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Turnabout

April 12, 2013 By Leave a Comment

directvoicesAt the end of February, I posted a video interview with Constantino de Miguel — an international journalist, producer, and voice talent.

You can see that interview here: DIRECTVOICES.

Constan is leading a development team spread literally around the world to launch his directvoices.com site.  To say the least, it’s a unique business model.  Until his service reaches full functionality, the site offers resources and information for budding voice over talent.  While I was interviewing him, his staff was negotiating a time for Constan to interview ME.

That finally happened a couple of weeks ago, and now the video is out.  It’s not an 0n-cam interview…but an audio track with some hi-production values and pull-quotes.  I must say, his production team made me sound good in this video…cutting out all the pauses, stammering, and unfinished thoughts.

I’m not sure you’re going to hear much new in my ramblings during this interview, but remember, de Miguel’s audience is global, and DirectVoices claims the information we shared in this interview will serve their audience well.  I hope so, and I was grateful for their expert handling of the 9-min video production you can see below:

Dave Courvosier Intvw with Direct Voices from Dave Courvoisier on Vimeo.

Thanks Constantino!

CourVO

Filed Under: Interview, Training/Education, Web/Tech Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Rohe’s Rocky Road

April 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Former voice actor, Thomas Rohe aka Tom Cassidy, at battle with the microphone.Many of you know of the travails of Tom Rohe in the last few years.

Tom is the force behind Sunspot Productions, a voice-over production company with three locations in the Southeast U.S.

In 2009, after a wisdom tooth extraction, Tom began to suffer a series of degradations to his voice, and is still seeking remedies while enduring almost constant pain.  He’s found ways to remain engaged, working, and positive in the midst of physical challenges most of us would find overwhelming.

Oddly enough, I found this update about Tom in (of all places) The Mother Nature Network site (I told you my internet ramblings are far and wide!).  The article is well-written by John Platt.

The article was released online just yesterday, and offers an excellent narrative update on Tom’s progress.  There’s a video to watch as well, that shows the difference in his speech before and after his latest treatment.

After reading the article, why not go on Tom’s Twitter site and offer him some encouragement:  https://twitter.com/SunSpots_Tom

My thanks to Mother Nature Network for allowing me to excerpt this picture of Tom, and the information provided in the article.

CourVO

Filed Under: Vocal Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Fraley Magic

March 28, 2013 By 1 Comment

photoEveryone has favorites.  Pat Fraley is everybody’s favorite…coach, that is.

But beyond that, don’t you just appreciate a guy who loves his work, and takes pride in his student’s achievements?  That’s Pat.  Through and through.  I’ve been to several of Pat’s classes.  He presents a consistent theme each time, but somehow always manages to keep it fresh and engaging.

Most of the day Thursday I spent in a little-known theatre on a Las Vegas back street.  The occasion was Pat Fraley and Brad Garrett’s “Getting Serious About Comedy” actors’ workshop.  Garrett makes a point of heaping praise on Fraley whenever they appear together.  Their friendship is genuine and readily evident.  Seeing them interact is a quick clinic in relational, improvisational humor.photo(1)

Pat invited me to come to the session Thursday as a “guest performer”.  I really didn’t find out what that meant until I arrived at the theatre…which was fine with me, especially in light of one of Pat’s themes in this training:  Be fearless.  Go with confidence.  Make mistakes, then come back and deliver the killer take.

Another theme Pat (and other advanced coaches) likes to hammer home is script preparation.  For hours we dissected this mandatory step in the audition process.

  • who is the audience?
  • what is the intent of the writer?
  • what will the casting director expect to hear?
  • follow the included specs or not?
  • what can you bring OF YOURSELF to the copy?
  • how can you deliver a perfomance different from all the others auditioning?
  • what’s your mic technique?
  • which attitude will you assume in your role?

….and more… so much more.  I didn’t take notes, but maybe I should’ve.  I just know his admonitions will echo in my head when I sit down for the next audition, and that’s a good thing.

Below, just a quick clip I grabbed with my smartphone of Brad Garrett talking about “raising the stakes” in comedic situations.

Pat Fraley teaches all over North America.  He’s based in LA, and his workshop schedules can be found here:  http://patrickfraley.com.
You can purchase his many valuable teaching tools here:  http://patrickfraleyteaches.com/shop/Shop.html,

CourVO

Brad Garrett & Pat Fraley from Dave Courvoisier on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Training/Education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seriously? Unimagineable!

March 25, 2013 By 5 Comments

email1 (1)Every once in a while, I’ll get a particular email response back from one of my blog subscribers.

