What happens when you speak lower than your vocal comfort zone for continuous periods of time?

You might adopt that Hollywood sound Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall were famous for, but you may get more than just the sound... you might get the syndrome!

Guest blogger James Herron shares his experience from Inside Studio A with Bogart-Bacall Syndrome here on VOX Daily.

Vocal Fatigue: Bogart-Bacall Syndrome

By James Herron

I had been finding that some days by 11 a.m. my voice was beginning to fatigue. If you rely on your voice as your livelihood as I do, this can be particularly troublesome.

I first noticed this issue about a year ago. What was going on? What the heck was causing this to occur? Was it something serious? Was it environmental?

My thoughts ran wild with everything from voice polyps; cancer, food and drink issues. I imagined everything and anything.

Scheduling voice over sessions was also challenging and at times an issue since my voice was at its best in the early morning hours EST. Clients on the "left coast" would often receive a request to record as early as possible. Fortunately, I've had such wonderfully flexible and understanding clientele.

A few weeks ago I began tests through the hospital to determine the cause of my voice fatigue.

Ever had a tiny scope with a camera stuck down your throat through your nose? Yikes! Actually, with a little Novocain I did not feel a thing. It was weird however. A TV monitor was mounted so the Doctor could view the results of the probing camera and as I could. I never thought I would be viewing my throat, and larynx.....now that's a very profound statement! In a strange way it was rather interesting.

The results were conclusive. I was diagnosed with Muscle Tension Dysphonia a voice fatigue disorder caused by muscle tension.

Listen Sweetheart.... I'm in famous company as this is amazingly also called Bogart-Bacall Syndrome.

Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall both suffered from a mild vocal disorder that has been named for them, Bogart-Bacall Syndrome. BBS is now the medical term for an ongoing hoarseness that often afflicts actors, singers or TV/radio voice workers who routinely speak in a very low pitch.

Bacall naturally had a high, nasal voice; she trained it to be lower to get her debut part in To Have and Have Not. You can also view the video below to see just how low her voice was for this role:

Apparently, over the years I've been unconsciously "training" my Larynx muscles to find a non-normal flexed and tense position as I used my voice. When I relaxed (got a good night sleep) the muscles returned to normal. The tense flexed position would return to my voice as the day progressed.

Fortunately, this is a very common issue and thankfully one that can be remedied through therapy and rather quickly.

I am working with the "Voice & Swallowing Center" and receiving prescriptive vocal exercises. These include a series of "Hum" exercises I follow daily from a CD. The drill is to make the vocal muscle recall that "normal" zone all the time.

If you would like to view a variety of voice issues and symptoms including Muscle Tension Dysphonia check out The Voice and Swallowing Institute of The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary at http://www.nyee.edu/cfv-larynx-disorders.html

Another important fact I discovered is how essential hydration is to sustain a healthy voice. A minimum of TWO QUARTS of water are recommended per day. So drink baby, drink.

Of course yelling and screaming is not a good thing at all.

I've taken to using a "rapid hand clap" (picture an prim and proper 18th century French Officer) when I cheer for my beloved Boston Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots or President Obama! I also now use simple hand gestures against those challenging the above mentioned.

Okay I look like a dork... but my voice is happy.

My hope is you find this information helpful. I know many of you reading this are professional actors and actresses, singers, teachers, politicians and other blabber mouths.

Inside Studio A...........I'm James Herron

For more information about James Herron or to read his other articles, visit his blog Inside Studio A.

Any Comments?

I'd love to hear from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

A woman of many talents, one of Joan Baker's chief skills is bringing people together for a good cause to mingle, learn, become empowered and celebrate their gifts.

I got word about an upcoming event in New York City that I thought would be of interest to you and am passing along some details. If you decide to go, let me know by commenting on the blog!

Secrets of Voice-Over Success

Joan Baker's book, Secrets of Voice-Over Success, first published in 2005, features essays written by a number of professional voice over artists, including a contribution from the late Don LaFontaine, illustrating how they got to where they are in their careers with the purpose of inspiring others and sharing personal, meaningful experiences.

Joan's father suffered from Alzheimer's. When the disease robbed him of his voice and his life, Joan was compelled to gather a collection of stories from her colleagues to share how the human voice can triumph, donating 100% of the book's royalties to the Alzheimer's Association in his memory.

Secrets of Voice-Over Success Gala Event

On Wednesday July 29th, 2009 at 7 p.m. in New York City, Joan Baker will be co-hosting a special event with announcer Alan Kalter (Late Show with David Letterman) promoting the re-release of her book "Secrets of Voice-Over Success", demonstrating how one can create a career in voice-over acting, through the journeys of those who have already succeeded.

Other special guests on hand include Jim Dale, award-winning narrator of the Harry Potter audiobook series, Richard Thomas (voice of Mercedes Benz), Joe Cipriano (voice of Deal or No Deal), Valerie Smaldone (voice of Broadway on Broadway), and Rodd Houston, the voice of Verizon Wireless and the NFL.

The discussion includes:

๏ Basic steps to breaking in
๏ How to cultivate your talent
๏ Creating a demo reel
๏ How to work with agents
๏ Auditioning technique
๏ Self promotion and networking

You can attend this exciting event for the mere cost of $49.95, a bargain in my books considering the networking opportunities and access to some of the most experienced and in-demand voices in the industry.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit:

Secrets of Voice-Over Success Event Information / Tickets

Alternatively, you can call Push Creative (Joan Baker's and Rudy Gaskins' company) and order your tickets over the phone by dialing 212-269-0700.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

It's amazing how many different "worlds" voice actors can be part of when there is a successful franchise in place.

Have you ever gone to an Anime convention or any other convention where they celebrated characters you have voiced?

I'd love to hear all about it so leave a comment!

Conventions Open Up a Whole New World to Voice Actors

If you have voiced a character for an Anime series, been part of a celebrated series or are a fan of franchises such as Transformers, Star Trek, or Star Wars, chances are you have attended a convention and have unique memories of the experience.

Being involved with these cons opens up an entirely different world and following for voice actors. Not only are there fans and a community of people rallying around the show, there's a whole culture, identity, and may even be a legacy and language associated with it!

One aspect of conventions for fans that is almost as exciting as being among their peers is listening to a voice actor panel talk about their roles. I have footage on the Voices.com video blog introducing the English Naruto voice cast, and believe me, there are many, many more like it on the Internet. Such is the popularity of the voice talent panel.

A little while ago, I published an article about Anime cons and Jon Morss commented with his experience attending conventions. I've linked back to it for you in the previous sentence so be sure to check it out.

What Have Your Experiences Been at Conventions?

I'd love to know hear about your stories about going to conventions, whether as a fan or voice actor and special guest. How does going to such events adds value to your life and career?

Looking forward to your reply!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Photo from Botcon courtesy Daniel Ross

On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams." With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged.

Randy's lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come.

Narrator Erik Singer shares moving insight into his oratory, giving another voice to Randy Pausch's inspiring, informative and touching book, "The Last Lecture", winner of the 2009 Audie for Biography / Memoir.

Preface

While most of us know who Randy Pausch was, I thought it would be good to give a brief overview of Professor Pausch. This biographical excerpt and the opening paragraphs of this article were referenced from TheLastLecture.com:

"Randy Pausch was a professor of Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, and Design at Carnegie Mellon University. From 1988 to 1997, he taught at the University of Virginia. He was an award-winning teacher and researcher, and worked with Adobe, Google, Electronic Arts (EA), and Walt Disney Imagineering, and pioneered the non-profit Alice project. (Alice is an innovative 3-D environment that teaches programming to young people via storytelling and interactive game-playing.) He also co-founded The Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon with Don Marinelli. (ETC is the premier professional graduate program for interactive entertainment as it is applies across a variety of fields.) Randy lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008."

Now, I'd like to share the answers to a very special interview in the form of a reflection by Erik Singer, narrator of The Last Lecture.

Narrating "The Last Lecture"

By Erik Singer

It was an honor to narrate The Last Lecture. I hadn't heard of it before I was chosen to narrate it, but I googled it immediately and was blown away by the beauty of the lecture itself, as well as by Professor Pausch's extraordinary warmth and charm -- and, of course, by his story.

I did not get to meet Professor Pausch. We recorded in February of 2008, when he was already very sick. I don't know if he was involved in the casting decision or not. The director, Karen DiMattia, did speak with him before we began recording. His direction to me, through her, consisted of one word: "Bouncy." Tigger-like, is what I took from that -- enthusiastic, optimistic, full of joy and boundless wonder for life and all it's rich strangeness. Much like the author himself. I did my best to embody this.

As I mentioned before, it's been some time since I recorded this, and I have not read or listened to it since. I remember the emotional experience much better than the specifics of the text. This is especially so for the advice sections. I certainly couldn't speak to whether the advice is applicable to all people, but I do think there's a certain amount of wisdom in the book. People are more important than things; live life to the fullest; go after your dreams. These things, surely, connect across a broad range of people and cultures.

I connected with the book on a number of very personal levels. First of all, my father survived testicular cancer 30 years ago. It had metastasized just about everywhere. He had about five major operations and years of chemo. By the grace of extraordinary good fortune, his own will to live, and some phenomenal doctors, he is here today (and in excellent health, though minus about forty percent of his original lung tissue and some other bits and pieces). Although I was too young to have much memory of his battle, I was certainly deeply affected by it -- even formed by it to a certain extent. So Randy Pausch's deeply moving last letter to his children, who would not be so lucky as I was, was a kind of alternate version of what my life might have been like if my father hadn't survived.

In addition, I had a beloved aunt who died from pancreatic cancer when I was 12 and she was 32 and newly-married. This I remember vividly.

I also have two young children of my own -- a three-and-a-half year-old son and an eight-month old daughter. When we were recording, we had only just found out that my wife was pregnant with our daughter. So the parts of the book where Professor Pausch wrote about his children, his sadness that he would not be there to watch them grow up -- well, this was very difficult for me to read. I'm normally a very fast and fluid reader, but I think it probably took us about 2 hours to read the last 15 pages or so. I would keep choking up and even actually weeping, and had to stop to collect myself every few sentences. The end of the book was truly one of the most difficult reads I've ever done.

As a result, this is the aspect of the book that is most vivid for me a year-and-a-half later -- Randy's relationship to his children, and this beautiful, wise, book that he has left for them. The "second head-fake" The book is for them.

Nothing will compensate them for not growing up with their father, just as nothing would have compensated me had my father died of his cancer when I was small, just as nothing would compensate my children if I were to leave them now. But it will certainly help them to know that their father was such a funny, warm, wise, upbeat, witty, enthusiastic and deeply loving man.

Erik Singer

~~

Any Comments or Stories That You'd Like to Share?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

One of the most influential women in the audiobook industry, Robin Whitten, founder and editor of AudioFile Magazine, moderated a panel discussion at BookExpo America called, "The Heard Word: BEA's Audiobook & Author Tea", hosted by the Audio Publishers Association.

Hear some wisdom and sentiments from television personality Kathie Lee Gifford, author Lisa Scottoline and narrator Katherine Kellgren.

Top Anecdotes and Observances from the Panel:

Kathie Lee Gifford: "When someone recognizes me for my voice without even seeing me, I know they have spent time with me." Kathie Lee went on to say, paraphrased, that is is such a privilege to be in her readers' and listeners' company, and to be part of their lives. Being real is also very important. During a session, Kathie Lee's voice broke when talking about her father (who has passed away), and after several takes, decided to leave that raw emotion in to stay true to what her audience would expect of her.

Lisa Scottoline: "Words are the soundtrack of our lives. Your life is defined by the meaningful moments in your life with words spoken such as 'I love you', 'Will you marry me?', 'I do', 'It's a boy!', 'You got the job', and even things that are painful to hear, such as 'It's terminal', or 'It's time to say good-bye.'"

Katherine Kellgren: Paraphrased: "Researching (the script, time period, characters, dialects, etc.) is very important. Sometimes you get requests or encounter material that may be unfamiliar to you, like being asked to laugh like a snorting camel and all the direction you get is, 'Oh, ha ha!' After searching all over the Internet for what was needed, looking for relevant Pachyderm noises, I came across a website where there were a number of recordings of this obscure sound for purchase that I could study, incorporating my interpretation of the sound into the read."

To learn more about each of the panelists, check out the links below:

๏ Kathie Lee Gifford, author of Just When I Thought I'd Dropped My Last Egg (Random House Audio)
๏ Lisa Scottoline, author of Look Again (Macmillan Audio)
๏ Katherine Kellgren, narrator of the Odyssey Honor and Audie Award-winning audiobook Curse of the Blue Tattoo (Listen & Live Audio)

Do You Have Any Narration Tips or Anecdotes to Share?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Wojciech Krusinski

Did you know that the month of June is audiobook month?

For any of you who are audiobook enthusiasts, this may come as no surprise, however, I thought we should mark the occasion with a special blog post.

I've compiled a number of links and resources that relate to audiobooks, audiobook production, narration technique, communities and places where you can buy audiobooks.

Audiobooks: More Than Just MP3s

As the popularity of audiobooks continues to increase, people have come to realize that audiobook recordings are not just companions complementing the written word, they represent the carrying on of oral tradition and storytelling passed down to us from our ancestors for thousands of years, embodying emotion, heart, and making connections on a deeper level than can be expressed through the printed word alone.

Over the last week, we've been talking a lot about audiobooks, and for good reason. Not only is it an extremely diverse field to get into, audiobooks is also one of the fastest growing markets in need of professionally recorded voice overs and narration.

If you're interested in learning more about audiobooks, getting started in audiobook narration or are looking to produce your own audiobook and hire a narrator, I've included a number of resources below for your consideration.

For some audiobook resources, check out these links:

AudioFile Magazine
Audio Publishers Association
Scott Brick's tutorial on how to get started in audiobook narration
Pat Fraley's article about the subtleties of audiobook narration
Dan Bostick of Full Cast Audio shares how their audiobooks are made / video session
Recording Stories from the Public Domain (Royalty-free)
Get your Audiobook Recorded by a Narrator at Voices.com
Audiobook Narrators For Hire
Browse and Buy audiobooks at Audible.com
Browse and Buy audiobooks at SimplyAudiobooks.ca
Visit The LibriVox.org Community for Narrators

Before I go, I want to send a special shout out to some narrators I recently met and know on Twitter:

Lorelei King @LoreleiKing
Scott Brick @ScottBrick
Simon Vance @SimVan

If you know of any other links that you think should be included, comment and let me know.

Happy Audiobook Month!

Warm regards,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Helder Almeida

Katherine Kellgren, though classically trained, sophisticated and sonorous, narrates stories from the depths of her soul, combining talent and skill with pure passion infused by a love of the spoken word, uplifted by her father's devoted ears.

I was there to see Katherine present at the Audies and also be acknowledged for her talent. Fortunately, I also was present to hear her speak at the BookExpo America Audiobook and Author Tea, discovering more about her creative process and hearing a reading from "Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary 'Jacky' Faber, Ship's Boy."

Learn more about this lovely and gracious lady who not only walked away with three Audies this year but also with the hearts of those to whom she read.

"I'm Listening"

Before New Yorker Katherine Kellgren became the celebrated narrator that she is today, she studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, seeking her education abroad while keeping ties with home by sending her father a series of recordings that she narrated using a hand-held tape recorder of his favorite detective book from the 1920s in installments on audio cassette.

Each recording was an opportunity to share a special bond with her father, and while perhaps not being done so consciously or deliberately, further develop her narration skills and character voices.

At this time, Kellgren's father was very sick, so these installments came as a great joy to him. When she returned to New York after her graduation, she read him stories he selected by his bedside for several months. These short months, as it would turn out, were to be the final days of his life.

Just as he appeared to be fast asleep, which was one of the goals while reading aloud to him, Katherine would take a good look to make sure he was at rest and then stop reading, closing the book quietly, only to hear him exclaim from the depths of REM sleep, "I'm listening," prompting her to pick up the book and start reading again.

Dedication and Motivation

The words, "I'm listening," continue to echo in Katherine Kellgren's mind, helping her to get through long days in the recording studio. Buoyed by the acute ears and encouraging voice of her father, she is able to push herself to meet any challenge head on and pursue her work with gusto and meticulous attention to detail.

When doing research for audiobooks that she narrates, and depending on the complexities of the book, it can take up to two weeks to get a full grasp of the characters, the setting, jargon, expressions and dialects required. In studio, it can take between 2 to 5 days to record an audiobook from start to finish.

To be an audiobook narrator, just as an actor prepares for a role, it takes at times the mind and determination of a scholar. Understanding of context, rhythm, and a developing a deep connection to the characters does much for the narrator to help suspend the audience's disbelief.

Over the years, Katherine has narrated numerous audiobooks, and has won many awards for her work such as the AudioFile Earphones Award, the Peabody Award, and now most recently, several Audie Awards for her work on the sequel to Bloody Jack called "Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady", including the Audie award categories: Solo Narration - Female, Teens, and Distinguished Achievement in Production.

Have You Listened to Any of Katherine Kellgren's Work?

If you are a fan or colleague of Katherine, I'd like to invite you to comment. Also, if you are an audiobook fan in general or of the Bloody Jack books, I want to hear from you, too!

I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Yours,

Stephanie

Last weekend, I had the privilege to attend the 14th annual Audies, sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association, at the fabulous New-York Historical Society situated at 170 Central Park West, and believe me, the voices were just as sensational and decadent as the surroundings they were placed in.

For the remainder of this week, I'll be sharing more about our trip and highlighting special moments and intriguing topics that took shape at the Audies and at BookExpo America.

Curious to learn which audiobooks won awards? Read on!

The Audies

There were so many interesting people at the Audies, many of whom included some of the top narrators in the world.

The gala was exquisite and provided a good many opportunities to network, but the main event was especially lovely, celebrating the achievements of people who had been narrowed down by a hundred judges from a record 1000 entries to a mere 100 selections.

Seated beside us were actors and narrators Cynthia Darlow and her husband Richard Ferrone. Ferrone had won an Audie in 2008 as the Best Voice in Mystery / Suspense for the audiobook, "Dead Street".

Directly behind us, as we learned later that night upon receipt of his award, was author and narrator, David Sedaris. In front of us were the crew from Macmillan Audio. Indeed, the room was packed with all kinds of people, from audiobook publishers to narrators to family and friends.

Without further ado, the winners of the 2009 Audies:

Audiobook of the Year was won by Neil Gaiman, writer and narrator of "The Graveyard Book"; HarperChildren's Audio.

Distinguished Achievement in Production was won by Live & Listen Audio for "Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady" by L.A. Meyer, narrated by Katherine Kellgren.

Solo Narration - Male was won by narrator John Lee for his work on "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas; Blackstone Audio.

Solo Narration - Female was won by narrator Katherine Kellgren for her work on "Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady", a novel by L.A. Meyer; Listen and Live Audio.

Narration by the Author was won by David Sedaris for "When You Are Engulfed in Flames"; Hachette Audio.

Multi-Voiced Performance was won by "Mudbound" by Hillary Jordan, read by Kate Forbes, Joey Collins, Peter Jay Fernandez, Ezra Knight, Brenda Pressley, and Tom Stechschulte; Recorded Books.

Special Achievement Awards were won by Michael Snodgrass and Eileen Hutton of Brilliance Audio.

Judges Award - Politics was won by "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" by Thomas Friedman, read by Oliver Wyman; Macmillan Audio.

Humor was won by "The Learners" by Chip Kidd, read by actor Bronson Pinchot; Blackstone Audio.

Spanish Language was won by "Por in Dia Mas/For One More Day" by Mitch Albom; read by Jose Manuel Vieira; FonoLibro, Inc.

Teens was won by "Curse of the Blue Tattoo: Being an Account of the Misadventures of Jacky Faber, Midshipman and Fine Lady" by L.A. Meyer, read by Katherine Kellgren; Listen & Live Audio.

Children's Titles Ages 8 to 12 was won by "The Graveyard Book", written and narrated by Neil Gaiman; HarperChildren's Audio.

Children's Titles Ages up to 8 was won by "James Herriot's Treasury for Children"; James Herriot, read by Jim Dale; Macmillan Audio.

Original Work was won by "Louis Vuitton Soundwalk: Beijing" by Stephan Crasneanscki, narrated by Gong Li; Louis Vuitton.

Audio Drama was won by "The Odyssey" by Homer, narrated by Tim McInnerny, Amanda Redman and a full cast; BBC Audiobooks America.

Audiobook Adaptation was won by "English Majors: A Comedy Collection For The Highly Literate" written/read by Garrison Keillor and cast, with special guests Billy Collins, Roy Blount Jr., Robert Bly, Donald Hall, Allen Ginsberg, and Calvin Trillin; HighBridge.

Package Design was won by "Founding Fathers", written by Arthur M. Schlesinger, read by Ira Claffey and Richard Rohan with package design by Margo Goody; Macmillan Audio.

Classic was won by "Great Expectations", written by Charles Dickens, read by British narrator Simon Vance; Tantor Audio.

Romance was won by "The Dark Highlander", written by Karen Marie Moning, narrated by Phil Gigante; Brilliance Audio.

Thriller / Suspense was won by "Child 44", written by Tom Rob Smith, read by narrator Dennis Boutsikaris; Hachette Audio.

Science Fiction / Fantasy was won by "Calculating God", a book by Robert J. Sawyer, read by Jonathan Davis; Audible, Inc.

Mystery was won by "Voice of The Violin", authored by Andrea Camilleri, read by narrator Grover Gardner; Blackstone Audio.

Short Stories / Collections was won by "Armageddon in Retrospect" by Kurt Vonnegut; intro read by Mark Vonnegut; read by Rip Torn; Penguin Audio.

Literary Fiction was won by "Elmer Gantry", a novel by Sinclair Lewis, read by narrator Anthony Heald; Blackstone Audio.

Inspirational / Faith-based Fiction was won by "Prague Counterpoint", written by Bodie and Brock Thoene; read by Sean Barrett; FamilyAudioLibrary.com.

Fiction Audie was a tie! This award was won by "The Duma Key", written by Stephen King, read by John Slatter; Simon and Schuster Audio. This award was also won by "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, read by Paul Boehmer, Susan Duerden, Rosalyn Landor, John Lee, and Juliet Mills; Books on Tape.

Personal Development was won by "You Staying Young" by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet C. Oz, read by Johnny Heller, Recorded Books.

Inspirational / Faith-based Non-Fiction was won by "The Word of Promise: Next Generation New Testament" read by Sean Astin and cast; Thomas Nelson Inc.

Business / Educational was won by "The Little Red Book of Selling" written and narrated by Jeffrey Gitomer; Simon & Schuster Audio.

History was won by "Gandhi and Churchill" by Arthur Herman, narrated by John Curless; Recorded Books.

Biography / Memoir was won by "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow, narrated by Erik Singer; Hyperion Audiobooks.

Non-Fiction was won by "Hot, Flat, and Crowded", by Thomas Friedman, narrated by Oliver Wyman; Macmillan Audio.

The competition this year was incredibly stiff, as was acknowledged by the Audio Publishers Association, and I'd like to congratulate all of the nominees on their achievements in pursuit of excellence.

Are you a fan of any books, authors or publishers listed here?

Leave a comment to congratulate your friends and colleagues!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Ever heard of the Audies?

The Audies is the annual awards ceremony, hosted by the Audio Publishers Association, that honors people in the audiobook industry for their achievements in a variety of categories, representing the cream of the crop in every genre.

This year, I will be going to the Audies with David, and I wanted to be sure that I gave a special shout out to all Voices.com members and friends of our company who were nominated for an Audie award in 2009.

AUDIE NOMINATED VOICES.COM MEMBERS

Lovely ladies are lined up this year from Voices.com for Audies in the categories of Solo Narration - Female, Biography/Memoir, and History.

SNEHA MATHAN

Congrats to Sneha Mathan, nominated in the category of Solo Narration - Female for her work as narrator of The Palace of Illusions, by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni; Blackstone Audio, Inc.

TAVIA GILBERT

I'm also happy to share that Tavia Gilbert has been nominated for her work narrating the memoir, The Middle Place, by Kelly Corrigan; Blackstone Audio, Inc.

KAREN WHITE

Congratulations are in order for Karen White, who narrated The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family, by Annette Gordon-Reed; Tantor Media.

AUDIE NOMINATED FRIENDS

HILLARY HUBER

Hillary Huber, returning to the Audies, has been nominated this year for two Audie awards, including one audiobook in the category of Personal Development, What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage, by Amy Sutherland; Blackstone Audio, Inc., and in the category of Science Fiction / Fantasy for her work on Sunrise Alley, by Catherine Asaro; Blackstone Audio, Inc. Congrats, Hillary!

FULL CAST AUDIO

Full Cast Audio is nominated 6 times, count them 6, nominations! Congratulations to Dan Bostick and his crew on this wonderful achievement. We met Dan and heard all about the wonderful things he and his business partner Bruce Coville are doing at Full Cast Audio when he spoke at the Voice Coaches Expo this passed May.

Nominated for 3 Audies is the audiobook, Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine; Narrated by Sarah Naughton; Full Cast Audio. Categories include Children's Titles for Ages 8-12, Teens, and Achievement in Production.

Another nomination in the Children's Titles for Ages 8-12, One-Handed Catch, by M.J. Auch; Narrated by Ryan Sparkes and a full cast.

In the category of Audio Drama, Sun moon stars rain, by Jan Cheripko; Narrated by Spencer Murphy.

Last but not least, a nomination in the category of Science Fiction / Fantasy for the audiobook, Skybreaker, by Kenneth Oppel; Narrated by David Kelly.

SCOTT BRICK & STEFAN RUDNICKI

Scott Brick, a member of our Voice Over Experts faculty, was nominated alongside Stefan Rudnicki and their cast mates in the Original Work category for their contributions to the audiobook, Metatropolis, by John Scalzi, Elizabeth Bear, Jay Lake, Tobias Buckell and Karl Schroeder. Narrators, in addition to Brick and Rudnicki, include Michael Hogan, Alessandro Juliani, and Kandyse McClure; Audible, Inc.

ADRIANA SANANES

You may remember a review I wrote recently about Adriana's narration work on the Brown Bear & Friends CD. Nominated in the Spanish Language category for her work on the audiobook, How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, known in Spanish as: De Como las Muchachas Garcia Perdierno su Acento, by Julia Alvarez. Narrators joining Adriana Sananes on this project include Rossmery Almonte, Silvia Sierra, Laura Gomez and Rosie Berrido; Recorded Books.

MIGNON FOGARTY, GRAMMAR GIRL

My wordy friend Mignon, also known as Grammar Girl, has been nominated in the category of Business / Educational for her book (which she also narrated), Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing; Macmillan Audio. If you've ever wondered about how to use the English language properly, you should check out what Mignon has to offer at her website and listen to her podcasts.

For details about The Audies® and the Gala, visit the APA web site at www.audiopub.org.

The APA is a not-for-profit trade organization whose primary goals are to promote awareness of the audiobook industry, gather and disseminate industry statistics, encourage high production standards and represent the interests of audiobook publishers. Since 1986, the APA has worked to bring audio publishers together to increase interest in audiobooks.

Thanks for reading!

Stephanie

When a character's voice is first created, something special happens, and although it may be voiced by different people over the decades, takes on a life of its own.

Meet a few caretakers who were chosen to pick up where one of their colleagues left off, preserving each character as an individual with great awe and reverence.

The 3rd Voice of Mickey Mouse Takes His Final Bow

Many of you may have heard that Wayne Allwine, the most recent voice of Mickey Mouse, passed away on May 18, 2009 due to complications from diabetes at the age of 62. He and his wife Russi Taylor, the current voice of Minnie Mouse, met in studio over 20 years ago and were inseparable.

Although the two made quite a pair voicing the Disney icons (named as Disney Legends in 2008), they never lost sight of the fact that they were merely the stewards of a legacy, entrusted with taking care of Mickey and Minnie, humbly doing their work in the service of others to keep Walt Disney's dream, and the spirit of the characters, alive.

Russi Taylor, said of her dearly departed husband, Wayne Allwine, "Walt [Disney] used to say, he put the heart and soul into Mickey Mouse,". She noted that while Allwine was certainly proud to be the voice of Mickey Mouse, he was never boastful or arrogant. The couple, in fact, made a point of not using their Minnie and Mickey voices in public out of respect for the characters.

Taylor also shared, "We've always said we were the caretakers of these characters."

Voices of Mickey Mouse (years shown in duration of time as Mickey's voice):

Walt Disney (1928-1947)
Jimmy MacDonald (1947-1977)
Wayne Allwine (1977-2009)

To further the point of characters being their own people, in honor of his 50th Anniversary (November 18, 1978), Mickey Mouse became the first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star is located on 6925 Hollywood Blvd.

