Ever wanted to know more about the casting side of the business from a client perspective?

Today, I'm sharing an interview I did with Jordy Wax of Contrast Films, letting you in on his very first experience at Voices.com, some surprises, and also why he hired the person he did and how you can position yourself as the ideal candidate for the job.

Interview with Jordy Wax of Contrast Films

VOX: Thank you for joining me here on VOX Daily, Jordy! I was excited to hear from my colleague Ben Jackson that you had a wonderful experience at Voices.com recently when you posted a job to hire a voice talent. How did you come to find Voices.com and why did you choose our service?

JORDY WAX: I was referred to voices.com by a friend, and after listening to a few demos, I decided to post a job.

VOX: There are a number of ways to search for talent at the site and I was curious to learn why you chose to post a job. What were the immediate benefits in your opinion that led you to post a casting call?

JW: Since this was a rush job I was posting, I didn't have time to search for talent. I found it easier to have the talent come to me.

VOX: Your project (Job ID 16283) was a safety script for a promotional video that required a straight read with an element of excitement! Did you favour custom demos (recorded samples of your script) over generic samples? Why or why not?

JW: I absolutely favored the custom samples! Hearing my name and my client's name in the sample was a big plus to me. Plus, customized samples helped me visualize the project when I got to hear parts of my script.

VOX: When you were reviewing your submissions did you find that the most favourable responses had anything in common with each other? If so, what was it about these responses that made them most appealing to you?

JW: Again, the submissions that caught my attention were the customized samples. It also caught my attention to hear the talent talk to me about the sample before it was read.

VOX: Was there anything that surprised you when using the site? If so, please elaborate.

JW: The biggest surprise for me was the insanely awesome turnaround time! I posted the job, and within 4 hours of it being approved I had a final product. Whoa.

VOX: You mentioned to Ben on the phone that a number of voice talent emailed you trying to entice you to do business outside of Voices.com in order to avoid paying the SurePay fee and save 10%. In response, you told them that you preferred to pay through our escrow service! Why did you pay the escrow fee and what are the benefits of doing so as a client seeking voice over services online?

JW: I like the idea of the escrow service. It gave me peace of mind knowing there wasn't a risk in paying new talent without getting a product I wanted.

VOX: Drumroll, please.... what in particular made Kyle Wilson stand out? Was there anything he did differently that made you gravitate toward hiring him? In other words, what let you know that Kyle was the right person to hire and to record the voice over?

JW: Kyle stood out because his voice sounded genuine and professional, without the "epic radio" sound. While I love those types of voices, that wasn't what this project called for. Kyle really knocked the sample out of the park, and it was a no-brainer for me to go with him.

VOX: This was your first experience using Voices.com and I'm thrilled that things worked out so beautifully for you. Based upon the service received, would you use Voices.com again and or recommend us to others? Why or why not?

JW: I have another script that will be finalized very shortly, and I will definitely being using voices.com again. The wide variety of professional talent, paired with quick turnaround time, makes for a great service!

About Contrast Films

We love video. Simple as that. So whether you're in need of a music video, corporate video, or event coverage, we've got you covered. We offer production to fit budgets of all sizes.

Learn more about Contrast Films
Follow Contrast Films on Twitter

Success!

Every day, people like Jordy Wax come to Voices.com to achieve their goals and we're thrilled that we can serve them. We're also grateful for our talent who help us to deliver on our promise, ensuring that all who come in search of the perfect voice have their needs met, and more often than not, their expectations exceeded!

Did You Enjoy This Interview?

If you have any comments or thoughts to share, you're invited to join the conversation.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Can you do funny voices?

How about some character voices with some spook in them?

Today on VOX Daily, I'll give you 3 ideas for how you can use your voice and add some spice to Hallowe'en festivities.

How To Wow Trick-or-Treaters Using the Human Voice

Candy isn't the only reason for Hallowe'en... primarily, it's about playing pretend! Kids get dressed up as their favourite characters and parade about. People hold themed costume parties to celebrate the day. Lastly, an opportunity for the vocally inclined is available to strut your stuff and let your zaniest characters loose on a night where nothing (in good taste as it relates to the trick-or-treating demographic) is too far over the top.

1. Be Your Neighbourhood's Entertainment

Record a short Hallowe'en themed voice over demo and set it on a 5-minute loop. If you're really ambitious and have a heart for production, why not produce a 1-hour session that includes dramatic music beds interspersed with humorous cartoony voices?

Character ideas:

๏ Dracula / The Count
๏ Ghosts (perhaps an impression of Casper the Friendly Ghost for younger participants)
๏ Werewolves
๏ Witches
๏ Chunky Jack-o-lanterns
๏ Fairies or sprites

Have fun thinking about and recreating the voices of inanimate objects, mythical creatures, and seasonal favourites.

If you're not busy, this is a fun and practical project for you that can be used each Hallowe'en going forward... doing this might also result in you becoming the talk of the town for your recordings and become a hot spot / destination for trick-or-treaters near and far.

$ IDEA: You could sell your loop or Hallowe'en track online as a download or on CD potentially resulting in a financial gain for you as well!

2. Get The Kids Involved

Ask kids who come to your door to do the voice of their character. Imagine! You asking a trick-or-treater to do their character's voice may present a great opportunity for them to explore their voice acting skills and also give you the chance to demonstrate your own character voices.

Questions you could ask the kids to get them comfortable enough to do their character voice:

1. What are you dressed up as tonight?
2. What do you think your character sounds like?
3. Can you say "Trick-or-treat" or "Thank you!" sounding like (insert character name here)?

If necessary, you could do a line read and have them mimic you. Their parents could assist in this and may wish to be involved, especially if they've been hoping to exercise their acting skills!

$ IDEA: You never know if a parent accompanying their child going door to door may be a potential customer. If they see you do the voice (and most importantly like and have a need for the voice), it's possible that you could get a booking! Keep some business cards handy just in case someone asks.

3. Make Guest Appearances at Parties

What about the set that enjoys going to Hallowe'en parties instead of handing out candy? You might be one of these people, in fact, you could even be hosting the party.

What if you were to entertain your guests in character for the evening? Not only would it be fun but you could build a whole theme party around your character. If you are co-hosting, perhaps your co-host could also go along with the plan to complement your performance and speak in character for the night, too. This may take some rehearsing and crafting of lines that you might deliver.

$ IDEA: Have you considered being an entertainer at other people's Hallowe'en parties? You could make guest appearances as Dracula for instance, or act similarly to The Count from Sesame Street, dressed and voiced to fit the part.

Have You Found These Ideas Useful?

Let me know if you are going to do any of the ideas above. If you have already been doing these types of activities over the years, I'd love to hear more about your experiences!

Happy Hallowe'en,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Sean Locke

When people are voice acting, their names are not generally associated with the voice over or the product they are selling.

The one exception that I can think of is in the world of character voice acting where there may be credits included at the end of a cartoon, film, or in a video game.

Bearing that in mind, how does this affect the voice acting profession?

Share your thoughts on the topic here at VOX Daily!

Voices Heard, Faces (and Names) Unseen

Voice over is very much behind the scenes work. You are at home or in a studio and rarely (if ever) get to see your audience or be seen by them.

What motivates people to do voice over at this point?

Is it recognition?

Voice over has to be one of the most humble occupations in the sense that recognition is not what is really what's driving the individual voice artist to do their job.

Based upon what I know of voice over professionals, recognition for themselves is probably the least motivating factor... these people would rather be part of a greater whole and pin their motivation upon effectively conveying and spreading a message.

The ultimate goal is to ensure that the audience comprehends the message and acts upon it in a positive way.

Remember when we discussed ego in voice acting? This is very much the essence of humility: a modest view of one's own importance.

What Do You Think?

Is humility a hallmark of voice acting?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Peter Brutsch

Looking for a great present for a child with a flair for the dramatic?

Want to know the ins and outs of voice acting for kids?

Voice actress and teacher Sunday Muse's new book "You Can Do Cartoon Voices, Too!" is an absolute must for the aspiring voice actor in your home that educates using accessible terms that children can understand.

The book also has a special section for parents that prepares them for the business side of what their children will encounter, including a Q&A with 3 top tier voice over agents.

If there was ever a getting started in voice overs guide for kids, this is it!

Want to learn more? Enjoy this review of Sunday's book!

Free Yourself... Do Cartoon Voices!

Have you ever tried to do a cartoon voice?

Sunday Muse relates that doing cartoon voices offers the opportunity to play with all those silly little voices that live inside each one of us (you know they are in there!), emphasizing that the most important thing is to have fun!

Much like how caricatures are exaggerated representations of people depicted in drawings, Sunday reveals that each of us is capable of becoming a cartoon through self-expansion coupled with bigger facial expressions and body movements, noting that your cartoon is an exaggerated version of you.

When you make a face, your voice has a tendency to change. You can build a whole repertory of characters based upon emotion. The images, faces, fonts, and colours used in this book are perfect for youngsters and clearly communicate the energy needed to do this kind of voice over work with children of all ages, even those who may have limited attention spans.

"You Can Do Cartoon Voices, Too!" is full of practical instruction that can be taught to the youngest child and takes make belief up a notch to a higher level of focused creativity.

Sunday loves being able to pass along all the tools that took her years to learn, and in this book, she shares tips freely in conjunction with appearances throughout the pages by 6 great kids dubbed "The Cartoon Gang," including Shemar, Juliana, Mark, Andrea, Liam, and Zoe.

"You Can Do Cartoon Voices, Too!" includes:

Chapter 1 - Wake Up the Ol' Voicebox!
Chapter 2 - How to make YOUR voice a CARTOON Voice
Chapter 3 - Choose a "Cartoony" Character
Chapter 4 - Create your own story or script
Chapter 5 - Play with some scripts
Chapter 6 - Think like a professional
Chapter 7 - Put To Use What You Have Learned
Chapter 8 - What Parents Want to Know About the Industry

A Must For Your Library

Sunday stresses 3 main pointers throughout the book that are easy to remember and implement for your child. Truth be told, they are great grounders for talent of any age! You don't have to be a child to benefit from Sunday's insight or learn from her. She teaches teens as well and also instructs adults if interested.

Near the beginning of the book, Sunday explains the difference between "normal talking" and "cartoon talking," introducing children to character development through a series of questions designed to use their imaginations to create a unique voice.

An accompanying CD, complete with a personal introduction from Sunday Muse, demonstrates various techniques and examples that are best used when following along with the book. I also recommend that you use the book as an ongoing reference for warm ups and rehearsal.

When your child works through a character, guided by Sunday's outline, you'll be amazed by the transformation that occurs!

The information included in the book is excellent for immersing your child into the world of cartoon voice acting.

By following Sunday's instructions, they'll get to know more about their voice, exercise their talent, and discover their own personal reservoir of untapped creativity, experiencing fully what it is like to be a cartoon voice actor.

Sunday is the voice of Cheer Bear from the Care Bears, Baby Binky on Rolie Polie Olie, Freddi in Time Warp Trio, Pepper in Jane and the Dragon, Gibby from The Wumblers, Lara in Willa's Wildlife, and George's puppet Wally from Arthur and many more voices you might recognize from popular cartoon shows and movies.

Her students have gone on to book roles in major cartoons such as "Family Guy" on FOX, "Arthur," "Babar," "Busytown," and "Super Why" on PBS.

How Can You Get Your Copy?

Visit Sunday's website at this link to order your copy of "You Can Do Cartoon Voices, Too!":

http://sundaymuse.com/book.htm

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Have you received opportunities only to turn them down because you're not giving yourself enough credit?

Many people find it difficult to identify the value or beauty in within themselves that others can plainly see.

Opportunity can come knocking when you least expect it... opportunities also present themselves to you for a reason.

Are you seizing the day? If not, let this VOX Daily article convince you otherwise!

Are You Ready? Opportunity May Be Knocking!

I've run into a number of people over the years who fail to realize their own uniqueness.

When I am interested in a story or a tidbit pertaining to someone's career, I tend to ask them for an interview in order to learn more about that specific aspect of their life so that I may share their story with others and acknowledge their success.

On occasion, a person I've requested an interview with will decline the opportunity or downplay their achievement because they feel that:

๏ Their story isn't important enough
๏ Their achievement is small in comparison to the accomplishments of others
๏ Their career hasn't yet hit the perceived height deserving of media coverage

Some people, creative people in particular, can be so hard on themselves! Receiving compliments can be difficult for artists too, because by nature, we are our own worst critics.

Perhaps you or someone you know has even turned down job opportunities because they felt undeserving!

Takeaways

If there is anything you can take from what I'm sharing today, I hope it is this:

When opportunity comes knocking, answer it with a joyful heart! The person asking you values who you are, is interested in what you do, and wants to let others know about your achievements. If you doubt yourself or your talent, you may have lost your chance to touch countless others and receive recognition where recognition is due.

If a blogger, journalist, casting director, or a customer can see something special in you, let them shine light upon your talent.

Regardless of how insignificant you may think an achievement is, it is worth celebrating!

When Opportunity Knocks, Do You Answer?

I'd love to hear about your experiences! Has opportunity knocked at your door and how you did you respond to its invitation?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Ekaterina Monakhova

Have you seen this video?

A short time ago, I had the opportunity to chat with Amy Walker, the Seattle, Washington-based actress whose "21 Accents" video caught fire on YouTube and other sites.

Interview with Amy Walker

VOX: Amy, thank you for taking my call today! When did you record the "21 Accents" video?

AMY WALKER: Thank You, Stephanie! I made the video about a year and a half ago.

VOX: There are a number of different accents in your video, and I was wondering why you chose to associate them not with the dialects they represent but with cities of origin. Did you find this to be difficult considering that there can be more than one accent in a given location?

AW: I thought it'd be fun to say I was born here, and then I was born there... keep people guessing. There are as many accents in a city as there are people, so I think of it as: this person could be from this city, rather than that one accent can represent an entire metropolis.

VOX: How did you learn the accents? Did you study them on site in the various places named in the video?

AW: Some of them I've been to: I studied acting and singing at the University of Wollongong in Australia, just south of Sydney. Then I moved to Wellington, NZ. They're all patterned after native speakers, but some I've had to take from films or wherever I could get them.

VOX: Why did you make the video?

AW: Initially, I thought it'd be great to be able to email a link to Casting Directors and say, "By the way, whatever accent the character has, no problem, I can learn it." I wanted it short and catchy. 21 Accents in 2 1/2 minutes had a ring to it.

VOX: But turned viral!

AW: Yeah, Crazy! I didn't even know what that meant at the time. I just woke up one morning to a crammed inbox and a lot of them were from people who'd seen it on Break.com, which I'd never heard of. Some guy posted it there and it got over 400,000 views in 24 hours. Now it's over 3 million on Break. And 2 million on YouTube! Crazy.

VOX: Congrats on the press! What has the response been like to your 21 Accents video?

AW: Tremendous. It comes in waves, but the most gratifying part is when people go from that to my other videos on YouTube. I have songs, monologues, original sketches, some pretty fun random stuff. I've received some really beautiful responses from people who've been inspired or touched by them. And it's great to get work from it, too, and the critical response has been so positive.

VOX: Yes, that's where I saw your video shared again. I had seen it previously but that was a long time ago. When I noticed it again through Facebook, I just knew that I had to look you up and get the inside story!

AW: Fun! I didn't know that it was circulating Facebook.

VOX: With no cuts, you're able to demonstrate your versatility and chameleon capabilities.

AW: Thank you. Yeah, that was the hardest part, the transitions, and doing it all in 1 take. Going from Irish to Scottish or Australian to NZ and back again...

VOX: Which accent would you say was the most difficult for you to master?

AW: The New Zealand accent is hard.

VOX: I agree! It is definitely unique. It's not Australian and isn't one that you'd find completely in line with dialects in the British Isles. Although it sounds at times like a blend of those types of accents, it really does stand alone.

AW: Indeed.

VOX: Have there been any unexpected ways that your video has been of use to people?

AW: Yeah! Especially that teachers have wanted to use it in class, and other videos as well, the Hamlet one. All over the world! Even for ESL in Japan and China, Russia, Canada, colleges and classrooms in NZ, Australia, the US...

VOX: Whereabouts is the video most popular?

AW: I think Google shows the US and the UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, then probably Europe and Japan, then Russia, S. America, S. Africa...

VOX: One of the reasons why I think your video struck a chord is because the theme was so universal. Nearly everyone could relate, whether it was their accent or not, and even if they didn't identify with a particular accent, it got them talking. Any parting words on accents?

AW: We all use different subtleties of accents every day, depending on who we're talking to. We're different with our grandparents than we are with our close friends or with little kids. People want to know what my "real" accent is, or what a person's "really like", but the truth is, we're kaleidoscopic beings. We change constantly. Accents are an aspect of voice, which is an expression of Self, which is always changing and adjusting! It comes from a desire to truly communicate and connect to people as clearly as possible, and when people feel that a person is "like them", they feel understood, comfortable, they connect.

VOX: I heard you are working on a film. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

AW: Absolutely! It's a feature film called Connected, which follows a diverse and disconnected family as they struggle to love each other for who they are, in our new world of instant communication. Everyone in the family has very different ideas about how to use technology to stay in touch. And I agree with all of them! I wrote Connected with the help of my friend Marilee Jolin (Script Advisor).

Hopefully, it'll get people talking and thinking about how the internet and cell phones impact our lives, for better and worse. It's incredible how we're able to connect to people we'll never "meet", from the other side of the world -like we're doing now! But at the same time, it can make us feel more isolated, stuck in our little boxes while the beautiful world flows around us.

The really exciting thing about this film is that it's being funded by dollar donations by 1 million people all over the world at www.ConnectedFilm.com. People are uniting to make a film about Connecting! It's blowing my mind! And we have such a wonderful team working on it.

About Amy Walker

Amy Walker is an artist of many media. An actress/singer/songwriter since the highchair, she has played key roles in more than 70 theatrical shows and films in both global hemispheres, honing her linguistic skills with over 21 accents at the ready.

As a writer, Amy has created screenplays, short stories, and many memorable characters for YouTube and both incarnations of her one-woman show, Amy Walker: Inside Out.

As a teacher and director, she has tapped the truth in myriad actors and their characters in plays, camps, workshops and private coaching.

She is insatiably interested in the unique juice that fuels the human spirit, and dedicates her life to awakening the full potential within herself and others.

To learn more about Amy Walker, go to AmyWalkerOnline.com.

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Do you experiment with fonts when you read scripts?

Does changing up the font alter your interpretation?

Perhaps you have a favorite font and even change the font that your scripts are sent in!

Whatever you do, I'd love to hear about it! Share your font preference here at VOX Daily.

Helvetica

You may have heard about a documentary about a font called Helvetica. During the film you are shown how it is used, by whom, and are given an amazing glimpse into its universal use and practical appeal (which is extensive to say the least).

Needless to say, Helvetica is a font that you've likely come in contact with in a voice over script. Perhaps you've been reading text set in nice legible fonts such as Arial, Times New Roman, or others.

Fonts Speak Volumes

The font you choose may very well flavor your reads, influencing them in some way, whether you realize it or not.

Fonts are designed to have their own traits and personalities.

It's amazing how a curve, a slant, or a font's weight can affect how you interpret what is being communicated on the page and also therefore shape your scoring of the copy.

The sheer number of fonts available (and their derivatives) is overwhelming! I found a really great resource that goes over the basic characteristics of fonts that may be useful to you if you're trying to find a perfect fit for reading scripts in or simply wish to better understand fonts in general.

Here's a link to a PDF of Maarten Gelderman's "Fonts: A Short Introduction to Font Characteristics."

That being said...

Pen to Paper

Maybe you're on the opposite side of the font camp and prefer to write out shorter scripts by hand to put more of "you" into the read.

Writing the script out could make the read more believable because it is in your own writing and therefore more familiar. The notation has your pen strokes, pauses, punctuation marks, and because you wrote it out, is now physically part of you.

Which Font Do You Use?

Do fonts affect how you read?

Which font do you prefer to read scripts in and do you change the font to help you create a different read?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Bart Coenders

The human ego is a very fragile thing, but when it comes to business, it's your ego or your lunch!

Perhaps it's not so much about the bruising of your ego but approaching each situation and client you encounter with a positive attitude.

How can you remain composed and flexible during an audition or a recording session?

Is the customer really always right?

The answer may happily surprise you!

Read this helpful article about what you can do and why it helps here at VOX Daily.

Voice Over is a Business!

Something that I think can't be said enough is that voice over is a business.

That being said, voice over happens to fall into the realm of the creative, which can at times, complicate matters... if you let it!

Is The Customer Always Right?

The person doing the hiring or directing is your customer, and in many circles, the adage of "The Customer is Always Right" applies.

This could go one of two ways:

1) The client appears to be insatiable and requests more takes
2) The client likes your work even though you think you could have done better or that someone else was better qualified

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the same goes for what someone thinks is a perfect take or casting in voice over.

Think A Couple of Retakes is Bad? You Haven't Seen Anything Yet!

In big league VO, it isn't uncommon for a director to request a minimum of 20 takes to get the perfect delivery, so it would make sense that other clients may have the expectation that two or three takes may just be scraping the surface of your talent and ability to take direction.

Although interpreting feedback during a session as criticism may be a natural response, it isn't the healthiest thing, and one has to remember that the director is only trying to communicate their vision through your voice by doing business with you.

You're not inside their head and they aren't in yours... it may take a while (and a substantial number of takes) to embody what the client really wants.

Leaving Egos At The Door Is Easy

If you're able to separate your feelings from the work, any feedback you receive will come as creative direction or a way of trying the same thing a different way, not as a personal insult.

Make sense?

Remember, if the client likes it, don't offer to do more or question their logic!

If the client needs to take a little while to realize their vision through your voice, enjoy the ride. Make it a game if you have to and use each take as an opportunity to freely explore parts of your voice you may not have known before.

I think you'll agree, it's more enjoyable (and perhaps less labor-intensive) than most jobs out there!

How Do You Keep Your Ego Out of Voice Acting?

I'd love to hear your tips or insight :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/digitalskillet

Have you been wondering how to make convincing exertion sounds for video games and character voice acting?

How do you make yourself sound like you're injured, in peril, or decidedly indisposed?

Find out in this neat article submitted by DB Cooper about her experience presenting at the Game Developers Conference Austin 2009.

The Big Grunt

By DB Cooper

The Austin Game Developers Conference happens in September -- a mighty fine time to be in Austin. I was a speaker at this year's conference, with a little program called "The Big Grunt: finding, trapping and taming exertion sounds."

I had initially proposed as a presentation an hour-long voice lesson for audio directors, the kind of thing I teach people when starting a new class for voice acting. The idea with this was to demonstrate to the guys on the other side of the glass the process we use when we wrap our voices around words on paper. Instead of taking my whole program, they suggested that I be part of a new program called "Audio Shorts": 4 people with 15 minutes each to present a single idea and take questions.

With the 15-minute constraint, I narrowed the focus considerably and decided to focus on exertion sounds.

This is how I described it:

You've got the lines, now you need the ooffs, the augghs, the hi-yahs. The barks and character sets can be the most trying parts of a voice session. You need a big variety of sounds, but there isn't always an easy way to get your actor to give you 5 distinctly different grunts.

When you know how these sounds are made, it's easier to get what you need from your actor.

And Here is What's Called the "Takeaway":

In this interactive program, attendees will learn and practice the bio-mechanics of producing typically necessary exertion sounds as well as the diaphragmatic support needed to prevent vocal burn-out from shouting and screaming.

* * * * *

One thing I did as I prepared for this program was take a poll among Video Game dialog and audio directors. The one consistent item on the directors' wish lists was a way to overcome the challenge of getting great exertion sounds. The punch and hit sounds, the screaming and dying are always recorded at the end of a VO session. This is so the actor's voice is stressed to its max only after all the other lines have been recorded. However, a session can be 4 hours long, and the director runs the risk of encountering an actor's creative exhaustion. There are only so many ways of saying "ugh!" or "auggh" and as anyone who has played games knows there are a LOT of violent sounds in a game. My hope with this program was to give the directors a "bag of tricks" to get what they need -- when they need it.

When it was time for my part of the Audio Shorts program, I got everyone in the hall onto their feet. We did some vocal work to identify the diaphragm, and we ran through a short list of tricks that can help an actor discover parts of their grunt-and-scream palette, including:

Violent Vowels

We experimented with all the short and some long sounds to express anger or surprise.

The Blood-curdling Barf

Some folks know this is my favorite "awareness" trick. When you really scream, you use the same muscles that are used when you throw up. I had my pal Kara Edwards demonstrate.

Pinch-ended Punches

Closing off a yell at the beginning or end gives a different effect from a plain open-vowel shout.

Heimlich Hitting

This is one of Pat Fraley's tricks. Do the Heimlich Maneuver on yourself-- you can get a great expulsion of sound along with a distinct jerk that really sounds like a solid hit.

This was an energetic program to present, and getting the audio guys involved in vocalizing was fun for everyone! The Power Point slides I used can be found at my website here. Here's a link to also view the handout from The Big Grunt.

I'm hoping to present the full hour's lesson in San Francisco in the spring of 2010.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you!

DB Cooper

About DB Cooper

DB Cooper creates character voices and sound effects for animation, video games and other electronic entertainment, and she provides the voice for corporate video, web presentations, and television & commercials worldwide via ISDN and the internet. DB is a staff announcer for CBS Radio Boston, and is a games voice casting and dialog consultant.

Recent work includes:

BIOSHOCK 2: Big Kate, additional voices. 2K Marin

TREASURE WORLD, Nintendo DS: vocalizations for The Wish Finder. Aspyr.

BUMBLE TALES, PC game: voices for Adriana Hitballova, Ella Mae, Shelly the Telly, Flauna Freud, and the cats and dogs. Tandem Games.

Inspired By What You Read?

Add a comment sharing your thoughts with DB to join the conversation!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Lost a gig?

Today I'd like to talk about what happens when someone doesn't renew a contract to use your voice.

It is not a subject that we touch on much but is an important reality nonetheless.

Hear some sage advice from Ann DeWig on the realities of moving on here at VOX Daily.

Jobs Come and Go

Voice over goes in cycles. Just as every good things must come to an end, contracts for voice over jobs also end, and this includes even the biggest ticket jobs.

Each one of your jobs makes your career. While some may be more memorable or prestigious, a working voice actor knows that every little bit adds to your bottom line. You'll win some and lose some! The important thing is to keep going and to keep winning.

Prominent female voice over talent Ann DeWig knows this firsthand, and encourages talent to look beyond their past bookings.

Ann says, "I think there is an illusion about successful voice jobs, and how they can catapult you to new heights in your career. I often hear voice people say: 'If I get this job it would open everything up!' But voiceover is a strange career. You never really get the corner office, your name on the door and the feeling of 'ahhh, I've finally made it!' Our gigs come and go. Every voice job you get you will lose. So it's important to remember that there is no 'one' job that makes or breaks you. Jobs can certainly lead to new jobs and new opportunities, but I think it's important to keep things into perspective. It's ALL my jobs combined that allow me to pay my mortgage and buy my dogs those dingo bones they like. I'm certainly not the first woman to be voicing super prestigious gigs, (usually reserved for males), and I won't be the last. Melissa Disney will always be the first woman to have voiced a trailer, but she also moved on to the next job. The one we didn't hear about."

Can You Relate to What Ann Shared?

Add your thoughts as a comment and let the conversation continue!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Cathy Keifer

Wonder what clients are looking for, thinking about, and doing at Voices.com?

Entrusted with the unique position to monitor industry activity, but also act as a catalyst for future growth, we asked our clients a number of questions that give you a glimpse into their Voices.com experiences and also tell you more about how they are choosing to use our service.

Find out more by reading our Voices.com Client Experience Report at VOX Daily.

Factors That Influence Decision Making

Question: When reviewing responses to a job posting, which factors influence your decision? Select all that apply.

Insight: Based on those who responded the primary factor when selecting talent to work with are demos and the combination of demo and quote, however, a combination of proposal, demo and quote also rates very high when making a decision.

Here's a breakdown:

Quote and Demo: 38%
Demo: 33%
Written Proposal, Quote, and Demo: 12%
Other: 17%

Other encompasses the following: "Is In My Favorites," "Listing in the Featured Voices on the homepage," or "Talent website" as influencing factors.

Tip: When submitting auditions ensure that you take care with all aspects of your submission to achieve greater success.

Most Frequent Search Methods

Question: How do you most frequently search for talent?

Insight: The overwhelming majority of searches for voice talent are conducted by posting a job to gather voice samples and price quotes. From looking at the results, these clients prefer to manage their projects using Voices.com as a tool to both collect and evaluate responses.

Tip: 75% of clients who responded to the survey during this period of time posted jobs to find talent. Keep auditioning as it's a prime opportunity to be heard.

How Long Have These Clients Been Members?

Question: How long have you been using Voices.com to seek voice talent services?

Insight: "Other" encompasses clients who have been using Voices.com for longer than 2 years.

Although many of the respondents are fairly new to Voices.com, it's great to see that we also have a large number of long term clients who continue to use Voices.com to seek the services of professional voice talent.

Tip: There are always new people looking to hire voice over professionals, and so long as you're where they want you to be, they'll find you.

How Easy is it To Use Voices.com?

Question: How easy is Voices.com to use on a scale of 1 to 5. Where 5 is very intuitive and 1 being very difficult to navigate.

Insight: 77% of respondents find Voices.com simple and easy to use when it comes to finding and hiring talent.

Exclusive Use of Voices.com to Cast Voice Talent

Question: For your last job, did you use Voices.com exclusively to find talent?

Insight: A very large percentage of respondents confirm using Voices.com exclusively to seek talent for their last posting. Many talent believe that clients are often seeking talent elsewhere at the same time, however, this is not always the case as seen in the survey results.

Tip: Audition for all jobs that you are qualified for. 74% of survey respondents only posted their jobs at Voices.com.

How Many Auditions Are Reviewed on Average?

Question: On average, how many auditions do you fully review before making a decision about contacting a talent?

Insight: It is beneficial to be a first responder, however, a much larger percentage of clients are reviewing all submission before making a final hiring decision. Not all jobs get over 100 responses and some clients only receive a handful of submissions which can account for the higher percentage of clients indicating they make a decision from the first 25 submissions.

Tip: Ensure that you have several demos uploaded to your profile that you can submit quickly in the event you do not have time to record a custom demo. If you do not have recording ability throughout the day, this enables you to still submit an audition quickly to secure your audition placement.

Do Clients Get Too Many Responses?

Question: Did you feel you had too many responses to your job posting?

Insight: The results of this question may surprise a number of voice talent. The vast majority of clients feel they receive just the right amount of submissions and very few think they have received too many. Clients who feel they have not received enough responses have typically posted a job seeking a foreign language voiceover (not English, British or North American).

Tip: If you use the Overview of a job to make a decision on submitting an audition because you think too many have responded, you may wish to submit anyway. Clients enjoy having a variety of responses to review and select from.

Using the Favorites List to Shortlist Auditions?

Question: Do you use the Favorites feature as a way of shortlisting your audition responses? (By adding talent to your job Favorites it makes it easier to find those specific talent again and allows for easier follow up.)

Insight: A large number of respondents are making use of this feature to help shortlist respondents which in turn updates the Top Favorites listing on our homepage.

Tip: In your proposal invite the client to add you to their Favorites if interested in your voice.

Do Clients Know that SurePay is Included?

Question: Were you aware that Voices.com has a built in Escrow service available to you to make payment to talent? This service is initiated by you if you click on Award Job from a talent's audition. The Escrow fee is also built into the quotes you're seeing.

Insight: Clients are aware of the Escrow service at the time of posting and are also aware that each quote they see includes the Escrow service fee.

Tip: If a client awards a job to you via Escrow it's a good idea to continue with the process rather than redirecting the client away from the service. They have agreed to the rate which includes the Escrow fee when they select you. Payment can be made via Visa, MasterCard and through PayPal by account balance, bank transfer, Amex or Discover.

How Did You Pay Your Last Voice Over Pro?

Question: For your last job, what was your payment method for securing the talent?

Insight: More than half of survey respondents made use of the Escrow service for payment of their last job. Another 32% of clients paid talent directly. Only 5% of respondents indicated that they did not hire a talent and the reasons for this include not finding the right voice, found talent elsewhere, or the project is no longer moving forward. The other 9% of respondents have not yet made a hiring decision the following month after their job closed to receive auditions.

Would You Leave Feedback for Talent Auditions?

Question: If we were to add an audition feedback system how likely is it that you would leave feedback for the majority of talent who submit an audition?

Insight: We've had many requests from talent regarding implementing an audition feedback system. As a result we've reached out to the clients who would be using such a feature to find out how useful the feature would be. A very large percentage of clients would not make use of such a feature at this time. Those indicating "Not Likely" to use or "Not Sure" are considered here.

Only 21% of respondents indicate a high likelihood of using such a feature.

Voices.com will continue to monitor feedback on this type of feature but if clients are not willing to make use of a feedback system for the majority of respondents it may not be feasible for us to implement.

Any Comments?

The information in this Client Experience Report was compiled by Laurynda Pasma, Voices.com Product Development Manager.

We are doing our best to provide you with regular reports that share how you can make the most of Voices.com and your membership with our service.

If you'd like to share your thoughts about the information presented, we'd love to hear from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

You may have heard that some members of the voice over community were mentioned in the New York Times last month for their voluntary commitment to read out the US bill for Health Care Reform.

