It's Time to Celebrate!

It's the very last day of October, and for some of you, you're reading this posting on the 1st of November. My goodness, between the start of autumn and the first brush of snow, how quickly time has flown by...

What was October like in your voice over studio? Any interesting gigs you'd like to talk about?

Leave a comment!

How'd October Shape Up For You?

Just a reminder that all voice over work, including from your own efforts offline, gigs from your agents or jobs you've landed online through the voice over marketplace are welcome.

It's not where they came from that matters to me, it's that you got work :)

Comment to join the conversation!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/ShyMan

As promised in my interview with Matt Cowlrick earlier this month, I have some exciting news from the world of broadcast television that gives you a behind the scenes look at how the Gollum-Off went last week.

Pictured above are Matt Cowlrick with the man of the hour, Andy Serkis.

Watch the segment and hear about Matt's experience on VOX Daily!

VOX: Thank you for coming back on the blog and for sharing your news, Matt. Now that you've been on the Richard and Judy Show, I'm eager to ask those follow up questions :) What was the atmosphere like?

MATT COWLRICK: It was a whole heap of fun! Though there were a bunch of celebrities hanging out on the show, not many people took themselves too seriously. I didn't know what to expect at first, and was beginning to think it was going to be quite formal, as I was picked up in a fancy black car and there were a lot of 'procedures' being carried out at the start of the show. It turned out that it was all laid back once we got in there.

VOX: How many other contestants were there?

MATT COWLRICK: There were two other impressionists. Dougie, who entered Britain's Got Talent with his Gollum impression, and Hilary, who has done work as a Gollum 'look-a-like'! It's always fun to meet other people that are as strange as me.

VOX: Did you just have to walk up and do you impression or was there any preamble?

MATT COWLRICK: We mingled around in the 'stage bar' for most of the show. That is where Andy Serkis and all the other special guests were before they went onstage to speak with Richard and Judy. We hung out there with the comedian Stephen K. Amos, and he was the one who introduced the people in the bar to the camera.

VOX: How long did you spent preparing for this moment?

MATT COWLRICK: I didn't want to think too much about it, as I was already really nervous about making a 'screen appearance'. I figured that if I went in there and just had a good time, it would come across better than if I tried to prepare a perfect impression and rehearsed a whole scene or skit. Once I reached the moment, it ended up being fun!

So I didn't spend the day or evening before stressing too much. Funnily enough, my standard day is probably quite similar to Gollum's (I'm sure my fellow voice actors will agree) - cooped up in a small space, talking to myself.

VOX: Did you get any feedback directly from Andy Serkis?

MATT COWLRICK: I spoke to Andy afterwards and he said the impression was excellent, and that it was a tough one to pick out a winner. Unfortunately he had to dash off pretty quickly, so there wasn't too much time to chat. He enjoyed being on the show, and seemed to be amused by our sound-a-like efforts. He's an extremely approachable guy and a top bloke.

VOX: Have you been recognized on the streets as one of the people on the show?

MATT COWLRICK: Other than a couple of people deliberately going out of their way to avoid me on the street... no, just kidding. No recognition as of yet, and you won't catch me doing an impression to a policeman in order to get out of a speeding fine. I just don't think it would work in my favour.

VOX: Has the show lead to anything new for you prospect wise in your career?

MATT COWLRICK: Being a TV program, there isn't much I can pursue directly as a voiceover artist. However I have made contacts at the studio now, so you never know where that may lead. You need that mentality in this industry, as you never know where the next job is going to come from.

VOX: What was your favourite moment during the show?

MATT COWLRICK: It had to be meeting the man himself! Andy Serkis has been a real inspiration to me, since first seeing him in the first Lord of the Rings movie.

VOX: Do you have a snippet you could share with us?

MATT COWLRICK: I do!

VOX: So Matt, what's next for you?

MATT COWLRICK: I have had contact with two of the agents here in London, and will be meeting with them in the next week. London is a big town, so I'm still exploring around the place and meeting industry contacts that I only know via the internet. Other than that, I am continuing work with the Australian Comedy Network and clients back in Oz. Oh, and taking advantage of all the wonderful culture in London - I'm in paradise!

Thank you to those who followed along with this little event - I really appreciate your support. Now you can laugh acting the goat again, but at least I'm not in a loin cloth this time!

Any Comments for Matt, on the Gollum Impressions or the Show?

Be sure to send us your feedback by leaving a comment!

Cheers from the Aussie Matt in the UK and all of us here in Canada at Voices.com,

Stephanie

Photo courtesy Matt Cowlrick

What do you do when your best efforts yield no fruit?

This article was inspired by the story of one voice talent who hasn't found work online through the marketplace in over a year.

Want to read his story?

Water, Water Everywhere But Not A Drop To Drink

Some of you may relate to this paraphrased quote from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Each time you login to the site you see jobs upon jobs just waiting to be auditioned for, and you audition for them, but somehow, those jobs end up in the hands of other voice talent instead.

This may not be limited to auditions, but may also translate to private job offers that you wish would appear but for whatever reason never come.

Jerry's Story

Jerry James has auditioned over 1100 times over the past year and a bit at Voices.com and has been wondering why he isn't seeing results.

I first took note of Jerry's plight when he would comment on Who Got the Gig postings, sharing that although he had auditioned X times, he still hadn't received one bite from a client.

This occurred 4 times, and throughout, the Voices.com team did our best to help Jerry by directing him to resources, reviewing his auditions, listening to demos, examining his profile and finally when we had exhausted our resources, directed him to seek counsel from a voice over instructor or career coach who could help him professionally.

Along the way, Julie Williams, the angel that she is, also donated her Proven Voice-Over Techniques CD to see if she could help him through her workshop.

Some time passed following the 4th comment and I hadn't heard from Jerry on the blog for quite a while. However during the summer, he commented on another Who Got the Gig quite distressed acknowledging that after 1100+ auditions he still hadn't gotten any work.

I realized then that the purpose of this comment was more than to simply participate on the blog, it was a cry for help. The comments were becoming more and more distraught and had reached a climax, bordering on desperate and potentially, offensive to others.

At this point, I had approved many milder comments of this nature but felt that the comment submitted right then at that moment was potentially more harmful to him than it was helpful.

I took into consideration:

1. What would people think if this gentleman has auditioned over 1100 times with no work gained, even direct contacts?

2. Would this new tally of numbers put him in a bad position if it were made public?

3. Would people question his professionalism? Suggest he leaves VO for a different line of work?

4. Would he potentially lose future work because of the comments posted?

5. Is this the kind of information that should be available for all to see? If people respond negatively, how would this affect his self-esteem?

After evaluating the above questions this past June, I prudently decided to address his comment myself off the blog and not publish it for all to see.

I thought by doing this in private that I was preserving his dignity and professionalism while also being available to him on a different, more personal level than if I were to simply approve the comment and be done with it.

I explained that there are very few reasons that a blog comment may be moderated or addressed off the blog (moderation of comments on VOX Daily is extremely rare, 1 in 1000 perhaps) and his comment lined up with some of the criteria that I use to distinguish if a comment meets our community guidelines to be posted, or in this case, not posted.

There are only 3 reasons why I would choose to moderate a comment:

1. If the comment is not relevant to the article

2. If the comment is malicious or singles someone out inappropriately for the purpose of injury

3. If the comment is of a sensitive nature or could be an embarrassment for someone should it be approved for all to see (i.e. a person comments assuming I'm the only person who will see it without thinking that their comment will be posted to the public)

This particular comment was left on our new products post, which meant that two of the three guidelines would be compromised if approved, those being #1 and #3. The comment was placed on an article that didn't talk about getting jobs through auditions and it was also, at least in my opinion, of a sensitive nature.

My response, though sincere and professional, was rejected and instead of gratitude was met with criticism to which I replied politely and that was that.

Time passed.

This brings us to the second comment Jerry left just a few days ago on the Premium membership giveaway.

Again, the comment was accompanied by a staggering number of unsuccessful auditions, and although I could have just approved it as it was, I chose to edit the comment which still enabled him to remain in the draw. I did this in efforts to preserve his professionalism, something that I am now sorry to have done as it was obviously not what he desired.

What Jerry really wanted through all of these comments was to feel connected to his community and share his concerns with people who could identify with him.

Do any of you feel as Jerry does? Perhaps you have some tips to share instead.

If you'd like to leave a comment with your thoughts, you're invited to do so below.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Živa Kirn

It's time for some fun!

There are so many wonderful videos out there on YouTube that celebrate voice acting and voice overs.

What are your favorites?

Comment with the video URL (the web page the video is hosted on) and let me know why you chose to submit it :)

YouTube Rocks

It may go without saying, but YouTube is certainly a hub of activity for watching videos of all kinds, including videos about our beloved industry and art of voice acting.

For those of you who haven't experienced YouTube, the site hosts millions of videos uploaded by its members that can be voted for, commented on and shared with other people.

Some are short snippets lasting only a few seconds while others creep up quite close to the 10 minute limit imposed by YouTube.

