CNN, "The Most Trusted Name in News", has just ended their 27-year partnership with news source Reuters, an International news gathering body, one of the most renowned out there.

What will CNN do now?

Find out more here at VOX Daily.

Well, anything is possible!

Get this:

CNN cuts loose Reuters after 27 years

By Joshua Chaffin/FT

Published: August 30 2007 23:16 | Last updated: August 30 2007 23:16

CNN is dropping Reuters as one of its main sources of news and video and will instead invest millions of dollars to bolster its own news gathering operations. The move will end a 27-year relationship between the companies that stretches back to CNN’s founding.

~~

That's really just the headline, so if you want to read more, click through the link above on the story title.

In essence, CNN is wanting to create more of its own content that it can use through new media applications and on websites, a huge step forward to becoming more independent as well as assume more control over the news and stories they present to their audience.

CNN is now employing Guerilla Marketing strategies, something that grassroots and independent media outlets have been doing for years, most prominently, bloggers and podcasters. This should be an exciting and innovative chapter in their company history.

As spectators watching from our box in the peanut gallery, CNN's latest corporate decision to cut one of the most trusted news sources out of their fold is interesting to say the least.

What do you think of this new reality? What kind of news and content do you anticipate to spring forth from CNN in the future?

Add your reply and get this conversation going!

Best,

Stephanie

Want to be the voice of a Marvel character in their upcoming animated film release on DVD? Here's your chance!

MLG Productions 1, Inc., in association with Marvel Enterprises and Lions Gate Home Entertainment, presents:

The Ultimate Voice Talent Search

The Ultimate Avengers are coming to life in a brand new animated movie, but they need your help. From coast to coast, talented actors and actresses are assembling to voice Earth's mightiest heroes, and according to the folks at Marvel, you can join them!

Marvel wants to know:

Have you perfected your spicy Black Widow Russian accent? Do you think you sound like Nick Fury, or Thor, or Captain America?

If you've ever wanted to hear your voice come out of a Marvel Superhero's body or if you are looking for a chance to break into the world of voice acting, Marvel suggests that this is your chance to do so, stating that you could be part of one of our animated movies or appear in bonus material on a DVD.

How do you get started?

Pick out a character from the list at Marvel, download a script, and then read the full instructions at the bottom of the page.

If any of you land a role, come back and comment here on this article so that we can congratulate you.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Image © Marvel.com

How does your voice behave for you on a daily basis?

Share your vocal stories and let us know whether your vocal performance is likened more to a morning glory, an afternoon delight or a nocturnal wonder.

Add a comment now!

Earlier today, I was reading the voice-overs.com forum run by Julie Williams where a discussion is taking place about how voices behave during any part of the day and if the quality of performance could be controlled to remain consistent, putting your best voice forward.

Many of the voice actors who participated in the thread pointed out that their peak performance time varies from person to person, some preferring morning, others night, pre bronchitis movie trailer voice, and so on.

As a voice major and UWO music alum, I believe it is all relative surrounding a number of factors that may contribute to how your voice behaves at any given time.

If you're in a pretty tight routine, your voice will most likely behave the same way each day.

Consider the following:

Sleep

If you hit the hay early (before midnight), your voice will have more energy the next morning. Sleep is a huge component of how your body performs and your voice is your instrument and your voice is a part of your overall physicality. A well rested voice is easier to warm up and isn't taxed as quickly as a tired voice is. Recharge your batteries and get as close to 8 hours of sleep at night that you can. If you work a late radio shift, find a block of time that you can sleep solidly for a number of hours before and after your shift. Hitting the brick wall can make your voice gruff, thin or sound uninspired. If you can keep fatigue at bay, your voice will also benefit.

Food and Beverages

Consuming coffee does tend to dry things out (anything caffeinated really), and dairy is just a nightmare for some. Try to stay away from foods and beverages that are drying, sticky (stuff that makes your mouth clack), or gooey (dairy fits in this category). If you are allergic to something, even if it's simply the ingestion of the substance, keep away from it because it could still affect your voice in a negative manner, for instance, if you are allergic to coconut or peanut butter, don't be anywhere near the smell of it before you record.

General Health

Your overall health contributes significantly to your vocal performance. If you're under the weather, one of the first things you'll notice is that your voice may change depending on what ails you. If you have a head cold or congestion, you'll notice a foggier, groggier sound. If you have a pounding headache, the resonance and projection of your voice may be too much to bear. When stricken with a cough or if you've recently vomited, your voice may not have the "umph" you are used to. If you're pregnant, your voice may assume a different timbre or depth along with more difficulty breathing and less facility making it through long passages.

Conservation

Prevention is often the best medicine, especially where conditioning your voice is concerned. Avoid the following or tread lightly with caution!

Talking on the Phone

Talking on the phone is a major voice killer. If you have to speak on the phone before a session (even if you're on the phone a few hours before), remember to limit the conversation and amount of energy you are putting into it. Keep your calls short and relaxed.

Yelling

If you have kids (directly related to straining of the voice!), be sure that you don't yell on a day you are recording, whether it simply be to give them last minute instructions as they are running out the door, calling for dinner, or otherwise.

Beware of Scents and Fragrances

External factors often affect your voice. These may include:

• Second-hand Smoke
• Pollution
• Exhaust
• Beauty Products / hair products / perfume / cologne
• Personal Hygiene Products / shaving gel / aftershave / antiperspirant / deodorant

Fragrances can do more harm to your vocal apparatus than you'd ever assume.

During concerts, we weren't allowed to wear strong scents that might cause breathing difficulties or vocal strain on other people in the choir. Obviously, that was even more enforced at recitals and as a professional voice actor, you are basically having a recital each time you sit down at the mic :)

This may go without saying, but definitely warm up your voice before you do any voice over work or rehearse.

A vocal warm up is integral to keeping a consistent sound and your vocal folds will thank you (these used to be called vocal cords). Even if you can't sing or carry a tune, you can still stretch out your vocal muscles prior to doing voice over for awesome results. There are a number of free warm up resources out there to check out, tongue twisters, etc.

Be sure to pay special attention to your resonators, articulators, breath support and loosen up your tongue and facial muscles. Leading vocal warm ups are fun - if you were here with me, I'd happily show you some exercises - maybe another time!

You can join in this conversation or another discussion on Julie Williams' forum or add your thoughts here on VOX Daily!

How does your voice behave?

Happy voicing,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Chris Hutchison

A story idea from one of our readers!

What do you think of Vox Studio Software? Ever heard of it? Need it, love it, use it, or what?

Share your thoughts on this piece of software by adding a comment here on the VOX Daily Blog.

Recently, I received an email from Robin Rowan asking me if I've encountered a software program called Vox Studio. This is actually the first I had heard about it I thought it might be fun for all of us here to explore it together.

Robin wrote:

Hi Stephanie,

Robin Rowan

~~

Well, I did some research and discovered that Vox Studio is designed and marketed by Xentec in Belgium, and in the words of the company, a dream come true for those who need to record multitudes of audio files.

