National Voice Over Appreciation Month

Most people are familiar with the art of acting, having watched performers on stage in a play, on television or in the movies.  Using the physicality of their bodies, their facial expressions and their voices, actors bring to life a multitude of characters from a script.

But the arts are home to another kind of actor who most often resides behind off camera or stage but may actually be experienced by the public much more frequently (often daily) than stage or screen actor. This artist is called a voice actor and his/her business is known as voice over.  It is this industry that September’s National Voice Over Month celebrates and honors.

While voice actors can also act on the stage and screen and vice versa, many voice actors (also known as voice over talents or voice talents) remain off camera, using their only their significant vocal skills to bring a writer’s script to life – much in the same way radio actors did before the advent of television.

But the mediums that voice over talents work in today is much wider today than it was in the early part of the 20th Century when radio was the dominant media. Today, with the explosion of communication tools brought on by the success of the internet, just a small; sample of the places voice talents’ work can be heard around the world include computers, stadiums and arena, video games, telephone systems, airports, colleges and universities, the internet as well as television and radio.

The specialized work of voice over talents is featured in commercials, video and DVD narrations, e-learning programs, cartoons and other animation, message on hold, political announcements, radio and television station promotional announcements, documentaries…basically anywhere a story needs to be told with more than pictures.

For the thousands of professional male and female voice over talents, the joy of participating in this industry is recognition enough.  But with National Voice Over Month allows everyone the chance to understand and appreciate these special artists.

Visit our site:  www.nationalvoiceovermonth.com

Contributed by Peter O’Connell

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An Inspirational Video – Be Unsinkable

As a voiceover artist, this truly inspired me!  If I have a frustrating or disappointing week in the studio, I always watch this video and I immediately feel better about everything that I do.

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Are You Stuck?

Are you stuck?  Before you answer, consider how much of your work is from repeat clientele and referrals, the amount and quality of testimonials you receive from your clients, the strength of your web presence, and the effectiveness of your auditioning and voicing techniques.  Take some time to reflect and be totally honest with yourself.  This is the business side of voice over and if you neglect it or forget to pay attention to it, you will find yourself stuck. Stuck has no momentum.  Stuck does not pay the bills. Stuck stinks!

Get “unstuck” and build momentum by taking time to analyze how you can improve your voice over business.  Think outside of the box.   If you do have repeat clientele, find out what it is you are doing that makes them come back to you.  Think of how you can provide even more value to them, whether you offer to voice their phone system, or add audio to their website, voice their blog, or introduce their podcast.  Next, identify which of your one-time clients you would like to have as repeat clients and do the same.  Take it to the next level by identifying your dream clients – the ones you want to voice for but haven’t done so yet.

Add some speed to your momentum by allowing your clients to advertise your business for you through referrals and testimonials.  Referrals and testimonials are powerful because they speak about the quality and integrity of your work and you.  Go ahead and ask for referrals.  Develop an arsenal of testimonials by asking your clients, especially your repeat clients, for a testimonial about their experience working with you and post these on your website.

Google yourself.  Are you on the first page? Better yet, how many pages do you fill?  The strength of your web presence is vital because the Internet is a major marketplace for voice over talent services.  Having a website is fantastic but you need to get plugged in to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube too.  Social Media is a powerful force in optimizing your web presence. Likewise, it allows you to access, connect, and engage other voice over talent, creative directors, and potential clients.  Leverage the power of social media to express your personality and brand your image – it’s free!  To optimize your social media, visit www.SocialMediaVO.com.

Finally, we audition a lot and we voice a lot.  Sometimes in the process it becomes more of a chore which inevitably comes out in our performance.  If you are finding your auditioning effectiveness to be slipping and the jobs seem to be fewer and further between, it may be time to revisit the basics or shake things up a bit and treat yourself by investing in a few training sessions with a professional voice over coach. Yes, even the pros get coaching to keep their competitive edge and learn new techniques!

Yes, even the pros have to get “unstuck” and find new ways to improve their voice over businesses. Going through this process is exactly what makes them pros and what sets them apart from the amateurs.  It’s time to get “unstuck”.

