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Mary Morgan

VO

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.

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.

Beware of the Generic Voice Over Email

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Funny title for today’s blog post right? Well, there’s a reason for that. Last November, I received an email with the subject line “CASTINGS / BARN TALENT/ SEEKING MGMT REP”. For this post, I used fake names for the agency and the owner’s name, as well as marked them out on the email screenshot as I don’t wish to slander. I sensed this email was blasted to many people all at once and upon reading the note, I was right!

The first sentence as you can see, says: Hope all is well. This email is only being used for submissions of new talent. Then someone who called themselves Barney’s Assistant (not the actual name) wrote a poorly fashioned letter asking if I was seeking representation, talent management, or more opportunities.

Next, there was a super short description of the agency being around for 10 years and working with top casting directors, producers, etc, a request to visit the company website for more information, and an invitation to submit my demos. Oh, they also included the phrase “We are freelancing with talent and understand what that entails.”

Unsolicited emails are nothing new and I get them often. But I decided not to respond to this particular one for quite a few reasons:

As I mentioned above, I could tell the email was blasted out to lots of people. It started with “Hello” instead of “Hello Mary”, or “Hello Ms. Morgan”. It wasn’t directed solely to me.

Barney’s Assistant didn’t give their real name or even explain who Barney was.

Why was I specifically being contacted? Yes, I’m a voice over but there’s no mention of what genres they work most with or where I’d fit best in the agency’s VO department (if they have one): commercials, animation, video games, promos, etc.

Something told me I needed to find out if other colleagues received a similar email. So, I went on social media to visit a few voice-over groups and lo and behold, almost every talent and colleague I knew as well as many, many others had received the EXACT same email! Everyone questioned the legitimacy of the agency and who was Barney’s Assistant? But alas, there were no answers, just memes, and jokes.

A friend and colleague discussed some very interesting points as to why this email backfired the way it did, and I got his permission to share them:

The email was impersonal/generic. They didn’t address their message to anyone in particular and therefore had no idea who they were contacting.

The message felt arrogant, as though the receiver was expected to know who exactly Barney was and expected me to trust that they really know the business.

The proposal seemed fake and much like a scam. With no name from the sender, “Barney” was either acting as his own assistant or he had hired someone inexperienced at writing emails. The note felt like a “jump in the bandwagon while it’s hot” scheme or a “let’s make lots of money together in this new venture” propaganda completely ignorant to the nuances of what a successful voice acting career would entail.

The email was poorly planned with terrible use of phrases, typos, and little to no knowledge of voice-over other than starting up a department for it. If this is how they communicate with voice actors, what does their communication with casting directors, ad agencies, producers, and directors look like?

The sender didn’t do proper research on whom they were emailing. They more than likely found a list of names somewhere and sent their email to anyone with an address.

Instead of curating a roster that fills a need for the agency or their existing talent, they just wanted to add as many names as possible, which means they didn’t value the people they were contacting.

Lastly, the so-called owner of the agency, Barney himself, made a video on Instagram defending the email blast by explaining it was legitimate, how much he wanted to build the VO department at his agency, and finally mentioning that his Instagram page was in fact verified.

What’s more unfortunate is that new and unsuspecting voice-over talent are likely to fall for this gimmick which is why I wanted to blog about it. Always do your research! Legitimate agents/agencies DO NOT mass solicit talent. It’s also been reported by various sources that “Barney” shares jobs on social media that are supposed to be confidential, thus violating NDAs!

All in all, it’s not unusual to hear from an agent interested in representing you. It can be rare for certain due to agents being incredibly busy. Nonetheless, beware of generic emails that don’t address you by your name or mention how they found you.

Do your research, ask questions, and be careful out there!

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.

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

marymorganvoice@gmail.com
817-845-7862