Posts Tagged ‘voices’

Look, if you didn’t go to VOICE2010, you’re probably sick of hearing about it….so just diregard this blogpost…or maybe not.

Maybe it would actually be good to see some of the people you know virtually…captured in the lens of a camera…some in pose, some candid.

And if you WERE there, then you’ll enjoy living more memories of the event, ’cause James Alburger found a bunch more pics he forgot all about!  Here was his email to me:

“I recently found 60+ photographs from VOICE 2010 on a hard disk I did not know I had!! There are photos of several sessions (like Deb Munro’s SKYPE session) and lots of photos from the green room with presenters and panelists.

They are now in the Gallery under VOICE 2010 Thursday, the Lost Photographs. You can view them there and download any you would like. That link again is www.voiceacting.com/gallery/VOICE2010.”

Check it out!

CourVO

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

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

Today, Terry Daniel and I made our General Session presentation at VOICE2010 on how to leverage Social Media to your best advantage for your VoiceOver business.

If you were there, I hope you enjoyed it.

If you were not there, you can see the entire presentation, and reap the benefits of all our work.

We’ve prepared a resource website on Social Media JUST FOR Voice Actors.  Instead of putting more pages in the VOICE2010 workbook, we just decided to save a tree, and put it all “in the cloud”…I mean after all, this is what our presentation is all about — being online and making it work for you.

You’ll find our entire PowerPoint presentation, as well as pages and pages of advice, information, links, tutorial videos and much much more when you visit this site:

http://www.socialmediavo.com

We’ve worked hard to make this a resource guide for voice over talent for now and in the future, so we hope you use it and use it well to your advantage when you have questions about social media.

We hope you will let us know if you think something’s missing…something about the site isn’t working right, or we got something dead wrong.

This is YOUR resource site, and we hope you use it to your full advantage.

A number of my VO friends have already made the flight, and are in SoCal.

The Hotel is ready for the onslaught.

James Alburger and Penny Abshire have overseen the management of about 5.63 million details.

You CAN still register and attend…even just the exhibits…or just for a day!

Bring an extra extension cord…hotels never have enough plug-ins.

I’ll be blogging on behalf of myself, and SaVoa and VoiceOverXtra, so the iPhone will be getting a workout, no doubt!  Be sure to check back here for updates.

The presentation I’ve been working on with Terry Daniel is done.  We’re rarin’ and ready to go!  It’s gonna be fun!  I’ve been working on a website that displays all the information in our presentation and more.  It’ll debut the morning of our talk (Fri 6-4-10).

Can you feel the excitement??!!

CourVO

COUNTDOWN TO VOICE2010: TWO DAYS

Jodi Krangle scores a hit with a recent article posted on Taj’s Voice Emporium.

Tapping into her experience in a prior life of Internet Marketing, Jodi boils down smart SEO tips for VoiceOvers into a list of 5.

Brilliant!  Thanks, Jodi.  Click HERE to see the article.

Also, in case you haven’t ever run across this website, or their publication, ProAudioReview is worth a look.
You can sign up for their free digital publication, or just visit THEIR SITE.  Kinda like EQ, this site caters to audio and studio pros, and VO does not seem to be a main target.  Still there are lots of articles and resources here you will find useful, especially for microphones.

CourVO

COUNTDOWN TO VOICE2010: FIVE DAYS

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All of the SaVoa promotional materials we plan to bring to VOICE2010 on behalf of SaVoa are now in da house!

Please stop by all the exhibitor booths at V2010… most everyone brings great offers, some giveaways, and certainly good conversation.

As a member of the SAB (SaVoa Advisory Board), you’ll find me at the booth from time to time…handing out information, and cool promotional stuff we’ve ordered for the occasion.  We’re trying to recruit new members as much as we can, of course…and we think there are compelling reasons for that case.  So if you’re not a member already, expect to hear the pitch!

