Vox Talk

Salutation:

Hi, I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli, your host. VOX Talk rounds up the stories, the audio features and the tips that matter to you. VOX Talk is a community podcast for voice actors and we’re proud of it ☺ One quick programming note: VOX Talk will now be released once a week, so be sure to keep subscribed and check in with us on Thursdays.

The Loop:

Google Video Game Advertising

Google is getting into video game advertising with its purchase of Adscape Media for an undisclosed amount of money. If you recall, Google bought YouTube for a whopping 1.65 billion dollars. I trust that paints a picture for you. Adscape and the search engine giant have released a joint FAQ on Adscape's website, but are keeping most of the details under wraps. In-game advertising like virtual billboards or video walls could become the next big thing as games become more graphically intense, encouraging more impulse purchases.

To learn more, go to tgdaily.com

News #2

Om Malik – is VoIP an excuse for bad voice quality?

Broadband and telecommunications industry pundit Om Malik posed a question on his blog this week asking if VoIP or voip, when you break it down that’s voiceover Internet protocol, was an excuse for bad voice quality. Om took the time to compare a few services including iChat and Skype, which yield significantly better results over the voice over Internet protocol option. That’s what Om says, but what do you think?

To comment or read the full article, go to gigaom.com

News #3

Greeley Tribune Dee Bradley Baker

To conclude our news today, I’d like to direct your attention to an article that was written about Greeley native Dee Bradley Baker, voice actor of 150 voices for cartoons, movies and video games. Dee shares reasons why he’s in voice acting as well as the perks of being a professional voice actor with a home recording studio.

If you’re a dad of young kids working from home, you’ll be sure to relate to Dee Bradley Baker.

Go to The Tribune’s website at greeleytrib.com to get to know another voice acting father in arms.

Just a quick addition, we’ve just released a couple of web videos on the Voices.com video podcast! If you haven’t seen them yet, go to videos.voices.com to watch and then share them with a friend on YouTube.

The Biz:

Today in The Biz, Julie Williams talks about marketing yourself in voice overs, specifically with post card marketing and email marketing.

One of the best marketers in the biz! Keep subscribed to the VOX Talk podcast to hear more from Julie on this topic. Thank you Julie.

Tech Talk:

I’d like to welcome a healthy Adam Fox back to Tech Talk! In today’s show, Adam shares some insight regarding methodology and application when it comes to serving your voice over clients.

What a wonderful surprise to have Bob Oakman in there too! If you liked Adam’s new intro, let him know. I’m really impressed guys, that was cool.

VoxBox:

Today in the VOX Box, we’ll hit on the touchy subject of union VS non-union. We took an informal poll on the issue at VOX Daily, asking you to come forward with your pros and cons for the union or thoughts on being non-union. This blog post was pretty popular as you can imagine.

With far too many lively comments to include here, I’d like to invite you to read them yourself, and if you haven’t already weighed in, you can still do by Googling union vs non-union.

Farewell:

That’s it for today’s show. We’d really love to hear from you! Let us know what you think of VOX Talk and what this podcast means to you. If you’ve been waiting to contribute, I want to encourage you to be an active part of this community podcast. VOX Talk is what you make of it so be sure that you are giving back even just a little bit of what this podcast gives to you. I’m your host Stephanie Ciccarelli. See you next Thursday.

VOX Talk PODCAST: EPISODE 21

Salutation:

Hi, I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli, your host. VOX Talk rounds up the stories, the audio features and the tips that matter to you. VOX Talk is a community podcast for voice actors and we’re proud of it ☺ Before we hear Colin, let’s find out what’s been going recently in voice overs.

The Loop:

Ralph Hass on YouTube

If you are a fan of the Buffalo Sabres and watch the team on the MSG network, you are familiar with the voice talents of Ralph Hass, the imaging voice talent for the Sabres’ television broadcasts. A new video interview with Ralph is available on YouTube.com that highlights his vocal talents as well as presents you with a glimpse of his work behind the scenes.

To watch the video, go to the VOX Daily blog at blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/

News #2

Microsoft

Microsoft took another step into the speech technology and contact center market, acquiring Mountain View, California-based TellMe Networks Inc.

TellMe provides voice services that include directory assistance, customer service and voice-enabled applications. Its mobile search service at 1-800-555-TELL helps users find local businesses, sports scores and movie times. Businesses use TellMe's voice services and platform to provide customers with voice-access services ranging from banking to package tracking.

