http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/articles.htm VoiceOverXtra.com Articles en-us Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:25:30 EDT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss johnflorian@voiceoverxtra.com (John Florian) Copyright © Voice-Over Xtra!. All rights reserved. http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=5nzsvyr2 You've probably heard the adage "You gotta spend some to make some," referring to spending money on a growing business. It took me close to a decade to understand this basic concept. I was so proud of starting up my own business on trade - with no cash down - that I felt compelled to do my own printing, engineering, editing, marketing, demo production and accounting. Now, how much time do you suppose I was spending on honing my craft and auditioning? Not a minute - and it showed ... Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:40:53 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=5nzsvyr2 http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=aistko91 They work in isolation. Every day in America, hundreds of individuals climb into a closet or sound booth in their own home, close the door, fire up their audio chain, take a position in front of a pop-filter, and begin voicing copy into a microphone. Yet they also wear the hat of entrepreneurs, accountants, marketers, promoters, web designers, bloggers, and disciplined, enterprising self-starters ... Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:24:07 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=aistko91 http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=vzgir2t5 Bob Souer has come a long way from his Chicago Radio Days, recalled in Part 1 of our wide-ranging interview with the voice actor who calls so many people "my friend." Indeed, he has made many friends over 25 years in voice-overs, lending a helping hand to beginners and seasoned pros alike. Here, in the second of our three-part interview, Bob examines the keys to voice-over success … peppered, of course, with stories. Imagine his rich, baritone voice in the telling ... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:28:47 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=vzgir2t5 http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=kg2b4nq4 Voice123, the huge online marketplace for voice talent, has introduced a new online forum for Premium members of the service. The new Voice123 Premium Forums replaces the VoiceOverSavvy forum, and offers online buzz in many categories - each of which supports numerous topics, including General Chit Chat, Beginners Welcome, Coaches Corner, and Critique My Demo ... Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:00:46 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=kg2b4nq4 http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=e003kz0t I had the pleasure of directing auditions on a wall-to-wall 60-second radio spot a couple days ago. Standard spec: sincere, non-announcery, authority but friendly. But no prepping or warning on my part helped any of the actors. Like clockwork, they came in around 35-40 seconds. A trainwreck ... Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:01:40 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=e003kz0t http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=b9eox9tr It's been told that some decades ago, Jerry Lewis "performed" the following exercise while filling in for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. It was called The Announcer's Test, originated in the early 1940s as a reading test for prospective radio talent. It's still a good tongue twister and a challenge for technique - and it's silly. In my opinion, this is one of the best warm-up exercises evah! Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:13:46 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=b9eox9tr http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=0nljrexq Voice-over stars Scott Brick, the award-winning audiobook narrator, and Sunday Muse, the popular cartoon and character voice talent and educator, offer advanced voice-over workshops in coming weeks at Nakamoto Productions, Sacramento, CA's premier production facility ... Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:13:07 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=0nljrexq http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=5c5ou5dw Voice-over people are the nicest and most helpful you'll find anywhere. And if you already know voice actor Bob Souer you'd likely agree that he's at the top of our industry's "nice guy" list. Stories unfold naturally in Bob's rich, baritone voice, and we found so much to learn from him during a recent interview, that this VoiceOverXtra feature comes to you in three parts: Radio Days to Voice-Overs; The Keys to Voice-Over Success; and Voicing the Bible - a year-long project for Thomas Nelson Publishers, for which Bob recently voiced the final session ... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:13:12 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=5c5ou5dw http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=oysxpiyn Alrighty then, lets dive into the nuts and bolts of self-promotion! First things first: what tools do you use to promote yourself? In the voice-over industry, the first tool you need is the demo. For our purposes, lets say its a standard commercial demo designed to get you TV, radio and Internet commercial work ... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:08:35 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=oysxpiyn http://www.voiceoverxtra.com/article.htm?id=uezt5ol8 Audiobooks differ from other forms of voice-over work in large part due to the emotional connection made between narrator and listener. Hearing and understanding the subtleties of the craft is important in achieving this connection. Here are a few tips to help you on your way to mastering the different nuances of audiobook narration ... Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:51:01 EDT http://www.voiceoverxtra.com.com/article.htm?id=uezt5ol8