Voicebank.net’s VoiceRegistry Blog

“Out Of The Booth and Away From The Mic” How Do We Do It? Part 2

Yesterday’s blog post was a Q&A I did with Voice Actor/New Media guy Wayne L. Henderson. I asked him how he got into New Media and how his voice over career was impacted.

In part 2 I continue with my Q&A asking Wayne about New Media voice over jobs and what tips he has for voice actors.

-Tracy Pattin

TJP: What kinds of VO jobs have you gotten because of your New Media (blog) presence?

WLH: That’s an excellent question, because of my being involved in the New Media and Social Networking spaces, many of my VO jobs have come about by being in the right place at the right time. Having my Voice-Over Journey podcast, and my entertainment-focused podcasts out there, and mixing in my involvement in the forums and communities related to these areas, has helped bring some unsolicited VO opportunities. That’s how the podcast intro/outro clients found out about me and my VO services. Also, by being known as a Voice Acting Podcaster in my community, brought me to the attention of a successful business owner in the area who wanted me to produce some business audio training programs for him. This was an excellent long-term VO gig!

TJP: What do you think voice talent needs to know regarding the incredible growth of New Media, blogging, podcasts, social networking etc…?

WLH: I would say that all voice talent need to get involved in the New Media world. It would be great to have more voice actors and actresses writing their own blog entries, and possibly putting out some podcasts. At the very least, I feel it’s necessary that voice talent read the blogs of others, and join some of the VO forums, and then be sure to leave comments there. What I do in these spaces, is put together a thorough signature, so that whenever I leave a forum or blog comment, it will have a link to my VO website, and possibly to all of my podcast websites. This is how I got my most recent gig, just from having my forum signature explain who I was, what I do, and where to find me. Remember to have some Social Networking fun as well, by joining mini-blogs like Twitter.com!

“Out Of The Booth and Away From The Mic” How Do We Do It?

The Voice Over world is changing just like so many industries in this economic climate. As I always love to say, We need to think out of the booth and away from the mic. One way is to jump into the world of New Media; blogs, podcasts, internet advertising, etc. Wayne Henderson is doing just that. He’s a Voice Actor and Podcaster, and involved in the Social Networking landscape and various blogs and forums. He’s found voice over opportunities in unexpected ways. His Voice-Over Journey podcast, encourages other new and novice voice talent to share their VO stories.

I wanted to know what he does and how he does it. Here’s my part 1 of my interview with him.

-Tracy Pattin

TJP: You’ve been blogging about voice over since 2005?

WLH: Yes, although 2005 sounds like it was ages ago. Started blogging and podcasting with my Tuning In With Wayne Henderson podcast which covered all sorts of topics, ranging from my new Voice-Over “journey”, The Green Bay Packers, the TV show LOST, etc. Later, I spun-off the Voice-Over Journey podcast.

TJP: Why did you decide to blog about voice over?

WLH: All along, I’ve felt that blogging and podcasting went hand-in-hand. So, when I decided to podcast about voice-overs, along with the other topics, I thought that blogging about it would be an automatic addition to that. With my blogging sites, in addition to posting the show notes of each podcast, if something interesting comes out in-between podcast episodes I can just type in some brief comments. And the reason that I had voice-overs as one of my podcasting/blogging topics was that, since I was about to start seeking VO jobs for pay, and it was an all new adventure for me, I would like to share the entire process as I went along.

TJP: How has it impacted your VO career?

WLH: Just as for all creative professionals, my career’s “journey” has gone in different directions that anticipated. Originally, I thought my main focus in VO should be in radio commercials and e-learning programs. However, at the present time, the VO income that I’ve earned, has mostly been from recording podcast intros and outros for other peoples’ podcasts, as well as business audio training programs.

Tune in tomorrow for part 2 when I ask Wayne about the voice over success he’s experienced in New Media and what voice talent needs to know to get work in this industry.