It’s an automatic message, and it says the following:

Hello there, 
In order for me to appropriately delegate my time properly to high priority tasks, I only check Emails twice a week. My Email operation times are: 
Monday and Thursday. 
12pm to 1pm And 4pm to 5pm. 

All I’ll say about the respondent is that this person is a freelancer (not VO).

First of all, I give this person kudos for a ballsy move.  He’s got his priorities, and he’s sticking to them.  I give him extra points for a clear vision, and excellent follow-through.

But I ask you…could your freelance VO business thrive…no…survive, if you only checked it twice-a-week?

Mine couldn’t.

I’m married to email.  I get all my FaceBook, G+, Twitter, Google Alerts, V123, Voices.com, Bodalgo, Nutshell mail, and most every other notice funneled through email.

People pooh-pooh email, saying it’s importance is behind us in the new digital age.  My 20-ish kids tell me only “old people” use email.  They use texting, and FB messaging instead.  My guess is our friend above would put THOSE messages on a similar restrictive diet.

The bottom line is that I think clients prefer email first over even phone calls on first contact.  A good 70% of my first-time contact from prospective/future clients comes from email –  maybe more — I’ve never done the exact metric on that.

Tellya what…just to prove how valuable email is, let’s do this.  Send a message to me at courvo@courvo.com with the subject heading GREAT TIPS, and I’ll send you a link to a website I just found that has links to some amazing online tools.

I truly hope the above-mentioned person has found a groove with this time-saving priority.

Is this something you do? / are doing?

CourVO

 

Filed Under: Techniques Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

12+ Ways to Avoid VO Fatigue

March 5, 2013 By 4 Comments

fatigueYou’ll find it right there in the Voice Over Dictionary:

VO Fatigue:  ”…a psycho/physiological syndrome exhibited by the accumulative stress and exhaustion resulting from the endless pursuit of freelance voice over success…”

We’ve all been there.  The syndrome strikes irrespective of age, gender, race, time of year, time of day, or relative humidity.

Some of the ore obvious signs and signals are:

  • irascibility
  • depression
  • dry mouth
  • sleeplessness
  • despair
  • frustration
  • tears
  • (and sometimes, hair-loss, gout, and vertigo)

I kid.  But I think you get the picture, and it’s not necessarily unique to voice acting, but it IS common among those who strive to run their own business.

Everything is ultimately on YOUR shoulders.  That can mean good things… like when that big fat check comes in for a long project you just completed.  But more often than not, it means the strain of constantly propping-up the business with the sheer force of your will.  Day after day, week after week, the success of this endeavour depends on you.  Your energy.  Your talent.  Your determination.  Your resourcefulness.

Unless you take some intercessory steps here ‘n’ there, the pressure of it can lead to VO Fatigue.

Herewith, then, my 12+ Ways to Avoid VO Fatigue:

Walk Away  Leave the premises.  See a movie.  Waste time in the park with your dog.  You’d be surprised how much good an hour can do engaged in something mindless.  Severe cases may require a coupla days…even a week.  Plan for it.  Then do it.  Everybody needs a break, even freelancers.

Call a Friend  No one is going to “get” your situation more than a trusted friend (esp. a VO friend).  If a friend called you, wouldn’t you listen?  Reverse the roles, and fire away.  One of these days he/she will call, and you can return the favor.

Cut Your Losses   Two ways this works:  1)  Dump clients who pay too little, and bother you too much.  2)  Unsubscribe from services that are giving you little-to-no return on your investment.  Either way, be sensible and realistic.  Why continue in relationships that don’t benefit your bottom line?

Maintain Your Health   How many times have you heard “if you have your health, you have everything”?  A strong constitution will see you through a lot of trials and troubles.  Not that you should abuse it, but when you are in good shape, you can push the envelope a little more and not suffer for it.  This includes getting enough sleep!

Ask for Help   Chances are someone has just the answer to your quandary, or your predicament, or frustration.  Like “call a friend”, there is no shame in raising a red flag and seeking assistance.  Online.  On the phone.  Via Skype.  Float a balloon, be amazed how quickly someone grabs it.

Keep a Routine  Routines are funny things.  On a creative day, routine can seem like a ball ‘n’ chain, but when you’re reached a point of fatigue, the comfort factor of a routine can put you back on the rails.  A routine adds structure that will see you through frustration.

