Listen on:
Episodes
Thursday Jul 24, 2014
Thursday Jul 24, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmaRYhThdpg
Show Log
Episode 151, July 21, 2014
Demo Demo Derby
Guests: Cliff Zellman and Uncle Roy Yokelson
0:00:00 Incomparable Promo (with echo SFX)
0:01:02 Intro Video
0:01:46 The opening, complete with monster truck voicers.
0:02:41 Ground Rules for the Demo Demo Derby. Tonight will be about technical quality.
0:03:15 Cliff tells about his work with demos.
0:03:46 Roy describes his work.
0:05:01 Cliff describes what the modern demo must be.
0:05:38 Dan describes tonight’s goal to look at production of the demo and audio quality.
0:06:49 First demo (audiobook).
0:08:29 Critique. They liked the performance. Roy thinks it needed more breaths and pacing was off. Recording quality good, though George said levels were low.
0:11:15 George on mastering. RMS was -25. It should be closer to -20dB. It appears almost raw.
0:13:19 Sponsor words.
0:14:46 Next demo. Commercial demo.
0:16:02 Discussion. Cliff wanted more variety. Roy wanted to see more range demonstrated.
0:17:35 Roy talks about sequencing of demos.
0:18:21 Cliff says a demo must be entertaining.
0:19:40 J.S. Gilbert commented that it wasn’t actual broadcast spots. Don’t break out with the nationals that you didn’t do unless you really pull it off.
0:21:00 Don’t try to fool the casting director.
0:22:45 Cliff comments on how he can hear a director push a talent.
0:23:40 George said it sounded flat.
0:24:10 Roy asked what a typical casting director listens to demos on.
0:25:10 Cliff says a demo is the same as an audition. Audio quality is 51% of his decision. Uncle Roy adds his thoughts on audio quality.
0:27:42 Break (includes SpongeBob Square Pants’ “drop”)
0:28:56 They’re back.
0:29:50 Roy emphasizes that the demo is a “pre audition.”
0:30:20 Next demo. Character demo.
0:31:25 Discussion. Cliff liked original and rule breaking nature of the demo.
0:35:20 Next demo. Another character demo.
0:36:30 Discussion. Cliff and Roy wanted more variety and greater entertainment value.
0:39:33 Next demo. Commercial demo.
0:40:05 Discussion. Short and sweet: Dan asks what’s the perfect length. Roy heard what he needed and then it was on to the next. Cliff wondered about the casting for spots in the demo. Miscast demos stick out more than any benefit.
0:42:10 Dan said, “You gotta wow ‘em right from the start.”
0:42:39 Chatroom question: What would you guys do to master a demo to make it sound better? Discussion follows.
0:44:27 Dan: “So in other words, if you don’t know what something does, don’t use it!” Knob twisting doesn’t work, Cliff says.
0:44:55 Cliff then says, “You can process whatever you want as long as I don’t hear it.” Discussion.
0:45:56 Q: What do we mean by “range”? Discussion follows. Roy says it’s the emotions.
0:47:44 Cliff describes a TV ad that struck him because it was so well voiced.
0:48:20 Roy says we don’t want to hear “the sell,” we want warmth to be the sell, the smile to be sell. It’s too obvious when someone tries to “sell.”
0:49:18 Another commercial demo.
0:50:30 Discussion. Roy asks about the demo’s length. He’s not sure anybody would get to the last two spots. He liked the beginning, heard the range, liked the production.
0:51:10 Cliff thought the demo didn’t know when to stop. It was 1:10. Discussion. The first 15 seconds were key to the demo’s success. Cliff liked that it sounded like the voice actor’s talent and not someone else.
0:53:48 Break
0:55:02 They’re back.
0:55:57 Another demo. Commercial demo.
0:56:57 Discussion. The character in the middle broke the flow. Otherwise he liked it. Roy liked the range the character voice in the middle, but thought it might distract a casting director who’d miss the next spot. You don’t want to surprise in that way. George thought it needed a little mastering.
0:59:29 Dan asks “Should you produce your own demo?” Dan plays a demo he worked on with Roy.
1:00:13 BEFORE: Dan’s demo, original version. His voice is overwhelmed by background sounds.
1:01:15 AFTER: Dan’s demo after Uncle Roy fixed it. Voice and music blends much better. Cliff says there were subtleties that came out in the repaired version that he didn’t hear in the first version. Roy says the direction and script were good, it just needed to be mixed better.
1:04:21 Q: How long does it take to a demo? A: 3 hours to 2 months. Cliff likes to work one hour at a time, take time off (days, week), do another, and so on. Roy says you won’t get that at a “demo factory.” Roy says Cliff produces whole spots that are “demo worthy” and then pick pieces from them.
1:06:38 Cliff answers question about how many different segments should you have? A: no answer, as long as it’s entertaining and not “same-y.”
1:07:48 Roy, each session is a highly concentrated coaching session. Just because a spot aired, he needs “killer” spots to work with for a demo.
1:09:09 Dan says it’s critical to work with someone you trust. And you need to be able to reproduce what’s in your demo in a job.
1:10:09 George talks about the educational program at Edge. They’re reworking it. They’ll have a three-tier rating system for talent.
1:11:56 Cliff uses talent’s audio from home.
1:12:50 Roy has a student who went through a demo factory and was told to read to time.
1:13:27 When Cliff sends out auditions, he makes it clear NOT to time to 30. He wants to hear interpretation, not rushing to read. Roy wants to hear the acting, hear the story.
1:14:20 Roy says, “Don’t be embarrassed.” If you’re not happy, get satisfaction from the source; if not, then contact him or Cliff.
1:15:05 Cliff asks Roy if he’s dealt with updating demos with one or two new pieces.
1:16:16 Segue to Harlan Hogan ad. Harlan has the stuff you need. http://voiceoveressentials.com/
1:19:49 Next demo. Commercial.
1:20:50 Discussion. Cliff didn’t think he’s featuring his money voice. The stuff at the front is well done, but the style was common. The higher register woke Cliff up. He wants more of that.
1:22:02 Roy suggests a re-sequence.
1:22:55 Q: Do all samples need a music bed and Q: How important is music? A: Dan says it’s everything.
1:23:55 Cliff echoes that thought. Old music will make your demo sound dated.
1:24:30 Cliff also likes to hear warm reads, without music.
1:25:30 Roy and Cliff talk about music for intros to narration demos.
1:26:58 Q: What should some expect to pay for a commercial demo? A: The better you are, the cheaper it is.
1:28:09 Roy: $500-$1500 depending on what’s required. Roy says to freshen, $500; a full blown, $1000; animation with a lot more sound design, $1500.
1:29:14 George asked them which demo stood out. Diana Birdsell was the consensus. Her demo was produced by Chuck Duran.
1:30:30 You can reach Roy at http://www.antlandproductions.com/ and Cliff at http://www.dallasvo.com/
1:31:50 Thanks to the wives and staff.
1:32:39 Rudy Gaskin will join us next week (July 28) to talk about the Voice Arts Awards. We’ll be “dark” (no show) on August 4. On August 11, Dave Courvoisier will be on.
1:33:58 All four sign off, thanks to sponsors including Edge Studios.
1:34:17 EWABS Chorus.
1:34:42 End of show.
Saturday Jul 19, 2014
Saturday Jul 19, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McXMVhkD1tI&list=UUbH1aq5ZyQsghyjEWfDgQNQ
Show Log
Episode 150, July 14, 2014
Guest: Bob Merkel from VoiceZam.
George will air a Whittam’s World on mic questions
And Dan will address the issue of audience participation.
0:01:16 Opening video.
0:01:57 Here they are.
0:03:20 Dan will be in L.A. for part of August.
0:04:00 Thanks to the sponsors, Edge Studio, Harlan Hogan and VoiceOverXtra.
0:05:00 Here we are at episode 150 since March 20, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9KjlnreVIw Dan and George want to hear from folks about what they’d like to hear about on the show.
0:06:30 If you have an audio issue, send it in and watch the guys sort it out. “Troubled Audio of the Week,” or “What’s in the Specimen Cup This Week?”
0:08:20 George asks if there’s “breaking news” to report on each week.
0:10:20 In the old days, they used to live call-ins. Should they revive this?
0:11:19 Send in feedback about roundtables and other content.
0:12:07 Next week: the Demo Demo Derby! Dan and George will be joined by Uncle Roy and Clifford to review the technical quality of demo productions.
0:12:57 Send your ideas to ewabshop@gmail.com There will be a new “specimen cup” at http://www.ewabs.net/ where you can submit your audio for technical review on the show.
0:14:47 Break
0:15:52 They’re back.
0:16:19 Whittam’s World Episode 25, with answers to mic questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjA5FLPGRS4
0:26:29 End video. George discusses more mic issues and how troubleshooting works. He recommends a backup mic.
0:30:01 Break
0:31:37 They’re back. Dan talks about websites being essential to being a voice actor. He talks about VoiceZam and introduces VoiceZam’s creator Bob Merkel.
