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Mary Morgan

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Voice Over Life: Building My StudioBricks Booth part 1

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Alright folks, many, many people have been asking for this and it’s finally here: my StudioBricks booth.

Expect quite a few pictures!

You can find another post about why I chose StudioBricks over other sound booth products on my blog.

For this post, I’m discussing the process of putting it together in a two-part series.

Ready?

Warning: I am NOT a sound professional. Everything in this post and the next one are based on lots and lots and LOTS of research as well as input from colleagues and professionals in audio.

Ok, when I ordered my StudioBricks booth I was very careful to choose a triple-wall studio pro. So, to begin, I analyzed the most quiet space in my house or apartment.

Was there lots of traffic outside? Lawnmowers? Planes flying overhead? Those are situations that can’t be controlled, unfortunately, so now and then I’ll just have to wait them out. Thankfully most are distant and occasional; however, it did no good treating my space for recording because of a 60 Hz hum in my walls, which is common in older houses. It interfered heavily with my recordings, and was very difficult to edit. Over time the hum increased and I got tired of seeing my wave files distorted. That led me to the decision to get a sound booth.

While some clients are ok with booths, some are not and have expressed frustration with editing audio from sound booths. I’ve determined that if my space still isn’t good enough for a client then I’ll have to go to a professional studio. So far, I don’t think that’ll be the case.

After choosing my area I had to measure where I’d build the booth and be super precise with what I wanted. The ceiling height is important in this as well when putting the booth together, literally piece by piece. If too low it would be a problem. Thankfully my room has a slanted ceiling which I’ve been told is a good thing. I ordered a 5 x 6 x 7 foot booth in size with the purpose of having a good amount of space to stand, sit, or move. Experts in audio told me NOT to get a booth that was squared, so I went with something more rectangular. When I sought advice from fellow VO talent who also owned a StudioBricks most suggested a triple wall to be safe. As since I can’t predict where I’ll be in the future (new house in the suburbs, new apartment in a busy part of town, etc.) I decided to get the triple wall.

I sent in my order feeling good about my decision and waited 3 months for delivery. Originally it was suggested the time frame would only be 2 months. However, when it came time to ship the goods from Spain, the port dock workers had gone on strike and thus delayed my order for another month.

During a vacation to Lake Tahoe with my boyfriend, I received news that the booth had arrived at my house in a massive crate the size of a van. Here’s a picture to prove it.

I was prepared for this monster of a box and had planned weeks ahead to have the garage cleared out so we could store it in a safe place. After getting home and adjusting back to my routine, it was time to put it together.

My brother and my boyfriend were my helpers in this for the first round (that’s right, I’ll explain later).

My brother determined that my chosen space wasn’t adequate due to the ceiling height. So, we chose a different side where the slanted ceiling went upwards. Boy was that a WISE idea!

Next was the first phase: The floor

I have wooden floors instead of carpet so I had no need for holders. The booth came with adjustable feet to hold the outer frame together. So, we put together the outer layers so as to put the floor boards on top of them. That’s when the excitement came along of how easy it was to place everything together.

The bottom section of the booth was marked with letters and numbers: the A section, the B section, the C section and the D section. We began with putting A1 through A5 on first. There was no need for screws or nails. The pieces fit like giant Legos (but are called bricks) and held together by use of wooden staffs in corners and in between spaces on top so that other pieces could fit on top of them. It took the gentle use of a rubber mallet to ensure the staffs were fitted in place. Then came the B section, which we assembled by repeating the same process for the A section.

After that came the part that everyone owner of a StudioBricks booth warned me about: The dreaded door. Some of my colleagues have glass doors, but I chose to have a wooden door. Whichever one you go with know this: it will be HEAVY! Do NOT handle this piece on your own, mine weighed 175 pounds. It took my brother, my boyfriend, my father and me to get it out of the crate, then carried into the house, to my room, and finally to secure it onto the booth. At that moment, I realized what a blessing it was to live in a one-story house. And if I ever decide to get an apartment, it’ll have to be on the first floor.

With the door in place it was time to add the sections marked with letter C and how many pieces came with it.

Then, we discovered that there weren’t enough wooden beams to keep the C pieces locked in place. That delayed building the rest of the booth for a week in a half.

The folks at StudioBricks were extremely helpful and rushed not one but two extra wooden beams just in case.

When they arrived my brother and my boyfriend added the final section marked as D which was mainly the top walls and ceiling parts. By this time the worst was out of the way, meaning the leftover pieces weren’t as heavy.

So, depending on your strength, expect most pieces to have dense structure. It’s not recommended whatsoever to put this together on your own.

Once done. It looked MARVELOUS! As you can imagine, I couldn’t wait to get in there to record samples and auditions.

However… something was wrong. And because of this detail, we had to take it apart piece by piece and put the entire thing back together again!!!!!!!!

To find out what was wrong and how we fixed it, stay tuned for part 2!

Voice Over Life: Building My StudioBricks Booth part 2

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Continuing from my last post with Part 2 of putting my StudioBricks booth together. If you haven’t read it yet, I suggest doing so to keep up with what I’m sharing here.