To your success!?

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What Do You Truly Want?

Seriously, what do you want?  Something for nothing doesn’t exist and unfortunately for many of us, neither does the land of Dairy Queen with its chocolate mountains adorned with peanuts, topped with ice cream and flowing rivers of chocolate and caramel!  So let’s just be real for a moment.
You’ve been told all your life that you have this great voice and should be a voice over talent.

That’s not enough!

You’re curious about the possibility of becoming a voice over talent.  People have told you that you have a great voice and it’s something you’d like to explore.

That’s better!

You want to be a professional voice over talent. You want to know how to do it right and want to get mentoring from real working voice over professionals who are doing what you want to do.

Now you’re talking!

If you want to be taken seriously, you must have serious intentions.  You must clearly define what you want and decide what you are willing to give to get it.   It’s quite simple, really.  To complete a triathlon you will need to be able to swim, bike, and run.  That will require some strength, cardio and endurance training. Additionally, you will need to fuel your body appropriately and have the right gear to complete the event. That will likely mean investing in some professional training to learn and improve your skills in each of the three sports, disciplining yourself to commit to the training regimen – even when you don’t feel like it – and investing in the appropriate gear so you can compete.

To compete as a voice over talent, you will need to be able to record your voice and deliver a variety of scripts, be teachable and directable, invest in professional training to learn and improve upon your skills and create a kickin’ demo.  You’ll need to discipline yourself to commit to the training, auditioning, editing and follow-through – even when you don’t feel like it – and invest in the appropriate equipment to get the job done.

You know what you need to do.  So what’s holding you back?

You need to want it enough to invest your time, money and energy into making what you want your reality. You need to want it – not your friends or all those people who have told you all your life that you have the most amazing voice.  If you don’t want it, investing your time, money and energy into training is simply foolish!

You need to want it and be bold enough to commit to it.  If you are not willing to commit to it, you will certainly fail because you will not be willing to give your full effort into making it happen. When you want it enough to commit to it, then the time, money and effort you invest in making it your reality will be an investment you are excited to make in yourself.

Good luck!

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Finding Networking Opportunities

Networking is critical to your success as a voice over talent so it pays to become a master networker.  While networking is necessary it doesn’t have to be a grueling experience.  Here are some tips to help you become a master networker.

Think of people who you know and businesses you frequent.  Do a bit of research to find the appropriate contacts and find out what their experience has been with current voice over talent and if they are open to accepting new voice over talent submissions.  Pay attention to any clues that may help you to serve them better than their existing talent base.

Look for networking opportunities in your local community where potential decision makers gather.  Chamber of Commerce meetings, marketing and advertising gatherings, and local business MeetUp groups are good places to start.  Attend these gatherings, introduce yourself and, in the course of the conversation, find out what you can do to help them accomplish their goals better with your voice over services.  Then make sure to follow up with these people within 24 to 48 hours after the event using the information you gleaned from your initial introduction.

Contact charities or causes for which you feel a passion.  The Animal Humane Society, The American Red Cross, The American Cancer Society, and so many more are wonderful and worthy organizations which you may offer to volunteer your voice for a commercial or event.  This gesture has also led to future paid voice over work for me.  Attend their events and you will meet other contacts of companies who support these organizations too.

Social Media Marketing is only growing and the people who are hiring voice over talent are using it as a tool to find talent.  If you are not yet taking advantage of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube you need to do so.  Check out SocialMediaVO.com to see what is new in Social Media and Voice Over.

Set a realistic networking goal for yourself and schedule networking events and activities into your calendar.  What gets scheduled gets done!

Finally, relax.  People are not thinking about you as much as they are thinking about themselves, their challenges and how others perceive them.  Make it your goal to make them feel comfortable and important. See how you can help them and they will respond in kind.

Put these tips into practice consistently and you will build a fabulous network and momentum that will continuously feed your business.

