Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for Op/Ed / Fun Stuff

THANKS

November 22, 2011 By 2 Comments

There’s no escaping the humbling feeling that I’m blessed beyond what I deserve.

I have a job (two, actually), a loving wife of 28 years, 3 gorgeous and talented daughters, my health, a little savings, and a new puppy.

My cup runneth over.

Sure, I complain about this ‘n’ that from time to time….but really….I’m just blowing hot air.  Why God has seen fit to smile on me this way is beyond comprehension.  I’m certain I’ve disappointed him/her more than once.  But, if you’re Christian, and you understand the concept of Grace, then you know there IS no comprehending it.

So, and the risk of being sappy, and even a couple of days ahead of myself…let me offer you a simple mnemonic for remembering to say THANKS to the things that make me grateful.

HOSE who have gone before.

You didn’t just appear on the scene all successful.  There were parents, teachers, coaches, mentors, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.

Many people invested in your over the years, and you’re the better for it.

 

ARDSHIP.  Metal shapes Metal.

Adversity makes you stronger, smarter, more determined, agile, and resilient.

The lessons you learn here serve you well throughout life.

 

MAZEMENT…or wonder of all the things of this world that inspire me.

From this deep well of creativity reflected in the natural world around, I draw my talent.

Without this, I’m little more than a well-designed machine, but WITH it, I’m driven and unique.

 

UANCE. Finesse. The turn of a word. The hint of an attitude.

Without nuance, life is peanut butter without the jam, a car with no radio.

Nuance makes the moribund special…the wallflower a rose.

 

KANOODLING.  Fun, laughter, smiles, mirth, and humor.

Life is not worth living without it.

When the voice-0ver business gets me down, I seek something to smile about.  It works.

 

 

PIRIT.  There’s two ways to look at spirit:  Liveliness or mettle — and — the principle of conscious life.

Either way, I need it.  I need the life-force endowed by the supreme being who created me.

I also need the outward expression of that…me.  My essence, attitude, and approach to life: exuberance.

 

What are YOU thankful for?

CourVO

 

Filed Under: Fun Stuff, Ruminations

Timeline History of VoiceOver

November 6, 2011 By 1 Comment

Voice Actor Scott Reyns deserves big kudos for putting together this succinct timeline historical perspective of voice overs.

What it lacks in terms of an exhaustive summary, it more than makes up for in presentation, and cogent highlights. I especially his including SaVoa and VOICE in the final pane.

Check it out by clicking on the link, then click on the graphic to see it in detail.

Nice going, Scott!

CourVO

See this Amp at http://bit.ly/vFkc9N

 

Filed Under: Fun Stuff Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

2 VO Rules to Live By

June 27, 2011 By 8 Comments

Last week was a wash.  Literally.

I washed up on the shores of Belize, Isla Roatan, and Cozumel on a cruise ship excursion with my family, and two other families for a week.  Yeah.  Hate that.

The picture of me there is on the beach at Passion Island North of Cozumel.  ‘An afternoon that I kinda remember (open bars are dangerous).

While I was gone, I “sandbagged” 5 blog articles, and scheduled their posting each day so there would be some semblance that all was as it should be at  Camp CourVO.  I don’t like to FaceBook or Tweet while I’m away.  Robbers are savvy, too…and it wouldn’t take much to put our house on the map while we were gone.

Below is a video I put together of some of the best moments of our cruise, but that’s not really why I’m blogging today.

POST-VACATION BLUES

Like clockwork, auditions and VO opportunities tend to pile-up the moment you walk out the door.  Immediately catching up to those loose ends is a priority.  I also returned to 1875 emails in my primary account.  I haven’t even looked at the other two accounts yet.

Do I feel overwhelmed?  You betcha!

Will I hit a brick wall of post vay-k depression?…Mmmmm….likely.

Can I possibly recover one week’s worth of Social Media presence in the next week?
Do I want to?
Is it worth it?

TWO VO RULES TO LIVE BY

1)  You can’t do it all.  Not in a day.  Not in a year.  There will never be enough time.

2)  Check-off your To-Do list by answering the following question:  Did I make progress today?

(Honorable mention:  force yourself into a rewarding distraction when you feel it’s all too much — even a small diversion is worth it)

So, this week I’m back at it.  Much to do…but it’ll get done.  Thanks for reading this far, now enjoy the video below.

CourVO

 

Filed Under: Advice, Fun Stuff, Ramblings/Off-Topic Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Laptop Burka

April 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Makeshift portable studios are sometimes the best and least expensive, albeit unweildly sometimes.  (Think:  motel room drapes stretched over your head)

Believe it or not, someone is awaiting a patent on a Laptop Burka.  Originally designed to let you see your laptop screen when you’re in a bright environment, I see no reason why this wouldn’t also work as a noise dampening shroud for voice over people on the go.

My thanks to Billy James again, who consistently feeds me stuff like this KNOWING I can’t help but blog about it!