Voice Registry Podcast-Tracy Pattin Talks To “The Voice Over Doctor” Part 2

Bill Holmes is “The Voice Over Doctor” in Voice Registry’s NEW podcast series. The “Doctor” will be taking voice over students through the paces of an audition, from a cold read to a hot performance. Bill is an award winning director who has freelanced with casting houses over the past 15 years including, The Voicecaster, Sight n’ Sound Casting, Sheila Manning Casting, Danny Goldman Casting as well as his own company Compost Productions. Not only has he been working very successfully in the voice over business for the past 25 years but he has been teaching commercial voice over classes for the last 15 as well. Currently Bill can be heard on radio and TV commercials nationwide. This guy doesn’t mess around! He knows how to drill in and find the truth of it all. It’s an entertaining and educational experience you really don’t want to miss!

Right + Click here to download podcast (8.7 MB)

Is It Better To Keep It Simple?

In this world of too much information too much of the time, maybe it’s better to simplify, especially with voice over. I mean the whole idea is to be authentic, believable and appealing to the listener and one way to get there is to stop over thinking. That’s one of the VO techniques teacher Bill Holmes (The Voice Over Doctor) uses to help voice talent create successful careers.

In tomorrow’s (Tuesday July 22nd) Voice Registry podcast, The Voice Over Doctor part 2, teacher Bill Holmes continues to help “Student/Patient” Bill Miltenberger deliver the Federal Express copy in a natural way. The doc says, many voice actors simply try too hard. “In voice over you don’t have to work that hard!”

Check out our NEW Voice Registry series, The Voice Over Doctor (part 1), where Bill Holmes, does one on one sessions with voice over actors using his techniques to help you get the job.

-Tracy Pattin

What Do You Do When You Don’t Have Any Ideas? Improv Class part 2

In yesterday’s Voice Registry blog I described my evening at Bill Applebaum’s improv class. We did warm-ups, then slowly graduated to more involved improvisations; A stream of consciousness circle with each player adding their words. Then we got up one by one doing sort of a monologue of stream of consciousness words.

So, how is this all related to voice over? How many times in an audition (or even at the job) have you needed to come up with a “button” (a phrase or word at the end) to add sizzle to the spot? Or perhaps your own unique verbal stamp that could get you the job? How many times did you feel like you couldn’t think of anything?

These stream of consciousness exercises loosen up our idea muscle so we free ourselves of too much judgment opening the flood gates of creativity. As the class went on we got more and more comfortable with just letting it flow. And what I found is, the more you take your creative self out for a test ride, the better you run. Voice over is like any creative career, the more we bring ourselves (that truthful, authentic one) into the mix, the more successful we can be.

For our final stream of consciousness exercise, we had to get up and deliver a story (made up or true) by just letting our ideas stream into one another, trusting that they’d just build into an improv monologue. The audience helped with a “location” or “object” suggestion to launch us.

It was my turn. I kept thinking (more like over thinking) “should I choose a location or an object?” Stressing a little about wanting to be perfect (death to improv).

“A bank” someone yelled out. Yikes! what could I say about a bank? How can I do this? I grabbed a chair, sat in it backwards (I think I felt protected by the wooden slats) and just started talking. Then my worst fear emerged. I just couldn’t think of anything. I felt myself sinking into nothingness, repeating empty words. I was about to say it aloud. “I can’t do this!” Then something happened. The more I just relaxed, talked and allowed myself to fail, the more I started to succeed, launching into this story I’d forgotten about. A story I loved telling. I pretended to be a home buyer on an open house Sunday in Brentwood, sharing a tall tale with the realtor. That was improv in itself.

At the end, I felt creatively satiated, and grateful for the opportunity to test myself, to fail and get up again. I realized it was that stumble that gave me more confidence than if I had sailed through this improv with loads of ideas from the start.

So, what do you do when you don’t have any ideas? Trust. Open your mind. See what happens and try not to say, “I can’t think of anything.” Because you can. Yes you can.

-Tracy Pattin

Improv Helps You Connect With Your Listener and more…

The other night I was at Bill Applebaum’s Improv Class at Compost Productions in North Hollywood. I wanted to experience just how improv can help the voice actor. Improv and voice acting isn’t mentioned a lot. Maybe it’s because VO is so specific; analyzing & reading copy, mic technique etc. But there is room in the booth for this unique skill.

