Thanks to my friend CourVO for sending me this.

Many actors achieve great success in this industry. Its fun, they make great cash, and they keep getting work over and over again. Then there are others who are struggling to even get one gig. After many years as a copywriter working with successful (and a few not-so-successful) voiceovers, and founder of a few online voiceover directories I’ve been studying what makes certain voiceovers successful.

The biggest way you are going to get money in this job is to get repeat business. People tend to use those they like and trust over and over again. And how do you get repeat business? Be nice.

1. Arrive 10 minutes early.
You want to make a good impression. (Especially since there?s a room full of clients/sound engineers/producers/copywriters/account directors waiting just for you.)

2. Drink up.
Have a glass of water with you when you're in the booth to keep your voice clear. Don't order a coffee at the studio, it mucks your voice up.

3. Be patient.
Remember, copywriters can be quite anal, so you will be asked to do something over and over and over again. It doesn?t mean you?re not doing a good job. It?s just the nature of the beast.

4. It?s not your ad.
Again, copywriters can be quite anal. They probably have a specific idea about what they?re looking for. All you can do is try to figure out what the fcek they mean when they say ?warm yet corporate? or ?more energy, but slow it down a bit? or something else vague. Try to be patient and not have too many ?creative differences?.

5. Make your escape.
When you're done your gig, say your goodbyes and thank you's. No need to stick around.

6. Leave a business card behind.
Give it to the copywriter or agency producer, and simply say “thanks for the gig, here's my card if you need anything”. Some companies offer to design cards for free for VO?s, as it leaves such a good impression when they leave their cards behind in studios.

7. Don?t go with a hangover.
Don't get boozed up the night before a gig. Or at least not if the gig is in the morning. Your voice will thank you for it.

8. Do your thing.
If you're doing a voice over with a few different actors in studio, don't have a bash at their lines. (Actors can also be quite anal sometimes).
Just do the lines you were asked to do.

9. Remain calm.
If you've no experience in studio – as a rule, try not to say too much or crack too many jokes. The nerves really show up then. Just put your headphones on, be friendly and do your best. As time goes by, you'll feel more relaxed in studio.

10. Make suggestions.
Its ok to make suggestions for minor script changes, for example, if something isn't reading well or sounding natural. But just test the waters. Sometimes, for a plethora of boring bureaucratic reasons,
the client can be strict about script changes, so don't push it too much.
Author:
http://www.piehole.co.uk and http://www.piehole.ie are two leading voice over websites. They are independent directories of voiceovers in UK and Ireland and are created by copywriters, for copywriters.
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NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
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Get Training and Coaching
You will need training and coaching, to learn how to use your voice. Your voice is your instrument and coaching will help you learn to play your instrument. Even if you’re blessed with a silky smooth set of pipes, you’ll need to learn how to use your voice and how to deliver as wide a range of vocal styles as possible. Can you be serious? Whimsical? Can you do accents or dialects? Character voices? Can you raise your performance to another level? The best way to get training is through other voice-over and acting professionals by taking classes, workshops and coaching sessions. Learning really never stops for a true voice-over artist. Take specific workshops on character voices, audio book, narration and even acting classes. Attend various workshops whenever you can. The more you learn, the better you’ll be. The more versatile you are, the more jobs you’ll get.

Practice, Practice, Practice
The next thing you absolutely need is practice, practice and more practice. Read out loud every day. Magazines and newspapers are a good start. You can even read road signs while you’re driving!

**Tip: Get an inexpensive recording device (micro cassette recorder, or USB microphone that plugs into your computer), so you can record yourself and play it back. You need to listen and analyze what you do well and what you need to work on. A recorder will also come in handy if you’re working on character voices. You’d hate to come up with something brilliant and then lose it forever because you can’t remember what the character sounded like! Record those voices and give them names.

Be Highly Organized
Organizational skills are important, as anyone who has worked in an office will attest. A voice-over business is just that: a business, and you need to treat it as such. Set aside space that you can use as your office. Make sure you have a phone number where you can be reached (or at least respond to messages) quickly. A computer is a must for tracking income and expenses, as well as for online communication, marketing, promotion and job hunting.

Think about Legal and Tax Considerations
For legal and tax reporting purposes you may consider starting a DBA, a sole proprietorship, an LLC or become incorporated. At the very least, and if you’re using a name other than your own, like “Super Cool Voiceovers,” you may consider registering in the town where you live. The fee is generally small, and you may learn about some useful small business resources in the process.

**Tip: Always consult an attorney and a qualified tax accountant before starting any business venture or partnership.

Have a great Demo Reel
We’re going to talk about this later in more detail, for now we’ll just say this: your demo reel is a professionally produced recording, usually on CD, that offers samples of your best voice work. It’s your calling card, your voice-over resume and one of the most critical tools for voice-over success. Don’t cut corners on producing your demo reel.

Stew Crossen - Stew Crossen is the owner of Voice Over Workshop LLC, a voice-over production firm specializing in the spoken word for Radio & TV commercials, Internet.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: acting classes, audio book, character voices, Coach, demo, dialects, mic, microphone, narration, Promo, SAG, Success, Training, vocal styles, voice over artist, Voiceover, Voiceovers

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Pam Tierney shared hers…  http://www.entertainers-secret.com

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: entertainers secret, mouth clicks, mouth noise, pam tierney

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Here are three things you can do right away.

Keep A Notebook

Jot down the day and time that you practiced and what copy or script you used such as a commercial, a narration or a character read. Make detailed notes about how your voice sounded. For example; rough, dry, wet, lower pitch, higher pitch, etc. Make notes about any areas you need to work on such as; diction, pacing or your breathing.

If you’re interested in character voice work, a notebook is an invaluable tool. When you come up with a new character voice (or new vocal attitude), give it a name and a back-story and put it in your notebook. By turning these voices into real characters it will help in your recall of them when you need them later on. Referring to “Gizmo the Sprightly Elf” is easier than “that high-pitched squeak where I talk through my nose with a lisp.”

One voice actor I know, keeps a photo or picture of every one of his character voices on his cell phone. When he needs some inspiration or help recalling a character, he can quickly look them up no matter where he is.

Build a Knowledge Base

Go online and search for voice actors, producers and casting companies. Study their web sites for content, features and demos. Bookmark the good ones and visit them often. Search for articles and news about voice overs and read up on the industry. Try to spot trends. Keep your eyes open to the various ways people use their voice to make money.

Read Books

There are lots of books written about voice-overs, and while none of them can replace face-to-face training or practical hands-on experience, many of the authors have a lot of interesting things to say about the voice-over business. There are several we like for their fascinating anecdotes, character work examples and general information about the voice over business.