I had put my studio together with the help of my brother, my boyfriend and my Dad. It looked amazing and was quite cozy inside. However, after all the unloading, and putting it together one section at a time (which took maybe 3 hours), there was a problem.

The floor was creaking.

Each time I stepped in or moved my feet around, the wooden boards on the outer floor frame made slight scraping sounds that I knew would interfere with recording and be a pain to edit out. After speaking with the great folks at StudioBricks and my good friend Jerry Pelletier, who was instrumental in helping me understand the fine points of how to assemble it, we realized the floor was uneven. Now, foot holders came with the package and were easy to adjust. Unfortunately, we neglected to measure each area to make sure the sides were even. There was only one solution to treat the problem: Taking it apart piece by piece and starting all over again.

For this round, my boyfriend and two of our friends helped. We started from the ceiling, and took the whole thing apart from top to bottom. Once we got to the floor we spent 30-45 minutes making sure the feet were adjusted accordingly, and that each side was even. Then, we added foam beneath the floor boards. It’s not necessary to use expensive Auralex foam. We used cheap bedding foam from Walmart. We had to apply something heavy for the middle board for a while since it kept trying to pop up. But now it no longer needs pressure to keep it down. We walked on it several times to make sure the creaking was gone. I can occasionally hear a tiny scrape when stepping inside, but it doesn’t stick around. Now I can sit, stand and move without worry that noises will interfere with recordings.

We assembled each section yet again, starting from sections label A1 to A5, then B1 to B5, then C1 and C5 and onward.

Despite how exhausting the process was of putting it together, then taking it apart and building it back up, it was totally worth it!! I love going inside to record now. I don’t hear planes flying overhead, I don’t hear the 60 hz hum in the walls and I don’t hear my PC.

Some tidbits worth sharing about my experience thus far:

-I specifically asked the manufacturers not to include the aeropack fan. They assured me that it’s silent. However, it’s really not. Even still, they sent the fan anyway, free of charge. I don’t use it.

-The subject of airflow in the booth is an important discussion. At the moment, I have nothing filtering air outside in. It’s a process still in the works.

-I didn’t use all the foam that the booth came with, not even the bass traps. In fact, most of that stuff is in my closet. Quite a few people said to use the bass traps on the corners, but because they’re solid foam, I worry that they’ll make me sound boxed in with the foam already built on the walls. So, for the time being I have sound panels positioned around me, which I made with compressed fiberglass boards wrapped in calico cloth from a fabric store. I’d like to have one positioned above my head on the ceiling, as I’m not crazy about the egg shell foam above my head.

-I don’t like the desk that came with booth because when I sit to record and brush against the edge of the table it rattles a bit. It’s left in there for now, until I can find something better. I recommend a wooden table with wobble-proof legs.

-The window is left uncovered for the time being, but if I hear too much reflection when I’m shouting for games or animation, I’ll cover it temporarily with some foam or moving blankets.

-If you get a chair, make sure it too doesn’t rattle when you sit or shift in it.

-If you get a booth of any kind, I recommend going with a rectangular space, not square. If you have doubts, contact home studio professionals like George Whittam, Dan Lenard, or Dan Friedman. If you Google their names, you’ll get great info.

It’s still a process to make it just right, but the booth is finished and I love it!

If you decide to specifically go with a StudioBricks booth consider the following:

-Know the exact size you want, and the space in your apartment or house for it. Measure out how much feet it’ll take and keep in mind the booth will weigh over 2,000 pounds. Be sure your floor can hold that amount of weight!

-Don’t rely on foam alone to fix all your problems acoustically. The booth will need more treatment no matter what. Some complain that the booths are too much of a pain to treat, but others say it’s great. I like mine so far.

-There are single-wall, double-wall and triple-wall booths. Don’t just consider the space you have now, especially if you plan to relocate. It’s more expensive, but I went with a triple wall so as to not worry about potential problems at future locations when I move to. Remember, this is an investment.

-A wooden door or a glass door? I don’t suffer from claustrophobia so I went with a wooden door so that I could mount a panel or foam on it if necessary. A glass door would cause too much reflection and I can’t hang a panel or glue foam on it since the surface would be damaged.

-Do NOT assemble the booth by yourself. Find friends or if need be, hire help.

-MAKE SURE THE FLOOR IS EVEN before assembling the whole thing!!

That’s my journey. So far no one has complained about my recordings. As I said earlier, I’m still going to make tweaks and changes here and there. It’ll never be perfect, but so far it’s helped a lot!

If anyone has questions, please feel free to ask them and I’ll do my best to answer.

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!

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.

VO Atlanta 2018

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So this was my first time at VO Atlanta and much like my favorite VO blogger Paul Strikwerda whom I finally met in person, I freaking loved it!

Good heavens I seriously don’t even know where to start. The people I met, the sessions I attended, the knowledge I absorbed, and the inspiration shared by veterans of voice over is worth every single penny!!!