Here are some paragraphs referenced from the Xentec website regarding Vox Studio.

"Vox Studio is a software tool for telecom professionals. Its purpose is to create speech files for computer-telephony and voice processing applications such as voicemail, interactive voice response, call centers, phone banking, audiotex, telephony portals, voice gateways and the like. Vox Studio speeds up the time-consuming tasks involved in the production of voice files and produces high-quality telephony files. Such files are often classified as "vox" files, hence the name Vox Studio.

With Vox Studio, these voice files (called "prompts" in the industry) can be created on-site using a PC, a multimedia sound card, a decent-quality microphone, and a reasonably-silent recording room.

Vox Studio starts by recording standard Windows ".wav" files. If required, these can be edited in Vox Studio and then converted into telephony files encoded in various flavors of ADPCM, A-law PCM, Mu-law PCM, linear PCM and other formats. In fact, you can convert a message from any supported format to any other supported format. Vox Studio does support a very large portfolio of manufacturer-specific file formats. It can also convert sound files prepared on a Mac into telephony files. This makes the product useful both for telephony system administrators or integrators and for recording studios. The Vox Studio conversion quality is superb and this is one of the reasons why this product has become an industry standard.

Massive prompt-recording sessions (up to thousands of prompts) are facilitated by the "teleprompter", by the "tape loader" and by the "file slicer" functions built into Vox Studio. The prompter flashes texts one by one on the PC's screen while they are read by the voice-talent (the speaker). It is a very easy and productive way of recording a large number of prompts in one session. The tape loader automatically digitizes, cuts and saves a prerecorded studio tape, without operator intervention. The file slicer does the same thing by cutting a large pre-existing ".wav" file into voice "slices". Professional studio recordings can be chopped in pieces very rapidly and saved as separate digital voice files.

Another, highly time-consuming task, automated by Vox Studio, is the cleaning-up (or trimming) of recorded prompts. Vox Studio can add or remove silence at the beginning and at the end of voice files. Vox Studio does this automatically for you and intelligently adjusts the length of silence to your system requirements."

~~

There are a lots of other features built right into Vox Studio and if you'd like to read more about them, visit the Vox Studio product page at their website here.

In summary, Xentec says this of Vox Studio:

Vox Studio is designed to be a productivity tool for sound engineers who regularly need to produce a very large number (i.e. 15,000) of top-quality telecom voice files (but have no time to manually cut, paste and save chunks of sound over and over again). Some of our customers use Vox Studio to produce, literally, tens of thousands of voice files a week. Vox Studio is not another manual sound file editor. There are lots of excellent manual sound editors around if what you are looking for is creativity. If what you are looking for is plain productivity and telecom-specific features, then Vox Studio is what you need.

So, have you had any experience with Vox Studio? What can you share with us about it?

Add a comment with your thoughts.

Best,

Stephanie

Have you met Johnna Gottlieb?

If you haven't, she's pals with Joan Baker, teaches a VO class at New York University and is going to be on Voice Over Experts this September!

Find out more about Johnna and her class that runs this Autumn.

I'm very excited to introduce you to one of our newest Voice Over Experts, Johnna Gottlieb of Johnna Gottlieb Consulting in New York.

I just caught wind that Johnna's NYU class “The Business of Voiceover” is now open for enrollment for the Fall 2007 semester. The first class begins Wednesday, September 26th at 6:45 p.m. and runs through December 4th.

Are you serious about finding out what it takes to make it in the voiceover business?

Johnna confides that this is the course to take. Her network of contacts includes top agents, voiceover talent, casting directors and producers who come to her classes as special guests, presenting you with an opportunity to get your questions answered by the people who "make this industry tick". In addition, you will have the chance to read voiceover copy for these industry professionals and get feedback about your skill level.

Guests have included:

The Legendary Don LaFontaine – Voice of over 5000 Movie Trailers
Rodd Houston – Voice of Verizon Wireless, Subway, VH-1, NBA on CBS
Joan Baker – Author “Secrets of Voiceover Success”
Bill Graves – Voice of ABC’s Nightline and Primetime
Tim Champeaux - Voice of Jenny Craig, Today Show Concert Series
Jim Kozloff - Director of Talent and Business Development at VH-1
Stewart F. Wilson Turner – Co-Creator of voicebank.net
Voiceover Agents from Don Buchwald & Associates, Abrams Artists, Paradigm and Innovative Artists
Producers from Miramax Films, ESPN, BET, HBO, NBC Sports

These people have a firm grasp on what it takes to become a successful, working voice over actor.

Click on these links to learn more about Johnna Gottlieb and the class at NYU.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

This Fall, why not treat yourself to some voice over training over the phone in movie trailers and promos?

You don't have to be in New York or Los Angeles to take advantage of this teleclass series brought to you by A1 voice talent, Rodney Saulsberry.

Learn more about how you can Spice up your September now.

One of the most thrilling career achievements for the voice over actor is to become the promo voice for a TV or cable station (or network) and to break into the lucrative world of movie trailers. Finding training for this specialty used to be difficult, but not any more!

Rodney Saulsberry is offering instruction to 12 participants on a first come basis, taught over a teleconference phone line. Dial in from the comfort of your home or office; it's that easy.

Your call-in information and class workbook will be sent when your registration is confirmed.

Class details:

Six Weeks on Thursdays
Dates: September 20 - October 25, 2007
Time: 8-9 p.m. Eastern Time / 5-6 p.m. Pacific Time

Tuition: $695 paid in advance at time of registration.

Now, for some highlights!

* Direction from a seasoned pro on how to read promos and trailer copy.

* Marketing strategies aimed at securing work in the promo and trailer arena.

* Comprehensive industry contact lists of promo and trailer production companies.

* Vocal exercises designed exclusively for promo and trailer voice-over workouts.

* Instructions on how to produce your promo and trailer demo.

* You get to read and keep the original broadcast copy from hit movies and hit television shows.

* Learn trailer breathing and microphone techniques.

For more information about Rodney, you can visit his website or listen to Rodney's Voice Over Experts podcast episode.

Best,

Stephanie

In the spirit of wrapping up the summer with some voice acting classes as we turn away from August running for September, here's another one you don't want to miss...

Sacramento, watch out, a Whirlwind of Voice Over in the form of Julie Williams is due to hit on September 16th!

Half of the famous Voice Over Whirlwind Weekend duo, Julie Williams, will be presenting her Proven Voice-Over Techniques workshop in Sacramento, California this September.

Julie will be covering tips on how to use your voice professionally, coloring words, and also touch on marketing your talent in the business of voice over.

Learn more about previous experiences from a Voices.com review session on Julie Williams' Proven Voice-Over Techniques.

To register, go to Julie's website.

Best,

Stephanie

Were you on the call for the first lecture from Nancy and Anna on Acting for Advertising?

If not, be sure to jump in on the highly anticipated sequel tonight!

We covered this on VOX Talk (episode 42) last week, but I wanted to remind everyone that tonight, August 29th, Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino will be lecturing on Acting for Advertising, part II of their series on the subject.