0:32:59 Dan asks how VoiceZam works. Bob explains. VoiceZam takes the traditional demo with multiple selections presented one at a time and breaks them into separate selections on a “player.” This can help a producer who is wading through demos and short on time. VoiceZam stacks all the selections so the listener can control what they listen to. The website: http://www.voicezam.com/public/mainpage.aspx The site includes an overview video and a sample demo. Bob demonstrates how VoiceZam works.
0:38:22 VoiceZam lets producers stay longer. Each segment could be longer than in the traditional format.
0:40:42 VoiceZam also includes contact information and social media links. VoiceZam also generates statistics on how your VoiceZam is used.
0:42:32 Bob describes his newest product, StraightShot. It’s a marketing tool that works with your emails. Bob shows how it works. You get buttons in your signature area of your email for your individual demo tracks. StraightShot takes you to the voice talent’s website.
0:51:58 George shows what the email looks like at his end. And we have problems with Flash.
0:53:40 Bob calls emails with VoiceZam “marketing missiles.”
0:54:12 Let’s look at the producer’s world.
0:55:30 And now some words about our sponsor, Harlan Hogan. Tell Harlan EWABS sent you!
0:57:34 Dan asks Bob about another new product, a WordPress plugin. Write him at bob.merkel@voicezam.com for a beta copy. It drops VoiceZam into your website.
0:59:09 Q: Any feedback from casting directors? A: Bob talks about “zamstistics”
0:59:40 Q: what’s your background? A: Bob gives the answer. He created VoiceZam out of frustration as a producer.
1:00:35 Q: Can VoiceZam be put on Facebook and LinkedIn? A: Yes, on a FB business page, so contact Bob to find out how.
1:01:04 Q: Will Zamstistics let you know WHO clicked on your demo links? A: It will show starting times for clicks and when a demo gets downloaded. Bob explains how you can use a tracking code to figure out who is doing the clicking.
1:02:36 Bob says there’s a revised version of Zamstistics coming soon.
1:02:55 Q: Can VoiceZam be used on Wix or Weebly sites? A: Yes. Bob discusses.
1:03:47 Dan asked about pricing. StraightShot is $2.95 a month which is on top of the standard VoiceZam price. There’s an EWABS premium, giving $5 off.
1:05:15 Bob gives overview of how VoiceZam responds to its customers.
1:06:13 Break
1:09:56 Dan and George are back.
1:10:36 Announcements: Thanks to donors! There’s a donate button on the ewabs.net page.
1:11:55 Clickers! Order your EWABS clickers! $5 on the EWABS homepage.
1:12:28 EWABS Essentials, a play list on the EWABS YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/ewabsshow.
1:13:44 Next week, the Demo Derby, with a technical review of demos. Hear what works and what doesn’t.
1:15:03 If you’d like your demo critiqued technically, send it to ewabshop@gmail.com.
1:15:19 On July 28, Rudy Gaskin will be on, talking about the Voice Acting Awards. Nominations for these awards are due July 31.
1:16:14 August 4, no show. On August 11, Dan and George will be together and the guest will be Dave Courvoisier, who will talk about his new book. During Voice2014, they will tape a show and air it in early September.
1:17:55 George thanks his dad for an “Angular Clock” from http://shop.wickeddevice.com/
1:18:40 Watch the second VU meter!
1:19:24 Thanks to sponsors.
1:19:54 Follow us on Facebook, @EWABS_show on Twitter. Like the videos on YouTube.
1:20:44 Thanks to the wives and the staff.
1:22:46 End of show.
Saturday Jul 19, 2014
Saturday Jul 19, 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxfy8oHtxXk&list=UUbH1aq5ZyQsghyjEWfDgQNQ
Show Log
Episode 149, July 7, 2014
Summer 2014 Fan Hangout using http://zoom.us/
0:00:58 Show opening followed by black screen.
0:02:12 Dan (with a bird on his shoulder) and George begin.
0:04:13 Going around the Horn:
Amy Snively, L.A., Calif. http://www.amysnively.com/
Anthony Gettig, Laurium, Michigan. http://www.gettig.net/
Conrad the Bird (with Dan Lenard) in Buffalo, N.Y.
Steve Tardio, NYC to be. http://www.stevetardio.com/
Dave Smith, Henderson, NV. https://www.facebook.com/VegasVOguy
Diana Birdsell, Huntington Beach, Calif. https://www.facebook.com/diana.p.birdsall?fref=ts&ref=br_tf
Edward Waldorf, Spanish Fort, Alabama. https://www.facebook.com/ewaldorph?fref=ts
J.S. Gilbert, South San Francisco, Calif. http://jsgilbert.com/
Bill Lord, Alexandria, Va. http://www.nothingrhymeswithorange.us/
Scott Chambers, Birmingham, Ala. http://www.scottchambersvo.com/
Shelley Avellino, Albuquerque, N.M. http://www.shelleyavellino.com/
Steven Gonzales, Baton Rouge, La. http://stevengonzalesvo.com/
Ted Mcaleer, Sevilla, Spain. http://www.voiceoveruniverse.com/profile/TedMcaleer
Larry Hudson, L.A., Calif. http://www.larryhudsonvo.com/
Andy Coffman, http://www.topvoiceover.com/
Jerry Reed, Syracuse, N.Y. http://jerryreed.com/
0:14:15 The “Brady Bunch” view
0:14:47 Break
0:16:06 They’re ALL back.
Welcome to Lee Pinney, Costa Mesa, Calif. https://www.linkedin.com/pub/lee-pinney/9/892/603
0:17:19 Amy Snively makes an announcement. EWABS fans can get $25 off registration. The code is EWABS. You’ll get an additional code to promote FaffCamp to your associates. They’ll get $25 their registrations and you’ll get $25 off for each person you sign up, up to $350 off. Go to http://faffcamp.com/ Amy explains FaffCamp. There are two tracks, “starting smart” and “working pro.” The agenda is set before the event, so presentations can get honed; planned but not canned. Registration goes from $375 to $449 on July 12. You can take up to six months to pay.
0:26:43 Larry Hudson asks a question: He’s set up and working, but doesn’t have a pre-amp. What’s the difference if you spend $400-500 on a pre-amp.
0:27:27 George has clients who do just fine without a pre-amp and just plugging into a Mackey board http://www.mackie.com/products/digital_recording/index.html. That’s all you need if you’re doing all your processing. Things get more interesting if you’re using ISDN. It comes down to subtle differences.
0:28:50 J.S. comments. Now there are more products on the market that work well. For gaming, where audio gets heavily processed, there’s a huge difference when you use a high-end pre-amp for when the audio starts to have issues. Game voicers use high-end gear. You can also shorten a file without getting artifact-ing at a higher level. For the average or above-average, it may not come into to play.
0:32:02 J.S. has expensive gear because he can and he likes using it.
0:32:16 Dan comments that if you don’t know what something does, you probably don’t need it. Dan uses a pre-amp for the EWABS show, but for recording, he doesn’t for the sake of keeping the audio chain simpler. Most people can’t tell the difference.
0:34:30 Ted says “you want it warm.” It often means tubes. What makes the warm audio warm?
0:35:14 The Warm Audio brand gets discussed. http://www.warmaudio.com/ George talks about ribbon mics. Transformers add “warmth.”
0:36:10 Steve uses the Apogee mic. He wants tips for auditioning in hotel rooms. Dan says grab the quilt, go into the closet and cover yourself.
0:37:40 J.S. says to put all your clothes into the closet, use the suitcase as a table.
0:38:19 George says it’s all about “damping” and reverberation issues. Use the luggage rack and put it on the room desk.
0:39:15 Scott talks about the “Eyeball.” He uses it with the VO 1A mic.
0:39:55 Debbie Irwin, NYC, joined the group. http://www.debbieirwin.com/index.htm
0:40:30 Shelley asks about agents sending different formats, some long, some short.
0:41:20 Debbie says in her experience if it comes from an agent, they want the entire thing recorded.
0:42:05 Larry comments. If it’s exceedingly long, he’ll ask the agent. He’ll mix up the paragraphs and not read from the top. He’ll read 1-2-3 as 2-3-1.
0:43:12 J.S. has a different experience. He did the whole thing and they did a “lift-off” of it. They just used the audition rather than recording the piece yet again. He feels that if you need a watermark, you shouldn’t work for that company. There are lots of reasons why he’d want to hear the whole thing.
0:45:57 Break
0:50:02 They’re backbackback.
0:50:47 Diana Birdsell has gotten comments from clients who say her audio sounds “overprocessed.” She uses TwistedWave, normalizes to -3, declicks, and runs an effects stack. George responds. He says it’s a good sign that they know what they’re doing and bothered to tell her. It sounds too compressed. George she could go in an uncheck the Limiter. And if it’s still a problem, uncheck the Dynamics Processor.
0:53:10 George appreciates the feedback, it’s important for him to hear when the stacks don’t work as intended.
