Karen Commins

A holiday poem for voice talent

5 December 2008

‘Twas three
weeks before Christmas, when all through the land

Voice talents
and producers were wringing their hands.

The mics were
connected to computers with care

In hopes that
paying jobs would soon fill dead air.

The voice
talents were trained and looking for leads

With high dollar
amounts to fill all their needs.

Accounting soon
closes for another year

But some said
the good jobs are no longer here.

When on the TV
we kept hearing such clatter

From pundits,
newspeople and those who don’t matter

Such negative
folks declared a recession

I hastened to
write this poem and confession.

I don’t watch
the newscasts or read the headlines

I know less of
the world, but that’s just fine.

Instead, I think
good thoughts and make them come true

Hey, it works
for me, and it can work for you!

Banish the
naysayers and their words of gloom

You’re in charge
of your thoughts, so why think of doom?

Think of what
you want as if it’s already true

Then take action
on the ideas that come to you.

“Now audition!
Now blog! Now create your podcast!

On with writing
and speaking for impressions that last!

To the cyber
world! To the events in your town!

Keep promoting
your work, and your career won’t slow down!”

If you only
think of money you wish you had

The focus on the
LACK of the thing will be bad.

Whatever you
want in your reality

Must first be
visualized in your mind, you see.

Of course, voice-over
is just one part of life

Be thankful for
your blessings and forget the strife

Let your loved
ones know that you hold them dear

Have a magical
holiday season and happy new year!

Photo: Denise Torres, iStockPhoto.com

Short story — The Love-Letters of Smith

29 November 2008

Many of the stories written in the 19th century contain language that sounds jarring to our 21st century ears. I enjoyed narrating this sweet and humorous story written by Henry Cuyler Bunner (1855-1896) in part because his words sound more contemporary. In this age where people meet on-line and break up by text message, The Love-Letters of Smith is a refreshing look at relationships in past times.

Mr. Smith’s letters gave me the key to his character’s voice. For instance, here’s one sample of his writing style:

A mishnery that sells Rum
is the menest of Gods crechers

I recorded this story for the LibriVox Short Story Collection, Volume 35. Download this short story (20Mb, time 21:48)

Photo: Stefan Klein, iStockPhoto.com

Volunteering as a LibriVox narrator

29 November 2008

Before becoming a professional voice talent, I volunteered as a reader for 5 years at the Georgia Radio Reading Service. I read newspapers, Sunday sale pages, magazine articles and books for visually-impaired listeners who heard the broadcast over a special radio. I loved using my voice to help other people.

It is still important to me to be of service to other people. While Drew and I give money to charitable organizations, nothing can match the satisfaction of volunteering one’s time. I have been looking for a service project where I could once again give the gift of my time and voice-over experience to benefit others.

I am pleased to announce that I have decided to volunteer as a narrator for LibriVox, which is an Internet organization that creates audio recordings of works in the public domain. While working in my stunning soundproof studio, I can continue to serve a larger audience of visually-impaired and other people who need and enjoy audiobooks.

10/30/21 Update:

I previously suggested that people volunteer for LibriVox. Be warned that LibriVox releases its recordings into the Public Domain, which means someone else could sell your recording and/or harvest your voice for AI without any compensation to you. For that reason, I no longer recommend newcomers volunteer there.

25 reasons clients hire this voice talent

19 November 2008

Most of my articles in this blog pertain to working and marketing oneself as a voice talent. Today, though, I want to write to my potential clients. Sometimes you may need to persuade others in your organization to hire a professional voice talent instead of creating a recording using internal personnel. Here’s a way for you to spell it out for them!

V	oice-over is my life’s passion! I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to go into voice-over because I thought I could earn some easy money. I can remember being in 5^th grade and knowing that voice-over is what I was meant to do. I have been in voice-over since 1999, and I intend to be working in voice-over for decades to come.
O	utstanding ability to take and perform to your direction. If you want a word or line with different emphasis or characterization, I attentively listen to your instructions and carry them out on the next take.
I	ntegrity. I don’t agree to voice every project that is offered me. I believe in the power of the word, especially the spoken word. If I don’t like the words that would be coming out of my mouth, I won’t say them. You can feel assured my voice would not tarnish the image of your business by being associated with some other project that you might consider questionable.
C	haracter reads are a specialty. Two of my audiobooks required me to give a distinct and unique voice to over 50 characters! I also have provided the voice for several characters in 2 videogames.
E	ducation. I continuously invest in my education to maintain and improve my skills in copy interpretation, script analysis, microphone technique, character development and audio editing. I have studied voice-over with Nancy Wolfson, Jeff Freeman, Susan Berkley, Pat Fraley, Rich Jones, Judith Sullivan and Paul Armbruster. I also have taken a class on Pro Tools audio editing at the Art Institute of Atlanta. I’m currently studying Spanish at Berlitz so that I can perform your copy in another language.
O	ption for assistance with script revision. I have superior writing skills, as evidenced by my BA in broadcast journalism and the publication of several articles in national magazines.
V	ersatile and pleasing vocal range and pitch. My normal voice is a lower, resonant pitch that is perfect for narrations in corporate America, but I can go up and down the scale and add characteristics to create believable character voices.
E	veryone can talk, but not everyone can read aloud well, much less make themselves transparent in the process. As a professional voice actor, I can perform your script so that your audience concentrates on your content, not the manner in which it is performed.
R	ates are attractive. Many voice talent belong to a union, which sets rates based on the type of work performed and its usage. The rates shown are for the voice talent only and do not include studio time. I have flexibility in setting rates, which always include my voice talent and production time.
S	tunning SOUNDPROOF studio. My studio is custom-built for recording, incorporating special soundproofing construction techniques. The room has no windows, 2 layers of ceilings with added insulation, 2 sets of doors at each entrance with barrier space and 2 layers of 5/8″ drywall covering the 2×6 walls. I record in a WhisperRoom for enhanced sound quality. In my pristine recordings, you won’t hear kids, dogs, lawnmowers, computer fans, airplanes, thunder, cars or even paperclips as background noises.

