Online Voice-Over Magazine

V-Zine
Online Voice-Over Magazine
Articles:
JUNE 2007
A publication of
Voice-Overs.Com
FREE
In this issue:
Shreck The Third A Hit At The Box Office
What Is A Brand And Why Do You Need One?
Leaving His Mark
Harvard Reject Laughs All The Way To Bank
Solidline Media Delivers Solid Performance
Experts Express Opinions On Demos
Regular Features:
Your Voice
Who’s Doing What
Giving Back
Featured Web Site
Upcoming Workshops
Reviews:
Secrets Of The Pros: Advanced ProTools Instructional DVD 2
Shreck The Third
A Box Office Hit
Shrek the Third cruised to the top box office
spot on its debut weekend last month, taking in
an estimated $122 million over the three days.
The take ranks as the fourth highest ever for a
3-day weekend, garnering nearly two and a half
times as much as Shrek 2 did on the same
weekend three years ago.
An animation masterpiece, the movie stars the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and
Cameron Diaz, but also features several other well known--and lesser known--voices, including:
Antonio Banderas, Justin Timberlake, Julie Andrews, Ian McShane, Larry King, Regis Philbin,
Rupert Everett, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Cheri Oteri, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, John
Krasinski, Amy Sedaris, Susan Blakeslee, Cody Cameron, and Seth Rogen.
“It was a no brainer,” says Cameron Diaz about the decision to return and voice Fiona for
Shreck the Third. “It’s just so much fun. It’s such a privilege to be a part of these films. People
come up to me all the time--more than any other film--to tell me they love Shreck. They want so
much to say how much it means to them.”
“We have to be comfortable with who we are. That’s the message of the Shreck movies,”
explains Justin Timberlake.
Your Voice
Delivers
Solid Performance
Dear Julie,
I just got my very first V-Zine! How fabulous it was! Chock-full
of great articles, I was delighted. I just wanted to take the time
to thank you for giving us this wonderful gift. I appreciate all
the hard work and time you put into it. I am so new at this and
in a constant learning loop. I can't get enough...and your
webzine is full of good stuff! Thank You!
Cookie Collete
Dear Cookie,
Thanks for your kind words. I pray that the V-Zine continues to be
a resource of valuable information for you in the future. If you have
any VO questions, we have access to so many VO experts who can
give their input. Just let us know. And, Welcome to the world of
voice-overs, Cookie! I can’t think of a more fun way to make a living!
Julie
If you have a comment about the V-Zine, or something you
read in it, or a topic you’d like to have discussed in future
issues, please email [email protected] with V-Zine in the
subject line.
The advertising industry has learned to expect
nothing but the best from Chicago based
Solidline Media, so it comes as no surprise
that they’ve been “stealing the show” in a
multitude of worldwide video production
competitions for the past three months.
From projects featuring construction safety,
to association fundraising, to membership
recruitment, Solidline hit its mark with each
production taking on its own personality–
based on the end goal of the client, and the
expectations of the intended audience.
The V-Zine congratulates Solidline Media
for all the recognition it rightly received from:
The Telly Awards, Summit Creative Awards,
Videographer Awards, Media Achievement
Awards, and The Pegasus Awards.
Actors lend
voices to the
Simpsons Season Finale
9.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the 400th episode
of The Simpsons on Sunday, May 20th. The story line
had Lisa Simpson heading up the school’s CTU (counter
truancy unit.)
But what’s a CTU without Jack Bauer and Chloe O’Brian?
Keifer Sutherland and Mary Lynn Rajskub lent their well
known characters’ voices to the Season Finale of the
Simpsons. As they do on the hit TV series 24, Jack Bauer
and Chloe O’Brian saved the day--assisting Bart & Lisa
in their efforts to stop The BOMB (stink bomb, that is!)
from exploding at a bake sale.
VO Trivia
Who was the voice of
Batgirl
on the animated
Batman series?
(see p. 14 for answer)
Playland 501(c)3 occasionally
needs volunteer narrators. If you
want to help, call Richard Tuck,
at (800) 548-5318 Ext. 25
Playland-Not-at-the-Beach
celebrates the magic and history
of bygone amusements,
providing interactive family fun
experiences that help people of
all ages rediscover the joy of
being a kid. Attractions, exhibits,
art, and educational activities grow
out of creative collaboration with
friends, volunteers, and community
partners.