Stew Crossen - Stew Crossen is the owner of Voice Over Workshop LLC, a voice-over production firm specializing in the spoken word for Radio & TV commercials, Internet.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: casting companies, character voice, character voices, character work, demo, diction, hands on experience, interesting things, narration, Script, spoken word, Training, tv commercials, Voice Actor, voice actors, voice overs, voice work

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What exactly are voice-overs?

The term comes from the world of film, when a narration was referred to in the script as “Voice Over Picture”, or VO for short. Now, voice-over can refer to any number of ways you can use your voice to get a message across.

You’ve heard about commercials, corporate narration and animation, but how about automated phone messaging, Automated Dialogue Replacement (also called “looping”), or reading for the blind? That automated message that calls you in the middle of dinner to say, “Hi, this is your credit card company calling with exciting news about your account.” Someone was paid to read that. It could be you.

Voice-overs are a dynamic and flexible industry. You don’t need a license or anyone’s permission to do it. You can do it full time, or you can get started by auditioning and working in your spare time. Either way, you’ll need dedication, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit to succeed. You’ll also need to learn to handle rejection. There are a lot of people in this business and you’ll hear a good number of “No’s” (or no answer at all) before you get that first job. You need a thick skin. Don’t take the “No’s” personally. Learn from it and move on to the next audition. With that said, there’s always room for new talent, no matter your age, sex or “voice type”.

It used to be that voice-overs was dominated by the big, booming “Voice of God” announcer style male voice, but the industry has changed. While men still have a slight edge on women in the industry, more and more women are taking on roles that have traditionally been for a “guy’s voice”. The split is estimated to be about 60-40 today. There’s also a push away from those big announcer style voices. Producers today want a more natural, conversational delivery, like a trusted friend or the girl next door. What this means is, even if you don’t have a resonant “radio voice”, there’s a place for you in the industry.

Voice-over is a who you know, not a what you know industry. Many jobs go to the voice actor who knows the producer or who is a customer of the client company. Often, getting one job creates opportunities for more jobs. It may seem unfair, but producers and clients like to work with people they know, people whom they already know will do a good job. There’s a way around this barrier, and we’ll talk about it later, but for know here’s a hint: voice-overs are about making contacts.

Voice-over is a very competitive business and there are more voice actors than there are jobs. Home recording and the wonders of the Internet have increased competition as well. On one hand, inexpensive recording equipment and online casting allow you to audition for jobs across the country or around the world. On the other hand, talent from across the country can audition for the same local jobs that you´d like to go for.

Speaking in broad terms, to get work as a voice actor you need three things…

1. An average sounding voice, with a wide range of styles.
2. Above average marketing.
3. A great demo reel.

Stew Crossen - Stew Crossen is the owner of Voice Over Workshop LLC, a voice-over production firm specializing in the spoken word for Radio & TV commercials, Internet.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: Audition, corporate narration, demo, dialogue replacement, entrepreneurial spirit, home recording, industry voice, mic, narration, radio voice, SAG, Script, talent, Voice Actor, voice of god, voice overs, voice type

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Before you attach that file and hit send… Stop and Think!
Think about File Naming Convention. File what?

Okay, you’re a Voice Actor with a great demo mp3 you need to email to a prospective client or maybe you’re a Musician with a killer song mp3 you want to email to an industry pro. Perhaps you’re an Agent with an awesome media kit in pdf format you want to email to a major venue on behalf of your artist or you might be a Photographer with a stunning photo in jpg format you want to email to a publisher.

In the business world, everyone is swamped with email and media professionals receive hundreds of emails with attachments. So, before you email an attachment to someone, take a moment and think about the File Name and how the end user will handle and manage your file once it hits their inbox.

Imagine receiving 20, 30, 40 or more different attachments every day or week and saving them all on your PC. A busy professional may not have time to review your attachment the minute it’s received, and may wait a day or even a week to listen to your mp3 or view your pdf or jpg. So, it’s very important to give your file a name that clearly identifies it. Here’s three bad examples of file attachments I received yesterday;

DS1301.jpg – Track 01.mp3 – MediaKit08.pdf

Once these attachment files end up in your inbox or a folder on your PC, could you tell who sent them and what they are? No, I didn’t think so. The folks who sent them, didn’t give much thought or consideration to File Naming Convention.

Imagine what it looks like when a busy person opens their attachment directory and your file is mixed in with 50 other poorly named files? Now, wouldn’t it be better if…

DS1301.jpg had the name BeefStewCDArt.jpg
Track 01.mp3 had the name Muffin-Top_If-Only-You-Knew.mp3
MediaKit08.pdf had the name NextAmericanIdol_MediaKit2008

Much better don’t you think? If you wrote a book, would you name it BK129? Would your name your child RS4500? No, of course you wouldn’t. So, name your attachment files exactly what they are. With proper names, files are easy to identify and manage.

So, the next time you send a file attachment, take a moment and think how the file name will look when it reaches the end user. If you want your attachment file to stand out and be recognized, give it a good name.

Stew Crossen - Stew Crossen is the owner of Voice Over Workshop LLC, a voice-over production firm specializing in the spoken word for Radio & TV commercials, Internet.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: demo, media professionals, prospective client, Voice Actor

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WC Fields is quoted as saying ‘Never work with children or animals’. While I can’t say I’ve ever worked with an animal in the voice over booth, I have worked with plenty of young voice talent and child voice actors, and usually with pretty good results. Using children for your voice overs can be very rewarding, but it does take a different approach to directing. In most cases, with a little patience and the right amount of positive reinforcement, you’ll get that cute-as-a-button take you’re after.

Make it Fun. The first key to getting great voice overs from children is to put them at ease. This is especially true for kids who have never done voice overs before, but even for seasoned pros (well, as seasoned as you can be for 7 years old). Start the session by finding out something about them, their interests, how they’re enjoying summer break, what grade they’re in, etc. – anything to take their mind off of performing. Try to make the session about having fun and not about work. Young children who do voice overs are in it because it’s fun, not because it’s their life’s obsession or because they need the money.

Avoid direction by committee. In fact, the less people involved the better. One on one coaching, preferably from someone who has built a good rapport with the child works best. A good approach is to get into the voiceover booth with the child and engage them face to face. Get the audio engineer to set levels and monitor the sound and then just hit ‘record’ and let it roll as you work with the child. Make them forget about the microphone completely and focus on what you’re saying, then you can be goofy, make them laugh, tell them stories or jokes – whatever it takes to put them at ease.

Don’t worry about in depth direction or too much back story. Kids don’t care that your target audience is women 25-34; They don’t care that your product is set to launch in Q4. Make your direction simple and relatable. If you’re looking for excitement and energy from the read, tell them to pretend like their talking about something really fun, like going to a water park, for example.

