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Karen@KarenCommins.com

Karen Commins

Award Winning

Atlanta Audiobook Share-rator™

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Archives for 2010

4 Customer service tips from a tree service

22 August 2010

A recent episode with the Chipper LLC Tree Service painfully reminded me of 4 important customer service principles that should be embodied by every business, including your voiceover business. First, though, I’ve give you a brief synopsis of the situation.

BEFORE: Two well-established Bradford pear trees with full foliage
rose high above the roofline on the left side of my house.

 
One of the Bradford pear trees in my front yard had a dead branch that needed to be removed, so we called a tree company based on their positive reviews we saw online. We decided that we’d also like to have the highest limbs of the trees trimmed down; they had never been pruned, were extremely tall, and overhung the roof. These trees are 15-20 years old and very well-established, but the limbs can become brittle and break in an Atlanta snowstorm.

The estimator came out last month. After Drew discussed our expectations of the work to be performed, the estimator wrote this information on the ticket:

Trim + top out + Remove debris
2 Bradfords in front — just top out a little higher than gutters
Remove 2 Bradford saplings in front

In our minds, this description meant that the overall height would be reduced in line with the  top of the roofline (i.e., “just top out a little higher than the gutters”) and some limbs trimmed to give each tree a smaller shape, just as we had requested. We were completely horrified to discover that the crew who came back the next week to perform the work butchered our stately trees down to leafless sticks!

AFTER: I still have 2 Bradford pear trees on the left side of my house,
only with no limbs or leaves to provide shade in this sultry Atlanta summer.

 
Naturally, we were quite upset that A) our beautiful trees were demolished, and B) the work was not done to our specifications. The trees not only look terrible, but we’re concerned that they may have incurred irreparable damage and would need to be removed. Since the work was performed on one of the hottest, 95-degree July days, the trees could have endured a shock from which they may not recover.

We called the owner of the tree service to ask for the remedy of removal of our trees at no additional cost to us. As calmly as possible, I explained that the “trimming” was far more extensive and destructive than we ever imagined it could be. We had never planned or wanted to remove the trees, but now we thought we would be forced into that action.

In addition, the trees were now an eyesore to us and all residents in the 200+ houses in our subdivision since all of them must pass my house every time they enter or leave. Finally, I stated that we have a very active neighborhood email list in which homeowners are constantly requesting referrals for various services.

Here comes the part where voice talent and other business owners can learn how NOT to run your business!

The owner said he had told his estimator countless times that the estimator needed to explain to a customer how Bradford pears would look when they are ‘topped out”. In fact, he continued, they had a page on their web site that showed customers what to expect, not that anyone had pointed it out to us. When I finally saw that page, I learned that the phrase “top out” has a very special connotation to the tree cutter holding the chainsaw — cut off everything! We learned too late that “topping out” is actually a last-resort measure to save trees before you remove them.

Okay, BUT….we never intended for our trees to be “topped out”! How were we supposed to know the common phrase meant something very specific to them? Obviously, if the owner has had this conversation more than once with the estimator, the company has an existing communications problem.

He flatly stated it would cost an additional $300 for them to come back out and remove the trees. The call quickly turned ugly, making my attempts to find an acceptable compromise futile. The guy completely insulted me with his terrible attitude. He was arrogant, angry, and abusive; I should have hung up on him.

He rudely demanded that Drew “needed to own up, be a man, admit that he lied [to me], and call the estimator a liar.” If Drew did all of those things, they would come back for $200. It would a loss to him if he had to send a crew back to my house without pay. He then made a comment about not wanting to take the customer’s word over that of his estimator!

Say WHAT??!!!

My problem with the trees is unresolved, but I wanted to tell you this story today so you’ll keep these 4 tips in mind as you solve problems for your voiceover clients.

1. Communicate clearly and agree on expectations at the outset of the project.
 
The tree service owner had encountered my exact situation so many times that he had a web page devoted to the subject. The estimator should have shown that page to Drew and asked, ‘is this the level of work you expect?”.