B	usy people don’t have time to read. I convert your copy into communication.
Y	ou won’t need to go through the process again of finding competent, reliable voice talent.

K	eeps your audience listening and interested. Need I say more?
A	lways on time. You won’t miss a deadline because you were waiting for me to finish your recording.
R	esearch is done prior to recording session. For audiobooks, I read the book at least once prior to recording it. I spend time to look up and learn correct pronunciations of proper names.
E	quipment is industry standard. Instead of recording straight from a low-end microphone into the computer, I record on a Neumann TLM 103 mic connected to a Voicemaster Platinum processor. I use Pro Tools LE with a Mbox on my Macbook Pro computer. If necessary, I could exchange session files with any other recording studio in the world.
N	umerous clients and credits, including: Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits, Pepsi Cola, ADP, Verizon Wireless, Georgia Department of Transportation, Delta Airlines, Multiple Sclerosis Association of America, BlueCielo ECM, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Orkin.

C	redible and creative actress who delivers sensitive and well-timed copy even during cold reads.
O	ffers custom auditions of your script for FREE.
M	ember of Audio Publishers Association. I maintain contact with audiobook publishers and can direct you to resources that may assist you.
M	arketing expertise is FREE. I minored in marketing in college and am a perpetual student of marketing books. I love marketing and am always happy to discuss it!
I	nformation technology narrations are a specialty. I earned a MS degree in computer information systems and worked over 20 years in IT positions including programmer and LAN/WAN/e-mail administrator. I can perform scripts geared to a technical audience with complete authenticity and believability since I actually understand the words that are coming out of my mouth! 🙂
N	ot all things to all people. Would you hire a plumber to fix your air conditioner? Companies value those with expertise in an area, so why should the voice of your important presentation be left to someone who is not skilled in voice-over delivery? Even among voice-over projects, I am selective about those I will perform. For instance, if you want someone to record a movie trailer, I can refer you to other talent. I specialize in audiobooks and narrations, including podcasts, documentaries and corporate presentations. I also enjoy performing scripts used in radio and TV commercials, as well as video games. I often voice the initial greetings and on-hold messages for phone systems, but I will not undertake telephony projects requiring hundreds of menu prompts or file conversions.
S	atisfaction guaranteed! I require 50% payment up front when beginning a project. If you are not delighted with your recording, I will not invoice you for the remainder. I don’t know of another voice talent who dares to make this promise!

You may have noticed that I only listed 24 reasons that I should be your voice talent. The last is that I’m FUN! I see the use of humor as a mission-critical element in my voice-over business. Everyone is under enough stress, so I want to use humor to help people feel at ease. Contact me now so we can get started on your next project!

Reading for success

5 November 2008

If you don’t like to read, voice-over is not the field for you.

In addition to reading, interpreting and performing others’ scripts for pay, I am convinced that the most passionate and successful voice talent seem to have an inherent love of reading. For instance, my friend Bob Souer finds and reads all sorts of interesting things on-line, which he shares with us on his blog. I recently had a discussion with another friend Dave Courvoisier about the merits and pleasures of the Amazon Kindle wireless reading device.

I plan to buy a Kindle for pleasure reading, but I may also use it in the recording booth to perform some auditions and possibly longer material. Since I have remote control of Pro Tools through my handy TranzPort, I’m really thinking of setting up a second computer monitor in the booth…..but I digress.

Any reader of my blog would know that I love words and language. I frequently refer to books that I am reading or have read since they help shape my perspective as a person and voice talent.

“Whatever you want to do or be in life,
you will find the blueprint for success
by carefully reading…”

I have loved books since childhood. I can remember my mother taking me to the library so I could check out armfuls of books. At that time, I could read 50 books in the summer. I still frequently utilize my library card although my time for reading is more limited. These days, I might read 50 books in a year, and I am in the midst of several books at any given time.

I can tend to read a lot by one author at a time and/or in a certain category of book. I constantly find myself reading books about marketing, success principles, the Law of Attraction, biographies, spiritual fiction like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, and other fiction and non-fiction.

