Voice Over "Salad"

Interesting and helpful VO news and information posted by Dave Courvoisier in his blog Salmagundi :

Salmagundi "…a hodgepodge or mix of widely disparate things…” usually in relation to a salad presentation, but I was just tired of the word “potpourri”.

You would truly have to be living in a cave to NOT feel the wave of VO information washing over you these days. However, I know there are some social media holdouts among you, so the following is a quick list of links and summaries of some “disparate things” I found on the internet lately that defy categorization other than “VO Salmagundi”.

1) VO friend Matt Cowlrick dropped a link on FB about DAWBox.com. Interesting and simple site revealing what looks like a diagram for a whisper room.

3) Speaking of which, another VO acquaintance, just finished his new recording studio, and he posted a video of it on YouTube: See Darren Altman’s new digs at this YouTube Link.

3) Dan Friedmann of ProComm writes to say: “…Just wanted to announce that SOUNDADVICEVO and SOUNDADVICE – Voiceover have changed to SOUND4VO! He’s referring to his FaceBook page. Dan’s a good one to stay on top of. He’s written a book with great advice about audio production, and he was a big hit at FaffCon2.

4) Stephen James Smith directs your attention to NOLA by saying: TO non-profits worldwide seeking voice actors pro bono for PSAs: NOLA Voice Talent is here to help. Check out the NOLA Voice Talent Foundation. Maybe you can help.

5) Synthopia is offering a free library of 1,000 free sound files and loops (and there are other free offers on this page). As far as I can tell there are no strings attached to this offer.

6) Click here to listen to WOR’s Valerie Smaldone’s podcast featuring an interview with top Vo Pro Joe Cipriano.

7) Cair0, Egypt-based VO talent Mahmoud Taji posts his Embarrassing Twitter Confessions on VU, which is actually an excellent review of Twitter/Social Media etiquette.

8) A Backstage.com article on whether SAG and AFTRA will finally merge.

9) OK, I think that’s about all I got…Oh!…one final thought: Do you keep a public calendar of your VO appointments so that potential clients can see your availability? That’s a suggestion made to me by the owner of a voice over studio, expressing frustration about scheduling.

Thanks for such a great recap, Dave!

Melanie Haynes

Afraid to Leave the Studio?

It’s every voice over performer’s dream to be so busy, you can’t leave the studio, right? Well, yes and no, I suppose. We all want to keep busy with those great high paying gigs! Some jobs fit that category, but of course, many don’t. Still, work is work and it’s a blessing to have it.

During political season, things happened fast! I’ve personally experienced losing several jobs simply because I went out to lunch or to run errands. Although I thought I had the bases covered and everyone would call my cell phone if I wasn’t there to personally answer the studio line, it didn’t always work out like that – for whatever reason. Sometimes, I was just minutes away and could have raced back to turn on the ISDN. Other times, I was booked in another studio here in town. But, hey, some jobs just aren’t meant to be…. I’ve always been of the “don’t miss a job” school of thought, though, and have jumped through hoops to be able to make everything fit into the schedule!

Another situation that arises is for those of us who are On Camera actors, as well. I’ve been so focused on voice over for the past several years, especially since establishing my own studio, and have been keeping busy enough, that I find I do a little mental cringe when an on camera audition comes up. Although I’d love to do more film work, the thought of driving out of town – as is often the case – and missing a day or more in the studio for the audition, let alone if I get the job……causes me concern. Also, on camera auditions and work take so much more preparation. You have to learn lines, rehearse, decide on your wardrobe, what to do with your hair, etc. Am I saying that voice over performers are lazy? Of course not! I’d never say that….. but…. not having to memorize the lines and not having to worry about wardrobe do make things quicker and easier, for sure! That being said, I really would enjoy being on set and acting in a television show or film again, sooner rather than later.

I know there are quite a few voice over performers who have started taking their laptops and mics on the road. I just haven’t hit the road often enough to really dig in and see how it would work for me. Of course, usually, when I’m out for a week, it’s a vacation, and I’ve actually been deliberately leaving work behind to just enjoy and regroup. For day trips for work or auditions, I’ve just tried to keep the pda handy and respond to email requests as best I can.