No Excuses, No Procrastination  If it gets that bad, utilize #1 above (take a walk).  Put your big britches on and face the music.  Like Nike, Just Do It.  I’ve often convinced myself that a 5 minute hurdle is bigger than Mt. Everest.  It’s not. Think through the task, and you’ll realize it’s not that bad.

Realize rejection is not personal  This is HUGE in our business.  What’s the saying?  ”audition, then forget it”.  Get more coaching, sure.  Improve your demo, yeah.  But hand-wringing over a lost audition is wasted tears.  Move on.

Have a Strategy for Eventuality  You KNOW fatigue is gonna hit you sooner or later.  Plan for it.  I’m serious.  Write out a step-by-step escape plan, seal it in an envelope, and keep it in a safe place.  When the gremlins get to be too much…break open the envelope, and follow your plan to the letter.

Curry Non-VO friendships  Not that voice actors aren’t the most charming people in the world, but balance is a good thing.  Don’t neglect old friendships from school or an earlier career, or even the next-door-neighbor who re-upholsters furniture for a living.  It helps you to put things in perspective.

Get One Thing Done  It can be really small.  Just do it, and do it right.  Take a moment to revel in the instant of the achievement, then maybe tackle something a little harder.  We all want a “win”.  Parlay one win into another.

Take a  Social Media Break (or watch mindless TV)  You’ll soon realize one of two things: 1)  Everyone else’s troubles are worse than yours  2)  The world is a crazy place, and you have more than earned your place in it.  A half-hour on FaceBook or Twitter will usually shake you out of your blues.

HONORABLE MENTION:  Laughter really is the best medicine  When I least wanted to, my daughter used to call to me to come and see something.  It was usually stupid cat videos on YouTube, but I gotta admit, the chuckle (or belly-laugh) it gave me brought me out of my funk.  Keep good humor, and spread good humor.  Making others laugh is magical.

CourVO

Filed Under: Techniques Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Garret/Fraley Get Serious About Comedy in Vegas

February 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

fraleyHow many times have you heard that you won’t break through as a voice talent until you’ve taken some acting classes?

Have you ever taken a class from Pat Fraley?

No?

Make an appointment with yourself to do so.  (Here is a list of his upcoming workshops).

If you have trained with Pat, you know what I mean, right?

I mean, the guy has done it all (resource docs noted below), and he always makes his topics SO EASY to digest.

Next month, Pat will be holding some acting workshops in Las Vegas along with his pal, comedian Brad Garrett.  It’s all part of Brad Garrett’s Craft Acting Workshops during the last week of March, 2013.  Brad is gifted, hilarious, down-to-earth, and smart.  He headlines his own Comedy Club at the MGM Grand in Vegas, and has paired with Fraley before in coaching (VOICE 2010 in LA for one).

Here’s a recent posting about Garrett, his Comedy Club, and mention of the Acting studio.

Partners in the week-long Acting Studio are Adam Hill, Jeremy Guskin, and “guest performer” Dave Courvoisier.

Wait.  “Guest performer”?

Yeah, I’m stumped too, but Pat said I’d be perfect for what he has in mind.  I’m not sure what that is, I just know that “getting acting classes” was on my TO-DO list this year, and Pat handed it to me on a platter.

The specific announcement about Pat’s session in the Craft Acting Workshop (with nutty pic of Dave).

Need more? Below are the links to .pdf and .docx News Releases with more details.

CRAFT Press Release

CRAFTPoster

So, we’ve established that you need acting classes.  You KNOW you need to be in Vegas in March…AND you’d like to see CourVO make a fool of himself on stage, right?  So come on out!

CourVO

Filed Under: Acting, Coaching, Training/Education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Getting Dialectic

February 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

accentsVery few of us can carry off an absolutely believable accent for some regionalism of our own language, much less that of another.   The key is:  could you fool a native of Mobile, Alabama with a Southern Accent, or would someone from Liverpool, buy your variation on the multi-faceted Queen’s English?  Is someone  from Brisbane going to believe your Aussie accent?

[I'll not tackle the topic of believable multi-lingualism in this blog article...only accents and dialects]

Best rule of thumb?   If you’re not trained, or you haven’t grown up around people speaking those dialects, then it’s probably not something that’s going to win you an audition.  Interestingly, you can probably better fake a foreign-language accent (not the language itself) IF your only audience is other English-speakers.

Yet dialect coaches and training modules proliferate.  These are nuances of spoken language that CAN be taught if you have that capacity, and you practice a lot.  Pat Fraley is a master at this stuff…train with him if you’re interested.