The bill itself takes over 1 day to listen to and a number of pages were assigned to eager volunteers.

What you may not have known though is that this gargantuan effort is being updated to reflect changes in the bill since it came up for review.

Want to learn more?

Read this interview with one of Hear The Bill's chief coordinators, Diane Havens.

Voices.com Interview with Diane Havens of HearTheBill.org

VOX: Welcome Diane, and thank you for joining me here on VOX Daily. Congratulations on Hear The Bill's recent press in the New York Times! I've heard that as the bill is being updated, talent are rerecording or recording the newest changes. Can you tell me more about that?

DIANE HAVENS: There are two health care reform bills currently on the site. The one from the House of Representatives has not changed since its initial recording in September, however the Senate bill has gone through a number of changes and is not yet finished.

VOX: Which means, of course, more work for you guys! How do you know when the bill has been updated? Do you have a contact within the senate who is alerting you to the changes as they happen?

DH: To keep up with the updates, we check the government websites (in this case, the Finance Committee of the Senate) to track changes, which are posted as they are written up. We are not working with anyone from the government -- we just use the posted text and amendments as they come.

VOX: This must require a great deal of commitment!

DH: Yes, Kat Keesling and I and most all of our volunteers have made a commitment that is over and above what we could ever have expected. Each person was given a smaller portion of the bill to record.

VOX: When a change occurs, the person whose part of the bill has been changed rerecords their portion. Just the other day I saw a tweet from David Houston relating so much about a change made to part of the bill he had recorded. How many people are volunteering their voices for this project and how complex is this project?

DH: There are over 80 voice talent volunteering! Kat and I take turns, according to our schedules, on organizing the new material, and then contacting the volunteers who then in turn must commit to a fast turnaround of recording/editing of their files (under 48 hours) -- and then Kat, who also has the monumental task of web master, uploads the new audio to the site.

We contact our subscribers notifying them of the change. I also write up a new press release whenever a major change occurs, and continue to get media, press and blog coverage.

Volunteer Roger Baker has taken on a leadership role as well, by doing the bulk of the quality checking both for text accuracy and audio quality before Kat uploads their final to the site -- THAT is a huge job!!

VOX: Are you doing anything special to recognize the people volunteering?

DH: We attempt, in some small way, to thank our volunteers for their extraordinary efforts by listing their contact information on the site, and we have recently started a feature where I "interview" volunteers and post their response both as audio and text on a page called "Getting to Know US". A similar page is in the works (minus the audio) "Getting to Know YOU" giving some feedback or comments from our users (subscribers).

VOX: How long will you continue to update the bill?

DH: We are committed to following through with this until health care reform is passed, at the very least, and then we may look into forming a non-profit organization formally and legally -- and apply for grants to keep us afloat on a permanent basis. We would then be able to give more time and attention to the site which we think is a great public service, especially for the visually impaired, but seems also to be enjoyed by all sorts of people -- the kind that love audio books!

For more information about Hear The Bill, visit:

http://www.hearthebill.org

To hear the bill, click here:

http://www.hearthebill.org/HR_3200_WIP.php

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Brandon Jennings

Ever stopped to think about why social networking is important?

Wonder how social networking can help you?

In today's VOX Daily, Dave DeAndrea gives you four amazing reasons as to why participating in the online world via sites such as Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook will make you more visible, engaging, and relevant in the voice over industry.

The Necessity of Social Networking

By Dave DeAndrea

I've eavesdropped on a few conversations between Voice Actors regarding social networking and something I commonly hear is, "That's such a waste of time." I'd mention these people by name... but I'll refrain.

Know why?

Because you've never heard of them. They're not on "the grid" of social networking.

Question: Is it possible to be a successful Voice Actor without utilizing social networking?

Answer: Absolutely. But let me offer 4 reasons why I believe that social networking is worth the investment of time.

1. Recognition (For crying out loud! It's free exposure!)

There are lots of ways to get your name out there and most of them cost money. Why not take advantage of the many ways to connect with other actors and clients that don't cost you anything but a little bit of time between auditions and sessions?

2. Relationships

When I finally got the Jeep Wrangler I always wanted, I quickly learned that I had inadvertently become a member of a secret society. Other Jeep People would wave a friendly acknowledgment as we passed each other... an unspoken understanding that we shared a common interest (by the way...this NEVER happens when I drive our minivan).

As Voice Actors, we're not likely to spot others that share our common love of VO outside of workshops and conventions. Most of us don't walk around with a microphone, so it's great to have places online to go where we can meet people who "get it". And that leads to...

3. Resources

Social networking sites can be wonderful places to learn and find solutions to problems. More often than not, there's a tech guy lurking in the "logged in" list who's more than happy to help you figure out where that annoying high-pitched noise is coming from... a VO Veteran who'd be willing to offer advice on your demo... a fellow actor of the opposite sex who'd love to try that 2-person conversational audition with you. And who knows? You could be a great resource for someone else.

4. Referrals

This one is HUGE! I've been on the giving and receiving end of this key career component.

A client may have already hired one of your VO buddies, but it's a multi-voice project... so the client asks them if they know anyone who might be good for one of the other roles. I know I'm over-simplifying this, but they can't recommend you if they don't know you.

And what about securing an agent? Maybe you know an actor that the agent already represents. You can have "referred by (insert name of Voice Actor whom the agent represents)" in the subject line of you email inquiry or you can put "seeking representation." The former will get you listened to... the latter will get you deleted.

Side note: Be sure to talk with the Voice Actor before you use them as a referral and talk with them about the agency, etc.

To listen to this article, visit my podcast on Voice Over Experts on my faculty member profile here:

http://podcasts.voices.com/voiceoverexperts/dave_deandrea/

Thanks and God bless,

Dave DeAndrea
Voice Actor & Producer
WINNER OF THE 2009 VOICEY AWARD FOR BEST MALE VOICE

P.S. You are welcome to connect with me at any of these social networking sites!

Twitter: http://twitter.com/davedeandrea
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/davedeandrea
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davedeandrea
VO Universe: http://irockthemicvo.ning.com/profile/DaveDeAndrea
Tangle: http://connect.tangle.com/davedeandrea
Nextcat: http://www.nextcat.com/davedeandrea

Are You Social Networking?

Leave a comment and let us know!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Ever wonder about the jobs that are posted at Voices.com and how they break down?

Take a look at these charts and graphs from the past 12 months that reveal what clients are looking for when they post jobs at Voices.com.

Voice Over Jobs by Language

Insight:

As you can see, the majority of clients coming to Voices.com are seeking talent who speak a dialect of English, with 46% requesting "North American English", and 32% simply asking for "English".

"Other" means any language other than what you see listed on the pie chart. "British English" is representative of 7% of all posted jobs at Voices.com.

When clients post a job that does not have a specific dialect of English associated with their voice over, they are open to receiving auditions from any voice over professional who can speak English fluently.

Voice Over Jobs by Gender

Insight:

This may come as good, democratic news to you! There is almost an equal amount of jobs that require male voices as there are requiring female voices.

38% of jobs are posted to women specifically, 37% are posted to male voice talent specifically, and 25% are open to both male and female voice talent.

Voice Over Jobs by Age Range

Insight:

When you take a look at this graph, you might be wondering why the largest percentage of jobs posted is unknown... some clients posting jobs are not selecting this field because they want to keep their options open with regard to age.

The people who do specify a particular age often do so out of necessity. They want someone whose voice is comfortable performing in a distinct age range to better reach their target audience.

Voice Over Jobs by Category

Insight:

The categories clients can choose from at Voices.com are diverse, and as displayed above, you can tell that the jobs posted run the gamut!

Here's a breakdown of the jobs:

20% Business
15% Telephone
13% Internet
11% Educational
9% Television
9% Radio
7% Documentaries
6% Audiobooks
4% Cartoons
7% "Other"

"Other" encompasses videogames, movie trailers, music composition, jingles, and podcasting.

Wrap Up

We track client activity so that we can learn more about the needs of people visiting our website and also have relevant information to share with you, our stakeholders.

Have you found this information to be useful?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

David

Interpreting words is a task in itself, but what if you had to interpret God's Word?

Hear about professional actor, award-winning filmmaker, and communication coach Jason Hildebrand's experience developing three separate voices for characters from the parable of The Prodigal Son here on VOX Daily.

The Gospel According to Luke

In spring of 2009, I had the opportunity to see an interesting presentation at my church given by Toronto-based performer Jason Hildebrand, a dramatist and actor known for his focus on speaking the Word of God through theatre and cinema.

The play?

The Prodigal Son, a parable told by Jesus, which happens to be a beautiful story about love.

To read the version found in the Bible, go to Luke Chapter 15, verses 11 through 32. I have included a paraphrased version for us below in my own words that I hope you'll find helpful. The Bible is a better source, but I'll try :)

The Prodigal Son

The story begins with a father and his two sons. The eldest son, who is loyal and fastidious, works each day in his father's fields and makes sure that the house is run properly. The younger son is less involved in the operations and feels compelled to leave his father's home.

One day, the younger son asks his father if he would give him his inheritance early so that he could see the world and live what he considers to be the good life. The father, deeply saddened, divides his estate in two and gives his blessing to his younger son along with his inheritance.

The younger son takes all that he has and leaves the safety of his home, journeys to a foreign country, gets involved with the wrong crowd and eventually finds himself broke, friendless, in the midst of a famine, working for a living, and eating worse than the pigs he is employed to look after.

At this moment, the son comes to his senses and realizes that at home, his father's servants are treated far better than how he is being treated. He decides that he must apologize to his father for sinning against him and against heaven, declaring himself unworthy to be his son and to plead that his father would have mercy on him and employ him as one of his servants. Even as a servant in his father's home he would least have proper clothing, food, respect and a roof over his head.

The younger son sets off for home.

While he was away, his father kept watch and hope that his son would return.

One day the father sees his younger son in the distance, comes running to him with outstretched arms, and in tears of joy, embraces him with a kiss.

The father calls for the fatted calf to be slain and a feast prepared in celebration of his son's return. No expense is spared. The father sees that his finest robe is fetched for the younger son and also provides a ring for his finger.

The older son, upon learning of his brother's return and enraged his warm reception, speaks out in disgust and wonders how his father can welcome back such a person who has deserted his family, squandered his inheritance, and done nothing to deserve his father's affections, unlike himself.

His father turns to him and says, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

* The last paragraph includes a quote taken from "The Message," according to the Gospel of Luke 15:32.

Interview with Jason Hildebrand

Now that you know the story, or have had a chance to review, you'll be fascinated to hear exactly how this parable was crafted into a three act play.

Last week I spoke with Jason Hildebrand and got to learn more about his creative process as well as how his interpretation of the parable came to be.

Jason was asked by a friend to develop a reflection for a denominational prayer retreat with his research based on the Rembrandt painting "The Prodigal Son," and a book by Henri Nouwen entitled, "The Return of the Prodigal Son."

He didn't realize at the time that it would turn into a play with three acts involving three separate characters performed on stage. He also hadn't foreseen that he would tour throughout North America and the UK for almost nine years presenting the monologues!

The book didn't break the story down into individual character roles as they are performed in the play. Jason spent time with the painting, praying through the heart of each character while researching the text. He brought what he had completed to the prayer retreat as requested.

The trailer embedded below is an evolution of what was presented at the prayer retreat:

Jason had never experienced the story of The Prodigal Son for himself and was interested in bringing the parable to live in both a stage version and also a cinematic short.

Hildebrand relates, "Good art comes at you in a different way than a sermon comes to you. When you are watching a play, you are not anticipating a sermon. The play speaks to you. The audience gets to live their lives through the character being portrayed. The audience is a character; the audience has an identity. The audience, although they themselves do not speak, engages with the performer in the dialog and has a part in influencing the performance."

During the performance, Jason is listening to God to hear where he needs go as an actor to emotionally fulfill the needs of the audience.

I asked him what the response has been to his play following performances.

Jason shared, "Although people can be moved by a performance, that doesn't mean that they will be moved to the point of conversion, however, lives has been radically transformed during performances of The Prodigal Trilogy. In order for that to happen, the Holy Spirit needs to move them. This can result in radical life-changing experiences, some people even meeting Father God for the first time when seeing the story unfold."

That's some powerful storytelling!

For an especially meaningful performance based upon scripture, the the actor, God, and the audience must be connected.

Jason likens this to a triangle.

He performs for the audience and keeps his heart open to what God wants him to communicate. God needs to be at the centre of the performance and triangle for the Holy Spirit to move and work its way into the hearts of the audience and the performer.

When I asked Jason about his interpretation and the voices he developed for his characters, I mentioned that it was obvious that an enormous amount of heart went into all three characters, the father in particular.

In the stage version (which I saw), the father has an accent, speaking with such authority, dignity, and breadth. The accent sounded Eastern European but I couldn't place it. During our chat, I asked him about it and he related that the accent was indeed Eastern European. When he was in college he lived with an Eastern European family. On occasion, the mother would speak in Yiddish to her family, and it was in their home that he picked up the accent.

Why an Eastern European accent?

Jason finds that the Eastern European accent has a particularly appropriate weight and humour to it that was suited to a gentle soul such as the father.

Hildebrand confides, "The accent kind of came out of nowhere and I really like how it softens the father, making him more wise. I purposefully tried not to peg the accent to make it easier for a broader audience of people to relate to so I took elements of various Eastern European accents, a hybrid really, and saved this voice for the end. The audience is waiting and itching for someone different to come along and bring grounding to the play. The father, with his accent, had the greatest impact when heard last sharing his different filter of the world."

I thought it was particularly fitting that he chose this particular accent because we live in such a multicultural country. Canada is made up of a mosaic of cultures. Hearing the Eastern European accent, at least for me, evokes a great deal of history, struggle, and faith.

When watching the trailer for his short film, Jason opted to speak without an accent as the father. He shared that the accent didn't come across as well on camera to suspend the viewers' unbelief as it does in person with an audience, which is understandable.

What does still come across is the strength and masculinity of the father.

The image of a strong father resonates like no other. It is this imagery that often strikes a chord with his audiences above all the other characters.

"We live in a society of the fatherless, single moms, feminized Christianity, only singing songs to Jesus, and forgetting that there is also Father God. I have seen a number of women have to take on traditional male roles within the home because the men in their lives have fallen from their responsibilities. The notion of Father and masculinity has been far from us in the past but is coming back."

Jason portrays a strong notion of who Father God is and what makes Him different from other fathers who may have let their children down. He shows them that they can trust in a Father who loves them, who is waiting with his arms wide open to receive his children into his arms.

In addition to The Prodigal Trilogy, Jason also performs a monologue on the Life of David (with 20+ characters with different accents) and Herod the Great. The Prodigal Trilogy and many of his other works are available for purchase on his website.

For more information about Jason Hildebrand, or to get a copy of The Prodigal Trilogy, visit JasonHildebrand.com

Best wishes,

Stephanie

What's been updated, improved upon, and added to make your experience at Voices.com even better?

Find out in our most recent release of the site!

Fall Feature Releases

We're excited to share some information about how we've been working harder to serve you better.

In fact, you may notice some improvements in this posting that you've been hoping to see implemented at Voices.com.

As always, we are open to and value your feedback. Check out these updates with our thanks!

Talent Changes

Text Changes in Talent Account

Instead of "Open" under jobs the tab has been renamed "Hiring" which is more in line with what the folder contains, simply put, jobs that are hiring talent.

Addition of Key Job Details Now Present on the Audition Submission Page

This includes key information such as the project title, language, age, union affiliation and budget.

Ratings in the Search Results

Ratings in the form of stars are now present in our search engine which presents a more appealing image. If you'd like to see what this looks like, visit http://www.voices.com/talents/search.

Language Order

The order of languages has been updated so that all dialects of English are at the top of the language list.

The order is now :

๏ English (North American)
๏ English (British)
๏ English (Irish)
๏ English (Scottish)
๏ English (South African)
๏ English (Australian)
๏ English (New Zealand)
๏ English ~ which represents all fluent speakers regardless of accent

Demo Details

Demo Details now showcase the language, age and category assigned to the demo by talent, for example, http://www.voices.com/demo_detail/40966.

Age Range Needs To Be Associated With All Demos

NEWLY UPDATED

When you upload a demo, be sure to associate an age range with your demo or it will not be presented in a refined search query that includes AGE RANGE as a filter. To make sure that you are appearing in the search engine for queries that include Age Range, log in and edit your demos, adding the most appropriate Age Range to each one. Only one age can be associated with a given demo.

For Clients

Audition Response Counter

Clients now have a counter that shows the total new responses received in the last 24 hours. This is visible in the Activity box at the top of the My Account page.

More Specified Budgets

When clients are posting a job, from the budget drop down list "Other" has been renamed to "Specify" so that clients know they may specify a fixed budget amount.

Option to Invite More Talent

Clients now have the option to invite more talent from their Quote List, viewable here http://www.voices.com/jobs/request_quote.

Scenario: A Client has selected a few talent from search engine or Favorites and clicks "Request Quote." On the next screen they see a link that says "Invite More Talent," returning them to the search engine where they can select more talent and continue doing so until they have the desired amount of talent on their list.

Modifications to Job Responses

When a client clicks on a talent's name, they can expand or close a response. This is indicated by a plus or negative sign beside submitters name - example + LPasma or - L Pasma.

Have Any Feedback or Feature Requests?

Have something you'd like to add to the list?

We invite you to share your ideas and thoughts here:

https://www.pollzter.com/RenderSurvey.aspx?sid=a0D400000031AZc&oid=00D300000000jZt

Kind regards,

Laurynda Pasma
Product Development Manager, Voices.com

David Ciccarelli
CEO, Voices.com

What more can you do to stand out from the crowd in an audition?

Is it merely the voice that can get you ahead or secure a place for you in a client's mental space?

Find out how you can connect to a client with more than just your voice today on VOX Daily.

Love Me, Love Me, Say That You Love Me!

Yesterday, I read a tweet by a voice talent on Twitter about an audition for a high profile company in the health and beauty sector, mentioning that he was about to audition for the company, and as fortune would have it, was an avid user of one of their products!

I replied with the recommendation that he inform the client of his intimate knowledge of their product, if at all possible, to strengthen his bid for the work.

He thanked me for the tip citing that it was an excellent idea and he'd give it a whirl.

What Clients Want to Hear

If there is anything a client likes to hear, it's about why you want to work for them and what motivates you to make their project a success.

They want to know why you love them, why you love their product, or why you love their service... essentially, they want to know why you love them so much that you would go to the extreme of publicly representing their company and being their voice.

Does the company evoke memories from childhood? Do you use their products? Have you ever been to one of their events? Are you in love with their brand?

Where's The Love?

Has there been an instance where your declaration of love for a company, product, or service has made the difference in your bid for work?

I'd love to hear about instances where you've been able to build a bridge with words to book a gig.

Comment with your story!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Teresa Guerrero

In this world of technology and the global advancement of the voice industry how do you decide what course of action to take to advance your career?

Whether you're new to the industry or a working pro keeping on top of your game is NUMBER ONE.

Each talent requires different training based upon their individual needs.

Debbie Munro has generously shared a list she compiled for evaluating voice over training options and addresses many of the questions, concerns, myths, successes and methods that she hears on a consistent basis when choosing the right training options.

Finding the Right Training Program For You

By Debbie Munro

I'm going to share with you my list of do's and don'ts when it comes to finding the right coach or training program. I share this with you in hopes that you will not waste your hard earned dollars on the wrong style of training.

As a talent first, I care how I invest my money and I'm always striving to be the coach I would want for myself. In this industry we seem to invest more than we make so it's important that we spend our money wisely.

Perhaps you can learn from my experience, both personally and through other trusted sources.

Debbie's Don'ts

๏ Don't work with a coach who makes you feel uncomfortable. Don't ever forget that you are paying them, they are not paying you.

๏ Don't work with a coach who you feel belittles you in front of a class. As coaches we can get comfortable. We've said it and taught it many times before and I suppose we can forget our sensitivity. Hopefully this is all it is, but if they are not treating you respectfully, pull them aside and let them know how you feel.

๏ Don't work with a coach who makes it obvious that you are a direct threat or are competition to them. I had a student tell me once that her coach said, "I can't produce your demo, you are a direct threat to me so why would I?" Can you imagine? So sad and so rare.

๏ Don't work with someone who seems to cause a lot of controversy. There are many.

๏ Don't work with just ONE coach or participate in one workshop. You need to take a little bit from this one and a little from that and then create your own personal style.

๏ Don't join workshops that offer you package deals including demos unless you've thoroughly researched the company. There is the rare exception such as Pat Fraley's audio book demo class, however, normally this is the BIG RED FLAG! If they are offering you a demo without even knowing your skill level, or hearing your voice, they may NOT have your best interests at heart. The training is 100% up to you. It depends on how serious you take it and how much time you want to invest in you and your skills.

๏ Don't invest thousands of dollars into training without getting your hands wet first. Make sure you've taken at least a private session or workshop before you invest in a long term contract for VO training. There aren't many SCHOOLS that offer specialized training in this area. Workshops and private lessons seem to be the most successful.

๏ Don't limit yourself to just local coaches. Thanks to modern technology, many coaches are teaching via Phone, camera, and chat programs such as Skype.

Debbie's Do's

๏ Do find a coach who works with your style instead of implementing their style on you. A variety of coaches and workshops will help you find your own unique style that will help you stand out.

๏ Do find a coach who is suited to your skill level. You might be surprised at how much you can learn at any level.

๏ Do find a coach that you like personally. It's important that you pick the right coach / coaches. This is part of your networking group who will help to support you and keep you in the right direction.

๏ Do be creative so that you can earn free training. Many coaches need help... especially in marketing and hosting. Consider hosting a workshop in your area and earn a free class, not to mention more one and one time with the coaches.

๏ Do consider online training. Many are skeptical but this can save you time and money, it's convenient and successful.

๏ Do invest more so you can make more!

๏ Do research and use referrals. There is a ton of free coaching info online.

๏ Do try to find a coach who sends you home with a recording of everything you did. Not all coaches do this, in fact there are very few who do so that they can protect their work (understandably so).

There are many other do's and don'ts but I want to take the opportunity now to go over a number of training options:

Different Training Options

In Person Workshops

This is an excellent opportunity to work for longer periods of time with your coach. You will learn a TON by watching others take risks and more with pros and newbies. This helps your nerves and is much more entertaining.

Online workshops

The same benefits apply as a workshop setting however you are not in person. This can have its disadvantages but usually this method is quite successful.

Schools

Going to a school allows you to learn at a more steady pace, and walk away with a certificate, diploma or a degree. It's very important that you research the school well before investing. Degrees are not necessary in this industry but can be very beneficial.

Private In Person

One on one time with your coach. No interruptions. Great if you need very specific skills or just want more personal time with your coach. I highly recommend taking frequent sessions so that you are seeing results. Too much time between sessions can be a waste of money (depending on your skill level).

Private Online

Extremely successful. Not much different than in person with the right coach. Not all coaches offer this service. We don't need to see you, just hear you, but if you prefer we can get in touch via web cam and watch you perform as we watch and give you direction. Many teachers will be able to record the entire session and then upload it for your review.

I myself cover all the long distance and whether by phone or Skype I am able to record both sides of the conversation and upload for your review. Remember we don't need to see you, only hear you! I've found this method VERY successful, even with demos. Remember though, you must also research your local market needs.

Research

There are tons of great books, take home workshops (CD Workshops), podcasts, newsletters, subscription services, forums, and more that will offer you a great start to your VO Career (if you haven't done so already).

If you're interested in more info or my recommended coaches send me an email to info@MicnMe.com Thanks for reading.

Until next time!

Debbie Munro

Are You Keeping on Top of Your Game?

We'd love to hear about what you are doing in pursuit of excellence!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

So, how do you learn and use dialects and how do you make sure you're on the right track? And where do you start?

In today's VOX Daily, Deborah Sale Butler shares a number of applicable tips pertinent to speech and the voice-actor.

This article explains the uses and acquisition of dialects and character voices for voice-over work!

How to Learn a Dialect

By Deborah Sale Butler

My name is Deborah Sale Butler and I'm a speech, dialect and accent reduction coach in Los Angles. I've coached actors for film, television, stage and voice-over for over twenty years and I'm an actor myself, so I know what a voice-actor will need on the job.

A while ago, I was recording voices for Everquest, a popular role-playing game. I really like these sessions, since I never know until I get into the studio, just what kind of characters I'll be asked to play. I enjoy the challenge of coming up with (sometimes) up to seven different characters in just under a couple of hours.

Often, the character descriptions call for a specific dialect (usually, for games, it's some form of British).

Since I love dialects, and character voices, it's like playtime for me. But for some actors, being asked to do a dialect is like being asked to take the eating challenge on Fear Factor - Blech! These actors are usually pretty honest about their abilities, and while they may be limited, they won't get into too much trouble.

Unfortunately, everyone isn't so honest (with themselves or potential directors). When asked if they do dialects, they say, "yes, of course!"

Now, as an actor, I've heard a million times: whatever they ask, just say, "yes!" But saying you can do dialects when you can't is a really bad idea. First of all, in voice-over, your vocal performance is all you've got, and if it's lacking, it will show. And you may not get another chance with that director.

For example, during my last Everquest session, I remarked to the producer that it was good to have a lot of dialects for this project. He agreed, but then he said, "I wish everyone who said they could do dialects could actually do them."

I didn't ask, but I'd be willing to bet that the actors who couldn't match their resumes, weren't invited back. And that's a real shame on a project like Everquest, which is ongoing and can offer lots of repeat work.

So, how do you learn and use dialects and how do you make sure you're on the right track? And where do you start?

If you're not trying to learn a dialect for a specific role or audition, I'd recommend doing a little research on the types of dialects or accents used most frequently in the work you'd like to do. British dialects are useful for all types of animation. French, German and Russian accents used to be big, but Spanish, Australian and American Southern and Western seem to come up more often for me now.

By the way, for our purposes, the difference between a dialect and an accent (in English) is that someone with a dialect speaks English as their first language, and it is colored by the place in which they live.

New Yorkers, Australians and British Islanders all speak English differently, but it is their native language.

An accent, results from someone who speaks one language, attempting to speak another (in this case, English). If you were speaking English, but were playing someone from Russia, China or Afghanistan, you would be speaking with an accent.

Listen to the shows and games you like and take note of any dialects or accents used. You may want to start with those you hear most often. If you have trouble identifying the dialect or accent, take a sound sample to a dialect coach to sort it out.

Once you've chosen a dialect or two, you need to begin the transformation process. Think of learning a dialect the way you'd think of creating a character voice. You don't want to sound like someone wearing a funny voice or dialect like a bad coat. You need to create a full-blown character for each dialect. Remember, you can adapt this character later, but it's good to have a three-dimensional person from which to deviate!

So Let's Go Over Some Basics:

1) Choose a Specific Place

This may seem obvious, but "American Southern" is a very broad field consisting of many, many different dialects (do you want to sound like Scarlett O'Hara or Jeff Foxworthy?), and you can find hundreds of dialects in the British Isles. So, start with something like "Atlanta, Georgia" or "South London, England."

2) Do Some Research About the Place Where Your Character Lives

In order to create an authentic-sounding dialect or accent, you need to know what influences a person from that area. For example, what is the weather like? Is it a predominantly wealthy or working-class area? What would your "character's" likely level or quality of education be? What are the religious, political and social influences in the area? You'll start off creating a character who is your age (you can play around with that later), so find out what your peers are like in the area.

3) Listen to Real People (First Person) Samples From the Area

Once you know a little about the place, go to a site like "IDEA Dialects" (IDEA stands for International Dialects of English Archive) and find a real person speaking with that dialect or accent. There may be a number of recorded samples from the region, and you should listen to all of them to get an idea of how you might like to sound. Another good resource is VASTA.org (the Voice and Speech Trainers Association website). Look under "resources." Important note: The dialects on these sites are of "real" people, not actors, so certain aspects of their speech may not be usable for a Stage Dialect (see below). Also, if you are researching an accent, you may want to hear a sound sample of the person speaking in their original language. I find that it helps a lot in finding where the accent "sits" in your mouth.

4) Find a Good Resource for a Stage Dialect

(as opposed to the real people recorded above)

A Stage Dialect is my term for the "cleaned up, but still authentic" version of a dialect, which keeps the rhythm, placement and sound changes of the original, but has the best chance of being understood by your audience. Ginny Kopf's book "The Dialect Handbook" is my bible when it comes to finding resources in book, video or recorded form. You may have to play around with various media to find what works best for you.

5) Practice With the Materials You've Found

First use imitation, then use the same accent or dialect with a script or reading a magazine. Be sure to record yourself and play it back at every step of the game.

6) Speak in Your New Dialect or Accent Exclusively for as Long as You Can

Pick a "dialect buddy" to call on the phone and speak as your new character. Be sure your buddy understands that they are not supposed to critique your voice, just talk to the character. In order to keep the character "pure," I recommend you call in character, talk, hang -up and then call back as "yourself" later.

7) Work With a Coach

This can happen at any time from step one through step six. If you don't have a natural ear for dialects, or you find that you're just not sounding the way you'd like, or even if you think you DO have it, but want another ear, you can call a coach to be sure you are on the right track. A coach will listen critically to the sounds you are making and can help to make any changes you need. It's important that you work with a professional when changing your speech or creating a dialect, as most people (friends, family, other actors) really have no idea how speech works, and even if they hear you making sounds that seem "wrong" to them, they may not have the faintest idea of how to fix it - or worse - they think they DO know how to fix it and end up really messing you up (I've had many students who have been frustrated by their well-meaning friends' and families' attempts to "help" them).

Repeat the process until you have the dialects you feel you'll need for the type of work you'd like to do.

8) Keep Your Ears Open for New Sounds and Interesting Dialects

You never know when someone you meet on the street might be perfect for a Dark Elf or a mysterious intergalactic smuggler.

And, if all of this seems a little daunting, you might just want to check out a regular speech course (for actors). Becoming aware of your own speech patterns can really help in changing them to any other kind of speech you may need. It's a fun process of exploration, and if you feel more comfortable exploring with a group, speech and dialect classes might be for you.

So, whether you're working on your own, with a private coach, or in a class, I wish you a happy journey of discovery into lands unknown (or at least unheard) before.

For questions about private dialect coaching with me, in person or over the phone, you can contact me through my website at www.deborahsalebutler.com.

Deborah Sale Butler

Are you a student of accents and dialects?

Looking forward to hearing any comments you have for Deborah or about your own experiences!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Andrew Rich

Our world has become smaller, more interconnected, and our relationships more accessible.

Being a member on sites such as Facebook.com is now so common that almost everyone you know in your circle of friends and through business has a profile there.

But what about people who aren't on Facebook?

Do they need to be there?

Are they missing out?

Getting With The Times

If you're not on Facebook, no doubt you've heard from a number of your family members and friends about how great it is, how much fun it is, and certainly how useful it is.

Nearly everyone is on Facebook! If you're not on it, you risk feeling left out of conversations had based upon information shared through the website, don't see pictures, and could be the last person to know about the birthday party going on at the home of a good friend.

People who enjoy using tools such as Facebook often wonder why their relatives or friends, who aren't using Facebook, have yet to make the leap.

Similarly, if you run into a fellow voice over artist who isn't on Voices.com, doesn't it seem a bit odd?

Do they know what they're missing?

Maybe you know someone who is a great voice actor but they haven't discovered how to market their talent on the Internet yet.

There are many talent who are represented by agencies who haven't even created their own website let alone decided to join a voice over marketplace to increase their visibility online.

They are also unaware of the great resources available and job opportunities such as podcasts, blogs, and other channels used to engage and interact with their peers in professional yet friendly setting.

In a way, these people are in the same boat as those who are not yet using Facebook...

Do you feel they are missing out?

If you know of someone who you feel would benefit from bringing their business online, this is your opportunity to invite them into this world you've discovered.

Know a voice talent who needs an invite? Send them to Voices.com to find out what they're missing!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Liv Friis-Larsen

Are you familiar with AIRSLA?

AIRSLA is an Audio Internet Reading Service helping those who are blind, sight-impaired, reading-impaired, low-vision, or who suffer diseases that make it difficult or impossible for them to read. Our mission is to provide podcasts of news, information, and entertainment that's otherwise inaccessible to them.

Many members of Voices.com are involved in breathing life into these recordings, including Bobbin Beam.

Want to learn more?

Speaking Images

Bobbin Beam, voice actress, has recently become team leader and production coordinator for the Reader's Digest podcasts heard at AIRSLA.org. Voice-overs.com's, Julie Williams, launched the podcast effort in 2007, and recently selected Bobbin Beam to continue the monthly podcast while Williams plans to expand into similar productions for other magazines.

Several of America's best known voice actors quietly give of their time and voices each month to record Reader's Digest Articles for the blind for the AIRSLA website, based in Los Angeles. The AIRS website - which stands for Audio Internet Reading Service of Los Angeles (AIRS), offers an Internet-based radio station that broadcasts to visually impaired individuals.

In the past, radio reading services have used FM radio sub carriers as a broadcast medium. AIRS uses the Internet because coverage is accessible world-wide. Programs can be received on any computer or, by those who do not use a computer, through an Internet radio.

