En Nuestra sociedad existen varias profesiones que le requieren al profesional que tenga su apropiada licencia para ejercer su oficio, incluyendo enseñando en el sistema educativo, ejerciendo las leyes, medicina, y hasta licencia para poder conducir un vehiculo.

Pero, se imaginan una licencia para hacer doblaje de voz?

Nunca lo habías escuchado, verdad?

Miren esto: En varios países Latino Americanos y Sudamericanos, usted necesita tener una licencia para hablar por la radio, para hace eventos en vivo y para hacer doblaje de voz!

El artista de voz Genaro Liriano, oriundo de la Republica Dominicana, quien ahora reside en Canadá y es miembro de Voices.com. Genaro compartió con migo informaciones acerca del proceso que alguien tiene que seguir para poder tener una licencia y poder ejercer el trabajo de locutor y doblaje de voz en America central y Sudamérica, se encontraran estos detalles muy interesante que talvez les van a sorprender y fascinar.

Convertirse en un talento de Voz Hispano en America Central y en Sudamérica

El pasado fin de semanas en nuestro Voices.com mixer en Toronto, yo me conecte con Genaro Liriano y tuve la oportunidad de escuchar su historia. Estoy contenta porque Genaro también traducirá este artículo al español para nuestra audiencia de habla Hispana porque es una historia que necesita ser escuchada en los dos idiomas.

Genaro Liriano tiene una licencia para Hablar!

Cada quien que tenga su voz al aire publico, ya sea através de una transmisión, discurso en publico, anunciar en vivo o doblaje de voz, necesita estar aprobado de hablar un Español neutro. Lo que es aun más interesante es que cada País tiene sus propios requerimientos de licencia para mantener el Español Latino neutral y sea escuchado por las masas populares libre de acentos.

La trayectoria a seguir para obtener una licencia de locutor es la siguiente:

1. Una persona debe terminar un diplomado de 3 años en Locución. Para su referencia hay aproximadamente 2,200 personas en una graduación.

2. Estas personas tienen que tomar un examen escrito preparado por la comisión nacional de radio y telecomunicación de los cuales un 80 a un 90% no lo pasan.

3. Aquellos quienes pasan el examen escrito son invitados a un panel de Locutores y famosos del País, cada cual representando su área de experiencia, estas personas examinan a los candidatos pidiéndoosle que lean que diferente estilo. Imagínense tener a Bárbara Walters, Larry King y a Peter Jennings, todos en el mismo lugar impartiendo el examen y llevando tu destino en sus manos.

4. Si pasas el examen oral, recibiese un certificado y un Carnet que te acredita como locutor y puedes trabajar on-air y off-air.

Suficiente para decir que para tener una licencia para hablar no es tan fácil y esos que tienen la licencia son afortunados para decir lo mínimo.

Puntos Interesantes:

Si usted fuera a producir una campaña de anuncios que tendrían que ser transmitidos en varios países y la voz tendría que hacerse con una persona con licencia, usted tendría que emplear a más de un talento para hacer este trabajo. Por ejemplo, si usted tiene ha alguien de la Republica Dominicana haciendo la voz para el anuncio en la R.D., pero ha usted le gustaría promocionar su anuncio en otro país o países que también requieren que los locutores tengan sus licencias usted tendría que emplear un locutor por país! Eso podría ser muy costoso dependiendo en tipo de campaña, pero, esto se hace para preservar la lengua y como sea escuchado por el publico.

Que si personas de otros países necesiten tener licencia para hacer doblaje de voz en otros lugares?

Imagínense si usted tendría que tener una licencia para poder hacer doblaje de voz en Estados Unidos, o en Canadá, o en países Europeos? Talvez, ya ese sea el caso en algunas naciones pero nosotros nunca habíamos escuchado acerca de esto.

Como usted se siente acerca del concepto de licencias para poder anuncia on-air y off-air?

Espero escuchar de ustedes.

Saludos,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Alexander Hübert

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vocal rest is not just prescribed for those with the common cold or overuse of the voice, but also as part of other recovery programs such as heart surgery, for instance.

Just recently, a young Canadian soprano and fan favourite, Measha Brueggergosman, was hospitalized for emergency heart surgery after suffering a tear in her aorta. The procedure went well and she is now taking time off to recover. Part of her getting healthy regime includes not singing for one month, presumably so as not to place strain on her heart.

When you speak or sing, more than just your vocal apparatus is involved. You've got all sorts of muscles working together in your chest, particularly breathing mechanisms and diaphragmatic support, that when used during a time of recovery, can hinder the process greatly, even possibly cause undue painful.

Have You Ever Needed Time for Vocal Rest?

I'm interested to learn if you make it a regular practice to take vocal rest when necessary and what you do to pass the time productively while not voicing.

Looking forward to hearing your stories,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/geotrac

How can a remote destination shown through a virtual tour evoke feelings of warmth, comfort and desire?

Whenever you list something for sale on the Internet, you have to humanize the experience for potential buyers to make what you are selling seem more accessible, meaningful and attractive.

Find out how voice over can add that lovin' feeling and also how voice talent can make selling homes online even easier.

Could Your Voice Move Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars?

The bigger the purchase, the more personable and authentic the sales approach needs to be.

How do you do that online?

Using voice over when showing a property online, for example, adds another dimension to how a prospective buyer identifies with what could be their future home.

Some real estate agencies are already doing this as well as builders. I wouldn't be surprised if there are enterprising homeowners who are selling their home privately and have added voice over narration to their promotional site.

What a great opportunity for you!

Voice talent Ari Ross is a great example of someone who has come to discover how interesting and lucrative this market can be, securing his place in the real estate voice over niche for some time now. Ari has found a way to present his services to real estate brokers and brokerages, catering to their individual needs with custom voice over recordings to help sell properties online.

Real Estate is a universal market. At some point, or at multiple times in our lives, we all will need to move house and find a way to attract potential buyers. Either we will do this for ourselves or enlist the services of other people to help us.

This is where voice over comes in.

What Do Real Estate Agents, Brokers and Home Sellers Need Recorded?

Primarily, you'll find that voice over is needed for:

๏ Virtual tours
๏ Website listings
๏ Sales presentations
๏ Broadcast commercials

Consider how you might be able to grow your business to include these kinds of service offerings to people who promote or sell real estate. You may find that voice over is also needed for similar reasons by builders, interior decorators, and staging companies.

Have You Done Any Voice Over Work for Real Estate?

Looking forward to your reply,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Andy Dean

Have you been taking advantage of all some free social networking tools to promote your business and make new connections with prospective customers?

In his debut podcast on Voice Over Experts, Terry Daniel shares insight particular to Twitter and Facebook, detailing how you can generate untold revenue through some good old fashioned networking.

Having gained 15 clients through his social networking efforts this year alone, and as he says, 15 customers he wouldn't have had otherwise, I can assure you that Terry's advice is more than worth listening to, indeed so much that I've decided to share his podcast episode with you in today's VOX Daily.

Getting Voice Over Work Through Social Networking

As mentioned earlier, I'd like to share Terry Daniel's lesson "Getting Voice Over Work Through Social Networking". You'll learn how services like Twitter and Facebook help to extend your brand and connect you with prospective clients. Terry points out that it's not just for teenagers anymore, advocating that social networking is very important for business... and the best part of all, it's free!

I hope you enjoy this podcast and drink in the numerous tips on how you can promote your voice while providing valuable insight and being authentic.

Download Podcast Episode 91 »

To learn more about Terry Daniel, follow these links:

Terry Daniel
Terry Daniel's Voices.com Website
Terry Daniel on Voice Over Experts

You can subscribe to Voice Over Experts for free and get caught up on all 91 episodes (to date) this summer. Each week a new one is released, so if you found Terry's podcast to be valuable, you'll thoroughly enjoy the series.

Feel free to comment with your thoughts!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

When work is harder to come by, have you found yourself lowering your rates to remain competitive, or have you been sticking to your guns to ensure that the bar doesn't drop?

How do you cope with the "out of work blues" when you hit a dry spell?

Robin Rowan presents us with her thoughts on this issue and would love to hear what you have to say!

How Low Will You Go?

Taking jobs for less money

By Robin Rowan

I spent two weeks in February looking for a job. I am a full time voiceover talent, and this was the longest stretch without a job in eight years. It was scary. Finally, one of my regular clients came through with a hefty job, but everyone hits panic phase occasionally.

You immediately start questioning your talents, your rates, your abilities, and finally, your decision to get into this crazy business and think that maybe it's time to get out. Okay, so I never got that far, because I simply cannot imagine doing anything else.

What do you do when your regular clients are nowhere to be found? Most of us (maybe all of us) subscribe to one or more web sites for job leads. How can you be selective when you just need work? What's the lowest you'll take? $200? $100? Any amount??? Sometimes I feel as if clients on these sites are taking advantage of our desperation. Are you biting?

I remember one job lead recently where the posting stated that they were already on their third voiceover talent and still couldn't find anyone who was competent. Read on a little farther and you'll see that the job, which was something like 6 1/2 HOURS of finished work, was paying $1000. Do they not understand WHY they couldn't find a competent voice talent for that kind of money?

When no work is coming in, do we sacrifice everything we've worked so hard to get? Maybe. Because if you were a top-level executive and got laid off and spent a few months looking for a job, you just might accept that construction job paying $12 an hour to have something coming in. So it is with voice work. If I didn't take that $200 job, I'd be sitting here with my business principles intact and not working. I always use the example of being a newbie on one of the voiceover sites and finally auditioning for a job that paid what I considered to be chump change. I got the job, and the client turned out to be CitiMortgage, CitiBank's real estate arm. The price for the job was the rate per minute, which suddenly looked a whole lot better. That was 2005, and I've been happily doing all of their online training since.

So how do you cope with the "I got no work" blues?

All the best to all of us who have the best jobs in the world!

Robin Rowan has been a full-time voiceover talent since 2001, self-employed as a writer and voiceover talent for 20 years and in the voiceover industry for more than 30 years.

©iStockphoto.com/technotr

What's the difference between how voice overs are auditioned for and cast on the east coast versus the west coast of the US?

Which coast is it easier to get representation on?

What challenges face talent, casting directors and agencies alike?

Find out the answer to these questions and more today at VOX Daily.

The New World of Voice Over Casting

Billy Serow, head of the voice over department at Abrams Artists Agency, knows a great deal about how business is done in The Big Apple as compared to Los Angeles.

In his world, which is the union world, the voice over business is structured very, very differently between the west coast and the east coast. The east coast is still for the most part a casting director driven business.

Having been a casting director before he was an agent, Billy witnessed the proliferation of the Internet and how it in turn provided a new space for talent casting sites and enabled talent agencies to build their own in house studios to compete.

How Did Things Go Before the Internet?

In the past, casting directors would require talent to come to their studio to audition for them with the benefit of their direction. In this way, the casting director would get some kind of credit from the advertising agency for doing a good job and choosing the right talent.

The Result:

Casting directors are fighting for their livelihoods because it is easy for talent to get an audition through their own efforts and some clients are casting gigs without the assistance of a casting director.

How a Casting Session Works

As was noted, New York is still a casting director driven business, but that being said, casting session budgets for voice overs are small. They are smaller than budgets for on-camera commercials.

On the average for an on-camera audition, a casting director might audition 50 people or a hundred people for a role because they have the budget and the time and the day to do those auditions.

For voice over auditions, casting directors are usually given a half a day or a quarter of a day to do an audition, even if it is for a major, national campaign.

The number of actors who are auditioning for those sessions are maybe 8 to 20 to maybe 25 if it's a very long half day.

What's good then in the New York market is that your odds are then 1 in 20 of scoring the job.

West Side VS East Side

In LA, partially due to geographical reasons, there are very few casting directors who actually concentrate on voice overs because they can't make a livelihood on it any more so most of the auditioning is done in an agent's office at an agent's studio.

If the job goes out in New York with a casting director, if a job goes out to 6 agents, and each agents sends in 3 or 4 people per job. In LA if the job goes out to 20 agents and they're submitting 10 to 20 people, well, you can do the math. You're competing against 200 to maybe even 400 voices.

The structure of the business between Los Angeles and New York is very, very different and certainly easier to break into in the New York market as well as book jobs.

What Can Talent, Particularly in LA, Do To Get More Work?

Los Angeles-based A1 Voice Over Talent and author, Rodney Saulsberry, recommends that voice talent in LA should develop relationships with casting agencies. The competition you are up against in an audition at your agent's office (combined with the other competing agencies) is a lot steeper than the competition you'd face on a boutique casting roster. A boutique casting agency may only list 8 to 15 people of each gender, which of course is more advantageous for talent, especially when you consider the competitiveness of talent agencies potentially vying for the same work.

Any Comments or Questions?

This insight was shared on an expert panel discussion I took part in. If you're interested in reading more from that panel, click here: Voice Coaches Expo Expert Panel 2009.

Have you experienced a change in how casting is done in your neck of the woods? How have you adapted?

I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Kateryna Govorushchenko

What new developments have taken shape at Voices.com?

Discover new features, improvements and more in this Spring '09 Release prepared by Laurynda Pasma.

NEW PROFILE FEATURES

Voice Talent Profile Page Changes

๏ A summary at the top of page now shows the talent's primary demo and most recent feedback rating (if present) and Next steps for visitors to the page. See example.
๏ Removal of individual Store fronts and placement of general store link at the top of the Voices.com pages.
๏ If a client is interested in Store products they may click the Store icon at the top of the page and search for individual talents or browse by category or keywords.

Why remove the individual storefronts and replace it with a general store link?

The simple answer is that not everyone has taken time to create products for their store. When a client would click on one such store and find nothing there, it was disappointing and perhaps, confusing.

Addition of Edit and Save Buttons

What's New?: Members now have Edit and Save buttons present at the top of their General Info pages within their accounts.

What Happens?: If you click on General Info, you will see an Edit button at the top of the page and at the bottom that signals they can modify this info. When clicking on Edit, the next screen has a Save at the top and bottom for any changes made to your profile content.

What To Do: If you have any edits or changes to make, always save your changes.

Profile Completeness Meter Breakdown

On the My Account page, a percentage of completeness is indicated. Each field below is weighted and contributes to the overall completeness. Here is the breakdown of how to achieve full profile completeness.

NEW DEMO FEATURES

Demos Can Now Be Searched For By Voice Age Range

What's New?: Voice talent can now assign an age range to audio files to help clients to conduct even more detailed searches. Note that the Voices.com search engine gives clients the option to take voice age into account.

What Happens?: If a client is searching by age range, they will only see demos that have been classified and match the age range they are looking for. For example, if a client is searching for a teenage voice and searches by the teen voice age range, they'll only be shown demos that have been labeled as Teen.

What To Do: Adding these age ranges is optional. If you choose to do so, be sure to log in to your account at Voices.com and add the appropriate age range to your demos. Only one age range per demo. If there is no age range is assigned to a demo, that demo will never be presented to a client if they are searching for that criteria specifically. Add your voice age ranges to each file you have uploaded to maximize your visibility and opportunities at Voices.com!

NEW MESSAGING FEATURES

Talent and Clients: Ability To Send Files Via Reply Messages

What's New?: Members can now send attachments when they reply to a message sent to them through Voices.com. There is a 10MB limit for sending an audio file.

What Happens?: A copy of the attached file is also stored in the sending member's Sent folder. Only one file per message may be sent.

What To Do: When you are communicating with another member through the site, you are able to include a file attachment before sending that internal message to the recipient. Simply browse your desktop to attach the new file to the message and send.

Private Job Emails

What's New?: Talent are now sent a specialized email notification when they have been invited to reply to a job. Subject line of email is "New Private Invitation at Voices.com"

What Happens?: If you receive an email with that title, that job opportunity is for you specifically, and is a private job.

What To Do: Review the job details and reply to the client, either to respond and apply for the job, or to graciously decline if you are unable to do the job.

NEW JOBS AND AUDITIONS FEATURES

Audition Placement Indicator

What's New?: Talent can now more accurately gauge where they stand in the audition queue, detailed in the Overview screen of their Answered audition.

What Happens?: When voice talent view an answered audition they can now see their audition placement in the Overview tab. The display will read talent placement/total current responses. The placement indicator is a submission number only.

What To Do: Before auditioning, talent can see the number of current responses in the job Overview tab. Once they submit, take a look in the Answered folder and the Overview tab of the job to see where in the audition submissions your audition sits.

Talent Can Now Title Audition Templates

What's New?: Talent may now edit their existing templates and provide a template name to make it easier to identify the correct template when submitting an audition.

What Happens?: All templates currently have "No title" listed until talent log in and update their existing templates. It is strongly advised that you take a moment to title your templates for ease and better reference.

What To Do: Log in to your account and be sure to give each of your templates titles that best reflect their contents or purpose. The Title is presented in the Select a Template drop down list within the Audition response. In an audition situation, choose the most appropriately titled template to accompany your demo and price quote.

Talent Can Now Mass Delete Answered Jobs

What's New?: Talent are now able to delete more than one audition at a time from the Answered folder.

What Happens?: Upon identifying records of answered auditions that you don't want to see anymore, simply check the boxes to delete them en masse.

What To Do: Log in to your account at Voices.com, navigate to your Answered jobs and the listings you no longer wish to see archived in your Answered folder.

Clients Can Request Quotes Directly From Their Favorites

What's New?: Clients may now post a job to talent via their Favorites list.

What Happens?: A client can select one talent, or multiple talent, by checking the box to the left of the talent's name and then clicking the Request Quote button. Clients will be presented with the option of either inviting the talent to an existing job or posting a new job. At this point, they can then select whether or not the job is public or private.

What To Do: Make sure that you are on a client's Favorites List so that you are given more prominence in their account.

Clients Can View Invited List Within Posted Jobs

What's New?: When clients invite talent to their job, those talent appear within the job details immediately as a record of who the client has invited.

What Happens?: The Invited List can be seen via the Description tab within the job. The list shows each talent's name, when they were invited and their current response status. If they have not responded the status is displayed as Open.

What To Do: If a talent has not yet responded to the invitation, the client can click on the talent's name and easily send them a reminder email from their profile page. Once the talent responds they will appear within the client's Responses tab.

Clients Can Give More Direction When Awarding a Job

What's New?: Clients who have posted jobs at Voices.com can now send a message at the award job stage with more direction.

What Happens?: The email will be sent to voice talent internally with the subject line, "Instructions for THE SPECIFIC JOB TITLE". This has been provided instead of enabling talent to contact clients at this stage for now. A copy of the message is stored in the client's Sent folder.

What To Do: If you receive a message from a client like this, you will need to log in to your account, read the message, and then take action according to what your client has shared through this internal message.

Clients Updating Job To Completed

What's New?: Clients can now mark their job as Completed if it has not yet been awarded.

What Happens?: This can be done if the client Edits their posting from the Description tab. Reasons why clients may mark their jobs as completed are : job is not moving forward or a talent has been selected and paid offline.

NEW SUREPAY AND PAYMENTS FEATURES

Clients May Now Request an Edit to a File Uploaded Via SurePay

What's New?: Clients may now include an attachment when requesting an edit to a file uploaded by a talent through a SurePay job.

What Happens?: If a client finds that they need to give a line read, communicate something verbally, or attach a text document with more instructions they are now able to get that information to their voice talent more effectively.

What To Do: If you're a client and need to make use of this, go for it! Communication on projects is incredibly important, and if you need to demonstrate what it is that you need, this may be the best, most efficient (and convenient) way.

Feedback Ratings

What's New?: Feedback ratings are presented on the talent profile page. If there is no record of feedback, no feedback indicators are shown.

What's Happens?: If Feedback has been left, feedback now appears as Stars with a total ratings indicator. For example: ***** (2) indicates a rating of 5 stars averaged based upon the results of 2 separate feedback ratings.

What To Do: Build up your feedback ratings and reviews by using Voices.com's SurePay service to invoice your clients.

WANT TO REQUEST A NEW FEATURE?

Do you have an idea for a new feature that would make for a better experience at Voices.com? Send us an email to send us your feature request, and we'll add it to our to-do list for an upcoming release.

Best wishes,

Laurynda Pasma and the Voices.com Team

Do clients using Voices.com want to hear custom demos?

How many auditions on average are reviewed?

What's the most important factor when picking a voice talent to record?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in the most recent Voices.com Client Survey published by our CEO David Ciccarelli and Product Manager Laurynda Pasma.

HIRING METHOD

At Voices.com, people can hire voice talent by posting a job, searching by keyword or browsing the directory by category. In our survey, we asked clients which approach they take when hiring voice talent at Voices.com.

Take a look and see how people hiring talent go about doing what they do!

AUDITION QUANTITY

A question often asked by voice talent is how many auditions do clients receive for any given job posting?

NUMBER OF AUDITIONS REVIEWED

A similar question is how many auditions do clients actually listen to. The encouraging news is that ¾ of clients are listening to over 50 demos. Clients who are listening to 1-25 demos are posting private jobs where only a limited number of people were invited to respond.

HIRING FACTORS

As you can imagine, your voice-over demo is the single most important factor to clients hiring voice talent at Voices.com. This is followed closely by a combination of the demo and quote.

CUSTOM DEMOS VS. GENERIC DEMOS

The debate continues. If given a script, the majority of clients prefer custom auditions, however, it would appear that this isn't a make-it-or-break it factor.

SHORT LISTING BY ADDING TO FAVORITES

A popular feature among clients, we are finding that they are using their Favorites as a means to shortlist the auditions, narrowing it down even further to a few top picks before to making a final casting selection.

SUREPAY ESCROW SERVICE AWARENESS

More than ever before, clients are hiring voice talent using Voices.com's SurePay escrow service and online work system to complete their projects online.

SUMMARY

The last several months have proven exceptional, validating the decision to redesign Voices.com from the ground up. Read between the lines and you'll recognize that a great demo, a completed profile and being active on Voices.com through auditions are the keys to winning more jobs.

David Ciccarelli, CEO
Laurynda Pasma, Product Manager
Voices.com

This transcript of the Voice Coaches expert panel will make you feel like you were there, and for those who were there, you get to relive some of the event!

If you've been wondering what the difference is between NYC and LA for voice over, when it's time to redo your demo, what the current trends are, working as a voice actor in an animated film or cartoon, what it takes to get the gig and why it pays to be prepared (and a little nervous), sit back and let the experts deliver the answers to you here at VOX Daily.

Warren Garling: We want to start with David Bourgeois because there is something that came up just in the last little bit this afternoon.

David Bourgeois: Just a quick thing I want to add in, here. I had somebody approach me and suggest I clarify this. Some people seem to have a misunderstanding when it comes to marketing yourself with an MP3 versus marketing yourself with a physical demo, that it's a one or the other thing. It isn't, it's a both thing. When we think about services like Voices.com, the clients on that service who are looking for voice actors expect to be marketed to that way. Stephanie and David have put together a tremendous way to effectively market yourself that way. When we speak about not marketing yourself with an MP3, that's when we're talking about blindly sending somebody out an MP3 who doesn't suspect it. Put something physical in their hands in that case I think.

