Kara Edwards...The Voices in Her Head

'Twas the Night Before Christmas Benefits Children

2011-12-21T14:02:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to participate in a very cool project alongside 30 of the top voice actors in the country. Together, we recorded an audio version of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to raise money for the Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA. We decided to call ourselves "Primetime Voices for Children". Led by the amazing Joe Cipriano, we each recorded 2-4 lines of the audio, some of us in our own voices- some of us in character voices.

Click here to listen to the fully produced audio.

(Can you guess which two lines are mine?)

Joe has worked tirelessly trying get the word out about our charity, and we've been overwhelmed by all of the positive feedback! The audio has been played on 94.7 the Wave, it's appeared on Rick Dee's website, and even showed up in an article published on Entertainment Tonight's website! Click here for that link.

You'll notice a short video at the top of ET's website...yes, it's video of a few of us recording our lines. Now you can see what I look when I'm in studio recording your projects! :) Click here to see a slightly longer version of that same video on YouTube.

I am so honored to be a part of such a special and important project, and ask that you consider donating to the Children's Hospital. There are several ways this can be done. You can purchase the audio on iTunes for .99, donate directly at Fundly.com, or follow the fan page on Facebook and donate there...here are some links:

iTunes

Fundly

Facebook

Every single day I am reminded how fortunate I am to be living out my dreams of being a full-time actor/voice actor. None of this would be possible without you...my readers, my clients, my colleagues, my friends. As we enter into 2012, I want to say thank you...from the bottom of my heart. Yes, thank YOU! I look forward to working with you more in the New Year!

xo,

Kara

Thank you Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T19:51:00.001-05:00

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on." - Steve Jobs, 1955-2011.

I am an actor.

There are a million jobs I could do that would likely pay me way more than I make now. A thousand places I could work that would let me clock out at 5pm, or take lunch hours during an actual lunch time, or leave me alone on the weekend, or provide me with full benefits.

Yet...I choose to be an actor.

Why?

Because Steve Jobs let me know that it's ok to make a living doing what I love. Steve showed us all that you can have an idea, an idea that maybe no one else understands. You can start a company in your garage, work hard, use your knowledge and your talent...and change the world.

As I type this blog on my iMac, with my iPad, my iPhone, and my Macbook nearby, I can honestly say that Steve Jobs changed my life.

But it isn't his inventions or his ideas or these gadgets that have touched me most. It's his words.

His inspiration is his true legacy.

Thank you Steve Jobs. Thank you for being you, so that it would be ok for me to be me.

Sometimes it's the Busiest Months that can be the Scariest

2011-10-03T12:18:00.004-05:00

In voice over, there are traditionally a few months each year that are expected to be slow. January-February, June-July, and sometimes December. However, this isn't the rule, and 2011 has proven to me that anything is possible!

So far this year, my January and February were fantastic! April, normally a great month, was awful for me. June and July were two of the best months of my career, while September fell quite flat.

You just never know! A few weeks ago, I was having a discussion with a producer friend of mine, and he mentioned something that really hit home with me. He said that when he has a really busy, high earning month- that's when he's the most nervous!

Why?

During a really busy month (like my July for example), you are so focused on getting all of the work done, meeting every deadline, making your clients happy, getting those invoices sent, etc- that you stop doing all of those proactive things for your business (like marketing, auditioning, answering e-mails, etc). You simply don't have the time! And while you won't feel the effects of that immediately, you will feel those effects a month or two later.

The same thing happens when something in life takes your focus away from your work for a period of time. It's a month or two later when you really feel the pinch.

Seeing for myself how a crazy busy summer led into a slower start to fall, I've decided to set a new goal. The busier I am, the more effort I will make to set aside a period of time every day to do something proactive for my business. It's easy to do when things are slow, but it's even more vital when things are hopping! Even if it's just an hour or two on the weekend, it's imperative I don't ever become over-confident when the work pours in and neglect marketing my services to future clients.

An Anniversary...and a Thank You

2011-09-07T14:30:00.003-05:00

Five years ago today I made the decision to leave my job in morning radio and pursue a full-time career as a voice actor. I'll never forget those first few months, I was so full of confidence and determination. I had been acting my entire adult life and I believed this new chapter would be as simple as 'tell them I'm full-time and watch them flock to hire me!'

Oh...those first few months. Those eye-opening, life-changing first few months...

Nothing has been as simple as I originally predicted. But in those first few months I could have never imagined how I would grow, learn, transform, and ultimately find in myself a business savvy and strength I never knew existed.

Year one I stumbled. I had so much to learn about marketing, finances, networking, promoting, technology, vocal trends, etc, etc. Year two I was a bit wiser but still had a long way to go. Year three found me moving to a new city (and a new studio) as did years four and five. I've been through great personal change that has given me a new found confidence in myself and my abilities as an actor. And one of the greatest things I've learned is that with each year that passes, I will continue to grow in ways I can only imagine.

What I know today that I did not know in those first few months, is that this career is a journey...it's a lifestyle. It isn't just a job. Five years later and my eyes still light up every time I talk about the work I'm so fortunate to do. Which is especially cool when I realize I did my first paid voice over 15 years ago!! This is my calling and I realize how lucky I am to be able to share this with anyone that listens to the radio, surfs the web, watches TV, sits through a business presentation, or gets put on hold. Perhaps it's my voice you hear...or one of my many voice actor friends.

Which brings me to the point of this blog: Thank you. Thank you to each and every coach, colleague, client, editor, engineer, director, casting person, scheduler, accountant, manager, owner, ad exec, web designer, and creator that I have had the great fortune to work with and get to know these past years. I've made friendships that will last my lifetime and learned more from each of you than I can express.

This has been the most rewarding journey of my life...and I can't wait to see what the next five years have in store!!

A year of "Sound Advice"

2011-09-01T10:26:00.002-05:00

A little over a year and a half ago I was contacted by my friend Dan Friedman, asking if he could use a blog I wrote in his new book. I've known Dan for a few years and he has always been my 'go to' person for studio advice (With every new studio, Dan is the first person to sign off on my 'sound'.) I was, of course, most honored for Dan to use my blog on setting up ISDN! But I was even more curious about this book he was writing.

Dan explained that while there are a plethora of books on doing voice over, there is not a single book on how to set up a home studio, how to engineer your own sessions, how to trouble shoot technical issues, how to choose the right microphone for your voice, etc, etc. So Dan set out to write one.

And boy did he! I could not wait to get my copy of Sound Advice- Voiceover From an Audio Engineer's Perspective. Dan did not disappoint. This is a book that I continue to refer back to again and again- it sits on my closet shelf, just to my right.

I've just learned that today marks the one year anniversary of Dan's book. This blog is a big congratulations to my friend Dan, and also a plug for a really great book. If you haven't had the chance to purchase your own copy- I recommend that you do!!! Also, make sure you check out Dan's blog regularly- as an actor and an engineer, Dan has a lot to teach us all!

Way to go Dan!!

(A small disclaimer- while I do have a blog printed in Dan's book, I do not make any money off the sale of it...therefore this is an actual, honest endorsement of something I am very proud to be a very small part of.)

You Are the World's Leading Expert

2011-08-17T11:26:00.003-05:00

The number one question I receive on an almost daily basis is, "What is the first step to becoming a voice actor?" Since my own journey to becoming a voice actor was a bit unconventional, (I was literally hired off the street for my first radio gig, my first agent heard me on the air and called the station to sign me, and I booked my first paying VO- Dragonball Z- after attending an open audition on a dare) I at first found it hard to give advice.

I began telling people that the first step was to take an improv class. I had taken an improv class when I was younger and have continued to use so much of what I learned throughout my career. Improv teaches you to be in the moment, to create a 'character' and stick with it, to think fast on your feet, and as my friend Peter O'Connell recently pointed out on my Google+ page- it teaches you to listen.

So...I've decided to put my money where my mouth is and sign up for an improv class. I strongly believe that the learning should never stop and that one can't take too many classes. Especially when those classes help break up your routine, and get those creative juices flowing.

We had our first class this past Monday. What a fun and talented group! I had a basic idea of what to expect- each improv class is different, but many of the 'games' are the same. I don't want to give too much away because I think it's better to experience something than to read about it. However, there was one 'game' we played that is so very relevant to what I do as a voice actor.

The game was called 'You are the world's leading expert...' Our teacher gave each of us a topic- and with no prep time whatsoever we had to spend the next 5 minutes convincing the class we were the leading expert on that topic. It didn't matter what we said or how wrong we were- we had to convince everyone we were right. My topic was ice cream. I do love to eat ice cream, but I've never made it and really know nothing about it. Yet I found myself going on and on about the proper order to put the ingredients in the machine, how a flat wooden spoon is better to scoop with than a rounded metal scooper because it creates a more organic shape in the bowl...on and on. What was interesting was that the more I talked, the more I believed in what I was saying. And the more I believed it, the more convincing I was. When I was finished one classmate commented that they wanted to go to my ice cream shop!

This happened with every single student. They started off a little unsure- but then once their attitude shifted and they really believed what they were saying...so did we! People were coming up with some really ridiculous facts about drilling for oil, or creating a shoe, or wrestling an alligator. But the ones that allowed themselves to believe they truly were the experts were by far the most convincing. As voice actors (ahem...ACTORS), we have to be convincing every single day.

Someone in my class asked how improv could help my job...I mean, all I did was read a script, right? I explained that it takes more skill than anyone can imagine to convince an audience that this restaurant really is the best, that a brand of shoe really is the most comfortable and stylish, that this truck is really safer than that one. It isn't reading...it's explaining. And the more we believe in what we say, the more convincing we will be.

From now on when I am sent a script, I will be telling myself that I am the world's leading expert on this topic. I'm accepting what the writer says as my reality and believing in that reality so I can really deliver the message. Listen to your radio and TV- I promise you will be able to tell which voice actors are truly believing what they are saying and which are not.

Finally, whether you are thinking about getting into the business- or you've been doing this your entire life- I can't recommend improv enough. Just one class already has me thinking and reflecting. Thankfully, I have 7 more classes to go...and then 5 more levels. Because, after all...I am the world's leading expert.

Quality Matters

2011-08-15T15:12:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend, my friend Dan Friedman wrote a fantastic blog about the correlation between studio quality and voice over rates. I highly suggest you check this blog out if you haven't already (and all of Dan's blogs...he really knows his stuff!)

This blog struck a bit of a chord with me. Throughout my career, I have regularly been approached by people wanting to break into the industry. I can usually tell within a few minutes (or a few lines of an email) if someone will succeed it or not. Like all industries, you can't just wake up one day and be a success. Otherwise I would have been a brain surgeon or a rocket scientist! No, you have to study, train, practice, take a few hard knocks and make the decision to move forward no matter how many times you feel rejected.

I've spent 15 years learning how to be a voice actor (obviously, I started at the age of 6). Yes, I've been working while I've been learning- but each time I turn on the mic it's a new chapter in the lesson plan. Every session is different and I've had to learn to be as good with my people skills as I am with my acting skills. And that is just the beginning! A voice actor must also learn how to run a business, how to market themselves, how to invoice and collect on debts, how to budget...and oh yes...how to build a studio from the ground up, edit, produce, render, ftp...this could go on and on. As with any job, one must be dedicated and educated to pay the bills.

Which brings me back to Dan's blog. A professional studio is not cheap. And while cool gadgets have made it possible to record on the road, there is no substitute for the quality of an actual studio. Case in point- last month I took off to the mountains of North Carolina for a week. I decided to only take my iphone and my Macbook. No mics, no audio interfaces, no ability to record quality audio. Why? Because I knew that where I would be staying would not be conducive to recording quality audio. I was, however, a mere 2-3 hours from a professional studio that I knew I could rent at the drop of a hat. Now, for auditions I did have my iphone and the ability to send samples if I needed to.

During this trip a job came up. A really cool job. One worth driving down the mountain for. We scheduled the day and time and then I discovered this would be a 2 part gig. Half of the script would be recorded while on vacation, half when I returned. I immediately let the client know that while I was more than happy to make this happen, I was concerned that the audio would not match when the entire thing came together. In the end, they decided to wait until I returned home from vacation. (a couple of days later, and they were my first session when I got back)

Quality matters. It really matters. If you are putting time and money into something, don't you want it to be the best it can be? Our clients feel the same way. And it's my job to offer the best I can...with my talents, my equipment, and my business. And yes, quality does cost money. But as we've all learned at some point in our lives, some things are worth the little extra expense.

Practicing What I Preach

2011-08-04T13:42:00.003-05:00

In my last blog I wrote about the need to stay current with technology and keeping all the 'tools' you might need as a voice actor close at hand.

Well, I've decided this week to practice what I preach. Remember the e-learning project I mentioned in a previous post? The one that was around 40,000 words? This past week it expanded to 60,000 words. With a project that size, there is no way I'm going to print my scripts. It would take a ton of paper and ink to do so. My Macbook came in quite handy at first- I loaded up the scripts, placed my laptop on my copy stand, and off I went!

Unfortunately, as we are all aware- there is scorching heat around the country. I'm in Dallas where we've spent the last several days hovering around 110 degrees. Ouch. I don't care how good your air conditioner is, there is no way it's keeping up with temps like that. When I'm in my Whisper Room, I can't have ventilation running while I record because the fan is too loud. It's rare that the heat really gets to me (I open the door or run a fan between takes and drink plenty of water) so I wasn't overly concerned. However, as this e-learning project went on I noticed the heat was bothering me more and more.

Then, it hit me. My laptop was acting more like a heater than a computer and was increasing the temperature inside of the booth...a lot! As if to confirm my theory, during one of our sessions my laptop fan kicked on twice- delaying things by several minutes.

So, I took off to the Apple store for an iPad 2. No fan noise, no heat. I can read my scripts easily, and thanks to Pages and Numbers- I can even edit them on the fly! I posted something on Facebook about how great my iPad was and a fellow voice actor said that he would love to read more about how I'm using it on the job. I figured others might be curious as well, and a blog idea was born!

Here are a few ways that in only 3 days of owning my iPad 2 I've used it for VO:

1. Numbers and Pages. These were 2 of the first apps I installed on the iPad. Numbers opens xls files, and Pages handles docs. You can edit on the fly if a client needs you to do so, and can expand the screen to enlarge the copy. I'm saving ink and paper, and the lit screen means I don't have to strain my eyes (I currently use LED lights in the booth- but the iPad is much brighter)

2. Splashtop. What a cool app this is! Thanks to a couple of recommendations on my Facebook page- I decided to give this a shot. This app allows me to link up to my iMac giving me full control of my desktop in the booth. Now I can start and stop ProTools without leaving my Whisper Room! The only negative is that it 'squishes' your desktop. Or at least, it squished mine. Then again, I am using a 27" iMac!! All of the icons on my desktop began overlapping each other making it hard to find the sessions I needed. Hopefully once I take the time to clean up my desktop this issue will be remedied.

3. Email. Previously, if I was in a session and a client needed to email me an updated script, I would have to step out of the booth- go over to my iMac- open email and print. Now I have instant access to my email, and with the preview function on the iPad I can open scripts instantly.

4. Recording. I'm adding this not because of my own personal experience, but because of others I know that have used their iPad to record files. In fact, one of my dearest friends- Kyle Hebert- recently texted me that he is using an AT2020 mic with the camera kit to do high quality recording when he is traveling. I didn't believe it could sound that good- so he sent me a recorded sample. Well, wow. I was impressed. It sounded as good as my mobile set up- but it takes up much less space than my laptop, audio interface, etc. And less is certainly more when you don't want to check your luggage at the gate!

5. Twisted Wave. Again, this is not from my own experience but my friend Beau Weaver mentioned this on my Facebook. Apparently Twisted Wave not only created a recording app for the iPad- they also created a remote app that allows you to directly control Twisted Wave on your main computer from inside the booth. Much like Splashtop it sounds like- but I'm guessing less buggy and squishy.

6. Words With Friends. OK- this does nothing to help my business. But it sure is fun! :)

I'm sure there are a million other functions and apps I have yet to discover. As I learn more, I'll be sure to update this blog. In the meantime, feel free to comment and share your favorite apps and uses- both for VO and for fun!

**As a small side note- I want to make sure I'm not coming across as someone telling you that a gazillion dollars must be spent making sure you have the latest technology. Quite the contrary. When I realized my laptop was on the fritz I chose to buy an iPad instead of another laptop. It was about half the price, and did everything I needed my laptop to do. Plus- I'll save a ton of money on ink and paper. Win win!!

