Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Archive for the ‘Connecting’ Category

‘Coupla days ago, I shuffled out loud through a few rambling thoughts here on this blog — like I NEVER do that! (see “…MushMind…”)

Surprisingly, comments from three people I really admire, immediately popped up.

My original musing was:  “Does it help you or hurt you to see other voice actors posting prodigiously about the work they’re doing…or just completed…or must knock out before the end of the week?  I’d really like to know what you think about that.  Personally, I’m undecided.  I’ve been hurt AND encouraged by it.”

Peter O’Connell wrote to say: “…if you’re a VO marketing to other VO’s (and you may be if you’re a coach or something) then that plan works. But if you’re just spouting off to anyone of your followers your daily tasks, I think one risks a bored board of followers.”

Karen Commins was effusive in her response, but mostly ’cause she reprinted an article she’d written before on related themes:

“Comparing yourself to other people is a guaranteed formula for feeling BAD! Without too much effort, you can always find someone who apparently:

* has more credits and/or more impressive credits
* has booked more jobs recently
* makes more money
* has better equipment
* has more agents and/or more aggressive agents and/or agents in more markets
* has higher search engine rankings
* has a better demo
* has more training
* has better marketing promotions
* has more audition opportunities

You get the idea. By comparing yourself and your achievements to anyone or anything, you more than likely will find fault with your own situation.”

Finally, Derek Chappell followed up with: “…This post and the responses are so timely it’s scary. I was just thinking these same thoughts about all of those who REALLY crank out the daily spew of how many jobs they’re working and how “important” they are…”

I’d really encourage you do return to the comment section of that blog article, and read the responses in their entirely.  Click HERE.

Does this in any way settle my mind on the question?  No.  And believe me, I’m not knocking anybody’s motives or action here.  But nothing we do is in a vacuum.  We DO affect others.  Proving that is a WIRED Magazine article about relationships, and how the interaction affects behaviors. Click HERE. It’s an eye-opener.

But we also need to take responsibility for our own feelings and reactions, and not blame them on someone else.  No one controls how you feel about yourself but YOU.

OK, the armchair psychologist is off-duty now.

CourVO

(Everybody-wants-to-be) Joe Cipriano writes to update progress on the party he’s hosting for the late great Don LaFontaine on behalf of the SAG Foundation.

Click “read the rest of this entry” below to see the full report, and click HERE to go to the original invite.

If this wasn’t on a weekday night, I would SO be there.  Maybe you CAN be!

CourVO

Read the rest of this entry »

Would that I could be there…but I can’t.

Dan O’Day is described generally as a marketing genius/coupled with an incredibly savvy sense of broadcasting, voice-overs, and how the world works.  He holds his “Summit” every August in LA.

Some wonderful VO blogging friends of mine are there, and have been twittering and blogging (with pics) about the event.

Here are some links and twitter profiles to follow:

Bob Souer:
Blog:  http://www.bobsouer.com/blog
Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/bobsouer

Bobbin Beam:
Blog:  http://blog.bobbinbeam.com

Blain Parker:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/blainparker

CourVO

Lately, I keep getting the question: “When do you sleep?”  The answer is: usually between 3am and 10am.  On the East Coast that would be from 6am to 1pm.

So the question really becomes an observation:  “Dave, you seem to be working at all hours.  You must not need much sleep.”

I guess I don’t.  I’ve always had a joy of life, and since VO is my passion, I find I never run out of energy for its demands.

Here are some of the highlights of my day, Thursday, August 6, 2009:

1) 8am –  CT scan, ‘cause recent kidneystones have my urologist doing follow-ups
2) 9:30am - an hour of checking e-mail, Twitter, and online forums
3)10:30 am – some important phone calls
4) 11am – back to bed for 1.5 hours
5) 12:30 – shower, shave, dress
6) 1pm – hour-long conference call with members of the SaVoa Advisory Board
7) 2:30 – arrive at TV station – begin YouTube update, write/proofread scripts, scan more
email, websites, Tweetdeck, and FaceBook, write e-mail, make phone calls
8] 4pm – begin anchoring 3 half-hour newscasts (4, 5, & 6) with half-hour breaks in-between)
9) 7pm – drive home for dinner with friends, cut and send two auditions
10) 9pm – drive back to TV station.  More editing, web-browsing, proofreading scripts, twittering
11) 11pm – anchor last half-hour newscast of the day
12) 12:30am (Fri) – arrive home to begin more VO work
13)  1am – spend an hour on Skype, recording and finishing segments for a new demo
14)  2am – new demo in hand, I package it with other demos, a bio pic, and some forms to
send to a new casting service I’m involved with.
15) 3am – sit down to write a fresh Blog!

What to write about?  In this case, a search of Google Alerts with the keyword “voiceover” leads me to a Bill Pryce Blog, which in turn refers me to a Dan O’Day.com site that further directs me to a Pat Fraley offer of:  a “Quick & Slick VoiceOver Tricks” download.

I’m familiar with this program of Fraley’s and highly recommend it…Pat’s the best!

This is where the bouncing ball comes in.  Normally, you’d just get the Pat Fraley referral, but because it’s 3:44am as I am as I’m writing this, and I’m a bit addle pated, you got the day-dissection along with it!

‘Goin’ to bed now…

CourVO

Nothing pleases me more about social media than connecting with other VO professionals from all over…and I mean ALL over.

A FaceBook message the other day led to an even longer e-mail exchange, and the chance to connect with a voice actor from Turkey.  Yep…Istanbul, Turkey.

His name is Andy Boyns, and he’s a Brit who’s managed to develop a fairly decent clientele, and (in his words):  :…I’ve had to do it all myself – no workshops, courses, advice…”

I asked Andy if I could have permission to share his e-mail response with others in my blog, so we might all see how our colleagues around the world are being as enterprising as we should be, and how (Like Taji’s Voice Emporium site), we are all finding the support we need in our “booth isolation” to share and support each other in this grand online community.

Andy’s page on Voices.com is HERE…and if he realizes his dream to make it to VOICE2010, maybe we’ll all get a chance to meet him personally.

Read below to see Andy’s story in his letter to me.

CourVO
Read the rest of this entry »

Head on over to Erik Sheppard’s Voice Talent Production blog today to lend support to a great idea being hatched by one of his best friends Sharon Feingold.

HERE’s the link to the exact article. 

When you read it, you’ll say:  “…yep..been there…and I understand..”

Maybe you can help?

CourVO

Friends James Alburger and Penny Abshire asked, and I said “Yes!”

Their popular series of free teleseminars with people in the VO business continues this weekend, and I’ll be in the hot seat.

Apparently they think people will actually want to hear what I have to say.   From what I understand, they’ll mostly be asking the questions, but there will be opportunities for callers to interact as well.

The topic is how to “diversify” your portfolio of skills to enhance or supplement your VO work.

Click HERE to see the official announcement.

C ya on the phone!

CourVO

R U a member of FaceBook?  R U in any way interested in voice acting or voiceovers?

Then…R U a member of Stephanie Ciccaarelli's VOICE ACTING HUB on FaceBook?

If not, you should be.  Stephanie's great, and always posts quality material.

Click HERE to go….there….and if that link doesn't work, just go to "Join Groups" and search for Voice Acting Hub.

CourVO