Julie Williams
Proven
Voice-Over
Techniques
is an abbreviated version of Julie’s live voice-over
workshop. It’s the perfect tool for new and experienced
talent alike to refine their craft. Hear an excerpt and
buy it online today at www.voice-overs.com/vostore
$ 29.95 + $5 s&h
Eric Idle
Eric Idle plays Merlin in the recently
released Shreck the Third. He’s also
been a guest on The Simpsons as
Declan Desmond, played Drosselmeier
in the English version of The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, and is
currently in production voicing Spig
in the animated movie Delgo.
Who’s Voicing What
Vanessa’s voice has graced
spots and non-broadcast VOs
of Dillards, McDonalds, Target,
Blue Cross, Best Buy, Lee
Jeans, Marshall Fields, Dayton
Hudson, Cadillac, Brandon
House, Hyatt, Dijon Mustard,
Race for the Cure, Acuvue,
Payless Shoes, Bally Casino,
Sprint, Target, 3M, General
Mills, Kaiser, Citibank, and
others. Vanessa is based in
Los Angeles.
Little Rock VO Talent, Rusty
Vanessa
Hart
Black is “working
every day and not
complaining!” He’s
been heard recently
on national radio
and TV ads for
Rheem heating and
air, Summit Tree
Stands, Triton Boats,
Rebel Lures, ABF
Freight and others.
In addition, Rusty is the voice for the Outdoor
Channels’ program, "People who fish." In high
demand for outdoors-type VO, Rusty is also heard
on Canada's WildTV. Way to go, Rusty! Rusty also
donated $100 to the Leukemia Society to support
blood cancer research. Thanks for sponsoring
Julie Williams on her century bike ride June 3rd!
Southern CA voice talent, Kelli
Casey has been keeping busy.
She’s got two national spots on
right now: Resvinatrol, and Blue
Emu, and tags for American Tax
Relief. She does regular station
imaging for Sporting News
Radio (SNR) WLNK and KSRZ.
Tell us what VO jobs you’ve done recently by emailing
Other select credits include
Kelli Casey
[email protected]
with V-ZINE in the subject line.
Centex Homes, Dermavive, Merle Norman, Fit One,
Please
attach
photo
and
short bio.
and a myriad of car dealers! Kelli, we’re glad you’re
working a lot--and thrilled that you’re not too busy to
Attention Voice-Over Coaches!
take time to attend the Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend
The V-ZINE is read by hundreds in the VO industry
in Lake Tahoe this month!
each month. If you have a product you would like to
You’ve heard his voice... now you
advertise in the V-Zine, or a product you’d like to have
can watch Ben Patrick Johnson
reviewed, please email [email protected]. All
reviews will be fair, and done by a talent who is known
tell all about what it’s like to be
and respected by the V-ZINE. In order to review your
one of America’s top voices, on
product, we will need two non-returnable copies of it
a short video, directed by voice
(we give it as compensation for the review) and a bio.
talent Jesse Charles Springer
And please let us know about any upcoming work(jcspringer.com.) Jesse posted
shops you’re doing! We want to publicize them through
the V-ZINE!
the video on YouTube.
Ben
Patrick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSp7yUd9e9M
Johnson
What is a “Brand?” Why You Need One, and How to Make it Work on the Web
Or: What Ever Happened to Generic Cola?
by Jason Sikes
Village Green Studios
Every business is competitive and Voice Over is certainly no different. It isn't enough
anymore to just have talent. You need training and a killer demo. You need buyers and
people who can help you make sales to sample your killer demo.
Even with all of that, you'll still find yourself part of a pretty large crowd. So how do
you differentiate yourself from all of the competition? Branding.
Let's start with what branding is NOT. Branding is not: a logo, a slogan, a website,
a cool picture on a demo cover. Branding can be aided by these elements but is something Jason Sikes
much larger and more important than all of those things combined.
Example: Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi. Which one is “Younger-Hipper” and which one is “All-American”? You instantly
know which is which but does any single element of their marketing say that point blank? No, it is the impression
that the master branders have created through the use of multiple tactics.
Your brand is your unique position in the marketplace. When branding a physical product, like a cola, a company
can fabricate the brand from the ground up. When branding talent we must start with the talent. A Voice Over brand
is almost always a mix between the impression that the demos give, and who the talent is as a person. As everyone
has a unique set of DNA and experience, everyone's brand is unique and shows up in their work. But, this isn't to say
that a brand will be a perfect mirror of the person. It can't be. People are too complex. A good brand, though, will
be a snapshot of the marketable essence of the person.