By the same token, I want to ensure that the client and I both are using the same terms and have the same idea for the kind of audio that the client will receive. On those rare times when someone asks me for “raw” audio, they still want audio that is edited so that it is free of mistakes and re-takes.

As another example, I have had clients asking for 8 kHz, 8-bit mono files for their telephone systems. Before sending the final recordings to them, I prepare them at the project outset by giving them a sample of that kind of file. They need to know that it won’t sound like a CD; it may not even sound good due to the hisses and buzzes that are inherent in such low resolution files.

2. Only take an irreversible action with your client’s full understanding and consent.
 
The tree company crew chief had a second chance to show Drew the web page before they ever made the first cut. He also could have checked in with Drew periodically as the work progressed to ensure that they trimmed the trees to match our vision.

In voiceover, you have to protect the raw audio that you have recorded. If you delete a section and then save the file, that section could be gone forever depending on your software.

One reason that I like Pro Tools is because of its non-destructive editing features. It actually creates a new file with every change, and effects are not applied to the original file. I could change or remove the compression or any other effect, bounce the file again, and have a new file as output — all while keeping the original recording intact. If your software doesn’t offer this functionality, it’s a good idea to save your original recording to a different name before you do any editing.

3. Expect that you won’t make money on every transaction.
 
While the overall goal of a business is to make a profit, you shouldn’t expect to make money on every single transaction. The goal of each transaction is to pursue cement a harmonious relationship.

The tree service owner didn’t want to come back to fix the mess his crew made unless we paid for it. He caused a problem for me, so I shouldn’t have to pay more for him resolve it. He should realize that he is actually going to lose a lot of money based on my negative reviews of his company to anyone who will listen!

In contrast, I offer unlimited free re-recordings if I have made an error in pronunciation or inflection if my client notifies me of the errors within a week of receiving the audio. I also outline my policy about charges for script revisions before accepting the project. However, in many cases, the client only needs something simple, like a sentence changed. Whenever possible, I am happy to quickly record and send these kinds of small changes at no charge.

4. Do whatever it takes to ensure your client’s satisfaction.
 
This one seems like a no-brainer, but as evidenced by my conversation with the tree service owner, some people just don’t get it!

It’s my mission to exceed my clients’ expectations! If I ever encountered a situation where a voiceover client was as upset with me as I was with the tree service owner, I would have offered to re-record their project at no cost. I even would be willing to refund part or all of the money if I could not meet the client expectations. I also would refer another voice talent in order to keep the client’s project on schedule.

When your communications with your client overflow with respect, honesty, and integrity, you won’t even have to think about providing quality customer service — you will BE the definition of it!

Edited 9/12/10 to include name and link of tree service in response to questions about it
 

Filed Under: Business, Marketing, Narrators, Voice-Over

So you want to get into voiceovers?

18 August 2010

First, let me say that I’m a voice talent who only markets myself. I don’t teach, mentor, coach, or hire other voice talent. Since I am a firm believer in the mindset that it is better to give than receive, I write this blog specifically to answer questions and help others achieve their dream of working as a voiceover talent.

This article contains numerous links to my other articles to give you an organized pathway through the blog and structured approach to investigating and planning your career. I encourage you to read all of the articles in the archives.

Career Overview

Many people become interested in voiceover because they’ve been told they have a nice voice. Most people have nice-enough voices; it’s what you DO with it that matters.

Declaring your intention is the first step toward changing your reality, so I applaud you for realizing what you want in life and having the courage to go after it! Like any other dream, success in voice-over requires continuous, deliberate action. I described how I got started on this post in my blog.

A voice-over artist needs to be able to be transparent when interpreting the author’s words and intent of any script so that you are the best service provider to the client. I think anyone who “evaluates your voice” would tell you that you have potential and then would be more than willing to take your money. A voice talent must be able to create their own characters rather than mimic someone else.

