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Hot off the Presses…
Will the Rush of VO Newcomers Ruin the VoiceOver Profession?
Newcomers to the promise of voice-over success gotta start somewhere. Along the way, though, they can fall victim to predators, challenge compensation rates, and remind us of our own early beginnings.
read moreJust Before that…
Rates Roundtable: Interactive Strike
Voiceover industry experts discuss the ongoing SAG-AFTRA Interactive Strike, the underlying issues, and the progress being made towards resolution.
Rates Roundtable is Back!
Video Game voice-actors and SAG-AFTRA negotiators discuss the Interactive Strike. A Gold-Ribbon panel of experts talk about progress being made in SAG’s longest-ever strike.
Tools, Toys, & Time
A video admonition to not overload yourself with the myriad of tools and digital toys available right now. Tips on how to find the right ones and make them work for you.
…Just Days
Not to beat a dead horse... but to beat the deadline and attend one of the best VO conferences of the year, you're down to a matter of days and hours. WoVOCon IV in fabulous Las Vegas Nevada happens the last week of June, and we need to know...
Oh, the Opportunities You Could Be Missing!
Christian Kolberg used to work for the local newspaper publisher. Then he realized he had a knack for auctioneering. That's him to the right, and him with me on the far right at the recent "Chefs for Kids" Gala fundraiser...dressed as Cap'n Hook for the...
PhotoShop for Voice
Has PhotoShop been good for photography? Don't answer that. Either way, does it follow that an analogous device or program would be good for voice-acting? That's the basic question, I guess. The only reason I can think of as to why someone...
Voice Over Education
Creative VO Prospecting
Yesterday, I was reading through my Google Alerts, and came across a Craigslist ad placed by a seasoned VO pro. I've re-printed most of it for you to see below the line-break. The ad came complete with a graphic, phone #, website address, a map to his major U-S city...
Clearing Out the Crud
When your speaking apparatus is gunked-up... you can't keep up your VO commitments so well. And Boy Howdy, this is the season for gunking! How many times have I seen anguished posts on social media groups begging anyone for quick-fix solutions that will allow the...
Starting Out
Launching into the world of voice acting is a steep challenge. There are no manuals, but plenty of "opportunities". The opportunities range from legitimate offers of help to outright predation, and everything in between...including the costs involved. As you would...
Qualified to be a VO Coach?
The estimate that only 5% of voice actors are truly supporting themselves and their families with strictly voiceover work is probably close to correct. (remember, 47.93% of all numbers quoted online are made-up). Whatever the number (almost impossible to discern),...
My Monday Night Visitor
What day of the week would you say comes with the highest concentration of VO audition requests? Uh-huh. Monday. Now, let me explain that my prime daypart for recording auditions is midnight to 3am. Lately I've also adding 11am - 1pm after I rise, for doing...
Your Homework Assignment for Tonight
Does anybody watch TV without the DVR running in the background any more? Either way, your homework assignment for tonight is to play back pay a prime-time or prime-time access program and pay special attention to the commercials. Right. The thing that we all...
Lookin’ For a Reason To Come To Vegas?
...like you really needed one, right? Well, September 10th-11th is apparently a very popular VO weekend in Las Vegas. Two coveted voice acting coaches will be here for weekend workshops. #1. Pat Fraley Pat is hands-down one of the top VO coaches...he could do this on...
VO Email Marketing
Your email signature bookends your salutation. Both are perfunctory, and yet pertinent.As overlooked as the signature can be...don't you always notice when it's missing?...or minimal...or overdone?The email signature for a voice-actor is part marketing, part...
3 Warnings About Blog Titles With Numbers in Them
Why? Because it’s a manipulative device to get you to read it! That’s the #1 reason. You don’t want to be manipulated do you? Virtually every last blog about and for bloggers mentions this magic formula. I’m sure there’s some psychological reason behind it…so let...
Gold in the VoiceOver Frontier
Philosophical differences are the toughest ones. Just ask the Democrats and Republicans. Both sides are forgetting that the people across the aisle are proud Americans...who see a possible future that's different from the opposing viewpoint. That doesn't make them...
World Voices #WoVochat
Rates Roundtable: Interactive Strike
Voiceover industry experts discuss the ongoing SAG-AFTRA Interactive Strike, the underlying issues, and the progress being made towards resolution.
Rates Roundtable is Back!
Video Game voice-actors and SAG-AFTRA negotiators discuss the Interactive Strike. A Gold-Ribbon panel of experts talk about progress being made in SAG’s longest-ever strike.