0:54:51 Dan says everybody is different and hearing it differently. The whole point of the stack is to make it better to sound good in a crappy setting.
0:55:31 Diana is new to the 416. She’s gotten a random echo happening. Dan and George both think the Declicker is creating the problem. But she hears the issue before she processes. They invite her to drop a sample in Dan’s “specimen cup” at http://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/, about halfway down the page.
0:56:57 Larry asks what she’s wearing. He points out his 416 picks up fabric movement.
0:57:49 Susan joins. No camera. She wonders about backups and storage. Where should she get backup gear? Dan talks about hard drives and the cloud, having 2-3 copies.
1:00:08 Anthony is a huge believer in Dept. of Redundancy Dept. He likes CrashPlan, DropBox, Carbonite, or Box.com. His wireless router died and he bought a NetGear N600, which has a USB port. You can plug a drive into it to create a home network.
1:01:50 George says there are some issues, but a Mac Airport Extreme has a port, too. You can backup at a friend’s house.
1:02:54 Steve Gonzalez uses SSD’s, solid state discs. He works off of them as they’re quicker. George says they’re expensive per gigabyte. You buy them for performance (speed) and use hard drives for off-line storage. George has all his stuff in the cloud.
1:05:05 J.S. Everyone should consider using one as a “boot drive.” He recounts his backup gear.
1:07:11 Jerry describes his backup setup. George says his system needs discipline.
1:08:23 J.S. says you can use your own FTP. Dan says the bottom line is back up in several places.
1:09:29 Break
1:10:31 They’re back. And they talk about Harlan Hogan’s http://voiceoveressentials.com/ Harlan knows VO. “He’s been doing longer than all of our combined ages,” Dan said.
1:13:20 Thanks to Edge Studio, http://www.edgestudio.com/. The 4th weekend in August, there’s a Poker Classic to raise money for the LaFontaine lab.
1:14:17 Shelley asks if anyone from Edge is going to FaffCon? George thought David, the owner is going.
1:15:58 Walt gets harassed. Dan asks him to talk about his Studio Suit. He has it strung like curtains. He rolls them out when he needs them. And they’re all angled, there’s no parallel surfaces.
1:18:20 Gray in Asia asked about difference between a mixer and an interface. George explains they’re apples and oranges. In most cases, a mixer is useful for VO unless you’re re-routing audio. Some mixers have interfaces built in.
1:22:14 Around the Horn for plugs
1:22:27 Anthony: http://www.myaudioeditor.com/
1:23:05 Dave Smith. The iPad Air vs Mini? George: it comes down to how many pixels on the screen.
1:24:10 Debbie Irwin.
1:24:29 Edward. No plugs, his website is under construction.
1:25:12 J.S. Faux Vegas.
1:25:40 Larry: in Sept. he’s doing a webinar with John Florian for new VO’s. He’s got some Audacity training planned, too. Click on VO Heaven tab at his website for more.
1:26:26 Scott plugged his site.
1:26:37 Shelley: She’s been doing a large, interactive website. “Tales of Gigi” for a client in Bulgaria. http://www.taleswithgigi.com/
1:27:26 Steve Gonzalez: StevenGonzalesVO.com
1:27:49 Steve Tardio—now has an extra blanket from housekeeping. He’s just finished another kid’s science book, called “Alien in My Pocket.”
1:28:52 Dan: if you get a chance to see the documentary he narrates: “J Street Challenge.” http://thejstreetchallenge.com/
1:29:43 Thanks to donors! Use the donation link at EWABS.com. Clickers! Get your clickers!
1:30:33 Congratulations to Rebecca Davis again for getting the Don LaFontaine Spirit Award.
1:30:50 EWABS Essentials are growing at the YouTube Channel. (www.youtube.com/ewabsshow)
1:31:25 Bob Merkel from VoiceZam will be next week’s guest. The program has been updated!
1:31:40 Thanks to wives and staff.
1:32:15 Thanks to zoom.us.
1:32:30 Thanks to Kathy Curriden and the volunteer staff.
1:33:25 Ella joins the group.
1:33:34 Sign off by the whole group.
1:34:13 End of show.
Sunday Jul 06, 2014
Sunday Jul 06, 2014
Episode 148, June 30, 2014
John Melley on Marketing VO
George on noise reduction on the mic side
Dan will talk about normalization
0:00:44 Show opens
0:02:26 What is wrong with this picture? You CAN snowmobile the beaches of Puerto Rico.
0:04:13 Microphone choice affects exterior noise. George discusses.
Band-aids are common, but if you can eliminate the noise from the source. Use a mic that rejects noise. Mics not good at this: omni-directional mics.
0:05:32 Cardioid mics are the most common VO mic tend to pick more of what’s in front. Supercardioids and hypercardioids tend to have a more limited pickup pattern and will pick up less noise.
0:06:37 Shotgun mics are the first that come to mind that do reject background noise, but they’re not miracle solutions. They pick up a “node” of what’s behind the mic.
0:07:26 These mics are more sensitive, that means more sensitive to noise in their pickup patterns. So, positioning these mics is key.
0:07:56 George shows dead zone for his AT-875R shotgun mic. http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT875R-Short-Shotgun-Microphone/dp/B000BQ79W0
He goes on to say it’s one of the most affordable shotgun mics around $150.
0:08:39 Dan’s mic is the CAD-E100S. It looks like a typical cardioid. It’s a super-cardioid that reflects the style of a shotgun mic. See sample at http://alturl.com/6xq26
0:09:36 If you have severe noise issues, then you can lean toward a dyanmic mic, Shure SM7B for example. See sample at http://www.fullcompass.com/product/270444.html?gclid=COihtKqnpL8CFQGmaQodWU4A_g
0:10:12 This mic is designed to be used very close.
0:10:35 Another way to solve the issue is to use a ribbon mic and using it sideways and speaking over the top of it. This is just a way to “think outside the box.”
0:12:46 Dan joins the conversation.
0:14:16 Break
0:15:46 Question from Shelley Avellino: what mic would you get, George? He has never gravitated to the most expensive mics. He loves his AT-875R.
0:17:06 George asks Dan what his “if money was no object” mic would be. Dan has them all already!
0:18:42 Happy Canada Day!
0:18:56 Tip of the Week on Normalization (video). Dan’s tip is to normalize after processing and to record as loud as you can without overmodulating.
0:24:26 George’s approach is to normalize first, doing the processing, and then normalize again.
0:24:56 George says it’s really a volume control. It’s good for minor adjustments. HJe also asks about the role RMS normalization is playings See his Whittam’s World (episode 34) about LUFs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tYNR1hjCio We could see an average RMS normalizing instead of peak normalizing. Be careful with RMS, stick with peak normalizing.
0:27:46 Break
0:29:10 They’re back with John Melley from Boston.
0:29:55 John tells the story how he got into voice-over. He quoted Woody Allen: 80 percent of success is showing up.
0:32:33 John’s tack on VO marketing.
0:33:27 Are you a commodity? What do you offer?
0:34:26 How can I get clients come to me? How to be the only guy in the room?
0:35:20 Dan asks how John does this. John talks about using your own story.
0:36:16 Part of cutting through the clutter is standing out with your product. Right Angle Marketing. Create a product that interests people at various conferences. For example, he was noticing a lot of work from dentists. How can he work with dentists? He went to a dental conference, set up a booth, and he was the only VO actor in the room.
0:39:26 Dan asks what kind of product was it. It’s an infomercial. John explains.
0:41:16 How do you find these niches? Use your own personal story as a marketing tool. He’ll send his story to prospective clients. It also triggers memories of things you’ve done that you have expertise in.
0:42:14 How can I make money now and raise my rates later? Create a product in an area you already have expertise in. Later you can refer to your body of work and charge a higher price.
0:43:46 Dan points out this creates products you can get paid for over and over.
0:44:16 There’s nobody in this business who didn’t do something else.
0:45:16 Dan asked John about sending out cards, referring to the EWABS marketing roundtable a few weeks ago. John said Thanksgiving is a good time since no one is doing it then.
0:46:31 Dan asks John about his webinar at VoiceOverXtra. It’s on July 9. http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs110/1102478472127/archive/1117689104469.html
John will go through the math of the business so you can really make money.
0:49:05 Harlan Hogan promotional message. Dan shows the HH headphones. You’ll hear yourself as you exist. They’re built to last. http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/vo-headphone.htm When you buy there, tell them EWABS sent you!
0:51:35 Questions from the chat room:
Q: where did you go to college; A: UM Amherst. He enjoyed it, but found no closure in political science.
0:53:16 Dan asks about John’s podcast. It’s at voiceovermarketingpodcast.com
0:54:20 Q: Yes, where there’s no competition in VO? A: the key thing is finding an audience you know about. John talks about finding your own niche. Once you have a product it should continue to work for you.
0:55:31 George talks about his wife’s experience in photography and finding a niche in that, which turned out to be men in yoga.
0:56:29 John says “Riches in niches.”
0:56:56 Q: do you see a move to USB flash drives? A: John sees mp3 but if you can package things in an interesting way, they’ll open it.
