voice

Why? Ask and Answer This Simple Question

April 20, 2011 by Dan Friedman

Why am I writing this blog post? Because I want to remind you to take the time to stop and consciously ask yourself, “why?”. “Why?” is a question that we often forget to ask ourselves as we go about our day or do our jobs. Typically, we either know the answer (or think we do) based on past experience or we simply do what we always do out of habit. We also have a tendency to do things because someone told us to, but without asking ourselves why doing what they said is the right thing to do. Taking the time to ask and answer this simple question can be very enlightening. It can also help you make better decisions about gear, deliveries, production and maybe even your life… but today, we’ll just focus on your career.

If your shopping for new gear ask yourself:

Why do I need new gear?

Why am I considering this microphone?
Why do I like this mic preamp?

If you’re in the booth reading a script ask yourself:

Why am I using this emphasis or these inflections?
Why is this the direction that has been given?
Why is this the right delivery?

If you are doing editing and production ask yourself:

Why am I using several compressors, 2 EQs and a limiter on this channel?
Why does this take sound better than that other one?
Why will this music bed work better than another one?

If you are directing, writing or preparing for a voiceover session ask yourself:

Why is this the right voice for my production?
Why don’t I try reading this out loud and use a stopwatch to see if it fits in time?
Why is this talent taking 42 takes to read my :05 tag?

Sometimes the answer is obvious and you can answer the question of “why?” easily. Sometimes it leads to more questions. Either way, taking the time to consciously ask often produces more definitive answers and ultimately greater awareness. While we rarely stop and take the time to ask ourselves this most basic question, doing so can often change the way we look at what we do and how we do it. It keeps us thinking, growing and improving. Why would anyone question that?

Change Is Good

April 13, 2011 by Dan Friedman

Since returning from Italy a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been dealing with a trademark issue regarding the name of my website. While I won’t express my thoughts about the need for this change or even get into the specifics, I will say that it is great to know that my book SOUND ADVICE – Voiceover From An Audio Engineer’s Perspective, my blog and my presence in the VO world are getting noticed. I greatly appreciate the kind and supportive messages I’ve received in response to the book and also my blog articles, both on my site and on the ProComm Voices website.

I want to take this opportunity to thank attorney and voice actor Rob Sciglimpaglia for his help with the trademark issue. A couple of days before I left town, Rob “friended” me on Facebook. I didn’t know Rob, but I knew of him. I had read some of his postings on various voiceover related forums and websites. As fate will have it… Rob’s timing could not have been better. When I returned from my trip, waiting for me, was a letter informing me of the trademark issue. I immediately contacted Rob. He was very helpful, friendly and responsive throughout the whole process. It is nice to know that there is an attorney who not only understands the legal issues related to our business, but also actively participates in it as a voice talent.

Change is a certainty in life. Although we don’t always get to choose when a change happens or becomes necessary, it still often leads to bigger and better things. With this in mind, I’m announcing that SoundAdviceVO.com is changing its name to Sound4VO.com and my Facebook page, SoundAdvice – Voiceover, will also change to Sound4VO. Please make a note of these changes.

My mission (which remains the same) is to help voice talent everywhere sound their best and to effectively communicate the messages of my clients for whom I provide my voice. I look forward to helping voice actors with their equipment, studios, demos, and deliveries and also to sharing the knowledge I’ve gained from years of experience on both sides of the microphone with our industry. I love my job!

TONIGHT is the drawing

April 4, 2011 by Dan Friedman

Hi everyone!

I’ve been away for a couple of weeks (one of those in Italy), but I’ve returned and am looking forward to getting back to blogging and helping VO talent sound their best.

Tonight I’ll be drawing the name of the winner of a copy of SOUND ADVICE – Voiceover From an Audio Engineer’s Perspective. Today is your last chance to post a photo of your home studio setup to Facebook and tag me in the photo. Thanks to everyone who entered. There are some great looking studios out there!

I’d also like to mention that there will likely be some changes coming to both my website and facebook page for the book. I’ll keep you posted.

Have a great day!

Dan

Use Your Voice, But Be Careful What You Say

March 16, 2011 by Dan Friedman

Use your voice, but be careful what you say. Gilbert Gottfried was not so careful, and he tweeted himself out of a VO gig. Tasteless comments he posted on Twitter about the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan led Aflac to fire him as the voice of the Aflac Duck.

Once again this proves that in our brave new world of social networking, you must carefully consider everything you say and/or post. An online presence is essential for all businesses and that presence must be perceived as positive in order to succeed. There is no doubt that contemplating everything you say or write can be exhausting, but failing to do so can be disastrous. Also it is not just what you say, but when you say it. It is a universal truth that, in comedy, timing is everything. Clearly Gottfried’s statements were tasteless, but their timing even more so.

Gottfried is (arguably) a comedian. Comedians are expected to push the boundaries and we would probably not find many of them funny if they didn’t. However, he is also a celebrity voice talent who is closely associated with the Aflac brand. Anyone in a position such as this should feel some sense of responsibility and concern for their client. They should take into consideration how their client may be perceived when expressing a thought, opinion, or even making a “joke.”

