Voice-Over

Creating your roadmap to success

31 December 2008

In my last blog entry, I wrote about the necessity of envisioning success in voice-over and creating a road map to reach your desired destination. Since it’s natural to look toward the future as we change to a new year, I thought you might appreciate 3 ideas that may help you draw your map.

You’ve already decided on a career in voice-over, but do you know how your voice fits in the industry? Many voice talent try to be all things to all people and end up frustrated by endlessly attending classes, creating new demos, and marketing to potential clients without first thinking of how every action should tie together and lead one closer to one’s goals.

You see, I know something about such frustration. Oh, sure, I’m radiating inner peace now (well, most days, anyway!), but I have a journal entry from 1 June 2003 in which I wrote:

Today’s word is frustrated. I looked in the dictionary and found the word describes ME.

I even modified the dictionary entry to include my picture and my name in the description. If you can’t read the highlighted portion, it says:

1 a: to balk or defeat in an endeavor b: to induce feelings of discouragement in Karen Commins

My voice-over career was the number 1 reason for my frustration that day. I wrote:

I could do so many things to further my voice-over career…I have so many good ideas for marketing and promotion — so many things I want/need to do, should/could do — but not enough time. I know I could book more gigs if I could….

You get the drift.

So what changed?

After writing about my frustration, I next wrote:

I re-read Barbara Sher’s book I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What it Was and saw her line that frustration should lead to action.

Which brings me back to my point today.

We’re all unique. No one else sees the world the way you do, and no one has your exact same vocal characteristics. Your experiences and thoughts will influence your script interpretations. The question for us then becomes one of marketing that unique voice and style to voice-over clients. Rather than being all things to all people — saying you’ll record everything from promos to phone prompts — I think it’s important to concentrate your efforts into some carefully-chosen specialty areas appropriate for your voice, interests, and personality.

I have mentioned previously that I keep many journals, including one for plans and ideas for my voice-over career. On 31 December 2003 (just 6 months after the entry about frustration), I started a New Year’s Eve journal. The idea is to write in it only the one time as a blueprint for the coming year. I am looking forward to writing it in later today.

I was very harsh on myself in 2003, 2004 and 2005; I labeled myself a failure for not accomplishing the many goals I had written the previous year. However, the entry for 2005 was a turning point because I developed a mission statement.

If you’ve spent any time in corporate America, you’ve probably seen a mission statement hung on a prominent office wall in a cheap $1.29 metal frame. I always rolled my eyes when reading these statements — that is, if the statement didn’t put me to sleep. They always seem to use “suit speak”, with words like leveraging our human resources to transform the cost structure of our stakeholder-facing enterprises. (Translation: We’ll utilize our employees’ skills to lower costs across the business.)

It’s like they used a MadLibs book to fill it out — you know where someone asks for a noun, an action verb and an adjective and then inserts them into the pre-printed sentence structure to create a nonsensical but highly amusing sentence. While still nonsensical, typical mission statements are anything but amusing. How is a worker supposed to know what to do on a daily basis in order to further the organization’s objectives when the words used to describe those objectives are meaningless?

However, I changed my mind about the usefulness of a mission statement when I created one for my voice-over business. On this day 3 years ago, I used the free on-line process offered by Nightingale-Conant. It prompts you to enter information about your unique characteristics and goals; you may need some time to really think about your answers.

Developing my mission statement gave me a clear starting point on my road map. On any journey, you need to get good directions. In maintaining a successful voice-over business, it’s vital that you research the industry and keep informed about trends.

In the Information Age, we have no shortage of ways to learn about voice-over trends, from blogs to podcasts to conventions. I received 2 e-mails yesterday that offer tidy summaries of the current industry status.

First, David Ciccarelli, one of the founders of Voices.com, sent me a message to let me know he has researched trends for voice-over in the coming year and published his findings in a free report. This report offers some extensive statistics about the demand and growth potential for various types of voice-over work, as well as demographics concerning the audiences and purchasers of voice talent. It would be very helpful to study this report when developing or updating your marketing plan.

The other message was from one of my teachers, the always insightful and entertaining Pat Fraley. Whenever I receive the same message from 2 sources who did not collaborate with each other, I know it is a road sign from the Universe to PAY ATTENTION! Pat sent a link to his latest free .MP3 lesson titled “A Bumper Crop”, which in many ways echoes the trends outlined in David’s report. In these days where financial bail-outs are the news topics every day, a voice talent might think that opportunities are shrinking. In his usual delightful manner, Pat discusses how companies react in slower economic times and offers direction and hope to voice talent for the coming year.

The final idea for your road map is to create your own work. I have previously written about the benefits of making your own work, especially if you are in between paid gigs. Another road sign that I saw just this week was contained in Bonnie Gillespie’s column The Actors Voice: Social Networking and Acting. The essay is a brilliant analysis of an actor’s (yes, including voice actors) effective use of social networking platforms in establishing and maintaining a professional brand. I highly recommend that you read it and apply her guidelines.