I also avidly listen to audiobooks, especially for biographies and fiction requiring numerous characterizations. I think everyone who is or wants to be an audiobook narrator should spend time listening to and learning from others. In fact, whatever you want to do or be in life, you will find the blueprint for success by carefully reading, observing, and applying the success stories of those who have achieved your desired status.

I have often sprinkled quotations in these blog essays. Reading quotes from Emerson, Thoreau, and other great thinkers inspires me as I move foward in the life of my dreams. No matter what challenge I face in my voice-over career and life in general, I find encouragement and advice by reading the words of others:

Obstacles cannot crush me. Every obstacle yields to stern resolve.
He who is fixed to a star does not change his mind.
— Leonardo da Vinci

Write down the thoughts of the moment.
Those that come unsought for are commonly the most valuable.
— Francis Bacon

The world belongs to the energetic.
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

Reading has been the underlying foundation for my every achievement. However, as Seth Godin reminds us in his blog entry describing how to read a business book, achievements also require action.

Godin maintains that business books are 95% motivation and 5% recipes for achieving success. He advises us to read business books with an objective in mind. Actively highlight and write down passages and ideas that inspire you to action toward the changes you wish to make. He states:

If three weeks go by and you haven’t taken action
on what you’ve written down,
you wasted your time.

In your voice-over career, you will spend time every day reading from scripts. I encourage you to read just as much, if not more, for your own improvement and enjoyment, as well as for the improvement of your voice-over business. When you read something that inspires you, write it down and take action toward the life of your dreams!

Think/Write/Speak what you WANT into BEING!

25 October 2008

Cruiser Karen Commins contemplates the Caribbean colors

I just wrote the subject line on Twitter in response to voice talent Alison Pittman’s tweet:

A negative mindset can be picked up so easily,even over the internet airwaves.
seeps through yr fingers into the keys of yr keyboard&beyond

A negative mindset will prevent you from achieving the success in voice-over that you desire. I previously have written about the power of words and the reason you shouldn’t compare yourself to other people. However, I admit I’m not always good at implementing these points for myself.

What exactly is a negative mindset? According to Esther and Jerry Hicks, authors of numerous books on the Law of Attraction, you will have a negative mindset any time that you feel a negative emotion. They say that a negative emotion indicates you are feeling a lack of harmony with what you really WANT.

For instance, you may complain that a voice-over client is slow to pay you for a recording. What you really WANT is something along these lines:

appreciation for your work
respect for your talent and time
immediate payment for the job

Complaining not only makes you feel worse in the moment, but it actually perpetuates the problem!

I’m currently reading the Hicks book Money and the Law of Attraction: Learning to Attract Wealth, Health and Happiness. On pages 186-7, the authors assert:

It may sound strange, but the fastest way to an improved work environment is to look for things in your current environment that make you feel good. Most people do exactly the opposite by pointing out the flaws in where they stand in an effort to justify an improved environment. But since the Law of Attraction always gives you more of whatever you are giving your attention to, if you your attention is on unwanted things, then more unwanted things are on the way as well….No matter how justified you are in your negative emotion, you are still messing up your future.

Steve Pavlina wrote on his positive and thought-provoking blog the best explanation I have seen for assuming responsibility for the outcome of your thoughts:

What if I deny responsibility for what I experience? What if I say, “Something out there is causing these problems, and I’m only noticing what is happening”? Then I’m powerless to change my reality. If I focus my thoughts on what I’m already getting, I’ll unknowingly activate the Law of Attraction to continue bringing me more of the same. My situation will never fundamentally change. And how can it change? If I’m thinking about what I’m already getting, then I’m manifesting a loop. It’s stable. If my life is filled with the manifestation of my desires, I’m in heaven. If my life is filled with what I don’t want, I’m in hell.

No matter what your circumstances, you can find something more positive to think/say/write/do about it. If a client is slow to pay you, you can think about the pleasure you had in doing the job. You can think how nice it is that you aren’t depending on that payment for your next meal. Once you begin to appreciate all of the good things in your life, you’ll find more to appreciate.

To reinforce my changes of thought, I will write down lists of things I want to bring to life. Instead of complaining about someone who is slow to pay me for a voice-over job, I will speak and write down words like these:

I have clients who love and respect me.
I have clients who want to work with me.
My clients bring me interesting and well-written scripts that are a pleasure to perform.
I love when people tell me they recognize my voice after hearing me on an audiobook or national TV commercial; it makes me know I am doing work that means something to people.
My clients value my time and pay me promptly. In fact, they usually pay me before I can send an invoice.

Over time, I have noticed dramatic shifts in my reality as a result of these kinds of thoughts.

You can’t just change a single thought and expect your world to change. It’s the persistence of positive thought that will bring about the changes you seek. Thought alone does not bring about change, but any change you want to make starts with a change in thought.

Next time you’re feeling negative, try thinking instead of what you WANT. What you put out into world comes back to you, usually in ways you didn’t expect. By projecting a positive attitude, you can expect positive results!