This is why you should not rely solely on yourself to create your brand, or worse, your friends and family. You
need an objective person who is a professional in your field to listen to your demos and pinpoint your unique position
in the marketplace. Ideally this person is involved in the production of your demos so that they can be crafted with
your brand in mind. A strong agent, manager and/or coach will best be able to verbalize your brand. A savvy,
industry experienced designer (oh say, like myself) can bring this brand to life.
A good VO brand is the difference between “housewife” and “cynical, housewife with a wink.”
VO BRANDING NO-NOs
Play-on-name slogans or imagery. This is almost always a really bad idea. Let's say you're an ultra-hip 22 yearold, sexy single young man named Todd Campbell and your voice demos sound it. There are way too many
“professionals” that would suggest using a Campbell's soup-can for Todd's imagery. Might this help people to
remember Todd? Probably. But are they going to remember him as young, hip and sexy? Probably not. They'll
probably remember him as wholesome and “homespun.” People, often unconsciously, associate certain images,
fonts, colors… with certain emotions and concepts.
You might think this is a lot of hoo-ha but answer this: which of the following shapes would you name “Bouba” and
which would you name “Kiki”?
If you're like 98% of the population, you'll name the orange one “Kiki” and the
purple one “Bouba.” But why? If you think about it, it doesn't make much
sense. This is a famous example of how impressions can be unconscious.
OK, back to Todd Campbell. Which is a better brand for him?
If you believe that the soup can is, please reread this article.
The use of industry specific imagery. How many times have
I seen a VO talent use a microphone on a design?
Too many. How does that differentiate someone? It doesn't.
In fact, this “lack of brand” becomes the brand by default and
says “Hey, I'm unoriginal!” Oooops..
Inconsistency. This is another frequent mistake. If your demo
art, website, business card aren't all sporting the same brand then you are just creating confusion.
What is a “Brand”, contiunued...
Cheaping out. Brand execution is usually the last thing to do before a freshly minted Voice Over artist spreads
his wings for the first time. So as thousands have already been spent on coaching, demo production and home
equipment, penny pinching at this stage is more likely. Budget for this step from the beginning and you won't be
faced with this dilemma. Branding may not be the most important step but it is certainly no less important than
the others. You wouldn't produce the world's greatest cola and go to market with a white label that says “cola” on
it? Remember the “generic” branded products a while back? Haven't seen them around much anymore have ya?
THE WEB
Do you need a branded website? Well, duh! This is 2007 and having a website is a necessity.
More and more this VO business of ours is going digital. In fact if you don't have a set-up at
home that will allow you to record and send tracks… you will soon enough or won't be working
much! (Check out audiohousecalls.com to look into home set-ups.)
So having a website is an absolute must. “But how will I drive traffic to my site?” I hear this
all the time or “How can I be the #1 Google result when people search 'Voice Over'?” Don't get
stuck in this Amazon mentality of the Internet. Your goal with a VO site is not to get strangers
to stumble onto your webpage. How many people hire VO talent that way? I'd guess maybe…
zero!
Your website is your digital, web accessible business card: a place for you to send prospective agents, clients,
buyers so that they can listen to your demos. In this day and age if you tell someone that you'll send them a CD,
chances are they've already hired, recorded and paid someone else by the time they get your disc by snail mail.
(Although it isn't a bad idea to have a small stack of branded CD demos to hand out at a moment's notice.)
However, just having your demos on the internet isn't enough. Sure, you should sign-up for Voices.com or
Voice123.com, but your own website is your opportunity to shine and stand head and shoulders above the rest.
First of all when you're on a voice bank site, your competition is literally right above and right below you.
Secondly, those sites offer little in the way of branding. Sign-up for them, but don't let them be your only
web presence.
A simple tour around the net will reveal that most VO sites break many of the above branding rules --and
worse-- they look like they were produced by someone's out-of-work cousin who took a 2-week extension course in
Dreamweaver.
Of all of your marketing tactics, (CD demos, business cards, postcards), your website offers the most potential:
graphics, motion, sound, text. This is your opportunity to blow your brand out. If you don't, it shows, and you look
second or third tier.
SOME FREE WEBSITE ADVICE
No website is better than a bad one. Seriously. A poorly designed, brand-less website may be functional but it's
tainting you with a lame-o stick.