If you’re in the middle of an audiobook, though, and all the sudden are presented with the challenge of delivering a line or two for a character from Dusseldorf, you might get by with a couple of the following resources:

Paul Meier is a name you’ll run across if you do research in this area.  His website is: Paul Meier Dialect Services.  He’ll do Skype/Phone coaching,  and has this resource available:  Accents and Dialects for Stage and Screen, $100, includes 12 CD’s (available at Harlan Hogan’s VoiceOver Essentials).  Paul also has a website called International Dialects of English Archive, which could be valuable for, say, a Scottish brogue now that Craig Ferguson is mostly Americanized.

Jerry Blunt is another name that shows up in searches about dialect.  Here’s one of his resources:  Stage Dialects CD Set.

Here’s another helpful site:  The Dialect Resource: The Premiere Source for Accent and Dialect Training for Actors.

And finally, this site also might be useful to you: Dialect Accent Specialists, Inc., Dialect Coaching and Instructional Recordings.

Ciao!

CourVO

Filed Under: BiLingual, International, Techniques Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Finding Your Way Through the InfoNoise

February 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment

infooverload-aYesterday, word spread fast that Scott Fortney had a heart attack.  Scott is known to us all as a helpful voice actor who often posts Adobe Audition tutorials on YouTube, and started the Adobe Audition FaceBook group.  His wife had just emerged from an illness, and now this.  Prayers needed.

On the same day, a wonderful video was circulated about Audio Engineers, which was a take on the Dodge Ram commercial with the Paul Harvey soliloquy  on farmers.  It’s called 9th Day, and it was composed by my vo friend Zak Miller. Nice work, Zak!

More is coming out about the destructive behavior of VoiceJockeys (VOICEJOCKEYED…which I just blogged about) in this blog, posted by the BenzTown Blog: A Pay-to-Play Site You Should Avoid.

I could go on.  There are anywhere from 10-20 influential VO blogs…probably 50-100 VO forums on all the Social Media platforms.  There are newsletters, Twitter lists, and Google +communities. I admit I contribute to the info overload.  I’m a news junkie at heart, and I relish the free exchange of info.

But many have raised the question of whether all this shared stream-of-consciousness has a measurable return on investment of time.  Just yesterday, my Social Media maniac VO friend Terry Daniel lamented that there was yet another VO FaceBook group being launched.  Long and vociferous are the debates on these very groups about the over-proliferation of such forums.  Such are the challenges of an open, democratic society.

Not that there’s any easy answer, but here’s my analysis of the pros and cons:

THE UPSIDE

  • Professions that come of age experience this knowledge explosion.  It’s a good sign that we’ve arrived.
  • There is no such thing as “too much” knowledge.
  • The sharing of information benefits everyone.
  • You wouldn’t want the opposite of a free exchange of info.  Think North Korea.
  • Your contribution matters, and is rewarding to you.
  • Some of those information nuggets directly benefit your business and its implementation.

THE DOWNSIDE

  • Information distribution streams are chaotic and unreliable.
  • There is almost no way to measure your return on investment for time spent on data/info mining.
  • Being an info bon vivant can be addictive.
  • Your marketing or information contribution easily gets lost in the noise.
  • A lot of repitition and reduncancy appears.
  • Not all information can be or has been verified/vetted.

BEST PRACTICES

  • Find the handful of reliable sources you know and trust through experience over time, and  stay loyal to those.
  • Don’t extend beyond those sources unless you see a direct benefit to your business (but keep an open mind –  but if you add a source, maybe drop another?)
  • Set a time limit per day to be online.  I could be a half hour 3 times a day, or once in the evening for an hour, etc.  Stick to your “time promise”!
  • Contribute when you have unique content you find valuable, and don’t see it anywhere else.
  • Pay it forward on forums, groups, and communities (share links, info, or tidbits with no expectation of reward).
  • Share info on other sites, keeping in mind that the more you do, the closer you get to the threshold of spamming.

In the foreseeable future, the laws of a free market culture will determine who survives this info onslaught (MySpace?).  Until then, the part you play helps to determine those who will succeed in this competitive milieu.  Choose wisely!

CourVO

Filed Under: Connecting, Ruminations, Social Media/Networking, Techniques Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Voices For All

January 23, 2013 By 2 Comments

voicesforallJust in the last week, I’ve been approached 3 times by people who want to know how to break into the business of voice-overs.

No wonder it’s such fertile ground for unscrupulous “coaches” promising the world in a weekend “intensive”.

