I really wasn’t sure, so I did a little digging.

VoiceBank.net and VoiceRegistry are run by the same people.

According to their website:  “The Voicebank.net system connects over 150 of the top voice over Talent Agencies to over 1600 Ad Agencies, Animation Houses and Production Houses around the world. “ 

And VoiceRegistry:  “The purpose of voiceregistry is to continually educate actors (novice to seasoned) about all aspects of the voice over industry and provide actors, when ready, with an opportunity to seek representation or additional representationy.”

All cleared up?  Yeah, me neither.

This whole mental exercise started when my fellow Vegas VO bud William Brady told me that he signed up for VoiceRegistry and was attending the “weekend workouts”.  He even got some personal feedback from seasoned pro Bill Ratner.  Bill talks about it in his blog.  Bill says he was told that since he didn’t have agency representation yet, he could not be listed on VoiceBank, but could sign-up on VoiceRegistry.  Further, that if he participated in the workouts, he could end up being scouted by the agents.

All this got me to thinking.  I keep running into VoiceBank at Faffcon Unconferences, ’cause they’re the major sponsor.  Amber Dahlin of VoiceBank is wonderful, and The VoiceBank Blog is mandatory reading.

But being a true lunkhead…I still wasn’t clicking on what was the reason for the two sites.  I’m listed on VoiceBank through my agent, but I can’t really log onto the site.  Wassup with that?

So, I wrote them and asked.  Chris Miyamoto of  ‘support’ replied:

“Voiceregistry is the site specifically for actors and gives platinum members access to the weekend workout. 

What’s even worse is when the casting director sends along a link to a YouTube video, and they want you to emulate the style of voice on the video for the project they’re sending you.

Top VO coaches — Nancy Wolfson, for example — admonish their students for letting the specs too heavily influence the actor’s choices in advance of making those choices, though it’s never a bad idea to check the specs AFTER the text analysis process and before submitting the final audition.  So the approach becomes:  read the directions for any specific distinct requests, but mostly deliver your best read according to your analysis of the script.  The idea being that many VO talents can do a fine job with the given script, but only YOU can bring YOUR touch, your interpretation, and your experience to the copy.

There’s actually a very good article about ”how to sound like you” on the website “Internet Voice Coach“.

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Luckily, like all the other Acting for Advertising seminars from the duo, this one is now downloadable for a most reasonable price on the Break Into Voiceover.com site.

And you know…right?…that Nancy is THE most sought-after voiceover coach on the planet, and there’s a reason why…right?  OK, good!   Call her…get on the schedule, and find out why it’s called “BrainTracksAudio”.

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Also, John Armstrong, Managing director at World Gaming Executives.com and Gamevoices asked me to post on the Voice-Over Friends FaceBook group the following message:  “…I’m looking for some video game voiceover people who might add their voices to the http://www.gamevoices.co.uk/ site with a short sound file…”

It’s already gotten some responses, but no reason why yours couldn’t still be one of ‘em.
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Finally, an ambitious website I found that compares voices against each other for similar jobs: Behindthevoiceactors.com.   The site covers most of the popular niches of work we’d all like to build our resume with.

The site claims to be: “… a community database of voice over actors for fans to learn and discuss voice acting about those already in the industry. Only its cranked up to give you a visual and audible experience of seeing images and listening to sound clips of the actors themselves of the character roles they play, rather than a typical credit list of text names.”

If nothing else, click the “commercials” tab at the top to listen to some of the top commercials on the air right now…and see what the people are doing who are getting the work!

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Alburger and Abshire are the force behind many VO businesses.  They are the producers and originators of  the ‘VOICE’ series of voice-acting conferences.  They do coaching, voicing, podcasts, seminars, webinars, demos, producing, consulting, and more…much of it under the auspices of “The Voice Acting Academy“.

Now, they’re launching a new business which may have great value to you…and you can choose from one of three levels of commitment and pricing.

It’s called “THE CONDUCTOR’S CLUB“, and it’s designed to help you advance your career and your VO business, no matter where you are in the process.

Check it out…this might be just what you need to move forward with voice acting in the new year!

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The important lesson here is that the veil of self-assurance can be quickly and easily ripped from your over-confident face in a flash.

Here I was a newsman, who didn’t have a clue about the news.

Similarly, I’m a voice-actor, who apparently is the LAST to know about Harlan Hogan’s excellent list of voiceover coaches, pleasingly arranged by region.