The monthly podcasts co-produced by voice actress Bobbin Beam, remain a production of voice-overs.com and can be heard at http://airsla.org/readers_digest.asp

According to recent statistics, the AIRS site enjoyed some 87,000 hits in August and listeners downloaded a total of 8,517 minutes of Reader's Digest podcasts during that month.

Featured voices include: Harlan Hogan, Larry Wayne, Julie Williams, Linda O'Brien, DC Goode, Janet Ault, Connie Terwilliger, September Day Leach, Doug Turkel, Erin Minto, Dave Courvoisier, Colin Campbell, Dave Shropshire, and Kara Edwards. Post production for the Readers' Digest podcasts is by Steven Powell.

Are you involved in anything similar that you'd like to share about?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/U.P.images

When you have a question about using Voices.com, auditioning, business tips for voice talent, or technology, where do you go first?

If you are new to Voices.com or perhaps haven't visited our Help section before, you'd be surprised just how much is available to you in terms of assistance, strategy, and valuable insight!

Using the Voices.com Help section is almost like having one of our customer care representatives with you whenever you need us... even during the wee hours of the morning!

In today's VOX Daily, I'll be introducing you to the many wonderful resources that are literally a click away from this very article, here at Voices.com.

Help is Closer Than You Think!

If there's one thing we love to do, it's helping people. Whether it's connecting you with people to work with or connecting you with information, we're here to ensure you have the proper tools to achieve your goals.

When you visit our Help section, you'll see a list of topics that you can choose from relative to what you are seeking.

You can find:

๏ Frequently Asked Questions where you can tap into our knowledge base and find a quick answer.
๏ Browse over +2500 articles organized by subject.
๏ Download the Official Voices.com User Guide and gain access to tip sheets and tutorials.
๏ A plethora of information about Getting Started in Voice Overs... a complete guide to getting started in the industry!
๏ A Self Assessment Tool. Take our survey to see if you've got what it takes to be a pro.
๏ Voice Over Rates where you can view a voice over rate sheet, organized by category.
๏ Music and Sound Effects! Download royalty-free music and sound effects from our library, all for free.

Many of these links connect you with other resources too, specifically our blogs, podcasts, and videos.

If you haven't visited any of these great (and absolutely free!) voice acting resources before, I strongly encourage you to check them out, especially the Voice Over Experts podcast.

As you may know, we recently celebrated our 100th episode, bringing you tips and tricks of the trade along with pearls of wisdom from top voice over instructors from all over the world.

I'd like to think that what we offer in terms of helpful guides, articles, podcasts and so on makes a difference in your business and in your life :)

You may already have been familiar with these resources, and that being the case, I'd love to learn more about how you are using them.

What Is Your Favorite Resource at Voices.com and Why?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Peter Zelei

The voice over community lost a great champion of educational excellence late last year when Bernard Shaw passed away.

Upon learning about this startling truth, I asked one of the people who worked closely with Bernard Shaw to share some of his remembrances in a tribute that we could all read and enjoy celebrating the life of a giant in Great Britain's voice over world.

A teacher, talent, and man who had a way with words, Bernard shall be remembered by the voice acting community in verse and through his contributions to the Voice Over Experts podcast.

Bernard Shaw - A Tribute

Submitted by Paul Albertson

On the 18th December, 2008 the voice over community lost a truly great and influential member. Bernard Shaw not only recorded and produced thousands of demo reels for aspiring voice talents - many of whom are doing extremely well in the industry today, but he was a superb teacher - not just in the craft of being a professional voice over but he was also passionate about teaching students how to get paid work.

I first met Bernard in 2005 when we were putting together an instructional set of CDs called Creative Edge Audio. It was a 'CD a month package' that delivered advice from the experts in the field of Acting and voice over (way before podcasts!).

We were looking for industry experts to deliver practical career advice to our listeners, as well to inspire and improve the talent's craft. Oddly some outspoken professionals and experts can suddenly become shy, a little tongue tied or woolly about their convictions and advice once you switch the mike on - but in the studio Bernard just delivered an unstoppable stream of excellent, valuable, funny and no nonsense advice, busting myth after voice over myth. I remember thinking "wow - this is pure gold dust!"

After listening to him, you not only felt that you could go out there and succeed but he gave you some invaluable tools on how to do so as well.

One great piece of marketing advice he gave in that recording that really stood out for me, was the idea that you as a talent were a business who had to see yourself as a Solution to someone's (i.e. Producer/Directors) Problem - And to see things from their perspective.

For example: a script has been written, the studio booked, deadline set and their problem is they need a suitable voice - that's when you as a talent become a solution or a 'welcome guest'.

So his advice was to find out who's hiring and see if what you can offer is a solution to their current problem - and if you're a little squeamish about selling yourself, this perspective of you being the solution to someone else's problem, rather than 'hustling for work' can really help.

The feedback we got from the recordings was excellent; people were listening, taking notes, going out and booking jobs! Later with Bernard's blessing I contacted Stephanie from Voices.com and all agreed that they would make great podcasts for the voice over community - so if you haven't heard them yet you'd be crazy not to give them a listen!

So from all the thousands of talents he coached, from all the Creative Edge Audio and Voices.com members around the world - Thanks Bernard, your spirited, practical and witty spot-on advice has been a huge and much valued contribution to many voices talents around the globe - and will still continue to be for many moons to come.

This podcast in particular is very special.

I invite you to listen to Bernard Shaw as he teaches you about "Where to Start in Voiceovers." The secret? Learn how to focus on the realities of the voiceover industry and carefully research what you have to offer, and equally, research what all employers are looking for.

Download "Where To Start in Voiceovers" »

For more of Bernard's podcasts, visit:

http://podcasts.voices.com/voiceoverexperts/bernard_shaw/

All my best,

Paul Albertson

Any Comments?

If you would like to share your personal remembrances of Bernard Shaw or add a comment about how his teachings have inspired or affected you, please comment here on the blog.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Have you ever heard that experience is the best teacher?

While that may be true, experience also happens to take the longest to accumulate, sometimes accompanied by unpleasant situations and hard lessons learned.

If you don't have time to make mistakes, and I mean, some really big ones, check out this cathartic article by Dan Hurst.

He wants you to learn from his experiences... better than finding out for yourself in addition to be mighty convenient!

Mistakes Voice Talent Make

By Dan Hurst

I guess this blog post is somewhat of a catharsis because I've made pretty much all of the mistakes on this list!

The good news is that making the mistakes isn't career ending (for the most part). The bad news is chances are you didn't know they were mistakes and you made them...or are making them.

I would imagine you've got a few to add to this list, so please feel free to leave a comment and add your own. Hey, we can all learn from your mistakes!

OK. Here goes:

1. Trying to be all things to all people.

I started in the voiceover business years ago when I lost my radio job. I couldn't find work anywhere. McDonald's wouldn't even hire me! My wife suggested that I use my voice for some commercial work. I thought "Well, somebody's doing that voice work. I might as well try to get a piece of the pie."

I was so desperate for work that I tried to do everything. I mean everything! I tried typical announcer to character voices. I did screaming car commercials to soft, sensual perfume spots. I tried imaging work; phone work; even church spots.

The problem was I was getting very few returns. People hired me. They just didn't hire me again. Dick Solowicz, my agent at the time sat me down one day and said "You're good, but you're not good enough to be everything. Pick out 3 or 4 styles you love doing and lets make you an expert in those areas."

That saved my career. Or gave me a career, depending on how you look at it.

I've since learned there are some things that I'm just not that good at. I'd like to be, but I'm not. No sense in trying to beat my head against the wall and waste time trying to convince others to give me a try. They just won't come back.

The truth is I suck at imaging. I'm not a movie trailer guy (as much as I want to be). And I don't sound like a 25 year old. No sense trying!

But put a deep, warm, whimsical, friendly, caring script in front of me and I'll nail it just about every time. Give me a screaming car spot and I'll make your ears bleed. Want a typical announcer? Here I am; English or Spanish.

2. DJ Mentality

Most of the Voice Talents I know have a background in radio. And lately, because of the "brilliant" business acumen of most radio consolidators (I can't bring myself to call them broadcasters), there are a lot more radio talents getting into the voice business. Welcome to the show, but leave your radio baggage behind.

In the radio business, and I was in it for several years, the production director calls you and tells you he needs you to voice a few spots. You go in and rip 'em off as fast as you can because that's all that's expected of you.

Well, you're not in the radio business anymore. You're in the advertising/creative/acting business. If you want to make it in this business you have to lose that DJ mentality.

Our clients are looking for someone who can make their copy come alive. Someone who really gets what they're trying to do and say. Someone who understands that it's their job to make the client look good. Someone who treats the copy as if they wrote it and as if it was the last spot they're ever going to do.

3. Inconsistency

Years ago I totally embarrassed myself in a session. It was an ISDN session and the client was patched in for it. After a few minutes into the session I heard the client say to his client, "Wow, this isn't the same voice I heard on the audition."

I had failed to follow up and listen to the audition and determine what voice the client was looking for. I wasted his time and increased his costs because he had to take studio time to get me to where he wanted me.

I've been on numerous multiple-voice sessions where one of the talents made this very mistake. It's costly and it just puts everyone else in an awkward and frustrating position.

Don't do it. Be consistent. Know what it is about you that your client hired you to do.

4. Out Of Your League

This is similar to #3. Sometimes you get hired to do something that you just aren't capable of doing. Oh, you think you can, but you can't. Your demo suggested that you could, but the demo was doctored and you are out of your league.

Some time ago I was working on a two-voice Spanish spot for a client that didn't know Spanish. The other talent knew Spanish but was not a native speaker. The difference was awkwardly obvious to me and no one else. I approached the agency and gave them a heads up but they dropped the ball. The client didn't know it...until the spot aired.

The agency lost the account.

Listen, when you pretend that you can deliver the goods eventually it's going to get back to your client that that's what you were doing: pretending.

A few things are about to happen here. First, you are never going to be hired by that client again...maybe not even that production house. Secondly, you've cost the client money, and chances are you won't get paid - so you wasted their time and yours because you could have been doing a job that you're good at! Thirdly, you may have damaged the credibility of others that you are working with. And finally, now you've got a bad reputation with a few people in the industry. Not good. Not smart.

5. Bad Records

OK, one more. This is, after all, a blog and not a book.

Learn to keep good records and get your invoicing in on time. I'm speaking from experience here. I'm horrible at this. I've got great invoicing and bookkeeping software, but I'm pathetic when it comes to keeping up with the invoicing. It's an area I have to really focus on. My CPA hates me.

Not getting your invoicing done in a timely manner does a number of negative things. It creates a bookkeeping nightmare for your client. It makes you look incompetent. And it just creates more work for you that you are obviously not good at! Oh, the IRS is gonna love you!

We're business people for crying out loud! We need to act that way.

So... you've probably thought of a few more mistakes that need to be added to this list. Let's see 'em. It can only help make our business better!

Best,

Dan Hurst

©iStockphoto.com/DNY59

Look familiar to you?

About a month ago, I asked people via social networks to send in their pictures from back in the day at broadcast radio stations.

Do you know who is pictured above?

Find out who this gent is and see more retro radio pictures from voice over artists in today's VOX Daily.

Radio Births Some Great VO Talent!

Generally there are two camps that professional voice over artists hail from background wise; theatre and broadcast radio.

Radio has served as a starting point and gateway for thousands upon thousands of voice over professionals, including Joe Cipriano, a network voice for stations such as NBC, the voice of Deal or No Deal, and many others.

Harlan Hogan, author and superstar commercial talent, also got his start in radio as did the most recognized female announcer in America, voice talent and author, Randy Thomas.

While working in radio may not be where one chooses to stay following their broadcast career after delving into voice over, radio is often still in the hearts of those of got their start as an on-air personality.

When working in radio, you learn about a number of things that you wouldn't learn elsewhere on the job, including how to communicate to an unseen audience, deliver copy at lightning fast speed, produce finished audio, and develop an appreciation and respect for the ever-ticking clock.

Today, we salute talent who have come up through the ranks of broadcast radio in a photographic tribute to riding the airwaves in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s.

Voice Over Pros Enjoy a Rich Heritage in Broadcast Radio

This is Randy Thomas as ZETA 4 in Miami doing the mid-day show in 1978.

The man of mystery you see here is... Larry Wayne! Larry says, "The year was 1968. It was my first paid on the air gig, WNWC Arlington Heights, Il. After my 15 minutes of fame on the Art Roberts 'Guest Teen DJ Show' on mid America's Friendly Giant, WLS in Chicago, the radio bug had bit me hard. I was lucky enough to get hired to answer phones at The Big 89 at night while attending Columbia College during the day. But I left there for my own show on WNWC, soon to become WEXI. Note the 2 mics... we were stereo!"

I've included two pictures sent in by Lisa Rice when she worked at KTWG in Guam!

Lisa shares, "I happen to have these on hand because I put together a job presentation for a school last year and used these to explain how recording technology has changed over the years. I learned how to record and edit audio the 'old-fashioned' way with a grease pencil, razor blade and splicing board. Things are soooo much better now!"

Do you remember the old TV show WKRP? Keep that in mind while reading a little blurb about the picture sent in by Roy Bunales.

"This is a picture of me at my first and only radio station job started back in 2001. This was the first week of going solo.

One of the original 60 country radio stations in America, WRJW 1320AM in Picayune, MS is a Pearl River Communications, Inc station, privately owned, and serving the local community since 1949. The format is Country/Southern Gospel. I am on air from Noon until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday mostly live programming.

Not much has changed at the radio station since they first signed on back in 1949. Even some of the equipment used. (You can see carts and LPs in the background.) We still use a hard copy paper programming log. Most of the music is hand picked by the announcer. There is no voice tracking or automation at all. Commercials, music, programs are manually cued/played, always live station IDs and announcements, and the announcer has total freedom with creative control. ABC News feed at the top of the hour, State news feed at the bottom of the hour, and live local news twice in the morning and twice in the afternoon. The local news also includes birthday and anniversary announcements from our local community and obituary notices.

I still work there to this day. The station has been very generous to me and my family. In fact, my voice over recording studio is in one of the old FM transmitter room. The staff is very family and community oriented. Even some of my friends working in major market radio in New Orleans envy my radio station as it has not been 'sterilized' by those big chains or networks.

You wanted old school and I work at an old school radio station that's still going strong in a modern society for over 60 years."

-- Roy Bunales

Cia Court sent me a couple of images, too. This is circa March 1998 when Cia was the afternoon drive air talent on KNRQ in Eugene, Oregon.

Cia relates, "I was so stoked to be interviewing Sarah McLachlan, I am a huge fan of hers. Don't forget to take a peek at the sincerely ancient board we used. I think we all contrived to spill coffee on that thing at one point or another so that it would break beyond repair and our station GM would replace it!"

I also received a picture from Bob Bair, which you'll see here below:

Bob writes, "The picture is of me (foreground) and Wilson (background) working at 106.5 FM WEND Charlotte. This was during the morning drive time show in the late 90's. I would sit in as a guest often with him and we did many projects together on and off the radio. He still is in radio and also TV. He is on WBT 1110 AM regularly and also a TV personality at the local Fox news affiliate, for the Fox News Rising show.

I always had a blast on that morning show. He and I had a great rapport and worked well together with call ins and some comedy bits we did together."

This article has been so much fun to research and write.

I think it's wonderful that so many people wanted to share their old school radio pics with the VOX Daily audience... and I am confident that you'll agree wholeheartedly that this post is one of a kind!

There are only a few more photos, including this great moment captured during the traditional Z-Morning Zoo Friday rendition of "Shout."

Take a look at the size of those headphones on Anita Bonita!

Do any of you remember having to wear gigantic headphones?

Here's another picture sent in from one of our readers, Kevin Walsh.

Kevin says, "It's from around 1994 when I was the Program Director at WVVV, Rock 105 in Blacksburg, VA (a commercial rock station, not a college station). I spent about nine
years in the radio biz. My last job was at WTKS, Real Radio 104.1 in Orlando, FL."

Do any of you listen to the stations mentioned in this article? Perhaps you have even worked at some of these radio stations!

If there is one thing that's for sure, radio is a great source for people who may become passionate about recording voice overs... just look at the pictures! They speak for themselves.

Jamee T. Perkins shared this picture with me of her on the air at WASU - Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, circa 2000.

Maybe you got your start in college or university radio. If you did, was it the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship?

Comments?

If you've enjoyed this post or have any comments to add about what you have just read, I'd love to hear them!

Be sure to add your thoughts here on the blog and join the conversation :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Join host Julie-Ann Dean as she celebrates the 100th episode of the podcast! To hear from fans of the show from around the world, hit "play" on the flash player below.

Be sure to add your comments and thoughts about Voice Over Experts to join in the fun. Thank you for listening and for staying subscribed. Here's to one hundred more!

Download Podcast Episode 100 »

Links From This Show:

Julie-Ann Dean
Don Kettle
Johnny George
Andy Boyns
JC Haze
Morgan Barnhart

Are you a fan of Voice Over Experts?

I want to thank Julie-Ann Dean (pictured left) for being such a wonderful podcast host and for helping us to bring you the brightest and best of what the voice over world has to offer to you each week on the program.

Julie has been part of this podcast from the very beginning and it has been an absolute pleasure to share in this journey with her. Thanks to technology, we have been able to collaborate easily online, with Julie in England and Voices.com in Canada.

If you have anything you'd like to share with Julie specifically, please do leave her a comment.

Are you enjoying the podcast? How has Voice Over Experts become part of your life?

Be sure to leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Stephanie Ciccarelli
Voices.com Co-founder / CMO

Do you have the auditioning blues?

If you're feeling discouraged because the jobs are just not coming in from your auditioning efforts, I trust this story will do much to lift your spirits!

Enjoy this expository piece by voice over talent Michael Morgan today on VOX Daily.

Miracles Do Happen

By Michael Morgan

I began my subscription to Voices.com about two years ago and in the beginning it was a struggle.

I would get up every morning, check my invitations and away I would go auditioning for as long as my voice could hold out in the heat of my small studio. It went on like that for 6 months, audition after audition with no results, sometimes the feedback would indicate I had come close but not close enough. I tried every voice nuance I could think of, every possible angle to make a breakthrough in the business but alas no such breakthrough was forthcoming.

Then one day, in the middle of a particularly loud and energetic read, I hit the red line and I just gave up.

I asked myself "Why am I doing this, why would I torture myself this way and all for no gain, no encouragement, just rejection."

In a total fit of anger and frustration I ripped my script in half and threw it on the floor and unbelievably began to jump on it, like an animated ape in a cartoon. What a sight I was, ripping, jumping, yelling at the world at full throttle.

Eventually the moment passed and I picked up the shreds of my script and deposited them in the garbage and I prepared to change the scenery a bit and go out for a walk.

As I pulled on my sweater and laced up my shoes I heard the familiar sound of an incoming email. I had no idea whom that email might be from but I poked my head in the my studio, just to take a peek, and there it was, my first paying gig, on the screen for all to see and, not just any voice over, it was a sign from above.

The client's name was Stacy Cobb and he ran a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre in Alabama called the Foundry. His ministry reached out to the homeless and the helpless and without judgment of any kind it would offer food, clothing and love to those in the most need.

What they had chosen me for was to be the voice of God in a television commercial.

The voice of God.

It was very humbling particularly in light of my previous tantrum and it served as a reminder that the universe is a wondrous place and if your heart and mind are open and you can keep your own faith and belief in yourself and your inner talent, then keep on auditioning and working with your friends at Voices.com because every now and then miracles do happen, and you can take that from the voice of God in Alabama.

Michael Morgan

Have You Got Work in a Time of Crisis That Affirmed Your Talent?

Looking forward to hearing any comments you may have for Michael as well as your own story.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Pete Collins

Ever find that you have to rerecord something that should have been perfect because of oddball noises?

Does your studio go bump in the night?

Yea, even the humble coffee bean plays a role in such a trial, especially if the contents within its cup are as the Maxwell House slogan goes, "good til the last drop."

Know where I'm going with this?

Hear about John Taylor's frustrating nightmare of an audiobook editing (and subsequent recording) session today on VOX Daily.

The Mystery of the Audio Book Feedback

By John Taylor

Anyone who does audio books knows it's the iron man triathlon of voice over.

I was reading my first, The War at the Shore, Donald Trump, Steve Wynn and the Battle For Atlantic City. I had been pushing myself to do two chapters a day. All told about 9 hours of non-stop voicing and editing.

I had recorded the audio and settled in to edit the tracks with a gigantic coffee mug filled with extra strong Costa Rican Blend to keep me going.

As the editing progressed, I started to notice a ringing on every word... UH OH... FEEDBACK!

I had absentmindedly left the headphones turned up in the booth while I recorded without the cans on. The sound from the headphones must've been just loud enough to create a tinny, ringing feedback in both chapters I had recorded. Nothing to do but unplug the headphones, go back to the booth and re-record fifty pages of War at the Shore.

After recording new tracks, I took a short break to refill my gigantic coffee mug with Costa Rican Blend and hunkered down for a marathon editing session. The audio sounded clean and I was ready to dig in. PHEW!

After about an hour, the pinging ringing feedback returned! UGH!!!!! How could the audio go bad... I reviewed the earlier part of the track that had sounded fine before... NOW IT HAD THE RINGING PINGING FEEDBACK!

In utter frustration I pounded my fist on the desk... and there was a ringing sound after I pounded. I hit the desk again... ding... I tapped the keyboard... ding. Then I tapped the gigantic coffee mug DING! That same ringing pinging note rang out.

The gigantic, now empty, coffee mug was the culprit.

When the mug was full it resonated no sound. But when empty, the shape of the mug, the quality of the ceramic and the proximity to the monitor speakers were an acoustical perfect storm that created the audio illusion of feedback.

And that is the Mystery of the Audio Book Feedback. SOLVED!

John Taylor

Has This Ever Happened To You?

Looking forward to hearing your stories!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Ron Sumners

What does it mean to be a working class voice over talent?

Whether you're doing voice over full-time or if you're pursuing voice acting part-time while another job pays your bills, being down in the trenches has its benefits.

Curious to learn more?

Vicki Amorose joins us with her perspective on what it means to be a working class voice over talent, championing the artists who persevere each day to make a living and build a life for themselves behind the microphone.

Reflections on Creativity and Paying the Bills

By Vicki Amorose

This summer I was in the Oregon Cascade mountains, getting to know the family of an old friend and trying to explain, once again, exactly what I do for a living. Gazing at their puzzled expressions, I surprised myself by saying for the first time, 'I'm not a celebrity voice talent, I'm a working class voice talent.' I continue to reflect on that idea. When you cruise around the VO industry sites, as I do, you will encounter the Voiceover Superstars. Their pictures smile out at you and you wonder if you'll ever achieve their status. You somehow feel smaller, plainer, meeker.

I've come to realize that how they craft their voiceover career has little to do with how I craft my voiceover career.

Consider this as the real beauty of our business; you get to make it up yourself. You get to craft a career that fits how YOU want to live and work.

Outside of Los Angeles, voiceover is a different playing field. I live in a Pacific Northwest university town, which is hardly the hub of voiceover activity. But it's a good place to live and raise kids and it is where I'm staying for now. So while some of the advice available from LA and east coast pros applies to my career, much of it does not.

The Northwest is where I choose to live and this is where I have to figure out how to be a voiceover artist. Don't let anyone else's business model deprive you of a sense of success. I was in voiceover for five years before I made $5000 a year. I persevered because I love my job. It's a blessing to be able to structure my time to nurture family, friends, and my other creative pursuits. I also hold a part-time copy-writing job, which does not make me less of a voice talent.

There are those who will imply that only full-time voice talents are real voice talents. Many of us working class voice talents hold second jobs that provide steady paychecks.

This does not make us less talented or less dedicated. We are simply paying the bills.

The fact that I'm still doing what I want to do--that's my big success story.

We live in a remarkably conformist time. People want to know why I don't Twitter. 'Everybody Twitters!' they explain. I have nothing against tweeting, but the last time I did something solely because everyone else was doing it, I was in the ninth grade. You'll get career advice that says, 'Record your demos this way, market this way, brand this way, take this class and join this group.' You will feel pressure to copy everyone else. Your individuality is the most important thing you bring to the voiceover industry.

Creativity is at the center of our industry and it should be at the center of our choices. Do not stuff yourself into a mold.

Regardless of your income or industry status, be an individual. Create your own career, and don't make needless comparisons with other voice artists.

"A working class hero is something to be"

- John Lennon

Thanks for reading,

Vicki Amorose

©iStockphoto.com/SpellbindMe

We all have our reasons for doing what we do.

Maybe it makes you feel alive, like you're contributing in a positive way, or simply feels "right."

There must be something in you somewhere that drives your passion as professional.

Have you ever stopped to think about what motivates you to be a voice artist and where your energy is derived from?

Why do you record voice overs?

Add your comments and join in the conversation!

Oh, Happy Day!

Last weekend, I heard some of the most wondrous voices literally rocking the mics, full of passion and absolute determination.

Where was I?

At a church service listening to the Toronto Mass Choir under the direction of Karen Burke! Every bone in each singer's body was jumping, jiving, and giving it up to God with all the resources they could draw upon.

One could tell right away that what they were doing was electric and had a definite purpose, contagiously spreading their enthusiasm throughout the congregation with the clapping of hands, shouts of joy, and songs of deliverance.

Now, these are people who know what they're called to do!

After listening to their songs and a stunning rendition of "Oh Happy Day," I got to thinking about how they were indeed rocking their mics, and then my thoughts turned to you.

Is This How You Feel When You're Recording Voice Overs?

Do you get a sense of freedom, purpose, and a calling to be more than just a person behind a mic, but a person behind the mic with a mission?

I'd love to hear why you chose to be a voice over artist and what motivates you to work in this industry.

Comment below!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/archives

How can you maximize your experience, visibility, and promotional opportunities at Voices.com?

There are 3 ways you can gain publicity through our site that you may not have known about.

We'll talk about them in detail here, including what they are, why they're important, and how you can get your name in lights.

Want to know more?

Read on!

Accountability and Recognition

I'm always thrilled to hear when our talent book via Voices.com and am of course equally pleased to hear from clients who have used our service and hired someone from the site.

Did you know that there are a number of ways that you can be acknowledged and rewarded for booking work at or using Voices.com?

I've compiled the top three ways for you here with instructions on how to take part:

1. Receiving Public Feedback
2. Getting on the Recently Hired List
3. Submitting a Success Story

1. Public Feedback

When you complete a job at Voices.com using our SurePay escrow service, you receive both a listing on the Recently Hired list on the Voices.com home page and invaluable feedback, complete with a star rating from your client and a written review.

Each step of your business transaction is documented and validated through our website as we can easily track all jobs that are completed via our SurePay escrow service.

Using SurePay is the only way you can receive an official feedback rating at Voices.com.

Why this feedback is so important to have:

Based upon hundreds of conversations and email exchanges with clients using our service over the years, we've discovered that the overwhelming majority want to know which talent have worked through the site, and the only way for talent to gain that recognition is to complete work via SurePay.

Feedback ratings are now shown in the search results.

In a future update to Voices.com, the option to filter search results and auditions by Feedback will be available to clients hiring talent, as per their request. This functionality will display talent responding to the job posting who have received feedback via SurePay in the past.

Getting on the Recently Hired List

Any voice talent who is awarded a job at Voices.com is acknowledged on this list.

If you choose to do business through Voices.com, you open the door to receive publicly displayed feedback from your client, such as the desirable feedback mentioned above.

Unfortunately, when transactions are completed outside of SurePay, even if the job was posted at Voices.com, we cannot officially give you credit in terms of Feedback (star rating and written review) for booking a job that we have no record of from start to finish.

Didn't go through SurePay but still desire recognition for your work?

Should you be in this situation, I have three tips that will help bring closure to the posted job and also get you some recognition for your work:

a) Report the work to Voices.com so that we can mark the job as completed
b) Ask your client for a testimonial for posting to your Voices.com profile
c) Submit a success story

Submitting a Success Story

I always love to hear about your experiences at Voices.com as do other members of our team. By sharing your good news with us, we are able to celebrate what you've achieved and also shout it from the rooftops!

If you have completed a project at Voices.com or have found success that was a result of a contact made at Voices.com, I recommend that you submit a "success story" detailing your experience to get publicity on the Buzz Blog at Voices.com, complete with a link to your profile.

Check out the blog here and read some entries submitted by your peers and clients of Voices.com, including interesting case studies from clients who reveal who they hired and why:

http://blogs.voices.com/buzz

We'd love to recognize you for your work though which is why I've made some suggestions above that will help us to do that for you.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Amanda Rohde

Ever get an RFQ (request for quote) for a job that is paying way too much for what you would have to do?

Came upon any leads that made you nervous?

If something looks to good to be true, it probably is...

Your business is your baby and you've got to put its best interests ahead of those of someone else with a completely different set of priorities.

Discover 5 ways you can investigate opportunities to protect both yourself and your business.

Critical Thinking in Today's Business World

One of the top priorities in your business should be making enough money to operate and then some.

In order to honor this priority, you will need to think critically and work smarter... not harder.

Energy is finite as are the hours in a day and it's imperative that every opportunity you receive is evaluated and accepted or rejected with relative efficiency.

If you've ever gone to lengths professionally to please someone, for example a client who in the end failed to pay you, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's time, energy, and money out the window, and perhaps, the unfortunate circumstances could have been prevented from the start if the opportunity was put under a microscope before committing to the work.

Never had this happen to you? Consider yourself blessed! This is your wake up call.

I've jotted down 5 questions that you can ask yourself before getting involved with a client hiring you for your services that will protect you and conserve your time, energy, and save your money.

5 Questions To Ask Yourself:

1. Is this client a first-time job poster? Have you worked with them before?

2. Can you read about their previous history with other service providers?

3. Does the job look too good to be true? Is it paying more than it usually should for the work?

4. Does this person have any public profiles online or a business website to confirm their authenticity?

5. Are there any details that don't jive that would make you question the client's professionalism? For instance, different names on credit cards versus emails, inconsistencies, generic email addresses (i.e. generic hotmail, gmail accounts instead of their corporate website), insists on payment methods you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with, and so on.

Taking measures in advance to educate and protect yourself makes a great deal of sense and it is worth the time it takes when you consider what may happen if you don't.

Make Sense?

The tips I've included are meant to help you conduct your own investigations regardless of the circumstances or lead source.

I hope you've found them to be helpful, and if you have a tip you'd like to add to this list, please add it as a comment :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Bela Tibor Kozma

Have you been wondering what all is entailed in how jobs get from Point A to Point B?

Ever pondered the sequence of events taking place behind the scenes before you are invited to audition?

Today we'll talk about what happens between a client posting a job at Voices.com and the job notification reaching your email.

Believe me, there's a lot of ground to cover!

For those of you who crave being "in the know," quickly discover how Voices.com vets job opportunities for our talent and how you can do the same.

Come Take a Stroll With Me

To carry on with the theme of work, getting work, and tracking it, I'd like to invite you to join me on a guided tour behind the Voices.com curtain to learn more about how we determine the legitimacy of jobs that are posted for review in queue for potential approval.

You may not know this but there is a meticulously documented process that our team goes through when a job appears after a client has submitted their posting for consideration.

How Long Does it Take To Review and Approve a Job?

From start to finish, each job typically takes about 5 minutes to be reviewed and approved. At the time of this publication, we are currently approving close to 30 jobs per day.

When Are Jobs Approved?

Jobs are reviewed and approved Monday to Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST with the exception of Canadian Holidays. Jobs posted outside of these hours are reviewed the following business day.

Things You Should Know About Private Job Postings

Private job postings are automatically approved by the server and these clients are not reviewed. Talent are responsible for collecting information regarding the client before moving ahead with any project. You'll know it's a Private Job because they are indicated by a yellow icon beside the posting in the Hiring folder.

The Job Approval Process For Pending Public Jobs

Pending public jobs are reviewed manually by a live person in the following manner:

1. Each client is reviewed to see if they have posted jobs with Voices.com in the past. If they have, a notation is added to the About Us section.

2. The client is reviewed to see if they have used the SurePay Escrow service to pay talent for their services in the past. If they have, a notation is also added to the client's About Us section.

3. If client has not had a past relationship with Voices.com then a search online is conducted and the About Us section of the client's account is either validated or updated if content is missing.

4. Next the job posting itself is reviewed. We look to see if enough information has been provided about the project for talent to submit quotes for, that the budget meets our minimum requirement and we review any attached files to ensure they can be opened and ensure that the content does not go against our Job Posting Guidelines. In the past our team would copy some of the text from attached files directly into the job details or convert the attached file from its format into a more compatible format. This was time consuming and will not be something we'll be doing any longer.

5. If more information is required from the client in order to approve their project a follow up email is sent to the client. Typical follow up reasons include missing content, missing client information, a problem with their script, or a missing script when one is suppose to be attached. A follow up email will also be sent to clients who have a budget on the low end of what the project entails and this email advises the client they may receive quotes that are higher and why.

6. If a job can be denied immediately for content or not meeting our minimum budget requirement we send the client an email advising them that their job cannot be approved with an explanation along with alternative ways of reaching out to our members. We advise them that although the project cannot be approved publicly they can contact talent directly via email through our search engine.

7. If the job can be approved, notations are typically added manually. These notations often provide talent with some sort of direction from Voices.com. These notations advise members to watermark their submissions, submit a generic demo when no script has been provided, or advise when the attached file has been created in Office 2007 and some members may have issues opening the file. These are all courtesy notations meant to help members during the auditioning process, however, much of what is said is may already be plain to you as a professional voice talent working online.