The cost to participate on the call is $39 and the value you receive is amazing. I’ve been privileged to sit in on some of their teleseminars and recommend that you do too!

The class starts at 9 p.m. EST / 6 p.m. PST and lasts for 75 minutes. There is a 15 minute period of Q&A that follows the class, so stay on the line to get answers to your burning questions.

Also, Voices.com will be sponsoring this teleseminar, donating one copy of The Ultimate Business Plan for Voice Actors to be given to one fortunate voice actor attending the teleseminar - another great reason to join in the class :)

For more information and to register, go to BreakIntoVoiceOver.com.

Best,

Stephanie

Have you voted for your favorite Springfield impressions?

After reviewing an influx of Simpsons sound alike impressions, the team at Voices.com has narrowed the contestants down to 15 voice actors representing five of the most beloved Simpsons characters in history, including Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, Lisa Simpson and Krusty the Clown.

Prizes of $100 gift certificates to Amazon.com will be awarded in the following categories:

Best Homer Simpson Impression
Best Marge Simpson Impression
Best Bart Simpson Impression
Best Lisa Simpson Impression
Best Krusty the Clown Impression

Finalists for Best Homer Simpson Impression:

David Medford
Brad Venable
Philip Weber

Finalists for Best Marge Simpson Impression:

Amy Taylor
Paul Seidel
Rachel Robinson

Finalists for Best Bart Simpson Impression:

Gelfling
Kristi Stewart
Marcia Bennett

Finalists for Best Lisa Simpson Impression:

Angela Wolcott
Kara Edwards
Lila Atherley

Finalists for Best Krusty the Clown Impression:

Brian Whitaker
Greg Littlefield
Rick Gangi

These fine voice actors have made it to the finals where their peers and The Simpsons cartoon fans everywhere will decide who takes home the honors with total prizes valued at over $500.

Voting started on Monday August 27th and ends on Tuesday September 11th, 2007.

The winners as chosen by the public will be announced via the VOX Talk Podcast on September 13th, 2007 in a special Simpsons Tribute Episode. Select impressions sent in of other characters from the show, both individual characters and combination demos, will also be featured on the Simpsons Tribute Podcast.

Be sure to subscribe to VOX Talk to receive the show as soon as it is published!

What are you waiting for? Go listen and vote for your fave voice impressions now!

Best,

Stephanie and the Voices.com Team

If you're in Dallas or planning to be for September 15-16, 2007, it is worth your while to consider attending a voice over workshop instructed by Bettye Zoller, a weekend she promises to be exceptional and requested by popular demand.

Learn more about the workshop agenda, socialization and food that comes with the weekend!

As of today's date, (Monday August 27) there are six spaces left in September 15-16. Enrolling is easy and you can do so by telephone, email, or at Bettye's website using MasterCard or VISA. If mailing check or Money Order, ask Bettye for instructions first. There's even pick you up at your hotel if you are from out of town, so no rental car is needed.

If you enroll for the weekend, you'll attend two seminars: The Business of Voiceovers and Voice Acting Techniques for Today, catered to meet your needs on an individual basis, whether an amateur or professional voice actor.

Here's a note from Bettye about the conference agenda:

Saturday begins with continental breakfast... fruit, juices, delicious gourmet rolls and pastries, milk, hot coffee and more. Get acquainted and meet your colleagues who are also interested in or are performing voiceovers! The morning session consists of information on our business... where the jobs are and how to get them... the Internet revolution and how our business has radically changed, working with broadcast agents in many cities without ever leaving home, advertising yourself to those who hire voices, developing loyal, repeat clients, how to get the most money for your services, what vo talents are charging today, and a discussion of unions (AFTRA and SAG). After a group lunch in a nearby restaurant, we'll start the afternoon highlighting hands-on copyreading while you are coached and directed by Bettye Zoller and Surprise Guests!

You will announce solo and group copy pieces, learning more about voice attitudes and all kinds of voice acting techniques that will set you apart from others because of your higher skill levels! We'll work on believability, sincerity, character development, voice focus, vocal variety, and much more. We'll also work on helping you identify your SPECIAL UNIQUE VOICE ATTRIBUTES. You'll leave with an amazing handout packet and assigned work for the evening to prepare for tomorrow's workshop!

On Sunday we start at noon with buffet brunch items and all day beverages and coffee. The day will consist of more business information and more voice acting instruction too plus you'll be showing us your homework assignments. You'll have plenty of time to ask questions and get personal attention to your needs. The day will end about 4:30 p.m. You will be provided with more handouts to take with you to work on on your own for continuous improvement after our workshop has ended.

If you'd like to learn more, contact Bettye at her website.

Stephanie

P.S. Listen to Bettye's lecture on Voice Over Experts about crafting your Elevator Speech.

Voice Talent Jason McCoy’s elevator speech garnered him the grand prize at Voices.com’s 2007 60 Second Pitch Contest this summer.

Learn more about Jason McCoy and his voice over journey here at VOX Daily.

Nothing in business makes Jason McCoy happier than performing a variety of voice overs. For example, Jason loves reading and voicing everything from audiobooks, to commercials, to IVR scripts; he loves them all, especially since they come with the added bonus of being able to work from the comfort of his own home, yet, allow him to be heard everywhere.

Recently, that passion was publicly rewarded and acknowledged when voice talent Jason McCoy was awarded first place in the Voices.com 60 Second Pitch Contest, wowing the judges with a clear focus, conversational appeal and creative compilation of educational and business prowess.

Jason McCoy credits an interest in radio from a young age as the source of his fascination with voice over. From age 12, he pretended to be on the radio and would even use a computer microphone to record liners he had heard on a local radio station. Jason recalls spending hours upon hours playing music on the computer and editing in his voiced liners to hear how it sounded.

By the age of 17, Jason interned at a radio station to get experience and instantly fell head over heels for the production room, playing around with soundfx, writing liners, and on one fateful day, played them for the Program Director (PD). Within a year, he was made full time Production Director and became responsible for the 7pm-midnight air shift. Two years later, he was promoted to Program Director.

Although his role as Program Director lead him further up the ladder at the station, the creative production work and freedom that he enjoyed earlier eluded him, particularly the opportunity to do voice overs. Not to be discouraged, Jason began building a home studio and sent out demos to what seemed to be every radio station in America.

Jason noted, “I received a lot of rejection, but I was blessed to land 2 or 3 radio station contracts that year, one of which was WXTM-FM in Cleveland. I thought instead of working for one local radio station, I want to be able to work from home for many stations. So after 6+ total years with that station, I left radio and started McCoy Productions to do voice over and production.”

What started as just radio station imaging turned into a cornucopia of opportunity including voice over work such as telephone IVR, trailers, commercials, audiobooks, narration and many more.