To learn more about this acquisition, visit searchcrm.techtarget.com

News #3

Country Music Celebrity Birdhouses

Interested in birdhouses? Country music celebrity birdhouses designed or inspired by the likes of Dierks Bentley, Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts and Keith Urban, are being auctioned off as part of the sixth Annual "The Birdhouse Thing" auction, benefiting the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School.
Bidding for the auction on www.opry.com ends Sunday, March 18. All proceeds benefit the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School, a non-profit organization that has provided music education to thousands of low-income children who otherwise would not have been able to afford such instruction.

To place a bid on the birdhouse of their favorite artist, visit www.opryauction.com.

The Biz:

Whether it's just a bit of spring cleaning for you or if you're in for an all-out demo overhaul, updating a commercial demo from time to time is necessary.

Today in The Biz, we’ll be covering several indicators that you need to update your commercial demo.

The lifespan of a commercial demo is determined by a number of factors.

Common indicators that your demo or parts of a voice over demo may be past their prime are:

• Dates and Times mentioned in the ad copy

• Music Selections

• Voice Age

• References to Pop Icons and Events of Yesteryear

Dates and Times

Marc Cashman received a question on Ask the Voice Cat about how often a voice talent should update their commercial voice over demo.

Marc focused on the issue of dates and times, saying that if a product is mentioned to be older than two years, try to edit out the date or leave the dates out altogether when recording initially.

For instance, if you have a commercial read in your demo about a model of a car that was 'new' in 2005, it might just be time to update that demo :)

Music

Let's look at the music factor now.

• Does the music sound retro?
• Are the sound effects in line with what you would expect to hear today?
• Are there cheesy synthesizers in the background?

Music often sets the tone for a voice over demo and helps to establish your personal branding style.

Don't let styles of music that have been shelved for too long give clients the wrong impression of your production or music selection skills.

There are many royalty-free music libraries out there that you can purchase updated music and sound effects from to keep your demos current.

Voice Age

If you recorded your commercial demo in the 80s or even the early to mid 90s, the demo itself may not only sound aged, but your voice may have matured since that recording, too.

Voices age, just like your body’s do.

A good example is the hesitation that the directors for the Transformers movie due out this summer had with guaranteeing that the original voice actors from the cartoon series in the 1980s would be cast again in their roles.

From what I’ve heard, men’s voices do not change nearly as often or as dramatically as women’s voices do. A woman’s voice will continue to mature until they are forty years old establishing their signature sound in their vocal prime. That's a lot of changing and readjusting to your voice and vocal technique in the span of a voice over career.

And finally, we find ourselves again in ad copy refinement...

References to Popular Icons and Events of the Past

If you have a spot that mentions a Beatles reunion with Paul, George and Ringo, it may be time to cut that bit. George Harrison passed away in 2001. If you have a reunion tour of a band or anniversary reference in the ad copy on your demo, make sure that it is still relevant or at least accurate.

Perhaps it isn't something in the popular realm but a political ad campaign. If the person isn't currently running for office or did not succeed in their attempt, strongly consider removing that spot. It may confuse people who are listening to your demo, and of course, reveal the age of the demo.

So, now you have the tools to evaluate the state of your commercial demo.

Take the time now to listen to your current commercial voice over demo and let us know what you dig up!

Leave a comment at VOX Daily with some of your discoveries!

Tech Talk:

Colin Campbell

VoxBox:

Earlier this week, I posted an article to the VOX Daily blog asking how you unwind after recording sessions and we’ve received some very interesting responses! For some of you, it may be eating food or enjoying a drink that you normally wouldn’t have before recording while others said that they preferred activities outdoors as a reward for a long day in front of the mic.

For instance, Jason McCoy chimed in to say that one of the ways he rewards himself after recording voice overs is a tall glass of milk with Oreo cookies! Now, that does sound decadent! If you’d like to share what you do post recording session to relax or treat yourself, leave a comment on the VOX Daily blog or send in an audio clip to be played here in the VOX Box. You can email your MP3 to media@voices.com

Farewell:

That’s it for today’s show. We’d really love to hear from you! Let us know what you think of VOX Talk and what this podcast means to you. If you’ve been waiting to contribute, I want to encourage you to be an active part of this community podcast. VOX Talk is what you make of it so be sure that you are giving back even just a little bit of what this podcast gives to you. I’m your host Stephanie Ciccarelli. Enjoy your weekend!

VOX Talk PODCAST: EPISODE 20

Salutation:

Hi! I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli, and you’re listening VOX Talk, the industry leading voice over podcast ☺ Elie Hirschman and Colin Campbell are joining us today. Before those two gentlemen take the stage, let’s jump into the news.

