My friend Dave Courvoisier sent along the following press release and asked me to share it with you today. I’m happy to do so.
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Voice actor, Blogger, and Social Media advocate Dave Courvoisier announces a September promotion to help build an informational database that benefits voice actors everywhere, while encouraging a sense of community and providing a fun program offering valuable prizes.
“In 2010, the NVOAM (National Voice Over Appreciation Month) event struck a chord with voice actors everywhere who agreed it was time to celebrate the profession of voice acting,” notes Dave Courvoisier. “With very little foreknowledge, hundreds of voice artists around the world responded with enthusiasm to the month-long ‘appreciation’. A central website collected the support of voice talent, showcased a series of collaborative Public Service Announcements, and kept a running and busy calendar of voiceover happenings in September.”
VOAT in 2011 will capitalize on the positive response and momentum of the September 2010 NVOAM promotion, but with several important improvements. Notably, this year’s website (VOAToday.com) plays off the ‘VOTE’ homonym by asking voice actors globally to ‘VOAT’ on 4 different issues impacting voice actors…one for each week of the month. The ‘VOAT’ consists of an answer to a “question of the week”. ‘VOATing’ in this manner allows the website visitor to be eligible for specific voiceover-targeted prizes provided by well-respected voiceover equipment, service, and client-seeking providers.
As an example, the question being asked of visitors to the site during the first week of September will be: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GO-TO MICROPHONE FOR THE PRICE? (given that this is a personal decision based on many factors).
People responding, are required only to provide their name and an answer. No data is collected on the visitors. The site also allows respondents to upload a picture or soundfile to accompany their comment if they wish. “All the responses will be listed in a thread-like format for all to see on the website, creating a collective knowledge-base that will benefit the entire community of voiceover artists,” adds Courvoisier, “each week a new question, new comments, a new set of prizes, and a new winner.”
Prizes for the month-long event are generous. High-profile businesses readily recognized by voice actors everywhere are contributing substantive prizes, including for instance, a free year’s premium subscription to Voices.com, a choice of free year-long/lifetime subscriptions to Voice123.com, various VO-related equipment offerings from Sweetwater.com, and a choice of demo or consulting services from Edge Studio in NYC. In addition, John Florian of VoiceOverXtra, is offering a free pass to an upcoming webinar, and as a Grand Prize, Dave Courvoisier is contributing an Alesis iODock device for recording on the iPad. This is not a complete listing of prizes.
Sponsors include: Voices.com, Voice123.com, SaVoa.org, VoiceOverXtra, Sweetwater.com, and Edge Studio. “Voice actors are an extremely supportive, encouraging and giving people. Many of them have enabled and sustained my VO career, and this is an attempt to celebrate the generous nature of the business, while helping to inform and create a community of like-minded peers,” adds Courvoisier.