Try shorter passages. If the voice over script has long passages, try breaking it down into short chunks of copy and working on each small segment until you get what you need. By doing this, you’ll have a better chance of keeping a young child’s attention allowing them to focus on what you’re saying.

Play ‘Follow the Leader’. One of the best techniques you can use when directing small children is to have them mimic, or ‘parrot’ you as you deliver the read you want to hear. Read the line, then have your child voice talent repeat after you. Vary the read and have them follow your different inflections. Children will often listen more intently by making it a game of ‘follow the leader’, and the result is a great voice over

Be quick. Long and tedious sessions in the voice over booth are hard enough for adults, but when children are involved, you’re more likely to lose their interest if the session drags on. If you have a large amount of material to cover, consider breaking it into multiple sessions or taking breaks. Aside from short edits to make sure you have what you need, save your mixing until after your child voice actor has left the booth.

Finally, be positive. Use patience and remember to give lots of positive reinforcement to keep your young voice talent’s confidence up. Make sure your child walks out of the voice over booth feeling good about themselves and they’ll be more likely to be excited about doing it again next time.

Chris Porter is the Senior Producer at ProComm Voiceovers, a leading provider of non-union voice over talent. Chris is also an experienced voice over talent.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: audio engineer, child voice, positive reinforcement, SAG, union, voice over talent, voice overs

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Using testimonials in advertising has long been a tried and true device for creating a relatable and personal message. Hearing a story from the perspective of someone who’s ‘been there’ can be very effective, whether it’s relaying a positive customer service experience, touting how wonderful a product is, or telling a personal story about a company’s merits. If you can bring that true emotion to life you can effectively connect with your audience. However, if you miss the mark, the results can be most uninspiring. In fact, there’s nothing worse than a phony sounding testimonial commercial.

But there’s the catch. What’s the best way to deliver a ‘true’ testimonial, without sounding fake and unrealistic?

Keep It Real

One approach is to use untrained, everyday folks off the street. The thought process goes something like this:

‘We’ve got some really great feedback from our customers. We should use it in next month’s radio to show people how great our client is!’ ‘Great idea! In fact, why don’t we use real customers to voice the commercial?’

Good idea in theory. In practice, it can sometimes lead to disaster.

If you choose to go this route, you need to start with people who are honestly enthusiastic about your product or have a genuine story to tell. They must also have the personality that can convey that story in a compelling way. Often times people untrained in voice overs are chosen to read testimonials simply because they’re untrained, and the writer is looking for that ‘real’ sound. Even true customers who have a positive story to tell can end up sounding fake because they’re not prepared to have a microphone thrust in their face and a group of people hanging on their every word.

Once you find a person who you think can deliver, you’re still not home free. Next, you need to allow them to tell their own story and be prepared to craft your message around whatever comes out. Try and put words in the mouth of someone who’s never done voice overs, and you’ll end up with a commercial that sounds as dry and uninspiring as a Saltine cracker.

Go With a Pro

The alternative, of course, is to hire professional voice talent to portray your testimonial voices. This can be effective, but it’s not without its pitfalls.

Begin by casting voice actors for your script, with the emphasis on ‘actors’. Each voice talent has his or her own strengths. Some are best at announcer roles, others play great characters. For testimonials, be sure to seek out voice talent who have a knack for being regular people. It takes skill to bring a conversational, off-the-cuff style to a read, without sounding too ’sell-y’ or too ‘flat’. Cast based on the read styles you hear in their demos or auditions, not because they have a similar voice to the people they’re portraying.

Once you’ve found your voice, the next step is to let them do what they do best. Allowing a voice talent to put your copy in their own words will ultimately deliver the ‘real’ sound you’re looking for. Give the talent the emotion or feeling you’re going for, along with a framework for the copy and then let them go. Even if you’re working with testimonial copy that comes from real surveys or letters that you would prefer not to edit, if you give the talent the flexibility to add subtle interpretation to the script, the results will be that much better.

You Better Believe It

Which ever way you go about producing testimonial voice overs, make sure you step back and ask yourself ‘Do I really believe this person?’ If there’s any hesitation, you’re running the risk of creating advertising that’s easily forgettable. Tap into the emotion of a true believer and you’re on your way to connecting with your audience.

Chris Porter is the Senior Producer at ProComm Voiceovers, a leading provider of non-union voice over talent. Chris is also an experienced voice over talent.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: audition tips, Justin Kaiser, personality, testimonials, theory in practice, vocal health, Voice Actor, voice overs, Voiceover, Voiceover Mastery, VoiceoverMastery.com, Voiceovers

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Voice Exercises: The best exercise is to practice, practice and practice. In the car, the shower, wherever. Start with your regular, everyday speaking voice and read out loud. Use the newspaper, magazines, your kid’s bedtime stories or your company memos. Just read out loud to build and strengthen your natural speaking voice.

Listening: Record your voice and listen to the playback. Be honest with yourself. When you’re having trouble, admit it, work to fix it and move on. When you’re good, admit it and move on. Learn from the good and the bad, and over time the bad will go away.

Observation: Listen to other voice-overs. On the TV, the radio, in movies, on DVD’s, answering machines, automated help lines, etc. Which ones are good and which ones are bad, and why? Learn from the good ones and forget the bad ones. Observation is key. Listen to the voices around you. People you meet, talk to on the phone, or hear on TV can all be an inspiration for your own vocal styles. Even if you can’t imitate the sound of someone else’s voice, mimicking their attitude may give you some useful material. Listen to the range of voices in just one commercial break.

Writing: Good voice-over actors are often good copywriters. Start writing your own copy. Learn how to be clear and concise. The art of creating an effective message within a 30 or 60-second time frame, will help sharpen your speaking skills.

Stew Crossen - Stew Crossen is the owner of Voice Over Workshop LLC, a voice-over production firm specializing in the spoken word for Radio & TV commercials, Internet.
photo credit: vancouverfilmschool

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: actors, bedtime stories, commercial break, Creative, inspiration, record your voice, SAG, spoken word, tv commercials, vocal styles, Voiceover, VoiceoverMastery.com

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Eric Souer, Pam Tierney, Justin Kaier, Bob Souer

www.justinkaiser.com
www.creativeidentitygroup.com
www.pamtierney.com
www.bobsouer.com

Pam prepared a very nice meal of burgers, brats, corn-on-the-cob, fruit salad, tater tots and brownies which we enjoyed on her roof-top deck. Then Justin had to leave for family obligations so Pam, Eric and I walked over to the ballpark and watched the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers. All in in a truly nice day.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: bob souer, CreativeIdentityGroup.com, JustinKaiser.com, pam tierney, Voiceover, VoiceoverMastery.com

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Two hundred word :60 spots. One hundred word :30’s. Every item sold in the store listed. Bars telling you what they’re doing every night for the next week. Car dealers blasting you with prices, discounts, down payments, and a phone number to call. Cliche’s layered together to create these genetically altered phrases that should have been left to wither atop the blood agar in the petri dish.