Don't force audio. Think about it. When you go to a website, isn't it annoying when you are bombarded with
music or narration that you haven't requested?
Don't oversell. Let the graphics set the brand up and let the demos do the selling.
Do have a bio. Even if you haven't had a single professional voice job, a bio is just another area to reinforce your
brand. This should be done indirectly. If your brand is a “cynical mom” then you can mention you have kids and
are available for readings in between carting their butts to and from karate, soccer, ballet.
Don't try and do too much. “KISS” (Keep It Simple Stupid.) If you are a Mary Kay rep, don't sell it on your
VO web page! Demos, Bio, Contact are the only areas essential initially. Other areas that could come later include:
Links and Clients. You can also add an FTP site easily enough down the line when your business gets to the point
that you need one.
Don't cheap out and go the way of “COLA”!
A Northwestern University graduate, Jason Sikes dived head first into the deep-end of branding as the Manager of Advertising for the newly
launched E! Entertainment Television. He went on to work for FOX Broadcasting, when still a four-night-a-week network, for eight years in
both marketing and as a development executive in the Latenight and Alternative Programming division. Jason is now an independent graphic/
web designer and marketing/branding consultant with his own company, Village Green Studios. Check him out at villagegreenstudios.com.
Jason has been putting his branding and design skills to work for the Voice Over community for over five years. He thanks Braintracks Audio's
Nancy Wolfson for teaching him everything he knows about VO branding, and for supplying a never-ending stream of extremely well educated,
branding savvy graduates with killer demos in their paws. Check out her site at braintracksaudio.com. (Produced by, ahem, Village Green
Studios.)
JUNE/JULY
VO Workshops
Voice-Over
Acting for Voice-Over Master Event
Pat Fraley & Ed Asner in Los Angeles
June 2-3, 2007
Whirlwind Weekend
$1200
June 23 & 24, Lake Tahoe
[email protected]
Pat Fraley: Cartoons
Jame Alburger & Penny Abshire
TWO SEATS LEFT!
8-Week Art of Voice Acting Tele-Course
beginning on Tuesday, 6/5
www.voiceacting.com/training/teleseminars
Marc Cashman Workshops start soon
Proven Voice-Over Techniques
in Los Angeles, 4 seats left in each:
Beginners: Saturdays, 6/9-7/14 10am-1pm
Intermediates: Mondays, 6/11-7/16 7-10pm
Julie Williams:
Working Pros: Wednesdays 6/13-7/18 7-10pm
THREE SEATS LEFT!
Commercial Demo Day 6/25
extremely limited! (Deadline
Call 661-222-9300 for information
for demo signup is June 5)
Narration Techniques:
[email protected]
Video, Film, & Audiobooks
AUGUST/SEPT
Bettye Zoller in Houston
June 23-24, 2007
Art of Voice Acting
Enroll at www.voicesvoices.com
Sept 21-23 in San Diego
by June 16. Fundraiser for
www.voiceacting.com
Women in TV/Film of Houston
Who Teaches and How To Reach Them
Nancy Wolfson/Anna Vocino teleseminars,
Pat Fraley
Bob Bergen
NYC/L.A. & other locations
NYC/L.A. & other locations
breakintovoiceover.com
[email protected]
[email protected]
Julie Williams Tahoe/Sacramento/San Antonio and other locations
[email protected] Voice-Overs.Com
James Alburger/Penny Abshire San Diego
Bettye Zoller
Kathy Garver
Dallas
[email protected]
voiceacting.com
www.voicesvoices.com
San Francisco voiceoneonline.com
Marc Cashman Los Angeles [email protected]
It’s TIME for you to
get a
great
Greatest Cartoon Voice Tricks
Ever Smuggled Out of
Hollywood
by Pat Fraley
price on
Only
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$29.95
advertising!
Available at www.patfraley.com
Sending
your customers
something useful
to them helps ensure that you stay top
of mind as they go about their business.
..and when they need a VO talent...
they’ll think of you! Space available
for personalization is 3/4” X 3/8”.
50 stopwatches
$4.00 each
150 stopwatches
$3.50 each
For all orders:
$45 set up fee (one color)
$25.40 for each additional color
plus tax, and shipping.
Larger quantities available.
Email your order or inquiry to
[email protected]
Be sure to mention: Julie Williams
to Judy or Abigail to get these rates!
