The term “voiceoverist” may or may not be familiar to you. It’s an invention of my friend Philip Banks. However, the real point I’m making here is that my friend Mahmoud Taji has written an excellent eBook for anyone wishing to learn more about working in voiceover in today’s connected world. I think it’s well worth your time to download and read.
Two things both related to the Harlan Hogan and Dan O’Day teleseminar classes that start next week:
1. Today is the LAST DAY to register for Harlan Hogan’s “STARTING YOUR VOICEOVER BUSINESS: Everything You Need To Know To Turn Your Dream Or Your Sideline Into A Business” teleseminar class. One year ago exactly I had given notice at my corporate job and had left that safe and comfortable position on May 1st. The following Monday I started taking last year’s version of these teleseminars. I paid the same price everyone else did to attend and I’m very glad I did.
You see, even though I had been working full-time at my voiceover business for several years, while also holding down a full time corporate job, I knew that there was a lot I still didn’t know about the business part of the voiceover business. It was because I wanted to have the best possible foundation to this adventure of only working in voiceover that I signed up for the class. I drew valuable ideas from every one of the teleseminars. I put at least some of those ideas to work in the last year and my business has grown even during what has been a very tough economy for us all.
So, if you want to start your journey on this path I’ve been walking for a year now, your last opportunity to sign up for this year’s class is today. Registration ends when today ends.
You’ll find all the details at TheVoiceoverClass.com
And if you do sign up for the class, and you happen to mention in the comments section at the bottom of the registration page that you signed up because you read about the class here on my blog, I’ll get a commission from Harlan and Dan. The price will be the same for you whether you mention me or not so if you don’t want me to get the commission, don’t mention me.
2. Dan O’Day has just published a video that directly challenges the beliefs and mindsets of quite a few people in the voiceover community. He doesn’t pull any punches. In fact, he’ll probably get some hate mail in response.
Personally, I think every voiceover person should view this video. But there’s one catch: Dan says he’s going to take the video down tonight. He’s leaving it up for less than a day. Please click on this link, watch the video, and let me know what you think.
Steven Lowell posts excellent tips for everyone who does voiceover work from home on the Voice123.com blog.
If you’ve been thinking about seriously pursuing voiceover there are a couple of things you need to do. Get your performance skills up to speed. I’ve talked about the voiceover coaches I recommend on this blog loads of time. Links are in the Career section of my blogroll. But, you also need to get yourself in the mindset that this is a business, not just a way to have fun. Which is where the tele-classes that Harlan Hogan and Dan O’Day will be doing this year in May will make a huge difference.
I took this class last year and even though I’ve been working as a professional voiceover for over 25 years, I got a lot out of the classes. I recommend you sign up. All the details are here. And if you mention in the comments section at the bottom of the registration form that I recommended the class to you, I’ll get a commission. If you don’t want me to get that commission, don’t mention me. Whether you do or not, the price of the class is the same.
Whitney Wyatt emails to introduce himself today and to let me know that he’s started blog about his newly launched journey into voiceover.
Video game voiceover skills. Do you have them? Do you want them? Pat Fraley will be joined by Todd Resnick and Chris Borders for a day of intense focus on game voiceover skills. Saturday, May 1, 2010. Details and registration information are on this page at Pat’s site.
Yes, I said business. You do understand that it’s a business right. I mean doing voiceover work is a lot of fun, but growing your business so that you can just do this all the time doesn’t happen by magic or little green elves working overnight.
Last year in May, the very month that I made my transition and left my day job, Harlan Hogan and Dan O’Day produced a series of teleseminars on the business of voiceover that was very helpful to me. It helped me sharpen my focus on my business as a business and I’m very glad I signed up for those four weeks of classes.
Maybe you heard about last year’s classes or maybe you didn’t. Either way, that was last year. This year Harlan and Dan are going to take what they learned from us test subjects and refine the classes to be even more useful and helpful. All the detalis, including registration information is at TheVoiceoverClass.com.
If you decide to sign up and you mention that you learned about the class from me in the comments section at the bottom of the registration page, I may get a commission. Whether you mention me or not, the price is the same so it’s up to you whether you want to mention my name or not. But I hope you will check out the information.