The Tools in Your VO Tool Belt

2011-07-27T12:37:00.004-05:00

Long gone are the days when very few actors had studios in their homes. Nowadays, if you don't have some way to record and send high-quality files with minimal notice, you are most likely fighting an uphill battle with your voice over career.

Each time I build a new studio, I'm careful to reassess- insuring I have the latest and greatest technology. Things are changing so quickly, and the possibilities for home studios seem endless!

I remember the first time I heard about something called 'Source Connect'. It was in 2007, and I was given a demo of SC at the VOICE conference in Vegas. I never did pop in that DVD to see what it was all about, but it wasn't long before SC was part of everyone's vocabulary. I believe it was 2008 or 2009 when I decided to purchase the SC plug-in. I hadn't had a single client ask for it, and honestly wasn't sure if it was something I would ever need. However, I've kept one rule throughout my full-time VO career: If I have all the tools I could possibly need hanging from my tool belt, then I'll be ready for any imaginable situation.

(For anyone unaware of what Source Connect is, I borrowed this description directly from their website: Source-Connect enables audio connections between digital audio systems anywhere in the world, allowing direct-to-the-timeline recording with real-time, broadcast-quality audio)

For the first year, I never used it. Not once. Then I moved to Texas unexpectedly and spent a year without ISDN (the horror!). Thankfully, many of the studios I had previously connected to with ISDN were all too happy to switch my sessions over to Source Connect. So there was very little work lost.

Several months ago, I reconnected my ISDN lines and figured SC would once again be put on the back burner. Boy was I wrong! A month or so ago I was contacted by a company in Ireland to record a very long script. During the first hour we connected over ISDN, then they asked if I had Source Connect. Yes, I do! In the end, it saved them a ton of money on international line charges...which obviously made for one happy client.

Then this morning as I was waiting for the 'chirp chirp' of my ISDN line, I received a call on my cell. It was the studio- calling in a panic. Their ISDN lines had just gone down and we were 4 minutes out from the client calling in. The other talent was within driving distance of the studio, so she went in to record her section of the script. However, I was half a country away. Was there any chance I had Source Connect? As a matter of fact...yes! We connected with no issues, and 30 minutes later everyone was happy.

I remember several years ago having to visit my dentist after I broke a tooth eating (of all things) popcorn. An onlay, a root canal, and a full crown later- I was as good as new. Despite being one of the lesser enjoyable experiences of my life- there was one thing that really stuck out during the process. My dentist had just purchased this cool machine that made the crown right in his office using high pressure water to create the tooth shape. It was the latest and greatest, and made my life much easier since I didn't have to wait forever for the crown to be created in another location. Yes, he had spent a small fortune on the machine, but he believed that if he could make his patient's lives easier, then hopefully they would continue to use him- and recommend their friends as well.

The same principal applies to voice over. If your clients know they can rely on you (and your studio) to solve any imaginable issue they could encounter...well, you know the rest of the story.

All of the cool gizmos and gadgets we keep in our studio are there to make our lives, and our clients lives, easier. So staying on top of the technology curve is vital. I honestly look forward to seeing how my studio will look 5, 10, or 50 years from now...and how much easier and more enjoyable my job can become! (Though it is hard to imagine it being any more fun!)

Back to Blogging!

2011-07-21T16:53:00.003-05:00

I've been absent from my blog for some time now (scroll down and you will see my last blog was posted over a year ago). However, I've recently felt inspired to pick it back up again. The main reason? I love my job. I love talking about it, writing about it, and sharing my joy with others. I realize how blessed I am to make a living as a voice actor, and keeping this blog updated is one small way I can hopefully help others reach their voice over goals.

In the past year, I've received hundreds of e-mails from people wanting to get into voice over. Unfortunately, I just haven't had the time to answer all of them. And that really bothers me. I hate leaving questions unanswered, especially when I know I can help! So I've been thinking that this blog might be a way for me to answer many of those questions, in a larger forum, and hopefully reach more people.

My original goal for this blog was to give an honest picture of what it is like to be a full-time voice actor. Hopefully you've learned from my successes and failures, and will continue to do so.

This past year has been quite an adventure! I moved back to Texas and settled into a great new place that I plan to call home for a little while. I knew when I moved that I really wanted to find a good deal on a vocal booth to make setting up my new studio a breeze. I put word out with several of my producer friends, and one of them let me know about a booth that was for sale here in Dallas. After several e-mails and a few months going back and forth on the price, I became the owner of a pristine 3.5 x 5 x 8' double walled Whisper Room! Turns out, finding it was the easy part...moving it was a whole different story!

I wanted to be present when the booth was taken apart so I could see how to put it back together. I went to the studio and spent 3 hours tearing it down. Then, (with the help of some very nice and very strong men) I loaded it into a 10' moving truck and drove it to it's new home. 2 friends helped me lug the heavy pieces up a flight of stairs...and a dear engineer friend helped me put it together. I'd love to say it went off without a hitch, but I'd be lying. My friend Kevin and I were 4 hours in (and almost finished) when the last few pieces would not fit in properly. It turns out we had put the floor in upside down, which meant a complete tear-down and rebuild. 8 hours...and a few swear words later...I had a gorgeous vocal booth :)

The room that I am using is about 12 x 12, so I knew I wanted a large wrap-around desk for my computer, printer, and speakers. I found the perfect desk at Office Depot (I believe it is part of the Christopher Lowell collection). Once the desks were in place, I brought in my file cabinet- a few special pictures...and the studio was basically complete! Since I've moved studios many times in the past, setting up my equipment was no problem at all. For anyone wondering, I use a Neumann TLM103 mic (I have a LAwson L47FET I use at times too), a Focusrite pre, Mackie mixer, Telos Zephyr (ISDN), Samson studio monitors, and Pro Tools 9 on my 27" iMac.

As for ISDN, if you've followed my blog in the past- you know all about my trials and tribulations in previous studios. I'm happy to report that this time there were no issues at all! A local producer friend set me up with all of the people I needed to contact to install my lines, and in under 2 weeks everything was working great!

While moving is never fun, I will say that setting up a new studio always renews my energy for my business. This is, by far, my favorite studio yet...and something must be working right because business has never been better!

So if you are looking at a big move, or a major life change...hang in there. It may take a lot of work, and you may feel discouraged from time to time- but there will be light at the end of that tunnel!!

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Look for more regular updates in the future. I plan to tackle some of the many questions I've received recently about breaking into voice over, and establishing a successful business. Not everyone's path will be the same, but hopefully we can learn a lot from each other.

-Kara

Blame the Cat...

2010-04-07T13:09:00.002-05:00

There is no good excuse for my lack of blogging as of late...so I won't even try to offer one. What I will say is that I have a nice long list of blog ideas, and I plan to start writing a lot more in the weeks to come.

Because of my lengthy absence from this blog- I thought it would be best to start with a little anecdotal story…

It is quite possible that I am the last human alive to keep handwritten business records. Yes, that's right...I handwrite all of my expenses, earnings, miles driven, etc. I always have, and it’s what I’m the most comfortable doing.

When colleagues gasp in horror at the very thought of conducting business in this manner, I simply point out that I never have to worry about the computer crashing, or a hard drive going haywire, thus losing all of my records. My records are kept safe at all times.

Or so I thought.

A few weeks ago, after tallying up 2009 for my CPA, I made the fatal error of leaving my notebook of records on the dining room table. Normally, I would have locked them back up in my safe, but I had a brief…and costly…lapse in judgment.

Insert cat here.

It seems one of my feline beauties decided to check out this mysterious notebook while I was otherwise occupied, and decided that the thing my records were missing the most was that morning’s canned tuna…and a nice fat hairball too!

Yes, one of my cats vomited on my tax records. And they did a very thorough job in case you wondered.

I’ve now changed my thinking about the safest and most reliable ways to keep my business records safe. I now subscribe to the theory I was taught many years ago (in regard to files)…if it doesn’t exist in at least two places, then it doesn’t exist. While I will continue to keep hand written records, I will also keep back-ups on my computer. Hopefully that will save me…and my CPA…a little heartache down the road.

And if I can save just one business record from the would-be expulsion of a full-bellied cat…then my job here is done.

Kara Edwards Voice Over

New Demo, New Technology, New Year!

2010-01-07T22:03:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year!!

As I put away last year's external hard drive and plug in another TB of back-up goodness, I find myself looking forward to the year ahead...

2010 has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

In the spirit of all things new, I am very excited to debut my updated commercial demo! I had the pleasure of working with my long time voice coach Nancy Wolfson and Santisound Studios in LA in early December. Nancy did an amazing job of putting together a nice collection of old stuff, new stuff, and stuff that filled in the holes that were previously left unfilled. The recording process was a blast, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with someone I greatly admire, and count as a dear friend.

And since we are on the topic of newness, I also added a new technology to my studio this month, Source Connect. Now, in addition to ISDN and phone patch, I can be directed live through this interesting new technology.

So, it's a new year with new technology and a fresh demo...I'm liking 2010 already!

Why Smartphones Really Are Smart...

2009-12-01T00:07:00.004-05:00

On November 21st, I embarked on a 3 week trip that would take me from Florida to Texas to California. As a full-time voice actor, this meant packing up the laptop, MicPort Pro, and my Lawson microphone so that I could continue working while I was away from my studio.

Prior to packing for my mega-trip, I took a day away from my studio to drive across Florida and watch a NASA shuttle launch (something everyone should do at some point in their life- wow!). I wasn't expecting much to happen that day, which is why I was shocked when I returned to my studio and discovered I had missed a very important e-mail from one of my clients. It seems he needed me to record a couple of radio spots and when I hadn't answered him, he was forced to get another voice. In our business this happens, but it's never fun when it does! Here's the kicker..he would have been able to record the following day if only I had been able to let him know I would be back in my studio by then.

Enter the Smartphone! I remember looking at Smartphones when I first moved to Florida and deciding I really didn't need one because I worked from home and rarely left my house during normal work hours. Shame on me. What I didn't realize is that not having access to e-mail 24 hours a day actually tied me to my computer, and therefore made it difficult to ever leave...for fear I might miss something. Had I had a Smartphone on the day of the shuttle launch, I would have been able to schedule the session for the following morning and kept my reputation for always being reliable.

So, what did I do? I bought a Smartphone the following day. Specifically the Blackberry Storm 2.

OK- back to my mega-trip (which I am currently in the middle of). I was on the road last week somewhere between Dallas and Lubbock, TX in an area so rural I hadn't seen a building for over an hour. 'Ding' goes the Blackberry. It was the SAME client from the shuttle launch day asking if I could record 2 spots the following morning. In a matter of minutes I had Googled studios in Lubbock, booked the studio time, downloaded the script, and confirmed with the client. All on my handy little Smartphone, and all in the most remote area imaginable.

Needless to say, the Blackberry had more than paid for itself with just one booking.

In our business it is vital to always be as accessible and reliable as possible. It isn't enough to travel with all of our recording gear, we have to be able to put it all into action in a matter of moments. Because I was able to book a studio and because I had my own microphone with me- I was able to ensure the same consistent quality my client had come to expect of me.

I may have been slow to grab onto this new technology, but I am ever so glad to have joined my smart friends by getting my own Smartphone.

A Confession and A Thank You

2009-11-05T10:55:00.002-05:00

Confession time...I've been a very, very bad blogger this summer. Please accept my apologies. We all go through times where life requires so much of our focus that other things must fall by the wayside. Two things I have neglected lately are this blog and my own website. It is what it is, and I will try to do better in the future.

Running a business is more than a full time job. Freelancers don't 'clock in' or 'clock out'. We don't have scheduled breaks or lunch times. (I can't tell you the number of times I've worked straight through a meal...sometimes more than one meal in a day!) What we do have are deadlines and clients to keep happy. We have marketing to do and auditions to record. We have networks to be social with and e-mails to send. We have invoices to create and money to collect. It's a big, big job- and it requires a lot of attention to detail.

Then, life happens. It happens to us all. That's when we batten down the hatches and take care of the things that must be taken care of. Our focus becomes targeted, and it's easy to let the small things slip through the cracks.

Now, if I've learned anything in the last few years that I've been a business owner, it's that things always happen at just the right time. If we keep our eyes and ears open, opportunities to improve are all around us. Improve our business, our craft, ourselves. We just have to find a way to keep the ups and downs of life from interfering with our passions and willingness to be better.

And sometimes, something comes at just the right moment and reminds us that what we do really does matter.

Today, my something was a beautiful blog written by an old friend and former co-worker Kyle Whitford. To say that I am flattered doesn't do it justice. I am humbled.

Kyle's words came at the right time, I'm not sure if he knows that. He reminded me how lucky I am to have the joy that comes with doing something I am meant to do. So, thank you Kyle. And thank you to everyone that reads this blog and becomes a part of my world.

Enjoying The Walk

2009-09-29T09:00:00.005-05:00

My dog, Macy, loves to walk. Wait, that doesn't describe it quite right...she LIVES to walk. She breathes, eats, and sleeps in anticipation of her twice daily walks. Each morning she follows me right at my heels waiting for the slightest hint that I might be reaching for my shoes...or pulling my hair into a ponytail...or better yet- grabbing her leash. These things can send her into a fit of hysteria unlike anything you've ever seen. Say the word 'walk', and Macy will spend the next three to five minutes running at top speed in clockwise circles with her little tongue hanging out the side of her mouth...which I swear forms a smile twice a day.

Ironically, Macy could care less how long her walks are. I could honestly take her half a block down the street and back and she would be happy as a clam (which I've always assumed must be quite happy, right?). If I feel like walking a couple of miles, it's no problem. My 9 lb puppy will keep up with me just fine.

Are you wondering yet why I'm writing a blog about my dog and her walks? Well, lately I've been doing some soul searching. I have very big goals for my life and my career, and it can at times seem more than a little overwhelming figuring out how to best accomplish these goals. Over the last couple of weeks, I've spent hours and hours researching ways to get where I want to go. It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without the picture to help me. In my head I know what I want the scene to look like when I'm finished, but the shapes of the pieces keep changing.

I'll admit it, I get a high off of the day to day workings of my business. The greater the challenges- the more inspired I feel. Some days I feel powerful, some days I feel helpless. But each day I feel something, and that is powerful in and of itself. There are days that I get to walk for miles, recording and producing for hours on end. Some days I barely make it to the end of the block, with only a short job or two to finish. On these days, it is totally up to me if I'm going to give up and head home- or keep pushing myself to take that next step and create my own walking trail.

Now, back to the dog. When my dog goes for her walk, she never stops to ask her doggy friends if they've been on their walk that day. She doesn't care. She doesn't worry if it's hot, or cold, or raining. If something blocks her path, she crosses the street and keeps moving forward. When her walk is cut short, she happily goes home to her favorite ball and a cold bowl of water. And then she waits, patiently, for the next walk to come.

Thanks to my Macy, twice a day I am reminded how wonderful it is to live for the things you love.

Kara Edwards, Voice Actor

Seizing an Opportunity

2009-09-01T09:46:00.004-05:00

"Opportunity is what you make of it." I try each day to live by this theory.

Sometimes an opportunity just lands in our lap, sometimes we have to spend months- even years- to make one happen. With the day to day struggle of trying to make things happen, it is so easy to let our fears and doubts keep us from grabbing hold of an opportunity and making all of our dreams come true.

OK, this isn't breaking news- I realize that. So, let me tell you a story about how I turned one trip to LA into a week filled with opportunity.

Last year I attended VOICE 2008. I knew there would be great opportunities to network with my fellow voice actors, learn some new things from the various coaches and pros in attendance, and enjoy some time with my VO friends. But, seeing a chance to milk a little more opportunity out of my time in LA, I extended my trip a couple of days past the end of the conference.

I won't go into great detail here- as to save you a little reading time- but I do want to illustrate my point. These are just a few of the opportunities that landed in my lap that week. I was able to tag along with VO pro Wally Wingert to a few of his voice sessions one day (which gave me a chance to meet several folks at some of the top LA studios). I got to have a private, in-person lesson with my long-time coach Nancy Wolfson (something everyone should have the opportunity to do!). I had a private lesson with Cynthia Songe- and then randomly bumped into producer Chuck Duran following my lesson (what a cool guy he is!). I met an LA agent that now sends me auditions on a regular basis. I met folks for the first time who are now considered dear, dear friends. This list could continue, but I think you get the point.

Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the VOICE conference in and of itself, I chose to make the absolute most of my time in LA. I try to do this each and every time I travel somewhere for voice over.

Sometimes opportunities are obvious. Sometimes we have to work to find them. But there is never any excuse to ignore them. There will be many discussions in the next 10 months as to whether you should attend VOICE 2010. I don't plan to participate in those discussions. Why? It's a decision each person should make for themselves. To be successful in voice over, you must decide which opportunities make the most sense for your business. None of us will follow the same path- but we all will hopefully reach the same goal of a successful career!

In 2 weeks I'll be headed to Austin, TX for the Austin GDC. I have no idea what to expect, but you better believe I'll be seizing every opportunity that comes my way while I'm there!

Now, if you'll excuse me...a few opportunities just landed in my inbox :)

Kara Edwards Voice Over

Both Sides of the Glass

2009-08-25T17:13:00.007-05:00

We've all heard the phrase 'working from both sides of the glass'. For anyone not familiar with that phrase it describes (in relation to voice over) a person who works as a talent and an audio producer (the 'glass' being the wall that separates the talent and producer during a typical session).

I was so fortunate to have been trained many years ago as not just a voice actor, but also an audio producer. I spent several years producing radio shows- my job included producing liners, sweepers, features, commercials...you get the picture. I've always thought knowing both sides of the job helped me understand, as an actor, what the producer needed from me.

If you've ever read my blog before, you know I like to draw parallels between different parts of my life and voice acting. Recently, I had just such an occasion.

My photography instructor invited me to the studio this week to stand in as a live model for one of his other students who was learning about portraits. (I'm using the term 'model' lightly- I was really just a warm body) I jumped at the chance, because I always try and see the bigger picture. The way I figured it, I could listen to everything my instructor said to this other student and apply it to my own photography.

While I did learn a lot about the technical side of photography, what struck me was how important it was for the photographer and me, the talent, to be comfortable with one another. Here was a relationship in which we both wanted something from the other (both of us wanting the pictures to turn out well), and the best way to achieve this was to communicate clearly, and relax around one another. (The instructor pointed this fact out on more than one occasion!)

In voice over, we don't always get to see the people we are working with. We don't get to make eye contact and shake their hand. So, we have to find ways to communicate and relax while over the phone, over ISDN, or over e-mail. As voice talent, if we aren't relaxed- it will show in our voice, just like stress will show in our face during a photo shoot.

So, how to relax and get comfortable with a stranger you can't see? It's easy- It comes down to something as simple as having the confidence to be yourself. If you are confident in yourself, the producer will be confident as well. When you are both confident, you can then establish trust- trust that the other will do their job to the best of their ability. With trust and confidence, magic can happen!

Now back to that 'glass' I mentioned earlier. Knowing how the audio will ultimately be shaped, being able to respond to producer lingo in an educated manner, offering suggestions when the director is 'stuck'- all of these are examples of how having experience on both sides of the glass will make you a better voice talent.

Does this mean you have to be trained as a producer? No. But, taking an afternoon to go to a local studio to see how things are done will certainly help you as an actor! The more we understand about each aspect of the business, the more equipped we are to be wildly successful!

Do You Still Get Excited?

2009-08-20T17:47:00.003-05:00

A short post today.

As voice actors we often record a file, send it off (or disconnect the ISDN line), invoice, and move on to the next project. I find that I rarely see or hear the final product, unless it's an on-line project or I happen to hear it on the TV or radio.

Earlier this afternoon, one of my clients sent me a 'preview' of a TV spot I voiced a couple of weeks ago. I was so excited to see it, and couldn't wait to show my family!

It's funny, no matter how many projects I voice- big or small- I still get excited to see the finished product. The excitement is still as strong today as it was 13 years ago when I heard myself for the first time.

I truly hope it's a feeling that never goes away, and I suspect that it never will.

So I ask, do you still get that giddy feeling when you hear a finished product? What other things help to keep your spirits up in the world of voice over?

Try Not to Miss an Open Door

2009-08-04T20:42:00.002-05:00

The morning began early- I had a lot to get done. There was music and SFX to be chosen for one project, voice tracks to be recorded for another project, files to be rendered and uploaded, e-mails to answer, calls to make, etc. I knew my afternoon was full - I had an appointment that would likely take until 5pm- so I was wasting no time getting everything done. At 1pm I received an e-mail asking if I could do an ISDN session at 5pm- and I knew it was going to be a very tight squeeze. Unfortunately, the client couldn't push it back any further. So- I gathered my belongings to head to my appointment early, in the hopes it would be over early- getting me home well before my 5pm session.

As I juggled my purse, my cell phone, my car keys, and my bottle of water (I like to always stay hydrated!) I made my way to the door. That's when a nice looking man in a dark suit caught my eye through the window just as he rang my doorbell. I had been spotted- there was no ignoring this visitor. I knew in an instant he was there to sell me something- I could tell by the little notebook he held in his hand. Plus, it's a billion degrees in FL- why else would someone wear a suit?

I cracked the door slightly and before he could say anything I blurted out, "I'm really in a rush- I'm sorry!"

Undeterred, he went straight into his spiel, "Hi- I'm starting a new business in the neighborhood- and doing a survey- do you have time to answer some questions?"

"No, I really don't." I said.

"It will only take a couple of minutes."

"I'm sorry- I'm really running short on time right now, do you think you could come back another time?" I asked.

He grimaced for a moment before replying, "It's only five questions."

"No, I'm sorry I really have to leave." And I shut the door.

Driving to my appointment moments later, something struck me. I had given this man a metaphorical open door- and he failed to use it! I asked if he would like to come back at another time, and he chose not to accept my offer. Whatever his mission may have been when he first knocked on my door was doomed to fail because he wasn't willing to go a little out of his way to make it happen. However, he was more than happy to have me go out of my way! A sure-fire recipe for failure if you ask me. Had he done as I asked, not only would he have had my complete attention, he likely would have won me over by showing me- and my time- a little respect.

Whether cold calling, e-mailing, or writing letters- I always like to end with, "Thank you for your time." Time is valuable and we have to respect it. Especially when asking someone for something (in this case, business). The big lesson here, however, is to never miss an open door. If someone is willing to hear you out at a later time- by all means be available! Jump though whatever hoops necessary to make it happen- you will be glad you did.

To sum it up- I made it to my appointment a bit early (Ironically it was for a 'stress test'- pretty sure I failed!), and made it home with time to spare for my ISDN session. All in all a good day- and one more valuable lesson realized!

Kara Edwards Voice Over

So, What's Your Job?

2009-08-02T20:43:00.003-05:00

Last week, following my photography class, I was invited to join my instructor and a few fellow photographers for lunch. At one point during the meal, conversation turned to business, and the different aspects of marketing, networking, etc.

We all agreed that one of the most difficult parts of owning a business is prospecting for new clients. We admitted that we had all lacked a time or two in our follow up with potential business.

I remarked that as creative professionals, 90% of our time seems to be spent trying to get work, while 10% of our time is spent actually doing the work (something I've said many times before!).

That's when Chris (yes, that's his real name) explained a different way of looking at things. He said that prospecting for clients IS the job. All of the calling, e-mailing, researching, networking, marketing, advertising, accounting, paperwork, etc- that's what our job is. Now, getting the work? That's one of the perks of doing business!

Since I had never really looked at my business from that angle, I thought it was important to share. Perhaps you've been looking at it all wrong as well? I often say, "I love my job!" What I mean is, I enjoy the perks. From now on, I plan to change my attitude and embrace the job as a whole.

So- starting first thing this Monday morning, I am excited to get to work! And, I'll make a point to relish the 'perks' that come my way!

Kara Edwards Voice Over

11 Reasons Your Voice Over Business Will Be A Success

2009-07-22T11:21:00.009-05:00

I try to spend an hour each morning reading interesting articles about business and voice over. It helps to start the day with fresh ideas, and I like seeing what people are up to. This week, however, there seemed to be a very negative energy in the air...at least with the articles I've come across. The one that put me slightly over the edge was the article that explained in detail the 9 ways my business would fail. Ok, it didn't target me specifically- it was written for anyone who owned a business.

The way I see it, there are plenty of unhappy things going on in the world today, so why contribute in any way to the negativity?

So, without further ado- here are the top 11 reasons I believe you are going to be a great success:

1. You care about your product. You've invested time and money into proper training, ensuring you can handle anything that comes your way.

2. You are trust worthy. You deliver your product on time and in the way your client asks you to (note: please check out my friend Caryn Clark's great blog on integrity).

3. You have the proper tools. Your studio sounds great, and the files you deliver are clean (no hum, mouth noise, unnecessary compression or EQ).

4. You are professional. From the first phone call or e-mail to the final invoice, you are up-front with your turn around time and rates, and you deliver on your promises.

5. You are likable. Relating back to a previous blog I wrote, your clients call you again and again because they enjoy you as a talent- and as a person. Other talents admire and like you as well, and aren't afraid to refer you to their own clients.

6. You are honest. If there is something you can't do, you are upfront about it. If the project is going to take longer than expected, you call your clients to let them know as soon as possible.

7. You are consistent. You take care of your voice (your tools) so that you are always able to deliver the same great product.

8. You value your services. You don't drop your rates to get the job, or 'beat out' someone else. You know you are worth the money the client will spend.

9. Your pride never gets in the way. You realize this job isn't about you, it's about providing a great product. You don't worry about auditions you didn't book, you don't take it personally if the client decides to go another direction.

10. You are innovative. Your studio is always up to date, and you are always researching ways to better yourself and your services.

11. You are a positive inspiration. The most powerful word in the English language is 'choose'. Every day you choose to say positive things, think positive thoughts, and be an inspiration to those around you.

So, there you have it. 11 reasons I know your voice over business will be a great success! I am quite sure there are many, many more reasons- so feel free to leave a comment and tell us about them!

Kara Edwards Voice Over

Outside of Voice Over...

2009-07-13T11:49:00.004-05:00

Any full-time business owner would say that they have a 24 hour a day job. Voice Acting is no different. Have you ever recorded an audition past 11pm? I have. Have you ever just finished dinner, had the phone ring, and the next thing you know it's 8pm and you are in your recording booth doing a session? I have. Have you ever woken up with the sunrise to make it to your studio for an early morning session? I have. In fact, I'm guessing most of us have done these things many times!

When you truly love your job, it never feels like you are going to work. So, the late night or early morning sessions never feel like a burden. Auditioning can be fun, and great practice- so it never gets old. The truth is, passion is a great driving force, and success can be a little addictive. The question is, when was the last time you allowed your business to take a backseat?

Trust me, it's something I can easily write about in this blog, but it isn't so easily accomplished! I recently asked myself a few important questions: When was the last time you took a vacation without your travel studio? When was the last time you didn't look up the nearest studio to your hotel? When was the last time you took two hours out of your workday to do something you love?

And most importantly...When you work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week- don't you think you deserve the break? Yes, I do. So- I enrolled recently (after some serious encouragement from my husband) in photography classes. Now, I am someone who loves to learn, so I've taken many, many classes over the years. Yet, somehow they always relate back to voice over. Acting, Spanish, Improv, etc...they all help me with my job. But photography has absolutely nothing to do with voice acting- and that was little scary for me!

Friday was my first class. It was only two hours out of my day, and my business held up just fine in my absence. I managed to complete my class 'homework' this weekend, and yet still made it into my booth first thing this Monday morning to complete a recording. No one suffered, the sky did not fall...but I grew. As a photographer, and as a person.

So, I ask you...outside of voice over, what will you do this week?

The Importance of Being Likable

2009-07-06T16:27:00.004-05:00

Last week an 'anonymous' LA Agent put a comment on Twitter that actors should always remember the importance of being likable. I couldn't agree more! We've all worked with someone that came across not so likable, and it can really leave a lasting impression.

Now, imagine being the client with a job on the line! It makes everyone's lives easier when we act professional, reliable, and yes...likable.

However, you don't want to ONLY be likable when you are behind the mic. As I always like to say, you never know where your next job is coming from.

Case in point- a couple of weeks ago I was in an airport in NC waiting on a delayed flight. I struck up a conversation with the woman next to me after I had helped her plug in her computer charger (the outlet was behind me). We chatted for a bit before she asked me what I do for a living. I'm a voice actor, I explained. I was expecting to have to offer more of an explanation (as I usually do), but she surprised me when she knew exactly what that meant! As it turns out, she works for a company that creates online tutorials, and regularly hires voice actors as part of her job. She asked if I had a card, and well- I gave her two :).

A different example happened just yesterday. I stopped into the local Pier 1 to see what things they might have on sale for the holiday weekend. I was contemplating a set of patio pillows when the sales girl asked if she could help me. We chatted a bit before she asked if we had ever met before. According to her, she 100% knew my face. I didn't recognize her at all. She asked if I had ever lived in South Carolina. I told her I had recently moved to Tampa from North Carolina. No, that wasn't it. I asked where in South Carolina she had lived. She said Florence, SC. Well, I knew instantly why I looked familiar to her. I've been the on-camera spokesperson for a car dealer in Florence for a couple of years now. That was definitely it, and we had a good laugh about what a small world it really is!

Now, imagine if I had been rude to her. She could have called her family and told them that the infomercial girl was not very likable. And believe me, I'm from a small town and I know how word can spread!

So, should we all be likable in the hopes of scoring a gig, or impressing someone that knows our work? No. We should all be likable because it's the right thing to do- and it makes the world a better, brighter place. Everything else is just icing on the cake!

Kara Edwards Voice Over

A New Demo and a Valuable Lesson!

2009-07-01T10:40:00.006-05:00

I've always been a big 'do it yourself' kind of girl. I like to make things, paint things, fix things, etc. Several years ago I tried to create my own website. It wasn't such a smart idea, which is why I ultimately had a website done professionally. (by Village Green Studios)

In the past 13 years that I've been a voice actor, I have never had a demo professionally produced. I've always done them myself, using real material and adding little bits on my own here and there. They've always served me quite well, but I've always wanted to have a demo created by a pro.

And now, a quick story if you don't mind. When we moved into our new house late last year, I knew I wanted the entire interior repainted. Florida homes are famous for their high ceilings (it helps with the heat) which are extremely difficult to paint. Still, I wanted us to do it ourselves. After putting 12 different samples on the walls in the past several weeks, I finally settled on a beautiful shade of beige. And so we painted, and painted. Proud of our accomplishments, we went off to bed. The next morning we awoke to a house that quite clearly had turned pink overnight. And not a very pretty pink at that.

Thankfully, one of our neighbors is a color expert. He runs a company that matches car paint after body work has been done. As he puts it, he knows color like I know voices. He came over, knew immediately where we had gone wrong, and accompanied us to the paint store to find the color we had intended all along.

The moral of this story? It's always better to go with a pro if you want the job done right.

Which brings me back to my new demo. I recently worked with the great folks at Voice Hunter to create a fresh new TV promo demo. I'm very happy with how it turned out! The process was a blast and there were ultimately so many cuts to choose from, it was difficult to get the demo down to a minute (a good problem to have!).

If you have a minute, please check out my new demo here! You can also hear it on my website at http://www.karaedwardsvo.com/. Then, if you have another minute- please let me know what you think!

Kara Edwards, Voice Actor

I'm a Voice Actor, Not a Gambler

2009-06-11T16:09:00.003-05:00

No one can deliver a punch line quite like my grandpa.

This past week when I was in TX for work, I took a 2 day flight to Lubbock to see my grandpa. He asked me how work was going, and I said good (I'm not quite sure he fully understands what I do for a living, so I didn't go into many details). He told me the following story.

"I once knew a farmer that was often accused of being a gambler. One day he decided to look up the word gambler in the dictionary. It said a gambler was a person who took a chance. That farmer knew he wasn't a gambler, because in farmin'- you haven't got a chance!"

My grandpa came to Lubbock in a covered wagon at the age of 7, in 1922. He retired from cotton farming this year, at the young age of 93. He saw many good years and many bad years on his farm, but he kept at it year after year.

I've spoken with many voice actors over the past year that are frustrated with how their business is going. Some want more work, some want different work, some are questioning if this is the right business for them. The truth is, voice acting is a profession that not everyone can succeed in. You need a thick skin to weather the storms, perseverance to keep planting seeds, and trust to just let mother nature take her course. You have to take the tough times, and turn them around.

