My friend Elaine Singer has just learned first hand why I always give the same answer to everyone who asks me about how to get started recording audiobooks. That answer? Take Pat Fraley’s audiobook class. (If you don’t see an audiobook class listed at the link, send an email requesting to be added to his notification list.) You’ll learn everything you need to know. And if you make any kind of effort at pursuing audiobook work after you’ve completed the class, you’ll quickly make back what the class costs.
General
Authenticity?
One of my favorite bloggers on the subject of branding is Tom Asacker. His “A Clear Eye” is a must read, so much so that I subscribe to his site via RSS. His latest post links to a new white paper he’s written on the current marketing buzz about authenticity.
Here are two of the ways Tom’s paper connects back to the world of voiceover work:
1. As talent, we must do everything we can through our performances to help deliver an “authentic” experience for our clients regardless of the quality of the writing.
2. As producers, the voice talents you select need to have the talent and ability to deliver a performance that moves your brand forward. Quality and availability are the defining characteristics, not price.
Who cares how you get there
My friend Jeffrey Kafer has written a post for his blog that underscores something I’ve long believed: many times the best solutions are the simplest. In Jeffrey’s case, he was trying to figure out the best way to set up his home studio to do a phone patch. Our mutual friend Frank Frederick (yes, Jeffrey, he is a super nice guy) gave this exact advice about not picking an expensive and complicated solution when a simple one will do.
Good for you, Jeffrey. May there be many more.
Social Bookmarks
With my thanks to my friend Peter O’Connell for his post about this wonderful WordPress plugin, I’ve added Social Bookmarks to my site.
Voices over
Check out the brilliant post at Other Men’s Flowers, subtitled, A dozen tactful phrases used to intimidate voice-over artistes: (here are a couple of my favorites)
Didn’t you used to be an actor?
We’ve still got point three of a second to play with, actually. You can spread it over the whole read if you like.
A hat tip to Tim McLaughlin for linking to this post.
Calling all Dragonball Z fans (updated)
My friend Kara Edwards gives voice to Goten here in the USA. At an anime conference in Raleigh, NC this weekend, Kara and Takeshi Kusao (who voices Trunks in Japan) were captured in a special moment that’s on YouTube.
Kara provides some background on what’s happening in her post at the top of this thread on the VO-BB. And she speaks about how she got involved in Dragonball Z on this YouTube video from just a bit earlier at the same Raleigh, NC anime conference.
Update: Here’s another view, that includes the audience.
Looks like a Bob
This has nothing to do with voiceover work, but I just had to tell you about this. Evidently, there is research that demonstrates we humans link certain facial characteristics with certain names. Among the names with the strongest linkages between face and name are Bob, Bill, Brian and Jason. So, if you’ve ever said about someone, “he just looks like a Bob,” now you know why. Oh, and yes, I do actually fit the common characteristics of a Bob, which is a good thing since I am one.
If you read the linked article, you’ll note that the researchers tested only male names and only Caucasian male faces because they were looking for how subtle differences influence our associations between names and faces. (A hat tip to Bob Mould for the link to this article.)
My voice wento to Iraq for Memorial Day (updated)
I mentioned previously that I was given the exceptional privilege of providing some volunteer voiceovers for a countdown of the Greatest Rock Songs of all time for this Memorial Day weekend 2007. Air Force Sgt Chris Eder, known to his radio audience as Kasbah, has posted some audio and photos on his blog.
(Update: You’ll find more audio and comments at my friend Peter O’Connell’s blog, here.)
What a delight and honor to be able to play a tiny role in this enterprise. Thanks for asking Chris. I’m hoping and praying that you and all of your brothers and sisters in arms there in Iraq come home safely and with the satisfaction of knowing your mission is complete.
(Further update: Chris has posted more pics to his blog as the Countdown continues.)
Focus, it’s a good thing
My friend Mary McKitrick writes consistently thought-provoking posts on her blog. Today’s post is no exception. The central point is the point. What? When you read, you’ll understand.
There’s a potent conclusion to be drawn if you need to hire voiceover talent as well. Especially when the project you’re working on has a budget of some substance, with the higher level of importance that comes with such budgets. Finding voice talent with specific skills and experience relevant to your project will save you a great deal of both time and money. Because paying more for an experienced professional is going to save recording time, editing time and final production time. And you already know what time equals.
Is that all?
Tim McLaughlin posts about an, ahem, amazing opportunity on his blog. I think you’ll get a laugh from it as I did.
Stay the same or Change?
My friend Karen Commins always gets my brain cells working with her blog posts. Her post How to lose friends and irritate people is a perfect example. While my experiences haven’t paralleled Karen’s exactly, I do see the dynamic of “keeping you the same” playing out in interesting ways. Thank you, Karen. And if you’ll take some time to read the whole thing, I think you’ll say “thank you” to Karen as well.
Canadian readers have study opportunities
According to my server logs, quite a number you dear readers, are located in Canada. Since I’d hate to leave you “out in the cold” as it were (ahem), here are some study opportunities coming to various cities across Canada. All of these are classes offered by the brilliant Debbie Munro.
MIC & ME Voice Workout – $375.00 (full weekend) or $225.00 one day only. All levels of experience.
Work for two intense days on mic. Be directed as you work on a variety of current scripts. Tips, tricks and amazing stories throughout.
Toronto – June 9/10, 2007 (NOTE: Check this post on the Vox Daily blog for more about this event.)
London UK – June 16/17, 2007 (see info sheet for prices)
Calgary – August 25/26, 2007
Regina – September 8/9, 2007
Saskatoon – October 6/7, 2007
MIC & ME Voice Biz – $375.00 (full weekend) or $225.00 one day only. All levels of experience.