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Achieving Your Voice Over Goals

My favorite definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results!  Everyone wants to accomplish something! We all had dreams of what we wanted to do with our lives when we were younger.  Perhaps you wanted to be a famous actor or singer.  Maybe your ambitions were to become a doctor, teacher, lawyer, engineer or a celebrity sports figure.  Regardless, you made choices along the way that have brought you to where you are now.  If you would like to do something else, you need to make different choices that will create that reality for you.

Perhaps you want to become a voice over talent, break into a specific niche in the industry or expand your production skills to offer more to your clients and increase your earning potential.  Regardless of what you want, here are some steps to help you achieve it:

1.  Determine what you want.  Be clear about it and write it down.

2.  Find out what it takes to reach your goal by doing due diligence and researching to get accurate information from qualified experts who have accomplished what you want to accomplish.   If you want to be a voice over talent, don’t seek advice from someone who hasn’t achieved what you want to achieve.  Write down what it takes.

3.  Decide whether or not you are willing to do what it takes – not just what you want to do, but what it takes to accomplish your goal. If you want something bad enough, you will commit to doing what it takes.  Make a written pledge to yourself that you will do what it takes to achieve this goal.

4. Post your goal, the things you need to do to attain it and your commitment pledge in a place you will see it every day.

5.  Consistently and persistently work toward your goal by accomplishing at least two core tasks each day, one of which you would rather not do.  Hint:  If you want to achieve your goal quicker, then you will need to do more than two core tasks each day, especially those you would rather not do!

I am a voice over talent.  Yep, it’s what I do…every day!  How did I get to be a voice over talent?   I became a voice talent by consistently and persistently following these steps.   What do you want to achieve?  Create a new reality for yourself by consistently and persistently following these steps and one day you will wake up and realize that you have achieved your goal!

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The Voices of June Foray

June Foray is one of the best talents I have ever met and heard. Check this out!

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Voice 2010 Recap

What an incredibly awesome experience!   Those who were there understand the power of attending this phenomenal conference!  For those who were not present this year, I encourage you to attend the next one.

James Alburger and Penny Abshire co-produced this amazing event, bringing together top voice talent and industry experts who generously shared their time and expertise with attendees as presenters, making themselves available mingling throughout the event, and some even offered private coaching sessions!

The Red Carpet Reception Wednesday evening was a kaleidoscope of talent from around the world and a fantastic opportunity to network.  Pat Fraley and special guest, Brad Garrett, kicked off the event Thursday morning with a keynote presentation on understanding and delivering comedy in voiceover! Specialized breakout sessions followed by top talents such as: Marc Cashman, Dan Lenard, Deb Munro, Melody Jones, the queen of telephony, Liz de Nesnera, Erik Sheppard, Tim Underwood, technical audio expert and genius George Whittam, and more.

The Expo boasted representation from such popular voice over resources as John Florian and VoiceOverXtra, SAVOA, Source Connect, Performer Track, El Dorado Recording Services, and many of the presenters too.  Outstanding photographer, CeCe Canton was available for professional headshots, and technical experts were available for techie questions on the Tech Talk Terrace.  One of the most popular exhibits at the Expo was the Osborne Head and Neck Institute, where talents could actually receive a complimentary general scope of their throat and vocal chords, speak with Dr. Reena Gupta, MD., who is a board-certified fellowship trained Laryngologist about vocal health concerns, and other medical experts including a Pediatric Otolaryngologist and a Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon.

Dave Courvoisier and I kicked off Friday morning with a riveting keynote on building your voiceover business through social media networking. I even did my best David Lee Roth-inspired kick!  You can check out the PowerPoint from our talk on SocialMediaVO.com.  Following our presentation were more breakout sessions from vo experts such as Richard Horvitz, Julie Williams, John Florian, Gabrielle Nistico,  an audio book panel hosted by Hilary Huber, and an uncut, uncensored course from Nancy Wolfson on “The Absolute Best Booking Secret F%#king Ever!” in effectively delivering copy!   MJ Lallo, Bill Homes, Big Louie and the queen of improv, Karly Rothenberg, delivered the final touches of the evening.   More networking fun and fellowship followed at the X-Bar!