Jason McCoy, when asked about what drives him, relates, “Hearing other talent inspires me. When I listen to the radio, I listen more for commercials to get new ideas. I love hearing the TV network voice overs. It's extremely inspiring to hear a great voice and think how can I improve to get closer to that talents level. I often think if I had that same sentence written out would I have delivered it the same way, and if not, which one sounded better? So really it’s the ability to always improve that inspires me. I believe success comes to anyone who is constantly attempting to improve.”

Jason McCoy’s first place win in the Voices.com 60 Second Pitch Contest distinguishes him as a businessman, communicator, and persuasive marketer with more than just a great voice, objectives that are attainable through hard work, perseverance, and professionalism as well as a humble heart.

To listen to his winning pitch and the 60 Second Pitch Award Show, visit:

http://podcasts.voices.com/voxtalk/

About Jason McCoy

Based in Salisbury, Maryland, Jason McCoy of McCoy Productions provides dry and fully produced professional voice over and audio production for radio / TV station imaging, commercials, theatrical trailers, narration, voice on hold, audiobooks, and presentations. McCoy Productions offers immediate turnaround, affordable rates and offers the highest quality of voice over and production. His partial client list includes organizations such as Unwired Nation, Nextit, St. Joseph Health Care System, KZLE-FM, KCDZ-FM, HouseMusic101.com, KBACE, and Gateway Church.

Voice Actors now have their very own business plan template made specifically for freelance talent to build their dream voice acting business upon or update their current operations from.

Looking for a ready-made business plan that you can customize and take to the bank?

Check out Voices.com's Ultimate Business Plan for Voice Actors.

Voice acting is one of the most segmented fields in the audio industry, short on facts, short on statistics, and one could say, short on business procedure. Voice acting was one of those businesses the majority of people found hard to define, pin down and map out a clear vision for financial success as a freelance voice actor, that is, until now.

At Voices.com, we recognized the need for a proven, statistics-filled business plan for voice actors that would prepare them for stepping out on their own as entrepreneurs working from professional-grade home recording studios and a blueprint readily accessible to established veterans moving from radio or television broadcast to voice acting full-time.

The major benefits of The Ultimate Business Plan for Voice Actors are that the business plan is full of concrete facts and statistics about the voice acting business, comprehensive research regarding business operations and procedures, sample recording studio equipment setups, a detailed marketing plan, a voice over rate sheet, and a variety of other bonuses including a sample invoice template, balance sheet, income statement and cash flow chart.

Voice actor John Weeks, said of the business plan and bonuses, “What a great idea and great way to keep track of things. It sure would come in handy at tax time!”

A stereotypical view of voice acting prevalent in society today is that anyone can do it and all that is needed is a great voice. Not so, says voice actor Thom Wilkins. Thom indicates that it takes more than just a great set of pipes and a dream.

Thom offers, “OK so you have the talent, the passion and your Voices.com account. What next? A successful voice-over business requires us to wear many hats, talent, sales, marketing and business management. To help focus on goals and objectives for the crucial early years, an excellent start is "The Ultimate Business Plan for Voice Actors", a clear starting point for creating a custom voice-over business plan. It includes key questions and facts and useful Excel spreadsheets relevant to the VO service industry. After all, how else do you measure success?”

As an industry experiencing significant growth, there has never been a better time to get into the business of voice acting. There are less barriers to entry, most notably the ability to work from anywhere in the world as well as affordable rates for audio recording studio equipment.

“Years ago, it was only a dream to have an all inclusive professional recording studio because of high costs of top equipment alone, much less software and marketing costs. Now it's actually affordable to have it all. Voices.com, you did it again!” exclaimed professional voice talent Tracey Rolfe.

The Ultimate Business Plan for Voice Actors is available at the Voices.com website, cost-effectively priced at the introductory rate of US$49.95 backed up by a no questions asked 30-day money back guarantee.

Learn more about The Ultimate Business Plan for Voice Actors.

Best wishes,

Stephanie, David and the Voices.com Team

What do you get when you combine crazy fans, Hasbro figurines, The Transformers, and voice actors Daniel Ross, David Kaye and Peter Cullen?

An awesome video segment on GameOne, that's what!

Want to see some Transformers coverage at BotCon 2007?

If you're into Anime, video games or Transformers, you'll love watching GameOne, a news meets entertainment series on all things gaming, tech and hardcore geeky hosted on GameTrailers.com.

Daniel Ross, voice of Starscream in the Transformers video game, was the person to point me in this direction. Several voice actors from the Transformers franchise are interviewed in this segment, including Daniel. "When I landed the part of Starscream, the fan inside of me was rejoicing because I was able to marry my hobby with my career."

Canadian voice actor and Voices.com talent David Kaye (also a self-proclaimed toy geek) is in this video featured commenting on his evolving roles on The Transformers cartoon series starting out as Megatron all the way up to Optimus Prime in the new series, noting that it is harder to be a "good guy" lately than it is to be on the other side of the tracks.

Peter Cullen, Canadian born voice actor, and original voice of Optimus Prime reprising his role in Michael Bay's movie, Transformers, was also in attendance and interviewed.

Peter revealed, "It's an honor to be able to rep so many great, great fans who fought for me and I'm glad to be back, I must say."

The 2007 Anime Expo is also covered in the video, so if you're an Anime fan, be sure to watch more than just the first segment of video.

Catch the video by clicking through this link.

Cheers,

Stephanie

Image source : My.Opera.com

Hearing children's voice overs sometimes makes me wonder if they are being fed direction through a line read.

Is the tone of voice and artistic interpretation we hear emanating from the mouths of babes actually of their own inspiration, or is it the guidance of a voice over coach or director in the booth?

After catching on camera shows on television the likes of "This is Daniel Cook" and "Teletubbies", one starts to analyze the voice overs and pick them apart mentally, even if they are performed by an adorable child with a pleasing voice.

It may go without saying, but many of the kids you see perform on television are gifted performers and have a knack for taking direction, which includes line reads.

A line read is when a director demonstrates the delivery of a scripted line the way they envision the actor to read it on stage or in the booth. Achieving the desired affect of a line read is accomplished by shaping the actor's voice with the intended artistic direction.

Line reads are doled out to adult actors and child actors alike both on camera and off, perhaps even more so for child voice actors who work on a cartoon series such as The BackYardigans or Arthur.

The question at hand is just how much more direction through line reads do child voice actors receive than their adult counterparts?

As I've never sat in on a voice over recording session at a television studio, I can neither confirm or deny that young on camera actors are coached with line reads, whether on camera or as voice actor, but I know that several of you can shed some light on this topic.

Maybe as a parent of a child voice actor who works from a home recording studio, you yourself are coaching through line reads.

If you have experience in this area or can share any feedback, add a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Yanik Chauvin

New to Voices.com?

If you'd like to learn more about our SurePay Escrow Service ( in other words, how you can get paid for work directly at Voices.com and earn feedback ratings ), read this tutorial created by Laurynda Pasma.

How can you use SurePay? Find out!

What is SurePay?

SurePay is an Escrow service that holds the client's deposit in a neutral bank account, which only releases payment once the client has downloaded the files and accepted the work as complete.

