724-613-2749

bob@bobsouer.com

Tools

Summit 2007 registration is open

Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover, People, Tools

The final details about registration information are now available for this year’s Dan O’Day “International Radio Creative and Production Summit.”

I’ve attended this event every year since 1997. Some times it’s more focused on writing and production, which other years more on voiceover. This is one of the latter. Pat Fraley and Don LaFontaine are both confirmed to be there.

This is an event intended for more than just voiceover folks. There will be a lot of radio station people there (creative services directors, production managers, writers) and it’s always a very international event. Folks from Asia, Europe, Australia and Latin America are almost always in attendance. Registration is limited to 100.

Details are available here at Dan’s site. The lowest price for registration is available through the end of May. I’ve already registered. If you’re going, it would be a good idea to register sooner, rather than later.

Share this post

Two things that can’t be avoided

General, Tools

Death and taxes. They can’t be avoided, at least not forever. And, in the case of taxes, it only makes sense to deal with them now rather than later.

Thanks to my friends at The Big Fish Voice Company, here are a few links you may find helpful.

http://www.actorstaxprep.com/
Has a great listing of deductible expenses.

http://www.excel-lentsolutions.com/actors.php
Is a great source for Excel spreadsheet programs.

http://www.foolscap-quill.com/aptginfo.html
This is the Actor’s Pocket Tax Guide

Share this post

Here’s a learning opportunity for you

Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover, People, Tools

I’ve written previously, more than once even, about how highly I think of Nancy Wolfson as a voiceover coach. After hearing about Nancy from two of my good friends who live and work in Southern California, my first direct experience with her training was during a teleseminar she conducted with Anna Vocino some time ago. And I’m delighted to let you know that very teleseminar is now available as an audio download for the same price we paid to be part of it in person, the rather modest sum of $49.

Details and order information is available at BreakIntoVoiceOver.com. I think you’ll find this valuable information is worth way more than the price.

Share this post

You might want to follow along

Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover, People, Tools

My friend Jeffrey Kafer is blogging about his experiences using Google adwords and Microsoft AdCenter. The first post in the series is here. The second here. The third here. No doubt more will be added to his voiceover blog in coming days.

Thanks for documenting this experience Jeffrey. I’m interested to see how it turns out.

Share this post

Voiceover in the Internet Era

Career Advice, General, Tools

While there are merits to each of the various online voiceover marketing sites, and I’m a member of three of them (links are to the left), the folks at Voices.com have prepared a document that guides you step by step through the various offerings from the search engine giant Google, with suggestions on how to make the best use of each of them.

This is the kind of proactive, innovative thinking we need to continue to grow our voiceover business. Thank you Voices.com team. And the best part? This document is free.

Share this post

A ProTools opportunity

General, Tools

My friend Brian Haymond emailed me to let me know that he is getting ready to sell is Digi002 system. He’s switching to a newer and more compact ProTools system.

This is what the unit looks like.
Digi002

You’ll find Brian’s contact information at his website. If you’re interested, I’m sure he’d be glad to hear from you.

Share this post

However you can manage it

Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover, Tools

I hope you will plan to join me and many of your fellow voiceover professionals at the V.O.I.C.E. conference the last week of March 2007. We are going to learn so much. We are going to have such a great time.

Pat Fraley, Bob Bergen, MJ Lallo, Rodney Saulsberry, DB Cooper, Frank Frederick, James Alburger, Penny Abshire, Connie Terwilliger, Bettye Zoller, Chris Wagner, Gregory Best, Dave Courvoisier, and even more players to be named later. Whether you know all of these names, some of them or even none; every one of them is a working voiceover professional who is willing to dig into his or her bag of tricks and share with you.

I sure hope I’ll see you there.

Share this post

Keep learning

Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover, Tools

If you’re not honing your craft, learning how to do a better job of marketing yourself, or otherwise improving your life personally and professionally, you’re losing ground. It may not seem like it right now, but that’s because sometimes the ground losses are subtle enough that you don’t notice. But, it’s happening.
This year, in March, you have an opportunity to learn on several levels. Craft. Marketing. Networking. Auditioning. And more. Yes, I’m talking about V.O.I.C.E., the Voice Over International Creative Experience.
And here’s another reason you should be there in Las Vegas, March 27 through 31, 2007: Pat Fraley is going to be there to teach his new seminar called 26 Slick Tricks Smuggled Out of Hollywood. I look forward to seeing you there and to learning along side you.

Share this post

Battling mouth noise, a success story

General, People, Tools

I’ve posted here previously about a technique for fighting mouth noise problems that I learned from Pat Fraley. Using a small atomizer bottle with filtered water. Spraying water with a little bottle like this is much more effective than just drinking water, eating an apple or pretty much any other technique you’ve tried.
Today in my inbox, I received this message from my friend Brian Haymond…

Hey Bob…I tried the “spray bottle” technique for the mouth noise and I must say, I’m rather impressed. I always drink about 80 ounces of water a day while working but the spray really does work better than taking a sip of water!

Very cool, Brian. I’m so glad to know this idea worked well for you. And kudos to Pat for sharing this idea with us.

Share this post

I’m going to make my first trip to Las Vegas

Career Advice, General, Getting started in Voiceover, Tools

At the end of March 2007, I’m going to make my very first trip to Las Vegas. Not to gamble. In fact, if you come too, we’ll both be there for a sure thing. What sure thing? Making the leap to the next level in your voiceover career.
Yes, I believe that’s what I’m going start, based on what I’ll experience March 27 through 31, 2007 at the Palace Station hotel. If you come, you’ll gain the same benefits.
If you’d like to know more about V.O.I.C.E., the event I’m talking about, check out their website voice-international.com. Once you’ve read over everything, then click on this registration page to sign up.
Will you be there? Let me know. I look forward to meeting you in March.

Share this post

Where to find scripts

General, Getting started in Voiceover, Tools

Several times on this blog I’ve written about my conviction that learning to write better also improves one’s voiceover work. But, it’s entirely possible that you don’t like to write, don’t have the time to write or just don’t want to write.

And why would you need or want to write anyway? Well, maybe you’re new to voiceover work and you need some scripts for building your demos? Or maybe you have the kind of business where you don’t just do voiceovers, but you’re also responsible to write and produce commercials for local radio or cable television? Or…?

Voices.com has a possible solution for you. It’s called The Voice Over Script Collection.

Now, in the interests of full disclosure, if you click through on that link and buy their collection of 50 professionally written scripts, I’m going to get a small commission from them. But, I’ve read through all of these scripts. They are in fact well written. They cover a wide range of styles, ages and approaches to copy. I think you’ll get your money’s worth, if you need commercial copy for your demo, or that you can adapt to your local retail store or service.

Share this post

A further Source-Connect update

General, People, Tools

Joe Cipriano emailed me this evening to clue me in that he’s done an interview that’s featured on the Source Elements site. (Source Elements is the company that makes the Source-Connect software.)

You’ll find the interview transcript here.

Update: You can see an illustration of the kind of remote to home studio set-up Joe is talking about at this page of the Source Elements site.
(An audio version will be posted soon, according to a note at the top of the page. When it appears, I’ll update this post with a link to that as well.)

Share this post