Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Archive for the ‘People’ Category

Freelance VoiceOver talent have strong opinions, ‘specially when somebody does ‘em wrong… jus’ like any other well-meaning businessperson would.

Lately, some notables in our industry have been making it clear how THEY feel about certain personages who (it would appear) are disingenuous about the way they represent their wares.

Two Examples, one about coaching, the second about clients

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#1 BEEF

When respected names like Harlan Hogan and Dan O’Day come on THIS strong, they must certainly feel adamant and assured in their comments

Start HERE to read the criticism…you’ll have to click some links to find the actually beginning of the thread, but it’s all clear when you click the above link to Dan O’Day’s blog.

Go do that, then come back.

OK, whadya think?  Here’s my one comment:  If you’re going to smack someone THAT hard, why not just name names.  I think most of us all know who she is, so just….call her out.  Anything less seems dissumulative given the intensity of the cynicism.

#2 BEEF

Double-Dutch Blogger and International Voice Talent Paul Strikwerda takes a salacious shot at one of his clients…and most would agree, rightly so.

See his diatribe HERE.

How does one see through the subterfuge and read another human being through virtual liaisons to tell if they’re honest or not.  Hmmmm, sounds like the worthy topic of a future blog!

CourVO

There are stories and then there are stories.  Here’s why the personal story is the only good story:

Story 1:  The Las Vegas unemployment rate topped 13% last month.  This is a true story, one that appeared as an item on many news products in Las Vegas.  It is accurate, timely, and indicative of the times.  It’s says very little, though, in and of itself.

Story 2:  Jeremy hasn’t been able to find a job in his field as an ironworker for 6 months in Las Vegas.  He’s foreclosing on his mortgage, changing plans to send his daughter to college, and his wife has had to go to work for the first time in their lives.  This is also a true story, accurate, timely and indicative.  Yet, Jeremy’s story and many other individual stories of loss in this recession touches a nerve with anyone who has a heart.  It’s personal.  Many feel Jeremy’s pain.

ONE PERSON, ONE STORY
There are over 2,000 foster children in Clark County, NV…the county where Las Vegas is located.  You can report that tragic fact, but it’s almost impossible to get your head around it.  That’s why every week, I choose one child or one sibling set, and profile their unique personality, face, and needs on the Wednesday’s Child program.  THAT connects with people who hear the story.  Not 2,000.

You put focus on a story that deserves attention by profiling ONE who is affected, and forcing each single viewer to FEEL that one person’s pain.

All GOOD stories are personal.

GOODBYE TRADITIONAL MEDIA, HELLO NEW MEDIA
You could say that the whole approach of Newspapers, Radio and TV in the first place (one-to-many distribution) is like Story #1.  The only thing that saves it are the personalities involved, who are trained to perform as if they are speaking one-on-one to their friend.  That, and the fact that each radio player, TV set, and newspaper is yours and yours alone to own, hold, hear, and see.  That makes it also seem personal.

But the days of one-to-many stories are waning and will continue to diminish.

This is why Social Media: Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, and yes, even email are booming.  It’s a one-to-one paradigm.  It’s personal.  It’s a good story BECAUSE it’s personal.

Sure, you can send a message to your 17,000 Twitter followers in a shotgun approach, but when this follower or that follower responds individually, there’s a tug on your conscience to respond.  It’s personal.

PEOPLE ARE SMART (and fed up)
Billboards, TV ads, classified ads, $1-million SuperBowl ads, and magazines are suffering. People tune out mass ads, they unfollow obvious Twitter spam, and dodge marketing scams.  People are smarter.  They see through it.

This is why the new gestalt surrounding successful Twitter connections is based on a good story that’s personal.  You don’t even get to first base until you’re sincere, genuine, personal.

And forget Twitter for a second.  FaceBook is even more wildly popular than Twitter if you believe growth estimates.  Why?  FaceBook is a picture, and a profile, and favorite movies, and your birthday, and photos, and music and books…and on and on and on about who YOU are.  It’s personal, and it’s a good story BECAUSE it’s personal.

THE VALUE FOR VOICE ACTORS
Is all this good?  Yeah.  I think so.  It’s a direct result of cultural change following technological advancement (just like TV was a radical change for its time).  That brought masses of people into a common experience.  But it wasn’t really personal.