Talent can be hired by clients using SurePay via three methods:

1. Through Public Jobs (jobs posted to all eligible talent and appear under the Jobs tab)
2. Through Private Jobs (jobs posted to a select group of invited talent and offered through member websites)
3. Direct Contact (Private Job Offer to one talent on their website)

How it works

Situation: You've auditioned for a Job posted at Voices.com or you've been sent a Private Job.

• You've been emailed about a job. You submit your audition. You must submit an audition even if it is a private job offer.
• The client reviews their responses and adds a few talents to their Favorites list as a way of short listing their responses.
• The client decides he likes your quote, your proposal and is ready to work with you.
• The client clicks on either "Select This Voice" or a "Buy Now" button to create a formal Job Offer.
• Job Offer form is presented to the client. They can modify your quote, modify their deadline date, upload their script and leave a comment with further directions or just a greeting. The client is aware of the modest escrow fee that is added onto your initial quote. They click to send the job offer.
• You are sent an email letting you know that you've been offered a job by a client at Voices.com. You are asked to login to your Voices.com account, check the Jobs tab, review the offer and either Accept, Decline or Counter Offer.
• The client is emailed letting them know of your decision. If you have accepted the offer the client is asked to make a deposit for your services.
• The client makes a deposit to Voices.com for your services. *** This can be done via PayPal or by phone using their credit card *** Clients can call us, say who the payment is for (you) and we'll distribute the funds as well as send the client a receipt for the transaction.
• You are then notified that a deposit has been made and you can go ahead and record and upload the files.
• You upload the files to the Jobs tab and the client is sent an email letting them know a file has been uploaded. You can upload one file or several. All file types are accepted and the limit is 100 MB.
• The client logs into their account to download the files. They must click "I Accept" for us to be notified and for your name to appear in the Recently Hired List.
• We, Voices.com, release the deposit to your PayPal account.
• The client is asked to Leave Feedback on their experience with you and you are also asked to Leave Feedback on your experience with them.

Situation: You've just been contacted directly via email. No Job Offer sent.

• The client either finds you during a search of the Featured Talent Directory or the All Member Search or they may be contacting you from an audition.
• The client sends you an email either from your Voices.com website contact area or from an email link in your audition asking if you'd be interested in doing the job.
• You and the client negotiate back and forth via email and you agree to do the job.
• Direct your client back to your audition to click the "Buy Now" button to send you a Job Offer. (see steps above for what happens next).
• Or you direct the client back to your Voices.com website to send you a Private Job. The client must click on the SurePay icon or the Request Quote link on your Voices.com website.
• The client is then asked if they want to invite you to an existing job or a new job. This is where they must submit a private job posting for you.
• The Job is approved by us and you are sent an email letting you know you've been invited to respond to a job.
• Submit your response. The job should appear under Private Leads in your account.
• The client must make a formal Job Offer by clicking "Select This Voice" or "Buy Now" to start a job offer. (See previous situation for following steps)

We plan on implementing the ability for a client to make a payment directly to you via SurePay from your website (without having to post a private job) in the near future.

What are the Benefits?

• Clients know that their money is being held until they are satisfied with the recording.
• Talents know that the money is waiting for them and they can concentrate on the recording rather than billing.
• There is now a dispute resolution in place to help with any issues that may arise from a SurePay project since we will have access to the communications between talent and client.
• Talents receive valid feedback from a client they have worked with through Voices.com and recognition for their work and negotiation skills by being listed on the Recently Hired list.
• Fellow voice talent members know who is getting work.
• Voices.com is now part of the job awarding process so we are aware of which members are working. In the past we never knew who was working or who they were working for.

Do I have to use it?

The simple answer, no.

We are aware that many companies may use an invoice billing system and would be unable to use SurePay. You won't know if your client is willing to pay you using SurePay unless you ask. If they decline then you still have the option of negotiating on your own.

The SurePay escrow fee is 10% of what you quote. This sum is automatically calculated and factored into the amount you quote.

Example: Your Quote = 200
Escrow Fee = 20

Deposit Amount for Client = 220

At the end of the transaction the talent would receive the amount of $200 for their services. Voices.com would keep $20.

* To clarify, the SurePay fee is NOT a commission taken from voice talent, it is a fee added on top of the total quoted amount, approved and paid by the client, to process the transaction and mediate if necessary *

This fee covers the expense of PayPal account fees and any dispute resolutions or follows up correspondence required to settle an account between talents and clients.

Many voice talent also include the PayPal fees they will incur into their initial quote so that they receive the full amount if they've opted to be paid via PayPal by Voices.com.

Any downsides to not using SurePay?

๏ You will not receive Feedback that will be recognized by Voices.com
๏ You will not appear on the Recently Hired List
๏ Should a client not pay you, Voices.com will not be able to intervene on your behalf

We hope this additional information has helped to shed some light on the new SurePay feature at Voices.com.

Laurynda and Stephanie

This week brings us part two of three in an interview series with Joe Cipriano.

Listen to Jesse Springer's interviews with this VO great on the VOX Talk Podcast and discover some "behind the scenes" tales about how this project took flight here on the VOX Daily Voice Actor blog.

In an age where social media has brought people together online, Jesse Springer, a native of Seattle pursuing a voice acting career in Los Angeles, has found unique ways to hone his craft as a voice actor and promote his talents while becoming acquainted with the Who's Who of the voice over industry, conducting interviews through audio and video with legends in the field.

Concurrent with his voice acting career, Jesse is also working on a four-year degree in film production at Biola University. Although his summer holidays may be drawing to a close, Jesse Springer is never far from a microphone, or a high profile interview subject.

Joe Cipriano, known to many as the promo voice on FOX among other stations as well as the announcer for the Emmy and Grammy Award Shows, was the honored guest in Jesse's most recent interview series currently being podcast on VOX Talk, the #1 Voice Acting Podcast. Joe Cipriano is also a member of the famous Primetime Voices crew, alongside colleagues Don LaFontaine, George DelHoyo, Dave Fennoy, and Townsend Coleman to name a handful as well as being the sharply dressed spokesperson for Apple's GarageBand podcast and audio recording software.

The interview had been in the works for a couple of months, originally planned as a video segment for the documentary Jesse is shooting about the greats of voice over, including the likes of Ben Patrick Johnson, a voice artist whom Jesse had interviewed in April 2007.

Jesse's calling to share his newfound knowledge and connection to Joe Cipriano with his peers motivated him to get the process going with an audio interview as a precursor to the video interview.

When asked how the interview got off the ground, Jesse related, "I emailed him (Joe) an MP3 with some questions asking if he would send his responses when he had time to record them. He was in Italy at the time, but had said he'd love to get the answers to me when he returned to LA. He MP3'd those to me a couple of days later, I filled in the gaps and smoothed my end of the dialog over, and that was that!"

In between the Ben Patrick Johnson and Joe Cipriano interviews this summer, Jesse was auditioning daily for voice over jobs, marketing his voice talents and meeting with agents, all the while still attending school and making the grade. His chosen program of study develops integral qualities that merrily correlate with Jesse's production and voice over work, including networking, interacting with people in the media and maintaining composure, regardless of the situation or who he meets.