Read, Read, Read…..then Read Some More

You can’t be successful in voiceover if you don’t like to read. Therefore, I refer you to the wealth of information I have written on my web site and blog, especially this entry titled A plan to break into voice-over.

Note that it includes a link to my recommended reading list. I always recommend that people start first with a book to get a broad overview of the industry. I continue to read voice-over books even though I’ve been working in this industry for over 12 years.

I also read a lot of blogs from my fellow voice talent. I’ve listed several I like on the lower right panel on my blog under the Links heading, but a quick search on-line will show you plenty more. The Vox Daily blog from Voices.com is one of the best in the business. I also listed numerous on-line voice-over forums that you can join.

Take Classes and Develop Skills

As I explain in this post about mentors, people often ask me to be their mentor when they really need a teacher. If you decide to take a class, this post has 10 questions you should ask a prospective voice-over teacher. When researching teachers, beware of 5 techniques of the “information marketer”.

You can research coaches online, starting with the Coaches Directory maintained by VoiceActorWebsites.com.

The Edge Studio Career Center contains practice scripts, podcasts with experts, and helpful tools like a word calculator and rate card.

Create a Demo

Voice-over is a business that is built on self-promotion and marketing. As with any business, you can expect it to have start-up costs. Before you can market yourself, you need to have a demo. Separate demos are needed for each target market (commercials, narrations, games, audiobooks, etc.). Before spending time and money to make a demo, you need appropriate training.
A good coach will tell help you select material for your demo that matches your voice and your style. You don’t want to be in a rush to make a demo because:
1) You only have 1 chance to make a first impression
2) You need to be able to instantly perform like the person on your demo.
3) Your demo is competing with those of professionals who have been working for decades.

Establish Your Home Studio

Although you will want to record auditions from home, I wouldn’t rush out to buy equipment immediately. I would first buy a digital voice recorder for daily practice. It’s important to read everything ALOUD and practice every chance you can! I have used and can recommend the Olympus WS-300M (only records in WMA format), the Olympus WS-801 (records in MP3 or WMA formats) or the Zoom H4N (professional audio equipment which records in MP3 or WAV). I like the Olympus recorders for practice because they are small, lightweight, only use 1 battery, and plug directly into the USB port of my computer.

Then, after you have developed some skills and are ready to market yourself, you can set up a home recording system. Pat Fraley outlines an economical setup in his The Gypsy’s Guide to Professional Home Recording Workbook and Companion CD. You may also want to read Harlan Hogan and Jeffrey Fisher’s excellent book The Voice Actor’s Guide to Home Recording.

Market Yourself

Once you’ve taken classes, created a demo, and established your home studio, you’re ready to develop a marketing plan. The books and resources listed in this post will help you start marketing yourself.

Also, I know that it seems like voice-over is not work, but you should realize that it takes a lot of work to generate jobs and a steady client base!

A voice-over actor must market herself and perform auditions continuously in order to get attention and jobs from others. To gain experience, you can:

  • Sign up with an on-line casting service (called a pay-to-play, or P2P, site within the industry) site like Voice123.com or Voices.com  (create your own recordings contains more information about these sites.)
  • Perform voiceover for presentations (e-learning, marketing, etc.) on your day job for no additional pay
  • Volunteer to read for the blind
  • Contact production companies and radio stations
  • Network with professional associations

You also can create your own recordings. Practicing in this manner has a lot of value in terms of artistry, improvement and self-esteem. These recordings may or may not be used for promotion or payment.

You’ll find many more ideas for marketing yourself and your business in my blog archives.

Only after you gain some professional experience will you be ready to look for an agent. At that point, you will want to read the article Trying to get a voiceover agent?

