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The Voiceover Meet Up Group… What Do You Do?

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Dan Friedman, voiceover meet upThe voiceover community is well known for being a friendly, helpful and social community. Considering we sit in isolation for much of our lives it is no surprise that we need to get out once in awhile just to keep our sanity (assuming we have some to begin with of course). It is easier now than ever before to share our knowledge and seek the help of others when we need it. Seriously, how many social networking and meet up groups for VO are there now? Even with all of the technology that allows us to connect with one another over wires and through the airwaves, few things are more advantageous than actual face time.

There are at least three big events for voice talent coming up in the next several months, all before the end of this year (here in the US, I’m not sure about other countries) “Faffcon3” in September, “That’s VO” in October and the New York Mixer in December . They are being widely mentioned in social media and they all look really interesting and fun. I wish I could be at all of them (Anyone want to fly me out? Shameless… I know ;-)). But while all of these events will undoubtedly be filled with great information and amazingly talented people, this is about something a little closer to home… the local meet up group.

When I mentioned recently that I was going to be attending the meet up group in Charlotte, I received quite a bit of feedback from those wanting to be part of a meet up, start a meet up, or get one going again. I talked to Gabby of Voice Hunter (who organizes the Charlotte group) about all of the interest I had received and she said it was reasonably easy to get it going. The Charlotte group started out as a bunch of friends in the industry getting together and, over time, it developed into much more than that. I can only guess that this is how most of them start, but what information is critical to help keep the group going?

I began thinking about the various things that voiceover meet up groups could do to generate initial interest and more importantly, keep members coming back. For people already in the industry, getting to know other industry professionals can be informative or educational. For people new to the industry, access to working professionals is invaluable. Interest in voiceover as a career has never been higher and those who want to get into it need to learn from those who are already working professionals. Reading about the business is good; meeting and talking to people who work in the business is better.

Soon after I began writing this article I worked on a session with DB Cooper, who had recently attended a meet up/workout group in Los Angeles with Dave Fennoy. I heard Dave mention this workout group in an interview on the VAU. He emphasized the need for a comfortable environment to really work on scripts. This environment should be safe and confidential, so that everyone can succeed or fail, without worrying about clients or any of the bad stuff making it out into the public domain. Good thinking.

Everyone, new and experienced, benefits from the advice of guest speakers. Especially if these guests have information to offer that is outside the realm of expertise of the majority of group members. If someone is not local to your area, guests could easily attend with the help of Skype.

Performance is fun, but voiceover is a business and all topics related to business could certainly be beneficial to group members. Everything from accounting and billing to advertising, marketing, web design and even legal issues are critical to keeping a voiceover business flourishing.

Who can forget about the technical aspects of our business? Nobody. From microphones to mixing boards, there is plenty to discuss. Everyone in this business needs to understand the importance of choosing the right gear, how to set it up and what role room acoustics plays in overall sound.

Practice and in depth discussions on all of these topics can help voice talent with their careers. But, what I suspect may be the most critical element to keeping a meet up group together is support. Despite how it looks to the casual observer, voiceover is not an easy career choice. There are many disappointments, struggles and rejections. The competition is fierce. Having a local group of friends and trusted advisors, who truly understand what you do and can help you achieve your goals, is priceless.

I don’t personally run a group, although I have thought about starting one. Besides the groups in Charlotte and L.A., I know that Dallas also has a strong VO community and meet up group. I would love to get feedback from those who organize these and other meet up groups, and from those who participate. Share your knowledge, ideas and expertise over wires and through the airwaves (or right here in the comments section of my blog), to raise the bar for this industry and help other voice artists support each other much closer to home.

One Year, One Voiceover Book… A Whole New Chapter

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Dan Friedman, new chapterSince starting my webpage and blog, I have attempted to provide information that can be beneficial to several facets of the voiceover industry. I’ve written articles for directors, new talent, experienced talent and offered commentary on things going on in my VO life and in the industry. On this day (September 1st) last year, I published something that has had a profound effect on my life and has hopefully helped others. So today on the anniversary of the release of my book, Sound Advice – Voiceover From An Audio Engineer’s Perspective, I’d like to do something I’ve largely avoided, which is to write something about the book itself and how it has created a new chapter my life.

