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Mary Morgan

Creativity

Voice Over Knowledge Shared Updated List

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Yes folks! I’m still alive and quite busy these days. Due to the coronavirus I have a bit more time on my hands. I felt it best to update my Voice Over Knowledge Shared list as many things have changed. There are people on the old list I no longer associate with due to paying them for services that they did not deliver and thus have blocked me rather than handle the situation like a mature adult. People are scrambling to get into voice over more than ever before and competition is beyond challenging. You not only need solid acting skills and great demos. You MUST be able to record from your house and the audio needs to broadcast quality. No “ifs” and no “buts”. The biggest companies in the world are learning to record talent remotely and for a while, this is how it’s going to be until a miracle emerges for the human race.

There are numerous Facebook and Linkedin groups you can join as well in order to keep up with the radical changes that are happening at a rapid pace. Seriously. Some groups will not allow talent who are brand new or inexperienced but don’t let that get you down. Join those that are open to talent who are new or established. Everyone starts somewhere. There’s time to learn and get better, however, keep in mind the competition that’s out there.

And… take advantage of online classes and workshops NOW. Countless millions are out of work or struggling to make ends meet during this terrible time. Because of this, lots of wonderful teachers, producers, casting directors, etc have generously reduced the costs of their time and knowledge for the month of April. You don’t meed a super expensive webcam, or expensive audio equipment. Even your iPhone or android, or iPad and so on can be used. The majority of classes are taught through ZOOM which you can download for free and then click on any link sent from a VO coach through email.

Repeating what I posted last year: To be a Voice Over know first that acting is acting. I know of very few people who got into voice over work without being an actor first. Even if you only want to pursue commercials, narrations, or announcements, an acting class will benefit you in tremendous ways whether it be theater, film, or improvisation. You gain an understanding of what it means to be directed, how to use your voice correctly, and enhanced reading skills. If goals are focused towards animation, video games, anime or puppetry, acting classes are MUST. No excuses. Funny voices don’t make a character authentic, acting does. If you live somewhere that doesn’t have ongoing film, theater or improvisation classes to take in person fear not. Thanks to Skype, Zoom, YouTube and many others you can learn from a distance by attending webinars, online programs, group courses or one-on-one training with a reputable coach. Some names mentioned are people I haven’t trained with yet but through colleagues that I trust without any doubt whatsoever, I believe they’re experts worthy of notice. If there’s a name on my list of teachers that isn’t mentioned it’s due to one of two possible reasons: 1. I haven’t heard of the individual yet. 2. I have in fact trained with the individual and what they teach is false.

Everyone has a website these days so all you have to do is google their names for more info.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON DEMOS: Do not get a demo made until you’ve had enough training to start somewhere. False teachers/producers will try to talk you into letting them produce your demo when you’re far from ready. It’s an expensive mistake that can also damage your first impression to others. People remember bad demos. NEVER forget that. Visit websites for talent agencies such as like Dean Panaro Talent, CAA, VOX Inc., CESD, SBV, AVO, Atlas Talent Agency, Osbrink Agency, Coast to Coast Talent, and A3 Talent Agency. Listen to names who have representation on those sites (including celebrities). Can you do what they do and sound believable?

Teachers I have trained with, most have expertise in more than one genre or market. Google their names for more information about them: Andrea Toyias (video games), Trine Jensen (video games, acting, motion capture), Richard Dorton (video games, acting, motion capture), Sara Jane Sherman (animation), Rick Sellers (toys), Jennifer Trujillo (animation), Everett Oliver (animation), Pat Fraley (audio books, animation), Cliff Zellman (commercials and auto-motive), Carol Monda (audiobooks), David Rosenthal (animation, games, promos, commercials), Anne Ganguzza (corporate narration and e-learning), Cissy Jones (video games), Ginny McSwain (video games), Bob Bergen (animation), Dave Fennoy (video games), Joyce Castellanos (Promos), Mary Lynn Wissner (commercials), Katie Leigh (animation and ADR), Marice Tobias (commercials and narration), Richard Horvitz (animation), MJ Lallo (animation), Bill Holmes (commercials), Marc Cashman (commercials), Lani Minella (video games), John Swasey and Ned Lott (ADR Looping)

Demo Producers I have worked with or I have complete trust in: Trine Jensen, Chuck Duran, Marc Graue Studios, Susan Palyo at Voice Trax West, Rick Sellers, Cliff Zellman, Richard Horvitz, Nancy Wolfson, Roy B. Yokelson, David Rosenthal, Cristina Milizia

Voice Over Guides from Working Professionals in Animation, Video Games and Anime: (great place for beginners)

https://iwanttobeavoiceactor.com
http://www.kylehebert.com/
http://www.crispinfreeman.com/faq.html

Group/Private Training and Workouts for all kinds of Voice Over markets:

https://lonestarvo.com (great for beginners whether you’re in Texas or not)
https://www.thevopros.com/
http://www.globalvoiceacademy.com/ (great place for beginners)
http://www.voicetraxwest.com/classdescriptions/
http://www.fixinthemix.com/Voiceover_VO_Class.htm 

