Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Archive for the ‘Personal’ Category

A number of giant projects overshadowed most everything I tried to do since the beginning of 2010.

Now both are passed, and I’d like for my regular life (ha!) to get back to normal thank you very much!

One of the events was the presentation Terry Daniel and I did at VOICE2010 on using Social Media to benefit your Voice Over business.  The other was a personal project in building a half-hour video of my recent HS graduate daughter, chronicling her life up to now.  That was actually the bigger task.  Just try reviewing 30 or more 2-hour home videotapes for the gems that DO exist in the footage, and patching them all into one engaging attention-keeping presentation.  LABOR-INTENSIVE!

There IS  a third task ahead…my own HS class 40th reunion (yes, I’m that old)….but helping to plan that has been a joy.

In the midst, I’ve neglected or postponed a number of tasks to grow my VO business that now need dusting-off:
1- revamp the demo website
2- develop the SocialMediaVO.com site to its full potential
3-hunker down to a more regular full-time auditioning process
4-take advantage of a new VO record-keeping process
5-send out invoices of jobs as-yet unpaid
6-build a consolidated opt-in list of VO peers for regular a newsletter
7-plan to travel to Faffcon
8-rip through a long-neglected to-do list of scores neglected duties

It all goes back to that old German proverb I blogged about once: “…rast ich, so rost ich…” IF I REST, I RUST.  Everything about life is changing.  I must too…or be lost to it, and lost IN it.   Living up to such a motto takes a lot of energy.  I’m up to the task….luckily, I’m a high-output worker.

So, what’s going on with YOU and YOUR VoiceOver business mid-year?  How’s the New Year’s Resolution list looking right about now?  Are you taking a long view from time-to-time?   Pull your head out of the P2P auditioning sand for a day, and ask yourself what’s IMPORTANT instead of URGENT.

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

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

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

…as in, my mind is mush.

I took a day off Monday, ‘cause I was getting a cold and not sure it wasn’t the flu.  It wasn’t, but on THAT day, Katie Couric decided to drop by our station for a visit.

‘Been fighting that same head cold through the week, while I also battle a “to-do” list that grows longer no matter how many items I mark through.

Priorities.  What’s important?  For my personal life…for my work life.

Being a renaissance man isn’t easy…to much fun stuff to dabble in…broad interest, wide understanding, but not terribly deep.

(See? I told you my mind was mush)

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.

Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of instructing and mentoring for people trying to learn social media.  It’s an explosion of people reaching out virtually, and yet…I feel not so social…almost isolated.

That’s probably what I hate most about being an introvert in an extroverted job: the isolation.

But then there’s the VO-BB and VO Universe…so I can log onto the social networking sites and see how much work all the other VO’s are doing, or just completed, or must knock out before the end of the week.  Ya know?  Is it sharing?…or bragging?…pride?…or bravado?
…inspirational?…or jealousy?

————————————

So you don’t feel totally gyped for having visited here today, please take the time to visit Peter O’Connell’s blog with the latest meme:  “we’re all starving…so be quiet…”  Heck, just make it a habit to visit there every day, OK?

Oh, and while you’re at it, stop by BLAST, and read a quick article on “Funnyman Chris Edgerly”, a stand-up comedian working here in Vegas, who also does voice-over.  They talk about it HERE.

CourVO

The whole gist of this social networking gig is to raise the level of awareness of your BRAND on the internet.

It’s like swimming upstream most of the time, but every once in a while, you get a nod, and it feels good.

John Pozadzides is a self-made-millionaire in his 30’s who has the luxury of handing out those nods. 

He’s one of the founders of Woopra and many other Web2.0 achievements, but maybe is best known today as the author of ONE MAN’S BLOG.  (BTW, John is in Las Vegas as we speak for a PhotoShop convention).

For some unknown reason, I’ve managed to land on John’s good side, and he invited me to come onto his internet radio show: WealthNation.fm.  While I don’t think of myself as wealthy, I was honored to be part of a conversation with John and his cohorts on their show a couple of weeks ago. 

We talked about branding, and voice-acting, and entrepreneurship, and being on TV, and so forth.  You may actually enjoy listening to it….or not. 

Regardless, HERE is the link.  For all the interview is NOT…it IS another opportunity to further my brand in the matrix.

CourVO.

More testament to how global our business is becoming.

There’s this Brit voice actor living outside of Istanbul who writes occasionally and certainly keeps his eye on VO happenings here in the States.  His name is Andy Boyns.  I’ve blogged about Andy before.

Something about Andy appeals to me, and I’d like to float an idea for anyone who’d like to join me in a benevolent act.

Andy would love to be able to attend VOICE2010 next June, and wouldn’t it be a kick for us to pitch in and help him?  I have no idea what the international travel arrangements would amount to, but I know Andy has a family, and not a lot of discretionary income… and ANYTHING would be a help, right?

Contact me here or at CourVO@CourVO.com if you’d like to pitch in.   This is my idea, not Andy’s.  In fact, he’s trolling around his connections in Turkey to see if he can get sponsored to come over.  We’ve got more than a few months to work on this, so think about throwing in what you can, and see if we can’t get a movement going!

CourVO

Mental roadblocks are the enemy of  many a gifted and talented voice-actor.

