2009 May | Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Flies, Monkeywrenches, and Recovery

May 31, 2009 By CourVO 1 Comment

*OUCH!*

Things could be better…but they have an even greater chance of being worse, so I’m not gonna complain.

About 5:30 last night (Sun. 5-30-09) I ended up in the hospital with that special excruciating pain that only kidneystone-bearers understand. One CT scan, one injection of Dilaudid, one urine specimen later, all suspicions were confirmed.

I’m trying to pass a stone, and it’s 4mm big. That’s relatively small, yet it brings on some big pain. Today, I’m on oxycodone, drinking lots of water and hoping things will…you know…come to pass. It’s rather put a hitch in my giddyup for now, but like I said, complainin’ won’t fix it.

So why am I blogging? Just to remind you that I have some great blogs coming up in the next 24 hrs., and that I’m still tweaking the functionality of my blog to make it even better. Some of you may be getting redirected to links bringing you a 404 error… ‘working on that too.

Hope you’ll keep comin’ back.

CourVO

Filed Under: Ramblings/Off-Topic

Whirlwind

May 30, 2009 By CourVO 1 Comment

…all in the span of the last 36 hours, I launched a new blog with the incredible help of Brett Bumeter, worked hard to build my Twitter base to over 3,000 followers, and worked even harder to solve an issue with my audio chain over-modulation…oh, and that’s aside from anchoring 3 shows-a-day, handling some clients, being a father, husband, and raconteur (‘just love that word).

First, God bless you all for your responses to the new blog. You all keep me going, and I thank you deeply.

Keep checking back. I’ve got lots of tweaks in the next few days that’ll make it even better, as I figure out how to use the WP dashboard.

Second, I’m sitting on top of about 3 great blogs I need to get written, but I really gotta solve that audio chain over-mod first, and see a movie with my wife.

You know? Life. It’s what happens while you’re making plans.

CourVO sigjpg2bigger

Filed Under: Blogging

Welcome to my 3rd-Gen Blog…same great content!

May 29, 2009 By CourVO 25 Comments

BLOG

Fresh-baked pies, new cars, and refurbished blogs.

All-American favorites.

So, whadya think?

My amazingly-talented friend Brett Bumeter has ported over all of the great content and resources of my previous TypePad blog, reorganized it, restructured it, gave it a face-lift, added new SEO values, and God-knows-what-else to make this new blog appear.

Visit his SOFTDUIT website HERE. Aside from being a techno-wiz…he’s just a great guy and has reasonable rates.

Although I loved my TypePad blog home, WordPress has the advantage of being a favorite son of Google – for what reason, no on seems to know for sure. But, I’m going on faith that lots of really smart people know what they’re talking about when they say WordPress is the place to be fo advanced blogging.

There are a few cosmetic changes yet to be finished, so visit again soon for the final product. I’d say we’re about 95% done….well, BRETT is about 95% done. I just have to NOT screw things up from here on out.

Thanks to you, my loyal visitors for urging me on to continued blogging.

CourVO

Filed Under: Blogging

Social Butterfly

May 28, 2009 By CourVO Leave a Comment

Stu Gray.

It’s all his fault.

He put me up to it.

The Nashville-area voice talent and prolific VO blogger approached me a couple of weeks ago with the idea of doing a Q & A about social networking. He with the "Q". Me with the "A".

Well it took me long enough, but I finally finished. Good questions…wordy answers.

We agreed to sort of share the wealth…so if you want to get the full impact of my pithy musings about social networking, and its value to voice actors, you’ll have to visit BOTH sites.

I recommend you start with Stu’s blog: The Creative Mouthpiece. Click HERE.

Then see the link underneath my name, below, to read more.

Thanks, Stu, for coaxing me to really think about the value of social networking to my business. I hope by sharing what little I know, someone may gain some momentum.

CourVO

STU: What prompted you to get involved with Social Networking?

DAVE: Blogging is where I started…so yes, I’m big on that. More than any of the other network marketing sites, this is the fullest measure of YOU…mostly because you OWN the site, and it’s YOURS to do with what you will. Over time, prospective clients (even friends and peers) can be reassured by coming to know the real you on your blogsite. Hopefully, that gains you trust and believability as a person fostering business relationships.

When is the best time for you to connect and get "social"?

Heh. Anytime. The iPhone makes that possible. Because of my schedule…it’s usually middle-afternoon, middle-evening, and full-bore from midnight to 3am. But seriously, ANY time is a good time…the sun is shining somewhere on the globe at any given minute.

What are the best way to make contacts with potential clients on LinkedIn?

