One of the best things you can be in our line of work is...FLEXIBLE! No, I'm not referring to the ability to bend backwards and touch your nose to your toes, I'm referring to the flexibility you have with your time. If our schedules are not filled to the brim, opportunity can arise!
I always try to allow for time to relax, time to get things done around the house, help out at church, etc. I've read about many voice actors that immerse themselves in work. A bit of time to eat, tuck in the kids- and it's right back to the studio. This is great, if you are being paid the same per spot as Don LaFontaine! For the rest of us, over-scheduling can cause you to miss out on great opportunities.
I am not a big believer in quantity over quality.
I've received the same calls the rest of you have. 50 spots a month for $15 a pop! Great. So, I can have guaranteed monthly work at a MUCH rate lower than I would normally charge...or I can hold out for a job that might come from nowhere and be willing to pay me what I'm worth.
Perhaps I'm a gambler after all...as I'd take the latter!
Yesterday was supposed to be my 'free day'. I had nothing scheduled, so I was planning to finally order those wedding pictures I've been meaning to get to (yes, it's been a YEAR!) and play in the garden a bit. The phone rang at 10am. A job I had turned down last week (the rate was too low) had decided to match my fee after all (which was TWICE what they originally offered). I had promised a quick turn around- so I recorded and sent it off in under an hour. Voila! Back to the gardens and wedding pictures...
At 2pm the phone rang again. How fast could I be ready to go on camera and record a car commercial in a town 30 minutes away? Considering I had been playing in the garden throughout the day, and was pretty sure there was a bit of bird poop on my left knee from the bird bath I had cleaned only moments before...uhm...well...it was the fastest shower and make-up slathering of my life!
4 hours later, a 30 minute infomercial and 30 second TV commercial had been filmed! HAH! Now, not everyday goes like this (obviously- or we would be living in a much larger home!). However, if I was committed to 50 spots for a low rate on a deadline- I would not have been able to throw on some heels and earn a decent day's wages on a moment's notice!
Stop and think before you over-commit yourself to guaranteed work for low pay. Sometimes, being flexible and AVAILABLE can bring great rewards! Be confident in your abilities, deliver a great product, and know that you are worth the money spent!
In fact, I received the call an hour ago that the agency liked my work...I'm on the schedule for 2 more commercials next week!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
Dear Diary
The very first day of VOICE 2007 was an incredible experience. Most of us spent all day wondering what it would be like when 200 voice actors from around the world sat in a single room together. Would the friendships that began in cyberspace hold up when standing face to face? Would I be judged on my appearance instead of just my voice? Would there be enormous ego filling the room? Would this change my career?
The meet and greet began at 6pm, so there were many hours to be filled prior. What most of my new friends did not realize is that I had been given an unusual task to fulfill in the 24 hours of March 27th, 2007. I was to write a diary of what it is like to be a female voice actor.
It is for a book coming out in 2008 called 'This Day In The Life of Working Women'. 500 women across America had been asked to write down their thoughts, job requirements, and each event that took place within those 24 hours. Only 30 diaries will be published, and a hundred or so more will have 'excerpts' published. I was one of the women asked to partake in this project. My diary filled 9 single spaced typed pages! Who knew I had so much to say? (please keep jokes to a minimum here)
It is so wonderful to have a detailed record of each of my thoughts on the first day of VOICE. I love looking back and realizing my own nerves and insecurities. Especially now that I know how kind, warm, and generous each of the people I met were!
For those that have read many of my blogs, or for those that once listened to me on the radio, you know that I have no shortage of wild imagination. I find parallels throughout my universe, and see things in my own little way.
What is funny about my account of March 27th is my absolute LACK of imagination! It is obvious to me that I was intensely focused on that day. I was ready to network and learn. I was taking my time in Vegas very seriously. Quite frankly...I was boring.
Needless to say, I have no expectation that my 24 hours on March 27th, 2007 will ever make it to the New York Times Best Seller list. In fact, I expect it will sit on my computer's hard drive never to see the light of day.
However, I will never regret the time I spent writing down every thought. I cherish having a full account of what it is like to be me and to work my job.
In fact, this is the reason for today's blog (yes, there is a purpose here). I challenge each of you to spend more time recording your own thoughts. You can do it on the This Day In The Life website, or you can write things down in your own diary. Take 24 hours of your life on an average day or an extraordinary day and record every thought you have. Trust me- you will be thankful to have it to look back on and share with your friends and family. We are each interesting- even on our boring days!
