The Voiceover Boblog

DIY Monitor Stands

Posted March 17, 2010 by Bob

Audio monitors that is. For your audio studio. My friend Brian Hart details his work building said stands on his blog. Great work, Brian. Thanks for posting so we all can see and learn.

Category: General, Tools | Comments (0)
Break Into Audiobooks

Posted March 16, 2010 by Bob

News has just come from from Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino:

Our Break Into Animation Part 1 Teleseminar was such a hit, we’re at it again–but this time with Audiobook Superstar Hillary Huber!

Join us for Break Into Audiobooks on Wed March 31, 2010 – 6 pm PST/ 9 pm EST.

With us, our special guest and audiobook veteran Hillary Huber gives thorough, no-BS insider answers to all of your audiobook questions.

From business to craft to all the details in between, Hillary’s gonna spill the beans on everything audiobook.

Go to Break Into Voice Over to reserve your space on the call (includes a studio quality MP3 of the teleseminar as well).

Just a few of the great questions to be answered:

* Do you read the whole book? Do different people read different parts and characters?
* How do you get into audiobooks? It seems so mysterious…do I need to know book publishers and authors?
* Do I need a specific audiobook demo? Are there audiobook agents?
* How could I even keep track of recording a whole book by myself in my home studio?
* I’ve been listening to a ton of audiobooks, and I KNOW I’m ready to break in, so tell me the action steps I can take NOW to get the audiobook gigs coming my way!

Go to Break Into Voice Over–$49 buys you a seat on the call and a studio quality MP3 copy as well.

More About Special Guest Hillary Huber

Hillary Huber has been working steadily as a voice over talent for 15 years. She has done hundreds of commercials for clients such as Toyota, McDonalds, Tylenol, Coffeemate, Boeing, Subaru, Ford, Taco Bell, Walmart and countless others; promos for WE, CBS and the E! Network; and live announcing for The People’s Choice Awards, The Family Television Awards, and The Emmys. She discovered audiobooks in 2006, when her research, perseverance, and creative thinking resulted in a flourishing and profitable career in audiobooks. She now records books on a regular basis for major publishers such as Harper, Macmillan, Random House and Scribner. Some titles include Skinny Bastard and Light in the Piazze. Her next project is Tell-All by best selling author Chuck Palahniuk. Her narration consistently garners both critical acclaim and industry awards, including several Audie Award nominations.

“Hillary Huber’s narration is lyrical enough to be set to music.”
-Audiofile Magazine

Go to Break Into Voice Over to reserve your seat!

Category: Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover, People | Comments (0)
Happy Birthday, Ralph

Posted March 14, 2010 by Bob

My friend Ralph Hass has his birthday today, the 14th of March. In honor of the number 14, Ralph has written a blog post that you might enjoy.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Harlan Hogan and Dan O’Day

Posted March 12, 2010 by Bob

Last May I took part, along with a number of other voice actors around North America, in a month long series of teleseminars hosted by Harlan Hogan and Dan O’Day. The focus was on Starting Your Own Voiceover Business. The discussions stayed on topic. Even though I’ve been a voice actor since 1983, I found a lot of valuable information in these 4 weeks of classes. So, why am I mentioning all of this so many months after the fact?

Because I think there’s a real good chance Harlan and Dan will do a series of classes again this year. Again in May. But, with the improvements and insights gained from last year’s classes. And again focused only on the BUSINESS of voiceover. Your business.

I’ll post again when I have more news.

(edited to fix typos)

Category: Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover | Comments (2)
Dan and the NFL Network

Posted March 11, 2010 by Bob

My friend Dan Nachtrab is now voicing promos for the NFL Network.

Good for you Dan!

(edited to add video now that embedding is enabled)

Category: General, People | Comments (1)
The Vook and Seth

Posted March 10, 2010 by Bob

I’ve mentioned the Vook here before when my friend Jane Ingalls brought this new mash-up of video and book to my attention. Today, Seth Godin points out that vooks are not just here, they’re here to stay.

Category: General | Comments (0)
A quote for today

Posted by Bob

From my friend and manager, Stacey Stahl, came this gem to my inbox this morning:

I have a rabbit’s foot, a four leaf clover, and a lucky charm — only problem is, none of them become effective until I do.

– Ziggy

Category: General | Comments (0)
Doug in Wonderland

Posted March 9, 2010 by Bob

My friend Doug Medlock provides the voice for this new movie trailer.