When you write a sales message, you have a finite amount of time to work with in most cases. That means a finite word count. So shouldn’t the words “count”? Filling copy with empty phrases, bad metaphors, an arithmetic primer full of numbers, and situations no human beings have ever actually been through is a waste of that finite amount of words and time.

We’ve all seen some sort of “advertising cliche” list, but I wanted to see if anything’s changed in the last few years. I’ll go ahead and tell you that with the exception of the use of website URL’s in scripts, the same junk verbiage that’s been in copy for the last half century is still in copy. No surprise, though, right? Advertising basics are still the basics. Creation of effective sales messages still follow certain pathways into the brain, no matter the media.

I asked some colleagues what their most hated advertising bugaboo was right now. I broke it down into two categories – “phrases” and “situations”, but along the e-mail thread it got mashed up, as threads often do. I started the riot by throwing a few out that I find annoying:

PHRASES
- “Friendly, knowledgeable staff”
- “Conveniently located”
- “For all your (item) needs”
- “…your (item) headquarters”
- “And much, much more”
- “Just in time for (season/event)”
- “Like never before”
- “Lowest prices of the year/season”
- “It’s that time of year again”

SITUATIONS
- Anything involving two people talking about a product, especially if they include phone numbers
- Use of the words “everybody”, “just”, “or “only”
- Using percentages on how much “better” something is
- New AND improved. (One or the other, guys.)
- Large chemical companies trying to look “green” by using renewable energy to make toxic products.
- Chronic use of classic rock songs to appeal to boomers, especially when the song has no relevance to the product
- Ditto on alt songs to appeal to Gen-X
- Driving a car is not orgasmic. Neither is shampoo or pasta sauce.
- Women empowered to prance about in joy by products aimed at the menstrual cycle.
- Anything with Billy Mays.
- Pharmaceutical ads
- Pharmaceutical ad disclaimers
- Obvious product placement, i.e. the product brand label always faces the camera regardless of the scene.

It didn’t take long for opinions to be spoken:

Chris Coleman, Production Director at Millennium Radio Group in Atlantic City came across with “Give (person) something (person) really wants this holiday season!” He added, “As for ‘for all your (item) needs’, I don’t produce any spots with that in the copy.”

Eddie Garcia at WMTK and Chuck Matthews at ChuckMatthewsvoice.com echoed each other, saying “Don’t start a spot by asking them if they need the product. Tell them they do or will. If you offer a choice, they might say, “No”. Don’t roll those dice.” “Never say ‘we service what we sell’. Why? Is it gonna break down? Never ask a question at the start of a commercial. Don’t give the listener the opportunity to say ‘no’”. And Chuck blasted cliche’s like “The tent is up, and and prices are down”.

The Brandi threw in “Hot deals on cool wheels”, “Temperature is up so prices come down”, and “Wall street and Main street” for a few more similar word-wasters.

Big Dan Osborne, Production Director at Emmis in Indianapolis brought up a few: “We have the BEST GREATEST MOST and all the words that can be challenged by anyone with half a brain. You have until midnight tonight and once it¹s gone, it¹s gone. Then, they’re back in a month saying the same thing. We’ve got the deal of a lifetime… and anything that’s just a grocery list of items.” Situations Dan ranks as low are bogus testimonials, and ads that speak to large groups of people rather than personal one to one.

Drew Wilson at WKDZ dropped a line to add “The very best of/in…” indicating that you don’t “intensify a superlative”. Plus, “Anything that can only be ordered via an 800 number especially when the items are so valueless to begin with they have to double the offer twice before the ad is over. Call before Midnight tomorrow!”

Jeff “Powderpig” Bolt at RadioNL.com came out from behind his mic long enough to add, “Phrases like ‘best kept secret’ and ‘x-number of years experience’.” Poor writing that includes a physical address, telephone number and website URL in the same copy also will get you ejected from his office with the business end of a ski pole. Interns beware.

Jennifer Blackwell, production manager at Z93Yuma.com referred to one of my peeves with, “Well, since you are a man, you would not believe it, but I dance through fields of beautiful flowers when it’s my time of the month. Nothing says excruciating cramps like dancing while wearing an all white tennis outfit. I also hate: sellout, blowout, and basement bargains.” Interns beware, here, too.

Josh Mackey at KOGA threw in “Phrases? How about “That’s right! Only (price)!”, or “We encourage you to look into… ” or “Are you tired of (any list of disliked or uncomfortable situations/people)?” These lines step up a couple rungs when they are delivered by a client, too. He dislikes “testimonials that are scripted, most clients that choose or are persuaded to do their own ads when they really shouldn’t, and advertising agencies that get the station to produce the spot and still pocket the commission.”

Laura Lynn of Redfire Creative questioned the effectiveness of car dealerships that have a remote at the same time every Friday all year long.

Lori “Mom” Rentsch, production dominatrix in Raleigh, wrote, “My biggest pet peeve is sirens and/or screeching brakes/crash sfx! We will not air them on our station. Why would anyone want to risk the possibility that their spot or promo could actually cause an accident or at the very least, the message not get heard, because the listener turns down their radio to look around and find out where the siren is coming from?”

Mark Nelson, one half of The Cartwright Brothers, offered up one of his dislikes, “The Superhero. Person states problem. (Swooshing SFX) Who are you? I’m (insert brand name here) Man!”

The Voice Of Carrolton, Michael Vincent came up with two, but they certainly are in the top ten on anyone’s list: “Your Friends At (store), and, Your One-Stop Shop For (item)”.

Mike Lindsey, creative services director at J93 Atlanta offers a simple overall writing philosophy, “Don’t mention price or specials. Most spots should be based on provoking thought or emotion and should leave you wanting more or to know more.”

Pamela Stone, creative coordinator with MandatoryFM.com says her “most hated is “for all your (item) needs!” But also saying “they got” instead of “they have”, “mention (station) and get 10% off”, “don’t forget…”, and “that’s right….” rank as well. “For situations? Production people (bad ones) thinking they need to use every effect in one spot and then making all spots sound the same. Hard sell spots for non-hard-sell shops/services. Trying to read copy with little to no punctuation. And in those Cialis commercials, I want to know who has bathtubs at the end of a fishing dock? Why are each in a separate tub? Kinda hard to utilize your chemically enhanced sexual prowess if you’re in separate bathtubs. It just doesn’t make sense to me…”

Nor to many of us. But if it’s brand recognition the Cialis people are after, looks like they’re getting it, in spite of the “two-tub” presentation, which, to me, is more of a throwback to “I Love Lucy’s” Ricky and Lucy having separate beds … then along comes Little Ricky. Maybe they only had one shower?

