John Florian has published an interview on VoiceOverXtra with Kat Keesling about the Hear the Bill site and effort. It’s well worth your time to read.
The story behind "Hear the Bill"
General
Invaluable insights
My friend Bruce Miles is not only a superbly gifted voice actor, he also writes and produces; so from time to time he needs other voice actors to provide voices for some of his production projects. One of those came up recently and he took some careful notes during the auditioning process using not only a few friends, but also two of the online casting sites.
Would you like to read his thoughtful observations about what he saw and heard during that process? Click through to his post on the VO-BB. I think you might find it very interesting. I know I did.
Dave White shines
My friend Dave White emails with news that a guest appearance he’s recently made on a TNT drama called Leverage is now available on the web. You can see the whole episode on the TNT site. Very shortly after the program starts, Dave makes his first appearance as a police officer only a few minutes in.
Terry Daniel on realistic expectations
My friend Terry Daniel has posted an excellent video. Good advice, Terry.
Comments are open. How do you help folks keep realistic expectations?
Studying with Marice Tobias in KC
I spent last weekend in Kansas City, studying with Marice Tobias. It was one of the best weekend workshops I’ve attended, both because of the breakthrough I personally experienced (more about that in a moment) and because of the wonderful group that gathered there in the Midwest.
Every one of these weekends is unique. No surprise. After all the mix of people is always different. The culture continues to change. Each of us, including Marice, have experienced a bit more of life (sometimes a lot more of life) since the last time we were together. But, this one was especially special, perhaps because of the way it started. Roberta Solomon, who lives in Kansas City, invited the whole group to her house for a party the night before the workshop started. She also invited a number of other voice talent and several other friends from around KC to join us. It made of a very relaxed and fun start to everything.
Ben Wilson and Caryn Clark stop for a photo with me as we arrive at Roberta Solomon‘s house. She’s coming out the door to welcome us just as the photo was being snapped by Karen Hutton.
As the evening progressed, we were treated to a rare acoustic performance set by The Snotrockets, headed by the amazing Doug Medlock. (Doug is the one wiping the sweat from his forehead in this shot.)
Marice managed to talk me in to singing with the group, by convincing them to do Amazing Grace. I looked up the chord progressions for them on my phone’s web browser and we did 3 verses to I would say a pretty decent round of applause. It’s the first time I’ve sung with a band backing me since sometime in the late 80s.
The next morning Caryn Clark, Ben Wilson, Karen Hutton and I walked the 3 blocks or so from our hotel to the wonderful CR Sound, the studio where the workshop was taking place. It was during this first day when, though I didn’t recognize it at the time, I found my biggest highlight of the weekend.
Marice has been talking for several months now about how challenging it is to move from one kind of voiceover work (let’s say an eLearning narration) to another kind (for example a commercial) and yet another and so on. It’s very easy for the echoes of one style to bleed into the next session. Getting a handle on what that means to me personally and my work was the big breakthrough of the weekend. Worth the cost of the entire weekend for that one thing.
After our Saturday of study, we gathered at Gates, a Kansas City BBQ institution. I enjoyed myself a great deal at this meal. I love BBQ in all its various flavors, but I think Kansas City style is my new favorite.
Sunday was another excellent day of study, working on mic, and culminated in a group photo just outside the back door of the studio.
Sadly missing from this shot because he had to leave before the photo was taken is Steve Stone, but the rest of us are here. What a great group. From the left: Ben Wilson, Karen Hutton, Marty Wall, Jen Sweeney, Caryn Clark, Leslie Wadsworth, Chris Rollins, Kimberly Justice, Doug Medlock, Roberta Solomon, Stacey Stahl, me and Dave White.
Do you want to do audiobooks?
If you do, then get over to Pat Fraley’s web site and sign up for his Billion Dollar $ Read two-day audiobook event. I took Pat’s audiobook class in 2006 and have been working steadily in audiobooks ever since.
And you get to work with not just Pat, but the cream of the audiobook world: Scott Brick, Stefan Rudnicki, Kathe Mazur and Hillary Huber.