Take Note

Interesting fact: YouTube.com was bought by Google in 2006 for more money than you'd ever believe unless it were printed on paper. The buying price? $1.65 billion.

An even better fact: There are a variety of gems about voice acting from different perspectives in the industry, too.

One of the reasons why I'm asking you to send me links to your favorite videos about voice overs on YouTube is because we are going to stock our Voices.com video blog full of your picks to share with the voice over community online in one convenient place, courtesy of your suggestions, and of course, YouTube.

Here's a just one video about voice acting that is hosted on YouTube, a classic to be sure:

Do You Have a Favorite Video About Voice Over Featured on YouTube?

Comment with the URL of the video and share why you like it!

Looking forward to hearing from you and discovering some new voice over videos :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Image via SearchEngineWatch.com

Have you ever taken a moment to think about whether or not your signature voice (the voice that makes you the most money) and your personality are related?

Let's take a look at these two elements and consider how they are connected.

When we're through, comment to let me know if your signature voice and personality are alike!

Personality

Your personality is in essence who you are as a person, what you believe, hold dear, how you act and invariably, your mannerisms which combined result in the uniqueness of you.

These traits often manifest themselves in your voice as well as in your demeanor and actions.

Signature Voice

What is a signature voice?

The signature voice is representative of the kind of read you are most often hired to perform, in many cases, a polished version of your natural speaking voice.

Finding your signature voice is akin to finding your niche or trademark. Once you've identified which reads best line your coffers, taking into consideration the kind of voicing style, range and interpretation, you've found your signature voice.

Are Personalities and Signature Voices Related?

Think for a moment about your personality traits and then compare them with your signature voice.

Do you see any parallels? Any similarities?

Case In Point

Although I don't perform voice overs professionally, I was a professional singer prior to my career at Voices.com, and can draw parallels between my personality and the style I was hired to perform in most frequently when singing at events and ceremonies.

Personality

Generally, I'm a pretty outgoing person who enjoys the finer things in life, including chocolate as many of you are aware ;) I love my family, reading, period films, devouring history, english studies and writing. I'm the sort of person who would never turn down an opportunity to watch The Antiques Road Show or take part in a good, lively debate. I'm also quite conservative, prudent, socially conscious and am deeply passionate about issues that I believe in and am exceptionally dedicated to what I do.

Signature Voice

I was classically trained as a soprano and was groomed to sing as a soloist and as a chorister. When I was in choirs, I was often floating from part to part, singing first soprano, second soprano and some alto parts, granted my voice was happier in the stratosphere so to speak.

Along with being a soloist, I developed a habit of "sticking out" as it were in choirs and had to tone it down and learn to "blend" (an interesting debate for another time). Sticking out isn't necessarily a bad thing as many of you can relate, but can also turn out to be a beneficial and advantageous trait when you assume a leadership role or take center stage.

Vocally, I have operatic vibrato at my disposal and was a favorite soloist for weddings singing classical repertoire such as Schubert's Ave Maria, Franck's Panis Angelicus and Bach's Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. I love to sing hymns and psalms and was a cantor for a number of years, also a music director and private voice instructor specializing in music for children, all based upon a bel canto foundation.

The Verdict:

To sum up both personality and voice, I'm going to borrow three words from teachers I studied with that they used to describe my voice. Those words are "burnished bell" and "powerhouse".

Do they match up with my personality as much as they do my voice? I happen to think they align quite well.

I don't mean to overload you with too much information, but this is the kind of backtracking, reminiscing and deep thinking you may need to do when making the full correlation between your personality and signature voice.

Does Your Personality Match Your Signature Voice?

If it does, let me know how! If not, do explain :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Amanda Rohde

Want to Win a Voices.com Premium Membership?

I'm very excited to give this prize away and can't wait to hear from you!

If you'd like to win a 1-year Premium membership to Voices.com, valued at $299, effective upon the launch of the new site, leave a comment!

Premium Membership to Voices.com

By joining Voices.com as a Premium member, you'll discover the power of online career management using intuitive technology and bolster your career with superior marketing opportunities and visibility for your voice at Voices.com.

With the ability to upload 100MB of audio, video, and text documents, your Voices.com website will be the primary destination for clients seeking your vocal expertise on the Internet. You'll be able to audition for jobs and promote your services in Unlimited Featured Talent Directory Listings as well as enjoy priority ranking in the Voices.com search engine.

Here's some more information:

๏ Audition for voice-over jobs that are sent to you via email. We guarantee that all voice talent will receive the project notifications at the same time. 500+ jobs are posted at Voices.com each month.

๏ Get contacted directly. Clients can email you from your web page (http://yourname.voices.com) and hire you for work.

๏ Showcase your voice-over demos online. Easily send files to business associates, casting directors and advertising agencies. (100MB)

๏ Priority ranking in the search results. Your name appears above other membership levels.

๏ Be promoted as a Featured Talent on the home page.

๏ Get paid directly. Set your own rates. Accept online credit card payments with the industry-leading SurePay™ Escrow service or by using your own PayPal account.

๏ Bonus eBooks! Included are the 150 page eBook "The Definitive Guide to Voice-Over Success", "The Voice Over Script Collection" and "Commercial Scripts for Radio and Television Ads", a $90 value!

How Do You Enter For a Chance to Win?

All you need to do is have a preexisting profile on Voices.com (regardless of voice talent membership level) and comment on this article to let me know that you'd like to win the 1-year Premium membership subscription to Voices.com!

This is open to all voice talents (international voice talents included) and the drawing will take place on November 1st, 2008 so be sure that you're in by October 31st to be safe :)

Each week, there will be something different, so be sure to subscribe to VOX Daily to get the Saturday Giveaway notices as well as other voice acting articles throughout the week.

The giveaways will include voice acting:

๏ Books
๏ DVDs
๏ Coaching Sessions
๏ Recording Equipment
๏ Gift certificates
๏ Workshop / Conference Passes
๏ Unique Promotional Opportunities

When is the Winner Chosen?

Winners will be drawn randomly from the comments left on the blog and announced the following Saturday. Those who win will be notified by email at which time we'll confirm their shipping address. On the following Saturday, the winner will be announced and another opportunity to win a Saturday Giveaway will present itself.

I'd like to say congratulations to last week's contest winner, Crystal Porter, who will be receiving a Traditional Medicinals prize package in the mail soon.

Comment Now for an Opportunity to Win a Premium Membership to the All-New Voices.com!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Don't forget to comment for your chance to win :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

One of the benefits of using Twitter (you can find me here) is that you know about something quickly even before other major outlets pick up the news.

Today was no exception as I read a tweet posted by my friend Alison Pitman this morning, a voice over professional in the UK, directing me to a timely blog post she wrote raising a number of very interesting questions that warrant further debate.

Also, a couple of weeks ago I happened to be reading another friend's blog, David Bourgeois from Voice Coaches, and he wrote some commentary that I think you'll find uplifting regarding how you can make strides to push through times of difficulty as an entrepreneur.

How is the economy affecting your voice over business?

Click here to read more on what Alison and David are thinking as well as some commentary from yours truly.

Once finished, I invite you to comment with your thoughts :)

Voiceover Work in the Downturn

By Alison Pitman
The Phone Voice, British Voice Over Artist
Bristol S. Glos. UK

How is the looming recession affecting your voiceover business?

Some voice talents have reported a downturn of 30%, others not so high but some voice talents have been hit even harder. Experienced voiceover artists hope to weather the storm, but where does this leave the novice voice artist, and those just dipping their toe in the voiceover market.

Over the past 6 weeks, I've noticed a slow down in direct voiceover enquiries and online and offline audition opportunities. It may just be a blip or could indicate a more general trend for the coming months and years.

So what does this all mean?

1. Will new wanabee voice talents move quickly out of the VO business as VO jobs become harder and harder to come by? Will this leave more work for the established artists?

2. Will new VO talents who offer their services at lower prices than established talent pick up more and more work as clients cut their voiceover budget?

3. Will clients start using "John from accounts with the nice voice" to record their voicemail messages, telephone greetings rather than a pro voice artist?

4. Will established talent have to drop their rates to secure work?

5. Will potential clients be more alive to the benefits of using a professional Voice to create a professional brand and image for their company?

6. Will voice talents have to re-double their marketing efforts? Will we have to find new markets for our services as traditional voiceover markets retract?

7. Is amateur hour almost over?. Voiceover artists are now going to have to take their business seriously - invest in their marketing, their websites, SEO, analyze whether all or any of the online casting sites are worth the investment, work on promotion and discover their versatility and adaptability.

8. When will it all end - and how many of us will be left standing?

Alison Pitman
Alison Pitman on Voice Over Experts

We Predict Election Winner!

By David Bourgeois
Voice Coaches, President
Creative Voice Development Group
Schenectady, NY USA

I am an American and a small business owner. I don't know about any of you, but I am always impressed with the men and woman who are willing to run for president. Regardless of Obam-inality, or McCain-ism, it is impressive to see individuals who are committed to leading, particularly in these complicated times.