The meet and greet began at 6pm, so there were many hours to be filled prior. What most of my new friends did not realize is that I had been given an unusual task to fulfill in the 24 hours of March 27th, 2007. I was to write a diary of what it is like to be a female voice actor.
It is for a book coming out in 2008 called 'This Day In The Life of Working Women'. 500 women across America had been asked to write down their thoughts, job requirements, and each event that took place within those 24 hours. Only 30 diaries will be published, and a hundred or so more will have 'excerpts' published. I was one of the women asked to partake in this project. My diary filled 9 single spaced typed pages! Who knew I had so much to say? (please keep jokes to a minimum here)
It is so wonderful to have a detailed record of each of my thoughts on the first day of VOICE. I love looking back and realizing my own nerves and insecurities. Especially now that I know how kind, warm, and generous each of the people I met were!
For those that have read many of my blogs, or for those that once listened to me on the radio, you know that I have no shortage of wild imagination. I find parallels throughout my universe, and see things in my own little way.
What is funny about my account of March 27th is my absolute LACK of imagination! It is obvious to me that I was intensely focused on that day. I was ready to network and learn. I was taking my time in Vegas very seriously. Quite frankly...I was boring.
Needless to say, I have no expectation that my 24 hours on March 27th, 2007 will ever make it to the New York Times Best Seller list. In fact, I expect it will sit on my computer's hard drive never to see the light of day.
However, I will never regret the time I spent writing down every thought. I cherish having a full account of what it is like to be me and to work my job.
In fact, this is the reason for today's blog (yes, there is a purpose here). I challenge each of you to spend more time recording your own thoughts. You can do it on the This Day In The Life website, or you can write things down in your own diary. Take 24 hours of your life on an average day or an extraordinary day and record every thought you have. Trust me- you will be thankful to have it to look back on and share with your friends and family. We are each interesting- even on our boring days!
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
VOICE 2007
As you can imagine, I took many notes throughout VOICE 2007. We were provided a detailed book with notes from each presenter, but I chose to write everything in a separate notebook I purchased before boarding the plane to Vegas. The good news is that I finally got through enough laundry that I was able to get to this notebook in the bottom of my suitcase this morning! Here are a few of the things I wrote down…Now, these are not ‘quotes’ necessarily, this is my interpretation of what was said…
Rodney Saulsberry….Wednesday 9:15am
-When preparation meets opportunity, you get ‘luck’.
-Its not how you sound, its how you interpret the copy.
-Each line is its own entity when voicing a movie trailer.
-Lush technique- little breath of air at the end of each sentence of a movie trailer.
-Comedy means melody…with a smile.
-Positive Attitude…let it be your brand.
-Put together a good ‘team’…friends, coaches, agents, etc.
Rodney’s home studio consists of:
The Snowball Mic (USB-light sound)
416 Seinheiser
SoundForge
ISDN
-Always have a positive slate.
(Thanks Rodney!)
Connie Terwilliger….Wednesday 11am…Self Evaluation
-Self Evaluation…what do you sound like? What is your potential? Where do you fit?
-Do you have what it takes? Talent, Business, Marketing, Technology?
-Know what you have to sell.
-Listen to all things voice over.
-TV requires fewer ‘notes’ than radio…radio requires melody and inflection.
-Read a long book into your mic…do you like it?
-Read this book over two days…does the audio match? Maybe you would be good at audio books.
-Know and analyze your competition.
-Spend time listening to professional demos…strive to better yourself.
(Connie’s session was fantastic- I recommend learning as much as you can from her!)
Frank Frederick…Wednesday 4pm…Love Notes Branding
-Your brand should have Familiarity, Seduction, Mysteriousness, EMOTIONS!
-When people think of the words voice actor- they should think of YOU!
(Thank you Frank…you are wonderful!)
Chris Wagner…Thursday 9am…Websites
I took over 4 pages of notes from Chris’s session. I will post them later…he was completely informative!
Pat Fraley…Thursday 10:45am
As you may or may not know, Pat is my mentor and my hero…
-Smile to avoid a ‘popped P’
-Make vowel sounds when ‘falling down stairs’- don’t say ‘oh, oh, oh’- say ‘ah, eh, oh, uh’…do a Heimlich on yourself!
-When slating you could shake the paper before saying the name of the character…edit the slate to your edited audition to make it sound live!
-Or have a professional studio say ‘we are rolling, go ahead’ to make it sound bigger and better!
-Never slate in character
-Always slate in character
-Series of 3…best choice, contrast, and best choice again…the 3rd take will be the blend of the first two and will be the keeper.