Jesse Springer, when asked about working with Joe Cipriano on the interview series, confided, "Joe's an amazing individual. Besides being a very accomplished voice talent who knows the industry well, he is very community oriented. As a 19-year-old voice actor, I look up to people who offer advice and direction for my voiceover career, and Joe is a fine example of just that."

The three part interview series on VOX Talk is accessible both through the iTunes Podcast Directory by subscription and on the VOX Talk website at Voices.com.

To learn more about Jesse Springer and listen to his voice samples visit:

http://www.jcspringer.com
http://jessespringer.voices.com

To listen to the VOX Talk Podcast, go to:

http://podcasts.voices.com/voxtalk

About Jesse Springer

Jesse Springer, a 19-year old voice actor and native of Seattle, is a rising star in the voice over industry. When Jesse isn't hitting the books at Biola University in the film department, he uses his voice to make a living and carve a niche for himself as one of the foremost voice actors in his age demographic. In his spare time, Jesse contributes to the VOX Talk Podcast at Voices.com, conducts interviews with voiceover artists and works on his highly anticipated documentary featuring great voiceover artists of the current age. Jesse currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Can you do an impression of one or several of the characters from The Simpsons?

Now is the time to let your character voice acting talent shine!

Enter the Voices.com Simpsons Sound Alike Challenge and may the best Springfieldite win!

Dan Castellaneta has provided the voice for Homer Simpson and a host of other characters on "The Simpsons", including Krusty the Clown, Grampa Simpson, Barney Gumble, Mayor Quimby, and Groundskeeper Willie.

In fact, Dan has the honor of being the voice of over 100 Simpsons characters over the years. In the early days of the program, the cast was given first dibs on auditioning for roles that were added to the show. If you've ever heard Dan, you know that he's full of voices and the number, while staggering, is not a terrible shock :)

While Dan's voice may be one of the official voices for specific Simpsons characters, we'd love to hear your impressions of Simpsons characters to feature on the VOX Talk podcast!

If you can do a bang on Homer, a killer Bart, Lisa, Marge, Krusty the Clown, or any other Simpsons character, we want to hear it!

Prizes of $100 gift certificates to Amazon.com will be awarded in the following categories:

Best Homer Simpson Impression
Best Marge Simpson Impression
Best Bart Simpson Impression
Best Lisa Simpson Impression
Best Krusty the Clown Impression

The winners will be chosen by YOU!

To celebrate, the winning MP3 Simpsons impressions will be aired on the VOX Talk podcast in a special Simpsons Tribute.

So to recap, here are the contest details:

- Record your best Simpsons character voice impression (between 30 and 60 seconds in length)
- If you're entering for more than one character in the prize categories, please send each character voice as an individual MP3 file
- Anyone can enter this contest whether or not they are registered with Voices.com
- Send the MP3 to stephanie@voices.com
- Contest deadline is Friday August 24th, 2007 at 11:59 PM EST

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Stephanie

Are you a voice actor who also does on camera work for a living?

Having good on camera skills is a plus and many people who do voice overs do not live on voice over alone.

If you fall into that niche, share some trade secrets here with your potentially camera-destined colleagues about how voice actors can make a splash on the screen as well as off.

When you're used to being behind the scenes it is a big stretch stepping up in front of a video camera.

Sitting in your comfy home recording studio and letting your voice do all the work is one of the most beloved aspects of the voice acting profession, so it's understandable to think that there are many people in voice over who have never been seen on TV or in film let alone cast in a role where they have to literally dress the part.

From what I've read on the subject, there are a few items that you'll want to observe while on-camera.

1. Wear solid colors
2. Don't wear any noisy or dangling jewelery
3. Be able to maintain a presence (and control your reflexes / body!)

Those may be commonsense suggestions for appearing on camera, but are helpful all the same, particularly if you are an announcer, reporter or news anchor.

For those of you who regularly perform on-camera as part of your career, how do you do it?

Do you have any tips to share with your peers on what to do should they end up in the limelight?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Steven Miric

What do you look for in a workshop?

We've compiled a brief survey that will give you the opportunity to make your voice heard! Let us know your opinions on what you prefer, what you're looking for, and also just how important food and socialization is at these events!

Want a workshop to come to your neck of the woods? Participate in the Voice Acting Workshops Survey Now.

For over a year, we've been providing details about voice over and voice acting workshops across Canada and the US, creating schedules of what's going on where and linking to the websites of the voice over coaches mentioned in those articles.

Now, I'd like to ask you some questions about how we can make this information more complete and better accessible to you online.

Let me say in advance that your participation in this survey is greatly appreciated.

The answers you provide will assist our network of voice over coaches and experts in planning their workshops as well as help us to better promote voice acting workshops here at Voices.com.

With the information you provide, we'll be able to present more opportunities catered to your professional development goals.

Thank you!

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/bubaone

Do freelance voice over professionals need a code of ethics?

Evaluating the construction and adoption of a code of ethics may be something to consider.

How do you feel about the idea and what would you hope to see in a code of ethics for the voice over profession?

While many talent on an individual basis have made the step to adopt a code of ethics for their voice over businesses, it seems like the right time to pose the question of whether a more encompassing code of ethics for voice actors and voice over professionals in North America is in order and if it would be beneficial moving forward.

The term "Code of Ethics" implies that a body of people with very similar objectives agrees upon certain key points that will clarify their position on issues pertaining to their work, particularly where morality and procedures are concerned.

As a popular reference, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean had a code loosely based upon the actual Pirate Code of the Brethren.

Andrew Olson, a Mathematics and Physics graduate with a minor in Philosophy from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD (1998), participated in a summer internship at the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Andrew participated in the Center’s Codes of Ethics Online project making an online archive of codes available to Internet users worldwide.

An article I found online written by Andrew, Authoring a Code of Ethics:
Observations on Process and Organization, presents an analysis of the codes of ethics included in that particular project, as well as a guide to producing codes of ethics.

Here is an excerpt from that article that briefly describes a code of ethics:

Codes of ethics are to be reflections of the morally permissible standards of conduct which members of a group make binding upon themselves. These standards of conduct often reach beyond or delve deeper into societal morality in order to give guidance to people within a group on issues that are specific to the group. Often, codes of ethics prioritize commonly conflicting principles, which underlie the standards of conduct within an organization, either by explicitly weighting the principles or implicitly ordering the principles in order to give guidance on how one is to act as a morally responsible agent of the group when situations require an element of compromise between principles.

After reading that description, do you think that having a code of ethics for voice over professionals and voice actors is a good idea?

Do you have any ideas that you would like to suggest? If so, add them as a comment here on this article.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/gocosmonaut

Is your contract up for renewal?

Chuck Kaiton just had has renewed his contract, continuing in full stride as the official play-by-play voice of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes.

