1. The Erik and Ember show begins with a bang

    Posted January 31, 2009 by Bob

    Erik Sheppard and September Day Leach are a couple of very talented voice performers who have started a voiceover podcast that hosted at Erik’s blog. Episode One is now posted and features the lovely and talented Joan Baker.

    Category: Blogging, General, People | Comments (0)

  2. Recycle your old gear

    Posted January 30, 2009 by Bob

    I’ve started using Gazelle.com as a way of picking up a bit of cash for some of the old electronic gadgets I have accumulated over time and that I don’t use any more. You too can Get Cash For Your Gadgets at gazelle.com!

    (In the interests of full disclosre, please note: If you click through and sell at least $50 worth stuff to Gazelle.com I will receive a referral commission from them.)

    My thanks to Nancy Wolfson for mentioning this site to me quite some time ago in an email.

    Category: General | Comments (2)

  3. I know it’s been a while, but …

    Posted by Bob

    You have to read this wonderful story about Don LaFontaine and Audio Post Philadelphia. My thanks to my friend Charlie Glaize for sending me the link.

    Category: General, People | Comments (0)

  4. A sport promo session

    Posted by Bob

    My friend and mentor Philip Banks has posted a video of one of this voiceover sessions for a television sport promotion.

    My favorite bit comes at the very end.

    Category: General, People | Comments (0)

  5. Should I Start My Own Voiceover Business in 2009?

    Posted January 29, 2009 by Bob

    If you’re thinking about starting to work in voiceover, make a list of all the questions you can think of, and then plan to Ask Harlan Hogan directly during a live teleseminar on Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 2pm Eastern / 1pm Central / 11am Pacific.

    You’ve heard Harlan Hogan’s voice, quite literally, thousands of times on national television commercials. He’s also one of the very best at finding voiceover work. This is your opportunity to ask your questions, live and unscripted, about how to start your own voicoever business. The only restriction on the questions you can Ask Harlan Hogan in this teleseminar is that they have to be about starting your own voiceover business.

    Click through on Ask Harlan Hogan and you’ll be taken to the sign-up page with much more detail and a quick audio greeting from Harlan. Updating here. I neglected to mention that the teleseminar registration fee is $49.

    Category: General, Getting started in Voiceover, People | Comments (1)

  6. It’s going to take an hour of your time

    Posted January 28, 2009 by Bob

    But you won’t regret taking the time, especially if you’re serious about your craft, your work as a voice actor. Watch this video.

    My thanks to my friend Dan Nachtrab for sending me this link today.

    (edited to fix typo)

    Category: Career Advice, General, People | Comments (4)

  7. Have you checked out Pat Fraley’s free lessons?

    Posted by Bob

    Pat Fraley is not only a brilliant voice actor, he’s an equally brilliant coach and teacher of voiceover. He’s also a wonderfully generous soul. There’s an entire page on his site chock full of free lessons. (Be sure to scroll down. There’s a lot more than you see when you first click through.)

    Category: General, People | Comments (0)

  8. Your opinion counts, unofficially.

    Posted January 27, 2009 by Bob

    Peter O’Connell has been running a just-for-fun and completely unofficial contest at his blog for the last several weeks. Now you have an opportunity to cast your vote for the top three entries.

    Category: General, People | Comments (0)

  9. Curious about Neumann microphones?

    Posted by Bob

    George Whittam continues his tour of microphones on display on Winter NAMM with a look at Neumann microphones.

    Good stuff, George. Thank you.

    Category: General, Tools | Comments (2)

  10. Curious about MXL microphones?

    Posted by Bob

    George Whittam provides a video and audio tour MXL microphones as they are on display at Winter NAMM.

    Too bad about the video going out part way through, but an interesting tour none-the-less.

    Category: General, Tools | Comments (2)

  11. Free teleseminar on auditioning

    Posted by Bob

    James Alburger and Penny Abshire are holding a free teleseminar on auditioning.

    • Learn how to handle the three basic types of auditions

    • Slating your audition for maximum impact

    • What should (and should not) be on your audition

    • Offering alternative reads

    • Two simple questions to ask that will help your audition stand out from the rest

    • Recommendations for “working” your auditions

    • And much, much, more

    Registration details are on their VoiceActing web site.