Here’s Pat’s first lesson, free.
Again, all the registration information is at Pat’s web site.
The Consistancy of Change
I’ve been studying with Marice Tobias for a couple of years now. It’s been a great experience. I’ve learned a ton. I’ve booked more and better paying work. And she’s one of the most insightful and delightful people I know. If you’ve been wondering about where Marice will be teaching her workshops for the rest of this year, here are the details.
Check out Voice Talent Productions
Just launched and looking mighty spiffy is Voice Talent Productions, a web site featuring some mighty fine voice talent, even me.
A quote for today
From my manager and friend Stacey Stahl comes this gem this morning.
Blessed are those who are so naive that they
do not know what they cannot do.
— Alan Cohen
But soft, what light through yonder window breaks
My friend and mentor Philip Banks holds forth as a voiceoverist, in the manner of the Bard.
Show what you know
My friend Rowell Gormon‘s latest blog post is titled A Day at the Museum, and it recounts his experience helping demonstrate how live and recorded sound effects make visual entertainment more fun. Well worth a few minutes of your time and pretty much guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
By the way, I’m just returned from a weekend of study with Marice Tobias. I have photos and observations galore to share, but no time yet to do so. However, I hope to make up for my quietude over the weekend very shortly.
How to get good voiceover sound
With my thanks to my friend Kevin Genus for posting the link to the video on the VO-BB, check out this very interesting video, both a tutorial and demonstration of various microphones and recording techniques.
Mic positionizing from the Voiceoverist
My friend and mentor Philip Banks has posted the first of what promised to be an on-going series of instructional videos from the “Number One Voice Overism coach in Portgordon.”
Philip has a unique sense of humour (I’m using the UK spelling intentionally here as Philip is a citizen of the UK) and certainly isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
There’s cheap and then there’s …
Stupid Cheap. That’s what my friend Pam calls it anyway and I have to admit I rather like that. I’m adding Pam’s blog to my blogroll today, and I’m doing so with considerable joy since I’ve been encouraging her to write a blog for some time now. Good for you Pam and I look forward to reading what you have to say. Oh, and the very best to you and your voiceover business. (That last comment applies to you even if your name isn’t Pam and even if you’ve been doing voiceovers for years.)
New Scott Brick audiobook workshops and contest update
Scott Brick has posted an update on his audiobook narrator contest and has added information about upcoming audiobook workshops to his blog.
Acting for Advertisting part 9 teleseminar is announced!
Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino have emailed with news that their next teleseminar, Acting for Advertising Part 9, is coming up on Wednesday, October 14, 2009, starting at 6:00 PM Pacific/9:00 PM Eastern.
So what’s in store?
- If Only…Know Your Buried Promise
How to ferret out the insidious & possibly unsupportable Sneaky Ad Strategy Subtext.
Learn where they bury it and how to tease it properly.
Miss it, and you miss a paycheck.
- Behind The Agent Curtain
Managers: What are they, and what do they do? Why are people paying
so much for them? Do I need a manager for voiceover?Be careful what you Twitter!
How to adjust rates “in this economy.” Should you be lowering yours?
- Actor to Actor
The one piece of equipment that will keep you from losing jobs.
Give your job to a friend if you’re not available.
What to do when you are sick.
- And as always, a Killer Q & A!
Registration is simple. Click here to visit Break Into Voice Over. All the details you need are right there on the page.
The spotlight goes back on Justin
My friend Justin Barrett is featured as the voice of Pterry in this video.
And in this one.
Very nice work, Justin!
Do you voice in more than one language?
You might want to check out the article on VoiceOverXtra by Rosi and Brian Amador on being Bilingual Talent. My thanks to John Florian for the email with a link to this article.
Quote for the day
From my manager and friend Stacey Stahl comes this wonderful quote today:
“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt
Would you like to know more about Bodalgo.com?
My friend Mahmoud Taji has done an interview with Armin Hierstetter CEO and Founder of Europe’s First Voice Over Marketplace Bodalgo.com. Quite interesting reading, and at the bottom of the post you’ll find an audio link if you’d rather listen to the interview.
