Saturday, December 26, 2009

VO Directory

The Following is a Voice Over related Directory compiled for the benefit of established and up-and-coming voice over talent who want to secure more voice over work through the Internet it doesn’t include VO coaches or personal VO artists Sites:

So far 225 casting websites and growing!

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Freelance Sites that Occasionally have VO audition listings

Directory Contributors

Voice Over Resources and Directories

Free Voice Over ebooks

Voice Over Blogs

VO Directory

Apr 20th, 2009 by Mahmoud Taji

directory

The Following is a Voice Over related Directory compiled for the benefit of established and up-and-coming voice over talent who want to secure more voice over work through the Internet it doesn’t include VO coaches or personal VO artists Sites:

So far 225 casting websites and growing!

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

X

Y

Z

Freelance Sites that Occasionally have VO audition listings

Directory Contributors

Voice Over Resources and Directories

Free Voice Over ebooks

Voice Over Blogs

15 Comments »



15 Responses to “VO Directory”

on 26 May 2009 at 2:07 pm1 flyingdutchman

Better late than never…

Here are a few other companies:

http://www.mikelemoncasting.com
http://www.voixla.fr
http://www.voiceconcept.net
http://www.audio2brain.ch
http://www.vsi.tv
http://www.audioproduktion.com

Posted by CreatiVoices at 7:30 AM 1 comments  

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Social Media Marketing: Are You Being Dull? Pep Up Your Posts!

Social Media Marketing: Are You
Being Dull? Pep Up Your Posts!
Note: Philip Banks is ANYTHING but dull. And he loves to provoke us ...
By Philip Banks
Voice Actor
You’re trying so hard to get your name out there and the word dull is not necessarily an indictment on your voice acting skills - It’s YOU! You’re dull!

Of course I don’t mean you’re dull people. I mean that you’ve become so focused on self-promotion that you’ve forgotten all about content, all about other people and all about life.

On the VO webwaffle page, you post something about a job you’ve just voiced, that’s it.
You believe the fact you have done something is in itself worth posting and is inherently interesting. It isn’t!
You’re dull! There’s no detail, no story. Nothing other than “I showed up for work today and some work showed up for me.”
REAL FRIENDS ...
Last year I attended Sue and Ian’s wedding. You don’t know them, so that’s of no particular interest to you.
But what was nice was that I got through the entire event without talking about my work. It was Sue and Ian’s day, not another opportunity to network or get a much needed ego massage.
Sue and Ian are friends, have been for years.
... & ELECTRONIC FRIENDS
My VO friends are different.
Many are not really friends at all, other than due to a random click on a mouse - ADD PHILIP AS YOUR FRIEND.
Like good electronic cyber friends, they then ignore me other than to regale me with dreary anecdotes about having 5 auditions to get out by 4 p.m. for a pencil company web site and ... and nothing! No interesting part to the story.
You see, you’re dull!
NOT COOKING RIGHT?
You’ve got the social and electronic media thing cooking on gas, yet it’s still not quite working for you.
Your inbox isn’t as full as it should be with jobs, and the phone is not ringing endlessly.
It’s not the “nature of the beast” or “the current economic climate” - it’s people becoming battle weary.
You say nothing of interest, do nothing of interest, and write/post/blog/twitter on it ad nauseum. You’re dull!
HIRE DAVE DULLARD?
You are the sort of person people emigrate in order to avoid.
Even using an electron microscope and a hyperbolic microphone, most people could not find their interest in anything you have to say, write about or anything you do.
But that’s OK because you only want to promote your career, you’re not looking to engage people you’re looking to get them to hire you.
Ask yourself this: between Mr. Windswept and Interesting or Dave Dullard - both equally capable VOs - who would you hire? Exactly!
SELF-PROMOTION TRAP

The real downside of constantly self-promoting, apart from the dullness, is that people stop reading, stop listening and stop thinking of you as a viable option when a job crops up.
I know you don’t believe me, but it’s true. And if you want to climb the VO ladder, don’t get VO coaching, get interested in other people and become interesting.
People should want to spend time with Philip Banks, not a VO from Portgordon.
SHOW SOME PERSONALITY
Producers and directors should take away more than a good take from a session with you.

