As I wrote in a previous entry, I generally don’t provide personal advice about one’s voice-over career. If I can answer a question quickly, such as referring someone to a teacher or a previous blog entry that answers the question, I am more than happy to do so. However, I usually don’t have the time to provide in-depth advice in my responses to people.

The comment below was left on my blog. On the surface, Carol’s question might look like it requires only a quick “yes” or “no” answer. As I read each word, I realized a quick answer would be a dis-service to Carol. Furthermore, my views may be helpful to other people. Therefore, with Carol’s permission, I didn’t publish her remarks as a comment on another entry and am instead featuring it in this entry.

Hi Karen, Love your practical and ethical information. I am a newbie to the VO area, having just taken an Intro to VoiceOvers at local community college given by Mike Elmore. During the class he recorded each of us reading a script (just a few lines) and I got an email from him saying he was very impressed. Then I got a call from Levi Morgan of Voices For All, saying the report he got from Mike was glowing and encouraging me to take their in-person 3-day workshop. 

Since I have nothing to compare it with, I hope you could comment on whether this would be a good way to break in. Bear in mind that I am a retired RN, looking for some fun and creative as well as possibly lucrative work.

Their course includes private coaching (they only accept 15 students four times a year), full narration & full commercial demos, mixing & mastering a demo for me with music, editing & sound effects, a marketing plan, home studio manual, workbook, classes on every aspect of the business, my own website with the demo (lifetime hosting), support for ProTools, lifetime coaching support, plus my airfare & lodging while in Albany.

Inclusive is $3199. I can afford this, and love the idea of being able to work out of our RV during summers which he said I could (no soundproof studio….) I’d love your honest feedback before making a decision, which I need to do quickly if I am to enroll in the May class. Thanks so much! Carol

Carol, thanks so much for your nice comments about my web site. I’m glad if anything I have written is helpful to you. You asked for my opinion, so this is it:  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I would look elsewhere for my voice-over training.

I could have just left it at that, but I wanted to explain my reasons for disliking this package deal.

DISCLAIMER: Everything that follows is MY OPINION since I didn’t delete the names of the people involved. I know nothing about them or their company and therefore reiterate that I am only offering an OPINION.

First of all, after recording only a few lines in your introductory voice-over class, you are not ready to make a demo. You have realized that you need more training.

Let’s look at this offer more closely:

• private coaching (they only accept 15 students four times a year)

It’s a marketing tactic to make something seem like a limited-time offer and therefore more desirable. I’ll talk more about the private coaching in a minute.

• full narration & full commercial demos

During a 3-day workshop? If you only have undertaken a few hours of copy interpretation and voice direction, you are not ready to produce a demo. Producers and directors want you to walk in the door and be able on the first try to sound exactly like a particular segment of your demo. If you can’t instinctively create that sound on your own, you are in for a frustrating time and loss of clients.

Producing 1 demo in 3-day workshop is ambitious; producing 2 good, strong demos is unrealistic, especially in a group setting. Furthermore, I would suggest that you concentrate on making 1 excellent, competitive demo after undergoing appropriate training. Most people start with the commercial demo as it is easier to start booking jobs. I’ve heard the saying “scattered thinking leads to scattered results”. Any person who has started a business can attest to its truth!

In comparison, Susan Berkley usually promises in her 3-day bootcamps to produce only 1 spot that could go on your commercial demo.

• mixing & mastering a demo for me with music
• editing & sound effects

The music and sound effects used with each script should enhance it while not drowning out the voice. These elements should also sound current and appropriate to the script.

• a marketing plan

You will need to develop your own marketing plan based on your vocal characteristics and your interests. If you need ideas, check out this blog entry and this one, among others in the Marketing category on my blog. I cannot recommend too highly the book Get Clients Now referenced in that second post.

• home studio manual

This information is readily available in Harlan Hogan’s book The Voice Actor’s Guide to Home Recording and Pat Fraley’s The Gypsy’s Guide to Professional Home Recording Workbook and Companion CD. While you’re on Pat’s site, be sure to download his FREE lessons!

• workbook

A workbook is provided with most workshops and therefore is not really a selling point.

• classes on every aspect of the business

If I wanted an overview of the industry, I would read a book. In fact, I always suggest that people start with a book on my recommended reading list. Once I begin working with a teacher, I want to develop a specific skill, not gain some broad knowledge.

If you want to gain broad knowledge from a variety of well-established voice-over teachers and talent, I encourage you to attend the upcoming Voice Over International Creative Experience (VOICE 2008). In addition to the workshops presented, you have the opportunity to network with other voice talent and ask their recommendations on teachers, equipment, etc. A DVD set from last year’s inaugural conference is also available. You could buy the DVD from last year and attend this year’s conference at a cost lower than the 3-day weekend under consideration.