The Loop:

Spanish Voice Actors from Simpson’s threaten boycott

Will the wrath of the Spanish speaking Simpson’s voice actors thwart a Spanish dubbing of the Simpson’s Movie? Sources say that the Spanish voice actors who give voice to the Simpson’s cartoon are threatening to boycott the Simpson’s Movie. If you remember, these individuals are the same talent who were dissatisfied with the status of their pay going back to issues that rocked the Simpson’s boat in 2005.

Will the statements of Gabriel Chavez, who provides the Spanish voice of Mr. Burns, stop the movie from being recorded in Spanish? Visit cinematical.com for more information.

News #2

Stand up in Kandahar – CBC Comedians special Wednesday night

Around the Christmas holidays, a number of Canadian comedians headed to Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan to encourage the troops and deliver some much-appreciated fits of giggles. Since then, the footage has been edited and will air on the CBC on Wednesday March 14th at 8 p.m., hosted by Shaun Majumder of This Hour Has 22 Minutes fame.

To learn more and watch clips from the program, visit cbc.ca/standupinkandahar

News #3
What’s that in the sky?

To wrap up, there were funny things going on in the heavens on Sunday night, witnessed by people in Southwestern Ontario and as far as Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A bolide, or meteorite was confirmed sighted between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. EST, blazing across the sky, burning up before our eyes, complete with a tail. I happened to see this first hand at 8 p.m. while driving west toward London from Hamilton just outside of Brantford’s city limits.

Wonder what other people were thinking? Check out the article in the Toronto Star at thestar.com

The Biz:

Today in The Biz, Elie Hirschman discusses how his voice acting group uses Skype to rehearse for their productions.

Elie Segment

I really appreciate your story, Elie. Thank you for sending it in ☺

Tech Talk:

Colin Campbell of AffordableAnnouncer.com.

Colin’s segment

Thank you Colin!

VoxBox:

Last week, I mentioned on the VOX Daily blog that I’d be writing an article about the Australian English dialect. If you are an Australian voice talent and would like to contribute to the article on your accent, send me an email at Stephanie@voices.com ! We’d love to hear from all the Aussies out there to make this the best article on why people should hire Australian talent available on the Internet.

Farewell:

That’s all for today’s show. If you have something you’d like to say in the VOX Box segment or a segment for The Biz or Tech Talk, send your MP3 file to be featured on the podcast to media@voices.com. I’m your host Stephanie Ciccarelli – see you on Thursday!

Salutation:

Hi! I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli, and you’re listening VOX Talk, the industry leading voice over podcast ☺ We have Julie Williams, Adam Fox and Bobbin Beam on the show today, and I can’t wait for you to hear their segments – but first, the news!

The Loop:

Harry Shearer Speaks on US Politics

Simpson’s voice actor Harry Shearer, the voice of Ned Flanders and Mr. Burns, spoke at the University of California in Santa Barbara, sharing his thoughts about the US government’s current political policies. Also a part-time New Orleans resident, Harry hit on issues surrounding Hurricane Katrina, the war in Iraq and national security, using his humor and voice acting abilities to entertain the crowd as well as educate.

To learn more about what was said, visit dailynexus.com.

News #2

Edmiston, Keebler elf voice actor, dies in Los Angeles

In memoriam, Walker Edmiston, an actor who was the voice of many cartoon and puppet characters, including Ernie the Keebler elf in television commercials, has died of complications due to cancer. Walker voiced many different roles and performed for over twenty years on a radio program called “Adventures in Odyssey” produced by Focus on the Family. In spite of his illness, Walker continued to work up until January 2007, passing away on February 15th at the age of 81.

For more details, visit latimes.com

News #3
Voice Actors United

To wrap up, there is a new voice acting chat group online at Yahoo! Groups. Voice Actors United, was founded by Jonithan Patrick Russell, owner and founder of Dream Realm Enterprises. The group launched on March 4th has 38 members and is growing hourly.

If you’re interested in joining, just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/voiceactorsunited

The Biz:

Today in The Biz, Julie Williams of Voice-overs.com shares some very important information about marketing your talents as a businessperson.

Julie Segment

Julie, that’s great advice. You can never market your talents enough! Thanks for pointing that out ☺

Tech Talk:

Adam Fox of DefiantDigital.com is back, answering your questions in Tech Talk.

Adam’s segment

Adam, as always you’ve produced a stellar piece full of heart. It’s because of people like you, Julie and other selfless contributors to the industry that our community continues to thrive. Kudos to you too!