Voice Over Blogs or Web Talk Shows:

http://www.nethervoice.com/nethervoice/
http://www.vobuzzweekly.com/
https://www.vobs.tv/

Help with Marketing and more (I spend the vast majority of my time on Linkedin):

https://www.marcscottcoaching.com/lesson/marketing-for-success/
http://anneganguzza.com/services
http://www.celiasiegel.com/ (has a published book called VoiceOver Achiever that is highly recommended for voice over branding)

Voice Over Communities:

https://twitter.com/courvo/lists/voiceoverists (Also search for a plethora of groups on Linkedin, Facebook, Pinterest, etc.)
https://voiceactingclub.com/

Voice Over Conventions:

http://www.voatlanta.me/
http://www.faffcon.com/ (working professionals only)
http://faffcamp.com/ (those starting out or already seasoned in VO)
http://www.world-voices.org (runs WOVOCON)
http://randythomaspresents.com/
http://www.midatlanticvo.com/
http://www.midwestvoiceoverconference.com/
http://thatsvoiceover.com/

Home Recording Studio Experts:

Dan Lenard – www.homevoiceoverstudio.com/
George Whittam – http://www.vostudiotech.com/
Dan Friedman – http://www.sound4vo.com/

A few examples of Professional Voice Over Websites:

http://voiceoversandvocals.com/
http://bethchaplin.com/VO/
http://www.bernadettesullivan.com/
http://www.nazvoice.com/
http://www.lorialan.com/
http://www.mikematheson.com/
https://dbcoopervo.com/

Miscellaneous Resources:

http://www.voiceoverresourceguide.com/
https://www.audiopub.org/ (for audio book narrators)
https://www.voiceoverxtra.com/

Last but nowhere near the least are Don’ts and Do’s that I’ve compiled based on my own experiences. May you all follow your dreams and find success!

WHAT NOT TO DO

– Don’t stop in the middle of a recording. If you mess up during a recording or audition don’t ask the engineer to stop recording and don’t waste time apologizing, just go back to the beginning of a line or paragraph and start again. Engineers can edit out mistakes.

-Don’t offer suggestions to the director unless you are asked

-Don’t let any coach (no matter how reputable) convince you that you’re ready to make demo after 2-3 sessions, especially if you’re a beginner.

-Don’t have a friend make an edit for you unless they have extensive professional experience. It’s very easy to tell if an audio production was produced on cheap software ore a high quality studio. You want the best to make you sound the best.

-Don’t eat dairy products or a super heavy meal before a recording session.

-Don’t spend thousands of dollars on a home studio, ask around for advice on good microphones, recording software, speakers, headphones, etc.

-Don’t show up in person to hand studios, agents, or casting directors your demo. Look at their website for rules on submissions (if there are any), then call to see if the company has a casting department or ask who casts the shows/games. Most casting directors prefer a link to your demo from a website rather than an mp3 as they take up space.

-Don’t tell everyone about a project you’ve recorded on social media unless the client is okay with it. Overzealous anime and video game fans will do almost anything to get the gossip on who voiced what character. Wait until the studio makes a cast announcement online or ask them personally if it’s okay to share news about your latest voice over job.

-DON’T EXAGGERATE ON YOUR RESUME. People in this business do look up people and places that you list and if it’s not legit, word will spread super quickly.

-Don’t call studios, agents or casting directors saying someone referred you if it’s not true. You won’t be hired and more than likely never trusted as second time.

-Don’t strike up a conversation with another VO actor at an audition in person. If there’s a script for you to look over, read it, study the available information. Afterwards, make friends, but be respectful to those auditioning after you.

-Don’t beg for a job. Ask about upcoming auditions or share news of a recent project (without bragging) or a new voice over demo, but don’t e-mail clients specifically asking if they can give you a job.

WHAT TO DO

-Do be on time when recording in a professional studio, fifteen minutes early at best.

-Do let producers, casting directors or your agent know if you’re running late (traffic, accidents, events, etc.)

-Do pay attention to all direction given to you in a session

-Do ask questions if something doesn’t make sense, don’t give the director a hard time pretending you understand if you really don’t

-Do bring your own water. Some studios have some for you but not always.

-Do practice a script if the client sends you a copy to work with. If you can look at your script the day before recording READ it and PRACTICE out loud.

-Do always keep training in some way, take ongoing acting lessons, attend workshops, seminars, watch youtube videos, read articles, listen to other demos

-Do market yourself with business cards, postcards, CDs, websites,

-Do network with others at events (see conventions list) you never know who you might meet

-Do keep up with what’s happening in the industry. So many do not do this.

-Do make friends with other VO talent. Many pass jobs to each other or recommend friends to agents and studios.

-Do keep a positive attitude, it’s a VERY competitive business and everyone goes through ups and downs. Everyone. But if you’re negative, especially around people in the business, people will not want to work with you or recommend you to clients.

-Do take care of your body with vocal warm-ups, physical exercises, and good personal hygiene.

-Do research coaches, classes, to see if they’re legit, ask around forums, get REAL opinions, don’t necessarily rely on online testimonials alone.

-Do listen very carefully to demos. Recognize what sounds real and what sounds fake. A voice actor (even a coach) may say they can sound like a baby, kids, teens, but vocally they’re incapable of sounding authentic. If you can sound like a baby, have it on your demo or be prepared to have a dynamite audition. First impressions really do matter.