I heard someone say that in the world of voice-over artists, it’s difficult to find the characters. There used to be plenty around.
No one is suggesting that you manufacture a life and soul of the party persona, just give a little of yourself.
WHAT I MEAN ...

Two silly examples for you:
1) A promo producer who works for one of the US TV networks has a photo of my dog as the screensaver on her office PC.

2) Cynthia, PA to the head of Presentation and Progamme Planning at another TV station puts down the telephone.
“You’ve been talking to Philip,” says her colleague.

“How do you know?” asks Cynthia.

“You were laughing most of the time!”
CHOOSE YOUR JOB
There really is more to this than meets the eye.
It’s time to take stock. Let’s look at two jobs:
  • Job one is self-promoting dullard.
  • Job two is voice over.
The jobs are mutually exclusive. You must choose one.
ABOUT PHILIP ...
Philip Banks is an international voice talent based in the United Kingdom – which, he says, “Thanks to technology, means nothing.” From his home studio he delivers commercials, promos/imaging, corporate voice-overs and more – including (per a whimsical note on his web site) “just making strange noises.”

Posted by CreatiVoices at 5:34 PM 0 comments  

Coping With Copy: Difficult ... Offensive? Approach It Positively

Coping With Copy: Difficult ...
Offensive? Approach It Positively
By Rodney Saulsberry
Voice Actor, Vocalist, Coach & Author
Voice-over copy can present challenges. But rather than go it alone, learn from the experiences and advice of celebrity voice talent Rodney Saulsberry, in the following excerpt – reprinted with permission – from his book, Step Up To The Mic – A Positive Approach to Succeeding in Voice-Overs.
OBSTACLE: DIFFICULT COPY
The positive way to deal with copy that’s hard to say is, take your time.
If I look at copy and realize it’s challenging, I know I’ll have to concentrate. I spot words that might be tough, and then I go over them a number of times in my mind – aloud, if I can – so that when I get to them during a take, I don’t stumble.
If a small portion of the copy is really crazy, I will say so to the employer – in a polite way.
If the writer happens to be there, then I’ll try to be tactful by saying, “Well, this is a little hard to say.”
I'LL SUGGEST CHANGE
Sometimes I will read the copy slightly differently than how it’s written, without asking if I can. Many times when this happens, the client or director will comment, “You know, you did THIS where I had THAT, but to be honest with you, I really liked what you were doing. Can you do it again?"
Nine times out of 10, you won’t have to alter the script anyway. Professional ad writers are generally excellent at their work.
Before you suggest a change, try saying the difficult copy first. Asking to change the script should be a last resort, and you always have to be tactful about it.
Remember, everyone in the room has the same positive goal. You all want to do a great job.
OBSTACLE: THEY KEEP CHANGING COPY
The flip side to difficult copy is copy that keeps changing. It is a tough situation when a client can’t decide what words he or she wants you to record.
Here are some ways to keep your cool when this happens.
Keep a positive attitude when there are copy changes during a session, by realizing that oftentimes copywriters aren’t sure, or they are on deadline, or they have to turn in copy before they are ready.
