There are a lot of people these days who have hung out a shingle proclaiming themselves voiceover coaches. I’m not writing this post to criticize any of them specifically because honestly I don’t know anything specific about the vast majority of them. I’ve personally studied with (in chronological order) Dick Orkin, Pat Fraley, Nancy Wolfson, Marla Kirban, Marice Tobias and Richard Horvitz; and I’ve worked extensively with only Nancy Wolfson and Marice Tobias.
Again, this post isn’t about specific coaches, but rather an attempt to help you figure out who you should study with. Or maybe more to the point, who you shouldn’t study with. One of the blogs I read frequently is called The Simple Dollar, a blog about frugality and personal finance. Trent writes a review of a book every Sunday and this past weekend his subject was a book by Barbara Ehrenreich called “Bait and Switch,” a book about getting a white-collar job in the USA. Take a few minutes to read his review, and in particular his summary of the key points from the book at the end of the review. Now, think about what he’s saying in the context of voiceover coaches.
Don’t try to get jobs you’re not really qualified for; instead build up your own qualifications.
Don’t believe that coaches and workshops will put you where you want to go. Coaches and workshops can help, but you have to do the work of building your business yourself.
Networking events aren’t the magic answers either. Networking is something you do, not something someone else sets up and does for you.
Success comes from a long climb up a ladder, not an immediate leap to the top.
If you’ve thought about attending Faffcon 2, you can still register after tomorrow evening; but at an extra cost. The price for registration goes up again Tuesday. Faffcon is the one event I will not miss, no matter where it’s held or how often. If you are a working voiceover professional, full or part-time, I strongly encourage you to attend. Meanwhile, a press release has just been issued by Faffcon’s public relations manager, the lovely and talented Pam Tierney. One bit of good news I was especially delighted to see is that registration for Faffcon 2 is up 30% over the first Faffcon. Here’s the full release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Registration Up 30% for 2nd FaffCon Voiceover Unconference
(Los Angeles, CA January 31, 2011) With 4 weeks to go until FaffCon 2, registration for the unconference for working voice over artists has risen 30% over last September’s inaugural event. Participants from 19 states, the District of Columbia and Canada will be attending the February 25th-27th unconference to be held at the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel in Atlanta, GA.
With a focus on performance, business and marketing, and technology, FaffCon follows a highly-interactive, peer-to-peer learning format. Previous session topics have included performance techniques, setting up and troubleshooting home recording studios, and finding new business.
Presenting sponsor Voicebank.net is once again on board. Voicebank’s VP Stewart Wilson-Turner says “one of the primary reasons Voicebank chose to partner with FaffCon was its demonstration of professionalism and genuine effort and desire to promote constructive dialogue amongst working voice over artists in the industry.”
One of FaffCon’s missions is to leave a positive footprint in each of its host cities by making a donation to a local communication-related non-profit. FaffCon’s organizer, voice over talent Amy Snively, selected Everybody Wins Atlanta as FaffCon 2’s charity partner. “As Voice Artists, literacy is extremely important to us,” Snively says. “Partnering with Everybody Wins Atlanta and their mission to get kids reading, and loving it, is a logical extension of that priority.” A portion of each FaffCon registration fee will be donated to EWA.
Space is still available for FaffCon 2: Electric Boogaloo with regular registration open until 1/31/11. There is limited availability for the Friday Fieldtrip, a VIP tour of the CNN Center and dinner at Max Lager’s with stand-up comic Mrs Hughes performing a live set. Dinner only tickets are also available.
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FaffCon is a participant driven peer to peer event for working Voice Over professionals. It is an open space unconference revolving around a dynamically generated agenda to share tips, generate ideas and have fun. Unconferences are an emerging way to meet fellow professionals to share ideas and problem solve with others in the trenches.
Launched in 1998 and recognized as the service that “put the voice over industry online”, Voicebank’s voice-over audition system is the most widely casting software on the Web. It is the primary casting and project management tool used by more than 1600 top Ad Agencies, Animation Houses & TV/Film Studios, Independent Producers, Production Facilities and Casting Directors (voice over & theatrical) around the World.
Dan O’Day has just released a 2-hour and 13-minute mp3 audio seminar (plus PDF study guide) on voiceover demo secrets featuring David Lawrence, one of the brightest guys I know (and he’s featured in that Price is Right video clip I posted a few days ago) who has a ton of valuable advice for every current and aspiring voiceover talent in this mp3 audio seminar.
All the details, including ordering information, are available at this web page.
This is not a sequel. Each of these Teleseminars reveals a chapter from Nancy’s core curriculum, useful Q and A from your peers, plus more marketing and business tips that you can put to use immediately.