News from from Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino:
Our Break Into Animation Part 1 Teleseminar was such a hit, we’re at it again–but this time with Audiobook Superstar Hillary Huber!
Join us for Break Into Audiobooks on Wed March 31, 2010 – 6 pm PST/ 9 pm EST.
With us, our special guest and audiobook veteran Hillary Huber gives thorough, no-BS insider answers to all of your audiobook questions.
From business to craft to all the details in between, Hillary’s gonna spill the beans on everything audiobook.
Go to Break Into Voice Over to reserve your space on the call (includes a studio quality MP3 of the teleseminar as well).
Just a few of the great questions to be answered:
* Do you read the whole book? Do different people read different parts and characters?
* How do you get into audiobooks? It seems so mysterious…do I need to know book publishers and authors?
* Do I need a specific audiobook demo? Are there audiobook agents?
* How could I even keep track of recording a whole book by myself in my home studio?
* I’ve been listening to a ton of audiobooks, and I KNOW I’m ready to break in, so tell me the action steps I can take NOW to get the audiobook gigs coming my way!
Go to Break Into Voice Over–$49 buys you a seat on the call and a studio quality MP3 copy as well.
More About Special Guest Hillary Huber
Hillary Huber has been working steadily as a voice over talent for 15 years. She has done hundreds of commercials for clients such as Toyota, McDonalds, Tylenol, Coffeemate, Boeing, Subaru, Ford, Taco Bell, Walmart and countless others; promos for WE, CBS and the E! Network; and live announcing for The People’s Choice Awards, The Family Television Awards, and The Emmys. She discovered audiobooks in 2006, when her research, perseverance, and creative thinking resulted in a flourishing and profitable career in audiobooks. She now records books on a regular basis for major publishers such as Harper, Macmillan, Random House and Scribner. Some titles include Skinny Bastard and Light in the Piazze. Her next project is Tell-All by best selling author Chuck Palahniuk. Her narration consistently garners both critical acclaim and industry awards, including several Audie Award nominations.
“Hillary Huber’s narration is lyrical enough to be set to music.”
-Audiofile Magazine
Go to Break Into Voice Over to reserve your seat!
News has just come from from Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino:
Our Break Into Animation Part 1 Teleseminar was such a hit, we’re at it again–but this time with Audiobook Superstar Hillary Huber!
Join us for Break Into Audiobooks on Wed March 31, 2010 – 6 pm PST/ 9 pm EST.
With us, our special guest and audiobook veteran Hillary Huber gives thorough, no-BS insider answers to all of your audiobook questions.
From business to craft to all the details in between, Hillary’s gonna spill the beans on everything audiobook.
Go to Break Into Voice Over to reserve your space on the call (includes a studio quality MP3 of the teleseminar as well).
Just a few of the great questions to be answered:
* Do you read the whole book? Do different people read different parts and characters?
* How do you get into audiobooks? It seems so mysterious…do I need to know book publishers and authors?
* Do I need a specific audiobook demo? Are there audiobook agents?
* How could I even keep track of recording a whole book by myself in my home studio?
* I’ve been listening to a ton of audiobooks, and I KNOW I’m ready to break in, so tell me the action steps I can take NOW to get the audiobook gigs coming my way!
Go to Break Into Voice Over–$49 buys you a seat on the call and a studio quality MP3 copy as well.
More About Special Guest Hillary Huber
Hillary Huber has been working steadily as a voice over talent for 15 years. She has done hundreds of commercials for clients such as Toyota, McDonalds, Tylenol, Coffeemate, Boeing, Subaru, Ford, Taco Bell, Walmart and countless others; promos for WE, CBS and the E! Network; and live announcing for The People’s Choice Awards, The Family Television Awards, and The Emmys. She discovered audiobooks in 2006, when her research, perseverance, and creative thinking resulted in a flourishing and profitable career in audiobooks. She now records books on a regular basis for major publishers such as Harper, Macmillan, Random House and Scribner. Some titles include Skinny Bastard and Light in the Piazze. Her next project is Tell-All by best selling author Chuck Palahniuk. Her narration consistently garners both critical acclaim and industry awards, including several Audie Award nominations.