Bob Bergen, Voice of Porky Pig, Shares Experiences at Warner Bros.

Bob Bergen is the current voice of Porky Pig among other characters in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes franchise, taking up where Mel Blanc left off. I asked Bob to contribute some insight into how he sees his role and what it means to him to be a caretaker for several characters who he now gives voice to.

~~

Contributed by Bob Bergen

I'm often asked if I feel a sense of responsibility voicing classic characters. The answer is, of course! It's always my ultimate goal to uphold the integrity of the characters. I will also say that none of us, including myself, can replace Mel Blanc. He was a genius. So much of who he was is in these characters. Just like so much of Jim Henson was in Kermit the Frog. My goal has never been to try to emulate Mel. My goal is to portray Porky, Tweety, Sylvester, Jr., or whichever Looney Tune I've been hired to voice as honestly as I can.

Often this is a challenge. Any actor is only as good as the writing. Every once in a while the writing doesn't work with the character. So, you just do your best. Fortunately, most everyone I've ever worked with at Warner Bros. has been open to ideas and suggestions. "Can I try this a different way?" "Porky wouldn't stutter on that word," etc.

I find it a privilege and an honor to voice these characters. I don't take it for granted. And I have the utmost respect for the legacy of the creators, from Mel Blanc, to Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, etc. These characters are a conglomerate of a creative mixed marriage. I'm thrilled and humbled to be a part of the family.

Bob Bergen

Are You a Character Voice Caretaker?

It's so very important that the people who take on these roles have a profound respect for those who went before as well as the character itself. People like Bob Bergen, Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor have set a phenomenal example of what it means to preserve and venerate their characters for generations of families to enjoy now and for years to come.

I invite you to share your story if you have inherited a voice acting legacy.

Also, if you would like to talk about someone's work that is now living on through other voice talent, you're welcome to share those memories, too. Artists may also feel this kinship with other animators, so if you are in that boat, I'd love to hear from you.

Looking forward to your stories,

Stephanie

Randy Thomas and Peter Rofe, co-authors of "Voice For Hire", are having a book signing and workshop hosted by the Washington, DC-Baltimore AFTRA/SAG Conservatory on Saturday, June 13th 2009.

Learn some interesting things, be directed by top talent and get your own complimentary autographed copy of Voice For Hire.

Opportunity to Train With Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé

Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé will discuss voice over technique, microphone technique, terminology, script breakdown, and marketing strategies. Each student will be worked with individually to explore the rhythms and pacing of commercial copy, resulting in a real, intuitive "read".

Specifically, learn how to get to the next level as you explore:

♣ Marketing savvy, and how the secrets of branding can help set you apart and attract big paychecks.
♣ New ways to land big-time gigs.
♣ Strategies to grow your voiceover work to a sustainable income
(and give up your day job).
♣ The art of attracting agents in this increasingly competitive business.
♣ The current state of the voiceover industry, where it's headed . . . and more.

Discover how to:

♣ Enhance your copy interpretation skills.
♣ Understand the secret to booking more auditions.
♣ Learn how to be seen as a top-notch talent with a bankable range of reads.
♣ Build a bigger client base with the home studio of your dreams.

To attend this event, you must be a member of AFTRA and/or SAG in good standing and must register and pay for this seminar in advance. The cost is just $50.00 (prepaid), and your registration fee includes the seminar and an autographed copy of their new book, Voice for Hire: Launch and Maintain a Lucrative Career in Voiceovers.

Details:

Topic: "How to Become Successful in the Voiceover Industry"
Who: Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé
When: Saturday June 13, 2009 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (one night only)
Where: St. John's Episcopal Church, 6701 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, Maryland

To make your reservation and receive your PayPal payment instructions, please contact Carolyn Bell at Carolyn@carolynbell.com or (703) 914-2769. 

Have you read Voice For Hire?

Comment if you have found Randy and Peter's book to be of use or inspiration to you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Traditionally, people known as Triple Threats have been performers who can sing, dance and act, but what if there is a new Triple Threat on the horizon?

The trend in casting lately is to not only pick people who are very good actors for roles, but, to also prominently feature actors who have great voices for the character roles they are playing.

With song and dance stepping to the side, and new variables coming into play, one has to ask:

Is the new triple threat acting ability, looks and voice?

Find out!

Triple Threat

Typically when we refer to a Triple Threat in cinema, theatre, or on Broadway, it's someone who can:

๏ Sing
๏ Dance
๏ Act

Acting is the cornerstone and is the most important of the three.

In a musical production that has a lot of dance numbers, it is not uncommon for a casting director to choose an actor who can dance better than they can sing for a role instead of choosing an actor who sings better but isn't as strong of a dancer.

Likewise, if there is minimal dancing but lots of singing, the actor's ability to sing will overshadow their dance skills. One nearly always trumps the other in casting with regard to singing and dancing, however, acting is never, or at least shouldn't be, trumped by either of the other two.

For a moment, let's set that compound aside and consider what may very well be the new, modern version, at least in Hollywood, of the Triple Threat.

The new Triple Threats are people who possess:

๏ Acting Skills
๏ Good Looks or Striking Appearances
๏ Attractive or Unique Voices

One could argue that looks, that is to say physical appearances fitting the description that a director has in mind for their character, is an honourary fourth element of the original compound, but never before has it been so commercially desired, and for that matter, never before has there been such an emphasis placed on the quality, texture and versatility of an actor's voice on-camera.

After some thought, it occurred to me that a new Triple Threat was taking shape right before our eyes, and while not entirely replacing the original for obvious reasons where it is still king, the new Triple Threat is settling into its own in casting talent today for on-camera work.

Why a New Triple Threat?

Acting has always been the most important element of the compound which is why it has remained first and foremost on my new list, but you might be wondering, why lose singing and dancing?

Since most of our entertainment and favored cinematic productions nowadays have very little to do with singing or dancing, unlike films made several or more decades ago that were rooted in musical theatre tradition, the need for talent with those two specific skill sets has been replaced with what is necessary in the present, which now includes how an actor is able to use their speaking voice and their physical appearance.

As superficial as it sounds, looks, whether an actor be handsome, beautiful, or just what was required for the role, are very important factors in casting the right person. A prime example is casting for the recent Star Trek movie (released in theatres May 2009).

When casting for this film, the producer J.J. Abrams and his team went to great lengths to find actors, who in addition to their acting skills, embodied very particular physical and vocal traits. Perhaps the most dead-on casting decision was to cast Zachary Quinto as the young Spock, nearly a doppelganger for Leonard Nimoy measure for measure in physicality and vocal prowess.

If you've been thinking that perhaps I've allotted too much gravity to looks, remember that it's not necessarily the most good looking actor or actress who will get the role... it's more to do with if their appearance and artistic interpretation fits the vision of what the director is looking for when casting a particular character. Sometimes this is preordained and dictated by details in a book that a movie is based upon where an author describes what the character looks like, or, it's based upon a previous production and is paying tribute or homage to someone who filled the role beforehand.

Could Scarlett O'Hara have been cast as a towering blond with a husky voice? No! That would have gone against what Pulitzer Prize winning author Margaret Mitchell wrote when first describing the protagonist in her novel, Gone With The Wind (1936).

Would it have been the same if Harry Potter was cast in the movies to be a muscular chap who spoke with an accent that was decidedly not British?

Again, I think you'll find that certain characteristics are defined ahead of time, and to stay true to the book, or in some cases, a playwright's original work, these details are given special consideration when casting for a role.

But, Why Has Voice Become So Important?

While our community is biased to say the least, believing that voice has always held a fundamentally significant post in casting, the mainstream media and people outside of our industry are just discovering how much impact voices can have in entertainment and beyond.

The voice conveys more than mere words alone can say.

Just take a look around! With the success of audiobooks, cartoons, animated films, video game voices in games with speaking roles, movie trailers, and films showcasing talent who have voices and deliveries on par with their acting skills, fantastic voices have become more than just a nice thing to have if it happens to comes your way but a requirement for creating a production that people who are accustomed to excellence in entertainment will consume and enjoy.

That's to say nothing of selecting particular voice characteristics in talent for voice over in television and radio commercials, promos, station identification, telephony, podcasting, business presentations and more.

So, given the increase in popular consumption and bars raised for producing entertainment unparalleled in these areas of import, it's literally a no-brainer that voice would rise to the occasion and become a fundamental component of the new Triple Threat.

The Floor is Open!

Can you think of a role that you've seen recently where someone was a Triple Threat of the new school of thought?

Is there anything that you'd like to add?

Looking forward to this discussion! If you are reading on the blog, you're welcome to comment below. If you are reading this in your email, click here to read other comments and join the conversation online.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Rich Legg

Star Trek is known for a number of things, but have you ever considered "Voice" to be a strong point for the franchise?

In this article, we're going to look very closely at how voice has been used in Star Trek, specifically at how J.J. Abram's film uses voice, and also reflect on how voices from previous series have figured prominently in the shaping of today's crew.

Voices in Star Trek

Something that I've noticed lately, and we'll get into this more in a future article, is just how important the casting of someone with a great voice is in addition to their ability to perform and their physical attributes.

Want an example? Just listen to some of the spectacular voice talent cast for the newest Star Trek movie.

The actors chosen for the film had great voices in addition to delivering formidable interpretations of their characters.

In particular, I'd like to highlight vocal performances by Zachary Quinto (Spock), Chris Pine (James T. Kirk), Anton Yelchin (Chekhov), Simon Pegg (Scotty), Karl Urban ("Bones" McCoy), John Cho (Sulu), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), and Eric Bana (Nero).

Zachary Quinto as Spock

Zachary Quinto (b. 1977), is as many have noticed, the breakout story on this film. Well known for his work as Sylar on the television series "Heroes", Quinto may now be better known the world over for his role as Spock in the new Star Trek movie and its sequels to come. In addition to an uncanny resemblance to Leonard Nimoy, Quinto's voice shares many qualities with Nimoy's such as its warm depth, ability to soothe and versatility. As a result of being cast in the show "24" as Adam Kaufman (acting in 23 episodes during 2003-2004), he has also recorded voice over work in the video game of the same name. Zachary Quinto has also been on Robot Chicken in the episode "Bionic Cow" (2008) voicing Sylar.

Quinto's most notable voice over work to date is the narration of the Star Trek movie novel adaptation written by Alan Dean Foster, based on Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman's screenplay, an 8.5 hour long, unabridged Star Trek audiobook released by Simon & Schuster. This narration includes parts of the story that were not shown in the movie. You can listen to a sample of the audiobook by clicking the link two sentences before this one.

Chris Pine as James Tiberius Kirk

When Chris Pine (b. 1980) was announced as the new Captain Kirk, I think a lot of people were holding their breath to see if he could measure up to the legendary performances of Canadian-born actor, William Shatner. It wasn't until I saw several, if not a dozen, different clips promoting the film that it became clear that Pine was up for the challenge complete with charisma, spirit, a satisfying interpretation and fantastic vocal delivery in a comedic style reminiscent of The Shat. I'm not sure if Chris Pine had to manipulate his voice much for this role, as it's the first film I've seen him in, but his efforts in that realm were appreciated.

To date, credited voice over work performed by Chris Pine includes Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey as Dave. Interestingly enough, William Shatner has also signed on to voice a character named Core on this project!

Anton Yelchin as Chekhov

Anton Yelchin (b. 1989), was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia and emigrated to America with his parents at the age of 6 months. Yelchin had an interesting time interpreting the original accent performed by his Chekhov predecessor, Walter Koenig. Imagine having to pronounce all those words with W's instead of V's, for instance, words such as "vessels" would become "wessels", "very strange" becomes "wery strange", and "Vulcan" becomes "Wulcan".... you get the idea! Having a pleasant voice already, the challenge for Yelchin was to deliver a flawless linguistic performance and he executed quite nicely.

Simon Pegg as Scotty

While we're on the accent and dialect train, I happened to read an article in the May 2009 issue of the magazine "Famous" called "Space Cadets" by Jim Slotek. Slotek discovered that Simon Pegg (b. 1970) had befriended the late James Doohan's (original Scotty) son Chris and chose to slightly shift his character Scotty's accent from Aberdeen to Glaswegian. Pegg shared, "Half of my family is Scottish and my wife's Scottish. I had some leeway, and I made Scotty's accent Northwestern Scottish - just above Glasgow, but pretty Glaswegian."

Simon Pegg has recorded a number of voice overs, most recently The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn as Inspector Thompson (post-production for release in 2010) and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (post-production for release in 2009) as Buck.

Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy

There was no denying that Karl Urban (b. 1972) embodied more than just the physical presentiments of his forerunner in the original Star Trek as "Bones" McCoy... he also sounded amazingly like the original Bones, DeForest Kelley! A challenge for him, having such a deep respect and love for Kelley's work, was to find the spirit and essence of the character and funnel it through what his interpretation of a younger version of that character would be, considering it a gift as an actor to receive a character (Bones in particular) with such polarity between what he says and does.

If you were to hear Urban speak naturally, he has a New Zealand accent as he was brought up in Wellington, NZ and now lives in Auckland. He is also a close friend of actor Viggo Mortensen, a co-star in Lord of the Rings. I think the real beauty of this performance, aside from the obvious voice match, was the American accent Karl Urban was able to perform convincingly throughout the film and his interpretation of classic lines like "I'm a doctor, not a (fill in the blank)!"

While most of Urban's work is on-camera, he has done some voice over as well, namely in the video game The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age (2004) as Eomer and some uncredited voice over work in a first shooter fighting sequence in the video game Doom (2005).

John Cho as Sulu

Jumping into the role of Hikaru Sulu, first played by George Takei, actor John Cho (b. 1972) was born in Seoul, South Korea and was raised in Los Angeles. In the same interview as before, Cho revealed, "I was nervous about stepping into his shoes, but in his typically magnanimous fashion he said, 'In a couple of years, people are going to call me the older version of you.'" That's not bad when you take into account the vast array of credits Takei has, including a body of voice over work.

John Cho's previous voice over work includes an episode of Kim Possible called "Exchange" as Hirotaka and some voice over work on two episodes of Static Shock.

Zoe Saldana as Uhura

Zoe Saldana (b. 1978), one of the lone females in the film, did a superb job donning the role of Uhura. In a video interview I watched of her, Saldana related that the character was a favorite growing up and brought her own interpretation to the role. While there is no documented voice over work in Zoe's resume that I could find, I thought it would still be nice to give her a mention in this article.

Before Star Trek, one of her notable roles in film was Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003).

Eric Bana as Nero

Last but not least, wasn't this an incredible performance! Eric Bana really knows how to play the bad guy and his role as Nero was sterling. The role of Nero, a Romulan, required him to look quite different, with a shaved head, tattooing, and so forth, but something that I noticed even more than his physical presence was his voice. What a voice! Before he even took shape, he had that voice, ominous, gravelly and robust. It's the kind of voice that when used in the right way can give you the shivers. Bana did a wonderful job using his vocal mastery and on-camera experience to project a sinister, warlord type bent on destroying the Federation.

Some of Bana's previous voice over work includes roles in Mary and Max as Damien, and in Finding Nemo as Anchor.

What Do You Think?

I'm interested to hear your thoughts. If you're reading this on the blog, comment below. If you are reading this in your email, click here to get to the blog and comment online.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. Although I would loved to have included more characters and actors in this article, I had to draw the line somewhere! An honourable mention for Canadian-born actor Bruce Greenwood, who played Captain Christopher Pike, is in order. His voice was splendid in the trailers when used and gave a warm, authoritative presence to the film in a fatherly way.

Released in theatres on May 7, 2009, the newest Star Trek movie to grace the silver screen, directed by J.J. Abrams, received rave reviews from established fans and new Trekkies around the world.

While the plot features younger versions of the iconic characters from the 1960s television series, the movie paid homage to the franchise by casting a remarkably brilliant ensemble, including casting Leonard Nimoy as the older Spock, and maintaining one common element in particular that was omnipresent audibly throughout the entire Star Trek journey... Majel Barrett's (Gene Roddenberry's widow) voice as the computer.

I'd like to share some of my thoughts about Majel Barrett and explore more of her work here today with you on VOX Daily.

The First Lady of Star Trek

If you are a diehard Trekkie, you probably know that Star Trek's creator, the late Gene Roddenberry, chose his wife, the recently deceased Majel Barrett (whom he married in 1969), to be part of the Star Trek franchise, both onscreen in the original series in the first pilot episode as Number One, going on to star in the series as Nurse Christine Chapel, accompanying Bones McCoy, but also as the voice of the omnipresent computer helping the crew to navigate the final frontier where no man had gone before on the Starship Enterprise.

For continuity's sake, and in the process building a legacy, Majel (pronounced "Mabel") Barrett's voice lived well beyond the first Star Trek series, featured prominently as the voice of every computer thereafter in the Star Trek television series and in the majority of the Star Trek movies, also voicing a part in the 11th Star Trek movie, recording lines for computers up to within weeks of her death at the age of 76 of leukemia on December 18, 2008.

In all, Majel Barrett was the voice of the computers in:

The original Star Trek as voice of The Enterprise Computer (1966-1969)
Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) as voice of the Enterprise Computer
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993-1999) as voice of the Federation Computer
Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) as voice of the Voyager Computer
Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) as voice of the Enterprise Computer
Star Trek: Generations (1997) as voice of the Enterprise Computer
Star Trek: First Contact (1996) as the voice of the Enterprise Computer
Star Trek: Borg (1996) as the voice of the Federation Computer
Star Trek: Judgment Rites (1993) as voice of the Enterprise Computer
Enterprise (2005) as the voice of the Computer
Star Trek: New Voyages (2007) as voice of the STNV Computer
"Start Trek" (2009) as voice of the Starfleet Computer aboard the USS Enterprise

7 Little Known Facts About Majel Barrett Roddenberry's Voice Over Work:

1. There was a Star Trek: The Animated Series, (box set released in 1973) in which Majel Barrett recorded voice over for Nurse Christine Chapel, Lt. M'Ress, Amanda Grayson, the Enterprise Computer, Briel, Rila/Aquan Female, Slaver Weapon Computer, Randi Bryce, Lara/Vedala Female, and of course, Additional Voices.

2. Majel Barrett Roddenberry was also the voice of the computer on the game, Star Trek: The Next Generation Interactive Technical Manual (1994).

3. She was the voice of the Federation Computer on the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion (1999) and the voice of the Federation Computer on Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion (1999)

4. Majel Barrett Roddenberry was also the computer voice on an episode of Family Guy on "Emission Impossible" (November 8, 2001).

5. Majel Barrett Roddenberry was the voice of Anna Watson on the Spider-man cartoon series (1996-1998).

6. Some of Barrett's final voice over work is still in post-production to be released this year in an animated production called "Hamlet A.D.D." credited as Majel Barrett Roddenberry, playing the voice over role of Queen Robot.

7. Even though her voice over work on Star Trek as computer voices was omnipresent, Barrett's voice over work went largely uncredited in a number of instances.

Any Comments?

I hope that this article will draw attention to the immense contribution Majel Barrett Roddenberry made over the 4 decades she was involved with the Star Trek franchise.

Even though this article is fairly exhaustive, I know that there are likely pieces of the puzzle that are missing that you can add! I'm interested to hear from fans and voice over people alike.

If you have any remembrances or insights that you'd like to share about Majel Barrett Roddenberry's work, please add your thoughts as comments below.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

If you've been in voice over for any length of time and are doing well, you may have run across situations where your client has made you sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) or advised you not to share that you are the voice of their campaign, product or company.

Although you may have had to sign one, have you ever thought about why you were asked to and what the motivation behind that request was?

This article covers a number of reasons why non-disclosure agreements could be used in voice over contracts. If I've missed one, let me know!

NDAs

An NDA (non-disclosure agreement) is a confidentiality agreement, usually between two parties, that is signed agreeing not to disclose certain details of a business deal, which can often include clauses that prevent individuals from sharing that they have even worked together.

Could NDAs Be Used to Fuel the Fire of Fanatical Debate?

In our industry, a lot of high profile work goes uncredited in a public sense, for example, commercial campaigns for Apple's iPhone TV commercial that aired in 2007. One report said it was the voice of John Krasinski of the hit television sitcom, "The Office". When we covered this story, (it was just breaking), all of a sudden people started popping out of the woodwork denouncing the claim, strongly suggesting that someone else, a Glenn Martin who worked for Apple, had recorded the voice over, not Krasinski.

So, like any good journalist would do seeking truth, I set out to contact Glenn Martin's agent and also telephoned Apple's public relations department to get a confirmation. The agent never responded to my email to confirm and Apple's lips were sealed, not confirming or denying who the voice was.

After more research, I found that Glenn Martin did at the time have an Apple spot on his demo, however everyone in a position to officially confirm the information was mum on the subject.

Perhaps allowing the controversy to continue brewing worked more in their favor than actually confirming who it was because it kept their brand and commercial alive in discussions on the topic, with people on both sides of the argument passionately asserting their opinions.

NDAs Can Be Used to Serve and Protect

There are instances where NDAs are used to keep something under the radar, including the contents of the script, in order to protect someone or a particular group of people. One such example can be found in the expert panel discussion at the 2009 Voice Coaches Expo when it was said that a friend had recorded voice overs for a branch of law enforcement specific to prison guard training. By not revealing the contents of that script or potentially the name of the artist, an entire profession is protected because that information is not disclosed.

NDAs Enforced For Corporate Preservation

Sometimes NDAs are used from a competitive standpoint, hiding the identity of the voice talent, producing an incognito VO as a result. One example that I can think of is how America's Republican Party, during John McCain's run for the presidency in 2008, chose to conceal the identity of their campaign voice "Joan", stating that her identity was a corporate secret.

We'd Rather Nots for Intrigue, Mystery and Awe

You may find that you are not bound to an NDA legally but there is still an air of, "We'd rather you didn't promote the fact that you recorded this," which makes you hesitant to claim the work as your own or mention it in detail on your resume. While there are no technical or legal restrictions, you may feel bound by your desire to keep working for the client and agree to not list them among your recent customers. By not openly revealing who did the voices for something, a company may be trying to maintain an air of mystique, or perhaps, magic.

Disregard For Credit Where Credit is Due

If you find none of the above were the case but you still were not credited for the work (assuming it would have been reasonable to do so), there is reason to follow up and see if it was an oversight. Recently, I reviewed an audiobook that upon first glance, had hidden tracks. To my delight, I excitedly wrote about the extra material that I considered to be a bonus and contacted the voice talent to congratulate her on her work, only to find out that she, although featured narrating 4 tracks on the CD, had no idea that her work had gone uncredited on the CD packaging and on the publisher's website. This product had also been nominated for a Grammy! Upon this realization she decided to follow up with the producers to inquire to see if it was indeed an oversight. Considering her talent and involvement in the project, I sincerely hope that is was an oversight.

How About You?

Has something similar happened to you in an instance where crediting talent is customary? Check it out and see if you can resolve the issue! That's one great way to get recognition for your work that goes beyond a paycheck.

If you have any comments that you'd like to add about your own experiences, or comments to do with the article in general, you're welcome to join the conversation with your thoughts.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/RickBL

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

Voice over legend Rodney Saulsberry returned to the Voice Coaches Expo to a rousing, standing ovation.

A Detroit native and graduate of the University of Michigan, Rodney Saulsberry is one of the most sought-after voice talents in our industry. As one of the top movie trailer voices in the business, moviegoers have heard Rodney's voice promoting some of the most popular films of recent years, including How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Friday, Drumline, Finding Forrester, Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Dumb and Dumberer, and many more. His voice has also announced for prestigious ceremonies including the NAACP Image Awards and the Essence Awards.

Filled with anticipation, people sat in the darkened theater, fully engaged in captivating storytelling that was both authentic and inspired.

Learn more from this phenomenal teacher through this coverage and hear about some personal experiences in voice acting.

Your Arm's Too Short to Box With God, But Not For Taxi

If you know Rodney Saulsberry's story about how he got into the business, you know that he started out in music and acting, but what you might not know is how this connection landed him on the Paramount lot in Los Angeles and how that day changed his life.

Rodney always wanted to go to LA, in fact, nearly every day he would tell his friends so much when they got together and watched a nightly program on TV. Toward the end of the show as the host was signing off, Rodney would interject his own sign off, which was, "Rodney Saulsberry, Los Angeles California". His friends encouraged him and knew that one day he would make it beyond the University of Michigan, his alma mater, to ham it up and make a go of it as an actor in Hollywood.

When he found himself on tour with the Broadway musical, "Your Arm's Too Short to Box With God", the final leg of the tour was in Los Angeles.

Not being one to let an opportunity pass him by, Rodney was considered for a role on "Happy Days", a role that he didn't get because he was too tall to play opposite The Fonz. Was he deterred? No! Rodney chose to keep walking the Paramount lot and found himself on the set of a show called "Taxi", directed by James L. Brooks, which starred Tony Danza.

Tony Danza happened to spot Rodney and gave him a playful push. Rodney, always the actor, pushed him back. They started to spar, and in the midst of this, Danza piped up and said, "That's him James!" For those of you who watched Taxi, this was the fateful moment where Tony Danza had identified a new cast mate for the show in Rodney Saulsberry, who then donned the role of Carl the Boxer.

A Man of His Word and a Man of Action

Rodney Saulsberry did indeed make it to Los Angeles where he resides with his family to this day. He has enjoyed a very successful career and continues to work for companies such as Twix, Toyota, Burger King, Zatarains, Alpo, Honda, 7UP, Nestle Crunch, SBC, Verizon, and now is also a sound alike for the current US president, Barack Obama.

Two things that got him to Los Angeles were his determination to be successful and his desire to entertain. Four things, among others that have kept him there, are Rodney's integrity, his talent, faith, and genuine humility. To add a fifth, his innate need to give back and see others succeed, reaching their potential.

Here's just a sampling of Rodney's work:

What it Takes to Be Successful

According to Rodney, it takes three things:

1. Confidence
2. Talent
3. Technique

In response to the day, Rodney added a fourth to the list, which was another T for Training.

How Can You Be Successful?

Rodney draws upon all of his personal experiences, skills and talents, or branches, to create new characters or interpretations. He likens this process to the anatomy a tree.

Your roots are always looking for something new with inspiration that feeds the trunk, which is your signature voice. Your signature voice is the voice that makes you the most money. Remember that everything you do, even if it is very different sounding from your regular speaking voice, is still an extension of you and is your voice. Lastly, when the roots offer a new opportunity to your core voice, or the trunk, let's say an audition, your branches, which are everything you have done in the past, are there to help assist you in developing whatever it is that you need to make creative choices that work.

For an example, Rodney's Zatarain man voice comes from a familial branch, modeled after his father-in-law's voice. Because of its success, Rodney's wife still jokes that he owes her dad money!

Other projects require pulling experience from his musical branches, such as the motivational music CD that he released earlier this year called "Better Than Before", a CD with 7 tracks based upon his teachings that build confidence.

P for Prolific

Rodney Saulsberry is the author of two published books, You Can Bank on Your Voice and Step Up to the Mic. He also has a CD as I mentioned before of motivational music called Better Than Before.

If you take a turn on YouTube, you'll notice that Rodney Saulsberry has a YouTube channel featuring a number of videos online, tongue twisters and podcasts.

The Rodney Saulsberry Effect

The night before the event, Rodney was able to make it to the gala mixer and spend some time with the participants, Voice Coaches staff and David and I. Within minutes, he had graciously connected with people who were very excited to meet him, enjoying the encounters, too. The next morning, people were already buying copies of his books and CDs. I was happy to see this because I have all of his books and his CD and know what kind of an impact they can make.

Rodney didn't present until late that afternoon, and after his presentation, there was a line up from the door of the theater to his booth at least 60 to 80 people long! Needless to say, those books and CDs went even faster then than they had gone before the presentation. There's something special about being in the presence of someone who inspires you and being able to shake their hand. I think this event was the perfect kind of venue for people to meet Rodney and see him in his element.

Any Comments?

Has Rodney made a difference in your fife? If you've read any of Rodney's books, listened to his music, attended a workshop or heard him speak, I'd love to hear from you in celebration of his contributions to the voice over industry.

Please add a comment if you are moved to do so.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/AVTG

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

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

Did you grow up reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Mother and actress, Gwyneth Paltrow had a great time narrating this modern classic in a collection of recordings called "Brown Bear & Friends" (Macmillan Audio 2008) penned by Bill Martin Jr. with illustrations by Eric Carle.

Brown Bear and Friends

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See, first published in 1967, began a great collaborative friendship between author Bill Martin Jr. (1916-2004) and author / illustrator, Eric Carle. Entertaining and enriching the minds of generations, three of their books, specifically, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?; and Panda Bear, Panda Bear, What Do You See? are included in "Brown Bear & Friends". The newest addition, Baby Bear, Baby Bear, What Do You See? is also on the CD. Collectively, Martin Jr. and Carle's collaborative efforts have sold more than eleven million copies worldwide.