VoxBox:

For today’s episode, I invited Bobbin Beam of BobbinBeam.com to prepare a short recording on the benefits of going to the VOICE Conference. Bobbin is a career voice talent who also happens to be working at the VOICE Conference in Las Vegas this month.

Bobbin’s thoughts may afford you the perspective you need to make your decision as to if you’re going to attend. Here she is:

Bobbin segment

Farewell:

Thank you Bobbin for sharing your point of view with us. If you have something you’d like to say in the VOX Box segment, whether it’s feedback about the show or comments of another feather, send your MP3 file to be featured on the podcast to media@voices.com. I’m your host Stephanie Ciccarelli – that’s a wrap!

Salutation:

Hi! I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli, and you’re listening VOX Talk, your break away from the everyday ☺ We’re in the final weeks before the VOICE Conference (book your flight now!) and are ecstatic to bring this 18th episode of VOX Talk to you. From Curt Schilling of the Boston Red Sox to Gracenote software Mozart would have loved, this show is a mixed bag. Ready to fly?

The Loop:

TomTom Gets Back to Basics with Celebrity Voice-Overs

Just when you thought that celebrity voice-overs were only performed by voice matchers or celebrity voice impressionists, TomTom, a company that supplies voice-overs for GPS systems, announced that they’ve added the authentic celebrity voice talents of Boston Red Sox Pitcher Curt Schilling to their roster of voice talent. For about 13 dollars, you can replace a voice-over like “you are approaching your destination” with “You’re almost home, slide! Slide!” (Sorry for the bad Curt Schilling impression!)

To learn more about this story, visit mobilemag.com.

News #2

Gracenote fingerprints audio / proves legitimacy of music

In the world of technology, classical music downloaded to iPods will now have it’s own digital ‘fingerprint’ thanks to Emeryville, California based company Gracenote. Gracenote is owner of the largest database of music information in the world. The company recently unveiled the first standard for the display of classical music on digital devices, which will greatly affect the downloading, cataloging and play listing of classical music, able to identify true artist recordings from fraudulent recordings.

To learn more about the Gracenote “Classical Music Initiative” software and the music it has unmasked, visit popmatters.com.

News #3

VOICE Conference 2007

To wrap up, you may have heard that AFTRA, one of the unions in the US, has just jumped on board as sponsors at the VOICE Conference to take place in 3 weeks time in Las Vegas. AFTRA members only heard recently about the conference, so the team at VOICE has decided to extend their early bird pricing until March 10th.

If you’ve been waiting and this extended incentive has given you the inspiration you needed to make a decision now, don’t hesitate – we want to see you at the Palace Station! Visit voice-international.com to check out stellar lineup of lecturers, sessions and events.

Something I’m really looking forward to is seeing Bob Bergen’s one-act play ☺ The VOICE conference promises to present very special moments for those who attend, so get your tickets and book that flight!

The Biz:

Today in The Biz, we’ll discover one of the hottest, untapped resources for searching on the web… Local Search!

Local search is becoming a very popular tool for people who want to get things done locally and support local businesses. Google lets you search for local businesss by name, keyword, or location with satellite maps.

A good example of local searchers include people who only purchase local produce within a certain radius of their homes. For consumers concerned about helping local farmers and contributing to the prosperity and economy of their city or region, local search has become a blessing in many ways for both buyers and sellers.

Ok, so now we know what local search is, but how can you benefit from it?

Here are 5 quick Tips for Increasing Your Local Search Results

1. Add your address to your Voices.com profile. Check the box that says "Show my contact information on my Voices.com website" and click "Save" to ensure that your contact information is displayed on Voices.com.

2. Submit your Voices.com website to the Local Search Engines. Remember that just because you're in their main "Web" search results doesn't mean you'll be in the local search results too. Add you name to the local search results to ensure you'll be listed (there are several links you can use at VOX Daily to do this).

3. Trade links with other local businesses. Comment on blogs that cover local news and link back to your Voices.com website, which states your address. This will give Google, Yahoo! and MSN the necessary information for creating a clear picture of your physical location.

4. Write an article about how you serve your local community. Two websites you can submit to for fast inclusion are eZineArticles.com and GoArticles.com.

5. Join local organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce or the Better Business Bureau. These organizations validate your mailing address and link to your website.

So, there you go!

On another note, we’re accepting new segments for The Biz. If you have a story or some tips to share, I’m personally inviting you now to send in your audio commentaries to be aired in The Biz segment. If you’re a voice instructor, an agent or a union rep, this segment was made for you! The ideal length of this segment is between 1 to 2 and a half minutes. You can send in your audio commentary or clip to me electronically by emailing media@voices.com. Listen to past episodes to get an idea of what others have recorded.