We started the class doing warm-ups by walking around the room making eye contact, then Bill added emotions and physicality like “now you’re really cold, you’re hot and sweaty.” The purpose? Connecting. Okay, there is a connection to voice over here. As voice talent we must be able to connect with another voice actor in dialogue spots, that’s obvious, but we also need to connect through that microphone to the listener, and that starts with us. But it’s got to be organic. Hence the improv warm-up we did.

Then we moved into stream of consciousness exercises. We were given a place or object and we had to run with it, speaking off-the-cuff, allowing whatever came into our mind. Another connection to voice over. When you’re in the booth, needing ideas for your read, this ability to trust your instincts could come in handy. It was my turn, and I was a little scared. What if I couldn’t think of anything? Ah ha! Just the point. Turns out this experience was one of those Ah ha! moments.

Check in tomorrow’s Voice Registry blog to find out what happens.

-Tracy Pattin

Voice Registry Podcast- Tracy Pattin Talks To “The Voice Over Doctor” (part 1)

Bill Holmes is “The Voice Over Doctor” in Voice Registry’s NEW podcast series. The “Doctor” will be taking voice over students through the paces of an audition, from a cold read to a hot performance. Bill is an award winning director who has freelanced with casting houses over the past 15 years including, The Voicecaster, Sight n’ Sound Casting, Sheila Manning Casting, Danny Goldman Casting as well as his own company Compost Productions. Not only has he been working very successfully in the voice over business for the past 25 years but he has been teaching commercial voice over classes for the last 15 as well. Currently Bill can be heard on radio and TV commercials nationwide. This guy doesn’t mess around! He knows how to drill in and find the truth of it all. It’s an entertaining and educational experience you really don’t want to miss!

Right+Click here to download podcast (4.8 MB)

“The Voice Over Doctor” New Voice Registry Podcast series

The big question in voice over (besides “how do I make millions?”) is “how do I deliver a strong performance to get the job?” No worries! “The Doctor” is in. Voice Registry is launching it’s new series, The Voice Over Doctor.

Los Angeles VO Teacher extraordinaire, Bill Holmes (a.k.a. The Voice Over Doctor- not really a doctor, he just plays one in this podcast) takes you through the paces of a cold read to a winning audition.

Tomorrow’s Voice Registry podcast (Tuesday July 15th) is the first in a 3 part online session where The Voice Over Doctor treats student, Bill Miltenberger, taking him from a cold read to a winning audition.

-Tracy Pattin

Strike.TV Makes It’s Debut

That old (slightly tired) saying, “Make lemons out of lemonade” is exactly what some striking writers did during the 3 month writer’s strike. They wanted to continue writing in spite of this giant screech in Hollywood, so Strike.TV was created.

-Tracy Pattin

LAist had this to say:

“During the Writers Strike, a group of creatives got together to make Strike.TV and began to develop 40 projects that are expected to debut starting today (as of this writing on the morning of July 4th, only the above teaser has been launched).

One of their promises is “to demonstrate that it was possible for Hollywood professionals to coexist and flourish with the studio system that has supported them for so long while bringing their talents to an emerging medium and doing so in a way that helps everyone,” explains their press release. “Strike.TV chose to be on the forefront as the industry goes through the necessary changes that inevitably arise with any new technology. Every industry and economy is impacted by change. And change is sometimes painful or difficult.”

Another Kung Fu Panda Review… “Where we are really let down is in the casting”

Animation features continue to be very alive and well, but there seems to be a growing debate about the need for celebrity voices. Could this be a trend? Could it be an emerging opportunity for the slew of “unknown” voice talent to replace the need for a name? Maybe all they really do need is a voice….a great, skilled, talented…voice.

-Tracy Pattin

Check out the review in Live Journal.

Here’s an excerpt:

“Where we are really let down is in the casting. The voice actors, in real life, look and speak in a way similar to the characters they portray in this movie - when you see the Tigress, you can see Angelina Jolie. However, there is no benefit to this - any number of voice actors could have competently carried out these roles. I can’t imagine how many hundreds of thousands (or millions) of dollars were wasted using Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan and Dustin Hoffman when they presumably could have hired relative unknowns for the same roles at much less expense. You don’t see an animated movie because Angelina Jolie is in it, do you?”