And if there is someone in your life even half as wise as my grandpa- don't forget to stop and listen...you just might learn something that can change your perspective forever!

Kara Edwards, Voice Actor

Memories of a Disney Legend

2009-05-21T11:32:00.007-05:00

Currently, I'm about 41,000 feet in the air flying to Raleigh, NC for an anime convention. The past couple of days have been quite hectic as I've wrapped up a few jobs, packed, and rushed around doing this and that. You know, just going about life. Yesterday, I was on the phone when I glanced at my computer screen and saw the news.

Wayne Allwine had passed away. For a moment, everything just stopped.

For a few of you, this name will seem unfamiliar. I promise you his voice is not. Wayne provided the voice of Mickey Mouse for the past 30 years or so, along side his wonderful wife Russi Taylor, the current voice of Minnie Mouse.

Yes, Mickey and Minnie were married in real life.

I had the great pleasure of meeting Wayne and Russi on two occasions while working at Radio Disney and later, for WSSS radio in NC. To say they impacted my life would be an understatement. They are two of the biggest reasons I knew I wanted to be a voice actor.

The first time I met them was in 1998 at the grand opening of The New TomorrowLand at Disneyland. I was working with my partner, Kyle Hebert (AKA: Squeege) doing a live broadcast. I've always considered myself fairly quick at coming up with questions on the fly- so I wasn't particularly nervous when Wayne and Russi came walking toward us. As soon as they both began to speak, my heart began to pound. I was instantly and completely star struck.

Kyle and I began the live air break introducing our special guests, Mickey and Minnie. I vaguely remember stammering out a few comments and questions before Wayne and Russi (thankfully) took over. Wayne strummed his little guitar singing songs while Russi giggled and sang along. It was perfect. It was magical. They were Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

I'm embarrassed to say I still get tears in my eyes to this day when I think back to the impact those two had on me. I knew right then and there that creating characters would be my own life long passion. I've often thought about what it must feel like to provide the voices for such well known and well loved characters. Perhaps it was easy for Wayne and Russi, as they are such well loved characters themselves.

The second time I met Wayne and Russi was no different. I was producing a morning show in Charlotte, NC and had been sent to Walt Disney World by myself for a live remote. When they finally made their way over to my broadcast booth, I shook their hands and announced, "You won't remember this, but we met once several years back." Russi smiled and said she did remember that, which honestly made my day. I recall the on-air DJ at the time saying I only had a couple of minutes to do the break. I knew he would change his mind when he heard them on the air, which he did. I don't remember how long that 'interview' was, but it was much longer than 2 minutes. That's what Wayne and Russi did- they captured your imagination and made you smile.

A couple of months ago, I went online to try and find an e-mail address for Wayne or Russi. I had an overwhelming desire to tell them how much they had inspired me all those years ago, and how much they inspired me still. Of course, I wasn't able to find an e-mail address, and now I wish I had tried a little harder. Someday, I hope to find a way to let Russi know.

I've been surprised at the effect Wayne's passing has had on me. The reality is that I met him twice, and for only a few minutes each time. He wouldn't have known me from any other stranger on the street. I guess it shows the impact that one person can have in a very short time. I'm not, however, surprised by the stories I've been reading online. So many were touched by Wayne. The joy just radiated from him.

My thoughts and prayers are with, and will continue to be with, Russi, their family, and their friends. Death comes to us all, it just seems that it shouldn't come to our heroes.

Wayne, thank you for the inspiration and for the memories.

How Not To Succeed in VO

2009-05-15T11:41:00.004-05:00

Rarely will I ever start a blog with a negative word...in this case, 'not'. I believe in striving to always stay positive, avoiding words like, 'not, can't, won't'. However, 'not' became a very valuable word to one talent agent who wrote an article on Voice Over Xtra called, "How Not to Get an Agent". OK, it's not so much an article as a transcript- but it's lesson is very valuable!

I am often approached by people wanting to get into the voice over business. Because of this, I wrote up a little thing I like to pass along with a few helpful tips to help them get started. Hey, I've had a lot of help along the way and I try to pay it forward as much as possible!

Occasionally I am approached by someone not just wanting a few tips, or a few questions answered- they are wanting me to put their entire career in motion! Trust me, if I had the power to make everyone with a voice into a successful voice actor, I would! But, unfortunately it just isn't possible. The best recommendation I can give is to research, ask questions...and be prepared to do LOT of leg work!

Most importantly, don't e-mail an agent asking for representation until you are truly ready! If you haven't had proper training, or recorded a professional demo- you aren't ready. Also, make sure to approach everyone in this business (or in any business for that matter) with a 'Here's what I can do for you' frame of mind, NOT a 'What can you do for me?' attitude. You'll find more doors are opened by being kind, humble, and prepared.

Kara Edwards Voice Over

The Zap Cap

2009-05-13T14:47:00.004-05:00

I knew that moving to the lightning capital of the country, FL, would be interesting on many levels. First, I am very afraid of lightning. Having grown up in West Texas, where the storms can be pretty bad, left me with a great respect for Mother Nature. Second, I was very worried about my expensive studio equipment. Should we be hit by lightning, or affected by a bad power surge- I could lose a lot!

We initially invested in very good surge protectors for my studio. This made me feel a little better. Then, my neighbor told me about something interesting. It turns out our local electric company offers a contraption known as a Zap Cap. I had never heard of such a thing, so I looked it up.

It's a meter based system that offers protection from high-voltage surges. Is it foolproof? No. But I figure it's better than nothing! For about $7 a month we rent the unit that attaches to our meter. For about $12-$50 per strip we buy the plug in protectors that we plug all our electronics and appliances into.

Our Zap Cap was installed yesterday, and I am in the process of converting all of my electronics to the approved power strips. It will be interesting to see how it works, but hopefully we'll never have to!

Every section of the country has their own 'natural disasters' to consider, and as voice actors and producers we have to take every step we can to protect our equipment and file archives. If you have a special system you use, I'd love to hear about it!

Kara Edwards Voice Over

Taking Your Surroundings Into Account

2009-05-04T10:00:00.004-05:00

In 2001 I moved to North Carolina to take a job as a morning show producer for a local radio station. Part of my job was to do 'live' announcements from various locations (for example, car dealers, malls, etc). These 'live' breaks were always pre-recorded- and for the first year, I would write out my entire script and read enthusiastically for 60 seconds or so.

However, one awful day I was at a remote (and getting paid to be there) and was delayed from writing out my little script. As I was trying to gather my thoughts to jot something down, a call came. It was the on-air guy telling me there had been a mix- up and I needed to go 'for real' live in 10 seconds. "NO!" I screamed, but he was gone...and I heard the commercial currently airing come to an end as my time began. I sputtered and stammered...holding my mic as I flailed around in circles trying to remember where I was, why I was there, and what I was supposed to say. Yup, it was a disaster...and one of my more embarrassing moments on-air.

So, what did I do wrong? I was relying so heavily on the written word that I hadn't taken the time to absorb my surroundings. If I had been less concerned about having a script, and more concerned with knowing my purpose, I would have been able to work my way through the break. Instead of being in panic mode, I would have been just fine.

After that day I always made sure to answer the important questions (who, what, when, why, where) prior to worrying about copy points and scripts.

Now, as a full-time voice actor, I often think back to that day. Especially when a challenging script lands in my lap with no obvious plot or direction. I like to take the time to answer those important questions and center myself. Once I know the writer's intention, it becomes easier to 'perform' the script instead of just 'reading' it. Who am I, where am I, what is my intention, etc.

Knowing where you are headed as you navigate through the words will raise your confidence, which also leads to a better performance. I am also never afraid to ask the client or producer if there is something I am unsure about. It's our job, as actors, to bring the words to life and make them believable. Knowing your path will allow you to follow your instincts.

Happy Earth Day 2009!

2009-04-22T08:38:00.003-05:00

Earth Day is always a special day in my home. It was 3 years ago today that my husband and I were married. We always find it funny that a meteorologist and a nature lover were forever joined on Earth Day (which was actually a coincidence, we didn't realize it was Earth Day until shortly before the wedding).

My love of nature began at birth I'm told. I recently came across some old photos from my childhood, and I don't believe there was a single photo of me without an animal of some sort. Yup, I was- and still am- a tom boy. (In the above photo is a famous Texas 'horned toad'- I was told recently that they are now endangered, which just breaks my heart.)

That's why no one is more thrilled than me to see how 'Being Green' is becoming more the norm. It's easier and easier to make environmentally conscious choices that will benefit generations to come.

Two years ago I wrote a blog about how we, as voice actors, can make 'green' choices with our business. I know when I relocated my studio recently, re-using and re-purposing was top of mind. I re-used all the same Auralex and sound dampening materials in my new studio. I also re-purposed several of my furniture pieces to make them work in the new studio. When I had to buy new equipment, I turned to Ebay for many items (and saved money too!).

For those that are new to my blog, I thought you might enjoy reading my 'Voice Actors Are Green People Too' list from 2007.

Several items on this list came from the book "1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet" by Esme Floyd.

1. Add a potted plant to your studio for each piece of electric equipment you own. It will help counter the negative effects of radiation while freshening the air you breathe.

2. Use a fan. Our equipment is hot, so add an energy conserving fan to your studio to avoid having to crank up the AC.

3. Add a fresh bowl of warm water to your studio each morning...this will help maintain humidity that is depleted by electronic equipment.

3. Set up near a window if possible. This way you can use natural light during the day instead of turning on a light. It is good for your eyes and your spirits to look outside!

4. Power down. Turn off your mic and pre-amp when not in use. Shut down your computer at night. If possible, unplug as well. Even when items are turned off, 5% of electricity is still being consumed.

5. Use envelopes from junk mail as scrap paper for your notes. Conserve paper.

6. Dust and vacuum! Keeping your equipment and vents clean will increase their overall efficiency.

7. When possible, buy used equipment. Just make sure it is in proper working condition!

8. Don't throw out old equipment. Sell it or find a place that will recycle it.

9. Did you know it can take hundreds of years for a compact disc to degrade? By sending audio through e-mail, you are saving our planet!

There you go, a few simple steps to help better this beautiful planet we call home! Thank you for reading, and feel free to leave a comment about the many ways you help the environment every day at work!

Happy Earth Day! (And to my husband, Happy Anniversary!)

Highlights High Five

2009-04-02T15:54:00.003-05:00

For the past year or so I've been voicing and producing a cover to cover monthly audio version of Highlights High Five, a magazine aimed at preschoolers. Thus far this audio piece has only been heard in the Korean market, but starting with the May edition of 2009, it can now be heard on the Highlights website!

May's High Five will arrive on all of our doorsteps in the next week or so, and on the front page will be an announcement about the free audio edition!

Highlights has done a wonderful job making the audio easy to access as both a full version, and as individual stories.

I am very excited to see this project continue to grow, and hope you and you're children enjoy listening to it!

http://www.highlights.com/highfive

Are Your Kitchen Cabinets Stocked?

2009-03-31T13:41:00.006-05:00

During a recent teleseminar with Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino (Acting For Advertising Part 8), Nancy made a comment that really hit home for me. Nancy and Anna were taking questions, and several people were very curious about ISDN, which Anna had recently added to her studio. Someone mentioned that they heard ISDN was on the way 'out' and asked if it made sense to go through the effort of hooking it up. Nancy made the comment (and forgive me for not having exact quotes, as I'm trying to write this from memory- scary!), "When your kitchen cabinets are fully stocked, you feel more confident about the future."

Nancy really touched on something so valuable here! Those that truly know me best know that I have a fear of not having food in the pantry. For me, food is security. As long as my family can eat- I know we will be ok. To be honest, I've always been a 'be prepared for anything and everything' kind of girl. Which is why I think Nancy's comment made such an impact on me.

Of course, Nancy wasn't talking about food, she was talking about our preparedness as voice actors to be able to handle anything that comes our way. The more prepared we are to meet any challenge, the higher our confidence will be, and ultimately the better job we will do for our clients.

So, how can we prepare? First, by making sure we are up to date on current voice over trends through extensive training with top notch coaches (Nancy is one of my coaches, and I highly recommend her!). Regular practice with a coach and on our own can help develop good habits to be called upon at a moment's notice.

Second, we can prepare by making sure we have the best sounding studio possible. Everyone is different, so the equipment that gives me the best sound isn't what will give you the best sound. Research and explore all the possibilities. I love having ISDN. It's not only helped me maintain the clients I had prior to relocating to FL, it's opened new doors for me as well! It's just one more 'can of food' to add to my 'pantry'. Are you an audio producer? That's something great to add to your resume! Do you have a wide selection of royalty music and sound fx? If not, it may be something for you to look in to!

Next, we can prepare by making sure we are marketing to the right buyers. Is your current marketing campaign working for you? If so- yay! If not- change it! Voice over is often 90% working to get work, and 10% actually doing the work- so make sure your 90% is well spent!

Finally, we can fully stock our 'kitchen' by surrounding ourselves with positive, like-minded people that want us to achieve our goals. These are the folks you turn to after a bad day that pick you up and dust you off. They might be fellow voice actors that send you job leads, or point you in directions that might help your business. As long as you are careful to give as much as you receive, your voice over kitchen will be bursting!

When I e-mailed Nancy to ask her permission to use her wise words, she told me about a great book relating to this very topic. You can find it in her online store...it's called "Talent Is Overrated" by Geoff Colvin. I plan to read it soon!

I'm Me, Only Slightly More Reigned In

2009-03-20T13:12:00.002-05:00

A couple of years ago I made a decision to change my lifestyle. I decided to eat right, exercise more, and do all the things we are always being told to do. For the most part, I've been very disciplined in this new lifestyle...with a few exceptions. I have two major weaknesses when it comes to food. The first is candy, the second is cheese. I LOVE cheese! I think every meal is better with a big old heaping helping of cheese on top! I don't discriminate between my cheeses, I love each and every one of them the same. The same goes for candy, I love candy! I have my entire life.

So, what to do? I don't want to change who I am, and I certainly don't want to deprive myself of the things I love (a sure fire way to fail at any new diet!). So, I eat fat free cheese and I do an extra set of leg lifts during pilates...I eat some Smarties and add 10 sit ups to my daily work out.

The point is, I allow myself to be me, only slightly more reigned in when needed.

Now, this is a blog about voice over- not diet and lifestyle. I share my eating habits with you to help illustrate a point. I spend a lot of time listening to my fellow voice actors. I visit sites like Video Voice Bank, I listen to the commercials between songs on the radio, I google voice actors and listen to their demos. I do this because I want to make sure I am up with the current trends, that my demos still compete with the best, that I can offer what the best can offer. However, I don't listen to my fellow voice actors so that I can be them.

Truth is, I like me. I like that people giggle when I answer the phone and tell me my voice makes them smile. I like being told I sound like a real life cartoon. I like when a new client's first question is, "how old are you?" I like being told I remind them of a happy young mom.

If you are a fan of American Idol like I am, you know that the one thing the judges look for each and every week is an artist who knows who they are. We've all heard Simon give the criticism that someone was too 'sound-a-like'. It's the same in voice over. You want to be the voice your client thinks of when a project presents itself that fits your sound. You don't want to be so many different things, that the client isn't sure where you best fit in...or worse, forgets who you are completely!

So, be you...only be willing to compromise. Sometimes a producer will hire you because he/she sees your voice going somewhere you haven't thought of yet. I like cheese, but I'm willing to eat fat free cheese. I like doing zany character voices, but I'm also more than happy to play it straight. I bring 100% of me to every session, but sometimes the client prefers me to be sugar free. :)

I am the only me in this world. You are the only you. Figure out what makes you unique...what you have to offer that no one else can. Then, be proud of all the great things that came together to give you your unique sound. Take that into each and every session...just be ready to reign it in when you need to.

Pot Holes on Confidence Rd.

2009-03-09T21:40:00.002-05:00

When a business is based on creative interpretation, there are bound to be major ups and downs in levels of confidence. Voice over (along with acting, art, etc) would likely make a top 5 list for jobs that truly test your self esteem.

Take the last 6 months for example...I never knew relocating a voice over business would test me to the limits that it did. There were times that I knew everything was going to be just fine, that my clients would stick with me, and that my studio would finally come together. Then there were days I was ready to pack it in and head to Walmart for a people greeter application.