Tech Talk:

Colin Campbell of AffordableAnnouncer.com.

Thanks Colin!

VoxBox:

We’ve had a rather interesting week on the blog with several unique stories, polls, and articles.

This comment comes from Rick Sparks, addressed to Don LaFontaine regarding his Oscars story:

"Great article! Thanks for taking the time, Mr. LaFontaine. I'm just starting to get my feet wet in this business, and you're an inspiration.

An aside - it's funny to read that, at your level of experience and celebrity, your table ends up with the same kind of collection of performers and purses that I encounter at some of my gigs. Continued success to you!"

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and appreciation Rick. Kudos to you too!

Farewell:

That’s our show for today. You may have noticed that I was flying solo in The Biz! Usually Julie records 1 episode a week and generally we have another piece to air sent in by anyone else who would like to participate. In the past, you’ve heard amazing segments from Kristi Stewart, Bob Souer, David Boyll, Bob Green, and most recently Johnny George – hey, even Pat Fraley’s technically been in The Biz once. Well, suffice to say, this episodes spot could have featured you! That being said, if you have something you’d like to share, send your MP3 commentary to media@voices.com. I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli - See you on Thursday!

VOX Talk PODCAST: EPISODE 17

Salutation:

Hi there! You’re listening VOX Talk, the voice over industry podcast, and if I may, your voice over podcast ☺ I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli, your friendly guide and host. We’ve got lots of great stories and segments for you today, including a special treat in Julie Williams’ segment featuring Pat Fraley. Let’s get to it!

The Loop:

Verbum Domini Joins SQPN

Verbum Domini, a daily scripture reading podcast created by voice talent Brian Noe, has just become part of the largest Catholic Podcasting Network, SQPN.com. In a recent interview, Brian revealed, “I’m very excited about the prospects for the program moving forward. I know that it will be in good hands at SQPN."

To learn more about SQPN and listen to the podcasts hosted there, visit sqpn.com.

News #2

Don’s Oscar Experience

In entertainment news, Don LaFontaine had the great pleasure and honour of co-announcing the Oscars this year with Gina Tuttle. One of the perks Don experienced was getting to see baby Suri with proud papa Tom Cruise before the awards.

To discover more about the rehearsal process for the Oscars and what the ceremony was like from Don’s point of view, visit the VOX Daily blog at blogs.voices.com/voxdaily.

News #3

VOICE Conference in Las Vegas, NV March 27 - 31.

To conclude this news wrap, we are only a matter of weeks away from the 2007 VOICE Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada! If you’re going, be sure to let us know so that we can meet up. Carol, Laurynda and I will be making the trek from the Great White North and are especially looking forward to meeting members of Voices.com.

Leave a shout on the blog VOX Daily and be counted! If your name is there, we’ll know to keep our eyes out for you ☺ ( blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/ )

The Biz:

Today in The Biz, Julie Williams has produced an awesome review of Pat Fraley’s “Greatest Cartoon Voice Tricks Ever Smuggled Out of Hollywood”, complete with samples from the CD and of course, the permission of the master himself. Here’s Julie Williams!

One thing about this podcast is that it gets better and better, mostly because of people who contribute to VOX Talk and truly make their own. While Julie already knows what I think of her hard work, she hasn’t yet heard from you! If you have a minute, send Julie some feedback about her segments. You can reach her at either juliewilliams.voices.com or voice-overs.com.

Tech Talk:

Colin Campbell speaks candidly about the difference between control surfaces and audio interfaces. If you want to sound great, listen to this segment.

Again, if you’ve found Colin’s segments to be helpful, let him know! You can visit Colin at either colincam.voices.com or affordableannouncer.com.

VoxBox:

Ladies and Gentlemen, pro voice talent Brian Haymond is here to bring us back to basics with a rant on rates! As you may have gathered in this industry, rates are very important and the setting of appropriate rates perhaps even more so. Ok, everyone, let’s roll the tape, er, I mean MP3.

Farewell:

Thanks for sharing Brian. This issue will only clear itself up if everyone is accountable! This isn’t the first piece and I’m sure it won’t be the last that we’ll air on the subject! While it’s still fresh in your mind, how do you feel about rates in the voice marketplace? Now is the time to have your say. Send in your audio feedback to be included in next week’s edition of VOX Talk via email or call the VOX Talk Hotline at 1-888-359-3472 ext. 117 to leave a message.

That’s it for now. I’m Stephanie Ciccarelli - See you next week!