If you truly want to be part of this profession, then you should know there are serious investments involved. I’ve also met quite a few people who insult VO conventions because they want to get work from attending it. But it’s not about that, even though I met people who have been signed by agents and got work with visiting casting directors almost right after the convention. You attend to build relationships with working professionals and get to know your VO family and friends. They’re the ones who welcome anyone and everyone with open arms whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced talent. Egos are left behind as smiles and support flood the atmosphere.

I even brought some of my homemade macarons to share with guests!

The first day is nerve wracking for all of us, but once we’re all settled in and have our schedules in place people either go to an X-Session (a class of no more than 12 people that involves 3 hours of intense training and microphone time with a working pro, casting director or talent agent), or a breakout session (hearing advice, insights and helpful tips from pros who keep up with what’s current in the industry).

The only real downsides to the convention were not having enough money to buy an X-Session (unfortunately they have an extra fee), and having conflicts when one breakout session started at the same time as another.

There were VO specialists with decades of knowledge and experience giving discussions on video games, animation, audiobooks, automotive spots, radio imaging, narration, commercials, promos, elearning, automated dialogue replacement, and more. Agents and casting directors hosted panels for anyone wanting to ask questions about voice over and how they work with talent. A talent screening was held for anyone who wanted five minutes to audition for an agent or casting director. And last, a small exhibit hall displayed various products or advertised services for voice over actors.

For anyone totally new to voice over, this convention can be a bit stressful for the brain due to the endless amount of information passed around for four days. Even worse, the industry changes constantly and sometimes at the drop of a hat. If you can’t keep up, you may not last long. Time is money and no one likes to have their time wasted.

And as I mentioned before, there are serious investments which are not cheap. This means buying a sound booth (or adapting a space to record in like a closet or basement), or building your own (recording at home is not optional anymore and quality matters more than you may think), purchasing recording software, a proper microphone, an audio interface, subscribing to the latest technology that clients require for communication (Source Connect, Idptl, etc.), training nonstop with coaches who specialize in whatever genre interests you, then having a professional demo made (one per genre, never all on the same file). If you try producing a demo yourself with little or no experience you’ll ruin a first impression and won’t be forgotten for it. Don’t even think about ruling out marketing. No one is going to do it for you unless you pay good money. If you want to be taken seriously you need to find a brand for your voice and advertise your demos on a nice website (html is preferred, not flash). A pay 2 play site is optional (I only recommend Voice123 or Bodalgo and that’s it).

Then there’s the need to devote time to your craft. Many voice over talents have a second job to help pay bills while they’re building their career. With research you can find some good employment opportunities to fall back on that are flexible with VO.

Now don’t let despair override your enthusiasm. There’s room for possibilities if you look for them. And the convention does include some fun activities for those who need to unwind. On the third day there was a 70s theme party where everyone got dressed up and partied till close to dawn. I’m usually not crazy about parties but when surrounded by colleagues and friends I can easily let loose on the dance floor.

Now I’d like to briefly discuss the hotel itself. I’m told locations change now and then regarding the hotel of choice to hold the convention. I shared a room with two others which I highly recommend if you want to save costs. The room was nice and clean, the staff were helpful, but the restaurants were… not too great. Menu items are expensive, which is not unusual, but the service time was ridiculous. Perhaps the hotel was understaffed, or perhaps too many people attending the convention overcrowded the space. Whatever reasons, the hotel restaurant experience was unfavorable. Even worse, not everyone could afford to pay for a $22 breakfast buffet for 4 days straight. Some could not afford the $13 small Caesar salad every night. I knew of other restaurants close to the hotel but most took 15 minutes to walk to without a rental car (which I didn’t have). If you calculate the time to walk there, the unpredictable time it takes to get seated, then wait on your food, order, then eat and walk all the way back to the hotel, it can heavily affect your schedule throughout the day. With luck the convention did include some meals but not for each day which was unfortunate. If the rooms included kitchens I would have gladly cooked meals not just for myself but for friends as well since I love it. This is not to say it was a horrible hotel, far from it. But for anyone who isn’t used to staying hotels, prepare for the inconvenience of slow food service if attending conventions which are also held there.

Last to mention was the fourth and final day. The conference founder presented an inspiring speech, then gave out lots of great raffle prizes (one of which I won, was an hour marketing with a highly successful colleague), but what I remember most is something called the Unicorn Award. It’s an award reserved for people in VO who have experienced hardships and loss. More than 20 colleagues who included agents, casting directors, branding experts, marketing professionals, demo producers and so many others donated their services for free to one lucky individual who suffered due to disappointments in health or finances. Remember, it’s a tough industry! The person selected received all kinds of valuable help such as demo productions, agency representation for a whole year, marketing help, branding help, all from multiple, generous sources. That’s the other thing I love about my VO family and community. We can truly come together and support one another.

So, of all the VO conventions I’ve attended thus far, this is one of the best. If VO is your dream career goal and you want to learn all you can, consider attending VO Atlanta at least once. I network daily with other voice over talent as well as producers, directors, etc. Some great projects are in development to help others no matter where they are in voice over. Stay tuned for more posts in the future!

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