Regardless of how either candidate does, if you are pursuing voice over work professionally... YOU are the winner!

Why?!!

Because instead of sitting back and complaining or worrying about the economy, you are taking an active role in your financial future. Instead of relying solely on your current employer or former employer's pension to afford you a comfortable lifestyle, you are working to control that on your terms.

Far too many people are content to sit on the sidelines when it comes to the things that they want to do in life. This willingness to always be reliant on others is part of the reason that many of us run into financial and lack-of-fulfillment issues to begin with. From the time you make a decision to achieve something, you are putting yourself in a winning position. Regardless of election polls and news reports, you ultimately control a great deal of your life's outcome.

Remember, regardless of whether you think you CAN do something, or think you CAN'T do something... you will probably be right!

Best Regards!

David Bourgeois
David Bourgeois on Voice Over Experts

A Bright Reality and Even Brighter Future for Voice Overs

By Stephanie Ciccarelli
Voices.com, Co-founder
London, ON Canada

Some great news for voice over talents!

Last month, and the month prior, we posted a record number of voice over jobs at Voices.com. Now, the majority of these opportunities are Private Jobs (direct contacts), however, since they are direct job offers, they aren't visible on the main jobs board for all to view.

We anticipate that there will be even more job opportunities posted at Voices.com in the coming weeks and months ahead through partnerships we have developed and the relaunch of the all-new Voices.com.

I think Alison hit a lot of nails on the head for a variety of cases and scenarios. What we must remember though is that every person is unique and their responses will be too.

Many aspiring pros may find that it's time to move on and that will make it easier on the pros to get the work that may otherwise go to someone less qualified.

These are all questions that need to be asked, but I think if a positive mindset is kept during these economic times of hardship, the outcomes will be positive and perhaps even more exciting.

In accordance with David, I also believe that as entrepreneurs you are masters of your own destiny and prospective work. No one can fire you, lay you off or lose confidence in your work except yourself.

Remember that!

If everyone who is in this business as true professionals can step up to the challenges and aim for success and "business as usual", the present economic struggle won't affect their business nearly as much as it could if they allowed themselves to fall into the dangerous conversations and negative reports being disseminated by the media, some politicians and financial institutions.

What Do You Think? Any Comments?

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Andrew Dernie

Are you feeling icky?

I've asked a couple of very helpful voice over coaches to share how they get through yucky voice conditions including their preferred methods of going from sickness to health during cold season.

Graciously sharing two different perspectives gained from years of experience and practical application, take heed to what Bettye Zoller and Debbie Munro have to say and get yourself on the path to feeling better, for you and for the good of your voice over career!

Advice From Bettye Zoller

Remedies for hoarse (damaged vocal folds) voice:

1. You have hurt the vocal folds, tiny and delicate string-like tissues in the voice box or larnyx which create vocal sound when they rub together pushed by breath. When you shout or talk to much for too long, the vocal folds can become rough, red, almost like a chapped hand ffrom winter winds, and can swell. In extreme vocal abuse cases, the folds develop nodules which are like a "corn" on the toe. If these harden, they are called "nodes." They often must be surgically removed. COMPLETE VOCAL REST is mandatory with hoarseness (at least, talk as little as possible until gently 'trying out' the voice to see if it's recovering somewhat. Drink lots of water. No alcohol (it's drying).

2. Wrap your mouth opening with scarf when in winter winds. Harsh bitter-cold wind rushing down your throat onto your warm and moist vocal folds often can cause hoarseness!

3. See your physician and try to "nip colds short in the first day or two" before they accellerate into something worse. Some doctors have sprays for the nose and throat that are wonderful too.

4. Sleep with a humidifier pumpting moist air into your bedroom. You need not use the "smelly menthol substance" in it unless you like that and it does open up the nasal passages when you have a serious congestion. It's also great for your face! We all need more hydration in our hot, closed-up houses in the wintertime!

5. Elevate your head when you sleep. You'll have less problem with drainage from the nose dripping down onto the vocal folds and causing irritation.

Get well soon!

Bettye Zoller
VoicesVoices.com

Advice From Debbie Munro

Getting Rid of Colds

I learned this the hard way.

I booked an animation (my first in fact) and my character had a catch phrase "Simply Sensational". The first six months were fine, then it seemed that EVERY month (I was committed to travel each month for 2 days of recording) I got a cold just before my session and had a SNEGAL (How they spell that one I'm not sure) in my throat and had to do multiple takes. It was then that I discovered that staying healthy was number one so here is what I did to make sure, and I have been sick only once in 7 years since that situation: (knock on wood):

1. Covered my head when I went out in the cold. I took very good care of my health...especially in my hot tub. I would even wear ear muffs LOL (good old Canadian winters).

2. Washed my hands ALL THE TIME.

3. Avoided my kids (touching and sharing) when they were sick.

4. Prevenative herbs such as Cold FX (something different in the states). I find these work and I take them whenever those around me are sick.

5. I avoid all medications except if I have a cold and I'm congested and I have to do a spot I learned a trick in my early animation career: take two Advil Cold and Sinus with a cup of black coffee ½ hour prior to your session. Clears you up enough to get through it.

6. I drink warm water when I'm in a session with a cold... it feels soothing and helps me get through the session.

7. I find also a spray bottle of water is helpful.

8. Exercise regularily (I think this is one of the main reasons I don't get sick anymore) Colds try to come but never seem to surface.... lucky me... even while those around me are all sick. It's been amazing.

9. Be so busy you have no time to relax therefore you're never sick (another of my innocent remedies... perhaps not recommended to be that busy).

10. Tablespoon of olive oil is also heaven to your vocal instrument during a session.

11. DON'T AUDITION WHEN SICK... you won't be able to pull it off if you get the job and the cold is gone.

12. I will voice when I'm sick (depending on how I feel about it) as you can mask a cold on a short script. Nothing long format. Nothing is worth damaging your vocal instrument over.

13. I know of a video game where several of the men voicing BLEW THEIR THROATS. This can happen. Remember if you take on a character that is hard on your chest or throat, can you do this character over 16 pages of script? PROTECT YOUR INSTRUMENT.

14. If you TRULY can't sleep you aren't any good for your session anyway, I swear by Nyquil night time. It puts me out everytime allowing me to sleep in peace for at least 6 hours. HEAVEN.

15. Echinacea tea etc. Herbal teas are great.

16. Avoid milky substances, sugars etc. Lots of clear liquids and tons of water.

17. Green Granny Smith Apples are a voicers best friend. Too congested? Try a bite of the apple. Too dry, try a bite of the apple, too wet etc. It's a unique thing!

We don't get sick pay.... we are our product, our salesman, our accountant, our producer and more so we have no other choice but to stay healthy. Mind over matter! ALWAYS!

Hope that helps,
All my best

Deb Munro
Voice Pitt Studios / MicNMe

Any Comments Or Tips You'd Like To Share?

Let's beat these colds! Share your remedies below :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. BONUS tip from Rodney Saulsberry!

One of my favorite products that has helped me immensely this allergy season is Zyrtec. I take one tablet in the morning and I am able to do voiceovers without fear of sneezing or being clogged and stuffed up. Everyone knows how much I believe in Green Tea, but I have recently found that lemon and hot water are also very good for soothing your vocal cords. The lemon actually opens your nasal passages.

Rodney Saulsberry
Rodney Saulsberry on Voice Over Experts

©iStockphoto.com/Tomas Bercic

How Did You Fall in Love With Voice Acting?

There must have been something along the way in your past that sparked your passion for voice over.

Today, I'd like to share a story of my own about how I came to be fascinated with and love voice over, something that perhaps many of you can relate to.

After you've read my account, I'd love it if you shared your story too!

Disney and Saturday Morning Cartoons From Early Childhood

If it weren't for Walt Disney and other animators who gave voice to characters in film and on television, I highly doubt that voice acting would be as remarkably intriguing, spellbinding or desirable, for the majority of our first encounters with voice over are through animation and film.

My first memory of voice over stems from Walt Disney's animated classic, Sleeping Beauty, a movie that happens to be celebrating it's fiftieth anniversary this year. The voice actors and voice actresses danced through my mind and I'd join the chorus singing along to "Once Upon a Dream", a song I believe can also be attributed to my love of singing.

Although Sleeping Beauty's voice itself was beautiful, I remember the velvety voice of Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) with more clarity, a voice that was powerful, dark and controlled whether portraying an evil stepmother (Audley also performed Lady Tremaine in Cinderella) or in this case, an evil fairy.

One other Disney character voice that really struck me in my preschool years was Robin Hood, or as people in the real world would acknowledge, the voice of Brian Bedford.

Listening to these melodic voices was entrancing and I've been listening to voices ever since.

On a more humourous note, a couple of other memories include trying to do poor imitations of Woody Woodpecker and Daffy Duck; which was worse, I'll never know :)

If Nothing Else, Children Of The 80s Watched Cartoons That Ruled

For all of the embarrassing fashion trends, hairdos, geeky dancing and spandex, the 80s did in fact yield something worth talking about and cherishing.