Sometimes they will be writing copy while you’re working. Remember, you could be doing something else that you don’t like as much. Voice-over is fun!
THEY'RE THE BOSS
Also remember that these people have brought you here. They are paying you a certain amount of money, and there is a certain amount of time they have with you contractually. It’s their time, and they can use it how they want.
Understand that when people are in the creative process, sometimes things change. Just put on a positive hat that says: “They are in the creative process and they are under the gun. I’m here to do a job, and I will do it.”
OBSTACLE: SWITCHING CHARACTER VOICES
You have your main voice – your signature voice. Most of the time, that’s what employers want you to use.
Even if you go into a high falsetto or if you go into a low basso thing, it still has an origin, and that origin is your signature voice.
Therefore, even if you play a character with a unique voice, you’re really doing a variation of what’s already there.
BUILD FROM BASE
This knowledge comes in handy when you’re asked to play more than one character during a session. When you work in a cartoon, you have your main role, though contractually you may have to do two, three or four other minor characters.
If this is the case, you have to say to yourself, “Okay, the main character I’m doing is about up here,” meaning your voice is at a particular high pitch. Then, you’ve got to take the next character into a lower voice.
If the higher guy spoke rapidly, the lower guy might speak more slowly and deliberately.
OBSTACLE: OFFENSIVE COPY
There will be times when you are given copy that you’re not excited about morally. It may insult you as a female or an ethnic minority, or it may be against your religious or personal beliefs.
What do you do?
You tell the client or director that it offends you, and explain why. Ask them to change the copy, and hope for the best.
FRIENDLY, CIVIL DIALOGUE
When I’ve had jobs where the text has been offensive and I have taken the time to alert the director, for the most part, we have had a civil dialogue about it, and the changes were made.
One thing about the voice-over industry is that it’s a friendly community. I think the reason I love it is because it’s a happy environment.
So, when things really bother you, your employers are usually open for discussion.
Of course, this advice deals with situations where you get a job and encounter offensive copy that you never saw before.
If the copy bothered you during an audition, you shouldn’t have taken the job. There’s nothing more empowering than avoiding a situation that could be a problem, before it actually becomes a problem.
ABOUT RODNEY …
Rodney Saulsberry is the voice of choice for behind-the-scenes narration, and a voice-over coach based in the Los Angeles area. He is in demand for promos (Dancing With The Stars, networks …), announcing (Grammy and Country Music Awards …), movie trailers (How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Tupac Resurrection, Finding Forrester …), commercials (Zatarain’s, Twix, Toyota Camry, Burger King …), audiobooks, animation and more. He is also a vocalist (Better Than Before), and author of two popular voice-over inspirational books, Step Up To The Mic, and You Can Bank On Your Voice.