Warren Garling: Well, if you'll allow me just to add, my last two voice over jobs came from folks that I'd given my CD to 18 months before, and it's because it sat on their shelf and because when they thought, "Oh, now I know what I want to use this guy for", they pulled it off their shelf and there it was, but 18 months, a year and a half! I talked to them maybe once or twice in between, so don't tell me that it doesn't work, it does work, it's out there.

Warren Garling: Let's get started. Evan, in animated movies, are the voices of the characters all voice actors, or movie actors, or both, and how would one get into the animation film business as a voice actor?

Evan Farmer: The short answer would be all of the above. I have to clarify first of all, I don't think to my knowledge I've been in an animation movie yet, so Rodney would probably be a much better person to ask that, but, how do you get into it... My experience getting into my voice acting career started and ended in that genre about ten years ago and back then we didn't have MP3s and digital and all that stuff. I actually left a voice mail (laughing) on somebody's tape cassette answering machine. Back then I called in at a specific time because there wasn't call waiting and I would actually just read when I was in my bathrobe the lines they had given me earlier.

Every job I've had since has been an offshoot of networking, somebody had heard my voice, or another project had sort of led to somebody questioning "Hey is this guy available for this sort of thing? Can he audition?" In my experience it's always been an audition of some sort. Now more often than not, it's an audition based upon someone recommending me who was familiar with my work. I don't know if that really answers the question because I really don't have a lot of experience in the film industry.

Warren Garling: Well, let's move next to Rodney then, and just ask how did that transition for you? How did you find yourself doing animated characters?

Rodney Saulsberry: Someone just asked me that question too, up front. You know, it's another branch. You find out that you can do it, and you audition, and you get lucky, and you get cast. Once you're cast once in something animated, that's part of your credits and so you're trusted to audition for other things. One thing I do want to say is that a lot of times, people think that animation is some funny voice. Bob Bergen is Porky Pig; we've got Porky. We've got some other people who do these voices, but every time I've done some animation, I must tell you that I'm talking pretty much have been talking like I'm talking now, especially the character I was hired for, and contractually, they get two more characters out of me and then I may get into a character voice, but for the most part, it's just who you're hearing. Cartoons have gotten real real these days.

Warren Garling: Very good, thank you. Stephanie, the question is obviously we all have limits on what we can spend up front on our careers. After the initial investment, what makes the most sense? I'll go through a list here and maybe we can put these in order. Books, online coaching, home studio, membership in the chamber, membership at online at sites like Voices.com... I have a feeling I know what you're going to rank first (laughter), but where else do you think it is very important to be spending money?

Stephanie Ciccarelli: Well, that's a good question, because obviously money is part of the whole thing. If you are in business you need to be investing in your business. I would say some of the first places you should be spending your money are in education. You've already been through Voice Coaches, there's still more to learn.

Before you do anything else, even before you upgrade for a membership at Voices.com, I strongly suggest that you then invest that money into your studio, because if you don't have a studio at home, you really stand no chance to compete with everyone else who is professionally voice acting on a daily basis, and also it's the only way that you'll get access to those auditions.

So, if you have a home studio, then at least you are positioned to be able to record on the fly, you don't have to check in with a studio to see what their availability is, and you're also saving some money there. Now, I would say lastly, invest in a membership at Voices.com because unless you are ready to go up against people who have been doing this (voice acting) for 25 or 30 years then there really isn't much of a point. If you don't have a studio in your home, you don't have your education, and you don't know how to act, then you're really at a great disadvantage and you won't get anything out of the service and you'll be disappointed. Does that makes sense? Educate, build your home studio, get some experience and then sign up for a membership at a voice over marketplace.

Warren Garling: Very nice, thank you. Dave Goldberg, as a voice over talent with a home recording studio, how much should I concern myself with learning more about or becoming proficient at mixing and editing and adding sound effects, music and that sort of thing?

David Goldberg: That's a great question and it really depends on the type of voice over you are pursuing. So, if you are pursuing, for example, audiobooks, the average unabridged audio book is I think 9.5 hours long. And as Dan spoke earlier from Full Cast Audio, it can take four hours to complete one hour of audio. It takes that long because you have lots of retakes, and you make mouth clicks and pops and you have to go back and start things over again. All that means is that when you go back it, you have 36 hours of recording to clean up, 36 hours of editing. If you are not proficient, it's going to suck. The more proficient you become the more money you make per hour, so again in audiobooks, you are paid by the completed hour of audio. So if you're paid, for example, $100 per completed hour, if it takes you four hours to complete that audio including editing or ten hours, you are at a much better advantage if you can do it in four hours.

With respect to adding music and sound effects: It's a wonderful service if you can be a one-stop-shop for your clients, but adding music and sound effects is very difficult. We've been doing it for 21 years and we're still learning, we really are. Stephanie said, you have to continue learning. I believe that if you offer a service to clients, and you don't do it very well, you'll really hurt your relationship with your client, so go to Voice Coaches. David Bourgeois and Jenny have a wonderful studio and hook up with them, let them do the music and sound effects for you, and maybe do a little markup on the thing, but be a one-stop-shop for your customers. I hope that answers your question, but now I've forgotten what the question was (laughter). See, in voice over you have a script so you don't have to memorize anything so you don't write notes!

Warren Garling: Jenny Marcotte, I really want you to think of me the next time you're looking for a voice. What should I do to make that happen?

Jenny Marcotte: Please keep in touch with me. We were kind of talking about this before where people will go out with their demo and they're sure they are going to do this and I never hear from them. Or, we'll have potential new students call me and say, "How many people are successful in doing this?", but until you tell me and you call me to say, "I've done this job," or "I just got done with this" I won't know and that's actually the best way. I need to know you're still doing it. I think one of the worst things would be to recommend someone and call them up to find out, "Oh, I actually really haven't done this since I made my demo" so it's really important. Please just keep in touch, let me know what you're doing, send me an MP3, send me a quick note, that's the best way.

Warren Garling: Thanks, Jenny. Billy, how much difference is there from East Coast to West Coast re: style, formality, % of use of Internet vs. studio?

Billy Serow: In my world, which is the union world, the voice over business is structured very, very differently between the west coast and the east coast. The east coast is still for the most part a casting director driven business. I was a casting director before I was an agent. I saw with the proliferation of the internet, which in turn made sites and talent agencies building their own in house studios, casting directors are really fighting for their livelihoods because it is easy to get an audition, but casting directors want you to be in their studio to audition for them with the benefit of their direction so they can get some kind of credit from the advertising agency for doing a good job and choosing the right talent.

Budgets for casting sessions for voice overs are small. They are smaller than budgets for on-camera commercials. On the average for an on-camera audition, a casting director might audition 50 people or a hundred people for a role because they have the budget and the time and the day to do those auditions. For voice over auditions, casting directors are usually given a half a day or a quarter of a day to do an audition, even if it is for a major, national campaign. The number of actors who are auditioning for those sessions are maybe 8 to 20 to maybe 25 if it's a very long half day. What's good then in the New York market is that your odds are then 1 in 20 of scoring the job. In LA, partially because of the geographic nightmare that is Los Angeles, there are very few casting directors who actually concentrate on voice overs because they can't make a livelihood on it any more so most of the auditioning is done in an agent's office at an agent's studio.

So if the job goes out in New York with a casting director, if a job goes out to 6 agents, and each agents sends in 3 or 4 people per job, in LA if the job goes out to 20 agents and they're putting on tape 10 to 20 people, well, you can do the math. You're competing against 200 to maybe even 400 voices. If an advertiser is listening to 200 voices, theoretically, chances are they are not listening to 200 voices. Chances are they are listening to the auditions that come in and when they hear someone they like, they go "OK, I'll take that guy". So, the structure of the business between Los Angeles and New York is very, very different and certainly easier to break into in the New York market.

Warren Garling: Would you agree with that, Rodney, or do you want time for rebuttal? (laughter from the audience)

Rodney Saulsberry: No, I definitely agree. Everything Billy said was right. I think it's important to find houses. I'm in LA, and when I have an audition at my agency, which is William Morris, the competition is a lot more because we've got all the William Morris clients plus every other agency in California, in Los Angeles, whereas...

Billy Serow: (off mic) Sometimes also New York.

Rodney Saulsberry: And also New York, Billy's right, however, when I go to a Carroll Casting, which is a big casting agency in Los Angeles, and I've been quite successful there, Carroll has decided on about 8 to 15 guys, so that's it. Elaine Craig Casting... so any time these houses call you, you have a better chance of being successful. Amen to what Billy is saying because everything he is saying is correct.

Warren Garling: Thank you. David Bourgeois, am I always free to use quotes and name of people/brands that I've worked with or do I need permission?

David Bourgeois: I think to a large degree, particularly at the local and regional level, corporate training level, it's assumed by the client that you are going to use some sample of the work on a demo or a quote they gave you or something like that in regard to your marketing material, I do however, and I've run into this professionally... once in a while you will meet resistance and the best course of action is to ask permission to do that. You'll certainly run into situations where you're going to eventually do material that can't be released. A great example, I had a friend do a series of work for the New York State Department of Corrections. Some of it is training for prison guards that can't be released, he can't go putting that on his demo or a lot of prison guards will get beat up, but for the most part, I think absolutely, and I think that it would be unusual for somebody who you work with or have a professional affiliation with to not allow you to do that, so usually, yes.

Warren Garling: All right. Evan, back to animation from a few years back when you did an animated character. What's the difference between doing that kind of a session and a voice over session for what you did on "While You Were Out", which you did in our studios, I'd like to say.

Evan Farmer: That's a great question. One, it's a lot of fun, because there are absolutely no boundaries for a free spirit like myself, it's great, but I learned to enjoy the technical aspects of While You Were Out, and I'll explain the difference. When you go in, and at least the cartoons that I was involved with, we didn't do what's called ADR, I didn't have to match a characters mouth or film when you do ADR, there's a technical aspect to that. I would go in and it was acting as you've heard quite a bit today. It was really all about creating a character using your imagination which is one of the wonderful advantages to voice acting over regular acting in that there's a lack of self-consciousness that you can really grab onto in a studio, in a dark studio with a microphone and it's your imagination that's speaking. I really enjoyed that aspect. I would go in and read lines... usually we would go until both the engineer and I were laughing. That's kind of why I tended to get hired because I'm a goofy kind of guy and I was willing to go there.

I made an allusion to it but my first cartoon voice acting job was for a cartoon called Daria on MTV. I phoned in my audition and I was literally in a bathrobe because I almost missed my audition. I totally forgot the time and everything, and I'm looking at myself in my living room mirror, I'm half dressed, on the phone, just thinking of how ludicrous this was and it loosened me up. That's one of the great things about a home studio as well. It's the same effect. I was safe in my own environment.

Now with the technical side of going in to do voice overs for a show that you're hosting, for example, there's mostly a time requirement and a formula that's alluding me right now, but there is a certain number of seconds per word, so when somebody is writing, a good producer or director who is writing the copy will know that if they have a space they need to fill on the show that they've got 5 seconds, that they can only use a certain number of words. You could always tell, as somebody who has worked on 300 episodes of While You Were Out, for example, 300 episodes where I had to do an hour's worth of voice over narration, you learn very quickly which directors were good at dialing that in, however, I didn't always have the option to change the copy, which would have been a great option so you have to learn to make it work.

The technical side of it mainly came with the experience and the practice and that was being in the studio time and time again. I got to the point where, David (Bourgeois) can testify, we'd go through an hour's worth of voice over and we'd knock it out in about 20 minutes because I'd be dialed into that and he'd say "You've got 3.2 seconds" and I'd hit it at 3.1, and he'd say, "One more time, you've got to add a .1" My brain automatically knew what .1 seconds sounded like and where I needed to get that and still get the inflection. That became a very enjoyable aspect of it to me because it became a sense of accomplishment. I could go in and deliver this great 20 minutes of solid, hit it out of the park work because I had mastered the art of the technique. They are two different beasts altogether, both of them tremendous fun from different perspectives.

Warren Garling: Terrific. Stephanie, we're back to the union again. Does the VO talent have to be a union member for the jobs on Voices.com?

Stephanie Ciccarelli: To answer the question, no, a voice talent doesn't have to be a member of the union. We have non-union talent as well as union talent on the site. There are clients who search for one or the other or they audition both. To some people it doesn't matter and some people are looking for something very specific. But in short, no, it really doesn't matter if you are union or non-union, any voice talent, as long as you are professional and confident in what you can do, and prepared to actually do the work and be ready with your studio and education, training, all the good things that Rodney brought up earlier, then you should be set and you're more than welcome to be listed on Voices.com.

Warren Garling: Very good. Dave Goldberg, what if you are offered a job for an ad promoting a product/person/company that you don't like or support? How could saying 'no' affect my chances at getting work as a voice actor?

David Goldberg: That's an interesting question. I guess I should say that I know a lot of voice talent, a lot of voice actors who have turned down jobs over the years because they just don't believe in the personal product or it could be a politician that you don't support and so forth, so to answer the question how could it negatively affect you?

Certainly, you could lose a relationship with that particular client, and of course as most of you have heard throughout the day, you do one job and you meet the script writer who knows the video editor of another thing and one job can lead to many jobs, and you know, it can have an affect. I think at the same time, if you're working with an agent or a casting agent or a director, producer, copy writer, whoever your direct client is, if you word it in such a way and you stand up for your beliefs, they can possibly come to your aid, and say, "This guy is pretty good. They'll read only what they want to read."

Maybe it makes you look very professional, that you are not so desperate to take on a job that you turn down a job. There are certain things that I personally won't produce, our studio won't produce any commercial for cigarettes, that's our thing. I think it really comes down to what your beliefs are and how important they are, and it probably comes down to how expensive your rent check is and how badly you need to pay your rent check. You have to weigh the pros and cons.

Warren Garling: Good point. Rodney, we get this question quite often from folks and maybe you can help us out a bit. "I'm really concerned about being too nervous when I enter the booth. What can I do to relax?"

Rodney Saulsberry: Well, I think nervous is good, I really do. I said this last year, I was terribly nervous before I came out and spoke with you all today. But if I ever lose that, something would be wrong, and I think that you take that nervous energy, you use that adrenaline to be successful. That's what it does for me, it keeps me on my toes. If you are a basket case and you have a real problem and you never pull it together, I think you're going to have to work on that, I don't know that I can necessarily say how. Taking deep breaths are good I think, just sort of settling yourself. Breathing is real important in voice over and I think it cures nervousness too, at times. But don't fear nervous, embrace it. I think it makes you better, it makes you sharp.

I want to go back to something real briefly about doing work that you don't want to do. I had a person ask me to do a job and they said the money is not that great. OK, that wasn't a problem. Then they sent me the script and I wrote back that I'm not into doing this because I didn't want to be this guy. The guy was the guy who was sexually harassing somebody on the job. And I said in the email, "Don't I have the right as a voice over artist to turn down something I don't want to do?" to which the person wrote back, "Yeah you really do. Well we've got other spots, what if you aren't that guy but the victim or something? Would you be into that?" And I'm like OK, because I'm into the cause, I'm not into sexual harassment on the job, but I did say no to saying the slimy things that this guy was saying and I was respected for it. She wrote back in one email and said, "Why? Is it because of the money?", I said, "The cause, I would do for free. I just don't want to play this character." I thought when they switched and gave me the next character that they were going to say, "Well now you said you would do this for free... would you do it..." but they didn't do that. (laughter)

David Bourgeois: I just want to add to the nervousness question. I agree 100% with Rodney. It can be important to be nervous, it can be an advantage. I would love you all to be nervous, as long as you're nervous about the right thing. Too many voice actors I meet who are new to the field come in to do a professional job, and when I meet them ahead of time, do you know what they are nervous about? They're nervous about getting it right. I need to be nervous about that, I'm the producer, or the client needs to be nervous about that. Getting it right is not part of your job description. You're not going to be determining what right is unless you are self-producing that job through Voices.com.

You've got three things on your plate here, read aloud, take and interpret direction, and very importantly, apply creativity to the material you are reading. You focus on the things you should be nervous about. Develop your reading skill, develop your direction, taking it and your ability to effectively apply direction, and for goodness sake, always with people like me who are producing, I always prefer to have somebody that takes a unique and creative approach to the copy, even if it's 19 miles away from what I'm looking for, I'd rather have that than somebody who comes in flat because at least I know there's somebody who I can work with.

Warren Garling: Great, thank you. Jenny, what are some of the things voice actors you've hired did RIGHT to get invited back to work with you again?

Jenny Marcotte: Did right. Practiced, definitely, came in on time, professional, followed up, thank you. Just what he (David Bourgeois) was saying, you can tell when they were able to take direction, they were creative, they were fun to work with. All of those things definitely help me be able to hire that person back and refer somebody to them.

Warren Garling: Don't forget cookies!

Jenny Marcotte: And the cookies, right, definitely! And cheesecake I think we got too, recently.

Warren Garling: Chocolate chip especially

Jenny Marcotte: Yes, we did. (laughter)

Warren Garling: Let's ask the other side of that and have Jenny answer again. What has someone done wrong when they've come into the studio that in your head you're saying that you you'd never invite this person again or hire this person again?

Jenny Marcotte: How much time do we have? (laughter from the audience) Just on the flip, we recently had this happen. I had a pretty good demo and referred this person. She had not practiced from the time she made that demo. It was an extremely long and painful session I believe, really hard to work with and basically what it does is it then costs us that client, too. People not showing up or thinking it's okay to show up an hour late to a session, having to reschedule... I know it probably sounds ridiculous, but it actually has happened, and it does get mentioned after so please keep those things in mind.

David Goldberg: Let me add a comment to this. I've seen this happen so many times with new talent. You're on your first job and you look at the script and the talent says, (leaning in) "Who wrote this piece of garbage?" (audience laughter) and the client is right there and it's not a good thing to say.

Jenny Marcotte: You can think it all you want.

David Goldberg: Yes, think it, you know... and also, actually, it's kind of a rude story, but I have to tell this and I'll make it fast. We had a woman in the studio once, quick background: there were about 10 producers on this particular job, don't ask why, but the creative director, the script writer, the video editor and so forth, the woman forgot that the microphone was on when she went in the booth and she passed gas (audience laughter), and had no clue, and then all of a sudden 10 people on the other side of the glass are laughing and she had no idea what happened. So remember, the microphone is always on and you don't want to lose a job over silly things.

Warren Garling: Billy, have you noticed a change over the years as to the kind of voices businesses are requesting?

Billy Serow: (leaning in) No. (audience laughter)

Warren Garling: Thank you, next question!

Billy Serow: Ah yes, Rodney touched on this greatly so I'm just going to I'm just going to sound like a broken record. Yes, the operative word "real" and these are the days of the anti-announcer. Every single day, and it's so funny how people say it as if you're supposedly hearing it for the first time. "We're looking for a guy, 40-45, NOT announcery" (audience laughter). Hmm, OK. You take them at their word and then you read the copy and the copy says "Introducing!", something that nobody says in real life, and you're supposed to sound real while saying the word introducing, so yeah, the operative word is "real".

Warren Garling: Stephanie, I notice that you require a minimum $100 fee for any voice work offered through Voices.com. Why can't I charge less?

Stephanie Ciccarelli: Why can you not charge less? Well, the answer is that you need to respect yourself. If you are putting all this work into the audition itself, and your studio, your education, all of these things have culminated to something worthwhile for you in your business, so if you start quoting less than what is suggested and what the client is actually prepared to pay, then you are doing yourself a disservice, your peers a disservice, you're doing the industry a disservice. So please keep in mind that if a client has specified this is my budget, this is the high end, the low end, please meet me somewhere in the middle or do your best to quote, remain within that budget. Also, don't take yourself for granted because your skills, everything you put into yourself, your work, your voice, how they are going to use it... you're worth so much more than undercutting yourself and everyone else who is on the website (applause from panel and audience), so that is why you shouldn't bid less than $100.

Warren Garling: Very nice, absolutely. Dave Goldberg, is there any seasonality to the VO business? Is there a good time of year, bad time of year?

David Goldberg: It depends what you're talking about. We've found at our studios that summers are typically a bit slower, the amount of production work that comes in, meaning for you that it's a fantastic time to market yourselves. Producers have a bit more time on their hands, or their ears, so take advantage of it. And certainly, I guess there are different kinds of commercials that sell more during winter and summer, it depends on the product that's being narrated but, otherwise I'm not familiar with any seasonality.

Warren Garling: OK, thank you. Rodney, how has marketing yourself changed over the years as you've become successful? Do you still have to market yourself just as hard as you did from day one?

Rodney Saulsberry: Yes, you do, and I talked about YouTube. It's just the same. In my book I talk about saturating the market, but it is important to do your research first, you know you don't want to just throw things out there that don't go anywhere. Have a plan, have a group of people that you are going to send something to. If you can, make contact with people at these places that are hired to listen to these demos, and trust me when I tell you that they were hired to do that for a good reason because that's what they are supposed to do. Sometimes they actually do listen, and sometimes you are successful, but you have to take those shots and market yourself. I talked about simplicity.

Someone asked me about pictures on a CD. I think it's a personal thing. If you want to, you can, but when I'm asked my thought about that, I say No. I say that we need to be recognized by our voices and our talent as opposed to someone seeing a picture and deciding something about us and that may make them not hire us for the job. I had a situation recently where I did a cartoon and all of a sudden they said they wanted to see me for a motion cap (motion capture), a mo-cap, they call it, session, and so I had to drive to San Diego and put on this scuba diving type suit and all of these balls on me and this thing on my head. The character that I played, the body and the movements are based on my body, the face is not, it doesn't look like me, but the movements that I'm making... well, you know, I do voice overs! I'm working for 4 or 5 minutes, 30 minutes et cetera, I'm done, they've got me for a day, 8 hours, and all of a sudden I've got rifles in my hand and they're asking me to roll around on the floor and all types of things, and I'm thinking to myself, as

I looked at all these younger people around me, they thought my voice sounded like something (laughing), but now I'm here and I'm not necessarily that same guy. I may not have ever gotten there if they had seen a picture, so let your voice do the work for you and yes marketing is very important, just as it was when I wrote that book in 2004 and talked about saturating the market.

Warren Garling: Thank you Rodney, Mr. Bourgeois, what techniques do you recommend for slowing yourself down when reading text?

David Bourgeois: Well, like Billy said, 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, and this goes way back to when I started training in this field, and we'd bring them back in the control room and play that 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 that 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. But maintaining that conversational average is difficult, feel free, mark your copy up, put reminders at the beginning of the third or fourth line that says, "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.