“Hillary Huber’s narration is lyrical enough to be set to music.”
-Audiofile Magazine
Go to Break Into Voice Over to reserve your seat!
Last May I took part, along with a number of other voice actors around North America, in a month long series of teleseminars hosted by Harlan Hogan and Dan O’Day. The focus was on Starting Your Own Voiceover Business. The discussions stayed on topic. Even though I’ve been a voice actor since 1983, I found a lot of valuable information in these 4 weeks of classes. So, why am I mentioning all of this so many months after the fact?
Because I think there’s a real good chance Harlan and Dan will do a series of classes again this year. Again in May. But, with the improvements and insights gained from last year’s classes. And again focused only on the BUSINESS of voiceover. Your business.
I’ll post again when I have more news.
(edited to fix typos)
Marice Tobias announces that she is coming to Chicago the weekend of March 20 and 21, 2010 for two days called 2010: The Pro Game. The following is verbatim from her press release:
Yes, it’s harder to build, maintain and grow the professional voiceover career than ever before. And yes, more people are competing for the work than ever before. Not exactly news, huh? So what is?
The Shift.
The shift is one of the reasons why a lot of solid careers are not as solid as they once were. The shift is the change that began sweeping through the industry last fall. But, here’s the crazy making part. It isn’t totally replacing reads many producers still seek. So how do you know what to bring to the booth?
And how does this jibe with the emphasis we have placed on The Signature Read since we started focusing on voiceover? This is the challenge of the pro game. More complicated, more competetive and way faster.
Join us for two days of rapid fire rounds, in depth insights and a sobering, stakes-raising reality check for playing today’s pro game full-out.
You in?
Chicago ARU (Audio Recording Unlimited) is the location with just 12 participants. $775 for new clients. $650 for returning. Established talent travel from all over the US, Canada and overseas to attend Tobias Entertainment Group events so please book ASAP to ensure your place.
Contact Stacey Stahl at Creative Entertainment Management. 503-246-2239.
My friend and mentor Philip Banks has posted a new, well written, bit of solid thinking on Voiceover Universe. If you can’t see it there, you certainly can on the VO-BB. Well worth a few minutes of your time.
The early bird discount for VOICE 2010 ends at midnight, tonight, the 31st of January 2010. If you’re planning to go, you’ll save a $100 off the registration price if you sign up in the remaining hours today.
Friday, February 19th, 2010 will be a fun night of voiceover training with Pat Fraley. Two hours of:
Pat explains more about this teleseminar in this audio clip:
[audio:http://bit.ly/DrFraleyMP3]You can register as one of the live participants or just to obvserve at this link. This event is sponsored by VoiceOverXtra.
My friend Roger Tremaine has prepared a podcast on his experiences with starting his voiceover business over the last few years. Roger shares with great candor and I think you’ll find these 4 minutes and 17 seconds well worth your time.
[audio:https://bobsouer.com/pix/Poor_mans_guide_to_a_VO_career.mp3]Thank you, Roger.
Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino have been doing a superb series of teleseminars for the last 3 years and I’ve been there for every one of them. Each has been worth way more than the price of admission. Now comes an opportunity to dig into the topic of voiceover for animation with not only Nancy and Anna, but also the amazingly talented Richard Horvitz.
One look at his website and you’ll see why Richard is the guy who can give you the no-BS inside Animation scoop. He’s going to answer as many questions as he can in 90 minutes, with a promise to do a Part II in the not so distant future.
Exactly and only the Animation Voice Over info that YOU WANT TO KNOW.
Beware: some unpopular realities (better ya know now).
Behold: lots of encouraging truths!
Some of the great questions all ready submitted:
I do a lot of funny voices, shouldn’t I be doing animation??
Are there really only 10 people who do every animation job out there? I’m really good, so how can I break in??
Do I still need an agent? An animation demo? Improv comedy or acting classes? An interesting voice???
How do I get cast in the next Pixar film when celebrities take all the roles?
Seriously, how much money is there in animation?
This animation thing seems like a tough nut to crack, so tell me the action steps I can take NOW to get my animation career going!