…Just Days
Not to beat a dead horse... but to beat the deadline and attend one of the best VO conferences of the year, you're down to a matter of days and hours. WoVOCon IV in fabulous Las Vegas Nevada happens the last week of June, and we need to know...
13 Days…and Counting
OK, I admit it, I'm totally biased about WoVO. Of course I am. I'm a founder and the current president. With over 800 members, World-Voices Organization is now more than just a cozy little group of like-minded souls. It's a movement. A movement about to celebrate...
The New NAB
National Association of Broadcasters. One of the biggest conventions on the calendar of a city that has more/bigger/better conferences than any other place on the planet. But why? I mean, I get CES (Consumer Electronics Show)...THE highest attendance at any Vegas...
Long Live Atlanta…
...until 2018. Now what? There's a lot of 2017 left! Gerald Griffith pulled off a masterful and edifying voice over conference again. 500+ newcomers and seasoned pros made the scene, and made memories. I'm still smiling. But you know what?...thousands of voice...
Just one more…
'Traveling today. Up at 5am... a time of day that doesn't exist in my world. Please enjoy this pic from one week ago in Atlanta.
A Few Last Pics From VOA
I'll have some thoughts about the conference tomorrow, but 'thought you might enjoy a few more shots from the event. Recognize anyone? The Spanish-Speaking attendees broke out in song on the final night. Closing Ceremonies, VO Atlanta 2017 from Dave Courvoisier on...
Why I Love VO Conferences
Voice Over Atlanta launches Thursday. It's turned into one of the more encompassing of the many VO conventions that have sprouted-up over the years. The last I heard, upwards of 500 will be attending in one capacity or another. That's awesome, and shows the growing...
Ethics in Voice Acting
Ethics? Really? I just need VO jobs! OK, I hear ya, but believe it or not it's all tied in together, and it's also best described in the context of community. Next week at VoiceOver Atlanta, J Michael Collins is moderating a panel on this very topic. As an intro to...
VO Business & Compensation
…Just Days
Not to beat a dead horse... but to beat the deadline and attend one of the best VO conferences of the year, you're down to a matter of days and hours. WoVOCon IV in fabulous Las Vegas Nevada happens the last week of June, and we need to know...
Oh, the Opportunities You Could Be Missing!
Christian Kolberg used to work for the local newspaper publisher. Then he realized he had a knack for auctioneering. That's him to the right, and him with me on the far right at the recent "Chefs for Kids" Gala fundraiser...dressed as Cap'n Hook for the...
Playing
Playing is right!!! I mentioned yesterday in my blog that I was going to be using a new DiVi editor to compose blog posts. What you see here are some of the elementary things I've done with Divi's intuitive visual editor, having looked at only 1 or 2 training...
Voice Over Education
Break the Mold
It's late...or early...whichever. The clock says 3:32am as I write this.We're creatures of habit, tending to keep the same schedules. Mine is a late one. Yes, I do sleep. My sleep hours are just not YOUR sleep hours. Personally, I believe the hours from midnight...
What AGE is Your Voice?
Does a voice HAVE an age? Well, I mean, of course it has the age associated with the cords' owner but can you tell a person's age by their voice? Or vice-versa...does a certain timbre/quality of voice HAVE an age?I go back to the analogy surrounding race. The...
Does Voice Acting Have a “Slow” Season?
Time and again I see online posts asking if anyone else is experiencing downtime. It's almost as if people are trying to reassure themselves that their own reduced workload mirrors the experience of others (the old "misery loves company" thing).There are all sorts of...
The Ultimate Authority
Just when I think I've got a bead on the people who make up this voice over community, I find out I really know nothing.I mean, I've been to umpteen VO conferences, I write a widely-read VO blog, I administer some social media VO forums, I'm the president of...
Are You “Studio Approved”?
World-Voices wrestled with this issue from day one.WoVO is not in the business of making subjective decisions about whether you are a good talent, can give a compelling promotional read, or can kill it on a commercial read.But, there are some objective and measurable...
Studio On Wheels
Most voice actors seem obsessed with obtaining, and having at-the-ready, a mobile recording solution.I get it. I'm a geek too, and I've got several iterations of an "away" recording configuration.But let's face it, you can have a U-87 in your hotel room, and your...
Cracking the “Newbie” Nut
Every day a new voice is born. When they get older people tell them "you should be in radio" (not knowing that radio these days hardly has any live humans to speak of anymore). When that happens often enough, the person with the golden pipes starts to believe they...