Rodney Saulsberry: I love that, and I call it scoring the copy. For me, all of this voice over is analogous to music, right, and so I draw lines where I'm going to pause, I draw lines up where I'm going to take a line up at the end, and I think about something that Evan said when he talked about how from doing this over and over again, he began to have an internal clock that just naturally happened, you know, and that's what I'm talking about practicing. The more that you do something, the better you are going to get, and the notation that David is talking about, and what I'm telling about, you're going to do that - I still do that today - but you will find that if you keep doing it, practice is practice, and then pretty soon it's in you and you got it, and you don't even need to mark it as much, but do in the beginning, and if you have to mark late like I still do, mark.

Underline words that you're going to emphasize, if you're going to go down, you're going down, if you're going to go up, it's going up.

I do an exercise where I can have two people, and we can have a paragraph, no let's say a few lines, four or five lines. I will have one person score the copy, come up with an interpretation and then score it. Underline words they are going to emphasize, make a line go up when they are going to go up, make a line go down. I will have that person read that interpretation that they have just scored, or do just what David said, and then the next person will tell us and tell that person where their underscores were, where the lines were going up, where the lines were going down. Do you see what I'm saying? That's how important scoring copy is and that's how obvious it can be if you have written this map that is so right on that somebody can tell you what's on your paper. When we looked at the paper, the next student got it exactly right, because the person read their interpretation just like they scored it.

Evan Farmer: The power of the scoring, and for me it's mostly on-camera stuff, is so evident that when I score an audition for a sitcom audition, for example, and I'll see other actors also doing the same thing in the room, I'll take my sheet into the room and typically I'm off-book by the time I go into read. I'm a big believer in preparedness. It's one way to take the fear out of an audition. Anytime you feel anxiety about something it's usually nature's way of saying, "Hey prepare, prepare for what's coming. Are you prepared?"

Sometimes there are other things like what we've spoken about before, but my copy of that audition sheet to me is such gold, that I wouldn't in a million years let another actor see it, because my interpretation that I have come up with could the the ticket of why I got the job, and I'll give you a quick example of that.

Austin Powers III : Gold Member, anybody see that? Young Number 2 character, Robert Wagner, originally Rob Lowe, I was the high school version.

Now, to give you an idea of what I was up against, when I auditioned for that I was 30 years old, I was playing a high school character, and in film that's not always a leap of faith, but the people they had already cast for characters to play next to me were in high school. But, I went in and I auditioned, and actually it's a longer story and I'll make it shorter, I auditioned for another character, the casting director came in and said, "Hey, that guy looks like Rob Lowe", thought I looked like I could be the part, mind you, I was at the apex of my career, I had a big television show, I had been in the MTV thing where we opened up for Britney Spears, I could go into malls and get my shirt ripped off my back and yet I was in there auditioning for the first audition just like everybody else.

So another example, it never ends, you're never too big, and your marketing never stops, but that's not the point.

I go in there, and I had this line, and I'll never forget it. It didn't end up in the movie, and I'll tell you exactly where it comes, but my character was supposed to explain his existence in the prequel episodes of the movie, and my character, Number 2, I walk up to Young Doctor Evil who is looking at his class standings, his ratings in the class, and he says, (in character) "Hey look everybody, I'm Number One!" and that was the part I originally auditioned for and I clearly didn't get it for that reason you just saw.

Anyway, my character comes up and I walk up in my Robert Wagner / Rob Lowe kind of voice, and I did a lot of preparation, in fact DVDs for me are a great way because I needed to find that voice and I had to find something that kind of had a blend of both of them. So I watched the DVDs and watched Robert Wagner in the special scene selections and Rob Lowe talking at the end of those. That's how I prepared for that movie. So anyway, my character comes in and says (in character), "Hello, I'm Number 2" and so he goes, "Hello, Number 2", and I have to explain to him, and this line is how I got the movie, I explained to him, "No, my name is not Number 2, I'm Number 2 in the class", and then he goes on to say something, he goes, "Well, what's your name?" It was something like Mark Banibischibinibinischwitz, or something ridiculous, you know, some Hollywood... and he says, "Well, I'm sorry to hear that", and then of course this is the part, and my script actually had this little sign I have for a take when an actor kind of takes a moment and acts without saying anything, and I took a deep breath, and he says, "I'm sorry to hear that", and I went (huskily, airy Robe Lowesque), "Tell me about it".

It was this big pause in this scene that had this rhythm and it broke the scene up. So fast forward, I get the part, return that $700 suit I bought at Macy's to audition with (audience laughter), always keep the receipt, and I'm on set with Jay Roach and we're doing the scene, and I notice on the script that the line had been cut out and I was a little upset because I knew that was my moment.

That was actually the very moment I could see on the casting directors faces and the directors faces that I got the part. Sometimes you don't know, but sometimes in an audition you can just get that visceral, boom, I'm in. That was the moment.

So anyway, I walk up and Jay was having a hard time getting this good scene out of me and he couldn't understand why because he didn't realize it had been rewritten 17 times. He's like, "There's something you did in the audition. In fact, Mike Myers..." - this is one of those great moments where you get a glimpse into the decision making process - "In fact, Mike Myers and I watched your audition tape and we both" - and I can't say it - "Beeped ourselves. It was awesome. What did you do?"

I knew because I remembered it was that moment that I'll never forget that I got the part. And I said, "Oh, well it was this line that is no longer in it (the movie)". It was that, and I made that decision on my couch while I was reading through this, and I found an opportunity for me to shine, for me to give a little piece of me that nobody else probably will, and now had somebody seen my sheet, if they could even read my scoring, I don't know if they could have picked that up but that one take is how I did. That's how critical it is from a perspective of on-camera as well, and to this day I never let anybody see my sheet, and I write in code (audience laughter).

Warren Garling: Thank you very much, Evan. Dave Goldberg, it's been a while since I did my first demo. When do you know it's time for a new one?

David Goldberg: If it's been a while, yes. A couple of things to say about this. The most important thing, I think you said it, Jenny. It's so important that if there's a time lapse between when you've made your demo and got your first job that you are able to reproduce the sound on your demo. Does that make sense to everyone? Because we've lost clients over that same reason and it's not good for anyone.

So when is it time to make your new demo?

1. When you have improved.

2. If you have a new specialty that you want to focus on, so for example, you may have a demo that just focuses on general commercial or general narration but perhaps you decide to focus on animation, or audiobook or documentary or educational or sales and presentations and so forth.

3. It's time to produce a new demo when the styles on your existing demo are all out of date. And you don't need to produce an entirely new demo, but if you have a demo that sounds like it was done in 1997, add one or two new spots on your demo, and now hopefully if a casting agents ears are in tune, they'll listen to your demo say, "Well, it sounds like they were working ten, twelve years ago and they are still working today," because you have a new sounding style on your demo, it appears as if you're very experienced, you have been working for twelve years. There's some thoughts.

David Bourgeois: Yeah, I agree completely with what Dave says, and the mindset should be like this, your demo is your resume; your demo is never done throughout your voice over career. You'll continue to add to your demo, tune your demo just based on exactly what Dave said, you know, you develop a new skill, you want to focus on a specialty, particularly in a B market, you've done some recognizable work that you want to include on your demo, but it's a resume - keep it fresh and I 100% agree with Dave on a point he made - you've really got to bring your skill set into the studio with you. Make sense?

Stephanie Ciccarelli: I'd like to add something to this too, and I think David you kind of pointed to it, you can have older material on your demo just make sure it isn't dated like, "1997, come get our Ford whatever it is!" because right away you know that is 10, 12 years old. That, and also keep in mind that you will age too, your voice is going to change. For women, your voice matures when you are 40 years old. It will go through a variety of different stages depending on how old you are when you start your voice over career. You will go from sounding one way to maturing and so forth.

Men, your voices tend to stay around the same area for a while. When you're middle aged, you'll still sound like you're younger, potentially. Your voice will shift as well, obviously it will happen, but as you age, take a look at it. If you listen to your demo and all of a sudden you don't recognize the voice on that demo (audience laughter), it may be time to reconsider because it's just like a headshot. If you get a headshot done and you're passing out this picture of yourself but it doesn't look like you anymore, you're misleading somebody with what you can do.

So, if you keep up with the trends, keep up with the different things in the market, but also make sure that what people are hearing is actually something that you can still do, as you age obviously you can still manipulate your voice to sound younger perhaps, or to sound older, but if you can't maintain that anymore and if your natural speaking voice has shifted into a different register, for men, sometimes tenors will become baritones, so keep that in mind, but specifically for women, you're going to want to look at this more because the female voice ages more dramatically as the years go on, more so than the male voice does, so I just thought I add that in there.

Warren Garling: Thank you Stephanie, and that's going to have to be the last word. Ladies and gentlemen, can I hear a rousing thank you for these folks (audience applause)

Any Comments You'd Like To Share or Add?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

On behalf of everyone on the panel and at the Voice Coaches Expo, thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed this conference coverage.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Valerie Loiseleux

The first presentation at the Voice Coaches Expo this year was delivered by Jay Silverman, discussing how technology can help to facilitate traditional marketing techniques while reminding us that offline marketing is still one of the most personal and effective ways to self-promote.

I've taken some time to jot down much of what Jay advised as well as added my own thoughts in this article about how you can leverage technology combined with the personal touch.

Modern Self-Marketing

Creating new opportunities to market yourself has never been easier thanks to technology, specifically, the Internet.

Having a website that you can call your own to feature your voice on is absolutely mandatory in today's world where you, and your voice, may be only a click or several keystrokes away.

Although the web offers an abundance of opportunity to network and get the word out about your business, don't forget that there is a whole world out there of flesh and blood connections that you can introduce yourself to with some personal marketing.

How Marketing in Person Can Strengthen Your Online Marketing

Many people grew up before social networks, before it was common to use the Internet as a business tool, or even before the Internet existed, period. Networking was based upon the physical of meeting people in person at events, business meetings, at conferences, social encounters and in the workplace.

Firm handshakes, making eye contact, being friendly and open while exuding confidence and an attitude of service were and still are key in developing meaningful business relationships... the challenge faced today is making those skills translate to networking in a virtual environment.

Those same people are also in business today, and to their benefit, are applying techniques and person-to-person communication skills to online efforts.

Creating More Business Opportunities

People everywhere admire and are moved by the personal touch. It means so much more when you receive something that you know has been touched, written by hand or sent especially to you in the mail.

Consider the following ways that using technology can help create more business for you:

Have hard copies of your demo on CD: Being able to hand someone a physical representation of your work is very important. You'll find that there are people who want to hire you who are uncomfortable with receiving attachments via email, especially when it's the first encounter. While MP3s are more convenient for you as the sender, sometimes they can pose issues and actually deter people from listening to your work if the MP3 is unsolicited.

Business Letter that accompanies the demo: Share that you are looking for work and have the talent, are understanding of what that perspective employer does and thus needs from you. Do more self-marketing through following up. More business is lost because someone drops the ball on follow up than any other reason.

Do web research to learn more about who the clientele is: Find out what they need and how your voice can help target their target audiences.

Build a website: Your website gives you the opportunity to look better and present yourself. Fully display your range, depth of your voice, and other assets.

TIP: Don't just hope that someone finds your website among the millions of sites out there. You must guide people to finding your website. Helping them find you is very important. List the URL of your website on your business card.

Marketing activities still work, and as communications processes evolve, you can apply the same principles to your marketing as before.

Job Opportunities May Rely Upon 3 Things:

1. Training and your ability to use it (formal training, reading articles, listening to podcasts, etc.)
2. Communicate person to person and sell yourself to convey that you know what you are doing and that you can help them.
3. Your willingness to use some of your time resources even better. For those who are still working in other areas outside of voice over, you will need to give up more time than potentially anticipated.

Tell The World!

Hesitation will only hold you back.

Here are a number of ideas to help you self-promote and be a good ambassador for your business:

๏ Be aggressive in marketing yourself
๏ Take advantage of marketing opportunities already out there
๏ Be creative in establishing marketing opportunities for yourself
๏ Educate people about voice over
๏ Educate people, even those at social / recreational events you participate in
๏ Business meetings outside of your workplace
๏ Give examples that they'll recognize to learn more about what voice over is really about
๏ Bring a load of business cards
๏ Training makes you qualified to seek out work
๏ Do something social to network with people one-on-one, BBQs for instance
๏ Non-technical, inexpensive ways to extend your self-marketing a little bit farther.
๏ Be prepared
๏ Develop an elevator speech / pitch

Elevator Speech / Pitch

When you give an elevator speech, you're summing up who you are, what you do and how you can be of service to someone in less than 60 seconds. You can also see this as the amount of time it would take you to travel on an elevator with a person of influence from the first floor lobby to their executive office, upwards of 30 floors or higher. You've got a limited window of opportunity to make an impact and you've got to have your pitch down.

If there is a follow up question from the person you are talking to, you know they are interested.

For some great examples of this, visit:

60 Second Pitch Contest at Voices.com

Parting Words

Remember to follow up and stick with it. Also, always have a copy of your demo on you as you'll never know when opportunity will knock. Handing someone a demo CD, even though it may seem to be low-tech when compared to zipping an MP3 off to someone, is still a viable and potentially preferred way to present someone with your offering and show them what you can do.

Jay Silverman (Mechanicville, New York)

In addition to being a voice actor and professional announcer, Jay is a marketing and public communications expert. His experience in communications training spans the corporate, government, higher education, and not-for-profit sectors. Jay is a member of the marketing faculty at the Sage College and the University of Albany.

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/P_Wei

As a voice over professional, you may take for granted that people are intrigued by what you do, perhaps even follow your work by hearing alone.

What have you been voicing lately?

Share some of your most recent gigs so that people far and near may find out who they are listening to and check out more of your portfolio!

What Have You Been Voicing Lately?

I'd love to hear what you've been up to in the last month or so. If you want, include ongoing campaigns your voice is part of so that your fans can find you, too!

Share some of your voiceography now!

Just leave a comment below. Fans and prospective clients will be able to find your comment via searching and get to know you a bit better.

Cheers,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/digitalskillet

For many voice talent, interpreting a script isn't a problem... it's wondering what else to include in the recorded audition!

When you're creating a custom demo or auditioning for a voice over job, do you simply submit dry voice, or do you include music, sound effects or other production elements?

Share your comments and experiences with your friends at VOX Daily.

Auditions: Dry Voice or Full Production?

Recording your voice for an audition is one thing but adding tracks with music and sound effects is another.

Dry voice is pure, 100% you (no preservatives and or pesticides)!

"Dry voice" is the industry's way of saying unadulterated sound. When you are required to record a dry voice track, all you should be doing is providing your read, nothing more. That means no music, no sound effects, no effects on your voice, you get the picture.

What happens when you add to your voice?

Adding to your voice is a completely different animal. Whenever something is "produced", it means that production elements were used, such as music, sound effects and so on. Usually in this instance, you are multi-track recording and might have a separate track set aside for your voice with an array of tracks for music beds, sound effects and the like.

Depending on what it is that you are auditioning for, you may find that produced audio may either help or hinder your chances of landing the gig. Dry voice is safe, but remember, it's not always the safe choices that get noticed...

Having said that, whether you decide to do dry voice exclusively or dabble in production, always make sure that your vocal choices with regard to interpretation are unique and demonstrate how you would best serve the client.

What's Your Auditioning Style?

Depending on which you prefer, how has this worked out for you, and does one provide better results than the other?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

P.S. Thanks for Elizabeth Webb Sosner for the inspiration to write this post :)

©iStockphoto.com/Imgorthand

Adam Caplan gave an amazing presentation at PodCamp London called "The Practice of Brevity", teaching us how to deliver a compelling, educational and entertaining message in two minutes or less.

Don LaFontaine's name came up as someone he had worked with and I decided to follow up with Adam to discover more about his experiences with "The Don". Adam has graciously shared some of his insight and memories here with us at VOX Daily for you to enjoy.

Learn more about how Don LaFontaine's masterful application of the art of brevity helped him to make a significant and profound impact while maintaining his trademark delivery and singular style.

Working with Don LaFontaine, A Master of Brevity

By Adam Caplan

I had the pleasure of working with Don only a few times as the Head Writer or Creative Director would generally direct the sessions - I was a 'preditor' (Producer/Editor combo), and so our work 'together' was limited.

Most of the work done by the company I worked for (DG Entertainment) was for TV promos and movie packages (I have a Field of Dreams spot voiced by Don and written by Harris Cohen for DG Entertainment that's really great). TV spots for shows like Leeza, 'Go Wild' and radio for the Star Trek franchise were the day-to-day for Don, so we would be a regular stop on his daily tour of the city's TV & movie shops.

Don started out as a writer; Indeed, he is frequently credited for inventing the catchphrases for which he became known.

Sometimes, hanging out in the sound booth, I watched as his ability to tell stories informed every part of his work. It was this sensibility that was perhaps what inspired me most about him; his ability to look at a script and intuit the angle that the writer/producer was going for.

When he performed, he would physically find the beats and use his own rhythm to sell the angle.

It wasn't Don's voice that made it memorable, it was the way Don led us into the story he was telling, showing us, the audience, how to emotionally empathize with what we were hearing or watching, no matter the length or the subject.

Moreover, Don was a consummate gentleman and professional. His generosity of spirit, advice, and the time he made for young voice actors is still legendary, and remains an inspiration for me when I am approached to offer advice or mentorship for those seeking to enter new media.

Finally, I believe that Don was a true innovator.

He really was the first to recognize that his voice provided the emotional tone and timbre for the text that was written, much in the same that a concert violinist or pianist can provide new insights into music that is sometimes hundreds of years old. This innovation is notable because it represented the migration from the insistently stoic voice-over style of the mid-century to our modern, emotionally pitched voices.

Don brought humanity to modern promotional media, and brought our emotions front-and-centre.

As someone engaged with short-form media I can say that the hardest goal - and the most important - is to leave audience members with an emotionally memorable message. The only way to do that is to engage listeners emotionally, and lead them to the point you're trying to make by showing them, with emotional resonance, rather than telling them, with just words. Aligning the words with the right emotion takes practice and talent, and is tremendously valuable when it's realized.

Finally, to voice actors: Consider writing!

Blogging, short stories, scripts, poems... All these formats require a knowledge of the fundamental tenets of storytelling. By practicing the art of storytelling, and understanding a writer's sensibility, you can both improve your own interpretive (and thus performance) abilities, and also have a more informed conversation with your clients and their copywriters.

Sincerely,

Adam Caplan

Adam Caplan is a lecturer at the University of Western Ontario and is a graduate of the California Institute of the Arts. He works at his own startup, web.isod.es. You can follow also Adam Caplan on Twitter.

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

Learn how to take care of your voice, engage in a vocal warmup, speak clearly and become more confident behind the microphone.

Discover how you can improve your voice over technique and achieve a personal best with regard to vocal performance.

Your audience will thank you!

PodCamp London

Yesterday, I presented at PodCamp London and am eager to share the contents of my session with you!

The topic was "Content is King But Voice is Queen".

During my session, those in attendance heard an abbreviated, but substantial, version of what I have blogged about in today's article.

My audience was a group of podcasters, however, I think you'll find a great deal of value in this as voice over professionals or public speakers.

Content is King...

When you're trying to reach an audience, the most important aspect of your presentation is your content.

As a podcaster, you have the responsibility to:

- Research topics
- Create quality content
- Be prepared

...but Voice is Queen

Why would I say that voice is queen? Why not audio production skills or something else?

- Your voice communicates the message
- Makes creative choices when interpreting copy
- Voices connect with people on a deep, human level

These Pipes Were Made for Talkin'

- The human voice has been used for thousands of years to communicate
- It's the most effective way of engaging another person
- When talking, realize that it's not all talk, it's social engagement

Know And Love Your Voice

By now, I'm sure you've realized just how singularly important it is to keep your voice safe, after all, without it, podcasting would be incredibly difficult. How many of you take care of your voice, I mean, really treat it well? Like most things, before you can meet its needs, you need to have a relationship and understanding of how your voice works and how you can protect your asset.

Caring For The Voice

Your voice is so delicate. It's not something you can turn on or off by flicking a switch. It's also not something that you can carry in a bag or download on the Internet. Simply put, your voice is with you at all times and cannot be put on hold or paused whenever it's convenient to do so.

When caring for your voice, you need to be aware of just how sensitive your instrument is and also realize that it is just that, an instrument. Coming from a musical background, I grew up abiding by a number of guidelines set in place to protect my voice. In university, the first week of school, we were handed an extensive package that described in great detail what to avoid doing to save our instruments from harm.

Getting sick aside, any number of external elements could affect the well being of your voice and its performance, including what you eat, drink, breathe in and so on.

Don't Abuse Your Voice

Yelling, screaming, whispering, crying and even talking extensively on the phone can all wear your voice down. You might have been surprised by the telephone citation, but believe me, it's a culprit and is very tiring, drying and can be taxing on your voice.

Some of those things may appear to be obvious to you because they directly involve the use of your voice. Now consider this. Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcoholic or caffeinated beverages, and inhaling second-hand smoke can also injure your voice.

Avoid these at all costs before a recording and stick to water as the beverage of choice.

Also be mindful to not wear perfume or cologne before you warm up your voice and record. If you must wear something, make it a light, neutral scent. Remember, no one can smell you through your podcast.

Be Realistic

Know your range and respect its natural boundaries.

If you know that your vocal range is limited to an octave or so, don't push harder to reach low, growly pitches or strain to speak too high, either. Do not force yourself because you'll not only sound bad but it will also hurt your voice.

Your natural speaking voice sits in your comfort zone, also known as your tessitura. Tessitura is an Italian word that refers to a singer's comfortable range that presents its best sounding texture or timbre.

Bearing this in mind, your voice has limits and you'll need to respect them otherwise you will grow tired quickly and find that your voice is under performing, even in pain.

Protecting Your Voice From Sickness

Protect your voice from environmental factors / sick people!

I went to see my doctor just yesterday for an ear/nose/throat issue and in passing, he mentioned that he has seen more people lately who are sick with a cold than he did throughout the entire winter. For whatever reason, there's something going around, and because of what we know about how important our voice is, we've got to do even more to protect ourselves from getting sick.

Being sick when you record changes the quality of your voice, its range and also may injure you. When you're sick, it's best to let your voice rest and save recording for another day.

Some Tips For Keeping Healthy:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly
2. Make as little contact as possible with those who are sick
3. Take your vitamins, remain hydrated, get lots of sleep and eat healthy foods

Warming Up Your Voice

- Stay hydrated
- Start with gentle warmups like humming
- Engage your articulators and resonators - do tongue twisters

Don't Forget To Breathe!

- Breathing and support is fundamentally important
- Supporting from your diaphragm helps you to project
- Phrase well by speaking on the breath

When we were little babies, breathing was so natural. Over time, you lose your ability to breathe properly and fall into some bad habits. When you are singing, speaking in public or acting, you need access to as much supported breath as possible and that may mean that you need to relearn how to breathe deeply, sustain the breath and use it to buoy your phrases.