Roy Cunningham is a paid-his-dues veteran hippie musician, booth announcer, music producer, ad agency guru, and purveyor of used aircraft parts. He wrote to say, “Subway’s “Five Dollar” Jingle Spot is a fantastic jingle ruined by yammering ‘contemporary’ voice, then further ruined by supposed everyday people sing the jingle! I can’t stand the Dodge Ram spots with the faux cowboy tough guy types spewing macho while saying the same old automotive pitchlines. McDonald’s “McCafe” beverages spot where two Ivy league types discuss the fact that now they don’t have to pretend to be intelligent to drink foofy coffee from a drive through.”

Tommie Lee, head wordsmith at Tealsea.com and WAOR South Bend gets his britches twisted over “There’s NEVER been a better time…” He adds, “Um, yes. There has. Plenty of ‘em. Quit insulting us and making yourself look stupid. And anything involving discussion of a physical malady at the office that you wouldn’t even mention to your own mother.”

Travis McGinnis, owner of Aimstudios.net send over his own list:
- “Now is the time to buy!” (As if I’ll never had a time to buy ever again?)
- “We’d be happy to talk to you” (I would sure hope so, that’s why you’re in business, right?)
- “A free, confidential, no obligations consultation” (Just like everybody else)
- Anything involving a husband and wife. The husband is the dumb one and the wife brilliantly knows all the phone numbers, prices, specials, store location and tag line!
- Screaming car spots
- Abstract metaphors pulled from nowhere. We once had a sales rep write a script that started like this “would you pour sugar on a t-bone steak? Of course not! That would be silly! So why would you try to cut down that tree in your front yard? Instead, call XYZ Tree Services”
- “Producer” and “voice guy” spots…with the voice guy ruining every line and the producer cutting in to correct him until finally the voice guy says something off the cuff that the producer loves!
- Any ad that refers to itself as a radio ad. “we couldn’t possible tell you about all the amazing things we have to offer in this 30 second radio ad….” wow. you just used ten seconds to tell me that you don’t have enough seconds to talk.

We also had a quick offshoot-thread about the use of “www” in copy. Jay Johnson, head cheese at the company that bears his name said, “To this day I will not put “www” before any URL ever. Unless it is one of those “approved-copy” clinical test solicitation scripts. Every other script the “www” gets bounced.”

Joey Cummings, Big Kahuna at KKHJ American Samoa let us know that his experience with New Zealand based clients has them asking him to say it as “dub dub dub”.

And I’m with Jay, I drop the “WWW”. Sometimes I’ll do it as I hear on some Aussie, Canadian, and UK work – “triple-w dot…”, but most of my American clients scowl when they hear it, so I leave it off.

I got from this thread that most of us are – if not on the same page – at least working from the same playbook for most of what we write. The same old junk is still in circulation, and with the limited mount of time and words we have to work with, it behooves us to keep it out.

photo credit: Evalia England

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This is a good representation of how easy it can be to build a bass trap. A 2′X4′ frame that is made of 1×2. A 4″ peice of Rockwool insulation, fabric of your choice, and a couple of eyehooks and wire or zip-ties to hang the trap.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
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My friend John Taylor demonstrates his mad skills behind the mic and at his workstation in this video.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
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In a recent online discussion on the Yahoo Groups Voiceover Group, Frank Frederick outlined his thoughts on this guild.

There are several benefits to a “guild”. One of the first benefits of SaVOa is a step into developing a qualification process for Voice Over Talent.

SaVOa is not attempting to create “rules”, as it were; rather they are in the process of creating a way to level the playing field for talent and producers. Determining if a talent can provide the services promised is integral to a producers business.

One of my clients mentioned he listens to more than 100 demos, selects four to call for an audition, and may get one person who can deliver a good product. With SaVOa credentials, my client would see candidates whom are able to render a minimally qualified audio project at the very least.

I only represent myself in speaking on this post, not SaVOa and I feel that any way our industry can accredit talent is a good thing.

The question I would ask is: Why would a qualified and experienced talent NOT want to join the “guild”?

The idea of someone with a Barbie microphone, hanging out a shingle (a Voice 123 free web listing), and a computer being considered “professional talent” appalls me. You may have a different viewpoint and I would enjoy hearing your thoughts.

A 40 year veteran, member of AFTRA, and fairly experienced Voice Over Artist.

Frank Frederick
“The Voice” tm

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: aftra, Audition, professional talent, voice over artist, voice over talent, Voiceover, voiceover artist

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by  - Jeffrey Kafer

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: audio book, microphone, narration, networking marketing, podcast, Podiobooks, professional narrator, professional quality, Scott Brick, time marketing, unpublished writer

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A radio consultant buddy, Jim Wood from Nashville, wrote this in January of 2004… It’s still relevant and puts life into perspective

Congratulations! It’s a New Year, a New Month, and New Day. For some, getting back to our careers in the first week in January is especially difficult. After so long away from the desk, both mentally and physically, returning to work the first week after the holidays can be a difficult and unnerving challenge.

Here are a few important things to consider:

First and foremost, this is a new year. You must NOT allow it to be a continuation of 2003. If you are one of the few people who are fine with the way your life is going, then keep going but the majority of us want things to be better in 2004. We want Things at home, things at work, and things in our personal lives to all improve in 2004.

Here is a New Year Reality. Good things rarely just ‘happen’ to people. Good things usually come as result of making good decisions and setting the right priorities. While it is a little cliche, now ‘New Years’ is a good time to take inventory of your life and build a plan to take you through the coming months. There is nothing wrong with setting new and higher goals. It is admirable to make plans to improve your life. We must be prepared that your friends and associates will go out of their way to chide you for developing this ‘New Attitude’ for the New Year but that’s OK, they will be what they will be.

Those of us in broadcasting can easily fall into the same old daily routines and ruts. It is easy to just continue doing what we did last year because it is comfortable and certain things just seem to repeat themselves every day, every week and every year so why not just Go With the Flow.

I say Baloney! I say that we all need to clear out the cob webs, shake off weeks of being mostly brain dead.
Cleanse your system of the many toxic elements that you enjoyed over the holidays and Crank It Up for 2004.

Here are a few things to think about.