Of course, you don't need to look back over months or years to see the roller coaster of emotion our job can bring. Here is a little of the feedback I've received just over the last 12 hours for a variety of projects: "Very good! I don't know if we could afford you though.", "very nice job", "Thanks! I think it was just written a few words too long but you made it work and sound great!" Not bad, right? Well, here is some feedback I received for a mock audition I recorded for fun for a voice over message board..."Sorry, but the young girl sound may not fly for this purpose", "Perhaps not the right voice for a dramatic read with “bold, driving” music, maybe too young sounding to be the voice of wisdom. But could possibly work well with softer, more Hallmark-type music. " Hm, not so good huh?

I share these examples simply to illustrate my point. Along Confidence Rd, we will all encounter speed bumps and pot holes. It's the way life goes. The important thing is not to ride too high during the good moments, and not to fall too low during the not-so-good moments.

How do you do this? Here are a few of the tricks I like to use. When I'm feeling especially self conscious or nervous, I picture my resume in my head. Seriously! I think back to all of my successes, and all of the projects I've had the great privilege to be a part of. If it's a particularly bad day, I will go back and read my client testimonials. Truth be told- I did this so many times over the past 6 months to help keep my confidence up, I actually had the 'Kudos' section of my website moved to the front page to make it easier for me to get to! Hah!

As for those 'riding too high' moments I find that any time my ego starts to swell, life always has a way of putting me back in my place. When this happens, I like to consider what lesson I can learn from the negative comments, or low moments. How can I use those speed bumps and pot holes to better myself in the long run? For the above negative feedback, I learned that I need to consider not just the message of the script, but what the overall intent for the project is. Instead of doing what I do best, I need to stretch myself in new and different ways.

Voice over is always full of surprises. So, while you want to avoid the dips and peaks- sometimes it's good to head straight for them! Recently I was asked to audition for the role of a mom voice for a TV spot. This was way out of my comfort zone, as I'm known for my young sound- but I decided to face the risk of rejection and just go for it! I was shocked when I was cast, and I had the pleasure of recording the spot last week. I truly surprised myself when a mom emerged right before my eyes! If I hadn't risked falling into the pot hole- I wouldn't have discovered this great little detour in my journey! Now I know I can take that 'mom' road whenever I choose- and I can do so confidently!

So, how do you keep yourself safe on Confidence Rd? What do you do to avoid the obstacles, and how do you handle it when you inevitably find those obstacles in your path?

My ISDN Journey- for reals ya'll!

2009-02-26T18:47:00.003-05:00

I've learned a valuable lesson about spending too long writing a blog...once you are ready to publish, it vanishes to the bottom of the list. Live and learn I guess :)

For anyone hoping to read my blog about my journey with ISDN, please click here- or scroll down the page a bit.

Thank you for visiting!

Recession-Proofing a Voice Over Career

2009-02-25T20:22:00.002-05:00

Tracy Pattin of Voicebank.net recently asked on her blog what voice actors were doing to recession-proof their careers. It's obviously a timely question, and I was happy to share my feelings on the topic.

I am honored that Tracy chose to publish my response to her question on her blog this evening.

If you would like to respond to Tracy's important question, be sure to leave a comment on her blog, as she will be publishing several answers in the weeks ahead.

Make sure to also check out Part I and Part II with my friends Caryn Clark and Bob Souer.

For me, 2009 has kicked off with a bang bringing in some new and exciting work! Already this year, I've recorded projects for Highlights, Raggs, Involution Media, Cartoon Network, Wii, Student Ambassadors, Florida Dept of Health, and more! Will this trend continue? It's impossible to know- what is certain is that I will continue to work hard and provide my clients with the best service I can. By not panicking, and staying consistent with my product- I believe I will continue to succeed. It's important to keep our confidence high and our talents fine tuned. What about you? What are you doing to recession-proof your career? If you prefer to leave your comments here, I am happy to pass them along to Tracy- just be sure to let me know!

When Life Gives You Bananas...

2009-02-17T10:39:00.003-05:00

A couple of months ago, my husband and I decided to become members of BJ's as it was right down the road and we knew that they had some great deals on groceries, etc. As part of their 'thank you for becoming members' gift, we received a very large bunch of bananas.

Unfortunately, this large bunch of bananas was very green. As you may or may not know, green bananas rarely turn a lovely yellow once you get them home- they often go straight to an aged brown. Sadly, this was the case with our bananas.

I've never been someone that could easily throw out food (blame it on the 'starving children' routine we all heard as kids), so I decided to make banana nut bread- which actually tastes better when made with over-ripened bananas. Because of the overabundance of over-ripened bananas I had, I was able to make multiple loaves of bread and freeze a few of them.

Last night I was eating one of the last slices of the last loaf of bread when it occurred to me...if I was able to turn a large bunch of free (but seemingly useless) green bananas into multiple loaves of bread (which we were able to enjoy for two months straight) and I only had to purchase a small bag of pecans to make it happen...what could this mean for my voice over business?

All over the Internet, there are a thousand 'free' ways to get my name out there (Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, etc). Is there a way to add a dash of creativity and effort and turn a little social networking into lucrative opportunities that could be enjoyed for months and years down the road? While I have stumbled into some work just by being 'present' online, I haven't yet made a conscious effort to really use the tools I have at my fingertips.

As I look for new ways to market my business this year, I plan to find different ways to test my 'banana theory'. I know the tools are right here, but it's up to me to find new ways to use them before throwing something that could be great into the trash.

My ISDN Journey

2009-02-16T14:04:00.003-05:00

Earlier today, I was speaking with my pal Erik Sheppard. I mentioned that I had tried on multiple occasions to write a blog about my ISDN experiences, but hadn't thus far succeeded. I explained that my journey was so lengthy, exhausting, and borderline traumatic- that even thinking about it brought back bad memories! OK, I'm being just a tad dramatic here- but it was an interesting process! However, Erik reminded me that people might have an opportunity to learn from my journey- and so...here we go! Instead of taking you step by step through the 6 month process of finally having working ISDN, I've decided to just list out a few things that I've learned that might make your own ISDN journey a bit easier.

First, a little of the back story...My ISDN journey began last August when my husband and I made the decision to move from Charlotte, NC to Tampa, FL. It wasn't possible for me to install ISDN in my previous studio due to location and several other factors. So, I had always used a local studio anytime I needed ISDN. However, I knew it was going to be imperative that I set up ISDN in my new studio in order to continue recording several of my regular projects. My journey began August 1st, 2008 and ended February 11th, 2009. I am thrilled to finally be able to say that I have working ISDN in my home studio and I am loving it!

Here are a few of the very valuable things learned from my own journey written with the hope that they may help your journey.

1. Before you spend a single penny, make sure you live in an area that can get ISDN. This is a very old technology that fewer and fewer companies are providing support for. We actually narrowed down our potential new homes based on which ones could get ISDN.

2. It may be necessary for you to be incorporated or an LLC. Residential ISDN is no longer provided in any area that I know of, only business ISDN. Therefore- you must be a business (and be able to prove so) to get it.

3. You are going to need to know a lot about ISDN before you even make your first call. 99% of the people you speak with at the various ISDN providers will have little to no idea what you are talking about when you say you want ISDN BRI. Why is this? Voice actors, radio, and TV stations are the only folks left in the world that use ISDN BRI (according to my contact at Verizon) therefore, there is little reason to train new employees on this technology.

4. Make sure you ask for the business ISDN BRI line and be very specific about what you need. Aren't sure exactly what you need? Then enlist a studio or ISDN expert to help you (such as Digifon). I enlisted the help of my friends at ProComm studios as well as several VO pals that really know their stuff!

5. You will need to decide what type of codec you want to use, or if Audio TX is the way you want to go. I chose to use a Telos Zephyr, as that's what I was trained on back in my radio days.

6. Should you buy a new or used codec? It's hard to say. I went the pre-owned route. I purchased a unit on Ebay after asking several questions of the seller. I originally paid $1100- a great price! However, once the codec arrived at my house I discovered it needed $600 in repairs. Yuck! Still, $1700 is a great price for an ISDN codec and it's working great now!

7. Once the line has been installed, you will need to specify a long distance carrier. Here is where things got VERY tricky for me! I went with MCI. They seemed to understand what I needed, and I was given a great rate per minute. Almost immediately, I began experiencing problems with my line dropping out. I can't explain why, but it has something to do with MCI's service. I'm not saying MCI won't work for you- it just didn't work for me. From what I was told, they no longer provide support for data lines. So- I cancelled the service and switched to Sprint. I've been good to go since!

8. Make friends with the person that installs your line, and ask for his/her phone number. A local construction crew accidentally cut my ISDN lines in the middle of one of my first sessions, and I spent 4 days waiting for my provider to find one of the very few people that know how to repair and test ISDN lines. I wrote his number down so I can call him directly in the future!

9. Along those same lines, write down the name and direct number of every competent and helpful person you come across! It's a good safety measure- as you never know when or if you may encounter problems with your lines.

10. Staying on that topic- keep your friends who have ISDN on your speed dial. When the repair tech arrived to work on my lines, my pals Bob Souer, Caryn Clark, Ben Wilson, and Philip Banks were all willing to help me test the lines. A couple of them tested with me several times over several weeks, and I honestly can't thank them enough! In fact, send me an e-mail if you need someone to test your line with you- I'm all about paying it forward!

11. Make sure to ask about all the costs associated with getting your line up and running, and what the provider charges for repairs. I was lucky that I wasn't charged for repairs (since my line was cut), but I was told they typically do. Setting up my ISDN lines cost $275. The monthly fee for me is about $70 for the line, and $5 minimum for long distance. I pay $.07-.10 per minute per line to dial out depending on whether the call is in or out of state. These rates will vary greatly city to city, so be sure to ask what you can expect to pay. You will rarely need to dial out, but it's good to know in advance what those rates will be!

12. Once your lines are working, ask some of your VO friends and studios you work with regularly to give you honest feedback on your overall sound. Philip Banks was able to pick up on a slight ring to my studio I hadn't noticed before. It was minor, but could have become major if a new studio didn't like the way it sounded! I was able to isolate and solve the problem, thanks to Philip's keen hearing! Make sure you are getting the thumbs up from people you know before seeking out new business. As voice actors, we often only get one shot to get it right- so don't waste it!

13. Finally, make sure to ask any questions you have of the codec company, line provider, etc, and keep good notes! Knowledge is indeed power, and the more you know the better your chances of success with ISDN!

I've heard so often in the last few months that ISDN is on it's way out. Perhaps, but I doubt it. If the studios that use ISDN are anything like me...I feel I've spent too much time and too much money to turn my back on ISDN now! However, finding support for ISDN is becoming more difficult- which is why it's good to prepare yourself for the journey. If there are ever any questions I can answer, I will do my best to help...or at least point you in the direction of someone who can.

Back That Thang Up!

2009-02-05T10:07:00.002-05:00

I hope you will forgive my lengthy absence from this blog, I've been on that roller coaster known as ISDN. Thankfully, the ride seems to be over and I will soon blog about all the things I've learned over the last few months about setting up home ISDN.

In the meantime, I wanted to blog about a recent experience I had regarding backing up my audio files. I could easily be called paranoid when it comes to backing up computer data. Not only does my computer back itself up to an external drive at 2am every morning, I also save important Pro Tools sessions and finalized mp3's to a second external hard drive. I've always worried that someday a client would return to me needing a very old file, and I wouldn't be able to find it.

Starting this year, I've decided to purchase an external drive to hold all the files for each individual year. That way I know exactly where to go to find old files. I haven't decided yet how long I'll hold on to files- but I'm guessing around 4 years or so.

Now on to the story that prompted this blog. Last week I received an e-mail from a client I had recorded a character voice for last June. It was being used on a DVD animation for a children's product. The product is close to being released and they were making some final edits on the animation.

For some reason, their file of my audio had developed a glitch and they needed me to send a new copy of the original file. It took less than an hour for me to break out my 2007 external drive, plug it in, do a search for the file, and re-upload it to my ftp. Needless to say, the client was very pleased!

The way I see it, a 500GB external drive is around $120. One of these can hold most of my files for the year, and it seems more than worth it to me.

In fact, now that I've added ISDN to my studio, I've decided to record all sessions on my end as well. That way if they accidentally delete theirs, or have any problems- they've always got mine as back up!

As Julia Roberts once said in the movie, 'Pretty Woman'..."I'm a safety girl!" (Although this line was said in a little different context- I think it still works here- hah!)

What 12 Year Old Jake Taught Me About VO

2009-01-12T20:19:00.002-05:00

I spent this past weekend voicing and producing an audio project for one of my regular clients. It's a project I've been producing every month for about a year now. I had reached a point in the story where a group of children say the words, "we do" and "we do, too". I couldn't find this in my sound FX library, and had made a decision to voice the children myself and overlap the audio to sound like a group.

I was needing a break, and decided to take a walk outside and see what the neighborhood was up to. I saw our new neighbors and their 12 year old son Jake outside playing football.

Now Jake is a supremely cool 12 year old. He's smart, funny, and honestly a very good kid. The thought hit me that maybe Jake would like to help me out with my little project.

Jake was MORE than happy to lend a hand, and we all headed down the street to my studio. Even though Jake had seen my studio before, it was a blast to see his face as he looked around. Jake was now looking at things as a soon-to-be voice actor himself! I spent some time showing him how I record, how the audio goes into the computer, and how I use editing, music, and sound FX to make the final piece.

Jake's parents were chatting with my husband in the living room while I gave Jake the little tour. He finally turned to be beaming and asked, "Can my parents come in and see this?" Of course. So- with our audience now in place- Jake and I made our way into the 'booth' to record.

By this point, I was about as excited as Jake- as his smile was more than a little contagious! I showed him the script and explained what I was looking for- then I let him do a few practice runs. I'm quite sure Jake had never heard himself speaking into a microphone before, so he got a big kick out of wearing my headphones during his session.

Since the two lines I needed had to sound like a group- I read them along with Jake. Looking up at me, Jake mentioned that I had a habit of moving my arms around quite a bit when I spoke. When I said, "We do, too" I actually pointed to myself. I didn't even realize I was doing it! So, Jake gave it a try and decided that moving around really did help.

When we were done, I played back the audio for everyone to hear, and e-mailed the family a produced copy of Jake's work. On his way out, Jake mentioned that he had seen video of actors doing voices for feature animations- but he never knew it was possible to do this job from an actor's house!

So, what did 12 year old Jake teach me? That every aspect of being a voice actor is cool. Sure, I've always talked about how much I love my job, but sometimes seeing things through someone else's eyes can help remind us how awesome technology is, how fantastic working from home is, and how neat it is to have our voices heard world wide.

Thanks Jake. I hope we can do it again sometime!

The Top 20 things I Learned About voice Over in 2008

2008-12-31T14:04:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago I started making a list. I wanted to write down 10 things I learned this year about voice over. I quickly realized 10 just wouldn't cut it. If I was to be honest with myself, the list would likely be closer to 1000 things I've learned this year!

I decided to stick with the number 20.

While I actually learned a few of these items prior to 2008, they were at the very least reinforced in 2008- and therefore worthy of my top 20 list.

So, in no particular order...here are the Top 20 Things I Learned About Voice Over in 2008...

1. Trusting your own instincts with voice over work is always the way to go.

2. Social networking (VOICE, VO-BB, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc) is vital- you never know where your next job may come from, and you never know when you may have a job to offer!

3. If you want to install ISDN at home, it helps tremendously if you are incorporated. They will want your tax ID#, incorporation date, state, etc. Otherwise, expect to wait at least 6 weeks for instillation.

4. It is possible to keep deadlines regardless of what happens behind the scenes.

5. Relocating is no fun, but building a new studio is!

6. Creating a budget and sticking to it will help you be successful.

7. To have a home studio- you need an engineering degree. If you don’t have an engineering degree, it is important to have smart friends.

8. Receiving feedback from clients on your work really helps you improve!

9. It’s not how many clients you have; it’s how many relationships you develop that counts.

10. Saying no to work is OK.

11. Saying yes to fun or meaningful work at slightly lower rates is also OK.

12. Regular, monthly work rocks!

13. Unexpected, last minute work rocks!

14. I don’t do hard labor for a living; therefore it isn’t the end of the world when a client asks for major revisions. I can do them, and I can find a way to not be insulted by them.