Harlan is no slouch, and is certainly one of the top voiceover coaches himself, so while I haven’t vetted this list myself, I feel fairly safe in passing it along.  A quick run down the list affirms many of the names I’d use in a second, and plan to use in good time.

So, there you go…free pizza, and a heckuva list.  I’m humbled.

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(also, grats to the VO-BB for this tip.  The VO-BB: a spot-on community forum for all that matters in VO-land)

Some coaches are so way off-the-charts in demand that you have trouble getting on their roster (Wolfson, Tobias, Horvath).  OK, I shouldn’t name names, but there’s no shortage of VO coaches, and no shortage of debate about the efficacy of some operations, and whether they are a conveyor belt, flooding the market.  Ya know, I’m not here to get into all that in this article.

I just wanted to throw out the following link for those who may be considering an alternative.  VOCareer.com.

All I know is Gabrielle Nistico is on the staff, and one of the founders, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about her.  They’ve been around for quite a while, which is a good sign.  Call ‘em up and ask questions.  It’s the only way you’ll get answers.

Right now VOCareer is sending out the ACCELERATE flyer, and you may find something of interest there for you.

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I thought I had this issue all sussed out, and I wasn’t even close.

The crux of my argument probably came out this way:  “…Don’t you just want to put all your waking energy into getting better VO jobs?…wouldn’t that pay better than putting all your energy into teaching VO?…”

My good friend Chris Wagner tended to agree:
I think it’s easier to teach because there is a pool of readily available students. And the competition is less fierce, whereas the competition for actually doing voice over is much greater by a number of factors.
How do you keep on top of your skills, and still be considered an expert in your field, if you are not actively doing the very stuff that you teach?

VoxMarketising genius Peter O’Connell added this:
The only reason I started up Voice Over Workshop a few years ago was that I decided I was tired of spending so much time on the phone offering free career advice. My time has a value to it and after I sat and did the math (counting on both my fingers AND toes, mind you) I realized that being a nice guy felt good but it didn’t pay good.

Scotland-based voice-acting ace Philip Banks put it succinctly:
The key for a buyer of VO classes is DON’T BE IMPRESSED BY THE PERSON, be impressed by what the person can bring to the party ….YOUR PARTY.

Canadian-based voice actor and coach Deb Munro had the most meaty response.  I’m pasting an excerpt here, but you should really take the time to read her whole comment at the bottom of the article.
MANY of my first workshops were free……as I just wanted to help….it’s a part of my personality.
I am not a coach who couldn’t so they taught….I am just a very honest person who DOESN’T BELIEVE that I own any information and it is all of ours to share. No one has to agree, it’s just how I feel.

I was hoping Bettye Zoller would respond on this topic.  Like Deb, she’s prolific in both ends of the spectrum here.  Bettye responded to me on FaceBook:
It does not have to be either or…some of the greatest musicians and actors in history also have taught future generations their arts and crafts. I adore teaching but own a recording studio as you know and have recording clients, not only my vo work, but my producer functions for others. It’s a wonderful life. Try teaching. You’ll learn so much! I always tell my students they learn, but I learn more!! Teach it and you KNOW it.

Finally, the thoughtful, eloquent, and incisive JS Gilbert offered a full 4-page document on the issue.  JS says he’s got partial laryngitis, and uses the time to get his voice into shape each day to write, and avoid the negative thoughts.  I’m glad he chimed-in on this one.  I’m reprinting his entire treatise below.  Take the time to read it for the great perspective he brings to this question.  Thanks JS!

…and thanks all who contributed their thoughts.

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There are many reasons why anybody might want to teach. The adage “those who can do and those who can’t teach” may not be fully false. In many professions, teaching often occurs at the end of one’s useful cycle as a participant. In acting, it has not been atypical to see women enter into teaching as they entered their 50’s or 60’s, where the number of qualified actresses is far in excess of the available parts. Others may want to give back, want a little ego boosting, or look at someone to “carry on the torch” and so on.

The one thing that all of these teachers want, is to fulfill some sort of need that isn’t being met.  The teaching may be face-to-face, via the internet, telephone or via writing a book or guide or in marketing some other sort of service or product.

And while it’s a hard given that most people who embark upon paths to become voice actors are destined to fail, at least financially – those who teach voice acting tend to do quite well.