In that article are some links to her previous columns about the power producing your own work and the new business model in the entertainment industry. Bonnie’s final sentences in her current column encourage us all to put our voice out there so that prospective clients can hear us.

So, armed with your mission statement, some solid industry research and your commitment to create your own work, you are well on the way to success as a voice actor in 2009 and beyond!

Future street sign photo: Joe Gough, iStockPhoto

Mapping your success by thinking BIG

17 December 2008

Do you know where you’re going to?
Do you like the things that life is showing you
Where are you going to?
Do you know…?

Do you get
What you’re hoping for
When you look behind you
There’s no open doors
What are you hoping for?
Do you know…?

— Diana Ross when singing the theme from “Mahogany”

Those song lyrics have been floating in my mind after reading another voice-over blog in which the author wrote, “I have no idea where this is going.” While I have taken the writer’s words out of context, the face-value of that thought inspires today’s post.

Do you know where you’re going to in your voice-over career? When planning either a trip or a career in voice-over, it’s important to know your desired destination. You don’t need to know HOW or WHEN you will get there, but you do have to decide where you want to go. When you make that decision, you might as well decide to have the very best outcome you can possibly imagine.

True, even deciding on the destination can be very difficult. You have to take some time to analyze what’s important to you and find a destination that fills those characteristics. If I were planning a trip, I might say it’s important to me to go to a romantic place that is full of art, music and interesting architecture. When I decide that Paris fits my description, I now have a destination — a place that I can point to on a map.

Any number of ways exist for me to get there. It’s not up to me to decide every aspect of the trip. Life has a way of presenting delicious synchronicities that enable us to get further along our path. In fact, I previously wrote an entry about trusting your gut instinct. You may think your heart leads you to do things that are fun but unimportant in the long run. To quote myself: Your intuition will guide you to make choices and take action toward building your career that you may not totally understand at the time but will make brilliant sense in retrospect.

My voice-over career is just like a trip to Paris; I have a map and can point to my pinnacle of success. It’s important to me to voice projects that utilize my creativity, mean something to people, and are of lasting value. Audiobooks meet all of those criteria. I know where I’m going even though I have no idea when I will arrive.

You may be surprised to know that I am a Grammy award-winning voice talent for an audiobook in the Best Spoken Word category. You look perplexed and scratch your head as you think over this bold statement. “But Karen,” you finally say with great hesitation, “how is that possible when I haven’t seen your name on the Grammy awards list?”

Just because something hasn’t shown up in your reality doesn’t mean it isn’t real.<

When you use one of your 5 senses, you gain information about something in your world. No man-made thing that is in the world just magically appeared. It was first a thought in someone’s mind. They had to visualize its existence and know it was achievable before it ever became part of reality.

Athletes and entertainers often have related stories of visualizing their success for years before it was known to others. I love a quote from Barry Manilow in the 70s after he hit it big. Someone asked him what it was like to be successful, and he replied, “I’ve always been successful, but now I’m famous.”

Once you have a destination, you can create a map for getting from point A to point B. With your voice-over career or anything else, work backward from point B until you reach your place at point A. At each step, ask yourself, “in order for this to happen, what has to happen before it?”

I followed that process to create my map for achieving that Grammy award. I know certain things have to happen for my quest to be successful, and they inspire me to take action, whether marketing to a particular audiobook publisher, creating new demos, talking to others about audiobooks, etc. Sometimes the journey may seem stalled or going in a different or unexpected direction. Even in those times, I always have the inner knowing that I will arrive at my destination one day. It’s just a matter of time and consistent effort on my part in order to make this dream a reality. In the meantime, I know that the success I envision is on its way.

One of my friends described this kind of thinking as “a bunch of woo-woo”. In case this blog post sounds like woo-woo to you, you might be more likely to consider this advice from celebrated voice talent Nancy Cartwright. In an article for Animation World Magazine, Cartwright writes:

At any rate, if you are planning on being successful at what you do, no matter what it is you decide to do, you should be sure to envision having the greatest success in your chosen field. Don’t just decide to get a job, decide to win an Emmy. I did. Don’t just decide to be a background voice, decide to be on the #1 animated show on television. I did. Don’t just decide to make enough money to pay your bills or quit your day job, decide to make an abundance of money so your attention can move on to greater and more important areas. I did.

It is not about just dreaming. It is truly about making the decision, and thinking big!!!! Only you can decide what is best for you, so sit down right now, and make some decisions, who knows? It might change your life forever!

So, about my Grammy award — just remember you read it here first!

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

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!

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!

Karen Commins

Award Winning

Atlanta Audiobook Share-rator™