-Voice over is chess, not checkers- Interpret each line differently
-Disregard punctuation
-There are 8 ways to move around a mic for emphasis. Practice them.
-Make one sound each day you have never made before.
-Step out of the box, be different, have no fear!
James Alburger and Penny Abshire…Thursday 2pm…Psychology of voice Over
Please forgive me…James and Penny had such great notes in the book I didn’t take any on my own. They are so full of passion and life, true success stories!
Gregory Best…Friday 9am…Negotiate Your Best Fee
-Telephone negotiation is risky. You skip things, have bad math, and there are no visuals.
-Screen your calls…let them leave a message…call them back on your own terms.
-Don’t be pressured by ‘perceived’ deadlines.
-Everything is negotiable.
-Respect yourself, value your services, eliminate negative self-talk.
-Learn to say NO.
-Listen, don’t be thinking of your counterpoint while the other person is talking.
-Ask questions, learn!
-Have high aspirations, believe in your product.
-Make a list of questions you can use for every job…is the audio dry, what is the length, do I need to use an outside studio?? Etc.
-Be patient.
-Be flexible, look at things from both sides.
-Be willing to take risks…Be a problem solver.
-Be willing to walk away.
-It isn’t personal, its not about personality.
-Slow down, Be nice, Have style.
-Keep your ethics.
-Never accept the first offer!
-Never make the first concession.
-Ask what their budget is.
(Thanks Greg!)
Bettye Zoller…Friday 10:45 am…Audiobooks
Bettye was very interactive and hands-on…I loved her instantly! I took very few notes because most of it was on-mic practice.
-You are not selling…you are telling.
-Audiobook demos should be 4-5 minutes long
-Each cut should be 30-45 seconds.
-Vary the cuts from fiction, to non-fiction, to mystery, to dialogue, etc.
-If a script has dialogue, read in character!
MJ Lallo…Friday 2pm…Characters in Animation
Again, MJ was very hands-on, so it was almost all on-mic practice. I was very disappointed I wasn’t chosen to go on-mic during MJ's session. It was mostly by raffle drawing…the voice over gods were not in my favor :) I did learn so much from her though!
-Character demos should be all contrast.
-Do impressions on a separate demo, not on your character demo.
-Give each of your ‘voices’ a name…make them real.
-When negotiating fees, ask yourself- where is it going? Who will hear it? Is it a buyout? Then add $500, or whatever you feel is right.
-Non-union? Then go 20% below union fees, no more…don’t sell yourself short!
(Thanks MJ- I would kill to have private lessons with you!)
DB Cooper…Friday 3:45pm…Master of All Things Gaming!
DB is incredible. Her passion for gaming is inspiring. After her session- I wanted to voice even MORE games (than I already have). I also would love to play against her in a game…I would lose, but it would be FUN!
-If you want to voice video games, you have to play video games. Period.
-VO in games includes: intros, dialogue, explanations, and fighting/moving sounds.
-Let’s go blow some Sh1t up!
(Love me some Deirdre!)
I’m officially pooped…I will have more notes soon, especially those from Chris Wagner. He has inspired me to completely re-do my website…professionally! Chris, you will be hearing from me soon!
In the meantime- please click on the links below for Vox Daily and Bob Souer. Stephanie over at Voices.com is writing much more detailed notes and reviews of each session, and Bob has some great stories from Vegas! Be sure to check the blogs of others that attended VOICE- there was SO much to learn and I‘m sure each of us took away something different!
Rodney Saulsberry….Wednesday 9:15am
-When preparation meets opportunity, you get ‘luck’.
-Its not how you sound, its how you interpret the copy.
-Each line is its own entity when voicing a movie trailer.
-Lush technique- little breath of air at the end of each sentence of a movie trailer.
-Comedy means melody…with a smile.
-Positive Attitude…let it be your brand.
-Put together a good ‘team’…friends, coaches, agents, etc.
Rodney’s home studio consists of:
The Snowball Mic (USB-light sound)
416 Seinheiser
SoundForge
ISDN
-Always have a positive slate.
(Thanks Rodney!)
Connie Terwilliger….Wednesday 11am…Self Evaluation
-Self Evaluation…what do you sound like? What is your potential? Where do you fit?
-Do you have what it takes? Talent, Business, Marketing, Technology?
-Know what you have to sell.
-Listen to all things voice over.
-TV requires fewer ‘notes’ than radio…radio requires melody and inflection.
-Read a long book into your mic…do you like it?
-Read this book over two days…does the audio match? Maybe you would be good at audio books.
-Know and analyze your competition.
-Spend time listening to professional demos…strive to better yourself.