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

  12. Narration that shines

    Posted by Bob

    My friend Doug Medlock emails with news about some narration work he’s recently done. Here’s part one.

    And here’s the second part.

    Fabulous work, Doug.

    Category: General, People | Comments (0)

  13. Solid gold audiobook advice from Scott Brick

    Posted January 26, 2009 by Bob

    For lo these many days (weeks, months, uh, long time anyway) Scott Brick has been threatening/promising to write a blog post about how to get into audiobook narration work. Behold, he keeps his promise with a fresly minted post on his blog.

    Category: General, Getting started in Voiceover, People | Comments (2)

  14. Are you thinking about starting a voiceover business of your own?

    Posted by Bob

    I will have details for you soon on an opporunity you will have to discuss this question live, with one of the most successful voice actors in the United States. The moment I’m given permission to release the details, I will.

    Category: Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover | Comments (6)

  15. Marketing too much?

    Posted by Bob

    Tom Asacker points out in a recent blog post that there is evidence that some brands may actually lose value in the marketplace by advertising too much. How do you think this might influence your marketing decisions as you continue your efforts to find voiceover work?

    Category: General | Comments (0)

  16. Vacations and voiceover work

    Posted January 25, 2009 by Bob

    My friend Rory O’Shea has had to tackle some interesting challenges while on vacation. He tells his story at VoiceOverXtra about how he managed to keep his clients happy from the tropical rain forests of Panama.

    Category: General, People | Comments (0)

  17. BMW voiceover you can bank on

    Posted by Bob

    Perhaps it would be more accurate, but less grammatical to say “you can Banks on” since it’s the voice of my friend and mentor Philip Banks featured here.

    Very tasty, Mr. Banks.

    Category: General | Comments (2)

  18. VoiceActing Academy Master Class is coming in March

    Posted January 24, 2009 by Bob

    A few days in San Diego in March would be a wonderful experience no matter what, but a chance to work hard on your voiceover career makes the time even more valuable. James Alburger and Penny Abshire have their next Voiceover Master Class March 12-15, 2009. Details are on the VoiceActing.com site.

    Category: Career Advice, General, People | Comments (0)

  19. Free audio software from Sony

    Posted by Bob

    Audacity is a very capable audio editor, probably the best known of the open source, free applications. It has a strong benefit of being cross-platform, so you can use it on Windows, Mac and Linux workstations. But I received an email this morning from Sony announcing that they’ve just released ACID Xpress 7 as a free application to anyone who signs up for their ACIDplanet.com site, which is also free. The one fly in the ointment is that ACID, like all of Sony’s audio software applications, is Win OS only.

    Sony ACID is a software program most often thought of for music production, taking various musical elements and loops and combining them into a fresh mix. What a lot of people don’t realize is that ACID works prefectly well as an audio editor. It’s more similar in style to the way Sony VEGAS handles audio editing than Sound Forge, but there are strong similarities across the Sony line.

    ACID Xpress 7 will handle up to 10 tracks of audio and even comes with unlimited MP3 encodes, something you don’t get (build-in) with Audacity.

    Category: General, Tools | Comments (0)

  20. The business of You, Inc.

    Posted by Bob

    You’ll find a challenging, through-provoking article in the Holdon Log article archives with that simple title: The Business of… You, Inc. Though the article is clearly intended for actors of all kinds, there’s a lot of gold here for voice actors; most especially because we all need to consider the real answer to this question posed at the begining of the article.

    “Do you have a performing business

    or a performing hobby?”

    Once you’ve answered the question, take a few minutes to read the article. Now, ask the question again. Has your answer changed?

    Holdon Log publishes an online program called Performer Track. I’m sure this article was written, at least in part, to encourage folks to subscribe to their software. Whether you do or not is entirely up to you. I’ve been using it for over a month now and I find the ability to keep track of not just my booked projects (obviously I always kept track of them in my accounting software) but also my auditions, and to see which book is extremely helpful in taking an ever more professional and business-like approach to my voiceover business.