Aliens In Wonderland Trailer from Juicy Concrete on Vimeo.

My thanks to my manager and friend Stacey Stahl for emailing me the link.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)

Killer Follow Through

Posted March 8, 2010 by Bob

My friend Blaine Parker is not only a mighty fine voice actor, he’s a marketing genius. Same is true of his wife Honey Parker. Between them they make Park City, Utah one seriously bright spot in the marketing universe. Blaine publishes a weekly electronic piece called HOT POINTS that I’ve quoted a number of times here. Today I just had to go back to this well again. Enjoy.

————————————–

HOT POINTS for The Week of March 8, 2010

KNOW ANYONE WHO SHOULD BE RECEIVING HOT POINTS?

Subscription to this wretched weekly screed is now available to anyone you might deem worthy. Just send your victims to www.slowburnblog.com and have them look for the subscription sign up box in the upper left hand corner.

__________________________________

HOW’S THE PROMISE OF YOUR ADVERTISING HOLDING UP?

Everyone here knows how empty offers and hollow phrases get my blood pressure up.

Words that mean nothing, promises that are pointless, businesses who act like they’re being noble when casting crumbs.

The reference standard for this kind of cynical advertising emptiness is the car dealer who says he’s “going to be there for you” and whose big offer is “free floor mats!”

Here now, a little story about advertising and follow through…

GETTING CONNECTED

If you visit the website for Tributaries Cable, you’ll find a specialty company that makes high-end audio interconnects.

For the uninitiated, think Monster Cable, only smaller. (That’s not a swipe. Just a fact. It’s doubtful that anyone can actually be bigger than Monster Cable. Their annual sales are probably equal to the GNP for a small, Central American republic.)

On the Tributaries website, you see a headline that says, “Our whole business is a Tribute to you.” Yes, the writing is a little punny.

There’s also a big seal in the corner of the page that says “Total Satisfaction 100% Support – Tested – Warranty.”

Faithful readers to this pathetic weekly screed know how much I hate it when a company makes bold claims like that and never back it up.

NO SNAP, NO CRACKLE, JUST THE POP

For some time, I’d been facing challenges with my recording studio.

To make a long, geeky story very short, the system would occasionally go “pop!”

All for no apparent reason.

Sometimes, everything was just fine and I could continue on my merry way.

Too often, though, I’d have to reboot the computer and possibly reinstall one of the audio drivers. (If this had ever happened while I was in a VO session with the client on the phone, it would have been…well…imagine the kinds of words that cause a movie to receive an R rating.)

After a lengthy period of troubleshooting, I isolated the problem to a specific digital cable.

That cable happened to be a Tributaries cable.

BEEN A WHILE SINCE I TOOK A TRIP DOWN THAT PARTICULAR RIVER

The digital cable in question is about 10 years old. It probably had a retail price of 25 to 30 bucks.

I’d had it, unopened and still in the package, until about two years ago when I put together the Slow Burn Recording Salon here in the Mountaintop Marketing Fortress outside Park City.

As for discovering the cable as culprit, it was no big deal. I replaced it with another cable I had handy. Since then, everything’s been peachy.

Subsequently, I happened to share my tale with Ubergeek Steve Cunningham. He’s a ProTools instructor at USC. His delightfully sordid past includes designing pro broadcast gear for one of the world’s most enormous electronics conglomerates, and touring as a sideman with an enormous arena rock band of note. Steve’s been around.

Steve said something that had been on my mind:

What piqued my curiosity, being the ubergeek that I am,is what was up with the old

cable. Was it not proper 75ohm coax? Or was it stepped on once too often, thereby

compromising the shielding? Sumpin’ else perhaps? Hmmm? Inquiring minds want

to know.

It was definitely a 75-ohm cable. So, being the neogeek that I am, I thought…

“HEY, WOULDN’T IT BE FUN TO SEE IF TRIBUTARIES HAS AN ANSWER?”

So, I went to the Tributaries website. There, among other things, I found a picture of Tributaries President Joe Perfito.

I met Joe a couple of times about 15 or 17 years ago. He might remember me, but really, why should he?

I sent Joe an email and told him, very specifically, that this was not in any way a complaint.

I just happen to have a Tributaries Delta Digital Cable (which they don’t even make any more) that seemed to be bad right out of the 10-year-old box.

I also told him that there was a geek inquisition going on, and we were wondering what might be causing the problem.

