With the number of days left until the study weekend (Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18, 2008) and the number of seats left both in short supply, Bob has posted a note on the VO-BB that he’s offering a 10% discount for anyone who signs up at the last minute. Registration details are here. And mention that you heard about Bob’s discount through the VO-BB.
Blog
A brilliant example of marketing
Today I SumbledUpon what I think it a terrific example of good marketing from a company called Clusta Rack. By the way, marketing genius (and friend) Tom Asacker posted a link to the YouTube version of this video two days ago. And by clicking through on his link, I discovered the video about the background, also on YouTube.
Negotiating tips
My friend Tracy Pattin offers some common sense suggestions about negotiation on the VoiceRegistry blog.
Billy West on CNBC
Voice actor Billy West is featured in this interview from CNBC.
My thanks to Rush Renshaw for posting the link to this video on his blog.
Only 100 can attend The International Radio Creative and Production Summit 2008?
When you go to the web page for the International Radio Creative and Production Summit you’ll see, among other things, that Dan O’Day limits attendance to 100. Several folks have asked me if this is a real number, or just a sales gimmick. It’s no gimmick. Dan really does limit attendance to 100 people. I’m going to be there this year. My oldest son Eric is going to be there with me because he’s working with me in my voiceover business, at least for the next year. So, that leaves just 98 places for you and everyone else who wants to attend. And since I know that Dick Terhune is going to be there again this year, Todd Tolces has told me he’s going to be back again. I think my friend from Chicago, Pam Tierney is returning, too. Now we’re down to 95 places. I’m pretty sure quite a few other previous attendees (Dan calls us Repeat Offenders) will be there, too. So, if you’ve been thinking about coming to the Summit, you might want to get your registration in sooner rather than later. Because once the 100 places are filled, that’s it. This year’s Summit runs August 8 and 9, 2008. It’s at the LAX Hilton once again.
How do you know if you should be there? For us in voiceover work, there is always a ton of valuable information. Some years more than others. This is one of the more years. We’re going to hear from Pat Fraley. If you don’t know Pat’s name, you’ve heard his voice thousands of times. We’re going to get a chance to work with Nancy Wolfson, one of the very top voiceover coaches. I’ve studied with Nancy personally and I think you’ll love her blend of brutal honesty and uplifting encouragement. And the legendary Dick Orkin (co-founder with Dan of the Summit) will be there.
If you do any commercial copy writing, there will be opportunities to learn some new ideas and techniques, practical stuff you will be able to put to use, literally, immediately. And, if you’re involved in radio imaging, there’s going to be a top-flight panel of imaging voice and production people.
So, if you do voiceovers or work at a radio station, especially if you write copy or do imaging, you should seriously think about attending the Summit. Or, let me put it in more concrete terms. By putting into practice what I’ve learned through my multiple years of attending the Summit, I’ve added, as a conservative estimate, $300,000 to my family’s income. Are you going to have the same results? I certainly can’t promise that, but I am confident you’ll benefit more than what you pay to attend. I have every single year, for eleven years running.
By the way, this year, for the first time, Dan has started an affiliate program for folks who have previously attended the Summit at least twice. The one exception being those who attended the Summit for the first time last year can also take part. (If you were at last year’s Summit or you’ve been to the Summit at least twice and you’d like to take part, email Dan and ask for details. His email address is on his web site, if you don’t all ready have it.) What this means is that if you decide to attend the Summit for the first time and you would like for me to get a commission on your registration, put my name as the person who referred you, in the comment field at the bottom of the on-line registration form. Or, if you fax or mail your registration, just write my name as your reference on your form.
But, please, if you’d rather I DIDN’T get the commission, then DON’T put my name in the comment box. Your price for the Summit will be exactly the same regardless of whether you put me down as referring you or not.
Again, that limitation of 100 attendees is real. The Summit is taking place the same weekend as VOICE 2008. I’m planning to attend both. That is, I’m going to attend all of the Summit and as much of VOICE as I can. What ever you decide to do that weekend, I hope I get to see you in Los Angeles the second weekend of August 2008.
Voicing on the road with a frog or cat
OK, not really a frog or a cat; that’s a not so subtle reference to my friend Liz de Nesnera’s voiceover blog. But, the central point of this post is to point you to an excellent article on VoiceOverXtra written by Liz and filled with sensible suggestions about how to voice while you’re traveling.