8. A follow up is also sent to any client who is seeking an uncommon language recording after their job has been approved. These clients are sent an email with directions on how to invite additional members to reply to their posting. We often have many members registered however few that may have access to the public job posting. At Voices.com we want to ensure that these clients get the best response possible from talent listed with our service and encourage them to invite any and all talent speaking that language who meet their job posting requirements.

Protecting Yourself

If you get a private job posting through our site, from other sites with less structured review and approval procedures, or via direct contact at your personal website, take a leaf out of the Voices.com book on how to determine which jobs you should take and which ones you may very well wish to pass up.

You may need to do some investigating, however, a little knowledge goes a long way. It simply isn't safe to do business without conducting due diligence, especially online.

That's It in a Nutshell!

I hope you enjoyed discovering more about how we review, prepare, and approve job postings that reach your inbox.

Stay subscribed to VOX Daily! Tomorrow I'll be sharing tips meant to help you determine if a job is safe for you to take part in regardless of the circumstances or lead source.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Christopher O Driscoll

Whenever we make changes to Voices.com, we usually let you know on VOX Daily, and today's news is no exception.

I have some news to share with everyone who uses SurePay.

Don't know what SurePay is? Find out by reading this post!

If you already use this Voices.com service, be sure to note a significant change with regard to payment scheduling made for your protection and others using our website.

Protecting Your Money

One of the services that differentiates Voices.com from other service providers is the fact that we have a safe payment service, ensuring that clients are satisfied with their recordings, and also guaranteeing payment for your work.

Whenever a client hires a Voices.com talent by awarding their job and agreeing to terms, a process is launched through our SurePay escrow service. Simply put, the money is being held in trust until the voice talent delivers the finished audio through Voices.com and that audio is approved as complete by their client.

Once we are given permission to release the funds, Voices.com then makes payment to the talent either by PayPal or by check in the mail, depending on your preference as stated in your profile.

Sound Like the Perfect Solution to Getting the Job Done and Getting Paid?

We believe it is, however, in a number of cases, customers using Voices.com have abused SurePay. To get straight to the point, some clients hiring talent are doing so with credit cards that do not belong to them, and are committing credit card fraud.

In a classic scenario, the customer would launch SurePay, the talent would go ahead and record, upload the files, have the files approved, and then we'd release the payment to the talent.

You might be thinking, "So far, so good, right?" The client has the files, the talent has been paid, Voices.com got their escrow fee... it's good until we discovered that some of these payments were made fraudulently and credit card purchases were brought into dispute.

To put it bluntly, we have incurred losses on both ends having already paid out talent and then having the credit card payment reversed by the credit card processor.

What We're Doing About It

In response to this activity we've identified a number of red flags that may suggest credit card fraud and a system to prevent it. This is a process, and once we suspect fraud may be imminent, we start an investigation and inform voice talent to hold off on recording until we know that it is safe to record.

There have been a number of instances where we have had to conduct investigations to prevent fraudulent transactions, and when the need to investigate becomes apparent, this does take some time.

If a payment held in trust for you via SurePay is under investigation we will notify you immediately and advise you of your next step along with ours.

Now, The Important Change:

As an effort to prevent fraud, we've lengthened the time in between SurePay payments to give us more time to investigate potential transactions where we could incur losses, keeping you safe, the person whose name is registered on the credit card safe, and keeping us safe.

SurePay payments used to be sent every Friday, however due to recent events, we are now sending payment on the 1st and 15th of each month.

* Please note that if the 1st or 15th of the month happens to fall on a weekend or holiday, we will send your payment to you the next business day.

I trust you understand why we are changing the payment schedule. If you have any comments or feedback you'd like to share, you are welcome to comment or send us an email.

Thank you for reading this and I trust that what I've shared makes sense!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Talaj

Why are there so many jobs that appear to have not been cast by their deadline?

How come a job you may have auditioned for weeks or months ago, although it is technically closed, still doesn't show that someone has been hired?

How does SurePay fit into all of this?

Find out in this comprehensive article.

Why Does it Appear that So Many Jobs are Not Completed?

Over the past several weeks, I (and other members of the Voices.com team) have received an increased volume in the number of questions about the job posting to completion process at Voices.com.

When I had not one but four or five people ask me the same question at the mixer in Los Angeles next week, it became clear that we needed to address this more publicly and not just on an individual basis.

I have some information to share with you that I think will shed light where there may be darkness :)

According to a snapshot of statistics from April 2009 through July 2009 tracking the completion rate of jobs posted at Voices.com, we can confirm that at any given stage:

๏ Half of the open jobs are still being reviewed by their client
๏ The other half are completed (that means a talent has been chosen), with over 2/3 of those completed jobs being verified and processed via SurePay

Although this information is reassuring, we are aware that there is still room to improve and to grow.

Many of you have noted that a number of people are concerned to see that some of the past jobs they've auditioned for months ago have not yet progressed to awarding a talent, leaving them to wonder if a client is merely window-shopping or kicking tires, possibly also wondering if auditioning online is a waste of time.

While this view is legitimate from the perspective of a voice talent who is eager to get working quickly, there are always two sides to every story.

Perspective

Being in the position that we are as a marketplace, able to monitor and track the use of our site to better understand the online casting process, we have observed that those who use our service with the objective of hiring talent do so at their own pace. Whether or not it happens to fall within their stated deadline for finding a talent can be another matter.

For the client, finding a talent within that time frame is necessary because identifying whom you will work with is an important factor business wise, bar none. Hiring them immediately may not be as high of a priority and comes in due course.

To put it another way, if you've ever planned an event, let's say a wedding, you know that you need to line up your vendors in advance to ensure that they will commit and be available at the appointed time to perform their services. Similarly, it is comforting for a client to know that a voice talent will be available, and at the appointed time (not always immediately), business can be done.

Understanding, Patience, and Acceptance

Some clients, regardless of their deadlines for finding talent, may not have a pressing need to have their voice over recorded instantly. This can understandingly be very frustrating for people who are hoping to work with them as their voice.

That being said, once an audition is sent, talent have the choice to let it go and file it away in the back of their mind in pursuit of the next opportunity, and in this way eliminate stress regarding past auditions.

Just think. When you are worrying away about auditions you sent earlier, even months ago, someone on the other side of that equation is working on a project where the voice over is just one component of the bigger picture, waiting for the right moment when everything falls into place.

I think you would agree that it does not make sense to spend money on something before you have to. Businesses are run based upon cash flow, and it may be more convenient for a client to wait a few weeks or months, depending on their priorities relative to their needs.

Using the Site the Way it was Designed Prevents Issues!

Laurynda Pasma shared with me that in her daily follow ups with clients who have not selected a talent, she often hears that the client did indeed pick someone to work with, however, they chose to work with their Voices.com talent off of our site, leaving their job in an "Open" status.

Considering their decision to work off the site, it is understandable that they would also opt not to indicate that they had found a talent or engage with our staff once off the site. This also explains why there are fewer "completed" jobs than there truly are.

Ideally, work is completed through Voices.com, and that means completing the entire project, not just finding a talent.

When a client posts a job, they are fully aware that they will be hiring the talent, receiving files, and making payment through Voices.com. They are also aware at the job posting stage that the quote they see includes our Escrow fee, payable upon successful completion of their job.

Here's the flow a client goes through when using Voices.com as intended:

๏ Signs up or logs in to an existing account
๏ Requests a quote or Posts a job
๏ Job is placed in queue for approval
๏ If the job is approved talent receive notifications
๏ Talent audition or reply
๏ Clients receive responses in their account
๏ Casting process begins
๏ Upon finding the person they wish to work with, the job is "Awarded" to a talent
๏ This "Award Job" button launches the SurePay service
๏ Talent confirms availability and sends a work agreement
๏ Client accepts terms
๏ The client's money is held in escrow by Voices.com in a neutral bank account
๏ Talent is notified that it is safe to record as the funds are being held
๏ Talent uploads finished audio to Voices.com
๏ Client listens to audio and approves it
๏ Approving files lets us know that the funds can be released
๏ Talent is paid out by Voices.com
๏ Client and talent may leave feedback for each other about their experience

For years, we struggled with how best to earn business from clients posting jobs at our site. After many experiments, we realized something very important...

Clients will not pay us for our services in advance but have communicated overwhelmingly that they will pay a transaction fee once they have completed their job posting at Voices.com.

They value what we do for them, how their projects are managed, and trust us to be a full service provider, helping them to get the job done from start to finish. Their experience at the site, the ability to gain access to our talent through a casting call, and the benefit of conducting business safely online without reservation is of the utmost importance.

We deliver on our promise 100%.

This is the service we deliver to them and using SurePay is how clients pay us for serving them.

Clients who post jobs at Voices.com know what to expect according to how the site works, however when a voice talent changes course (whether consciously or unconsciously), that alters the client's perceived notion of how the site is supposed to work, and consequently, does not give them the opportunity to pay us for using the service successfully, and in some cases, takes them out of their comfort zone when something unexpected takes place, contrary from what they understood was going to happen.

If the message you wanted to hear was that people are being hired, you've got it!

We are working on ways to improve upon this but we cannot do it alone.

Voice talent and clients using the site can help by completing all of their work at Voices.com or by at least indicating that a talent has been chosen and the project has been completed.

To give you another glimmer of hope, we have seen jobs where a client has waited a year to formally select a talent and continue the process via SurePay... a whole year! Imagine if you were one of those applicants who spent an entire year fretting over an audition that you feared would not lead to a booking, leading to resentment of the audition's source, only to discover that the job was fulfilled and your worrying was for nothing!

What we need to emphasize in all this is that people are being hired, there is concrete proof of people being hired and or awarded jobs, and we are working on ways to help clients achieve their goals, which are to hire voice talent to record their messages.

I want to thank you reading this post. These revelations are quite timely, and I truly hope, useful and reassuring.

If you have any questions, we'd be happy to answer you here or off the blog via email.

Best wishes,

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team

©iStockphoto.com/Lise Gagne

What's shaking?

Voices.com has been recognized as one of Canada's top emerging growth companies, ranked #20 on Profit Magazine's Hot 50.

The team at Voices.com wants to celebrate voice over getting another boost in the business world with you... and thanks to your voices, word is getting out!

Voices.com Recognized by Profit Magazine

Earlier this week, Profit Magazine's Hot 50, a listing of Canada's top emerging growth companies based upon a two-year period, were announced.

Voices.com garnered the attention of the Canadian business world and beyond through the stroke of a pen, great numbers, and a business that I believe Warren Buffett himself may consider "durable."

Growing by 534% has been fun, challenging, and rewarding... and we'd like to thank you!

On behalf of our team, thank you for your continued support and for doing business with Voices.com.

Although this ranking is based primarily upon growth, hard facts, and financial statements, I want to share that every little bit helps to expand your horizons through the site, from a comment on the blog, to a word of mouth referral to a peer, or encouraging someone in a position to hire talent to make use of our service to get the job done.

Voices.com is much more than just a website that helps you get auditions or find talent... it's also a place you can call home, connect with people, a safe place to do business, find educational resources, and develop your talent.

We are all in this together and today it's time to celebrate all that we've accomplished so far.

Again, our gratitude to you is immense. Thank you for being part of this wonderful achievement!

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Stephanie Ciccarelli
CMO / Co-founder
Voices.com

While in Los Angeles, I had the rare opportunity to conduct an interview for our reading audience at VOX Daily in person!

The week before I left, I happened to see a web cast Kevin Delaney produced featuring Alicyn Packard. Once I heard she was one of the voice actresses on the Mr. Men Show, I knew I had to hear more about her story.

Join me in this very off the cuff interview full of fun with Alicyn Packard.

Interview with Alicyn Packard

VOX: Thank you for meeting me here at The W, Alicyn! It's a pleasure to chat with you. As you may know, I'm a big fan of tea and I see that you've just ordered a green tea. Is this a new thing for you, or have you been drinking green tea for a while?

ALICYN PACKARD: Drinking green tea is a habit, it's a relatively new habit but is one that I'm enjoying a lot.

VOX: I heard from Randy Thomas via an article she sent me saying that tea drinkers, because they drink so much of it, (black and especially green teas) live longer because of the properties in the tea that slow down the aging process.

Off mic: Cha-ching!

AP: It helps you to think clearer as opposed to the scattered brain patterns you can get when drinking coffee or too much coffee. It's an artificial stimulant.

VOX: Coffee clutters things up and makes you freeze. I think a lot of people would agree with that! You want it to be a pure acting experience fueled by your own energy.

AP: Sure!

VOX: What is the most challenging role that you've had to create and why?

AP: I would say the Little Miss Whoops has been challenging for the Mr. Men Show. My initial audition was a completely different character, so when they were looking to move into a different direction they got me back into the booth after I had already booked Little Miss Sunshine and Little Miss Naughty, and so they basically had me run through literally about 25 different voices, try, just see what you've got!

VOX: Oh, torture!

AP: That part was pretty fun though because you got to go through the whole range, they had no idea what they wanted. I tried a Roseanne Barr thing, you know try a little bit of Boston, pulled it back, went d nasal with it. Eventually they said, "That's it! That's the one!" I ended up getting cast as that character. They were playing back the tape, and I thought, "I didn't really remember what I did!" At that point, you've gone through so many voices. They wanted me to bring the pitch down, go d nasal, more monotone, "Don't worry Mr. Bump, I'm a trained professional." That character was one that was organically created in that session.

VOX: Okay, so within the direction they gave you, it's not like it was a planned thing when you walked in, or "We're going to take these elements..." You organically created the character very much in the moment?

AP: She was totally birthed on the spot.

VOX: I love that!

AP: There was a period of time between that audition and later when we actually started recording. Getting back to her definitely took a lot of work, it was challenging. It was something new and I almost had to voice match myself.

VOX: It's a good thing that they recorded it for you so that you could voice match yourself. You had the tracks and could go back, feel out your methodology on that one?

AP: Exactly.

VOX: That is an interesting concept. Often when people do these auditions, and someone casts them much later, they wonder, "What did I sound like?" Fortunately with technology you have that ability to go back and say, "Oh, that's the read!" I used to read those books, in fact my kids have Little Miss / Little Mr books, including Little Miss Sunshine and a number of other ones. Are these shows based upon the books or the characters but in different situations?

AP: They are the characters but they're reinvented.

VOX: Did you read the books growing up?

AP: I had the Mr. Happy book and it came with a little Mr. Happy doll.

VOX: Who are some of your male cohorts on this show? I know there are a lot, so if you could name just a few...

AP: Jeff Stewart is Mr. Tickle and Godfrey, the comedian, is Mr. Stubborn.

VOX: Interesting! What are the ages of voice represented on the show? With so many diverse characters, there must be quite a range?

AP: Yes, there's a range of ages from late 50s down to early 20s. Each voice is distinct and it's great to have really skilled people performing the roles who fit the image of the character they're playing.

VOX: Out of curiosity, how did you come to get the audition in the first place?

AP: It was a Nancy Wolfson casting and I got the audition via a contact at the school I was attending (Emerson College).

VOX: Very cool. How long has the show been on the air? Can you tell me a bit about the program schedule and how long it took you to record?

AP: We're now entering into our second season on the Cartoon Network with 26 episodes per season and two special episodes running 11 minutes. In all there were 52 scripts for season two recorded over a period of a couple months, under the direction of Emmy-winning director Mark Risley. The first show airs on September 8th, 2009.

VOX: Very good! Congratulations on that. Now, I'd like to ask you another question. If you could have a character entirely tailored to you (I know that pieces of you are in each of the little misses), what would that character be like?

AP: I like voicing young kids and little girls. Morphing into a super hero would be great! Everything is so exaggerated in cartoon life. My ideal character would also be in a rock band, you know, going to school by day and a secret rocker by night... acting in cartoons is freeing and it is fun to not be limited by physical elements.

VOX: Kind of sounds like WordGirl, you know, Becky Botsford and Captain Huggy Face. Speaking of secret identities, how do you feel about voice actors having headshots?

AP: I think that nowadays, it's beneficial to be a voice actor and have a headshot. Being an integrated person is an asset. Everything (especially online) is coming together. In the past, people didn't want to be typecast which is why so many people opted not to have headshots done. Today that has changed for many of those people. You are who you are and that's good! As a new media producer, we're lucky to be living in the times we are.

VOX: Thanks, Alicyn. Your perspective on headshots is very interesting. Going back to your creative process, I mentioned before that you are able to find a little bit of "Alicyn" in many of your roles. Have there been any roles where the character was your complete opposite?

AP: Once I had to be the voice of a zombie, a male zombie at that, which was challenging. What I found to help was drawing upon my improv skills. I'd say that men and little boys are the most challenging for a woman to portray. Examples of characters that were opposite to my personality are Connor and Olivia who are shy, nerdy, and introspective. My character(s) speaks with an adenoidal tone, thinking and delivering their lines slowly, just short of a stutter.

VOX: Someone as talented and accomplished as yourself must be studying with great teachers. Who have you studied with to date?

AP: Dolores Diehl, Nancy Wolfson, at Susan Blu's with Cynthia Songé, Richard Horvitz, and M. Jai Lallo, all in California.

VOX: What motivates you to work in voice over?

AP: It's fun! The work is play. The real work is trying to get the jobs. Playing once you've booked the jobs is rewarding.

VOX: You aren't a native of Los Angeles. Given that fact, how has life in LA changed you or enabled you to grow?

AP: I've grown and evolved since moving out here from Massachusetts, certainly. LA has a culture that stimulates growth when you find the right people. I've been affected by people I've met and collaborated with and also have an excellent support system including family and friends. It's great to be able to share creative feelings with your peers. It's also good to keep many irons in the fire.

VOX: Tell me a bit about going to conventions. You were on a panel at Comic Con 2008 on the voice panel last year. Do you get a rush from it?

AP: I love going to cons to learn and meet new people. Dallas Travers, author, writes that everyone has their own set of "people", you know, your people. When I'm at these conventions, I am among my people.

VOX: Just like the event tonight! I look forward to spending more time with you at the mixer and want to thank you on behalf of the Voices.com community for this interview.

AP: You're welcome! My pleasure.

To learn more about Alicyn Packard, visit "Inside Alicyn's Wonderland," a new web series that goes through the looking glass and behind the scenes into the wild and wacky world of animation.

You can also follow Alicyn's Wonderland on Twitter.

Anything you'd like to add? Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Meeting with over 144 voice actors in one of the hottest clubs in Los Angeles at the W Hotel was absolutely amazing!

Who was there, what happened, and how did it turn out?

There's so much to share with you and I can't wait until you read this!

Check out today's VOX Daily for coverage of this event!

Lights, Camera, Voices!

The City of Angels played host to our very first mixer, gathering together members of Voices.com, experts, and friends -- both old and new -- to a wonderful evening of networking and fellowship.

If anyone has ever questioned the validity or value of voice actors networking with each other, this event demonstrated just how important it is to socialize, shake hands, and capture precious moments on camera.

My evening started interviewing a warm and gracious voice actress, Alicyn Packard, whom you may have recently seen in an interview with Kevin Delaney, the Voice Over Ninja. Alicyn met with me prior to the festivities and shared aspects of her creative process that we'll get into tomorrow in a special feature.

Two by two, or so it seemed, voice talent began arriving to Whiskey Blue, welcomed by a Voices.com banner that Neil Wilson helped me display (thank you, Neil!) indicating that yes, you were in the right place.

Everyone got to put name tags on for easier introductions. David purchased bilingual name tags for me before I left Canada, so for Canucks in attendance such as the lovely Ellen Dubin, the event was a reminder of home with the text Hello / Bonjour scribed across the top!

The room was hopping with voice talent. It was my great pleasure to meet Herb Merriweather and his wife Cora, Julie Williams, Claire Dodin, Vanessa Hart, Kurt Kelly, Avi Melman and his wife Kerry, Dana Lyn Baron, Trevor Jones and his wife, photographer Leila Jones, Eugene Mayer, Anna Vocino and her husband Loren Tarquinio, Rachel Robinson and her sister, Ashley Huyge, Tony Wallace, Josh Snyder, Tracy Winfrey, Charlie Rengel, Cherie Huet, Ginny You, Heidi Schooler, Vida Ghaffari, Andrea Christensen, Susan Smart and her husband; Ratana, Ellen Dostal, Talmadge Ragan, Stephanie Komure, Anna Lux, Brent Allen Hagel and his girlfriend Ivy Dulci Bierer, Matilda Novak, Mick Wingert, Richard Tatum, Rich Owen, John Taylor, Del Roy, Phi Dao Ewing, Stephanie Riggio, Eila Ulyett, Andrew Heyl, Daniel Wallace, David Courtney, Artt Butler, Tony Azzolino, Karen Kahler, Bob Hurley, Marian Michaels and her husband Michael, Piotr Walczuk, Bryan O'Neal, Julie O'Dell, Byron Wagner, Andrew Feliciano of Voicetrax West, and many more. Forgive me if I've left anyone out. If your name is missing from this list, let me know and I'll add it in :)

Pat Fraley also made an appearance to join in the merriment. I never miss an opportunity to see my friend Pat.

Zurek of VoiceoverUniverse also came along with George Whittam, out for a second night of voice over bonding (they were also at the garden party at the Ciprianos as were several others at the mixer). David Alden joined us for another night of fun, too!

Penny Abshire, James Alburger, Curt Byk, and Connie Mustang were also present, representing the crew from VOICE.

Kicking off at 6 p.m. and wrapping up well after the posted time of midnight (many left as late as 1 a.m.), our first endeavour to bring people together offline in a social setting was an overwhelming success!

The room got to sound levels that are rarely heard in studio, and with over one hundred voices going at any given time, the volume alone contributed to an encouraging sense of excitement, affirming that the voice over community is alive and well in Los Angeles.

By the end of the night, there were only 56 name tags left out of 200 that I came with. If my math is correct, there were at least 144 people participating at the mixer over the course of the night.

I am already planning to return to Los Angeles and do it all over again!

Thank you to everyone who was able to join us and I hope to see more of you more often in the days and years to come.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Find more photos like this on VU

The voice over industry paid tribute to the legacy of Don LaFontaine at the home of Ann and Joe Cipriano in Los Angeles on September 2, 2009.

I'd like to share a bit about the event with you here at VOX Daily.

The Don LaFontaine Voice-Over Lab Fundraiser

The Screen Actors Guild Foundation is building the Don LaFontaine Voice Over Lab in the Actors Center in Los Angeles. Last week I attended a gala fundraiser, helping to contribute in a small way to the building project, mingle, and show support for the Lab on behalf of Voices.com.

Based upon the numbers of contracts signed, Don LaFontaine was probably the busiest actor in the history of the Screen Actors Guild, with a career that spanned over 40 years, recording over 5,000 movie trailers and hundreds of thousands of commercial and promo spots. He was then, and is now, legendary.

Friends, relatives, and colleagues were present at this extraordinary gathering of promo, trailer, and commercial talent, representing the majority of primetime voices. All of those voices under one roof was an experience of its own.

Upon arrival at Ann and Joe Cipriano's home, my friend Nancy Wolfson and I were greeted by a wonderful valet and were escorted to the front door to join the party, checking in with Nurit of the SAG Foundation. We were then encouraged to sign a beautifully enlarged photograph of Don. It was then that I met my first Canadian outside of Canada in the VO world on this trip, Rino Romano (pictured with me in the slide show above). There's something about us Canadians... we find each other everywhere!

I made some new friends and got to meet, in person for the first time, some very special friends who you may know through our Voice Over Experts podcast, including Joan Baker and Rudy Gaskins, Marc Graue, Nancy Wolfson, David Alden, George Whittam, and several others.

Through generous contributions from benefactors and those present, I'm pleased to share that The Don LaFontaine Lab is now more than two-thirds of the way to meeting its financial goal!

We are not just building a physical place, but a "nerve center" for the voice over community.

In Nita Whitaker LaFontaine's words, the Don LaFontaine Voice-Over Lab will be a place of "Generosity, teaching, and love," noting that Don's legacy would live on through the lab for generations to come. The lab will also be a physical place where Don can be remembered, something that is rare in a digital world but welcomed for this great man who meant so much to so many.

The lab will feature a fully equipped sound studio and classroom. The hope is that this lab becomes a center for the voice over community where all facets of voice-over can meet, study, and inspire.

The sound studio will comprise of two state-of-the-art recording booths, allowing aspiring voice actors to work on their craft, record auditions, or work on demos, at no cost.

According to the leaflet, the classroom will host some of the most talented voice over artists teaching today and in the future, many of whom have donated to the Lab and serve on its Advisory Board.

During the event, there was also a silent auction where people could place bids on various items (a guitar signed by musician Rob Thomas) and exciting prize packages, including some Don LaFontaine memorabilia such as pieces of copy Don read and famously doodled on (referred to as "Don Doodles"), photographs, and more.

All of these items were on display in and around Joe Cipriano's home recording studio, a treat to behold for a number of guests.

Toward the end of the night, Nita sang a beautiful song from the movie Alfie, "What's it all about, Alfie?" that reminds her of Don. There were very few dry eyes I must tell you.

The outpouring of love to Don's family has been so great and I can tell you that they are all touched by your support. Meeting Nita was memorable for me and I hope the memories I've shared with you here serve as memories for you too.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Photostream courtesy of Voiceover Universe (VU)

While away on my trip, I happened to watch CNN and heard a number of voice overs that I not only recognized but knew who was performing!

Don't you find it refreshing when you can recognize not only a voice but also who it belongs to?

Hear about three broadcast voice overs I heard while away and share some of your own!

What's on at 5 or 6 a.m. PST on CNN?

The first morning I woke up in Los Angeles, it was 4:30 a.m., an ugly hour I must say. When I couldn't fall asleep (thanks to my east coast biological clock), I decided to turn on the TV and find out what was on. While we're on the topic, the voice guiding me through the menu may very well have been that of Ann DeWig (I'll have to check!).

Legendary Talent Adam West Welcomed Me to LA

If you've seen any of LendingTree's summer spots, you've been hearing the voice of Adam West. Upon seeing the commercial, "Great Scott!" I sent a quick email to West's agent, Fred Wostbrock to congratulate him on the run. You may recall a recent article that featured a quote from Adam West about his days as Batman and how he developed distinct voices for Bruce Wayne and as Batman when playing the caped crusader. Hearing from someone I knew of, even if just a voice over, meant a lot to me as his was literally the first familiar voice I had heard since leaving home.

Magnum P.I.'s Tom Selleck Sold Me OJ

About an hour before I went to breakfast that same day, I happened to hear something about Florida Orange Juice courtesy of Tom Selleck. His warm delivery, along with tantalizingly tangy visuals, persuaded me to order not just my usual morning tea, but a freshly squeezed glass of orange juice as well.

Marc Graue Announced Anderson Cooper 360

The day after I went to the gala event celebrating Don LaFontaine's legacy, I heard another familiar voice, this time the voice of someone I have the pleasure to know in person. At the event, Marc Graue happened to tell me that he had a contract doing the promos for Anderson Cooper's show. Very timely information to discover! Just to confirm for you, Marc can be heard daily on CNN with promos for "Anderson Cooper 360º."

Do Broadcast Television Voice Overs Move You?

The great communicators are talking to us day in day out. Are they getting through?

What have you heard recently that persuaded you, affected you, or touched you on a personal level?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. Stay tuned for more coverage of my Los Angeles trip including the Don LaFontaine Lab Fundraiser, the Voices.com Voice Acting Mixer LA, and more!

©iStockphoto.com/Catherine Yeulet

Is it possible to legally perform character voice impressions of celebrities who have died and feature them on a voice over demo that you've uploaded to the Internet for promotional purposes?

How does one go about getting permission?

Ask the right people and you'll find out!

Herb Merriweather shares his experience connecting with those involved with the Estate of Jack Benny doing just that.

Ask And You Shall Receive!

By Herb Merriweather

Being a voice actor has proven to be a blessing--and a challenge! There is a lot of information to absorb and put into practice. Tips on production and equipment; vocal techniques and training; copy writing/editing and marketing--each subject demands our attention at the very least and many times some sort of responsive action is needed.

One such subject that slipped beneath MY radar was the responsibility of voice actors to handle impersonations and impressions with extreme care- realizing that the wrong message or representation without permission could bring negative consequences, maybe even legal action.

I have impressions on my web page but I never gave any thought to legal responsibility until I read a Voices.com article by voice actor/attorney Rob Sciglimpaglia (Vox Daily Feb. 12, 2009).

Robs' insights on 'Right of Publicity' laws let me see my Jack Benny/Eddie Anderson impressions as a possible liability-even though it wasn't being used commercially, it was still available for public scrutiny. Even as both of these radio comedy legends are deceased, their heirs still have the right to decide who uses their "likeness" and how they're used.

So the idea hit me...maybe there IS a way to get permission to use these likenesses in the forum where they are presented. They'd already been on the page for months so something proactive had to be done. Not knowing how to actually contact anyone connected to the Jack Benny Estate, I started where I could-with the president of the Jack Benny Fan Club, Ms. Laura Leff.

I contacted her through the Official Jack Benny Website and explained that, although I had already used Mr. Benny's likeness (removed from the page pending results of my action) on my web page, I couldn't continue using it without permission and could she suggest how to get it. Along with my e-mail I sent a copy of the audio file (impression) in question.

Thirty days later I received this e-mail from Ms. Leff--"...I shared this with the Benny family with the recommendation that they OK it and they are fine with you using it on your resume tape..."

She goes on to say that others are welcome to request permission as well and she encouraged me in my search for the heirs of Eddie Anderson. I'm still waiting for a response from them.

"Ask and it shall be given..." seems like an oversimplification of what happened--however--the very humbling act of asking can sometimes open doors and establish relationships that other wise might never have been explored.

By the way... there are so many talented people who can "do" Jack Benny so much better than I ever could, this really ISN'T about the impression. It's about being diligent in your business practices, learning from others and being flexible enough to adapt to what you've learned.

Once again--information gained from Voices.com helped to save the day...and establish a cool new relationship.

God Bless and Happy Voicing!

Herb Merriweather

When I last posted about vocal health and remedies to restore the voice, I received an interesting email from Crystal Tips about her experience drinking a rather unpalatable beverage to kick her voice into overdrive during a session where she was down for the count.

Intrigued?

Hear more about this bizarre concoction and how it gave Crystal's voice a boost here at VOX Daily.

VOX: How was it suggested to you that you should have a hornet tea? Was this a normal thing for someone to do where you were or was this out of the ordinary?

CRYSTAL TIPS: Yes, my boss suggested that I drink the hornet tea. My voice was nearly gone. All that was left was a raspy, squeaky voice that kept cracking. It is not common to drink and was a last ditch effort to record my parts before I left for Christmas break since it had to go to air.

VOX: Remind me of your symptoms that prevented you from doing voice over. How were you feeling prior to taking the tea?

CT: I had lost my voice, it wasn't completely gone, but it was rough and raspy, not clear, and kept cracking like a teenage boy. I was unable to do my different voices for the various characters I needed to play. I didn't feel overly sick, my voice was just extremely tired from too much dubbing.

VOX: What did the concoction consist of and how was it made?

CT: The concoction came wrapped in a piece of brown scrap paper. There was the big hornet, some herbs, and something that smelled a little bit like licorice. I don't know what was in it. My boss bought it for me from a Chinese Herbal Medicine Doctor down the street from the studio. We had to crush the hornet and herbs by smashing it in the paper.

VOX: What did it taste like? Did it have a particular smell? How hard was it to drink?

CT: It smelled musty and like dirt with a hint of licorice. And tasted the same! We put it in a tea cup with hot water and I drank it while holding my nose. I didn't swallow the bits. It tasted gross but not rancid. I've had worse.

VOX: What properties did the tea possess that gave you your voice back temporarily? Was that made known to you or is it just assumed that the hornets were the source of the vocal balm?

CT: I don't know what the secret to it was but I'm guessing the hornet had some histamine in it that jump-started my vocal cords. No one told me what it was in the mixture that would make it work. And no one told me the ingredients! It was a mystery.

VOX: Did your voice return at full strength? How long exactly were you able to maintain a consistent vocal delivery because of the tea?

CT: After about 15 minutes my voice came back full strength for about an hour and I was able to deliver and finish all of my lines perfectly. Then just like that, it was gone again.

VOX: Have you had the tea since?

CT: I did have the tea a second time, perhaps a year or two later. I get the feeling it's not something one is supposed to take all the time. Really a last ditch effort. I don't think it harmed me in any way though. It did seem to give me a little buzz. HA HA.

VOX: Would you recommend someone try this as a means to get their voice back for a short period of time?

CT: I would recommend it to anyone who needed it in an emergency situation. Otherwise I use Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa, an over- the-counter Chinese Herbal Cough syrup. It works well if you have a cold or have an itchy throat.

Give the bug juice a try if you are near a Chinese herbal medicine doctor and definitely try the Pei Pa Koa. We nicknamed it Paper Cow!

Have You Done Something Similar To Get Your Voice Back?

If you've tried hornet tea or some other irregular measure to quickly regain your voice, I'd love to hear about it!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Tomasz Zachariasz

How can you get your read across to a broadcast audience?

Do radio and television audiences require different commercial reads?

What does it take to really touch someone in a commercial voice over and have them act on your targeted advice?

Find out in this article by voice over artist, Bobbin Beam!

