I spent this past weekend voicing and producing an audio project for one of my regular clients. It's a project I've been producing every month for about a year now. I had reached a point in the story where a group of children say the words, "we do" and "we do, too". I couldn't find this in my sound FX library, and had made a decision to voice the children myself and overlap the audio to sound like a group.
I was needing a break, and decided to take a walk outside and see what the neighborhood was up to. I saw our new neighbors and their 12 year old son Jake outside playing football.
Now Jake is a supremely cool 12 year old. He's smart, funny, and honestly a very good kid. The thought hit me that maybe Jake would like to help me out with my little project.
Jake was MORE than happy to lend a hand, and we all headed down the street to my studio. Even though Jake had seen my studio before, it was a blast to see his face as he looked around. Jake was now looking at things as a soon-to-be voice actor himself! I spent some time showing him how I record, how the audio goes into the computer, and how I use editing, music, and sound FX to make the final piece.
Jake's parents were chatting with my husband in the living room while I gave Jake the little tour. He finally turned to be beaming and asked, "Can my parents come in and see this?" Of course. So- with our audience now in place- Jake and I made our way into the 'booth' to record.
By this point, I was about as excited as Jake- as his smile was more than a little contagious! I showed him the script and explained what I was looking for- then I let him do a few practice runs. I'm quite sure Jake had never heard himself speaking into a microphone before, so he got a big kick out of wearing my headphones during his session.
Since the two lines I needed had to sound like a group- I read them along with Jake. Looking up at me, Jake mentioned that I had a habit of moving my arms around quite a bit when I spoke. When I said, "We do, too" I actually pointed to myself. I didn't even realize I was doing it! So, Jake gave it a try and decided that moving around really did help.
When we were done, I played back the audio for everyone to hear, and e-mailed the family a produced copy of Jake's work. On his way out, Jake mentioned that he had seen video of actors doing voices for feature animations- but he never knew it was possible to do this job from an actor's house!
So, what did 12 year old Jake teach me? That every aspect of being a voice actor is cool. Sure, I've always talked about how much I love my job, but sometimes seeing things through someone else's eyes can help remind us how awesome technology is, how fantastic working from home is, and how neat it is to have our voices heard world wide.
Thanks Jake. I hope we can do it again sometime!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
The Top 20 things I Learned About voice Over in 2008
A few weeks ago I started making a list. I wanted to write down 10 things I learned this year about voice over. I quickly realized 10 just wouldn't cut it. If I was to be honest with myself, the list would likely be closer to 1000 things I've learned this year!
I decided to stick with the number 20.
While I actually learned a few of these items prior to 2008, they were at the very least reinforced in 2008- and therefore worthy of my top 20 list.
So, in no particular order...here are the Top 20 Things I Learned About Voice Over in 2008...
1. Trusting your own instincts with voice over work is always the way to go.
2. Social networking (VOICE, VO-BB, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc) is vital- you never know where your next job may come from, and you never know when you may have a job to offer!
3. If you want to install ISDN at home, it helps tremendously if you are incorporated. They will want your tax ID#, incorporation date, state, etc. Otherwise, expect to wait at least 6 weeks for instillation.
4. It is possible to keep deadlines regardless of what happens behind the scenes.
5. Relocating is no fun, but building a new studio is!
6. Creating a budget and sticking to it will help you be successful.
7. To have a home studio- you need an engineering degree. If you don’t have an engineering degree, it is important to have smart friends.
8. Receiving feedback from clients on your work really helps you improve!
9. It’s not how many clients you have; it’s how many relationships you develop that counts.
10. Saying no to work is OK.
11. Saying yes to fun or meaningful work at slightly lower rates is also OK.
12. Regular, monthly work rocks!
13. Unexpected, last minute work rocks!
14. I don’t do hard labor for a living; therefore it isn’t the end of the world when a client asks for major revisions. I can do them, and I can find a way to not be insulted by them.
15. Pilates helps with a stiff “I’ve been producing for 8 hours straight” neck.
16. When you are up against a deadline, and the creative juices just aren’t flowing…take a walk and have a conversation with your dog. Both will clear your head and inspire you.
17. When a project feels overwhelming, focus on recording the first line…the rest will then flow right out of you. Just getting started can be the hardest part.
18. You have a thousand chances to win over a client, but only one chance to lose them. Once they are gone, they aren’t coming back (said as a customer who will no longer give my business to a certain company- that blog will come later).
19. It is always best to under-promise and over-deliver than to over-promise and under-deliver.
20. The greatest people in the world are in our line of work. Those who may be your competitors will likely also be your best friends. Pick up the phone at any time and call tech support for any of the audio equipment suppliers, they will be the most helpful folks around.
So, there you have it...the top 20 things I learned about voice over in 2008! One thing I've always known is how truly blessed I am to have a job I completely love. Waking up each morning, walking into my studio, recording the best audition I can, and solving my client's problems make each day unique and special.
This New Year's Eve I will be looking forward to a 2009 that is even better than 2008, though I'm not sure how that could be possible! I'll also be wishing the same for you.
Feel free to leave a comment telling us the top things you learned in 2008! And, for a look ahead at 2009- be sure to check out "The Report On The Voice Over Industry in 2009" by Voices.com!
Happy New Year!!
I decided to stick with the number 20.
While I actually learned a few of these items prior to 2008, they were at the very least reinforced in 2008- and therefore worthy of my top 20 list.
So, in no particular order...here are the Top 20 Things I Learned About Voice Over in 2008...
1. Trusting your own instincts with voice over work is always the way to go.
2. Social networking (VOICE, VO-BB, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc) is vital- you never know where your next job may come from, and you never know when you may have a job to offer!