A book trailer
Yes, really. Robert Gorell points out the brilliant marketing tool being used for one of the new books from Riverhead Books in a recent post on the Future Now blog. I’d suggest that one of the things that makes the trailer work so well is the very decent voiceover, without which the trailer could have been, well, pretty lame.
Update: From the comments left by Robert Gorell, we learn that it was not the publisher who prepared this excellent piece, so I’ve adjusted the information above to more accurately reflect that information. Kudos to the creative work (by Lindsey Testolin) in putting this piece together.
Personalized Organization newsletter archive
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting Kristine Oller, you don’t need anything more from me that the link to take you to Kristine’s Newsletter Archive. On the other hand, if you don’t know who Kristine Oller is, take a few minutes to dig through her web site. While you’re there, be sure to check her blog. No there aren’t a lot of posts, but the value isn’t in the quantity.
Back? Good, because now you, too, understand what a gold mine of valuable information is buried in those newsletters.
Added a new site to the blogroll
I Rock the Mic VO.com is a new social networking site intended specifically for voiceover talent. I’ve joined. So have several of my friends, and yours. Come join us.
With thanks to my friend Dan Nachtrab for sending me the invitation to join this afternoon.
Meet Mary Jane Watson’s voice
In the video game Spectacular Spider-Man the role of Mary Jane Watson (Spidey’s girl friend, in case you don’t know) is voiced by Vanessa Marshall. Vanessa is interviewed at the Comics2Film site. My thanks to my friend James Lorenz for posting the link to this interview on his blog.
Meetings
Liz remembered, I didn’t
Ah well, sometimes life gets in the way of the little celebrations. Thankfully I normally remember the important ones like my anniversary, my wife’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, the birthdays of our children and so forth. But, yesterday was my third blogiversary and I actually forgot about it until I noticed the link coming in from my friend Liz de Nesnera’s blog.
When I started, I had no idea how well or poorly I would do at this blogging thing. I did know that I had to choose a subject about which I am passionate (and voiceover most certainly is such a subject) and that I had to write. (In one capacity or another, I’ve been a professional copywriter since 1984, mainly for radio.) I hope you enjoy what you find here. Thank you for reading.
(edited to fix typos)
Another Pat Fraley class, this one in Buffalo
My friend Peter O’Connell notes on his blog that Pat Fraley will be teaching in Buffalo on August 16 and 17, 2008.
A USB stick to the rescue
Craig Anderton writes about an experience he had recently in which he was trying to finish a, in his case, video editing project and his laptop hard drive wasn’t robust enough to keep up. He found a rather creative solution to his problem that I thought might be interesting to read and apply for those times when we’re working work on the road on a large VO project.
Talking Pants
My friends Rowell Gormon and Donovan Corneetz are featured in this television ad.
Wonderful work, guys. And thanks, Rowell, for posting the link on the VO-BB.
Update: Rowell provides a good deal of background on the production of this commercial in a post on his blog.
Bob Bergen in Hartford, CT
In just a couple of weeks, Bob Bergen will be holding a weekend workshop in Hartford, CT on May 17 and 18, 2008. Bob is best known as the voice of Porky Pig and Tweety Bird for the last number of years, but does a lot more than animation work. I know from first hand accounts by several of my friends, you’ll learn a ton at this workshop and there are still a couple of seats available. Registration details are here.
DB Cooper featured in AFTRA Magazine
My friend DB Cooper has a prominent spot in the latest issue of AFTRA Magazine. (Link is PDF file.) Kudos to you, Deirdre.
Pat Fraley in Hartford, CT
Pat Fraley will be teaching a weekend voiceover seminar June 21 and 22, 2008 in Hartford, CT. If you live and voice in the Northeast, you might want take advantage of this opportunity for 2 days of fun and learning. Register here and have a great time.
Health Insurance survy results
John Florian emails this morning with news that his site, VoiceOverXtra, has published the results of his health insurance survey among voice talent.
Take your game to the next level
Now and then a door of opportunity opens. That door stays open for a while, then is closes again. This is one of those doors. Currently I’m studying with a remarkable lady named Marice Tobias. She emailed me this evening to remind me about a voiceover seminar she is holding in Kansas City the weekend of May 17 and 18, 2008 on Promo and Trailer work. I had so much hoped to be there, but cannot because of other work obligations already on the books from many months ago.
So, about that door. The seminar is being held at Don Miller’s studio. His contact information is on his site. If you are a working professional voiceover, ready to move to the next level, you might want to walk through this door.