When I began writing Sound Advice – Voiceover From An Audio Engineer’s Perspective, I had no idea how it would be received by the voiceover community. I was nervous. But my mind was quickly set at ease when several letters and posts began to appear thanking me for writing it. While many of these letters were complimentary and some full of praise (for which I am so appreciative) two of my favorite letters came to me in just the last two months.

Submitted on 07/17/2011
Kelley Carruthers Buttrick
“Hey Dan, “Sound Advice” saved my bacon on Thursday. In the past, I would have freaked out at the problem and immediately called the engineer who installed the studio. Instead, I just did your first line of defense and unplugged and replugged the item giving me grief. It worked like a charm! Simple I know, but for someone who is technologically challenged like me, it was great! THANK YOU!!! See you at Faffcon!”

Submitted on 08/08/2011
Cindy Neill
“Hey Dan!
I just wanted to say Thank You for writing your book! I was getting a nasty hiss in my records this morning and started to freak out but I read through your book, calmed down, retraced my connections and settings and found the issue! When I’m not in an ISDN session, I’ve got to turn the ISDN pot down on my board otherwise, I get the hiss. Apparently I’d forgotten to turn it down after a session yesterday afternoon and thus, freak-out mode kicked in! But by reading through your book and following just the simplest of instruction, I was able to fix the problem on my own!!! YAY ME!! And YAY YOU for writing such an awesome book!!
Thanks Dan!”

These letters are my favorites because, almost one year later, people who have had the book are now turning to it and solving their studio problems. This is exactly what I had intended.

The only thing I knew when I began writing the book was that the information was needed. Over the years, voice talent had been calling me, asking for help with everything related to studios, recording gear and sound. Often the questions were very similar and I heard myself offering the same advice time and time again. Coincidentally, within a week or two, a couple of voice talent said to me “you should write a book”. At that time it was just an interesting idea.

I knew that voice talent didn’t want to go to school for recording and sound engineering. That would far exceed their needs. However, some knowledge of audio engineering was a necessity and there was no other source available that spoke to the needs of the voice talent. Many talent were actually afraid of their audio gear! The manuals and catalogs could be intimidating. Books about sound recording could not only be intimidating but overkill for anyone who simply needed to get a professional recording of their voice and perform some editing. After years of working with voice talent as an engineer, as well as years of working as a voice talent myself, I knew I could help. I wanted to help. What had started as an interesting idea, turned into reality.

Thanks to letters like those above I know that I have helped, but the biggest reward I’ve received from the book has been meeting and talking with so many of you. I’ve had the opportunity to meet hundreds of people I may never have met. I’ve been part of group discussions, online conferences and Faffcon2 (and Faffcon3 coming up). Many people in this industry have inspired me with their abilities, generosity, talent, and determination. I’ve made new friends who’ve been incredibly helpful and supportive. I’ve also met people who I was able to get added to the ProComm Voices talent roster, one of the finest group of voiceover artists anywhere in the world. I am so fortunate to be in such amazing company.

To everyone who has purchased or recommended Sound Advice – Voiceover From An Audio Engineer’s Perspective, thank you so much for your support. Getting the word out about a book is actually much harder than I ever imagined and I could not do it without your help. Please keep sharing and recommending it to anyone who you think could benefit from the information contained within its pages. I wish you all great success with your voiceover careers. Keep on talking and keep on listening.

Voiceover Pick-ups and How To Avoid Them

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Dan Friedman, voiceover pick-upsIt happened today. I was asked which of the two voiceover talent the client had chosen would be better for a 12 minute narration. “Talent A” and “Talent B” are both seasoned veterans and have great voices and deliveries. The difference is that “Talent B” requires a great deal of time for editing pick-ups, mistakes and fumbled words. On a project this long, the additional time that will be required to work with “Talent B” will be costly to the client. Needless to say, for a job like this, I recommended “Talent A”.

People with stage and live performance experience know that there is only one chance to get it right. Film actors know that film is expensive and multiple takes could become costly. People who have been in the voice over industry for more than 15 years will probably remember working with tape. Tape was also expensive and editing with it was much more difficult and time consuming then digital editing is today. So while many of these expenses and difficulties are less of an issue today, frequent pick-ups are still a tremendous waste of time and can be costly for the client and (as you read in the introduction) for the talent as well.