How To Make
Money in
Voice-Overs
Even if You
Don’t Live in
New York or LA
A 3 hour course in voice-over
marketing. Available online at
www.voice-overs.com/vostore
Talent Tip
Help! I’m
Sans-Studio!
These days, if you don’t have a studio in your home,
it’s difficult to take advantage of audition opportunities.
You’ll have to GO to a studio everytime there’s a job
to audition for! I don’t even like to GO anywhere for
sessions these days--let alone auditions! Solution:
work out a trade with a local studio, where you do
VO for them in exchange for ability to jump in a studio
to audition or have an ISDN session with out of town
clients. Or you may have to pay for studio time.
Marc Cashman passed this helpful info along to the
V-ZINE for Los Angeles area talent. A studio near you
may offer the same thing.
Gigs on The Go is now The Garage 24/7. Located in
Hollywood (near Melrose and Fairfax), their actor
rates for auditions and ISDN ($1 a minute for auditions,
$75/hr. ISDN or phone patch) are among the lowest
in town. The atmosphere is friendly, low-key and
professional. www.thegarage247.com or email
[email protected] or 323-230-8249.
Leaving His Mark
by Julie Williams
While many VO’s are cast online these days, better talent DO still send out CD demos to clients!
In fact, most clients get so many CD demos that they don’t listen to all of them. What, then,
determines which demo gets heard? Often, it’s the packaging. While it’s true that most agents and
voice casters are inundated with demos--most of which are mediocre at best--the package can
Julie Williams
determine whether or not your demo gets heard.
I’ve found that I get much more work since I began
sending chocolate out with all of my VO demos.
Mark Mintz has had the same experience. Mark Mintz
always sends a box of Junior Mints with every single
demo he sends out. Creative packages ...get heard!
While it’s true that a creative package will not get
you a job, (you have to have the right sound to land
the gig) getting heard is the first step. Isn’t that the
purpose of sending a demo? After all, if you are
submitting for a particular job, you’re not going
to send the demo snail mail, are you? While you
aren’t going to get the gig no matter how good you
are, or how great your package, if you’re not right
for the part, it’s been my experience, and Mark’s, that creative packaging doesn’t hurt your chances any!
Featured
Web Site
At www.marshacrenshaw.com, you’ll find a
simple to navigate site that sports all the
necessary components of a good VO web
site. Demos are easy to access, some past
clients are listed, there’s a working contact link,
and the graphics are simple–yet serve a
purpose. For example, the puzzle pieces and
the slogan, “The Voice That Fits.”
Voices.com Adds Escrow Payment Service
by Julie Williams
The 2007 beta version of Voices.com sports a new feature. An escrow service guarantees the
client is satisfied, and the talent gets paid. For a modest fee, it’s a win-win for all involved! Here’s
how the process works.
Once a lead is approved by the staff at Voices.com, qualified voice talents will receive an
instant email with details pertaining to the lead. They then submit auditions and bids, as usual.
Within the hour, clients will be able to check back to view responses to their posting by
clicking on their Responses tab. Clients can listen to MP3 samples and even compare quotes for
their project all on one page. Once the client has selected the best candidate, he clicks on “Select
This Voice.” This constitutes making a Job Offer. The client attaches the final script, and confirms
both the deadline and final price --including a modest escrow fee.
Upon acceptance of terms by the talent, the client is deposits the funds with Voices.com’s
SurePay Escrow Service. SurePay holds the client's deposit in a neutral bank account, to be
released once the client has downloaded the files, and accepted the work as complete.
The talent then receive an email notification that the deposit was successful. This is the green
light to record the job. When the job is done, the talent simply uploads the files to his or her own
Voices.com account. Uploading the files through SurePay makes them available to the client.
Once the audio file has been uploaded, the client is notified by email that the audio is
available for download. If it all sounds good (what was expected from the contract,) the client
clicks “I accept” to release the funds and pay the talent in full.
To complete this business transaction, both the client and voice talent have an opportunity to
leave Feedback about their experience working with one another at Voices.com. Feedback
consists of a 5 star rating system and a brief review providing further details to support the star
rating provided.
Naturally, some clients will not want to use this service, because it does cost a little money.
Also, the lower budget clients tend to want to wait to pay talent... so they may balk at depositing
payment funds in escrow. But for those great clients that you want to work for... this may be an
awesome payment solution! For talent, you will know that you’ll get paid--and paid in a timely
manner! No longer will you have to wait months to receive payment from inconsiderate clients!
