Posted July 13, 2009 by Bob
James Alburger and Penny Abshire email with news about a free tele-seminar they’re holding on this Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 3:00 PM Eastern/ 12 Noon Pacific. My friend Dave Courvoisier is the featured guest. Details are on the VoiceActing Academy website.
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Category: General, Getting started in Voiceover, People | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
On the ProComm Studio Services blog you’ll find a well-written article comparing these two Neumann microphones. My thanks to my friend David Houston for tweeting the link.
Category: General, Tools | Comments (16)
Posted by Bob
With my thanks to Kat Keesling for posting the link to this video on Facebook, I thought this video by Andy Lopata was the clearest explanation of how to use Twitter that I’ve seen.
If you like this video by Andy, you might also want to check out his blog.
Category: General | Comments (0)
Posted July 12, 2009 by Bob
When I’m really honest with myself I know that one of my great weaknesses as a voice actor is that I tend to stick pretty close to my comfort zone. Now, there’s a strong argument in favor of this plan. After all, the things that I do best are the things I’m most likely to book. And if I don’t work, well, it’s not a pretty picture. The same is true for you, no matter where you are with your own business. I don’t need to spell out all the details.
But, if we stick too close to our comfort zone to much of the time, we start to get, that’s right, comfortable. You know what another word for comfortable is? At least for those of us who are preformers of one kind or another? Boring. You know how much work boring books? Exactly.
So, a couple of days ago I had one of those moments that jolted me awake to the fact that I must work outside my comfort zone more often. I’d received an audition from my agents in Portland, In Both Ears. The audition had 2 male characters, one a sort of archtypical announcer guy and the other one of the fast-talking “disclaimer” guys. While I can talk quickly enough, I tend to stay away from the disclaimer stuff because, you guessed it, it’s not in my comfort zone. The announcer thing, while I don’t do a ton of that kind of thing any more, was familiar. So I sent in an audition for only the announcer guy.
Fortunately for me, the client liked what I sent enough to ask my agent to have me read for the disclaimer part. I say fortunately because once I’d sent along the audtion for that part too, it was only about 3 hours later In Both Ears called to say that I’d booked … the disclaimer guy.
So, what’s it going to be? Stick in the comfort zone all the time and grown more and more boring with each passing month? Or, step out of the comfort zone and find a way to be interesting again? Maybe even find a way to be more interesting when working in the comfort zone?
Category: General | Comments (10)
Posted July 10, 2009 by Bob
A famous slogan from a famous company and also very good advice for all who have their own business. As Jay H. Heyman points out, if you wait long enough, it won’t matter any more whether you do or don’t do whatever it was that you were thinking about. So, even if it seems like a stupid idea, just get in motion and do the thing that’s in front of you.
Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
Steve Stone, one of the rising stars in the voiceover world, is the featured guest on Ryan Drean’s The Producers podcast.
(edited to fix podcast name)
Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Posted July 9, 2009 by Bob
As you’ll see, the Bob in question isn’t me. But it’s a very funny video that I ran across thanks to the SunSpots blog and my friend Jane Ingalls.
Category: General | Comments (2)
Posted by Bob
Should you have a blog? We both know that I can’t answer that question for you, but if you seriously want to have a blog, you need to take it seriously. Here are 10 solid suggestions you can use to help you focus on what’s important to you from a professional photographer named Jen O’Sullivan. The application to your voiceover business shouldn’t be difficult.
My thanks to Lee Plaud for emailing me this link.
Category: Blogging, General | Comments (5)
Posted by Bob
Ed Victor offers his thoughts and opinions about the so called “pay to play” sites as a demo of his new series of webisodes.
Nice work, Ed. I look forward to seeing more of your webisodes.
Category: General, People | Comments (2)
Posted by Bob
Tracy Pattin has just posted part one of an interview with Ali Muirden and Lorelei King of Creative Content, an audiobook publishing company based in the UK.
Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Posted July 8, 2009 by Bob
Terry Daniel and I have a mutual agent in Atlanta, Julie Martin, who has asked for our help because a family member is missing. Terry has posted a video on YouTube with the details.
Category: General | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
David Goldberg of Edge Studio offers some excellent thoughts about voice actors and their marketing in an article published at VoiceOverXtra today.(My thanks to my friend Mike Cooper for tweeting the link.)
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Category: General | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
My friend Anthony Mendez is doing some really great work these days. Click through to his site to see the trailer for IFC Film’s The Disappeared.
(updated to fix font problem)
Category: General, People | Comments (2)
Posted by Bob
My friend Craig Crumpton posted an interesting piece about the changing tides in the casting of animated films. My thanks to another friend, Kat Keesling, for re-tweeting Kyle Hebert‘s original about the post, thus bringing it to my attention.
(updated to fix font problem)
Category: General | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
My friend Kat Keesling tweeted early this morning about her very first video post to YouTube.
Bravo for you, Kat!
Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
During our recent travels as a family we had a chance to get together with Pam Tierney and Justin Kaiser and then as I noted previously, Pam, Eric and I walked over to Wrigley Field for the Cubs game.
Eric Souer, Pam Tierney and me in the stands at Wrigley.
After the game, we walked out under the famous sign where Pam took at shot of Eric and me.
The following day the whole family stopped to visit with Amanda Fellows, a voice talent in Indianapolis.
Here is the family with Amanda. We had a very nice visit with her and then got back on the road toward home.
Category: General, People | Comments (1)
Posted July 7, 2009 by Bob
Raleigh R. Pinskey is going to interview Pat Fraley on her blog talk radio show. The title is How’s Your Attitude of Gladitude? Should be a great deal of fun because Pat always has something funny to say and something very much worth hearing. Usually at the same time.
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Category: General, People | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
The late, great, football coach Vince Lombardi once began a practice session (or at least so the story goes) with his team of professional football players by holding up an object and saying “Gentlemen, this is a football.” I mention that story because, whether it’s true or not, it’s a great reminder that sometimes it’s really important to remember even the most basic stuff.
So, regardless of where you are in your marketing efforts for your voiceover business right now, take a moment to click through to the blog post called Creature comfort? at Drew’s Marketing Minute. You’ll be glad you did.
(My thanks to my manager and friend, Stacey Stahl, for sending the link to this post.
(edited to fix typo)
Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Posted July 6, 2009 by Bob
My wife Cinda alerted me to a mention of voiceover in today’s Hi & Lois comic.
Category: General | Comments (0)
Posted July 5, 2009 by Bob
We had a small voiceover get-together in Chicago today at the home of Pam Tierney, which happens to be just a couple of blocks from Wrigley Field, the home of the Chicago Cubs. Also in attendance were Justin Kaiser, me and my son Eric.
From the left, my son Eric, Pam Tierney, Justin Kaiser and me.
Pam prepared a very nice meal of burgers, brats, corn-on-the-cob, fruit salad, tater tots and brownies which we enjoyed on her roof-top deck. Then Justin had to leave for family obligations so Pam, Eric and I walked over to the ballpark and watched the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers. All in in a truly nice day.
Category: General | Comments (0)
Posted July 4, 2009 by Bob
Voice actor Linda Ristig has an article on VoiceOverXtra that gives you a look at Ping.fm, a site that can save you a lot of time and hassle once you’ve set it up.
Category: General, Tools | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
In a recent podcast, my friend Justin Kaiser gets together with another of my friends, Joey Pepin. I think you’ll enjoy listening to the whole thing.
Category: General, People | Comments (5)
Posted by Bob
Marice Tobias will be leading a Commercial and Narration Master Intensive voiceover workshop the weekend of July 18 and 19, 2009 at Studio West in San Diego, CA.
To reserve your spot, please call or e-mail Stacey Stahl at Creative Entertainment Management, as soon as possible. Phone – 503.246.2239 • Email – Stacey@creativeentertainmentmanagement.com
Payment in full guarantees attendance. • Preferred hotel rates available via Studio West. Fee: $775. for new clients and $650. for returning attendees.
Category: Career Advice, General, People | Comments (0)
Posted July 3, 2009 by Bob
The new look has been launched. I hope if you normally read these posts in a newsreader or your email that you’ll take a moment to swing by the newly dressed site and blog to have a look around. Comments are open so feel free to let me know what you think. This re-design was a joint effort with my manager Stacey Stahl and with Joel Coreson and the rest of the team at Prise Design Group.
(Updated to add additional information.)
Category: General | Comments (19)
Posted July 2, 2009 by Bob
Both my main voiceover web site and this voiceover blog are starting the metamorphosis that has been in the planning stages for quite some time. You may encounter some times over the next 24 to 48 hours when the site won’t load, but at some point near the end of this process things are going to look quite a bit different.
As part of this transmogrification, I won’t be making any more posts until the changes are finished. While the look will be quite different, the content isn’t going to change a bit.
Meanwhile, I hope all of my friends to the North had a wonderful Canada Day yesterday and that all of my friends around the USA have a wonderful Independence Day on Saturday. I promise I’ll be back soon with updates, links, thoughts and comments for you.
Category: General | Comments (6)
Posted July 1, 2009 by Bob
Tracy Pattin sent me some questions the other day. I replied with my answers and now they are appearing on her blog. Thank you, Tracy.
(Update: The second part of the interview has now been posted.)
Category: General, People | Comments (2)
Posted by Bob
Take a few minutes to look at Seth Godin’s blog for some thought provoking comments about risk and reward. Well worth your time today.
Category: Career Advice, General | Comments (0)
Posted by Bob
Scott Brick says on his blog that the deadline for the search for the best new audiobook narrator has been extended. I wish I could enter, but the contest is only open to people who have not been paid to record an audiobook. On the other hand, I’m kind of glad I don’t qualify because I have been. Many times. I love narrating audiobooks, especially non-fiction!
Category: General | Comments (0)