You will screw up your whole day if you sign and date everything as 2003 rather than 2004 and everyone will make a huge deal about it. This may not seem ‘That’ important but when you ignite the flames of motivation, it sure throws a wet blanket over everything if you mentally screw up something this simple. Make a point and repeat to everyone that you are going to make every effort to not use the wrong date this week. They may think you are crazy but it the little stuff that makes a difference.

You must make an effort, both mentally and physically to change something in your life. Take an hour clean up your desk or your home and throw something away that is there, taking up space but you can’t remember why. Trash something that you are hanging on to just because you’ve always ‘Done It That Way’ or your old aunt Sally gave it to you many years go and you are afraid she will find out.

Motivational speakers and mental health experts will tell you that you need to make some sort of outward change to kick start your new life.

Mentally, stop dragging old thoughts from 2003 around with you unless they can make 2004 a better year. We all have a tendency to hang on to past failures and mistakes. Screw Them! It’s a New Day.

Dont make New Years Resolutions unless you know you will keep them. (Boy there is a joke. I can think of almost no New Years Resolutions that I actually kept.  ‘So I have stopped making them.  Instead try making Make New Year Reality Checks.  If you need to lose weight, admit it and build a plan that will help you shed the pounds. If you want to stop smoking then design a plan that will help you achieve that goal and start working on it today. If you want to move forward in your career, move to a larger market, get out of the All Night Shift take positive action today. It is imperative while your competition is sleeping at their desk for you to move the game forward. This is a great week to do just that.

In most cases, it is OK to admit that you CAN NOT DO THIS YOURSELF. Here are a few realities that have come to me over the years.

This will be difficult. Usually we want to stop doing a bad habit or having a bad attitude that is negatively impacting our lives. It’s a fact, it is very difficult to change bad habits and it is always hard to accept the fact that we have developed a bad attitude. People do it all the time but it usually seems like an impossible task to change a bad habit especially if you don’t realize it is BAD or you can’t imagine a day without Chocolate. It is even harder to change a bad attitude because first and foremost you have to accept the fact that it is your fault that your attitude is bad.

Be honest with yourself. This fits nicely with NO#1 because we bring most of this negative stuff on ourselves. No one ties you down and forces you to eat peanut butter cookies and while your environment may contribute to your bad attitude, it is still Your attitude and if changing it will improve your life,(And it always does), then accept that fact and move on.

Avoid contact with losers and other negative people.
Hanging out with people who are ‘The cup is Half Empty’ type people and people who have even worse personal habits than yourself will not help you succeed.

In radio, I talk to dozens of people every week and most of them spend the majority of their time whining about ‘How it used to be. Fine.  Get over it because it Ain’t that way anymore. If you don’t like the new reality of radio and can’t survive and grow in this environment, then get out. Stop being miserable.

Either make it better or shut up and find a new career.

Find Opportunity in Change. We have all heard the phrase,  One Door Closes and Another Door Opens. The reason these are Old well known and well used phrases is because they hold a strong element of truth. While many of us nay not likes parts of the new direction of radio, or the music industry today, we have accepted the reality that it is what it is and we are looking for new and exciting opportunities in the world of broadcasting that will utilize our strengths and talents.

Trust me there are more opportunities right now than there have been for years. Granted they are new ideas and new challenges that will mean that WE have to change our thinking and change the way we do things.

While we sometimes have a tendency to shy away from new concepts that make us break out of our comfort zone, it is a fact that the new leaders of tomorrow embrace this change and welcome it.  It will mean personal change but the opportunities are out there!

We are all in this alone. If you are waiting for someone else to take you by the hand to the Promised Land, you’ve got another think coming. The one reality that you must accept is that there are no free rides.

We all have to think about ourselves as a business and we are all Presidents of the company. Regardless of what aspect of the business you are in, you can not rely on someone else pointing you in the direction for success. You have to take charge of your life and make it happen. Remember they are searching to find their own way, they don’t want or need to drag your butt along.

Map A Road Map for Success. Let’s face it, most people are asleep at their desk this week so this is a good chance to spend some time on your plans. You wouldn’t leave on a long trip to another city without a road map and you shouldnt start rebuilding your life and career without a written plan. I know, this can be a major pain in the butt but a written plan can be simple and straight forward or complex and detailed.

Regardless, if you start on your New Year Realities without a written plan they will go the way of the millions of New Year Resolutions that have quietly slipped away in past.

Finally, What is Wrong With Right Now. Make this your new mantra for 2004 and you will be amazed at what you achieve. Most people like to talk about what they are going to do but real leaders stop talking and start acting.

Live by ‘What’s Wrong With Right Now’ and you will see yourself taking action while others are talking. By the way, this one simple idea will drive most of your bosses and associates crazy. For some reason we all like to talk about things, meet about them and then discuss them again. Winners simply grab the ball and run.

The bottom line is that it ‘IS’ a new year, a new month and a new day. The successes and failures of
2004 will depend in part on what we do this month. We can set back and see what happens or we can step up and make things happen. There are in fact, winners and losers, leaders and followers, champions and those who forfeit the game. This is the time for you to have a private talk with yourself and ask what you want to be.

No matter what you decide, it will happen. If you choose to put in the hard work it takes to be a winner, you will be a winner. If you suck it up and make the changes that are placed before you and change the way you play the game, you will be better off at this time next year. If you choose to take the more simple ‘Wait and See’ path, you will be successful at that as well. Next year at this time you will be sitting by yourself wondering what happened to all of us how ‘got lucky’ and moved on. The tough pill is next year, as you face 2005, you will have to ask yourself what you accomplished in 2004 and it will be ‘what it is.’

Personally we are going to attack 2004 with a vengeance. We are going to find new and better ways to succeed in the radio and broadcasting industry. We are going to use our experience and creativity to kick some butt. We are going to find new innovative ways to expand the reach of Urbaninsite.com. Sure we will fail on some ideas and succeed on others.

There leaders of the highly successful Japanese Auto Manufacturers shocked the world when they announced that their success depends on the number of failures that they experience each year. They expect 20 failures for each major success. Each failure teaches them what not to do and eliminates another option. In order to succeed they expect at least 20 failures in the process. Don’t be afraid to fail.  Be afraid to not take a chance.

Happy New Year. We are sure it is going to be a great one.

photo credit: Patrick Doheny

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: Health, Success, Talents

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By Scott Brick – Voice Actor

I’m asked constantly how people can get started in the business of audiobook narration – so this is it: my advice on how to break into this industry.

The most important thing: just like with any type of voice-over work, you’re going to need a demo to send off to publishers.

For those who’ve never heard of this, a demo is just a short collection of vocal tracks, all dolled up in a pretty package to best convey the idea that YOU are the person who should be reading the next novel by Stephen King or Danielle Steele.