Now, like never before, you have a chance to get personal.  All the avenues are there.  Social Media is creating opportunities like never before to make a personal connection with someone who is in a position to make something happen for your career.

Not getting enough work as a voice actor?  Seeking an agent?  Needing more connections to juicy jobs, leads, and studios?  Get personal. MAKE it personal.

When you think about the jobs you ARE getting, or HAVE gotten, there was a personal connection somewhere along the line.

All good stories are personal. 

Yours is. 

Use it.

CourVO

Our favorite Middle-Eastern VO Blogger and voice-actor  — Mahmoud Taji – is relocating his blog to new servers, giving it a face-lift, and offering a handy scam alert section where VO artists can go and submit the names of casting agencies that might have ripped them off in the past.

Check it out.  Taj has proven himself over time to be an enterprising, savvy, and over-all stand-up guy in our business, who strives for what’s right.

Thanks for letting us know about the changes, Taj!

Click HERE or on his new logo above to go to the revamped page.

CourVO

Lunch with friends at a VERY busy Katz’s diner on Houston.

More food than I can possibly eat.

CourVO

Ah, the month all procrastinators hate!  This is it, after all…no more putting off IFF you want to get it done this year (serious procrastinators cheerily look to 2010 with no shame or guilt).

So here’s a short checklist of things you may want to consider for your voice-acting business before New Year’s rolls around:

1-Get out all those invoices to delinquent accounts with maybe a few strong words about how you’ve been patient enough, thankyou.

2-While you’re at it, be sure to pay-off OTHER freelancers (SEO gurus, writers, graphic artists, etc.) the money you owe THEM.

3-Download all of 2009’s financial records from your bank into your accounting software.

4-Revisit whatever 2009 New Year’s resolution list you had, and try to squeeze-in at least one more undone item.

4-Back-up your hard drive’s documents, sound-files, and pictures…in short, any personally-generated files that you can’t just reinstall from the original disks. (You should be doing this every week, actually)

6-Now that you’ve got almost a year’s worth of data behind you, run a Google Analytics check on the traffic to your website or blog.  It’s a treasure-trove.

7-Fire off an email-or-two to your favorite client, thanking them for their steadfastness and help in 2009, and reminding them you stand ready to help them with their projects for 2010.

8-Plan now for whatever coaching, conferences, or business seminars you need to attend in other cities or states.  (Seriously consider VOICE2010…it’ll be the best!)

9-Pay any State dues, fees, or what-have-you to keep your business license up-to-date.

10-Start thinking about a serious 2010 News Year’s Resolution list for your business.  Be honest.  Aim high.  Write down anything that comes to mind.

BONUS ITEM: Pick at least one person – a mentor or supporter – who made a difference in being there for you when you were in a valley of VO, and tell them how much you cherish their friendship and ask them what you can do for them.

CourVO

When do you become an “expert”?

That word makes me uncomfortable.

That’s why, when I started my teleseminar Saturday morning  (Leveraging Social Media for Your VoiceOver Business) on behalf of the VoiceOverDirectory, I began by saying I’m a fan of Social Media, I enjoy Social Networking, I’m familiar and comfortable with New Media…I’m drawn to its potential…but “expert”?  Nah!

Social Media is too new, and so ever-changing for anyone to be able truly be an “expert”…at least by my definition, which I’m conveniently not stating here.

My talk was more about trends, indicators…mapping out a few directives that seem to be working FOR NOW…and why voice actors really shouldn’t ignore the opportunities afforded by New Media for furthering their brand, their personality…the relationships that may lead to enriching their personal lives, and advancing their business.

Amazingly, I talked almost non-stop about that for almost a half-hour, and still felt there was much left unsaid.

I’m a geek at heart, which means I’m a genetically hard-wired metal detector, perking up when a wayward  fragment of social media metal shows up on my radar.  But I know (that’s right, keep telling yourself, Dave) that Social Media is only one of the tools in my job-searching toolbox.  It just happens to be the one that captures my fancy (hey!…I found a gold doubloon!).

Maybe I’m on to something.  Maybe not.  Maybe it’ll bring me more VO jobs…or not.  Or maybe — just maybe — all this flailing around may lead me into an unexpected career vector that has little to do with voice-acting.  All I know is along the way I’m learning a ton, and meeting some of the savviest people on the planet.