The Commercial Read: Winning the hearts and minds of your audience

By Bobbin Beam

Emotionally connecting with the target audience should be the primary objective of the successful commercial. So any commercial audition should be prepared with this fact in mind.

So how does one accomplish such a feat, when, aside from the writing and production of an ad, voice actors have no control over content, editing and music in the final production mix?

The voice talent must realize he/she must build that connection and catch the listener's attention. The stakes are very high.

Let's imagine a national TV campaign, class A spots, where the media buys are being invested to the tune of millions and facial coding and focus groups are used to determine an ad's effectiveness.

What's in Your Toolbox?

What do you have to work with? The script, of course. If you successfully engage with the words to ensure that the ad resonates with as many listeners as possible; that is the ultimate goal. It might also help to do some homework, by taking time to research to the client and/or product, and understand the mindset of the target demographic.

So what's the story? The voiceover artist must deliver the specific message to the audience in a clear and concise way. Another way of improving the clarity of a message is to carefully choose one's delivery, the attitude, pace, and pitch and volume that stays true to your sound.

Like with conversation, a script read without personality or that actually sounds like it is being read lacks appeal. And there is a fine line between having personality and distracting from the gist of the ad. It is often difficult to keep the message in the delivery on the right side of this fine line.

Avoid the overuse of personality that may drown the message. Too much humor or drama in the read can sound forced and hard for listeners to relate to and they'll mentally tune out. Trying too hard to inject personality into an ad can be just as damaging as having no personality at all.

Mix it up!

Using contrast in delivery can often draw in the attention of listeners to the ad. Be mindful that the execution of a read for a radio spot will be very different than that for television. Remember that radio is theater of the mind and can sport sound effects, brand music and sometimes other voiceover that may be competing with other ambient noise or conversation, whereas in TV spots, there's a picture story being told and yours is the "voice under" the video, and is more like that of a narrator.

It is essential to give the auditor a reason to listen to your vocal delivery to book the job. Chances are, they'll listen to the first 6-10 seconds of your audition. Your delivery has to have the edge to get through, to ultimately appear amongst the sea of different ads that listeners are bombarded with daily.

This is best achieved by building that emotional connection with the listener in a simple and concise manner.

Voice actors who can successfully convey a story, and the intent in a script with intonation and realism will connect with the audience, because the listener won't feel like or realize they are "being sold". And that is what helps make for the success of the ad campaign, and what books the voice talent the job.

Bobbin Beam

©iStockphoto.com/Graffizone

September 1st, 2009 marks the first anniversary of Don LaFontaine's passing.

To commemorate this day, I'd like to reflect on what has happened over the course of this year and also share some wonderful news about a project that is being worked on in his honor.

DLF, you are missed!

What a Career, What a Man, What a Privilege

If you are a voice actor, a moviegoer, or someone who watches programming on TV, at some point in your life (unless you were born yesterday), you've been engaged by one of the finest voice over artists the world has ever known.

For our industry, Don LaFontaine was the one man who embodied voice over, a giant among us, with iconic status that because of his humility, he struggled to grasp. His voice, and more importantly, how he used it, changed the way that people interact with the unseen narrator.

Don LaFontaine's legacy is vast and touches hundreds of thousands, especially the working voice actor and rank in file.

When he died last year, I wrote a tribute to Don LaFontaine, but today we celebrate his life and his legacy.

There was an enormous outpouring of community grief that brought the industry closer together.

Some Memories

"I met Don a few years ago at a voice workshop in Vancouver, Canada. I was in way over my head in a room with the city's top working pros. I'm in over my head just contributing this memory! I was nervous and choking all over the place standing at a mic with THE MAN sitting behind several panes of glass and hanging on every nuance of sound that came out of my shaking larynx. After a laying a quick 'What was that?' glare at me, he realized in a second that I was new and nervous. At that moment he became so kind, helpful, and encouraging. I had a feeling like: If this man says I can do this stuff, then I can! He made me feel like a million bucks! More importantly, when he spoke of his family, it was clear that there was so much love in his heart for them. A really nifty, funny, generous, loving dude! It was indeed a privilege Sir."

-- Sean Sullivan

"When I walked into the room to be introduced to Don at VOICE 2007, I extended my hand to him for a handshake. He smiled at me, held out his arms, shook his head and then gave me a big bear hug instead! It was at that moment I truly felt for the first time his generous and loving spirit. He was highly successful - but he was still "one of us." I will always remember that moment. He was also extremely gracious after we interviewed him on stage and he took extra time out of his tight schedule to speak to each and every person in the audience and pose for a photo with them. He didn't have to do that - but he did it because he really wanted to. He was an incredible human being and I (like so many others) will always miss him...."

-- Penny Abshire

"I remember that huge line of VO talent waiting to see Don at VOICE 2007 and how gracious he was, talking with everyone and giving everyone his full attention before the picture and handshake. When it was my turn... first I thanked him for all he's done and said that he was the tip of the spear - if VO was an army, he was the four star general - blazing the path for the rest of us in this industry he helped define. I said 'You're the four star general - I'm a staff sergeant, I will never move to NYC or LA, but I'm able to make my living, raise my kids and pay my mortgage doing voice work... where I want to live - in New Hampshire!' After we had our picture taken I started to walk away - I heard from behind me 'Hey, SARGE!' I turned around, to see Don LaFontaine saluting me - 'Keep up the good work, you're doing great!' he said and smiled, then turned his attention to the next VO in line. Thinking of that moment gives me a lift every time. What a genuine, amazing and real guy he was. What a great memory he gave me that day. Thanks for letting me share."

-- Moe Egan

"Don LaFontaine was one of the most charismatic individuals, that I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. He took the time to meet every last one of us, at Voice 2007. I keep our picture on my studio monitor as inspiration. I remember getting the email that Don was in the hospital. I thought, no worries it's Don LaFontaine! He'll be fine, he is an immortal legend! I don't think any of us realized what Don was up against. I remember the day Don passed away. I had just finished playing baseball, and we were at the bar having wings and beer. The email came to my phone, and I was in disbelief! It felt like I had lost a family member. I excused myself from the male bonding feast and went home to share the sad news with my family. I have since become friends with one of Don's close friends, Mr. Don Morrow. In between training and recording at Don's studio, he shared stories of the two of them and the history they had. Don also gave me a picture of the two of them that I will cherish forever."

-- Shawn Maroney

Don the Crusader

Don LaFontaine championed many endeavors over the years including taking the first step to validate voice talent working from home recording studios instead of unnecessary travel and was also a political figure in the sense that he was a proud union member and put his backing behind Unite 4 Strength in support of a merger unifying the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

Don was giving of his time, expertise, and also was very generous with his friendship, extending himself through social networks such as Facebook and Voiceover Universe. He gave freely of himself which was one of his most endearing qualities.

Honors

In March of this year, Don was posthumously awarded an AMEE award by AFTRA, at the AFTRA Media and Entertainment Excellence Awards.

In early summer, an award was named in honor of Don at the Promax|BDA Awards called the Don LaFontaine Legacy Award.

Just recently, the SAG Foundation (Screen Actors Guild) announced that there would be a Don LaFontaine Lab built in his honor.

The Don LaFontaine Voice Over Lab

The Don LaFontaine Voice Over Lab at the SAG Foundation Actors Center will provide voice actors with two working state of the art recording studios plus a classroom and learning center for voice over workshops and seminars. This center will carry on Don's legacy of giving back, inspiring and encouraging new talent for years to come.

On Wednesday of this week, I will attend a fundraiser for the DLF Lab hosted by Ann and Joe Cipriano at their home and I hope to see some of you there! While I am in Los Angeles, I'll be taking notes and hopefully some pictures to share with you with respect to this particular event.

If you would like to make a donation to the Don LaFontaine Lab, you can do so here:

https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=17502

How Has Don LaFontaine Affected You?

I look forward to reading more of your stories!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. If you are reading this in your email and want to see what others have said in the comments, or for that matter, comment too, click here to get to the article online.

Has anyone ever told you that you have an accent?

Whenever there are people living the same geographic area, there is generally an accent associated with that particular town, city, or region.

By virtue of that fact, sometimes it can be easy for other people to tell where you are from based upon how you sound... and in our business, your mode of pronunciation can also play a role in determining the kind of voice over jobs you receive as a communicator of other people's messages.

Tips For Modifying Your Regional Accent

By Jill Tarnoff

We all love the auditions Voices.com sends us from the USA and Canada, however, a regional accent can keep you from winning auditions that are out of your local area. You may not be aware that you have any regionalisms because you sound like everyone around you.

Sometimes people only notice their local accent when they travel.

Voice over professionals should be aware of their local sounds and be able to modify their voice so that they speak a Standard American Accent.

What exactly is Standard American is debated by many voice coaches, however there are some basic sounds that are generally accepted. A few small changes can go a long way toward modifying your delivery and expand your chances of getting jobs in a wider market.

When someone comes to me for accent modification the first sounds I listen to are their open vowel sounds.

These are exactly what the name says, they are vowel sounds made with the mouth open, such as, "aw", "ah" and "oo". You will notice that you need to drop your jaw to make these sounds. Also notice that they are very emotional sounds, so you want the audience to pay attention to the feeling you are trying to communicate rather than noticing that you are saying the word in a way that sounds strange to them.

Let's take, for example, a word that inspires a strong emotion in most of us - chocolate! The Standard American pronunciation for that word is "ch-ah-klit". The first o is pronounced "ah" as in "ahh, that tastes good". However, it is very common for New Yorkers to pronounce that o as "aw" as in "aw, that is fattening".

I have coached many New Yorkers who have eliminated most of their accent, but that word will slip by. It is a simple fix to substitute the "ah" for the "aw" once they are aware of it and they have increased their chances of advertising chocolate to the rest of the country.

Another time that open vowels are noticed is when our Canadian friends send an audition somewhere in the USA and forget to change the "ou" in "out" to the Standard American pronunciation of "ow" as in "how " from the Canadian pronunciation of "oat". To Americans the phrase, "out and about" sounds like, "oat and a boat" when spoken by a Canadian.

Again, it is a simple change that makes a big difference.

It is difficult to hear your own accent. A coach can make you aware of pronunciations that may be getting in your way. One of my favorite aspects of my work is the immediate result. I give my clients their own short list of what I call their "red flag" sounds so they can mark their scripts and instantly change their delivery.

Jill Tarnoff
Voice over artist, Accent Reduction Coach

©iStockphoto.com/Mike Bentley

Are you being true to your own voice?

What's the price one pays for trying to sound like someone else?

Richard Weirich returns with more commentary that will get the wheels turning here on VOX Daily.

Low "Voice" Self-Esteem

By Richard Weirich

It's in there somewhere. You came into the world with it. No question, some were blessed more than others. Nonetheless, it is uniquely yours. I'm talking about your voice.

The ideal voice today is.....well, to be honest, just about every voice. Once upon a time, not so very long ago, voice work was primarily a man's field. Deep, resonant, bass and baritone, "manly!" But not anymore.

The name of the game today is "natural" which is something I've preached for years. Unfortunately some folks just don't seem to grasp that message.

Most of us don't really want to sound like ourselves. We prefer to sound like old "what's-his/her-name." And so we begin to manipulate the instrument. Back in the day we called them "puke jocks" as they pumped more than just a smile into their voices.

When you go messing with what God gave you you're most likely going to end up sounding phony.

I've known friends in the biz who smoked and drank excessively so their voices would be changed. Before tummy tucks, facelifts, and breast implants there were those in our profession who had their larynxes scraped to somehow improve voice quality. (Not recommended....unless you want to risk sounding like Minnie Mouse.)

All of these folks were suffering from low "voice" self esteem.

So, how about you? Does your voice cause you to feel like you just don't measure up?

A little dissatisfaction is healthy as long as it keeps you striving for perfection. Just make sure that you're not striving for destruction.

The best tools you have for your voice instrument are your eyes and ears.

Many of us probably didn't care much for the music and art appreciation classes we had to take in college. If you got anything out of those classes I hope it was the ability to listen to music with a "critical" ear and to look at art with a "critical" eye. Our eyes enable us to embrace the words on a page as we seek mood and meaning. Our ears help us to ascertain if we successfully attained our goal.

Most often the problem is not with the voice. So don't beat up on yourself because you weren't blessed with incredible pipes. Instead, focus your attention on communicating the message on the page.

Learn to incorporate your personality, your passion, your heart. Want more than anything to move your listener.

Learn to listen to yourself with a critical ear.

Does the recorded product match the intent of your effort? What sounds best? Use it again. What sounds out of place? Throw it away. Are you speaking in your comfortable range or are you straining for pitches that just aren't there? Do you sound strained or relaxed and in your element? Are you into yourself or into your audience?

Fine tune those things that you can control and give your voice a break. There is nothing wrong with your voice. Accept it as it is and put your emphasis on communication.

What can you do to be compelling enough to capture attention and move your listener to action?

There's a word that's been lost in our craft. At least, I'm not hearing it much anymore. We use titles like "voice talent" and "voice artist." Note the emphasis on "voice." Maybe therein is the problem. More precisely we are "communicators."

Richard Weirich

Any Comments?

Do you have anything to add to this conversation or thoughts to share with Richard?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Lise Gagne

Don't want your read to get away on you? Just like walking a dog, you've got to train your read to stay with you, and that takes discipline!

My friend David Bourgeois, President of Voice Coaches, is one smart cookie.

When he's coaching people in the booth who are trying to create a "real person" read, he uses a simple technique that helps you as the voice talent stay genuine while maintaining your creative flow.

The same technique applies to any kind of read where you need to be consistent in your delivery.

Want to learn more? Keep reading!

How To Stay Genuine in a Real Person Read

By David Bourgeois

In our industry, we have definitely gravitated toward conversational, believable, sincere delivery.

One of the most common differences in how people read text and how they speak text is that reading becomes task oriented with the goal being reaching the end. So, everyone has a natural tendency to accelerate their pace when they're reading.

I used to do a little experiment with people where I would have them speak for a couple of minutes off of the top of their head, going way back to when I started training in this field. We'd bring the voice talent back in the control room and play their recording back a couple of times, write it down word for word, and ask them to go in and read it at the same pace that they felt that they had said it.

We never, and I did this exercise with many people, had anybody able to read it in any more than half the time it took them to say a couple of minutes of material. It's very interesting.

So, a great technique to fight this is to use what I would call "Reset Points."

Take your pencil and just put little reminder marks in your copy to reset that pace back to a genuine, believable, conversational pace.

You always want to be working off of what I would refer to as your conversational average... your average conversational pace.

As the excitement level increases in the copy you're reading, you're not just going to speed up, you're going to use more variation in the pace. As your perception of the excitement level in the copy lessens, you don't just slow down... you come back closer to that conversational average.

Maintaining that conversational average is difficult. Feel free to mark your copy up, and put reminders at the beginning of the third or fourth line that says something along the lines of, "Hey, settle down back down and get that energy together again."

To the client, to the copy writer, to the person trying to convey that information, the words later in the copy are just as important as the words you started out with.

David Bourgeois
Voice Coaches

What Do You Think?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Reply with your comments and get involved in the conversation about maintaining a genuine, sincere, and consistent read.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Renee Lee

Ever wondered what the faces behind the voices look like?

Some of them are familiar, iconic, and maybe even surprising!

Discover 17 visages responsible for creating the voices we all know so well, courtesy of the Epic Voice Actor collection at LIFE.com.

A Story in Pictures

Voice actors are usually recognized for their voices, and in rare instances, their faces become almost as iconic as the voices they create.

I was referred to LIFE.com and their feature on Epic Voice Actors, including pictures of the following people:

๏ Mel Blanc
๏ Dan Castellaneta
๏ Alan Reed
๏ Seth MacFarlane
๏ Frank Oz
๏ Matt Stone and Trey Parker
๏ Tom Kenny
๏ Billy West
๏ Hank Azaria
๏ Nancy Cartwright
๏ Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor
๏ Tony Anselmo
๏ Harry Shearer
๏ Jorge Arvizu (the Spanish Bugs Bunny)
๏ Mark Hammill

Click on the following link if you're curious to see pictures of these Epic Voice Actors.

Return to VOX Daily after you've visited and let me know what you think!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Cat London

Ever find that no matter how hard you try, achieving the right sound or read eludes you during an audition?

Do you think that your interpretation may sometimes be responsible for what fails to get you bookings?

Top voice over coach Nancy Wolfson recently shared tips on how you can adjust your interpretation to get more voice over gigs.

Interested in learning more?

Read on!

Auditioning Blues

You're sitting down in front of the mic and are about to perform some copy for an audition.

Perhaps you've made some markings and have envisioned your audience.

Although you're prepared, when the time comes, something happens in your playback that makes you feel uncomfortable... your read doesn't sound anything like what you were going for!

When this happens, and it does happen to even the best of us, it's remarkably easy to throw in the towel and write off the audition as if you don't have a chance of booking. You may be drained of your emotional energy, regret the time spent auditioning, and feel as though you can't do anything right.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

What if I were to tell you that there is a way around this quandary to achieving more positive results?

Adjusting Your Interpretation To Book Your Brand

In episode 94 of Voice Over Experts, Nancy Wolfson teaches you how to turn the tables on the copy by changing the audience you're directing your read to, serving as an effective way to creatively communicate the meaning behind the text as well a unique method for stretching your interpretive muscles.

Remember, everything is relative!

Have a listen and see what I mean:

Download Voice Over Experts Episode 94 »

Any Thoughts On This?

I'd love to hear if you've tried this technique and how it has worked out for you :)

Looking forward to your reply!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Julien Tromeur

Is the act of simply "listening" to an audiobook akin to "reading"?

Just how powerful is the spoken word?

Hear what author Stephen King has to say about audiobooks and make your own judgment!

Audiobooks alla King

Novelist Stephen King is no stranger to audiobooks, in fact, he even has an audiobook archive on his website detailing all of his books that have been narrated.

Recently, King shared his thoughts about the relevance of audiobooks from a reading standpoint.

King relates, "Some...claim that listening to audiobooks isn't reading. I couldn't disagree more. In some ways, audio perfects reading...Audio is merciless. It exposes every bad sentence, half-baked metaphor, and lousy word choice...the spoken word is the acid test. They don't call it storytelling for nothing."

I think Stephen is onto something here!

The Acid Test

There is no easier or more dramatic way of testing the mettle of a book than reading it aloud. As Stephen King points out, discovering the good (and the bad) in a book is extremely easy when someone is interpreting the text, punctuation marks, segues, and so on through the application of the spoken word.

How much can professional narration do to enhance the written word?

Although a good narrator can make a mediocre book sound better, the same narrator is in a position to do much more with a truly great book, able to elevate it to even higher artistic climes using their voice.

The Temptation to Tinker

When you come across a script, a book, or a string of ad copy that needs a little TLC, it is tempting to try and resuscitate the phrasing, grammar, and or choice of words. While tempting it verily is, solicited it is not!

Your read, being the acid test, may be the catalyst for change, presenting an inkling of what can be done to improve a script suited to vocal delivery and aural consumption.

Just be sure to run these ideas by the people who hired you first -- also, keep in mind that the script went through many hands (and perhaps the eagle eyes of editors) before it got to you, meaning they may not want (or implement) your suggestions.

Massaging copy is often a no-no unless someone (generally the copywriter or company you are working for) signs off on the changes. It is an uphill battle but it can be done!

What Do You Think?

How to you discern good from bad copy? Is it something in the rhythm of the read or can you feel it in your bones?

I'd love to hear from you and how your ongoing (if not daily!) acid tests have been going!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Photo of Stephen King via StephenKing.com

How do you create your character voices?

In a recent interview via AudioFile Magazine, Lorelei King shared some of her character creation tips with Robin Whitten.

Hear some of what Lorelei shared as well as my take on the application of her recommendations here on VOX Daily.

Finding the Characters That Live in Your Head

Lorelei King is an Audie award-winning narrator and co-founder of Creative Content, a digital audiobook publishing company. When it comes to creating characters for the audiobooks that she reads, Lorelei often finds that their voices often live in her head, sometimes borrowing from friends and family in addition to furnishing characters using proven techniques, two of which I will share with you below.

1. Character Construction

Creating a variety of characters is easier when you know what you can do to differentiate them from each other, especially vocally. Lorelei suggests that characters can be built technically, employing the following criteria

๏ Gender
๏ Pitch
๏ Accent
๏ Quality

By using the outline above, I've deduced that you will be able to endow your characters with diverse vocal traits that will set them apart and distinguish them for your listening audience.

This is particularly helpful if you have many characters to work with.

Keeping the voices as separate as possible will also help you to more clearly remember what each character sounds like and why they sound the way they do.

Clues From The Author

The second tool that Lorelei uses to help her create character voices is to investigate clues left by the author in the text. You may not have thought of it this way, but the author is your greatest ally when it comes to creating believable characters!

The author educates you about each individual in their book through character development.

Here's an example that Lorelei mentioned in her interview.

One of the characters she had to create a voice for was an older man. This man had an accent, he smokes, has dentures (bad dentures at that), and is a tad grumpy. She learned all of this from the clues the author left for her.

What did she do with his voice?

She put a little emphysema in it, and bearing in mind that he has dentures (and a cigarette in between his teeth), began gumming the text around in character as if she had something between her teeth.

You've got to look for clues about the character that might tell you how they talk. How old are they? Do they keep something perpetually in their mouth like a cigar, toothpick, etc.? Are they from a place that has a regional dialect you can tap into?

You'll find that there are lots of ways to find voices but it is fantastic when an author gives you help developing your characters and their voices.

How Do You Create Character Voices?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. Click to follow Lorelei King on Twitter!

Photo via LoreleiKing.com

When you send a cover letter or email to a prospective client, you've got to make sure that everything is just right... say the wrong thing or omit important information and you've lost the contact!

Edge Studio in New York has compiled 15 things you should avoid in such communications for your reading pleasure.

15 Things NOT to Say in Your Client Communications

By David Goldberg

After reading many, MANY cover letters we've seen it all. And then some. The following will make a BIG difference when you market.

1. Dear Sir or Madam,

When you receive email addressed to "Dear Sir" or "To whom it may concern", don't you delete it? So do casting directors. Folks, you may think you're SAVING TIME by avoiding the 4 minutes it takes to get a contact's name.... but in actuality, you are WASTING TIME
because a large percentage of recipients will probably never open your email to begin with! Look on a website, do a Google search, call the company,.... do what you must to get the recipient's name!!! BEGIN YOUR LETTERS with "Hi Frank," or "Dear Mary",

2. I know you're busy,

Really? How do you know that? This is no way to begin your email. Instead, I encourage you to begin with something that will catch the attention of the recipient. Perhaps, "Ever need a French voice talent with a home studio?" or "Sure times are tough, so I'm offering voice over at half price!" or "Your company looks terrific - especially the fact that you donate services. I'm willing to donate my voice over services with you."

3. Would you mind if,

One way to show that you LACK confidence is to say, "Would you mind if" or "If you have time" or "Maybe you could" or "I was wondering if". I suggest that you sound confident. For example, "My demo speaks (no pun) for itself" or "Most of my customers become repeat customers" or "They say I take direction really quickly."

4. Here's my demo.

Let me guess. You're a copywriter? No? Okay, a director? No? Then what are you? Here's the scoop: YOU KNOW who you are, but THEY DO NOT! So be clear. Say, "I'm a voice over talent." or "I provide narrations for..." or "Attached is my voice over demo."

5. I do voice overs.

First of all, you don't "do" voice overs. Rather you "Provide commercial and/or narration voice over services" or you "Help businesses increase their bottom line by including free editing with voice over recordings."

6. If you find I'm right for something, I hope you'll call.

That's nice :( How about give me a reason to call. Try "I provide voice over for corporate presentations, training videos, and online tutorials." Or maybe "Quick turn-around, with excellent quality, and a friendly smile :)".

7. Sorry, this time my demo is attached.

Please - take a moment before hitting "send" to avoid this.

8. Typos

Wel nuthing maekes u les profesional then tipos. Enugh sayd.

9. Abb.

What does "abb" mean? Oh, its the abbreviation for "abbreviation". Didn't know that? Not everyone does. In fact, not everyone is as abbreviation-hip as you are. So my suggestion is to avoid them. Remember, your email may get forwarded to business people who live
in corporate world, and are used to formal, business-like letters. In other words, no more, "R u in need of VOs? My com demo is attchd. T."

10. I, I, I, I, and I

Here's a typical email we receive: "Hi, I do voice overs. I do commercial and narrations. I have a home studio. I have excellent quality and I was trained by........" Notice that every sentence begins with "I". So here's the important question: when marketing, do you want to intrigue yourself or your potential customer? Assuming the latter, compose your email so that it benefits them. This means no "I"s. Instead write "You"s. For example, instead
of, "I do medical voice over." say, "Next time your client needs a medical script narrated, calling me will make you look terrific!"

11. Born in........... then I moved to.......... Next I............ And today I...........

Really, the question is, who cares. Want proof? Do you ever want to read someone else's life story? No? Suggestion: keep it brief. Very brief. Try this, "After extensive training and some solid experience in Montauk, this voice over guy is expanding into your territory!"

12. I had to take my Mom to the hospital

Who cares. Or "It was my daughter's birthday yesterday." Again, who cares! 27 million people were taken to the hospital yesterday. 114 million people had birthdays. Putting personal information like this just makes the recipient feel like they need to remark... but
why should they when they don't even know you?. Regardless, if you only have a potential customer's attention for 1 minute, use it to PROMOTE yourself, NOT to chit chat.

13.

Exactly. Nothing tells me nothing about you. I STRONGLY encourage you to NOT send a blank email with a demo attached.

14. I look forward to hearing from you.

Huh? Are you kidding me? The next step is STILL yours. The fact is, you need to get in front of your potential customer four times before they'll remember you. Try this instead, "I'll contact you in a week" or "Next week you'll see another email from me... this one with a special offer."

15. Peace

Unless you know that the recipient will appreciate "Peace", or "See ya", or "Later", be professional.

On that note, Hasta La Vista Baby. Just kidding. Thanks! We hope this article helps you get more work!

If you need help with your copy, feel welcome to contact us - we offer consultations that help you gain additional work.

David Goldberg
Edge Studio

Any Comments or Thoughts?

If you have any comments for David or would like to add to this list, be sure to leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Did you watch Super Bowl XLIII?

If you're a woman and found that you enjoyed the big game a little bit more than usual, you can attribute some of that joy to the inviting female promo voice behind the Super Bowl XLIII promos on NBC.

Know who to thank?

Ann DeWig!

Get to know Ann a little better and discover more about what it was like to voice NFL Super Bowl promos, making history and fulfilling a dream in the process.

Voices.com Interview with Ann DeWig

VOX: Hi Ann, welcome to VOX Daily! Thank you for chatting with us today. I was wondering... how did you manage to get the one gig for the big game that football fanatics go ga ga over?

ANN DEWIG: I wish I could take this opportunity to tell you how fabulous I am, and how my marketing techniques are the awesomest, and how my twitter and facebook status updates are making me a marketing super-genius... but,... ummm... I'm pretty sure it was dumb luck. The truth is - when NBC was hunting for a woman to voice some sexy NFL promos about Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys - my name was tossed in the hat. They took a chance on me, and I then voiced several promos for Sunday Night football. When they decided to use a female to voice some of the Super Bowl promos - I got that call because I was already "in" - so to speak.

VOX: I heard that sport has always been part of your life. What is it about sports that interests you and how has that interest melded into your job opportunities and creative process?

ANN DEWIG: Growing up, my mom would have sports on the TV all year round. (Go Broncos!) And having two very influential brothers, I grew up a sports loving Tom Boy. I also liked Star Wars, rock music, poker, and Elfquest. I think being 'one of the guys' is just in my bones. I'm crass and weird and might light my farts on fire at a party. I've always gravitated to male dominated marketing. I worked in Rock Radio for a while, and feel like I can hang with the boys. I certainly don't market myself that way - but maybe it oozes from my pours. To be a prominent voice in the sports world would be so rewarding - because it's who I am, and what interests me. But I don't AIM my career in that direction. I'm still a girl. I embrace whatever opportunities are out there for me - whether I'm selling tampons, or voicing billboards for ESPN.

VOX: When you voiced the NBC spots for Super Bowl XLIII, did you get an adrenaline rush? How did it feel to be the powerhouse bridging the gender gap in voice over for sport?

ANN DEWIG: Wow. That's a lot of pressure. (laughing). When my agent called and said I'd be voicing promos for the Super Bowl, I screamed so loud I lost my voice. (Never claimed to be the brightest bulb in the room). I think that getting the call was the most exciting part of the journey - and knowing that I had a job my peers would die for certainly gave me a tingle. But that feeling was fleeting. Like getting the Lego's you asked for at Christmas. You're as high-as-a-kite for a few days, weeks or months, but eventually they are abandoned to the "junk" pile in the back of your closet.

I want to say here that I think there is an illusion about successful voice jobs, and how they can catapult you to new heights in your career. I often hear voice people say: "If I get this job it would open everything up!" But voiceover is a strange career. You never really get the corner office, your name on the door and the feeling of "ahhh, I've finally made it!" Our gigs come and go. Every voice job you get you will lose. So it's important to remember that there is no "one" job that makes or breaks you. Jobs can certainly lead to new jobs and new opportunities, but I think it's important to keep things into perspective. It's ALL my jobs combined that allow me to pay my mortgage and buy my dogs those dingo bones they like. I'm certainly not the first woman to be voicing super prestigious gigs, (usually reserved for males), and I won't be the last. Melissa Disney will always be the first woman to have voiced a trailer, but she also moved on to the next job. The one we didn't hear about.

VOX: What was the feedback like for your work? Did you happen to hear any buzz from people at the station, the public (through Twitter, etc.), or via the voice over community?

ANN DEWIG: I honestly didn't hear much. I like to be low maintenance, and if my producer at NBC says "things are good" - I take the hint and do my job. I just figure if they didn't like what I was doing - they'd find someone else. As far as "buzz" outside of NBC - I didn't notice anything, but I didn't CREATE any kind of buzz either. I was pretty discreet with my marketing. I personally emailed the people I wanted to know, and kept it off of my social-networking sites. I have a lot of strong opinions about marketing (of which we can get into in another interview), so I purposefully didn't make it a huge deal. One of the main reasons for my discretion is that I like to come across that I've done this kind of thing before. I'm a pro. I don't need a parade every time I get a job. It's my job.

VOX: Did NBC meet its objective of getting more women to watch the super bowl than in previous years? How much do you think the voice overs and advertisements had to do with it?

ANN DEWIG: I don't know the stats, but I personally think NBC does a great job of making the Super Bowl more attractive to a much wider audience each year. Pregame shows, halftime shows, guests, Hollywood actors, rock stars and special exclusive interviews. Each year they find new ways to make the Super Bowl a full-blown "holiday". And this year, I was lucky to be a small part of the process. Did the promos help? I sure hope so! But it all starts with their content, then the graphics department, the producers and writers and lawyers, and then I'm added at the end. We'll never know if my voice made a huge difference - but I hope it was fresh and new and helped women to feel like they were invited.

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Stephanie

Does practice makes perfect?

Marc Cashman shares some wisdom with regard to how to develop a good practice regiment while still feeling good about practicing!

Great artists all struggled (and some still struggle!) with practicing. Marc gives you the inspiration you need to overcome the urge not to practice and the encouragement to better your craft.

Learn from one of the great masters here today on VOX Daily.

Practicing

By Marc Cashman

A few years ago, a student sent me an article about world-renowned musical artists and how they felt about practicing. Every one of them said that they didn't like to practice, but they all did it--in fact, they felt they had to practice to stay on top of their game and to keep up with or stay ahead of their competition.

There are many things in the field of voice acting that can be studied--that's knowledge--things you learn abstractly and mentally. But skills--well, those are things you develop as you work on them, or practice. They usually involve some physical coordination, and most times they get easier the more you do them. You can learn about them in books, TV, the Internet, in lectures and classrooms. But you can't learn to apply them unless you practice.

Practicing Makes a Difference

I started piano lessons when I was about seven years old. My piano teacher sat me down and showed me the things I was supposed to practice for the next week: different scales and a short piano piece.

He showed me how to sit, where to place my fingers, how to move them and what each exercise and piece should sound like. I was supposed to practice at least thirty minutes each day until the next lesson. And when he showed up the following week, his initial comments were either, "Marc, it sounds like you practiced," or "Marc, it sounds like you didn't practice." Teachers have a way of knowing right away whether you buckled down or slacked off.

I don't know how many times I've had people tell me, "I think I've got a pretty good voice," and then ask, "Do you think I'd be good at voiceover?" And my answer is always the same: You can have the most beautiful-sounding voice in the world, but if you don't know what to do with it, it's useless.

You can learn skills, but you'll never realize your full potential unless you practice.

Now, practicing a lot doesn't always mean that you'll get better the more you do it. You could be practicing wrong techniques, doing things incorrectly, practicing bad form and strengthening bad habits. That's why it's so important to work with an experienced instructor who's mastered the skills you're trying to achieve; who's giving you specific and corrective feedback so you can build a strong foundation of skills while you're learning.

Sometimes the exercises you practice will feel natural and easy when you're starting out; other times they might feel awkward or downright impossible. If you experience the latter, that's okay: you're attempting to do something new, so feeling frustrated or self-conscious about being uncoordinated is normal. But the more you practice, the easier the exercises will become. It's just like learning a musical instrument--it's muscle memory, and you're building up your mental and physical muscles.