• my own website with the demo (lifetime hosting)

Having a demo hosted on another site is better than not having it on-line. Otherwise, this option is not important. A personal web site is going to be part of your cost of doing business, and web hosting is very inexpensive. Don’t be swayed by the thought of “lifetime” hosting. If the company goes out of business, its lifetime is over.

• support for ProTools

Do you use Pro Tools? You may be like many voice talents who prefer to use other programs for sound editing, making this option unimportant. Besides, how do they define “support”? Are they promising to answer all of your questions at no charge, set up your configuration, etc.? Be aware that you can ask questions on numerous forums and get answers from recording engineers in addition to voice talent.

• lifetime coaching support

What exactly do they mean by this promise? What kind of coaching is promised? Are you allotted a time period every month for the time the company is in business? Do they coach you on voice-over, production skills (since they also promise Pro Tools support), or something else?

• plus my airfare & lodging while in Albany

Your airfare and lodging would cost something. In order for the company to make money, they have to make up that cost somewhere. I suspect that they are making money by producing carbon-copy demos for their students.

Maybe these people know something that the rest of us don’t. Like I said, I know nothing about them or their business. For me, the value of this comprehensive offer is questionable at best.

**********

Specialized training in voice-over represents a serious commitment of time and money. To ensure that both are utilized effectively, here is a list of questions that I would ask before selecting a prospective voice-over teacher and/or demo producer.

1) How did you learn of the teacher? Did you search the Internet for local teachers and/or read the archives on voice-over forums such as VO-BB.com, Voiceoversavvy.com and the Yahoo VoiceOvers group? Many voice coaches are listed in the Voices.com Voice Over Coaches Directory. It’s the Information Age, and anyone with a computer has access to it.

Voice-over teachers who are in demand have no need to contact you; it’s the other way around. I am wary of this instance because the teacher contacted you. I would be suspicious that Mike receives a referral fee for students that he sends to Levi or, without disclosing it to you, is actually employed by Voices For All.

2) What do former students say about the teacher? Are they actually getting work after studying with this teacher?

In this instance, testimonials are listed on the company’s web site. You can also check the archives of the voice-over forums and/or ask new questions in those places to gain additional insight about a teacher or company’s reputation.

3) Will you receive individual or group instruction?

Group instruction can be beneficial and cost-effective. Before producing my first demo, I was coached in a group of 6 people who met for 8 2-hour sessions. We only studied commercial copy. The group was small enough that we each had plenty of personal instruction while being able to learn from the direction given to others. We had to practice between sessions and listen to ourselves on a recorder.

Nothing can take the place of individual instruction. I left Susan Berkley’s coaching program because I wanted more personal instruction than was offered in her program. I now study with Nancy Wolfson and have 50-minute sessions that all are focused on copy interpretation and delivery exclusively for commercial scripts. When I finish with the commercial side, we will focus on narration.

4) What is the duration of each class?<

5) What topics are covered in the sessions?

I was concerned about this offer because it includes “classes in every aspect of the business”. You should expect a detailed synopsis of any voice-over workshop. Granted, some people are fabulous copywriters who can make any class sound enticing. Still, you should have some expectation of the topics to be covered and the length of time devoted to each.

6) Has the teacher ever performed voice-over work?

What credentials does the person bring to the table? If I am taking a class, I want to know that the teacher has had success in implementing the skills they are teaching. I also want to know that the teacher is knowledgeable of current trends.

Demo production leads to its own set of questions. Your voice-over coach and demo producer may be the same person or different people.

7) If a demo is to be produced as part of the coaching, how many classes do you take before the demo is produced?

You want to know that you are committing to a finite amount of time or a finite number of sessions.

8) Can you listen to other demos produced by this producer?

Listen to other voice talent demos and compare them to those from your prospective producer. Are they comparable in production quality and length?

9) What is the break-down of cost between the coaching and the demo production?

Teaching and demo production are 2 separate skills requiring different amounts of time. Unless a specialized demo is produced as part of a particular workshop, I would expect that commercial and narration demo production would cost an amount equal to the cost of the training. After all, the producer must prepare scripts suited for the talent’s unique voice and style, direct the studio session(s) and instruct the engineer about sequencing, timing and musical selections.

10) How are scripts selected for the demo?

Are your scripts the same or different from those used on other demos? Your demo should be as unique as your voice, and it should be a showcase for your voice. You don’t want to use scripts from a database or that could sound dated in any way. If you use the same scripts used on demos for other talent, you all lose.

I hope this detailed analysis of a package coaching/demo deal and the list of questions is helpful to you in deciding which training opportunities to pursue. In the end, you are in control of your time, money and career, and only you can decide which way to proceed. Best wishes for your success!

 

People often send e-mails to me with questions and comments, and I endeavor to respond to everyone. The topics raised in the message below were so interesting that I wanted to answer them here rather than in e-mail. With Ken’s permission, I have quoted his message.