-Do take criticism and learn from it.

Do you have a thick skin to work in Voice Over?

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They are out there lurking around the Internet waiting for the right opportunity to strike you down with malicious criticism. Yes, I mean the trolls. The online bullies. The ones who look for any excuse to ruin your day or your whole life. They love to linger on YouTube so they can dislike your videos and post cruel comments. And when you succeed at something they post taunts and in some cases death threats just to unnerve you.

It happens in every profession but in the arts and entertainment industry it is prominent.

Ok, bear with me. Remember Star Wars: The Phantom Menace? If you do you probably know where I’m going with this. That’s right, Jar Jar Binks. I wholeheartedly agree his character was… not good. It just didn’t work at all. A handful of people liked him but more didn’t and voiced their opinion anywhere they could.

Last year the actor, Ahmed Best, who voiced Jar Jar Binks wrote an article about the time that all took place. There was a picture of him with his son as they were looking at the water far below from the bridge they were standing on. What bothered me was when Ahmed Best said that years ago he contemplated jumping off that same bridge because of the backlash he received from his work in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. He still received work in voice over and occasionally on film. However, he would forever be known for a character most audiences hated. The criticism was severe enough that his presence was incredibly short and forgettable in the other two films. I understood his pain right away. I’ve known 3 people in my life who committed suicide, one of whom was a very close friend. What stopped Best, he says in the article, was the birth of his son. Ahmed Best isn’t responsible for the malicious reactions of the Star Wars prequels. It was the writing, direction and maybe a few misled casting choices. Yet the franchise solely belonged to George Lucas at the time (way before Disney bought it) and therefore he created what he felt worked. All Ahmed Best did was his job as a character.

I can tell you without a doubt that there are projects I sometimes wish I hadn’t been part of. But acting is acting and work is work. The scripts/stories were the main reasons. When a script is poorly written our job as voice overs is to make it sound beautiful when spoken or bring it to life.

What you have to expect is that people will like it, love it, hate it, or really hate it. Then you decide how to handle the situation in a professional manner.

Remember the infamous song “Friday” by a 13-year-old girl named Rebecca Black? She was a teenager, well behaved, had a nice smile and a good attitude despite the thousands of horrific insults flung at her. Ms. Black not only received verbal attacks, she received death threats, and a number of talk shows made fun of her.

Yet no one wanted to acknowledge that it was the song and the production that caused the problem, not her. The lyrics were amateurish. The songwriter even included a section where he rapped with no purpose for it in the song. Rebecca’s voice had been auto-tuned way, way too much. The producer was to blame for that part.

She received instant fame but also tremendous infamy, and for what? Singing a poorly written, poorly recorded song. Despite the verbal abuse, online bullies, and more, she kept a positive attitude which should be commended for someone so young entering a cutthroat industry.

Fame has a shelf life of 15 minutes, but infamy lasts a bit longer. Without a thick skin, infamy big or small can tear your soul to pieces.

Strangely though, there are occasions when a thick skin can backfire. Some celebrities are caught in the spotlight these days due to their horrible behavior, some of which has been going on for many years. And a few have destroyed their careers because of a single post, picture or video on social media that even when deleted still remains on the internet forever. When you look at a famous face who’s been in great movies, won awards, and who has done great charity work, everything changes when you find out the person committed crimes or made hateful comments online. Suddenly those movies aren’t enjoyable anymore because you see the actor in a different light, and there’s no going back. It’s especially hard on people who look up to celebrities and in some cases consider them heroes and mentors. And yet with all this drama, those big names play it cool in front of the camera. They’ve put up with criticism left and right throughout their careers. Perhaps over time the attention numbed them so much that their thick skin became a massive shield. As a consequence they think nothing can stop them with their millions of dollars, powerhouse lawyers, etc.

As performers we’re going to have admirers and, no matter what, we are definitely going to have haters. The question is whether or not you’re going to let it affect how far you’ve come.

Demo Critiques: Quality Does Matter

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Above you can see two sets of macaron batches. These are my pictures from when I was practicing and then perfecting my technique. Can you tell which one is bad quality?

If I told someone that I make macarons despite not having sales or proof that I know what I’m doing, and they wanted to buy some from me, what do you think would happen if I took their money and gave them the poor batch?

There’s a reason quality matters. And in voice over, quality demos and quality recording DO matter!!

We all want critiques of demos, especially those of us starting out. The problem is, too many get demos made when they’re not ready. And what’s most heartbreaking is that the talent don’t realize how bad they sound until it’s too late. What do I mean by that? Well, there’s two ways.

First, you make a demo when you’re not ready and then ask for professional voiceover talent to critique you. When results aren’t good, it’s too late to get your $$$$ back.

When reactions aren’t positive your self-esteem drops or your inner diva explodes and you post insults and complaints on social media (which by the way are on the internet forever even if you “think” you deleted it).

Second, you make the demo thinking it’s good enough to get you work or signed with a big agent.