For a moment, I want you to stop thinking about everything and concentrate only on breathing. Feel the air as you inhale as it fills your lungs, and gently exhale and release. If you can, please stand for this to get the full effect. Put your hand on your stomach now as you breathe. When you breathe in, your ribcage should expand as your lungs fill with air. When you breathe out, let the air leave you slowly on a hiss.

Panting like a dog can help you to establish proper breathing technique in its earliest stages. Try it. You can't help but inhale and exhale properly when you are panting. Pant quickly at first to get the rhythm and then slow it down so that you can dissect your breathing technique. When you breath in, your stomach should expand. When you breath out, or exhale, your stomach should return to its normal state.

What Did You Say?

Seldom do you misinterpret what a professional actors says or miss words due to poor diction on a CBC radio program, however, when it comes to podcasting, not everyone is a trained professional and aware of how they pronounce words, intone or deliver their speech.

I once had a teacher at my choir school who would ask people to come in literally off the street to see if they could understand what our class was singing. If someone who was hearing the piece for the first time could repeat back exactly what we were singing, we knew that our diction was spot on. If they had difficulty, we had to place more emphasis on spitting our consonants out.

Sometimes it helps to have another person listen to your recordings before you publish them and be that second set of ears for you.

- Be conscious of how you sound
- Watch your diction
- Project your voice and do not mumble

Your Voice Speaks Volumes About You

- Your voice and how you use it defines you
- How you use your voice will directly impact your audience
- People expect to hear quality content and pleasant voices

Podcasting is an audio medium and the most important tool that you have to communicate your message is your voice. If you are recording podcasts for pleasure and are not trying to make a business of it, people will not be as judgmental, however, if the podcast is for a corporation or organization, there is the expectation that the voice over be of professional caliber.

Final Tips:

- Drink lots of water!
- Respect your voice
- Maintain good health
- Speak in your comfort zone
- Prepare for success

Download The Presentation At Slideshare.net

If you'd like to download a PDF copy of my presentation, visit this link:

"Content is King But Voice is Queen" from PodCamp London by Stephanie Ciccarelli

At some point in the near future, the actual recording of the presentation will also be available to enjoy. Thanks to those of you who attended in person and via the web on Saturday streaming live!

Thank you also for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post!

Cheers,

Stephanie

Have you ever considered having a professional photograph taken to help you promote your career?

Last night I had my first session with London, ON photographer, David Raposo, and I'd like to share a bit about my experience with you.

As a voice actor, you might think that head shots aren't a priority or good for business, however, you may change your mind after you read this.

Head Shots

Whether you like it or not, nearly everyone in the entertainment industry needs to have a quality head shot or portrait taken that will represent them as professionals.

Before now, I had never sat for a true business photo session, mainly because I felt that it could wait or that I didn't need a head shot. Perhaps you feel like this too and are just waiting for a kick in the butt to get yours done.

My butt kicking came after I realized that when people ask me to speak somewhere, I need to have a photo that they can use online or in agendas to help sell what I'm talking about to complement a thoughtfully worded bio. If I were to publish a book, be quoted in a newspaper or even show up at an industry event, having a photo already prepared is not only convenient but mandatory.

Boy, do I wish I had done this earlier!

I was photographed by London, Ontario photographer, David Raposo. David also photographed David Ciccarelli, my husband and Voices.com co-founder, a couple of months ago. Raposo has experience working with fashion models, business people, does wedding photography and enjoys taking photos of families, too. I'm already looking forward to booking my next session and also family portraits to capture more of the people I love in pictures.

5 Characteristics You'll Find in a Good Photographer:

1. They are interested in getting to know you as a person
2. They have mastered the art of lighting
3. The photographer has been referred to you and gets a lot of business through referrals
4. Their work has been featured in newspapers, magazines, online, etc.
5. They know how to direct a session, put you at ease, and can inspire ideas

Great Photo Session = Being Comfortable

The key to a great photo session is confidence and feeling comfortable with your photographer.

The first part of the session may be spent getting to know each other. If you are at ease, the images are more authentic, believable and are also less grating to look at when you review them following the session.

When I took a look at the first round we did shortly after I arrived (I had only met David in person that night but knew of him through referrals, networking, email and Facebook), I admit that I wasn't as relaxed as I was once we really got rolling 20 minutes later. By picture 35 or so, I was in tune with what was being asked of me and I was even making suggestions at that point which was truly progress for me.

There were in the neighbourhood of 70 pictures taken during the 1 hour session. One of the great things about digital photography is that you can keep shooting and you don't have to worry about running out of film.

5 Tips on How To Prepare for a Head Shot Session

1. If you're a woman, wear your hair down, perhaps flat iron it if you like
2. Choose neutral, safe colours to wear that won't look dated years later
3. Solid colours are best - patterns or lines are too distracting
4. Have pro makeup done. Men: basic foundation/powder is a must... yes, you heard me!
5. Envision your goals and think of some poses you'd like to try

Word of caution: If you are considering cutting your hair or doing anything drastic to your appearance, hold off until you have had your photos taken. I wanted to cut my hair shorter but am glad that I chose not to do so before these pictures were taken. Thank you to the many people who urged otherwise and helped to persuade me!

Miscellaneous Photography Session Tips

๏ Come prepared with a few outfits or shirts that you can change into
๏ Bring a hair brush with you as well as any items you might wish to keep on hand
๏ Invite a friend to come with you to the session to make you more comfortable
๏ Get adequate sleep the night before
๏ Drink lots of water and even bring some to the session
๏ Treat yourself to a relatively stress-free day if you can manage it
๏ Try to schedule your hair (first) and makeup (second) appointments close together
๏ Let your makeup artist know that you need professional makeup applied for photos
๏ Book your session at a time of day when you are at your best, hopefully following shortly after your hair and makeup appointments
๏ Reapply lipstick if necessary - men, bring a moisturizer or lip balm to avoid chapped lips
๏ Don't wear ridiculous footwear or tight fitting clothes - resist torturing yourself! It's just a from the chest up sort of photo, not your whole body
๏ Be willing to try different poses or facial expressions, even suggest some of your own
๏ Bring clippings from magazines of images you like / would like to recreate in your shoot

So, that's what is really going on with head shots.

They are a great boon to you as a professional, but make sure that you're also in it for the journey and appreciate the warmer, more personal side.

I hope my experience has helped you in some way to prepare for an enjoyable photo shoot!

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

Have you ever visited an online medical site?

Many health care related sites are now providing useful, reliable health information directly to patients to help them manage their conditions and make treatment choices through interactive presentations involving voice over.

Learn more about this opportunity for voice over talent and also hear from Shelley Baldiga, the voice of the Information Therapy Conversations presented on the Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare's website.

Information Therapy

While not replacing consultations with medical professionals, these interactive avenues, such as the resources offered by Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare, provide people with access to information that will help them to take better care of themselves to solve age-old problems.

To enrich these presentations, and better engage potential customers, voice over is being used more and more in this field.

How Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare Is Using Voice Over

The Wall Street Journal reports that Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare, a nonprofit health plan in New England, recently began offering on its Web site one of Healthwise's coaching programs called Information Therapy Conversations.

The site, open to the public at harvardpilgrim.org/conversations, guides consumers through issues such as dealing with sleep problems, depression and lower-back pain. Using soothing voice-overs and animations, it asks questions to determine the extent of the problem, suggests the types of doctors or health professionals who might help, and provides information based on the patient's answers.

I had the opportunity to talk with Shelley Baldiga about her experience recording the voice over and have included our interview for you to read.

VOX: How did you get the job narrating these conversations for Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare?

SHELLEY BALDIGA: I actually narrate the conversations for a company called Healthwise, an organization that provides health information and programs for major hospitals and insurers like Harvard Pilgrim HealthCare as well as Internet sites like WebMD. I auditioned with Healthwise for their first conversation back in 2006 and have been voicing for them ever since.

VOX: Thanks for clarifying that detail, Shelley! When taking one of the guided conversations about sleep, I noticed that there are a number of variables presented, which I'm sure translated to a lot of voice over work having to record accounting for each possible scenario in the survey. How many prompts did you record for each conversation?

SB: I believe it's around 350 individual audio files per conversation. The whole recording session is totally fragmented -- from doing partial sentences to single transitional words, like "okay", "great" or "hmmmm." And, as you would expect, each response varies depending on where we are in the conversation. We also have to consider what someone has already told us as we travel down different paths. For example, on the sleep conversation, we ask how long they've had sleep problems, do they need an alarm to wake up, what do they do right before bed, have they been diagnosed with sleep apnea or depression, etc. Then, we refer to that information when giving advice down the line. The producer is constantly reminding me who a particular response applies to. "This is for someone who says he doesn't have sleep apnea but does have anxiety about lack of sleep..." You have to consider those variables when reading the lines.

VOX: How long did this project take for you to complete?

SB: We're more efficient now than with our first conversation. These days, it takes about 4-5 hours to record a single topic, start to finish.

VOX: Have you yourself found these conversations to be useful? Did you learn anything from them when recording?

SB: I've learned a lot! It has helped me to better understand diabetes, which is helpful since my dad was recently diagnosed with type 2. I could tell you all kinds of interesting facts about heart health and the medications for it, when to have surgery for low back pain, things like that. I learn something new every time we record.

VOX: You got to keep your own name for the character you recorded. Was this something that was decided from the start or were you able to make a suggestion that your first name "Shelley" be used?

SB: Healthwise wanted to use my name. I believe their reasoning was "to keep it real." The whole concept is that this should sound like an actual conversation you'd have with your doctor or some other medical professional, not just automated responses from your computer. That's what makes the product so compelling. It really feels personal, like you're talking with someone who wants to help. And I have to think that helps people take away more information, and in a much more fun way.

VOX: As a voice over talent, it is rare to record a script using your own name. Did narrating as "Shelley" make a difference in how you interpreted the script? How did it feel? Were you recording as you or did you develop a new character with specific qualities who happened to bear the same name?

SB: I think narrating as myself has made a difference. I see the character as me... but in a medical role. As long as I remember I'm wearing that hat, there's never any question about how the character will respond. And I find myself focusing a lot more on who I'm speaking to, rather than who my character is supposed to be.

VOX: Your work got some nice coverage in the Wall Street Journal and I was wondering if you had heard additional commentary, perhaps even from users of the site? Have you heard much feedback regarding the conversations?

SB: The feedback has been great! People seem impressed with the fact that they get specific health advice based on their specific symptoms, not just a generic speech. Plus, it's fun and different. When asked about the voice, we hear comments that run from "she sounds like a nice, older lady" to "she sounds hot!" I have to laugh. I guess it depends on who they want the character to be.

VOX: What has been the biggest challenge in a project like this?

SB: For me, it's finding that balance between being too laid back and too preachy. The conversations are interactive and they're supposed to be fun! But we're talking about serious stuff - sometimes life-or-death health conditions. It's a challenge keeping things casual without offending anyone or turning someone away. It helps to remember... just keep it real.

Have you had any experience using or narrating Information Therapy?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Stephanie

What will you be doing for Earth Day?

I'm pleased to welcome back actor, writer and the source of many intellectual musings, Edoardo Ballerini.

Join me now in this discussion about how you can make a difference and how the entertainment industry can help make our world a better place.

VOX: Edoardo, thank you for joining me again on VOX Daily. Welcome :) How have you been?

EDOARDO BALLERINI: I have been well, thank you. Our industry has been shifting quickly, and along with the economic uncertainty, has created some interesting challenges, but it can be a period of re-evaluation and re-positioning. On the voice side of things, I'm putting together a series of audiobooks, as both voice talent and producer, something I wouldn't have imagined even two years ago. Oh, and since we've spoken, I got to do my first animation gig, for "Batman: The Brave and the Bold," which was a blast!

VOX: That's great news, Edoardo! From listening to your Mineralava Musings podcast, I have discovered, among other things, that you are quite interested in the environment and are passionate about how people in the entertainment industry can help to minimize their direct impact on the planet. As Earth Day is now upon us, I thought it would be nice to chat with you a bit about how we can make a difference, too. Before we get too far in, what drives you to be so eco-conscious?

EB: If I had a "moment of zen" about being eco-conscious it was during a hike a few years back. I looked out at this magnificent landscape of hills and earth and along the ridge I saw... power lines. I don't begrudge power lines per se, but it struck me just how insensitive we as a race of people were about the natural environment. Surely, there's a way to supply power without desecrating natural beauty!

My belief is this: there are small things we can all do that, added up, make a huge difference. I can't claim to be perfectly eco-conscious, but there are simple choices we could make, that don't even impact the quality of our lives. Bringing a mug to the coffee shop, using cloth bags at the supermarket, re-using bottles for water instead of buying them new every time, planning a route for errands and doing them all at once, eating less meat. Little things.

But my big passion in this area is in buying used goods whenever possible. From clothing to furniture to equipment, buying used means saving something from the scrap heap, fewer materials used, and virtually no shipping costs since used goods tend to be purchased locally.

VOX: Doing little things to help does make a significant impact. We do a lot of recycling and composting at our house and also use reusable bags when grocery shopping. On another note, you live in Los Angeles for the most part in addition to spending quite a bit of time in New York and London, all large cities deeply involved in the artistic scene. In your opinion, what could Hollywood, and other centers of entertainment, be doing better (or doing more of) to help the environment?

EB: Well, if we as individuals can do the little things, then the studios and networks around the world can do the big things, and I believe they have that responsibility. They can power their buildings through solar panels, keep their money in "green" banks, replace fleets of cars with hybrids and electrics, that kind of thing. But they can also incorporate "green" themes into programming and content. The same way that smoking has all but been eradicated from films, imagine if we were exposed to characters who lived eco-friendly lifestyles. It could help it become the cultural norm and not an "alternative."

VOX: All great points! In which ways can voice actors working from home make a difference? Is there anything in particular that you suggest doing?

EB: Voice actors working from home are already doing a lot by simply not being on the roads, or using courier services to deliver CDs. I recognize that there's a trade-off because computer equipment has a lot of hazardous materials inside, but on balance, it's a great thing to do, not to mention a lot less stressful than getting stuck on a freeway or subway!

VOX: While digital technology has created some eco-friendly solutions, such as the potential of the paperless office, has the technology also in some ways created issues for the environment? Are we using more energy than before, for instance, to power up gear?

EB: Ah, I anticipated your question! Yes, powering up gear requires energy, of course, but it's likely that our computers and mixers will become more energy efficient than our cars. And if you travel to a studio, you're still confronted with using energy once you arrive, so cutting out a step makes sense.

VOX: Buying second-hand or gently used items is a great idea that I know you are also a fan of. What kind of things can be purchased used and how does buying used items such as clothing or recording equipment help to reduce our consumption of natural resources?

EB: Hmmm... I seem to have gotten ahead of your questions. But I can add another something to the idea of buying used. For many years, I think there was a stigma against it because the things you got would be of poor quality, truly the discarded bits of people's lives that nobody would want. But the advent of sites like craigslist and eBay have made it possible to search beyond the local Salvation Army, and there are truly some amazing things out there for sale. So you can get what you want, save money, and do some good all at once.

VOX: Are there any ways that voice talent specifically can contribute to making the world a greener, better place?

EB: What voice actors can do is what anybody else can do. Get educated, make some simple changes to habits, and realize that our resources are, in fact, finite. We have to be smart about how we use them! And because we do use a lot of equipment, it's important that we understand how to discard of it when it comes time to do so.

VOX: Note taken. I'm glad you pointed that out, Edoardo. Sometimes professionals don't see beyond their own little worlds and it's always good to remind ourselves that voice actors, while unique to a degree, are people just like anyone else. That being said, how will you be spending Earth Day?

EB: I'll be spending Earth Day in New York, a city that can often feel devoid of nature. But I just read about an artist who wants people to sprinkle wildflower seeds around town, wherever there's a tree-bed or some patch of earth. I thought that was very clever, so I'll do that.

~~

What Will You Be Doing to Celebrate Earth Day?

If you have anything you'd like to add to this conversation, please comment below. I'm looking forward to hearing from you! Now, off to plant some wild flowers...

Cheers,

Stephanie

Despite being only 11 years old, Travis Mustang, son of voice over talent Connie Mustang, has demonstrated a number of leadership qualities and a voice full of heart.

Already a member of Voices.com, Voice Over Universe, and the online group Teen Talk V.O. Style, Travis is well on his way to achieving his goal of becoming a career voice over talent.

Hear about how one boy is making a big difference in shaping the future of the voice over community.

Travis' Story

I first heard about Travis Mustang and his story through a nomination and his being a finalist in the category of Best Child Voice this year for the 3rd Annual Voicey Awards. I was floored by what I read and I wanted to share what an inspiring person he is and how Travis has embraced more than just the role of performer, but also that of a business man and an industry ambassador, already having tackled stand-up comedy by age 8 and ADR by the age of 9.

In his business, Travis does things that every adult should do to strive towards making their business a success. He practices his craft, takes college courses (reportedly the youngest student they ever had), and professional courses in theatrical arts, singing, and voice over in order to make himself an asset to the Voice Over Community. He has studied privately with M.J. Lallo and is now a member of her voice talent roster.

If that wasn't enough, Travis attends industry conferences, seminars, comes prepared to mixers bringing his own business cards, and has even given a pro-bono talk to a business class of college students at Mount San Antonio College on how to get into the Voice Over business.

Travis' mother, Connie, relates that her son volunteers his time to direct her voice over sessions, reading along, sometimes narrating textbooks that are high school level or higher. His direction helps to ensure that the recordings are perfect before presenting them to Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic's Hollywood office.

Connie Mustang, shares, "This is Travis' business, and it is pleasing to see him take such an active role in running it. He is truly passionate about being a voice artist and plans to make this a life-long career."

By now, you're probably wondering how Travis does it all, and by most accounts, I'd wonder too, but I think what we're looking at here is the exception to the rule, and people who fall into that category are rare and worth watching.

In addition to his voice over career aspirations, contributions to the community and other activities, Travis is also sensitive to the well being of those around him and the challenges people face in their lives.

In this difficult economy, while most boys are out spending their parents' money on expensive wants, Travis is helping his out by providing a means to pay for his own boyish desires while saving for his college education. He also has a heart for people and has volunteered for many projects, including assisting a single mom who was struggling to make ends meet for her and her son.

His mother confided, "Travis has a giving nature and never expects anything in return. He has the same passion with his voice work, although he does get paid, I think the true joy for him is bringing happiness to others through his work."

Do you have a story to share?

If you'd like respond to what you just read or share your own story about a young voice talent in your life, be sure to comment :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Do you have voice over musings spinning around in your head that you'd like to share with an audience?

Maybe you'd like to step up as a guest blogger!

Find out how you can get even more publicity through Voices.com by becoming a contributor to the VOX Daily blog.

Contributing Articles

There are few better ways online to establish yourself as an authority or expert than to write some good, solid articles. Quality articles, I might add, not only breed credibility but they are also linked to and republished.

Who is this opportunity suited to?

๏ Voice acting coaches and teachers
๏ Voice talent bloggers
๏ Voice actors who like to write
๏ A voice over professional with a story to share
๏ Casting directors and agents
๏ Union representatives
๏ Industry professionals
๏ Audio recording engineers

Ideal Article Length

Generally, 250 - 500 words is the right amount to write a substantial article. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but if you like solid parameters and want to stay in the safe zone, shoot somewhere in that range.

What should you write about?

Anything to do with voice over! Of course, the content needs to be family friendly and in good taste, but otherwise the spectrum of content you could produce is quite wide.

Kinds of articles to consider:

๏ Educational
๏ Business
๏ Technical
๏ Opinion Piece
๏ Product Review
๏ Expository Piece
๏ Personal Reflection
๏ Interview

General Guidelines

Why have I set guidelines for this? Simple.

VOX Daily is read and enters the email boxes of thousands of people every day representing varying ages, backgrounds and beliefs. Out of respect for our subscribers and online readers, the content must be of high quality, relevant to voice over, and free of questionable material.

Email Your Article

Send your material to my email address by clicking here

Looking forward to helping you get the word out!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Frank van den Bergh

Do you have any client testimonials on your website?

If you've ever been hired because someone read about how you served one of your clients, you know the value of adding testimonials and the instant credibility they can instill for prospective customers.

Were you nodding your head in agreement (or at least agreeing) with what I just said? If so, I have some great news for you!

Feedback

Part of your profile at Voices.com was created to feature success stories, or testimonials, from clients you've worked with in the past. This part of your profile is aptly called "Feedback".

When people visit your Voices.com profile, they can toggle between your main profile page, your demos, your store, and feedback.

Difference Between Feedback Ratings and References

At Voices.com, you can receive feedback ratings from clients you've done business with using SurePay, AND you can also add references and testimonials that share experiences you've had with your own clients outside of Voices.com.

This is particularly useful for those of you who have been hired by a client on Voices.com but then decided to conduct business off the site, which leads me to...

Why can't all clients give me a Feedback Rating?

Many people ask us how they can receive feedback ratings from clients who hired them at Voices.com but did not use SurePay. They did, in fact, get the job at Voices.com and the client is happy to confirm, so shouldn't that count?

While it is great news that some members get work that they attribute to a relationship established at Voices.com, we can't track and verify the entire process and transaction if they chose to do business outside of our SurePay payment service. For these reasons, only transactions that we can verify through SurePay are included in the Feedback Ratings.

Include Testimonials to Build Even More Trust

Considering that you likely have testimonials from clients (or could attain them), including these success stories in your Feedback section of your profile is not only encouraged, it's strongly recommended. After all, the most important element of doing business online is trust.

Examples

I took a look around the site to find a few great examples that you could model your Feedback page after.

All of these professionals have included testimonials, references and a list of clients they have done work for in the past:

Bob Souer
Randye Kaye
Mike Cooper

Looks really great, doesn't it?

As I said earlier, this is a particularly good feature for those of you who haven't been paid using SurePay. Even if you have, why not give people another reason (or many) to hire you by taking a few minutes to quickly update your profile?

To add some testimonials to your Feedback page, click here:

Add references, testimonials and my client list now

I'd love to see your completed Feedback pages! Comment to let me know and include the URL.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/PhotoInc

The Voices.com Store is an exciting feature that gives members of Voices.com the opportunity to be hired straight off product samples instead of cutting custom demos.

I had the opportunity to learn more about how voice talent are using their stores and thought you'd be interested in what's going on!

Hear about some experiences had by voice talent who have sold products in their Voices.com Stores and discover how easy it is to create and list your own products.

Success May Be in "Store" For You!

Yesterday I took a few minutes to follow up with some voice talent who had sold products in the Voices.com Store and asked them about their experiences.

Melanie Wood, James Herron and Melanie Haynes were quick to respond and shared their experiences with clients and the process.

Selling My Product on Voices.com was Quick and Easy

Selling my product on Voices.com was very quick and easy. I received an email stating that my product had been sold (IVR & on hold message). When I went to my page the script was there waiting for me. Within a few hours the client had their completed product and the funds were released to me! :)

The Client was very happy and left great feedback!