A GRAMMY Nominee in the category of Best Spoken Word Album for Children, the Brown Bear & Friends CD was directed and produced by Laura Wilson, with music by Kessler Media Productions, published by Macmillan Audio in 2008. Brown Bear & Friends has 11 tracks and runs for 1 hour.

Tracks 1-4 are Gwyneth Paltrow's narration, tracks 5-8 feature the Spanish translation of the books read by Adriana Sananes, Bill Martin Jr. narrates Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See on track 9, and tracks 10-11 feature an interview with Eric Carle.

Gwyneth Paltrow Voice Over Performance

Academy Award-winning actress and mother Gwyneth Paltrow, narrated the four books mentioned above with motherly tenderness. Her interpretation of Brown Bear was more relaxed and bed-time like, making safe performance choices that honored the original tale. Paltrow took more artistic liberty in subsequent tracks better exhibiting her acting skills, yielding a more exotic, imaginative performance complete with creative musical accompaniment. Paltrow differentiated her characters well while maintaining a strong narrative. I listened to this CD with my three children and they all loved the reference to the Macaroni Penguin. Another observation was that the narration for Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? was more engaging because it was about hearing not seeing, something that makes a big difference when listening to an audio recording. Polar Bear, Polar Bear, in my opinion, was for that reason the most memorable story.

Spanish Voice Talent Performance by Adriana Sananes

What a lovely surprise it was to have the stories translated into Spanish, featured as hidden tracks (5-8) on the disc, performed by voice actress Adriana Sananes. Such lively recordings! I appreciated how Adriana Sananes used her versatile voice to express a vibrant interpretation of books which translated well into Spanish. I found Sananes' elasticity, diction and mastery of her vocal range to be incomparable. Her characters were very interesting and I must say that I especially adored her Baby Bear voice. From the start, it was clear that Adriana was a trained voice actress and I'm pleased that the producer decided to go with someone of her caliber to introduce these books to the Spanish and bilingual Spanish / English listening audience.

For those interested, Teresa Mlawer provided the Spanish language translation for Bill Martin Jr.'s books. Mlawer is a widely respected translator and the president of Lectorum Publications, the largest U.S. distributor of children's books in Spanish.

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

Looking forward to your reply,

Stephanie

Bam! Kapow! Zowie!

Have you ever wondered how Batman got his voice?

Discover some interesting things about Batman, the Caped Crusader's voices over the years, and draw some parallels here at Voices.com's VOX Daily.

Voices in Gotham City

When I first started thinking about voice over with regard to Batman, my original thought was to discuss something entirely different, perhaps a tad darker and more speculative. That was before I sparked a conversation on Facebook that quickly changed my focus and pointed me in a different direction.

During the conversation, my attention shifted from the late Heath Ledger's role as The Joker and the potential use of ADR to complete his lines following his tragic death, to the voice of Batman himself and how it has morphed over the years, starting with the televised series starring Adam West (1966), to the 1992 cartoon series with Kevin Conroy, and films ranging from Michael Keaton's smooth portrayal to the polar opposite, otherworldly voice of Batman in The Dark Knight as performed by Christian Bale.

This article, the prelude now being over, is specifically about the various actors, mediums and character voice interpretations that Bruce Wayne / Batman has experienced over the last four decades.

The Original Batman, Adam West

The series "Batman", starring Adam West, first aired in 1966 and ran for 120 episodes, each 30 minutes in duration. It was here that Batman became more than just a comic strip but a vibrant discussion piece around the family dinner table.

My dear friend, Nancy Wolfson, upon hearing that I was writing this article, offered to connect me with Fred Wostbrock of KSR Talent, Adam West's agent, to see if we might be able to learn more about the inner workings of West's Batman and Bruce Wayne.

Adam West, when asked how he differentiated the voices of Batman and Bruce Wayne, shared, "My Batman delivery was more forceful, quick, dynamic, comedic, musing and deductive in tone and rhythm. Whereas my Bruce Wayne was open and seemingly naive and vulnerable. I tried to give him a sound and demeanor as if he were hiding secrets that the audience was really in on. Again, fun for the adults and serious for the kiddies."

My first recollection of Adam West as Batman was through reruns when the series was rebroadcast on YTV in Canada. I loved the innocence and vigor of the show, and when the opportunity arose to include Adam West, I couldn't pass it up.

Kevin Conroy in Batman: The Animated Series

To many, Kevin Conroy is the definitive, quintessential voice of the animated Batman. "Batman" aired in 1992 and ran 85 episodes, each 22 minutes in length.

The voice casting of Kevin Conroy and his epic performances as Batman are legendary, with a number of voice actors citing Conroy's interpretation as their inspiration to become voice actors. In December of 2008, it was announced that Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, the voice of The Joker in Batman: TAS, were invited back to reprise their roles by videogame developer Rocksteady Games in the upcoming, Batman: Arkham Asylum.

Norm Hayden, a voice over talent in the US, relates, "Kevin Conroy is still the definitive Batman voice. Perfect casting."

In accordance, American voice talent, Jim Feldman offered, "Kevin Conroy really hits it out of the park. He definitely gives the impression that Bruce Wayne and Batman are 2 different people... and it doesn't even sound forced."

Batman: The Animated Series has set a number of benchmarks in the minds of those who follow the Batman franchise, even crossing expectations in the realm of film. Belgian voice actor, Philippe Bernaerts noticed a discrepancy between certain roles, noting that the voice casting in TAS was superior to how the characters' vocal performance translated onto the silver screen.

Bernaerts said, "I think the voice-acting, voice-casting and voice-directing on Batman: TAS was outstanding. In fact, Batman: TAS had such outstanding characterization that it made the movies look pale. Thumbs up for Andrea Romano!"

Diedrich Bader in Batman: The Brave and The Bold

Andrea Romano cast more than one Batman cartoon, including, "Batman The Brave and The Bold", featuring the voice of actor Diedrich Bader, a series based upon the DC comic book of the same name that debuted in 1955. So far, there have been about 16 episodes, embarking in 2008 into 2009.

Norm Hayden chimed in, "I think Diedrich Bader is doing a good job as Batman in Batman: The Brave and The Bold. I like the darker Batman myself, but the new show is aimed at younger kids. It's fun and the art design is fantastic."

Reviewer, david929, at IMDb shared, "This cartoon is absolutely fantastic and mind-blowingly good. Sadly, it isn't Batman: TAS, but it doesn't pretend to be either. Instead, it is a perfect blend of modern and retro that doesn't take itself too seriously but is clearly articulate and deliberate... The only reason I'm not giving this wonderful cartoon 10 out of 10 is because it doesn't at all attempt to incorporate Bruce Wayne. I think there could be plenty of opportunities to include something with the comic and clumsy Bruce Wayne that the story writers probably intentionally left out to further the dichotomy between this show and our old and beloved Batman: TAS."

Batman in Film

Most of us probably don't think much about how Bruce Wayne / Batman's voices differ in film because we are so focused on the action, but if you've been paying attention over the years, each actor has brought their own interpretation to the cinematic version of this troubled hero.

Christian Bale's Batman

Of all the Batmans, I would say that Christian Bale has stood out most for his vocal interpretation above all others, perhaps because his creative choices became very different in The Dark Knight from previous Batmans. When you do something differently and break the mould, people take note, and, they also take sides.

I have read a number of articles about Bale's Batman voice, and while it is admittedly more gruff, scary and intense than previous Batman voices, it does match the setting, both physical and literal, that Christopher Nolan set for his films Batman Begins and The Dark Knight.

Dave Kendricken's article "Defending Christian Bale's Batman Voice" is extremely interesting and a worthwhile read. He discusses much of what I said a paragraph ago but in far greater detail, specifically:

"The Batman of Nolan's films strives to be a shadowy, stealthy, ghostly apparition of unflinching justice and a symbol of dread to any and all criminals. To those he ambushes, Batman exists as a terrifying entity that cannot be killed, harmed, or pinned down. Using the disorientation he creates with his physical skills, Batman completes the psychological effect on criminals by using the harsh yell."

The Huffington Post took a different angle altogether, offering the Associated Press' observation, "Why does Batman talk like the offspring of Clint Eastwood and a grizzly bear?"

True, Bale did reach deep into his lower register to create the voice, but I've also heard that there may have been some audio engineering at work, too. Sarah F. Sullivan, featured on Associated Content, was quick to note the following, "While the voice is completely Bale's, director Christopher Nolan and supervising sound editor Richard King adjusted the voice, exaggerating it through modulation."

Fans apparently thought that Bale's voice lacked a certain "meatiness" in the first movie so extra measures were taken to ensure that it surpassed the previous interpretation with a deeper, darker, raspier and eerier sound.

Sullivan went on to say, "Looking back at the history of Batman films, Christian Bale is the first Batman to fully alter his voice between Bruce Wayne and his alter-ego. While Michael Keaton's voice as Batman was different from Bruce Wayne's, they were still close enough to make the connection. Val Kilmer and George Clooney did little to modify their voices for the character."

Michael Dobson in Batman: Black and White

Last but not least, Batman: Black and White, available exclusively on Apple iTunes! I happened to cover this series on Voice Over Times a while ago.

Released in 2008, the collection consists of animated adaptations of ten short stories bundled into five episodes. Batman: Black and White takes place in and around Gotham City featuring Batman and a number of villains including Harvey Dent (Two-Face) to name just one.

Each story was written and told from the unique perspective of different writers and artists presenting their own interpretation and spin on the world of Batman with voice actor Michael Dobson performing multiple roles in addition to Batman including the voices of Alfred, Joker, Thomas Wayne, Doctor Rubin, Ahmet, Winsor Munsell, David Thompson, and the Scientist.

Final Thoughts

As we have just seen, Batman, and the numerous interpretations of his voice, have been of great interest and yielded much debate. I think what we can all agree on though is that this interesting topic is a healthy thing for the voice acting community to explore and warrants further discussion.

Any Comments?

Whether you'd like to discuss your favorite Batman voice, talk about the article in general or compare Batman voices, I welcome your comments below!

Thank you in advance for joining the conversation.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Wall-E, while short on dialogue, is filled with incredible sound design courtesy of 4-time Academy award winner Ben Burtt, also known as "The Father of Modern Sound Design".

Learn more about how the movie was built from the "sound" up and how the voices of Wall-E and Eve were created here on VOX Daily.

Disney: A Rich History of Sound Design

Sound plays an enormously significant role in entertainment and in the shaping of how audiences respond to what they are watching, whether it be a moving picture or an animated film.

In the earliest days of sound design for film, crews would make use of simple, controlled orchestral instruments and devices that could be used inside a studio due to the size and bulk of the recording equipment at that time. As audio recording technology evolved, sound design became more authentic and elaborate, particularly as sound designers could capture specimens of live sound outdoors to establish more sonic credibility.

From wind machines turned by hand, to rain sticks, and sheet metal to recreate thunderstorms, Disney has cornered the market for Foley artistry in animated films for decades.

Ben Burtt and Wall-E

Sound designer at Disney Imagineering, Ben Burtt, with his experimental methods and unique insight into how sound is made, is perhaps the most spectacular sound designer of all-time. Burtt was commissioned by film director Andrew Stanton to be the sound designer for Wall-E.

Known to many as either the "Doctor" or "Father of Modern Sound Design", Burtt's experience goes all the way back to designing sound for George Lucas' original Star Wars movies. He also designed the sound universe of the Indiana Jones movies and is fully responsible for giving Wall-E and its world a voice.

Playing with sound has always appealed to Ben Burtt, making all kinds of neat sound effects with the use of a stretched out metal slinky, including the sound that accompanied the firing of Eve's laser blasts.

Creating the Voices of Wall-E and Eve

Ben Burtt related that the most difficult assignment he has ever received as a sound designer was to design voices for characters. His primary challenge was to maintain the soul of a human being while creating a believable, synthesized sound that appropriately matched the characters' robotic form and features.

A good example of creating a voice for a non-human character is evident in Disney's film, "Dumbo" (1941), wherein producers used a Sonavox (an artificial larynx) to make a train "speak" with human-like qualities to achieve a desired result. Today, the Vocoder, a digital tool, is used to create a similar yet more sophisticated effect to alter the voice, even modulate pitch.

The Vocoder was used in Wall-E to change the vocal qualities of voice actress Elissa Knight, who performed the voice of Wall-E's love interest, Eve.

The voice of Wall-E was first performed by Ben Burtt and then manipulated with a digital pen that acted like a joystick, modulating the sound even further.

What Does Sound Design Mean to You?

Looking forward to hearing your comments about either Wall-E, Ben Burtt or sound design in general.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Image via HomeCinemaChoice.com Ben Burtt Interview

Who are the Voicey award winners this year?

Find out now!

Welcome to the 3rd Annual Voicey Awards

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 3rd Annual Voicey Awards, I'm your host, Stephanie Ciccarelli.

It is a privilege and my great pleasure to pay tribute to those whose work has been recognized this year. Voice overs are spoken word recordings performed by voice actors, perhaps better known to the world as unseen narrators, breathing life into every medium imaginable.

Thank you for joining me in experiencing this momentous event where we can come together in celebration.

Before I announce our finalists, I would like to acknowledge our judges, without whom this wouldn't be possible.

A very special thank you to Randy Thomas, the first woman to announce the Academy Awards, the voice of Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, and co-author of "Voice For Hire"; thank you to Paul Russell, a New York City casting director and the author of "Acting: Make It Your Business"; gratitude is also bestowed upon Billy Serow from Abrams Artists Agency in New York; thank you to Melissa Disney, the singing voice of Snow White and female movie trailer voice over pioneer. I'd also like to thank Kathleen Herles, the original voice of Dora the Explorer, British voiceover coach and talent Gary Terzza, Mitch Joel, president of Twist Image and author of the Six Pixels of Separation blog and podcast; and last but certainly not least, much appreciation is expressed to voice actress and industry blogger Bobbin Beam.

BEST NEW VOICE

Without further ado, the finalists in the category of Best New Voice are:

Michelle Ann Dunphy
James Clamp
Veronica March
Janice Downes
Matt Josdal

And the winner is Michelle Ann Dunphy! Congratulations Michelle!

BEST CHILD VOICE

The finalists in the category of Best Child Voice this year include:

Travis Mustang
Grace Taylor

And the winner of the Best Child Voice Award is Grace Taylor. Congratulations to you Grace! Keep up the good work!

BEST TEEN VOICE

This year, Sophie Neveu is in a category all to herself. It is my pleasure to announce that Sophie Neveu be awarded Best Teen Voice this year. Congratulations Sophie.

BEST PERSONAL BRANDING

Seldom are voice artists seen, except that is, when promoting their services. Living proof that it's not only the voice that stands out, the finalists in the category of Best Personal Branding include:

Nickie Jurado
Julie Williams
Doug Turkel
Vicki Amorose
James Clamp

And the winner is Julie Williams! Congratulations to you Julie.

BEST FOREIGN VOICE

As this truly is a global celebration, I'd like to take a moment now to recognize our finalists for Best Foreign Voice, who are:

Roald Woods
Wuzhi Lu
Julie-Ann Dean
Janpa Serino
Claire Dodin

And the winner is Wuzhi Lu! Congratulations Wuzhi for your outstanding work in Mandarin Chinese voice over.

BEST VOICE TEAM

Voice over is often a lonely profession, but there come times where two artists or more collaborate to create unique performances. The finalists in the category of Best Voice Team are:

The Voice teams of:

Robert Jadah and Diane Havens
Ken Theriot and Lisa Theriot

And the winning Voice Team for 2009 is Robert Jadah and Diane Havens!

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

It is perhaps my greatest privilege to announce the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Voicey award. This category is very special to me, and this year, there were many wonderful people nominated, including:

Don Morrow
Richard Horvitz
Bill Kates
Rita Pardue
Arroe Collins

It is my great privilege to share that this year's Lifetime Achievement award belongs to the legendary Don Morrow.

Don, I can confidently say this on behalf of the entire voice over community:

Thank you for over 50 years of service, for inspiring the world to believe in the magic of motion pictures, for blazing a trail alongside the late Don LaFontaine, and for opening up a world of possibilities for your colleagues and those to follow.

As we draw nearer to the end, two categories remain: Best Female Voice and Best Male Voice.

BEST FEMALE VOICE

The finalists in the category of Best Female Voice are:

Wendy Brown
Teri Clark Linden
Amy Taylor
Vanessa Hart
Heather Halley

And the winner of the Best Female Voice award is Amy Taylor! Congratulations Amy!

BEST MALE VOICE

To bring the program to a close, the finalists for Best Male Voice are:

Dave DeAndrea
Michael Richard Dobson
James Herron
Eric Gusky
Bill Painter

The winner of the Best Male Voice for 2009 is Dave DeAndrea!

Congratulations to Dave and to all of the Voicey award winners this year.

Thank you to all those who nominated voice talent and congratulations to all of the Voicey finalists. Thank you to our judges and also to the team at Voices.com for their help, support, and sponsorship.

Most sincerely,

Stephanie Ciccarelli

In the near future, many of the voice over industry's brightest minds will gather for an event that is sure to knock your socks off.

Voices.com is pleased to announce that the Voice Coaches Expo, "Technology + You = Opportunity" will take place on Saturday May 2nd in Schenectady, NY at the GE Theater, featuring presenters and experts within the field of voice over and beyond, to name just one, Rodney Saulsberry!

Find out more about this event now.

Technology + You = Opportunity

I'm thrilled to share that David Bourgeois and his team at Voice Coaches have invited Voices.com to speak for the third year running at their annual expo. David Ciccarelli and I, as co-founders of Voices.com, will be presenting on how voice talent can get the absolute most from Voices.com and Internet marketing.

As stated earlier, Rodney Saulsberry, will also return to speak. As Voice Coaches puts it, "For Voice Actors, this is an opportunity to hear from a professional with royalty status in our field." Who'd want to miss that? Rodney will share his experiences, offer his unique brand of motivation, and answer your questions.

We're thrilled to share the stage with fellow presenters including:

๏ Rodney Saulsberry, voice artist, instructor and author of books "You Can Bank on Your Voice" and "Step Up to the Mic"
๏ Mark Magdich from Sweetwater Sound, who will be presenting on how to build a home recording studio, elaborating on software, hardware (and maybe even some insider info on new products!)
๏ Dan Dinsmore, president and creative director of Overit Media, who will discuss the changing face of visual communication and the opportunities it provides for today's voice actors
๏ Dan Bostick, Artistic Director for Full Cast Audio, who regularly produces, casts, and directs audio books with a "full cast" of characters. Dan will talk about the world of audio book voice acting and share information ranging from how voice actors are selected to the skills needed to bring characters to life.

VIP Mixer

The night before (Friday May 1, 2009), there will be a VIP Mixer where participants can join a number of the speakers, experts, and panelists. This social is one of the highlights of the event because you can mingle, have some delicious food and enjoy the company of those around you.

Voice Coaches President David Bourgeois will give the welcome address and Voice Coaches Marketing Expert Jay Silverman will set the stage for the expo prior to the first guest presentation of the day.

The Expert Panel this year includes:

๏ Rodney Saulsberry: One of the most successful professional Voice Actors in our field
๏ Evan Farmer: Host of TV's "While You Were Out," numerous film, television and voice roles
๏ Billy Serow: Top industry agent from Abrams Artists Agency in NYC
๏ Dave Goldberg: Voice over producer and trainer - Disney, Nickelodeon, HBO
๏ Stephanie Ciccarelli: Co-founder of Voices.com
๏ David Bourgeois: Voice Coaches President, Professional Producer
๏ Jenny Marcotte: Studio Manager for Voice Coaches and White Lake Music & Post, Jenny is regularly involved in hiring and casting Voice Actors

Additional special guests will be announced and on hand throughout the event.

Want to learn more?

Visit http://www.voicecoaches.com/marketing for more information about the event and learn more about the individual presenters and presentations.

Should you want to speak with someone about the expo, you can contact Kristen or Jenny at Voice Coaches for additional information or to enroll by dialing 1-866-887-2834 Extension 100.

Alternatively, if you want to attend and prefer communicating electronically, send an email to scheduling@voicecoaches.com with the subject line "Reserve My Space." Kristen or Jenny will return a call to you at your convenience to finalize your registration.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

The Voicey finalists have now been announced!

Find out who they are now.

Best Female Voice Finalists

Wendy Brown
Teri Clark Linden
Amy Taylor
Vanessa Hart
Heather Halley

Best Male Voice Finalists

Dave DeAndrea
Michael Richard Dobson
James Herron
Eric Gusky
Bill Painter

Best New Voice Finalists

Michelle Ann Dunphy
James Clamp
Veronica March
Janice Downes
Matt Josdal

Best Foreign Voice Finalists

Roald Woods
Wuzhi Lu
Julie-Ann Dean
Janpa Serino
Claire Dodin

Best Child Voice Finalists

Grace Taylor
Travis Mustang

Best Teen Voice Finalist

Sophie Neveu

Best Voice Team Finalists

Robert Jadah and Diane Havens
Ken Theriot and Lisa Theriot

Best Personal Branding Finalists

Nickie Jurado
Julie Williams
Doug Turkel
Vicki Amorose
James Clamp

Lifetime Achievement Finalists

Don Morrow
Richard Horvitz
Bill Kates
Rita Pardue
Arroe Collins

Congratulations!

I want to congratulate all of our finalists as well as thank everyone who nominated someone or was nominated this year.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank our judges for their participation, including Paul Russell, Randy Thomas, Billy Serow, Gary Terzza, Melissa Disney, Bobbin Beam, Kathleen Herles and Mitch Joel.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

This beautiful tribute "Heaven Needed a Hero" was produced by Kipp Kelly in honour of the late Paul Harvey (1918-2009), an American broadcasting pioneer and radio legend.

The video's caption reads:

"In a world where people hurry by and life seems too hard. There once lived a man named Paul Harvey. This is a celebration of his life and love of his family and friends. Now you know the rest of the story."

Paul Harvey: Heaven Needed a Hero

One of the most gentle, trusted and dependable voices on the radio has just been silenced. Paul Harvey, born in 1918, passed away on Saturday February 28th, 2009 in Arizona. Most people knew Paul Harvey through his radio broadcasts and his love of words, particularly, The Rest of the Story, one of the most touching and illuminating series on the air. I listened to Paul Harvey during the 1990s and couldn't get out of bed in the morning until I had heard him say, "And now you know the rest of the story".

This article is meant to be a venue for all of us to share our memories of Paul Harvey and also pay tribute to the man who for nearly 60 years dedicated his life to reaching out to others and shining a light in the darkness through broadcast radio.

I asked some of my friends to share their thoughts and have posted them below:

"I think his career underscores the power of a voice, a unique sound. One always knew if/when they were listening to Paul Harvey. He had tremendous influence because people believed what his voice said and found him credible. It is an awesome realization that our voices mean so much. He had a long successful career and hopefully he understood what his gifts meant to all who heard him."

-- Dr. H. Steven Sims

"I had the honor of meeting and interviewing Mr. Harvey when he visted Beaufort, SC in 1975 to deliver a speech to officers at MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station). An astounding man of intellect, insight, wit and sensitivity. A true American original. As dynamic and engaging as he was on radio and television, he was even more compelling a presence in person. It is his pleasure to now reunite with his beloved wife and Producer Angel for 'The Rest of the Story'."

-- Earon Mackey

"I listened to him first on WJR in Detroit in the 80's, and then on K-100 through the present. There will never EVER be another voice like that ever again."

-- Brandon Miller

"Paul Harvey was one of the first voices that I remember coming out of the radio when I was young. He completely embodied the 'magic' of radio. As a point of irony, I think one of the greatest things about Paul Harvey wasn't just his voice... it was his mastery of silence. He could draw you in with his use of pauses. His delivery, voice, style of writing, etc were all great... but his ability to be a "friend" on the radio... that's a template I try to follow every time I get on the air. There's a picture of him hanging in the lobby at ABC. Just about every day I get on the elevator to go to the studio, it's hard not to see that pic and think 'wow... I work for the same company as Paul Harvey does!' ;-)"

-- Marc Preston

"There were a couple of years in the mid 90's that I started really loving listening to Paul Harvey. Whenever I caught him on air, I was locked in listen mode. Whatever he was reading/presenting, he had my full, undivided attention. That's an extremely rare and beautiful talent he was blessed with. Paul Harvey was truly unique with a voice whose timbre reminded me of my grandfather. As Earon Mackey says above, Mr. Harvey was indeed, a true American original. There will be no sequel."

-- Kevin Darbro

Is there something you would like to share in tribute to Paul Harvey?

Please add your thoughts below.

Respectfully,

Stephanie

For ten years, Kathleen Herles was the voice of Dora the Explorer, one of the most famous voices on television.

Since graduating from high school and moving on to college, she has retired from her role as Dora and is looking forward to what her future career may bring.

Join me in this conversation with Kathleen Herles as she shares what it was like to provide the voice of a beloved character in a runaway hit and how her experiences both in the studio and out impacted her life growing up Dora.

VOX: Thank you very much for joining us here today, Kathleen! I'm grateful that you're able to share some of your experiences with us. Many people know you best for your work as the original voice of Dora the Explorer. Last September, a new chapter of your career began as you left Dora behind. Was turning the page hard and how have things been going for you since then?

KATHLEEN HERLES: It was definitely sad to leave the show because that's what I grew up with. However, I knew no ties would be broken between all the friends that I made. During this time I had just graduated from high school. I now attend Pace University. I still go on auditions and just hope for the best.

VOX: As you were the first voice of Dora, literally everything about her personality audibly is credited to you and your voice over artistry. How old were you when you were cast to perform her voice and how did you come to get the job?

KH: When I was 4 years old I was attending a modeling school and I went to the MTA convention and was discovered by my manager Shirley Grant. At 7, years old I went to audition for the voice of Dora and the same day I found out that I had gotten the part. That day was one of the best days of my life. I didn't have to change my voice when I started Dora. That was my voice as a child. Creating and being a part of this amazing character is such a great honor.

VOX: How many years did you record Dora's voice for? Did you find it challenging to maintain a certain "voice age" as your own voice was becoming more mature in your teenage years? Why or why not?

KH: I've been the voice of Dora for ten years. As I got older it was definitely a challenge to maintain my 7 year old voice, but it was fairly easy after.

VOX: If you could choose 3 adjectives to describe Dora's voice, what would they be?

KH: Energetic, loving, and passionate.

VOX: Over the years, your voice became synonymous with one of the most captivating, beloved cartoon characters on television for the preschool and primary set, parents and babysitters everywhere. What does this kind of iconic status mean to you, and also, did you realize at the time just how much of an impact you made or is it more apparent now that you've retired from the role?

KH: At first I had no idea this was gonna turn out and be such an impact. As I got older I could understand more of what I was part of. When I would do appearances and meet fans and their moms I couldn't even comprehend the love they had for Dora. Some mothers even started to cry and a lot of those times I realized how much of an impact this show was, and I could not believe it. I was awarded many times for the voice of Dora and being part of it. Knowing that I was a role model for millions of children definitely added pressure but it was cool at the same time.

VOX: Dora speaks both English and Spanish. Being bilingual, this must have been easy for you to do. Are there any words or phrases that were translated on the show for the audience on the series that you count among your most memorable? Why did these particular lines stick out to you?

KH: Being bilingual is another thing Dora and I have in Common. Dora always uses Spanish to encourage kids like Excellente, Fantastico. She always loves to speak Spanish and wants to share it. Bate Bate chocolate is one of my favorite Spanish songs from Dora. Its sticks to me because in the episode Dora and her grandmother make fresh chocolate from cocoa beans and it reminds me of memories I have with my abuelita.

VOX: That's wonderful! I know that song myself and can attest to how memorable it is. Moving along, was it hard to get other voice over gigs growing up because you were the voice of Dora, or in other words, did the fact that you voiced such a high profile character pose any problems working for anyone else?

KH: No it wasn't hard at all. I was in Sesame Street and was part of several commercials and print jobs.

VOX: What is your favorite Dora the Explorer memory?

KH: My favorite Dora the Explorer memory definitely has to be the premiere party and just hanging out with the other voice actors. Growing up with everyone made them my second family. We all still keep in touch and the voice of Backpack is my best friend to this day.

VOX: Have you been able to meet any of your fans over the years and are there any special moments you could share with us? Also, what do your fans mean to you?

KH: Yes I have had the privilege to meet a lot of my fans. It's so overwhelming and amazing when I do. Kids are so cute and so funny and ask the cutest things. One time I made a little cry because he probably had no idea what was going on. It was sad but cute.

VOX: You'll be judging the Best Child Voice Voicey Award this year. Do you have any words of encouragement or tips for the children who were nominated this year?