    In the interests of full disclosure I’ll mention here that Holdon Log provided me with 6 months of service on Performer Track specifically so that I could review the program for them. But, I’m very seriously thinking about continuing as a paying customer after my 6 months ends because of how valuable I’m finding the program. Yes, the reporting features aren’t fully implemented yet. And there are a few things I really wish were there. Most especially the ability to sync the calendar with my Google calendar and my Palm Treo Pro. Or to import at least a selected subset of my many professional contacts. But, overall I’m very impressed.

    Category: Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover | Comments (0)

  21. Ask Joe number 15

    Posted January 23, 2009 by Bob

    Joe Cipriano takes us on a brief tour through his brand new home studio.


    Find more videos like this on VU

    Thank you, Joe, for the glimpse into your world. We look forward to seeing more when you have everything buttoned up.

    Category: General, People | Comments (0)

  22. A podcast on recording software

    Posted by Bob

    Dan Lenard and George Whittam have done an excellent podcast on recording software that’s well worth your 13 minutes and 48 seconds to listen. (The link to the podcast is at the top of the article on the page linked.) My thanks to George for posting the link to the podcast on the VO-BB.

    Category: General, People, Tools | Comments (0)

  23. Third Annual Voices.com awards nominations are now open

    Posted January 22, 2009 by Bob

    Details are at the official Voicey Awards site.

    Category: General | Comments (0)

  24. Thoughts

    Posted January 21, 2009 by Bob

    Marice Tobias emails today with news that she’s added something to her web site, something she’s calling thoughts. I knew that if Marice ever started on this path of publishing her thoughts on the web, what she would write would be arresting, stimulating and challenging. At minimum. Having read her first piece, I’d say only that my expectations were too low.

    You may agree or disagree. You’re free to do so. You’re also welcome to leave your comments here, if you like.

    Category: General | Comments (4)

  25. Voices That Motivate Blog Carnival #4

    Posted January 19, 2009 by Bob

    The Voices That Motivate Blog Carnival is live with the fourth edition today.

    Category: General | Comments (0)

  26. While the year is still young, more good thoughts

    Posted January 18, 2009 by Bob

    Bob Fraser is a man I quote often in this blog, mainly because he has so much valuable things to say that apply to all performers including voice actors. In light of my last post, here are some more good thoughts, from Bob’s Show Biz Blog, to guide you in these early days of 2009.

    (edited to fix typo)

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

  27. While the year is still young

    Posted January 17, 2009 by Bob

    You still have some time to set plans in place for how you’re going to make progress toward your voiceover goals in 2009. We’ve only completed half of the first month. So, while you’re thinking about it, take a moment to pop over to Michael Rankins’ blog and read what he’s doing this year. You never know. You might find something useful. In fact, I’m pretty sure you will.

    Category: Career Advice, General, People | Comments (2)

  28. Anthony’s new site

    Posted by Bob

    My friend Anthony Mendez is among the most talented voice actors I’ve had opportunity to get to know. He’s just released a brand new look to his site. Wow!

    Anthony also blogs about the world of voiceover from his own unique perspective.

    Category: General, People | Comments (3)

  29. Actor’s Tool Kit #22

    Posted January 16, 2009 by Bob

    Over the last couple of years, and with his permission, I’ve been re-publishing many of the Actor’s Tool Kit columns by Bob Fraser. Today we come to number 22: The Power of No.

    ============================================================

    When I first started writing and producing for TV, my agent was a very wise man and a straight-shooter named Leonard Hanzer.

    Leonard was a smart and cultivated man, who understood the concept of Unique Selling Proposition before the geniuses of marketing figured it out.

    (In fact, to my knowledge, Leonard actually invented the term “show-runner” while negotiating a contract for my partner and I. We wanted more money – they offered us a “better” credit. Leonard got us a lot more money and that unofficial credit.)

    Anyway, Leonard represented some “heavy hitters” in those days: Henry Winkler, who needs no introduction, Susan Harris, one of the finest single writers in the TV business, Hal Cooper and Rod Parker, the guys who made Maude a huge hit – and when we first met with him, hoping to convince him that we were worthy of his skills, he said a brilliant thing:

    “The only power that talent has in this town – is the power to deny services.”

    I knew we were in good hands when he said that, because that is at the core of my own philosophy. In short, my philosophy is this: A career is built with an audience.