Warm Regards
Melanie Wood

The One-Stop-Shopping Feature Was Good For Business

Smith Pro Rodeos contracted me through the Voices.com Store. They were looking for a "Sam Elliott" sounding Voice Over for a special "opening presentation: for a rodeo event to viewed on the 'jumbo-tron". Smith Pro Rodeos, is the preeminent professional rodeo producer and in reviewing my "Sam Elliott" demo in the store of Voices.com I was selected for the project.

I voiced the exciting opening event film presentation for the Super Bowl of rodeos The Gold Buckle Award. The client was very cordial and professional and sincerely believe the ease of the Voices.com one stop shopping feature for this client (who does not have a regular need for VO talent) made it a particularly easy business experience.

Thank you,
James Herron

Saves Both Client and Talent a Great Deal of Time

Being hired and paid via SurePay from my Store on voices.com is one of the easiest and most streamlined ways to do business! It saves both the client and talent a great deal of time.

Thanks,
Melanie Haynes

How Can You Stock Your Shelves at Voices.com?

1. Log in to your Voices.com account
2. Select "Products" within your Profile tab
3. Click on the green button to "+ Add Product"

When Creating Products, Be Sure to Include the Following:

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

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

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

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

๏ Product Demo:
A sample MP3 file used to help demonstrate what will be delivered following purchase.

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

๏ Product Price:
USD price of the product sold.

You can view a good example of a product description in your account while creating your products if you'd like some guidance.

For more information and ideas, read this article I wrote earlier about how to create a product and make use of your Voices.com Store.

Have You Created a Product Yet?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

What happens when you've been studying for years and it seems as though your newly acquired education is contradicting or not in sync with what you've learned (and paid good money for) in the past?

A conversation sparked in the Working Voice Actors Group on LinkedIn has inspired this post.

What do you think?

A Difference of Opinion

Conflict is never a pretty thing.

Inevitably, we all encounter conflict, and while not always a physical thing, conflict can be a matter of contrasting ideas, techniques or philosophies.

Even if you are studying with some of the best in the business, should you study with more than one of those people, you're likely to encounter a butting of heads or difference of opinion as each of those teachers has their own perspective, experiences and methods.

When you are paying for lessons, seminars or workshops, you might find that you are being taught a number of things, wonderful things, but all the same, potentially conflicting information.

What do you do in such an instance? Do you take only what you want from certain instruction? Have you stopped studying with other teachers altogether to avoid this?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

The online marketplace for voice overs can be a wild place, however, if all voice talent band together and commit to sticking to some standard practices, it can be a friendlier, more prosperous environment.

Quoting for voice over jobs is one of these areas where mutual respect and business acumen comes in handy. It also doesn't hurt to stick to the guidelines.

How do you get paid more for your work?

Hear about an experience voice talent Karen DeBoer had here at Voices.com.

Taking Action

Karen DeBoer wrote to me a week ago sharing a couple of concerns regarding what some voice talent members are quoting clients when auditioning for Public Jobs. Interestingly enough, I was working on an article in the same vein and Karen's email inspired me to tackle this topic from a different perspective.

Karen DeBoer's Experience

Karen was contacted by a client at Voices.com regarding a quote she provided. The name of the client has been removed but what you are reading is real.

Client: We really like your voice... Would $40 be acceptable to you? It would not let me ask for less than $100.

 All you would have to do is email us that MP3... Your audition is perfect as is. 

Thanks

Karen: Hi,

Thanks for your nice comments about my audition--glad you liked it! Unfortunately, my minimum fee needs to stay at the stated $100 budget, as that is the minimum that Voices.com will allow us as talent to charge. If you still want to use me, I 
will be happy to release the clean file right away. Just let me know.

Client: That's odd because other persons are offering $25 for this job. You cannot?

 I can send you a check in the mail too.

 It's your call.

 I'm ready to send you $40 today. 

Just tell me no.

Karen: Hi,

Unfortunately, others are apparently willing to go around the stated guidelines for being a member at Voices.com. Voices.com has no way to monitor every bid that individual talents are submitting, but in order to keep everyone on a level playing field, and not compromise the professionalism of those of us that do this for our only means of income, they request that we abide by those guidelines.

I wouldn't feel comfortable circumventing those guidelines, so for the sake of integrity, I need to stick with the rules that Voices has put in place.

I would certainly love to provide this for you at the stated bid, but will understand if you choose to select a less-expensive talent. (Actually, my normal minimum is $150, but I was willing to submit a lower bid because it was such a small job, and because I knew you were a small business.)

Let me know if you'd like to hire me--otherwise, best of luck in your business.

Best regards,

Karen

How Do We Solve This Issue?

What I have gleaned from this experience, and from other similar cases in the past, is that clients aren't necessarily the root instigators of low budgets that fall well below the minimum. Sometimes, it may be voice talent who are trying to get work by quoting lower than the minimum thereby making it harder for their peers and other professional voice over talent to charge what many would call respectable rates for their work.

We're faced with an age old problem:

There has always been a temptation for service providers to undercut competitors to get business just as there has been and will always be customers looking for a bargain or the lowest possible price.

This is the nature of any business.

The state of the economy may appear to be a convenient excuse to devalue the worth of voice over work, however, lowering rates drastically to get business from new clients is a dangerous game to play that may do more harm than good for business in the long term.

Will those same clients pay more when this crisis is over if they got the work done for less before? Indeed, that's something to consider when a career voice over talent and in the business for the long haul.

Bidding under the minimum of $100 does a great disservice to people who abide by the Voices.com guidelines who make their living doing voice over by charging rates more in the neighborhood of what the union suggests if not higher.

Our team has found that sometimes our voice talent members are not aware that the client is prepared to pay at least $100, and happily, even more so if they have selected a higher budget range.

Once a member discovers this, they usually start bidding within the budget ranges provided and feel better about submitting their auditions quoting a higher fee placing more value on their work.

To come full circle, if a client posts a Public Job at Voices.com and tells us in some way or another that they are not prepared to meet the minimum (but still want to gather responses from talent), their job is not approved and they are invited to contact talent directly out of respect for your time and our job posting guidelines.

This article isn't meant to point fingers. The purpose is to educate and affirm that voice talent can charge higher rates for their voice over services and still get hired.

Not everyone hires solely based upon a quoted fee. Others in a position to hire place talent, value and relationships ahead of price. It's important to realize and make the distinction that it isn't always the person who charges the least amount of money that gets the job, oftentimes it is the person who best meets all of the requirements, and pricing is only one part of the whole.

How do I know?

We have indisputable proof of this from data collected tracking transactions that have been paid out through our SurePay escrow service, and have witnessed some voice talent receiving thousands of dollars at a time for their work who stuck by their rate cards and were paid accordingly. I'm speaking for both union and non-union voice talent, many of whom are union talent.

Do you have any thoughts you'd like to add?

I'm interested to hear if any of you have had similar experiences to Karen's and how we might improve upon this.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/VMJones

Ever needed to contact someone at Voices.com and weren't sure who to shoot that email to?

If so, my goal is to give you a solution!

Meet some of our team members in this "get to know" Voices.com post and discover more about who we are, who does what and how we can help you and your voice over career.

Meet Key Members of the Voices.com Staff

Name: Jessica Stiles
Title: Customer Care Specialist
Email: Send Jessica an Email
Phone: 1-888-359-3472 x 115
How Jessica can help you: Jessica is one of our representatives who works with Guest talent members. She is your contact for anything you need regarding your profile, how the site works and how you can benefit from what we offer. You can reach Jessica through telephone calls, live chats, emails and through online support cases. Jessica is also the person that aspiring talent can connect with to learn more about getting started in voice overs and registering with Voices.com.

Name: Lin Parkin
Title: Customer Care Manager
Email: Send Lin an Email
Phone: 1-888-359-3472 x116
How Lin can help you: Lin is one of our representatives who is available to assist Premium members in need of support. She is also able to answer any questions about how to make the most of your Voices.com subscription. Ready to serve via email, live chat, and phone, Lin's goal is to help make your experience at Voices.com the absolute best that it can be.

Name: Kim Lindsay
Title: Billing Manager
Email: Send Kim an Email
Phone: 1-888-359-3472 x112
How Kim can help you: If you ever need help with your subscription or have a billing inquiry, Kim is the appropriate person to contact. Kim, in addition to managing recurring subscriptions, is also responsible for managing SurePay Escrow payouts via check and PayPal.

Name: Erica Bontje
Title: Social Media Manager
Email: Send Erica an Email
Phone: 1-888-359-3472 x118
How Erica can help you: If you use sites such as Twitter, Facebook and the like, you probably are already acquainted with Erica and count her among your friends in social networking. How can Erica help you? Ask a question or send her your news and she'll post it to Twitter and Facebook.

Name: Laurynda Pasma
Title: Product Development Manager
Email: Send Laurynda an Email
Phone: 1-888-359-3472 x113
How Laurynda can help you: Laurynda's finger is on the pulse of all activities pertaining to Voices.com client members who post jobs and hire voice over talent. If you are posting a job, or have in the past, Laurynda can help better define what you're looking for to get the best responses possible.

Name: Stephanie Ciccarelli
Title: Vice President of Marketing
Email: Send Stephanie an Email
Phone: 1-888-359-3472 x117
How Stephanie can help you: Stephanie is responsible for public relations and enjoys sparking conversation and promoting voice over talent through community involvement on her VOX Daily blog. If you have a story to share, need publicity, have received work or want to give back to the voice over community through one of Voices.com's programs, Stephanie is the person to contact.

Name: David Ciccarelli
Title: President and CEO
Email: Send David an Email
Phone: 1-888-359-3472 x111
How David can help you: David works with Voices.com partners to strengthen relationships and ties with people outside of the voice over industry. If you have a business proposition or press opportunity and need a quote for a publication, David is your go-to guy.

There you go! Thanks for keeping in touch and we look forward to serving you soon.

Best wishes,

Stephanie & The Voices.com Team

©iStockphoto.com/Neustockimages

In direct defiance of global economic woes, London's business community gathered for an evening of celebration at the London Convention Centre in style, marking a stark contrast to what you hear, read and see in the media.

What a night!

Hear about our experience and also learn more about the announcer of this event, Craig Rockford.

Business Achievement Awards

Last night, David and I attended the London Chamber of Commerce's annual Business Achievement Awards dinner and gala, emceed by Dan MacLellan, the lead news anchor from A News, which was attended by many dignitaries including her worship, London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best, among others.

Aside from there being well over 1000 people and plenty of interesting conversation, there was an abundance of voice over and live announce, which fittingly, is my focus.

Use of Voice Over and Live Announce at London's BAA

Every time an award category was introduced (there were 7), a video played outlining the award and acknowledging each of the finalists, narrated by the husband and wife team of Craig Rockford and Amy Zammit. Craig also performed live announcements throughout the program and has been announcing this awards show for roughly a decade.

How do I know this? I strode over to the announcer's table between the end of dinner (absolutely delicious!) and just prior to the recommencement of the show, and managed to get Craig's attention, who was seated behind a luminous green lamp going over the script.

Given that time was running short, I introduced myself quickly and to my surprise, he said "Stephanie from Voices.com? I just got an email from you!" Talk about a small world!

At this point, I still didn't know his name and toward the end of the night did find out, realizing this morning that Craig Rockford has a profile on Voices.com. Amy Zammit has a profile, too.

Here's a shot of the awards gala:

Earlier, I mentioned that Craig has been voicing this award show a decade, and that made me wonder how many of you have regular gigs announcing for award ceremonies.

Do you serve as a live announcer at galas and award nights?

Leave a comment and share which shows you announce or have announced for.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Most business relationships start out great, but how do you keep them that way?

Maintaining a business relationship is something you have to work at and can be likened to a marriage, which as you may know, needs constant TLC.

Find out what to do, and perhaps most importantly, what NOT to do to keep your business relationships healthy at VOX Daily.

Good, Even Great Business Relationships!

Nothing beats having a great business relationship. We have several key relationships with partners that are simply fantastic, but no word of a lie, it takes a lot of work to maintain those relationships and keep them going strong.

In a way, it's almost like being married. You've got to be sensitive, respectful, and in some cases, protective of your partner. There's sure to be some give and take and there certainly needs to be a clear understanding of your goals and how you are going to reach them together.

In a business relationship you have to stay on message.

While I could go on and on about how to be a good business partner or associate, I'd like to point out a few things that could catch you off guard if you're not careful that may ruin or severely compromise your relationship.

1. Don't Be Two-Faced

No one likes being talked about behind their back, especially not by those who they believe to be on level or amiable terms with. If you are in a business relationship, whether it be with a client, a vendor, or someone else, make sure that you always speak to the best interests of your partnership and don't say things to other people (online or off) that could be misinterpreted as disagreeable or ambiguous. Similarly, never bring your business into a relationship where you aren't completely comfortable with a partner and their objectives as it could come back to bite you or put you at a disadvantage. This can become toxic and the other party always finds out which as you can imagine paints a different picture and could spell the end of your affiliation.

2. Don't Take Your Relationship For Granted

It's a well known truth that you only get what you put into something, and that includes business relationships. If you cease to nurture your relationships and put them on the back burner, the pot will sizzle in your absence and boil over making a mess of what you thought was the perfect pairing. Keeping in contact regularly helps and open lines of communication are a must. While you don't need to send annual gifts marking your first business deal, you should be considerate of all you've worked to build and let your partners know that you appreciate them.

3. Don't Entertain Offers From Your Partner's Competitors

This is perhaps the proverbial nail in the coffin. Never, under any circumstance, strongly consider or engage in business activities with a valued partner's direct competitors. To avoid this (at all costs), be sure to discuss who your partner considers to be their competition while revealing who you believe yours to be. This is a good opportunity to reassure your partner that you will not stray from your relationship. If need be, put up barriers to entry to protect your partnership by creating a template response that declines offers in a prompt and professional manner. If emailing, BCCing (blind carbon copying) your partners on such communications helps to build a better rapport with them and reinforces your desire to work only with your established partner in this space. Another way to preempt or educate potential suitors ahead of time is to issue a joint press release announcing your partnership.

Final Words

If you've noticed a theme to this article, it's that people are at the heart of relationships, not companies, organizations or buildings. By keeping your business relationships healthy, they stand a better chance to prosper and open up more doors of opportunity than previously imagined.

How Do You Fireproof Your Business Relationships?

Comment and share what's worked for you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Jeffrey Hochstrasser

We're pleased to announce that Voices.com has partnered with VoodooVox to bring even more opportunities to the voice over marketplace.

While any Voices.com member may be contacted for these jobs, an invitation has been extended to Voices.com paid members to be included in a special program and presented as preferred vendors.

The Voice of In-Call Media

VoodooVox In-Call Media has hundreds of voice over jobs that they need filled each and every month for in-call advertising. They have chosen to partner with Voices.com to meet their needs.

What Opportunities Will Be Posted by VoodooVox Advertisers?

These jobs will be advertisements for In-Call Media, essentially audio advertising that is dynamically inserted into the call experience. Examples include voice over recordings for automated movie ticket lines, radio station contest lines, no-cost conference call services, and so on.

How Will This Work?

Our teams have worked together to seamlessly integrate our technologies. Advertisers at VoodooVox will select Voices.com talent to record their ads. If you are selected for one of these opportunities it will appear as a private job offer in your Voices.com account.

While the technology allows for everyone at Voices.com to be considered, VoodooVox has a special program that we are inviting paid members at Voices.com to apply for. If you are chosen, you'll be part of a certified list of professionals as selected and recommended by VoodooVox that will be presented to their customers via a special search filter within VoodooVox's advertising platform.

You can learn more through our VoodooVox portal at Voices.com linked here:

VoodooVox Training Center at Voices.com

How To Apply?

If you are a paid member of Voices.com, check your email for a special invitation email sent from me today.

Best wishes,

Stephanie Ciccarelli
Co-founder of Voices.com

P.S. The date to submit by is March 18, 2009 to be considered for this opportunity.

When a customer presents you with a script that has grammatical errors, missing words, or poorly phrased sentences and the like, do you edit the text to make it more comprehensible for you and the intended audience on behalf of your client?

You may find that a client has unwittingly hired a voice talent and an editor.

We're out to find out whether or not massaging copy is a service commonly provided by voice over talent.

Read one voice actor's account and add your views to the conversation.

Your Story Ideas at Work

In December of last year, Paul Plack contacted me with a story idea for the VOX Daily blog, the same story which you are about to read below.

After you've read Paul's story, I invite you to comment with your thoughts. We are both excited to hear your thoughts and think it would be interesting to document what goes on industry wide. All perspectives are welcome.

Massaging Copy : To Do or Not To Do?

Submitted by Paul Plack

I did lots of small voice projects in the 1990s, but have focused on a few big, steady accounts the past few years. Now that I'm actively pursuing smaller projects again, I'm reminded of an issue which can take the joy out of our work - bad writing.

Not surprisingly, I notice this most in the lowest budget tier. I'm not referring here to the radio and TV commercials with copy which doesn't match the specified length, lacks imagination, contains tongue-twisters or just sells the product poorly. I can cheerfully crank those out like anyone else. I'm talking about grammar or other defects which make it tough to understand the copy, and tougher still to convey meaning to listeners.

In some cases, writers who normally work in print are tasked with turning out copy for spoken-word, and it winds up filled with parentheses, abbreviations, or sentence structure which preclude sounding natural. By the nature of their creative process, talking books often pose this problem. Sometimes, we're given copy lifted directly from a print ad, and it's clear nobody has even tried reading the script aloud before sending it out. The worst cases make the reader sound foolish and unprofessional.

I was once given a photocopy of a client's ad from the yellow pages of the phone book as copy. I saw one request for bids which provided no copy at all, and expected the voice talent to create his own!

I can think of various approaches to this issue. If you're busy enough to be choosy, you can simply decline to bid. If you're feeling charitable, you could offer to touch up the copy, at the risk of offending the client.

I recently worked with an international client who doesn't use English day-to-day. The copy was generally very well done, but used a few figures of speech which sounded a little stiff or forced. I suggested a few changes, and apparently did so with enough tact that the client welcomed the input. But, I ran at least some risk of losing the job, especially since I made the suggestions at the audition stage.

How do we handle this?

Do you feel taking the time to massage copy is an unproductive use of your time? Would you rather risk offending the client, or put out work which doesn't meet your standards? If you offer such suggestions to clients often, how many clients were alienated, and how many were appreciative?

Thanks!

Paul Plack

~~

Do You Have Anything to Add or Say About This?

Looking forward to your reply!

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/knape

Have you read Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé's book Voice For Hire?

I had the chance to really dig into this latest book about voice over, and believe you me, it's different from many I've read to date!

Set up with a foreword by the late Don LaFontaine, Thomas and Rofé's Voice For Hire (Published September 2008) hits a grand slam, knocking the ball right out of the park, serving as a formidable resource that will help the determined open the door to voice over success and stay in the room once they get there.

Learn more now.

Voice For Hire

Right from the opening pages, Voice For Hire sets the stage for how competitive and fulfilling a career in voice acting can be, and according to the great, late Don LaFontaine, proves itself a competent ally to the voice over artist and a practical guide on how to navigate the minefield that is professional voice overs.

Written over the course of six years by Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé, this 176 page book is unique whereby it invites you into the professional lives of not one but two successful voice artists, their complementary yet unique backgrounds, and spoon feeds fascinating, conversational real world expertise by the bowl full to the reader, a style that has the pleasant effect of making Voice For Hire instantly digestible in addition to an excellent means to live vicariously through the experiences of its authors.

Covering everything about voice over including its niches, how to dissect and interpret copy, audio recording technology, and the business both online and off, Voice For Hire truly shines in the areas of commercials, promos and live announce. Character voice acting also was richly addressed for animation and video games. Guest experts, with their names prefixed by "Voice For Hire" provide insights and useful tips to apply to their field of study, including Barry Zate, Patrick Fraley, Mike Pollock, Randy West, Ken Levine, Joe Cipriano, Brian Lee, and commentary from the "Voice Whisperer", Marice Tobias.

Tips for auditioning are also included from talent such as Don LaFontaine, Mark Avery, Billy Vera, Michael Sheehy, Jennifer Hale and featured anecdotes from numerous others.

Since this is merely a review and I can't give too much information away, I will now share more of what I personally gleaned in other ways through Randy and Peter's book.

Get To Know Randy and Peter

I have known both Peter and Randy for a couple of years, and having read their book and listened to the accompanying CD (66 minutes long), I was pleased to discover more about them, their careers and how partnering on this project has enriched their own lives and teaching methods.

For those of you unfamiliar with Randy Thomas, she is the first woman to ever announced at the Oscars (Randy's announced a record 7 times), the Emmys, and the Tonys, paving the way for other female announcers in the fields of live announce and promos. Randy is the voice of some of the biggest broadcast networks for radio and television, is the voice of Hooked On Phonics, and also has achieved prominence announcing for the TV program Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, dubbed as the most recognized female announcer in America.

Peter Rofé, as I quickly learned, is an amazing character voice artist on top of the astounding commercial voice artist and teacher I already knew he was. This became apparent on the CD (which I must say, differed greatly from the book which was a welcome surprise!) and seemed more "off the cuff" with the professionalism of being produced in a polished workshop environment. I love how Peter takes his background in musical theatre and applies it directly to finding the musicality in a read.

Why Should You Read Voice For Hire?

If there is one reason you should read Voice For Hire, it should be to learn the nitty gritty information that only years of experience can teach you. You know those questions you wanted to ask in a classroom setting but didn't because you were afraid of looking dumb? Voice For Hire is full of little tidbits that answer those questions without even posing the question, just letting you discover the information on your own in a matter of fact way. You'll find that important fragments of information are served to you on a silver platter, which is always appreciated.

Also, if you're at all interested in making a go of promos or live announce, this book is a must read.

You can find out more about the book at VoiceForHireBook.net.

Have You Read Voice For Hire?

Please comment with your thoughts or messages for Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Voice actress and coach Bettye Zoller presents an interesting case for why you shouldn't touch unlicensed celebrity voice over impersonation work with a ten foot pole.

While not all voice over jobs for celebrity or sound alikes are to be avoided, it is wise to make sure you are fully aware of the lay of the land and take any necessary precautions.

Hear about some experiences Bettye's had, come to your own conclusions, and comment sharing your thoughts.

Celebrity Voiceover Impressions: Be cautious! Words to the Wise

By Bettye Zoller Seitz

Awhile ago now, entertainer Bette Midler won a lawsuit when her voice was impersonated by a voiceover talent on a national commercial. I believe the person sang as well as spoke in this commercial but I am not certain. The Disney corporation is known as one that is particularly alert to infringements of copyrights. When I was Commercial Creative Director of a large production firm a few years back, we producers were warned to be particularly wary of writing song parodies or voiceover copy using any type of Disney material or references. You couldn't be "too careful" was what we were told when creating industrial shows and commercial jingles and voiceover scripts.