Note: If you are a talent who is a member of voices.com, or if you are a client posting jobs
on the site, you can become a beta tester for their new program--including the escrow service.
Simply email [email protected]. Tell her you saw it in the V-ZINE!
Ed Asner teaches at Acting for Voice-Over Master Event
Pat Fraley’s Master Event workshops provide access to the top talent
in the country, in each VO genre. The latest workshop, held
June 2nd-3rd in Los Angeles, inspired and instructed a dozen voiceover talent who studied for the weekend with Ed Asner. Asner shared
insight and acting skills, and how they relate to voice-over.
Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend in Lake Tahoe
Awed by the majesty of Lake Tahoe, you’ll find this whirlwind
June 23-24
weekend to be more than a voice-over intensive course--but also
workshops
a retreat! This Voice Over Event offers you insightful, professional
training into performing character voices, along with critical
June 25
techniques and skills for commercial and narration voice-over work. Optional Demos
Taught by successful working talent with no less than 30 years
experience per teacher, this comprehensive, hands-on event will
guide you through refining your craft, and provide you with the
tools you need to go home both prepared and inspired to
advancing your voice-over goals.
LAST
CHANCE!
Saturday Workshop: Cartoon Voice!
Pat Fraley’s
$395
Cartoon Voice is based on the only character voice curriculum in the
country that has been accredited at the university level. The method Pat
teaches will prepare you for character voice opportunities in ANIMATION,
INTERACTIVE/GAMING, COMMERCIALS, and AUDIOBOOKS.
All workshop materials are supplied including a bound workbook, and a
download of your recorded tracks. Lunch provided.
Limit of 12 participants guarantees you more individual attention!
Workshop Highlights:
--Learn how to break the character voice down and manipulate the six
elements for versatility.
--Create unique, evocative character voices from visual, oral, and
written sources.
--Learn to develop “psychological agendas” for your characters.
--Identify Character Archetypes, the "Casting Common Denominator"
for commercials and cartoons.
Patrick Fraley:
Director, Producer,
Teacher, Performer
Patrick Fraley has created voices for more than
4,000 characters, placing him among the top ten
performers of all time to be cast in animation.
He has taught character voice for 34 years, is a
member of The Voice and Speech Trainers of
America and holds a Master of Fine Arts degree
in Professional Acting from Cornell University.
Over the past year, Pat supplied voices for all the
Robots and the Town Cheetah in Chicken Little,
Ant Council #1 for The Ant Bully, Scare Center
Host #1/Wolfie/Narrator/Werewolf for Casper's
Scare School, Misc. Voices for The Wild, and
Sid in Garfield Gets Real.
(Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend continued...)
Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend in Lake Tahoe
Sunday Workshop: Proven Voice-Over Techniques!
Julie Williams is
celebrating her
30th year in voiceovers. She has
voiced thousands
of commercials,
narrations, point
of sale, interactive,
political, and other
Julie Williams:
voice-overs. Julie
Director, Producer,
has been heard on
Teacher, Performer
HGTV and WE, and
Proven Voice-Over Techniques is a comprehensive
boasts such clients as Coca-Cola, Pampers,
hands-on workshop that covers specific techniques for copy Pizza Hut, The US Army, Congress...just to
interpretation and making your copy come alive. Techniques name a few. Julie is currently heard on two
taught in this workshop span all genres of voice-over. From national commercials and multiple software
commercial, to narration, interactive, etc. You’ll refine your flash presentations. Teaching since 1993,
craft with tools that will set you apart from those who audition she is author of two popular programs:
against you.
How to Make Money in Voice-Overs Even
Limited class size ensures that each attendee receives a
if You Don’t Live in NY or LA, and Proven
lot of individual attention.
Voice-Over Techniques.
Julie Williams’
Proven
Voice-Over
Techniques
$395
Workshop
Highlights:
--Overview of the VO
business
--Julie’s 1-2-3 start
--Techniques that set
you apart
-Getting REAL
--Marketing yourself
–Using the internet to
grow your business
Julie’s 1-2-3 approach to teaching voice-over enables you to absorb huge amounts of information in a
relatively short period of time. Julie is available to produce voice-over demos for students the following
day. (Space is limited to 6 demos) Workshop includes all handout materials. Lunch provided.
½
off
Demos!
only 2 spaces
left for demos!