KH: My advice would be to just have a lot of energy and fun because it shows a lot in your voice when you do and Good Luck! Buena Suerte!

Any Comments?

If you're a fan of Kathleen's work as Dora or enjoyed this interview, be sure to leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Did you enter your child for the Best Child Voice category in the 3rd Annual Voicey Awards?

We have some exciting news to share regarding the judge!

Kathleen Herles, the original voice of Nickelodeon's Dora the Explorer, will be judging the category with her own brand of spunk and expertise.

Best Child Voice Award

The Best Child Voice Award was added to the Voiceys in 2008, Brandi Munro as winner, judged by Sunday Muse.

This year, I'm pleased to announce that the original voice of Dora the Explorer, Kathleen Herles, will be judging the category, a voice well known to all, most particularly to the parents of and those nominated for Best Child Voice.

Kathleen is excited to be part of the Voiceys this year and is also featured in an interview on VOX Daily this week.

To read the interview, click here:

Voices.com Interview with Voice Actress Kathleen Herles

Best wishes,

Stephanie

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

Were you taken aback when told to "Keep up with all the Grammy action on Facebook and Twitter!"?

If you watched the 51st Annual Grammy awards this year, you heard the voice of Heather Halley, a voice that has received numerous compliments from people inside and outside of the voice over industry.

Heather Halley was kind to answer a number of my questions and connect with me on Facebook. Am I ever excited to share her story with you!

Join me now in this interview with the voice behind the Grammys, Heather Halley.

Voices.com Interview with Heather Halley

VOX: Hi Heather, thank you for joining us today! You just announced at the Grammys... how was that?

HEATHER HALLEY: Being chosen to announce the 51st Grammy Awards was a true honor. I learned so much, and gained a tremendous amount of respect for those behind the scenes.

VOX: From what I heard, the Grammys took a swing in the direction of Social Media, having you announce that fans could keep in the loop through Facebook and Twitter. As an announcer, have you ever encountered that kind of interactivity with your audience before, or do you feel that this was a first where announcing at live award shows is concerned?

HH: No, I have never encountered that kind of interactivity with an audience before using Facebook and Twitter. I could be wrong... but I do believe it was a first with The Grammys. I thought it was wonderful that viewers and fans could follow the Grammys through Facebook and Twitter. It made the show more accessible, and exciting.

VOX: How did the online community contribute to the energy and success of the show? Were you able to engage in the activities taking place to get an indication of how the announcements were being received?

HH: Absolutely. I definitely think that the online community generated a tremendous amount of energy, and success to the show. You bet! No, unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to find out how the announcements were being received. Although, after the show was over, so many people were kind enough to take the time and write to me on my Facebook page or contacted me through my website. It was so awesome! I had folks from all over America, including Northern Ireland and Argentina. How cool is that? They didn't have to, but they took the time to congratulate me. The online Voice Over Community Rocks!

I was actually sitting in a very small office with the Grammys Script Coordinator for 15 hours straight, and not in a full length designer gown, mind you. Thank God the bathroom was right down the hallway. My Script Coordinator, (who was lovely), and others on the Grammy Script team, would stick their heads in, and let me know what the reactions were on Facebook and Twitter.

VOX: You have received praise from people both inside and outside of the voice over community, which is quite a feat. I've been reading the feedback on Twitter and people thought your performance was very different from what they had heard before and I even received emails asking me who announced at the show! Some speculate also that you may have been the youngest person to announce at the Grammys. We won't go there, but your youthful sound was duly noted. How do you think your performance has differed from past Grammy announcers and did you (or those in charge) make any conscious decisions to sound different to build more of a Grammy community?

HH: Thank you so much Stephanie. As I mentioned before, so many folks have sincerely been very kind. I was thrilled that there was such positive feedback. That means a great deal to me.

As for being the youngest person to ever announce The Grammys... sure let's say why not! Thank God for Voice Over right? I am really not too sure about that. That is a very good question. That's one of the many cool things about voiceover. Don't ever think you are too old to start. Follow those dreams.

When I was asked to audition through my agency, CESD. My agent never stressed they were looking for a, "younger" sound. Of course I was excited and nervous. I wanted to do a good job. Thank God my agent just said, "Heather, just be yourself, and hit it out of the ball park kid." Needless to say, I was beyond ecstatic when I was chosen. I think you need to speak to people, not at them. I hate that. They have invited us into their homes, not the other way around.

VOX: We've touched on the show itself; now, I'd like to ask you about how you got the job? Well Heather, how did you become the announcer for the Grammys?

HH: My Promo Agent from CESD submitted my demos to the Grammy folks. He also submitted an award program I had announced for Sir Elton John in Washington, DC, which was also an honor to work on. Then I was asked to actually audition on Grammy copy. I auditioned in my closet/home studio.

VOX: Did you find anything particularly exciting about announcing live at the Grammys? Where were you stationed and what kind of gear did you use?

HH: The entire process was exciting. The script constantly changed, up until the end of the show. I attribute it to performing in live theatre. It is very much a collaborate environment. The energy was amazing. The people I worked with were very good to me. Actually being there for the rehearsal was thrilling.

I was stationed in a very tiny room, with my Script Coordinator. I sat and announced on a Neumann microphone. My script book, that weighs around 10 pounds, (God Bless the people that but that book together... so organized), sat on my stand. I had headphones on, so I was able to hear everyone from the director, AD, lighting, all 26 Stage Managers and so on. That in it self was a learning experience. I also had a 12-inch computer monitor right in front of me, so I could see everything that was going on with the show.

VOX: Were you able to meet any of the performers or presenters? If so, who did you meet?

HH: No, unfortunately I did not get to meet any of the performer or presenters. But, after spending 15 hours with these folks, even through a monitor and headset. I felt like I could go up to say, Stevie Wonder and give him a big ol' hug. I did however meet some of the hardest working people in our industry. It's those folks you don't see. Wow! They were the absolute core of the Grammys.

VOX: In your opinion, what was the single most heartwarming moment of the awards show?

HH: That's a tough one. There were so many moments I got goose bumps during the rehearsal, and the live show. But honestly. It was when my Mom, Kay Halley, text messaged me during the rehearsal, "I love you Honey, you are going to Rock, don't worry." Right after I received that text from my Mom, Jennifer Hudson came on stage to rehearse her number. I just started crying. Then my Script Coordinator began to cry. Whether you are a fan of hers or not, with everything that young woman has been through, by God she got out there and sang her heart out. I called my Ma on commercial break to tell her I loved her.

VOX: That's so sweet! On another note, from what I've heard, many announcers tend to get tired and don't make it to the after party. Were you able to attend any socials after the show or did you retire early?

HH: Everyone was absolutely exhausted. They had been working longer hours than me that week. No, I did not make it to any after parties. I hung out with the crew. I did get to attend a lovely reception for the Director of The Grammy's, Walter Miller. He has been directing the Grammys for over 30 years. We toasted to him regarding his retirement.

You work with people, good people, and we instantly become family, then the curtain falls. It really was bittersweet.

VOX: Given the enthusiastic feedback your announcing has received from the public, I think you may have just set a new standard for live announcing at award shows. How does that make you feel?

HH: That is so cool Stephanie! I hope people really enjoyed the whole show. Hearing that folks thought I added something positive to the show has kept me on cloud nine for the past two weeks. I keep saying... Oscars? Can't we do the Grammys again?

I would love to thank all of my family, friends, and all of the people who did take the time to give me feedback. It has blessed me more than you will ever know. We need to keep on supporting one another in the Voice Over Community. It's people like you Stephanie, and Voices.com that allows us to stay strong. Thank you for taking the time to interview me. You Rock!

Did You Enjoy Heather's Announcing?

Be sure to leave a comment and let her know!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Every now and then, you come across something in your work that is more than just work, it's a labour of love.

What have you found to be "more than just a job"?

Prime Time Voice Dave Fennoy, spokesvoice for numerous commercial campaigns, including McDonald's, Corona Beer, KFC, Toyota, Chrysler, and ATT shares his most meaningful job and invites you to share yours as well by leaving a comment.

Meaningful Work

A short number of days ago on February 12, 2009, Dave Fennoy announced at the NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the NAACP.

Founded on February 12, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is America's oldest and largest civil rights organization.

I had a chance to catch up with Dave Fennoy and asked him what announcing at the event means to him. Dave offered, "I take a great deal of pride doing the Image Awards every year. I've done The Teen Choice Awards, American Music Awards, Billboard Awards, etc. but nothing is quite as meaningful to me."

What's Your Most Meaningful Voice Over Experience?

Tell me all about it by leaving a comment and join the conversation!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

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

Have you been wondering who the judges will be for the 3rd Annual Voicey Awards?

Wait no longer!

I am going to reveal six of the nine to you today.

Judges for the 3rd Annual Voicey Awards

This year, I'm pleased to announce that we'll be joined by a number of exceptionally talented individuals.

Here's a little bit about each confirmed judge and their award category, in no particular order:

๏ 7-time Academy Award announcer, voice of Entertainment Tonight and The Insider, and co-author of Voice For Hire, Randy Thomas, will be judging the award category for Best Male Voice.

๏ New York City casting director and author of Acting: Make It Your Business, Paul Russell, will be judging the award category for Best Female Voice.

๏ Abrams Artists Agency NYC Super Agent Billy Serow has stepped up to judge the category of Best New Voice.

๏ Singing voice of Snow White and female movie trailer voice over trailblazer, Melissa Disney, will be judging for this year's Best Teen Voice award.

๏ British voice over coach and talent Gary Terzza is judging the Best Foreign Voice category and is the first-ever Voicey judge from across the pond.

๏ Mitch Joel, president of Canadian marketing agency Twist Image, will be judging Best Personal Branding.

As the days go on, more information will be shared about the Voiceys and other judges as they are confirmed.

If you've entered yourself or nominated a voice actor so far, thank you for being part of this exciting event!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Here comes trouble!

Pat Fraley and Brad Garrett will be co-presenting awards at the Annies this year, hosted by Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob.

Pat shares his thoughts here in this special edition of VOX Daily.

One of Many Great Reasons To Go to the Annies This Year

Submitted by Pat Fraley

My pal Brad Garrett and I have been tapped to co-present at the Annie Awards in the categories:

Best Voice Acting in an Animated TV Series and Best Acting in an Animated Film.

They are not scripting us. Am I worried? How easy is my job? I just stand next to Brad and laugh.

Brad and I were working together doing cartoon shows 25 years ago. We did about a years worth of "Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n Wrestling."

Over the years were worked together on cartoons, to commercials... even sketches live on late night network TV.

I think we work so well together is that I don't compete with him. He is genuinely the greatest comedic man I've ever worked with.

Karl Malden, in reference to his many collaborations with Marlon Brando, once said, "You can't compete with genius, but it's nice to come up it."

Best,

Pat Fraley

~~

If you are interested in attending the Annie Awards, here are the details:

Date: Friday January 30, 2009
Location: UCLA's Royce Hall
340 Royce Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90095

Champagne Reception: 6 p.m.
Award Ceremony: 8 p.m.

Post-award party following the ceremony, black tie optional, hosted by Tom Kenny

General Admission: $25

Discount VIP tickets are available to members of the ASIFA-Hollywood, The Animation Guild, Visual Effects Society, and Women in Animation for $150.

Non-member VIP ticket: $250

To order tickets and for further information, go to annieawards.org

Cheers,

Stephanie

P.S. Interesting Fact: The Annie Awards were founded by legendary voice over actress, June Foray.

Voice actor Melissa Disney is featured in a commercial that could make it all the way to the Super Bowl, but she needs your help.

Starring in "The Chase", Melissa and her cast mates are finalists in Doritos' contest to select their official Super Bowl XLIII commercial.

Vote now before January 25th, 2009 to help clinch 1st place and some major air time for one of voice over's leading ladies (and, one might say, Dorito lover), Melissa Disney.

Meow!

Voice over talent and actress, Melissa Disney, also known for her work as the singing voice of Snow White and for her movie trailer voice over work for the film Gone in Sixty Seconds, is part of a team that has created an advertisement for Doritos, making into the TOP 5 in their Super Bowl competition.

To show your support, the voice over community is encouraged to view the commercial and vote for "The Chase".

http://www.VoteForTheCat.com

Disney relates that you can vote once per day and be entered into a drawing to win tickets to Super Bowl XLIII.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

Voting ends on January 25th, 2009.

Remember... vote for the cat!

Take care,

Stephanie

Have you watched this documentary?

Today we'll explore the voice over performance of presenter Alanis Morissette, Canadian musician and concerned environmentalist.

Global Warming : The Signs and the Science

Hosted and narrated by singer Alanis Morissette, Global Warming : The Signs and the Science (2005), takes viewers across America to meet people from every walk of life who share stories uncovering the reality of climate change. Meet fascinating scientists who work at the edge of climate change and hear about their latest findings, both unsettling and indisputable, proving that global warming is clearly about much more than "just the heat".

Alanis Morissette's Voice Over Performance

As a professional singer, Alanis Morissette has a pleasing voice and knows how to phrase, intone and amiably deliver some of the most critical information about our earth and how we can clean up the air we breathe, among other things. Alanis' empowering voice is persuasive, authoritative and engaging. Her voice makes you want to make a difference.

About Alanis Morissette

A dozen years after the breakthrough debut of Jagged Little Pill, an album which earned four Grammys, sold 30 million records and spawned a dedicated worldwide fan base, Alanis Morissette remains not only an enduringly popular artist, but one whose success stems from a fierce commitment to authenticity and, to an equal extent, vulnerability.

Have you watched Global Warming : The Signs and the Science?

If you'd like to learn more about this product, you can visit the PBS web page for Global Warming: The Signs and the Science. This documentary is available on PBS Home Video.

Looking forward to hearing what you think.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Did you watch the People's Choice Awards earlier this week?

If you did, I hope you were listening carefully!

Hillary Huber announced at the event and has shared her experience with us here at VOX Daily.

The day before Hillary narrated the awards show, I interviewed her on Voice Over Times about announcing at The People's Choice Awards.

Today, I'm pleased to present you a glimpse into Hillary's experience, complete with pictures from the event and another chat.

VOX: What was it like announcing at the People's Choice Awards?

HILLARY HUBER: Narrating the People's Choice Awards was an exhilarating experience. It's fun to be part of such a huge production.

VOX: Can you paint a picture of what the atmosphere was like?

HH: It's a pretty crazy atmosphere. Hundreds and hundreds of people are involved from the catering and design crews, to grips and tech people, the production company, script folks, P.A.'s, ushers etc. etc. etc. Everyone has a job, and every job is important. It's amazing just how many pieces make up the puzzle. I don't know how they do it.

VOX: What was your most memorable moment?

HH: Well, I always like it when things go a bit awry. I like to see how people react and adjust. Kate Hudson was supposed to present the first award but she was stuck in traffic. We didn't find out until about 10 minutes before show time. I was impressed with how coolly the director and producer dealt with the situation. I would have panicked. There were a couple of other moments but I don't want to reveal TOO many dirty ropes and oily pulleys!

VOX: How would you describe being the voice of the awards show?

HH: It's pretty heady and exciting to think that you are responsible for moving things along and introducing all of those people. To know that your voice is not only being projected into the huge theatre but live on national television is sort of cool. I guess it's the threat of error that makes it so exciting.

VOX: What are 3 aspects that you feel define professional announcing at an event such as this?

HH: It's imperative to realize that you are just a cog in the wheel. Do your job and stay out of people's way. There is a lot of activity and a lot of stress and the last thing they want is a needy announcer whining that there are no green M&M's in their trailer. Second, stay focused. There is quite a bit of down time. Make sure you are where you should be, on time, ready to rock. Even during the show, there are big breaks between announcements and it's easy to get distracted and potentially miss a cue. Sometimes you have a P.A. to help you navigate the script, but sometimes it's just you. And finally, stay calm. It's just a show. Everyone makes mistakes, and if you make one, you have to move on and get through the rest of the show without allowing that to destroy your confidence. The audience will hear it!

VOX: Do you have any advice for those trying to get their foot in the door announcing at live events?

HH: Gosh I wish I did. This one kind of found me, and once that door was open, more shows crept their way in. We audition for them once in a blue moon at my agency. There are specific production companies that do live shows, and it might behoove talent to research some of them and see what they say... there are all kinds of live events - inaugurations, fashion shows, TV shows, conventions etc. Maybe they're not all as sexy as a big star studded Hollywood award show but hey, work is work!

VOX: How was the gala reception? Did you get to meet Ellen DeGeneres as you had hoped?

HH: I actually skipped the party and came home, EXHAUSTED. Pathetic, huh?

Did you watch the People's Choice Awards? Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Photos courtesy of Hillary Huber

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.

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

In A World...

In a world where the absence of one man left a massive void, a door of opportunity has flung wide open, waiting for the next great voice to take their rightful place in movie trailer voice overs.

What some people may see as 72 days of unbridled chaos, others have perceived as a light in the darkness.

Is this a turning point for female voice actors?

Preface

Today, I broach this topic with delicacy and a sense of duty.

It has been just over 2 months since we lost the great, late Don LaFontaine, the undisputed and lovingly remembered king of voice over and movie trailers.

History

Before Don died, he was quoted as saying (I'm paraphrasing what I heard him say in person here), that he felt the time for women to record voice over in movie trailers was long overdue, referencing Melissa Disney as one of the finest, contending voices he had heard. Don also intimated that it was time for women to take on a more significant role in this industry and that he was all for their success.

History That Was Decades In The Making

Melissa Disney narrated the movie trailer voice over for Gone In Sixty Seconds (2000), an action film starring Nicolas Cage, Giovanni Ribisi, and Angelina Jolie. You can view the trailer here.

Disney has also narrated the theatrical trailers for Over the Hedge and An American Girl, and according to her biography shares in the winning of a Key Art Award for Best Trailer (Gone in Sixty Seconds) and has also won Best Voiceover in the Golden Trailer Awards for the Warner Bros. film, Valentine.

Largely, LaFontaine noted that it was the focus groups that have kept women out of movie trailer voice overs, and now that he and his signature voice are gone, others have started a dialogue speculating who might take his place, including most recently Variety.com.

Variety.com's article pointed out that the female voice, while not the booming baritone voices we are used to hearing as heralds of a movie's theatrical release, are quite versatile and can play up other emotions better than a male voice could such as sensuousness, for example, and may actually fare better in action films than any other genre.

Is The Public Ready For Female Narrators in Movie Trailers?

Living in a world without Don LaFontaine, a lot of things have changed and as time continues to pass, we too must move along with it, and that includes the public discussion of this subject.

What do you think? Are we ready?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this. I welcome the opinions of non-voice actors too as you represent the people who could be in these focus groups. Perhaps we should start one here?

Comment below and share your opinion.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Alexander Hafemann

Are you voting today?

If you live in the United States of America, today is the biggest, most monumental election day in generations.

Americans have a choice between electing Illinois Senator Barack Obama (Democrat) or Arizona Senator John McCain (Republican) for the office of the President of the United States.

Whoever is elected today and holds power in Washington, DC, will determine the kind of history is written for the next four years, perhaps the next eight, not just in the US but the world at large.

It's all about democracy!

Wherever you are or whoever you voted for, I want to hear that you did!

Read this article and then leave a comment to let me know that you voted in your country's election, whether in the US, Canada or abroad.

Voice

Usually at VOX Daily we talk about having a voice as a means to communicate a message through a voice over recording, but let us pause to remember that sometimes having a voice isn't just about recording voice overs, it's about exercising your duty to vote and make your voice heard through the casting of a ballot.

For those of you who wonder "Am I being heard?" today is your chance to be heard, perhaps to make history.

Voting

Voting for a candidate or political party is one way to get your message across.

It is one of the oldest, most effective ways of communicating your beliefs and expressing your desire to help shape the world you live in. Through the democratic process, each vote counts and cannot be ignored.

Democracy = Voice of the People

The first democracies were formed in ancient times by wise forefathers who cared deeply about their societies and civilizations.

The Greeks in the city-state of Athens had a system, in fact the oldest democratic process on record, established in 510 BC.

Decisions were made locally regarding local matters by the people through their government.

Once this form of government took off, it eventually spread to other nations across the Mediterranean but was nearly destroyed by the Roman Empire in 100 BC. However, practices of democracy continued in Athens and in due time, democracy became a way of life for many nations in the Middle Ages, including the Italian cities of Siena, Florence, Genoa, Pisa, and Venice.

Modern Day Democracy

Democracy is freedom. Democracy is a gift. It is a means for you to make a difference, to have a say and to be recognized as a citizen of your country who has rights.

People suffer, fight, and die for democracy.

Millions of people around the world take up the cause of democracy and pursue it with every ounce of strength that they have to make the world a better place.

Democracy, though cherished, is sometimes taken for granted until it is threatened or taken away.

We are privileged to live in a time and place where democracy, not dictatorship or tyranny, rules over the land.

Be sure that your voice is heard.

Use Your Voice

Take responsibility and vote.

If you are of age and you don't vote, you simply do not have a voice, period, however, if you do vote, you've done your country proud and performed your patriotic duty.

Do You Vote?

Simply let me know that you vote or have voted. I'd love to see a list of passionate, concerned people here on this blog. You need not say who you voted for, but do say you vote!

Update 11:33 p.m. November 4: Congratulations to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama!

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/zentilia

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

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

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

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

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

VOX: How many other contestants were there?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VOX: What was your favourite moment during the show?

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

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

MATT COWLRICK: I do!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stephanie

Photo courtesy Matt Cowlrick

There Can Only Be One!

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

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

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

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

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

Will lightning strike twice?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here's a blurb on the show...

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

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

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

VOX: How can we show our support for you?

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

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

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

Best wishes,

Stephanie

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

Have you noticed any differences?

1 Month

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

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

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

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

Dueling Doras : Can You Tell The Difference?

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

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

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

What Some Parents Are Saying

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

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

What Do You Think? Does Dora Sound Different?

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

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

Itching to get your fingers on Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé's new book, Voice For Hire?

Meet them on their book tour and get your own autographed copy!

Available in stores September 30, 2008 on Back Stage Books, a division of Watson-Guptill and VNU Publications, Voice For Hire : Launch and Maintain a Lucrative Career in Voice-Overs is going to be a hit, prefaced with a foreword by Don LaFontaine.

Voice For Hire

I am highly anticipating reading Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé's book as I'm sure many of you are, too. A couple of copies have been earmarked for VOX Daily, and later this month, we'll be reviewing Voice For Hire and doing a giveaway here on the blog.

Meet Randy Thomas and Peter Rofé on Their Book Tour

Randy and Peter are going to host a number of book signings at bookstores and events across the United States and they hope to meet you. Here is a listing of the venues you can catch them at to get a signed copy of Voice For Hire.

Monday, September 22, 7:30pm
Barnes & Noble
The Grove
189 Grove Drive, Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, October 11, 5pm and 8pm
Borders
Gulf Coast Town Center
9903 Gulf Coast Main Street, Fort Myers, FL

Thursday, October 23, 5pm
Drama Bookshop
250 W 40th Street, New York NY

Saturday, November 15
ActorFest
NYC

About Randy Thomas

Randy Thomas, the voice of radio and television stations across the country, is the first woman to announce the Academy Awards, the Miss America Pageant, the Tony Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has announced the Oscars seven times and is the first person ever to announce The Oscars, The Tonys, and The Emmys all in the same year. Thomas is currently the voice of CBS Television Distribution’s Entertainment Tonight and The Insider.

About Peter Rofé

Peter Rofé is New York’s most sought after voice-over coach and producer, as well as a national voice over talent with endless commercial, promo, narration and video game credits. Rofé owns PDR Voice Over Coaching, a full service recording studio located in New York City where he coaches veteran and newcomer talent and produces the industry's most prolific demo reels. Peter has also taught voice over courses at The Barrow Group and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

If you're able to, support Randy and Peter by coming out to their book signings!

Any comments?

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Voice Heard + Face Unseen = Very Little Credit

This is one of the classic truths that plagues narrators and voice actors.

How many of you have watched a documentary with minimal participation from an on-camera presenter but a gargantuan amount of voice over from a narrator whose name isn't even credited on the DVD literature?

What about watching a movie with a great opening narration that goes unacknowledged even at the end?

This isn't news for many of you who narrate, however, I feel that narrators should be given more credit.

What do you think?

Engineering An Empire

Last night I watched a DVD borrowed from our local library called Engineering An Empire (2006) that was broadcast by The History Channel, featuring a presenter named Peter Weller who was credited on the DVD literature and then some. If you waited until the end of the episodes, there was also mention of a narrator named Michael Carroll whose narration was omnipresent throughout the 12 episode series.

Although Carroll's narration was prominent and served as the driving force behind the storytelling, I couldn't help but notice that his billing wasn't nearly as high up on the list or DVD literature as it could have been.

Faceless, And On Occasion, Nameless

Perhaps I'm part of the minority when saying this (correct me if I'm wrong), but I think narrators make a world of difference in documentaries and should be billed accordingly.

It reminds me of another great voice who wasn't credited for his opening narration of The Scorpion King, J.D. Hall. Albeit a comparatively brief part at the beginning of the film, his narration still set the stage for what was to come and should have been credited (but for the record was not), just as his voice overs also went unacknowledged as the grunting, growling and groaning voice of The Incredible Hulk (2008).

The Don Gets His Due

This article has focused mainly on narration for documentary and film, however, as you know, voice over is nearly always invisible regardless of the medium or application and voice actors nearly always go uncredited.

Until the late Don LaFontaine performed on-camera in the GEICO commercial ( "In A World Where Both Of Our Cars Were Totally Under Water..." ), his face couldn't have been further from his voice if the average person were to see him walking down the street, but because the world could see him in his element through the TV commercial parody, his face became known and he wasn't just that familiar voice at the movies or the announcer guy, he was a man with a sense of humor and a presence in the industry considered to be larger than life.

Don opened many doors for his peers (including the whole concept of working from home), and perhaps, greater recognition will be another aspect of his ongoing legacy to the voice over industry.

Hail Animation and Audiobooks!

Now, here's a fine example of two industries where voice over talent and narrators are represented with equality.

At the end of every cartoon and animated film credit is given to voice actors in a satisfactory manner. Every audiobook that I've picked up, browsed or downloaded has appropriately bestowed prominence upon the narrator alongside the author of the book.

Obviously this kind of immediate recognition is impractical for commercials, promos or trailers due to the brevity and nature of the voice over (advertising and staying on message), but it can be done to a greater degree for video games, computer games, documentaries, film and eLearning.

How Do You Feel About This Topic? Any Thoughts?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Cevdet Gökhan Palas

What's life like working as a professional voice over talent in LA?

In this 9 minute video, one of world's most in-demand voices, Beau Weaver, shows how he works as a voice over talent from home studios in Los Angeles and Ojai, CA.

Beau Weaver

When Beau sent me the video yesterday, I was elated to watch it and learn more about him and his work. Beau's video reminded me that success is the fruit of years of labor and that anything can happen, even working for yourself in a sequestered studio environment within the glorious landscape of Ojai, California.

What Did You Think of Beau's Video?

Leave a comment for Beau to let him know what you think!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Just in time for Patriot Day, I have a special interview to share with you featuring voice actor Neil Kaplan, and his mission to bring audio theater to the US troops overseas.

Some of you may know Neil as the voice of Optimus Prime in Transformers : Robots in Disguise (2001) and for his videogame voice acting work including roles in Everquest II, Lord of the Rings II and III, and a number of other character voice acting roles.

Find out more about this unique project and learn how you can help make this dream a reality.

Interview with Neil Kaplan

VOX: Thanks for letting me know about your project Neil. It sounds very exciting! Could you share a little bit with me about how Audio Theater for the Troops came about?

NEIL KAPLAN: Hi Stephanie! Thank you so much for having me here. "Audio Theater for the Troops" is a project I came up with back in 2005. The way it came about is odd, but it makes sense so follow me for just a moment:

A) I grew up listening to old time Radio Shows and I STILL love them!

B) I had two cousins in the U.S. Navy for many years. One was stationed on an aircraft carrier. While docked in San Francisco, I went aboard. WOW! Was I blown away. They even had a small TV production facility aboard. Of course, these sailors were at seas for long periods at a time. They needed to edit inbound material and also provide information and entertainment.

C) A good friend from high school was on a nuclear sub. Though I never went on board, I knew that again, these were people spending LONG periods at (or under the) sea.

D) I played a character by the name of Optimus Prime on "Transformers: Robots in Disguise" and as a result became friendly with a fire fighter who had legally changed his name to Optimus Prime! That man went to Iraq to support our troops. To fight fires and to keep men and women safe. That is one VERY brave man. One day while chatting I he to me "You know, you're my hero" to which I responded "I'm a cartoon voice guy... YOU'RE the hero!" ...and I thought to myself, what could I do to thank this brave man and his colleagues.