15. Pilates helps with a stiff “I’ve been producing for 8 hours straight” neck.

16. When you are up against a deadline, and the creative juices just aren’t flowing…take a walk and have a conversation with your dog. Both will clear your head and inspire you.

17. When a project feels overwhelming, focus on recording the first line…the rest will then flow right out of you. Just getting started can be the hardest part.

18. You have a thousand chances to win over a client, but only one chance to lose them. Once they are gone, they aren’t coming back (said as a customer who will no longer give my business to a certain company- that blog will come later).

19. It is always best to under-promise and over-deliver than to over-promise and under-deliver.

20. The greatest people in the world are in our line of work. Those who may be your competitors will likely also be your best friends. Pick up the phone at any time and call tech support for any of the audio equipment suppliers, they will be the most helpful folks around.

So, there you have it...the top 20 things I learned about voice over in 2008! One thing I've always known is how truly blessed I am to have a job I completely love. Waking up each morning, walking into my studio, recording the best audition I can, and solving my client's problems make each day unique and special.

This New Year's Eve I will be looking forward to a 2009 that is even better than 2008, though I'm not sure how that could be possible! I'll also be wishing the same for you.

Feel free to leave a comment telling us the top things you learned in 2008! And, for a look ahead at 2009- be sure to check out "The Report On The Voice Over Industry in 2009" by Voices.com!

Happy New Year!!

A Few Places to Find My Voice Before The New Year...

2008-12-28T22:23:00.002-05:00

I've just returned from a fantastic vacation in VA for the Holidays, and discovered a package had been delivered while we were gone. In it was a videogame I voiced earlier this year for a great company called Kutoka.

The videogame is called "Didi & Ditto: Mother Nature's Visit, Preschool Edition". I had the honor of voicing Didi for the game. Now, as I understand it- the Didi & Ditto videogame series has been around for a while, but this was my first time voicing this character. I originally auditioned to voice another character when I received an e-mail asking me to give Didi a try. I instantly loved the character, and hope I am able to voice more in the future!

My husband and I broke out the game and installed it on my MacBook. I must say- it really is a great game...and I promise I would not say that if it wasn't! The graphics are gorgeous, and I can only imagine how a preschooler could spend hours clicking on all the different trees, flowers, and animals while playing all the games. Kutoka really did an outstanding job!

Another fun project I voiced just before the holidays was for an up and coming web design company. It's called Involution Media and I was instantly impressed with their work. They specialize in web animation, and I had the opportunity to give voice to the company's mascot, Madeline. The video is still being animated (and you'll see that parts of the site are still under construction), but you can see a small sample by clicking here...http://www.involutionmedia.com/. It is my understanding that there will be many Madeline videos to come, so stay tuned!

Finally, my husband and I received a Wii from Santa this year. We've become more than a little addicted to the game system over the past few days, and went on a game shopping spree this weekend. While it's been out for some time now, I finally had a chance to play "DragonBall Z: Budokai Tenchaichi 3" on Wii. I voiced 5 characters on the game, and it was really cool to see it all come to life!

One of the first things I did with both of the videogames I mentioned was to check the voice actor list to see if any of my friends were also on the game. I always love hearing what my fellow voice actors are up to! So, if you have a new project that is just being released before the New Year- please feel free to leave a comment and let us know where to find you!

Second Blog-o-versary Post with Studio Pictures!

2008-12-21T19:28:00.016-05:00

Today is the second anniversary of this blog. It began with a post titled "Why Not Blog??" on December 21st, 2006. What an amazing 2 years it has been!

First, I want to thank each and every one of you who read this blog. Whether you are a subscriber, or you just stop by from time to time- you are the reason I keep this little hobby going. I've done my best over the past 2 years to give an honest portrayal of my life as a full-time voice actor. The good, the bad, and every little thing I've learned along the way.

The last several months have been a true learning experience as I packed up one studio in NC and moved to Tampa, FL to build a new studio. The move gave me an opportunity to build a studio the way I've always wanted to. I've added an ISDN line (just installed this past Friday!), a new Mackie mixer, a Telos Zephyr, Samson Resolv studio monitors, a studio rack, a laptop shelf, and more!

My actual recording space is larger than my previous one, and now that I can read scripts from my laptop I'm no longer going through 2 ink cartridges a month!

The most clever idea came when I discovered a metal shelf used by club DJs to hold their computers and drum machines over their turn tables. While I would love to claim the idea as my own, I owe the credit to a very nice man at Sam Ash. He suggested I anchor the shelf into my studio wall to hold my laptop. The best part is that it is designed to keep the laptop cool so the fan never comes on! It also has a cool little shelf that holds my bottle of Entertainer's Secret.

OK- on to the pictures I promised I would post...(Keep in mind there are still a few tweaks happening here and there- but for the most part, this is my new FL studio.)

My computer sits next to my recording area (behind the white door there)...

I love color- so I went with a blue/ green shade with one wall slightly darker than the rest. It was based off the painting I bought in Costa Rica this year (I'm planning to have it framed soon)...

All the Florida homes we looked at had these 'ledges' near the ceiling- perfect for action figures and stuffed animals of characters I've voiced!

Marvin the Martian is my favorite character of all time- I bought this statue 13 years ago in Mexico. He's my studio protector...

A friend drew this picture of the Lion King and the globe is a Disney Villains Globe I bought when I worked for Radio Disney.

The large frame is an uncut sheet of season 3 DragonBall Z cards. This was given as a gift to the main voice actors for DragonBall Z. Next to it are a pair of actual cells from the show, and to the left are 2 certificates of appreciation from our troops in Iraq. (One for the voice work I did for Freedom Radio, another for a 4th of July party I helped throw in Iraq when I was on the radio in NC.) Below it are my collections of Highlights Magazines I have recorded for the Highlightskids.com website.

On to my recording space...Here is a close up of the laptop shelf I mentioned earlier:

Where I spend much of my time...

My constant companion, Macy. She likes to curl up on the studio floor rug (Yes, my floor is polka dotted- I love color!!).

Above my computer is a digital frame (currently on a photo of myself with Randy Thomas and Caryn Clark). On either side are my 2 Voicey Awards. One for Best New Voice- 2007 and one for Best Voice Team along with Adam Fox- 2008.

A close up up that fabulous painting I found in Costa Rica...

Finally, a shot of the entrance to my studio...

Since I took these photos at night, I was not able to capture my view from the window. It's of a pond surrounded by a small conservation. I love that view!

So- that is it! My new studio!! I still have to hang the studio monitors, and there are a couple of pictures that haven't made it to the walls just yet. However, the studio sounds fantastic- and I'll be testing my new ISDN lines tomorrow.

Again, thank you for reading my blog- here's to many more years of blogging!

Our Past Lives

2008-12-09T18:25:00.004-05:00

I've been a voice actor for 12 years now and each morning I wake up and walk into my studio, I know this is where I am meant to be. However, like most of today's voice actors this was not my first job.

In fact, if you've been a voice actor longer than say, 10 years, chances are you had never even heard of voice over until you were already doing it! It's become so much more main stream recently (thanks to amazing voices like Don LaFontaine, Joe Cipriano, Melissa Disney, Beau Weaver, and so many more!) that I often receive e-mails from children who one day hope to grow up and be a voice actor!

Last week, my dog became very ill with an unusual infection. Over the weekend, we had to make two separate trips to the emergency vet to get her some relief from the pain and put her on the road to healing. I'm thankful to say she has improved drastically, and we are nearly out of the woods. Since I'm a firm believer that the power of prayer and positive thoughts can work wonders, I turned to my friends and fellow voice actors to send healing thoughts for my little girl. (I don't have kids yet, so I'm guilty of treating my dog as if she was my baby!)

I was not one bit surprised by the kind e-mails and messages I received wishing Macy a speedy recovery (the voice acting community is incredibly generous). However, I was surprised by an e-mail I received from my friend, September Day Leach. As it turns out, September was a vet tech before she was a voice actor- and she offered to answer any questions I might have! Well, I sent her Macy's lab results- and she offered not only her thoughts- but some very practical things I could do to make Macy more comfortable (For instance- did you know that keeping the food bowl elevated helps prevent stomach pain?? It really does!)

I can't thank September enough for offering to help- she was (and is) an enormous comfort!

So, all of this got me thinking about 'past lives', A.K.A.: the things we did before we became voice actors. For me, my career began in radio. I spent 11 years co-hosting a variety of shows before moving to full-time VO. Prior to that, I leased apartments, worked as a waitress (boy was I terrible at that one!), taught TaeKwon-Do to children, and was a Sonic Carhop. Oh- I also taught an in-line skating class once, and dappled in ESL.

If you have a moment, I would love to hear what you did in your 'past life'! Maybe it's a job you still do in addition to voice over- or maybe it's something you still can't believe you ever did.

Feel free to leave a comment!

And again, thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers. Yeah, she's just a dog- but she's the best little dog I've ever known!

Oh- and as a quick side note...I promised recently that I would post pictures of my new studio soon. I still plan to- but I'm waiting on my ISDN line to be installed and my new studio rack. Then- there will be many photos :)

Anthony Mendez Talks "Noise Floor"

2008-12-05T17:12:00.004-05:00

My pal Anthony Mendez wrote a brilliant blog about lowering your 'noise floor'. Only this time he isn't referring to the noise in your audio chain, he's referring to the noise in our lives.

I'm as guilty as anyone of spending way too much time in front of a computer. I love what I do- and it's hard to break away at the end of the day! With social networking on the rise, there are an endless string of websites to hit, articles to read, things to learn...there just aren't enough hours in the day.

I try my best to make time each day to take a walk, sit and stare at the pond, or just read a good book. It can be difficult- but I manage to make it happen (note: I don't have kids yet...I expect this will change once I do- hah!).

While Anthony's blog is very relevant, especially during the holiday season- I've found this week that I'm more interested in raising my noise floor (to borrow Anthony's phrase)!

After a three month long relocation to Florida, nearly two months with no home studio, and more time spent watching TV than I care to admit...I'm bursting at the seams to be in my studio every second of the day!

Thankfully, there has been no shortage of things for me to record this week. :)

So, while Anthony is spot on with his thoughts today, for me- the noise is just right!

Studio Superstitions

2008-11-30T20:48:00.003-05:00

In the past two weeks, I've spent the majority of my time building and creating my new studio and office space. It started with the actual recording space, and has moved into the area where I edit, produce, and spend most of my day.

I like to keep the area where I record separate from my computer and production space to cut down on any potential electronic humm. It's just a personal preference as I've been in many studios where the mic and computer are together and they sound great!

First and foremost for me- it was all about function. I wanted to make sure I could move in the space and get to the things I needed easily and efficiently. When I couldn't find a desk that fit the space in the way I wanted, I opted to keep my old corner desk and add a second desk to my left to hold my printer/fax, etc.

Since I'm not completely finished with my office, I'm reserving posting pictures and detailed descriptions until later this week. Therefore, today I'd like to focus on studio superstitions. I figure I can't be the only one who has them!

Many years ago I became fascinated with Feng Shui. I've probably read a couple dozen books about the topic and believe that the spaces we spend our time in can have a major impact on our lives. So, the first thing I did was create a bagua map of my office. (The one I linked to is not the one I use, but it's the closest I could find) I also studied colors to find out which would be the most inspiring for me. I ultimately went with a beautiful green/blue shade, painting one wall slightly darker than the rest. I know, I know- I can hear you saying to yourself, "Studios are for recording- not meditating! Sheesh!" (or something to that effect)

There is so much that goes into the art of Feng Shui that I don't want to bore you with the nitty gritty details. Plus, I'm sure someone would e-mail me explaining that I've done it all wrong and that would just make me sad. So, I'll just say that I am THRILLED with the way things are coming together! My studio is the space where I spend the most time, and it was very important to me that every object be inspiring creatively, emotionally, and spiritually.

As for superstitions- I have a few. Part of me likes being surrounded by my accomplishments (awards, action figures of characters I've voiced, etc) but I'm cautious not to go overboard. I wanted to make sure to leave room for future success, both in my life and on my walls! I also have several pictures and figures of birds and items that represent rising up. In my career I hope to reach for the stars every day and I enjoy being surrounded by symbols of my goals.

Something else kinda corny that I did was upload some of my favorite pictures to a digital frame. It's one that shows a continuous picture slide show. I added a wide variety of pictures from voice actors I know and admire, to photos of my family, to my favorite nature photography. That way I have all the things that matter right in front of me every day.

All that's missing is my new studio rack and my ISDN line...but hopefully those will be here soon!

So, now it's your turn- what superstitious object(s) do you keep, or actions do you take in your studio every day to keep you inspired?

Please feel free to leave a comment!

Top 10 List For Relocating a VO Business

2008-11-18T20:37:00.003-05:00

I feel beyond guilty about my lengthy absence from this blog, but I am thrilled to announce I finally made it into our new house in Tampa, FL! My studio is up and running, and my ISDN line should be connected in 2-3 weeks. All is finally good at home and at work.

Monday was my first day back after a near 2-month absence from full time VO during our relocation. I completed two voice/production projects, and an audition for a national spot. A good day back I believe. Today was busy as well! Between unpacking boxes and asking my husband, "Do you know where...", I managed to finish a lengthy project for a client.

Since this was my first relocation in which my belongings didn't fit in one car, there were a lot of lessons learned along the way! Many things I did right, many things I did very wrong (but learned something in the process!).

Since this is a VO blog, I thought I would post the top 10 things I now know to do when relocating a voice over business long distance. Some of these I did do, some I plan to do next time :)

1. Communicate with your clients. Don't be afraid to send e-mails explaining that you will be away for 'x' amount of weeks. Let them know how things are progressing so they don't forget about you during your absence.

2. Keep e-mails as brief as possible. I have a bad habit of wanting to explain everything going on in my life in a single e-mail. I have to remind myself that no one cares. Just the facts are needed, no embellishments.

3. Research local studios in the area you are moving to. I had 3 big projects I had to complete in the middle of my move in addition to needing to record 13 episodes of Raggs via ISDN. Since I had called ahead of time, I already had a studio lined up that I could call in a moment's notice. It was a win-win for me- I had a studio to use, and they have since called me in for work here locally!

4. Check the location of your temporary and permanent housing closely on a map. How far away is the airport? What direction do the planes fly? Is there a train that runs by the house, a major highway? Boy, if only I had done this- those 6 weeks in temporary housing would have been much less stressful!

5. When tearing down your studio, take lots of pictures of how the wires were connected. Document the levels on your mic-pre, etc. Doing this made re-connecting everything so much easier for me. It also ensured I had the same consistent sound as my previous studio for projects I had to do pick-ups on.

6. If possible, move your studio equipment yourself. After seeing how many boxes arrived upside down and slightly jostled, I am very thankful I drove my equipment down myself. As I always say, should something happen to my studio, I really need it to be my fault (everyone around me always agrees- hah!). Seriously, I had fantastic movers but it just wasn't worth the risk.

7. One thing I'm thankful I did when I originally purchased my studio equipment is keep all the original boxes and packaging. It made it super easy to pack things up- and I didn't have to worry about anything moving around in transit.

8. If you need ISDN in your studio, start the process well in advance of your move. It is much harder to get ISDN than ever before, so you'll need to find out what the policies are in your new city and state. Who is the carrier, do you need to be incorporated to get it? Ask lots of questions, and make sure you explain exactly what it is you need (Most people will not understand what you are asking for- find someone who does!)

9. Speaking of ISDN, once you know who your carrier is ask if there is someone you can send potential new home addresses to in order to make sure ISDN is available. ISDN is run on copper wires, and many carriers are making Fios the new standard. Fios is run on optical strands, and won't work with our ISDN codecs. I am thankful I double checked each potential home we looked at, as a few were instantly ruled out for this very reason.

10. One thing I wasn't entirely successful at was staying calm. When our temporary housing ended up being next to Tampa International Airport, I freaked. As it turns out- everything was fine. I still got my work done (thanks to that local studio) and it was only 6 weeks out of my life. Moving is stressful, and the best thing you can do for yourself is to take it one day at a time. Make lists, keep things organized, and it will all be just fine.

Of course, if you do find yourself relocating sometime in the future, don't hesitate to shoot me an e-mail! Having chosen to marry someone in television, I have a feeling I may one day be able to right a book about how to move your voice over business anywhere in the world- hah!