The more familiar you get with a piece of copy, the more it'll sound natural and conversational, because you begin to internalize it and not struggle with the "mechanics" of speaking the words.

What You Practice is Crucial

If you have a good instructor, you'll have specific exercises to practice, vocal warm-ups that include articulating all the consonants and vowels, singing, wrestling with tongue-twisters and sibilant words and phrases.

These exercises are a great way to develop the necessary eye-brain-mouth coordination needed for all professional voiceover work. And they're just like practicing musical scales: they're exercises you need to perform over and over again until they flow effortlessly. And don't rely solely on your teacher to get material to practice.

The Internet has a plethora of ad and text copy for you to practice with that you can download for free, and there are myriad V-O books on the market with hundreds of different exercises.

How You Practice is Important

Make sure your diaphragm and lungs can expand easily, that your posture is correct, that you're projecting your voice properly and consistently moving air, letting your voice surf on waves of words.

An experienced teacher will give you resistance exercises to build up your tongue, mouth and facial muscles. They'll also give you advice on what and what not to eat or drink before warming up. Also, recording yourself is a great way to practice. This way you can critique yourself, finding weak points that you can concentrate and improve on.

And a reminder: as you listen back to your voice, don't beat yourself up if it's not coming out perfect.

We've all heard, "Practice Makes Perfect" too many times. Now, I don't know about perfect, but I definitely know practice makes better. You strive to be your best, you aim for perfection, but perfection is elusive.

If you practice to keep getting better, you'll be able, many times, to hit those perfect moments, those times when you're "in the zone," flawlessly executing a voice performance. But if you expect to be perfect every time you get behind the mic, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

Where You Practice Also Makes a Difference

If you have a home studio (whether simple or elaborate), practice there. It's great when you can kind of re-create the environment where you'll eventually be performing.

Your proximity to the microphone, with and without headphones, determining a sitting or standing position, adjusting for line-of-sight (that's where you can see the copy clearly but still be on-mic) and proper lighting are all things that you'll encounter in the real world. The more comfortable you get, the more at ease you'll be in an actual session. If you're serious about voiceover and don't have a home studio yet, look into setting one up. They're very inexpensive now (sometimes under $500).

Getting back to the artists I mentioned at the beginning: remember they said they didn't like practicing, but did it anyway?

Well, they found ways to make practicing interesting, challenging and fun.

Amy Nathan, author of Beating Those Practice-Time Blues, relates that Joshua Bell, world-renowned violinist, said he had plenty of fights about not wanting to practice.

Wynton Marsalis didn't always want to play trumpet; he wanted to play basketball.

André Watts said he liked playing piano as a kid but didn't always like doing the work.

How Did They Approach Practicing?

Joshua Bell said, "I'd set up challenges for myself, like I wouldn't stop until I did a difficult passage a certain number of times in a row without a mistake. By the time I did it that many times, I'd learned it and made a game out of it."

Wynton Marsalis learned how to warm up with his trumpet exercises from basketball. He said, "In basketball, you practice your foot movement, your floor game, going to either side, your jump shot, free-throw shooting. It seemed like the intelligent thing to do the same with trumpet, to work on all the different aspects of technique."

You can do the same with copy and text. And your practicing should obviously include the pieces you're working on. I send my students scripts to practice before they show up for class or one-on-one sessions, and then correct them, if necessary.

Flutist Paula Robison recommends finding a warm-up exercise "that makes you happy. It should be filled with music from the first note, so you warm up that part of your playing, too."

So find text passages or ad copy that's interesting and/or entertaining to read out loud. And practice at the volume you'd be speaking in a session, not whispering or muttering to yourself.

How Do You Get Inspired to Practice Each Day? Listen!

Listen to the voices of people you admire--your favorite audiobook narrator, your favorite documentary narrator, and demos from the top talent on Voices.com. Listen to get inspired, but don't be intimidated. These are people who've practiced for thousands of hours at their craft, and continue to do so to stay on top of their game.

People ask me all the time, "Will I ever be able to be as good as the amazingly talented people I hear?" And I tell them that there's only one way to level the playing field when going up against voice actors with a lot more experience: have great skills. And there's only one way to develop and eventually apply those skills: practice.

Marc Cashman © 2009

Any Comments For Marc?

I know he'd love to hear what you think!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

P.S. If you enjoyed reading Marc's article, be sure to listen to this article in podcast form at Voice Over Experts, episode 97!

©iStockphoto.com/Joanne Green

Even in your darkest moments of dread when you feel that your client won't be satisfied with your work, you'd be surprised!

Just because you feel you weren't up to snuff doesn't mean that your client thinks you stink.

In fact, sometimes their reaction is the complete opposite!

There's no need to beat yourself up, and if you are, this article may give you the courage to stop!

Join me in welcoming Richard Weirich as he shares his experience with us here on VOX Daily.

Voiceover Horror Story

By Richard Weirich

There should have been something to tip me off to what I was about to get myself into. I always get excited when a new voice gig comes my way. This one was no exception. So I set aside some time and went to work. I voiced, edited, processed, mastered, zipped, and proudly sent it to the client.

I've been around the block for quite a few years and I know the importance of good sound recording equipment. I've taken the time and the money to do it right. But, then again, my clients aren't normally sound scientists. (That would be the guys who invent, test, and make the high end audio components we lust after.)

Clients frequently want changes to the read. A different emphasis on a word, a wrong technical pronunciation, or a different style or pace. And I live by the old adage, "the customer is always right." Although, you and I both know, nothing could be further from the truth. But, hey, they're picking up the tab.

Within a few hours of shipping off the completed audio file I received a reply. "We appreciate your professionalism." (Uh, oh.) "But, we have a few changes we want you to make. See attached file."

So, I open the attached file. At the top there were 4 different color codes.

Red for the words that I emphasized the way they wanted. Blue for the words that I emphasized wrong. Green for the words that needed to be pronounced more slowly. Yellow for the words that needed to be read more rapidly.

Mind you, all the copy, every single word was highlighted.

Did you ever see the Howard Stern movie when he was struggling with how he was supposed to emphasize WNBC? Well, that's what I encountered for every word in a 10 minute documentary.

"The customer is always right, right??" So, back at it I went reading it over and over trying to get it just right. Back goes the edited file as I await the response.

In less than an hour, back it comes. "We want you to change the way you Americanize some of the pronunciations. Those words and the correct pronunciations are color coded in pink." OK. I'll buy that. I'm working for foreign scientists and they hear North American English differently.

More reading, more editing... and off goes the file. Soon after comes another response. "Your file has a 30 db noise level."

Back into the booth, air conditioner turned off (just in case that was the source of the newly discovered noise level), and now fighting a new battle. I feel some sort of sickness coming on. The dreaded cold... which can damage the voice... that makes you sound like yuck.

100 degree heat, growing sicker by the minute, all those colored markers, and my voice is growing weaker and weaker. Three hours later I emerge from the studio, feverish, and sweating profusely. Back to editing because, I have an audio book to finish. Emerging from my speakers, a horrible distortion of the voice of which I was once so proud.

Broken, shaky, faint, just plain awful. But I wasn't about to give up. Kept on editing. Pieced together something that was nowhere as good as the original file (in my opinion) and shipped it off to the audio gurus on the other side of the world.

This time, no response. I noticed on my FTP site that the file had been downloaded. However, still no response. I was pretty confident that all the changes and my bad physical condition had produced something that they could never accept.

Got up the next morning, feeling awful, and soon discovering that what I had feared most had actually happened. My voice was gone. Checked my email and still no response from the client.

Well, that's it! Professional pride and all kicked in and I did what I knew I had to do. I sent the client a note, told him to get one of the other 90 people who had auditioned for the gig to handle his project, and that he didn't owe me anything.

Then comes the response. "What, are you kidding? We loved it."

"Love it." The worst, most embarrassing work of my life, and they love it?"

So is the client always right? No. I think not. But as long as he pays I suppose I'll continue to jump through as many hoops as needed for customer satisfaction.

Now... I just need my voice back.

Richard Weirich

Any Comments You'd Like to Share with Richard?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Randolph Pamphrey

Telephony has an undeserved reputation for being "entry level" voice over work.

Whether true or false, that doesn't mean that the recordings are worth less or should go for dirt cheap simply because they are:

A) Some of the shortest recordings
B) For a company that is small or starting out, or
C) Perceived as easy cash

Do you think that a company wants to hire just anybody to represent them on their front line of customer service?

Not a chance!

Find out three reasons why telephone voice over work is one of the sweetest (and most important) gigs here on VOX Daily.

Telephone Voice Over Work

Being the voice of a company, institution, or an organization's telephone system is not due to dumb luck or the maxim that the lowest bidder always wins... voice talent book these gigs because their voice and interpretation best represent the client and convey their message exactly as they would communicate with and engage their customers.

Getting steady voice over work recording voice mail greetings, auto attendants, on-hold marketing, and so on is a testament to how much a client values your services, valuing them to the degree that they are comfortable letting your recorded voice look after their customers, prospects, and anyone else who might call their offices for whatever reason.

The Beauty of Voicing Telephony Scripts:

Just as the company believes in you, entrusting their callers to your care, you should also gain a number of benefits, both tangible and intangible, namely increased confidence, steady work, and opportunities to work on voice over projects regarding other aspects of your customer's business.

Let's dive in a bit, shall we?

3 Reasons Why Telephone VO Jobs Rock

1. Yield Confidence

By virtue that they hired you on and show no sign of changing voices, your confidence levels are on the up and up, knowing that your voice represents their company to everyone who calls... and they like it that way!

2. Steady Work

As their telephone voice, you'll be along with them for the long haul which may mean years of steady work, some of which may include periodic revisions to existing prompts (which you bill for), and any updates they may require as the company grows and communicates with its customers by phone. Don't forget the opportunity for additional work.

3. Relatively Fast and Easy to Record

Telephone jobs are reasonably quick and pay well. Unless you're recording a massive telephone tree with hundreds if not thousands of prompts, the bulk of your work will not exceed a couple of pages double-spaced. Basic phone systems have fewer than 250 words, some have 500, and others do exceed those numbers depending on their complexity.

What's The Catch?

Is it all a walk in the park?

No!

Just because voicing some of these kinds of jobs may be easy, don't underestimate the complexity of jobs that call for special requirements such as pronunciation, naming of files, file format, recording a multitude of prompts, and so on.

Some of these gigs are quite complicated and you'll need to follow instructions to the letter to make your customers happy and to keep them on board as your clients.

One thing you'll definitely want or need to do is brush up on file formats and delivery methods unique to telephony.

You never know when someone will need .ulaw files encoded or some odd compression request that you'd never hear for broadcast quality audio. Remember, these voice overs are coming out of a phone (perhaps even a mobile device), not a television or radio, and the file formats and sound will be different and not necessarily pristine in the pure sense of the word.

If this sounds like a lot, don't even get me started on telephone script writing (it could happen!) and post-production elements such as music and sound effects and all that implies! Many phone systems have royalty-free music beds that accompany the voice over... but that's a subject for another day.

Does This Sound Like Entry Level Voice Over Work to You?

From my perspective, not only are telephone jobs by far the most universally in-demand voice over commissions, they are also the doorway to other jobs.

Also, I'd like to emphasize that just because some of these jobs may be 25 words or less doesn't mean that you charge a pauper's fee.

Charge your per page rate.

If a company is going to use your voice over in a buyout situation (which means they get to use your voice over forever and ever if they wanted to), they should be paying a respectable fee for usage of your voice over, the work that went into it, and your time.

Ask anything less and you will find that it is an uphill battle if not impossible to work for that company again and command a higher fee for your work, regardless of what it is or how complex.

The recommended professional fee?

A minimum of $100, especially in an audition situation where they've already budgeted at least that much to post. To some of you, $100 is unthinkable because your minimums are much higher than that. If so, keep doing what you're doing!

If you've been bidding below $100, I hope this article has given you some incentive to reevaluate what your time, effort, and the use of your voice is worth.

Selling voice overs for less than the minimum does much to decrease the market value for voice over recordings, whatever their use or application.

Have Anything to Add about Telephone Voice Over Work?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Neustockimages

If you go shopping for a loaf of twelve grain bread, would you pay much attention to pumpernickel, sourdough, or raisin bread?

Not likely!

You're decidedly going for something very specific and only want the twelve grain bread... everything else is a distraction, no matter how good or healthy it appears to be.

That's exactly what clients go through when they are looking to cast a voice for their project, however it's important to realize that their being picky doesn't necessarily mean that a good selection isn't appreciated by them for future reference, either.

A fine balance? It doesn't have to be!

Get a quick history lesson and discover a number of reasons why you should have a demo for every major application of voice over that you offer your clients.

Self-Imposed Limitations?

Do you just record one kind of voice over? Are you only able to act a certain way?

As a voice over artist, you have the God given ability to create a variety of different reads, interpretations, and are able to fluctuate your voice to achieve a desired effect.

You are also by law allowed to exhibit such talent and offer your clients demonstrations of your abilities. Even so, many voice over talent do not record or promote more than one voice over demo, and in most of these cases, only a commercial demo is present.

Reality Check: Commercial voice over accounts for only 10% of the work that you can get as a voice over talent!

Failing To Offer Something = Lost Potential

Most people equate demos, at least demos produced by someone other than yourself, as very expensive.

There is some truth to that but the expense is relative to what your return on investment (ROI) will be from each demo you have produced.

Have you ever thought of your demos in that way? Acting as a virtual representative drumming up business on your behalf?

Short Attention Spans

You may have noticed that society is consumed with the need for immediate gratification.

Sentiments such as "I want this now," and "I needed that yesterday!" are realities that we all face, whether we are the person making those demands or the service provider on the receiving end having to fulfill them.

This childish need for "Right here right now" has reached an all-time high.

Is this desirable? No. Is there an opportunity? Yes!

Now for a little history lesson.

Montages = Too Much Info = Break It Up!

Decades ago, it was in vogue to have an all-in-one demo that ran 5 minutes, give or take, demonstrating all that a voice artist could do on something we used to call a "demo reel." They were called demo reels because they were recorded using analog technology and the demos were saved on cassette tapes.

This kind of demo is often referred to as a "Montage."

Technology may have changed from analog to digital, however, some producers continued to cling to the one-size-fits-all procedure for crafting demos, albeit the the montages were noticeably shorter.

Within the last decade or so, the montage evolved into four distinct categories, being:

๏ Commercial
๏ Corporate / Industrial
๏ Narration
๏ Animation / Character Voices

Where The Montage Misses The Mark Today

Compilation style / montage demos are still out there and many feature a variety of different reads for a number of applications, sometimes including bits of commercials, narration, character work, telephony and so on.

These montages, by virtue of the vast material they cover, must by necessity run longer than the present standard time for demos (standard demo time = 60 to 90 seconds) because talent and producers try to squeeze in as many relevant bits as possible to show versatility.

Also, the montage includes more voice over, or at least more styles, than necessary and may turn clients off or fail to engage them as intensely.

While the montage was effective years ago, technology and consumer expectations have changed making it necessary to cater to individuals who have unique needs that a combo demo, at first blush, fails to meet.

As you know, with the way business is today, there isn't usually a second blush.

You've got to be at the ready and one of the only ways of doing this that I know of is to be armed with a good selection of your strongest work featured in bite sized chunks, organized by application or style of read.

This doesn't mean that the essence of the montage needs to go out the window... it just needs to be more targeted to meet the individual client's needs.

Remember that childish need for immediate gratification I mentioned earlier? This is where opportunity is knocking for you!

How To Serve While You Sleep

Imagine how easy it could be to actually serve prospective customers in your sleep.

Now imagine having your demos, any one of them, listened to when you are otherwise engaged or not in your office.

Lastly imagine those demos working for you in your absence and getting you bookings.

How do you make this a reality? Produce a handful of one-minute demos that highlight your best work, each of which focuses on one application of voice over.

Some Ideas For Demo Subjects (in no particular order):

๏ Commercial
๏ Station Imaging
๏ Promo
๏ Business Presentations
๏ Telephone / On-hold marketing
๏ Character / Animation
๏ Announcing
๏ Play-By-Play / Color Commentary
๏ Podcast
๏ Movie Trailer
๏ GPS
๏ Interactive
๏ Audiobook Narration
๏ Husband / Wife / Multi Talent Spots
๏ Video games
๏ Tour guide
๏ eLearning
๏ Jingles
๏ Bilingual Demo if you speak two languages
๏ Real Person
๏ Celebrity Impressions
๏ Voice age demos (Senior, adult, young adult, teen, child, toddler, etc.)
๏ Emotion-based demos

There's No Time Like the Present!

Jump on it! If you are one of those people who could use a few extra demos, I encourage you to consider exploring some of the subject areas and applications above.

Although the commercial and narration demos are absolutely essential, you never know which of these niche demos will surprise you with regard to increasing your marketability, customer base, and your income.

If spending money on a new demo is not an option, you could produce a short dry voice sample to tide you over until (or if) you want to invest in a professionally produced demo at a studio.

Good idea: Ask permission of your clients to use bits and pieces of work you have done for them in previous projects on your new niche demo, for instance, if you have done a number of telephone jobs for customers, see if you can piece together 3 to 5 of those samples for a new telephone voice over demo.

* While it technically would be a montage (piecing together of different parts to make a new whole), at least it would be a montage of various phone recordings, which is precisely what a client looking for a voice for their phone system would want to hear!

Any Thoughts?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Floortje

When I found this information, I couldn't help but share it with you!

Earlier this week I came upon a video (above) that rhymes off a number of audio magazines that may be of use to you when recording and producing voice overs.

Read on for links to some of the magazines mentioned in this video and for more information about how to get them.

Did You Know that Students Get Free Audio Magazines at AES?

In the video accompanying this article, John Lay, Director of Career Services at the New England Institute of Art, takes a gander at some of the free magazine resources for audio engineering students who attend Audio Engineering Society conventions.

For those of you unfamiliar with this institution, The New England Institute of Art offers a Bachelors of Science degree in Audio and Media Technology, perhaps something you may be interested in.

23 Magazines Mentioned in this Video (in order of mention):

๏ Elektor - Electronics Worldwide
๏ Church Production
๏ Sound on Sound
๏ Voice Coil (Not about the voice)
๏ Mix Magazine
๏ Pro Gear
๏ Keyboard
๏ AES Daily
๏ Pro Audio Review
๏ Canadian Musician
๏ Music Pro
๏ Recording Magazine
๏ Performer
๏ Multimedia Manufacturer
๏ Systems Contractor News
๏ Tape Op
๏ Digital Content Producer
๏ EPD - Event Production Directory
๏ Electronic Musician
๏ Audio Express
๏ Music Connection
๏ Videography
๏ Sound and Communication

FYI: The next AES convention takes place October 9th through 12th, 2009 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY. Check out the 127th AES Convention calendar here.

There is a special track for students at AES.

Do You Read Any of the Magazines Listed Above?

If you do, leave a comment! If you read an audio magazine that isn't mentioned here, be sure to comment and let us know about it.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Ever heard the saying that a little goes a long way?

New York-based voice talent Sharon Feingold has started "Voice Artists & Friends," a group formed via the KIVA website that allows you to make microloans to others in need to help them grow their businesses.

Founded on July 31, 2009 the group already has 9 investors.

Will you join them?

What is Voice Artists & Friends?

Their KIVA website describes Voice Artists & Friends as such:

"We are an international group of actors who focus on the art of voice acting behind the microphone (joined by friends & supporters of our industry). Our business is providing the voice behind commercials, animations/cartoons, radio, industrial narrations, tv shows, phone systems, and more."

Recently, the group received some nice attention from my friend Erik Sheppard of Voice Talent Productions on his blog.

Here's a quote from Sharon Feingold, the Team Captain, about why voice talent should get involved and how Voice Artists & Friends will make a difference:

"Voiceover people are entrepreneurial in spirit and we are so lucky to have our careers and to have access to plentiful supplies, loans, capital, et cetera. Most people aren't as lucky. This is a great way to 'give back' and to create a team effort uniting VO people across the globe. These are tough economic times, and this is a great no-excuse way to give back without losing any money at all, since the loan is paid back. How cool is it that you know EXACTLY who you are helping, and that 100% of the money you donate is given directly to that person?"

Taking Part

If you'd like to become a member of Voice Artists & Friends and help to invest in other business owners who need your help financially around the world, you can sign up here:

http://www.kiva.org/team/voiceartists

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Remember the first video games featuring voice over?

Do you recall the quality of the voice acting?

Suffice to say audio, specifically the voice acting aspect, has come a long way in gaming since the early 1980s.

Hear what professional voice actors have to say about this blessed phenomenon here at VOX Daily!

Hit and Miss

The lineage of voice acting in video games goes back nearly three decades.

Voice acting's family tree with regard to this form of entertainment has been varied to say the least, with the quality of voice over ranging from pure believability to well, you know...

Whether a video games' voice acting boasts of the stuff legends are made of (or conversely, if it stinks to high heaven), depends greatly on the resources dedicated to audio and the emphasis placed on casting professional voice over talent.

Recently, I polled a number of voice talent and gamers to see what their favorite and least favorite video games for voice acting were. The results are quite interesting!

Take a look.

Voice Actor Picks

"Stephanie, I'm going to go with Metal Gear Solid for the best and Desert Storm for the worst :) Well cast and well acted characters are vital in games that feature voice acting. It enriches the experience to no end. It further immerses the gamer in world in which they are playing and gives more depth to the interactive side of the game."

-- Matt Cowlrick

"I've found that VO in video games is very structured time wise.With every game character I've voiced-- even tho' emotion and depth are needed--they have to be conveyed within a certain frame to match the action of the game and characters. Favorite VO game--anything with a 'Madden' on it. Least fave--Pac-Man."

-- Herb Merriweather

"My personal favourites would have to be the Metal Gear Solid games, the voice actors take everything off the page but turn it in to something of their own. Also MGS contains classic voice actors such as Jennifer Hale, Paul Eiding, Cam Clarke, Debi Mae West, Heather Halley etc, the list could go on. My least favourite would have to be Resident Evil 1, unfortunately most of the dialogue sounded very flat and most scenes that were supposed to come across as serious were slightly stepped on by the way the Voice actors were talking. I'm afraid I may be a little too critical but voice acting in all the other incarnations of the Resident Evil series have been excellent. So 11 years on from Re 1 and I'd say Voice over in video games is taken a lot more seriously."

-- Philip McCabe

"Best VO game: Gears of War 2 (though most big-budget games these days have stellar casts). Least favorite VO game: Chaos Wars"

-- Avi Melman

"The Half life anthology is a good series with an amazing cast. Lots of backstory and you actually care about some of the characters. Least favorite F.E.A.R. Good game not much as far as Characters go. The Cast is legnthy but you don't really know the characters."

-- Carl Von Wolzogen

"Fave games for voice acting are "X2: The Threat" and "X3: Reunion" both by Egosoft. Not really got a least fave."

-- Mark Steele

@Miss_Bellatrix Best vid game is Gears of War! The voice acting was one of the things I loved about playing that game! The characters really came to life that way.

Conclusion

Video games can be known not just for the quality of the voice acting but also for their voice actors. Sometimes, those actors are known for their acting, while others are known for acting up.

What Are Your Favourite Video Games Where Voice Acting is Concerned?

Add your thoughts to the mix by leaving a comment!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Diego Cervo

Do you need to have a voice hot enough to melt chocolate to do voice over?

What about a million dollar voice whose rich, luxurious timbre oozes cash?

While a pleasant, attractive, or otherwise unique voice is a definite plus, it isn't necessarily the quality of a voice that books... more often than not it's the interpretation of a script with the right delivery that finds its way to success.

It's In The Read

The late Don LaFontaine, a giant among voice artists with a larger than life voice, would be the first person to tell you that contrary to popular belief the voice itself isn't the center of the voice over universe... it's the read.

Know what I mean?

To illustrate, someone with a voice that sounds commercially viable may not have the foggiest idea of how to read a script with authenticity, power, and emotion whereas someone with different vocal qualities who is able to read with purpose may get the booking due to how they interpreted the script.

Voice Over is Voice Acting

Acting is at the very core of voice over, and that being said, the ability to act is integral to shaping a message for an intended audience in order to fulfill the prime objective or goal of the director.

Without purpose, nuance, context, and confidence, a voice over becomes merely a voice over, failing to embody the elements required to achieve the desired read which contributes greatly in meeting the wider vision of the project.

Another Leaf Out of Don LaFontaine's Book

I think Don would wholeheartedly agree with what's been said in this article and I'm sure he'd want to add a little more to what is being said.

Given the opportunity, what he would also tell you is to let your voice take a backseat to your read.

Don't focus on vocal limitations or quirks because if you do, it will negatively affect your read, and as we've just discovered, it's all in the read.

Lastly, he'd encourage you to accept your voice as it is and use it to the best of your ability, and use it as a vehicle to communicate the objectives of the text.

Can You Think of a Time When Your Read Got The Gig?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Joshua Blake

When you spend enough time doing something, it's likely to stick in your subconscious mind and manifest itself in your dreams.

Do you dream of voice overs?

Hear about one voice talent, Lisa Foster, whose radio experience won't leave her alone!

I Dream of Radio...

When glancing at some Facebook status updates, I noticed that my friend Lisa Foster had updated hers to say that she "is having 'radio' dreams again... the microphone won't work, my news scripts aren't ready, I missed my cue, and the buttons don't work! What does that mean?!??"

Good question. What does that mean?

Do You Dream of Voice Acting?

Maybe you've had similar dreams such as the recording session that never ends.

Perhaps you've been visited by past sessions, present sessions, or recording sessions yet to come!

It's possible that you might have recurring dreams where you are repeating the same actions over and over, or for that matter, recording the same script over and over again.

More interesting still, you may even narrate your own dreams... now there's a thought!

Do You Have a Voice Acting Dream to Share?

If you've been having voice over related dreams, whether you're a voice actor or a fan, I'd love to hear about them!

Looking forward to hearing your stories,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Valua Vitaly

Brian Price joins us again with some insight for those who'd love to become part of an audio theater production.

Acting is at the very heart of it all, and if you've been thinking about entering into the theater of the mind, this article is up your alley!

Find out who to contact as well as how to research audio theater.

Working With Independent Producers in Audio Theater

By Brian Price

I've been writing, directing and producing independent audio theater productions for more than twenty years and in all that time audio theater has remained an art form that falls "between the cracks" -- it's not quite a part of books-on-tape publishing, or radio broadcast, or the recording industry. It's just a lot of fun.

However, how audio theater is presented is changing by leaps and bounds.

Once upon a time (not so long ago) a radio station program manager had to agree to put one's work on the air, or an "Indie" record label had to press and release a CD. It was complicated and very hard to get heard.

Now, there's podcasting.

New Opportunities

Suddenly (in the last four or five years) dozens and dozens of independent producers are writing, directing, and acting in their own stories. They are free of the constraints of large budgets, traditional distribution problems and time (they aren't worried about how long or how many podcasts they produce - it's refreshing).

Podcasters just put their work up on the web and listening subscribers download what they want to hear. It's like the Wild West.

Why am I telling professional voice talents this?

Because, all good actors want work and this is new territory.

Some Background Info on Indie Audio Theater Producers

Most independent audio theater podcasters are small operations.

A core group of college friends or fantasy fans or community theater enthusiasts get together and put up a show. Some get a little more serious and start producing elaborate series, putting up more shows and using voices of friends and fans recorded remotely from around the world.

Usually the acting talent is amateur and I think that hurts a lot of these podcast productions more than they know.

They need you. They might not think it, but they need you.

How To Do Your Homework

Finding the productions and shows you want to work with will turn the usual auditioning process on its head.

Like writers, who need to read the magazine before they submit, you'll need to become familiar with the podcasts out there.

Do a little Internet googling and a lot of listening (most theater podcasts often free sample downloads) and find the shows that might match your talents and interests, and then contact the producers.

Tell them you've been listening and you've got the perfect voice for their arch bad guy. You might have to do a piece on spec, but once the producer and their audience have heard a pro, they are going to have a hard time going back.

There are a lot of stories out there waiting to be told and you guys are their potential voices.

Conclusion

Certainly, audio theater podcasting will probably never be your only source of income, but you'll be exercising your voice and character acting abilities, you'll be helping writers see their dreams become realities, and you might just be seeing the future of theater.

Brian Price
Great Northern Audio Theatre

©iStockphoto.com/Petro Teslenko

How do parents working from home juggle kids and voice acting?

Hear from four voice actresses who have young children, run voice over businesses, and manage to keep it all together here on VOX Daily.

All In a Day's Work!

If you are working from a home office right now and have young children, or if you were in this position years ago and remember those days, you know how challenging yet rewarding it can be to raise a family while operating a business out of your home.

Four voice actresses generously shared their experiences, (they're still in the thick of it!), detailing what working from home has been like in the presence of their children.

These are their stories.

Laura Martin

Laura Martin finds it a challenge to balance work and home life, especially during summer months when children, ages 10 and 11, are home.

How does she find time to work?

She manages by doing some of her recordings late into the night when the house is quiet (depending on the strength of her voice at that hour) and also delegates simple jobs to her children to help her with business such as filing.

Laura beams, "It is a challenge, but I wouldn't trade the freedom and flexibility for anything!"

Laura Martin
TheVoiceOfLaura.com

Deborah Sale Butler

Deborah Sale Butler, voice actor and coach, used to work and collaborate with her husband, a composer, from home several years before their son arrived.

Auditioning in her home studio, which was also their second bedroom, became difficult once their son grew old enough to have his own room. After her husband moved his office out of the house and the subsequent sale of her recording booth, Deborah could still create an almost-acceptable audition with the gear she used to take to location voice-over classes, however didn't have a quiet place (or time) to do full sessions at home.

How does Deborah make auditioning work without a pro home recording studio?

She auditions less and rarely submits for projects calling for a custom demo. That being said, Deborah gets booked off her demos by people who find her and contact her directly or by sending a produced demo, meeting three new LA producers in precisely that way.

To ensure that she continues to serve her clients, Deborah had also made arrangements to work with Dave and Dave in LA so that she can carry on working for her long-time corporate narration and on-hold clients and has even been able to do a few new gigs. Most of Deborah's work comes from local producers who call and book her, fully aware that she is a part-time voice over talent.

Deborah shares, "Caring for my son is my all-time favorite job, and I'm just happy to be able to make some grocery money every month from the gigs I get. When Liam goes to school full-time, I can reconsider my marketing efforts!"

Deborah Sale Butler
DeborahSaleButler.com

Jill Tarnoff

Jill Tarnoff's children have become more accommodating of her career with age. She used to have to record when they were at preschool or asleep, but now that they are 11 and 13, her boys are more familiar with what they need to do during recordings (like being quiet, for example!).

The combination of longer school days and a clearer understanding of the recording environment means that Jill is able to get more done and can now dedicate herself to a full day's work.

One son, age 11, is following in mommy's footsteps and has already cut his first demo and is a member of a voice acting club.

With voice over work being so appealing, the kids are readily cooperating with Jill to help her fulfill her dreams.

Jill Tarnoff
http://www.voices.com/people/jillt

Debbie Grattan

Debbie Grattan is a mother to two small children, ages 8 and 5. Her husband, Paul Rarick, also works from home and is a professional coach. A full time nanny looks after the children and during the summer takes them out every day. With some time freed up, Debbie puts all of her energy into work, noting that if her youngest child was around, she would not be able to wash a dish much less run a voice over business.

Although Debbie and her husband are focused on business during the day, their office door is always open to receive the children. She also takes breaks to make the kids snacks and meals.

When working from home with kids it's quite beneficial to have a talent for multitasking.

Debbie relates, "It is challenging to try and keep all the plates spinning at once; Field emails, record, edit, have conversations with clients, invoice, etc. in addition to having to make sure my child is also safe and entertained. I find myself up and down from my office chair many times during the day, and sometimes leave things in mid-stream to go and answer a 'crisis'. Then I have to move back into 'work mode' to get back up to speed with whatever it was I just left."

Debbie Grattan feels blessed to have all that she has in her life, noting how wonderful it is to be able to work in a profession that is great fun and also very rewarding. To be a mom on top of that is icing on the cake!

Debbie Grattan
DebbieGrattan.com

4 Things These Working Moms Have in Common:

1. Each voice artist puts their family ahead of voice over work
2. When they work, their time is maximized and they get down to business
3. All four have made efforts and sacrifices to balance their work / home life
4. The flexibility to do what they love while spending time with those they love

Are You Working From Home With Young Children?

What have your experiences been like?

Although we've heard from a number of moms, and no doubt we'll hear from many more, dads are more than welcome to chime in too with thoughts and comments about what it is like for you working from home in the company of your kids!

Any tips you want to share about how to manage would be superb in addition to comments.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/mammamaart

Are you studying the art of voice acting or looking for resources to get started in voice overs online?

If you love learning, you'll love this list of 95+ educational voice over podcasts, sorted by category!

Find voice acting podcasts to help you grow in your business, develop your artistry, hone your technical savvy, spice up your auditioning techniques, demos, and of course a healthy selection of tips to do with "getting started" in voice over here at Voices.com's VOX Daily blog.