Posted by CreatiVoices at 5:33 PM 0 comments  

Agents: How To Submit Your Demo (So That It Doesn't Get Tossed)

Agents: How To Submit Your Demo
(So That It Doesn't Get Tossed)
Note: This article is a chapter reprinted with permission from Demo & Marketing Magic for Voice Actors, by Penny Abshire, now available as a downloadable e-book.
By Penny Abshire
Voice Actor & Coach
VoiceActing Academy
When you have your “killer” demo ready, you may decide you’d like to seek representation by an agent.
The recommended methods for sending out your demo to potential agents vary from teacher to teacher and from area to area.
Since I’m on the West coast, I’ll tell you how we do it here, and also what I’ve learned from coaches in other parts of the country.
THE WESTERN WAY
On the West Coast, it is not recommended that you send out your demo unsolicited.
Whether it’s to an agent or a potential client, if they aren’t expecting it (or they’re not accepting demos at that time), it will probably either be set aside indefinitely or it will be thrown away.
After all the time, effort and money you’ve put into it – that’s the LAST thing you want to happen!
CALL FIRST!
It’s pretty easy to save your demo from this fate. CALL first. It’s that simple - and it's common courtesy.
I’ve had students tell me that they just want to send out their demos blind and see what happens. They’ll do most anything not to have to talk to someone on the phone and risk rejection.
You’re in the wrong business if you think every time you present yourself you’re going to be accepted with open arms. Facing and accepting rejection is an integral part of show business!
MIDWEST & BACK EAST
In the Midwest and East Coast, VO talent and coaches tell me that it’s quite common for a voice actor to mass produce demos and send them to every production company, agent, casting director and potential client.
This is very different from the West Coast, but it’s the way things are done there.
The best advice I can give you is to contact a VO talent, coach or agent in YOUR area and find out how they want to receive demos.
COLD CALL EXAMPLES
The following are some examples of what you could say on the telephone when contacting a potential agent.
1. To determine if an agent is accepting demos ...
Agency: Good morning, XYZ Talent Agency, may I help you?
VOA: Yes, Can you tell me if your agency is currently accepting new voice demos?
Agency: Yes, we are.
VOA: Can you give me the address and person’s name I should sent it to, please?
Agency: Certainly, our address is P.O. 123, Opportunity, New York 20003. Send it to the attention of Matilda Brown.
VOA: That’s P.O. 123, Opportunity, New York 20003 - Attention Matilda Brown, correct?
Agency: Yes, that’s right.
VOA: Thanks for your help – goodbye.
2. If they say 'No' ...
Agency: Good morning, XYZ Talent Agency, may I help you?
VOA: Yes, Can you tell me if your agency is currently accepting new voice demos?
Agency: No, not at this time.
VOA: When would be a good time to check back?
Agency: Probably in about 6 months.
VOA: Thanks for your help – goodbye.
Both calls are pretty simple. And in both you are anonymous! Also remember, rejection one day can turn into acceptance the next. That’s a part of show business.
3. Follow up to see if they’ve received your demo ...
VOA: Hi, this is (your name). I spoke with you last week and sent you a copy of my voice demo. I’m just checking to make sure it arrived and that (name of the person they gave you) received it.
Prospect: Yes, it came in yesterday, but I don’t think (name) has had a chance to listen to it yet.
VOA: No problem, just wanted to make sure it arrived. When do you think it would be a good time for me to check back?
Prospect: He’s pretty busy, you’d better give him a couple of weeks at least.
VOA: Great! I’ll do that – thanks so much for your help.
Then make a reminder to call in two weeks from that date and DO IT!
Agents are extremely busy – so expect that if they are interested in you, it will probably take some time to get a response. If they aren’t – you won’t hear at all. That’s Showbiz!
KEEP MARKETING
Important: Don’t be duped into thinking that if you have an agent you no longer have to market yourself.
It is a show business reality that an agent will only really WANT you – when you don’t NEED them.
This meaning: they will only pursue actors who they know already have a client base – and a proven track record. In short, they want the actors for which they can make a large commission.
Don’t misunderstand - agents can be terrific people to have on your side – and when it comes to negotiating contracts, they are invaluable.
But my point is that if you have any dreams that an agent will be “pounding the pavement” on our behalf (and that all you’ll have to do is sit back and count the jobs rolling in) – it's time to let go of that!
NEVER GIVE UP
If you have submitted to an agent and you don’t hear back or you get a rejection letter – don’t give up!
They may not be interested in your voice right now – but things can change. It may be they already have enough people in their talent pool with similar voice characteristics to yours.
In the next couple of years - when you send them your new and improved demo - you may be exactly what they are looking for.
Never give up!
“Every exit is an entrance to somewhere else.”
-Tom Stoppard, playwright who won an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love

ABOUT PENNY ...

Penny Abshire is senior producer, creative director and voice talent at the VoiceActing Academy in San Diego, CA, where she co-teaches workshops (in-person, by phone and on the road) with James Alburger. A classically trained concert pianist - performing since the age of seven - actor and dancer, she has won numerous industry awards and is author of the popular book, Demo and Marketing Magic for Voice Actors.

Email: info@voiceacting.co

Posted by CreatiVoices at 5:33 PM 0 comments  

Auditions: Online, It's Not War! The Mistakes We All Make ...

Auditions: Online, It's Not War!
The Mistakes We All Make ...
By Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager, Voice 123

I have been doing more and more Quality Assurance on auditions submitted through Voice123 (the online voice-over audition and casting service) and at the same time, I answer emails from voice talent who express to me that they have not gotten work.
Whether they are experienced in offline voice-over casting or not experienced at all, many manage to make the same mistakes that I have seen cost them voice-over work.