I advise well-intentioned VO novices to read my ADVICE FOR NEWBIES blog..written 3 years ago, but updated and loaded with links…not the least of which is Peter O’Connell’s “Voice Over Entrance Exam”

As for references to national schools that I trust to do the right thing with a first-timer…I’m very cautious.  I like Edge Studio a lot.  Of course there’s some well-known individuals like Nancy Wolfson, Marice Tobias, Pat Fraley, MJ Lallo, Deb Munro, Betty Zoller, Elly-Ray Hennessey, and Bob Bergen.

But all-encompassing SCHOOLS that cover a myriad of issues in setting up a voice over business…that’s a short list (and James Alburger’s and Penny Abshire’s Voice-Acting Academy would certainly be on that list)

They have to be trainers, demo-producers, business designers, directors, audio engineers, marketing professionals…available over many weeks and months…have a reasonable pricing structure…dedicated, knowledgeable people, with experience and passion.  It has to be a place with stick-to-it-tiveness…a shop with deep resources and a history.  It’s more than just a coach…it’s a package.  THAT kind of training is really hard to deliver.

Voices For All might just be the real-deal.  I only qualify it with a “might” because I have not actually experienced their course myself.

I do, however, know one of their top trainers:  Mike Elmore.  Mike stopped by here at the TV station a few months back.  We’ve had a great acquaintance ever since.

He approached me about doing a blog about Voices For All…’cause he’s really jazzed about what they offer, and the efficacy of their program.  After talking to him for a while, I realized this might really be the ticket to help some people, so I agreed to do a Skype Video interview with him, and the result is what you see below.

Mike brings a wealth of experience from radio, and other areas of this business into voice-acting…and that explains why he gets a kick out of coaching.  His professional resumé is impressive, and his dedication to VFA is convincing.  If you have friends who are seriously SERIOUS about getting into VO…Voices For All could be a smart investment for them.

Thanks for explaining things, Mike!

CourVO

Here’s the interview:

MikeElmore talks about Voices For All from Dave Courvoisier on Vimeo.

Filed Under: Interview, Training/Education Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Soldiering On

January 9, 2013 By 1 Comment

sneezingLuckily it happened AFTER my holiday vacation.

The common cold.

Like most of you, it began with that “uh-oh” feeling you get, when alla sudden it hurts to swallow.  My wife — the RN — saw the white spots on my tonsils and diagnosed STREP!   One of my daughters in the house had come down with it just a couple of days before, so share and share alike, I guess.

Most health experts are predicting a particularly bad cold ‘n’ flu season this year.  Not sure why…but if you haven’t gotten a vaccination yet, it’s pretty smart to go get a flu shot.  I did…back in October.  It’s important to know the difference between a cold and the flu.  Taking the wrong medicine can actually prolong your recovery I’ve heard.

Here’s an article on WebMD offering some wisdom on telling the diff between colds and the flu.

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a voice actor like a performance-limiting rhinovirus.  Sometimes it’s just congestion..that’s bad enough.  Laryngitis can be particularly challenging…and do clients understand?  No.  Well, maybe some…but not for long, I’ll wager.  They have their deadlines.

I’ve seen the harried messages on social media forums:  “HELP…please…my voice is gone…and I have a big project/audiobook/promo due!!!…what can I do to hurry-up getting over this cold?”

Uh…nothing really.

I’m not here to dispense medical advice, but I think it’s pretty well accepted that viruses can’t be rushed.  Yes, you can relieve the symptoms temporarily with various over-the-counter drugs, but a persistent barrage of anti-cold-symptom medicine can work against you too.

Hopefully, you’re in good health to begin with.  You drink lots of fluids.  You wash your hands assiduously. You’re getting lots of rest (this is a big deal).  In the dry desert SouthWest where I live, humidifiers can encourage recovery.  Some temporary solutions have enthusiastic support from the VO community.  The Neti Pot always seems to come up.  Yes, it’s good, but be careful to sanitize it after use (do you have an autoclave at home?), or you can re-infect the next time you use it.

I’ve written a previous blog about possible remedies for a sore throat/the cold:  Can We (cough hack) Talk?

Here’s another one addressing overall care of your cords:  12+ Ways to Care for your Cords.

Both articles drew a number of  responses from some people I respect, and who had further admonitions.  I’ve included their comments in the articles.

I’m going to go get lots of sleep tonite…drink plenty of water…take some Mucinex so I don’t drown, and hope it’s better tomorrow.  Luckily, my voice did not leave me.  In fact, in an ironic twist… my “cold” voice gets even deeper and more textured.

Maybe NOW I should be cutting that new demo!

:)

CourVO

Filed Under: Vocal Health Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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