When I impersonated Joan Rivers working for a large advertising agency who had hired me to do her voice on a commercial, I was disappointed when my agent phoned to say that the spot would never be aired because the ad agency had been told it was too dangerous and it should be scrapped. I was paid a session fee (it was a union job, of course), but unfortunately lost those juicy residuals I was hoping to get from it.

When I voiced Marilyn Monroe for a popular soft drink commercial, that spot was also scrapped before airing. The advertising agency told me that the legal department had deemed it "too dangerous because the Monroe Estate might take action." I have heard from friends in our industry with experience in these matters that the estates of deceased stars are particularly aware of impersonations and often take action.

The Elvis estate is known for having eyes and ears peeled for infringements of all types. "But what about all the Elvis impersonators," you may be saying...well, that's "small potatoes." I suspect that lawsuits happen when large-scale exposure and big-money projects are involved. Also, it's important to realize that "parodies" are different from "impersonating someone's voice."

Simon Rushton's Radio Advertising website is a must-visit for anyone interested in free advice on advertising projects. This excerpt is from the Media UK website written by David Baynham and based on work by Lee Climpson and Ian Hickling:

"Using a vo to sell an an item is completely different from . . . doing a parody
impression. [A celebrity] may not want to sell [a particular] product or endorse that
item, he also could have voiced it, so he can sue for loss of earnings and defamation
of character if he is against that product. It could get very expensive for you as the
writer and the station for broadcasting it." If you, the voiceover talent, have written
the copy and voiced it, you then would become the person being sued!" (December 2007)

Simon Rushton says this:

"The client phones me and tells me he has an idea. It's using an impression of ______
with the final line [a famous quote from that person.} ...I have to explain that ...we could
be sued. This celebrity is available to do voiceovers. He makes a portion of his living
with that kind of work. An impression of him is a form of theft."

There also is a possibility that a certain celebrity figure is tied to certain corporations for whom they get paid as a "product spokesman" and may have a contract prohibiting him or her from endorsing rival products. Many TV actors have clauses in contracts prohibiting them from performing in commercials of any kind. This is true of many soap opera stars.
Many entertainment personalities who also do voiceovers must sign "non-compete contracts" saying they will not endorse another automobile or fast food chain. In fact, we anonymous vo people who are not recognizable "stars" often are asked by producers to sign non-compete clauses. The voice must be recognizable, in most of these cases, however.

People often want a celebrity voice in a commercial or a narration and therefore, will pay premium prices for celebrities. That's why lawsuits are high-dollar! It is illegal to impersonate living people in commercials without their permission. Before you, a voiceover talent, impersonate a living (or deceased) star, you should make sure that the people hiring you have obtained copyright clearance. If your agent books you on a celebrity job, he or she probably will have taken care of this precaution. However, it might not hurt to 'remind' the agent of legalities.

Even if you personally were not sued for impersonating a famous voice in a commercial, you might have to undertake time-consuming duties connected with testifying, with legal depositions or court appearances. Agencies, production houses, broadcast voices, and others are urged to be wary.

Oh... and I may not be a lawyer, but I play one on TV. This article is meant only as information which I have gleaned from reading articles and visiting websites on this subject. I make no claim as to the accuracy of this information. It comes from my knowledge of the field and research I've conducted over a period of time. Everyone is advised that in legal matters, seek the counsel of your legal advisers for the final actions necessary in these matters. I am not legal counsel. This brief article contains my opinions.

Bettye Zoller

~~

Have you had a similar experience or do you have anything to add?

Looking forward to your reply!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/DNY59

If you've been watching trends and sales figures, you know that narrating audiobooks is a booming part of the voice over industry.

There is a wealth of opportunity for those who are willing to explore and produce their own audiobooks.

This article focuses on how narrating literature in the public domain, specifically classics, can help you to build your audiobook portfolio without having to pay licensing fees.

Audiobooks Are Smokin'!

Craig Black, President of Blackstone Audio said in the year 2007 that 4,000 audiobooks were being recorded, and over the next four years (2011), that number would increase dramatically to 24,000 audiobooks.

That's great news for authors, recording artists and audiobook consumers, but why is this even better news for publishers and distributors?

Each audiobook sold online at sites such as Audible.com can be downloaded, literally providing virtual inventory for publishers and distributors which costs significantly less to store and doesn't present any additional production fees. An added bonus is that customers are able to purchase these products unassisted.

Why Narrate Classics?

Classics are:

๏ Established in the literature market
๏ Low hanging fruit that have good track records
๏ Potential best sellers
๏ Acknowledged by the academic community
๏ Beloved by generations of people
๏ In many cases easy to get your hands on
๏ Considered public domain works if published before January 1, 1923 in the USA

How Can You Make Money From Audiobooks?

The short answer? Become your own audiobook publisher provided you are:

1. Recording works in the public domain
2. Recording original works that you own the copyright to
3. Or, recording works that you have licensed from the author or copyright holder for resale (* this may cost you money and we'll explore this option in a future article)

Make Some Money, Honey

Here are a few ideas to try that will help you to maximize your opportunities:

1. Sell your audiobooks as products in the Voices.com Store (highly recommended)
2. List them and sell them on your own website
3. Put on some agent boots and see if you can get additional distribution

We highly recommend that you sell your recorded audiobooks at Voices.com as products because you'll be able to:

๏ Market your audiobooks through your very own store located within your profile
๏ Your work will be listed in the main Voices.com Store for more promotion and visibility

Before You Go...

Acknowledge That It Isn't Easy

Take a look at some narration techniques and also prepare for your responsibilities as narrator, one in particular to note is the soon-to-be pact with your audience to suspend their disbelief.

Your audience will only believe the unbelievable, the fantastical and otherwise if you are committed to bringing them the goods and keeping your agreement to journey with them throughout the book.

Get Some Training

One fantastic resource that you'll want to consider is Pat Fraley's Billion $ Read. I have a copy myself and recommend it to anyone who is interested in becoming an audiobook narrator or would like to fine tune their skills. Pat also holds workshops throughout the year for audiobook narration based upon his book.

Listen To Established Narrators

Also, you'll want to do a bit of research and listen to the people who are already making money in this field. Drop by Audible.com, look for titles that you'd like to record and then listen to the voices who are narrating the audiobooks. You'll get a good idea of what you can expect competition wise and also pick up some pointers from some of the best voices out there.

Don't expect to become the next Scott Brick, Marc Cashman, or Hillary Huber on your first day.

Just as audiobook narration is voice over's equivalent to long distance running, honing your narrative and artistic skills will test your endurance as well.

Looking forward to hearing about your new audiobook projects!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. If you have any other questions about getting into narrating audiobooks, please leave a comment or contact me directly at stephanie@voices.com.

©iStockphoto.com/Lise Gagne

Yesterday, some breaking news emanated from the Google campus in Mountainview, CA via Google VP of Product Management, Susan Wojcicki, announcing that they would be closing the door on their foray into connecting advertisers purchasing remnant air-time with audio producers and voice over talent.

The news has come as a shock to some and the program will officially wrap up by the end of May 2009.

It's Over

A groundbreaking endeavor that took the world by storm just over two years ago has now exited into the realm of history books.

Google Audio Ads, when first released, was meant to be a feather in Google's hat and another way to break into traditional media, which it was, for a time. The platform received a healthy amount of attention and hype from the online community, including postings about Google Audio Ads on TechCrunch by Michael Arrington and even news coverage on videos.

Upon hearing the news that their Audio Ads platform was on the chopping block, I decided to explore why Google would make the call to quit audio ads and shift their focus to the exploration of streaming audio online instead.

One Google Audio Ads Producer's Experience

This morning, I was in touch with someone in the program and asked them if they had heard the news.

They replied:

"VERY strange! Not long after I was accepted to the roster, I was at a Google function at a trade show and tried to get answers from folks as to when we could expect to see some interest... nobody knew! Then, a year later I was at another event and I could not get a straight answer from anyone... it was like the twilight zone! I never received a single opportunity to bid on any work. So, no surprise it didn't work."

Any Comments?

If you have something to add or share, you are welcome to join the conversation.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

When times get tough, the first instinct many people have is to start throwing more irons in the fire, and in this business, sometimes that means looking for representation to expand your reach for voice over work and or auditions.

Although more than a few voice talent are hoping to find an agent to help smooth the waters, agents are not necessarily on the lookout for new talent, perhaps even more so now than ever before.

I received a question from a voice actor who asked if I could refer any agents to them and I said I'd see what I could do. A couple of days ago I wrote to one of my friends, a voiceover agent, who was kind to share more information from the agency world and where things stand at present.

Are talent agencies scouting or accepting new talent?

It's Complicated

Here's what one voice over agent had to say:

"It's a complicated answer. While the door is not closed, as far as seeking and recruiting talent is concerned, we are acutely aware of our responsibility to service our existing clients, many whom have definitely felt the pinch this past year. I'm kind of mercenary about the whole thing - -a great voice is a great voice, but I always have to assess how well that voice will compete within the agency, and whether it's ethically responsible to my existing clientele.

I'm also aware of the influx of people trying to enter the voiceover field, but in my world, if they don't have a strong acting background, they don't stand a chance. Are there exceptions? Yes, but rarely. Right now, the Union world is holding it's breath that SAG can resolve its pending contracts, and Union actors can reclaim some of the work that has gone non-union.

Back to your question -- we all accept materials and seek new clients with potential. However, most agencies are overstocked, especially in the younger categories. Periodically, most of the larger agencies need to cut talent they have signed who are under-performing, and clean house.

My agency tends to stick with people longer than most."

~~

So there you have it. Times are extraordinary, and with that realization, extraordinary things could happen but there will be challenges along the way.

Has Anyone Been Able to Get Representation Lately?

Even if you haven't, I'm interested to hear about your progress thus far. If you're from another area of the arts seeking representation, feel free to chime in as well.

Let's keep this conversation going!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Marek Tarabura

Did you know that if you comment on blogs you can increase your website's search engine rankings in Google, Yahoo! and MSN?

Link love is a great thing.

It's what happens when you get a link to your website.

You want to get this boost whenever you can...

Want to learn more?

Here's how!

How To Get Some "Link Love"

1. Comment on blogs and be sure to link to your website (a great thing to do)
2. Comment on blogs within your industry and link back (even better for search engine optimization)
3. Do a link exchange
4. Be written about on another blog
5. Be mentioned on a podcast

Give & Take

Do you blog or podcast? Be generous with your links as your generosity will always come back to you.

Do you comment on blogs or podcasts? Become a regular contributor and vital part of the community.

Maybe you've been holding back and have never commented. Now is the time to start!

This kind of conversation is good for everyone, including the content producer (blogger or podcaster) and their community.

Looking forward to "hearing" from you.

Take your pick :)

Comment on VOX Daily
Comment on Voice Over Experts
Comment on VOX Talk
Comment on The Biz
Comment on Ask The Voice Cat
Comment on Master VO
Comment on Voice Over Times

Cheers,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Palto

The economic downturn has changed the priorities and makeup of many companies, including some in the broadcast media industry, causing thousands of people to lose their jobs, many of which are now turning to voice over as a career alternative.

I was curious to see who among those already doing voice over part-time are now finding themselves full-time due to the loss of their positions...

From what I've heard, read and been told, it sounds like there is going to be a wave of people hoping to make voice acting their primary source of income.

Hear from many people affected by this and add your voice to the mix. Anonymous comments in good taste will be approved on this article.

Layoffs Running Rampant

This inspiration to write this article came to me after reading about a broadcaster, Keith Ashton, who had worked for Clear Channel Communications, serving the broadcast radio industry for 58 of his 79 years. The layoff came to him as a major shock and I could only imagine what it must have felt like for someone who has dedicated that much of their life to a job to suddenly find a box of their belongings on their desk when coming in to work.

Clear Channel, for those who don't know, laid off 1,850 people last month across the US. Keith Ashton was just one of those people.

I've also heard that there were layoffs at Metro Networks/Westwood One, cutting hundreds of people before Clear Channel did, and cuts at CBS radio, Cumulus, Emmis, NPR, Entercom, SBS, Sirius/XM and most recently Bloomberg who cut 100 jobs, apparently a first ever for Bloomberg.

Anonymity

For this article, I gave people the opportunity to be anonymous sources due to the sensitivity of what's going on and agreements that they have had to sign for confidentiality.

One source reports that a bunch of their friends and former co-workers were laid-off in San Diego, CA. Supposedly, San Diego was one of the hardest hit markets.

I had the opportunity to correspond with a number of people who were once part-time in VO but have since needed to pursue voice over work full-time.

Here are some of their stories:

"Microsoft laid off 1400 people in one day about 2 weeks ago. I'd been an employee for 10 years. It's amazing how fast that can disappear in the blink of an eye. I am pursuing VO full time (until or if I find another day job), but health benefits are crazy expensive and I'm just not getting enough work right now. But we'll see how things go."

~~

"Ah, what a time it has become! I know the first step I'm going to take in this adventure will be to finally seek representation instead of freelancing. Freelancing has not made enough money to do anything, much less pay the bills. And freebies run amok. Fortunately, I'm skilled in a couple of other areas of work and being the multi-tasking character that I am, I am now working 4 part-time jobs. This doesn't include voiceovers. Since I have to work nights, however, theater work is on-hold at this time. It's depressing. I hope others are getting the work they seek."

~~

Is voice over the answer for people who have been let go, particularly if they have transferable skills as presenters, hosts or on-air talent?

A veteran voice over talent shared the following with me:

"People looking to make a career change and have VO passion, it's great that they make the effort. BUT it's a long term climb - very low initial returns; people seeking immediate payout (starting) will be disappointed."

Interview With Laid Off Part-Time Voice Artist, Now Full-Time in VO

Earlier this morning, I interviewed a part-time voice over artist who has now found themselves in a similar position to one of my other sources above, losing their job in a different industry and now pursuing voice over full-time until they can find another day job.

VOX: Were you one of the people laid off or are you preparing in case you're next?

VO ARTIST: There is a lot of business-ese around what my company calls it, but, yes, I was let go on Tuesday.

VOX: Where did you work? If you don't want to say where, what industry and role did you play at the company?

VO ARTIST: I was a Project Analyst at an investment firm and dealt solely with configuring 3rd party health care systems.

VOX: What are the reasons (aside from finance) for the layoffs? Is this about cutting positions that are no longer needed or is it about something else?

VO ARTIST: The reasons given to us for the layoff was "Economic Downturn" and the "fragile state" of the economy. Our positions weren't eliminated though. I worked at the company campus in New Hampshire and all of our jobs are moving to New Mexico. Not to get too much into the boring details, but the tax breaks for the company ended here and the cost of living in the North East is a lot higher than the Mid-West. Plus, the company was offered more tax breaks to create new jobs at the new campus in New Mexico.

VOX: What is going through your mind right now as you mull over this decision? How difficult do you anticipate it will be to go from part-time to full-time in VO? What kind of changes would you / will you need to make?

VO ARTIST: The layoffs were anticipated, but definitely unexpected this soon, so I was able mentally to get into the proper frame of mind before they occurred. Always being more artistic, but ending up in a procedural analytical role for an investment firm, I was never too happy and now being given the chance to purpose a more creative career is a cathartic experience. The biggest change for me will just be that I will have more time to audition and to learn and better my craft. Well, that is until the savings runs out.

VOX: Given that this could become a full-time job for you as a career voice over artist, do you feel that further instruction or research is necessary to make that leap successfully? This doesn't have to be just what you intend to do but what you believe others in similar situations may or should be considering to make voice over work for them.

VO ARTIST: Since this is a career that I sought to be a full-time thing for me since as long as I can remember, I come to realize that learning, growing and instruction are a never-ending thing. Even before the layoff I was always trying to learn more, but it does kind of feel good to know that I won't be studying in between work and other daily tasks. I'll actually have the time to enjoy the learning process and take it all in.

VOX: Have you heard talk of becoming a voice over pro from other people facing this reality? Are they wearing rose colored glasses or are they aware of what the business really entails? Also, what makes VO attractive to people being laid off, or is any job, regardless of what it is, attractive at present and VO is simply one avenue that could generate an income?

VO ARTIST: I have not personally heard too much about the recently laid-off (I call them laidee's) now trying a full-time career in VO, but I can definitely see the draw. I'm sure most people see it as a career with seemingly little risk. You buy some gear and can try it out of your own home. They think that it's just talking and they don't understand all the work that needs to go into it. For the top people the pay is good, but for most they will need of streams of income and I don't think most people are willing to make multiple commitments. Most will try and then after 6 months or so, when they are not seeing that immediate return on their investment, will move on and try and get another job. I've only been in the business for a little over a year now and know how extraordinarily tough that it already is. With an influx of people merely trying it out, I worried about the over-saturation of the market and just making it more difficult for those like myself how are still in the process of establishing a name and a brand. Or even giving the newcomers a bad reputation with all the unprofessional voices of the "laidee's"

Any Comments?

Anonymous comments will be accepted on this post for those who wish to share their thoughts in a non-threatening environment. Keep comments family friendly and they will be approved.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Valerie Loiseleux

If you're one of my friends on Facebook, you may have run across a note I wrote entitled "An Open Letter to Voice Over Demo Producers" where I posed a number of questions that had to do specifically with the norms, best practices and so forth of producing demos for promotional purposes for voice over talent.

I received two, quite detailed responses from two gentlemen who produce voice over demos in the United States, and the answers to some of the questions may surprise you!

First read my questions and then the answers supplied. After that, let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

The Original Letter as posted on Facebook

Greetings:

For those of you who have been following the debates on VOX Daily pertaining to brand name usage in demos, copyright and so forth, you can appreciate why I've written this letter.

I feel as though we have been left with more questions than answers and the purpose of this note is to get answers to those questions, and if at all possible, some closure.

See these links if you haven't been following the debates:

http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2008/11/3_things_you_may_not_know_about_audition_scripts.html

http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2008/12/voice_overs_tough_legal_questions_answered.html

Demo producers, these are questions that need to be addressed. Please be honest. If I'm out of line, let me know, but from where I stand these questions are relevant and the information yielded from this discussion would be of great benefit to the people whose demos are being produced in facilities around the world as well as those who are trying to enter the business of voice-over.

I also believe that the answers may prove beneficial to you!

OK, here we go:

1. Why is it (or is it not) acceptable to use brand names of companies a talent did not work for in voice over demos?

2. Do studios and or agencies have (or need to have) express written permission for using scripts from campaigns to brand their clients' voice over demos with?

3. Do studios pay a royalty fee to use these scripts?

4. Why is it assumed by a number of professionals who craft demos that people outside of our industry and its vertical markets are aware that demos are merely samples of what a voice over artist could do and not necessarily who they have worked for when the growing number of people who are hiring talent are not within the entertainment industry and wouldn't know the difference between a demo and the Real McCoy?

5. Do studios consult talent as to their level of recording / editing / mixing capabilities before cutting a demo to determine if the voice talent could replicate the production work on their own? If so, and if the talent is not nearly as capable as their demo makes them out to be (knowing that this is how they will attract business when they work from home), is it wise to produce a demo for them and could the demo itself (unless the talent always records their work at a professional studio) be considered false advertising on behalf of the voice artist?

6. Do some studios create custom copy for their clients when producing their demos? If so, how much of an extra cost is there for that service?

7. How much should it cost on average for a proper demo to be produced? Please provide a breakdown of what the fee includes (i.e. studio time, engineer, director, copy writing, etc.). Obviously some studios can charge more than others simply because of their reputation, location and or added value services, but if you had to draw a line in the sand, what is the least expensive price that could be quoted that would still cover the costs of producing a legitimate voice over demo that is reasonably affordable yet also makes the studio a decent profit for their time and resources?

8. Are there some of you out there who have best practices and guidelines that you follow? If so, share them so that we may learn more about what is the norm and be able to tell the difference between an honorable business and one that is only out for money.

9. What do you feel would make the business of voice over demo production more transparent?

10. Do you feel that there is an opportunity to bring demo production to the next level or are you happy with where your area of the industry is at? If you have a vision for what you hope to see, please share.

Thank you for considering these questions and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Stephanie Ciccarelli
Co-founder of Voices.com

~~

Following that, I received two responses, including one from Juan Carlos Bagnell (SomeAudioGuy) and David Sobolov.

I've posted the questions and answers interview style to keep everything in context. Enjoy.

VOX: Why is it (or is it not) acceptable to use brand names of companies a talent did not work for in voice over demos?

DAVID SOBOLOV: We're producing non-revenue generating examples of our client's voiceover performances. Unless that client's resume falsely lists the spots we record, it's generally understood that the demo is meant to demonstrate the talent of the performer, not act as a resume of which products they've endorsed.

JUAN CARLOS BAGNELL: Well, I feel there's an expectation. People largely communicate through media references. People identify themselves by labels and cars and gadgets. I find as I stray and come up with "dummy" brands, more thought and attention is paid to the fact that the listener doesn't recognize the brand than the quality of the read. In the final edit though, I try to focus on the qualities of the person, rather than brand names, sometimes even working to eliminate as many brand name drops as I can.

VOX: Do studios and or agencies have (or need to have) express written permission for using scripts from campaigns to brand their clients' voice over demos with?

JCB: Yes. Which is why I write my own demo copy for clients.

DS: I suppose, if it got right down to it, the copyright holders of the products or services featured in the demo could send 'cease and desist' letters, but it's highly unlikely they would. The demo gets their name brands out in to the world for free, and the demo itself is not being sold for profit. Not much damage there to litigate.... except the income of the demo producer. All we'd have to do is honor a cease and desist letter for a specific product and eliminate it from future demos. I've never received one.

VOX: Do studios pay a royalty fee to use these scripts?

DS: No. The advertising agencies barely have time to take care of the business sitting on their desks... there's no way they'd devote time and resources to policing the use of their scripts on voice demos.

JCB: Iffy. As this is not an actual product, I would initially argue no, but as money IS being exchanged I also feel credit to the actual writer is in order.

VOX: Why is it assumed by a number of professionals who craft demos that people outside of our industry and its vertical markets are aware that demos are merely samples of what a voice over artist could do and not necessarily who they have worked for when the growing number of people who are hiring talent are not within the entertainment industry and wouldn't know the difference between a demo and the Real McCoy?

JCB: It's not my job to educate advertising "professionals". Even the name of what we're discussing should be indicative of what you're receiving, "Demo" which, I've always held, is short for "demonstration". Also, why would/should a producer care? The voice they're hearing is still the same voice. Are we now saying you shouldn't be allowed to work on things, unless you've already been working on things?

DS: The demos are not intended for use by people outside our industry... they're not meant for a non-industry 'consumer.' If someone outside the industry doesn't understand the nature of what we're trying to achieve, it's not a huge concern. Demos shouldn't be produced as vanity projects or for the general public... they're meant to get the voice performer work. It's like worrying about whether or not someone watching CBS in Iowa thinks all the programs they see on their tv originate in their town... If they ask, you just explain how things works.

