Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Posts Tagged ‘documentaries’

Well, I did it.  It’s 5 months late, but I finally got my most recent newsletter out the door.  You should have a copy waiting in your e-mail box.

This one’s pretty much all dedicated to Twitter.  I think Twitter is big, and so do millions of others.

You’ll find specific tips and links to VO-related Twitter groups and sites.  There are also suggestions for how to find stuff that VO people tweet.  Twitter can be a time-suck, but it can also be an incredible (and I can’t overstate that) resource.

If you didn’t get it, or just want to read it now, I’ve inserted a copy of it below-the-fold here.  If you like what you see, let me know.  If you don’t like it, or you find some mistakes…uh…don’t tell me today… wait till tomorrow. Heh.  (some of the color formatting got lost in translation when I copied and pasted…but all the info’s there)

CourVO

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My gosh, here it is May, and the last newsletter I was able to muster was in December of '08.

What the heck have I been doing with my time?

Well, get ready, 'cause I'm preparing a MONSTER newsletter that is basically a TWITTER FOR VO guide.

I've been working on it for some time, now, and I think it's about ready.

Now, I know, Twitter is not for everyone, and you may not care a Twit about seeing this newsletter, but you might get it anyway if you've rec'd past missives.  So, just chuck it if you aren't interested.

If you're reading this blog, but have never rec'd one of my newsletters….fire me off a quick e-mail to CourVO@CourVO.com, and tell me you want to be on the mailing list.

Here's a quick teaser for what's in the newsletter that might interest you:  TWIBES.  Yeah, I know.  It's ridiculous the names they come up with…but basically, the simple Twitter interface doesn't allow for grouping friends or followers, so a whole cottage industry of software has popped up to be able to do that.

HERE is the address for the voiceover TWIBE.  Check it out.  Another way for all of us who work alone to do a little sharing online.

CourVO

'Been meaning to write this blog since last Wednesday when my Voice123 paid subscription ran out.

I was looking forward to not being insulted for writing positive articles on them.
I was looking forward to an e-mail box without Smartcast Invitations, and SmartCast Invitation "Reminders".

Not much has changed.  I still get "New Project" notifications.  I haven't been insulted yet, but I did get this: "…We strongly recommend you to renew your subscription so that you continue receiving all of the benefits of being a Voice123 Premium Subscribe.."

Yes, they listed said benefits, but I know better.  I still have $295 I can use towards a much better goal, and my profile on V123 still looks nice.

I suppose it was right for the time.  But I've moved on.  I really have no ill-will, and would recommend the site to those beginning a VO career.  I know some people have done very nicely auditioning for V123 jobs.  I never found that groove.

Thanks for the chance, V123…thanks for the hard lessons learned.

CourVO

Bob Fraser is selling something.  He's almost always selling something.

This time he's selling the wisdom of selling.

You'll understand when you read the e-mail I've re-printed below.  Bob's given me permission to repurpose his stuff in my blog. 

I like to do that from time-to-time, 'cause Bob has such a refreshingly honest and unadorned approach to the realities of being in acting.

His message this time is one I personally needed to hear.  Having only worked for OTHERS all my life meant that being my own best promoter, businessman, marketer, and salesperson for ME is perhaps the hardest part of conducting a successful freelance voiceover business.  I can read the copy.  I can handle the technology.  Make cold calls?….now THAT'S a monumental challenge for me.

I don't say it as well or as thoroughly as Bob.  Please take the few minutes it'll cost you to read his letter below.

CourVO

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Don LaFontaine was so so much more than the raspy movie-trailer voice he became known for.  His giving, mentoring, and pace-setting raised us all before we even knew it.

Adam Caplan gives words and personal remembrances to the genius and innovation that was Don LaFontaine in a wonderful article being posted now on Voices.com's blog. 

Click HERE.

My thanks to the Cicarrelli's for providing this info, for running the best subscription service on the planet, and for being online innovators in their own right.