Sadly, you send the demo out and hear nothing. Zero. Zip. Nada. Or, an agent or producer dedicates time out of their busy schedule to tell you that you not only need to get more training but you need to have the demo redone which will more than likely be more expensive than the first demo. If you get angry and respond with an insulting email your name will be put on a blacklist and then passed around as a warning to other agents and producers. Then there’s something else. Believe it or not, some studios have a collection of bad demos that they keep on hand and after hours or on breaks. They play those demos for friends or clients and everyone pokes fun. By the way, I’ve heard some of these demos. I don’t believe in making fun of others. While it’s safe not being there to hear the ridicule, your name gets out there and stays in their memory. Trust me when I say it’s rare to have another opportunity to get your next demo heard, even if it’s better. That’s where you need referrals.

Not long ago I saw two new voice over talent post their demos online seeking “honest” critiques. But as days went by, I noticed hardly anyone posted. I took a listen for myself of both demos, one from a man and one from a woman. Both wanted to be in animation. Alas, the demos were bad. Really bad. One demo had awful recording quality and horrible editing but the voice had potential. The other demo had good quality but the acting was terrible and the voices sounded all the same, no uniqueness whatsoever. I debated whether I should put my 2 cents out there and in the end I decided not to say anything. Why? Well, in the end, my opinion is just an opinion. I’m not a super-established talent. I’m not a powerhouse agent. I’m not a producer or director or casting specialist. Those are the critiques you want. Their opinions are what will shape your potential future in VO.

Another reason why I didn’t want to post my thoughts is that years ago, a talent from another country connected with me on LinkedIn for the purpose of networking (I rarely accept connections with other VO talent on LinkedIn now because of this situation). The talent was excited for the connection and politely asked if I’d critique his demo. I had some time off from a session so I generously spent that time listening to his demo and taking notes as to what I felt worked and what didn’t work. It was an animation or video game demo and it was long, like 2 minutes. After 30 minutes I sent my response to the talent with my honest thoughts based on all the knowledge of what makes demos stand out that I received from some of the biggest agents, producers, etc; in VO. I explained his demo was too long, the voices didn’t sound different, the sound effects were faint and in most cases didn’t even fit with the dialogue. But like on a true positive note I said he had massive potential and that was no lie. I ended the letter by encouraging him to keep training and learning.

Days later he responded saying something on the lines of, “Well, thanks for your email. I don’t get what your saying because I’ve had big agents tell me they want to sign me and celebrities say I’m going to be huge someday. I guess you’re entitled to an opinion, though.”

When I showed the email to a famous voice over friend I was told that this talent was after an ego boost and not an honest critique. That made me mad because I volunteered my time for free thinking my opinion would be taken seriously. Since then, I have very, very strict rules about accepting other VO talent on LinkedIn and I’m EXTREMELY careful about responding to messages from new talent or those seeking to “get in” to voice over.

If that man has received work and agents with his demo, then good for him.

For those who are wanting to enter and succeed in this business you need skills, quality, proof of your abilities, luck, hard work, endless training, luck, networking, a positive attitude, luck, oh — did I mention luck?

One of those really, really bad demos that I heard had static, distortion, poor editing and MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, unnecessary talking such as: “So this is my hero voice which I know is already used in your shows by (famous name), but I can do it better. I truly am the next (famous name) and I have the acting chops to prove it. Here it is: ‘I’m not afraid of you! I have all the power now! Die you hideous monster! Diiiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!!!.” That last part had so much static and distortion due to incredibly poor microphone technique.

Not only that, it was just one poor example on the demo. I had heard of this person by name but didn’t know him personally. The people who played it for me told me quite a few disturbing stories regarding very unpleasant encounters with this individual who is now blacklisted.

Don’t think that the more money you spend the better quality. It’s not about that at all. The quality comes from you first. How well you know the genre you want to market yourself is essential.

Want to work in commercials? Watch them on TV or the ads on YouTube or Hulu.

Want to work in animation or anime? Watch them where you can find them. There’s no excuse not to do so anymore, thanks to the internet and Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.

Want to work in audiobooks? Yes you definitely need to listen to many because with this one the pace, the voice changes per character, the vocal quality and the energy are different with every actor. It’s true that you can listen to lots of celebrities, but you’ve also got amazing talent like Scott Bricks who specializes in audio books, or Pat Fraley, another outstanding talent who is also very, very strong in animation (remember Krang from the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon?).

Now, some other factors to consider depend on the following:

Are you writing your scripts for your selected genre?

Did you hire someone to do it for you?

Or did you choose a producer who included scripts in the demo package?

Do you have enough spots that don’t repeat a style or character voice/archetype that you’ve already included?

Are the spots paced accordingly to fit in the span of 1 minute if not less?

Is the music or sound effects appropriate for each spot?

Are music and sound effects even necessary, or overkill?

Consider those details and many more. If your producer has samples from past clients then listen to them and judge with your ears. Keep in mind that your goal is to catch the interest of the listener in a span of 6-10 seconds.

These days demos should not last more than 60 seconds so you want to be sure whatever material you have is varied and not the same. I can’t tell you how many demos I’ve heard this year alone that sounded all the same when it came to video games and animation. In fact, if video games is really an area you want to approach, here’s an article about the value of video game demos. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/actors-reels-video-games-survey-mark-estdale/

Last and most important: DO NOT get a demo made if you’re not ready. Know what you’re getting into and the competition you’re up against, then make it happen by being you and not copying someone else’s style or read.