CourVO

Filed Under: Equipment, Fun Stuff Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

You Know You’re a Voice Talent When…

March 10, 2011 By 3 Comments

Bilingual

HeadPhone Hair

Voice Artist Dan Hurst originally posted this, and I’m not sure if he composed it, or if he found it somewhere, but it’s pretty funny (and aren’t we all a little bit guilty of most of these).

Thanks Dan!

CourVO

____________________________________

You Know You’re A Voice Talent When…

1. You have a chronic case of headphone hair.

2. You catch yourself repeating lines you hear in commercials.

3. You believe mouth ticks can kill you.

4. A one take is like a hole in one.

5. You know what it means to rock the mic.

6. You’ve done a few takes and then realized you weren’t recording.

7. You hate P words.

8. You plan to do this for the rest of your life.

9. You wear quiet clothes.

10. You think a great mic is the Holy Grail.

Filed Under: Fun Stuff Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

29 Seconds, 8 Locations

March 4, 2011 By 2 Comments

Over the course of the last month, the producers in our TV station’s promotions department had me running all over the Las Vegas valley to take advantage of some of the more memorable landscapes.

Why? To shoot segments for a half-minute promotional campaign featuring yours truly..

Indulge me, and watch the video below. It’s fun and clicks right along. Maybe you’ve been to some of these places when YOU visited Vegas?

Here’s the direct link to YouTube.

CourVO

Filed Under: Fun Stuff Tagged With: , , , , ,

“Faux-dition” Edition 3

January 11, 2011 By 1 Comment

In what has become an annual VO tradition, voice actor Peter O’Connell outdid himself with this year’s “Faux-dition”.

While previous year’s competitions were quite professional, amusing, and competitive…THIS year’s winner will actually come away with some tangible wins.

As always, Peter makes it easy to participate in this year’s unofficial casting call for the TV staple: “The Price is Right”.  When you visit Peter O’Connell’s blog at audioconnell.com, you’ll find all the explanations, the script, the music, and plenty of background on this year’s opening round.

Be sure to read down to the part listing the substantial prize package…including a free ticket to FaffCon2, Electric Boogaloo.

This won’t take long, and I understand the early entries are all puff-balls!  :)  So, you’re probably in like Flint (or is it Flynn?)

I’d write more, but it’s all on Peter’s Blog…and besides…I gotta get going, so I can get in my entry!

CourVO

Filed Under: Fun Stuff Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Instant Collaboration

December 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Within the span of about 10 hours Tuesday, my VO friend Terry Daniel did a very amazing thing.

On the FaceBook Group “Voice Over Friends” that I created a couple of months ago, Terry put out the call for voice talent to contribute to an audio Christmas Greeting Collaboration.  Within hours, he had all the voices he needed and more.  Just impromptu stuff…no specific script. Then he went to work editing it all together.

The final product of all those Holiday Greetings is posted on SoundCloud.

Pretty cool Terry, and everybody who pitched-in!

CourVO

Filed Under: Fun Stuff Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Zaniest VO Advice Evar

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A “just-for-fun” blog today.

The link below will take you to a site that apparently offers fix-it solutions for everything from computers, to backhoes, to advertising copy.

So, of course at some point they’d get around to the article on how to improve your voice-over….right?

Click HERE to go to RepairHeadGasket.com.  It’s a quick read of three golden tips that will absolutely, positively improve your voiceover work.  (wink wink, nudge nudge)

CourVO

Filed Under: Advice, Fun Stuff Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Ancients Did VoiceOvers

March 7, 2010 By 2 Comments

‘spent the day at the Getty Villa in Malibu Saturday.

For those of you who just said “huh?”…lemme explain.

J. Paul Getty — the original oil magnate of the last century — was also a collector of Greco-Roman antiquities (among other things), and his 62-acre “villa” in Malibu puts it all on display.

The place is amazing.  Pic at left is the part of the property recreated to looks like a Roman villa.

Inside the museum portion of the Villa are endless artifacts dating back as far as 3000 B.C. and including incredibly preserved artworks up through 500 A.D.

The most amazing sculpted relief, though was the one seen here on the right.  Follow the red arrow, and unless I’m mistaken, it points to the naked guy holding an Elecrto-Voice EV-20 microphone.

This shatters all previously-known theories of archeology and the Roman Empire…not to mention time travel, H.G. Wells, the patent office, reel-to-reel tape recorders, and electricity.  It certainly explains how announcers in the Colisseum were EVER heard over the raucous blood-thirsty crowd inside the place.  And above all, it rewrites all the history books about the early days of voice-overs!!!

Imagine the artifacts diggers SHOULD be looking for:  evidence of union contracts on stone tablets, bronze mic stands, Centurion training videos, Etruscan phone messaging machines, marble-inlaid Avalon pre-amps, and stone-carved Pro-Tools plug-ins.  The mind boggles at how looting by vandals over the centuries has ruined the evidence for this revolutionary find!!!

Please, join me in suggesting items Archeologists in ancient Middle Eastern lands should be on the look-out for!

I’m contemplating launching a website:  The Archeological VoiceOver Review.

Entire new curriculums in institutions of higher learning will have to be devised.  I”m not sure I can sleep tonite!

CourVO

Filed Under: Fun Stuff Tagged With:
Next Page »