D.5) I also don't like to fly, so going over on a USO tour was OUT for me. I thought to myself... "I do voice overs, I know people that do voice overs. If I find scripts I can put together something for him to enjoy and let him KNOW we think of them and support them (Regardless of is we support the mission. We support the human beings.)

On the flight back from a convention in Dallas, I met Walter (Chekov) Koenig and Ernie (Zedmore) Hudson. I asked both if they would be willing to volunteer their time to do a project like that. they both said "YES" as have every other actor I have spoken to.

After all, we not have 10 days to go overseas... BUT we all have an hour or two somewhere in our schedule.

With that, I applied to AFTRA for a waiver to allow actors to donate their time. Earlier this year, I got my waiver and my first pilot script and began moving forward.

VOX: You've entered a contest at IdeaBlob.com where you may win $10,000 to help make this dream a reality. How would you invest that money if you win?

NEIL: I have received offers of donated studio time, engineering, scripts, composers and their music, actors... but knowing the amount of time and energy needed to edit the project is TOO much to expect anyone to donate. So, the plan has ALWAYS been to pay the post-production engineer. I am doing this first edit myself... and folks... it is NOT one of my stronger skills.

So, the first thing I would do with the money is complete post production on our two "waiver covered" pilots. Then they would be submitted to the Pentagon for approval.

Once approved, I would need to set up a 501 (c) 3 to become a legal non-profit so that people and companies can start donating money to support our growth and development.

VOX: What kind of audio theater will you be producing? Do you have any audio plays in mind?

NEIL: My idea is to steer away from Old radio style acting, sound effects and music. My desire is to truly create a movie for the ears!

To be honest, THIS is the hardest part. I try not to be TOO politically correct, BUT... We cannot do a story that is political in nature, anti-war, etc. I had a wonderful script submitted to me, but ultimately it was about suicide, and I just could not with a clear conscience move forward with that. I think you understand what I mean.

The best scripts I am finding are in fact un-produced animation and television scripts.

BUT, since this will be an ongoing project we will need HUNDREDS of scripts to provide a vast library of material for these brave young men and women to enjoy on their off hours.

This is a FULL time job for me... and when we get up and running, I'll likely start with a staff of three.

VOX: Your desire to send the troops audio theater is admirable and heartwarming. One can only imagine the horrors and uncertainty they face on a daily basis overseas and any form of quality entertainment would be a welcome addition. How has the US army received this generous offer?

NEIL: I have spoken with a few liaisons but, at this point they want a finished sample of what we plan to do before moving forward. Which makes sense. For clarification these are being done for ALL of our armed forces... and eventually, I would hope that we are the model for similar programs for nations around the world.

VOX: I read that celebrity voices will be donating their time and talent to record. Are you able to share more information with us regarding who is volunteering?

NEIL: Well, let's say this... I am bold enough to ask ANYONE to participate. I have yet to hear "no." After all, since we hope to be a full time production entity, we'll work it into ANYONE'S schedule.

I may be humble and quiet when seeking voice over work, but with this? I am NO wall flower.

I do attend Sci-Fi and Comc Book conventions to sign autographs, and have approached MANY of the far more recognizable folks there. and as I said, its pretty much always been something along the lines of "Yes, and what a GREAT idea. Thank you for doing this."

For the initial pilot I was thrilled to have recognizable faces from TV and film and recognizable voices from animation. Since this was a pilot and may or may not ever make it to the troops, I hesitate to let those names out at this time.

VOX: Are you taking any new voice talent volunteers? Could studios also volunteer their space and assistance to help offset costs to show support for your project?

NEIL: ABSOLUTELY. I'd love to meet new studios and work with new actors I do not yet know. Unfortunately, as a matter of respect for the waivers I have been granted and/or promised I would only use SAG & AFTRA talent.

However, I always need an assistant on recording days and that would be a great way for a talented non-union actor to help and participate.

I should have mentioned that I have met with members of BOTH major slates for SAG and this is truly a non-partisan project! They both have promised that once we get our approval from the Pentagon, they will grant me what ever waiver I need to allow SAG members to volunteer their time.

VOX: When is the earliest you could get started on this?

NEIL: I am in post on our pilots. Winning this award would allow me to fast track this and move forward much, MUCH faster.

VOX: How will the audio theater be made available to the armed forces?

NEIL: I could do it right now on CD. BUT, that creates a LOT of waste that is not necessary.I would have to print THOUSANDS of dscs so that each base had one. Even then, we would get MAYBE 2-4 episodes per disc.

When we get approved by the Pentagon we can move toward being able to actually be on hard drives. And THAT would be best for all concerned. We can fit hundreds of hours of audio theater practically on the head of a pin.

In my opinion I'd rather be slower and greener.

VOX: In the event that you need to find resources for this project by other means, how would you proceed?

NEIL: Out of my own pocket. Until we are approved by the Pentagon and qualify for Non-Profit status. At that time, I'll approach a few targeted corporations for funding.

VOX: What can we do to help you in this effort? Any ideas?

NEIL: Well, to win this award, I need your votes, twice. Once to make the monthly finals (the sooner, the better, by the way) and then once again in the final week of the month. The site is VERY user friendly and easy to register and vote. If you check the box... they won't pester you with e-mail.

ALSO, American Express is running a promotion like this as well.. BUT you must be nominated by an AMEX holder. None of my immediate friends and family are.

SO... if any of your members are, and would like to submit us for the contest... I would be VERY grateful. (I do a GREAT outgoing message on voice mail!)

Thank you Stephanie for letting me get the word out!!!

To Vote For Neil Kaplan's Audio Theater for the Troops, click on the link below:

Audio Theater for the Troops

Best wishes,

Neil and Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Jon Helgason

In this time of sorrow, I want to express my deepest, heartfelt sympathies to the family of one man who meant the world to the voice over community.

Don LaFontaine, husband, father, grandfather, and hero passed away September 1, 2008 in the afternoon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 68.

Farewell, Friend

Don LaFontaine was the kind of person who always had the right words for everything, and today, I will do my best to honor him by summoning words that will be of fitting tribute to such a kind, dedicated human being who has breathed his last, leaving behind him a legacy of love, hope, and grace.

Journeying Home

A few short weeks ago, I received an email from Don (August 11, 2008) related to his health and how although he was struggling that he was getting better day by day, an email that was reassuring, humorous and well, simply Don.

After receiving his email, I wrote back and asked if I could interview him for VOX Daily, hoping that if possible he might type his answers and send them back to me electronically, however when he replied on August 18th a little while later, he suggested that although his voice wasn't as strong as before, "shaky from time to time" as he put it, that he would be happy to speak with me and to arrange it with his agent, Vanessa Gilbert.

This was an honor I dreamt not of. To even think about speaking to Don LaFontaine, that he would make time in his schedule from his sick bed to speak with me, was a gift.

I contacted Vanessa and we decided to play the interview by ear around Don's health and his schedule (he had still been recording for some clients since his illness), but little did we know, or anyone else for that matter, that we'd be losing him so soon.

Don was admitted to the hospital less than a week after he granted my interview request. Although I didn't get to hear his voice or receive answers to the questions, I know that he read them and was eager to share his answers with me, and with you.

Last year I had the opportunity to meet Don. It was a thrilling moment during a momentous occasion. He had a twinkle in his eye and I think for the first time got to be in a room full of hundreds of people, fellow practitioners of his art, who loved and revered him more than words could say.

It was then that pen pals became friends and the measure of the man so beautifully displayed, in his convictions, humility and strength that came from a life well lived, a life of love, passion and devotion.

A Celebration Of Life

Don's life began in Duluth, Minnesota, born on August 26th, 1940. Once he graduated from high school, he joined the army and was stationed at Fort Meyer, Virginia working as a recording engineer for the United States Army Band and Chorus.

After his discharge from the army, Don entered the world of advertising, working at an agency that produced theatrical trailers (one of the only ones outside of Hollywood studios) where he was employed as a copy writer, coining such immortal phrases as "In a world", and "A one-man army", "No where to run, no where to hide and no way out" and many more.

In 1965, a voice talent who was supposed to record failed to show up for his session and it fell upon Don who had a nice voice to take his place, the first of thousands of movie trailers that he would record over his lifetime.

The phrases that he wrote in his agency days changed his calling from the writer who told you about the movies to become the voice who made you want to go to the movies.

He spent a number of years as a head of production for Kaleidoscope Films, Ltd; one of the premiere trailer production houses. In 1976, he started his own production company, Don LaFontaine Associates. His first assignment as an independent was "The Godfather, Part II."

In 1978 he was asked to join Paramount Pictures, heading up the trailer department. Over the next three years, he became literally the "Voice" of Paramount. In 1980 he was named Vice President, but he missed being involved in active production.

For 30 years, Don had been a fixture of modern-day entertainment, advertising, and has also been the voice of NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and UPN, in addition to TNT, TBS and the Cartoon Network recording hundreds of thousands of television and radio spots, including commercials for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Ford, Budweiser, McDonalds, Coke, and many other corporate sponsors.

At last count, he has worked on nearly 5000 films, including appearances as the in-show announcer for the Screen Actors Guild and Academy Awards. Based on contracts signed, he held the distinction of being perhaps the single busiest actor in the history of SAG.

Following The Leader

Achievements were no stranger to Don, but as he would discover, through those accolades he would be recognized as "the king of voice-overs", and to his deep awe and gratitude, beloved by voice talent of every race, color and creed.

His ability to unite people and speak words that moved them was unprecedented. His voice was so familiar yet so majestic, he had you in the palm of his hand, although he was seldom aware of it.

Over the last month, Don has given of himself, as he freely gave of himself, and his support has meant more to those beneficiaries than he could ever know. Don LaFontaine's name stands proudly behind a slate of actors called Unite For Strength who want to bring unity to SAG and AFTRA through merger, a cause dear to his heart and to all hearts in this industry. Where these things that meant so much to him are concerned encourage us to let his strength be our strength, and his hope our hope.

May The Lord Bless You And Keep You

If you knew Don, you know that his generosity and exceptional ability to communicate was second only to the size of his heart.

I would like to invite you now to share your thoughts, to grieve or to say a prayer for Don, his wife Nita Whitaker, and his daughters, Christine, Skye, and Elyse that they may be comforted in this time of heartache, a sorrow with depths that only God knows.

In unity and prayer,

Stephanie

If you've been following the news, US presidential candidate John McCain's commercial voice over talent "Joan", whose identity is deemed a corporate secret, has been a topic of discussion and I've no doubt in my mind that she had to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement).

Have you ever had to sign a non-disclosure agreement for a voice over job that you've recorded?

Leave a comment!

Incognito VO

There are many people in our industry who need to agree to non-disclosure agreements for their work and perhaps you're one of them.

I can appreciate why the McCain campaign is keeping Joan's identity under wraps and am aware of many, many NDA jobs that have come to voice talent registered at Voices.com, usually through direct contacts from their profiles.

A certain sweet satisfaction must come from the fact that you're voice is considered top secret and valued so much that they don't want their competition finding out. On the other hand, it must also be frustrating because you are just about to burst and want to let people know "That's Me!"

While I'm not asking you to reveal who you've signed agreements for, I do want to know if you have ever had to sign an NDA for voice over work.

How common are these jobs would you say?

Does any of your voice over work require NDAs?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Rob Belknap

Do You Watch The Spectacular Spider-Man?

If so, get set for a fun interview with none other than the voice of Spider-Man / Peter Parker, Josh Keaton here on VOX Daily.

VOX: Thank you for joining me on VOX Daily, Josh, it's a pleasure to have you here. How long have you been voice acting for?

JOSH KEATON: I've been voice acting off and on since I was a kid. I had roles in shows like the "Back to the Future" animated series, and "Peter Pan and the Pirates." I briefly stepped back from voice over to focus on other aspects of my career, but have made it a primary focus in the last few years.

VOX: You have your feet in a few different segments of the entertainment industry, including on-camera, music, and now voice over. What did you bring from on-camera and music to your voice acting career that helped you ease into the business?

JOSH: Being a singer helps immensely with voice acting. You get a sense of pitch that helps in voice matching/character creation, as well as a sense of timing that makes ADR and hitting certain copy times a breeze. On camera acting helps as well because improv skills are always an asset, and most animated shows want to convey a "not too cartoony" sense of realism. On camera experience helps with keeping a character portrayal subtle and nuanced, even in animation.

VOX: Congratulations on your successes with the Spider-Man franchise. Right now, you're the voice of Peter Parker / Spider-man in the cartoon "The Spectacular Spider-Man", a first for you where our friendly neighborhood arachnid is concerned. Do you find that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are very different from each other when you're voice acting? If so, how do you prepare for each of those characters and what makes them special?

JOSH: Thanks! As someone who grew up reading the comics this role has been a dream come true. As for vocal preparation, Peter Parker's voice is pretty similar to my own, just a bit younger. Spidey's voice is pretty much the same as Peter's, but with a bit more confidence. As Spidey, he can say and do things that he can't necessarily do as Peter. Also, Peter tends to sometimes overplay his geekiness as a cover for his alter ego.

VOX: As some people may know, in previous projects, you have voiced Peter Parker's best friend, Harry Osborn. Could you please tell us how you came to be involved with the Spidey franchise and the work you've done?

JOSH: Well, the video games were produced by entirely different production companies than the show. What's interesting is that I originally provided the voice for Peter/Spidey in the first Spider Man video game, but they ended up getting approval to use Tobey Maguire's voice. As I had already completed all the recording for the game, rather than waste the audio they recorded, they put in a secret play mode where upon beating the game, the gamer could play the game again with Harry in the Goblin suit. After that, they ended up re-hiring me to voice Harry in the subsequent games. The audition process for the show was completely separate.

VOX: What kind of process did you go through to develop the voice of Spider-Man? Was there much homework to do on this or did the character come naturally to you? Any challenges?

JOSH: There wasn't really any process as it's pretty much my voice, just a bit younger. As for character, I already had a pretty intimate understanding of the character from growing up with the source material. In addition, I was this guy growing up... well aside from the Spider powers. I was a huge dork in high school and couldn't get a date to save my life, but I had this double life as a child actor. Among my acting friends, I was "cool" but at school, I was already pegged as a dork from my younger years and there wasn't much that could be done to shake that in high school.

VOX: Have you received any fan mail for your work on The Spectacular Spider-Man or voice work in the videogames?

JOSH: I have. Aside from the Spidey fans, I've received quite a bit of fan mail from fans of the Metal Gear Solid franchise. I played Ocelot in the third installment of the game.

VOX: When you're recording, do you have a favorite tea or beverage that you rely on?

JOSH: I like the things they always tell you not to drink, like soda and dairy products. Everyone tells me that they're terrible for vocal recording, but... they work great for me! In emergencies, throat coat tea and slippery elm lozenges are life savers.

VOX: Do you have a home recording studio that you can audition or work from? If so, what's in Spider-Man's studio? If not, is this something you are considering?

JOSH: I do have a studio at home to work on both VO and music. I record into a tube condenser mic (Røde K2) with an Avalon preamp and a Distressor for compression. I usually record into ProTools through a DIGI002 but I've been playing with Logic as well. I'm a huge gearhead/techie as well (remember, I'm a dork) so I'm always looking for cool new gear. I just bought a house and one room will be converted to a dedicated studio with a real vocal booth and console so I'm pretty excited about that. As for auditioning, I still love driving over to my agent's office to audition. I like getting to see all of my friends/fellow actors, but it's great to be able to do things from home when driving there isn't possible. I'm also currently in the process of setting up a mobile rig so that I can work while I travel. I'll most likely be using SourceConnect and ProTools with a Sennheiser 416 and a SE Electronics Reflexion filter.

VOX: Are you a member of SAG or AFTRA? If you are when did you join and is there a story you can share about how you made the decision to go union?

JOSH: I'm a member of both. I've actually been a member of both unions since I was very young as a result of the on-camera commercials/projects that I started with.

VOX: Where do you see yourself in five years? Will voice acting be your main gig?

JOSH: In five years I hope to accomplish a lot. I'd like to release an album (much sooner than 5 years), write/produce music for other artists, and continue to pursue on-camera film/tv roles. VO will always be my bread and butter but I definitely don't want to limit myself to VO only.

VOX: Age old question : Do you have to live in Los Angeles to make it as a voice actor in videogames and animation? Why or why not?

JOSH: It depends on what you define as "making it." It's completely possible to work regularly in VO without living in a primary market like LA or even other big cities like Chicago, San Fransisco, and New York. The fact remains, however, that to realize the full potential of a VO career (at this point in time), living in one of the major cities helps quite a bit. It will be interesting to see how the internet and the availability of inexpensive yet professional recording equipment will change this in the future (the very near future).

VOX: If you could meet someone in voice acting whom you haven't met, who would it be? Is there anyone you look up to? If so, what do you admire about them?

JOSH: I've already worked with a ton of fantastic voice actors but there are always ones that just blow me away. Steve Blum's Green Goblin in Spec Spidey is incredible and I would love to be able to manipulate my voice the way he does. James Arnold Taylor and Kevin Michael Richardson (Harry Osborn and Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone, respectively) can do voices that you would never imagine coming out of them. I could go on for a long time talking about people like Peter MacNicol and many of the other actors that I've enjoyed working with but I think it's safe to say that I look up to all of them. They're all incredibly talented.

VOX: Anything coming down the pipeline that we should be watching for in your career?

JOSH: I have a few video games out right now and others on the way. I'm the voice of Ryu Hayabusa in the latest installment of Ninja Gaiden, and will be playing Larry Lovage in the upcoming Leisure Suit Larry: Box Office Bust (that one's not for the kids). I'm also a musician and write/produce/perform music with my brother in law. Our group is called Hallway. Finally, there's lots more Spectacular Spider Man on the way. The first of 4 DVD volumes will be released in September, and the second season will begin airing in March of 2009. Keep checking www.joshkeaton.com, and www.spideytv.com for more details.

Any Spider-Man fans out there? Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. If you go to SpideyTV.com you can play some fun games, including one where you take pictures of Spider-Man to get on the cover of the Daily Bugle!

The face of the Screen Actors Guild may start to look a little bit different this year.

For tens of thousands of people in the acting and voice acting professions, particularly those who are members of SAG and or AFTRA, this change could make all the difference in the world.

Find out more in my special interview with Edoardo Ballerini, a candidate for the SAG Board of Directors and member of Unite For Strength, a group seeking the merger of SAG and AFTRA.

VOX: Thank you for being here on VOX Daily, Edoardo. For those of us who are unfamiliar with Unite For Strength, could you please tell us a little bit about what it is, who is involved and what your mission is?

EDOARDO BALLERINI: Thank you, Stephanie! Unite for Strength is a group of 31 performers running for the Board of the Screen Actors Guild. We are television stars, journeymen, stunt performers, background players, and voice artists. In short, we represent the full breadth of membership. Our mission is to merge SAG and AFTRA so performers are united at the bargaining table once and for all.

VOX: You're personally running for a position on the SAG Board of Directors. What made you want to run?

EDOARDO: Once I started studying the issues facing actors, and the direction our current leadership has taken us in, I felt an obligation. And, not to be too modest, but I think I'd be good at it. My experiences as an actor, having been everything from a day player to a lead, on television and in film, having done commercials and VO, animation and video games, have given me an understanding of what faces nearly every segment of the acting population.

VOX: If elected, what will you bring to the Board of Directors? Do you have any particular goals in mind?

EDOARDO: Unite for Strength has the primary goal of merging SAG and AFTRA. We believe it is in everybody's best interest, and that all other issues pale in comparison right now. Our employers have been merging nearly every year and we should be, too. On a personal note, I would like to bring civility and common sense to the Board. I would also like to spearhead outreach programs to younger members to get them involved.

VOX: One of your running mates happens to be a fan favorite around here, voice actor Bob Bergen. What's it like in the Unite For Strength camp? Are you the only voice actors represented among the candidates?

EDOARDO: Bob is wonderful! A true gentleman, and a sharp mind. Our slate is remarkably cohesive and supportive of each other. Running for office isn't easy, but the group is dedicated both to the cause of merger and to each other. And many of us do voice work. Let's not overlook Marcia Wallace, the voice of Mrs. Krabappel on The Simpsons!

VOX: Edoardo, there's a lengthy list of names listed on the Unite For Strength site that show support, including notable performers such as Sally Field, Alec Baldwin, Tom Hanks and our industry's very own, Don LaFontaine. What's it like to have some of the biggest name in show business supporting the cause? Why are they behind you and your colleagues?

EDOARDO: I am heartened not only that we have "big names" behind us, but who those names are. Tom, Sally, Alec and Don are not only stars, but they are respected and respectful individuals. Their support is rooted in remembering just how important a union is to the non-stars, the people who need residuals to live, and a stable Pension & Health plan for their families. It's important to understand that both sides on this election want the same thing - the best deals for performers. What we differ in is how to achieve these deals. Our supporters believe merging SAG and AFTRA will make that happen far faster than warring between the two unions ever could.

VOX: What can people do to get involved? Do you have to be a member of SAG to be part of this or help out?

EDOARDO: You do have to be a Hollywood SAG member to vote, of course, but there are many ways to get involved. I would like to see younger actors, even those not yet a part of SAG or AFTRA, to take an interest in their future unions, or better still... union. What we do now will affect them more than anybody else. Our website - www.uniteforstrength.com - has a lot of information about us, and our group on Facebook is becoming a great networking vehicle for actors. We're even planning a "live" networking event (imagine that!) for our Facebook group in early September. We're over 500 strong and growing!

VOX: You mentioned that voting has already been open for almost a week. When does voting end and how do people vote?

EDOARDO: Ballots were mailed on the 19th, and I just got mine today. (I confess it was thrilling to vote for myself and all my fellow candidates.) Every Hollywood SAG member in good standing will receive a ballot by mail. They are not due back until the 19th of September, but it's always best to vote right away. Otherwise these things tend to get lost or forgotten. As they say in Chicago, "Vote early, vote often."

VOX: What would it mean for the members of SAG should candidates from Unite For Strength win positions on the board? Is there a certain number of seats available or are all the seats on the board of directors open for new directors?

EDOARDO: There are 55 members of the Board, but only 33 open seats this year. It's a bit like the U.S. Senate or House in that not all seats are up each election. However, a quick glance at the numbers shows that if we get all of our 31 candidates in we would be a majority voice and therefore able to present our agenda of merger without delay. I believe we would instantly be stronger and SAG members would be better protected and represented.

VOX: How would a Unite For Strength Board of Directors affect voice actors? Do you have any specific aims to achieve for voice over performers?

EDOARDO: Voice actors may be the most vulnerable performers when it comes to having two unions, and have been for some time. Merger is essential to us in voice work. Because VO work is so deeply split between SAG and AFTRA, two things happen. First, a performer ends up contributing to two separate Pension & Health plans. And second, a producer can shop between the two unions for a less actor-friendly contract. I know of several VO actors who end up qualifying for neither health plan, but would have easily qualified under a merged union. I also know several VO actors who are working more and earning less. That's not right.

VOX: One of Unite For Strength's main objectives is to unite SAG with AFTRA, an idea that has been bandied around for decades, even brought to the fore by past SAG president, Melissa Gilbert, just to be shot down.

EDOARDO: It was hardly "shot down!" It missed by a few hundred votes, despite an aggressive campaign against it! It actually achieved majority support in SAG at 58.8%, just shy of the 60% needed according to the by-laws. Moreover, an independent study was conducted shortly thereafter that revealed that 78% of members supported merger! So why didn't it pass? Simple. Poor turnout. I think we're starting to see the importance of taking an active interest in our unions! We would not be in this mess today if we had merged in 2003. There would still be issues, of course, but we wouldn't be negotiating with our employers with one hand tied behind our backs.

VOX: I see, although defeated, it was actually quite close and there was a significant amount of support for the motion to merge. That's interesting. I have a few more questions for you, if you don't mind.

a) What needs to happen to make a successful merger?

EDOARDO: There is a long history of successful mergers in this country, the most famous being the AFL and the CIO. I won't pretend that you can just snap your fingers and voila! you're merged. There is a great deal of planning and consideration necessary. But what needs to happen is this: people need to understand how necessary it is for their futures. And it is.

VOX: Why wouldn't people want the two unions to merge?

EDOARDO: The general fears are these: one, that the Pension plans would be at risk, and two, that the union would be too diversified to properly serve actors, that is, that the new union would suddenly comprise a whole lot of "non-actors" like broadcasters. To the first point, people should know that all pension plans are Federally protected, down to the last penny. There is no risk of losing a single cent. To the second point, we are already such a diverse group! We are theatrical actors, extras, stunt players, animation voices, industrial performers, commercial actors, promo voices, stand-ins, and so on. The Screen Actors Guild was once comprised of film actors only. That day has long passed. As a final thought, consider this: any union's ultimate weapon is the threat of a strike. You never want it to come to that, but it's always a union's right if approved by its membership. Today, if we were to strike, the producers lose out on scripted shows, but they can fall back on reality programming, game shows, talk shows, sports, the news, the list goes on and on. Imagine if in this strike scenario, all of that were to come to a halt at once! Now that's real incentive for the producers to make a good deal! Honestly, I haven't heard a compelling argument against merger.

VOX: What has prevented merger thus far? Is it only to do with a small percentage of people in power who don't want merger?

As I said, there is majority support - in both unions - for merger, but it fell agonizingly short. My sense is that people were afraid of the unknown. But the tide has turned. It's no secret now what's happening. We're fighting with each other, and we're undercutting each other. We've had a look over the proverbial cliff. And it's a long fall coming unless we unite for strength.

---------------------

Edoardo Ballerini is a candidate for the SAG Board of Directors with the Unite For Strength slate.

Beyond a well established on-camera career, Edoardo has also worked extensively behind the mic, voicing for Infiniti, Toyota, Sony PSP Talkman, Tyco, BMW, and on the upcoming animated series "Batman: The Brave and the Bold" for Warner Bros. He also recently completed an audiobook of Machiavelli's "The Prince."
--------------------

Any Comments?

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Stephanie

Some people call it "Automated Dialogue Replacement" or "Additional Dialogue Replacement", but everyone agrees that it is called "ADR" for short.

Find out what it is, why it's important and how it is used here on VOX Daily.

What is ADR?

ADR, sometimes referred to as Automated Dialogue Replacement, is a niche within voice over that occurs during post-production of a film after the final edit has been completed (locked).

Who Uses ADR?

Generally, ADR is standard for big budget films and Hollywood blockbusters, in other words, films that need to be as professional and clean as possible for mass audience consumption at the box office and beyond.

Who Decides What Needs ADR?

Prior to an ADR session, technicians at the film's post-production facility of choice team up to check for any vocal mishaps or unusable lines; this effort is called a "spotting" session. Once areas that need ADR are identified, the team divvies up the work and sets out to book actors for ADR sessions.

How is ADR Done?

If there are lines or words that weren't delivered properly (or as desired by the director) ADR sessions take place and the actor (or hired voice actor doing the voice match on the ADR) is required to record the lines in question so that the replacement audio can be edited into the film.

Many takes are recorded to get the perfect delivery that will be used in the final version of the film.

Why is ADR Important?

As we noticed earlier, ADR is important because it can present a pristine image and seamless production with minimal effort considering the massive size of the overall project.

ADR is also necessary because there are often two different versions of a film made, one for the theatres and DVDs but also another version usually for airing on television that may need to have certain words censored. For example, a substitute word may be included to replace a curse or swear word.

In rare instances, ADR can even be recorded to help complete a film when an actor has passed away before their ADR session or the film is re-mastered decades after the initial filming and a voice match is needed.

Cool Facts About ADR

๏ ADR sessions can take place on special ADR sound stages
๏ Voice actors have the ability to make very good money performing ADR for celebrities
๏ The SAG union pay scale for an ADR session is at least $466.00 (SAG ADR rate from 2005).
๏ Anthony Hopkins recorded some ADR for the late Laurence Olivier in the re-mastered version of Sparticus

Do you have any experience with ADR? Let us know by adding a comment!

Looking forward to hearing your stories,

Stephanie

Photo via the Columbia Academy Website, Studio B

Earlier on July 29, 2008 (today) there was an earthquake in SoCal (Southern California) that shook several communities and inspired voice actor Bob Bergen to produce a brief report in character detailing happenings to do with the quake.

The Associated Press reported that the 11:42 a.m. quake was initially estimated at 5.8 by the U.S. Geological Survey but was revised downward to 5.4.

To hear a special report from the Looney Tunes on the SoCal earthquake, read on.

How Did Porky Pig, Marvin the Martian and Tweety Bird Respond to the Quake?

To listen to the report recorded by Bob Bergen (voice of Porky Pig among others), click on the link below:

Looney Tunes News - Earthquake Coverage.

