Warning: Blatant Plug

If I didn’t have so much faith in John Florian and VoiceOverXtra webinars…
If I didn’t know Bettye Zoller like I do…

….I wouldn’t waste your time with this brief announcement.

In fact it’s ME…I’m the biggest questions mark in Monday, January 9th’s Webinar on VoiceOverXtra entitled A New You in the New Year.  ;-}

Between the veteran wisdom of Zoller, and my quirky mix of Social Media exploration, you will get — if nothing else — in that hour-and-a-half teleseminarm– a wonderful stir-fry of brainstorming that will have you rethinking some old ideas for your VO business, and maybe even inspire you with some new ones.

Bettye will present from her vast knowledge of marketing, agency-representation, coaching, and foreign, as well as long-format opportunities.

Then I’ll present with a number of new Social Media trends and techniques, some recent technological advances, and even a couple of predictions for developments in the new year.

For the rest of the 90-minute session (and maybe even over a little)…we’ll field questions.  Anything’s fair game.

Because of my evening schedule as a news anchor, we’re getting started at 1pm PST / 4pm EST.  The cost is $44, and you’ll get a complete copy of the entire session when you’re done.

I’ve put a lot of research into the elements I’m presenting, and I think you will walk away with tangible strategies.

Thanks, and ‘hope to see you there on Monday, the 9th.

CourVO

 

Super Socials!

Many of you know of the close connection this blog has to John Florian’s VoiceOverXtra site.  I’ve probably contributed 10 or 12 articles to his site of late.  John runs a hi-profile site.  VoiceOverXtra gets a lot of traffic, and has a lot of credibility in the Voice Over world.  Lately Florian has branched out…doing webinars that are quite engaging and worthwhile with some of the top contributors, trainers, and coaches in the business.

When John  approached me to join my VO friends Terry Daniel and Trish Basanyi in a 3-part webinar covering all aspects of Social Media, I jumped at the chance.

Terry Daniel and I presented a General Session seminar at VOICE2010 on the topic of Social Media, and earlier this year, Trish and I teamed up to present at FaffCon2 on the same topic.

I consider Terry and Trish to be my mentors and associates in this trending area of marketing potential.  They are both experts in Social Media, and I’ve learned tons from their daily approach.

Here’s how this triple-threat “Super Socials” set of webinars will break down:

Wednesday, August 17, Terry Daniel will explain the intricacies of FaceBook…no small feat as this platform continues to evolve.  It is the 800-lb-gorilla of Social Media, though, so it’s good we start here.  If you’re not on FaceBook with your VO marketing, you’re missing out.

Thursday, August 18th, Trish Basanyi steps into de-mystify Twitter.  I know of no other voice actor than Trish who’s translated her Twitter presence into more VO work.  Since this is at once a challenging and fruitful social networking platform, you’ll want to hear what Trish knows about it.

About a week later, Wednesday, August 24th, I close the gap with a wealth of information about the social media platforms that should round-out your VO marketing plan.  I’ll cover LinkedIn, YouTube, Google+ (a newcomer in Social Media), along with blogging and a few surprises.  I’ll also be conducting an engaging live interview with Zurek, the founder of VoiceOverUniverse…one of THE MOST succcessful VO forums of all time.

So there you go.  Who would want to miss all that?

You can attend all three for the reduced price of $99…or any one for $39.  But here’s the incentive to sign-up:  You are automatically enrolled in a drawing to have your tuition refunded if you spread the word, and then cc: John Florian with your message.

See all the details of this upcoming series of webinars.

I hope to see you on the call, I’ll be there for Terry and Trish’s presentations because I KNOW I’ll learn something.  I can promise you I”ll do my level best during my webinar to present material you’ve never heard before, and open your eyes to new possibilities for marketing your VO business in Social Media.

Please pass the word around, and possibly win a free pass to the webinar!

CourVO

The Ewoks of EWABS

How could you not have already heard about EWABS?!  East West Audio Body Shop.  The announcements have popped up everywhere!

The pair behind EWABS is Dan Lenard and George Whittam….and both have been mounting an online full-court-press marketing and promotions campaign in the last week or more.

George Whittam

Most people familiar with the visible voice over community know of Dan and George.  Dan is the HOME STUDIO MASTER, and George is the master of ELDOREC  – Eldorado Recording Services. Dan brings common sense to, and removes the mystery from establishing your own home/private studio.  George came into most everyone’s view as Don La Fontaine’s technical wizard, and has since grown his expertise in all directions as an audio expert.