Absolute deadline to sign up for
demos is June 5, 2007.
The fine print...
Attendees of the
Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend
are eligible to have Julie Williams direct and
produce their commercial/narration voice-over
demo for $400!
Limit 6. First come, first serve. Must have
attended Proven Voice-Over Techniques.
Offer good for demo recording on Monday,
June 25, 2007 only.
These workshops are expected to fill up very quickly. Registration is first come first serve. Registration will close as soon as twelve paid
registrations have been received. We will begin a waiting list after registration closes. In the unlikely event that a space becomes available,
preference will be given to talent who wish to attend both workshops. After that, We will notify the first person on the list.
Cancellation policy: You may cancel at any time up to 30 days prior to workshop and receive a full refund less cancellation fee ($100 to
cover costs incurred with your registration.) If you have any questions, email [email protected].
Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend in Lake Tahoe
venue
3147 W. Lake Blvd. Tahoe City, CA 96145
Big Water Studios provides the secluded hideaway that
allows you to kick back, and relax. During breaks, step out
the door to a peaceful panoramic setting. Or stroll 600 feet
down to the water, dip your toes in, and refresh your soul!
An incredible location--right on Lake Tahoe, a spacious
23’ X 27’ studio, state of the art recording equipment, and
a secluded area, all combine to make Big Water Studios the
perfect place to hold the Voice-Over Whirlwind Weekend..
Name:____________________________Email ____________________
Address:_______________________________________________________
Phone: ___________________________Website:______________________
Overlooking Emerald Bay
Lake Tahoe, CA
Only t!
ce lef
2 spa
Saturday: 9:00AM Check in, Coffee, Browse product sales tables.
Sunday:
10:00-6:00 Pat Fraley CARTOON VOICE
Limit 12 students Lunch provided.
9:00AM Check in, Coffee, browse product sales tables.
10:00-6:00 Julie Williams PROVEN VOICE-OVER
TECHNIQUES Lunch provided.
Monday: Demo Recording by appointment Limited to 6 talent
Only 2 demo spaces open! Absolute deadline to sign up for demo is 6/5.
Registration Form: FAX TO 916-784-7385 or email to [email protected]
Register me for:
CARTOON VOICE
$395
PROVEN VOICE-OVER TECHNIQUES
$395
I am registering before May 1, 2007.Please send me a free
Proven Voice-Over Techniques CD!
BOTH WORKSHOPS $690! (Best Value--SAVE $100!)
DEMO (Proven Voice-Over Techniques attendees) $400
For a total of
$___________ to be charged to:
Card Number:______________________________________________________Exp._______/___
Name card:______________________________________________________________________
Signature:_________________________________________________________________________________
Sign up for BOTH workshops, Save $100!
Giving Back
Sterling, MA voiceover
talent, Walt Perkins, stays
quite busy in his career,
but still makes time to
volunteer as a book reader
for a school for the blind.
Jacksonville, FL based VO
talent, Claire Michel, is a
five-time medical mission
volunteer to children and the
indigent in South America.
Claire is also a volunteer
engineer and broadcast
reader for the visually
impaired on WJCT Public
Radio in Jacksonville FL;
her character voices bring
the comics alive!
Product Review:
by Julie Williams
Julie Williams bike ride
around Lake Tahoe was
June 3rd. She raised
$3078.64 for the
Leukemia/Lymphoma
Society. Special thanks
to all who donated to the cause, including VO talents:
Pat Fraley, Rusty Black, Janet Ault, John Chapman,
Gene Tognacci, Steve Powell, Jennifer Rizzo, Amy
Herndon, Craig Powers, Avi Weiss, Bob Fogal, Wayne
Henderson, Marv Kaminsky, and Phillip Waldo, Jr.
The total funds raised by the Sacramento TNT team
was approximately $310,000--exceeding its goal by
about $15,000!Nationally, Team in Training raised
about $8.5 million, for Leukemia research.
Cofounder of New Reality
Delivery (for disadvantaged
youth,) radio/VO talent
Salina Jones helps kids
learn helpful lessons and
skills through improv.
Salina has done VO for
3M, American Motors,
and others. She is also a
radio personality.
Secrets Of The Pros Advanced Protools DVD
(teaching you how to use ProTools)
I frequently hear and read talent complaints about ProTools editing software--which I understand,
since there is a steep learning curve with the program. I won’t
go into my opinion about ProTools, since this review is not
about the program itself--but about a DVD training program
for ProTools.