Final Advice

No one can tell you the exact path you must follow, but just know that the dictionary is the only place where SUCCESS comes before WORK! 🙂

However, taking continual steps on your dream — whatever you decide to do — will bring fulfillment to your life! In any case, you must be the one to put forth action to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN!

As I don’t get paid to write and dispense so much helpful advice, I’d be grateful for a donation to my PayPal tip jar.

Best wishes for your success in all of your pursuits!

 

Filed Under: Business, Marketing, Narrators, Voice-Over

Considering a WhisperRoom for your voiceover studio?

1 August 2010

After recording voiceover scripts for years while standing in dark, unventilated, small closets, building a soundproof studio was a dream come true! As you can see in the picture below, my WhisperRoom is large component of the studio, both in size and function. I LOVE it and feel that it is a key selling point for potential clients.

Voice talent Karen Commins records in her 6’x8′ WhisperRoom

 
Last week, I received another inquiry from a voice talent who is considering the purchase of a WhisperRoom. Like others who have contacted me with the same questions, this person wrote that he couldn’t see a WhisperRoom in person and wanted to get an opinion from someone who has one. I decided to re-purpose my answer to him to help other voiceover talent who are faced with the same decision. Everything that follows below is my opinion, and I have received no compensation from WhisperRoom for my sound endorsement.

In 2005, we built a room onto the house and employed special soundproofing techniques in its construction, including 2 layers of ceilings and 2 layers of 5/8″ sheetrock on the walls. I had to go to extreme lengths to soundproof my house and studio due to the frequent and varied types of external noise at my house, especially from cars and planes.

I considered building a “room within a room” for my booth by adding an interior wall. Building an interior room might have been a cheaper option, but I chose to buy a WhisperRoom because of its portability. If I ever move to another house, I can disassemble my booth and take it with me. Furthermore, the resale value of this house would be greater without an interior wall in my spacious (16’x19′) studio to confuse home buyers. As a bonus, the WhisperRoom is a capital expense in your voice-over business that can be depreciated on your tax return over several years; check with your tax advisor for details.

You can get practically any size and configuration of WhisperRoom to meet your needs. I bought a 6’x8′ booth because I thought I might want to record my harp in there, which hasn’t happened in the almost 5 years I’ve had the WhisperRoom. However, I have had 2 people sharing the same mic in it, and it was roomy enough for that purpose. Since it’s modular, I could expand it to a larger size if I ever had the need, and I suppose I could contract it as well.

I bought the optional ventilation system but don’t recommend it to other voice talent. The hum of the fan is too noisy when I’m recording. I occasionally run the ventilating fan on a break just for air circulation, but I usually tend to open the door and step out of the booth. Due to the additional insulation in my studio, I’m usually pretty comfortable in the booth.

Assembly and Delivery Considerations

Once you’ve decided on the size of the booth that you want, the delivery and assembly parts of the transaction will require some planning. The WhisperRoom is made of Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), which is a great sound barrier because it is denser than plywood. It’s also incredibly HEAVY!

I always warn people that my booth actually weighs OVER 1 TON (2200 pounds) and is sitting on a concrete slab. Be sure that your floor can accommodate the weight of the booth that you purchase. The WhisperRoom floor is raised on wheels, which gives you additional sound isolation, as well as flexibility in moving the booth.

Also, the booth is shipped completely unassembled in multiple boxes; mine arrived in 41 boxes. Even though we had specified inside delivery, the guy driving the truck would not bring in the boxes. I was thankful for a sunny day because he left them on the driveway.

We were finishing construction on the room for the studio, so some contractors happened to be on-site that day. My husband Drew tipped 2 of them to help him carry all of the boxes into the studio. You may also need similar help available on delivery day.

WhisperRoom provided clear assembly instructions, and Drew and I were able to assemble the booth over Labor Day weekend. Our biggest problem was lifting the door onto the hinges. The glass in the door made it even heavier than the other panels, and keeping it steady until the hinges met and the hinge screw could be turned was incredibly frustrating.