I am basing this article on information gathered via:
  • Customer service emails.
  • Auditions and demos listened to while doing QA at Voice123.
  • Both voice seeker and voice talent complaints about working online.
EXPERIENCE IS BEST TEACHER
From those three factors, I get a sense that some may get emotionally charged up, which is EXACTLY why you should keep reading.
Also keep in mind that I am describing mistakes made by everyone at some point. I have now seen it happen, and I blush because I made the same mistakes at some point, while using Voice123.

I understand where a talent comes from. I also know that the greatest education comes from those who have made mistakes, and then learned why they were mistakes.
Problem #1:
Working Online Is Not War!
Working online carries with it a greater need for understanding.
If you approach working online as if it is "Me vs. Them," you will find yourself unemployed.
I have seen notes and emails go back and forth between clients and talents such as:
  • "I watermarked my audition, so you cannot steal it."
  • "Your budget is laughable, but I am auditioning anyway."
  • A budget quote: "You tell me."
  • An audition remark that states, "I have 30 years experience, and I have never seen someone so cheap in all my years ..."
WHY START FIGHT?
For a voice talent, seriously, if something upsets you, it is best to walk away from the audition.
Do not waste energy or time on being aggressive online. It is too easy for people to fight back and remember you.
If you want to start a fight, you will get what you want, and then some.
Problem #2:
Slaaaaaaaaaating
- or Aggressive Slating
I think this is the most common.
What many voice talent do not understand is that working with computers instantly means you are dealing with people with short attention spans.
A study showed last year that from "mouse click to frustration," you had a time frame of only 3 to 20 seconds.
Keeping that in mind, if you are a buyer or producer, with even as little as 10 demos to listen to, how often can you take the following slates before you just get frustrated:
  • "Hello, my name is *** and I will be doing three takes, of three different reads for you, and I have watermarked each one to protect myself."
  • "Hi, my name is ***. My web site is ***, and you can find out more about me at ***. I will be doing three reads."
Those 'slaaaaates' are killers!
Not only is the first one displaying that a voice talent may be paranoid - a sign of inexperience while working online, but they both go on for more than 10 seconds.
EXPERIENCE IT ...
Try this, which lends itself to why it is not a bad idea to know about online customer service:
Walk into a store and ask where to buy soda. If the guy behind the counter explains every single detail of the store for two minutes before telling you what you originally asked for, you may just walk out.
Online sites: their interfaces provide your name, and the client is about to hear you anyway, so there is no point in explaining for 20 seconds, what they will hear for the next 20 seconds.
Problem #3:
Paranoid Behavior
& Watermarks
When online casting started, watermarks made sense, but not so much anymore.
Why? Because:
  • the online community has been around for several years now,
  • the Internet sites have gotten wiser about who posts jobs, and
  • there are a 1,001 ways to verify someone before they post a job.
Plus, if for some reason they try to take the audio, web sites have that covered, too. How do I do it? I am not telling. It took me years to figure out how to catch people, so I won't shed that skill in public.
PARANOID BEHAVIOR
So, what do I see talent doing?
  • Loud watermarks that sound more like tests of the emergency broadcast system.
  • An announcement that there is a watermark, and that it is being done to protect their work. That one alone turns off a buyer immediately. It makes a voice talent sound nervous.
  • Submitting auditions with poor audio on purpose, and then explaining it away that "I did this to protect myself." That only makes one think you are making excuses for yourself.
Problem #4:
Not Following Directions
The common response I get when I mention this is, "Well, they do not tell me enough to go on."
That happens, yes, but I am referring to specific times when a buyer asks for something in a description, and the voice talent thinks it is a good idea or OK to submit whatever the talent thinks is best, and to make up a reason as to why it was done.
If you do not understand how that feels to the buyer, try this:
1. Imagine you go to a restaurant, and you are trying to impress your loved one.
2. The waiter takes your order, and you are waiting for it to arrive.
3. The waiter comes out with a completely different order, and says, "I know you asked for this, but I wanted to give you something different."
Working online is like "being your own business," so how do you think it makes a buyer feel when you do the opposite of what they requested?
How would it make you feel, if you were hiring?
Problem #5:
Not Understanding
'Give & Take' Of Working Online
Like it or not, auditioning online carries a heavier burden of reassurance that a job can be done.
It is not about, "I auditioned! Now, someone will call and tell me what I have to do next!"
You need to have a business plan in place, because when you work online, you are directly in contact with the buyer. There is no agent-filter or production house to report to on a certain date and time.
It is all about you, from A-Z.
WHAT HAPPENS ...