I wish you all the best!

Are you a Jack of All Trades?

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Warning, long post today.

I sincerely apologize for having no posts in months. I’ve been terribly busy, dealing with uncomfortable controversies and false accusations and my wedding which was fantastic.

I’ll do my best to post at least every two weeks as best I can. If some posts are similar to past ones I ask that you please forgive me because it’s not easy going back over every post when there’s little time to do so. I’ll try my hardest to share new information as much as I can.

So, how do you define a “Jack of All Trades”?

I’m am by no means anywhere close to that.  I’m a voice over, I’m also a yoga teacher, a black belt in Krav Maga, a macaron chef, and a professional mermaid. Why am I doing all these things? I have reasons for each one that I enjoy discussing. The primary reason is that I have a huge obsession with creativity. If something interests me, I learn everything I can about it and share the results. For example, I became fascinated by macarons after seeing all the limitless inventive flavors and decorative ways to make them. When I mastered making them (in 5 months) people asked if I’d sell them. That’s still a work in progress. I chose to study Krav Maga because it’s a modern martial arts style that was designed for people in the Israeli military and has since been the most effective when in comes to self-defense. I took yoga to help my flexibility in Krav Maga since it helps me to be able to wiggle my way out from underneath an opponent pinning me down. I started sharing what I learned with other students who then asked if I would teach them. But I felt uncomfortable teaching without a certification and now I teach 3-4 times a week. Many people ask about the mermaid profession as it’s quite unusual (I’m always drawn to anything unusual). This started as a hobby because I love fantasy and I always dreamed of being a mermaid. I love the ocean and I love swimming. When I put on a fabric tail it felt more than magical. Much like being on stage, I got to step into another world and feel as though I was truly part of it. I have a pod that I hang out with now and we swim as well as discuss events and job opportunities. It’s an industry that is taking off very fast for a host of reasons. Kids love mermaid entertainers (remember The Little Mermaid?), it’s a fabulous workout, trade shows love having them to attract interest from the public, renaissance fairs love to have them, even haunted house attractions are slowly interested in adding mermaids as a scary attraction (zombie mermaids, vampire mermaids, etc), and one of my favorite reasons is the chance to help children and people understand the importance of ocean conservation and saving marine wildlife.

Ok, bear with me I AM going somewhere with all this. I shared all the above as that’s what has led me on my various career paths. However, have you ever met someone who said “I’ve been in lots of cartoons”, or “You can hear me in lots of video games” or “I taught (famous name here) all he knows and now he’s famous in Disney movies”? We’ve all met someone who claimed to do this and that BUT… do they have proof of their success on an IMDb page? Are they comfortable talking about what led them on these paths? Do they have real testimonials from actual people? When you mention their name around VO communities, what do people say?

One of the first VO talents I got to know claimed to be a genuine “Jack of All Trades” such as producer, engineer, film actor, writer, composer, singer, jingle producer, audio editor and much more. This person also claimed to have trained American Idol top 10 contestants, famous voice over talent who now live and work in LA, and even mega-famous bands like the Dixie Chicks. The problem is, this person (whom I’ll refer to as “he”) had no genuine proof of all these accomplishments except his word on his website. He said he worked in big animation shows and well-known video games but no credits were under his name on IMDb. In fact the only resume was one he posted and not credits listed by actual clients. As I got to know this person, their attitude changed frequently from overly positive and sure of himself in what he knew to moody about the industry and not competent that I had what it takes according to “his” standards. If I questioned how he achieved a certain skill he gave me a vague response such as “It’s just something I picked up” or “I’m a fast learner” when he could have said something akin to “There’s a great Udemy course on recording engineering”, or “I’m self taught based on these books or magazines”, or “I had an internship at Johnson Recording Studio in Dallas”. If the answer sounds elusive and they change the subject right away it means they’re hiding something.

The biggest red flag I witnessed happened during one of the man’s workshops where I was assisting and a student challenged his knowledge of experience in voice over. The teacher lost his temper and ended the class on a sour note with these exact words that I haven’t forgotten, “I don’t know. Now get out of here, goodbye!”. And worst of all, he habitually told people who were just starting in this business that they were ready to get demos made and if they hired him to produce their demo it would be for a fair price compared to other producers. This is a HUGE NO!!! Yet because I was so new to VO I failed to see these red flags waving in my face.

Before noticing these behaviors I had been paying the man for voice lessons and when I look back, his were some of the worst I ever received in my life. All I remember is having a song played for me on piano as I sang and then getting told, “That was so lovely, what do you want to sing next?” A true voice teacher goes back and breaks down the song on where I sound flat or lethargic or breathless or lacking support, etc. Yet in these so-called lessons I got NO real voice training. And this person claimed to have trained the Dixie Chicks? About a month later I said I could no longer afford the lessons and the teacher wasn’t happy about it. I received an email from him claiming that I had abused their time as well as some other choice words. Typically past teachers in music would politely say something like “Ok, I’ll miss you and I wish you the best of luck”. But not this guy. He didn’t take it well at all. Yet another red flag.