I would say there are several different types of teachers out there. There are those who don’t really have a clue as to what they are doing, but still forge ahead anyway. There are those that believe good web design and marketing skills along with other razzle dazzle will help establish themselves as pros and get them clients. There are those who through whatever faults haven’t been able to make a decent enough income at acting and who choose to teach instead. Some who have momentarily decided to regroup via teaching and will use teaching as a springboard to credibility and connections and thus get their own acting careers back on track. Some who are just tired of the whole rigmarole and think teaching is a better way to go. Some who simply think that their way is a better way and they teach what others dare to only dream.

Others will teach at night/ weekends and focus on personal acting careers during the day. Others teach only occasionally, and often as guest teachers.

Some practice pay-it-forward. Others like the applause. Most like the money. Almost all rationalize what they do quite well. And most aren’t what anybody would call crooked.

Every industry is full of snake oil salesmen. And most of the introduction to voiceover workshops tend to have a little bit about how some recent student landed a national SAG tv spot and made $30,000 or $40,000 or have some other lure of the untold riches to be found in voiceover as the carrot at the end of the string to get folks to take classes, buy products, attend seminars or otherwise part with their money.

There is a lot of fuel for the fire.  Every time Mrs. Doubtfire is rerun, there are another several thousand people who believe that they are the world’s next great v.o. star. And for some strange reason, while few without proper acting training would think of walking onto the set of CSI Miami and trying out for a part, many seem to think there is very little needed to become an overnight millionaire success in the wonderful field of voiceover.

I suppose then that we should be glad for every time a newbie v.o talent walks into a voice class, even if the training is somewhat circumspect. At least they’ve got some sort of training.

There’s one company that will teach you in a group setting for a couple of days and then afterward produce a demo for you, all for the low, low price of $3,000.  Their site has more wicked spin on it than a Chinese Nationalist has on a ping pong ball. Quite honestly some of the recruiting tactics for a few of these places remind me of what the Church of Scientology uses or a multi-level marketing scheme.

Even those who teach v.o. on a part time basis can make really good dough. I know a teacher, who also produces demos who does this part time and makes over $40,000 per year from teaching and production. What this person fails to mention is that they have never made over $20,000 per year from actually acting, despite their aggressively auditioning for both on-camera and v.o. roles.

At $495 a pop, with an average of 12 students per class, (for a one night a week 3 hour class for 4 weeks) the gross is just short of $6,000. Even if the net is only half that, $3,000 for 1 night a week, for 4 weeks is a lot better haul than you’d get waiting tables at even the best restaurant.

Considering the number of classes that some of these v.o. schools offer and one can see that conceivably if a teacher played their cards right, they might be able to develop a business quite capable of grossing over a half million per year, maybe even a million. Even a coach, who now employs internet and phone to allow them to coach worldwide, could rake in over $15,000 per month doing this part time, weekends and evenings.

So, above all else, let’s say that the big reason for teaching is the money. And there’s nothing wrong with that, except that if you have any friends who teach in a regular public school, you’ll realize that they work a lot harder for a lot less.

I can’t entirely blame the teachers though and many people think I’m an idiot for turning down the opportunities I have had to teach. After all, if the lemmings want to jump off the cliff, somebody should be able to sell them that cliff to jump off of.

So, who is at fault? Well, pat of it is with the existing members of the voiceover profession, most of whom severely exaggerate about their incomes as to give the impression that voiceover folks make really good money. What do you call a voiceover guy without a girlfriend? Homeless.   The truth is that relatively few participants of this industry are making above poverty line. Voiceover talent are artists and the word used most before the word artist is “starving”. And given that for a few bucks anybody can make a website look like a fortune 100 company owns it, the myth is perpetrated all over the net. The Facebook updates from the drones who think somehow saying they got this gig or the other is going to get people to think “hmmmm, they’re working 23 hours a day. I should call them now and book that 24^th hour before it gets sucked up.”

Some of the fault also lies with people who went ahead and took a workshop or 12 and had the demo made, which was rejected by everyone that got within earshot.  Of the 500 or so people I corresponded with when I came into the v.o. field, a scant 4 or 5 are still around today. A few have websites up or otherwise still have promotions as voice talent, but it’s inactive.

I’ve watched thousands and thousands of people go and take improve and regular acting and voice classes.  But apparently they didn’t pay attention to Dylan Thomas’ words and instead have chosen to go quite gentle into the good night. Whether embarrassed by failure or feeling they were taken or who knows, the bulk of people who have taken voice classes will never have their voices heard on the radio.

Maybe some of the fault lies with the media who loves to print articles and televise the handful of “miracle” v.o. stories From the professional ballerina who crushed her left ankle and is now a voiceover star to the blind girl who made it in v.o. Newspapers, magazines and blogs all the way to local news programs love to parade the guy or gal who does silly voices and banks big buck.