The mental roadblocks (can be procrastination) we subconsciously and oftentimes innocently create can become true hindrances for freelance self-starters.  Sometimes it takes a friend or colleague to help you see through it, and once in a while, in a moment of brilliant clarity, you can see it yourself.

If not, you may benefit from a little formula I’ve devised.

Access + Process = Success

Let me break it down for you:

ACCESS:
The audio files we produce rely on a fairly complicated software/hardware interface associated with a deadline-oriented process.  If even the slightest glitch or hitch interferes with you walking into your studio, turning on your audio chain, and beginning the recording; you have slowed your ACCESS, and over time, the glitch grows into a ginormous mental block, preventing, instead of facilitating your next audition.

You need easy access to your VO tools.

Example:  My pre-amp came with no on/off switch.  I had to reach around behind my monitor, find the plug, feel for the receptacle, and insert the plug.  It was a hassle.  Over time, I began to resent that, then used it as an excuse to just NOT do what I really needed to do.  Once I realized that stupid little ritual was my major mental roadblock to conducting hassle-free auditions, I went to Home Depot, bought an in-line switch, and solved the problem.  Click/Click…on/off.  No hassle.

Maybe for you it’s something that interferes with quickly printing out scripts or an extra troublesome step or two that gets in the way of you launching your recording software. Eliminate the roadblock.  The devil’s in the details.

See an audition you need to get out?  Within one minute of your computer coming on, you should be able to start recording.  Wouldn’t that be nice?

It is.
(granted: you may not have the tube warm-up to optimize your pre-amp performance in that time -  see process below).

But ACCESS would be nothing without PROCESS.

PROCESS:

1.	a systematic series of actions directed to some end.

2.	a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner:

Synonym: a procedure; to handle or manage

In other words, once the access is there, you have to have a PLAN to use it.

THIS is particularly tough for us right-brain, set-our-own-schedule, creative talent-types.  Sure you need to be an ACTOR to do your work, but the business side of your operation must be practical, and that means having a plan…a schedule…a calendar…a PROCESS.

I’m a night-owl.  When I get home after midnight, I like crawling into my comfortable studio and record away — especially on the more moribund E-learning and technical narration jobs.  That’s part of my process…my plan to tackle work.

But I’m finding a good many bursts of audition requests (from whatever source) tend to come during typical business hours.  Since I’m hindered by my TV job’s hours from just reacting as I want to those requests, I’ve put into my process, about two hours of every morning — when my voice is a little rested — to plow through auditions, especially those that require a bit more creativity and acting.

Here’s the thing about process —–> devise the plan, then stick to it like a postage stamp, cause this is something you can’t mail in!  That takes discipline and will power…not something I can explain, but something you have to find on your own.

More about removing mental roadblocks:

http://www.fluentself.com/blog/newsletter/dissolve-that-mental-roadblock/
http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2006/11/29/now-or-never/
http://bit.ly/GTouT

‘Hope this helps in some small way!

CourVO

‘Last time I checked, there were no institutions of higher learning that offered a BS, or BA, or BFA, or ANY alphabet-soup-degree in voice-acting, voiceover, or movie trailers.

Communications?  Sure!
Theatre?  Yep.
Broadcasting?  Uh-huh.

But if there’s a degree in “voice” anywhere, you can bet it has to do with singing.

So how does one fall into this business?

About as many ways as there are people in it.

My guess is the preponderance of accomplished voice-actors today had their start in radio.  They’re the same ones telling eager radio graduates/VO wannabees to lose the radio style of delivery.  Probably because THEY had to.

So I feel as I’m in the good company of the Joe Cipriano’s, the Randy Thomas’, the Frank Frederick’s of the world who graduated with a BS in radio BS.  My first job was at KCCC radio “The Golden Country Sound” of  Carlsbad, NM.

I loved radio, but the camera liked my face.  I was lured by the TV anchor salaries, too, and got waylaid for the better part of the last 30 years in TV news.

I wrestle with the question of whether to tout that experience when marketing my voice-acting business.

One school of thought claims it’s a detriment to potential commercial clients. In their minds, 30 years of delivering the news has left me permanently scarred.  I couldn’t possibly deliver ad copy in anything else but a stilted, announcery, pedantic manner. Hence, I’m only good for e-learning, medical narrations, and an occasional IVR job.

The other school of thought bids me to build on my TV anchor reputation to vault me into voice acting.  After all, a successful TV news anchor obviously has presence, reliability, likability, a good work ethic, and knows a few things about holding audience attention. TV News Anchors have been admonished by their consultants for decades to “be yourself”…”talk directly TO your viewers on a personal level”…and make it conversational.

Sound familiar?

Don’t those qualities count for something in creating a successful VO business?

I prefer to build on the latter, and focus on losing the news patter.  My feloniously perceptive voice coach – Nancy Wolfson – claims my crutch is not falling into “announcery”…it’s shifting into the comfortable “happy” mode when I don’t know how else to inflect a line.  Most news anchors are approval junkies…so the default is say it in a way that will make the viewer feel comfortable.  However, a good bit of commercial copy has attitude, sarcasm, and cynicism…none of which is considered good form in a middle-of-the-road, keep-all-viewers-at-all-costs newscast!

So until Tufts or Tulane or TCU breaks rank and offers that BA in voice-acting, the rest of us are going to have to make our own way…the pioneering and enterprising of it will only make us more marketable anyway.

CourVO

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