Take some time to judge your own work

I recently uploaded a Fauxdition (that’s a fake audition) to Internet Voice Coach.

I joined that site recently and I must say that it has been a great help for a student Voice Actor! Tons of articles and advice and interviews. You can upload a sound clip for them to critique roughly once a month, and they have an audition contest each month.

The contest is sorta fun for a newbie. First you have to try to record something that sounds vaguely professional, then you have to work over the file, clean it up, turn it into an MP3 and then upload it. Good practice all the way around!

Anyway, I recorded a bunch of different takes on the audition script, and then just saved them on my computer and spent the next several days chasing my kids around the house – completely forgetting all about the recording.

Went back yesterday and listened to the clips — and it was GREAT! I came to the clips completely cold, having forgotten most everything about them (Early Alzheimer’s, I know) and it was almost like listening to a total stranger!

I could easily identify things that sounded amateurish (yeah, most of the clip, I know) and also things that I liked. It was a completely different experience from listening to your recording right after you do it.

So why don’t you practice with some scripts and record your efforts and then let them lie around for a few days before you listen to them? I think you will be surprised.

And yes, I know you can’t do that in real life — but we are learning here! Cut yourself some slack!

New website for Voice Over types — SocialMediaVO

I know we are all learning VO here, and we think of our voices, acting, mic technique, etc. when we think about learning VO — BUT! You also better learn about HOW you are going to get JOBS in VO while you are at it! And here is a new site that has a lot of info about Social Networking.

Any of you out there who are 14 years old may skip this lesson, but for the rest of us who were NOT born in the 1990’s, you probably need to learn about this, LIKE it or NOT!

Thanks and a tip of the hat to Bob Souer for putting this up after his trip to Voice 2010!

SocialMediaVO.

Interesting article about The Cold Read, and why you need to be able to do it

This is an interesting article and one that makes me think a little bit. Being a student, and in class with a bunch of other students, I think it is interesting how hard it is for a lot of people (me included sometimes) to actually just Read the Script!

Not only is Cold Reading important, just being able to read the thing accurately and correctly aloud is important!

Like my last teacher said, just read aloud for 15 – 20 minutes a day and watch how you progress. It has sure helped me.

Why Cold Reading Skills Are a Must For Voice Actors | Voices.com.

Here is a new E-Book for VO

Taji, who runs .The Voice Over Emporium has written a new book for voice actors. You can download it here:
Taji’s Free eBook – The Voiceoverist’s Guide | TVE

Free 3 day trial at Internet Voice Coach

I have already written a little about Internet Voice Coach before, but now Paul Strikwerda has an article about it on his blog (which I have already mentioned as well and it is a great blog too) as well as a link to a three day trial membership.

You can use this to try out the site and see how you like it.

Definitely give it a shot, click here.

Last Class (of my beginner’s course that is)

Had the last class of the beginner’s course last night. Sort of bittersweet experience.  I am glad that I have learned all this stuff and made it through, but now I have to go scratch around and dig up some cash to start the next one!

We did some character work (hilarious – although mostly unintentionally hilarious) and some script stuff, and then the teacher just asked us a question:  “So one of your good friends comes up to you and says: ‘Hey!  Voice Acting huh?  What the heck is that all about?'”

Added link to Voices.com Blog

Voices.com Blog is a great source of info.

This is updated almost daily and unlike this blog, the articles are written by many different authors, who are often experts in different aspects of the life and business of Voice Acting.

Great source of info for the student!

Daaaad! How much longer til we get to the Death Star?

Ok, I just had to put this on here,  as you may or may not know, Tom Tom has signed up the voice of Darth Vader for Star Wars Day (Who knew there was such a thing?) on May 4th.  Enjoy — and May the 4Th be with you.

Thanks to Bob Souer over at the Boblog

Voice Care and Feeding

This morning I woke up and said good morning to my 8 year old, and I had the proverbial Voice of God! Actually, more like the Voice of God after a hard night of playing poker and smoking ceegars. I have a fairly deep voice normally, but this morning I sound like Froggy off the Little Rascals.

Looks like the pollen must be kicking into high gear as spring may finally be here. Which brings me to a funny realization about this business. That is — it all hinges on a pretty delicate and only vaguely controllable item. Your Voice!

Internetvoicecoach.com

Just got an e-mail from Voice One in San Fran.  That is Elaine Clark’s school which I have spoken about before and linked to on the right side there.

They have begun working with Internet Voice Coach and their instructors will be adding article periodically.

To quote from their e-mail. IVC.com is:

“The first website devoted exclusively to every facet of voice-over, with online video and audio tutorials, monthly webinars, interviews with casting directors, agents, and producers, as well as some of today’s top voice-over celebrities. Internet Voice Coach has monthly audition contests, a huge database of practice scripts from all areas of the industry, and yearly members get personal feedback (sent directly to their email inbox as an mp3 file) on any audio samples sent to IVC for critique”.

There is a monthly or yearly fee to join, and there is a special deal on the price through May 31.

Yes, there are a lot of online training facilities that would love to get your money and it is hard to know when they are worthy and when they are not — But! — I have some knowledge of Ms. Clark and her operation and her bona fides – and I suspect that if she is lending her name to an operation, then it has some real value.

Check it out! If you don’t live close to any kind of training facility, this might be your best bet. In fact, it might be a good bet even if you do live close to a training facility.