0:58:12 John knows a guy who was mailing his promotional material in a bank bag.
0:58:46 Marketing can be fun, tapping into your creativity.
0:59:28 Q: Does John sell his product online as well as at conventions? A: Yes, and he also uses endorsed mailings. He explains. It’s all about the audience.
1:01:11 George asks about bobblehead dolls. Laughs followed by a discussion. He talked about Dan Kennedy who has a series of books called “No BS Marketing.” One sample: http://alturl.com/8x7m8
1:03:46 If you do have a list, do mail all at once. You should test the list and see if it’s working. Crickets? You miss and then try again.
1:04:26 Q: Your blog interviews are too short? A: He’s respectful of his guests’ time.
1:06:04 Q: Do you market just marketing services or VO coaching? A: He does some with usually local talent in person.
1:06:59 Q: How do you find the right person to contact? A: John tries to network authentically. Connect with folks naturally.
1:08:42 Q: Besides your thank-you cards what else do you use? A: Printed, hardcopy newsletter. He gets comments and work from doing that. He had Jim Palmer, a newsletter guru on his podcast. Palmer gave data comparing newsletters and email reading rates. Write about yourself, what’s going on in your world. People get caught up in characters and stories. Newsletters keeps you in front of people.
1:11:36 John loves podcasts. He uses his commute to listen. There’s a podcast by Mark Melkoff called the Carson Podcast. http://carsonpodcast.com/ On this one you hear about how standup comics prepared to get on The Tonight Show. It’s great marketing training.
1:15:09 Break. Voice 2014 featured.
1:18:17 They’re back.
1:19:09 Announcements
Thanks to the donors.
Clickers
1:21:16 Congrats to Rebekah Davis who was given the Don LaFontaine Spirit Award.
See https://plus.google.com/+GeorgeWhittam/posts/ZiaiW6P8cKM
1:22:56 EWABS Essentials is growing!
1:23:46 Next week, a fan hangout. Email ewabshop@gmail.com to get the link.
1:25:17 Thanks to sponsors, Harlan Hoga and Edge Studio. Email production@edgedtudio.com Tell them George Whittam sent you.
1:26:36 Thanks to the staff and wives.
1:27:16 George shaves.
1:28:08 End of show.
Wednesday Jun 18, 2014
Wednesday Jun 18, 2014
First EVER VO Marketing Roundtable
0:00:00 Intro starts.
0:01:56 Dan does the introductions. Ann Ganguzza from Irvine, Calif.; Debbie Grattan and Paul Rarick, from Michigan; Doug Turkel from Miami, Fla.; John Melley from New Jersey: Kelley Buttrick from Atlanta.
0:04:19 Tonight’s about VO marketing. Dan asks how marketing has changed in the last decade.
0:04:51 Ann says her use of online marketing has increased. The internet has let her see others market and develop her own plan. Her background is in technology.
0:05:49 Debbie and Paul reply. When she began, other people did the technical stuff. Now she and Paul where all the hats. Having a partner allows him to market and her to do voice work. Often if you’re by yourself, you exhaust yourself.
0:07:17 Paul does the crap Debbie doesn’t want to do. They didn’t do much marketing for a long time and then when there was a big rush of VO talent into the business, they began.
0:08:07 Dan turns to Doug. Doug need to differentiate himself. He’s got an everyman voice, not the deep booming sound. He evolved to the “un-nouncer” describing what he sounds like that he’s been able to use for different situations.
0:10:02 Kelley has a journalism/public relations background. Her marketing is very research and relationship oriented, on a very individual basis.
0:11:02 George, caught mouth breathing, gets asked about how he markets. His challenge is that when he does his job well, he won’t hear from his clients again! He speaks to 5 to 10 new people per week. That’s why he joined Edge Studio to get support for marketing.
0:13:42 Dan asks what types of marketing are available.
0:14:06 Debbie said her approach is “if you build it they will come,” at her website and then work on the SEO. She uses keywords, YouTube, and a blog. She doesn’t like cold-calling. She prefers feeling good about what you’re doing. There are people who love cold calling. Find whats a good fit for you. You could spend all your time marketing and have no time for work.
0:18:02 Debbie tries to be very responsive to potential clients.
0:18:32 Anne weighs in. She schedules Twitter tweets. She wants to “drive the traffic” from social media to your website. She tries to engage and interact on social media so people get to know her. It takes time.
0:19:56 Dan asks Doug if he thinks it’s essential to drive people to your website for demos or is it something else? Answer: It depends. The market you’re going after might expect to hear from you in different ways. Most will still come from your website. It should build trust with your clients before they ever work with you. He has a lot of nice things clients have said on his site. You either sound like what a client wants or you don’t but your site will reinforce you.
0:22:32 Kelley has people who work on her SEO for her. She says the first thing she does is find out about a client. She finds people who might hire her and then researches them in detail. She’ll then send a “warm” email with her talking about the client before she talks about what she can do.
0:24:24 Kelley talks about “thoughtful appreciation.” What can she do for someone who does something helpful. She has sent items that people like and want as thank-you gifts.
0:25:22 Dan asks who does their websites. Anne does her own, Paul has done Debbie’s but also gotten outside help. Doug urges people to take pay-to-play sites off their websites. Why direct clients to those sites?
0:26:57 George describes his experience with websites.
0:28:32 Dan uses others to make his sites, but he wants to be able to change and update, to have control.
0:29:22 The group chimes in about the issue of not having website control. George says make sure you have a site you can manage.
0:30:09 Kelley writes her own content. She has an SEO plan. She wants the site to read well, and the SEO wants it to say things a certain way.
0:31:40 Thanks to our sponsors! Harlan Hogan at VoiceOverEssentials, VoiceOverXtra, and Edge Studio.
0:33:22 Dan moves the conversation to BRANDING.
0:34:12 Doug says it depends—that Dan’s mustache is memorable, for example. Doug took a stack of scripts he’d been hired for. He compiled the specs into one document. He looked for the common feature—everyday guy, not an announcer, and so on, stood out. That led to “un-nouncer.” Your booked jobs will give you a peek into your clients’ minds. What they think of you is more important than what you think of yourself.
0:36:47 Doug says another possibility is ask the clients for a word or a paragraph about what they think of your performance. Doug took “Doug gets it” into “Doug understands so you can be understood.”
0:38:09 Anne talks about personal branding. She agrees with Doug that it’s difficult to do this yourself. Everything she posts has a conscious choice to reinforce the brand.
0:39:52 Debbie says when she’s reading social media by VO talent, they’re targeting other VO professionals, not potential clients. Look for ways to serve your clients. Make their job easier.
0:42:20 Kelley says there are subtle ways to brand. She’ll send gifts from her town (Athens, Ga.).
0:44:14 Doug points out that all this assumes you’re good enough at VO that you book work.
0:45:22 Dan asks about the idea of “niche.” Do you find your niche or does it find you? Doug says it’s semantics and it can happen either way.
0:46:32 You can’t force a niche. It’s something you know a lot about or have a passion for. He says it’s important that you specify what you do and what you’re good at.
0:46:59 Niche marketing—is your name the thing to grab as your domain name? Put yourself in your client’s shoes. They’re looking for “medical narrator.com” or whatever it is, your key words are baked into your domain name.
0:48:36 Dan asks, what about marketing to agents? Don’t you have to make lots of money already? Debbie says it depends on the market the agent is in. Small market agents might well take you on. Much of the work doesn’t require an agent.
0:51:06 Dan announces another break. Dan and George talk about getting your audio analyzed at http://vostudiotech.com/ or http://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/
0:51:47 George asks questions from the chat room. Kelley fell out of the Google Hangout; bandwidth issue.
0:52:31 Q: how do you create a blog that isn’t just white noise. How much is too much? A: Paul says he’s focused on the SEO side of this. He looks at search results. They blog 3-4 times a month. The challenge is finding something clients want to read. Debbie uses actual events that inspire her to share them. She started blogging as an SEO avenue rather than to share knowledge.
0:55:26 Anne agrees. For SEO, the more you can have fresh content, the better. Content is king. Write what you have to share, with search terms. That establishes your expertise. Gear your content to people who will hire you.
0:56:37 Doug adds—if you can be the expert in a specific area of VO, then you can become the go-to person. That also makes it easier to write blogs or whatever.
0:58:17 Q How important is it to have a site that’s mobile friendly. A: Very important, several say. George then talks about sites like wix.com, squarespace.com/, and wordpress.com/.
Look for the term “responsive” to be sure mobil users can easily see your stuff.
0:59:24 Q With social media and online networking, is snail mail still viable or a waste of time? A: Anne says there’s a place for the handwritten note. You’ve take the time…and it’s noticed.
Debbie says the key is building client loyalty. Snail mail has a place and a big one just because it’s more unusual. Find ways to authentically make nice or friends with a client. Make it personally yours.
1:02:02 “Gifts?” says Dan. And George asks if giving branded marketing items as gifts is “distasteful.”