Yesterday, McClatchey Broadcastings’ WRBZ-AM, Sports Radio 850 The Buzz and WDNC-AM 620 The Bull, announced the renewal of their agreement with the play-by-play voice of the Carolina Hurricanes, Chuck Kaiton.

“For the past six years, I have enjoyed my association with 850 The Buzz and now 620 The Bull as a means of trying to bring added interest to the triangle in the great game of hockey!" commented Chuck Kaiton.

Chuck Kaiton will be heard each weekday on game days at 6:10pm on The Chris Clark Show and weekday mornings, following games, with Adam Gold at 8:45am. Chuck Kaiton will also provide his sports commentary expertise at other various times on both WRBZ and WDNC.

Chuck Kaiton has been the franchise’s only play-by-play radio voice since the team joined the NHL in 1979, then known as the Hartford Whalers, also referred to on some sites as the New England Whalers (thanks Ralph).

An announcer with an illustrious past, The Hockey Hall of Fame named Chuck Kaiton as the 2004 winner of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award, an award given annually to National Hockey League broadcasters who make outstanding contributions to their profession during their careers. Chuck Kaiton became the 26th NHL broadcaster to be recognized in this way since the Hockey Hall of Fame began acknowledging broadcasters in 1984.

In addition to his work with the team, Chuck Kaiton has served as the president of the NHL Broadcasters Association for the past 21 years (1986-2007). A graduate of the University of Michigan, Kaiton began his broadcasting career in 1969 announcing Wolverine sports. In 1975, he went on to cover the University of Wisconsin sports teams and was named Wisconsin’s sportscaster of the year in 1979.

“Chuck Kaiton is without a doubt the best voice in the NHL, rich with history and knowledge. We’ve had a long relationship with Chuck and I’m pleased it will continue,” commented Brian Maloney, WRBZ/WDNC General Manager.

Here's the YouTube Video of Chuck Kaiton announcing Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Are you a "franchise" voice too like Chuck Kaiton is?

Add a comment here on this article and let us know which team you provide a voice for.

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. Check out this cool NHL Pronunciation Guide at USAToday.com.

Image of Chuck Kaiton © LegendsOfHockey.net

When it comes to voiceovers, how effective are they as in-store advertisements?

Has your voice been used to accompany in-store advertisements?

Hear about a Thunder Bay, ON Canada grocery store that has embarked on a high-tech journey using audio / visual marketing. Get the meat and potatoes of the story here at VOX Daily.

You may have run across in-store advertising before in high traffic consumer centers such as your grocery store, greeted by strategically placed television sets that play a looping advertisement for a particular product found in the aisles or how to prepare meals with goods that can be purchased behind the deli counter.

As reported in Thunder Bay's The Chronicle-Journal by reporter Jonathan Wilson, a local grocer and co-owner of the Quality Market, David Stezenko, is trying something new to increase sales and keep shoppers informed.

Quality Market has prominently displayed wide-screen television monitors in its two Thunder Bay outlets in partnership with Markham-based company, Captive Channel.

The report said that the screens feature rotating in-store specials, weather information, news headlines and non-stop 30-second commercials for ice cream, chocolate bars, dog food and charity organizations.

In total, nine screens were installed at Quality Market's Centennial Square location and eight at the County Fair Plaza outlet.

Quality Market is the first independent grocer to offer Captive Channel in Thunder Bay.

After investing a considerable amount into the screens, Stezenko is confident that they will see a quick return on their investment as Quality Market will receive a share of the revenue from national advertisements shown on the screens.

I'm interested to hear what you think about in-store advertising and how effective it is. What do you think of voiceovers used in these ads?

Add a comment with your thoughts below!

Best,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Stephanie Horrocks

Have you ever had a brush with greatness?

Whether it's been a local on-air personality or a Hollywood Starlet, we've all had a 'brush' with greatness at some time or another.

Share your stories on VOX Daily!

While many keep their eyes out for people for individuals in the media and cultural icons including actors, musicians, royalty, authors, and high profile activists and politicians, there are people who are giants in their own right that walk among us that we interact with as well, even if we are not fully aware of their influence.

As is the case with voice over, being heard and not seen, it is harder for someone to recognize you if you are a vocal celebrity and not an on-camera talent.

However, when someone runs into a voice actor and then discovers that the person they are standing beside has been a part of their life over the years through various cartoons, commercials, announcements, on-air, or through narrations on TV, they can hardly believe their eyes and it often is more affecting than meeting someone who you are accustomed to seeing in person as your image and expectations regarding that person are already formed.

Greatness is a very subjective term, and just like beauty, greatness is in the eye of the beholder.

What defines greatness in your opinion and have you been in the presence of greatness?

Add a comment and let the conversation begin!

Looking forward to your reply,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Kamruzzaman Ratan

Simon Cowell is best known as the hard hitting, merciless member of the triumvirate on American Idol, but as we've heard and seen in recent days, he's quite the opposite when taken out of the camera's glare.

Politics.co.uk has shone the limelight on a different Simon Cowell along with TV presenter, DJ and model Fearne Cotton, promoting the warm and fuzzy side of Cowell in particular.

Discuss the UK advertisement "I'm An Animal Help Me Out"!

RSPCA

During July of this year, the RSPCA teamed up with famous broadcast personalities Simon Cowell and Fearne Cotton to produce 90 second advertisements raising awareness for the RSPCA's efforts to rescue and "re-home" needy animals.

RSPCA stands for The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and their vision is "to work for a world in which all humans respect and live in harmony with all other members of the animal kingdom". The organization has enjoyed royal patronage since 1840 with the present Queen Elizabeth II as its Patron.

Advertisement with Celebrity Voiceovers

The 90 second TV ad called "I'm An Animal Help Me Out" first hit television sets on Monday 16 July. It has been created using inspiration from reality TV shows as a new way to grab viewers' attention on a serious subject.

The ad plays on the popular voting feature of reality TV programs where viewers are moved to text or phone vote for their favorite person or act. The first campaign featured three stories of animals who need saving.

They are:

1. Poppy the kitten who has been dumped in an alleyway and left to starve.
2. Honey the dog who has been beaten by his owner.
3. Tilly the puppy who has been used by her owner as an ashtray to stub cigarettes out.

An interesting and fitting spin is that through voting for any one of the three animals to be rescued, all animals win because all the proceeds go to support the RSPCA. The phone numbers are identical to show that each animal is equal and deserves the same amount of love and rescuing.

None of the stories used are real cases but are based on the typical sorts of situations the RSPCA faces day in day out.

Quick Facts about the Campaign

• Simon Cowell and Fearne Cotton gave their time for free to do the voiceover and received no payment from the RSPCA
• The TV ad is supported by online marketing activity including banners, as well as a door drop to households in key viewing areas
• There are two versions of the ad - one which asks viewers to text to make a donation and one which asks viewers to call
• The ad was created by London-based marketing agency bright

Simon Cowell on the Ads and the RSPCA

Simon Cowell said: "When I was asked to get involved with this project for the RSPCA, I didn't hesitate. I think the work they do is vitally important in protecting many thousands of animals from harm and neglect every single year.

