out of people, therefore, you want to portray yourself properly.

But you might be wondering, "What does design have to do with my voice?"

The answer: You are in a field where presentation is everything.

Here are some tips on how to make your demo packaging great and not have your CD end up as a coaster on somebody's desk or be confused with a piece of rubble.

Good Designs

- Make sure that your demo art is clean and professional
- Present potential clients or agents with nice packaging that they will share with others
- Get a pro to brand your image
- If you are comfortable, use a professional head shot on the inside sleeve of your CD
- Head shots should only be used if you are pursuing on-camera work as well as voice over
- If you are only performing as a voice over artist, do not include a photo of yourself

Bad Designs

- Placing a printed label on a blank CD
- Unprofessional designs (no clarity, inappropriate image, unflattering head shots, etc.)
- Leaving your name or contact information off of the marketing material
- Including irrelevant images or references
- People judge books by their covers and they'll judge your voice by your CD package

In the end, it all comes down to presentation.

You could be the greatest voice actor of our time, but if your CD or branding package is sub-par or questionable, it will end up in the garbage bin faster than you can say Jiminy Cricket.

Does any of this information resonate with you? What are your dos and don'ts for branding your professional image?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

Image © OveritMedia.com

Looking for a voice over agent in top tier commercial voice casting?

Learn more about Billy Serow, a commercial voice talent agent at the Abrams Agency in New York City.

Billy Serow is not your typical voice over agent.

True, he's been in the business for a long time and has seen it all, but he has something special that not many agents can claim as their own - heart.

Billy began his career at a crossroads having to choose between music and theatre. Opting to go down the acting road, Billy started out as an agent at William Morris and after a long career in voice casting director (18 years and thousands of commercial castings), the industry changed.

A website called VoiceBank.net came out and the emphasis was placed on agencies putting their house reels online and the role of the casting director being virtually eliminated from many voice over hiring regimes.

Realizing that his job was in jeopardy, Billy left William Morris with many others and started a new career at the Abrams Artists Agency where he truly got to spread his wings.

At Abrams, Billy was able to represent celebrity talent and also dedicate his time to his true passion, developing up and coming voice over talent and helping their dreams come true.

Billy listens to every CD he receives and has a strong work ethic. He has the immense joy of knowing that he can help bring someone to the next level in their career and loves making it happen.

Not every agent is like Billy, so you should check him out!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Image © AbramsArtists.com

Marketing yourself as effectively as you could locally?

Learn some hot tips on how to grow your circle of influence and increase your bottom line with tips from Stacey Nooney, Marketing Director / Project Director for Working Pictures in Albany, NY.

Stacey Nooney of Working Pictures, Albany NY co-presented on the topic of "The Organization Advantage" with Warren Garling, Marketing Director at Voice Coaches and White Lake Music & Post, Schenectady, NY.

Opening remarks included the fact that if you are a voice talent, you are also in business for yourself, thus you need to treat your voice over as a real business.

One aspect of maintaining a healthy business is to network and invest in those networking opportunities. A small investment of time and money goes a long way when it comes to sowing seeds for a prosperous career.

As this conference was taking place near Albany, NY, an emphasis was placed on the Albany Ad Club as one of the resources available for networking activities.

Benefits of membership specific to the Albany Ad Club:

• Social Functions
• Networking Opportunities
• Diverse Membership
• Monthly Educational Seminars
• Parties and Holiday Mixers with other like organizations
• Awards / Ability to volunteer

As many ad clubs do, the Albany Ad Club produces a quarterly publication or newsletter that gives you an opportunity to know what others are doing as well as promote your own news and success stories.

Tip: Voice Coaches instructs their students to become Ad Club Members.

It was reiterated time and time again, and I know we can attest to this as well, that making a small investment of money and time in a business chamber of commerce or club is worth far more than the price you pay and the added value received.

Are you part of an Ad Club? Has it helped you to expand your reach and network of business partners?

Best,

Stephanie

Image © AlbanyAdClub.com

Meet Jay Silverman, the resident Advanced Self Marketing Guru at VoiceCoaches.com.

Learn about the concept of how to make the administrative assistant (or bulldog) your friend to get to where you want to go when marketing your talents for voice over work!

Jay Silverman gave the first lecture at the Voice Coaches Advanced Marketing Expo and enlightened us to an area of marketing savvy that not everyone observes as crucial to their success.

This morning, Jay discussed how to get in with the front person or the "bulldog" at organizations. This is the person who is ultimately responsible for you achieving or not achieving your goals when trying to promote your voice to a company or organization.

He started by asking us a question "Have you ever needed to 'stretch' yourself when you are marketing your talents?"

Sometimes we stretch a little bit when we are marketing. Although it may seem like your professional experience in the beginning is limited, remember to highlight all of the experience you have volunteering or in rehearsal (mic time).

In this way, you’re not breaking in anymore, but for every new prospect that you encounter when marketing your voice, there will be an instance when you need to break in somebody else, effectively, confronting the bulldog at the gate.

The bulldog at the gate is that front-end person at whatever business, advertising agency, or recording studio that you are looking for work opportunities with.

What do you need to do in this case?

Learn how to get in with the front-end person. Establish and maintain a personal and professional relationship with those people who are key to your success.

You’ll meet all kinds of people, producers, copywriters and a host of others that you'll want to network with. There is, however, one person who holds your future in their hands in a variety of ways, and as we covered above, that person is the bulldog at the gate.

The bulldog at the gate could be the receptionist, the administrative assistant, the secretary, the person who answers the phone and opens / distributes the mail, who does all the typing, copy work, and addition to all of the responsibilities noted earlier, has to satisfy the boss and not mess up.

Quite the job description, isn't it?