1:02:45 Deb says it depends on what you’re doing. If you’re sending a blanket marketing contact, then it could work. Another option: Paul will send a request for a review after invoicing. They hold a drawing every month for a $50 VISA gift card for those who reply.
1:04:58 Kelley is back then gone, then back.
1:05:22 Doug has printed cards he uses for handwritten thank-you notes.
1:06:58 Kelley speaks on the whole subject of gifting. She got advice—don’t give holiday gifts. They get lost in the shuffle and you’ll be expected to give every year. There’s a difference between promotional and gifting. There’s a place for both. Think before you “gift.” Keep the two distinct. They’re for different purposes.
1:08:02 Q What’s a branding post? A Branding post is about a show you like that shows your interest. If you do this enough, you’ll be known for that brand.
1:09:57 George asks John Melley if he has a “silver bullet” for marketing…but he’s gone…
1:10:26 Q If you have a website, can you buy additional domain names for the same site? A: Doug—talk to an SEO person. Yes, you can buy domain names and point them to an existing site. You can’t have multiple names for one site. You can also put content on those additional sites. You can link to your main site.
1:12:05 Dan comments that someone owns voiceactor.com, but won’t respond. There are people who buy domain names and sell them. George said he had multiple names and it became too hard to meld them into a brand.
1:13:52 Kelley adds that if you have a common name, you may also want to buy that domain, too. If your name is googled, you want YOU to come up.
1:14:25 Debbie was told multiple pages, with each “optimized” can increase your SEO. Paul says the more pages you have, the more opportunity for SEO.
1:15:28 Anne says there’s power to advertising yourself as a regional talent. A couple of local terms can help you.
1:16:41 Q: With social media and online marketing. Is snail mail a good marketing tool? A: Anne says there is a place for them. Anne sends New Year’s cards.
1:17:45 Dan sends his biggest clients fruit baskets.
1:18:14 Debbie says the key thing is touching your clients in a variety of ways and consistently. Find ways that put a personal spin on it.
1:19:47 Doug — be aware of your market. If no one else is sending cards, do it. If all the VO talent is doing it, don’t.
1:20:37 Dan asks for everyone to give one final point, plus a link of their choice.
1:21:02 Anne: Be authentic, be yourself. Go to http://anneganguzza.com/ or http://vopeeps.com/
1:21:14 Debbie: Be consistent. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Be authentic. Make it a relational business. See http://www.debbiegrattan.com/
1:22:07 Kelley: make sure everyone you know knows what you do in a non-cheesy way. Make sure your parents, neighbors and so on. Her site: http://www.kbvoiceovers.com/ (soon to be new and improved) and on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/kbvoiceovers?ref=br_tf
1:24:27 Doug. Do everything you can to create your own opportunities. Be so good at what you do so they can’t ignore you. “You can’t work for those you want to work for but don’t any less than you already do.” His sites: http://voiceovertalent.com/ and http://unnouncer.com/
1:25:52 Group hug.
1:26:12 Thanks to donors.
1:26:37 R.I.P. Casey Kasem.
1:28:02 Clickers! Get your EWABS clicker—green, red, purple, and more. Next guest: Unknown!
1:28:57 Thanks to sponsors. Harlan Hogan http://voiceoveressentials.com/, Voice-Over Xtra http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/, and Edge Studio http://www.edgestudio.com/
1:29:43 Audio-only is on iTunes thanks to Lee Pinney.
1:30:29 Thanks to producer Kathy Curriden and others.
1:31:10 End of show.
Tuesday Jun 10, 2014
Tuesday Jun 10, 2014
Streamed live on Jun 9, 2014Show LogEpisode 146, June 9, 2014Guest: Kristen Thorne, Edge Studio Director of ProductionGeorge talks about using iPads and Android tablets for recordingDan’s Tip of the Week will be about audio quality in the personal, professional studio0:00:00 The show starts right from the top. Technical problem: can’t run the spots as usual. George is in NYC at Edge Studio.0:03:14 Dan rants on bad audio. He and George have heard a lot of bad audio lately. Dan reviews the basics: 0:04:15 Acoustics. If they aren’t right, your gear can’t fix it. There has to be minimal observable room reaction. Many don’t hear room reflection. 0:05:40 Base reflex. This comes from being in too small a room or under a shelf. Never mind “sound proofing.” Go into your closet and make it acoustically neutral.0:07:20 Mic technique. Dan has heard a lot of exploding p’s. The mic should be above, the copy below. Some get too close to their mics. You should be 7-12 inches away from your mic (the hang-10 finger routine). Headphone leakage, buzzing, noise floor are all issues Dan is hearing. Dan has a dropbox athttp://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/ 0:10:02 George has a sound check service, too, athttp://vostudiotech.com/dropbox/ Note: he’s behind by several weeks because of his workload. Both services are free. 0:10:57 Starting July 1, World Voice Over will start certifying personal studio audio for members. 0:11:41 Dan still has Studio Suit, a sound damping treatment. (See EWABS Episode 103 (July 28, 2013) starting at about minute forty-one where Dan sets up a booth with PVC pipe and Studio Suit. EWABS Ep.103 July 28th, 2013 On the Road with VOPeeps! Guest: Scott Rummell).0:14:00 Technical issues intervene.0:19:22 George talks about how to use iPad for audio. (See also Whittam’s World Episode 27 at Edge Studio's Whittam's World - Episode 27 "Recording / Editing on iPads") The iPad is a decent computer, capable of producing good audio.0:20:30 George talks the Apogee One microphone for iPad. http://www.apogeedigital.com/products/one It’s an interface and has a built-in mic. 0:22:18 Question: what about tablets? Non iOS like Android, don’t have standard hardware, so you can’t guarantee how it will interact with USB devices like microphones. 0:23:23 George talks about the “USB Dual Pre” by Art that he’s had success using it on an Android phone. http://artproaudio.com/discontinued_products/discontinued_products/product/usb_dual_pre/ Make sure any tablets you’re thinking about getting have a “USB on-the-go” functionality and cable. The software on Android isn’t as simple and easy to use as Apple products at this point.0:24:21 TwistedWave on iPad is easy. Dan weighs in about how that works. 0:25:45 Question: can you run SourceConnect on the iPad? Not yet, but it’s in the works. 0:26:10 A less expensive mic for the iPad is the iTrack Solo. http://us.focusrite.com/ipad-audio-interfaces-usb-audio-interfaces/itrack-solo It just needs to be plugged into USB “bus power” (AKA a USB battery). George shows an example.0:26:59 George says iOS8 will have some great new features that allow file sharing that will give DropBox a run for their money.0:27:35 George goes to find the guest for tonight. Dan explains that YouStream didn’t cooperate and they had to use Google Hangout to bring us the show. He tells horror stories about radio remotes. 0:28:45 Kristen Thorne joins the show. 0:29:20 Dan begins interview. Kristen tells her background in VO. After falling asleep in studios, she decided she’s a producer. 0:31:40 Dan asks Kristen what goes on at Edge Studio. http://www.edgestudio.com/She explains. It’s everything from audiobooks to animation to corporate work. 0:33:00 Her main focus is bringing in new clients and helping them plan productions. 0:34:42 Question: what are some of your favorite projects and VO actors. Kristen discusses.0:35:45 As a casting director, she’s looking for professional, reliable voice actors. 0:36:30 George mentions that Edge hires who they train. George Orlando is an example. NYC has a thriving studio scene. Edge is a stone’s throw from Times Square. 0:38:33 Dan asks about Edge’s classes. The program includes webinars. 0:40:30 Dan asked about coaches at Edge. Kristen lists several.0:41:12 Question: are you using ipDTL and other remote capability? Mostly they use SourceConnect. There are some growing pains which is why George is there this week.0:42:48 Question: what is the n umber one thing a talent must have to work with Edge? Answer: Great demo gets you in the door. Location is next. Are you close to an Edge facility or does your personal studio produce professional quality. 0:44:25 Question: do you come west to teach? Answer is yes. 0:45:20 Question: Can I record my demo at Fairfield, Conn., Edge studio or do I have to come to NYC? George and Kristen talk about if remote recording demos is possible. George says that Edge will eventually have a SourceConnectNow link to allow talent to provide audio.0:48:35 Can you record auditions at Edge? Yes, it’s billed at 15-min. increments and you can hire a booth director. They offer “checkup” sessions for $27 where you can have Edge listen to your audition. 0:50:18 How often do you hire Edge students from the “Fresh Voices” library? Clients hire, Edge just submits from their talent roster. Kristen describes the process.0:52:05 Can you recommend someone in L.A. for demos? Noelle Romano is the Edge go-to-coach for in-studio production in L.A. (You can see her in EWABS Episode 142—May 5, 2014—EWABS Ep 142 May 5th, 2014 with Noelle Romano, voice coach)0:53:20 Is there an Edge Studio in the South? They have some relationships in Atlanta, but nothing definite yet. George talked about commercial studio quality sometimes being poor compared to personal studios. 0:55:40 George now attempts a tour of Edge Studio’s facility via MacBook Air.0:57:09 Client’s eye view in Studio B. 0:57:45 Studio B booth. 0:58:20 Ceiling acoustical treatments.0:58:30 Wall thickness!0:59:30 Studio E.1:00:06 Studio C, where the phone patch lives.1:00:37 Kristen talks about the “scream test” to test the isolation of each booth.1:02:41 Elevators and reception area.1:02:05 The Tech Closet!1:02:25 Dolby certified room for production.1:02:50 Foley pits and the mixing production area. 1:04:09 The view of 45th Street.1:04:50 Back off and the edge of the wifi coverage.1:06:00 George describes the coming week and the Promax convention. http://promaxbda.org/events/current-events/promaxbda-the-conference-20141:07:41 The next show will be from Florida and will be a roundtable on marketing. 1:08:40 EWABS Clickers! The supply is dwindling. Order now! Coming soon: a shirt.1:10:39 EWABS Essentials coming online: great moments from past shows. 1:11:20 Thanks to Edge Studio and to support staff.1:13:03 End of the show.