Below is about a 2:30 excerpt of my teleseminar.  I recorded the whole thing on a trusty Logitech webcam…and the audio you hear is from the onboard Logitech mic (not the greatest).  On this segment I blatantly break a number of my own rules, stated so smugly on my new website: OnCamTips.com. But, there may be some value in watching this anyway: a segment on the rationale for voice actors to consider authoring a blog of their own.

I have no idea how many listened in, but quite a few responded afterward to say they’d like the resource material I promised to make available if they’d just send their e-mail address to me.  I think they were just being polite…;-}

BTW, write me at CourVO@CourVO.com, and I’ll put you on the mailing list for that resource material, too.

My thanks to Mark Davidson and Austin Alexander of VoiceOverDirectory for asking me to speak, and arranging this teleseminar so professionally. 

Also my gratitude to a couple of voice-actors who are social media VO giants in my eyes:  Trish Basanyi (@Trishsvoice) and Terry Daniel (@TDaniel39).

CourVO

Art Hadley has put together a rather nice idea of an Amazon Store of VO equipment.

This is not a comprehensive collection by far, but certainly grasps the essence of tools that any VO would need to set up a good private studio.

The VoiceOver General Store is HERE.

CourVO

These collections are priceless.  This time, though, I barely recognize half the names.  That is most certainly a reflection of my working knowledge of Hollywood and TV commercials, though, and nothing else.

Click HERE for the list on Paste Magazine.

And…this note that for the next few days I’m taking my annual, lone-driver trip out West…since I’m already here, and I don’t have to drive to get there…just drive IN it.

I’ll be hoppin’ in the ole 2004 Chevy SSR (with brand new tires, shocks, and alignment), destination Boise, Idaho.  That means driving the entire length of Nevada on 2-lane roads, and wouldn’t you know it…there’s a huge rain storm predicted.  IN NEVADA!

Actually, that’s OK….sunny and clear comes 320 days/year in NV.  Clouds, rain, even snowtopped mountains, should make for some beautiful shots that you rarely see out here.

Of course, I’ve got my iPhone and laptop, so I won’t be far from posting stuff, once I find a good wi-fi.

Finally, I’m burying this next link here, ‘cause it just seems so…no other way to say it….egotistical.  But maybe I’m just getting caught up in semantics. 

I’ve got my own FaceBook fan page now, not published by the director of my fan club (there is none)…it was posted by ME.  This is the thing to do now, I guess….(or should I say everyone else seems to be doing it, so naturally – me being a lemming – I have to do it). 

That’s right, I posted my OWN fan page, and (get ready for it)…I’m asking if you’ll visit, and become a “friend”.  HERE is the link.  Disclaimer: No real or implied advantage comes from becoming a fan of the Voice Overs by CourVO fan page!

CourVO

‘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

You’ve heard me mention John Pozadzides in my blog before…most recently here.

John’s been in town for a PhotoShop conference, and writes about his experiences (one story is unbelievable – no, I take that back – BOTH are). His blog is ALWAYS worth the read.  See OneMansBlog.

We met for dinner Friday and the conversation was – as usual – quite edifying for me.  I’m preparing another presentation on New Media for an internal group at the TV station, and since John’s fingernail clippings contain more knowledge about Network marketing than the sum total of my over-rated knowledge about this subject, I listened intently (shoulda taken notes).

I’ll spare you the long version, but a summary of the core message is one all Voice-actors…indeed…all people can benefit from in their relationships…especially the online kind.

So how much do you really care about building a relationship (as in: client relationship)?  If the answer is that you care a great deal, then you will take the time to do the things that people who care about each other do.  You create a conversation.  You take an interest.  You inquire about things in their life that matter to them.  You keep track.  You remember important details.  You do a little homework.  You engage and keep engaging.  ‘Next thing you know…you have a friend, not a client.

I first met John when I made a troubleshooting call to Woopra.  John is the one of the FOUNDERS of Woopra, and yet, he dug in, solved my problem, and kept the conversation open through the ensuing months.  He’s engaged, involved, and wants to know what’s happening with me.  In a sense, he practiced what he preaches ON ME, and I am one of the beneficient outcomes of the application of his principles.  Even though in my case, his expectations were dashed (heh)… he hung in there.

Like, I said, read his blog, and you’ll see the essence shine through of the guy everyone knows as John-P.

CourVO