CourVO

My friends at Rain Recording are running some specials on equipment, and there might just be something that tickles your fancy.

I've written some articles for Rain, and they have done work for some of my voiceacting friends on the East Coast.  Plus, they've contributed to the sound system of some Cirque shows here in Vegas, most notably "LOVE"…the new Cirque show developed around the music of the Beatles.

Yeah, I think they know what they're doing, and they honest businessmen and women to boot.

See below for their flyer.

CourVO

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There's a new guy on the block, and his name is VoicePunch.

I have no personal experience with this site, but like many of you, I did get a promotional offer by e-mail.

There has been some questions about them in a couple of online VO forum threads, but nothing definitive.  Most voice actors seem to be in as much of a knowledge vacuum about Voicepunch as I am.

One voice actor who posted on the forum DID say when she tried to use the promotional code to register on the nascent site, it became crystal clear right away that the code was only good for a $30 discount, and the the potential subscriber would have to pay the balance of the subscription.

That same person pointed out that such sites usually (or should) offer a "honeymoon" period of high discount, or free memberships until they prove their chops in SEO, marketing, and internet positioning.  A good exampe of that is Bodalgo, which made early free subscriptions possible for a lot of people, then recently extended that period another 6 months.

So…check it out, and report back.  Maybe your experience is different, or you have some personal knowledge of the people behind this new site.  We need to know!

CourVO

Love 'em or hate 'em…Voiceover subscriber sites feature the profiles and demos of thousands of voice-actors — many of them seasoned pros.

Some people have amazing success getting noticed and getting jobs on those services…others complain they audition and audition and audition, but nothing happens.

Apparently there IS knack to getting a return on your investment.

Bettye Zoller has a class scheduled JUST FOR YOU if you want to know the secrets of getting online jobs from those sites.  See the notice she recently sent to me about this class.  Bettye's an original!  You can count on straight talk, and just the facts, ma'am!

CourVO

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At the risk of over-stating the obvious to some of the seasoned pros visiting today, let me just underscore two sites EVERY voice actor should subscribe to.

VO-BB.  Voice-Over Bulletin Board.  Administered by DB-Cooper, this is an unbelievable community of wry, giving, sharing and fun souls.  Someone willing to spend the time gleaning the collective wisdom in the archives of this site, could publish and make a fortune.

.

Yahoo VO Forum.  Often referred to as "TOF" on the VO-BB.  "The Other Forum" is presided over by "Dave in Boston".  I don't know how long it's been running, or how many subscribe, but lately, the back 'n' forth on topics like FiCore, Music Royalties, and whether VO's should use head shots in their promotional material is stream-of-consciousness GOLD. 

You can sign-up for e-mail notices on either of these groups, so you know when some really-good threads are going down.

Number 3 on this list of two must-visits is, of course, the blog you're reading now… that means Bob Souer's Blog and John Florian's VoiceOverXtra are, what?..2.4 and 2.6. But who's quibbling about placement?  S'all good, afterall — s'all good.

CourVO

Let me just pass along the name and contact info of the person I often talk to at Sweetwater.

Sweetwater is certainly one of the top online equipment suppliers for the kind of stuff a VO/VA would want.

They're based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, they have a great reputation, and their prices are as competitive as anyone's.  Often, they have "can't-miss" incentive sales.

I'll get a call once in a while from my contact:  Tom Maxwell.  He's always friendly, helpful, and not pushy.  The calls are usually of a very helpful variety…and they get the needs of voice actors.

The last couple of times he's called, I've denied him any sales, and he still keeps a smile.

Below, see his e-mail from today, which gives a little personal touch, and here's his contact info:

Tom Maxwell 
Sales Engineer 
Sweetwater Sound, Inc. 
Phone: 800.222.4700 x1313 
E-mail: Tom_Maxwell@sweetwater.com 

Be sure to drop my name when you call him!

CourVO

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