Were you affected by the SoCal earthquake?

Add a comment and let us know that you're OK.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Photo via FoxNews.com

Time to talk world records!

Here are 10 Guinness World Records from the 2008 edition that are related to voice over and voice acting.

I hope you'll find these particularly interesting.

Enjoy :)

1. COUNTRY WITH THE HIGHEST RATE OF TV VIEWING

Americans watch more hours of television per week than any other country in the world, watching 4 hours and 32 minutes per individual per day according to Nielsen Media research started tracking television viewing habits in the 1950s.

2. MOST EMMYS FOR A TV SERIES

The Emmy awards are US television's equivalent to the Oscars. As of May 2005, the most Emmys won by the same show is 101 by Sesame Street (PBS, USA).

3. LONGEST TIME PROMOTING ONE BRAND

Since 1991, Thomas Gottschalk (German) has been in every advertising promotion for candy manufacturer Haribo. In 14 years, he has appeared in 206 TV and 118 radio commercials for the company.

4. HIGHEST AD RATE (TV SERIES)

An average of $2 million per 30 seconds was paid by advertisers for slots during the hour-long, last-ever episode of Friends (NBC, USA). The show aired in the USA on May 6, 2004, and was seen by an estimated 51.1 million Americans.

The highest TV advertising rate ever was $2.4 million per 30 seconds for the NBC network during the transmission of Super Bowl XXXV on January 28, 2001.

5. LONGEST TV COMMERCIAL

A commercial advertising Lipton Ice Tea Green lasted for 24 minutes and was broadcast by the Yorin television channel acorss the Netherleands in March 2005.

6. SHORTEST TV COMMERCIAL

Shortest TV Commercial is half a frame and lasts just 1/60 of a second. Advertising MuchMusic (Canada), 12 versions of the commercial were produced, the first of which was aired on January 2, 2002.

7. MOST POSITIONS IN AN AUDIOBOOK CHART

Narrator Jim Dale (UK) occupied six positions in an audiobook chart when his readings of the Harry Potter books held the top six placed in Amazon's "Best-Selling Audiobooks of America" in August 2005.

8. MOST VOICES IN AN AUDIOBOOK

Jim Dale is the performer who brings J.K. Rowling's creations to life in the Harry Potter audiobooks. He secured a Guinness World Record for creating an incredible 134 voices for The Order of the Phoenix.

9. HIGHEST PAID RADIO HOST

The highest earning radio host in 2005 was Howard Stern who earned $31 million.

10. LARGEST MOVIE STUDIO

The largest movie studio in the world is Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad, India which opened in 1996. It measured 1,666 acres, with 47 sound stages and permanent sets ranging from railroad stations to temples.

Do you know of any other world records that relate to voice over or voice acting?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Audible.com has a really neat competition going on that pits narrator against narrator, pairing two different interpretations of the same audio book in a duel of feudal proportions.

Which narrators will win?

Dueling Narrators is now in full swing at Audible.com. You can listen to samples of each of the performances and also learn more about the audio books and narrators.

Here's a list of those dueling:

๏ Charlton Griffin performing Crime and Punishment VS George Guidall performing Crime and Punishment

๏ Grover Gardner performing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer VS Garrick Hagon performing The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

๏ Nadia May performing Middlemarch VS Kate Reading performing Middlemarch

๏ Jim Dale performing Peter Pan VS Tim Curry performing Peter Pan

๏ Christopher Hurt performing Fahrenheit 451 VS Ray Bradbury performing Fahrenheit 451

๏ John Lee performing The Call of the Wild VS Frank Muller performing The Call of the Wild

๏ Juliet Stevenson performing Persuasion VS Anna Massey performing Persuasion

๏ George Guidall performing Ethan Frome VS Scott Brick performing Ethan Frome

๏ Davina Porter performing Anna Karenina VS Nadia May performing Anna Karenina

๏ Jim Norton performing Dubliners VS Frederick Davidson performing Dubliners

Do you have any favorites to win?

Vote at Audible.com!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Hello Nurse!

The long awaited day finally came on Friday July 11, 2008 for millions of Apple fans worldwide with the introduction of the iPhone in markets outside of the US.

Did you get one? Share your story by adding a comment!

It's A Beautiful Day

Friday was a day like any other unless you are one of the people who courageously left your home to get an Apple iPhone.

Well, you could say that's somewhat of an understatement to put it frankly. More than just iPhone fanatics were affected.

The iPhone was everywhere, on television, radio ads, in the newspapers, magazines, podcasts, live streaming shows (thank you Leo Laporte for your 24 hour coverage of iPhone madness!), Twitter tweets, social networking site statuses, and on the lips of people in shopping centers from New Zealand to Canada.

It all started years ago with the hope that Apple would one day make a cellular phone. You could feel the anticipation as Steve Jobs (CEO and founder of Apple with Steve Wozniak) repeated "It's a phone, an iPod and a browser" during Macworld 2007 in San Francisco, heralding the future arrival of the iPhone, releasing it on the market on June 29th of last year.

With a grin from ear to ear, I'm pleased to share that we have one!

It was worth the wait and using it is as easy as using my MacBook Pro. The experience is beyond what I ever expected and the 3G is really something else. Imagine having Internet wherever you are whenever you want... It's amazing!

I was updating my Facebook status on Saturday from a party and sent my first message using the web browser.

We've also become fans of some of the applications, Jirbo is fun if you've found that one.

Aside from the web functionality and accessibility, another neat aspect about the iPhone is that you can record your voice using it, at least for personal purposes.

Another feature I love is how you can turn the iPhone on its side to make the web browser enlarge the screen. Also, the actual phone feature is great and easy to use. Taking pictures is fun and the pictures come out very clearly.

It's an astounding piece of technology that will change lives, undoubtedly, for the better.

What are your impressions of the iPhone? Add a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Oil and Water

Public skirmishes between SAG and AFTRA have got the unions in the headlines quite a bit in the past few months.

To sum up, AFTRA went on to talk up the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) on their own after suspending their joint bargaining agreement with the Screen Actors Guild, and came out with some kind of solution.

AFTRA's parent union, SAG, is now embroiled in talks following their expired contract (July 1, 2008) with the AMPTP, bargaining for more money and residual pay. The AMPTP has made their final offer (July 2, 2008) and SAG requested more time to study it. No further meetings are scheduled at this point.

There's a lot going on between SAG and AFTRA

AFTRA has an election coming up this fall and SAG is currently running a campaign of their own to the chagrin of AFTRA. For two unions that represent a significant portion of the same people and overlap in a variety of ways, it would be nice if they could get along for the sake of their members, or as some have suggested, merge and unite under one banner.

Where does this leave those in the middle? Is there a middle?

As SAG and AFTRA continue to spar, take a moment to read this article written by a former union member with Financial Core status, Lani Minella, and her take on this often intentionally neglected yet very real dues paying non-member union designation.

Financial Core VS Union : The Real Deal

By Lani Minella

Okay everyone, I'm sure I can tick off a lot of people by opening up this Pandora's Box, but I really want to clarify a few things which I'm happy to expound upon later if asked.

Financial core = a dues paying "non-member" who's allowed to do union and non union work.

The only thing they can't do is vote on union issues and IMHO (in my humble opinion), the union doesn't ever consider it's members' votes anyway.

Yes you can join as Fi-Core even though many union peeps may try to tell you otherwise. It is not true that you have to join as union first and then go fi-core!

Where some agents stand

There has not been a talent agency union franchise agreement in place for over a year and a half. The agents got ticked at the union trying to tell them how to run their offices and denying the agents the ability to earn extra money by either teaching or co-producing projects and as a result, agents have nothing against you being Fi-Core and there's no stigma involved.

No clients will ever know you are FiCore

That is something the union wants to keep a secret because once it gets out how many people are Core, the union would have No Clout at all. When a client Station 12s the list of talent that will be used on a union project, they submit the talents' social security numbers and the union responds with either the words "Okay, Must Join, or Taft Hartley" beside each actor's name. Charlton Heston who once was the president of SAG was Core and there are tons of well-known actors who have gone that route.

Most talents do not know that a client has to pay 60% extra on top of the actual union wage to the payroll company to cover state and federal taxes, the Health and Retirement 14.3% and the 10% agency fee.

These are the union rates for interactive VOs as of 1/1/08:

Up to 3 voices or 4 hour day = $759
Additional voice = $253 per voice
6-10 voices or 6 hour day = $1,518

Here's a rate not many people know exists: 1 voice/1 hour = $379.50

If you do a cartoon (that's direct to DVD) you only get the half day rate for the entire full first day. If you work beyond the first day, rates return to the above. Not sure if this is different for cartoons that are aired.

As FiCore, if you work a union gig, your 14.3 % is still paid and goes toward your possibly qualifying to buy your own health coverage. You have to earn a minimum of $15 K a year as a single actor to be able to purchase union health coverage. It's not free.

If you're union and considering going FiCore

If you are already union and considering going FiCore, all you have to do is fax or mail your union office a letter stating that effective immediately you are going Financial Core Status and you wish your dues to be adjusted accordingly. You won't save more than about 90 cents on dues, but after they get your letter, someone will inevitably call you to try and talk you out of your decision.

They will tell you how it could cost you over $1000 to reinstate yourself to full union status (why would you ever need to?) and they will try and tell you how you are hurting the union's ability to best serve you. That's BS. As I said, no one will ever know you are FiCore except the union and you. I was full union status for SAG and AFTRA for over 15 years and I went FiCore about 2 years ago. Never a problem.

You have to mail them back your precious membership card (Big deal--go to Kinkos, make a color copy and frame it if it's so dear to you.)

No one will ever ask to see your card.

If you go to a union job, you are considered union.

Agents can talk freely about FiCore now without thinking a Mobster from the union will slit their throat.

Here are a few issues I have about the union.

It's supposed to be a national union that we belong to. But instead of facilitating us being hired outside our locale, the union makes a client prove they've done an earnest local search for talent and couldn't find anyone with your qualifications before they are "allowed to bring you into their locale." Technically with everything being electronic nowadays, this seldom presents an issue, but when it comes to travel fees, it can cost the client more than your performance to pay for your travel anytime you go outside the 30 mile radius from the nearest union office... figured on $139/per hour and 39 cents a gallon for gas. Boy they sure don't pay well for gas. Anyway, your mileage is figured out using something like MapQuest from your door to the studio's door.

Being that our union offices in San Diego closed years ago, LA is considered our office. But if we try and get the travel fees we are entitled to as union members, LA clients will either find a local talent or say, "If you want the job... all it pays is scale... take it or leave it."

Yes the union will fight for you if you tell them to, but you will soon be blackballed in the industry if you do.

So even though we belong to a national union, it's rather discriminatory as far as making jobs universally user-friendly to actors in different cities.

Same thing goes if you have a problem getting an agent or a problem with the agent you have. The union will follow up on a complaint if you file one, but they will admit that if you stir up things, you'll soon be on the undesirable list.

I respect anyone who doggedly stays totally union, but I merely wanted to point out some facts which few people know to allow everyone to make up their minds based on truth rather than rumor.

NO one will blackball you if you are FiCore. On the contrary, agents love it when they can send you out on every kind of job. And no clients talk to each other comparing notes about how much they paid a certain actor for different jobs.

I've had people think FiCore means we don't pay dues, but we pay 99.99% of the same dues as every other union member. We don't save $5 anymore either for belonging to both unions. Membership dues are also increased every time you earn more with each union job.

Here's the last thing many people don't know about collecting unemployment from a union job. Just like our normal unemployment works by being cumulative... once you reach a certain quarter, every union job you work for will allow you to go collect unemployment the day after you record for that client.

Yes you can even do that as a FiCore member as long as the job was a union job. They say the LA unemployment office has a special side door for the big stars to collect after they finish their multi-million dollar movies.

What's bad about this is how this client you worked for, who may have several full time employees at their business that they pay unemployment insurance for... maybe hit with a rate increase for their unemployment if they start getting a lot of claims by actors who may have only worked for them in a studio for an hour.

And here's the final question which few people can find an answer to;

Of all the Health and Retirement contributions we've put into the kitty over the years-----what can we expect to reap (dollar-wise) when WE retire?

If anyone knows that answer, please share.

Lastly, people have considered legal action against the union because it seems unethical to be a dues paying NON member. How can you pay dues to NOT belong to something?

But no one has followed up with that idea because the union is it's own CLUB and can have its own rules.

Best to all,

Lani

~~

Any comments?

This article was republished here with the purpose of facilitating a conversation.

We are welcoming opinions from all perspectives on this issue.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/TIM MCCAIG

Over the past several months, US-based (and British born) voice actor Derek Partridge had been traveling and working abroad in Europe on a number of exciting projects, one of which more than piqued my interest.

I've asked him to share his story with you and he was very pleased to do so.

For those of you who are familiar with the late British actor Leslie Howard and the flight that took his life, you'll be amazed to see how this story unfolds and how the Hand of God works in mysterious ways, giving a little boy who was unimportant enough to be taken off a plane for a VIP the opportunity to live to tell the tale of the grave day that ultimately changed the course of his life, and that of Leslie Howard's, forever.

The Mystery of Flight 777

It’s 1943, I was 7 years old, strapped into my seat and excitedly waiting for take-off on flight 777 from Lisbon to Bristol in England. At the last minute, I was bumped so that VIP Leslie Howard (best known for his role as Ashley Wilkes in Gone With The Wind) could have my seat. Three hours later the KLM Dakota DC3, named “Ibis”, was shot down over the Bay of Biscay, by a squadron of 6 Luftwaffe Ju88 fighter-bombers… with the loss of all on board.

Fast forward 65 years

I get an e-mail from Tom Hamilton, a British writer-director, asking if I’m the same Derek Partridge who was removed from the plane and, if so, could he interview me for his documentary “The Mystery of Flight 777”?

After learning that I was a TV presenter and former documentary scriptwriter we then collaborated on his script. In March I flew to London to host and narrate “Leslie Howard: A Quite Remarkable Life” and “The Mystery of Flight 777”.

We filmed at many locations, including sequences at Leslie’s former 5,600 sq ft home at Dorking in Surrey, a few miles from my childhood home at Limpsfield in Surrey, an historically preserved mansion which had been built around 1350. We filmed -- in 85 mph gale force winds -- at the old Bristol airport at Whitchurch where Howard should have landed… and I did. That wind was not only tough on sound but made it difficult for me and the camera to remain upright!

We interviewed his daughter Doodie Stirling, co-star Olivia de Havilland, people who had worked with him, relatives of the other passengers and crew who had lost their lives, as well as scholarly experts who had studied and researched Howard’s life and untimely death.

Probably the most interesting interview was with Ben Rosevink, son of Engbertus Rosevink, the flight engineer on the ill-fated Dakota. He had done an enormous amount of research, had scrapbooks filled with news cuttings and pictures and, most importantly, had spent a week at the home of the German Squadron Commander, Colonel (then Oberleutnant) Herbert Hintze.

As far as I’m concerned, he finally provided irrefutable proof and answers to the 65 year-old mystery of why the plane had been shot down… a mystery which had spawned a plethora of different conspiracy theories, at least 4 books, as well as radio and TV plays and discussions.

You’ll need to view the finished documentary to learn what I learned! For a 5 minute, preview trailer of “The Mystery of Flight 777”, please visit this link:

The Mystery of Flight 777 Preview on MySpace

Voices.com’s Stephanie Ciccarelli asked me a few questions, including: how great an affect had not being on Flight 777 had on me, and I suppose the tongue-in-cheek answer is being here today to tell the story!! I spoke in my normal Brit voice, which is described as accent-less BBC or Queen’s English, most prevalent in the Southern counties of England where I was brought up and went to school.

Stephanie also asked about my linguistic abilities: a couple of weeks later I was back in London to present the 50th Anniversary video for farm equipment giant, Massey Ferguson International. On a giant stage in a chateau outside Paris were life-size portraits of founders Daniel Massey and Dubliner Harry Ferguson, who died 60 years ago.

The Marketing Director asks the CEO if he would recount to the audience one of the succinct sayings for which Harry Ferguson was renowned. The CEO replies: “Why don’t we ask Harry?” He turns and speaks to the portrait and I step out of the portrait and commence 20 minute presentations to the different audiences in French, German, Italian, Spanish and Irish!

I got this job in unusual circumstances.

I received another e-mail from London producer John Landon, with whom I had worked nearly 30 years ago! He not only remembered me but recalled that I had more than a passing resemblance to Harry Ferguson!

John and I have a shared hobby of clay pigeon, trap shooting (I’m a former member of the British Team). I decided to take advantage of being in Europe, flew to the Perazzi factory in Brescia, Italy, to be fitted for a custom-built, trap gun with gold partridges (what else!) inlaid into the engraved game scenes. This will ensure that—even when I don’t shoot well in competition—I’ll have the best looking gun on the range!

About Derek Partridge

Derek Partridge has a long and distinguished career as a voice-over artist and on-camera presenter, who won the 2007 Voicey Lifetime Achievement Award to add to his two Emmys and two Tellys. You can view and hear his work (including audiobooks) and learn more of his business interests and other activities, during his travels in some 80 countries, at www.derekpartridge.com.

~~

A special thank you to Derek for sharing his story!

All Comments Are Welcome. Add Yours!

Best wishes,

Derek and Stephanie

For those of you who are familiar with Marvel's Hulking protagonist Bruce Banner or are looking forward to seeing "The Incredible Hulk", I've got a treat for you!

I had the opportunity to speak with J.D. Hall yesterday afternoon just days before the cinematic premiere of The Incredible Hulk, due out Friday June 13, 2008.

Join me in this interview with J.D. Hall, veteran member of SAG and voice of the groaning, growling, grunting Hulk!

Interview with J.D. Hall, Voice of The Incredible Hulk

VOX: Congratulations on landing the role to voice The Hulk!  It must be exciting to be the vocal force behind one of Marvel's most explosive heroes.  How did you get the gig?

J.D. HALL: I went and auditioned for Ed Norton and some sound editors. They were looking for someone to do the growls, grunts and groans. They saw a lot of people and hired 2 at first to provide a voice for the Hulk and we worked, just the two of us, for 2 sessions. After that, they hired 2 other guys to also do some voice over for the Hulk. We all did our recording sessions individually but were present to hear each other.

VOX: What was your reaction when you first learned that you would be the voice of The Hulk for the movie?

J.D. HALL: I've been doing voice over for a long time. I was happy to get the job and of course, as an actor am always glad to work. It was a really big challenge to do the work, though! We had to create all kinds of sounds for the crew to work with. By the final cut, the editors digitally processed our raw material.

VOX: Grunting, growling and groaning is pretty hard on the vocal folds.  What kind of precautions did you take for your voice during the sessions and how did you take care of your voice in between sessions to keep it in optimum health?

J.D. HALL: I drank a lot tea and tried to protect my voice as much as I could. It's difficult to make those sounds even when you're supporting with your diaphragm. We had tea, throat lozenges and throat sprays, too. At the end of the day, none of those really prevented the sore throats.

VOX: If you don't mind me asking, what kind of tea and remedies were at the studio?

J.D. HALL: I drank Lipton tea with honey and lemon, there was chamomile tea, some of the guys used Ricola throat lozenges, Fisherman's Friend; I had some Halls Mentho-Lyptus. Of course, there was lots of water to drink that helped to keep our throats lubricated.

I grew up on tea and honey when studying in LA. I also use tabasco sauce to help clear mucus. The main thing though is to have good technique. When you're doing vocals and speaking that stuff usually works, but when you're growling, groaning and making unearthly sounds, you have to give it your all and then you've got to let it heal for three to four days.

VOX: Which studio did you record at and how long did it take to do the voice overs?

J.D. HALL: The sessions were in late March through early April 2008 at a Los Angeles recording studio called Wildfire. There were four sessions in total for voice over for The Hulk and I was personally involved in three of those four sessions.

VOX: What was the most challenging aspect of the performance?

J.D. HALL: It was very strenuous on my voice. I've done monsters before but this character was the most intense. I'd work 1 to 2 hours at a time. Always, it was the individual actor working, never as a whole group. I've done voice over for Pirates of the Caribbean, Cutthroat Island ADR (afterward we jokingly called it "Sore Throat Island"). Whenever you're doing ADR for movies that have wars, concerts, sports, and so on, you have a group of 12, 14 or 15 people there with you who are also doing the work so you don't have to push your voice as hard. In this movie (The Incredible Hulk) we were recording in pairs, and when there are just two of you, you can't hold anything back. The challenge as an actor is that you want to give your client what they are looking for without injurying yourself and do your best to deliver on what you were hired for. There's a fine balance.

VOX: You've done voice over for many exciting venues. Can you tell me a little bit about those?

J.D. HALL: I've been credited for voice over work in Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Supremacy and am also the narrator for The Scorpion King. I've voiced and narrated two very important national treasures, The Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and The Hall of Presidents at Disney World Orlando. Also, I have recorded narration for Undercover Brother.

VOX: How did you get into acting? I believe you met your wife Euguenia at a class, right?

J.D. HALL: I'm originally from Baltimore, MD. Yes, I met my then future wife Eugenia Wright at LA City College while studying theater. Before studying theater, I was working in the desert for the space program. I was stationed in the Mohave Desert and was hired to track satellites. That got old, and since I was already out in California, I decided to quit my job and move to LA to study theater. I met Eugenia about 6-7 months later while studying theater at the school.

VOX: Were there any techniques that you used to help you deliver your lines (growls, groans, etc.)?

J.D. HALL: Knowing your limits and not pushing. You don't want to do permanent damage to your voice. As I said before, you want to please the client without causing injury to your voice which is a hard compromise to make because you need your voice for other roles that may come up shortly after the job you're presently recording. You have to be wise and know your limits. Most importantly, know when to speak up if you're uncomfortable. Ask the director to tell you what you want and have them say it early on in your experimentation. If they can catch you a couple of seconds in to a growl and it's not the right sound, they can cut you off early and help you to save your energy for the sound they are looking for. Be aware of your voice, limitations and be in communication with people you are working with. I have the experience of having done it before and had worked with those editors before during past voice over jobs so it was comfortable for me as a voice actor.

VOX: You mentioned earlier that Ed Norton was there. Did he help cast or attend any of the sessions?

J.D. HALL: I auditioned for Ed Norton. Ed ran the first session as the director was away at the time. He gave me some direction. Since you only see bits and pieces of the film as a voice actor, you need someone in the sessions who knows what's going on to piece it all together for you and make you feel the story. Ed helped out with a lot. After that, the director took over for the remaining sessions.

VOX: Creating a number of distinctive grunts and a variety of vocal utterances for a character that has limited use of language must have been quite the work out and mental exercise.  Can you tell me about the process you went through to develop the persona and voice for The Hulk?

J.D. HALL: The bigger growls and more combative sounds were the ones I was hired to do. Others had more intimate things. The arc of emotions the Hulk goes through gave us each the opportunity to present one aspect of his personality. We didn't have to match each other.

VOX: Judging by what you've just said, I'm assuming your voice got the biggest workout!

J.D. HALL: The casting for Hulk's voice was emotion-specific. Each actor represented a different part of his personality. The growls for the Hulk were created by using my imagination. We all had our voices processed so you wouldn't be able to necessarily identify my voice as my voice. At the end, everyone was happy and satisfied with how things went. I brought my skills to the table and did my best to make the Hulk sound fierce, frightening, and dangerous. I heard that the team had experimented with the sound of lions roaring, but I don't know if they mixed anything in with our voices.

VOX: Is your voice featured in the videogame?

J.D. HALL: No, not that I know of, and I haven't been paid for any work if it has. My voice will be featured in the Dark Void game which hasn't been released yet. I've also done voice over work in The Bourne Conspiracy recording for enemy soldier voices. I'm given credit for that work, however, I didn't get any credit for my work in The Incredible Hulk or The Scorpion King, a movie I provided the opening narration for.

VOX: Will you be at opening night?

J.D. HALL: No, I won't was not invited. For some reason vo artists are stuck out of the way and kept anonymous.

VOX: One of my friends, Bob Bergen (a voice for Porky Pig and Tweety), told me a similar story about how the voice actors from the movie Space Jam also were not invited to the premiere, even though they played prominent roles in the film with their voices. They had to watch the film down the street from where the real party was.

J.D. HALL: That's pretty rare, usually you (voice actors) don't get to go to anything on opening night. Sometimes if you have a nice director, they'll invite you and a group of family and friends to attend a pre-screening before the premiere. Unless you are Eddie Murphy or Mike Myers in Shrek, you don't get to go to the premiere.

VOX: For someone who plays such an integral role in the success and action of the film, I'm shocked to hear that not only are you not credited but that you, along with your colleagues, were not invited to come. Why do you think that is?

J.D. HALL: I think they like to keep the process secret. There are many stories over the years of people who have created voices behind the scenes who are not acknowledged. The lady who sang for Snow White in the original Disney animated film wasn't allowed to say that she did, for instance. There are lots of stories like that. You get used to it and there are some things you can take credit for. Not many people know this, but if there aren't enough on-camera credited people in the film and the list looks too short, they flesh out the credits by adding the voice actors - if the cast list is long enough, they don't credit the voice actors. If you're looping, there's no credit at all.

Will you be seeing The Incredible Hulk? Be Sure to Listen For J.D.'s voice!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Based on C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia : Prince Caspian, this action-packed movie from Disney is tops at the box office and boasts a great voice cast as well.

Prince Caspian Plot Summary

The movie starts off with a noblewoman woman giving birth. This woman bears a son and gives her husband, the brother of the late Telmarine king, reason to do away with his nephew and rightful heir to the throne, Prince Caspian X.

Prince Caspian's tutor Doctor Cornelius is tipped off and sends the prince riding into the night to escape certain death, providing him with a gift (a horn) that he must only use in the time of his greatest need.

Coming upon that greatest need somewhat early in the film, Prince Caspian blows the horn, summoning the kings and queens of old to return to Narnia, the human rulers of a nation that the Telmarines despised and nearly drove to extinction.

At the time of Prince Caspian's horn blowing, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie have been away from Narnia for one year and long to return. At the sound of the horn the kings and queens of old are pulled back into the ruins of their home in Narnia which has become a more savage place than they remember it.

While the children have been gone only a year 1300 years have passed in Narnia.

In brief, there is a lot of fighting between the Narnians and the Telmarines as the Narnians attempt to defend their land and people.

Without giving too much away, there is a happy ending, however there are many lessons to be learned first, primarily about the importance of faith and humility.

Voice Acting Review

The voice acting was very good and I must say that I was particularly fond of the voice of the badger, Trufflehunter, voiced by Ken Stott.

There was some great comic relief from a sword-wielding mouse, Reepicheep, voiced by Eddie Izzard.

I was taken aback by just how few Liam Neeson's lines as Aslan were in the film. For all of the hype I expected that his character Aslan would have played a larger role in Prince Caspian. I haven't read this particular Narnia book and am unaware if portions of the novel were left out to keep the film to 2 hours and 20 minutes.

One observation I made as the credits rolled by on the screen was that there were no female voice actors!

The movie was male dominated, both on-camera actors and off, so it wasn't a huge surprise to see a lack of female voice talent listed in the credits. I've heard that you need to have a certain number of lines in a film before you are credited, so it's possible that there were female talent who provided voice overs but because their lines were so few, they were not mentioned.

Prince Caspian Voice Cast

Liam Neeson as the voice of Aslan
Ken Stott as the voice of Trufflehunter
Harry Gregson-Williams as the voice of Pattertwig the Squirrel
Sim Evan-Jones as the voice of Peepiceek
David Walliams as the voice of Bulgy Bear
Eddie Izzard as the voice of Reepicheep

Have you seen Prince Caspian? What did you think of the movie?

Leave a comment and join the conversation :)

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Are video game voice actors a bunch of whiners or is there justice to be served?

Read about the state of pay in video game voice acting and hear from one very vocal talent, Michael Hollick, star of Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV), voice of Niko Bellic.

Grand Theft Stealing from Voice Actors?

Grand Theft Auto IV has received nothing but fantastic press and reviews thus far, however, the tables have turned of late and the spotlight has shifted from the gaming experience to the voices who give life to the characters who notably play an integral role in the success of the video game.

The voice acting is inarguably entertaining and of high calibre... that's not up for debate.

While the voice actors are being praised for their talent, they have failed miserably in the money department to reap any financial rewards from the videogame's gross sales starting with the $500 million GTA IV made in its first week on the market. According to today's stats, that number is now over $600 million.

Star of Grand Theft Auto IV Speaks Out

Voice actor Michael Hollick, who provided the voice of the lead role Niko Bellic, was paid $100,000.00 for his work over the fifteen month period that he worked on the game.