"Inflicting any kind of suffering on a defenseless animal is one of the most deplorable acts a human being can do and we all have a responsibility to stop this from happening. The RSPCA doesn't receive any Government funding whatsoever, so they are totally reliant on the generosity of the public.

"Put simply, the RSPCA cannot continue to rescue, treat and re-home over a thousand neglected, injured and sick animals every month without your help. So please show your support in any way you can."

The advertisement has been shown on national and regional TV channels including Living, UKTV, E4, Granada, and HTV Wales and West since Monday 16 July.

At present, the three animals you can vote to save are Banjo, Heidi and Ralph with a link to look at "previous lucky winners".

Watch the Advertisement

Download and watch the advert at a supporting microsite for the RSPCA.

What do you think of this concept? Have you watched the advertisements or voted?

Best,

Stephanie

Image © RSPCA.org.uk

Have you experienced Voice Over Experts yet?

If you haven't, here's a quick intro to the podcast and a taste of what you can expect from the Voice Over Experts Podcast at Voices.com.

Catch episode 08 with Deborah Sale Butler here and find links to other episodes as well.

This is definitely a podcast you should be subscribed too!

Links from today's show:

Deborah Sale Butler
Deborah Sale Butler Voices.com Website
Listen to more episodes of Voice Over Experts

Your Instructor this week:

Voice Over Expert Deborah Sale Butler

Deborah Sale Butler has been a voice-actor and a voice/speech/dialect coach for over 20 years. She has taught voice and speech at The Pittsburgh Playhouse School, The Second City Training Center in Chicago, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (LA) and The Stella Adler Academy of Acting in Hollywood. She has coached students from around the country and around the world in speech and accent reduction and now coaches privately through her own company, ACT WITH YOUR VOICE in Los Angeles. She coaches actors in person or over the phone on a per-project or ongoing basis. Her approach is to teach students to become aware of their own speech in order to express their inner voice.

Had a cup of Joe yet today?

Jesse Springer, a VOX Talk correspondent, recently interviewed Joe Cipriano, famed promo voice, Apple spokesperson for podcasting with GarageBand, and one of the PrimeTimeVoices.com crew.

Tune in to VOX Talk to listen to part 1 of 3 in an interview series produced by Jesse Springer with the one and only Joe Cipriano!

Familiar with Joe Cipriano?

Joe is heard on television sets in households everywhere with his recognizable style doing primetime voice over promos for Fox, NBC, and CBS among other stations. He's that voice that promotes shows before they come on the air like The Simpsons for instance.

He's also the live announcer for the Grammys and the Emmys.

Jesse Springer, a professional voice talent based in California and member of Voices.com, has created a three-part interview series to air on the VOX Talk podcast with Joe Cipriano - a podcast series not to miss!

I just published the first interview segment on VOX Talk this morning.

To check it out, go to the Voices.com Podcast Center and click on the VOX Talk "podcover" (that's a jargon term for image or CD cover).

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Best,

Stephanie

P.S. If you can't get enough of Joe, also check out Donna Papacosta's interview with Joe Cipriano from December of last year.

The 2007 London Fringe, a festival that features new and upcoming actors, is now in full swing in London, Ontario Canada.

One play in particular, Walking the Labyrinth is a one man show written and performed by Peter Cavell, jam packed with voice overs and well worth attending.

The show is described as follows:

Awakening in an unfamiliar place, the wanderer must find his way through the twisting Labyrinth, and face the beast that waits at the centre. Walking the Labyrinth is a dark, psychological re-imagining of the story of Theseus, combining live and recorded speech, electronic vocal distortion, original music, and 2000-year old poetry.

I attended "Walking the Labyrinth" at The McManus Studio located downtown at The Grand Theatre in London, a stones throw from several local landmarks including Victoria Park, St. Peter's Basilica, and St. Paul's Cathedral.

Synopsis

A brief synopsis of the ancient story is that King Minos of Crete demanded from Athens a yearly tribute of seven youths and seven maidens who were set loose in the Labyrinth, an immense stone maze, to be killed and devoured by the Minotaur. To put an end to the sacrifices, Theseus, son of the King of Athens, volunteered to be part of the tribute. After landing on Crete, he met and fell in love with Ariadne, daughter of King Minos. Ariadne secretly gave Theseus a sword with which to kill the Minotaur and a thread to help him find his way back out of the Labyrinth. He entered the maze, slew the beast, and returned triumphant.

The play starts with heavy breathing and screams with foreign languages being spoken in whispers accompanying the solo actor upon the stage who we soon learn is Theseus of Athens, lost inside the Labyrinth of King Minos.

Performance

The performance was amazing and Peter was able to captivate the audience throughout by using techniques from Greek Theatre, acting as a narrator or interpretor in some cases to communicate the plot from a different point of view to his audience.

There were so many great linguistic qualities in the show as well as technical that I made sure to meet with Peter after the performance to ask him a number of questions about how the show was produced, about the voice overs, sound effects, and use of ancient languages.

As I said, this was a one man show and it was thoroughly accompanied by voice over recordings as well as miked. The disembodied, recorded voice over of Ariadne (Danielle Buonaiuto), both in song and spoken word, spoke to Theseus at times which added a melodic and melancholic air to the production.

The tension in the air was so thick. Themes that ran throughout the character of Theseus and the play itself were anguish and despair which contrasted nicely with Ariadne's hopeful, gentle and somewhat modal intercessions.

Sound Effects

The sound effects used were reminiscent of the stone walls of the Labyrinth; cold, hollow, and wreaked of vermin and infestation. Their hollowness was symbolic of how isolated, desolate and cavernous the Labyrinth of King Minos must have been according to legend and many of the voice overs also took on a life of their own embodying similar traits.

Languages

If you are a language buff, you'll be pleased to know that Peter used not one but five languages in his play to add texture and amplify the other worldly atmosphere of the Labyrinth including Ancient Greek, Ancient Latin and Liturgical Latin, French, and English.

Although Peter honed his musical craft in theory and composition at the University of Western Ontario, the play sprung forth from an opera Peter had written as a Masters student last year at the University of Victoria. He likened the opera and the play to theme and variation.

Recording and Editing Techniques

For recording, Peter employed the Audacity software from his home PC using an SM58 microphone for Ariadne and select voice overs he recorded himself. Two different Shure microphones were used to record with for various voice overs. Peter recorded some of his own voice overs with a headset to keep consistency throughout the live show, wearing the headset on the stage as well.

Audio editing was accomplished by using Adobe Audition. Peter admits that "A liberal application of reverb covers up a lot of nasty stuff (all though you can't use it all the time, obviously)". There also was a lot of EQing going on to emphasize natural vocal qualities. Other effects Peter used included the flange, chorus effect, and a de-hissing tool which he says is fantastic.

The play runs until August 6th at the McManus Studio Theatre.

To learn more about Walking the Labyrinth visit PeterCavell.com.

Image © PeterCavell.com