This teleseminar taking place at 6:00 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM Eastern tomorrow, Wednesday, January 27, 2010. Sign up now at Nancy and Anna’s site.
Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino have been doing a superb series of teleseminars for about 3 years now. I’ve been there for every one of them and each has been worth way more than the price of admission. Now comes an opportunity to dig into the topic of voiceover for animation with not only Nancy and Anna, but alsothe amzingly talented Richard Horvitz.
One look at his website and you’ll see why Richard is the guy who can give you the no-BS inside Animation scoop. He’s going to answer as many questions as he can in 90 minutes, with a promise to do a Part II in the not so distant future.
Exactly and only the Animation Voice Over info that YOU WANT TO KNOW.
Beware: some unpopular realities (better ya know now).
Behold: lots of encouraging truths!
Some of the great questions all ready submitted:
I do a lot of funny voices, shouldn’t I be doing animation??
Are there really only 10 people who do every animation job out there? I’m really good, so how can I break in??
Do I still need an agent? An animation demo? Improv comedy or acting classes? An interesting voice???
How do I get cast in the next Pixar film when celebrities take all the roles?
Seriously, how much money is there in animation?
This animation thing seems like a tough nut to crack, so tell me the action steps I can take NOW to get my animation career going!
This teleseminar taking place at 6:00 PM Pacific / 9:00 PM Eastern on Wednesday, January 27, 2010. Sign up now at Nancy and Anna’s site.
Jennifer Vaughn provides a detailed and very specific look at her experiences and income from both Voices.com and Voice123.com last year in an article on VoiceOverXtra. Thank you, John Florian, for emailing me about this well written and insightful article.
Bob Noble‘s article at VoiceOverXtra on making a New Year’s REVOLUTION is well worth a few minutes of your time. (And thank you John Florian for the email alert about this article.)
A few days ago I was party to a lesson on the difference between persistence, a vitally important characteristic of any successful voice actor, and being stubborn. I had been away from our home in Charlotte for several days and was planning to make my way back home on Saturday, December 19th, the day before my birthday, so that I could celebrate my birthday and then Christmas and New Year’s Eve with my family.
However, I didn’t check with AAA before leaving on my drive toward home. As I started out from Western Pennsylvania I could tell that the roads were not in great shape because snow was falling pretty quickly and the plows weren’t able to keep up. Lots of snow on the roads. Slippery. It’s wasn’t going to be a fun day of driving.
When I got to West Virginia on my drive south things got worse. There were sections of the Interstate that weren’t plowed at all and where the plows had been through the snow was piling up again very quickly. In fact the snow was falling much harder in West Virginia that it was in Pennsylvania. I almost lost control of my car twice while I was driving. Thankfully, having grown up in Minnesota, my old snow-driving habits kicked in and I was able to keep my car on the road each time. Needless to say I was praying fervently as I drove.
Eventually, while I never slid off the road, I did lose traction and couldn’t go forward any more. At the same time, the power steering pump on my car failed. So, it didn’t matter how much I wanted to get home, I was stuck. AAA got there to tow me into the little town of Weston, West Virginia in less than 30 minutes even in the blizzard. They were just amazing. The folks at the Holiday Inn Express were as nice as could be and thankfully had a room for me.
I then learned that the turnpike in West Virginia was closed several miles ahead of where I was. They had received 4 feet of snow in less than 24 hours. I wasn’t going to get through no matter how much I wanted to.
Persistence is an irreplaceable characteristic for a voice actor. The finest performer without persistence isn’t likely to have much success, but someone of modest skills and persistence can be very successful. On the other hand, to insist on following a given path that is completely closed isn’t being persistent, it’s being stupidly stubborn. I could have, after being towed out of my spot at the side of the road, tried again to finish my drive home to Charlotte; but the end result would have been the same or worse. I wasn’t getting through. The roads were closed.
After spending the night in Weston, and taking one more day of waiting, I was eventually able to make my way home to Charlotte.
If your burning desire is to be a voice actor you can get there. Persistence is vital to your eventual success. But, pushing forward on a given path when the road is closed may not always be the wisest path. Sometimes you have to retreat and try again either taking a different path or different timing.