It’s essentially an audition in absentia, and a common tool in the voice-over community. In fact, many – if not most – aspiring VO artists already have one.

A SPECIAL DEMO

Here’s the bad news: even if you already have one, your standard VO demo won’t help you book an audiobook gig. Sorry, it just won’t.

Voice-overs are short form, whereas narrating a book is about the longest form you can get. You’re going to need an audiobook demo, specifically created to show off those long form skills.

Now you may be in denial, and thinking you might be the exception to the rule, maybe because your VO demo is so freakin’ cool that some publisher will just HAVE to listen to it and won’t care that you haven’t sent in the appropriate type.

If so, let me tell you: do not hope for this. A friend of mine who’s in a position to cast new readers all the time told me he tosses VO demos right into the trash, unopened.

No matter how cool your standard voice-over demo, it most likely won’t be heard. Trust me: go for the audiobook demo, with a unique audiobook front and back cover.

ARE YOU READY?

You might ask: “But am I ready to make an audiobook demo?”

Well, take heart: there are quality classes you can take, instructors whose opinions and guidance will be invaluable to you. I, myself, have jumped into instruction and will be available in the near future, either in LA or via video download.

Your instructor can help you with whatever challenges you face while planning or making your demo.

Pick someone you’re comfortable working with, that’s the most important thing.

And remember that whomever you want to learn from, even if they’re on the other side of the country and you’re unable to travel to their class, if you ask nicely they might be willing to do private sessions over the phone, or perhaps even direct you via speakerphone while you’re in the studio laying down tracks.

WHAT TO READ

In creating an audiobook demo, you’ll want to choose a minimum of five different genres to read.

Why five? Why not just one or two? Well, there’s a lot of different types of books out there, and you need to show you’re adept at reading as many as possible.

The genre choices are all up to you, though. Including fiction of some sort is an imperative; the vast majority of audiobooks published today are novels, after all, so show them what you can do with one.

Pick a scene with a mixture of both narrative and dialogue so they can hear how you transition between those two types of writing.

SHOW VERSATILITY

Also pick a two-person scene between a man and a woman, for the exact same reason: the first detail any publisher will be paying attention to is how well this particular male narrator does with women’s voices, or female narrator handles males, and can he/she transition smoothly between them?

A smattering of non-fiction is also a good idea: biography, history, current events. Religious or self-help are good ideas, too.

The genres (and sub-genres) to choose from are endless: children’s, young adult, science fiction, thrillers, romance. Pick a good variety, and make them as different as possible.

PICK FAVORITE BOOKS

Of course, after picking the genres comes the hard part: which books, specifically, should you read from?

This is the part that stumps everyone I know making their demos, the part where most people spend way too much time worrying, but seriously, don’t let this throw you.

My advice? Pick your favorite book from each of the genres you’ve chosen – it’ll make a difference.

Anyone who’s ever recorded a voice-over will know that if you smile while you say something in a recording studio, the listener will hear it in your voice.

Well, in the same way, listeners will be able to tell if you’ve got a passion for the book you’re reading. It may not be an overwhelming impression, but it’ll be there, and in this business, subtlety is a good thing.

HOW LONG?

Next up in your decision-making process comes the length of each track: how many pages should you read, and here there’s no definitive answer. They can be as short as two minutes in length, as long as five or six.

Don’t spend too much time deciding this one, just practice reading your scenes out loud and see how long they go; if it’s anywhere in the two- to six-minute range, fine; if not, cut.

If you can, pick scenes that have a definite beginning, middle and end, because having some kind of resolution in your scene will definitely help you, as it’ll illustrate to potential publishers that you know how to move the story along from start to finish, that you can effectively transition (there’s that word again) between the setup, the delivery, and the payoff.

WHERE TO RECORD …

Your next concern will be to find a studio.

Many voice-over artists and aspiring narrators have installed their own home setups these days, and if you know anyone with one, my recommendation would be to beg or barter your way into theirs.

If not, then look in your phone book or do a quick Google search and find a local setup.

It’s difficult to nail down prices on this, so I won’t offer any guesses here, because most studios will offer a wide variety of services, some of which are vital, others of which you may not need.

Tell the studio owner what you’re doing and ask what his rates are, then shop around to compare prices. You’ll need him to provide an engineer for the session, and to edit the final product, unless you’re savvy enough to handle that on your own.

You may find, if you live in major markets, that certain studios provide all those services, as well as classes that’ll essentially give you the side benefit of training and direction while you record.

It’s entirely up to you whether or not you feel you need this. Don’t be afraid to say no thanks.

READY TO SLATE

When the time comes to actually record your selections, start by slating your name: “Scott Brick – audiobook demo.”

Remember to make this a separate sound file, not the intro to the first track. People should hear your name, even if they decide to fast-forward to the Romance section. You can be creative here in your title, but don’t go overboard.

And when you record your selections, slate each one with the title of the book and the author’s name: “LAKE WOBEGON by Garrison Keillor.” That’s all you need, don’t list your name again in the individual genre tracks, it’ll sound really repetitive by the time someone has heard it five or six times on the same disc.

PAUSE BETWEEN TRACKS

After you’re done slating your selection, give just a two- to three-second pause before beginning, and leave the same length at the end of the selection to help separate it from the track coming immediately after.

Make sure the engineer/editor you’re working with understands you need this; otherwise, you’ll finish on a really dramatic high note … and it’ll be followed up immediately by you slating the next title: WALTER THE FARTING DOG by…”

It may sound funny here, but you don’t want laughs there.

COPYRIGHT WORRIES?

By the way, I’ve been asked repeatedly if there are any copyright issues to worry about, whether it’s cool to read from somebody else’s book or if applicants should write something original.

Don’t worry about copyright: that only applies if you’re selling this demo, or broadcasting it somewhere, which you’re not. Pick whichever books you want, without worry of prosecution.

NOW HAVE FUN!

You don’t have to take this next bit of advice as gospel, but I hope you will: enjoy your time in the studio as much as you can.

Seriously, reading is a fun gig, and you should make the most of it.

You also don’t want to sound nervous or distressed. You should sound as though you do this every day, and WILL do it every day when whoever hears this demo and hires you starts giving you work.

TAKE BREAKS

My last bit of advice on the recording process itself: don’t read all your selections on the same day. Seriously, if you can avoid it (and afford it), don’t. They’ll sound too similar, and you need them to sound very different, not just in tone but in pacing and energy.

If you can only afford to get into the studio once, if time or money is a concern, then make sure each time you finish a track that you get up and walk around the outside of the building at least once.

Otherwise, your energy will be the exact same on each cut, and publishers will have a hard time distinguishing between them.