GETTING STARTED IN VOICE OVERS

Self-Evaluation for Voice Actors
Why Voice Acting Education Matters
Where To Start in Voice Overs
Learning Voice Over as a Whole
What To Look For in a Voice Over Coach
Givens About the Voice Over Coaching Industry
Put First Things First! The Newcomer's Training
How To Be a Better Voice Over Student
Recording Studio Etiquette

BUSINESS

Fundamentals

Making Your Art Your Business
Setting Up a Voice Over Business
Business Basics for Voice Actors
Working From Home and Striking a Work / Life Balance
A Gift You Can Give
Understanding Your Client's Needs and Being Believable
Rate Sheets and Recut Requests
Beyond the Demo Reel
A Job Well Done: The Role of Communication in Business
Problem Solving
Working Abroad as a Voice Over Talent
Voice Over Therapy

Acquiring Work

9 Tips for a Bumper Crop of Voice Over Work
Areas in Demand for Voice Over Despite Economic Downturn
5 Ways to Getting Voice Over Work
What 100 Clients Told Me
Do You Need a Voice Over Agent?
Top Market Voice Over Agent: A Piston in Your Engine

Branding

The Year of Personal Branding
Visual Branding for Voice Over Talents
Behind the Curtain with a Voice Over Casting Director
Making the Most of Your Message

Marketing

Promote Yourself: Voice Over Strategies
Marketing Your Voice Online
Getting Voice Over Work Through Social Networking
How to Define Your Niche Market
Niche Marketing for Voice Actors
Referral Marketing Tips for Voice Actors
Getting the Most Out of Voice Over Marketplaces
Pricing Voice Overs: A Crucial Aspect of the Marketing Mix
The Promotional Value of Doing Novelty Voice Over For Free
Take Control and Start Marketing Your Voice

DEMOS

How to Make an A-List Voice Over Demo
Preparing to Record a Commercial Demo
Voice Over Demo Dos and Don'ts

TECHNOLOGY

Microphone Technique for Voice Actors
Basics of Building a Home Recording Studio for Voice Talent
How To Build a Cost-Effective Audio Home Recording Studio
Recording Software for Voice Actors
Pro Tools and other Multi-Track Recording Software
How To Record Voice Overs at Home or On The Road

ARTISTIC TECHNIQUE

Diction

Sounding Clean While Speaking Naturally
Accents and Dialects
Helping Hispanic Talent Speak Unaccented English

Interpretation

Get to the Point! A Lesson in Interpreting Punctuation
Acting in the White Spaces
Coloring Our Words
Coloring Words
Giving Depth to Words
3 Voice Over Script Pointers
Finding The Music in Copy
Debating the Signature Voice
How To Analyze and Break Down Commercial Copy
Adjusting Interpretation to Book Your Brand

Acting

The Critical Compound: Character Voice, Acting, and Accents
Voice over Improvisation Skills
Core Talents of Voice Over Artists
Communicating Truthfully in Imaginary Circumstances
Finding and Developing Character Voices
Finding Voice Over Character Inspiration in Supermarkets
Voice Matching and Imitating Voices
A Voice Acting Lesson
Kids Voice Acting: How To Become a Cartoon Character
The Characters in My Pocket

Performance

Practicing
VO Genres and Styles
5 Areas of Active Listening
The Layers of Your Voice
How To Be a Professional Announcer
Let's Talk Promos
Focusing on Physical Issues to Improve Vocal Performance
Getting The Most Out of Your Voice
Finding Your Authentic Voice

AUDITIONING

Tips and Tricks for Auditioning
The Almighty Playback: Increase Your Audition to Booking Ratio
Auditioning in Your Home Recording Studio
How To Get a Callback From an Audition
Shameless Hollywood Auditioning Tricks
The Myth of Rejection

AUDIOBOOKS

How to Get Started in Audiobook Narration
Getting Started as an Audiobook Narrator
Good News From The Amazing World of Audiobooks

INSPIRATION

I Am Enough: Be Empowered and Banish Fear
Being Persistent in Voice Over
How To Be Better in the New Year
Voiceover Stinkaholic
Taking Your Voice From Second to First
Why You'll Always Be Captain of Your Own Ship

Find even more podcasts in the VOX Talk archives.

Discover Something New Today!

Best,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Sebastian Meckelmann

Did you know that the Voice Over Experts podcast is about to reach a centennial milestone?

For 2 years now, you've been able to hear pearls of wisdom from top voice over educators around the world, learning from the privacy of your own home and at your own pace.

To mark this occasion we want to do something special and are inviting you to take part.

Want to learn more about this opportunity? Read on!

100!

To make the one hundredth episode of Voice Over Experts unique and meaningful for our community, we're inviting you to share your audio feedback to be included in the centennial episode! This simple gesture, or act of kindness, will let the Voice Over Experts faculty know what their work and podcasts mean to you.

You're Cordially Invited to Help Celebrate. Here's How:

I've jotted down some topics for your consideration if you want to participate in the 100th episode of Voice Over Experts, and if you see one or two that resonate with you, go for it!

Some ideas to consider:

๏ Why do you subscribe to Voice Over Experts?
๏ How has the podcast has made a difference in your life and career?
๏ How have members of the podcast faculty inspired you?
๏ Which episode or nugget of wisdom has had the biggest impact on you?
๏ What does Voice Over Experts mean to you?
๏ How does the podcast factor into your schedule?
๏ Have you discovered new teachers through the show?
๏ Do you refer the podcast to others?
๏ How has Voice Over Experts broadened your horizons?

How To Participate:

To ensure that your audio feedback is featured on the 100th episode of Voice Over Experts, send your MP3 to stephanie@voices.com by August 21st, 2009. The episode will go live shortly after that date.

When sending your email to me, use the subject line, "My Story for the 100th Episode of Voice Over Experts" and I'll know right away that it is to be included in the show.

Name your MP3 contribution as follows:

firstname-lastname-voice-over-experts-100.mp3

This is an excellent opportunity to express gratitude to the experts on the faculty and share your thoughts with them.

These amazing people give freely of their time, talent, and expertise endowing all of us with access to knowledge and information about voice acting that you won't find anywhere else.

Will You Help Us to Celebrate Voice Over Experts?

Looking forward to "hearing" from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Voice overs may be good fun, didactic, and so on for those visiting a theme or amusement park, but have you ever considered what the benefits are to the park owners?

There are are number of practical reasons why voice overs are used in addition to entertaining, educating and protecting people who visit the park.

If you're a theme park owner or operate rides at an amusement park, I'm sure this article will resonate with you!

Today, we'll take a closer look at why voice overs are useful, if not entirely necessary, at parks meant to amuse the public.

Consistency

One of the greatest (and practical) benefits of having voice overs on rides is that once the voice over has been recorded, it is at the ready and doesn't need to be updated unless something at the park, or that specific ride, changes.

The voice that is heard from start to finish is the same and results in a uniform experience for those operating the rides and for the riders who frequent them.

Effective

The convenience a voice over provides is immeasurable because not only is its performance consistent, the park doesn't need to rely on a staff member to make those announcements before, during, or after each ride. The staff can focus on keeping people safe and providing the service they are meant to deliver on, trusting the voice over to do its job, whether it is to entertain, teach, or instruct.

Imagine how tired someone's voice would be having to provide live announce all day, and at an uncomfortable vocal level, attempting to be heard over music, boisterous screaming, and the general ambiance of a park! Even when amplified, it would be rather difficult to maintain the same level of enthusiasm let alone ensure that the voice was in optimum health and could sustain the demands placed upon its performance. Another ready benefit is that if you aren't relying on live sound, less technical complications related to audio may occur.

Standard

From a corporate point of view, a voice over represents the brand, so it is wise that the right voice for the job is selected to both do its duty as well as embody the essence of the park or company it represents.

Business sensibilities and branding aside, voice over has become commonplace and people are accustomed to hearing voice overs in public places so it is no surprise that they would be employed in parks.

When you are waiting in line, boarding, experiencing, or getting off of a ride the expectation is that a voice over will accompany some, if not all, of those stages.

The voice over provides a perfect symmetry that brings an experience full circle.

When you greet someone, do you not say hello, and then when it is time to part, do you not say goodbye? Similarly, parks want to give their patrons a personal encounter while riding at and visiting their attractions.

The voice over should serve as an ambassador, purposefully extending graciousness of spirit and connecting the company on a deeper level with their customers.

Have You Served as a Voice at a Theme Park or Attraction?

Leave a comment and let me know how much of what I've said rang true for you!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Scott Dunlap

Have you ever noticed the voice overs that are played at amusement parks and on rides?

From my experience, voice overs at theme parks, fairs, and the like have one of three purposes, which are to Entertain, Teach, and help keep you Safe.

You may have also noticed that often two of those purposes are combined, if not all three.

Learn more now!

Entertainment

Not too long ago, we explored the voices of the Disney Monorail and the voice actors behind the magic. An interview with legendary voice talent, the late Thurl Ravenscroft, is displayed on our video blog demonstrating how voice over is used in exhibits at Disney World on rides such as the Haunted Mansion. Ravenscroft performed a number of the voices at Disney in addition to other work such as the voice of Tony the Tiger for Kellogg's.

Educational

In Chicago at Navy Pier, there is a male voice over that shares historical facts about the city's first Ferris Wheel and describes other points of interest to captive audiences as they ride for seven minutes and get a whole new perspective of life in The Windy City. The voice over is interspersed with thematic anthems celebrating Chicago as sung by Frank Sinatra. Perhaps you've encountered similar voice overs at parks meant to educate as well as entertain?

Safety

Another example of how voice over is used at parks is to instruct, instill caution, and remind passengers of their responsibilities during the ride to make their experience a safe and enjoyable one. These reminders could be to pull the safety bar down, fasten seat belts, or to keep arms and legs inside the ride at all times. There may even be instruction for what to do if the rider becomes ill and wants to get off. Near the end of the ride, the voice over lets passengers know that the ride is coming to an end and thanks them for riding while giving directions on where to exit.

In tomorrow's article, we'll talk about why voice overs in amusement parks are necessary and beneficial from an owners point of view.

What Do You Think of Voice Overs in Amusement Parks?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and comments!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

We haven't done one of these in a few months so I thought I would ask you about how your work has been coming along.

For those of you who haven't been part of a Who Got the Gig before, it's a community celebration centering around work that has been acquired in recent months, whether it's been through an agent, a voice over marketplace or via your own efforts.

I hope to hear about all kinds of voice over projects you've been working on, been part of, or are looking forward to!

Comment with your news and let us know what's been keeping you busy this summer.

What Sort of Voice Overs Have You Been Recording?

To join the conversation here on the blog simply scroll down and comment below.

If you are reading this in your email, click here to get to the article online where you can read what your colleagues are up to and also leave a comment about what's cooking in your studio if you're moved to do so :)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

To your success,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Steve Cole

Do you have a GPS (global positioning satellite) in your car?

Perhaps you've taken a special interest in the voice of your GPS.

Maybe you're even the voice talent behind a GPS!

Today we're going to take a closer look at voices and how they are used to help us navigate the open road.

GPS Voices

GPS systems can be standalone but a growing number of vehicles are now coming equipped with an internal GPS, usually providing you with one GPS voice, and only one way that the voice gives you directions (or delivers their lines).

I've heard of GPS systems that give you a choice between two voices, a male voice and a female voice, GPS systems that are recorded in different languages, celebrity GPS voices, and even GPS systems that make you feel like you are part of a television series such as the Knight Rider GPS on the market featuring KITT's voice.

Choices, Choices!

While there are a great many voices out there recording for GPS systems, it occurred to me that people driving the cars might want to hear their GPS deliver the directions in different moods in addition to being able to potentially choose which voice they hear.

For instance, maybe you'd prefer a gentle, encouraging voice to guide you that helps you to keep your cool if you get lost or miss a turn or an exit.

On the flip side, maybe you'd like to hear a sarcastic or deprecating voice that reprimands you for failing to follow their directions. Don't think there would be a market for this? Consider the people who will pay extra money to go to a restaurant to have the staff insult them and pour drinks on their head... this does exist, believe it or not!

If a GPS system could respond with more varied emotion, that would certainly be interesting and present greater value to the customer. The GPS voices I've heard deliver directions generally do so in the same tone. I'm sure this is done on purpose to preserve neutrality and consistency, especially if the voice is representative of a brand.

Does a GPS need to be re-engineered to convey different emotional states or possess artificial intelligence? No, we don't need to go that far. All that's needed is some extra vocal direction and script modifications so that when the voice artist is in the booth, they have more to work with when recording different interpretations of the script.

What Do You Think?

Do you find that there is enough variety in the voice over, or do you feel that there could be more options?

Let's discuss this now at VOX Daily!

Cheers,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Roberta Casaliggi

Do you own a Mac or wish that you did?

Perhaps you've been curious about making the leap from a PC to a Mac and would appreciate an insider's look at how the Mac operates and what using a Macintosh computer could do for you and your voice over business.

James T. Dawson joins us today as a new contributor to VOX Daily, and as a Macintosh Technical Support Specialist, is writing from the perspective of someone who knows more than the average Mac enthusiast about how they work.

In his debut article, James discusses some basics and gives you a lovely introduction to working with Macs to make audio recordings.

Recording VOs With a Mac

Recording voice-overs with a recent Macintosh computer is relatively easy given the number of high quality and affordable audio interfaces available, and Garageband, the Apple application for recording audio that comes as part of the iLife Suite that is included with most new Macintosh computers.

(Note: PC users tend to refer to software as programs, Mac users as applications.)

Let's begin by looking at the signal chain and how your voice winds up as a computer file ready to be sent to a client.

Microphone > Audio Interface > Computer > Software > MP3

The first element in the signal chain is the microphone. It captures the sound of your voice, which is facilitated by the preamplifier. Preamplifiers raise the signal level so as to compatible with the next element, the digital converters.

In most recording studios the preamplifiers (sometimes contained within the mixing consoles) are separate from the digital converters, but with computer based recording, often referred to as Digital Audio Workstations or DAWs, the preamplifiers and the digital converters are contained in the same unit. These are called audio interfaces.

So the second element in our chain is the audio interface. Audio interfaces facilitate the input and preamplification of the signal, monitoring of the signal via headphones or powered monitors, and conversion of the signal into a digital format compatible with the software you are using to record and edit.

The audio interface will connect to your Macintosh through a cable like the one you use to connect your printer, a USB cable. Or via a slightly different cable referred to as Firewire, or IEEE 1394.

Once the signal has been converted and present within your computer, the third element in our signal chain, the CPU sends it to our software, in this case "Garageband," the forth element in our signal chain.

Garageband offers high quality, multi-track recording capability with the added benefit of predetermined tracks designed for male and female vocals. These "presets" remove some of the guesswork from recording your voice, and make it easier to choose from all the options available.

Once the sound is recorded in Garageband, you can easily edit the file, removing mistakes, adjusting audio levels, alter the sound through equalization or even adding effects such as compression. And when the file is to your liking, you can easily export or "share" the file to iTunes. And in iTunes, you can select the appropriate file format your client prefers. i.e. MP3, WAV, AAC, etc. This is the fifth and final element in our signal chain.

As the computer is often the most expensive element in the signal chain, lets look at what you really need to purchase or own in the way of a Macintosh computer.

Computers and their capabilities are often judged by four distinct areas:

1. The processor speed
2. The operating system
3. The available RAM (or memory)
4. The amount of hard drive space

The minimum I would suggest for recording voice over would be as follows:

๏ Processor: 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo
๏ OS: OS X 10.4.7
๏ RAM: 2 Gigabytes
๏ Hard Drive: 160 Gigabytes

Please be aware, that there are many studios running much older systems with slower processors, but they are not always compatible with latest audio interfaces.

How Can You Tell What Your Mac's Capabilities Are?

To determine the capabilities of a Macintosh you currently own, or of one you are considering purchasing, click on the Apple icon in the upper left hand corner of the screen, and select "about this Mac" and it will list the processor speed and RAM. Clicking on "more info" will provide a detailed list of all the features of the computer.

If your present computer does not have enough memory or RAM, do not worry! RAM prices are at an historic low with 4 gigabytes of RAM for many Macintosh computers being much less than $100 US.

Now that we have a computer sufficiently powerful to record with, let's look at the audio interfaces that are available and have been designed specifically for Macintosh computers.

Audio Interfaces

In an audio interface there are several things to consider:

1. The method in which it connects to your computer, i.e. USB or Firewire
2. The quality and features of the preamplifier(s)
3. The quality of the analog to digital converters

The quality of the preamplifier will profoundly alter the sound of your voice, just as an inexpensive or inappropriate microphone would. Noise can be introduced. Highs and lows can be attenuated. Distortion can occur. The quality of the converters, will as well affect the quality. Lower quality converters lack detail and definition and can mask the qualities producers want from your vocal performance.

In the under $500, two channel category two models I would recommend the Apogee "Duet" and the new "One." Apogee has worked closely with Apple and their products are very well made and executed. They integrate seamlessly with Garageband and Apple Logic, which means more efficient operation. Less time spent configuring software means more time recording for clients.

The Apogee "One" and "Duet"

The Apogee "One" is a single channel audio interface with a built in microphone and an input for an external microphone. It provides the quality of the more expensive Apogee Duet, but it does not provide phantom power, which is often referred to as "48+" or 48 volts.

Phantom Power

Phantom power is necessary on most large diaphragm microphones but not on less expensive condenser mics. The microphone you chose will determine whether or not you need phantom power. I use a BLUE "Blueberry" and the Neumann TLM 103 microphones, which require phantom power, with the Apogee Duet, and it has worked flawlessly. The current "street price" for the "One" is $249, and the "Duet" $495.

The "Duet" is a two channel audio interface complete with breakout cable and 48 volt phantom supply for both channels. I have used these for studio recording, field recordings and for home use for voice overs. The preamps are excellent, as are the digital converters. I even use the Duet as my Digital to Analog converter for my home stereo system which is built around a 20" iMac.

Food For Thought

This should provide some food-for-thought for those considering a Macintosh for recording voice over in their home studio.

If you're near an Apple Store or a Best Buy, I would recommend you stop by for a demonstration of the latest Macintosh computers and Garageband. I think you'll be surprised how easy it real is to set up your own home studio!

In part two we'll look at Garageband and Logic, Apple's affordable and extensive audio production software.

About James T. Dawson

James T. Dawson is a voice over artist and Macintosh Technical Support Specialist. He is a former Program and Promotions director for five Fox affiliates, and an Addy Award winning video producer, editor and animator. He was a featured speaker at the Fox Network convention at BPME (Broadcast Promotions and Marketing) in 1991.

Look for his voice over demo soon on Voices.com.

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Isn't it great to be in business for yourself?

While you may be enjoying the successes you have now, are you aware that you could be paying yourself more and reaching greater financial goals?

Here are 4 practical ways that you can increase your income as a voice actor.

1. Increase Your Fees

If you have been charging less than you'd like, there's no better opportunity to change your rates to reflect what you feel you should be making. Something you'll want to do to determine how much money you actually need is to write a budget for your business and also write a budget for your home life. Figure out what it is that you need to be making to more than break even each month in your business. When you are in business for yourself, whatever your business makes, you make. Be sure to set aside a salary for yourself or give yourself a raise. Increasing your fees can help you to do this.

To get started, view some standard voice over rates, charging what the rate sheet suggests or higher.

2. Increase The Frequency That Your Clients Need You

๏ Set shorter contracts
๏ Stay in touch more often
๏ Propose new business around holidays
๏ Give the impression you're readily available (people will pay more for expediency)

3. Increase Your Client Base

You can do this by:

๏ Advertising online
๏ Social networking
๏ Auditioning more often
๏ Offline marketing (sending out mailers)
๏ Doing more traditional networking
๏ Attending events

4. Increase Your Skills

๏ Learn something you didn't know last year
๏ Learn a new piece of software
๏ Learn a new editing technique
๏ Learn a new voice acting technique
๏ Branch out into other areas of voice over

If you've always done commercials, explore narration or audio tours. If you've always done animation and cartoons, translate those acting skills into narrating audiobooks. You can do it!

Summary

Use one or more of these ideas to lay a fresh foundation for increasing your income and reaching your goals. I'd love to hear about your experiences, whether past or in progress, increasing your rates.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Kris Hanke

In a previous article, we talked about the benefits of hiring or apprenticing an aspiring voice talent. The response was so great that I decided to write a follow up article on the subject.

Today, we're going to look at how that aspiring talent can present themselves for opportunities working with companies in the voice over industry, identifying six of the most appropriate placement venues in the industry.

Have you thought about any of these?

Find out!

Treat This Like Any Other Job Interview

When people enter the arts they have expectations, many of which may be misconceptions, about what actually goes on in an artistic business.

The most important thing to remember is that voice over, voice acting, and so on is a business. People in a position to hire you will be looking for the same basic qualities in an employee or intern as any other business would.

In no particular order, I've assembled 6 advantageous voice over related businesses that will give you valuable experience and be a perfect fit for those interested in gaining more experience in the field.

6 Businesses That May Apprentice or Hire Voice Talent

๏ Recording Studios
๏ Casting Houses / Casting Directors
๏ Talent Agencies
๏ Voice Over Talent
๏ Voice Over Coaches
๏ Service Providers

Recording Studios

A recording studio would be a unique place to gain perspective on the technical side of voice over. At a studio you might be able to watch actual recording sessions and listen to professionals at work. Becoming familiar with the technology you'll be using ahead of time is a definite plus that will help you to become more independent. You'll also learn more about the process as a whole and develop a greater respect for how hard audio and sound engineers work to make you sound good.

Casting Houses and Casting Directors

Nowhere else could you get the inside scoop on casting trends better than in a casting house. These companies are responsible for organizing casting calls and auditioning talent with a casting director. You may be able to observe the auditioning process and see firsthand what directors look for in a read and also gain invaluable insight into how the business works from the inside out. Take the information you've acquired and be sure to incorporate it into your own business for better audition to booking ratios.

Talent Agencies

Enjoying representation with talent agent is one of the most desirable pistons in your engine as a voice over talent. What better way to get into that world than working for a talent agency? These people are right in the middle of the action and could teach you a thing or two about how talent should present themselves to potential clients. You may also get to see the kind of materials that are sent to agents by those seeking representation. Find out what works and learn from the mistakes of those whose demos end up in the garbage bin.

Voice Over Talent

These are the people you truly want to learn from as mentors, after all, aren't they already doing what you hope to do someday as a profession? By working with a voice talent who is already established, you will get to see both the business, technical, and artistic side of their work. Tasks you may be asked to do may include taking calls while they are recording, submitting auditions on their behalf, editing audio files, sending out marketing materials to their customers, or managing ad campaigns.

Voice Over Coaches

Coaches are great people to work for because they already value education and will see that you get everything you need while you are with them to succeed. A coach may need you to organize their class schedule, book clients, promote workshops, or even send out email newsletters to their students about upcoming opportunities to train. Their generous nature will do you good and introduce you to numerous possibilities in their area of expertise.

Service Providers

The voice over industry is not just about creativity and audio production, it can also be about marketing, building links, and public relations. If you prefer working with a creative business that involves creative yet business focused people, you might want to consider a position working with companies that provide services or products as opposed to the performance related entities mentioned above. Examples of this could be advertising agencies, voice over marketplaces, associations, performers unions, and retailers for recording studio equipment.

Are You Looking to Hire or Apprentice Anyone?

Leave a comment and let us know what area of voice over you are from and what you are looking for.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Michael DeLeon

Last week I talked about how you can change the world with your voice.

There's some even better news... you don't have to stop there!

You can also change the world when you show gratitude to others and encourage them to continue their good works through random acts of kindness.

Find out more about how to do this here at VOX Daily.

Be a Fan

Do you know what it feels like to work hard at a what may seem like a thankless job?

We all have moments when we feel as though no one cares about what we were doing when feedback is not forthcoming, regardless of how grateful people truly are.

The reality is that people are overwhelmed with information, by advertisements, and can barely get through their day achieving what needs to be done in their own lives let alone keep up with the constant stream of activity and chatter online to engage with other people.

Like other bloggers, sometimes I feel discouraged when there aren't as many comments on an article as may have been expected. While I can track page views, subscribers to the blog, links coming to the VOX Daily, and how many people have shared my articles through channels such as Twitter, nothing quite beats hearing about what people think in terms of how it made them feel.

Positive feedback encourages people to continue and inspires them to keep at it.

This is why it is so important to be a fan, a cheerleader, or an encouraging force to help lift others up and remind them that what they are doing is of value and has made a difference.

3 Ways You Can Encourage Others

๏ Email 1 person per day to encourage or thank them for their hard work and contributions
๏ Send an appreciative handwritten letter to someone you admire
๏ Comment on a blog post and thank the author for sharing their insight

When you reach out to someone and share what's on your mind or in your heart it means a great deal to the person you are connecting with.

Each day, I make an effort to comment on at least one blog to show my appreciation and join a discussion. For you it may be something different like making a phone call, sending a letter, or even commenting on someone's Facebook status or giving a thumb's up to a posted item.

When I receive emails from people along those lines and let me tell you, it makes you feel valued, appreciated and validates what you've put out there for people to benefit from.

Can you relate?

Any Comments?

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Alex Slobodkin

Want to help change the world?

You can do so through the kind of projects you take on in your voice acting career.

Discover 3 factors that determine how you contribute and find out why they are so very important.

How Can Your Voice Change the World?

Each day, you are given opportunities to record scripts for projects, and you can pick and choose which are more suited to you and decide whether or not they appeal to you.

Let's examine the factors that go into whether or not you audition or embark on a project, and if that project is "right" for you. What's also interesting is that these same factors are critical to achieving your goal of helping you to change the world with your voice.

The 3 Factors Are:

1. Qualifications
2. Vocal Range
3. Personal Beliefs

1. Qualifications

Some projects come with specific requirements such as you must have access to ISDN, speak a particular dialect, or be able to deliver the audio and meet a client's deadline. Most of this is obvious, but it is important to ensure that you are equipped to fulfill the nuts and bolts of what is expected of you as a service provider.

2. Vocal Range

If you are honest with yourself and know what you are capable of doing as a voice over artist, this shouldn't be very difficult to ascertain. If your strengths lie in certain areas and you know your comfortable vocal range, make sure that you audition for projects calling for your voice type and only present clients with styles or pitches you are comfortable voicing or replicating for extended periods of time.

3. Personal Beliefs

While this may not be a critical point for all people, I think it is very important to only take on work or audition for projects that align with your morals, ethics and beliefs. How can you make sure you do this? Ask yourself, "Do I feel good being associated with X company, cartoon, concept, etc.?" before stepping forward and making a commitment. An audition, even if it's only an audition, is still a commitment of sorts so be careful to apply only for jobs you actually want to do.

To Thine Own Self Be True

Whenever you choose to honour your values, you are being authentic, credible, and have a greater purpose for what you are doing or contributing to.

Do you remember what Polonius said in "Hamlet"?

"To thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man."

In the same vein, if you truly believe in what you are saying and speak with conviction, the read will come across with indisputable veracity and be of untold benefit to a prospective client and to your customers.

Each decision you make affects you and those around you. Just as a raindrop lands on the waters and causes a ripple to spread, so do your actions, making an impact on those around you and on others beyond your community.

How Is Your Voice Changing the World?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Dmitry Mordvintsev

Crispin Freeman is one of the biggest North American Anime voice acting stars.

Not just a talented voice actor, he's also a wonderful speaker and insightful teacher as I have come to discover.

This year, Freeman spoke on the "Get Paid to Work in Anime" panel, hosted by the Japan Visual Translation Academy (JVTA).

I've included some tips from that panel here for you to discover and hope you enjoy them!

Notes From Crispin Freeman

"A critic will see a piece of art, realize that it's bad and then tell you about it.
An artist will see a piece of art, realize that it's bad, and figure out how to fix it."

That's what Crispin Freeman teaches in his voice acting classes; how to fix something and make it better.

If something is unbelievable and you're not convinced by what is coming out of actor's mouth, you may feel compelled to tell the voice actor to act better... but how?

Crispin suggests that you play pretend, citing that playing pretend is at the very core of acting.

Voice Acting Comprises of These Elements:

๏ Character
๏ Relationship
๏ Objective
๏ Where?

You have to know what your character is about, it's relationship to other characters, their objective (what motivates them), understand the character's environment, and of course, context.

Weird Technical Skills:

๏ Match lip flap
๏ Follow the beeps
๏ Take direction
๏ Microphone technique

If you've ever had to dub, you know how very important those technical skills are, however, without the emotional side, it doesn't matter how good you are at dubbing to picture.

The Emotional Actor and the Technical Actor both need to come together to get a believable performance. Improvisation helps you on the emotional side, and when you're working on an Anime project, dubbing to picture is imperative on the technical side.

Have You Ever Worked on an Anime Cartoon?

I'd love to hear about your experiences with the process and what shows you have worked on. If you're a fan and dub for fun or as part of a dubbing community, your perspective is welcome, too!

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Do you ever find yourself auditioning from a hotel room, at a relative's or when you're on the go?

Julie Williams, pictured here, sent me an interesting email about her experience using the Voices.com website while on the road and away from her recording studio.

Find out more about her experience today on VOX Daily.

Julie's Voices.com Auditioning Story

Hi Stephanie,

It's SO EASY to audition on the go with Voices.com!

I was in Seattle getting ready to ride my bike from Seattle to Portland, Friday 7/10 and before going to meet my team, I voiced some auditions from Voices.com with my Blue Snowball, into Adobe Audition. On this particular trip I didn't bring the Harlan Hogan Porta Booth because I only brought a carry on bag. But I normally use that, too. It's so easy to audition on the go with Voices.com!

Julie Williams
Voice-Over Chocolate

What Have Your "On The Go" Auditioning Experiences Been Like?

Looking forward to hearing your story!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Why are most voice over casting calls opened and closed within a matter of hours?

I received a comment on an article I wrote a while ago that posed a similar question and thought that now would be a good time to address how the industry works with regard to time frames for auditioning talent.

Why are deadlines for auditioning so short?

Why Are Deadlines So Short?

Earlier today I received this question:

"Can you tell me why the time window from post to deadline is frequently only 24 to 48 hours? It's awfully difficult to produce an audition in that time frame."

I am happy to answer this question, both for the person who asked it, and also for anyone else who may be wondering.

There are a number of reasons for why shorter deadlines have become the norm in the voice over industry with regard to auditions, and I'll outline three of them below:

1. Technological Efficiency
2. Global Marketplace
3. Money

1. Technological Efficiency

Aside from the obvious (namely the Internet), one of the reasons why most job postings are only open for a couple of days is because the majority of talent auditioning for any given job have home recording studios and are able to audition at their convenience throughout the day.

That's one of the greatest benefits of having a professional-grade recording studio in your home.

If you are treating voice over as a business, then auditions become priority, and to facilitate those auditions, a home studio is a must if not a necessity and business requirement.

Also, as talent are able to audition efficiently, the clients cast more quickly and fulfill their project requirements with speed and efficiency.

Technology has streamlined this process to such a degree that deadlines for casting are presently a matter of days (if not hours) when it used to take weeks in the past.

To give you a different perspective, casting directors in prominent centers for voice over work such as NYC only take half a day to hear auditions for a voice over, mainly because decisions can be made quickly and on the client's schedule.

2. Global Marketplace

Something else to consider is that this is a global marketplace and clients are posting jobs from all over the world, meaning that time zones other than your own also dictate when a job is being closed.

For instance, if you are an American on Eastern standard time and a client in Asia or Australia is casting, they may do so in your sleep!

Likewise, if you are a talent living in Great Britain and a job has been posted by someone living on the west coast of North America on Pacific standard time, you'll note that there is significant time difference, too.

3. Time Means Money

Have you ever heard that time means money? It's true!

Everyone who is auditioning and hiring talent has a "pain" or a "need" that you, the voice talent, can alleviate for them. Usually, people who need voice overs have an immediate need, and the faster they can look after that need, the better. Each day, perhaps every hour, without a voice over means money down the drain. Why spend more time finding a solution to your problem than necessary? This is true of any client from the biggest corporations all the way down to a fledgling startup.

If a client is working with a casting director, they may not allocate much time (or money) to the casting process, hence the shorter time frames for auditioning talent.

Conclusion

The talent who audition, meet the posted requirements, and who are the most accessible to the client will get the job.

Perhaps this reason more than any of the others is responsible for the brief deadlines.

I hope this response has given you more perspective!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Pathathai Chungyam

Inevitably you won't be able to pick up every call that comes to your business, and because of that reality, we have something ingenious called voice mail!

When it comes to recording a message for your business voice mail, do you entrust the ears of your customers to one of your peers, or do you record the messaging yourself?

Add your comments with your voice mail style and join the conversation here at VOX Daily!

Are You Your Company's Voice?

I've called a number of voice talent and got their answering machines before, many of which are quite entertaining!

Thinking back to one in particular got the creative juices flowing, so I thought I would ask you a few questions about your business voice mail.

Questions Pour Vous:

1. Do you record your own voice mail or have someone else do it? Why or why not?
2. Do you script your voice message or do you improvise?
3. How do you record your message (i.e. directly on the phone, record a file, etc.)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Michael Frank

Are you a fan of folklore, fairy tales, and nursery rhymes?

If you are particularly fond of storytelling and are looking for another creative outlet, recording stories is a wonderful way to have your cake and eat it too.

By combining your passions, you might just even find another way to prosper by your talent! Hear about one woman who has done just that and how you can do it as well here at VOX Daily.