I’m just not certain that recording on the road could possibly have the same quality as working from my studio. Are people really doing long form narration or e-learning projects on the road? Are they just auditioning, or are they doing commercials, promos, etc.? I know some of the big promo guys, like Joe Cipriano, do take gear on the road and record via Source Connect for national promos!

I guess a laptop and wifi should be on my list. I think I could take my Rode NT 1000 on the road easy enough…..maybe even the Sennheiser 416…..Something to seriously start thinking about. Of course, hard to do much recording while you’re driving 4 hrs each way on the way to and from an audition. But, for a longer stay…..might be worth a try!

Back to blogging

Well, time has been marching on, and I haven't been keeping up with my blog. Too busy to blog is good, and I can't complain about the amount of voice over work. I will try to schedule in the time to write more in the coming months.

The new studio is still moving forward after a bit of a glitch before the holidays.....on to new contractors to do the finishing work. The major construction has all been done. I'm really so anxious to work in there, but I have to be patient. Meanwhile, new furniture for the space is piling up around my living room and garage as it arrives.

Also, a newly designed web site is on the way.... I'm being patient about that, too. For now, I have a slightly updated version from what I've used for years. The new one may be totally different . I'm going to be as surprised as anyone!

I also wanted to be sure to write today to pass on to you the 11 nominees for the World News with Diane Sawyer faux-dition which VoxMarketising is conducting. Check it out!

Voice Talent Advice #7 – Working Via the Internet From Your Own Home Studio

So, you’d like as broad a marketplace as possible? The internet is obviously the place to be. But you need a web site, right? Not necessarily. Many of the larger voice over web sites you may list with will create a web page for you on their site as part of your listing fee. You can post demos, list experience, vocal quality, etc. and have a web page to direct potential clients to. Eventually, you will want your own web site, but…it’s ok to take one step at a time.

If you want to work via the web, you really need your own studio, though. If you have access to a studio free of charge or very cheap, you could go that route, but most internet work demands a speedy turnaround of auditions and often the finished job as well. Also, there’s not usually a lot of budget left for you to pay studio charges. With more and more professional equipment being made to work with home computers, you can set up quite a nice studio without a huge outlay of cash. You definitely want a good microphone with shock mounts, a preamp, processor, a good recording and editing program, and sound proofing.

When I was setting up my studio, I was fortunate enough to make contact with some very helpful people who were willing to share their advice. There are also books available with information on creating your home studio. You’ll find a listing of helpful professional voice talent how to books and books on creating and tweaking your home studio listed on my website.

Good Luck on Becoming a Voice Over Professional!

I hope I’ve given you something to think about and some useful information to help you on your journey.

Voice Talent Advice #5 - Voice Over Demo

So, you’ve been practicing the breathing and warm up techniques. You’ve also been practicing reading aloud anything you can get your hands on, including advertising copy in magazines and newspapers or any radio or tv copy you can find. Is it time to make a demo? Only you can truly answer that question. Do you feel confident? Have you been taking classes or at least practicing reading to others?

When you feel you’re ready to try a voice over demo, find a reputable studio with an engineer who produces a lot of commercial and corporate work. This voice over demo will be your major selling tool and you want to get it right. You want it to be as professional as possible. If you want to rough out a voice over demo on your own recording equipment or on paper beforehand to take with you to the session, that’s fine. It might be helpful for both you and the engineer. But don’t do a first time, beginner, homemade voice over demo and start trying to get an agent with it. Some might listen, but they’re going to send you for a professional voice over demo before they start representing you for voice work. If you’re working on your own in the voice over studio without a coach to direct you, be sure you work with a very experienced engineer and someone with whom you have a good rapport. These guys, who have been engineering for many years, have heard it all and can give you valuable guidance, but, you don’t want to be completely intimidated by them either!