While it may seem like a lot of money to the majority of people under the sun, it's peanuts according to those who have seen their work used without further compensation in promos, commercials and via new media applications such as the internet and podcasts.

Recently, Michael was interviewed for an article in the New York Times. When asked about his feelings with regard to the compensation he received for voicing Niko Bellic, he said:

“Obviously I’m incredibly thankful to Rockstar for the opportunity to be in this game when I was just a nobody, an unknown quantity,” Mr. Hollick, 35, said last week over dinner in Willamsburg, Brooklyn, shortly after performing in the aerial theater show “Fuerzabruta” in Union Square. “But it’s tough, when you see Grand Theft Auto IV out there as the biggest thing going right now, when they’re making hundreds of millions of dollars, and we don’t see any of it. I don’t blame Rockstar. I blame our union for not having the agreements in place to protect the creative people who drive the sales of these games. Yes, the technology is important, but it’s the human performances within them that people really connect to, and I hope actors will get more respect for the work they do within those technologies.”

What Gives?

Here's what:

If you were to tally the unpaid usage at fair market prices (or union scale), you're looking at potentially millions of dollars of lost income and revenue per project for those whose work is being exhibited in order to increase the bottom line of the gaming companies.

Hollick went on to say:

“For instance, our contracts say nothing about the use of voices for promotional purposes over the Internet,” Mr. Hollick said. “The first G.T.A. IV trailer generated something like 40 million hits online, and that’s my voice all over it, and I get nothing. If that were a radio spot, I would have. Same thing for the TV ads. I recorded those lines for the game, but now they’re all over television. It’s another gray area.”

Residuals

What most people outside of the entertainment industry don't know is that in other forms of media celebrities and working union talent are paid residuals for their commercial work. Every time the piece of work they were part of airs, it begins a 13-week cycle of residual payments, a very attractive and self-sustaining means of income for thousands of actors and voice actors.

This is where things get a little bit messy.

Because video games fall under the umbrella of New Media, voice actors who lend their pipes to video games gain only what they are paid for the time spent recording voice overs in the studio via session fees, missing out on coveted residual payments.

Union scale for a session fee is $760 for four hours of work.

Payment varies based upon the number of roles they are portraying and subsequent number of lines that their character(s) voice (dialogue in cut scenes, exertion sounds, etc.). The voice actor only spends as much time as necessary completing their video game voice acting gig and sees not a penny more or less than the standard session fees.

New Media

New Media has been a thorn in the side of unions ever since it came into being, starting with DVDs, the internet, podcasts and mobile devices such as cell phones.

No one can seem to figure out how to make anything other than a buyout work with this creature and some have even gone on strike because of it.

Remember the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike? How about when the Canadian union ACTRA went on strike in 2007?

Jumping ahead, how about the potential strike SAG will face over the same issue? It's not just over higher fees in general, they're talking New Media and finding a way to capitalize on it.

Is this a battle that will be won around a bargaining table? Will voice actors ever see residuals for their work in video games?

Tell me what you think and let the debate begin!

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Izabela Habur

Susan Blu, Molly Ann Mullin and Cynthia Songé's book "Word of Mouth: A Guide to Commercial Voice-over Excellence, 3rd Edition", is all about the rudiments of voice acting, giving yourself permission to play, and learning how to release the characters within.

VOX Daily Book Club Selection "Word of Mouth"

This week, I'm pleased to present you with a new book review for the VOX Daily Book Club ;)

Word of Mouth: A Guide to Commercial Voice-over Excellence, 3rd Edition

"Word of Mouth: A Guide to Commercial Voice-over Excellence, 3rd Edition" is authored by Susan Blu in collaboration with colleagues Molly Ann Mullin and Cynthia Songé.

First published in 1987, was the first-ever book written that focused on voice-overs. The edition printed in 2006 (the edition being reviewed) addresses technological changes that have developed since the initial printing.

The book has 160 pages of core content, a glossary, an industry contact list and also includes an entertaining instructional CD that was recorded at the time of the book's first release in 1987.

Many of you know about Susan Blu's extensive career in animation voice overs (Transformers, Smurfs, etc.) and also know her as a casting director and instructor.

Initial Impressions

I found the preface, which set the pace for the book, to be very affirming and encouraging without over-selling the notion that "everyone can do this".

As is presented in the title, the goal is to achieve voice-over excellence, which is not an easy thing to do by any standards.

Susan is friendly and very amiable in her descriptive writing style sharing information about preparation (study) and performance. The pictures of voice actors working in the studio also adds another element to the reading experience.

The More the Merrier

"I've come to care less about having to get every single job and more about the fun and passion for the work itself that I'm experiencing on a daily basis. Don't misunderstand! I love getting the job, winning the audition. But now I have a heartfelt appreciation that the right jobs are mine and that the others are yours. I know that there really is room for all of us."

-- Susan Blu

Want to Be a Working Voice-Over Actor?

You'll need:

1. Talent and passion
2. Perseverance
3. A belief in oneself that can't be shaken, rocked or questioned

There is always room for excellent new performers who will risk and take the chances to allow their creativity to come through.

As a person in a position of authority where casting is concerned, Susan shared that she remembers people who go the extra mile in pursuit of voice-over excellence and champions those who have the talent and drive.

Reading this book is a step in the right direction and it's comforting to know that it is authored by three people who care deeply about properly educating aspiring voice actors.

Concepts

One that I liked in particular was that you have a host of characters living inside of you... you just have to identify them and let them out!

Susan advises to look inside yourself to become all of the different people you already are. You're not just reading. You have a character who is a particular someone in a particular situation talking to another particular person (or group of people) about a particular product.

If you can become that particular person and respect the particular world that they live in you're on the right track as a voice actor.

Myth Busters!

I thought you would enjoy hearing about these myths. Not to include too much detail (you should really read the book for yourself), 5 myths are busted, including:

1. Voice overs are male dominated
2. There is a clique in the industry
3. You need to have an unusual voice
4. You have to be a certain age to do certain characters
5. You must already be a professional actor

Why Are You in Voice-Overs?

Susan asks the pointed question "Why are you in voice overs?", an important question to ask yourself at any stage of your career.

Whatever your reason, be sure that the reason is substantial enough to get you through the hard times. Your reason should serve as a motivator when the going gets tough.

Tip: If you aren't having fun doing voice-overs, do yourself a favor and get out of the business. The least bit of boredom or discontent will show up in your voice. The microphone doesn't lie.

Takeaways

1. Be a student everyday and keep learning
2. Treat VO as a game with the objective of winning (results of success will be automatic)
3. Have healthy attitudes and believe that you can achieve anything

Be Willing to Have Fun

Susan places a strong emphasis on the willingness to play and to really shoot for the stars, equipping her readers with a basic process to achieve believability called "Endowing the copy".

There are great exercises throughout that help with everything from the basics of reading copy and interpretation to fleshing a voice over out through attitudes and characterization. There are plenty of innovative ideas that keep practice / exercise more "game-like".

Resources

You'll find 9 commercial scripts to practice with. There's also an entire chapter dedicated to the demo CD that clearly states that people should not record a demo before they are ready! That's some sound advice.

Page 95 includes criteria for selecting a demo producer that you will find useful should you be in that boat.

"The demo represents you. In your absence, it auditions for you. Therefore it should always showcase your very best work and be of the highest quality."'

VERY TRUE!

Parting Words

This book was very good and quite comprehensive. On the performance and theory end of things, this book is one of the best I've ever read for voice acting.

However I found a couple of items to be surprising considering the publication date:

1. Complete absence of voice over marketplaces in the chapter on promotion and in the book in general.
2. Inaccurate information with regard to number and accessibility of non-union jobs.

The revised edition was published in 2006 and the marketplaces have been online since 2003.

Page 136 poses the question "Do I have to belong to a union to get a job?".

The answer reads:

"Not necessarily, and certainly not at the beginning of your career. Non-union jobs do exist, but they are generally fewer in number, harder to find and less lucrative."

In 2006 non-union work was quite bountiful and easily found online via marketplaces or through drumming up business the old fashioned way offline.

Today, non-union voice over work accounts for the bulk of voice over jobs. As we learned in recent weeks, major markets are seeing an upward trend in non-union work, even in the heart of Manhattan. As notable talent have said, the writing has been on the wall outside of NYC and LA for a long time... it's just finally hitting the two union strongholds and now being formally acknowledged.

Those two items aside, the book is a winner that I recommend finds its way into your library.

Have You Read This Book? Leave a Comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

As today is a holiday in Canada, I wanted to try something a little different and fun on the blog today. Trust me, if you are a first-time reader, this is not typical of VOX Daily but it's always good to shake things up now and then so I hope you'll see the humor in this!

Are you ready for some quirky entertainment?

I wonder what Jim Henson would have thought of this!

Rickroll

On April Fools Day (April 1st) 2008, there was a phenomenon that took over YouTube called "Rickroll" or "Rickrolling".

Countless videos were edited to include 80s British pop singer Rick Astley's single "Never Gonna Give You Up" causing a ruckus and many an uproar (not to mention the question of royalties!).

Newscasters, celebrities and even Yoda were Rickrolled. To bring it back home to voice acting, many of the Rickroll videos were dubbed and also had voice overs in them.

Maybe you were Rickrolled last April... I know I was!

David (CEO of Voices.com) Rickrolled the Voices.com team at a company meeting once which was pretty funny. If you've seen the actual music video, you know what I'm talking about, and you also know those funky dance moves...

Do you have any Rickroll experiences to share?

Add a comment below on Rickrolling in general or about the Muppets Rickroll ;)

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Ever laughed out loud or found it hard to contain yourself when you were on the air?

Jeremy Jacobs, a presenter, corporate host and radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom, posted 4 great tips for how to crack down on laughter for broadcast radio professionals that are sure to get you out of jeopardizing binds.

Whether you are on the radio, in front of the camera, speaking in public or simply find yourself about to laugh at an inappropriate time, these tips will do wonders to help you stop laughing or prevent embarrassing laughter altogether.

Tips for Radio Broadcasters

It's hard to maintain composure when you are unexpectedly struck by a fit of the giggles.

Jeremy Jacobs proposes these four ideas that will help muffle inappropriate laughter as well as potentially save your job!

How to Stop Laughing

1. Focus on the task in hand.

2. Bite your lip or the inside of your mouth. The minor pain takes your mind off other matters.

3. If you’re able to, think of something else. Pink elephants are my favourite.

4. Take deep breaths.

Have you ever had (or almost had) a bout of uncontrollable laughter on the air?

Please leave a comment to join in the conversation!

Cheers,

Stephanie

©iStockphoto.com/Ian McDonnell

Dilbert Fans Rejoice!

In April, Dilbert and his fellow comic strip buddies hit the animated scene on the official Dilbert.com website, enjoying coverage from Reuters and now an exclusive interview with Dan Roberts, the voice of Dilbert, at Voices.com.

VOX: Did you know you were auditioning for roles on Dilbert from the beginning?

DAN ROBERTS: Yes. The interesting thing is, the producers at Ring Tales contacted me directly. Normally at www.voices.com, I would follow-up on a job lead that was posted. There are thousands and thousands of voices online. I'm so lucky that they found me! After that, it was up to me to win them over.

VOX: Were you a fan of Dilbert before getting this job?

DAN: Well, I'm certainly his #1 fan now! I was familiar with the strip. I own one of the books, and I watched the TV series a bit.

VOX: How does it feel to give voice to an American comic icon?

DAN: Surreal. It is an honor and a privilege! Did I mention terrifying?

VOX: What's it like being Dilbert?

DAN: You spend a lot of time in cubicles. Seriously? I love comic strips, comic books and animation, so this is a dream come true!

VOX: What characteristics did you groom your "Dilbert" voice to have?

DAN: Meek, but not too nerdy. Sarcastic, but not overly aggressive. His voice is pitched only slightly higher than my normal speaking voice. Really, the only difference between him and me is that I have pupils. Oh! And he's smarter.

VOX: Do you do all of the Dilbert / Dilbert's boss recordings from your own studio?

DAN: I'm in Seattle and RingTales (the producers) are in California, so yes. Isn't that great? One of the benefits of the 21st century! I work on a Mac and save each recorded voice as an .aiff file. Then I upload the file to an ftp site. So it's great quality audio!

VOX: The animated shorts are absolutely fantastic. How often do you need to record for this gig?

DAN: We're still in the early stages, but it looks to be one or two times a month.

VOX: Do you know who rounds out the voice cast with you?

DAN: Dogbert is voiced by Marc Pouhe, Alice by Megan Kluck and Wally is done by Jason Williams. None of the other voice actors are from Voices.com, although RingTales does use some other Voices.com talent on their New Yorker Cartoons -- which are nominated for a Webby!

VOX: Are there more opportunities to come from voicing Dilbert animated shorts on the web in the works?

DAN: I hope so! Ring Tales has other animated shorts in the works, and they are nominated for a Webby for their animated New Yorker cartoons! Perhaps they'll find another character that fits me. Michael Fry and Jim Cox, the founders of the company, are also responsible for a little movie called Over the Hedge (with Bruce Willis and Garry Shandling) that did quite well. Maybe they'll throw me a bone if they do a sequel. Heck, I'd bring the actors their coffee! Do raccoons and turtles drink coffee?

VOX: Have you had the chance to communicate with Scott Adams?

DAN: Not in person. But there are encrypted messages to me in each new strip.

VOX: Did he give any specific direction for the characters?

DAN: He had those conversations with the producers. They coach me when I record the voices. I do know that Ring Tales went to bat for me to get the part of the boss. As the story goes: Once cast, for some reason they threw my Dilbert audition Mr. Adams way and he hand-picked me from among the others! That's flattering! I have to tell you I was quite nervous when it came time to send him the auditions. How do you compete with the voices the creator of the strip has heard in his head all these years?

VOX: The online Dilbert fan base is very involved. How have you found their response to the animated shorts so far?

DAN: They are clearly very passionate about Scott and the characters. The response to the shorts seems to be very positive! They're rooting for us.

VOX: What is your favorite Dilbert comic strip?

DAN: Anything with the Boss, Dogbert or Catbert. They make me laugh!

Any Dilbert fans out there? Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

At the end of the day, we were treated to an expert panel Q&A session featuring Rodney Saulsberry, Billy Serow, Evan Farmer, Heather Frenz, David Ciccarelli, Dan Dinsmore, Jay Silverman, Jenny Marcotte, and David Bourgeois.

Get some fabulous insight and then some here on VOX Daily.

Rodney Saulsberry, Voice Actor, Author and Voice Over Coach

Q: What kind of steps did you take as a fledgling artist?

A: I saturated the market and made a lot cold calls, if you want the top guy or girl, call late close to 5 or 6. You need to know the name of the person you’re calling so do your homework. Get their name right. Know who you’re calling and be fast on your feet.

Jay Silverman, Voice Coaches Instructor

Q: Should I put non-paying vo jobs on my resume?

A: Absolutely, pro bono (no pay) is a good way to get your feet wet, but you can start practicing voice overs over the air to the blind and visually handicapped. Organizations that offer these opportunities exist everywhere.

When you go to do a pro bono piece, make sure that you get a CD of what you have done so that you can put the recorded material on your demo. Pro bono work shows professional growth and you certainly should include it in your letter. It's a great way to get started and build your reputation.

David Ciccarelli, CEO of Voices.com

Q: Should I join as many marketing sites as I can?

A: Just as Rodney said, saturate the market and get your name everywhere you can. Get on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn.

Before you sign up with any sites that require you to pay a membership fee, make a call to their office to speak with them to see if their service is a good fit for you. Be sure to note the quality of their customer service. Compare competing sites and get comfortable with a service before making a financial commitment. Look for testimonials, read up on the company's latest news and ask colleagues about their experiences.

Dan Dinsmore, CEO Overit Media

Q: How long does it take to get visual branding done?

A: The process varies and is dependent on the interaction between the designer and voice over artist. On average it takes about 2 weeks to get a brand together and fulfillment.

Billy Serow, Abrams Artists Agency

Q: Should people who are in the union go non-union to get work?

A: If a member of the union who declares themselves Financial Core, they lose the right to vote (among other privileges), however, with Fi-Core status you can audition and procure both union work and non-union work.

The stigma attached years ago to the status of Financial Core and prejudice against talent who were Fi-Core is not as great as it once was. Tough times call for greater understanding of the choices voice actors are making to go Fi-Core.

David Bourgeois, President of Voice Coaches

Q: How do you feel about the unions?

A: We support the union but understand that many of you are in smaller markets will not become members of the union. For more info on AFTRA, check out the literature at the back of the conference workbook.

Heather Frenz, NY Voice Actress

Q: Can women who have families make a successful living working in voice overs?

A: Women with families can make time for voice over and it is a good career if you can make it work for you. I have a family myself. Oftentimes there is little amount of work for big return.

Evan Farmer, Television Actor and Voice Actor

Q: How do you get work?

A: When you are looking for work, you've got to be in the hunger category; I would pursue all the jobs I could and my entire approach to the entertainment industry was to get work. I came to New York City to get work, and I found myself doing everything that presented itself to achieve my goals. One of my first character voice acting gigs was voice acting on the MTV program “Daria”. I joke that I booked my first job in a towel because I got the call about it fresh out of the shower.

You need to approach everything with the purpose of getting work, a hint of desperation, and a little more enthusiasm than the next person. You can get out there and get work if you are more prepared and more motivated to get the work than your competition.

Jenny Marcotte, Voice Coaches

Q: Are talent given the opportunity to pick a time slot when they have a session?

A: Sometimes flexible we're flexible and can work around someone's schedule but if we need you in for a session immediately or have booked all other time slots, it's important that a talent respect the schedule and take the session that is available.

Rodney Saulsberry

Q: Were there days that you wanted to pack it in? How did you react?

A: There are days when we all experience those kind of days, but I have faith. If you have a lot of auditions you don’t worry about any specific one. Once I was out golfing with Denzel Washington and one of his friends. We had lunch, and when the whole thing was over, Denzel said to his friend, "He sounds just like Pick (James Pickens Jr, actor on Grey's Anatomy), doesn’t he?" to which his friend replied "Yes he does."

Later on I had an audition for Grey's Anatomy. When auditioning for this role, I wanted so badly to tell them that "Denzel thinks…" but I made the decision to make it on my own merit. As I was waiting for my turn, I was told “If they’re looking for somebody to act it, you’re probably going to get it”. I got a call saying "The people at Grey’s Anatomy want to know what your availability is for a given day."

You've got to take every opportunity that comes your way. I'm encouraging you to join Voices.com, get auditions and get out there.

Jay Silverman

Q: Is there such a thing as overdoing follow up calls?

A: It’s funny, Heather and I were talking about this and she believes in every 6 weeks to follow up, I believe that you should follow up every 3 weeks. If you pick a time frame between 3-6 weeks, you’ll be in the right ballpark. Be assertive and don’t be obnoxious. Say what your business is and what you want to do, express interest, and always leave a phone number.

David Bourgeois

Q: Who gets the gig?

A: Sometimes it is the easiest person to go to who is hired. Not every demo is listened to even though it would be great to be able to sit in a soundproof room and listen to everything. Remember that the most difficult job to get is the first one.

It takes 60-70 percent more effort to get an initial job with a new client than more work from someone you’ve already done business with. Always be looking for the next work opportunity in an established relationship.

Jay Silverman

Q: Can you just stop in anytime to follow up or say Hi?

A: Remember that people are in business and make appointments out of courtesy for those whose work you are disrupting. By making an appointment, you're showing consideration for both your time and the client's, and they'll appreciate that greatly.

Dan Dinsmore

Q: How important is branding for voice actors? Does it affect whether or not you hire?

A: You want to have consistent branding on your website, CD packing, and so on. I receive anywhere from 10-15 demo CDs a month of potential talent looking for work in commercials and ad campaigns.

Usually I will throw away 50% of packaging that I get based upon professionalism and looks because I need to present my clients with something professional. You are selling yourself to an agency or network for work and your product needs to look professional. This is a business and anything that doesn’t look professional will probably get tossed.

We have worked with numerous artists and one woman would call every so often. She sent a gift once that I still keep in my wallet (gift card). Every time I open my wallet it makes me think about that individual because I have a piece of her branding with me at any given time. Once I use the card, that'll be that, but for now her branding is with me everywhere I go. To reiterate, make sure that you have a professional package to represent your business.

Billy Serow

Q: How do you feel about packaging?

I listen to every demo that is sent to me because it's a piece of someone's heart, now that being said, it might just be for 10 seconds or so. Bad packaging? I've seen it all, including CDs that have names written on with sharpie pens. Most CDs with poor packaging end up in the circular file, and sometimes I want to see how bad it will be (or will it be a surprise?); more often than not it lives up to its expectation. Success in voice over has everything to do with your talent and voice and nothing to do with your appearance. My greatest pet peeve is people putting picture on a CD.

Don’t put your pictures on your CDs.

One woman sent an incredibly beautifully designed CD along with a crystal (she paid pretty good money for it because I went on the Internet and checked). As I do with each CD, I listened to it and liked it regardless of the crystal. I called her up and said I'd like to bring her in for an appointment, but only on one condition -- that I could give her gift back to her. I told her that bribery is inappropriate and the CD stood on its own merit. She did graciously accept the crystal and because of her talent ended up getting signed.

Evan Farmer

Q: When you’re an on-camera host do you have more input in to what your voiceovers should be?

A: It depends on the producers. When I started While You Were Out, they dictated a lot of things, including hair, to which I argued "You hired me based upon who I was in the audition". In the early days I didn't have as much influence but as the show progressed, more and more of my suggestions were implemented and I felt more like myself. If you have a good relationship you can negotiate certain things.

Somewhere down the road if you have an ongoing gig, you become the person that they’re hiring. By the end if you put the first show up against 372 show, there’s more Evan input than in the beginning. With regard to voice over hosting, the work was very technically derived. I had to squeeze in 3 words per second and had a limited amount of time to hit marks. In the end though, creativity won out and had full reign.

David Bourgeois

On Evan's participation on While You Were Out

A: The While You Were Out people did ask Evan what he thought later. Producers are counting on you to walk in as a collaborator. If you give more creatively it’s easier to turn it down rather than try to pull energy out of you. Once, we recorded 2 episodes in 40 minutes.

Jenny Marcotte

Q: Is there any one quality that you are looking for in a voice talent?

A: Professionalism, politeness, and personality. Please show up for appointments.

David Ciccarelli

Q: There are so many talent out there. How does one stand out?

A: Give a unique headline as description for your voice and use graphic design to help solidify your brand. Only include your best work on your demos. Keep things current culturally as well as relevant to the calendar year. For instance, don't have a Christmas theme demo on your page during the summer.

Rodney Saulsberry

Q: Do you know of any ways to help someone relax immediately in the booth?

A: Adrenaline is good. I was nervous today and I’ve been talking before people forever. I don’t think it’s a problem. If you miss you have to be good because the competition is good. Embrace nervousness because it’s energy and you need energy. When you get to the job you still have to get it right. Take some deep breaths.

There is no technique for immediately getting rid of nervousness. Be prepared and that will help to make you more comfortable. Luck happens when preparation meets opportunity. Preparation cuts some of the nervousness because you know what you’re doing.

Heather Frenz

Adding to Rodney's comment

A: Think that everyone there wants you to succeed. That's how I maintain composure if I am nervous. Everyone wants you to have the best performance possible. Their success depends upon your comfort level and performance.

David Bourgeois

Further comments on being nervous

People who are nervous are worried about if it is right. It shouldn’t be your concern – that’s someone else’s decision. Read aloud, be aware and be open to suggestion. Creatively approach the copy. You have your best possible performance and worse possible performance – hit for upper middle range.

Evan Farmer

On pressure continued

A: Pressure that makes you nervous is that if you screw up you don’t get the job. The worst thing I ever did was walk into the room when you were still making decisions – clear your head – you’ve done the work – there’s nothing you can do in the last half hour before the audition. Get it out of your head – it’s the best thing you can do. It makes your performance that much more natural because you are connecting with the casting director.

Your confidence makes casting directors less nervous and more receptive to your audition.

Rodney Saulsberry

Q: Since I’m not in or near a major market what can I do to market my talent?

A: You can be anywhere today but Billy makes a good point. Big jobs are in major markets and residuals come with the union. If I were somewhere else in today’s times, I would still make it in this hussle. Yes, you can be anywhere but union work is mostly in NY or CA.

Do you have any comments on the panel?

Looking forward to hearing your feedback!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Rodney Saulsberry taught people more than a thing or two about how you can bank on your voice at the Voice Coaches Advanced Marketing Expo and Conference.

Discover some tips that will more than get you on your way and light a lively fire beneath you in your voice over career.

Need A Moment?

What do the movie trailers "Waiting to Exhale", "How Stella Got Her Groove Back", "IronMan", Twix chocolate bars, the Zatarain's Jazz Man commercials and Dominos Pizza all have in common?

They are all voiced by Rodney Saulsberry, celebrated voice over artist, author and voice acting instructor.

You might recognize the following:

"Need a moment? When you need a moment, chew it over with Twix"

"Jazz it up with Zatarain's"

That's Rodney Saulsberry!

Rodney Saulsberry

One of the reasons why I love hearing Rodney Saulsberry speak (and reading his voice acting books) is because he is so down to earth and is genuinely interested in helping others succeed and meet their potential.

Rodney firmly believes that we all have a path in life and that hard work and determination pay off when the right opportunities present themselves.

Isn't it nice to know that you've arrived at this stage in your career for a reason?

Voice Over is Voice Acting

Voice over isn't just talking, it's acting. Rodney advises that all aspiring voice actors take an acting class. Also, consider improvisation (improv) classes and singing classes as voiceover is analogous to music.

It's not how you sound, it's how you interpret the copy. That's the way you get the work.

Remember that beauty is in the ear of the beholder. Upon making that critical realization, you'll learn not to take rejection personally and be better for it.

Take Action and Make Your Own Opportunities

Many years ago, Rodney got an audition for a show called "Happy Days". Although he wasn't cast for the show, this ambitious talent from Detroit, Michigan wasn't going to pack up and go home without dropping some resumes!

While making the rounds, Rodney stumbled upon a rehearsal for the show "Taxi" starring Tony Danza.

Tony saw Rodney and purposefully pushed him. Rodney, always being the actor, decided to reciprocate and a light boxing match took shape right there and then. As soon as Tony had seen enough, he motioned to James L. Brooks and told him to hire Rodney on the spot to play the role of Carl the Boxer.

See what creating opportunities and taking risks can do for your career?

Trends in Voice Acting

The trend today is to sound like a "real person".

While that may sound easy enough, you'd be surprised at how much work goes into sounding real without sounding contrived or fake.

During his presentation, Rodney graciously shared the floor with a handful of participants who were asked to read for him using some advertising copy he had prepared. The energy in the room was fabulous, being a theatre and all, and the voice actors really gave it everything they had.

The performances were noteworthy but what the genius of it all came out through some very carefully worded direction that turned a voice over read into a believable voice over performance. Big distinction.

Rodney asked his volunteers to perform and insert his name at key points in the script so as to create an atmosphere where it wasn't just a voice actor talking to the wall but to a real person who they could converse with and relate to.

I Am Always a Student

Even people at Rodney's level in the voice over biz are students.

With the industry changing fast and furiously, it's hard not to be a student, and if you aren't still learning you'd be surprised by how much things have changed!

In the past, people like Rodney in sunny California used to hop in their car and drive all over Los Angeles -- just to audition. Of course, the majority of the work was also done on-site at recording studios, but with today's technologies (Internet / ISDN), there's significantly less commuting which happily makes for cleaner air and less money spent on gasoline.

It also used to be more common that talent would get bookings based upon their demo. Not so in recent years. Top talent also need to audition nowadays according to the new realities of the voice over marketplace.

Takeaways

• Say your name before you read audition copy and state it nice and clearly.
• Don't enhance your voice in auditions at home. You need to live up to your demo in person.
• Send MP3 files instead of WAV files when auditioning.
• Celebrity sound alike work is big business. Match the key they speak in, their timing and breathing.
• Once you find your signature voice, stick with it. Your signature voice makes you the most money.
• It all starts first with hard work. If you work hard, how can you not be successful?

Ask yourself:

Which voice gets you the jobs?
Which voice makes you happy?
Which voice are you most comfortable with?

If you work hard and you also have talent, the sky's the limit.

Ideas for Practice to Gain a Competitive Advantage:

• Read copy.
• Cereal boxes, sides of buses, and so on.
• Turn on the radio. Repeat right after the announcers.
• Listen to other voice talent.
• Notice their phrasing and voice over style.
• Listen to timing.

Any comments? I'd love to hear your thoughts and I'm sure Rodney does too.

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Many of you have seen the Voice Talkers : Living the Dream of a Voice Actor video on YouTube and are loving it!