Then there’s everyone who has ever worked in radio or t.v.  Every single person who has ever worked in radio or t.v and isn’t dead is now either a voice over talent or is trying to become one. Even the guys whose job it was to mark the little tapes and put them in boxes and stack them on the shelves, is now a voice talent.

And then there’s the rest of America who wants to be in showbiz and seems to think that the cost of entry to the footlights of fame and fortune in voiceover is a small price to pay.

Currently there are about 6 times as many entry level books on voiceover as there are on welding. And in the United States, the average welder makes a considerable amount more money than a voice talent does.  It would appear then, that there are many myths that are simply not true. Sitting close to the t.v. hasn’t been proven to damage your eyes, masturbating doesn’t make your palms grow hair and despite the hundreds of thousands of people out there trying to make money doing voiceover, few will succeed and even fewer will succeed with regularity.

But with regards to teaching voiceover. Perhaps the simple answer is: Somebody has to do it, it might as well be me.

Why?…

I mean, is teaching VO more lucrative than DOING VO?

If you can do both, then, of course, more power to ya!…but all I EVER wanted to do was VO…not teach VO.

Do you reach a point in your VO career where you want to teach more than voice?  Don’t you just want to put all your waking energy into getting better VO jobs?…wouldn’t that pay better than putting all your energy into teaching VO?

Do you reach a point where teaching VO is more FUN than doing VO?

I’ve been anchoring local TV news for 30 years, and I’ve never reached a point where I want to coach TV newscasters for money.  I LOVE mentoring others trying to get a leg-up in the business… but coaching people to be better broadcasters?  ‘Doesn’t appeal to me in the least.  I’d rather just anchor.

So I ask…why teach?

The only variable I keep coming back to is money.  It must be more lucrative to teach than to voice.  Maybe ego.  That would motivate some, I guess.

Of course, you can’t just set up shop and teach VO without having DONE it to the point of respect.  THEN you can legitimately hang out a shingle, and expect to get students.  Right?

Maybe the pros who are teaching are just more naturally drawn to teaching or suited for teaching rather than voicing….

This is just stream-of-consciousness thinking-out-loud, here…

I’m trying to understand this.

I’m doing a session at VOICE2010 on social networking, but it’s not because I really want to.  I was asked.  I’m not getting paid.  People say they’re interested in what I might have to say.  Maybe I can help.  I could see where ego comes into it.  It’s nice to be wanted…but I’d much rather spend that time voicing a sweet national network spot at union rates.

Could it be that picking the low-hanging fruit is too irresistible?  I mean, there’re all those eager newbies who say “…I’ve always been told I have a good voice…could I do commercials?…” Do they make it more lucrative to teach than to voice?

Anyone?

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Sure we need to brush up on talent skills, but do you have a business plan?  How do you track your financial progress?  What’s your next goal?

Bettye Zoller is an ace talent, and well-recognized voice coach, but lately she’s got an axe to grind about keeping a good business sense about your BUSINESS of voiceovers.

See “below-the-fold” for some answers to a few questions I posed to Bettye about that, but even more so…saunter on over to THIS site, and sign up for a live webinar featuring Bettye next Thursday, November 19th. 

The webinar is being expertly organized by John Florian’s VoiceOverXtra online resource.  If you know Bettye at all, you know she doesn’t mince her words…and always speaks from a wealth of experience in a very frank and engaging manner.  You will learn a lot!

HERE is a link to a FaceBook page with info too.

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DAVE:  Bettye, most everyone recognizes you as a greatly experienced voice talent and voice coach, but much of your success is due to an astute business sense you’ve honed over the years. Can you offer a few MUST-DO business pointers for voice actors who have neglected this side of their enterprise?

BETTYE: Have promotional materials on hand to mail and to give out. These include attractive postcards with color printing on one side, room to write a personal note on the other. Business cards should look expensive. Do not print them at home. The card stock is thin and looks cheap and the card appears “homemade.” There are several printers on the internet who supply good looking paper products economically. Do not use your photo on these. I prefer that voice talents are “heard but not type cast.” And a note to those who look “terrific” and think their photo should be on everything…you’re typecast too as the “blonde youngster” or the “handsome jock” or whatever. No matter your age or appearance, old, young, good, or not so good, don’t mix visual with voiceover. Unfortunately, the internet sites have upset that balance because most want a photo on the page.

