May » 2009 » The Voiceover Boblog

A report from the Audies Award Gala in New York

Posted May 31, 2009 by Bob

John Florian has filed a report on VoiceOverXtra chock full of photos from the Audies, the awards presented by the Audio Publishers Association each year. The gala was held last night in New York City.

Category: General | Comments (0)
Do you ever wish you knew …

Posted by Bob

… when Marice Tobias workshops will take place? Then you’ll be delighted to know that now you can see much of the rest of the year’s schedule of where Marice will be holding workshops.

Category: Career Advice, General, People | Comments (0)
What’s the best $500 you’ll spend this year?

Posted May 30, 2009 by Bob

There are many people, places and things on which you could spend $500 this year to raise your work to a new level, to have fun and to learn. Several of them good, practical and useful. But, one event that’s a don’t miss every year is the International Radio Creative and Production Summit held in Los Angeles every August and presented by Dan O’Day. If you register today or tomorrow, you can still take advantage of the early bird discount rate of $495. The price rises to $595 on Monday. At that price it’s still going to be one of the best learning opportunities you’ll have this year, but why spend the extra $100?

This year’s guest speakers include Dave Foxx from Z100 in New York. Pat Fraley. And Nancy Wolfson. Dan has added a “networking” event this year, so you will leave the Summit with your own new network of complementary telents from around the world. (Yes, it really is an international event.) I’ve attended every Summit since the second one in 1997. It has been gigantically beneficial to me and my voiceover business. There’s always valuable information for voiceover folk. And if you do some copywriting and production too, it’s even more valuable.

When you register for the International Radio Creative and Production Summit online (and that’s the only way to still take advantage of the early bird discount) and you put in the comment box at the bottom of the registration page that you’ve signed up because I recommended the Summit to you (and if this is your first year to attend) Dan will pay me a commission. The registration rate you pay will be exactly the same no matter what, but in the interests of full disclosure I want you to know. So, if you don’t want me to get the commission on your registration, don’t mention my name. But, if you want me to get the commission, then please do.

(edited to fix typo)

Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (4)
If you had only one sentence?

Posted May 29, 2009 by Bob

How would you describe yourself? Take a minute to read Drew’s Marketing Minute for a few thought-provoking comments on the subject.

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Social networking insights from Stu and Dave

Posted by Bob

My friends Stu Gray and Dave Courvoisier recently posted join thoughts about social networking in the life of the voice actor. You’ll find Stu’s part of the discussion on his blog and Dave’s part on his blog. Good stuff, guys. Thank you!

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The star of UP

Posted May 28, 2009 by Bob

Ed Asner is featured in an interview in the Sunday Star-Ledger in New Jersey. My thanks to my friend Liz de Nesnera for posting the link to this article on the VO-BB.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Too many business books?

Posted by Bob

Or, more specifically for you my voice acting reader, too many books and articles about voiceover? That question prompts Tom Asacker to write cogently and powerfully about a vitally important idea.

This is a moment in time that holds more possibilities for you than any period in the history of humankind. And the only thing standing between you and the results you truly want is you - and your need to control it. That’s right! Your mind is your enemy. And control is your albatross.

Control destroys relationships. Control blinds you to opportunities. Control shuts down your inner voice. Control is driven by your ego’s need to serve itself. Control is an illusion you cling to primarily to alleviate your fears.

There’s a lot to digest. I heartily recommend you read the whole thing.

Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Transparency and voiceover

Posted by Bob

Unless you’re living in a cave somewhere, you’ve noticed the enormous rise of social media in the last few years. Some folks are finding great connections and new work opportunities through those connections. Several of my friends have found work through LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace and so forth. If you’re going to diving into the social media space it’s important to understand the importance of transparency or “Being Naked.”

Chris Brogan, a very bright blogger who is always worth reading, offers some powerful suggestions about How to Be Naked (and then, how not) on his blog.

My thanks to my manager and friend, Stacey Stahl for sending the link to this article today.