(Connie’s session was fantastic- I recommend learning as much as you can from her!)
Frank Frederick…Wednesday 4pm…Love Notes Branding
-Your brand should have Familiarity, Seduction, Mysteriousness, EMOTIONS!
-When people think of the words voice actor- they should think of YOU!
(Thank you Frank…you are wonderful!)
Chris Wagner…Thursday 9am…Websites
I took over 4 pages of notes from Chris’s session. I will post them later…he was completely informative!
Pat Fraley…Thursday 10:45am
As you may or may not know, Pat is my mentor and my hero…
-Smile to avoid a ‘popped P’
-Make vowel sounds when ‘falling down stairs’- don’t say ‘oh, oh, oh’- say ‘ah, eh, oh, uh’…do a Heimlich on yourself!
-When slating you could shake the paper before saying the name of the character…edit the slate to your edited audition to make it sound live!
-Or have a professional studio say ‘we are rolling, go ahead’ to make it sound bigger and better!
-Never slate in character
-Always slate in character
-Series of 3…best choice, contrast, and best choice again…the 3rd take will be the blend of the first two and will be the keeper.
-Voice over is chess, not checkers- Interpret each line differently
-Disregard punctuation
-There are 8 ways to move around a mic for emphasis. Practice them.
-Make one sound each day you have never made before.
-Step out of the box, be different, have no fear!
James Alburger and Penny Abshire…Thursday 2pm…Psychology of voice Over
Please forgive me…James and Penny had such great notes in the book I didn’t take any on my own. They are so full of passion and life, true success stories!
Gregory Best…Friday 9am…Negotiate Your Best Fee
-Telephone negotiation is risky. You skip things, have bad math, and there are no visuals.
-Screen your calls…let them leave a message…call them back on your own terms.
-Don’t be pressured by ‘perceived’ deadlines.
-Everything is negotiable.
-Respect yourself, value your services, eliminate negative self-talk.
-Learn to say NO.
-Listen, don’t be thinking of your counterpoint while the other person is talking.
-Ask questions, learn!
-Have high aspirations, believe in your product.
-Make a list of questions you can use for every job…is the audio dry, what is the length, do I need to use an outside studio?? Etc.
-Be patient.
-Be flexible, look at things from both sides.
-Be willing to take risks…Be a problem solver.
-Be willing to walk away.
-It isn’t personal, its not about personality.
-Slow down, Be nice, Have style.
-Keep your ethics.
-Never accept the first offer!
-Never make the first concession.
-Ask what their budget is.
(Thanks Greg!)
Bettye Zoller…Friday 10:45 am…Audiobooks
Bettye was very interactive and hands-on…I loved her instantly! I took very few notes because most of it was on-mic practice.
-You are not selling…you are telling.
-Audiobook demos should be 4-5 minutes long
-Each cut should be 30-45 seconds.
-Vary the cuts from fiction, to non-fiction, to mystery, to dialogue, etc.
-If a script has dialogue, read in character!
MJ Lallo…Friday 2pm…Characters in Animation
Again, MJ was very hands-on, so it was almost all on-mic practice. I was very disappointed I wasn’t chosen to go on-mic during MJ's session. It was mostly by raffle drawing…the voice over gods were not in my favor :) I did learn so much from her though!
-Character demos should be all contrast.
-Do impressions on a separate demo, not on your character demo.
-Give each of your ‘voices’ a name…make them real.
-When negotiating fees, ask yourself- where is it going? Who will hear it? Is it a buyout? Then add $500, or whatever you feel is right.
-Non-union? Then go 20% below union fees, no more…don’t sell yourself short!
(Thanks MJ- I would kill to have private lessons with you!)
DB Cooper…Friday 3:45pm…Master of All Things Gaming!
DB is incredible. Her passion for gaming is inspiring. After her session- I wanted to voice even MORE games (than I already have). I also would love to play against her in a game…I would lose, but it would be FUN!
-If you want to voice video games, you have to play video games. Period.
-VO in games includes: intros, dialogue, explanations, and fighting/moving sounds.
-Let’s go blow some Sh1t up!
(Love me some Deirdre!)
I’m officially pooped…I will have more notes soon, especially those from Chris Wagner. He has inspired me to completely re-do my website…professionally! Chris, you will be hearing from me soon!
In the meantime- please click on the links below for Vox Daily and Bob Souer. Stephanie over at Voices.com is writing much more detailed notes and reviews of each session, and Bob has some great stories from Vegas! Be sure to check the blogs of others that attended VOICE- there was SO much to learn and I‘m sure each of us took away something different!
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