Thursday Jun 05, 2014
Thursday Jun 05, 2014
Show Log
Episode 145, June 2, 2014
Guest: Joe Loesch
George will give tips about your work flow and efficiency
Dan’s Tip of the Week will be about using the EWABS clicker
0:02:06 The show begins and they succumb to “chit chat.”
0:03:40 George talks about your equipment—is it still costing you money? Pro Tools is the example. People stick with what they have because they paid for it and spent 3 years making it work…only they’re using it poorly! Is there a point when you need to revamp and work more efficiently. Your equipment and products might be perfectly good; but how productive are you? In ProTools, some folks “bounce” their audio in real time, for example. A fast workflow is key in this business. Sometimes a little training can improve your workflow.
0:07:28 Also, people end up settling on mic’s that can be the most expensive. Sometimes the least expensive mic can be the best for your voice. Why keep 4-5 extra microphones? Hold a “shoot out” of your mic and keep the best two.
0:09:18 Another way you’re wasting your money is by sending out lousy sounding auditions. Raw files aren’t good enough anymore. Send auditions in at the quality of the final product. Some processing is needed. Your “RMS” or volume should not be lower than the rest. Louder things can be perceived as better.
0:11:28 One more thing: losing out on jobs on sound quality problems you aren’t aware of! Pervasive sounds you may not notice will cost you work. So, look for an objective review of your sound.
0:12:50 Dan joins in the discussion. Hissing and hums mean your audition won’t make it past the slate. Expensive equipment that you don’t know how to use will just show how much you don’t know. Juan Carlos Bagnall said he judges equipment and recording quality in the first few seconds.
0:14:50 Break
0:16:52 They’re back. Dan has lots of Studio Suit! Come on down.
0:18:16 Audio question from Trevor Jones. He wants more toys. Is there any point to aspiring to better gear? He’d also like to get out of the closet into a booth. Will his sound get better? Should he sell his Sony 75-6’s to an unsuspecting victim?
0:20:30 Dan on aspiring to more expensive equipment. Get good stuff, learn how to use it, but the higher the quality of the equipment the more the quality of your recording space is important.
0:21:15 Does moving to a bigger space improve quality? George thinks anything smaller than 5’ x 8’ if it’s tuned acoustically, it makes no difference. You can get better quality in a larger room.
0:22:36 About headphones—absolutely a personal preference. If you like the sound of your headphones, go for it.
0:23:25 Tip of the Week—the EWABS clickers, a step beyond.
0:23:58 It begins. We all make mistakes, so be good at editing. Use sound codes, like a clicker, to mark your waveform.
0:24:50 One way is with a mouth pop. Another a beep you make, and a third is your clicker. Each can mean a different problem.
0:25:32 Dan records and shows how it’s done.
0:26:41 He can now edit visually. Dan uses the clicker to show the start of a slide, followed by the slide number. He then pastes over a copied piece of audio file with a marker, with the required time for the start and end of each slide. Dan uses pop sounds for mistakes and then more quickly delete the mistakes. He demonstrates. Dan names the markers as required.
0:29:25 You create a code for yourself to speed up your process.
0:30:38 Break
0:32:24 They’re back with Joe Loesch, producer and voice actor.
0:33:05 Joe recounts how he got into the biz starting in the 70s. Robert Redford inspired him. Joe’s career spans the days from tape editing to now.
0:37:00 Luck favors the prepared.
0:37:30 Joe now teaches in Nashville. He also teaches “Booth Camp” for John Florian’s “Voice-Over Xtra.”
0:38:56 Dan asks Joe his view of how the business has changed in the last 30 years.
0:41:37 Joe has written stories and other books for kids.
0:42:50 Joe has expertise in demos. He talks about how he got into making demos.
0:45:20 Dan asks what goes into making a demo. Joe says a lot of training. In this market your demo is your calling card.
0:47:07 Dan comments that you shouldn’t do a demo before you’re really ready. Joe advises taking baby steps. Hone your skills. He wants to hear confidence; it’s everything.
0:48:22 A Harlan Hogan break. Hear the VO: 1-A vs the Sennheiser 416, ElectroVoice RE20, and the Neumann U87: http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/vo-1a-voiceover-microphone.htm
0:51:00 They’re back for a quick tour of Joe Loesch’s studio. He describes the sound deadening in his space.
0:53:15 George asks Joe how his air system works. Joe describes it. He coils the flexible duct so that the air arrives silently.
0:54:13 JS Gilbert asks what the biggest challenge is now in VO compared to 10 years ago. Joe is just enjoying life.
0:55:29 Steve Tardio asks about Joe doing animation in Nashville, not L.A.? He tells the story.
0:56:06 Is most of your work from local connections, LA or NYC or elsewhere? Joe has a lot of friends in the business. He gets work through word-of-mouth.
0:57:18 Would you advice acting lessons for animation? Joe replied, “Absolutely,” and goes on to explain. Improv is great for voice actors.
0:58:11 Do you coach over Skype and what genres do you teach?
0:58:58 What percentage of time do you spend preparing compared to other audiobook tasks? Joe figures it should be 3:1.
0:59:34 To slate or not to slate? Joe always slates.
1:00:10 Do you use ISDN? Joe sees it going away. He doesn’t use it or need it.
1:01:00 George asks Joe as producer if he likes live sessions or for the talent to just send a file. Joe like getting the file. Dan says that makes making your auditions ready for use, to show the quality of your recording.
1:02:02 What do you to warm up? Joe uses tongue twisters. “She stood in the doorway of Burgess’s Fish Store Shop inexplicably mimicking him and welcoming him in.”
1:04:49 When you send a demo to an ad agency or production house, should you include extra material or just a short note? Joe says short note—no bio, no headshot. What matters is your demo. Don’t ask them to look at more stuff.
1:03:38 What mic do you use: Neumann U87 in the booth and an Avlex 79 outside the studio.
1:05:05 George asks about his advocacy of slightly produced auditions, and what Joe thinks about that? All Joe does in normalize because time is of the essence with auditions.
1:06:42 George asks if Joe does any front-end processing. He uses MBox and wants to look at FocusRite.
1:07:30 Joe asks if George and Dan will be at Voice2014 in August in Anaheim. Yes, both.
1:08:56 How does Joe avoid the “sore throat syndrome.” He works out and washes his hands.
1:09:23 What do you recommend for mouth noise and clicks? Lubricate, drink water. Eat green apple and chew thoroughly before swallowing.
1:10:54 Joe says goodbye and they take a break.
1:11:51 They’re back. Joe’s Route 66 Band will be in Kingman, Arizona, in August. See route66kingmanfestival.com
1:13:10 Announcements. Donate to the show, it’s not free to produce! Thanks to the donors.
1:14:45 George will be in New York City and do the show next week from Edge Studio. He’s got time Thursday and Friday next week for NYC-area VO help. He’ll be visiting at the PROMAX convention.
1:16:12 Next week’s guests: Debra Deyan and Colleen Marlow from the Deyan Institute http://www.deyaninstitute.com/home.html
1:16:29 June 16: George will be in Florida at Doug Turkel’s place, doing the show and helping host a “Marketing Masters Roundtable.”
1:18:20 Thanks to the sponsors.
1:18:39 Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter at EWABS_Show. Watch on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/ewabsshow
1:19:04 Closing remarks. Thanks to wives, Katherine Curriden, Anthony Gettig in the chatroom, Jack de Golia with show notes, Tim McKean for his work on EWABS Essentials, Lee Pinney for the podcasts.
1:20:30 Dan plinks a few notes on his ukelele.
1:21:31 End of show.