Category: General | Comments (0)
Telephony Primer, part 2

Posted by Bob

My friend Liz de Nesnera follows up her excellent introductory article on telephony at VoiceOverXtra with a very fine article about the many different audio formats used in the telephony work.

Category: General, Tools | Comments (2)
A directory of voiceover casting sites

Posted by Bob

Mahmoud Taji emails this morning with news that he’s started a directory of voiceover casting sites. I have to admit there are a large number of sites listed (136 as I type this post) that I’d never heard of.

Category: General, Tools | Comments (2)
Speaking of telephony work …

Posted May 27, 2009 by Bob

Be sure to check out the article at VoiceOverXtra by my friend Liz de Nesnera called Telephony Primer, Part 1. Good insights about this large category of work for voice talent.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Scott Brick’s audiobook contest update

Posted by Bob

There’s updated information on Scott Brick’s blog about the contest he’s running along with the Audio Publishers Association to find the best new audiobook narrator.

Category: General | Comments (0)
Kara featured at Animazement

Posted May 26, 2009 by Bob

Here’s a short clip that features my friend Kara Edwards taken from a panel at Animazement.

Most of the folks you hear are audience members. and as you can see there was some real talent there. You’ll find some background information from Kara in this post on the VO-BB.

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Can you say “no”?

Posted by Bob

Seth Godin speaks to every voice actor today (though his intent I’m sure is broader than that) when he speaks about “Saying no.”

(edited to fix typos)

Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Ever need to convert audio to a strange telephony format?

Posted by Bob

Then you’re going to love the new site called Convert My Files, Now!

Category: General, Tools | Comments (0)
The new union commercial deal has been approved

Posted by Bob

AFTRA and SAG have jointly announced that new three-year deals have been approved by the rank-and-file that cover commercials made for television, radio, the Internet and new media. The final tally showed 94% “yes” votes. The new deal is effective retroactively to the 1st of April 2009 and continues through the end of March 2012.

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Checkmate

Posted May 25, 2009 by Bob

My friend Mary Morgan is featured in this short film.

Nice work Mary!

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Voiceover friends in Raleigh

Posted May 24, 2009 by Bob

When the delightful news that my friend Kara Edwards was going to be in Raleigh, NC (just a 2.5 hour drive up the road from me in Charlotte) on the same weekend at that my friend Rowell Gormon was celebrating his umpty-umpth birthday, it seemed like the best possible excuse for a voiceover road trip.

It turned out to be a great way to spend a day. Not only did I get to visit with Rowell again (always a delight) and to see Kara again, I also got to see Donovan Corneetz again and to meet Chadd Pierce for the first time. We spent an all too brief 3 hours chatting together at a delightful place called The Carolina Cafe.

When the meal was done, we found a spot outside where I could test out my camera’s automatic timer photo setting.

As you can see it worked. From the left, that’s Donovan Corneetz, Kara Edwards, Rowell Gormon, Chadd Pierce and me. Truly a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Category: General | Comments (9)
Living in a half-built house?

Posted May 23, 2009 by Bob

When people believe the world is going to end in six months, they’ll do all kinds of strange things. Like live in a house that’s only half finished. Peter Bregman blogs about how that situation parallels the way a lot of us are living these days. I found Peter’s blog while reading Bill Taylor’s blog post about Recession Leadership, a post that’s also well worth a few minutes of your time. My thanks to Tom Asacker for linking to Bill’s blog post yesterday.

Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
A great big round-up of recording software

Posted May 22, 2009 by Bob

With thanks to my friend Dave Courvoisier for posting a link to this article on his blog, be sure to check out the exceptional article in EQ magazine cover all of the major Digital Audio Workstations.

Category: General, Tools | Comments (0)
Changing everything?

Posted by Bob

With thanks to my manger and friend Stacey Stahl for sending the link my way, don’t miss this TED talk from Seth Godin on the tribes we lead.