Listening Is At The Core of Storytelling

No other time in our lives is nearly as whimsical as childhood, particularly in the preschool years. Everything is larger than life, the five senses are heightened, and imaginations run freely. There is also no greater time to be introduced to music and find your own musicality through rhythm, lilting text and repetition.

While at BookExpo America this spring, David and I met a number of interesting people, many who were narrators and some who were musicians who incorporated spoken word into their recordings.

Meet Heather Forest

One such artist is Heather Forest, Ph. D., a musician and master storyteller based in Huntington, NY who weaves singing and voice over together into melodious, heartwarming, minstrel-like ballads.

On her website, Heather Forest describes storytelling as one of humanity's oldest art forms, noting that every culture has a rich resource of oral tales that have shaped and preserved values and folklore across generations. Forest affirms that even in our fast-paced, mass media filled world, simply listening to a story remains a compelling, imaginative experience. Identifying the storyteller as a guide, listeners join the storyteller on a dreamlike journey, filled with characters, colors, landscapes and meaning as detailed and complex as the creative listener devises.

While at her booth at the book expo, David was given a complimentary award-winning CD "Sing Me A Story" featuring some of Heather's music, retelling folklore from around the world including "The Little Red Hen", "Three Billy Goats Gruff", "Stone Soup", and many more. When her children were small, she arranged these tales for them and later had her work published for sale in the marketplace.

Heather Forest also gives storytelling concerts, writing workshops, and author programs.

How Can You Bring Your Passion For Storytelling To Light?

There are a number of ways you can share, perform and promote your work. Here are just 5 ideas:

๏ Interpret and record a collection of nursery rhymes
๏ Assemble a number of fairy tales and retell them as either classic or updated versions
๏ Go the troubadour route and sing these stories interspersed with voice over narration
๏ Sell these recordings in the Voices.com Store
๏ Give concerts or storytelling workshops

Remember that every interpretation is unique so don't be afraid that the market is already saturated with recordings of this sort... there is always room for more, inspired storytelling!

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Photo via HeatherForest.com

I was introduced to the musings of Brian Price of Great Northern Audio Theatre by Susan Dunman (@AudioBookDJ) and would like to now introduce him to you as a guest contributor to VOX Daily.

Brian Price comes from audio drama with experience in writing, producing, directing audio theater, editing audiobooks, and reviewing for AudioFile magazine.

Please join me in welcoming Brian to the VOX Daily community by reading his article and commenting with your thoughts!

Sonorous and the Highway

By Brian Price

When I first started writing book-on-tape reviews somewhere towards the end of the last century, I must've run into the word sonorous a couple dozen times in the first six months. Sounding more like a description of coffee than vocal quality, every richly toned, full-bodied, darkly hued narrative voice was described as sonorous. These sonorous voices were serious and trustworthy, resonant, and easy on the ears. They were delightful.

But what deep, bassy voices really do is cut through the crap -- the white noise, office hum and blaring background sounds of everyday life. These days we are constantly listening in louder, noisier, lawn-mowing decibel rumbling environments with smaller and smaller little buds stuck in our ears. The program you're listening to has to be able to get above and through all that. That's why most AM and FM deejays have those good old blaring, overly reverbed low voices -- you can hear them driving 70 mph down the highway with the top down.

You can't hear subtle, theatrical, nuanced performances driving 70 mph down the highway with the top down. You can't hear children's reading voices at 70 mph. You can't hear an oboe solo at 70 mph. Deep voices and sounds get heard.

It's physics: high notes, high tones, soprano voices are very directional. In other words, when a high tone comes out of a radio or CD speaker, the tone goes in the one direction that it is pointed toward. Bass tones come out of the speaker in an all-around, omni-directional path. Just like those annoying bass thumps from a boom-box car, lower tones can be heard in all directions.

The sounds and recordings of history are so different to our ears. I was listening to the British Library: Voices of History series the other day and it is amazing how nasally, mid-range and Midwestern P.T. Barum and Charles Lindbergh sounded. Great orators like Abraham Lincoln (whose voice was never recorded), Grover Cleveland and William Jennings Bryant (who were recorded) had high or mid-range voices. Their voices could be heard and would resonate just fine in a good lecture hall, in a barn yard, or sitting in front of the radio, but not at 70 mph with the top down.

Recently, a Harvard study concluded that women of certain third-world tribes are more attracted to men with deeper voices and believe they are better hunters, better providers and better mates. Oh well, now I'm even more jealous of those who are sonorous than ever before.

Brian Price
Great Northern Audio Theatre

Any Comments?

If you'd like to share your thoughts and leave a comment for Brian, you are welcome to join the conversation on the VOX Daily blog.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Olaru Radian-Alexandru

You know when you're at a gathering, and all of a sudden a group of people come in and "crash" the party leaving all who are present wondering, "Who invited them?"

Ever been to a wedding where an uninvited guest arrived and you could cut the tension in the air with a knife?

Perhaps you witnessed something of this sort in our industry, whether it be in person, on chat boards, blog postings or around the water hole.

I've seen this happen and am now proposing a new direction for us to go in.

Purpose

When I was at church yesterday, I heard a familiar parable, The Pharisee and The Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14).

As I listened to a new perspective on a two-thousand year-old story, something struck me that I'd like to share concerning the voice over marketplace, and I'll get to that in a moment.

Over the years and in recent months, I've received emails from professional voice talent who insist that Voices.com membership be limited only to those who fit their ideal specifications of who qualifies and is deserving of a listing.

These emails wound my heart because not only are some of these professionals picking on individual talent, the spirit of what they are saying and how it's presented is in direct opposition to what we stand for as a company and as a marketplace.

At Voices.com, we are called to serve. Our mission is to provide our customers with a safe place where they can work, have their professional needs met, help them to find meaning and purpose in their projects, and with regard to artistry, help them to live out their chosen vocation as voice over talent.

This includes, in our own ways, inviting people who have not yet joined the party who wish to be part of this amazing place we find ourselves in.

The Voice Over Party

The party, in this case being professional voice talents, is comprised mainly of people who have taken time to develop their craft, invest in their recording equipment, and market themselves as suitable service providers to those in need of custom voice over recordings.

Everything is going fine at this party for most of the participants until a newcomer arrives who is without training, without a suitable recording studio, without a professionally produced demo, and without a sense of what to charge for their services.

These people are often looked upon as party crashers and are therefore looked down on by some people at the party.

I know that this isn't how everyone behaves, and if you're reading VOX Daily, I know that this likely doesn't pertain to you. There are people in our industry who resent newcomers and want to eliminate them from the business instead of encouraging or educating them so that they can grow to their full potential as voice over artists.

That being said, there is good news...

We All Started Somewhere

In times such as these, it is good to remember that we all have unique experiences, come from different backgrounds, and believe it or not, most of us come from outside of voice over! In the plainest English, we all started somewhere, and just as we've become part of this great community and industry, we must expect that others will join in due course and become part of it, too.

To close, I want to leave you with something else I heard at the service that has to do with the only acceptable time one might look down on another:

"The only reason you should look down on someone is if you are looking down to extend a helping hand to raise them up."

Have You Invited Others to the Voice Over Party?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/webphotographeer

There is no shortage of people looking to gain experience in the business of voice overs.

Some seek apprenticeships and internships which are difficult to find, while others learn the ropes by working in the field, concurrently earning a wage and gaining an education.

Do you remember what it was like to work for someone else before starting your own voice over business? Are you now in a position to offer such opportunities?

Learn more about the benefits of working with others to achieve your goals and also how you can make a positive impact through your business.

Entering the Voice Over Market

When you were first considering a career in voice over, what did you do to prepare yourself as a businessperson for what lay ahead?

From what I've heard, apprenticeships, internships, and co-op placements are hard to come by in our industry, however, being hired to work in a recording studio, at a talent agency, or as a personal assistant to a voice over coach or professional voice talent are the likeliest options available to get an insider's advantage and discover how the business works.

Opening New Doors For You and Your Business

As entrepreneurs, everything is usually learned on the job as there is only so much a text book can teach you. When you run your own business, it is nearly a given that you'll be wearing a number of hats ranging from that of the owner to front-line customer service in the startup phase.

I think you'll agree that by initially doing everything in your business, the basic fundamentals are internalized quickly and help you to gain a fuller perspective and appreciation for running a business. You know what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, and why it needs to be done, motivating you to achieve your goals.

A Good Problem To Have

When you are an established voice over professional up to your ears in work, you may find that there is actually too much work for just you alone to do -- please note that this is a good problem to have!

Because of the sheer volume of work and demands that your business places on you as an individual businessperson, you may be noticing how hard it is to do everything and still feel creative doing what you do best behind the mic.

5 Signs That You May Need Help:

๏ Your deadlines suffer or it becomes burdensome to meet deadlines
๏ You're losing business because you don't have time to followup or maintain relationships
๏ Your marketing efforts are not as fruitful or ambitious as you'd like them to be
๏ You feel overwhelmed or like you're "spinning your wheels" and getting nowhere fast
๏ You're spreading yourself too thin and not doing anything exceptionally well

Now, just think about how your life and business could change if you had some help!

How Do You Get Your Mojo Back?

At this point, it may be time to consider hiring someone to help you grow your business, and if you aren't necessarily looking to hire, think about taking on an eager apprentice who wants to learn more about how voice over businesses work. Not only will you get much needed assistance, you'll also have an opportunity to teach, mentor, and if all goes well, add to your overall success and bottom line through your combined efforts.

Here are some benefits for you to consider with regard to people you can add to your team for both the long or the short term.

Benefits For You!

3 Benefits of Having a High School Co-op Student:

๏ Students only spend a few hours a day at your workplace for about 4 - 6 months
๏ Are already interested in your profession and are given placements by their teachers
๏ You do not pay co-op students

3 Benefits of Having an Intern:

๏ Interns are highly motivated as completing their education program depends on you
๏ Have a serious interest in learning everything they can for immediate application
๏ Will lighten your load and take the initiative on projects you assign

3 Benefits of Having an Apprentice:

๏ Apprentices care deeply and are supportive of your business like no other
๏ You'll be able to influence someone directly in the field on a granular level
๏ An apprentice may renew your passion for your work

3 Benefits of Hiring an Employee:

๏ Paying someone means you can elevate your expectations for productivity
๏ Creating a new role within your company will benefit you and your business
๏ You have a team member on board who is motivated to help you succeed

Are You at the Point Where You Need to Consider Any of the Above?

I'm really curious to hear if you are open to working with an aspiring talent in some capacity at your studio. If you're already doing this, please comment with how things are going for you!

Also, if you've been an apprentice, intern, co-op student or an assistant to someone in the voice over business, I'd love to hear from you too about your experiences and how you managed to get your position.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Chris Schmidt

When people in the business of voice over retire or pass away, they leave a role (or a number of roles) behind them that need to be filled, especially those who record character voices, are the voices of a franchise, or are known for a very specific niche voice over.

Today, we're going to take a look at a few examples of people who have either vacated their posts out of choice or who were called away from their work (and this world), discussing the elephant in the room which is:

Who gets the gig when someone else has gone?

An Observation

I've noticed over the years that whenever someone in a prominent voice over role passes away or resigns their post, people tend to wonder who will take their place.

A few people within the last year fit this description, including the late Don LaFontaine, the late Wayne Allwine, and now, the very much alive Casey Kasem who retired just last weekend at the age of 77.

Don LaFontaine

Known for his signature movie trailer voice, Don was literally the voice of the movies for decades. When we lost him last year on Labor Day (September 1, 2008), an enormous void opened up, both on an emotional level and in his line of work. A pioneer in the field, Don LaFontaine wasn't only the voice who delivered famous lines such as "In a world...", he also was the person who helped to pen those lines in the 1960s when he worked in advertising and production.

People were deeply affected by his passing because Don made himself so accessible to the voice over community, made impressions on those he worked with, and had a talent that was only matched by his generosity.

Soon after he died, quite unexpectedly following a short illness and complications due to a medical procedure, people started talking, quietly, but still talking, about who might take Don's place. We needed the opportunity to grieve his loss and celebrate his life before one could even think about discussing the inevitable.

At the time, it felt disrespectful to address the topic, but all the same, the question was asked.

Wayne Allwine

Although you may not have known his name, you knew him as the charming vocal embodiment of Mickey Mouse. Our community lost Wayne just a couple of months ago from complications of diabetes. His wife, Russi Taylor, is most fittingly the voice of Minnie Mouse. The two met in studio over twenty years ago and it was love at first sight.

Upon news of his death, The New York Times published a feature article about him and his life, focusing in on the fact that the voice of Mickey Mouse had died. What a thing for the world to hear! Mickey Mouse is such a symbolic figure. Wayne was the third person to give voice to Mickey Mouse. The first voice of Mickey was Walt Disney himself and the second voice of Mickey was performed by Jimmy MacDonald.

While people again started to talk about who might be the next Mickey Mouse and where auditions may be held to choose a new voice actor for the role, word was getting around that there was likely someone else waiting in the wings if such a thing should happen, hushing the whispers until the next Mickey Mouse voice talent is made known.

Succession Plans

Something we might be overlooking is the possibility of a succession plan, and I say this because people who are not directly involved with what is going on often have less information at their disposal to draw upon which may help to explain why the question of "who's going to take their place?" is raised following the retirement or passing away of an individual.

In business, government and even the monarchy, there are people designated as heirs and or successors prior to a person's departure should the incumbent not be able to continue. I think we'll find that the same may be true for voice acting.

Take Walt Disney (d. 1966). He chose to stop recording as Mickey Mouse in 1947 and the role was given to Jimmy MacDonald.

Voices of Mickey Mouse (years shown in duration of time as Mickey's voice):

Walt Disney (1928-1947)
Jimmy MacDonald (1947-1977)
Wayne Allwine (1977-2009)

Casey Kasem

As we know, Saturday July 4th, 2009 marked the end of Casey Kasem's broadcast radio career as the host of America's Top 10. Who will replace Casey Kasem? Does Kasem need a replacement? All kinds of questions are asked at times like these where something is unknown or when we're in a period of transition.

If we look at what has happened before with shows Casey Kasem has retired from, we get a better idea of what may happen now. Two of his other shows were passed on to his successor, Ryan Seacrest, so it is quite possible that Seacrest may also inherit America's Top 10.

Do you have anything to add to what you just read?

Do you know anything more about the succession process in general? Maybe you have found yourself in a position where you were named a successor or perhaps you yourself gave over the reins to someone new.

How early is too early to talk about who's going to voice a role next?

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this topic.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/James Steidl

Did you hear that Casey Kasem has retired from radio?

The voice of America's Top Ten and also Shaggy on Scooby-Doo has left the building!

With his first broadcast counting down the hits on July 4th, 1970 to his surprise retirement announcement live on the show on July 4th, 2009, Kasem has been part of American culture and has legendary status, the last of the great radio kings such as Alan Freed and Wolfman Jack.

Comment with your memories and farewell wishes for an American radio legend here at VOX Daily!

Journey To The Top

July 4th, 2009 marked radio pioneer Casey Kasem's final countdown after 39 years of devoted service to music fans everywhere.

At the age of 77, you can't blame him for retiring, and now that he's got some free time on his hands, word has it (according to his wife, Jeannie Kasem) that Kasem will be writing his memoirs.

He must have many stories to tell considering the interesting life he has led and all of the opportunities that have come his way.

This not is only the man who taught the world how to count to 40 backwards, he's also the same person who managed to convince the producers of Scooby-Doo to turn Shaggy from his burger eating ways into a vegetarian, just like himself to keep voicing the role!

While I could tell you more about that tale, I think it would be far better to read about it in more detail on the pages of a Casey Kasem memoir.

For now, we'll toast the Top Ten Man with his own Top Ten List!

Top Ten Interesting Facts about Casey Kasem

1. Born Kemal Amen Kasem in Detroit, Michigan into a Lebanese-American household
2. Made his radio debut while in high school
3. Studied radio broadcasting as a student at Wayne State University
4. Became involved with radio dramas with roles on shows like The Lone Ranger
5. Served as an announcer and DJ for the Armed Forces Radio Korea Network in 1952
6. Spent twenty years working his way up to prominence as a radio announcer
7. Created American Top 40 with childhood friend and Hollywood producer Don Bustany
8. Narrated all national promo announcements for shows on NBC television (1977-81)
9. Is the voice of Shaggy on the cartoon Scooby-Doo and its various incarnations
10. Has voiced characters on The Adventures of Batman and Josie and the Pussycats

Do You Have Any Comments You'd Like To Share?

As Casey Kasem would say, "Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars!"

Three cheers to you Mr. Kasem on your retirement,

Stephanie

Are you looking for more ways to make money at Voices.com?

Want another revenue stream that is effortless to maintain yet can still generate sales?

If you answered yes to either of my questions, you are just the sort of person who'd appreciate the Voices.com Affiliate Program.

Are you interested in learning more about how you can now receive commissions for referring business to Voices.com? Read on!

Make More Money With Voices.com

I'm really excited to announce that we've partnered with Commission Junction, the world's leading affiliate marketing service, and launched the Voices.com Affiliate Program!

The Voices.com Affiliate Program rewards people who help to drive business to the site with commissions for products and services that they have helped to sell at Voices.com such as talent memberships and even compensation for job posting referrals.

How Much You Could Earn?

As an affiliate, you will earn a 25% commission for each $29.95 or $39.95 monthly membership subscription and a 25% commission for each $199.00 or $299.00 yearly membership that your referred visitor purchases at Voices.com.

Referred job postings pay out $1.00 each.

Benefits Include:

๏ Dedicated affiliate management
๏ 60-day cookies
๏ Keyword Research
๏ Banner, Content, and Text links
๏ Industry Market Research Reports
๏ Audio Content

To learn more and get started as a Voices.com affiliate, go to:

http://www.voices.com/affiliates

For additional information, you can contact Mark Collins, Business Development Manager, toll-free at 1-888-359-3472 ext. 117 or email mark@voices.com to discuss.

To your success!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Justin Horrocks

We received so many amazing, breathtaking entries about how people had found success in a variety of ways at Voices.com that it was difficult to choose just three!

The winning entries have been included in this article for you to hear, to discover their secrets of success and to also inspire those who are auditioning each and every day.

The Winners of the Ultimate Voices.com Success Story!

Congratulations are in order for our winners, Paul Strikwerda, Paul Albertson, and Lori Taylor!

I've included their experiences shared as audio reviews of Voices.com for you to hear.

Download Paul Strikwerda's Story »

Paul Strikwerda's Voices.com Review

Two months ago, Paul decided to challenge Voices.com.

Sixty days later, his dollar-a-day membership plan paid off big time. With $2300 in the bank, Paul had earned more than 38 times his investment.

Paul speaks Dutch as his primary language, can perform accent-free Dutch, British English, German, and French.

Visit Paul Strikwerda at Voices.com
Listen to Paul Strikwerda's Voice Over Demos

Download Paul Albertson's Story »

Paul Albertson's Voices.com Review

As the James Bond of Voice Overs, Paul chose Voices.com as his partner in promotion and visibility. Now, his unique brand enjoys world-class exposure in Britain and beyond.

Two secrets of Paul's success are in his recording.

A perfect business pairing, Paul Albertson has leveraged his service offerings and profile at Voices.com to achieve phenomenal results.

Visit Paul Albertson at Voices.com
Listen to Paul Albertson's Voice Over Demos

Download Lori Taylor's Story »

Lori Taylor's Voices.com Review

Lori Taylor has been a voice talent for over 35 years and used to travel several hours to recording studios. Thanks to Voices.com, her voice is now heard throughout the world. No more traveling for hours in the car!

Through her relationship with Voices.com, Lori has been able to jump out of her comfort zone and do some fun character work.

Visit Lori Taylor at Voices.com
Listen to Lori Taylor's Voice Over Demos

Paul Strikwerda, Paul Albertson and Lori Taylor will all receive gift certificates to Sweetwater Sound as part of their prize as well as additional publicity through a major press campaign.

Thank you to everyone who entered this contest! It was truly humbling to hear your stories about learn more about how you had personally found success at Voices.com. What a joy and blessing it was to discover more about what our service means to you.

Our team listened to many of the entries together and were touched by the sincerity of each entry and amazed by each and every story that was sent in.

We're thrilled that many of you feel the same way about working with us as we do about serving you. It's an honor and a privilege to work for and alongside such dedicated voice over professionals.

To read other Voices.com success stories, you are welcome to visit the Voices.com Buzz blog at any time.

As always, if you have a story to share, let us know!

Best wishes,

Stephanie and The Voices.com Team

What happens when you speak lower than your vocal comfort zone for continuous periods of time?

You might adopt that Hollywood sound Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were famous for, but you may get more than just the sound... you might get the syndrome!

Guest blogger James Herron shares his experience from Inside Studio A with Bogart-Bacall Syndrome here on VOX Daily.

Vocal Fatigue: Bogart-Bacall Syndrome

By James Herron

I had been finding that some days by 11 a.m. my voice was beginning to fatigue. If you rely on your voice as your livelihood as I do, this can be particularly troublesome.

I first noticed this issue about a year ago. What was going on? What the heck was causing this to occur? Was it something serious? Was it environmental?

My thoughts ran wild with everything from voice polyps; cancer, food and drink issues. I imagined everything and anything.

Scheduling voice over sessions was also challenging and at times an issue since my voice was at its best in the early morning hours EST. Clients on the "left coast" would often receive a request to record as early as possible. Fortunately, I've had such wonderfully flexible and understanding clientele.

A few weeks ago I began tests through the hospital to determine the cause of my voice fatigue.

Ever had a tiny scope with a camera stuck down your throat through your nose? Yikes! Actually, with a little Novocain I did not feel a thing. It was weird however. A TV monitor was mounted so the Doctor could view the results of the probing camera and as I could. I never thought I would be viewing my throat, and larynx.....now that's a very profound statement! In a strange way it was rather interesting.

The results were conclusive. I was diagnosed with Muscle Tension Dysphonia a voice fatigue disorder caused by muscle tension.

Listen Sweetheart.... I'm in famous company as this is amazingly also called Bogart-Bacall Syndrome.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall both suffered from a mild vocal disorder that has been named for them, Bogart-Bacall Syndrome. BBS is now the medical term for an ongoing hoarseness that often afflicts actors, singers or TV/radio voice workers who routinely speak in a very low pitch.

Bacall naturally had a high, nasal voice; she trained it to be lower to get her debut part in To Have and Have Not. You can also view the video below to see just how low her voice was for this role:

Apparently, over the years I've been unconsciously "training" my Larynx muscles to find a non-normal flexed and tense position as I used my voice. When I relaxed (got a good night sleep) the muscles returned to normal. The tense flexed position would return to my voice as the day progressed.

Fortunately, this is a very common issue and thankfully one that can be remedied through therapy and rather quickly.

I am working with the "Voice & Swallowing Center" and receiving prescriptive vocal exercises. These include a series of "Hum" exercises I follow daily from a CD. The drill is to make the vocal muscle recall that "normal" zone all the time.

If you would like to view a variety of voice issues and symptoms including Muscle Tension Dysphonia check out The Voice and Swallowing Institute of The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at http://www.nyee.edu/cfv-larynx-disorders.html

Another important fact I discovered is how essential hydration is to sustain a healthy voice. A minimum of TWO QUARTS of water are recommended per day. So drink baby, drink.

Of course yelling and screaming is not a good thing at all.

I've taken to using a "rapid hand clap" (picture an prim and proper 18th century French Officer) when I cheer for my beloved Boston Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots or President Obama! I also now use simple hand gestures against those challenging the above mentioned.

Okay I look like a dork... but my voice is happy.

My hope is you find this information helpful. I know many of you reading this are professional actors and actresses, singers, teachers, politicians and other blabber mouths.

Inside Studio A...........I'm James Herron

For more information about James Herron or to read his other articles, visit his blog Inside Studio A.

Any Comments?

I'd love to hear from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

When a voice becomes weak, breathy or struggles to perform, there may be something more serious going on with the vocal folds than meets the eye.

I asked a number of questions of Dr. H. Steven Sims, Director of the Chicago Institute For Voice Care, about thyroplasty, a procedure that helps fatten up the vocal folds for people who may be experiencing symptoms mentioned above. Patients who opt to have this procedure done do so because their vocal folds are not vibrating as closely together as they should be.

In this short interview, you'll learn what causes the vocal folds to act this way, what the symptoms are, how a stressed voice may sound, and what a thyroplasty consists of.

Some Context: What Can A Stressed Voice Sound Like?

Before we get into the interview, I wanted to share more about why I wrote this article. I received an email from a friend, Bob Green, a professional voice talent, who is about to undergo a thyroplasty. Bob said it was fine with him that I shared his recordings, the first of which was made with a "normal" voice and the second read was recorded two weeks later with a "stressed" voice. He thought it might be interesting for those who are curious or those who are experiencing similar afflictions.

Listen carefully to the first read when his vocal folds were stronger as compared to the second read where his vocal folds are dramatically weaker and stressed. Note the robust and resonant sound in the first read as contrasted with the second read, demonstrating how his voice has changed.

Click here to listen to Bob Green's Voice Before (Healthy) and After (Stressed)

After Bob has had the procedure, he will check in again and share more about his experience and also how he is doing post-surgery.

Now that you have some context for how a potential candidate for thyroplasty might sound, we'll go on with the interview.

Voices.com Interview with Dr. H. Steven Sims

VOX: Welcome back and thank you for joining us! What exactly happens to the vocal folds to make them become less robust? What are the symptoms of this?

DR. SIMS: Several things can happen. The nerve (called the recurrent laryngel nerve) that tell most of the vocal muscles to move also helps stimulate them to grow and develop. Benign tumors, thyroid lumps, and even an aneurysm in the aorta can compress the nerve and make the muscles weaker. Also, they naturally become less robust as a person ages. There are some viruses that attack nerves and make them weaker too. So, there are lots of different ways through which a person can wind up with weak vocal muscles.

VOX: Can this be prevented?

DR. SIMS: Some of the causes (like having a surgeon injure the nerve during an operation) are preventable. Things like aging are not.

VOX: How would one know that they may be at risk and need to have a procedure done such as Thyroplasty?

DR. SIMS: For most of medicine, history or the background story is the key.

If your voice changed after a bad cold (and I mean didn't really ever get back to normal) you may have contracted a virus that weakened the nerve. If your voice changed after thyroid surgery, lung surgery, heart valve surgery and surgery to put a plate on the spine where they got to the spinal column from the front, then the nerve my have been injured during the surgery. Hopefully, your surgeon let you know this was a possible complication from the beginning.

Pretty much any ear nose and throat specialist can look at the vocal folds and see if they move. However, voice specialists have some unique tools to pick up more subtle findings. Perhaps not everyone needs to see a voice doctor, but if you find you can't project your voice and/or it seems to give out really quickly, then maybe a thyroplasty or some sort of vocal fold augmentation could have potential benefit.

VOX: I've heard thyroplasty referred to as "Fatty Injection Thyroplasty". What happens during a thryoplasty procedure?

DR. SIMS: Thyroplasty is also called a "voice lift". I think people sometimes use this terminology because we use liposuction to harvest fat before injecting it into the vocal folds.

There are also several synthetic substances that we use (Cymetra, Radiesse, Juvaderm). The problem with them all is duration, fat and the synthetics substances all get degraded by the body over months (9-12 or so) and have to be repeated. There are products that have been shown to last longer: Teflon--produces granulomas and isn't use much anymore; Bioplastique--no FDA approval, widely used in Europe but unavailable here; and Artefill, which was available in the US until the company went bankrupt.

VOX: That's all very interesting, Steve. Thank you for sharing your expertise and for enlightening us more about thyroplasty.

To learn more about Dr. Sims and his practice, you can find him at ChicagoVoiceDoc.com and also view some of Dr. Sims' YouTube videos here.

Thank you to Dr. Sims for his time and expertise, and also a very warm thank you to Bob Green for sharing his story with us and voice samples.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Dmitry Obukhov

Whispering may seem like a good way to conserve your voice, but in reality, it can be very taxing!

There are many myths out there about what does and does not hurt your voice. Whispering, although many people tend to think it is harmless, does affect the voice in a negative way.

Find out what whispering does to your voice and how you can take care here at VOX Daily.

Whispering Kills Resonance?

I was reading up on an article on the Voice Academy microsite, hosted on the University of Iowa website, that covered vocal fatigue (quite a worthwhile read) and was happy to see a little bit about the affects of whispering on the voice.

The article related, that whispering is essentially talking without vibration of the vocal folds, and if the vocal muscles are fatigued, whispering won't allow them to rest. Also, whispering may have a dehydrating effect.

Just think about it:

Whispering is essentially talking without vibration of the vocal folds... if you don't allow your vocal folds to vibrate, you're constricting your vocal folds and are also not getting any beautiful or resonant sound out of your voice!

If your vocal folds are pulled tight, unable to rub together and remain moist as nature intended, it would make sense that a drying affect might occur.

Another thought just occurred to me as to why some people may think that whispering actually helps lessen strain on the voice.

When you are whispering, the audible volume of your voice is greatly diminished, giving the impression that the voice is not being used as vigorously or strenuously because it is quieter. While it may not be a loud yell or bloodcurdling scream, something that we know (commonsense) immediately abuses the voice, whispering silently stifles the voice unwittingly over time and may contribute to vocal fatigue among other things.

When I published an article about vocal rest several days ago, a comment came in from Priscilla Hamilton, sharing that whispering can be even more of a strain on the vocal folds than speaking. She also suggested that there is a misconception that it is OK to whisper while on vocal rest.

Even though some people may see whispering as a means to speak while on vocal rest, it might be better to just write down what you're trying to say on a notepad instead of straining the vocal folds during a period of rest or recovery.

In the same vein, if you are stuck in bed and also on vocal rest, ringing a bell, clapping your hands, or knocking on the headboard of your bed to get the attention of someone who may be caring for you is another way to prevent having to pipe up unnecessarily when your pipes are out of order.

What have your experiences been with whispering? Do you purposely avoid it?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/David Gilder

What happens if you take your vocal cords (or vocal folds) for granted?

It's easy to fall into a pattern of voice abuse, and the scariest part is, you may not even realize you are doing it or how vulnerable your vocal cords truly are.

People in broadcast radio should take special note of this article.

Hear a cautionary story from voice talent Dave McCree about one of his friends who suffers from Spasmodic Dysphonia, and how years of overuse transformed a successful broadcasting career into that of a career in journalism, penning the stories instead of reading them.

Take Care of Your Voice From Day One

By Dave McCree

Since 1985 I have been the host of Jim Davidson's nationally syndicated radio program called How To Plan Your Life. The reason I shared this is not to brag, but simply to explain that the reason I am doing it is because Jim Davidson could not continue doing his own program because he abused his vocal cords by overuse.

In addition to giving motivational speeches around the country he was producing his five minute radio programs 3-4 weeks ahead of scheduled air time just to keep ahead. Plus, he was experiencing stress in his personal life, which together spelled disaster to his chords.

Jim never had any formal vocal or broadcast experience to guide him on how much care he should give to his precious cords. Consequently, the price he paid was the complete loss of his vocal chords due to stress. Jim was diagnosed with something called Spasmodic Dysphonia. The chords wrap themselves around each other so all you can do is whisper. Pretty scary, huh?

Fortunately, Little Rock Arkansas has one the nations foremost doctors who specialized in repair of this medical disorder.

Fortunately, Jim regained full use of his cords after six months of therapy. However, he was afraid to overuse his cords again so he hired me to produce and host his syndicated radio program.

My good friend, Jim Davidson, is now a successful nationally syndicated newspaper columnist using many of his 3,000 radio scripts for use in his column. His radio program is still aired on several stations with yours truly, Dave McCree as host.

From my broadcasting and recording experience [since 1966], I have found that nothing ministers and speeds healing to a sore throat and chords better than gargling with warm water and salt several better times a day after meals and before going to bed. Obviously, rest must be exercised. I also have been successful incorporating additional prayer during those times of stress.

Sincerely,

Dave McCree

Has Spasmodic Dysphonia Affected Your Life?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and also any comments you may have for Dave.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Adam Gregor

Ever find that your voice just isn't up for the challenge? Are you exhausted vocally or unable to speak without pain?

As a person who uses their voice every day as part of their profession or occupation, it's easy to get run down and suffer from periodic or sporadic vocal inconveniences such as laryngitis, bronchitis and the like.

What happens when your voice is not able to emulate what's on your demo because of a temporary health issue?

Many voice actors and singers face that reality every now and then. Find out how resting your voice may be the ticket to getting back to your regular self.

Vocal Rest

When I was a student at university in the music faculty, vocal rest was second to none for protecting your voice and or encouraging healing for a voice in peril. If you were sick, you simply didn't sing and knew not to push it. This notion also extends to any stressful vocal behaviours such as yelling, coughing hard, forceful throat clearing, crying, talking on the phone, or screaming.

Sometimes, vocal rest can mean not uttering a word.

Instead of taxing the vocal apparatus even further or irritating the vocal folds unnecessarily, it is advised to take two and wait out an illness before trying to replicate what you are able to do when you're healthy.

The same goes for voice actors and professionals who rely upon their voice to make a living. There is something to be said for prudence, and when it comes to your health, you can't be too careful... don't be afraid to go to your doctor to get checked out if you are concerned.

Resting The Voice is Also Good For Other Recovery Schedules

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