Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Archive for the ‘Jus' So You Know’ Category

Erik Sheppard and his associates have launched the Voice Talent Production site.  Click HERE. 

A lot of work has gone into the back-end of this enterprise, and I find myself extremely honored to be the company of the other talent here.

Please take a moment to look around, and pass the word on to those who matter (ahem: clients) that this is the place to look first!

CourVO

Oh….BTW, two prominent VA talents are in Vegas this week, and if I’m lucky, I’ll be able to run into both of them:  Chris Flockton, a NYC-based British voice, and Ron Knight of Knight Mediacom.  ‘LOVE the way Vegas attracts all the right people!

The famous line from Animal House bears no resemblance to my present-day journey, but I can’t but help to draw the comparison in enthusiasm.

I love driving, and I love my daughter, so having the two of them to myself for the next 2 days is optimal.

We’re on our way to Champaign, Illinois in a mini-van full of furniture we’ve cobbled together from Craigslist to move her into her first off-campus apartment.  I’ve even found a patsy, er, uh, friend to join me for the trip back to help with the driving.

I’ve got a rented Honda Odyssey and I think they still sell gas along the way, so I’m set.

I plan to stop to check e-mail and make uploads every few hours for a break.  I’m gonna hate giving up my 3G network for the slower Edge (E) Network in most locales…but Starbucks stores are good for free wi-fi’s.

For recording, I’ve got my Zoom H4n, my laptop, a AKG C3000B with USB adaptor, and Adobe Audition 3.0.  I’ve even got my iPhone with Blue Microphone’s “MIKEY” if I need to get an audition in down ‘n’ dirty.  I use the Poddio app on my iPhone to edit on the fly.

So look here for postcards from the hiway the next few days.  My blogs may not always refer to the voice-over business, but life on the road.  I’ll at least try to post lots of good pics.

CourVO

This looks like one helluva party on water…I wish like heck I coulda pulled it off to be along for the ride.  Maybe YOU still can.

I’m re-printing all of Deb Munro’s latest e-mail with all the last-minute announcements of VoiceLympics, plus her ADHD schedule of upcoming coaching sessions, and more…below.

If I’m lucky, I may be able to catch up to the cruise wrap-up party in LA.

BTW, HERE is the official VoiceLympics website.

CourVO

Read the rest of this entry »

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

‘Seeing lots of posts here and there on the forums about the next-gen OS for the iPhone likely having voiceover capabilities…whatever THAT means.

Well, it turns out some features of the new operating system (V3.0) for the 3G iPhone will likely be voice-activated.  That’s a far cry from creating a new market for voice-actors…which is what could be intimated by those headlines.  Voice-activated would be more like giving voice commands to activate certain functions in the software — like run a program.

Click HERE to see a more detailed explanation of all this.

CourVO

VoiceBank.net is now VideoVoiceBank.net.

You already knew that?  Heck!…I didn't.  So maybe some others didn't either. Hence this blog.

In it's previous form as just VoiceBank.net, the service was well-recognized as the place to have your voice acting demo, there, among the pros.  You get there by getting an agent, and having your demo posted by that agency.  Hence, it's seen as a repository (bank) of some of the best demos around.

Now, the site wisely added video to its name to follow trends 'n' times a la YouTube.

I've exchanged e-mails with the very helpful and responsive Sales Director there: Amber Dahlin.  They have a pretty cool suite of services for voice actors, and the site also lists tons of contact info for agencies, casting agents, studios, production houses and the like.

Below, see an explanation of some of their services, and all their contact info.  WELL WORTH a visit, if you haven't seen it…and especially if you haven't seen it LATELY.

CourVO

Read the rest of this entry »

The next VoiceOver International Creative Experience is on the calendar!!!

Anyone who attended, or even heard of the first two of these conferences knows how precious they are for learning, networking, growing, meeting industry movers/shakers…but most importantly MAKING FRIENDS.

The first one was held here in my home town of Las Vegas in March of '07.  The second one in August of '08 in LA.  Now it looks like the third event will also be in LA in March/April of 2010.

Here's the official announcement from James and Penny's newsletter:
___________________________________________________________

VOICE 2010

James Alburger and Penny Abshire
______________________________________________________________

Click HERE to see the page James and Penney have created to get you involved in the process of designing their next big gathering. 

Hope to see you there!

CourVO

Frank Frederick is still buried in snow in his Utah redoubt, but his words in a recent Voices.com podcast should burn a path to your ears.

Click HERE for a listen to his 9.5-min. talk called: "THE YEAR OF PERSONAL BRANDING".  Frank has published a more complete version of his ground-breaking work on this issue called "LOVE NOTES". Give him a shout to get a copy.

While we're on the subject of copy.  East-Coast-based voice actor Joe Rodriguez just finished his first audiobook, "TEN MILE RIVER", and it's available on Audible HERE.

Extra nice read, Joe!

CourVO

More Twitter plunder. 

Alltop.  All the top news….get it?

The newsman in me appreciates aggregation news sites like this.  I believe this one was started by internet gadabout Guy Kawasaki.

Google news is good too, but not this good.  It's arranged into pages built around oodles of Alltop subjects.

Click HERE for the Alltop AUDIO page.  Lotsa great stuff.  Honestly.

CourVO

Fellow voice-actor Heather Costa shows up in an online article from the Flint, Michigan Journal stemming from a 2-hour voice over class she visited at an area High School. 

Click HERE.

Cool Heather!

CourVO