Can you imagine any two people more qualified to field YOUR questions about any and all home studio audio recording issues?!

Dan Lenard

I roomed with Dan at FaffCon, and we talked well into the night about his hopes and desires for this show.  Then last Sunday I spent some time on Skype with George as they were testing connections in advance of this inaugural weekly teleseminar.  I can tell you that George has incorporated a good bit of his own technical expertise in being able to carry off this show for all participants and the hosts.

Please make plans to attend the first show.  This Sunday, March 20, 2011 at 8:00PM EDT  5:00PM PST

Here are some important links:

The EWABS LinkedIn page.

The EWABS FaceBook page.

The VoiceOverXtra interview with Dan and George

The actual UStream page for tuning in.

CourVO

 

Script Delivery

Put this one on your calendar.

VO pros and friends Terry Daniel and Bobbin Beam are collaborating to launch a Teleseminar this week on the finer points of script delivery.

Think about it…that encompasses plenty: interpretation, copywriter intent, pacing, inflection…OMG…the time will go quickly, and you’ll wanna be there because you will learn something from these two veterans.  Even if YOU’RE a seasoned pro yourself, this will be a great review.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 7pm CST

CourVO

Ettiket

…purposely misspelled in the spirit of texting.

For a while during my hour-long teleseminar on Social Media sponsored by Edge Studio June 22, 2010…I waxed eloquent on the suggested do’s and don’t's of social media…that is, if you want to get and keep friends and followers.  Otherwise, it doesn’t matter what you do.

The whole teleseminar, of course, was based on the supposition that you DO want to get and keep followers and “friends”.  Furthermore, extending your brand onto those social media platforms may even garner you some new clients.

These concepts are not new, but apparently — with a teleseminar attended by the maximum allowable 100 listeners — a good many voice actors have a hunger for learning more about social media tools.

I set up my trusty FLIP video cam to record some of my end of the call, and the clip is below.  Mind you, I took NONE of my own advice for how to set up a good shot, as stated in my helpful website: OnCamTips…so forgive the terrible angle, and the news map of Las Vegas in the background.

To hear the full hour’s teleseminar session click HERE, and scroll down to the subheading ‘Marketing’.

Also, visit SocialMediaVO to see a more complete resource on leveraging New Media for your voiceover business.

CourVO

Getting the Edge

Last night’s teleseminar with Edge Studio’s “Talk With A Pro” series was packed: the full allowable 100 callers.  And here’s the funny part:  I was the ‘expert’!!!  It’s hard for me to get comfortable with that moniker…partly because I make fun of the ‘expert’ title as an over-used, undefinable, and inflated handle that so many in social media claim.

But apparently there IS something to show for the countless hours I’ve spent online.

The callers could be loosely herded into 3 categories from what I could tell by the questions (IMHO):

1)  Those who are neophytes and have yet to understand the value to their VO business of using Social Media site.
2)  Those who have launched their profiles and accounts with social media sites, and wonder:  ”Now what?”
3)  Those who have launched their profiles and accounts with social media sites, and say: “So what?”

For category one, I say:  Social Media is a FREE marketing tool that will help raise awareness of your brand online.

For categories two and three, I say:  ”Be yourself”…nothing more…nothing less.  It’s easy, ’cause — after all — you’re you.  And most of you are decent, hard-working people who aspire to excellence in your craft, and honorable relations with your clients.  Relate to people on FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., as your genuine self — remarking on other’s posts, paying forward helpful tips, and building your strengths — and you will find success on Social Media sites over time.

I could go on and on with do’s and don’ts, trends, methods, and “best practices”, but it boils down to being interactive and social.  Those of you who are not particularly social, well…these sites allow you to fake it better than if you were in person at the water cooler engaging in awkward shoe-shuffling conversations.

A complete audio copy of the session can be found — probably sometime late Thursday or early Friday — on the Edge Studio website HERE.

For those of you who were on the call…thanks for being good listeners and supportive.

Let me know if I can be of further help in any way.  Don’t hesitate to visit the site http://www.SocialMediaVO.com for further information.