VOX: Do studios consult talent as to their level of recording / editing / mixing capabilities before cutting a demo to determine if the voice talent could replicate the production work on their own? If so, and if the talent is not nearly as capable as their demo makes them out to be (knowing that this is how they will attract business when they work from home), is it wise to produce a demo for them and could the demo itself (unless the talent always records their work at a professional studio) be considered false advertising on behalf of the voice artist?

DS: A voice demo that features production values above voice talent is a horrible demo. These are marketing tools for a VOICE, not to showcase how good the production is. And, frankly, if they're looking for work from home they need to invest in decent equipment if they want to have a viable career.

JCB: I only take full demos (a demo produced fully from scratch) from referrals (other demo clients, casting/talent agents, coaches), and if I think our personalities will work well together. If I make someone sound better than they are, or if they plain aren't ready, it's instantly bad advertising for me. I don't consult on technical expertise. If they come to me for a demo, I feel it's because they want me to produce it. I want them to be solely COMPLETELY focused on their performance.

VOX: Do some studios create custom copy for their clients when producing their demos? If so, how much of an extra cost is there for that service?

JCB: Yes and depends. I always write original copy for demo clients. I find it's the only way to really personalize the demo to the performer. My job is to draw out the qualities they want to sell or market, so I consider the writing all "part of the service".

DS: Yes, I do create custom copy for character demos in consultation with the voice artist. There's no extra charge for that service.

VOX: How much should it cost on average for a proper demo to be produced? Please provide a breakdown of what the fee includes (i.e. studio time, engineer, director, copy writing, etc.). Obviously some studios can charge more than others simply because of their reputation, location and or added value services, but if you had to draw a line in the sand, what is the least expensive price that could be quoted that would still cover the costs of producing a legitimate voice over demo that is reasonably affordable yet also makes the studio a decent profit for their time and resources?

DS: My price is $1000 which includes 2 hours of rehearsal (coaching / character prep), 2 hours in the studio, and my private editing and production time. In Los Angeles, I'm right in the middle of the pack price-wise. I'd say, as a general rule, if someone charges you less than $600, they probably aren't devoting enough time to give you a professional demo.

JCB: Again, it depends. I really only discuss rates and cost with clients, though most demos come out to around $1500 if it's totally from scratch.

VOX: Are there some of you out there who have best practices and guidelines that you follow? If so, share them so that we may learn more about what is the norm and be able to tell the difference between an honorable business and one that is only out for money.

JCB: I can't really say. I would hope that I act honorably, LOL. I wouldn't say it's "bad" but if a company is taking all demos clients without discretion, that could be a warning sign. I would also think that if the actor has to do all the leg work (pulling copy, selecting music), or there's little communication about the edits, then you don't really have a demo producer, you have an editor.

DS: If a producer throws you in a studio with no preparation, that sometimes produces a 'fresh' performance... but if they also send you out the door WITH your finished demo... they're ripping you off. It takes time and attention to produce a viable marketing tool... fast and dirty doesn't cut it. I give my performers all the studio time to craft their performances. Editing comes later. Another rule of thumb for me... for commercial demos I use copy that's at least six months old.

VOX: What do you feel would make the business of voice over demo production more transparent?

DS: It's a lot like acting schools and casting director 'showcases' --- there are a lot of people out to rip actors off. Look up the producer on the IMDB... make sure they're a currently working professional and make sure they offer you samples of past demos to listen to. They demo producer should be willing to answer any question you ask.

JCB: I don't really think it should be more transparent. One of the biggest issues I have working with actors right now is they all seem to be "partly educated", doing things because they were told that's how you do things, but without any real consideration as to why they do those things. Demos are a crucial tool for a voice actor, and shouldn't even be considered without a wealth of experience. So many people rush to slap some samples together, and it can really harm their careers. I feel part of that performer's journey is learning the lay of the land from producers, casting, agents, coaches, and other voice actors. These experiences are crucial. The journey of a performer should be measured in decades not weeks.

VOX: Do you feel that there is an opportunity to bring demo production to the next level or are you happy with where your area of the industry is at? If you have a vision for what you hope to see, please share.

DS: My vision is for demos to not be cookie cutter productions. Each one should use fresh copy... a variety of music beds... and let the performer showcase their unique talent rather than be squeezed into a template the producer uses for every performer to do things fast and cheap.

JCB: I'm very happy right now with my demo business. I only work with people I like, I stay pretty busy, and I'm paid well to do it.

~~

Any Comments?

First off, I'd like to thank both David Sobolov and Juan Carlos Bagnell for taking the time to answer my questions and for sharing their views.

Now, it's time to discuss!

Whether you are a demo producer who would like to give their perspective on the questions asked or are someone who has follow up questions about demo production, you are welcome to leave your thoughts as a comment below.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

Image via Chet Yeary II's photostream on Flickr

"I'm not getting any work through my auditions? Do you think my demo might have something to do with it?"

"Can you listen to my demos and tell me where I can improve?"

"I've been told that I have a great voice. Do you think I have potential?"

You've likely come across these questions at some point; perhaps you've been on the asking end, perhaps on the receiving end.

What's to be done? A little magnification, as well as some listening, may go a long way.

Can You Review My Demo?

Multiple times each week, requests are sent in to Voices.com staff from voice talent members who ask if we can review their demos.

There are 3 issues with this:

1. Our staff is not trained to review voice over demos
2. Reviewing demos is not part of our service offering to members
3. We don't have time to review demos

While I, or any member of my team, cannot personally listen to your demos and give you the feedback you are seeking, there are people out there who do this as a professional service, including:

Voice Over Coaches and Some Agencies

These are the folks to approach if curious about voice over demos or vocal delivery. You can locate some instructors here among the Voice Over Experts faculty.

I took a rather brief, informal poll moments ago on Facebook through a status update to see who reviews demos and did receive a couple of responses, including a comment from Nancy Wolfson of Braintracks Audio and an email from Mike Elmore.

Be advised that there will likely be a fee for the consultation and review because you are buying a professional's time, attention and expertise to guide you through to more successful climes.

Some Advice From Nancy Wolfson About Demos

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

As we begin to stare tax season down the throat, the word AUDIT comes to mind - it is CRITICAL to have an AUDIT run on your business and all the marketing pieces and collateral and TOOLS (demos) that sell you in your business before you take that business to market.

Relationships are far more valuable than individual jobs and particular paychecks, so it is imperative that one not blaze forward recklessly engaging and promoting oneself to even one buyer or talent rep or casting director with something that represents this business that is YOU with a product that is corny, dated or sub-par given contemporary standards.

In producing something that is contemporary and useful, there are certainly plenty of "do"s and "don'ts."

Some of the basic requirements are outlined in the "YOUR VOICE OVER BUSINESS" mp3 for sale in the store section of braintracksaudio.com.

While visiting my website you can also click on the DEMO PRODUCTION knob - then the arm off of that knob that says DEMO MAKEOVER to see great examples of BEFORE and AFTERs.

The "BEFORE" examples were too versatile/dated/corny/too long - the kinds of issues that would have an agent or buyer hitting "eject" early or just tossing it based on poor branding or a lack thereof.

The "AFTER" examples on those same individuals were produced after proper coursework helped the talent deliver better reads and know the boundaries of the personal style we are marketing. The "AFTER"s are upscaled, upgraded and customized portraits of those same people, and offer each one a sales tool that cuts through the sameness of the "competition" and returns better revenue to the talent and their VO business.

But because every sales tool (demo) must be TAILOR-MADE to honor and promote each individual, it is critical that the content has been carefully scripted and produced to honor the brand of the individual.

A demo that sounds like it came out of a "puppy mill" will not break you in - one that is specific and produced in a top market by someone whose business it is to customize and tailor for you will help honor what's unique about YOU.

And therein lies all the difference.

Nancy Wolfson

Forums

Another way to gather feedback (which happens to be free) is to join a voice over forum or networking group. You may find that there is a thread set aside specifically for demo reviews. In such cases, members are invited to share their demos to gain feedback through peer reviews.

Don't Take It Personally

Whichever route you choose to take, be sure to keep in mind that any feedback, good or bad, is simply someone's opinion and not to be terribly discouraged should a dark horse pop out and rip your demo to shreds.

Although your voice is tightly knit to who you are, the feedback, if provided in a constructive and generous spirit, should be taken in the context of improving your voice over business, and is not an attack on you as a person.

Any Comments?

If you've had experience on the asking or receiving end of a demo review or review demos yourself, please leave a comment and join the conversation.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. If you know someone who would benefit from this article, be sure to let them know and send them a link to this web page!

Image from HiggySTFC's photostream on Flickr

What happens if you don't believe in your own voice?

Will anyone else?

Find out what a couple of industry professionals have said about this here on VOX Daily.

What Happens If You Don't Believe In Your Own Voice?

Moments ago, I received a contribution to the VOX Talk podcast from a mystery announcer (you'll have to wait until the show comes out!) that poses these questions:

1. Are there other voice talents who don't believe in their own voices while at the mic?
2. Could the fact that I have doubts mean that others will not believe what I'm saying?

I replied that yes, there are people who do not feel comfortable in front of the mic in the early stages of their career, and also, if you don't believe in yourself, it will certainly be harder to convince anyone else to do so.

Devote Yourself to the Service of the Words

One of the greatest voice over talents and my friend, the late Don LaFontaine, once said:

"If you are going to be successful, you have to have veracity and honesty - if you can fake that, you've got it made. Your heart needs to be fully behind what you read. Devote yourself to the service of words and you're halfway there."

When asked what the other half was, he would simply say, "Wait until I die". With his passing in 2008, you can now take his advice in full and run with it.

The bit about faking it was said slightly as a joke, and as you see when you read on, Don encourages you to put your heart completely in the service of the words to be convincing and truly authentic.

Sometimes it's hard to take the first step on your own and guidance is appreciated if not a necessity. If you haven't read Rodney Saulsberry's Step Up to the Mic, I strongly recommend that you do. Rodney's words will lift you up and help you to recognize your potential as a voice over artist, even if you've been around the block and have a healthy client list.

Once you believe in yourself, you've got to become empowered and self-motivated. For a quick dose of advice in this direction, be sure to listen to Nancy Wolfson's podcast on Voice Over Experts called "I Am Enough".

While you're inspired, here are 5 more excellent podcasts that will help you to navigate these waters as you prepare to believe in yourself, find your voice and get work:

Marc Cashman's Finding the Music in Copy
Cynthia Songé's Debating the Signature Voice
Gary Terzza's 5 Tips for Getting Voice Over Work
Pat Fraley's The Almighty Playback
Joan Baker and Rudy Gaskin's The Myth of Rejection

Those are just 5 out of 75 podcasts available to you for free through the Voice Over Experts podcast series that at Voices.com. Listen to Voice Over Experts and VOX Talk (58 episodes thus far) in our podcasting center.

Do You Believe In Your Own Voice?

If so, I'd love it if you could share how you came to believe in yourself. If not, you're welcome to include your thoughts as a comment and find encouragement through the experiences of others.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Claus Mikosch

Voice talent, agents, casting directors and unions face a changed environment. The convergence of media and technology, combined with the fragmentation and personalization of media, is affecting all industry players in unprecedented ways.

This report aims to identify the key players who participate in the industry, describe behavior and trends, but most importantly, highlights areas of opportunity that should be capitalized upon in 2009.

Who Should Read This Report

๏ Voice Talent, Voice Actors, Narrators
๏ Voice Over Coaches, Instructors and Trainers
๏ Audio Engineers and Producers
๏ Voice Over Agents Talent Agencies & Casting Directors
๏ Unions and Industry Associations
๏ Online Marketplaces

Highlights

๏ A map of the voice over industry online charted by TouchGraph.

๏ A graph of which websites receive the most pageviews as sourced by Compete.com

๏ The single most searched for keyword, and how much Google charges for a click if you were to bid on that keyword using Google Adwords, the search engine marketing program.

๏ New information revealing the slight decline in radio and television advertising, but the rise in Internet, podcasting and videogame advertising.

๏ Details about "The gadget of the year".

๏ Information covering salaries of union and non-union voice over talent including dollar amounts for contracts with residuals as well as average rates for freelance voice over work.

What Trends Do You See for 2009?

For the visionaries and those who simply enjoy making predictions, what do you believe is in store for 2009? Download the Voice Over Industry 2009 report then add your prediction below by leaving a comment now.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

David

Is it OK to use copyrighted material in your demo?

What could happen if you use a script from an audition that you didn't win for promotional purposes?

Can you perform a dead-on vocal impression of a celebrity but are curious about legal issues?

Find the answers to these questions and more in our interview with David R. Canton, Lawyer and Trade-mark Agent with Harrison Pensa LLP in London, Canada.

Voices.com Interview with Lawyer David R. Canton

VOX: Thank you David for joining me here on VOX Daily and for sharing your expertise with us. As a lawyer specializing in copyright and intellectual property there are a number of questions I'd like to ask you on behalf of our audience and community at Voices.com. Firstly, I'd like to ask you about copyright law. This is one of the hottest topics around and it affects all voice actors in one way or another when they are recording scripts, especially when recording and producing a voice over demo.

DAVID CANTON: First, some caveats to my responses. Laws vary by country, and even by state/province within countries. Legal answers always depend on the specific facts at hand, and small changes in fact can lead to different results. So my answers here are for general guidance and information only, and are not to be considered or relied upon as legal advice.

Another thing to consider is that rights owners vary greatly in their inclination and desire to enforce their IP rights. Some may not care, or may let violations slide on the basis that it is good publicity. Others may be overly aggressive and try to stop things that one is legally able to do.

VOX: Can a voice actor use the name of an established company such as McDonald's, even their ad copy or slogans, in a voice over demo if they haven't worked for that company or do not have permission expressly from the owner of the copyright to do so?

DAVID CANTON: In part this depends on whether the voice actor does this to mislead that he/she actually did the commercial. It would be a copyright violation to use the exact text of a real ad. Using a name or trade-mark technically may not be a trade-mark violation as the voice actor is not using it to sell the same wares or services of the company. But some famous mark owners get very aggressive about trying to prevent others from using their marks in any way.

The safest approach is to alter an existing ad sufficiently to avoid being accused of copyright violation over the ad, and use a fictional name.

VOX: Voice actors do auditions everyday at Voices.com and through other services. Usually a script is provided by the client that a voice actor can partially record for demonstration purposes. This allows the client to review the samples and get a better idea of how that person would sound representing their company.

Should that ad copy or script be considered "off limits" to voice actors if they don't get the job? In other words, is it OK for a voice actor to use the audition spot they recorded as a sample of what they could do and post it publicly on the web or include it in demo materials that they send out to prospective clients or agencies?

DAVID CANTON: If the script is provided by the client, the best approach is to ask permission to use it as a sample and get that permission in writing. Indeed, that should be standard practice for the voice actor. In addition to removing all doubt, it shows a very professional approach that the client may like to see. It's the same issue as Question 1. One factor here is that if the sample script is close to the final ad, the client may not want versions other than by its final voice choice to be floating around.

VOX: There have been a couple of instances where we have received complaints from clients who noticed that auditions submitted featuring their scripts had been used by talent who were not hired as promotional materials. Those voice samples were removed from the profiles of the talent in question and the client was pleased with those actions.

This may seem obvious, but would you advise that talent simply archive their auditions and not use the audio for other purposes, particularly promotional purposes that may endanger or misrepresent the company's brand?

DAVID CANTON: Yes, that's a wise approach. Again - the best approach is to always ask if one can use the audition for samples.

VOX: When does copyright infringement occur? Is there a fine line that is crossed when a certain amount of information is used, or is it any portion, regardless of how small?

DAVID CANTON: There is no precise answer to this. Small amounts are not considered infringing - what "small" means is subjective, and may depend in part on how central that part is to the whole. Keep in mind that copyright deals with the expression of the idea, not the idea itself. In other words, it prevents one from repeating the words; it does not prevent one from using the ideas or information contained in the words.

VOX: There is a misconception in our industry that it is OK to use copyrighted material without permission to provide prospective clients with a demonstration of what voice actors are capable of doing, although the audio may not necessarily be a true reflection of who they have actually branded or been hired by.

What is wrong with that concept and what are the possible consequences of doing so?

DAVID CANTON: In addition to the copyright issue, it would be misleading advertising to suggest that one has done certain work when they have not. That can lead to quasi-criminal charges. It also doesn't do one's reputation any good.

VOX: If we could, I'd like to move on to another aspect of voice over work. There is a sizable market for "sound alikes", people who can manipulate their voice to sound convincingly like the voice of someone else. Oftentimes the hiring of a sound alike or person to do the voice match is required because a celebrity is either unavailable or too expensive to hire.

In the highest echelons of voice over, these legalities are looked after quite nicely because the stakes are too high to not observe the law, and they (producers), also have more money to bridge the gap than smaller companies do. In the world of non-union work, these same considerations are not necessarily observed due to factors mentioned above.

Could you please explain what the difference is, if there is one, between imitation and impersonation as it pertains to voice over recordings? Where is the line drawn and what are the legal implications?

DAVID CANTON: This is another one where the line is tough to draw. If it is an impersonation that misleads the listener to think they are hearing a real celebrity endorsement, then the real celebrity can take legal action. Theories include appropriation of personality, and passing off. There is some notion that one's reputation is a property right. So anything that suggests a celebrity endorsement, and/or derives some commercial advantage for it, should not be done.

If the voice is clearly an imitation or parody, and not the actual celebrity, it is less likely to cross that line.

VOX: Can someone legally imitate or impersonate another person, of high profile or otherwise, in a voice over recording without their prior written consent? If someone does this without consent, what are the potential legal outcomes?

DAVID CANTON: See answer to #6.

VOX: Does this also apply to celebrities or individuals who have died? Consider voice overs recorded that portray Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, and so on. Recently, there was a very high profile voice over professional, Don LaFontaine, who passed away (September 1, 2008) and he is mimicked quite often for his movie trailer voice (both before he died and presently). What kind of permission is required to make a recording portraying the deceased? Should royalties be going to their estates?

DAVID CANTON: Yes, estates can enforce those rights. It really comes down to whether the person is misleading who they are. Elvis impersonators and tribute bands, for example, are clearly not suggesting they are the originals. They do, however, need to comply with copyright by getting whatever permissions or rights are required to perform the songs.

If someone died a long time ago, it may be a smaller risk, as it would be harder to imagine, for example, that Winston Churchill would actually endorse an MP3 player.

The Don LaFontaine example may be different in that one can argue that he is not a celebrity that is being impersonated.

VOX: How do these same principles apply to the imitation of character voices such as Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, Homer Simpson, The Little Mermaid (Ariel) or other character voices? Is there a shelf life for a character voice before it becomes part of the public domain or are these voices protected for as long as the creator or owner of the intellectual property maintains control?

DAVID CANTON: The issues are similar - it's just that the owner of the rights are different. Copyright does have a fixed time span that varies according to jurisdiction - usually the life of the author plus several decades after that. Some countries have recently extended those time periods as a result of lobby efforts of the rights owners.

VOX: What can be done to curb infringement? What can we do as a marketplace to help spread awareness and develop an industry that respects copyright and intellectual property at all levels?

DAVID CANTON: Copyright is not an issue that is well understood. Many think copyright laws are too restrictive, while others want tougher laws. And the internet and digitization have made it extremely easy for people to violate copyright. At the same time, there are instances where copyright may technically be violated, but the practical reality is that there is no harm to the rights holder.

The best way to deal with it is to make people aware of what should not be done, and provide alternatives. In many cases, such as auditions, it's very easy to simply ask. It's also important for people to be above board and never mislead what they are doing, and what their experience is. In addition to being a legal risk, misleading customers or potential customers will only hurt one's reputation.

~~

Well, there are some answers for you! I promised that an interview would be published with a lawyer and here it is.

If you have anything that you'd like to share, you can add a comment below.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. If you'd like to learn more about David Canton, you can visit his blog Canton.eLegal.ca.

While the holiday season is still upon us, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce a new column on VOX Daily that I hope will do more to encourage generosity the whole year round as well as recognize people for their work.

This new column will also do much to promote the use of voice overs and help to increase sales of products that include voice acting.

Want to know more?

It All Started With A Gift

This Christmas, while opening some presents, two of our children received audiobooks, one of which happened to be narrated by someone I know. I always check for credits on cartoons, movies, audiobooks and the like to find out who recorded the voice over, and this time I was pleasantly surprised to see Don Wescott's name listed as the reader for Curious George!

After some consideration and discussion, I arrived at the decision that a new column should be added to the VOX Daily blog, called "Reviews", where reviews of any voice over product may be filed.

Why Add Reviews?

My intention through this weekly column is to provide the voice over community with a good place to hear about what their peers are up to, a vehicle to promote great products that use voice over, and also a way to recognize voice over professionals and the companies they worked with.

There are many products that I'll be reviewing here on VOX Daily that are waiting in the wings, including a review of the Curious George read-along audiobook I mentioned earlier featuring Don Wescott.

This is just a small way that I can help to shine more light on the good work that is being done and I'd like nothing more than to share the stage with as many people and their work as possible.

How Will This Work?

That said, if your voice is being used in a commercial product such as a talking toy, an audiobook, animated film, or documentary the invitation is open to you, should you choose, to send a package to me including the product to be showcased on the blog in a future review that will include a link to where the product may be purchased as well as a link to the voice artist's website.

The products, once reviewed, will be donated on your behalf by Voices.com to a deserving charity that could put the gift to good use or to a public library.

Just to be clear, I am not relying solely upon people to send in items.

I will be reviewing products that are in my possession, borrowed items from libraries, and may also review items belonging to others, all of which must indicate the name(s) of the voice artist(s) who recorded the voice overs.

Raising Awareness and Giving Credit Where it is Due

Knowing who recorded the voice overs is key as one of the main objectives, aside from raising awareness for voice acting and products that use voice over, is also to shine the spotlight on voice artists and their performances.

Donated items sent in for review, while not expected but certainly appreciated, will be quite helpful when it comes to fulfilling my objective of giving the voice artist responsible public recognition.

If You'd Like To Donate An Item For Review, Mail To:

Attention Stephanie Ciccarelli
VOX Daily Reviews
C/O Voices.com
130-100 Collip Circle
London, Ontario Canada
N6G 4X8

Thank you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Mr_Vector

When you are auditioning online, it's nice to see some kind of artistic direction as to what type of voice and delivery style is required, but what happens when that information is not as specific as it could be?

Find out how you can turn what seems to be a lack of information into your own personal creative platform in this helpful article at VOX Daily.

Details, Details!

When clients post jobs at Voices.com, they receive additional guidance from the job posting form and are shown through examples how to describe and communicate their needs to potential applicants in order to get the best responses possible.

One tip is particular to artistic direction including an example using adjectives, giving the client an opportunity to outline their requirements on a deeper, more creative level.

While having that kind of information can be useful, it isn't always provided, in which case you'll need to rely on your instincts, experience and ability to self-direct given the script provided and the demographic it is reaching.