I know this blog is getting uber-V2010 right now, but that’s all I’M working on these days, and it’s top of mind to many in the business.  It’ll continue right on through the event, too.  John Florian of VoiceOverXtra has asked me and Bobbin Beam (my co-host for the event), as well as master blogger Bob Souer to be contributing bloggers at V2010, and I do so with exuberance.  Plan to see people carrying cameras wherever you go.

Many are heading to the general SoCal area this weekend for visits to friends, an early arrival, or other reasons…so the migration is underway!

Oh, and I’ve rediscovered Twitter….and TweetDeck.  ’Only so many hours in the day!

CourVO

COUNTDOWN TO VOICE2010: SIX DAYS

Really, I’m not trying to beat a dead horse, I’m just excited, and there’s lots to be done.  Terry Daniel and I are still polishing up our presentation, and we’ve woven into the whole thing some fun and surprising elements!

I just got a new roomate…Bill Sleeper from Portland, OR, who was not going to be able to come if he couldn’t find someone to share a room.

Just think of Liz de Nesnera, who just broke her leg, and is coming in a wheelchair to make her presentation!

Sadly, Derek Chappell of Lawrence, KS is deciding NOT to come, but for all the right reasons…he needs to be there for his daughters’ dance recitals.  Derek, I hear ya!  That’s important stuff, and I’m kinda doing the same thing.  After my Friday presentation, I’m hopping a plane back to Las Vegas to be there for my daughter’s High School Graduation ceremony.

So, yes…lots going on.  Below are some reminders from the event coordinator, James Alburger of things you should do before even arriving.  You ARE coming, right?  Not to late to register if you haven’t already.

CourVO
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COUNTDOWN TO VOICE2010: EIGHT DAYS

When you get the client who wants a “mix” of your voice with music, the challenge should be met with a smile.  After all, you can charge a bit more for the production, and it’s a breeze to do the mix…right?…right?

I like Adobe Audition 3.0 for the task.  You start with your original voice track, and just click to include it in a “multitrack” mode.

Sony SoundForge Audio Studio seems a little more complicated to me…you have to mix the two in an edit process, but you still have control over volume levels and such.

Here’s a couple more low-cost alternatives: two programs designed specifically for multi-track editing.

The first is: Multi-Track Studio…previously mentioned in an earlier blog post.  Although it seem specifically designed to lead you by the hand in a step-by-step process of multi-track editing, I did NOT find it particularly intuitive for a first-time user.

The second is: MixCraft5, by Acoustica.  I’m giving this two thumbs up for an intuitively easy interface.  I was up and editing both tracks in minutes, and never had to refer to a HELP file.   It has looping and sound effects, virtual instruments and effects, video scoring and editing, and you can record and create an unlimited number of audio and MIDI tracks.    The price tag is $74.95.  I can’t tell you that’s cheap or expensive, but I can tell you I thought it was well worth the price for me.

CourVO

With VOICE2010 just two weeks away, some small hints of what’s ahead are starting to peak through.

There will be surprises, oh yes.  In the form of people, activities, events, gifts, and value.  That last one is important.  There’s been the usual cribbing here ‘n’ there about whether the V2010 pricetag is worth it, esp. figuring in the travel costs.  IT IS…worth it, and the surprises will bury the cost question.

People.  Not just the presenters and the pros…the attendees are the biggest resource of the event.  The list is growing.

You ARE coming, right?

Some of the content being presented is fresh off the vine…just minted…the very latest!  I’ve seen some of what John Florian of VoiceOverXtra is planning to present from his recent Online Survey, and it’s impressive…tailored specifically for the voice artist.

Booths and vendors are making a strong showing.  Expect specials and discounts.  You’ll make connections and relationships that will bring dividends for months and years to come.

Plan to play!  Everyone I’ve talked to wants to enjoy the rich spectrum of personalities and people.  I know of several top names who are planning to hang out at the hotel (even though they’re not officially attending) JUST to be able to rub shoulders with the rabble.  Yay!

Almost every presenter is bustin’ their butt to outdo the next.  More surprises here, and raffles prizes will be everywhere.

Finally, the panels feature the richest experience in the field today.  Attend only the panels, and you would realize a full return on your investment.

You ARE coming, right?

CourVO