There is no question that some scripts and styles of reads can be difficult. Fast disclaimers and long scientific or medical narrations can be extremely tricky. But professional voice talent should not struggle with a typical script such as one for a grocery store, car dealership, restaurant, or bank. If the script is written well, a professional voice talent should have little trouble delivering it. It is frustrating when a voice over “talent” is unable to get through more than a few sentences without multiple pick-ups… and don’t even get me started on the editing.

Editing should be a tool for choosing the perfect nuances, eliminating clicks, noises and other anomalies, removing breaths and trimming a read so that it will fit into time constraints. It should not be required to simply get a complete read. The edit desk is not supposed to look like a ransom note (thank you Amy Snively for that analogy).

This is a customer service issue. The time it takes to edit audio full of pick-ups, mistakes, and fumbles can be costly to the client. Voiceover artists who are frequent fumblers require additional time for both recording and editing. Even on straightforward editing jobs, clients as well as voice over talent are often best served using professional audio engineers and editors to edit their audio quickly. When multiple pick-ups are involved, the editors speed is even more important. But even more critical than speed is the engineer’s ability to make disconnected reads sound cohesive (deliveries lacking cohesion can occur easily when multiple pick-ups are involved). His or her editing experience often produces better results than the client or talent can achieve when trying to edit the audio themselves.

Everyone makes mistakes. It is a fact of life. However, if you as a voice over talent routinely have more pick-ups in your reads than an auto dealership in the South has pick-up trucks, then (like those trucks) you’ve got work to do.

Here are some tips:

1- Begin by getting your eyes checked regularly. This should be obvious. If you can’t see the script, how can you possibly read the script?

2- Prepare. Clients don’t always send the script in advance. But, when they do, as a professional voice talent you have a responsibility to prepare. Read the script, mark it up appropriately and ask questions (if you have any) before you start recording.

3- Mentally focus. Do whatever you need to do to prepare yourself to perform the read you are about to deliver. Deep cleansing breaths, reading silently to yourself for a couple of seconds, imagine someone with who you will communicate the message, whatever it is that works for you. Once you are focused… stay focused.

4- Don’t try to memorize. Don’t take your eyes off the page and think you’ll remember what was there. Read the words in front of you.

5- Anticipate. Especially if you didn’t get the script in advance. Anticipate what is coming next based on the words, sentence structure and your experience.

6- Break it up. Break the word or phrase up into smaller components and then pull it together as you repeat it.

7- Repetition. If a word or phrase is difficult for you to say, repeat it over and over again until you get comfortable with it.

8- Adjust your speed. Subtle changes in the speed of your delivery can make it easier to say difficult words or phrases.

9- Practice. Practice reading, out loud and fluently, all of the time.

10- Relax. This is your job. It is what you do. Relax… and make it happen.

Remember, this is a customer service issue. Voice talent who read fluidly, communicate effectively and require minimal editing provide a better experience for their clients. They also save the client valuable time and money.

If you have any additional thoughts or tips, I’d love to hear from you.

10 Tips To Get the Most From Your Voiceover Session

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home studio, voiceover sessionYour advertising dollars and your time are important to you. Do you know how to get the most from your voiceover session? Here are my 10 Tips For Getting the Most From Your Voiceover Session.

1- Choose Wisely – Who you choose to deliver your message is the first and possibly most critical decision you’ll make. The voice should personify the attitude and style of your company, product or character and should relate to your target demographic. Keep in mind that the talent should be able to communicate your message quickly and efficiently. Choose a voice talent who can deliver your copy with few mistakes or pickups. Just because audio editing is easier and faster than ever, doesn’t mean extensive editing should be required to get the result you want.

2- Check Your Script – Before your session, read your script out loud and use a stopwatch to time it. This process will help ensure that you’ve fixed any mistakes, grammatical errors and any other stumbling blocks that the voice over talent may encounter. Using a stopwatch while reading aloud will prepare you for the possibility that you may need to cut or add copy to fit your message within the time limits required for radio and TV commercials.

3- Formatting – The way your script is formatted plays a big role in the ease in which it can be read. Double spacing allows room to make copy edits when necessary. Use of punctuation is a must. Also be aware that WRITING IN ALL CAPS IS MORE DIFFICULT TO READ. Only use ALL CAPS, bold type, italics or underlines to indicate emphasis.