This decade wasn't exactly the picture of perfection but it sure did offer some of the best and most beloved cartoon series that ever were.

Sometimes I find myself looking through IMDb listings to check the voice casts from programming I watched as a child and am often pleasantly surprised to see the names of people I know and also people I am blessed to call my friends.

A couple of days ago, I was looking up the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and discovered to my delight that Townsend Coleman was the voice of Michelangelo, my favourite pepperoni pizza, nunchucks slinging turtle in a half shell, I must say. Among others in the credit list were Jim Cummings, a great friend Pat Fraley and the generous talent that is Beau Weaver, which was totally tubular if you know what I mean.

Teenage Years

I think this is when people become aware of voice over used for other applications such as commercials, movie trailers, radio and so on. You're liberally exposed to advertisements and voice over becomes more apparent. This is probably when I noticed that there were such things as promos for television shows and heard my first sound bite from Randy Thomas on Entertainment Tonight :)

You also have disposable income as a teenager and pay closer attention to things you may wish to purchase, being gently persuaded by that nice voice on TV who makes you want to buy things.

Movie trailers were gripping, but I wouldn't have known who did them then while I sat in blissful ignorance with everyone else. It wasn't until much later that the world would meet the voice behind the 'white knuckle thrill ride of the year' who opened new doors with the three transporting, adrenaline pumping words, "In a World".

If only our teachers in high school could have competed better with the voice over giants in Hollywood who captivated audiences within seconds and kept you on the edge of your seat... listening to documentaries became a passion back then for me and I think that's how I managed to get through and enjoy most lectures attended at school and university as I completed my music degree, specializing in voice.

Present Day

Now I find that I've widened my horizons and take notice of voice over wherever it is present. It's a comfort to hear voice overs. Voice overs aren't merely entertainment. Voice overs are truly omnipresent and serve so many different and necessary purposes.

I can't imagine a better industry to be working in or with better people :)

Well, that's my story. Can I hear yours?

Leave a Comment!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Andrzej Burak

There Can Only Be One!

For those of you who are fans of the Richard and Judy Show in the UK, some great news!

On Friday October 24th at 8 p.m. on 'Watch' (Sky Channel 109 and Virgin channel 124), Richard and Judy will have a feature showcasing a number of people who can imitate the voice of Gollum, a character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (movies directed by Peter Jackson) whose voice has been made famous by the actor Andy Serkis.

In the presence of Andy Serkis, a number of contestants will get their inner Gollum on to be broadcast on the telly nationwide.

Our very own Matt Cowlrick, an Australian voice over artist, is one of the contenders.

Coming off a win in another competition sponsored by Three Mobile in Australia, wherein he also impersonated Gollum, Cowlrick's impression of Gollum won him and a friend $10000 worth of travel, which helped Cowlrick to get over to the UK.

Will lightning strike twice?

VOX: Congratulations on qualifying for this contest Matt! Can you tell me a bit about the contest and how you came to be entered?

MATT COWLRICK: I answered a lead on a casting website, where I had to give my experience and why I'd be up for the challenge. Then they called me, I did a little phone audition and was chosen as one of the three participants for the show being recorded tomorrow.

VOX: You're doing an impression of Gollum, a character from the Lord of the Rings that was voiced by Andy Serkis, an amazing voice actor who will be present for this contest to boot. What are you feeling right now? Are "butterflies" an accurate assessment?

MATT COWLRICK: I'm little bit nervous, actually! Mainly because I don't usually like to do impressions of characters in front of the voice actors who created them. It's not necessarily because of nerves, but I feel more like I'm doing a bad impression of the actor, and not the character! However, I think this time will be ok, seeing as the impression is the focus of the challenge.

VOX: You've got to fly nearly half-way across the globe to do this. What kind of preparations do you need to make for the contest? Anything special to get all "Gollumy"?

MATT COWLRICK: I was already here in London, so it was just good timing to be in the neighbourhood. In terms of preparation? Oh, I suppose the usual; eat some raw fish, spend the night obsessing over a bit of jewellery, develop an evil second personality... standard method acting.

VOX: That's handy that you were in the neighbourhood :) What time will this air? You'll be on the "Richard and Judy Show", right? Is it a variety show in the UK?

MATT COWLRICK: I actually have to check when it will be airing, whether it is tomorrow night or later in the week. Seeing as I just arrived here in the UK, I haven't had the chance to watch the show yet. However, from what I have found out about the show, it seems that it is Richard and Judy's new program on digital TV. It's a variety show, apparently like the UK Oprah.

Here's a blurb on the show...

"After seven successful years at Channel Four, Richard and Judy are now hosting a topical prime-time chat show on the brand new digital channel, Watch. From 7 October 2008, Richard and Judy's New Position can be seen weeknights from 8pm."

VOX: What is the prize for the person who wins?

MATT COWLRICK: Alas, no prizes that I know of. Perhaps the chance to take over as Gollum in Lord of the Rings 4? Though I can think of more than one reason why that won't happen...

VOX: How can we show our support for you?

MATT COWLRICK: Tune in if you've got the channel 'Watch' in the UK! It is on Sky channel 109 and Virgin TV 124. I will also find out if there is any way to watch online.

A special thanks to Matt for sharing this exciting information with us. Just to let you know, we'll be doing a follow up to Matt's story here on VOX Daily with more details from the show :)

Break a leg, Matt. We're all rooting for you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Did you know that October is a month set aside to raise awareness for Breast Cancer?

There are many people out there doing their part to spread the word, from pink avatars on Twitter to running for a cure and for hope.

I'd like to invite you now to watch a couple of short videos and listen to the messages.

Through your actions, you could help save someone's life.

Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer is a disease that can strike any woman, young or old, married or single. Even if you eat right, exercise or have no family history, all women are at risk.

These aren't just any women though, they are your mothers, sisters, wives, grandmothers, aunts, cousins and friends.

Warriors In Pink

I found this video featuring Kelly Clarkson for Ford's Warriors In Pink campaign that aims to raise awareness for Breast Cancer by circulating the web on YouTube.com.

While on-camera celebrities are taking part in spreading the message, voice actors are also joining forces with the Warriors In Pink crusade, including Summer James.

Voices.com Talent Uses Mic To Spread Breast Cancer Awareness

Voice actress and member of Voices.com, Summer James, was cast to record a voice over promoting awareness for this form of cancer that aired on Lifetime's program "Army Wives" and also features prominently on the Ford Motor Company's website, FordCares.com enlisting supporters for the campaign "Warriors in Pink".

Summer got the gig through her agent (Leanna Levy of CL INC.) and recorded at a wonderful studio where a director and a host of others offered their input to make sure the voice over was handled properly for this project.

Summer relates, "This particular Voice Over does hold a very special place in my heart because there is NO cancer in my family, normally people are not excited about something that doesn't affect them personally. I feel that as a woman it is our task to continue to bring awareness to Breast cancer simply because I am so fortunate to have not had to deal with this in my life.

"Once My Grandmother was told she had it and she refused to accept that anything would get her. She attended some treatment and when she went back there was no sign that she EVER had it. The Doctor said he must have incorrectly diagnosed her.

When asked about what others can do to help battle the disease, Summer replied, "It [her grandmother's brush with cancer] was just a wake up call. One I feel blessed to have received. This is yours. Support in any way you can, Run, Walk or Talk to help. It's just that easy and everything makes a difference. Be the change you are seeking."

You can watch the video Summer narrates called "My Sister, Myself" and also listen to a voice over narrated by a gentleman for the "My Wife, My Life" video here:

Warriors in Pink Video "My Sister, Myself" and "My Wife, My Life".

Are You Doing Anything For Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Leave a comment to show support or to share what you've been up to in the fight against Breast Cancer.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Image: FordCares.com

Is your voice in need of some tender loving care?

This week, we're giving away a rocking package featuring some products from Traditional Medicinals.

Leave a comment and let me know that you'd like to win!

Traditional Medicinals

I've heard many people say recently that they are coming down with the flu, head colds and other nasty bugs and thought that it was the perfect time to spread some warm tea and pastilles :)

This package will include the products you see in the image above, including a Throat Coat tea sampler, some soothing pastilles, and some stress relief ordered just for you by Voices.com from the good people at Traditional Medicinals.

How Do You Enter For a Chance to Win?

All you need to do is comment on this article and let me know that you'd like to win some fab products from Traditional Medicinals!

Each week, there will be something different, so be sure to subscribe to VOX Daily to get the Saturday Giveaway notices as well as other voice acting articles throughout the week.

The giveaways will include voice acting:

๏ Books
๏ DVDs
๏ Coaching Sessions
๏ Recording Equipment
๏ Gift certificates
๏ Workshop / Conference Passes
๏ Unique Promotional Opportunities

When is the Winner Chosen?

Winners will be drawn randomly from the comments left on the blog and announced the following Saturday. Those who win will be notified by email at which time we'll confirm their shipping address. On the following Saturday, the winner will be announced and another opportunity to win a Saturday Giveaway will present itself.