After numerous unsuccessful attempts, Drew had the brilliant idea to use a car jack as a lift for the door! Drew held the door on the jack while I cranked it up. It was relatively easy for him to slide the door into the hinge with the weight of the door supported by the car jack.

The Sound of Silence

I can tell a tremendous difference in the level of quiet once I step into the booth. If you don’t live on a quiet street and/or have your studio in your basement, I highly recommend the purchase of a WhisperRoom if your budget allows it.

You may ask whether Harlan Hogan’s Porta-Booth Pro would serve the same purpose as it does isolate the sound recorded with the microphone. Although I’ve never tried one, I think the Porta-Booth Pro is aimed more as a solution for mobile recordings. It doesn’t have room for a copy stand, and you can pack it away.

In addition, I like the WhisperRoom for my own concentration. While the mic may not pick up the whir from the refrigerator or other people in the house when placed inside a Porta-Booth Pro, I would hear and be distracted by those sounds. A WhisperRoom would give you all of the quiet space that you need for your recordings.

As a side note, I think a voiceover studio should be both functional and enjoyable. Why have plain walls and a booth when you can design a beautiful area that expresses your personality and beckons you to go to work? Not only do I love my studio, but the WhisperRoom folks liked my picture so much that they put it on their sales brochure. 🙂

If you have any other questions about my booth or studio, please leave a comment on the blog!

edited 8/2/10 to add a missing word

Filed Under: Narrators, Studio, Voice-Over

Thinking about starting a voiceover career?

22 July 2010

The following message was left as a comment to my post The feel-good voiceover blog of the summer! I copied the message exactly as I received it because I felt the answers to the questions deserved to be their own entry.

I’ve been considering launching into this field—and really want to know what it takes and what to expect. The best way to find out the pros and cons of any occupation is to talk to others who actually do it…..So, I’m open to whatever info you think would help me so I don’t invest a lot of money and energy needlessly. My first question is, “Do you like voiceover work?” and “How difficult is it to break into this business?” I’m thinking it may take a few years…Is there really that much work out there for new talent?
— Elizabeth

Do I like voiceover work?

I don’t know of any person who would say they didn’t like the voiceover part of the job.

Voiceover is like any career in that you like some parts of it better than others. Of course, I love the actual act of reading the words on the page, interpreting the author’s meaning, and recording the author’s words with my voice. I love employing all sorts of marketing tactics that do not require me to make cold calls. I love writing articles on my blog and responding to reader comments (hint, hint!). I love connecting with other voice talent and clients in person and on-line. I love the immense satisfaction of hearing my voice at work in different media for various companies, and, yes, the coolness factor of this occupation is pretty hard to beat.

Perhaps a better question is: “Are there things that you don’t like about being a voice talent?”

Editing the recordings is not my favorite task, especially since editing takes far more of my time than recording. Auditioning for countless projects and not even getting a response can be very depressing. Chasing down payment from clients who are at least a month late in paying for completed work is downright annoying. The situation with late-paying clients is even more stressful when that money is needed to pay one’s own obligations.

Also, you’ve probably read about voice actors who brag about recording in their pajamas. What they didn’t tell you is that they are wearing their pajamas because they are working early or late hours or on the weekend in order to meet a client deadline. If you want a structured, 40-hour-a-week job, you will want some other career choice than being a voiceover talent.

How difficult is it to break into this business?

How difficult is it to start any career that inherently means you are a self-employed business person? Becoming a voice talent necessarily demands that you will spend time, energy, and money as part of the start-up and continuing operational costs of your business. There are NO shortcuts!

I actually have a couple of mathematical formulas for figuring the method to become a voice-over success story. I wrote about the first one here, and the second one is below.

Take your age
Add to it the number of car payments you have left
Subtract the number of pillows on your bed
Divide by the square root of Pi
The answer is the number of seconds you’ll spend figuring out any logic in this formula.