4- Numbers – Using actual numbers (1,2,3) rather than writing numbers (one, two, three) is helpful. However, in the case of a monetary value that is complicated to say or that can be said multiple ways, writing the number the way you would like it said is best.

5- Communicate – Communication is what this is all about… right? Let your voice talent know right from the beginning what your ideas are for your script and the approach you had in mind. Most of the time, the copy itself will indicate what approach the voice talent will need to take. Other times several approaches could be considered viable options. This brings us to…

6- Be Flexible – While you were getting ready for the session to begin, the voice talent was also preparing. Professional voice over talent will look over the script, read it to themselves, then read it aloud and anticipate what delivery will be best based on the script, the client, and any written direction that may have been provided. Oftentimes, the talent’s approach will be very close to what you were thinking. However, the talent may also deliver something slightly different or even completely unexpected. These differences could lead to results that are better then what you had imagined. Be open to what the talent brings to the table. Its one of the reasons you chose him or her.

7- Ask For Help – The audio engineers, producers and the voice talent are all there to help you get the most out of your voiceover session. Everyone involved wants the production to be a success. If while in a recording session, you are not quite sure about direction, script construction, copy edits, or have questions or concerns about the audio itself, then allow the talents and experience of these professionals to help you achieve your goals.

8- Be Specific – Vague terminology is confusing and not very helpful since it often requires further explanation anyway. “Make it blue” is not a clear direction and can be interpreted in several ways. “Bigger smile” and “descend on that word” are examples of very precise directions that the voice over talent can easily understand.

9- Keep it Positive – Everyone appreciates positive feedback. If the talent is communicating your message effectively, let them know it.

10- Make It Fun – The best and most memorable recording sessions are the fun sessions. They usually involve fun, creative scripts and people who love listening to their productions come to life. Even if the script is informational and straightforward, there is no reason the session can’t be fun while the work gets done. Sometimes, it can be so much fun… it seems strange to call it work. How’s that for getting the most out of a session?

The Best Voice Over Coach is… Your Ears!

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home studioRecently there was a post on the Voice Artists United Facebook page that discussed coaches. The talent (who I do not know) wrote that he was discouraged by some comments that his most recent coach had made. At the time I write this, the post has 48 comments with some very popular names in the industry weighing in.

Don’t let the title of this article fool you. Getting some VO coaching is critical to your career. At a minimum, good coaches teach breathing, script construction, industry terminology, how to take direction and the mechanics of different styles and deliveries. They should also be teaching microphone technique, basic equipment needs and (hopefully) studio etiquette. Many coaches offer additional instruction on other topics related to voice over such as marketing, basic audio recording and audio editing. Coaches provide encouragement, direction and might even be able to get you a gig or two.

Voice coaches can be many things and their role and importance in your career can change as your career grows and progresses. The most important job of the coach is to be completely honest when evaluating your abilities and offering feedback. This feedback is important. But, at some point, you have to learn to hear “it” for yourself. The truth of the matter is, you have the best coach with you at all times… your ears.

Voice over coaches are indirectly trying to get every student to open their ears and truly listen. Learning to hear the differences and nuances in attitude, style, pacing, inflection, emphasis, amount of smile, etc. is, in my opinion, the real secret to doing voice over well. Almost anyone can learn to do these things with their voice if they are aware of what to do and practice doing it. However, being able to hear the subtle nuances of your delivery is what enables you to stop simply playing with words and allows you to become the communicator that every serious voice talent should work toward becoming.

Coaching deliberately teaches the techniques that get the brain, mouth and voice working together to physically do what needs to be done. But many voice talent fall short by failing to truly engage their ears. This is one reason why so many voiceovers are pieced together line by line by the engineers, whose job it is to use their ears everyday. While this is common in today’s world of fast digital editing and even clients have gotten comfortable working this way, this is not exactly how it is meant to be.

You have two ears and one mouth to remind you to use your ears twice as much. Record, read, playback, listen, adjust accordingly and do it over and over again. Learn to use your ears, use them purposefully and over time you will learn to trust them. You will know immediately what is working and what isn’t. You will learn to fine tune and self-correct. While you may still want to get professional voiceover coaching from time to time, for the most part, you will be your own coach. You will no longer need to feel discouraged by harsh critiques, or pay someone to give them to you. Instead you will get paid to take direction and be proud of the great work you’ve done for your clients.

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