I'd like to say congratulations to last week's contest winner, Pete Gold, who will be receiving Julie Williams' Proven Voice-Over Techniques.

Comment Now for an Opportunity to Win Traditional Medicinals from Voices.com!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Don't forget to comment for your chance to win :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Every day is a new day, and as Little Orphan Annie would say, you can bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun!

What's just around the bend for your voice over business?

What Kind of Voice Over Work Will You Be Doing Next Week?

Looking forward to hearing your plans :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/René Mansi

Jeff Gelder will be producing a Holiday Magic CD for Children's Hospitals for the 6th year running and is looking for inspired voice over artists to submit recordings with holiday flair for inclusion on the Holiday Magic 2008 CD.

These CDs are given out to children in December and bring great joy to little ones and their families who because of health reasons cannot come home for the holidays.

With a deadline of November 7th, you've got to get moving if you want to be part of this! Keep reading for more details.

Holiday Magic 2008 Call For Entries

The finest and most generous voice actors and singers are cordially invited to participate in this annual project organized by Jeff Gelder, San Diego voice talent and President of GelderHead Productions.

GelderHead Productions is now accepting submissions for the sixth edition CD of
Holiday Magic 2008, A Gift for Children of all Ages.

Just think of how some festive recordings will brighten the holidays of children and their siblings at Children's Hospitals... you could be part of this wonderful project

What's Required?

๏ Please submit a song, story, riddle or rhyme, anything that welcomes Holiday time.
๏ Make it less than four minutes, and please send it on CD.
๏ Character voices are encouraged.
๏ All entries must be complete and fully recorded for use.

The top 15-20 will be selected based on creativity, generosity and theme and will receive artist exposure, be included on the CD with acknowledgements, be mailed a copy of the CD and receive the:

~ GelderHead Award of Excellence for Creativity and Generosity ~

Past Holiday Magic Projects

Holiday Magic 2007 was a huge success with great talent and 1500 copies going to five Children's Hospitals in San Diego, Orange County, Milwaukee, Miami, and Albuquerque for the children spending their holidays in the hospital, and their siblings.

Deadline for submissions is Friday November 7th, 2008

QUESTIONS: Send e-mail to: Jeff@GelderHead.com (preferred) or call 619-795-1740

SUBMIT TO: GelderHead Productions, P.O. Box 3386, San Diego, CA 92163-3386

Jeff thanks you in advance for your generous contributions! And if you were on one of the last five CDs he hopes you'll consider sending something again this year.

For updated information visit:

www.holidaymagiccd.com

Best wishes,

Stephanie

How Much Do You Love Your Business?

Discover 3 reasons why you should be your staunchest supporter and your hardest hitting critic.

Learn how being both of these things in relation to your business will help you to achieve success.

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

You may remember a childhood game where you took a flower and one by one, removed its petals reciting, "He loves me," for the first petal and upon tearing it away reaching for the next to tear, saying, "He loves me not". This pattern would repeat itself until the flower was systematically depleted of its beauty and only the stem remained.

Although you may not realize it, you engage in a subtle variation of this activity every day in your business, however as you have well noticed, the stakes are much higher now than they were in the days of "He or she loves me," or, "He or she loves me not".

What you say or do with those figurative petals now, whether they be favorable or not, have very real outcomes and are not just flights of fancy.

Love Your Business and Constructively Criticize Your Business

As the poet Keats once wrote in his Ode on a Grecian Urn, "Truth is beauty, beauty truth." I believe this line of poetry has deep meaning and directly applies to this discussion.

To thrive and perpetually grow your voice over business, you need to possess the capacity to both love your business intensely and also be the curmudgeon in the corner who casts down brutal honesty through showers of tough love.

Here are 3 reasons why you need to be your greatest champion and worst critic:

1. No one cares or will ever care as deeply about your business as you do.
2. Only you can make choices that define and propel your business.
3. You know your business best and what's best for your business.

It's All About Love

No one else but you takes your business home after work and thinks about it at dinner, in the evening, during the wee hours of the morning or when you wake up.

It's pure passion, sheer intensity and an insatiable drive that separates entrepreneurs from hobbyists, which is why when all is said and done, the entrepreneur is the master and commander of their business.

You truly have to "get it" and have it "within you" to succeed in business when it's "you" who encapsulates the brand.

This takes love, time, dedication and a willingness to look at your business from all angles to improve upon areas that are in need.

You Are Your Business' Only Constant

Once you've plucked each petal from the stem, all that's left is the stem; now imagine that you are that stem, and by virtue of that fact, all that is left is you.

If you think of yourself as the stem and everything you do as petals of a beautiful flower that serve as your shining moments, activities you partake in and identified areas of improvement, this analogy may serve you well in your business and beyond.

The only thing that differs in our story is that the petals have a way of blossoming again as fueled by your passion so that you can continuously prune to rejuvenate your business and experience ongoing growth.

How's that for inspiration?

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Kati Molin

This September, voice actress Caitlin Sanchez, took on the role of Dora the Explorer.

Have you noticed any differences?

1 Month

It's now been 1 month since a new "Dora" voice has been gracing broadcast television and DVDs.

Season five of "Dora the Explorer" premiered on Monday, September 15, at 10:30 a.m.

Kathleen Herles (click on her name to watch an interview on YouTube), the original voice of Dora, graduated from high school and subsequently outgrew her role. Talented newcomer Caitlin Sanchez, 12, was cast to replace Herles on the bilingual educational cartoon series to maintain a youthful continuum from Dora to Dora, in English and in Spanish.

While it's obvious that child voice actors do grow up and sometimes their roles need to be re-cast (it's happened on Arthur for the title role, too), how consistent are the voice overs and does it make a smidgen of difference?

Dueling Doras : Can You Tell The Difference?

For those of you who have watched the program or have young children who do, you may have picked up on subtle vocal and performance disparities that differentiate the two voice actresses.

I personally have not yet had the chance to compare the two and listen to the voice match but am looking forward to an opportunity to do so.

That being said, there are other people who have heard the new Dora voice overs and chose to comment on an article referenced on Voice Over Times via the New York Times.

What Some Parents Are Saying

One parent, Ramon Ng, shares, "My daughter owns all of Dora's videos, she has autism. Dora has been a big part of her life (since she was 2 years old). We got her the new Dora Saves the Snow Princess and she is not as excited about the new video, she definitely feels that there are some changes."

From another perspective, Elissa Sullivan, noted, "We did notice the new voices. Our child did not, but we did. I feel a little sad about it."

What Do You Think? Does Dora Sound Different?

Leave a comment with your thoughts. Also if you know of a video online where we can compare the Dora voices, please include the link as I've yet to discover one :)

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

Some people have nicknames that they call their studio.

Similarly to how Batman has the Batcave, I'm sure you have a name for where you do your voice over recordings.

What do you call your recording studio?

A return to regularly scheduled programming! I hope you enjoyed the First Look series and are looking forward to the all-new Voices.com.

Now that we're back on track, I'd love to ask if you have bestowed a term of endearment upon your audio recording studio.

The Hole?

Don LaFontaine called his studio "The Hole", Beau Weaver calls his studio "My Little Hole" and I'd love to know what you call yours.

What do you refer to your studio as?

Leave a comment and let me know!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Chris Schmidt

Do You Know Any Proven Voice-Over Techniques?

Julie Williams of Voice-Overs.com has generously donated a copy of her CD "Proven Voice-Over Techniques", an edited version of Julie's 11-hour voice-over workshop.

You might recognize Julie as one of our experts on the Voice Over Experts podcast and from a previous giveaway. If you click on her name above, you'll be taken to her profile and will be able to listen to her speak to learn more about her and her teaching style.

Want To Win This CD? Leave a Comment!

Proven Voice-Over Techniques

Last summer we held a Julie Williams workshop at Voices.com. A group of voice actors from London and the surrounding area gathered together and listened to Julie's CD as we ate some pizza and networked.

Vince Londini, Randy White, Michele Dyck, Pete Newman, Jorge Mendoza, and Bob Purssglove were there with several members of the Voices.com team including Laurynda Pasma, Erica Bontje, Carol Mroz and myself.

Here's a picture I took later on, but since we're on the topic of who was there, I'll insert it just below. We were on the phone with Julie Williams at this point, listening intently as she told us a story and shared more tips about voice over marketing.

In between tracks, we'd take breaks to discuss the material presented which often segued into other conversations about technology, marketing and how to use your voice.

During one of these instances, the question of "Should I invest in an ISDN line or Source-Connect" came up, one that is being asked quite a bit more these days with the new (and less expensive) technology on the market.

It was conversations like these with banter or "talking shop" that really helped to unite our band of guests and believe me, with Julie's CD as the inspiration, we could have talked all day!

One aspect of Julie's CD was about promotion and production of voice over demos. Everyone found these insights very useful and also appreciated the "Coloring Words" segment to help them really give life to the copy that they read.