Tuesday May 20, 2014
Tuesday May 20, 2014
Published on May 19, 2014Guests: Paul Strikwerda, VO and author of “Making Money in your PJ’s”George on audio processingDan on the best mic for VO0:02:30 Next week: no show. George tells about his head wound. 0:03:14 Dan shares the mustache gifts he gets and a non-mustache gift he got.0:05:07 Thanking the sponsors! Harlan Hogan, John Florian at Voiceover Xtra, and Edge Studio.0:05:43 Dan’s Tip of the Week—what microphone is “best” for VO? Which ones aren’t good? Among those: SM57—good for guitar amps and snare drumheads, not live VO. You don’t sound real talking half an inch from someone’s eardrum.0:07:32 The RE20 is great for radio, but not the best for VO. We take a side trip into Dan’s radio history. 0:09:08 Tip of the Week: In your personal studio, the less optimum a mic you need to use. Without a professional booth, don’t spend a lot of money on a mic. A mic between $200 and $350 will work if you use it right, it will capture YOU.0:10:05 Dan shows his mice-TLM 103. It’s extremely sensitive and not so good for noisy days. And it’s $1000-E100S. Great mic. Not expensive.-Harlan Hogan’s VO1A. Good price and good sound.-Sennheisser 416 shotgun mic. Anyone of along with the Perception Series, will fill the bill.0:12:28 While any mic can fill the bill, you have to know how to use it and interpret copy. Our job is present our voices to potential clients in the way they want to hear them. 0:13:26 George joins the discussion. It’s the mic you already have (unless you have a bad sounding or broken mic). Nobody will know what mic you use. Nobody needs to see where or how the sausage is made. Keep your audio chain simple. Don’t overthink it.0:15:15 End of rant.0:16:04 Break0:17:42 They’re back. Dan has Studio Suit in the basement. Buy it so Dan can clear the extra bed he needs in June when it mom visits. 0:19:07 George’s “Whittam’s World Episode 18” on audio processing. George describes applying processing filters.0:28:19 George is back. 0:28:59 Break0:30:20 They’re back with Paul Strikwerda. Paul tells about his journey in writing books on voice-over. Paul’s website: http://www.nethervoice.com/Paul appeared on EWABS in Episode 30 (Dec. 4, 2011; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lty2kDbnpFA) and Episode 58 (July 29, 2012; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gUjQrchEj8)0:36:30 Paul wanted something with staying power. He wondered if he should write about being a freelancer or being a VO actor. 0:39:00 He wanted a book about how to be a professional not just for VO actors only, but for all freelancers. 0:39:40 Dan comments that people don’t know what it means to be an entrepreneur anymore. Paul replies that people know a lot about their art, but not about being in business and marketing yourself.0:41:40 Dan asks Paul what makes his book different. Paul has developed his writing style from 4 years of blog work. He’s found it isn’t effective to tell people what to do. But, if they hear stories about other people, that’s more digestible. 0:43:34 Dan asks Paul for a sample reading. Paul also shows his colored computer glasses. 0:44:50 Paul reads a story from the book about the “Most Obnoxious Man in Voice-Over.” 0:47:10 Paul ends the great story and discussion ensues. 0:48:56 Dan asks where can you can get the book. It’s available for download devices, Amazon, and from http://makingmoneyinyourpjs.com/ 0:49:28 Paul has a contest. Buy the book in the next 3 weeks, take a photo of themselves with the book, and send it to Paul to win some prizes, including getting interviewed for Paul’s blog.0:50:00 George asks when the audiobook version will be available. Paul thinks in about a month.0:51:15 VO is hot right now, and this book gives insights into that. Some people are reading the book together including people in other fields.0:54:24 George asks Paul how he learned an American English accent.0:56:16 Harlan Hogan commercial.0:58:20 Back with Paul. How do you say his name?0:59:14 Dan asks Paul about his blog 7-8 months ago about pay-to-play sites. Paul has tried them all and now has said good bye to them all, including Bodalgo. He thinks they have cheapened the industry. We’ve traded convenience for low pay and low quality. He can’t price for profit at the pay-to-plays. They’re for the hobbyist. You have to do a lot more for a lot less. There are good things about them too. 1:03:50 Paul wrote a blog post, “Leaving voices.Com.” He plays bad auditions he heard on just one day. George talks about how so many people don’t get additional coaching. 1:05:40 Paul comments that there’s so much information online. Ignorance is no excuse. 1:06:41 Dan thinks the whole business is going through a major shift in the next year or two. Paul talks about crowdsourcing and how he used it to design his book cover. Paul said if pay was better and quality control was better.1:08:41 Dan asks about Paul’s new studio. Paul describes it. He wrote a book, “Building a Booth on a Budget,” available only on his site. Paul won his mic at http://recordinghacks.com/ He goes on to talk about his gear.1:11:57 George shows an example of Paul’s new interface, the Audient ID 22. http://audient.com/products/id22 Paul talks about his use of the interface, and his previous preamps.1:14:50 Questions from the audience: Where are your main customers in the U.S., Europe or both?A: Sixty percent are in Europe, 30-40 pct in the US. He also has clients in Egypt and Oman.He gets up early!1:16:04 Q: What do you think of crowd sourcing at VoiceBank.com. A: Paul wishes it were different. He’d rather get work through an agent, like Eric Shepard, to get his top five. Sorting through the 100 auditions crowdsourced is a waste of time, Paul says.1:18:43 Break1:19:28 They’re back. 1:19:48 Announcements: Dan asks George what’s up with Joe Cipriano is doing with BSW. Joe is working on a way to get more 416s in people’s hands. You get a Sennheisser 416 and Joe’s book, “Living on Air,” for $799. See more at: http://alturl.com/urpgc Buy from BSW and use promo code: Livingonair.1:22:14 Thanks to the donors. To donate go to http://www.ewabs.net/ and click on the DONATE button, in the upper left of the screen.1:23:10 George is on a “Twitter-chat” on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Pacific, 8 p.m. Eastern. Tweet with the hashtag, #ACX, to ask a question or @VOSTUDIOTECH.COM. 1:24:20 There’s a YouTube Channel for EWABS. https://www.youtube.com/user/ewabsshow where you can see all 144 episodes!1:25:00 EWABS Essentials—a pile of short tidbits from EWABS. 1:25:50 No show next week for Memorial Day. The chat room will still be there.1:26:28 On June 9, Debra Deyan and Colleen Marlow from the Deyan Institute http://www.deyaninstitute.com/home.html . They offer classes for audiobook narration.There are marketing and demo demolition roundtables in the works, too.1:27:37 Thanks to sponsors. LIKE us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter at EWABS_SHOW. Like the YouTube videos. Thanks to the wives and support staff.
1:30:42 End of show.
Monday May 19, 2014
Monday May 19, 2014
Episode 143, May 12, 2014
Guests: Harlan Hogan of Voiceover Essentials and David McRell of CEntrance, introducing MixerFace.
George on the role of webcams in home studios.
Dan on what you call your “home studio.”
0:02:18 Opening of the show with Dan and George.
0:04:38 George talks about using webcams in your own studio to go back to face-to-face contact. Why aren’t we using video more? George urges to use your webcams and Skype to improve the connection you have with clients.
0:08:13 Dan weighs in on the topic. Sometimes bandwidth issues interfere. He uses his iPhone or iPad to do the video. Clients watch him, but he doesn’t watch them. Dan and George talk about whether it’s a distraction. George proposes we explore the idea.
0:11:52 Break
0:13:09 They’re back.
0:13:39 Dan talks about Studio Suit. People are raving! http://www.vostudiosuit.com/
Studio Suit comes in 8’x5’ pieces.
0:15:45 Tip of the Week: At WoVOCon the idea came up of not using the term “home studio.” Dan thinks we should change the name of “home studio” to “personal VO studios” for client consumption. No one needs to see how the sausage gets made! He lists pros and cons of studios at home. The only thing that matters is how does your audio sound. PPVOS: A personal, professional voice-over studio.
0:19:01 Back to the show. Dan continues the discussion. “Home studio” has a negative connotation.
0:20:54 Dan shows two business cards—two VO actors, but identically designed cards from Vista Print.
0:21:23 George likes the idea of losing the word “home” from a branding standpoint. Then he asks about how “professional” gets overused.
0:22:40 Dan and George fields a question about TwistedWave vs. ProTools. A TW user has created a keyboard shortcut for inserting silence to “punch and roll,” and the question was is that possible in ProTools. George wasn’t aware of one but suspects that a ProTools user out there has created something.
0:26:14 Break
0:27:49 They’re back with the guests, David and Harlan.
0:28:42 Dan asks Harlan how Voiceover Essentials got started. Harlan tells the history. It started with Porta-Booth. He stumbled into the idea and posted it on the web. Then somebody suggested making and selling them. After the first 1500 it occurred him that there was no VO source. It was a complete accident.
0:32:59 Harlan tells about how the business grew once he got set up at Amazon. http://voiceoveressentials.com/ He goes on to tell stories about his stopwatch and his book which looks at the days when VO actors and engineers all knew each other through studio work. http://alturl.com/t7x6x The second edition comes out in July.
0:40:00 Q: What does HH think of all the crowd sourcing of auditions? A: It sucks! It does speak to the difference between auditioning and building a business. That means going out and finding work. Pay-to-plays don’t build a business.