A Big Day

2008-11-04T13:31:00.003-05:00

I remember so well anxiously awaiting the day I turned 18 so I would be able to vote for the first time. It's an amazing right we have as Americans to choose our leaders, and I always feel that flutter of excitement on Election Day!

So, imagine my horror when my absentee ballot didn't arrive last week! Because my husband and I are in the middle of a relocation, absentee voting was our only option.

A month ago, I proudly sent off our ballot requests, then waited...and waited...and waited. When I knew something was definitely wrong, I called our county office. Sure enough, there was a mix up with our new PO Box, and my ballot had been sent back!

The good news was that my husband's ballot was on the way, but mine would have to be re-sent and there was no guarantee it would arrive in time for me to send it in!

So, every day last week we checked the box with our fingers crossed. Friday morning it arrived! I was able to cast my vote and send it in overnight express!

Sure, it cost me $17 for the postage- but I can think of no better use of $17 than to exercise my right as an American.

This Election Day, I hope you will take the time to exercise your own rights. Judging by the early numbers, it seems many already have- which makes me even more proud to live in this great country!

Happy Election Day to you!

An Update: Homes, Studios, and Home Studios

2008-10-27T09:57:00.004-05:00

The world of voice over has changed dramatically in the last 5-10 years. Once upon a time, we would go to our agent's office to record auditions and to a local studio to record the final audio. 12 years ago I didn't know a single person who had a home studio- it was something we would always talk about doing 'someday'. Fast forward a few years and home studios are the norm. We can now audition, get the gig, record the audio, send it via ftp, and be paid through PayPal in record time! It's fast, it's convenient, and a little bizarre in my opinion.

I'm someone who loves to meet people. Whether it's a short chat on the phone, or a lengthy conversation in person- I enjoy that moment when my clients actually become my friends.

I also enjoy driving to a local studio and recording with a producer and other actors from time to time. I believe filling a room with creative minds always leads to great things! It's another reason I love ISDN sessions. Playing off another actor sounds more natural than reading alone (for scripts that have more than one voice, of course!)

This is why I always encourage people who e-mail me wanting to get into VO to contact their local studios. Not only can it open the door to new work, studios are a great place to learn from people who make their living in voice over and production. Even as a professional voice actor, I'm always pleasantly surprised when I pick up a new production trick just by 'hanging out' for a couple of minutes after a voice session.

The week prior to moving to Tampa, I made sure to contact as many local studios as I could. It was a precautionary measure for me, just in case I ran into any problems setting up my own home studio. As it turns out, I did. Not with the studio itself, but with the location of our temporary housing. We are in the direct flight path of Tampa International, making it almost impossible to record anything longer than 1-2 minutes all in one session!

Instead of stressing myself out, and taking the risk of submitting any work that wasn't the quality I am accustomed to, I opted to use a local studio to record in. Ron Rose of Tampa came to the rescue! In the past week, I've recorded 5 episodes of Raggs over ISDN, a variety of projects for Highlights Magazine, and there are still several sessions on the books for the week ahead. I decided it was worth it to me to keep up my normal recording standards, even if it did mean a little less profit for the month.

However, it turned out to be a win for me all the way around! I've met some great people at the studio, and know when it comes time to re-set up my own studio (which will hopefully be soon!), I have new friends to call in case of emergency!

Now, (to quote Monty Python) on to something completely different:

It's not exactly news that we are in the middle of an economic crisis brought on (in part) by the housing boom over the past several years and the eventual burst of the housing bubble. Florida is one of the markets experiencing a major housing depression, meaning many people owe more on their homes than the houses are now worth. It's very sad, and there has been a huge rise in short sales and foreclosures because of it.

Again and again my husband and I have been told how lucky we are to be moving to Florida right now, just imagine the deals we can get! Sadly, this is not the case. Inventory is low, despite the fact that homes are indeed selling in this market! Twice in the past 2 months, we've decided to possibly put an offer on a house, only to see it disappear to someone who beat us to the punch! Yes, contrary to popular belief, there are buyers out there! But also contrary to popular belief, there just aren't many houses.

After putting an offer on a house 2 weeks ago and going under contract, we received the news last week that the house didn't appraise for the agreed upon price. Now we are in a holding pattern trying to figure out where to go from here. We spent this past weekend driving around looking at more houses. It's remarkable how many homes you can find to rent, but there are just so few to buy!

With this election right around the corner, I urge everyone to weigh their options carefully. Please take the time to read up on what each candidate plans to do with their time in office. It's a sad day when a married couple, with good credit and the ability to get a loan, cannot get into a house. It's time to look forward and ask, what can we do now? How can we make this better?

Since I would rather not end on a negative note, let me add this:

Despite a few set backs in getting settled I've discovered that Florida is beautiful in the fall! The temperature has been dropping at night, making the mornings slightly cool. Then, it's breezy and warm during the day- perfect for being outdoors! I've also learned that the people in Tampa are some of the nicest around.

All in all, I do think we will really like it here!

Change

2008-10-10T21:35:00.004-05:00

I've never been very good at dealing with change, and it's never been more evident than in the last ten days. Thankfully my move to Tampa went as smoothly as possible, all the way down to the animals behaving themselves quite nicely during the nine hour drive south.

I arrived in Tampa on Tuesday, Sept. 30th to a mild tropical downpour. My husband helped me unload the critters and my studio equipment during breaks in the rain. He honestly couldn't believe how much stuff I was able to cram into my little Honda!

My first full day in our rent house was spent watching painters paint the outside of the house mint green. Not a color I would have chosen, but it's not my house. On day two we began searching for our new home.

We've been told again and again that now was the perfect time to buy a house in Florida because their housing market is so depressed, just imagine the deals! Well, we've learned first hand that while the houses might not be as expensive as they were two years ago, they aren't exactly 'cheap'. And finding a house that is in good condition and won't take six months to get into because it's a short sale is next to impossible! Inventory is incredibly low because in this economy, people don't want to put their homes on the market unless they have to. We did find a couple of great homes in New Tampa (East of Tampa) and put an offer on one yesterday. We are waiting to see what happens.

As for the rental, despite being small- it is kinda cute. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to live in this area, because I really thought this was where we would want to live permanently. Sadly, that is no longer the case. As I've learned in the last week, airplanes arrive and depart Tampa International from the North and the South. Therefore, any homes built North or South of the airport experience near constant flight traffic. Not so good when you make your living as a voice actor! So, I voice for a bit...wait for a plane...voice for a bit...plane...etc. This is the reason we've decided our next house will either be East or West of Tampa!!

On my 4th day in Tampa, I began putting my studio together. It's amazing how boxes can really dampen the sound in a room! Since we had many, many packed boxes to store, I decided to use them to 'pad' the walls in the spare room. While it isn't very pretty, it is quite effective! I was also thankful for the many diagrams and pictures I had taken when tearing down my studio in NC. Several knobs and buttons had been shifted in the move, and it only took a few minutes to get everything back to normal. In fact, I had to do a few pick up lines on a project I had voiced in NC- and you could barely tell a difference! I don't always come up with great ideas- so that one will most certainly be added to my list of good ones!

We haven't had much time yet to really explore Tampa, or Florida for that matter, so I'm very excited about a little trip I am taking tomorrow! Randy Thomas is having a book signing tomorrow in Ft Meyers for her new book "Voice For Hire". My good friend Caryn Clark offered to have me stay at her house if I decided to drive down, and I figured this would be a great opportunity for me to take a break from the boxes! Caryn was even kind enough to offer her studio so I could record a podcast I need to finish this weekend. I love that girl!

As I alluded to in the beginning of this blog- it hasn't been an easy week. I've discovered that I'm more of a cry baby than I ever knew I was (yes, I've cried every day since I arrived). I didn't know how attached I was to Charlotte, NC until I wasn't living there anymore. I've also learned I'm absolutely terrified of alligators, and lizards kinda creep me out too. However, there is nothing more beautiful than a Florida sky, and the folks down here are some of the nicest around. Plus- it's very funny to be driving around and see a peacock just walking down the street!

While I still have a few months before I'll be able to fully settle in (and finally figure out which box contains our drinking glasses!) I am glad we made the move to Tampa. Now I just have to convince my cat that the birds down here can eat him, not the other way around!

Packing Day

2008-09-26T15:55:00.002-05:00

Today was officially 'packing day'. Of course, I've been packing boxes for a month and a half, but today was the day the movers arrived to get everything ready to load on the truck tomorrow morning for our big move to Florida!

It's been a crazy week for sure! Monday I was up until almost 2am finishing a couple of voice over projects. On Tuesday I sent an e-mail informing everyone I would be tearing down my NC studio and heading south. I decided to call a couple of Tampa studios to set up my back up plan in case I have any problems during the move. I also wanted to find out ISDN rates since we'll be renting for a couple of months while we look for a house. My plan has been to set up ISDN in my studio as soon as possible, so I knew I needed a place to go in the meantime. During one of these calls, I was blindsided by some surprising news!

Apparently, Verizon- the main carrier in Tampa- has stopped setting up ISDN. Period. In a panic I posted some questions on one of the voice over boards, and made a few calls. As it turns out, I think I will be able to get ISDN- it will just require some leg work. It was very difficult to get anyone to understand why I would want ISDN- since most people think it's related to internet. With the creation of fios, or optical strands, which work much faster than the old copper wires, why would anyone want 'old' technology? My friend Bob Souer called to let me know that ISDN must run on copper wires, which I relayed to Verizon.

I must say, Verizon was fantastic with their customer service. Someone got back to me quickly, and gave me an e-mail address to send potential home addresses to. They will look up the homes we are considering for purchase and let me know if they can support ISDN. While it's a little weird that my next home will depend on whether there are copper wires nearby, I'm thankful to have a glimmer of hope that this problem may be solved!!

Wednesday my mother arrived to help pack, which has been wonderful! It took 6 hours to tear down my studio and pack everything into their original boxes. I was meticulous about documenting exactly how my mic-pre and Mbox were set. I drew diagrams and took photos of every button and knob so I could reset everything in my new studio just as it was. Despite taking forever, it wasn't as hard as I thought it might be to pack an entire studio.

Then, we were thrown another curve ball. Yesterday we received word that there is a major gas shortage in Charlotte (where I live currently). My mom took the car to see if she could find anywhere to fill up (I had about half a tank) and came back frustrated, and with the gas tank a little more empty, after hitting 8 stations and finding nothing.

Today, when the packers had finished, I set out for South Carolina with the hopes of finding someplace...anyplace, that might have gas. As I was driving down the road I noticed a long line of cars pulled over. Figuring this was more than likely my best shot, I got in line. 45 minutes later I pulled into a Citgo and was directed by one of several attendants to pump 1. Ahhh...gas!!! I filled up the car and just before pulling out I look back to see what I guess to be around 50 cars in line behind me. Then I heard one of the attendants say they were about to run out. Yikes.

So, as I prepare to watch my belongings loaded into a truck, in the back of my mind I'm hoping everything can just make it to Florida! I hear that once you get past the middle of South Carolina, things go back to normal. Thank goodness!

Tomorrow I head to a hotel to wait for the closing on Monday, then I'll be loading 2 cats, a dog, a trunk full of hard drives, a mic-pre, an Mbox, a couple of mics, a library of music and SFX, oh- and some clothes- and heading to my next home where my husband awaits!

The Latest...

2008-09-15T12:57:00.002-05:00

I've just returned from a fantastic weekend in Denver, CO at the Nan Desu Kan anime convention. For quite some time I've wanted to host a panel and discuss the steps one needs to take to begin a career in voice over. NDK gave me the opportunity, and the panel was a blast!

I tried to give real-world, practical advice and even had 4 people come up and voice auditions from real anime sides. They blew me away with how great each of them was! It occurred to me that the reason they were so good is because they are fans of anime. It's like DB Cooper always says, "If you want to voice videogames, play videogames"! I took several questions, and was surprised by how thorough the fans were. They asked about everything from demos, to agents, to unions! I did my best to give completely honest answers, and I hope everyone was able to walk away with a little insight into the voice over industry.

While I was in Denver, my husband sent me a link to an an article written about him in the Tampa Tribune. Chris recently became the new morning and noon meteorologist for Tampa Bay's 10 (WTSP) and the article announced his arrival. I was flattered that the reporter even included a small mention of me and my voice over business!

Speaking of Tampa, our relocation is still underway. While I was in Denver, we put an offer on a house north of Tampa, but were beat out by another offer that came in a few hours before ours. Since I am headed to Tampa on September 30th, we've decided that renting a house is going to be best temporarily. I think we've found a great rental that will allow our pets, and has plenty of space for me to set up my studio (and it's in a quiet neighborhood!). Once we're settled, we will resume our search for our next home.

Fortunately, I've been able to keep up with my voice over work between packing and talking to Realtors. I've even had the opportunity to work ahead on a few projects, to allow for the time necessary to make the transition. Unfortunately, I've fallen behind on answering e-mails from people asking questions about how to get into the business. If you are reading this, and are wondering why I haven't answered your questions...I promise I will once things settle back down! Feel free to re-send your e-mail if you like, but please understand if it takes a few weeks to receive a response. For now, I want to make sure my focus remains with my fantastic clients, and having a successful move.

On that note, my last day in my NC studio will be September 24th. On the 25th, I will begin packing my equipment to get it out of the way of the movers (all of my equipment will come to Tampa with me- I'm too paranoid to let anyone else touch it- heh). I will be sure to let everyone know when I am back up and running. I'm in the process of contacting studios nearby I can use for ISDN until we are settled in our permanent FL home. I don't expect more than 7-10 days of downtime.

Of course, I'll be posting updates as often as possible here on my blog :)

Two Years Today!

2008-09-07T21:22:00.003-05:00

September 7th, 2006 was the day I made the decision to go full-time with voice over. It was something I had considered for years, but never felt brave enough to take the plunge. I remember so well the weight that was instantly lifted off my shoulders when my decision was final. I knew I had a ton of work ahead of me, but I looked forward to each and every adventure!

It's hard to believe it has already been two years since that day- it feels like yesterday! Two whole years later, and I still wake up every morning thrilled to walk the 50 feet to work.

I like to keep very detailed records of my business, and every few months I do a year to year comparison. My first year full-time was better than I could have ever expected. I was lucky- I went into the year with my plate already pretty full. In the first few months of that first year I recorded a new anime, a couple of videogames, and began recording Raggs for PBS. My business continued to grow as my different marketing efforts took effect.

This year has been no different. I'm fortunate to have seen significant growth in the amount of clients and the quality of jobs I get to do! It is such a joy to do this work that I love so much, and I can't begin to express my gratitude to my fantastic clients and colleagues!

I spent a portion of the day today working on a project for a client that has joined me in the past year, Highlights. It is truly a pleasure to work with such a large company...and one I grew up with no less! In the past few months alone, I've had the opportunity to voice several videogames, a few animation projects, dozens of radio and TV commercials, e-learning projects, and a few narrations. What an awesome opportunity each has been! I've also picked up a new agent that I'm very excited about, and have had the chance to audition for some incredible projects in the past couple of weeks.

As I enter my third year full-time there are many changes on the horizon. At this moment, as I sit here typing, I am surrounded by boxes and bubble wrap. I'm getting things packed up to head to my new home in Tampa, FL. Where that new home will be exactly remains to be seen (we are still in the looking process) but I will soon be a Floridian regardless of the exact location!

I am sad to leave dear VO friends here in NC I've met over the past 2 years such as Bob Souer, Brian Haymond, Rowell Gorman, Donovan Corneetz, and so so many others! The fantastic studios I've worked at like The GroundCrew, Concentrix, and CHP. I will miss my amazing local agent, LuAnne, who is the sole reason I still do on-camera work!

Of course, the best part about being a full-time voice actor is that they are all one ISDN line away! I will continue to work with each and every one of them through the magic of technology, and for this I am beyond thankful!

Speaking of new technology, this move to Florida will also allow me to set up a new studio- which is always exciting! My third year full-time is sure to bring about many new adventures, and many pieces of new equipment- oh yeah!

As of now, I am planning to head south the first week of October, and I can't wait to meet my new Tampa VO friends I've met online!

It's been a fantastic, wild, emotional, incredible voice over journey thus far...and I love that it's really only just begun!