Jam packed with information and audio samples, this workshop concentrates on Julie's first and most important step in the 1-2-3 Start of Voice-Overs: Your VO Delivery: refining your craft.

Topics Covered:

๏ Interpretive reading: Making it "real"
๏ Developing your "half voice" for intimacy
๏ Emphasis with: punching & coloring
๏ Handling humor and emotional material
๏ Dialog Copy: Interacting with another
๏ Subtly improving your less talented partner!
๏ Pacing for each type of job
๏ Producing a "killer" demo tape
๏ Merchandising your talents

How Do You Enter For a Chance to Win?

All you need to do is comment on this article and let me know that you'd like to win Julie's CD!

Each week, there will be something different, so be sure to subscribe to VOX Daily to get the Saturday Giveaway notices as well as other voice acting articles throughout the week.

The giveaways will include voice acting:

๏ Books
๏ DVDs
๏ Coaching Sessions
๏ Recording Equipment
๏ Gift certificates
๏ Workshop / Conference Passes
๏ Unique Promotional Opportunities

When is the Winner Chosen?

Winners will be drawn randomly from the comments left on the blog and announced the following Saturday. Those who win will be notified by email at which time we'll confirm their shipping address. On the following Saturday, the winner will be announced and another opportunity to win a Saturday Giveaway will present itself.

I'd like to say congratulations to last week's contest winner, Jim Lankford, who will be receiving a 1-hour Promo / Trailer demo coaching session with David Alden.

Comment Now for an Opportunity to Win Julie Williams' CD "Proven Voice-Over Techniques" from Voices.com!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Don't forget to comment for your chance to win :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/sweetym

You know how some magazines have a "Who's Doing What" column?

For people in our industry, the weekly "Who Got the Gig" column gives you the opportunity to comment and share about the kind of work you've been voicing, recording, directing or casting!

This posting is open to anyone in the voice over industry, so don't be shy. I'd love to hear from some of you who haven't commented before as well as those of you who have.

What Have You Been Voicing, Recording, Casting or Directing Lately?

Leave a comment and let us know what role you play in the industry as well as what you've been up to :)

Cheers,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Jacom Stephens

Want to take a closer look at the New Community area at Voices.com?

I'm pleased to share some information on how you can get involved and be an active part of the vibrant community that all voice over talent can call "home" online at Voices.com.

Blogs

Did you know that there are many blogs at Voices.com that you can subscribe to by email and take part in for free?

Check out these blogs when you get a moment:

VOX Daily
The Biz
Ask The Voice Cat
Master VO
Buzz

Podcasts

Similarly, there are hundreds of podcasts for you to listen to! Check out these ones for some good company:

VOX Talk
Voice Over Experts
Voice Casting

Videos

Watch some of the voice over industry's hottest videos from experts in the field, celebrities and comedic videos just for laughs.

Popular videos are being added soon (this is kind of the preview) and you're also invited to submit links to your own VO YouTube.com videos to be featured on the blog (family friendly please)!

Videos at Voices.com

Buzz

Read about the shared experiences of customers including case studies from clients who hire talent and success stories submitted by voice actors who are members of Voices.com.

Visit The Buzz Blog Now

5 Ways You Can Get Involved

Comment on VOX Daily

Did you know that you can add your voice to the conversation that's going on with voice actors from around the world?

You can also subscribe to VOX Daily by email to get updates everyday and read them at your own convenience whether online or off.

Record for VOX Talk

If you have some tips, tales or rants that you'd like to see shared with the voice over community or read news stories to gain experience for your portfolio, contributing to VOX Talk may be the right fit for you.

Email contributions to stephanie@voices.com

Teach a Lesson on Voice Over Experts

Do you coach voice over talent, teach voice acting courses, or interact with voice talent on a regular basis in your job? Are you an industry personality, icon or celebrity voice talent?

The voice over experts podcast gives you an opportunity to enter into the homes of thousands of voice actors who listen to this show on a weekly basis and share your some of your knowledge, experiences in the field and give back to your community in mini recorded lessons that range between 5 to 10 minutes.

Check out the podcast here to see if you'd like to join as a faculty member.

Voice Over Experts Podcast
Voice Coaches Network Information

Email contributions to stephanie@voices.com

Send Us Your News

What have you been up to? Recorded any voice overs lately that you're at liberty to talk about? I'd like to invite you to send your news to me so that I can spread the word for you at Voice Over Times.

If you have something to share, zip me an email here:

info@voiceovertimes.com

Write An Article

Every so often I feature guest bloggers on VOX Daily and you could be one of them! If you'd like to contribute articles that you have written, I'd be happy to publish them for you and help you to grow your audience and introduce you to our voice over community.

Some Interesting Statistics

VOX Daily has been read 256,159 times in the past year.

The most popular article ever was:

Don LaFontaine : The Legend Lives No More

~~

Voice Over Experts has been downloaded 49,678 times. The three most popular episodes with thousands of downloads in the last year were:

1. Anthony Reece : Rate Sheets and Recut Requests

2. Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino : Voice Over Demo Don'ts

3. Pat Fraley : Shameless Hollywood Auditioning Tricks!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

I think you'll really love the new community area once it is ready with the launch of the redesigned site.

Also, if you can't wait until then, get going and start contributing now :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team

To wrap up this First Look series and glimpse into the all-new Voices.com, we're going to talk a bit about two new features that you'll be able to make use of when you are working for clients.

These features include the ability to request Approval of Files and Release of Payment.

Learn more now!

New Features Added For Smoother Transactions

Do you know what it's like wait on a client's approval or payment? It can be agonizing, especially if the client needed the audio "yesterday" and you want to be sure that what you've recorded hit the mark and still comes in under the wire.

We've developed a couple of ways for you to gently nudge or prompt your client to approve files that you've uploaded to the Voices.com site and also send courteous reminders to release payments that are sitting in the escrow account.

APPROVAL OF FILES

When you've uploaded a file for your client, the Voices.com site admin sends an email to your client letting them know that you have uploaded their files and that they are ready for their approval. Once a client approves the files associated with their job, you can move on to the stage where the client is then prompted to release the funds from escrow and Voices.com can pay you out.

RELEASE OF PAYMENT

No one likes having to hound people for money, especially not when you have better things to do that will grow your business and serve your customers.

While we do automatically send an email requesting that funds be released from escrow as soon as the client has approved your files, we also wanted to create a simple way for you to send a gentle reminder too.

One of the new features in this redesign is the Request Release, an action that you can initiate if a client has forgotten to release the funds at Voices.com following the approval of files.

Will These Be Helpful To You? Let Us Know!

Best wishes,

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team

Looking forward to the all-new Voices.com?

Another new element I'd like to introduce to you is the addition of Work Agreements when you are awarded a job.

Take a look!

FINALIZING BUSINESS TERMS

As with any business contract or arrangement, you will need to have a work agreement as well as a schedule for payment including the estimated delivery date. Now at Voices.com you'll be able to include work agreements when you are finalizing terms.

How Does This Work?

Once you are selected by a client to record their voice over, your next step will be to download the final script.

Then, you'll create and send a Work Agreement for the client to review. In traditional commerce, the seller of services always has the project agreement/contract and has the buyer agree to their terms.

Work Agreement

A Work Agreement will describe your services and outline the price, turnaround time, delivery method (for instances where it may not be a file upload), number of edits, file format and so on.

We'll have a standard Work Agreement Word doc for you to use as a template, so if this is unfamiliar territory for you, you'll find a helping hand from Voices.com.

Milestones

As we discussed earlier, milestones can be a great management technique.

Larger projects are often broken up into smaller, more manageable pieces with their own deadlines. These are often referred to as a milestone and include a deliverable, such as a chapter of an audiobook or a set of modules for an e-learning application.
Milestones typically include a deliverable (what's to be sent to the client), a payment (the amount you'll be paid for delivering the goods) and a deadline (when the due date is for the deliverable).

On the page above, you'll confirm your fee for each milestone. If there is only one delivery date, then you'll only need one milestone.

What Else Can A Work Agreement Do?

A Work Agreement will also get around all those other situations that aren't anticipated for because of the fill-in-the-blank offer form that we currently use. If there's a dispute, we simply need to say to the client, "hey look, you agreed to the work as described in the Work Agreement".

Here are the steps in detail as they pertain to the Work Agreement:

๏ The client then Accepts / Declines the Work Agreement.
๏ Should the client need a change to the agreement they can also request an amendment to the Work Agreement in which case the talent would need to upload a revised version.
๏ Once the client has accepted the Work Agreement, they are prompted to make a deposit for the job.
๏ Deposit is held in escrow and Voices.com notifies you to complete the work.
๏ You upload the files under the files tab within the Jobs section and Voices.com informs the client that their files are ready for download.
๏ Client "Accepts / Declines" the files are complete.
๏ If you send the files in a different way (by email, FTP or ships a CD), then the client will still be able to mark the job as complete by clicking "Release Payment".
๏ Upon the client accepting the files, the funds are released from escrow and you are paid out for the job.

Any Comments?