Go With What You Know
Ask me what got me into being a voice-actor, and I'd tell you "AudioBooks". It seemed like a perfect fit for me. I was interested in it, and pursued it whole-heartedly for about 5 years. I ended up narrating some 40 titles, attended APAC twice, was a beta tester for...
Too Many Coaches, Not Enough Mentors
The estimate that only 5% of voice actors are truly supporting themselves and their families with strictly voiceover work is probably correct. (remember, 47.93% of all numbers quoted online are made-up).Whatever the number (almost impossible to discern), it's...
A Defense of the “First Take”
The main point of this blog is not going to sit well with many...least of all the accomplished voice coaches I've worked with. So, consider this point of view more as an idea I'm floating out there as an alternative. It's a counter-argument to the other end of the...
Voice Over Hardware & Software tools
Tools, Toys, & Time
A video admonition to not overload yourself with the myriad of tools and digital toys available right now. Tips on how to find the right ones and make them work for you.
PhotoShop for Voice
Has PhotoShop been good for photography? Don't answer that. Either way, does it follow that an analogous device or program would be good for voice-acting? That's the basic question, I guess. The only reason I can think of as to why someone...
Transcribe Your Audio on Video
Hmmm, not sure what happened there, but Tuesday's blog ended up being deleted. I'll chalk it up to new website blues. Regardless, I'm posting it again for those who missed it. Video Transcribing App from Dave Courvoisier on Vimeo. The app is by Apple itself (so...
Prepare for PreAmps
Next to the all-important microphone, voice-actors wring their hands over their choice of pre-amp almost as much. I confess to not being worthy of expert advice in these matters. I can tell you I've tried a bunch of 'em, and currently use the Universal Audio Apollo...
Source-Elements at NAB
Robert Marshall is a genius with a Beatles haircut. It works for him...the haircut...AND the brains. I sought out his humble booth at NAB, because I know he's always improving the Source-Elements prodigious product line...and would have news to share. I wasn't...
ipDTL at NAB
The folks at in:Quality did it up right for the big NAB show. Kevin Leach bought a nice big booth in the North Hall with excellent visibility and steady foot traffic. Upon arriving, I was happy to see any number of Vegas-based voice talent manning the booth, handing...
Did You See What I Did There?
I miss a day of blogging, and ****BOOM**** alla sudden I got a new website! Do me a favor? Kick the tires, and let me know if you see any mistakes?...any gitches....anything that doesn't look right? My developer Brett Bumeter of Softduit Media is the man behind all...
MXL DX-2 Mic Review
People read my blog who I don't even know. Usually it's a good thing. Take David G Beneke for instance; an audiobook narrator, and a geek like me when it comes to audio hardware (only his expertise vastly supersedes mine). Beneke sent me an email a few days ago...
SSD = Soul Saving Device
Forget all you thought you knew about time-saving techniques. Scheduling, to-do lists, goal setting, business plans, better keyboards...WHATEVER! None of it compares to an SSD. Solid State Drive or Solid State Disc replaces the hard drive on your computer. For over...
They Come & They Go
Over the years a good many well-meaning (and not-so-well meaning) enterprises have tried to capitalize on the community of voice actors. Many are still trying. Few are legitimate. voicechasers VoiceOverDirectory voice jockey voice bunny voiceperminute voiceover-jobs...
Voice Over Events
Rates Roundtable: Interactive Strike
Voiceover industry experts discuss the ongoing SAG-AFTRA Interactive Strike, the underlying issues, and the progress being made towards resolution.
Rates Roundtable is Back!
Video Game voice-actors and SAG-AFTRA negotiators discuss the Interactive Strike. A Gold-Ribbon panel of experts talk about progress being made in SAG’s longest-ever strike.
…Just Days
Not to beat a dead horse... but to beat the deadline and attend one of the best VO conferences of the year, you're down to a matter of days and hours. WoVOCon IV in fabulous Las Vegas Nevada happens the last week of June, and we need to know...
13 Days…and Counting
OK, I admit it, I'm totally biased about WoVO. Of course I am. I'm a founder and the current president. With over 800 members, World-Voices Organization is now more than just a cozy little group of like-minded souls. It's a movement. A movement about to celebrate...
The New NAB
National Association of Broadcasters. One of the biggest conventions on the calendar of a city that has more/bigger/better conferences than any other place on the planet. But why? I mean, I get CES (Consumer Electronics Show)...THE highest attendance at any Vegas...
Long Live Atlanta…
...until 2018. Now what? There's a lot of 2017 left! Gerald Griffith pulled off a masterful and edifying voice over conference again. 500+ newcomers and seasoned pros made the scene, and made memories. I'm still smiling. But you know what?...thousands of voice...