Learn all about the business for day one, time on mic and basic editing day 2. Perform an actual audition as I direct you, then you edit it and submit it yourself.
Vancouver – Sept 22/23, 2007 10-5 p.m.
Calgary – TBD Fall 2007
Edmonton – TBD Fall 2007
As far as I know, the prices quoted are Canadian dollars. But, to be sure check Debbie Munro’s website for all the latest updates and details.
A chat with AFTRA from VOICE 2007 (updated)
Stephanie Ciccarelli has been an invaluable resource of information that she gathered during the VOICE 2007 conference in Las Vegas. She’d posted a conversation she had with some folks who were there representing AFTRA.
UPDATE: Stephanie emailed today to me to let me know that AFTRA has requested that she remove the article from Vox Daily, which she has done.
NC VO get-together gaining steam (updated)
My deepest thanks to Stephanie and the crew with VOX Talk, the voiceover podcast from Voices.com. They’ve highlighted our planned meet-up in Winston-Salem on their VOX Talk #29. And we hope you see you at 11:00 AM on Saturday, June 23rd. Details are posted just a bit further into this blog. And if you know anyone else living and voiceovering in North Carolina, please pass the word.
A terrific learning opportunity in Western PA
If you live within driving distance of Pittsburgh, PA you should seriously think about attending a special Panel Discussion about Voiceover that’s taking place on Wednesday, May 23rd. Details are available on the VoiceChaser’s discussion board. My thanks to Kristy Sproul for posting this notice.
Among the folks who will be speaking are my agent, Stephen Black (The Talent Group in Pittsburgh) and my friend Rob Deaner, founder of Market Street Sound recording studio in Pittsburgh. 8 of the best years of my life were spent in Pittsburgh. I sure wish I could be there on Wednesday.
The circle may be small, but it’s growning
I’m always looking for other folks who blog about voiceover so I can add them to my blogroll. (In case you can’t tell my goal, at least for that part of my blogroll, is to have as complete and comprehensive a list of folks blogging about voiceover as humanly possible.)
Anyway, I ran across a voiceover blog written by Steve Matthews a short while ago. As I was digging through the archives there, I noted this wonderful post he titled “It’s Only Important to a Small Circle of Friends.” Take a couple of minutes to read the whole thing. I think you’ll be glad you did.
Tara Strong and Cree Summer sing
On Tara’s MySpace blog, she’s posted this YouTube video.
On her post about this video Tara says…
“At different times we are all of the girls! Cree and I are most of the solos. The opening is Crystal Scales and then she does chorus and speaking. The rest of the solos are divided between Cree and I sometimes mid-sentence!
Another load
Short and sweet thoughts from the mind of Philip Banks, posted with his permission, from the VO-BB.com…
Never make a sacrifice but be prepared to invest in yourself.
Before you ask someone else what they think you should do see how long they take deciding “Soup or shrimps?”
Don’t ask if they like your demo, ask them to refer you to someone with work.
Ask your coach about their most recent VO job. If it’s more than a week ago make sure more than a week goes by before you get another coaching session from them.
Job offers should be assessed based on whether they make financial sense or not – Like or dislike has nothing to do with it.
Talk to the big hitters, the REAL big hitters – They’ll give you time.
Is what you’re seeking within your reach? Raise your game and learn to jump.
Wanting to be a Voice Over is not enough – You HAVE to be a Voice Over.
The only feedback worth believing reads as follows – “Payment of invoice No ….”
Is my set up good enough? When switched on does it give a clean feed from the client’s bank account to yours? If so, then it’s just fine.
I would offer only this alternative thought regarding one’s voiceover coach, “Ask your voiceover coach about the recent work of his or her students.” (i.e.: John Wooden was never close to the level of basketball player as were those whom he coached, but his record as to whether he was a great coach or not, isn’t subject to question. Being a great coach doesn’t always require being a great performer.)
An Audacity tutorial
For those just getting started, or for that matter anyone doing voiceover work who doesn’t want to spend money needlessly, Audacity is a remarkably powerful audio editor that is programmed under the Open Source model. Which means it’s free. Even better, there are versions that run under Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. So, no matter which major OS you’re using, this editor is available to you.
My friend Bill Mecca created a tutorial about using Audacity, which he has helpfully posted on YouTube.
A very cool thing that’s happening
Freedom Radio is a small network of stations broadcasting to the military stationed in that Middle Eastern country, officially a part of the AFRTS. It started almost 4 years ago (October 2003) through the efforts of Chris Eder and 4 of his buddies. The lugged all the equipment needed to run a radio and television station from Ramstein Airbase in Germany all the way to Iraq. Chris contacted me a few days ago to ask if I would help out with a few voiceover pieces he was using for a 36 hour special countdown of “The Greatest Rock Songs of All Time” for Memorial Day.
I said “yes” and recorded several scripts that he sent me right away. He got in touch with me originally through the recommendation of my friend Charlie Glaize, and so asked if I knew anyone else who might be willing to help. Needless to say, I posted his request on the VO-BB and as I expected, a bunch of my friends and colleagues there stepped up to the plate immediately. Now, we’re getting all of the pieces Chris needs recorded and delivered back to him so that he can assemble his special show in time to get it on the air by the end of the month.
If you’d like to know a bit more about Chris, I’ve added his blog to my blogroll on the left under Other Blogs. As you’ll see if you check out this post, Chris really knows how to find publicity. Good for you, Chris. I’m honored and grateful to have even a small part of what you’re doing. Thank you and God bless you.