CourVO

Talk With A Pro

Edge Studio, a New York city-based VO studio and training faclity is inviting me onto their popular “Talk With A Pro” webinar series Tuesday evening, June 22, 2010.  The call starts at 9pm EST / 6pm PST.

The hour-long call-in session is free, and is reserved to the first 100 callers.

Our topic will be Social Media, and how it can work towards building your VO business.  Yes, you will see some of the same points Terry Daniel and I shared in our VOICE2010 presentation, but this mostly Q & A session will be more tailored to the concerns YOU have…as we dig a little deeper into the concepts and tools for taking

advantage of Social Networking for VO.

To see more about Edge Studio’s Talk With A Pro series, and find out how to participate in the call, click HERE.

Also, look for more changes to the SocialMediaVO web resource site in advance of this webinar, and in the days and weeks to come.

CourVO

Munro Wednesday Training

Kinda late word, so I wanted to get this out today.

I don’t mind being a shill in this particular blog article, ’cause I believe in Deb.

Deb Munro: voice talent, voice coach, and all-around dynamic personality is offering a pretty nice TeleVoice Workout, and has a couple of slots open.
If you’re seeking a great tune-up with somebody eminently knowledgeable, this might be just your ticket.  Click this link for contact info, and note her pitch below:

TeleVoice Opportunity

Can’t afford the workshops, travel, hotel and parking to get the training you need?.….let Top Voice Talent/Coach Deb Munro come to you from the comfort of home.

Join her TeleVoice Workout this Wednesday – Two session times to choose from – 2-4 p.m. EST or 8-10 p.m. EST.  All via telephone, skype or free internet phone services.

This is not a Webinar – this is a hands on mini workshop that will make a significant difference in your voice auditions.

This weeks focus will be complimentary to this years workshop – Audition Acrobatics – if you tuned in to her webinar or attended any of her workshops, you won’t want to miss your chance to work with her directly.  Run through the audition process from beginning to end and discover techniques that will help you to stand out above the rest.  Each talent will be catered to depending on his or her level of experience and all sessions will be recorded and sent to you after the workshop.

- Expand your voice skills
- Work on current auditions
- Discover voice techniques
- Honest direction without the sugarcoating
- Individual mic time
- Q & A
- Biz of the biz
- Marketing

These sessions are in your control. Follow class curriculum or create a session plan that will work for you

ONLY 4 students per session allowed for fair mic time.

Advanced registration required to arrange your participation preferences – TeleSeminar or Telephone Skype or other internet phone service.

Register immediately – only 2 spots left

Two hours with Deb Munro for only $105.00 – that’s over 50% savings

Working via skype or phone is  more successful than you know.  This is a good way to take this method for a test drive.  You’d  be amazed at what you can learn from the comfort of home.

After all this is an Audio Medium.  She only needs to hear you to tell you what you need to do to improve.

Two hours with the energizer bunny – one of the most honest, generous coaches out there today!

CourVO

In Character

The folks over at the VoiceOverDirectory have put together another great teleseminar…this time on developing believable characters.

Voice over artist, casting director, voice coach, and producer MJ Lallo will be the focus of this session.  She’s the best.  I keep running into her at VOICE conventions, and her material is always right on the money…a great person to get to know, as she can open doors for you.

VoiceOverDirectory.com set me up with a teleseminar back in November, and their product is everything it’s advertised to be…speaking of which, their ad for THIS event can be seen by clicking HERE.

This teleseminar is Saturday, so now’s the time to move on this.

CourVO

Learning AudioBooks from the Best

Voice-Coach/Psychiatrist/Enabler/Connector/Sage/Mentor/Branding Wizard Nancy Wolfson and partner Anna Vocino are announcing a kick-A#%^ seminar later this month on AudioBooks.  They’ve landed about the best 3rd-party for this party they could hope for:  Hillary Huber.

Hillary has not only done a ton of AudioBooks, but is a veteran of live announcing for the Emmy’s, and People’s Choice awards, among other achievements in VO. (see bio below)

I had the honor of studying with Hillary at a Pat Fraley audiobook workshop/weekend, and learned SO MUCH.

Knowing Nancy and Anna, this March 31st event will cover all the audiobook bases and more.

I’ve taken the liberty of reprinting their newsletter/annoucement below so you can see the straight story.  It has all the links you need to sign-up.

If this is where you want to go in voice-acting, you need to be on this call!

CourVO

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