As a beginner, you may just want to make one generic voice over demo to start. Try including a variety of styles that you do well and use commercial and corporate narration scripts if you feel your voice would lend itself well to the corporate world. But the first voice over demo you should create is definitely a commercial voice over demo.

After you have some actual work under your belt and have acquired copies of actual spots you’ve done, you may want to create separate specialized voice over demos which will be edited from actual work. Keep the demo SHORT – 1 to 1 ½ minutes or less. Most directors and producers make a decision in the first few seconds – much as we’d all like to think they listen all the way through to hear all that we can do. That’s assuming, of course, that they even take the time to listen at all. Sorry, it’s a tough world. Unless they’re casting something at that very moment or you have been referred by someone they trust, your CD, cute as the label is, probably won’t get heard if you randomly drop it off or mail it. This is why your marketing efforts will be so important - more about that in another post. As for the snap judgments when agents, casting directors or producers do listen to voice over demos, try it yourself. Visit a voice talent web site and just cruise through the voice over demos. At first, you might listen to each demo all the way through. Then, you’ll find yourself, hearing the first few words, and feeling like you’ve got the essence of that particular voice and you’re ready to move on. Imagine you're in a time crunch and have to find the right voice fast! And imagine you have 20 - 200 demos to listen to! You can see why it's actually very unlikely that your whole demo will be listened to by a producer who is very busy. This is why you will want to put your best stuff first on the demo. By the way, listening to other professional voice talent demos is a great way to learn what you’re going for – and what you want to avoid.

Be sure to find out what the studio will charge for your voice over demo. Some studios offer a special rate to talent producing a voice over demo. Others will not. You will have to pay for studio time, editing, effects, music, and duplication. Studio time varies, but can run around $100 + per hour. Some studios offer “demo packages” where they help you select copy, direct you, and then edit the finished product. These are great if you make sure to find a good one and you’ve got the cash to spend. They’ll run you $1,000 and up! You will probably be recording in the studio for about 1 hour and then the editing process, with the addition of sound effects and music, may take another couple of hours or more. This is why you want to be as prepared as possible! If you find a good voice over coach, it would be helpful to have him or her attend the session to help direct you if you’re working at a local studio who doesn’t offer a demo package. You will need to budget some payment for the coach as well. One of the most excruciating things for a performer can be trying to create that perfect voice over demo. It’s hard to be objective and hard to know what to cut. An experienced “ear” can be a tremendous help.

You’ll want a CD or two of the finished demo at minimum. If you have an agent or are seeking an agent, you’ll need to either drop it by or send a copy to them. Most everyone uses CD’s exclusively these days - either that or an MP3 sent via the internet. Many agents and internet listing services request that you mail a CD as they are concerned about opening attachments. You’ll have to either have professional CD labels made or create your own with special software on your computer. But don’t just take a marker and write your name and number on the CD. You may not have the fanciest label, but it should be a professional looking, easy to read label. You can either have many copies of your CD voice over demo made by a studio or web sites that specialize in making copies of CDs or you can burn them yourself as needed from your master if you have the required computer skills and equipment. You probably don’t need a huge quantity of your voice over demo CDs on hand as you may find the need to “tweak” the voice over demo as soon as you actually do some work or to meet the requirements of your new agent.

Next time, more about voice over agents!

Happy New Year! Voice Over Goals for 2008

Well, here we are at the beginning of a brand new year. No resolutions, here. Been there, done that! Or didn't do that as the case may be.... But, it is a great time to take stock of where we are and what we want to accomplish in voice over this year.

Upgrading equipment is always a good goal. I got an early start this year with the new Sennheiser mic. I intended to get it sometime this year, but Santa surprised me with it! (I must have been a very good girl.) Anyway, I'm enjoying using it for voice over sessions and getting used to it's idiosyncrasies. It is very directional and very sensitive. It is also very precise, clean, clear, and crisp - and very lightweight! Had to make some modifications to my microphone arm to get it to hold the Sennheiser in position. I like working with the spring loaded microphone arms to easily adjust the mic and move it out of my way when I need to.