Hire a good accountant to prepare your taxes. Keep records of deductible expenses all year long. This is a business. Act like it! Use the same tax preparer each year. They become familiar with you and your business and do a better job at finding every dollar you can deduct.

Network at least twice each week, preferably, meeting new people. Always have your vo demos and promotional cards with you. Carry a packed shoulder bag or briefcase with you at all times and have a box of promotional materials in your car.

DAVE:  How important is it to set stated & reasonable long, medium, and short-term goals to achieve your voiceover dreams?

 BETTYE: I don’t believe we set the goals. I believe “life” brings us opportunities many of which could not be planned in advance. I have never been a “goal setter.” I work every day making the most of that day. I advertise, network, please my clients, get new ones, work with my agents, do all business activities every day…over the years…goal setting is not what I do.

DAVE: In a time when online pay-to-play sites are the popular client lead-generating source of jobs, you often admonish your younger peers to put all the eggs in several baskets when it comes to seeking work opportunities. What other baskets are worth finding and filling, and why?

Not putting your eggs all in one basket means having multiple streams of income. What those are depends on the person, where that person is based, who he or she knows, his or her talents and experiences in the work arena. What is important is to have many ways of generating income other than “acting or singing.” That’s your insurance and provides the money to go to the grocery store and keep the lights on!

DAVE:  How much importance do you put on learning the finer technical points of audio production for today’s crop of voice over talent?

BETTYE:  As for becoming a pro audio engineer…that’s a long road that takes a long time and many experiences. Voice talents today have to be able to record a voice audition. That’s all. Leave the serious mixing and editing to the pros who know how to do it. Concentrate on your voiceover work. Most pro engineers have become good at what they do because they do ONLY THAT. Are you a voice talent or an audio engineer? Becoming both when you’re new at this is nearly impossible and weakens your efforts in both areas as you spread yourself ‘too thin.’

DAVE:  How much of a modern voice-actor’s time should be spent seeking opportunities and creating relationships in the developing world of New Media or Social Networking?

BETTYE: I love social media. FB and twitter are favorites. As a famous actor said to me recently, “where else can I talk to 800,000 people at the same time except on FB?”

DAVE: The voiceover world of today brings some different challenges than those of the late 20^th century, do the opportunities remain rich? I know you are an apostle for audio-books. Can you summarize the promise there, and in any other niches of VO?

BETTYE:  Today’s newcomer to voice work must realize that now, the field is crowded and littered with people who really are not experienced or even talented as voice actors. Just because you “talk” does not mean you are a voice actor. Oh sure, there are plenty of those local jobs around yelling at us to buy a car from this certain dealer in this small town or to shop at this shopping center. That’s local stuff. I’m talking about the big money jobs…the character voice jobs…the major publishers who hire narrators for big-money audio book jobs, the network promo jobs, the KFCs and MASTERCARDS and SEVEN ELEVEN jobs. There are many levels of those who call themselves “voiceover people.” Some will remain small and others will make huge fortunes. Isn’t that the way with all fields of endeavor? Some hairdressers are rather inexpensive while others are charging $500 for a haircut and are the beauty consultants to the “stars.” Everyone finds a level. So be it.

Never concern yourself with “competition.” I don’t believe in it. As the Mary Kay Cosmetic company says, “we’re not worried. Everybody has skin and the world is a huge place.”

Go for it!

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Bettye Zoller teaches voiceover workshops and accepts guest professorships at universities worldwide. She books far in advance, so invite her to your location well ahead of time! You can always take note of her activities on her website www.voicesvoices.com. Home is Dallas, so because her recording studio is there, she must stay home part of the time. Thus, many workshops and her private consultations and her recording studio production takes place there. She’s known for her “killer voiceover demos” and people travel far to work with her in her studio. She also produces audio books. She’s an ace audio engineer as well as a voice talent. She learned her craft over a thirty year period as creative director of several production houses before “digital” was a word.

She also consults privately by phone and in Dallas and wherever she travels offers time for private sessions with clients. “Take advantage of my one-on-one sessions when you can. They’re very valuable to my students.”

Over the decades, she’s voiced Chiffon Margarine, Cadillac, Seven Eleven, Disney projects, Simon and Schuster audio, Promos for ABC, NBC, PBS, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Pepsi, Coke, Macys, JC Penney, Avon, the Smithsonian Museum, the Holocaust Museum, Ellis Island, WABC in New York, and so much more. “I can’t even remember the names of most of my jobs…there have been hundreds upon hundreds. It’s a great life and I’m blessed.”