My feeble attempt at humor merely illustrates that the question can’t be answered because every person’s path into and through a voiceover career is different.

So, how does any start-up business become a thriving enterprise? Obviously, the business’ chance for survival — much less prosperity — depends on the people who work there and the product they are selling. The time, energy, and money you invest in developing your technique, demo(s), web site, and marketing plan will be the deciding factors in your chances for success in starting and maintaining your voiceover business.

My questions for you

Anyone contemplating any career — whether as a voice talent, computer programmer, or Sherpa on the mountainside — should ask themselves as many or more questions than they ask other people. Whatever career you pick will require substantial amounts of time and energy; chunks of money are also required when you are considering starting a business. Spend some introspective time determining your answers to the kinds of questions I list below, and your answers will help you decide if voiceover is a good career choice for you.

  • What are your values? Values are different than goals. For instance, if you value security as highly as I do, you’ll probably want to have a day job with healthcare benefits and a 401K plan at least until your voiceover income consistently exceeds that of the day job and you’re able to insure yourself and plan your retirement.
  • What is your passion? If you don’t know, what activities make you happy? When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? (If you want to see some great books that will help you find your passion, check out these books by Barbara Sher .)
  • What about voiceover work is appealing to you? Do you think it’s an easy and glamorous way to make money? Do you love to read? Do you love to learn things? Is technology your friend? Do you have a desire to help people? Do you work well in isolation? Do you work well on multiple projects at one time and under multiple deadlines? Do you have an inner calling to do a certain kind of voiceover work? Have you ever actually recorded your voice and listened to it?

For an excellent reality check about starting a voiceover business, I highly encourage you to read Peter O’Connell’s Voiceover Entrance Exam. Peter is a veteran voice talent and savvy marketer who gives you the straight scoop on this business in a free e-book.

A final question on my list

Whatever happened to saying “thank you”?

People frequently fire off questions to me without including the simplest acknowledgement that my valuable time will be needed to answer them. I don’t expect compensation — not that any is offered in most inquiries I receive. I supply my advice as a service out of a true desire to help others. However, I’m constantly amazed by the number of people who overlook the small courtesy of saying “thank you”.

Therefore, my parting advice is to develop an attitude of gratitude, starting with every communication you have with another person about your career choices.

Filed Under: Business, Narrators, Observations, Voice-Over

The feel-good voiceover blog post of the summer!

18 July 2010

In a world….

 
When the legendary voice talent Don LaFontaine uttered those famous words on a movie trailer, you would be ready to go to a quiet, dark theater to escape — escape the weather, escape obligations, and escape the chattering voice in your head. That inner voice can be especially critical to a voice artist who is feeling discouraged with her progress. Since my brain has come up with numerous scripts having that kind of negative inner dialogue, I thought it might be helpful if I shared 3 techniques for keeping a feel-good mentality about your voiceover career as you direct the movie of your life.

Stop the Comparisons

 
I’m a lot better about this one than I used to be, but even I occasionally still fall in the trap of negatively comparing myself to other voice talent. For instance, I recently read a review of an audiobook voiced by a talent whom I know. While I truly am thrilled for that person’s success, I admit that I also had the thought of wishing for both the recent audiobook narration gig and the favorable review.

It’s one thing to make comparisons as part of a learning process. We all can improve in a variety of ways, and analyzing others’ success is a good way to start. I’m talking about the kind of comparisons when you think envious or discouraging thoughts like, “I just can’t get a break-through. I never win any auditions. I’m not good enough. It will never happen for me.” These kinds of thoughts can be debilitating and will actually slow or completely stop your progress.

If you have these kinds of thoughts, the first one may appear on its own. You may not have been in control of that first thought, but you ARE in control of the second one. Remind yourself of the steps you have taken toward your dream. If you feel frustrated, find some action that you can do that will propel you forward. In all cases, think/write/speak what you WANT into being.