0:42:40 David McRell joins the discussion. He’s a development engineer at CEntrance. There are four MixerFaces in existence. It’s a portable solution for recording with iPhone, iPod, and iPad. http://centrance.com/products/mixerface/
0:47.53 David explains the limiter function to prevent clipping your audio when you get too loud. George says the limiter makes this product unique. Set it and forget it.
0:49:48 George talks about how difficult self-engineering is when you’re performing.
0:51:01 David shows the size of the MixerFace compared to an iPod Touch. It’s the same size as the iPhone5 generation.
0:52:00 George asks if it’s compatible with other devices, too. Yes, if you have a USB Audio Recorder Pro. Check your Android phone specs. If it has “USB Host” capability, then Android will work.
0:53:41 George asks what controls the MixerFace has. David shows controls. It can handle ISDN input.
0:55:35 Dan asks if you can plug it in or if runs off its own battery. You can charge both the MixerFace and your iPhone or iPad when you plug it in.
0:57:30 Available in July but probably August will be the earliest David said they will be able to ship MixerFace.
0:58:50 Q: Is the battery replaceable? A: The battery will last about seven hours.
Q: What about over the long term? A: It’s not super high powered so they expect the battery will last two years.
1:00:49 Break
1:01:29 They’re back. Harlan voices his own ad.
1:03:11 Harlan says email terry.lee@voiceoveressentials.com if you’d like to order a MixerFace when they’re available. When the device is actually going to be available, they’ll contact you. No obligation. Harlan then talks about how you could use the MixerFace to serve as a phone patch and mixing board. True phone patches allow you to play back audio for clients to hear during sessions.
1:08:24 Harlan talks about new items at Voiceover Essentials: Decoupling speaker foam (“speaker shock mounts”). They “decouple” your speaker from the shelf. http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/shock-mount-speaker-stand.htm
0:13:13 Harlan talks about a shotgun mic shock mount.
1:14:10 Harlan shows his find, a 2 oz. shotgun mic shock mount for a 416. Cost $29.99. http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/shotgun-shock-mount.htm
1:17:15 Harlan shows his adjustable mic stand. http://voiceoveressentials.com/Harlan-Hogan-Universal-Desktop-Microphone-Stand/M/B009W3B2FI.htm
1:17:59 Dan shows a new use for the “Adjustable Boom Stop.” http://voiceoveressentials.com/content/abs.htm
1:18:15 George points to NO on his t-shirt.
1:18:50 Audio starts breaking up and goes dead for the rest of the show. Sorry.
1:22:36 End of show.
Tuesday May 06, 2014
Tuesday May 06, 2014
Show Log
Episode 142, May 5, 2014
Guest: Noelle Romano, voice coach from Edge Studio
George presents a “Whittam’s World” on pre-fab vs. DIY isolation booths
Dan talks about World Voice Over (WoVO) membership
0:04:40 Dan talks about WoVO Con One, the first conference of World Voice-Over. One of the best he’s been to. It began two years ago, as an industry organization for voice-over. Coming up: resources and people so WoVO can be the “voice of the people who speak for a living,” all over the world. There’s now a plan for a special website to promote members’ work. Join WoVO to help make the industry better for everyone. To learn more go to: http://www.worldvo.org/ The meeting was very productive. There was a demo of all three online ISDN replacements. People worked together.
0:11:04 George asked what it takes to join. You have to be a working professional. It’s a member-driven organization.
0:14:32 Break
0:16:47 They’re back. The latest with Studio Suit: Dan has a bunch and will ship! Hang it up and it works. http://www.vostudiosuit.com/
0:17:25 George’s “Whittam’s World” (Episode 22) on isolation booths: build your own or pre fab? The “usual suspects” in pre-fab are similar and start at $4000.
1) George suggests consider looking at resale value if you may have to move soon.
2) Did you consider buying a used booth? Not so hard in L.A., but elsewhere it might be harder. Used booths can cost $3000 and hold their value pretty well.
3) Do you have time to build a booth? Are you missing work without the booth? The do it yourself booths take a lot of time to put together, far longer than you might expect.
4) How good are you at building? Do you have skilled friends? Dawbox plans aren’t the best and depend on your skills in building.
5) Acoustical treatments—all these need more than what they come with. They need denim panels (http://www.atsacoustics.com/) or other material. Some booths have pre attached foam that you need to work around. NONE have adequate acoustical treatment out of the box.
Send questions for “Whittam’s World” to George at whittamsworld@edgestudio.com. For one-on-one consulting, go to http://vostudiotech.com/ The video ended at 0:26:49.
0:26:50 George continues discussing the topic. George talks about Scott Peterson of L.A. (on Facebook) who makes collapsable, custom booths. https://www.facebook.com/scottsvobooths. Not available out of L.A. area. He cautions: often, the better the isolation, the worse the acoustics. It takes effort to make it all work.
0:29:19 Break
0:30:45 They’re back, with a rant about looping software.
0:31:16 Noelle comes on. She introduces herself and how she got into VO.
0:35:45 She specializes in coaching children!
0:38:40 George asks what if he brought Ella in.
0:40:30 What does it mean for a kid to be “competitive”? It comes down to how well a kid can take direction and how consistent are they? Are they enjoying it? Are they understanding it?
0:44:37 How important is it for a kid to have an agent? It’s important for getting access to bigger brands and clients. Otherwise, it would be a big workload for the parent. It’s up to the parent.
0:46:30 George asked about successful kids. Noelle tells of a mom who made sure her daughter got lessons as well as work.
0:49:50 Live spot for Edge Studios.
0:51:01 George talks about his month-long special on TwistedWave effect stacks for $37.50. Coupon code: TWStackMay14.
0:51:53 Q: Do you teach Skype sessions, Noelle? A: Yes!
0:52:25 Q: What percentage of work is going to actual kids compared to adults doing kids? A: It depends on the style of the show. In the pre-school world, it’s more likely to be a kid. For ages 7-14 and above, it tends to be adults doing kid voices. A problem with kid voices is that the kids grow up and their voices change!
0:54:43 Q: Does child acting work translate to adolescent and adult work? A: Noelle said it does, it can.
0:55:45 Q: Do you advocate a rounded acting education? A: Most of her kid clients are doing that. It comes down to the kid.
0:57:27 Q: Should you (the adult VO actor) choose a coach who is close to your own vocal style? A: Noelle thinks that can help, while not totally necessary. See her at NoRoVO.com. She advocates trying a lot of different teachers to cover a variety of learning styles.
0:58:40 Q: Is there work for kids not in L.A.? A: For kids, you typically want them in the room. You might, here and there, do an ISDN session once work is booked. The bulk of L.A. work is in person. Dan adds: NEVER direct your own kids! They can get surly.
1:00:03 Q: How much do you seek talent via auditions from agents or pay-to-play sites? A: Noelle has seen roles go to new talent, when the tried and true talent a studio is used to doesn’t meet the need. The animation world in L.A. is a tough bubble to pop. Competition is intense. Producers love to have choices, assuming the talent isn’t a celebrity.
1:02:50 Break
1:04:19 Dan is back with echo. Next week’s guest is HARLAN HOGAN!
1:05:00 Go over to Voiceover Essentials, http://voiceoveressentials.com/, for the best collection of VO gear. Harlan will have a preview of a new mixer next week, including the mixer’s makers.
1:07:30 Dan on travel fatigue.
1:08:30 Thanks to the sustaining donors.
1:09:29 EWABS t-shirt. George made the mistake of asking about the design.
1:09:55 T SPRING coming: the shirt will be for sale for a limited time and quantity. The proceeds will let George build a Windows computer for the show. Stay tuned for news on the shirt.
1:11:20 Q: Is the show streamed over YouTube Live? A: That’s something the new computer will be able to do once we add some horse power in the graphics card.
1:12:50 If anyone can help create EWABS Essentials segments, George would train.
1:13:55 Show notes are “hot clickable” in YouTube.
1:14:26 Next week, Harlan; May 19: The Elusive Doug Terkel and a marketing for VO roundtable. May 26: Dark, no show.
1:15:13 In June, two audiobook producers, Debra Deyan and Colleen Marlow from the Deyan Institute http://www.deyaninstitute.com/home.html who offer classes, will be guests.
1:15:29 Thanks to sponsors, Harlan Hogan, Voice-Over Xtra, Edge Studios and Home Voice Over Studio (Dan) http://www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/. George is way behind, so feel free to drop your audio sample into Dan’s “specimen cup.”
1:17:15 Thanks to support staff and wives, and Anthony Gettig for chat room herding, and Lee Pinney for the podcast work.
1:19:21 End of show
Voice Over Body Shop Podcast
The entire voice over and voice acting community knows, when it comes to creating and maintaining a “personal professional voice over studio,” the place to get the proper information on how to do it right is the Voice Over Body Shop. Dan Lenard and George Whittam make it easy and fun and, hopefully prevent thousands of dollars of mistakes and hours of mind-numbing frustration.