CDs AND PACKAGING

Now that you’ve got all your selections recorded and arranged in the order you want them, you’re pretty much ready to burn it to a CD.

And yes, CD is the preferred media. The days of cassettes are long past, so don’t even think about it. And not everyone will take the time to click on the appropriate link to where your demo is waiting to be downloaded from your web site. Some publishers will, some won’t, but almost all of them will happily accept a CD.

Your packaging is up to you: you can go quick and cheap or intricate and expensive. That’s what’s known nowadays as branding, and there are some great resources out there to help you in this if you want to put the time, effort and money into it.

At the very least, if you’re going to just do a simple label in a clear plastic CD case, make sure you’ve labeled your disc with your name and your contact information.

If you go with a CD case label as well, make sure they BOTH have your contact information. God forbid the disc slips out of the case, the case gets lost, the publisher hears the demo and loves it, wants to hire you on the spot, but oh no, you’d only labeled the case and the disc is blank.

At that point, it’s on to the next demo.

GO TO MARKET

Okay, at this point you’re done with your demo, and the question now becomes where to send it?

Your best bet is to get AudioFile Magazine’s Audiobook Reference Guide, available from their web site. It’s got the contact information for every publisher of audiobooks out there.

Buy a copy, grab a package of CD mailers from your local office supply store, and start typing up labels. Or word-processing them. Geez, typing – talk about dating myself …

Good luck! Hearing someone tell me they booked their first job is always the highlight of my day.

Scott Brick is an actor and writer who ventured into narrating audiobooks in 2000, and as he describes, quickly found himself embraced by the audio world. He’s won more than 40 Earphones Awards for his narrating skills, as well as the 2003 Audie Award for Dune: The Butlerian Jihad. After recording some 250 titles in five years, AudioFile Magazine named Brick “one of the fastest-rising stars in the audiobook galaxy,” and proclaimed him a Golden Voice. Having recorded over 400 titles, Brick also sells audiobooks he has narrated at his web site, and soon will offer audiobook narrating instruction.

Web: www.scottbrickpresents.com
Email: scott@scottbrickpresents.com

photo credit: Michael Casey

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: Audiobook, Audition, Scott Brick, Studio, Training, Voice Actor

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1.  Presenting a poor design. Your website design should be optimized for the highest conversion rate possible, since potential clients want to feel confident that their efforts will regularly convert into sales. This requires:

• Professional graphics. Vendors should present a clean, professional, fast-loading design with an attention-grabbing title. Invest in a professionally designed logo, header and footer graphics.
• Well-written copy. Copy should be grammatically correct, conversational and free of typos.
• Minimal navigation. Sites that convert best have a single sales letter. If a vendor presents potential customers with a page full of links, it can prompt confusion or indecision. A page filled with links can overwhelm users so they don’t know where to start and may eventually leave without placing an order. A single page ’squeezes’ potential customers into either buying or not buying, without unnecessary distractions. To increase conversions, provide only one decision. If you are a vendor who needs multiple navigational links, keep them to a minimum and be sure to make navigating your site easy.
• Multiple calls to action. Place text or graphical order links throughout your sales page. Vendors should invite people to order after a few paragraphs of sales copy. If there is only one order button at the bottom, conversion rates will be lower. Vendors shouldn’t overdo order buttons. They should be fairly aggressive, but never annoying or pushy.

2.  Placing ads on site. Vendor Pitch Pages should not include third-party text or banner advertising on the sales page.

3.  Not offering upgrade products.  Offer upsell opportunities because it’s a chance to earn more money. When you offer attractive upsells, you will not only attract more affiliates, you’ll also attract more aggressive and active affiliates.

Avoiding these costly mistakes can help you present an attractive site and can have a huge impact on sales. Above all, it’s of the utmost importance to treat and respect potential clients like the valuable business partners they are.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: banner advertising, costly mistakes, professional graphics

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Have you ever wondered about the success of Billy. While he didn’t seem exceptionally camera friendly or have a great voice according to VO standards… he sold A LOT OF PRODUCT. Here’s to you my friend.

Loren in my Producers Group writes…

Bill Mays is being laid to rest tomorrow. We’ve had to deal with a lot of celebrity deaths lately but his has, by far, affected me the most. Maybe it’s because I really got into the show on Discovery, or the fact he was based close to us, in the prime of his life and career or that he was a decent human being who worked his ass off to get where he was, despite the number of purists who criticized him for his schtick. I was one of those who hated Billy Mays – I couldn’t stand listening to him. I’m glad I was able to watch the show and see a different side to him; a good-natured, fun-loving family guy who was enormously grateful for the things his career had provided.

One sign he was a great dad: his son didn’t lead some screwed up life squandering his dad’s money on smack, but worked as a Prod Assistant on the sets and was expected to make his own path in the business the way his father did: by working at it and applying himself. Jerry Lewis’ son bused tables at the Sahara at the height of his father’s success…same deal.

Another thing…when his mother visited him on the set and said how proud she was of him, he could barely speak. Maybe it’s the Southern Boy in me, but when you’re mama can make you tear up with one sentence, you’re a good person.

Billy Mays’ product worked. As Anthony Sullivan commented in the show; it didn’t make sense why it could have worked and he, like many of us, was a critic at one point until he realized that Mays was on to something and instead of standing on the sidelines and going “tisk tisk,” he’d jump in and share the wealth.

You can’t argue with results…and he definitely got them, far surpassing others in the industry.

I can’t do what Billy Mays did….and nor can you. Only he could, and the world of infomercials will be immutably changed.

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: billy mays, Voiceover, VoiceoverMastery.com

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I received an e-mail today from Joey in my Producers Group asking about an upgrade to Adobe Audition 3.

“‘m considering upgrading from Audition 1.5 to Audition 3. Amazon lists the program for $335.99. However, the upgrade to 3 lists for $99.49. Is there any difference between upgrading and a the full install?  Is the main difference just the price?”

Joey, There is a significant improvement from Audition 1.5 to Audition 3. Many more tools, much more stability, I love using this product.

Do you have the original install disc for Audition 1.5? If you do, go with the upgrade… There is no difference in software or the way it functions. You just won’t be able to install it if you don’t have the original disc to verify you have purchased the earlier version.

photo credit: stars6 / Leonardo Rizzi
photo credit: NickStarr

NEED A VOICEOVER? Choose Chicago Voice Actor Justin Kaiser when making your next casting decision. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

TECHNICAL AND WEB CONSULTING: I’m also available for one on one gear setup, web-design, and podcast consulting. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. Call me at (815) 401-4632.

Justin Kaiser
Tags: adobe audition, Creative, producers group

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