3. If you want to install ISDN at home, it helps tremendously if you are incorporated. They will want your tax ID#, incorporation date, state, etc. Otherwise, expect to wait at least 6 weeks for instillation.
4. It is possible to keep deadlines regardless of what happens behind the scenes.
5. Relocating is no fun, but building a new studio is!
6. Creating a budget and sticking to it will help you be successful.
7. To have a home studio- you need an engineering degree. If you don’t have an engineering degree, it is important to have smart friends.
8. Receiving feedback from clients on your work really helps you improve!
9. It’s not how many clients you have; it’s how many relationships you develop that counts.
10. Saying no to work is OK.
11. Saying yes to fun or meaningful work at slightly lower rates is also OK.
12. Regular, monthly work rocks!
13. Unexpected, last minute work rocks!
14. I don’t do hard labor for a living; therefore it isn’t the end of the world when a client asks for major revisions. I can do them, and I can find a way to not be insulted by them.
15. Pilates helps with a stiff “I’ve been producing for 8 hours straight” neck.
16. When you are up against a deadline, and the creative juices just aren’t flowing…take a walk and have a conversation with your dog. Both will clear your head and inspire you.
17. When a project feels overwhelming, focus on recording the first line…the rest will then flow right out of you. Just getting started can be the hardest part.
18. You have a thousand chances to win over a client, but only one chance to lose them. Once they are gone, they aren’t coming back (said as a customer who will no longer give my business to a certain company- that blog will come later).
19. It is always best to under-promise and over-deliver than to over-promise and under-deliver.
20. The greatest people in the world are in our line of work. Those who may be your competitors will likely also be your best friends. Pick up the phone at any time and call tech support for any of the audio equipment suppliers, they will be the most helpful folks around.
So, there you have it...the top 20 things I learned about voice over in 2008! One thing I've always known is how truly blessed I am to have a job I completely love. Waking up each morning, walking into my studio, recording the best audition I can, and solving my client's problems make each day unique and special.
This New Year's Eve I will be looking forward to a 2009 that is even better than 2008, though I'm not sure how that could be possible! I'll also be wishing the same for you.
Feel free to leave a comment telling us the top things you learned in 2008! And, for a look ahead at 2009- be sure to check out "The Report On The Voice Over Industry in 2009" by Voices.com!
Happy New Year!!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
A Few Places to Find My Voice Before The New Year...
I've just returned from a fantastic vacation in VA for the Holidays, and discovered a package had been delivered while we were gone. In it was a videogame I voiced earlier this year for a great company called Kutoka.
The videogame is called "Didi & Ditto: Mother Nature's Visit, Preschool Edition". I had the honor of voicing Didi for the game. Now, as I understand it- the Didi & Ditto videogame series has been around for a while, but this was my first time voicing this character. I originally auditioned to voice another character when I received an e-mail asking me to give Didi a try. I instantly loved the character, and hope I am able to voice more in the future!
My husband and I broke out the game and installed it on my MacBook. I must say- it really is a great game...and I promise I would not say that if it wasn't! The graphics are gorgeous, and I can only imagine how a preschooler could spend hours clicking on all the different trees, flowers, and animals while playing all the games. Kutoka really did an outstanding job!
Another fun project I voiced just before the holidays was for an up and coming web design company. It's called Involution Media and I was instantly impressed with their work. They specialize in web animation, and I had the opportunity to give voice to the company's mascot, Madeline. The video is still being animated (and you'll see that parts of the site are still under construction), but you can see a small sample by clicking here...http://www.involutionmedia.com/. It is my understanding that there will be many Madeline videos to come, so stay tuned!
Finally, my husband and I received a Wii from Santa this year. We've become more than a little addicted to the game system over the past few days, and went on a game shopping spree this weekend. While it's been out for some time now, I finally had a chance to play "DragonBall Z: Budokai Tenchaichi 3" on Wii. I voiced 5 characters on the game, and it was really cool to see it all come to life!
One of the first things I did with both of the videogames I mentioned was to check the voice actor list to see if any of my friends were also on the game. I always love hearing what my fellow voice actors are up to! So, if you have a new project that is just being released before the New Year- please feel free to leave a comment and let us know where to find you!
The videogame is called "Didi & Ditto: Mother Nature's Visit, Preschool Edition". I had the honor of voicing Didi for the game. Now, as I understand it- the Didi & Ditto videogame series has been around for a while, but this was my first time voicing this character. I originally auditioned to voice another character when I received an e-mail asking me to give Didi a try. I instantly loved the character, and hope I am able to voice more in the future!
My husband and I broke out the game and installed it on my MacBook. I must say- it really is a great game...and I promise I would not say that if it wasn't! The graphics are gorgeous, and I can only imagine how a preschooler could spend hours clicking on all the different trees, flowers, and animals while playing all the games. Kutoka really did an outstanding job!
Another fun project I voiced just before the holidays was for an up and coming web design company. It's called Involution Media and I was instantly impressed with their work. They specialize in web animation, and I had the opportunity to give voice to the company's mascot, Madeline. The video is still being animated (and you'll see that parts of the site are still under construction), but you can see a small sample by clicking here...http://www.involutionmedia.com/. It is my understanding that there will be many Madeline videos to come, so stay tuned!
Finally, my husband and I received a Wii from Santa this year. We've become more than a little addicted to the game system over the past few days, and went on a game shopping spree this weekend. While it's been out for some time now, I finally had a chance to play "DragonBall Z: Budokai Tenchaichi 3" on Wii. I voiced 5 characters on the game, and it was really cool to see it all come to life!
One of the first things I did with both of the videogames I mentioned was to check the voice actor list to see if any of my friends were also on the game. I always love hearing what my fellow voice actors are up to! So, if you have a new project that is just being released before the New Year- please feel free to leave a comment and let us know where to find you!
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