Hi Karen. My name is Ken. I discovered your website one day when I was looking on Amazon for books on Voice Acting and I saw your recommended reading list…I must say that I found your site tremendously useful. I’m really impressed by your generosity of spirit and the fantastic information and resources you provide…Now to my questions. These have bugged me for years and I wonder if you can lend some insight.

Number one is:

If Voice Over is so competitive (and I have no doubt that it is) why are so many successful voice talents sharing their “secrets”. Doesn’t this just add to the competition they are facing? Do they really want MORE people in the business?

First, thanks so much for your very nice note and kind words. I am grateful for the feedback.

Coca-Cola has a closely-guarded secret formula. The US military implements secret plans that endanger lives. In my view, voice-over does not have any true secrets.

A voice-over career is like the notes in music. Only 12 possible tones can be made in music, yet you can hear them in numerous pitches. More importantly, those 12 tones can be held and combined in an infinite number of sequences to produce an endless series of rhythms, tempos and key signatures that form new music.

Our voice is our music; no two voices are exactly the same. Our interpretation of the words on the page and style in performing them is not the same. Like musical genres, some voices will appeal to one market segment and not to others. The reason the competition factor is emphasized in voice-over and all performing arts jobs is because people have a misguided viewpoint that they only need a nice-sounding voice. They think the work is easy and doesn’t require any special skills.

The truth is, that like any other profession, lifelong study in voice-over is necessary to achieve and maintain your market share. How does any newcomer learn if not under the guidance of a more experienced teacher? Do top sports figures stop practicing and working with their coaches on daily basis?

“When you are hired for a
voice-over job, you don’t take
anything away from me, my
accomplishments and my job
prospects.”

Do musicians stop practicing and studying with a teacher once they learn a piece of music up to tempo? Do people in the IT industry stop taking classes geared at maintaining technology? Voice-over is like other business ventures in that some people will find work more easily, often and lucrative than others.

I don’t view other people as my competition. (I also don’t view any person who lives on this same earth as my “enemy”, either, but that’s another discussion for another time.) We live in an abundant world, with more than enough work for everyone. More voice-over opportunities are appearing everyday with the advent of new media and associated outlets. When you are hired for a voice-over job, you don’t take anything away from me, my accomplishments and my job prospects. You would be hired because you successfully marketed yourself to someone who wanted to work with you because they liked your voice, your delivery style, your fee, etc.

If I tell you something that has brought me great success, you may or may not implement the tactic. Even implementing my tactic does not guarantee you will match my success. You will never do things exactly in the same way that I do because we are different.

In a simplified example, a coach or director can give you a line read. You interpret what you heard and reproduce the sounds and emphasis as best you can. Even when you nail the emphasis, your different vocal characteristics will guarantee that you won’t sound exactly like the other person.

Secondly, why does it seem like so many of these successful talents become teachers? Do they tire of the marketing grind? Do they find they can make a living more easily by teaching this business rather than actually doing it? Susan Berkley in particular seems more about the business of teaching VO than doing VO. I mean no disrespect, but the reality of this confuses me.

I don’t teach voice-over or produce demos, but I think those who do those things must still participate in marketing activities if they hope to have clients for those services. In fact, if you have any kind of business, marketing that business is essential for it to produce revenue!

I studied with Susan Berkley for several years. She is a fantastic marketer, and she doesn’t teach because she needs the money. I think she does it because she truly enjoys being able to give back to the universe some of the abundance and prosperity that has flowed her way.

In my current studies with Nancy Wolfson, I have encouraged her on more than one occasion to take a break from her heavy work schedule to enjoy some time off. She always enthusiastically assures me that she absolutely loves her work. When you have such incredible passion for your work, it no longer is work!

Sure, many people teach just to have another income stream and earn more money. However, many people become teachers for a variety of reasons other than money, including prestige and credentials. Someone who teaches voice-over may be perceived as a more credible expert or more objective than someone like me, who is a voice talent actively marketing myself. We tend to value advice only we have to pay for it!

I am a person who genuinely feels good if I help other people. Also, you get back what you put out in the world. If I help you today, somebody will help me in the future. I might consider teaching in person or via the web in the future. In the meantime, I frequently receive phone calls and e-mails from people interested in voice-over. I therefore use my blog primarily as an instructional and motivational tool for those wanting to join or improve in this profession.

It also confuses me when these books seems to say, “you can make a really great living” in one breath, but then in the next speak about how hard, competitive and difficult it can be to do this for a living. It’s enough to give me pause to wonder, “what am I getting myself into”.