Another of my goals is to continue connecting with voice over agents in other parts of the country. I have added some new agents, and I will continue that endeavor throughout the year. I'll also be doing some very large mailings very soon to voice over casting directors and ad agencies. I'm just waiting on some new graphics for updated postcards and CD labels. The time it's taking for the tweaking is making me a little crazy now that the holiday madness is over, but we'll get there eventually. I'm really getting excited about all the updates, new voice over contacts, and the bigger, better voice over jobs they will bring! Cheers to all of us!

Matching Voice Over Revisions

We've all had to go back days, weeks, or months later to make revisions to previous voice over work to accommodate client changes or tweaks. What does it take to make those revisions blend seamlessly with the previous read style and recording quality? Well, technically, it's best to be in the same studio with the same mic at the same settings. For those of us doing it from our home voice over studio, those settings are important, too. Wondering if there are any voice over artists with their own studios out there who actually keep good notes as to these settings on each recording job? That would probably be ideal. However, many of us probably work with the same basic settings most of the time. Then, it becomes a matter of proximity to the mic, levels, and ultimately vocal style. A good ear is definitely a requirement!

I find that I usually try to edit in only the amount of voice over that is absolutely necessary to make the change needed. First, I listen carefully to the previous read as many times as necessary to get the style, tempo, and voice. By voice, I mean whether it's full voice, softer, stronger, higher, lower, etc. The attitude of the voice over delivery is very important and would refer to the style as well. Then, I read a portion of the script that includes the changes several times to recreate the same style, pitch, tempo, etc. When I get one that I feel is closest, I'll edit the change into the original using only as much as I need to blend for sound and style and make a clean edit - after a pause, breath, or at a plosive works best. T's, D's, B's, P's generally edit well providing you're matching all the voice over details mentioned previously. After making the edit, I listen carefully through my headphones and then through the monitors in the room as well, and when I'm satisfied that the match is seamless, it's done.

A note about revisions to files to which you have edited music for your clients. Always, remember to save a dry master of the original voice over. Note the title of the music you used as well or even save a copy of the music in the file folder for this client and project for easy reference. Then, if revisions are necessary, you can edit the new voice over to the original dry read and mix again with the music. Keeping well labeled, easily accessible audio files makes life so much easier. If only I could keep up with my paper filing as meticulously as I try to keep my audio files!

For those of us who work in other studios and via ISDN, the process of matching a previous voice over read is the same but without the worry of the technical side of things. Although we have an engineer who is working on the technical aspects of the actual recording of the voice over match from his end, we still have the responsibility of using our highly trained ear, acting ability, and professionalism in matching our previous voice over read as closely as possible. It's always so gratifying to hear an audio engineer say, "you're matching your previous read perfectly and making my job so much easier!".

Voice Over Today

Things used to be simple in the voice over business. You had an agent in the city in which you lived, you got a call, you showed up at the studio, voiced the commercial or narration, and you went on your way. Your agent sent the invoice and followed up on the payment and finally, sent you a check. Of course, you probably did some marketing to ad agencies in your city. Maybe you even sent out a few demos. Maybe you did a lot of work, maybe you didn't.

Today, to stay competitive, a voice over artist needs have a presence on the web, which often means you are your own negotiator, engineer, web designer, bookkeeper, and promoter in addition to being voice talent. You need discipline to stay on top of all the management duties you have. You need to continue to learn and grow in the technical aspects of recording and editing in addition to keeping current with voice over trends - and run an organized business. You need to stay focused on a daily basis in order to stay in top form. What do you do if you aren't booked with wall to wall sessions for the day? Play hooky? Or do you dig into that filing that's been backing up? How about touching base with clients you haven't heard from in awhile? Take care of those pesky "housekeeping" chores in your studio/office that always get put on the back burner - make those calls, take care of business so that you can put that mound of papers into the next mound - the to be filed stack? Ah, yes. It's a glamorous business we're in!