When I disconnected from this person that’s when my voice over career TRULY started. To my knowledge the so-called teacher is still out there conducting workshops in voiceover, even selling self-made audio books for potential students or self-published e-books for a price and to this day still misleading countless others who have dreams. I began speaking with a number of professionals from talent agents, to recording engineers, to studio owners and to other VO talent regarding this news. From there I learned that more than a few skills and accomplishments listed on this person’s website were false.  He was a legit VO talent but sticking to old school information that is long gone and no longer relevant, has a history of rude “diva” behavior with talent agents and… was a severe “raging” alcoholic. Their income came from workshops and “demo production”. Any voice over work they did in the 21st century was minimal due to poor choices and inappropriate behavior while drinking. When true voice over professionals from LA or NY came to visit, this guy worked overtime to convince people to take his workshop instead because it was $200 less or such and because he’d spread whatever rumor he came up with to supposedly discredit the out of town teachers.

So why did I tell this boring story? Well, there’s two reasons. First, I see a growing number of producers looking for talent who can “do it all” such as record voice overs from home, compose music, sing to it, edit, etc. One of my new clients wanted someone who could record in a professional home studio, edit, compose songs with real instruments, sing them and work with other voice talent to help them sing. Why? It saved money, of course. Otherwise they’d have to hire a composer ($500-$2,000 per song), an audio engineer ($150-$300 per hour), multiple voice overs (depending if they use union or non-union, in which case the latter is growing rapidly as the primary choice), possibly singers (if VO talent couldn’t sing, again union or non-union), and then sound engineers to add effects, etc. But, if one person can do it all then it saves TONS of money.

So, if you want to enter the world of voice over, that’s great. However, if you want to stand out among competition who legitimately have all the above skills and many years of experience you need to do so organically. Here’s how: learn, learn, learn more, continue learning more, stay up to date with what happens in VO, network, network, network again and keep networking while still learning more. Yes, it sounds crazy, but you’ve heard me often enough saying how this business isn’t for the faint at heart.

The second reason has to do with the false teacher I mentioned. The internet is your friend. FIND OUT ALL YOU CAN! Look them up on the top sites like Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. If you have doubts, look on social media and see if you share connections with the person. Send a private message asking others what their thoughts are, don’t post it to the public. Beware of the narcissistic behavior. By that I mean if you question who this person worked with, what their background is, if they have references or such and they get angry, then don’t bother. I’m more than happy to say I’ve trained with Bob Bergen, Pat Fraley, Debbi Derriberry and a host of others. If you can’t find ANYTHING about the person on the internet, I advise you to move on.

When that time comes for you to seek opportunities with clients be honest with them always and with yourself. If you have no proof of your skills despite claiming otherwise, not only will it backfire, your name will spread around as someone to “watch out for” and not in a positive way. Where I’m based there are at least 3-4 names people mention at events, workshops, parties, and other voice over functions as folks to be wary of due to false claims and diva behavior. To avoid being labeled as such, be genuine about what you can do and learn as much as you can. The best VO talent never stop learning even when they book a lot of work. If you have the drive, nothing can stop you.

Why do I have a Voice Over blog?

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Two weeks ago I was part of a marketing group led by a well-known VO talent. When I was asked what I was doing to get my name out there I mentioned my demos, my website, my rapid growing list of connections on LinkedIn and my blog. The leader of the group stopped me and said that blogging was a huge waste of time and that I needed to abandon it and focus more time on marketing myself. “Blogging won’t help your career. No one cares what you have to say,” She said. That’s ok. Everyone is entitled to an opinion; however, it was the verbal approach that caught me off guard. Her tone was harsh and her criticism malicious. I wanted to explain why I blogged but she quickly moved on to someone else. Some time later I combed through the auditions I had to get done for the day and found myself thinking about my blog. Could this marketing expert be right? Was it worth continuing?

Did people really believe that I had nothing to contribute? I don’t have thousands of followers on Twitter or YouTube. I’m not famous by name or appearance. Why would anyone bothering visiting my website to read my blog?

Then… I got an email from a person telling me that they appreciated the info I was sharing about voice over and they looked forward to new posts. And then two days later I received a message from a young woman who said she found me through one of my recent posts about the #metoo movement and the CNN article about Peter Rofe. She had a story of her own and needed to know where to turn to. Immediately I messaged my friend Heather Costa and asked what email I could use of hers so that the woman who had similar experiences had someone she could talk to. I don’t know if the woman actually used them yet but she reached out nonetheless through what she read in my blog. That’s when it dawned on me. The leader of the marketing group kept saying that “I” needed to do this and “I” needed to stop doing that. It was my responsibility to take my career as seriously as she did. It has to all be about me!

But, the thing is, all my life I was taught that if everything is all about me then that makes me selfish and self-centered, yes? It also makes me think about the clients I’ve worked with and how I related to them on a personal level. It wasn’t just “I’m a voice over and I want to work for you” it was, “Sure I’d love to help in anyway I can, even if I’m not a good fit for the project. I can send you some names of people who are also professional VO talent with their own home studios, or I can help you find a sound designer if you need one”, and my favorite: “Voice over is my greatest passion, but I saw you enjoy cooking which is something I love too. What kind of cuisine do you enjoy? Indian? Italian? I’d love to know from one food lover to another.”