    Period.

    When “other people” attempt to move your career in a “different direction,” they are messing around with the primal force. This cannot be allowed – and your only recourse is in that little two-letter word … “no.”

    Unfortunately, our craft (or art in some circles) is grounded in, based on, and dependent upon a very
    different word – “yes.”

    A critical ingredient of all forms of show business is the audience’s willing suspension of disbelief. The important word in this bedrock concept is “willing.”

    Our main job is to convince the audience to suspend their natural skepticism – and to go along on our journey, willingly. In short, we need them to say “yes” to our show.

    Thus from the beginning of writing (or developing in some circles) the story – “He is lost.” “Yes, and he is hungry.” “Yes, and the wolves are closing in.” “Yes, and the aliens are landing nearby.” “Yes, and because they save him, they all learn to live with each other … etc.” – all the way through the final production of the movie, play, tv show, or dvd-mp3-cd-playstation-gamepod-picture-phone-thingamabob – believe me, the word “yes,” will always be in constant use.

    This is HOW we have learned to play. This is HOW it is done.

    Viola Spolin, Stanislavsky, Sandy Miesner, David Mamet, and many many others, have catalogued and explained the absolute necessity of collaboration (saying “yes’) in doing what we do – and most of us understand that it’s fundamental to acting (or performing in some circles). It just cannot be done effectively in any other way.

    We must create that willing suspension of disbelief. The trick (or method in some circles) we all finally learn – and always use, is: Get the audience to say “yes,” by saying “yes” ourselves.

    But – and this is a biggie – this business (“this Broadway, this Hollywood, this West End, this Bollywood, this … Show Biz”) is another kettle of corn entirely.

    In business, it is critical to use your power. And in our business, as Leonard Hanzer so aptly put it, the only power
    you have is in denial of services. The ability to just say, “no.”

    However, we are steeped in “yes” attitude and because of that – we often get in trouble when it comes to the business end of our careers.

    That is why I advise all actors to start practicing to say “no” immediately. This is not a power that comes later – along with the limo and the red carpet, after you’ve started making good money – it’s something that you must start building now, from the ground up.

    What to say “no” to – that is the question.

    I don’t think anyone will dispute that one must have a serious commitment in order to achieve a career in show business (in any field, really) – and an explicit definition of what one is trying to accomplish is the first step on the road to serious commitment.

    In other words, you must have standards.

    Don’t worry, you can make up your own. (Please don’t take the route of some recent rock stars – “If the producer does not provide 3 gross of brown M&M’s in a Queen Anne broth tureen, the artist may refuse to appear” kind of bull – but do realize, that this part of getting your career off the ground is totally your responsibility.)

    I think that a professional actor’s minimal standards should include, “I’m doing this for money.” Because, after all, remuneration lies at the very heart of the definition of ‘professional.’

    All of which is to say; once you truly understand what it is that you want to do … to all other things, just say, “no.”

    Do you want to make money? Say “no” to working for free. Do you want to stick by your principles? Say “no” to work that does not support what you believe in.

    Do you want to do Union work? Say “no” to non-union work. Do you want to do drama? Then pass on that supporting role in National Lampoon’s “The Age of Reason.”

    Do you want to do comedy? Okay, simply say “nej tack” to Swedish films.

    I think you get the point.

    Yes? No?

    ============================================================

    PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint articles from Actor’s Tool-Kit, on your website or electronic newsletter. However, in order to comply with my copyright, you must also include the following paragraph with your reprint:

    “Reprinted from ACTOR’S TOOL KIT, the email course just for subscribers of Show Biz How-To — The Free Actor’s Monthly.
    Get your own free subscription by going to: showbizhowto.com Copyright © 2006 Bob Fraser Productions All Rights Reserved”

    ============================================================
    PRIVACY STATEMENT: Bob Fraser Productions will NEVER share your personal information with anyone. Ever. Period.
    ============================================================

    (updated to fix typos and unwanted line breaks)

    Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)

  30. Nothing is wasted

    Posted January 15, 2009 by Bob

    My friend Rowell Gormon offers some thoughts about how everything, even life’s frustrations, have some utility in the life of a voice actor.

    Category: General, People | Comments (2)

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