Just one more…
'Traveling today. Up at 5am... a time of day that doesn't exist in my world. Please enjoy this pic from one week ago in Atlanta.
A Few Last Pics From VOA
I'll have some thoughts about the conference tomorrow, but 'thought you might enjoy a few more shots from the event. Recognize anyone? The Spanish-Speaking attendees broke out in song on the final night. Closing Ceremonies, VO Atlanta 2017 from Dave Courvoisier on...
Why I Love VO Conferences
Voice Over Atlanta launches Thursday. It's turned into one of the more encompassing of the many VO conventions that have sprouted-up over the years. The last I heard, upwards of 500 will be attending in one capacity or another. That's awesome, and shows the growing...
Ethics in Voice Acting
Ethics? Really? I just need VO jobs! OK, I hear ya, but believe it or not it's all tied in together, and it's also best described in the context of community. Next week at VoiceOver Atlanta, J Michael Collins is moderating a panel on this very topic. As an intro to...
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Voice Over Hardware & Software tools
Choosing the Right DAW
To me, recording and editing with ProTools is like using an F-16 to cross the road. Oh, you'll get there, but it'll cost you in money and time to learn all the gee-gaws. To others, using Adobe Audition harkens back to radio, and ALL the voice-0verists I know never...
read more.mp3 Demystified
Most of your voice-acting pros will know about this, but it's never too late to learn something new, or even brush-up on something "old". We all use .mp3, but do we really know how this marvel of audio compression works, It's mostly credited to Fraunhofer (and...
read moreRoyalty-Free Music Sites
Why would anyone ignore the advice of VO's practicing lawyer Rob Sciglimpaglia? Not that anyone has, but may I underscore the importance of it these days? There are endless touchpoints in your business where sound legal advice can keep you from a boatload of trouble....
read moreInfographics? …meh
Our short-attention-span culture (and getting shorter), loves the infographic. An easy-to-digest all-around summary of a particular topic in an eye-catching presentation. I'm not saying the info is usually wrong, it's just too simplified. In other words, it's...
read moreSeduced…
...by a new browser! Really? I thought the browser wars were over and that Chrome had won. It did, but now there's a better browser beating Chrome at its own game: Vivaldi. It's Chrome... only better, more customizable, faster, and with a few new features you'll...
read moreOnline Protections
My wife and I have this...ahem..."discussion" alla time about whether the internet has ultimately been good or bad for humankind. My position is that there is evidence to support both arguments equally. Which is to say this latest invention of our collective culture...
read moreOnline Tools For Freelance VoiceActors
Invoices, contracts, agreements, NDA's, digital signatures -- all that and more can be part of your business workflow on any given day. Wouldn't it be great to have one place where all those forms could be received/sent, generated, handled, integrated? HelloSign. I...
read moreDigital Payments Update
Not a lot of my business is foreign-sourced, and that's probably not good. VO Pro Dan Hurst was the first one to clue me in on the incredible opportunities for neutral North American voices around the world, and all I can say is: "I'm workin' on it!". But with the...
read more2 Recent Facebook Changes Voice Actors Should Note
Jobs. Yes, jobs. Facebook is now apparently openly challenging LinkedIn, Monster, UpWork, Craigslist and everybody else who is even pretending to be a place to find work. That's significant. Why? Because Facebook is the undeniable freakin' juggernaut of the social...
read moreAmazon Chime: ZOOM’s Newest Challenger
Remember GoToMeeting? Ugh...I hated that program. Skype seemed to be a pretty good video conferencing tool. Google Hangouts are still chugging along, but then Zoom.us blew up everything. Seems like most all of the working online public is using Zoom.us for...
read moreWill the Rush of VO Newcomers Ruin the VoiceOver Profession?
Newcomers to the promise of voice-over success gotta start somewhere. Along the way, though, they can fall victim to predators, challenge compensation rates, and remind us of our own early beginnings.
Oh, the Opportunities You Could Be Missing!
Christian Kolberg used to work for the local newspaper publisher. Then he realized he had a knack for auctioneering. That's him to the right, and him with me on the far right at the recent "Chefs for Kids" Gala fundraiser...dressed as Cap'n Hook for the...
Still Using a Beeper?
Of course not! You're a fully-vested citizen of the 21st century. Which means you understand 10-second attention spans, 140-character texts, and can explain the fascination with Kylie Jenner (so explain it to me willya?). How do you know you're a full-fledged 21st...