Making everything about “me” is not why I have a blog, because I don’t want it to be just about me. I have a blog to help readers like you who want to get into voice over. I include situations I’ve been in, articles I’ve read, and current events happening in voice over. I’ve worked with some great coaches I want to recommend, I’m part of quite a few terrific groups and get-togethers that welcome new talent and nurture them. I want to guide you as best I can without charging you an arm and a leg. I don’t call myself expert and I will NEVER call myself better than anyone else. I call myself experienced. There are no guarantees in this business because it’s changing day by day. In short, I blog to share all that I can for anyone who dreams of being a voice over.

Keep in mind, what worked for me may not work for you. Don’t expect to join a marketing group with the idea that it’ll work out exactly for you as it did for the creator of the program. And if he/she doesn’t welcome ideas or even opinions with an open mind (instead of an ego-driven one), then you may have to look elsewhere or just follow your heart. I don’t sugar coat situations, I’m honest and blunt because more than just a few people I’ve known for years are the same way. However, I also believe in encouraging others and providing concepts. Your journey has to be your own just as all life lessons are yours to learn. I can be a guide, but the decisions must be yours to make.

A good friend shared an interesting quote just yesterday which fits pretty well into my blog post:

The difference in dialogue between leaders and bosses:

Bosses: Tell you, “Do it because I don’t feel like doing it myself.”

Leader: Tell you, “Let me show you, or let me help you with this.”

Beware of those who call themselves leaders when they are better off as followers.

I’m by no means accusing the marketing leader to be “bossy.” But there is a difference between having an opinion and then forcefully telling someone to stop doing this or that because “they” believe it’s a waste of time. I’ve received emails from up and coming talent who find value in what I write and what I share. I don’t expect to make money from the few posts on my blog. It’s my way of sharing my knowledge (thus far) and my experience in voice over. It’s also so that I don’t have to rewrite the same answers to questions that I get asked continuously about “how to get in” to voice over. It’s far too much of a common thing these days that I’m hearing from those interested in VO and asking what to do to “get in.” Then I spend a great deal of time crafting a letter with what it’s like today in VO, what’s required of you and how you can’t let excuses get in the way of having a home studio, learning to direct yourself and be your own engineer, and the absolute must-have above all else to get into this profession – demos! Afterwards, I never hear from them again, not even a simple “Ok, thanks for the info. I appreciate it.” Gratitude can go a long way; however, lately most don’t think it’s necessary because they expect it to just be given. So, my blog is the best “free” information I can give.

You will probably be overwhelmed (as too many claim when I send them information about what’s required to work in this industry), but I will never stop saying in every post if I have to, that the entertainment industry is NOT for the faint of heart. The VO community is welcoming, but you’ll come across bullies who will do anything to discourage you because they themselves fear competition (or have psychological problems that they never got over as kids and can only find solace by being trolls–they’re out there in VO, too) and even find a way to step all over you in order to book a job. It’s happened to a lot of people. It’s just how it is.

I do all I can when it comes to staying up-to-date with what’s happening in VO such as technology, workshops, networking, new genres (VR and AR), and if I get to know you really well and trust that you have a home studio, demos and a good amount of training, I’ll keep you on my list of VO talent for when clients ask me to help them find more to add to their project or roster. I’ll try to answer questions as best I can, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll guide toward a source that can.

While some people charge hundreds of dollars for workshops teaching “old school” material (as some of my colleagues put it) and expecting you to follow only what they say instead of learning all that you can on your own, keep in mind, the internet has LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of free info. Take advantage of it!

A VO blog I enjoy reading is on www.nethervoice.com by Paul Strikwerka.

Or, if you prefer a podcast, subscribe to www.voboss.com hosted by Anne Ganguzza and Gabrielle Nistico. Those are just a few. There are more. Find as many as you can, read and listen to them. Learn to be your own boss, ignore those who thrive on ego and let nothing stop you no matter how long it takes.

Voice Over and the importance of Marketing, Marketing, Marketing!

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This is a topic that goes on and on and on and on because there’s just too much information and commitment involved. Thus, it’s the reason why every year new books are published on the subject of marketing with hundreds of pages of new data collected.

Few people want to hear about it because it’s a lot of work. Finding names, emails, or phone numbers is one thing, but these days it’s not enough. With the internet you have a plethora of options to help in your quest of building a good client database. This means finding a company by name, and finding who’s the creative director, production director, casting director, audio director or producers in audio production. Then it’s finding a contact number or email for the specific name associated with one of the titles above, and putting together a clever introduction by phone or letter. If you choose the latter DO NOT use “Dear Sir or Madam”. That’s long gone and guarantees your note to the trash before the potential client can bother reading the next sentence. Remember folks, time is money in this industry. And don’t make your letter all about you:

“I’m a voice over. I’m the voice of this brand. I’m known for this and that, but I’ve also done this, this, this, this..”

Things have changed now and the absolute best way to get notice is to show you care about the client as a human being, not a prospective paycheck. Here’s where the research starts.