This is "give and take" ...
As the "seller" of your voice online, you have to own a professional online business known as YOU, which you present to buyers of your voice-over skill.
You have to be the "giver" because this is a new playground, with a new way of doing business in voice-overs.
I will not lie. It is not always easy, and it does take some time to learn how to communicate online.
Problem #6:
Not Seeing The Forest
For The Possible 'Greens'
Working online is about building relationships - not "paying to play." If you want to pay-to-play something, try online poker.

I say this because the budget you see from the voice seeker may be lower because the person simply has no idea who you are, and what you can do.
Everyone is equal when you work online, even those with decades of experience, so those budgets may be just teasers. Once the voice seeker knows you, and knows you can do what they need, the real money will come in.
GET REPEAT BUSINESS

I have been told several times that Voice123 shines because of the repeat clients, not the job postings.
These voice talent know the difference between playing online and working online.
A tip: I did something recently to help a very experienced offline talent of many years. He explained to me that working online was difficult. I told him the following:
  • If you are experienced offline, find someone younger than you, and show them your profile and auditions.
  • See if they could re-write what you send in emails and audition remarks.
He swallowed his pride and ego, and we agreed he could tell me I was wrong forever. But he did as I suggested, and booked his next online audition, after a two-year drought.
I take no credit. I give credit to the young man who re-wrote the text for his uncle to make it more net-savvy, short and sweet.
The idea came to mind because I wrote my brother's Yahoo personals profile, and the next day, eight women showed interest. I have always believed that the arbitrator tells a story better.
Problem #7:
Whatever Has You Upset
About The Web Site You Use,
Don't Mention It
They know already, trust me. They deal with it too, and tell us about it.
If you want to relate to someone, do so on a positive level.
Voice123 works on issues all the time. We have constant communications, with over 10,000 emails a month.
For instance, what do you accomplish with an audition remark like this?
"The audio you will hear is not good because Voice123 insists on using 96 KBPS, which sounds awful!"
Your purpose was to be hired, not file a complaint, and the seeker knows it is an audition process, anyway.
Problem #8:
A Phony Accent
When a voice seeker requests an accent, please take care to not offend someone's nationality.

Understand that when a person is highly offended, they might feel compelled to hit back, and not say why.
People who audition and hire talent from Voice123 tell me what they hear, and I'll pass along these tips:
  • A French accent request does not mean "Sound like Pepe Le Pew"
  • A Spanish and/or Hispanic accent request does not mean, "Sound like Speedy Gonzalez or Cheech and Chong"
  • An Italian accent request does not mean "Sound like a Joey Soprano"
  • A German accent can be confused with an Austrian accent.
  • An African accent does not mean "Sound like you are from the Bronx"
  • A Chinese accent does not mean "Replace the letter 'L' with the letter 'R' "
  • A Scottish accent does not mean "Mike Meyers 'Big Sexy' impersonation"
INNOCENT OFFENSE
These are innocent mistakes made because sounds and images are stuck in our subconscious mind, and we may mean no offense. But still, I have seen how these errors offend people greatly, and when working on an international stage, it helps to be aware of what your buyer feels.
Certain "characters" in the North American culture of entertainment are deemed highly offensive in other countries.
I have learned this through my years of traveling. I also worked in Times Square for seven years - considered the crossroads of the world for good reason.

As we all know, people can be very sensitive while working online, no matter who you are, so there has to be a level of understanding that we are all starting over in this online playground.
Yeah, we can all audition. But we can also be much more than just a voice talent.

Posted by CreatiVoices at 5:25 PM 0 comments  

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