Best wishes,

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team

As you've been reading, we've left no rock unturned and are pulling out all of the stops for this redesign and reprogramming of the Voices.com website.

Today, we'll discuss some improvements made to the auditioning process and the SurePay Escrow Service as well as how they will benefit you.

This is probably one of the posts you've been waiting to read!

In today's article, we're going to discuss how to submit auditions using the all-new Voices.com.

Public and Private Jobs

As many of you know, there have always been more private jobs at Voices.com with many of those channeled through email as direct contacts.

Considering that the email box is typically used by clients who describe their job details and request a quote from you for the work, we're now channeling email contacts through a job posting form.

Yes, you'll still be able to receive email messages, but you'll likely see an increase in the number of private jobs.

How To Tell The Difference Between a Private and Public Job

To distinguish the difference between a private job and a public job, we're displaying a prominent banner at the top of the "Send Audition" page. The banner will say "You've Received a Private Audition Request".

It may go without saying, but if you are the recipient of a Private Job you'll want to respond promptly, however if you have a question about the project that needs to be answered prior to submitting your quote and voice sample, you'll also have the opportunity to send the client a private message BEFORE submitting your audition.

Just to be clear, sending a client a private message is an optional action to help clarify any job details should you have questions before proceeding with the submission of the audition itself.

The ability to send a private message before auditioning is also meant to safeguard your auditions and is in place so that you don't use your one shot at submitting an audition to ask a question or say "I'm busy, now, but I'll get to it tonight", as you won't be able to submit to that job again.

To reiterate, if you have a question about the project or need to contact the client about the job details, use the private message link to open up the lines of communication to ensure that you can audition in a professional manner.

Also note that Public Job Postings will not have this banner. If no banner is displayed, it's a publicly available job posting.

Proposal

We're aiming to make the site as easy as possible for you to use as well as maximize your productivity at the site by streamlining a number of steps for you where your proposal is concerned.

This includes an upgrade to your Templates! You'll be able to do a number of new things, specifically:

๏ See a Good Example (pop-up)
๏ Select a Template (pull-down menu of previously saved proposals)
๏ Save templates on the fly for future use

Your Proposal

When you are writing a proposal, you'll have a checkbox option to "save as template". This allows you to save what you just typed into the proposal section as a new template. We'll automatically create a title for the template, so if you use this option, you'll want to go back and edit your templates later and give it a proper title such as "Radio Commercial Proposal" or the like.

Quote

The quote section has changed a bit and here's how.

After you enter in your fee, Voices.com will add the SurePay escrow fee ON TOP of your fee.

As many of you know, this is how SurePay has been operating for the last year, except for the fact that up until now we've been adding the fee after the client has selected the voice talent.

From our experience, most clients prefer just to see one total upon checkout, which is why we decided to make this adjustment.

For that reason, the new system gives you the opportunity to set your fee as you always have, and then show you what the client's total will be.

Demo

This section has remained the same with the choice to either upload a new MP3 demo (commonly referred to as a custom demo) or you can attach an existing MP3 that you previously uploaded to your profile.

How Does a Client Hire You?

๏ The client click the "Select This Voice" button in your audition.
๏ The client lands on a confirmation page where they attach their final script and set a deadline for delivery.
๏ The client confirms by clicking the "Send Script" button which will send you a message to inform you that you've been awarded a job.

Any Comments? We'd love to hear what you think!

Best wishes,

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team

Here we are in the second week of the preview series covering the biggest launch at Voices.com ever!

Last week we covered how clients will use Voices.com to search for, audition and hire professional voice talent.

This week, we'll be exploring the different areas of your account including a new Inbox, how to view and audition for jobs, accepting deposits, managing payments, delivering files and how you can get feedback.

Let's go look at the new jobs section!

JOBS LIST

As we strive to keep the language simple and familiar for those who are new to Voices.com, we're dropping some industry jargon, such as the term "Leads" and replacing it with the more accessible, "Jobs".

Just think, clients post jobs, you reply to jobs, and we help you land voice-over jobs... dropping the term "leads" in favor of using the term "jobs" makes a great deal of sense.

Having said that, we've worked hard on developing a useful interface where you can see all jobs that would most interest you. You'll have a few different views to select from, so let's run through those now.

Hiring Open

Hiring Open will replace the current "Leads" tab. These are jobs that clients have posted looking for auditions from professionals just like you.

Finalizing Terms

Finalizing Terms shows all the jobs that you're currently in negotiations with. For instance, you'd see "Finalizing Terms" if a client awarded you the job as you technically would have moved from one stage to another through the completion of the casting process.

Working

Working shows the jobs that the client has accepted your "work agreement" for (more on that later) and you're in the midst of recording the voice-overs. The status will stay in this stage until payment has been sent to you and feedback has been given and received.

Answered

Answered gives you the list of jobs you've replied to. This will replace the "Answered Leads".

Deleted

Deleted will act more like an archive. If you prefer not to reply to a job posting or don't want a job cluttering up your "Hiring Open" list then you can simply delete it. Upon doing so, we'll keep a copy for you in your Deleted archive for 30 days.

The List

We're all familiar with seeing information displayed as lists. Bearing this in mind, we've kept this part of the page more or less the same, but added some nifty features.

The "View" link will drop down to give you some shortcuts to deeper areas of your jobs. Save a click or two and use these. I think you'll love them.

The main columns will be:

๏ Company
๏ Budget
๏ Status
๏ Deadline

Alright, let's move on and see what happens next.

JOB TABS

The new layout will make navigating all sections of the job much easier.

๏ The Overview gives you a snapshot of key details and recent communications (private messages).
๏ The Job Posting shows you the project requirements, budget and deadline.
๏ My Audition is where you'll submit your audition, or if you've already replied to this job, you'll see exactly what you sent here.
๏ Files is where you'll download the final script and upload your completed voice-over files once awarded the job.
๏ Payments is where you can see the deposit made by the client, print off a copy of the order or request the release of funds.

All the info you could ever need about a job is only a click away!

Okay, let's dive into the first section today, the Overview.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Overview is an entirely new page aimed at providing you with a snapshot of the most important details.

In the green "details" section, you'll see the status likely marked as HIRING OPEN, the Job ID and the date it was posted. You'll also see your Last Completed Step as well as your Next Step. This will be more handy once you're awarded a job which we'll discuss in the coming days. Finally, you'll see the deadline so you'll always know when the client is expecting the wrap up their proejct.

Below the details, you'll all be pleased to find a new section covering All Auditions and My Audition. Here's where you'll see the total number of responses received by the client, and if they have selected someone for their project. Next, you'll see if you have replied and if you were selected.

For the record, we plan on providing more information related to the auditions and how the client is using Voices.com in the coming months, but to start, we believe this is a step in the right direction.

The lower section of this Overview page is a summary of the 5 most recent Messages that related to this Job ID. For many, this will be a faster way to review communications than searching through all your Inbox messages.

To keep things simple, each message will have only two actions; reply or delete. Simple is good, so we've been told, and I trust you agree :)

What's On Tap Tomorrow?

Tomorrow we'll explore the Job Posting page and how to send auditions for voice-over projects at the all-new Voices.com.

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Best wishes,

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team

Want to get into Promos and Trailers?

This week on the VOX Daily Saturday Giveaway, I'm pleased to present you with an opportunity to win a 1-hour Promo/Trailer demo coaching session with David Alden, a talented voice artist and instructor who has worked with top names in Promos and Theatrical Trailers including Joe Cipriano, George DelHoyo, Ben Patrick Johnson and more!

David has also joined our faculty on Voice Over Experts so expect to hear from him this week in conjunction with this fabulous giveaway.

Want to Win? Read to Learn More and Leave a Comment!

David Alden

With nearly 30 years of experience, David Alden is a well-trained and seasoned actor, voice actor, voice-over coach and voice-over director for on-air network promos, and for a number of years, theatrical trailers.

He has worked and continues work with the top trailer and promo voices in North America, such as, the late Don Lafontaine, Joe Cipriano, George Del Hoyo, Tony Rodgers, Ben Patrick Johnson, Scott Rummell, Jonathan Cook, Rino Romano, Ashton Smith and many, many more.

To date, he has directed voiceover sessions for approximately 50,000 promos & trailers. Being an actor and voice actor allows David to bring forward his unique perspective and wisdom to the creative process thereby facilitating an environment in which a voice actor's best performance may emerge.

As a consultant/career coach to Promo voice-over talent, David coaches privately as time allows. This gift of David's time is certainly worth hundreds of dollars and I hope to see a great number of you commenting for a chance to study with him.

How Do You Enter For a Chance to Win?

All you need to do is comment on this article and let me know that you'd like to win this 1 hour coaching session with David Alden!

Each week, there will be something different, so be sure to subscribe to VOX Daily to get the Saturday Giveaway notices as well as other voice acting articles throughout the week.

The giveaways will include voice acting:

๏ Books
๏ DVDs
๏ Coaching Sessions
๏ Recording Equipment
๏ Gift certificates
๏ Workshop / Conference Passes
๏ Unique Promotional Opportunities

When is the Winner Chosen?