“When it comes to social media, praise publicly… insult privately.” This is a phrase I was recently introduced to by my good friend Mercedes Rose. However, didn’t our Mom’s also say it best when they told us, “If you can’t say anything nice…don’t say anything at all”?

ALSO Posted on The PROCOMM VOICES Blog

Use Your Tool

March 12, 2011 by Dan Friedman

Did that headline grab your attention? Good. But please get your mind out of the gutter. What I’m referring to of course, is your voice and I’m suggesting that you use it in new ways. Let me explain…

Last night I had the pleasure of emceeing our Cub Scout Pack’s Pinewood Derby. For those of you who don’t know… the Pinewood Derby is where Cub Scouts race wooden cars that they’ve built down a long sloped track. The Pinewood Derby is one of the biggest events in cub scouting each year and it is taken very seriously (especially by the Dads). Each car is weighed-in and raced down every available lane in a series of heats to ensure fairness. The results of each heat are captured electronically with a motion detector at the finish line. By the end of the night, winners are announced for each rank as well as the overall pack winner. Most importantly, everyone gets really excited during the event and has fun.

So, how does this relate to voiceover? Simple really. As I mentioned, I emceed the event. I was not expecting to be in this role, so it was a bit of a surprise (like getting a script just as a session is supposed to begin). The Cubmaster had planned on doing it but was not feeling well, so he asked if I would.

This scenario is quite a bit different from being in a quiet room where nobody even sees me when I’m working (engineering or voicing). It got me behind the microphone in front of a large, noisy and yet still somewhat intimate crowd. Having been a live sound engineer and in radio for a number of years, my only stage experience consists of announcing bands to completely impersonal crowds of thousands or to saying “one, two, one, two” to test clomid microphones. So… this was a very different experience for me.

I had no idea what I was going to say to keep the crowd entertained throughout the night (ugh, where’s my script?) but began by welcoming the crowd, announcing the event and just taking it from there. As the night went along, it got easier and more fun. I took on the role of an announcer, just as I would if I were in the booth reading a script. By the end of the night, several people had come up to me to say that I “missed my calling” (which I thought was kind of funny). It was fun to use my voice in a completely different way and in a completely different setting.

Versatility is a key component to success in voiceover. The more styles and deliveries you are able to successfully provide will open doors to greater and more varied opportunities. Putting yourself in different situations, such as going to another studio or on stage will give you more confidence and invaluable experience. If your current specialty is to be an announcer, practice reading as a story-teller or develop a character.

So, get out there! Try new things and use your voice (your tool) in the same way a scout uses a pocket knife… as a multi-tool.

– Dan

Is Creativity in Commercials Making a Comeback?

March 11, 2011 by Dan Friedman

For a long time, I’d say the last couple of years at least, it seemed that there was a lack of creativity in commercials. The vast majority of scripts I was recording, mixing, or voicing were simple voice and music spots. Lately though, I’ve noticed more dialogs as well as scripts with interesting scenarios and an abundance of clever lines. To all of the writers and ad agencies out there who are responsible for this… let me express my gratitude. What a welcome change!

Every single aspect of this great business gets even better when creativity is injected into the process. Recording sessions are more fun as talent get to interact and react in response to one another or their lines. Mixing is more fun with greater opportunities for sound design. Most importantly, the spots are more interesting and attention-getting when on the airwaves. Naturally, the concept must be well executed, but that is for another article. I don’t think I’m out of line by suggesting that nearly everyone prefers to listen to a compelling or clever story rather than be told what to do, or worse, shouted at (just ask my kids).

During the last several weeks I mixed a spot for a bank that placed a character in a silo to demonstrate that people can truly do their banking from anywhere. I voiced a spot that included clever and relatable lines in response to a kid who couldn’t stop asking, “why?” I’ve worked on a hospital spot where a husband took the lead in helping his wife prepare for surgery. These are just a few examples out of many. While I haven’t done any scientific studies (although there probably are some), I’m convinced that people are more likely to turn up or tune in to a commercial if it offers more than just price points and deals. The VW commercial that premiered during this year’s Super Bowl is a perfect example. It is cute, it is compelling and it tells a story (okay, so it does not include voice over… nothing is perfect).

Today’s technology makes sound design easier and faster than ever. Therefore, creativity doesn’t have to cost a lot more. As a VO engineer and producer I love creating a scene with sound. As a voice over talent, I love to communicate the unspoken messages of a script just as much as the spoken ones. I don’t know of any producers or voice talent who would not prefer to fully utilize the skills they’ve developed in their craft. My guess is that, if you are a writer, being creative and clever to effectively communicate a message is equally rewarding. So, to those writers out there who are bringing creativity back… thank you! I encourage you to keep it up and I look forward to helping you and your clients sound great.

Why? Ask and Answer This Simple Question

Change Is Good

TONIGHT is the drawing

Use Your Voice, But Be Careful What You Say

Use Your Tool

Is Creativity in Commercials Making a Comeback?

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