Marc Cashman made us laugh until we cried Saturday morning as he shared real life examples of horribly offbeat, crazy, demented directions and copy given to voice talents that he’s collected over the years.  An entourage of exceptional talent ensued with sessions by John Taylor, Beau Weaver, Peter Rofe, Tim Keenan and the awesome Joe Cipriano, who closed out the Saturday sessions with a powerful promo panel!

The Poolside Mixer was a definite hit and the VOICE Banquet was the perfect culmination to VOICE 2010.   John Florian received VOICE Community Award and we were honored with some very special guests who are legends in the voice over industry – June Foray, Bob Bergen, Rob Paulsen, and Maurice LaMarche.

The relationships forged at VOICE 2010 are memorable. An excellent opportunity to connect with other people and be connected to a wonderfully supportive and powerful community, VOICE is an event you won’t want to miss!

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Voice 2010 Interviews Part One

Terry Daniel has a little fun with the flipcam at Voice 2010!

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Caring For Your Voice

I talk a lot.   It’s how I earn money.  No voice, no money.   So over the years, I’ve learned quite a bit about vocal health and the importance of caring for my voice.  Here are some tips that have served me well:

Warm up your voice and your body before you practice, audition, or record. These warm ups may include humming, tongue twisters, yawning, stretching, singing, jumping up and down, etc.  Do what works for you.  Your vocal chords are muscles that need to stretch and warm up before a workout just like any other muscle.  It’s also important to loosen up your whole body to alleviate strain and stress on the vocal chords from poor posture, tightness in the body, particularly the back, shoulders, neck and jaws.

Hydrate. Vocal chords must remain lubricated to function properly.  Forget to lubricate and your vocal performance will suffer.  Water is certainly the top choice and room temp is best.  Other great choices include herbal teas such as Yogi’s Throat Comfort Tea or Traditional Medicinal’s Throat Coat Tea. Avoid extreme temperatures as cool or cold beverages will tighten the vocal chords, and hot beverages will over relax the vocal chords.  Your vocal chords are like rubber bands and vibrate to produce sound.   If they get too cold, they lose elasticity and can tear when stretched.  If they get too hot, they lose the ability to retain tension and strain to produce sound.

Breathe.  Proper breathing is breathing from your diaphragm and requires proper posture. Stand in front of a mirror, place your hand over your belly and breathe.   Notice your posture.  Are your neck and shoulders relaxed? Are you breathing from your chest (up and down – not proper) or is your hand moving in and out on your belly as you breathe?  Now speak or better yet, sing.   Look at your neck.  Do you see tension?  If so, re-check your posture. Feet should face forward, knees should be soft, hips should be in neutral (stick your butt out, tuck your hips in, and then relax them –that’s neutral!), tummy should be tucked in, shoulders back and down, and the neck should be neutral (same process as the hips).  Now try it again.  You should see no strain in the neck.

Rest.  Like any other muscles, your vocal chords need proper rest to repair and function.  Allow breaks for yourself throughout the day and especially after a long day of recording. Refrain from talking as much as possible during those breaks.  Additionally, give yourself 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night to rest your voice and body.

Avoid these for at least an hour before recording:
Dairy – produces mucus
Sugar – produces mucus
Caffeine – dehydrates and tightens the vocal chords
Greasy and Fatty Foods – produces mucus and promotes acid reflux
Spicy – promotes acid reflux
Alcohol – dehydrates
Smoking – produces mucus – also horrible for vocal health in general

Mucus happens sometimes.  Allergies or illness can be culprits of producing unwanted mucus too.  Tips for dealing with mucus include gargling with salt water, adding fresh lemon to your water, drinking more water, and doing a nasal rinse. Coughing is tough on the vocal chords.  Avoid coughing by putting your chin to your chest and swallowing.   The mucus will usually clear quickly.

Your vocal health is important for so many reasons.  Protect your vocal chords and you will reap the rewards of a strong and healthy voice for years to come.   As a voice talent, that also means more money!

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