What Can You Do? Look For Clues!

Consider the following:

1. Who is meant to hear this message?
2. What does it mean?
3. Why is it relevant to the people hearing the message?
4. Who would the person on the receiving end want to hear from?
5. How can I best communicate the message?

After you've done a very quick analysis of what you see, you're ready to record and audition with more than just an educated guess, proving that a little thought goes a long way.

Keep in mind that not everyone who uses the site knows exactly what they are looking for and are usually open to hearing all kinds of voices and interpretations. If the customer had a preference or knew what kind of voice and attributes they wanted to cast ahead of time, they would have indicated that in their script.

Do you have any tips to share about interpretation and self-direction?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/blackred

About a month ago, the Screen Actors Guild issued a rather bold memorandum to their members with regard to New Media (wireless, internet, DVDs, etc.) called "Check Your Backside" communicating that Rule 1 in New Media will be enforced starting January 1, 2009.

What's the "Backside" and what's "Rule 1"?

If you are a card carrying SAG member, you need to know.

Find out now.

Brief, Brief Overview of SAG

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Screen Actors Guild, or its acronym SAG as it is more commonly referred to, it is one of the two major performers unions in the United States that represents nearly all film actors and many other people who fall into a variety of categories, including voice over artists.

Members of SAG are only allowed to work for signatories of the union, in other words, producers who have signed an agreement with SAG to only work with union talent.

You can read more information at the SAG website or research compiled by Voices.com team member Lin Parkin entitled, A History of the Screen Actors Guild.

Check Your Backside?

Now that we've briefly covered what SAG is, who is in it and who may work with SAG talent, it is important to share this message.

Effective January 1, 2009, all members of SAG must work only with union signatories on New Media projects.

The "Backside" SAG is referring to is the backside of the SAG membership card all members carry with them that clearly outlines "Rule 1". Rule 1 in essence means that SAG members can only work for signatories who have signed the appropriate SAG agreements.

SAG Says

Pamela Greenwalt, a SAG representative, was kind to provide me with the following relating to my request for information about SAG's New Media Rule 1 campaign:

"I am responding to your request for information on our New Media Rule 1 campaign. Regarding rates, please see the following:

For linear entertainment programming made for initial distribution in new media (the Internet and cell phones, only) SAG has promulgated a New Media Agreement for independent productions whereby signatory producers are free to individually bargain with members over compensation, including voice-over compensation. For interactive entertainment programming (video games), the terms and conditions of the SAG Interactive Media Agreement apply under which the day rate for voice-over performers is $759.00 for up to three voices in a four-hour work day."

Analysis

According to what Pamela says above, SAG has no set rates for linear entertainment programming made for initial distribution in new media. This means that as a member of SAG you can set your own rates and negotiate with producers in this area of work.

Unless it's a video game or the like where there are set session fees, you're in the clear to set your own prices.

I was also in touch with Todd Amorde, National Director Organizing, Screen Actors Guild, and he graciously shared:

"Generally, speaking the rates for scripted entertainment product under our promulgated agreement are freely negotiable. This agreement would be applicable and the rates negotiable only if the production is truly independent (no funding or distribution from a network or studio)."

Do You Have Questions about New Media as it Pertains to SAG?

You can call (323) 549-6777 or email this address: organizingnewmedia@sag.org

Why Is New Media So... Wild?

You might be wondering why some of this (enforcement of Rule 1) isn't happening already, and I hope to be able to give you my thoughts on this. Please keep in mind that this is merely my opinion based upon research - I am not an expert on New Media or unions.

New Media

Let me preface the rest of this article by saying that New Media is Production's equivalent of the Wild Wild West where contracts for work are concerned.

Right now New Media has no set, recognized or standardly enforced parameters for pay scale.

There is no rate card on the subject and this area of work has been the final frontier if you like for a number of years ever since DVD technology came about.

SAG has had a New Media contract for about 10 years and it has now been updated to reflect changes to the technological landscape.

All things digital, cellular, wireless, online, you name it... these devices are not only a massive part of our culture, however residual payment for artists is currently unregulated, unlike traditional broadcast commercials, promos, tags, and so on that garner performers royalties and a standard base fee for the original performance.

To quote the SAG website:

"New media means the Internet, cell phones, PDA's and any other technology that may be invented in the future. That means that every time you work on a project intended for new media, you need to be covered by a union contract. Being covered by a SAG contract right from the start is a good thing because in new media, you never know where you'll find an audience or how successful a project may become."

Source: SAG Act As One

Bargaining Tables, Passionate Speeches and Picket Lines

Unions including Canada's performers union ACTRA, and also the Writers Guild of America (WGA), have gone on strike (ACTRA in 2007 and WGA in 2007 into 2008) partially due to the pursuit of bargaining at the table for New Media agreements with producers (AMPTP is the producers union in the US).

If you remember that painfully dull stretch of television last November through mid-winter of this year, it was because of the WGA strike. When the writers stopped writing, everything else was held up including the production of new episodes for shows such as LOST, Heroes, and more. Many shows had to end their seasons prematurely due to the strike.

This strike affected Hollywood on a massive scale, losing millions upon millions of dollars each day.

The strike saw people turning to sites like Hulu.com to watch premium content that was lacking on television. Reality TV shows and day time talk shows weren't quite cutting the mustard with everyone as you could imagine.

Since I last worked on this article (first draft was started on November 11th, 2008), SAG has approved a motion to strike which means that we may be facing a work stoppage in the entertainment industry, particularly regarding actors in the Screen Actors Guild.

What Do You Think of All This (New Media / Strike Motion / Etc.)?

I'm looking forward to hearing what you think and will certainly clear the floor so that all voices can be heard on both sides of these issues.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Stephen Morris

The news in voice over just keeps getting better and better!

We're pleased to announce that Voices.com was nominated in the category of Business of the Year, the highest honour in the city for businesses as awarded by the London Chamber of Commerce.

The House That Voices Built

With a customer-oriented team, proven customer results, state-of-the-art technology and marketing acumen, Voices.com continues to lead the industry in the evolution of digital audio to meet the challenges of the next generation of convergence and interactivity. Voices.com's team is made up of a diversity of backgrounds from the financial industry to computer science, sound engineering and vocal education, Voices.com's team of professionals offers the best in first class service and technology.

What's it Like to Work at Voices.com?

๏ Positive well-lit work environment at the UWO Research Park
๏ Well maintained grounds ideal for walks and time spent outside on breaks
๏ Ergonomic office equipment (chairs, keyboards, lamps, etc.)
๏ Flexibility for additional sick days and medical appointments

Salary and Compensation

๏ Competitive salaries
๏ Bonuses awarded based upon team performance
๏ If required to put more work in for special circumstances, staff is compensated with either additional payment, appreciative gifts (gift certificates, gift baskets, etc.), or time off
๏ No employee has ever quit

Community Participation

๏ Active participation in TechAlliance Events by all staff members
๏ Involvement at InterNetwork events
๏ Team building at Research Park BBQs and "Clean up the Park" days in spring and summer

Business Achievements

Within the past four years, Voices.com has won several awards regarding customer relationship management and innovation.


The 1to1 Impact Awards spotlight leading companies that have implemented effective and innovative customer strategies that have led to clear and quantifiable business results. Voices.com won a silver medal in the Full-Suite CRM award category at the 7th Annual 1to1 Impact Awards presented by 1to1 Media, a magazine published by Peppers and Rogers. (2008)

As the most trusted marketplace for voice actors, Voices.com has won a CRM Elite Award in recognition of their stellar success and rock-solid ROI using CRM (Customer Relationship Management) processes and technology. (2007)

Co-founders David and Stephanie Ciccarelli were nominated for the Young Entrepreneur Award, established by the Business Development Bank of Canada as an award presented to entrepreneurs who have distinguished themselves for their business sense. (2006)

Voices.com, selected by the Canadian Venture Forum as one of sixty of the nations brightest and best, carefully screened quality investment opportunities presented their case for investment at the forum. (2006)

Voices was selected as a New Voices winner at DigiFest, an award recognizing Interactive Voices as an industry leader who provides digital media products and innovations that contribute to Canada's economic and cultural future. (2005)

Thank You!

We'd like to say thank you to everyone who has been appreciative of our team, shown support, to those who have helped us grow and also to those who continuously inspire us to reach higher, overcome challenges, achieve excellence and elevate integrity as the cornerstone of our business.

Best wishes,

Stephanie, David, Carol, Laurynda, Erica, Lin and Wesley

Erik Sheppard hosted a bash attended by 200 people from the voice over community on Friday December 5th at the Butterfield 8, a memorable networking event that engaged New Yorkers as well as industry professionals from all over the US and Canada.

Enjoy a taste of the event by viewing pictures from Erik's Flickr photostream and by reading this article.

New York's Voice Over Scene Came Out To Play

Erik Sheppard of Voice Talent Productions and his business partner, September Day Leach, know how to bring people together and lift their spirits.

At first, the duo were expecting about 50 people to arrive, but as the RSVP list keep growing, it became clear that this gathering of a few friends would turn out to be more than just a meet up... it was a roaring success!

Throughout the mixing and mingling, there were a variety of prizes raffled off to gracious winners, proving yet again that the Butterfield 8 was packed to the rafters with some of the most affable, well dressed and sonorous people one would be likely to find braving the cold on a chilly evening in Midtown Manhattan.

The Who's Who

Notable guests comprised of talented voice over artists such as San Francisco's gem Elaine Clark, founder of Voice One and author of "There's Money Where Your Mouth Is", the charming Chicago-based Harlan Hogan, author of "VO : Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor" and inventor of the Harlan Hogan Porta-Booth, LA's pride Bob Bergen, current voice of Warner Bros. Porky Pig, insightful New Yorker Peter Rofé, talent, owner of PDR Voice Coaching and co-author of "Voice For Hire", and the smiling G. Keith Alexander of the Voice Over Academy.

Voice over's business community also came out to shine including Adam Goodman, president of Voice Hunter, Eric Simendinger, also of Voice Hunter, David Goldberg, founder of Edge Studio and Noelle Romano of Edge Studio, David Ciccarelli, co-founder and CEO of Voices.com accompanied by yours truly, and Voice-Over Xtra's John Florian.

There were many voice actors there who we were happy to meet and reconnect with including Liz de Nesnera, Trish Basanyi, Michael Schoen, Wuhzi Lu, and D. Michael Berkowitz to name just a handful. These events are all about the people and you've got to get out to them!

A Great Weekend

When we received our invitation to come to New York, we knew immediately that it would be a fabulous opportunity and that the event was something we were pleased to be part of.

Instead of staying for only 4 hours, we decided to make a weekend of it and were instantly at home in NYC, a feeling that I believe New York affords to all who visit and reside there.

David and I had a lovely breakfast with Elaine Clark and Harlan Hogan on the Sunday and also took a spin around with Harlan for the afternoon to tour some of the city's great parks and attractions, a delight to experience in this season of holiday cheer and in the best of company.

Did You Attend the 2008 New York Voice Over Mixer?

Share your favorite moments and memories here!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. If you have photos from the event, I'd love to see them :)

Photo Credits

1. Photo stream courtesy of Erik Sheppard.
2. Photo of Kim White, David Ciccarelli, Harlan Hogan, Elaine Clark and Stephanie Ciccarelli courtesy of Kim White.

Getting voice over work is easier than you think if you have your eggs in more than one basket.

How many irons do you have in the fire for acquiring voice over work?

Where Does Your Income Come From?

When you are self-employed, it is necessary and wise to have more than one reliable source that your work comes from.

Having many irons in the fire is prudent and yields more fruit than simply relying on one or two activities or people to get you where you want to be.

Here are 5 ideas that you can try that will widen your net:

1. Prospect For New Clients

Research potential customers who need voice over services and contact them personally to introduce yourself. One thing to keep in mind right off the bat is that the people you contact should be verifiable candidates for hiring voice over talent, not just people you think may need voice over. For more on how to do this, read this article by Philip Banks.

2. Keep In Touch

Keep in touch with current and past clients through a periodic newsletter (monthly is encouraged) to nurture relationships and remind your customers that you are there to serve them when they need a voice over recorded. You don't have to write an essay but do take some time to update your clients on what you've been up to, any new clients you've welcomed to your studio and also any awards or publicity you have recently received.

3. Start A Blog

Have you considered writing a blog? One way to introduce yourself to the world in a big way online is by writing a blog about who you are and what you offer. Offer valuable insights and share opinions with potential clients to develop connections and work opportunities. Being a blogger comes with responsibility, and once you've built up an audience, it becomes even more important to keep to a schedule. The rewards may be slow to come but they will through perceived authority, search results and relationships forged.

4. Join A Voice Over Marketplace

If you are reading this article, you're probably already signed up with a voice over site listed as a professional voice talent. At membership sites such as Voices.com, you can sign up for a paid subscription or a basic, free account. Paid subscriptions give you the ability to audition for job opportunities as well as be featured in a number of places, for instance in the Featured Talent Directory or enjoy higher rankings in the Voices.com search engine. Members at Voices.com can also sell products in their store that also feed into the Voices.com Store.

5. Get An Agent

Getting an agent isn't easy but it can be extremely beneficial to you if you are on the roster of an agent who wants to get you work. When approaching a potential agent, make sure that you have researched their current roster and found a place where you might fit in. If you don't hear back, it could be that they already represent someone with similar vocal characteristics or that they are not looking to add more talent to their roster at that time.

How Many Irons Do You Have In The Fire?

Leave a comment and let me know!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/drflet

Is the world ready for anyone else to intone "In A World"?

The passing of Don LaFontaine leaves us with a number of questions including how public perception will influence the future of voice over in theatrical trailers.

While we're ready for change, is everyone else?

Where We're At

For over four decades, the same voice delivered the vast majority of theatrical trailers, single-handedly dominating the niche within voice over, and by virtue of that fact, taking up ownership of and residence in the minds of hundreds of millions of people.

Don LaFontaine was a pioneer in this field and was a co-creator of iconic phrases such as "In A World..." and "A One-man Army...".

There is no doubt that Don has left a gigantic imprint on this industry and is recognized as a founding father of voice over, influencing all aspects of the art including excellence in performance, style, and even the very business of working from home as opposed to driving from studio to studio to record.

It is also publicly known that he hoped for women to enter theatrical trailers.

While honouring Don and his legacy is important, he would want us to embrace change as he himself supported the idea of women making strides in this niche and also granted permission for others to take his place upon his death ("Just wait until I die", as he often said when referring to other voice talent working in major theatrical trailers).

Don LaFontaine has us given his blessing and it is time to move on, however, we face significant challenges from external forces.

Our Challenges : Inertia and The Public

As creatures of habit, people in general find it difficult to change positions regarding preset opinions and perceptions.

Making a shift requires effort and taking a risk on something new in the unchartered territory of our minds where we lack loyalty and concrete experience.

For instance, if you are loyal to a brand, you stick with that brand even though there may be alternatives to consider, deeply favoring one brand over another such as the Coke VS Pepsi wars.

Just as people are used to drinking a particular beverage, using a certain washing detergent for their clothes or buying a specific make of car, hearing Don LaFontaine's voice (literally his brand), is their standard or touchstone when consuming a theatrical trailer.

As Phil LaMarr pointed out in a comment on my "In A World Where Women Narrate Movie Trailers" article:

"The vast majority of entertainment industry 'traditions' are a combination of happenstance and inertia. Nothing changes unless something stops working, or something else costs less."

In this case, the loss of Don LaFontaine has triggered the former, meaning that there will be a change because something, in this case, someone, stopped doing what they were doing and has ceased to work.

Perception Is Hard To Change

This is a reality.

Changing perception, especially perceptions that took shape decades and generations ago, is an extremely difficult objective to accomplish.

No one knows this better than those who try or are trying to change perception.

For the longest time, we had to explain to those interested in joining our service that Voices.com was not an agency but a marketplace; that we didn't charge commissions but offered memberships with subscriptions. When we launched SurePay, we ran into similar perceptions with people thinking that the SurePay escrow transaction fee was an agency commission fee (which it is not) and needed to communicate even more clearly what an escrow service was and why a transaction fee is necessary.

The Voice Over Business Has Changed Drastically In Recent Years.

I'm quite sure many of you have had to adapt and change your perceptions to reflect the new way of doing business to achieve success online, with or without agency representation, and having to learn technical skills to competently compete with your colleagues who work from home.

This brings us back to the original question posed last week:

Will women be welcomed into the realm of movie trailer voice overs?

Will men who are not Don LaFontaine, let alone women outside of this intimate circle, be perceived as suitable replacements?

Challenging and Shaping Perception

While at a seminar last night, I took a moment to speak with a marketing expert and ask what her opinion was of how difficult it would be to change the perceptions of people regarding movie trailer voice overs, presenting the facts as we know them and where we as an industry hope to go.

Her answer was that the process of changing perception among the public and moviegoers may take a very long time, longer than we'd expect because Don's voice was so entrenched in this aspect of the craft and is ultimately woven in their psyche and embedded in their emotional responses.

Furthermore when discussing the potential of other men and eventually women voicing theatrical trailers, she suggested that although people may not voice their opinions out loud when leaving a theatre, they will notice the difference and feel slightly uneasy with the change, more so with female voices than with male voices who are able to imitate Don LaFontaine's trademark style.

The conclusion?

Even if it takes the public years to move on, I believe that the process needs to start now, and that process involves focus groups and producers making different choices and taking calculated risks, and for others, leaps of faith.

How Do You Feel About This? Is Our Moment For Change Now?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Ryan Kelly

Looking for more clients who want to purchase your voice over services?

Philip Banks, a voice over talent based in Scotland, is always entertaining, consummately witty and perfectly blunt.

How do you get your demo in front of potential customers while being respectful and staying on good terms?

Today's guest blogger answers these questions and more for your reading pleasure.

Prospecting - Dig A Little Deeper!

By Philip Banks

"Philip, how did you get started?" asked Jim. I told him and assumed that what I believed to be obvious would be obvious to him. Oh how wrong was I.

"Get a list of people and telephone them to ask if they use the services of freelance Voice Overs."

Sound OK?

I thought so, except Jim simply got a list of local businesses and called them. WRONG. Before you make the call you need to be 90% certain that the person you are calling is going to answer yes to the question.

The trick, if there is a trick, is to spend more time digging for prospects than calling people.

Right, let's start project 100. You need 100 names and telephone numbers.

What do you want to do? For whom would you like to work? Are you able to do long form audio like elearning?

OK, type "elearning production" into a search engine. Visit the websites and look around, it will take time.

Is there any evidence to support your theory that this company uses voices?

Prove to yourself that they may find a use for you - PROVE do not guess. In the Contacts or "About Us" section is there a name, something like, Joe Smith Head of production or Audio Producer? DIG DIG DIG.

The more you do this the more your investigative instincts improve. From every search you need a company, telephone number and contact name.

Unless you have no alternative DO NOT EMAIL - YOU MUST TELEPHONE.

"Hello my name's Philip Banks and I'm calling to ask if you ever use freelance voice overs"

If you've done your homework you will get a yes. If not offered a name, ask for one, the one you already know and ask if you can speak to them for a moment.

"Hello my name's Philip Banks and I'm calling to ask if you ever use freelance voice overs"

Assuming the answer is yes.

"Would it be OK for me to send you a demo? (before they say anything) You're allowed to say no by the way"

In 18 years I have had one person say no to me.

"That's great, I'll send you one today. Thanks very much"

If you are asked for a link to demos on a web site do that instead of a demo CD.

Here is the BIGGIE - NEVER EVER EVER ASK FOR FEEDBACK

If you are tempted to ask for feedback:

NEVER EVER EVER ASK FOR FEEDBACK.

To be certain you have fully understood - NEVER EVER EVER ASK FOR FEEDBACK!

You are looking for work not a critique.

Prospecting is the key. No selling required. If you have been thorough in your search for names and numbers and your demos are good enough you will get work.

An Example of Successful Prospecting

As a way of finishing this piece here's the story of a job I managed to secure over ten years ago.

I read in a newspaper that Pilots and crew of a new helicopter were going to be trained using CBT, Computer based training. On noting the name of the company I saw they were about 5 miles from me. I visited the office armed with an audio cassette.

"If you have any projects that require a professional voice please get in touch".

Note that I didn't tell them what I knew.

As it turned out the CBT was going to be 45 hours with 38 hours of speech content. Over an 18 month period that one job earned me around $25,000.

Any specific questions about prospecting, feel free to ask.

Want a demo evaluation? Pay Nancy Wolfson to give you one as it'll be money well spent.

Yours sincerely,

Philip Banks

~~

Perspective

I can identify with what Philip is saying coming from the perspective of a client who does hire voice over talent and purchases stock photos for this blog.

Not only am I not necessarily expecting to give a critique, I have little or no time to do so.

Yesterday afternoon, I was pleasantly surprised by a nice phone call from Philip to further discuss the article and we spoke at length on the subject.

While speaking, it was acknowledged that for whatever reason, something has developed in this industry where voice talent, in addition to desiring demo feedback from their own prospective clients offline, also have expectations to receive feedback from clients they are auditioning for online, for instance wanting to know details such as if a demo has been listened to, what the client thought of the performance and also why they were not chosen for the part.

You may see some parallels drawn here to the article Philip wrote.

Both Philip and I agreed that the client's feedback regarding an audition or a demo submitted, regardless of how you first got their attention, is a cheque in the mail or a payment made for your services.

To give you an example, while I may not remember to provide a rating or submit a comment on an image I purchased, the very fact that I did purchase the image is a vote of confidence for that photographer or artist. This vote of confidence and proof of purchase shows up under how many times their image has been downloaded, adding my decision to invest in their works to the silent testimonies of others.

Similarly, if you are hired for work, you have a client list or testimonials. If you've been hired through Voices.com using SurePay, you have another means to display feedback from your clients available to you that serves the same purpose.

Any Comments on Prospecting?

Looking forward to hearing what you think.

Best wishes from your friends on either side of the pond,

Philip Banks and Stephanie Ciccarelli

Conversations carried on from last week about demos have provided more food for thought regarding what can or cannot be used on them.

One way to make sure that your copy is original is to write it yourself!

Learn more about how you can do that now.

Is It Still OK to...?

Yesterday I received a message from someone asking for clarification on the kind of material you could include on your voice over demo, namely asking if print ad copy was OK to use as a former instructor had once suggested.

My answer to her, and remember I'm not a lawyer so this is based upon my own opinion, was as follows and I hope it is of some use to you, too:

Can I use print ad copy in my demo?

Print ads are still copyrighted material, so I would say not to do that from now on. The ad itself would be copyrighted material and the use of a brand name or slogan could violate trademarks.

If you can, write your own spots. These can be inspired by ads you hear or see, but take the core or the spirit of those ads and translate them into something new.

For instance, I could be listening to a commercial for a fast food restaurant and be inspired to write a spot for a gourmet catering business and how their food is organic, why it's better than fast food