Each moment offers unique “behind the velvet rope of the agency/casting scene” advice not available anywhere else.
60 minute lecture, 15 min Q & A…so bring your questions and notebooks!
* PATTERN RECOGNITION 101: Standard sentence structure contains word(s) you should NOT emphasize. Hit ‘em, and you’ll miss the mark, big time.
What to hit instead….? And how? Hint: Rhetorical Antithesis. (we’ll wait while you go fetch your Shakespeare Studies manual).
* FOLLOWING UP ON YOUR AUDITIONS – Do’s and Don’ts. * WAYS TO GET BETTER AT RESPONDING TO A LINE READ. * HOW TO INTERVIEW WITH A NEW AGENT WITHOUT LYING. – You might be surprised by what’s okay to mention… * Don’t Pretty Up the Mom (and how this applies to you GUYS,too). * Three reasons why demos will never go away. * Plus, a killer QandA!!!
Kevin Delaney will be hosting a free live webinar with Bob Bergen, the voice of Porky Pig, on Thursday, January 27 at 7:00 PM Pacific / 10:00 PM Eastern.
Update: Kevin has posted this audio from this webinar on his blog.
Head over to Peter O’Connell’s blog and voice for your top 3 picks for this year’s Fauxditions. The person who garners the most votes will get a free registration to Faffcon2 in Atlanta. By the way, even if you didn’t enter the Fauxditions, if you are a working professional voiceover (full or part-time) you want to seriously consider attending Faffcon2, taking place in Atlanta during the last weekend in February.
While I like being part of popular movements and taking part in things that lots of other folks are taking part in, I also have this streak in me that, when it seems like everyone is going a particular direction, I like to take a different path.
You need to take your path. I need to take mine. Lots of the time we’re going to be traveling the same road, sometimes we’ll be heading in directions that have nothing to do with one another. I’m deeply grateful that you read this blog from time to time. Thank you.
When I started blogging nearly six years ago it was with the express purpose to talk about voiceover, which was at the time one of my life-long passions. Also at the time, it was a dream of mine to be working full-time and exclusively as a voiceover. I didn’t have any idea how I might be able to pull that off, with a wife and four children and being the sole “bread-winner” of said family.
But persistence, hard work and divine providence eventually led me (almost 2 years ago now) to leave my corporate job and strike out on this voiceover-only path. One unanticipated consequence of that shift is that it has actually become a bit harder to be consistent about my blogging now that all I’m doing (from a work point of view anyway) is voiceover. To you, my dear reader, I apologize for my inconsistent blogging of late. I will do my best to keep bringing you ideas and performances and people that I think will interest you. And to share with you, now and then, from my own well of experiences.
May I give you another reason you really should think about coming to Faffcon2 in Atlanta at the end of next month, February 2011? Not only is it a mind-boggling experience for working voiceover pros as we learn from one another and teach one another in the unique UNconference setting that is Faffcon; but we leave a positive footprint in every city where this event is held by donating to a local communications-related charity. Want to know about that charity in Atlanta? So, come and gain both directly through the experiences and through knowing that you’re also helping some of those who need help learning to read. A classic win-win!
My friend Peter O’Connell comes up with a fun fake audition each year that he’s come to call his “Faux-ditions” and this year’s time has come. Please do take part, have fun and if you do well, you could win, well in past years you got a whole lot of nothing; but this year Peter has arrived for a free admission to Faffcon2, the unconference for working voiceover professionals, as the grand prize! Details are on Peter’s blog.
Yes. This is either good news or bad news depending on your point of view. Check out the article at VoiceOverXtra for details. (Thanks, John Florian for the email.)
David H. Lawrence, whom I met a few years ago at one of the Dan O’Day Summit events in Los Angeles, takes a guest turn on The Price is Right. Check it out.
Yes, I’m delighted to let you know that Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino have put their heads together and are planning Acting for Advertising Part 10 on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 9:00 PM Eastern / 6:00 PM Pacific. Nancy is going to cover 2 chapters of her core curriculum this time, so you’ll get double value for your money. Price to get on the call including an MP3 copy to keep is $49. Reserve your spot at Break Into Voice Over.
I don’t know why the body of this email disappeared before I posted it yesterday evening, but for those of you wondering what this was about, it’s a video from TED that’s worth your 20 minutes.
Marice Tobias will hold her first weekend seminar of this new year in Los Angeles later this month. Details are on her blog. Marice is amazing and works exclusively with established pros. If you do study with her, I’m confident you’ll be glad you did.
Kevin Delaney emails with a note that he is planning a free webinar on New Year’s Eve (UPDATE: on Wednesday, January 5th) about New Year’s resolutions and making 2011 your best year yet. Details are at his Wealthy Bohemian blog.