In order to get to the person you need to speak with, you will have to pass through the bulldog first. In the majority of cases, she is just as important if not more so than the person you are trying to reach. This person decides whether or not you get through to where you want to go.

For instance, you need to be careful about making a good first impression with your marketing materials and present yourself as best you can. Make as positive and professional of an impression that you are able to, and your efforts will help you to get through to your desired contact.

Something to focus on is the quality and appearance of your marketing materials and how effective they are as a vehicle to promote your voice.

Your "Family of Publications", which consists of letterhead, postcards, promotional materials, cover art, etc, needs to promote you and brand your business. When someone receives marketing materials from you, albeit different print materials, they should still be able to associate you with your brand and remember past items that they had received from you.

These promotional materials need to be professional and visually pleasing to get past the bulldog. Representing yourself in a manner that the bulldog feels comfortable passing your materials on to who you want them to go to is the best bet for achieving your goal.

You might be wondering why we are constantly referring to the administrative assistant or bulldog as a female and not a male.

After some extensive research on the Internet, Jay discovered that 93% of the people who work in the position of administrative assistants are females.

This person has to accommodate the needs and wishes of her boss politely and confidently, all the while getting everything done, regardless of how she is feeling that day.

In large business, there is a team of bulldogs who are responsible for a number of tasks.

Do not just walk in or cold call if you want an appointment. Send the information to the people who work there, let them know who you are, then make a phone call to schedule a meeting.

Oftentimes, the most important request or order that someone in the position of bulldog will receive from their boss is “Don’t let anyone disturb me, I’m busy”. This is a direct obstacle to you getting through to the person you want to reach through the administrative assistant.

If the administrative assistant asks you "Do you want to through to voice mail?", this is usually a dead end. It is in your better interest to simply develop a good rapport with the administrative assistant and follow up consistently until your needs are met.

If you know about an industry and are familiar with their jargon, that is invaluable to them and they will pay a premium for your services. i.e. pharmaceuticals, science, automotive, etc.

Research is key to making the bulldog your friend. Do your research on Google. Find the contact or team page and gather the information. Look at the clients they serve, listen or watch the work that they’ve done, pick your favorite job and identify it in your letter as something you admire.

Tip: Google business quotations and find 4 or 5 that you think would hook the interest of the person who opens up that letter.

Writing an original letter crafted from the research you have gleaned with a great deal of personalization is an excellent way to get the bulldog on your side. If you develop a rapport of respect with this person, you will then have an ally within the company who will advocate on your behalf.

Jay had several other wonderful points and even included a template on how to craft a letter that I have not mentioned here.

Key Point: The most important aspect that you need to take away from this article is to treat other people with respect, gain permission to send in materials, and make those marketing materials unique and attractive to the person who decides whether or not your demo or resume will see the light of day.

About Jay Silverman, Advanced Self Marketing

In addition to his experience as a professional Voice Actor and announcer, Jay is a public speaking and training expert. His experience in communications training spans the corporate, government, higher education and not-for-profit sectors. In addition to his work with Voice Coaches, Jay teaches both under graduate and graduate classes in communication and advertising at The Sage Colleges and The State University at Albany.

Jay also trains new business owners through the regional Entrepreneurial Assistance Program. As a former State Government Executive and Ad Agency Vice President, Jay offers our Advanced Self Marketing Teleconference clients an exceptional advantage in building lasting success.

Source: Jay Silverman Staff Bio, VoiceCoaches.com

Image © VoiceCoaches.com
Lecture Content © VoiceCoaches.com

We're at the Voice Coaches Advanced Marketing Expo just outside of Albany, NY.

Learn more about this fantastic organization of progressive and caring instructors through the VOX Daily blog!

I'm blogging live today from the Voice Coaches Advanced Marketing Expo being held in Colonie, NY at the Hilton near the Albany International Airport.

Last night, David Bourgeois and his team of excellent experts kicked off the evening with some good times, great food and intriguing conversation.

I'll be blogging about each presentation throughout the day. What a great opportunity!

See you over the course of the day,

Stephanie

Image © VoiceCoaches.com

Were you following The Audies?

Find out who some of the winners were and discover some new audiobooks that are well worth the listening at VOX Daily.

Here's a short article to let you know that The Audies were given out last night in New York.

The website AZStarNet.com published a list highlighting several of the winners and their respective categories early this morning.

Read more about who won Audies here!

Have a great weekend,

Stephanie

Image © TheAudies.com

Just because a narrator is reading a script, does that necessarily mean that they believe what they are saying?

What happens when a narrator's personal beliefs butts heads with the content of a script?

If conflict arises, will the voice over be authentic enough to believe?

When you listen to a documentary or audiobook narration, do you believe the narrator?

In this business, narrators are required to be good word painters and also to be authentic.

While this statement may be true and to the point, someone once said that it takes veracity and honesty to make it in voice over (and, once you've faked that, you've got it made).

I'd like to pose the question of whether the authenticity of a read is essential to the successful delivery of a voice over or is it merely a component; a means to achieve an end?

Let's look at it this way:

Are the theories or beliefs stated in a script reflective of the narrator's personal views, and what are the implications, if any, should those conflict?

So, if you are a narrator and are handed a script that contains content or a few ideas here and there that do not jive with your personal ideals, could you fake or pretend (some people call this acting) that they coexist or are complementary to your own opinion(s) with any pseudo veracity?

This topic is a bit of an eyeopener.

It isn't everyday that a question like this comes along asking you to examine this aspect of voice over and interpretation.

In your opinion, does the integrity or interpretation of read suffer when a voice talent is not wholeheartedly in union with the concept, ideas or content presented in a script?

Let's keep this conversation going :) Leave a comment with your thoughts.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Marcin Rychly