This is one nut I have not fully cracked yet. I think it has huge potential. Right now, I’m amassing legions of connections without regard to whether I know them. This flies in the face of LinkedIn rules, but as a LION (Linked-In Open-Networker), I belong to TopLinked.com and it nets me hundreds of contacts/week. LinkedIn allows it. I’ve also curried some nice recommendations, and write recommendations for others. I’ve tweaked my profile to be consistent with my brand (as I do across all social networks), and I continue to watch and learn. I am extremely wary of “social network gurus” who want to parlay my eagerness to monetize applications like LinkedIn and Twitter. I think most of them are scam-ish. Meaning, they’re not illegal, but they’re of questionable value to me. It’s just how SOME people have found a way to make it work for them. If you read the disclaimers associated with these offers, you’ll see a lot of back-treading. With LinkedIn, you can conduct surveys and send out mass mailings or questions that are sort-of veiled marketing messages. What I see as the big experiment is to find a way to market, without it sounding like marketing. So far the way to do that, as defined by a number of people who seem to know what they’re talking about, is (as I said before)…be helpful, offer to be vulnerable in giving readers a window into your true self, and give something of value (usually information) for free.

Is there anything you would like to add, that I did not ask you about your social media/networking, that you feel someone should know?

Read what others post and respond in the same vein. That could be with humor, sympathy, sarcasm, irony, or righteous indignation. It’s all about dialogue and relating… When you consistently see a point-of-view you like, follow that person. A wise person would also follow a few people who DON’T share your sentiments…that way you stay balanced. On Twitter’s “Follow Friday”, pay special attention to those people being suggested by those you already follow. Register with MrTweet.com. I’m not sure how they do it, but they’ll analyze your traffic, and within a couple of days, start suggesting other people you “should” follow. They’re pretty right on. I’ve found oodles of people to follow through MrTweet.

Filed Under: Op/Ed Tagged With: announcer, announcing, artist, audio, Audiobooks, audiotx, Demos, documentaries, ISDN, male voice, male voice artist, male voiceover, narrating, narrations, Podcasts, source connect, speaker, speaking, voice acting, voice actors, voice work, voicing

DMOZ

May 26, 2009 By CourVO 1 Comment

‘Heard of the “Open Directory” project?

Their “about” page describes it as: “…the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web. It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors. The Open Directory was founded in the spirit of the Open Source movement, and is the only major directory that is 100% free. There is not, nor will there ever be, a cost to submit a site to the directory, and/or to use the directory’s data. The Open Directory data is made available for free to anyone wo agrees to comply with our free use license.

Kinda sounds like Wikipedia, but remember, it’s a directory, not an encyclopedia. (I just haven’t figured out where the acronym DMOZ comes from in their URL.)

With such an ambitious mission statement, you’d have to expect there might be mention of a good many resources for Voice Actors, and you’d be right. Not only that, but apparently, I’m VERY late to the party. TONS of links, references, resources, names, agents, coaches, production houses, talent…you name it.

On the site, you’re encouraged to submit your own website for approval, but they’re also big on you volunteering to help edit submissions.

Click HERE for the page that reveals results of a search for “Voiceover” resources.

….and….volunteer!

CourVO

Filed Under: Web/Tech Tagged With: announcer, announcing, artist, audio, Audiobooks, audiotx, Demos, DMOZ, documentaries, ISDN, male voice, male voice artist, male voiceover, narrating, narrations, Podcasts, source connect, speaker, speaking, voice acting, voice actors, voice work, voicing

Eldorado Recording Services

May 24, 2009 By CourVO 1 Comment

George Whittam is a techie’s techie. He’s also a great guy, a voice-actor (when he wants to be), and about as sharp as they come with the artistry of audio engineering.

His latest newsletter is a treasure trove of ideas, contacts, important dates and solutions. Please read and make contact with him if you’re so moved.

I especially love the service ERS provides in checking to see if your travel location (hotel) will be able to handle your ISDN needs. Great idea!… but of course, you need to be a subscriber.

Link to his blog and read it…you’ll learn a bunch!

CourVO

Together

May 24, 2009 By CourVO Leave a Comment

A successful hitchin'!

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Erik Alexanian. Wonderful wedding, even though rain scuttled plans to hold the ceremony in a nearby sunken garden.

The other pic is me with the mother of the bride (my sister Nancy in the fuscia), and our oldest sister Joan (with the hat).

Yes there was dancing. I personally asked the DJ for conga-line music. And, uh-huh…a few people got tipsy, but no one had to drive, so that was good. I even got a chance to enjoy some excellent conversation with the father of the groom over a fine cigar at sunset.

These are truly the times we toil for. The personal "bests" that keep us buoyed in life…the relationships that carry us when celebrations are few and far between.

CourVO

Filed Under: Op/Ed

VoiceLympics Update

May 23, 2009 By CourVO Leave a Comment

Voicelympics

Deb Munro writes with the latest updates and offers if you want to have great cruise AND learn a bunch about voiceovers from real pros. VoiceLympics.

See her e-mail to me below…an amazing line-up, and some incredible offers!

CourVO

Allerton

May 23, 2009 By CourVO Leave a Comment

Robert Allerton Park is in Central Illinois, and it's gorgeous. It's on the registry of Historic Places, owned by the University of Illinois. This is the place where my niece is getting married tomorrow.

The sculpted gardens here are worthy of the ones at the world-famous Versailles Palace in France. That caliber.

Over 30 different varieties of Peony are on display here…