Winners will be drawn randomly from the comments left on the blog and announced the following Saturday. Those who win will be notified by email at which time we'll confirm their shipping address. On the following Saturday, the winner will be announced and another opportunity to win a Saturday Giveaway will present itself.

I'd like to say congratulations to last week's contest winner, Michael Montgomery, who will be receiving a copy of Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé's newly released book "Voice For Hire" in the mail soon.

Comment Now for an Opportunity to Win the Training Session With David Alden!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Don't forget to comment for your chance to win :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Political VO How-To

Watch as veteran voice talent Kathryn Klvana goes from incredulous to inspirational in seconds while showing you how to interpret copy for political campaign spots.

Does her style jive with yours, or do you record political voice overs differently?

Let me know on this week's Who Got the Gig theme "Political Voice Overs".

What a timely topic! With elections in the United States and in Canada this fall, this video fits in perfectly.

Have You Been Recording any Political Voice Overs This Year?

OR

Any comments on the video in general?

Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

There's a new search engine in town.

Want to learn more?

Search in the Header

Searching takes center stage. Anyone can search for voice talent by keyword using the search box at the top of every page on the entire site.

Search on the Home Page

Going with the greater emphasis of the search engine, we've added the search box to the home page with the gender and language pull down options. For those looking for voice talent who speak a language other than English, finding those pros from around the globe is never more than a click away.

Advanced Search

There are some new fields which will help clients get to the results their looking for. Members of SAG, AFTRA, ACTRA and Equity will be happy to know that we're placing a union affiliation field on the advanced search page. We hope this encourages even more union activity.

Voice talent who perform a variety of characters typically identified by age will be pleased to learn that we're also adding the "Voice Age" field. Considering that voice-overs for cartoons, animation, videogames and character-driven ads are on the rise, this was a no-brainer.

Search Results

We're most proud of the new search results page. It's cleaner and more interactive. How so? Well, clients have new options that I think they'll find extremely useful.

Invitation List

Another innovation is the Invitation List, a list of selected voice talent the client wants to request quotes from by inviting them to a private job posting.

Every time a box is checked beside the voice talent's listing in the results, their name will be added to the Invitation List. Once they've created a list they are pleased with, the client simply clicks "Request a Quote" and they'll be presented with a job posting form where they'll enter their project requirements and attach the script.

When you're invited to a private job, you'll receive a different type of email notification, plus we'll make this obvious on the audition form when you go to reply.

Refine Search Criteria

Once a search is performed, visitors often want to tweak or refine their search query in an effort to get better results. We've accommodated for these actions by providing the same search fields along the left-hand sidebar.

Filter by Category

Clients can even target specific genres of voice-over simply by selecting the appropriate category, again from the sidebar. A good example of this would be if the client is looking for a "funny" voice talent, and then realizes they want to listen to only "television" demos. In this example, the client wouldn't be seeing the funny cartoon demos or the funny videogame voices; just the funny television demos as they wanted.

One thing I do know is that this is something you'll have to try to really grasp just how cool this new feature is!

Directory

The directory is located on the home page, on the side of the advanced search page as well as a dedicated section that will replace the Featured Talent Directory.

At first glance, you'll notice that television commercials and tv station imaging have been merged into the Television category and the radio commercials and radio station imaging categories have been merged into a single Radio category.

Overall, the directory looks the same with some minor modifications to the icons and labeling of categories.

Directory Results

The directory results have been completely overhauled to operate more like the search results.

As you can see, we faced quite the challenge.

Clients wanted more information about the voice talent listed in the directory. Plus, they wanted to search within the directory. In addition, we wanted to provide more interactive tools, such as viewing location, feedback, voice description as well as provide an option for the client to request a quote from you specifically -- all within the directory.

Here's a screenshot of the Cartoon category with the invitation list and two voice talents selected from this page of results.

Questions? Comments?

Like what you see? Or perhaps you have a question about how something works in more detail. Let's talk. Add your question or comment below.

Best wishes,

Stephanie, David and The Voices.com Team

THE VOICES.COM STORE

Coming up this fall, you'll be able to sell products in the Voices.com Store as well as in your own store located within your Profile, an innovation that we're pleased to offer to you that will make it easier than ever before to be hired based upon work you've already done.

From our market research, we're confident that the Voices.com Store will leapfrog any other web service for voice over professionals when it comes to promoting your services and giving you the power to control pricing, your own ad copy and product descriptions as well as product samples.

PRODUCTS

What Are Products?

A product is any kind of voice over that you count among your services, for example, :60 radio commercials, or voice mail greetings, movie trailer voice overs, and so on.

These products are presented individually to the buyers as ready-to-order and are purchasable immediately online at your Voices.com store, facilitated by SurePay, the voice over industry's trusted escrow service.

Here's what a single search result could look like for your product listing:

What's more is that you can sell products that are related to voice over, let's say copy writing or music production, but why stop there?

You could even sell audiobooks that you've narrated and produced or prefabricated products that are available for download.

Just as you have particular demos that you feature for the directory, you also will be featuring product samples of your voice that are representations of what the final product is for the buyer.

What I mean is that if you are selling a :30 radio commercial with dry voice, you would upload a sample that demonstrates your abilities without any production (music, sound effects, vocal effects, etc.). If you were to include music but say that the product price only includes dry voice, that would be misleading and confuse your prospective customer.

It's better to build trust and give them exactly what you say you're selling in the sample than to overdo it just to be flashy.

CREATING YOUR OWN PRODUCTS

You'll want to consider the following when creating your products:

๏ Product Title:
A 1-line field for the title or name of the product

๏ Product Tags:
Comma separated keywords (adjectives) used to describe the product.

๏ Product Language:
The language that the recording will be done in.

๏ Product Category:
Radio, television, business and so on.

๏ Product Demo:
A sample MP3 file used to help demonstrate what will be delivered for the product price.

๏ Product Description:
A large text area used to describe the product, service description, deliverables and other technical or detail information.

๏ Product Price:
USD price of the product sold.

WHERE WILL YOU SELL THESE PRODUCTS?

Voices.com Store

Clients who come to Voices.com will have an exciting new way to buy voice over recordings, specifically purchasing voice over products organized by category type, in the Voices.com Store.

At a glance, your prospective customers will see product titles, their descriptions, and prices as well as seller feedback ratings (based upon past transactions completed at Voices.com) with the ability to add products to their cart for purchase.

Products will be automatically placed in the store upon creation.

Your Personal Store

This is where it gets fun!

Your profile will have four (4) unique sections:

๏ Profile
๏ Demos
๏ Store
๏ Feedback

In your Store, clients can see which products you offer and can add these items their cart. Note that the same products that you have listed in the Voices.com Store will also appear in your personal store located at your Profile.

While viewing your products, clients have the option to email you about a product, or save your profile to their favorites, making it easy for the client to return to your store to complete the purchase at a later date.

PRODUCT PAGES IN YOUR STORE

Each product will have it's own unique URL. Likely something like this :

http://www.voices.com/store/products/1234566

Page Details

Product pages will be where the client user can view:

๏ The full product title
๏ The full product description
๏ More information about you including your services as pulled from your profile (payment terms, about us etc.)
๏ Complete feedback history

THE SHOPPING CART

Cart

One very important aspect of this whole process is the cart. Clients can fill their carts with products that they want to purchase.

They also have the:

- Ability to see products currently in cart
- Ability to add/remove products from cart
- Ability to increase the quantity (number of hours purchased of a certain voice talent)
- Instant price adjustments to reflect changes in cart

HOW CLIENTS CHECKOUT

Here are the steps a client goes through when purchasing something from the store:

1. Sign In or Sign Up
2. Work Order
Clients attach a script and provide artistic direction and outline any technical requirements.
3. Payment
Client make a full deposit in the already familiar SurePay Escrow service.
4. Verify
In the final step, the clients verify their details and click "Place Order" to place their deposit and send you the work order.

ACTION PLAN

You can get an early advantage by thinking of the types of products you may want to sell in your Store.

Here are some ideas:

๏ Radio Commercials, products sold by market size (National, Regional, Local) and length (:60, :30, :15)
๏ TV Commercials, products sold by market size (National, Regional, Local) and length (:60, :30, :15)
๏ Telephone Package (Auto Attendant, IVR, On-hold, voicemail), sell by word count for packages / offer products without music and products with music; more expansive products for larger projects such as extensive phone trees, global entities, conglomerates
๏ Copy writing services, by word count / per page (word count / font stated)
๏ Short narration (5 minutes or less) for business
๏ Long form narration (based upon number of words); could offer products that go up in price incrementally to reflect longer scripts.
๏ Podcast Promos
๏ Website Intros

COMING SOON!

These are just some of the ways you can promote you voice and make your services known using Voices.com. Testing the new version of the Voices.com website will occur in late October (the exact launch date is TBA), so prepare now for success by thinking of ideas and creating products to include in your very own store and in the Voices.com Store.

Any Comments?

Best wishes,

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team