Ask For and Review Your Testimonials

 
When other people comment about the great voice-over work that you have performed for them, I hope that you ask them for a testimonial that can be included on your web site. Not only do these comments from past clients serve to convince potential prospects to hire you as a voice talent, but they can bolster your self-esteem if you feel down on yourself.

In addition, I notate my accomplishments and review them as my own evidence about the manifestation of my dreams. If I feel a hint of discouragement because the level of success I envision in voiceover is taking a while to appear, I only need to take a quick look at things I’ve done in just over a year — recorded a new commercial demo, launched a new web site with new branding elements, and gained several wonderful new clients, all while mourning the loss of my mother and dealing with my parents’ estate. When I stop to review all that I’ve done, I feel pretty darn good about my place in the voice-over world!

Maintain NOW Thinking

 
This morning, as I walked Yogi, our adorable miniature schnauzer, I was thinking about the message that I wanted to write in this blog entry. I also was thinking how Yogi lives completely in the moment. He sleeps, eats, and plays without dwelling on the past or fretting about the future.

Once we returned home, I turned on the TV and scrolled through the program guide. For some unknown reason, I felt compelled to watch Joel Osteen’s oration today for the first time. This choice is all the more unusual since I’m not a religious person and normally would steer clear of televised church services.

The reason was clear to me from the first moment I heard Osteen speak. He was talking about living in this moment with the constant expectation of receiving the good that is on its way to you, no matter how long it takes to arrive. He encouraged his audience to awake every day with the thought that “THIS could be the day!” 

Osteen used Mel Fisher as an example of this type of positive thinking. I, too, have drawn inspiration from Mel Fisher and can’t believe that I haven’t written about him previously.

You see, Mel Fisher was absolutely convinced that a Spanish ship laden with treasure had sunk off the coast of Florida in the 1600s, and he was determined to find it. Each day, he told his crew, “THIS will be the day!” Every night, after they didn’t find the ship, Fisher would tell the crew, “Tomorrow will be the day!”.

Fisher maintained his positive outlook and searched for the ship for an incredible 16 years. He faced innumerable odds, including an array of critics and doubters. I read once that his son died during the search efforts. Still, Fisher pressed on, doing things each day toward his dream and feeling perpetually confident of the good that would come to him.

Like so many people, the realization of his dream was far bigger than Fisher could have imagined. He found the Spanish Atocha, with treasures of gold, silver, and gems worth over $500 million!

Fisher proves that patience and persistence are the keys to realizing your dream. People expect instant gratification and are disappointed when nothing seems to happen. However, you have to maintain the hope and expectation each day since the manifestation of dreams rarely occurs on our timetable! Whether it takes a day, a month, a year, a decade, or longer, you need to have the unshakable inner KNOWING that the fruition of your dream is on its way to you.

Osteen said you should ask for things now and live life today, knowing that your desires may not be fulfilled immediately. He pointed out that things can suddenly change for the better. Finances can suddenly change. Relationships can suddenly blossom. Dreams can suddenly materialize.

For a voice talent, a new client could suddenly book you. You could suddenly have extra money to get that fancy microphone. Your latest blog article could suddenly capture the interest of the media and catapult you into the recording booths at Disney, Pixar, and other animation houses. (It could happen!)

By using these 3 techniques, I hope you will be able to silence the inner critic. As the star and director of your life’s movie, consistently feeling good about your voice-over career will enable you to live happily ever after!

Movie clapboard photo credit: TPopova/iStockPhoto.com
 

Filed Under: Away From the Mic, Law of Attraction, Narrators, Observations, Voice-Over

Using my iPad in my voiceover recording studio

19 June 2010

Recently, the talented voice actor Paul Strikwerda asked a question on the highly active discussion board of the LinkedIn Working Voice Actor group about using an e-reader in his recording booth. I decided to re-purpose my answers to Paul’s question into this post.