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, click here.

Now, for those of you who have, here's an awesome interview with three members of the comedy troupe that discusses how Voice Talkers came about.

VOX: Where did the inspiration for "Voice Talkers : Living the Dream of a Voice Actor" come from?

RYAN HUNTER (CO-WRITER/DIRECTOR): I always thought it was hilarious that both Taige and his Dad had these Don LaFontaine-type voices. Just the idea that something like that could be genetic seemed sort of funny and unexpected. It makes sense, but it's not something people usually think about.

VOX: How do the themes "living the dream" and the word "indubitably" shape Voice Talkers?

RYAN: We wanted to use the theme "living the dream" in a way the other finalists might not. So we ended up telling a story about a guy who's been living someone else's dream and wants out. It seems like the contest organizers wanted to force every contestant to use a silly and arbitrary word in their piece, and they picked "indubitably." Hence, we used it as if some advertiser had pointlessly thrown it into their copy for a reason that was itself silly and arbitrary.

VOX: Z100's Dave Foxx is featured prominently in a very Don LaFontaine-like role. How did you secure Dave for the role and what kind of expertise did he bring to the table that helped you make this very niche comedy sketch?

TAIGE JENSEN (Lead Actor/Co-Writer/Editor): It turns out that Dave Foxx is actually biologically related to me. After discovering he was my father, I think he felt obligated to help us out. And we bought dinner (two large pizzas).

Dave was a great asset and was extremely generous with his time and facilities. He even engineered our ADR session at Z100 with the help of his Neumann and expert VO tips. It was awesome to collaborate with him, and I hope we get the chance to do it again.

VOX: How did Voice Talkers challenge the cast? Did anyone have voice acting experience before?

TAIGE: The biggest challenge for me was performing while feeling awful. Luckily the plan was to ADR everything from the beginning, because my voice was shot. Also, it was intimidating knowing that our voices were going to be back to back with an industry legend.

VOX: Who came up with the title "Voice Talkers"? What was it that made Voice Talkers the perfect title?

RYAN: We went through a ton of different titles. I thought the "The Cords That Bind" was pretty smart, although, conversely, I was also gravitating towards "Voice Males," just for the sheer idiocy of it. Likewise, I was attracted to "Voice Talkers" because it sounded so awkward, and yet it somehow seemed to fit. It has a certain misplaced gravitas about it that I liked, and it was also the only name that everyone else liked right away. I learned only recently that "Voice Talker" is an actual term thrown around jokingly in the voice industry. We had no idea.

VOX: When you were shooting this film, you likely had no idea what the response would be from the voice acting community online -- maybe you didn't expect there would be one at all. Now that the video has circulated and comments are funneling in, how has their response affected you?

RYAN: The response has been positive, and we've all been really happy about that. Some voice artists have told us that our piece is not far removed from their actual experience, which is really weird. We've also gotten a really good reaction from the orthodontic community, and that has probably touched me more than anything.

VOX: Do any of the cast members have plans to live the dream of a voice actor?

TAIGE: Like many voice actors, I've been struggling to live that dream for years. (hands out his demo) Call me!

TYLER JACKSON (Producer): I once did a voice-over for a documentary. I had a wonderful time, and was very proud of my work. I was fired - never to voice talk again...?

VOX: This video may very well go down in VO history as a classic, standing among such greats as "5 Men in a Limo" and "The Santa Sessions". You've captured a slice of life that most voice actors can identify with, some going as far as saying that what you've shot is almost as if you turned a camera on in their own homes and hit record. As a producer, how does this make you feel?

TYLER: Whenever people feel like your work has connected to a truth in their lives, you know you're doing something right. Surprisingly, our parents didn't want us to be in a comedy troupe as a career, but my dad doesn't have as much bass in his voice so it was much easier to disobey his wishes.

You may have noticed a theme over the last few days that has to do with videos and voice acting.

Today, I want to share a link to another video with you that features a National Association of Broadcasters interview with Dave Foxx, one of the actors in the cast of "Voice Talkers : Living the Dream of a Voice Actor" that was featured yesterday on VOX Daily.

If you weren't familiar with Dave Foxx before seeing Voice Talkers, you're in for a treat.

"The radio business is a business but you have to have fun or you'll be out of business."

Those words are paraphrased from the video I want to refer you to featuring Dave Foxx. If you are interested in the imaging side of voice over and production for radio, television and podcasts, you won't want to miss this one.

When you get a good ten minutes to yourself, watch this amazing "lecture" on how Dave Foxx, Creative Services Director at Z100 in New York City, has been able to consistently produce top imaging, promos and incorporate jingles for radio airplay for over 20 years in one of the most competitive environments for Top 40 stations in the world.

Thanks to Joe Szymanski for pointing this beauty out to me. To return the favor, I'm sending you to Joe's blog to watch the video and comment on the gem he discovered.

Have fun!

Stephanie

“Voice Talkers : Living the Dream of a Voice Actor” was produced by P0YKPAC for the final round of YouTube’s Sketchies II sketch comedy video contest. Voting begins on April 9th.

Will you be voting for this video?

Voice Talkers

While the title "Voice Talkers" is somewhat of an inside joke in the voice acting community (as well as "Sacks of Money" - thanks to the VO-BB), the term voice talker seems to be catching on in this YouTube Sketchies II contest video.

The Voice Talkers cast includes:

Grover - Taige Jensen
Dad - Dave Foxx
Carol - Jenn Lyon
Brother - Maggie Ross
Producer - Ryan Hall
Engineer - Ryan Hunter

As part of the contest, videos must incorporate the theme "living the dream" and use the term "indubitably". The winner gets $25,000 cash, $15,000 in production gear and a chance to meet with UTA online agents.

Voting starts on April 9, 2008.

I thought we could all do with a little humor today and I'd love to know what you think of this video!

What do you think of this video? Have a favorite part? Leave a comment ;)

Cheers,

Stephanie

After an announcement late last week, it appears that the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) wants to suspend joint bargaining with the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).

This may be the case for the current governing body of AFTRA but I heard straight from some heavy hitters that the move to suspend joint negotiations is not a decision representative of the entire body of membership, including individuals from the AFTRA Leadership Team who wish to see change, reconcile the differences between the two unions and hope for a merger.

Read this enlightening missive that debunks several myths and misinformation about what is going on behind the scenes from the perspective of working actor and current AFTRA National Board member, Los Angeles local member and LA's fourth vice president, Jason George.

Read this to help you research before making your decision at the vote.

Letter from Jason George

Hey Folks,
 
A bunch of you are asking me what's going on with SAG and AFTRA as well as wondering who you should vote for in the AFTRA re-run election.  I'll start with the re-run election because it's a faster answer. 
 

VOTE FOR THE AFTRA LEADERSHIP TEAM

I'm one of their candidates and I'm asking you to vote for me again.  I'm also asking you to go to www.aftraleadershipteam.org, click on candidates, and print it out as a voter guide. They're people I trust and they represent every category of working actor from Series regulars to Guest Stars to Singers and Dancers to Stunts to Voice Overs and Sound recordings and Broadcasters to Background.

Do NOT vote for AFTRA Artists:

They are the people who in SAG go by the name Membership First and have torn our sister union apart and ruined our relationship with Agents.  They are also directly responsible for the current division between AFTRA and SAG and are the peope with their foot on the gas trying to drive our union over a cliff called strike.  I'm not afraid of a strike -- never have been -- but I believe it is a last resort when negotiating fails not a presumption you make before you even go to the bargaining table.

Why a Re-run Election?

Also know that the Re-run election is happening because of some technicalities that the Dept. of Labor found, mostly dealing with a snafu in the original election's timing of when some members received their ballot and when ballots were due.  They also wanted to firm up the means by which AFTRA LA guarantees representation to categories like singers and stunt performers.
 
It's important to note that the Dept of Labor found no merit in the allegations brought by the members of AFTRA Artists/Membership First.  In fact, no member's dues money is being used in this re-run.  The tab is being picked up as a make-good for the aforementioned timing technicality.
 
~~

Now to the suspension of joint negotiations between SAG and AFTRA

And it's important to note that word SUSPENSION because AFTRA wants to work with the institution of SAG but the current leadership in Hollywood has made it impossible.

Here's the condensed list of grievances:
 

THEY TRIED TO RIG THE VOTE

All of the Proportionality and Block voting stuff in the past year was all an attempt to give the Hollywood division of SAG (ie Membership First) control of the votes on the Joint Negotiating Committee.  To what end?  To Strike when they want regardless what the rest of the members believe is most prudent.  As I said, I've never been afraid of a strike but you have to give me the facts, show me the logic and let me have my vote.  To rig the vote or doctor the information is completely usurping democracy.

THEY RAIDED AFTRA SHOWS

The #1 sin amongst all unions -- especially sister unions with shared jurisdiction -- is the raiding of shows to steal the contract. They tried to raid THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL -- a daytime soap that has always been pure AFTRA jurisdiction -- and bring it under a SAG contract.  This was latest in a year long campaign of SAG attacking AFTRA shows and attacking AFTRA as an institution.  Yes, there is a difference of opinion in how to organize cable shows but AFTRA has always said that we should jointly negotiate cable as well.  In other words, get in a room, debate the merits of the different cable organizing philosophies and vote.  DEMOCRACY.

I feel confident that people will respond to the fact that SAG's method chases 50% of it's cable shows to Canada while AFTRA's method keeps 85% of it's cable shows in the US. But cable is shared jurisdiction, daytime broadcast television is not.  There has never been a conversation about Daytime dramas so the raiding of THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL was way over the line by anybody's standards.  The AFL-CIO has already gotten involved and made calls admonishing SAG and charges will be almost definitely be filed.  Some of the SAG folks said "what if the soap drops the decertification and stays AFTRA?".  Doesn't matter.  If I'm doing business with you and while we're shaking hands you try to shoot me in the head, the fact that you missed and apologized won't stop me from suspending our business relationship. The bottom line is: How can you negotiate with a partner you fundamentally can't trust?

THEY PUT MEMBERS' LIVELIHOODS AT RISK

I believe the members on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL were used for political purposes by Membership First without ever being fully informed of the possible ramifications.  If they decertifed the show to go under a SAG contract it would take one to three years.  During that time they would not be AFTRA or SAG, they would be on there own, at the mercy of the Studios & Networks with no union protections.  Moreover, if SAG managed to become their union, SAG would have to renogotiate the contract minimums for the show from scratch.  They couldn't use the AFTRA contract as a starting point.  So they would have to use considerable leverage -- perhaps even a strike -- just to get back to the same minimums they had under AFTRA.  Given the current state of Daytime Dramas, it's very possible they could get a worse deal.  The fact that Membership First would put these folks at risk for political gain is unconscionable.  The only thing worse would be is Membership First put these people in a dangerous position without knowing all the danger it put them in.

This isn't a game, it's people lives and livelihoods.  Of course, this is all an attempt to get actors into one union, something I agree with wholeheartedly.  But there's a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it.  The right way is called MERGER.

Getting a Good Contract in a Responsible Manner

All that said, I believe we will get a strong contract for the members.  AFTRA's negotiating committee has folks on it like James Cromwell (Oscar winner), Tess Harper (Oscar nominee), Stephen Collins (7th Heaven), Morgan Fairchild, and myself just to name a few.  We will get a good contract and we will get it in a responsible manner.
 
I also believe the Suspension of AFTRA and SAG's Joint Negotitation Agreement is only temporary.  I believe that membership will finally realize that in the last twenty seven years of peace between our unions and between the unions and agents, only the last four or five have been ridiculously vitrolic. 
 
What changed and destroyed the peace?

Membership First/Aftra Artists came into power.
 
VOTE AFTRA ARTISTS/MEMBERSHIP FIRST OUT OF OFFICE AND THE ATMOSPHERE WILL CHANGE
 
 
If anybody has any further questions about the re-run election or about the AFTRA-SAG controversies, please leave a comment and I'll try to answer any questions you have.

Hope it helps.

Thank you for reading,
 
Jason George
 

Have you seen Jerry Seinfeld's animated feature with DreamWorks called "Bee Movie"?

If so, take a couple of seconds to read this post and leave a comment with your thoughts!

Bee Movie

Bee Movie has recently come out on DVD.

Late last week, I had the opportunity to watch the movie and listen to the voice overs, keeping my ears tuned for Jerry Seinfield, Matthew Broderick, Renée Zellweger, Patrick Warburton, and Chris Rock. Casting was by Leslee Feldman.

Plot Synopsis

If you haven't seen the movie, it's about a bee named Barry B. Benson (Seinfeld) who has recently graduated, and to the delight of his parents (Bates, Levinson), is ready to enter the workforce at Honex, the bee colony's only source of employment in the hive.

Bees working at Honex are responsible for a number of tasks with each worker specializing in one very particular position focusing on doing their small job well to keep the honey machine rolling. Although he respects this system, and his friend Adam Flayman (Broderick) is all set to take part, Barry has other ideas.

Challenging Authority

Barry isn't one to listen to authority and decides to leave the hive and check out what life is like in the world outside of the hive, skipping out on selecting a job in the process.

He takes flight with some pollen jocks (huge, burly bees that go around pollenating the flowers) and subsequently gets separated from the group which results in a few interesting incidents (one involving windshield wipers) which eventually compel Barry to break a critical bee rule: Do not talk to humans.

It is through a heroic rescue that Barry meets Vanessa Bloome (Zellweger), a florist who has a soft spot for talking bees. Once she gets over the initial "Oh my gosh, I'm talking to a bee and he's talking back to me", she develops a friendship with Barry that nearly drives her boyfriend Ken (Warburton) insane.

Turning Point

Along the way, Barry discovers that honey is sold in stores... that's a problem because the bees make honey and he quickly realizes that their product is being lifted from under them by celebrities and profited by without the bees receiving any compensation whatsoever.

A lawsuit ensues and the courtroom is where the voice acting takes a brilliant turn with the introduction of the defense lawyer, Layton T. Montgomery, voiced by John Goodman, who is absolutely hilarious!

Several other cameo roles including celebrities Sting (as himself), Larry King (as Bee Larry King), Ray Liotta (as himself), and add another dimension to the animated feature. Oprah Winfrey (Judge), Kathy Bates (Janet Benson), Barry Levinson (Martin Benson), Rip Torn (Lou Lo Duca), Tress MacNeille (Jeanette Chung / mother / cow) and others were also instrumental to the success of the film.

It All Hits the Fan

Barry B. Benson and the bees win the lawsuit and the bees become extremely lazy, breaking down very intricate and notably significant aspects of the eco-system as is related to the act of pollenating (something the bees stopped doing as result of winning the case).

Vanessa's store has to close because there are no flowers, Central Park becomes a shadow of itself and all kinds of issues transpire...

Resolution

Only the bees can save the world from this crisis, so they band together and solve the problem by going back to work.

To cap it off, Barry and Vanessa open up a new part of her shop that offers flowers, legal advice for insects and sells bee-approved honey.

Now that you know the story, I want to highlight some of the voice acting elements.

Voice Acting Review for Bee Movie

Jerry Seinfeld: Exceptional voice acting and a great first role for an on-camera actor / standup comedian entering into the realm of voice acting. The voice is undeniably Jerry but he is definitely working it as a bee. Congrats, Mr. Seinfeld.

Matthew Broderick: Convincing and strong as supporting role. His personality was well suited to the role.

Renée Zellweger: Was not what I expected to hear although I heard hints of strength and the true "Renée" throughout when she was speaking in her lower range. It seemed as though she was holding back.

Patrick Warburton: Very funny, fit the role of muscly, slightly jealous boyfriend quite well. His humor was spot on and you'll never think of yogurt the same way again.

Chris Rock: Mosquito with a jazzy groove. You could tell it was Chris Rock but his interpretation of the role was zesty, the character was unique, and was able to stand alone.

John Goodman: Blow the doors down, powerful, electric and showered the booth with an ever-so-convincing southern drawl. Worth watching and waiting for. It was clear that he was having a lot of fun with this role.

Have you seen Bee Movie? What were your impressions of the voice acting?

Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. Did anyone catch the bilingual English / Spanish voice over following the graduation before the transition to learning about Honex?

Do you watch the ABC show "Lost"?

I hadn't started watching the series until earlier this February, and last night, we completed our LOST marathon ending with last episode of season three.

Today when I read that the LOST videogame entitled "LOST Via Domus" was released a few days ago on the XBox 360, Playstation 3, and the PC, I thought it very timely to write about the series and also get your take on the game and the voices used in it.

For those of you who haven't gotten "lost" yet, it is one of the most intriguing and involving series that I have seen for quite a long time and perhaps one of the only reasons aside from The Tudors to keep watching TV.

After wrapping up a one month marathon of catching up from the beginning all the way through to the end of the third season, I was excited to hear that there is a videogame two years in the making out now from UBISOFT called LOST: Via Domus (Translated from the Latin which means "The Way Home") that lets you in on the LOST experience, introducing a new character, Elliott.

Elliott

Elliott is a photojournalist who is a survivor on Oceanic Flight 815. The gamer assumes the role of Elliott and is given opportunities to use his photography skills to get further into the game.

One complication is that Elliott is suffering from amnesia and needs the help of other characters, John Locke in particular, to help him rediscover his past.

Just like the characters on the show, Elliott has a past which is revealed through playable flashbacks. In on of the Dev Diaries, the crew from UbiSoft confides that fans should be watching very carefully in the flashbacks to see other characters that they'll recognize from the show.

Writing and Visual Elements

Kevin Shortt was the lead writer for the game and found a good partner in Dawn Kelly, a writer from LOST seasons one and two.

The entire team took this project very seriously. The art director went to Hawaii to take pictures from the island, jungle and set to make sure that the scenery and landscapes were portrayed as accurately as possible.

The purpose of the game is to capture the meaning and experience of the show.

Not Your Average Videogame

How does LOST Via Domus differ from other games UBISOFT has worked on?

The pressure to make the game right and right for the fans sets this game apart was the largest challenge and differentiator. If the fans are not happy with the game, then the crew will feel as though they didn't do their job right.

The show is very complicated and has many layers, mysteries, and themes that needed to be incorporated into the videogame.

Not only is the show a masterpiece it has a worldwide following and fans with great expectations.

Gameplay

Gameplay involves mostly traveling through jungle where Elliott encounters familiar landmarks from the show, i.e. Black Rock, the Swan Hatch, and also some items in those places that were never in the show. Other activities include solving puzzles, mini games, dialogue choices and getting in on the action.

Elliott also encounters dangers including the infamous black smoke, polar bears, and more.

The objective was to give the gamer the full experience of the jungle just as it was in the show.

Navigational tools used to get around the island include a compass, the player's intuition, and markings on the ground.

The player needs to create the actions to survive throughout the game and there is about ten hours of gameplay to be had.

LOST Via Domus Voice Cast

From what I've read so far, one of the only drawbacks is that some of the voices are not of the original actors from the TV series.

I was in touch with the good people at UBISOFT and they confirmed some members of the voice cast for me.

"For the English version, Ben, Desmond, Claire, Mikhail, Sun and Tom provided their characters' voices. For the other versions, almost all actors provided their characters' voices."

For more detail, Yunjin Kim portrays the role of Sun Hwa-Kwon, Michael Emerson portrays the leader of The Others, Ben Linus, Emilie De Ravin plays Claire Littleton, Andrew Divoff portrays Mikhail Bakunin (one of The Others), and Henry Ian Cusick, who portrays the character Desmond Hume, the fellow who tends to say "brother" a lot.

Are you a fan of LOST?

What do you think of the Via Domus videogame and how do you feel about the voice acting and voice cast?

Best wishes,

Stephanie

Did you watch the Oscars on Sunday night?

I did but I must confess that it wasn't to see the dresses, red carpet shenanigans or the winners... I watched to hear the announcers.

Read more about announcing at the Oscars featuring the voice of Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, and seven-time Academy Awards announcer, Randy Thomas!

The 80th Annual Academy Awards took place on Sunday night.

By now, that is old news, but what you may not have known is that the announcers on the Oscars were Randy Thomas and Tom Kane, both veterans of announcing at Hollywood's biggest night.

You may recall that last year's Oscar announcers were Gina Tuttle and voice over legend, Don LaFontaine.

Randy Thomas was kind to answer some questions for me about announcing for the Oscars including how she got her start on the program. Randy has announced at the Oscars seven times now and she says of the experience that it is always a thrill and an honor, stating "This job never gets old nor do I take it for granted. It is amazing."

When asked how she first landed the gig of announcing at the Oscars, Randy shared, "I was on the radio as a morning DJ on 94.7 The Wave in Los Angeles when they decided to audition women to be the first ever for the 65th Academy Awards in 1993. That is the year I left radio and became a full time voice-over artist."

Now, that's what I call making history!

Rehearsals for the Oscars take place four days in advance of the show so that there are no surprises and plenty of time to perfect the names of nominees.

Announcing at the Oscars is an honor extended by invitation, and for Randy, the 80th Annual Academy Awards was her 7th showing in 15 years, seven opportunities that she is very grateful for.

Coming up, Randy Thomas will be announcing at the Tony Awards for her eighth year in a row on June 15th at Radio City Music Hall in NYC.

Did you watch the Oscars this year? Any comments?

Best wishes,

Stephanie

The voice over industry honors its own on February 21, 2008 -- be sure to catch the ceremony on the VOX Talk Podcast.

The Voiceys is the event of the year celebrating the achievements of the voice over industry and the voice actors who step up to the microphone every day.

Judged by a panel of industry experts and personalities, the Voiceys recognize professional voice actors and provide a venue for those behind the scenes to shine for all the world to see.

Join us all on February 21st, 2008 for the 2nd Annual Voicey Awards.

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

It's almost time to reveal the winners of the 2008 Voicey Awards!

Within the space of a year, the Voiceys have gone from five categories to nine, and three judges to ten. The nominations also increased exponentially in 2008 totaling 517 individual nominations for voice actors.

Suffice to say, that's a lot of growth in a short period of time, but in all reality, hasn't the voice over industry grown in leaps and bounds in a relatively brief number of years, too?

The 2008 Voicey finalists were absolutely dynamite, giving more than a few judges several sleepless nights.

That's an incredible compliment paid to all who will be honored this year and a testament to the continued and passionate pursuit of excellence in voice acting.

Judges for the 2nd Annual Voicey Awards

To remind us all, the judges participating this year in the 2nd Annual Voicey awards are Sunday Muse (Best Child Voice), Cynthia Songé (Best Teen Voice), Joan Baker (Best New Voice), Julie Williams (Best Personal Branding), James R. Alburger and Penny Abshire (Best Voice Team), Bettye Zoller (Lifetime Achievement), Elena Valenzuela (Best Foreign Voice), Marc Cashman (Best Female Voice) and Connie Terwilliger (Best Male Voice).

Through the support, involvement and guidance of industry experts, winning a Voicey Award has become a coveted, sought after accolade for voice actors.

We couldn't do this without the industry judges and are heartily grateful for their desire to help us recognize voice actors for their contributions to voice acting and the elevation of the craft.

Thank you!

Thank you to all who nominated people this year for the Voiceys and for the believing in their talent.

Will you be joining us for the Voiceys podcast this year?

Leave a comment!

Best wishes,

Stephanie

P.S. In the future the Voicey Awards will be a live event, but for now, please do enjoy the podcasts. Listen here: http://podcasts.voices.com/voxtalk/.

©iStockphoto.com/PeskyMonkey

Did you hear about what happened with the voice of KITT in the new Knight Rider revival?

A conflict of interest has arisen for KITT car voice actor, Will Arnett, and now Val Kilmer has been recruited to replace him as the voice because of it.

Find out exactly what happened at VOX Daily.

Will Arnett was cast not too long ago to be the voice of KITT in NBC's new Knight Rider endeavor.

In light of recent news, there are a couple of problems with that...

1. KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) car is a Ford Mustang Shelby.
2. Will Arnett has been the voice of GMC Trucks for years.

Needless to say, the decision to pull Will off the voice over for KITT was one imposed by General Motors with Will's astute cooperation.

''I was very excited at the prospect of playing the part of KITT in the new Knight Rider movie," Arnett told Variety. ''However, because of a long relationship with General Motors as the voice of GMC Trucks, I had to respectfully withdraw from the project.''

GM can't have their signature voice affiliated with a Ford vehicle, now can they?

Hollywood actor Val Kilmer has already been hired to re-voice all of the lines for KITT.

The casting decision is a good one (Val's got great pipes and is a fabulous actor) and there is also no conflict of interest between Val Kilmer and any other automobile manufacturers.

What do you think of this?

Looking forward to hearing from you on the blog. Leave a comment!

Best,

Stephanie

If you've been missing your favorite shows, some of the networks have figured out a way to keep your appetite whetted and consumer loyalty by making full-length sitcom episodes from previous seasons available online at Hulu.com for your viewing pleasure.

Presently in Beta (testing phase), the Hulu site is poised to be network television's answer to YouTube as well as a viable means of keeping fans of shows currently affected by the Writers Guild of America strike happy and served at their convenience online with content on demand... free of charge.

What's your television viewing schedule been like since November 5th, 2007?

If that date sounds vaguely familiar, it is the day that the Writers Guild of America first went on strike stopping production in its tracks as actors in support of the writers refused to cross picket lines and pop culture as we knew it began to rely solely upon news programs, reality TV and reruns.

With the strike going strong for slightly more than two months, people have had to find alternative sources for their entertainment, many opting to play more videogames to the delight of videogame retailers and still more people who are getting their fix via the Internet by visiting sites such as YouTube and are downloading audiobooks from Audible among other online sources.

Although a couple of production companies have signed deals with the WGA (Writers Guild of America) like David Letterman's Worldwide Pants, and most recently, Tom Cruise's United Artists' interim agreement with the WGA to bring back feature film writers, other shows (the majority) are still on the outs and will not likely return for the season unless a similar deal is struck or the strike comes to an end.

One of the most recent casualties of the WGA strike is the Screen Actors Guild's boycotting of the Golden Globe Awards. According to a statement from SAG, none of their members are going to be acceptors or presenters at the traditionally star-studded event broadcast on national television.

Along the same vein, one might suspect that the Oscars will also be boycotted... that is, unless the strike ends (SAG is in full support of the WGA strike) or a "special arrangement" is made.

Hmm...

What does that mean for Hollywood and the entertainment industry where viewers are concerned?

In recent days Hulu.com has found a place in my life in lieu of television.

What is Hulu?

Essentially, Hulu.com is a website where you can watch premium content from networks such as NBC for free with very few commercial interruptions.

Just last night, we devoured an episode of NBC's "The Office" from a previous season that was sponsored by automotive company Chevrolet. There were about six very short ads promoting the company's vehicles that were unassuming and almost seamlessly incorporated into the episode.

While some previously thought that there wouldn't be any money in webisodic content, it is now apparent that there is money to made in advertising during the viewing of said content, however, the players who are benefiting have changed.

If you're itching for some Dunder Mifflin action, even from past seasons, you can get it at Hulu, Steve Carell and all, courtesy of major sponsors the likes of Chevrolet.

Something I noticed about the Chevy ads, and perhaps this is specific only to these particular ads, is that there was no voice over included. Visual marketing with a soft, lyric-free music bed made for easy transitioning between the programming and the advertisements.

How do you get in on this hot website?

Apply to sign-up for the Hulu beta testing program here.

What do you think about the Writers Guild of America strike?

I'd love to hear your thoughts now that it's two months in.

Cheers,

Stephanie

I have some great news to share!

The King of Voice Overs, Don LaFontaine, is getting ready to jump back into his work and is rearing to go!

Yesterday, I received a very nice email from Don thanking me for posting his story on VOX Daily last month.

Don writes:

"I have read the responses and I am moved beyond description by the kind and thoughtful comments. Please pass along my deepest gratitude to all who took the time to respond. I am still recovering, and hopefully will have a real handle on the problem tomorrow or early next week. This inactivity is making me nuts!"

Don

~~

If you know Don or have any idea of just how much work he does on a regular basis, you can certainly imagine how frustrating this hiatus from his voice over work has been.

I want to thank all of you who sent in your thoughts and well wishes for Don and am confident that those comments are helping him to get better. Many of you also prayed and are praying still for Don and I thank you for that on behalf of Don and his family.

One of the best families to be part of in fact is the voice acting family. Although this small industry is growing at a rapid pace, the purpose and spirit of those who join remains the same. We are all very blessed and privileged to be part of it and experience this era together.

Take care of yourselves and each other,

Stephanie

Image © Don LaFontaine

My good friend audio'connell (Peter O'Connell) is never one to fall by the wayside.

The creative super brain behind voxmarketising has gone on a mission to save American ears. What's he up to? Read on to find out.

You might have heard about the choice that the NBC brass made with regard to replacing the long standing