I figured that if I could get some tweak answer out of Joe, it might amuse Steve.

WELL, I DIDN’T REALLY GET MUCH OF A TWEAK ANSWER OUT OF JOE

He said that it might be a bad solder or an internally bad cable.

That’s a pretty straightforward, default kind of answer.

But…

Despite all my assurances that it was entirely unnecessary, Joe absolutely insisted on not just replacing, but on actually MAKING a custom cable just for me.

He could’ve just send a stock replacement, which in itself would have been above and beyond the call.

And a lot of business owners I’ve known would have said the equivalent of this: “What? I’m not replacing his cable. It’s 10 years old! Who knows how many times his kids stepped on it and his dogs used it as a chew toy?! Replacing it costs too much! Send him a coupon good for $10 off his next purchase. Bah! Humbug!”

The poverty mentality in action.

But Joe offered a new, custom cable and refused to take no for an answer.

In a million years, there is no earthly reason why he should have his company do that.

Except that, like the headline on his website says…

“OUR WHOLE BUSINESS IS A TRIBUTE TO YOU”

And, “Total Satisfaction 100% Support – Tested – Warranty.”

I was floored.

In retrospect, I probably shouldn’t have been.

It seems there’s something in Joe that really enjoys doing this–not merely delivering the goods, but really surprising people.

It seems that Joe loves his work, and loves to share the joy.

And, he wants people to talk.

TALK WE WILL

I’ve already tweeted about it.

I will do it again.

This morning, everyone on this list now knows about Tributaries cable.

And soon, anyone who reads my blog is also going to be up to speed.

All this for the cost of a cable and postage. Probably much less than the $25 retail price of the original cable.

So, where does this kind of customer service come from?

Here’s my guess…

TRADITION, HONOR, INNOVATION, HIGH-QUALITY–AND A TOTAL LOVE OF THE GAME

This is a man who (a) is totally committed to his brand promise, and (b) likes to make his business is buzz worthy.

Buzz gets around.

Anyone doing business anywhere could take a page from Joe Perfito’s playbook.

Friends, it’s companies like this that create true brand evangelists.

So, how does your business go above and beyond the call?

Hint: it doesn’t start with empty promises and free floor mats.

As always,

Blaine Parker
Your Lean, Mean Creative Director in
Park City

Category: General | Comments (3)

Happy Birthday, Bob Bergen

Posted by Bob

Voice actor and coach Bob Bergen’s birthday is today, a fact that Facebook was nice enough to remind me about. Happy Birthday, Bob!

(Update: edited to fix typo)

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
The Oscars announcer is …

Posted March 7, 2010 by Bob

Gina Tuttle. You’ll find a lovely article about her in the Gainesville Sun.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Let it slide?

Posted by Bob

Do you ever look at a situation and think “I’ve got this one in the bag. I can just phone this one in and I’m still good to go”? Take a minute to read my friend Pam Tierney’s reflections on the just concluded Winter Olympics. I think you’ll find it a valuable kick in the pants.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Ditching your Day Job part 1

Posted March 6, 2010 by Bob

My friend Kristine Oller provides a ton of valuable information for actors and performers of all kinds in a series of videos that are now posting to YouTube. Here’s part one.

Category: Career Advice, General, People | Comments (2)
Do you ever work for free?

Posted March 5, 2010 by Bob

An email arrives from a client in Georgia this morning. (Chris Tilley of gnoggin Studios.) There was one word wrong in the script I recorded for them earlier this week, something the client didn’t notice until they were listening back to the finished piece. Could I re-record the paragraph, he asks, and how much will it cost?

I was sitting in the studio editing an eLearning project when the email arrived, so I quickly pulled up the previous audio to make sure I had the tone and pace of that narration in mind and did a couple of quick takes of the paragraph. Save. Upload to my server. Email a reply. The entire process takes less than 5 minutes and I needed a short break from my editing job anyway. I mention in my email “no charge” just because it seemed like the right thing to do this morning.

Here’s his reply to that email:

I can’t really think of why I like working with you… Oh well, I’m sure it will come to me.

Sometimes you make more than money in this business. You make friends.

Oh, and my answer back?

Maybe it’s because I love working with you? Because I do. And you’re entirely welcome.

I do love my job, mostly I suppose because I love working with my clients.

(Updated to add Chris’ name is web link.)