Category: General | Comments (0)
Share the experience

Posted May 21, 2009 by Bob

Scott Brick’s blog has a big announcment. A contest sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association called Share the Experience could provide you with the opportunity to immediately begin working as an audiobook narrator because the contest is searching for the next great audiobook narrator. Again, details are on Scott Brick’s blog.

Category: General, Getting started in Voiceover, People | Comments (0)
You auditions, weak or strong?

Posted by Bob

Take a look at the question of auditions with the multitalented Bill Holmes on Voiceover Xtra.

Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Web analytics insights

Posted May 20, 2009 by Bob

The folks at Future Now know a whole lot about how to make your web site ever more effective for your business. I highly recommend you spend some time reading through this excellent post called Make Your Web Analytics Actionable in 5 DIY Steps. Well worth your time.

Category: General | Comments (0)
What kind of attention?

Posted by Bob

Tom Asacker writes today about the constant search for attention in the marketplace. He cautions that much of this search for attention is, at best, wasted effort and may even be counter-productive.

Sure, if something pops into view, people will be compelled to look at it . . . once! But spending money to force it to pop into someone’s view is a flawed approach. Like the buzz of mosquitos, the annoyance will ultimately be ignored or brushed off. If they become a big problem, folks will purchase products to eliminate them.

What are you (what am I) doing to be genuinely different, to deliver genuine value, in today’s overcrowded media marketplace?

Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Words to Hours

Posted May 19, 2009 by Bob

The folks at Edge Studio have prepared a set of guidelines if you need to convert from the number of words in a project to the number of hours it will be when finished.

Category: General, Tools | Comments (0)
Rest in Peace, Wayne Allwine

Posted by Bob

With thanks to Matt Dunford who posted the link in the Voice Actors Appreciation Society Yahoo! Group, you can read a wonderful tribute to Wayne Allwine, the voice of Mickey Mouse, on the Disney Blog.

In the Disney Blog post, that YouTube video is embedded.

(edited to add video)

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
The lost art of reading aloud

Posted May 18, 2009 by Bob

Nancy Wolfson emailed me an article this evening that is published by the New York Times and can also be found here on the Education News web site. The author of the article, Verlyn Klinkenborg, offers some sobering thoughts about what we’ve lost in the last century plus as society has abandoned the practice of reading aloud to one another.

As a narrator of audiobooks, I’m grateful for the business opportunities presented to me by the explosive growth of audiobooks. I find there is something truly wonderful about telling great stories, finding ways to bring the words to life. (Not just with audiobooks, of course. I love voiceover work in all its various aspects.)

It’s not possible to unscramble the eggs and thus society isn’t going to reverse itself and go back to the way things used to be; but I do understand that some things are gained and some are lost with each such turn in the direction of life and civilization.

(edited to fix typos and add some clarificiation)

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Even more nice people in Ohio

Posted May 17, 2009 by Bob

My friend Dan Nachtrab along with his wife Niki and daughter Cara joined my wife Cinda and our three boys (Eric, David and Brian) for lunch today near Dayton, OH. It represents only the second time I’ve visited with Dan where he didn’t have to travel at least an hour for our visit. Clearly, Dan is a very nice guy. Not to mention a brilliantly talented voice actor.

My middle son David volunteered to take the photo, which explains why he’s not in the shot. All in all it was a wonderful way to spend a few hours in the middle of a Sunday in May.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)
More nice folks in Ohio

Posted May 16, 2009 by Bob

I’ve been corresponding with Ron Harper now and then for a few years now, ever since I ran across his voiceover blog. Each time I’ve been in Western or Central Ohio we’ve tried to work it out so that he could join us for one of our voiceover get-togethers, but something has always come up that kept him from joining us. However, today we finally made the connection.

From left to right, that’s Ron Harper with Eric, David, Brian, Cinda and Bob Souer. We enjoyed a very nice meal together and some delightful conversation about everything from WRKP to how Ron got started in radio back when he was in college. So much fun.

Category: General, People | Comments (0)

Bob Souer

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