Let’s say you want to work in commercials; start by googling advertising companies in your area. Don’t search all over the country, start simple, the nearest city (even if its more than 150 miles away). You might start a search like this, for example: “advertising agencies” + Houston

As you can tell from the screenshot, you have some places to start, and that’s just one page. I experimented further by finding a company name: Adhere Creative.

Next, I want to find who’s in charge of creative direction or production. You can try googling such as: Adhere Creative, Creative Director; see what happens. You can also use LinkedIn which is a great way to find direct names to contact. Here’s another snip shot to show what I mean. I type the name of the company, then search under people associated with it. The first that comes up is a name with the profession of Executive Partner/Director of Marketing. Perfect! Alas, here’s where it’ll get tricky.

Here are your options:

Attempt to connect with the name on LinkedIn. Chances are they may not accept but you can try.
Call Adhere Creative and ask what’s the best way to get in touch with the name you’re looking to get in touch with. You might get a phone number, you might get an email, and you’ll more than likely get an answering machine. Either way, prepare how you want to present yourself and be sure to get to the point.
If you find an email address and prefer to use that instead of calling them then pay attention to all the info below before you send an email.

Try to find out what you can about the person you’re emailing. Don’t look at it as stalking, this is research. Let’s go back to the example on LinkedIn.

The name associated with Adhere Creative is Matt Lee (I don’t know this person. It’s just an example). I click on his page seeing there’s a summary of who he is, what he’s done, his knowledge and work experience. Browse the whole page, don’t skim. Is he part of any groups on LinkedIn? Yes: Social Media Marketing. Continue down the page and you notice he’s got an impressive resume of who he’s worked with in the past and present. He’s been a PR intern, a Digital Strategist, an Artist Manager, a Marketing Manager and now a Partner. This guy knows what he’s doing and has the background to prove it. What kind of skills have people endorsed him with? He’s a many of many talents! Contact information is usually only visible if you’ve managed to connect with the individual. But you can sometimes find websites, social media pages or birthdays. Lastly, does he care about anything outside advertising? Yes, he cares about arts and culture, children, poverty, and alleviation. Here’s a clue. He’s not just a busy executive, he’s a human being who cares about important causes.

Now, all that was a ton of work but it’ll do you wonders in the long run. When you email this person, you start with your introduction (this is an example only, NOT a template):

Dear Matt Lee,

Greetings (or Hello), my name is (insert your name here). I found your information through google and wanted to get in touch with you because I’m a voice over and I’d like to help with any upcoming projects that need a voice.

I’m stopping there because after that, it’s your job to put together a short paragraph acknowledging the person as a human being. “You have an impressive resume on LinkedIn”, or “I really enjoyed how thorough your summary is on LinkedIn” or “It’s mighty impressive that you’re a Partner at one of the coolest ad agencies in (insert city name)”.

(Continue praising their accomplishments for 2-3 more sentences, then get to the point of why you’re contacting him. What can you offer that would help him on future projects. Do you have a website? Referrals? Demos? A home studio? Don’t ask for a job, explain that you’re interested in being a service to them).

(Then end with how you’d love to discuss more of how you can help them as a Voice Over by including a good email address, or phone number and that look forward to hearing from them.)

Sincerely,
(Your name)

I know what you’re thinking. Good heavens that’s soooooo much work for one person and there are potentially hundreds of thousands of names in this ocean of advertising. Well guess what, that’s just one market. Do you want to work in animation? Audiobooks? Narration? Political ads? Video Games? Automotive? Radio Imaging? Promos? Elearning?

Pick the markets you want to be part of and spend 3-4 hours (or at the very least 1-2) a day finding companies associated with them. Create a LinkedIn page, try making connections there. Don’t treat it like Facebook or Twitter. I’m very, very strict with whom I accept as a connection on LinkedIn because it includes my contact info which is for business only. I only connect with Voice Over talent who share a certain list of names that I trust above all else. The rest are people who work in the markets that I’m interested in. Do you have a Facebook business page? If not, make one. But don’t turn it into a personal page. YouTube? Make a page there too. You never know when you may have a commercial, video game footage, narration clips, animation clips, or other samples to share (remember to get permission first unless the client has already posted on YouTube already). Twitter is an absolute must.

Social media is where it’s at my friends. You can find people easily and they can find you. If you don’t want to be on social media then clients can’t find you and they won’t be interested in hiring you.
I don’t advise posting anything political, judgmental or negative of any kind on your pages. It WILL come back on you. I’ve seen it happen more than enough times and it’s not pretty or pleasant. Look at what’s happened recently to actors like Kevin Spacey. He completed a movie that was scheduled to open in a month and after misbehaving was revealed online he was replaced by another actor who filmed all his scenes in less than 6 weeks. Years ago that would cost too much money and seem impossible. Now it’s not. Don’t jeopardize future opportunities!

Get to know potential clients as people first. Acknowledge and show respect for them and all they’ve done. Make it about them, not all about you. Be open to ideas and discussions. If they’re not interested, be courteous and wish them well.

Make 2018 your best year!

©2023 Mary Morgan // Voice Over Site by Voice Actor Websites

marymorganvoice@gmail.com
817-845-7862