I found myself with a copy of Secrets of the Pros Advanced
ProTools DVD Vol II to preview, so I figured, why not share
the info with you? This is an easy to follow program,
organized in a logical manner. Tracks are short video clips
arranged by topic. The instructor clearly shows how to do
many advanced editing techniques in ProTools. I like the
organization of the instruction. I am a regular ProTools user,
Trevor Kott
and I learned a thing or two from this DVD! However, the
techniques taught were not ones a VO talent would regularly
use. In fact, they were better suited to music recording.
Admittedly, they say on the DVD that it is not a basic editing
DVD... that is the job of volume 1. Not having seen volume 1,
I can’t speak to whether or not it is a good program to help
VO talent get the most out of ProTools. I can tell you, however,
that vol II is not. But you’d definitely learn a lot of cool things you don’t need!
The experts... on demos
James Alburger says: I've heard two distinct schools of thought on demos:
1) focus on a single style (your money voice) and 2) include variety in emotion and attitude. I
don't think there is an absolutely correct demo format that is right for everyone. Ultimately,
it's like writing a resume to get a job: there's a basic structure you might follow, but you're
going to make the resume your own by including content that shows what you do best. Look
back at the first resume you wrote when you when job hunting right out of school. You
probably included everything you could think of that demonstrated you had some skill. As
you became more experienced over the years, your resume became more refined to focus on
only those things that you do best. Same thing with the voice-over demo.
James Alburger
Regardless of the type of demo you are producing, your voiceover demo should focus on what you do best, right
from the start - and it should demonstrate that through style, attitude, range, and versatility. Even if you have a fairly
narrow delivery style, you still need to be able to express nuance of meaning and subtlety of attitude through your
delivery. Just a few years ago, you could produce a demo that included many aspects of what you can do. Today, your
demo needs to be more focused on the range and versatility within a specific style - and it may take some time to
discover your unique style. If you haven't found it yet, then work towards a demo that clearly demonstrates your
range and versatility to the best of your abilities. You'll find your style soon enough.
Julie Williams
Julie Williams says: One topic a lot of experts disagree on is, WHEN a talent should
create a VO demo. Some VO instructors say, “wait till you’re ready.” They correctly
point out that if you are not skilled and send out bad demos... you may be remembered
in a way that you don’t want to be remembered. They cringe as they hear demos that
were sold to unskilled talent by unscrupulous producers--who teach because they can’t
earn a living at VO, and who record workshop readings and call them a “demo.”
My opinion falls in the middle. Sorry to say, unscrupulous people are out there selling
demos and teaching VO--so be careful! But there are those of us who teach because we
love what we do and want to give back; to pass on what we know. But as for when to
produce a demo--I ask, “When do you want to start working?” Because a VO talent will
not get work without a demo. Waiting to reach some skill level sounds good in theory.
But where do you draw the line? When are you “good
enough?” Personally, I’ve heard some pretty bad demos
from some people who weren’t “good enough,” but they
were working! A demo is a fluid thing. We update it as
we grow, as James Alburger said. In my opinion, a VO
talent shouldn’t “study study study--graduate--make a
demo.” A talent should “study--make demo--work–
study--update demo--work more...”
That said, I caution new talent to be sure to hire someone who knows what he/she’s doing, for your demo. And
don’t send it to the big agents if you’re not very skilled
yet. Go to smaller agencies, and to voices.com, &
voice123.com to get work, and practice. Get your feet
wet, refine your craft. Then once you’ve achieved a
measure of success--send your new demo to the bigger
agents!
A publication of
Voice-Overs.Com
Julie Williams CEO Editor
[email protected]
Harvard reject laughs
all the way to the bank!
2007 Voice-Overs.Com. Content
may not be copied or broadcast
Patricia A.
without written permission from
"The Simpsons" creator Matt Groening poses with his
Paulsen
Voice-Overs.Com. However, you
characters. (He’s the one in the middle!) Groening is
Assistant
have permission to forward this
Julie
among the high-profile people on a list of Harvard “rejects" newsletter, in its entirety, to your
Editor
Williams
to be published by an upstart magazine. The Simpsons, as friends.
announced on page 2 of the V-Zine, just celebrated its
Melissa Gilbert played the part of Batgirl
400th episode--despite Groening’s rejection from Harvard!
in Batman: The Animated Series.