My iMac computer is outside of my WhisperRoom recording booth. I have longed to have a paperless studio and perform my scripts straight off a computer. I can’t place a computer in my booth because my microphone would pick up the sound of even the quietest computer fan. My MacBook Pro laptop is very quiet but not quiet enough, and any computer fan could rev up at unexpected times.

I originally wanted a second monitor in my booth. I could either stretch cable 10′ or more across the center of the studio floor or wind it a greater distance around the baseboards and corners to reach my computer desk. Due to the size of my WhisperRoom and the door placement in my studio, reconfiguring the studio isn’t really an option. I don’t like seeing cables everywhere, especially when my stunning soundproof studio is so incredibly beautiful that WhisperRoom features it on their brochure. Therefore, a second monitor is not an option. Wireless monitors seem to be on the horizon, so maybe a second monitor will be workable for me in the future.

The Apple iPad has solved the problem for me. I use the Wi-Fi on it to connect to my wireless LAN in my house. I’ve been able to read scripts from agents’ and clients’ web sites, as well as long e-learning Word files sent in e-mail.

My view of the world when I’m recording voiceover scripts and audiobooks —
my Neumann TLM 103 mic and Apple iPad

 
I had an Amazon Kindle, but it didn’t work well for me in the studio. It was cumbersome to load a Word or PDF document to it. Scrolling the screen required a click, which could be audible and/or disrupt my flow of narration. I can endlessly and quietly scroll the screen on the iPad while continuing to perform.

I typed my original response to Paul on my iPad, which reminded me of another advantage to it. I was recording a job, and the client sent me some changes in e-mail. I was able to read the e-mail and record the changes without leaving the booth.

My husband is my director, and he also has an iPad. He can keep the script in front of him while maintaining full-screen view and control of Pro Tools on the iMac. When Drew isn’t available to help me, I use a Frontier Design Tranzport to control Pro Tools from within the booth, so that’s another reason the iPad is a good solution for me.

The only downside I have discovered is that I can’t mark the text while recording, like when I want to take notes on direction. I could mark text in Word on my computer before recording. The method is not perfect, but it’s superior to printing.

The iPad doesn’t have a built-in app that lets you edit text in Word. However, as you might guess, “there’s an app for that”. Apple’s Pages app is the most popular. It can be purchased in the App Store for $9.99 and gives you functionality similar to the MS Office suite. This PC World article has more info about viewing and editing Word docs on an iPad.

Your PC can already talk to the iPad with email. If you’re using Outlook, you could set up a Gmail or other web e-mail account. You could then send your edited file to yourself and read the attachment in the booth.

I’m recording an audiobook of a public domain book. I was able to find the book in iBooks by searching on the title, and it loaded in that app. Just like on the Kindle, the on-line dictionary is handy. I can also change the font size and highlight characters’ lines within the iBooks app.

I saw a note on the Yahoo Voiceovers list that someone did an audition with an app called PureAudio ($2.99 in the Apps Store) and thought it came out well. When I originally posted about it, I saw only a handful of reviews were available for that app, and most were reporting various problems. Since the iPad is in its infancy, I know that more and better apps will be available over time.

Oh, and BTW — Drew and I have given up our Kindles. I’m a voracious reader, and I loved my Kindle. After getting the iPad, I didn’t use the Kindle. I can read my Kindle books on my iPad with an app. The fact that the iPad allows me to carry around a library of videos, books, and music is an added bonus to its tremendous functionality in my studio.

If you’re not a member of the Linkedin Working Voice Actor group, you’re missing a lot of fantastic and lively discussions that will help your voiceover career! Another talented voice artist and group owner Ed Victor always “whacks the hornet’s nest” with a new and interesting topic each week. Just as Paul asked the question about e-readers, you can post your own questions about any topic related to voiceovers. As always, I’d love to have your questions or comments about this post, so please share them on the blog.

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Business, Narrators, Studio, Voice-Over

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