Category: General | Comments (9)
A spotlight on Nancy

Posted by Bob

Voiceover coach Nancy Wolfson is featured in the current issue of Radio and Production magazine. If Nancy has been true to form, and that’s a safe bet, here’s a ton of valuable information in the article. You might want to pop on over to their site and think seriously about subscribing.

Category: Career Advice, General, People | Comments (1)
General Advice

Posted by Bob

My friend Charlie Glaize has let his imagination run wild again. This video is the result.

Category: General, People | Comments (2)
Quote for the day

Posted March 4, 2010 by Bob

From my friend and manager, Stacey Stahl:

“Your aspirations are your possibilities.”

– Samuel Johnson

Category: General | Comments (0)
Audition insights

Posted March 3, 2010 by Bob

My friend Bobbin Beam offers some thoughts about auditioning on her blog.

Category: General, People | Comments (2)
Thoughts about marketing from Anthony

Posted March 2, 2010 by Bob

My friend Anthony Mendez is one of the brightest voice actors I know. He’s also brilliant at marketing, which is why you should spend a few minutes reading his recent blog post on this subject. It’s well worth your time.

Category: Career Advice, General, People | Comments (2)
Open or closed?

Posted February 27, 2010 by Bob

Do you keep your hands closed, holding tightly to what you know? Or do you live with your hands open? Take a moment to walk through these questions with my friend Pam Tierney.

Category: General, People | Comments (3)
The Dishwasher and Mary

Posted February 26, 2010 by Bob

My friend Mary Morgan provides the voice for the powerful (and, warning, rather intense) video intro to the game The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Pam’s Green Dream

Posted by Bob

My friend Pam Tierney is featured in this video spot for the Green Dream Group.

Nice work, Pam!

Category: General, People | Comments (1)
Springbook Audio launches

Posted by Bob

My friend Jeffrey Kafer is all over the newly launched Springbook Audio. Good for you, Jeff!

(Update: the site is down temporarily, as Jeff noted in his comment below. I’ll update again when it’s back up and running.)

Category: General, People | Comments (2)
Even if you missed the “Fix your website”

Posted February 25, 2010 by Bob

It’s not too late, even if you didn’t sign up for Dan O’Day seminar on how you as a voice actor can fix your website.

WEBSITES FOR VOICE ACTORS: Why Your Website Isn’t Working for You And How And Why You Need To Fix It Immediately (100% Non-Technical)

You see, the seminar was recorded and for only a few days (just until March 1st, 2010) you can get a copy of the 2.5 hour audio file.

If you’re a voice actor, I hope you’ll click here and get this recording while you still can.

Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Adam’s conundrum

Posted by Bob

My friend Adam Creighton is facing a tough set of decisions. His way of working through the options was to make a YouTube video, which I found fascinating, so I’m sharing it with you, here.

Category: General, People | Comments (3)
Mandy voices the web

Posted by Bob

My friend Mandy Nelson is voicing the Internet, or at least a good share of it, these days. Read all about it at VoiceOverXtra.

Category: General, People | Comments (2)
Anthony and Wendy

Posted February 23, 2010 by Bob

My friend Anthony Mendez does a star turn as the voice of one of the new Wendy’s commercials. (Click through to see the spot on his site.)

Category: General, People | Comments (4)
A quote for the day

Posted by Bob

From my friend and manager, Stacey Stahl, in my inbox today:

One step ahead of the times is a genius. Two steps is a crackpot.

– Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

Category: General | Comments (0)
Fix your website registration ends today

Posted by Bob

Dan O’Day is conducting a seminar designed to fix your website. It’s going to be 100% non-technical. Here are the details:

WEBSITES FOR VOICE ACTORS: Why Your Website Isn’t Working for You And How And Why You Need To Fix It Immediately (100% Non-Technical)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 — 9pm Eastern / 8pm Central / 6pm Pacific

If you aren’t sure what this is about, a video from Dan explaining all the information including how to register to attend is right here.

You might wonder, what does Dan O’Day know about websites? Dan will explain here.

And yes, the seminar will be recorded so if, after you’ve registered, something comes up so that you can’t take part while it’s happening live, you’ll get a recording of the entire thing. This is also good news for those of us who like to got back and listen again to make sure we didn’t miss anything important.

If you’re a voice actor, I hope you’ll register now, because registration ends this evening.

Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Axe Cop Episode ONE

Posted by Bob

The first fully animated web comic of Axe Cop is now on YouTube.

It’s been great fun working on these pieces.

Category: General | Comments (5)

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