If you were thinking of starting any other type of business, wouldn’t you wonder the same thing? People often think that they only need to have a good voice to have a successful career in voice-over. The most successful voice-over actors are often those who have the most savvy business skills. A person in voice-over or running any business probably can make a great living if they:

• figure out their strengths and skills
• determine a target market looking for those strengths and skills
• carve a niche within that target market
• define a marketing plan and budget
• market themselves relentlessly to their niche markets
• do great work while being easy to work with
• ask for repeat and referral business
• respond to changes in their markets and do what the market wants

In other words, we can’t all voice the starring role in a Pixar movie or even a local TV commercial; your market may want your voice for something else. You have to analyze your voice and delivery, and find those markets that want your vocal characteristics. A good voice-over coach can assist enormously in this process because we don’t see – or hear – ourselves as others do.

As a final thought, any business, including voice-over work, takes time to get established. No one can say how much time is needed because it varies with each person. If you are dependent on every dime from that business for your sustenance, your voice will reflect your inner desperation. It really IS hard and difficult to gain clientele and make living when you are approaching them from a point of desperation.

I just wondered what your thoughts were on this, since I respect your honesty about the business.

Ken, you asked some thought-provoking questions, so I hope that my answers are thought-provoking as well. Thanks for the message, and please feel free to leave any comments here on the blog.

 

When people find out that I’m a voice talent, they often ask me to “do a voice”. They seem disappointed when I respond “you’re pretty much hearing it now.” Many people expect all voice-over professionals to record zany voices for cartoons and movies. They often don’t realize that voice actors are also the people who record the radio and TV commercials, audiobooks, documentaries, training programs, games and phone systems.

While practice is necessary for proficiency, much of any kind of voice-over work depends on your mental state when performing. The eyes may be the window to the soul, but the voice is the door to one’s emotions. Whatever you are thinking and feeling is instantly heard in your voice. For instance, I’m sure people have said to you things like “you sound tired” or “is something wrong?”. Your voice mirrors your thoughts and emotions.

Much of my voice-over work is in corporate narrations and training programs. Recently, one of my contacts, an educational specialist who is producing and narrating some internal training programs for his company, asked me how not to sound like he was reading a eulogy at a funeral. I gave him the list of 12 tips show below, listed in no particular order. I thought others may find them helpful in making your narrations more natural and conversational.

1) Don’t rush the words. We tend to rush if we think we are running out of time or when we start thinking that people aren’t interested in our topic. This inner stress will be heard in the voice. Narrations usually are not rigidly time-sensitive like a commercial, so you really DO have plenty of time!

2) Articulation and diction are essential to properly convey the message. A voice-over narration should be transparent to the listener. You want the audience to be concentrating on your message and not distracted by the manner in which you are presenting it. Over-enunciation can be as distracting as sloppy enunciation.

3) Speak at your normal pitch. If you change your pitch because you don’t like the sound of your voice or think that people want to hear something else, you are not being authentic to yourself. The recording suffers because you are concentrating on the sound of your own voice rather than the message that you intend to convey.

4) If you need more energy, stand up while recording. I sit when recording long narrations. When doing so, the key to maintaining energy is to sit up straight and not let your chin dip down toward your chest.

5) A smile adds warmth to any word, but a smile throughout the piece could sound forced and inauthentic. The sound of a constant smile erodes our trust in the spokesperson. Think of the used car salesman that we all try avoid — “friends, have I got a DEAL for you!” 🙂

6) Stay hydrated; drink plenty of water before, during and after the voice-over session. As you speak, you are expelling saliva. A dry mouth is frustrating when performing a voice-over but actually could be the starting point for a number of more serious health problems.

7) In your mind, picture one person to whom you are presenting this information. This shouldn’t be a random person but instead should be someone who would actually be interested in obtaining the information you are providing. As you perform the script, speak as if you are having a quiet conversation with that person. If your volume is too loud, it shows that you aren’t aware of your context. The images should have the starring role, with the narration blending as a supporting player.

8) Practice the text out loud prior to recording. Mark the script with words to emphasize and places to pause.

9) Read using chunks of phrases. You usually can mentally read several lines ahead of the point where you are speaking. By paying attention to your phrasing, you won’t sound like you read to the end of a line and paused at an inopportune moment to send your eyes down to the next line. I’m reminded of old typewriters when I hear this type of narration, and I instantly stop listening to the message because the veil of transparency was dropped.

10) Breathe from your diaphragm and not your chest. Chest-breathing is more shallow, so you cannot get enough air to sustain you through longer passages. Better breathing also makes your voice sound fuller and richer.

11) Don’t let your pitch drop at the ends of sentences. It can sound rushed or that you are not interested. In either case, your listeners will detect the change and again would not be thinking about the message.

12) Relax! If you are holding tension anywhere in your body, it will be heard in your voice. Totally lose yourself in the words in the script, and let them be your only point of thought while producing your recording.

While I mostly record narrations, I love to perform character voices. I look forward to the day when someone wants to hear one of my voices, and I demonstrate something as famous as Nancy Cartwright voicing Bart Simpson! 🙂