Don LaFontaine

2008-09-02T08:05:00.003-05:00

I received an e-mail yesterday with the sad news of Don LaFontaine's passing.

We are in the business of words, yet the right words seem hard to come by today.

Don had a way of touching lives. I had the great fortune of meeting Don last year in Las Vegas at the VOICE conference. My mother attended Don's panel with me, and took the photo above.

My mom, with no knowledge or real interest in voice over, left that panel saying she had an enormous respect for Mr. LaFontaine. He made us laugh, he made us want to know him better, he made us want to be a little more like him. Whether you loved him for his talent, or his ability to tell a great story...you loved him. Instantly.

After the panel, Don stayed long enough to take photos with every person in that room. He certainly didn't have to do this, and we would not have thought less of him for leaving. Yet, he stayed and shook every hand.

I am deeply saddened by Don's passing. My thoughts and prayers are with, and will continue to be with, Don's family and friends.

Burning The Midnight Oil

2008-08-27T19:25:00.004-05:00

Last night I did something I've never done...I shot a TV commercial in the middle of the night! My co-stars? A lovely lady named Greer and some animatronic swine.

I can't give too many details about the project just yet, but I thought I'd at least tell the story of my late night adventure.

It started at 8:45pm. That's when I got in my car to make the 30 minute drive to a town west of Charlotte. Remnants of Fay are providing some much needed rain to our area, and my rain gauge says my backyard alone has seen around 5 inches in the last few days. I drove slowly to my destination through tropical-like downpours.

I arrived just before 9:30pm, my call time. The reason for the overnight shoot was because we were filming in a restaurant during their off hours. One of the assistants helped me with my bags of clothes as we dodged giant rain puddles and a nice breeze that blew the water right into my face (despite an umbrella).

At 10pm, the make-up artist began trying to undo what Fay had done...and he had his work cut out for him! Once my co-star was made-up and ready (Greer, not the animatronic little beast), we began shooting. Since Greer and I are in every scene, we spent the next several hours repeating our lines as the camera caught us from every possible angle.

Now, I've shot more than a few commercials in my time, and this was the first time something horrible happened to me...the later it got- I simply could not remember my lines!! After the 2am hour struck, my brain shut off. Fortunately, I wasn't alone- the late night sleepies got Greer as well. I would mess up, and we'd start over...she'd mess up, and we'd start over. This happened for about 8 takes. Finally, we stood up- shook it off- and nailed the take they needed.

At about 3am, we broke for 'lunch'. Because the commercial takes place during the day, large spotlights had been set up outside to create the illusion of a sunny day. Sheets of paper were added to the windows to hide the massive amounts of rain falling outside. My body was completely confused. I'd been awake for 19 hours, yet it was sunny!

The shoot wrapped earlier than expected, and we were all on our way at about 4am. I called my husband as I drove home, knowing he would just have arrived at work. He kept me alert long enough to get me home safely, and I was sound asleep by 5am.

I've filmed desert scenes in 31 degree temps, I've stood in a huddle for 4 hours straight...but this was a shoot I will never forget! Despite extreme fatigue, we pulled it together and made it work (to quote Tim Gunn). The client was very happy, and we all can't wait to see the finished product!

As a funny side note...I'll let you in on a little secret about me. I am terrified of puppets, people in costumes, and things that move when they shouldn't. It's not something I'm proud of...but the Hamburgler at McDonald's seriously freaks me out! All that to say, this was my first experience acting with animatronics. I have no idea what my expressions will look like in the finished spot, but I sincerely hope my terror doesn't show! Keeping a smile on my face as a pile of silicone blinked, shed, and wrinkled it's nose may go down as one of my hardest assignments yet! I never told a soul on set about my little fear, lest it cause any unnecessary stress, but I guess it's ok to admit it now that we're done :)

The Adventure Continues

2008-08-24T11:22:00.002-05:00

It's been 12 days since I returned home from LA, and I can only think of 2 words to describe those days...

Whirl. Wind.

OK, technically that would be one word, but it feels more appropriate to give each syllable it's due attention.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, my husband and I have made the decision to relocate from Charlotte, NC to Tampa, FL. Things have moved at a lightning fast pace, and we are well on our way to making the transition!

After having our house repainted, and making a few upgrades here and there- we put the house on the market this past Tuesday. It had its first showing Wednesday, and its first offer Wednesday night. Seriously. We always knew it was a great house, and had a feeling it might go quickly- but...WOW! Of course, we've heard all the warnings and horror stories of 'today's market' so we are prepared for whatever may happen next. We are hopeful everything goes smoothly, and we will be able to take the next step- looking for our new home in Tampa!

Since this is a blog about all things voice over, I want to be sure I write about my experiences of trying to relocate a home studio while maintaining the same quality of service I've always provided.

Let me tell ya, it ain't easy. (Sorry, but this was a moment for a little west Texas lingo)

Throughout the past week, I have tried to call as many of my regular clients as possible to let them know about the move and what they can expect from me in the coming months. The wonderful thing about having a home studio, is that my work can truly go anywhere- so none of my clients had any concerns.

I did discover that it is impossible to work with a house full of painters, so that did put me 2 days behind. Not only are they noisy, but the paint fumes get into your throat and literally make it impossible to properly use your voice. Once the fumes cleared out, it was back to work. Only, the next step was staging and getting the house ready to go on the market. I managed to complete a couple of smaller jobs between packing keepsakes and pictures and moving furniture around- but it would be a lie to say I wasn't relieved that a larger project had been put on hold because the client took a vacation! I don't know how I would have completed it otherwise.

On Thursday I received a big audition from one of my agents, and was thankful for a few quiet hours that morning to record it. Now, keep in mind...I pride myself on always giving 100% to everything I do...but this time I really fell flat. After sending in the audition, I received an e-mail from the agent. The e-mail asked me if I could record it again, because I sounded sleepy! Oh no! That has never happened to me before, and after listening back to my audition- I completely agreed. Embarrassed, I re-did the audition and sent a thank you note for allowing me a second shot. It was a wake-up call that I can't let what is happening around me affect my work. Period.

On Friday, between taking calls from my realtor and waiting for an estimate from a moving company- I received a call asking if I could record some tags for a TV spot. Fortunately, I had a quiet house at that moment, and just enough time to make it happen. The client was happy with the finished product, which let me know I had officially beaten the 'sleepies'!

Now that the initial craziness of putting the house on the market is behind us, I finally have a week ahead of me devoted completely to getting lots of work done. I plan to spend today catching up on paperwork and uploading files to my ftp, and getting a solid night's rest tonight.

I'm also in the process of memorizing a script for an on-camera job I have Tuesday night (my call time is 9:30pm and we plan to finish around 6am- yikes!). It should be a blast to film. The next 2 weeks will be interesting as things progress with the move, as we are hoping to make the big transition sometime in the first week of October. I guess we'll see!

I'll be sure to keep you posted as things progress :)

The Next Adventure...

2008-08-14T21:15:00.002-05:00

Before heading to LA and VOICE, I alluded in my blog to something 'big' going on at my house...

While many of you already know the 'news', I wanted to make it official on my blog as well. In the next month or two, my husband and I will be leaving our beloved state of North Carolina and heading south to Tampa, FL!

My husband, Chris Suchan, will be the new morning and noon meteorologist for Tampa Bay's 10 (CBS)! We are very excited about the move, and I know Chris is looking forward to his new role in Tampa. He will be heading down soon, and will likely have his first live show in early September. I will stay behind to fulfill a few work commitments and oversee the sale of our home (please send good thoughts for a fast sale!).

This will be the first time that I have had to pack up and move an entire studio, and I am hoping to make it as seamless as possible! Of course, I will blog about my experiences along the way, should they help someone else in their own move someday.

We are very sad to be leaving our dear friends in Charlotte, but are looking forward to making new friends and embarking on many new adventures!

Since returning from VOICE at 2am Wednesday morning, I have been doing my best to get back into the swing of things. I've hit a bump or two...actually six...painters that is! I was awaken Wednesday morning at 8am by six painters coming in to get the house ready to be put on the market. Trying to work through the commotion and paint fumes proved impossible, so I am glad that they were finished in a record 2 days! Tomorrow will be a catch up day for me, so I can free up the weekend for packing and cleaning out closets.

OK- onto other things!

I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to the Charlotte Observer and Vanessa Willis for an incredible article written about me and my VO business in Sunday's paper. Because I was in LA, I didn't get to see the article until I finally had a moment to sit down and read it while waiting for my plane at LAX. It is such a well-written piece, and is incredibly flattering. They even included a few photos of my home studio while I recorded! The timing is ironic with the new knowledge that I will be leaving Charlotte, but it just shows how great the VO business is...I can take it with me! Thank you once again to Vanessa, Robert, and everyone at the Charlotte Observer. You have been very good to me over the last 7 years.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/276/story/114530.html

On another note, if you are looking to buy a home in the Carolinas, I can help! No, not by selling you my own house (though- let me know if you are interested- hah!), but by guiding you through the Prudential Carolinas Realty website! Just go to www.prucarolinas.com and click on 'Tour Our Site' in the 'One Search' navigation bar. I will then pop up and explain the site! There are a total of 10 videos, and my feelings will be forever hurt if you don't sit through all 10. OK, not really :)

Finally, I wanted to take a moment and say thank you to James and Penny, the creators of VOICE. It was an incredible week filled with incredible connections, and new life-long friends. Thank you for keeping us inspired!

VOICE 2008- Day Five

2008-08-12T14:13:00.002-05:00

Currently, I am sitting at LAX waiting for my flight to take me back to North Carolina. I will spend most of the day on a plane, and won't arrive home until close to midnight my time. In the past hour, I've had to avoid the paparazzi as they chased some gorgeous blonde through the airport. She's now sitting a few feet from me in an airport coffee shop. Part of me wants to ask who she is, but most of me guesses she would prefer to just be left alone. A few minutes ago, I was approached by a woman wanting to know why young people wear high heels on airplanes. Sadly, since I'm a die-hard flip flop girl, I couldn't help her. Another young girl just sat down next to me and asked where I was headed. We talked a moment, she has been in LA for 6 months studying English and is headed back to her home in Mexico City. It occurs to me that the last hour pretty much sums up my time in LA...amazing people, amazing stories, a few strange and random moments...and lots of pictures!

Looking back over the past week, I am so thankful I made the decision to come to LA. I've been here many times before, but there was something special about this trip- something almost...magical.

I decided to sleep in a bit yesterday, as sleep is the one thing that has been missing this week! In the afternoon I headed to Studio City for a private class with Cynthia Songe. Cynthia's name jumped out at me about a month ago as I was looking online for coaches in the area. I'm someone who believes nothing is an accident, and I must always go with my gut. So, I contacted Cynthia who listened to my demos and agreed to drive down from her beach house for an hour session. Well, the hour was actually two hours (Cynthia was so kind to extend our session!), and we had a blast! Since she had already listened to my demos, she decided we should stay away from characters I'm used to voicing, and go for the characters no one would ever picture me voicing. It was wonderful practice, and reminded me to never shy away from a role- I'm more versatile that I give myself credit for!

As I was leaving the studio, Cynthia asked if I wanted to use the restroom before departing. I did, so we said our goodbyes and I went into a different section of the building. As I was leaving, the studio engineer Alex asked how my session went. I told him all about it, and he asked if I knew 'Chuck'? I didn't- so 'Chuck' and I spent a few minutes chatting. He was one of the most fun and completely cool people I've run across in a long time. He asked for my card so he could check out my demos online. Of course, I gave him one! As I was walking to my car, I looked down at the card he had handed me...the name? Chuck Doran!! That's when it hit me who Chuck was- he's a fantastic demo producer Nancy Wolfson had mentioned to me as someone to possibly produce my promo demo. Like I said, there are no accidents in this world, and it was a pleasure to meet Chuck face to face.

After that, I drove a few miles to Wally Wingert's house to tag along with him to his Bleach session. It was a pleasure to see the studio and meet Wendee Lee, the director of Bleach. We had several friends in common, and spent a few minutes chatting before Wally got down to business. Well, it is no doubt why Wally has the reputation as one of the best in the biz- it was incredibe how believable and in the moment his characters are. Plus, he's a total blast in the studio- so I can see why he's cast again and again!

Following that session, we drove to another Studio in Burbank so Wally could preview the trailer to a DVD project he's been working on. When I get home, I will be sure to post links to some of his work on YouTube...Wally is a genius!!

Afterward, we had dinner and I can say that Wally has forever changed the way I look at voice over. We discussed VO, unions, and voice matching. I'm keeping our conversation just between us- but Wally truly inspired me...I can't wait to get home and get to work! I still can't believe Wally took so much time out of his day to hang with me...he really has a heart of gold.

Before heading back to the hotel, I joined my dear friend Kyle Hebert for dessert...that ended up lasting over 2 hours! I caught Kyle up on the week, and took the time to congratulate him on all his success since moving to LA. I'm so proud of my Kyle!!!

I finally made it to bed about 1am, and got up this morning bright and early to get packed and head to the airport. I was shocked when I went to check my e-mail and had very kind notes from Joe Cipriano and Beau Weaver...have I mentioned how much I love this business? Well, I do.

Like I already said, this was a perfect week. I networked, I made new friends...and I find myself renewed in my own passions for voice over. What stuck out to me the most is how wonderful the people are in this business. Joe, Beau, Wally, etc, etc, do not need to take time out of their very successful careers to help others, yet they do. They give back, and I believe that's what makes them truly great.

My thanks to James, Penny, John Florian, Bobbin Beam, and a hundred others for your hard work...but especially for your friendship. Here's to VOICE 2009!

On a different note, while I was away in LA- my local paper, the Charlotte Observer wrote a feature on me in Sunday's paper. It can be found online at http://www.charlotteobserver.com/276/story/114530.html (I'll link to it when I get home) My HUGE thanks to the Observer and Vanessa Willis for such a wonderful article!!!!

VOICE 2008- Day Four

2008-08-11T12:42:00.002-05:00

I made a goal this week to blog every night before bed. I almost made it! Unfortunately, I was just too tired to even see the keyboard last night!

Yesterday began for me when I attended a session with Joyce Castellanos. Joyce is a promo and trailer VO expert, and I was really interested in hearing more about voicing promos. Joyce is one of the sweetest, most wonderful people I've ever met. You would never guess her incredible knowledge of the industry until she starts to speak! Joyce defined the main differences between voicing promos and voicing trailers (promos are more personal, the VO must have an emotional connection to the story and speak with a broader band of inflection, while trailers are more objective with less inflection). She spoke on the differences between comedy, dramady, and dramas. She also said that if you want to get into promo VO, research is your best friend. The more you can research the different types of shows, the better the chance of understanding the script when it is handed to you. Some of my favorite advice Joyce gave was that all scripts are stories, with a beginning, middle, and end. When doing voice over, you must commit completely to your decisions, but be willing to change with direction.

Sadly, since no time had been given for lunch, I had to miss Larry Maizlish's session. Instead, I ran to the food court for a wonderful lunch with Bob and Eric Souer, Bobbin Beam, Chris Rollins, and several other VO's.

When we returned, we met up with Caryn Clark to stake our claim for a front table during Joe Cipriano's promo panel...and what a panel it was!! Joining Joe was Paul Pape, Kat Cressida, Melissa Disney, Beau Weaver, Stew Herrera, and Townsend Coleman. A funny moment happened when Don LaFontaine tried to call in, and no one had a phone with good enough reception to talk to him! The panel was fun and informative to say the least! At the end, I got up to ask a question...I was curious about the one job they each had wanted but it got away. Beau answered, saying if he thought too much about it- he would go crazy. So, he always just let's it go once the audition is sent.

After the panel, I ran back to the hotel for a quick change and headed back for the celebrity banquet. Caryn Clark and I were joined by our dates for the evening, Bob and Eric Souer. Dinner was great, though we had a good laugh when my vegetarian meal looked like a pie crust, fortunately, it was a veggie pot pie and quite delicious! A magician warmed up the crowd, and then Dick Orkin and Christine Coyle took the stage along with James and Penny for an interview. It was a lot of fun, but did run a little long. Afterward, Caryn and I headed upstairs for a cocktail before calling it a night.

Since I have a session today with Cynthia Songe, and am tagging along with Wally Wingert to a VO session, followed by dinner with my dear friend Kyle Hebert- I opted to sleep in and call this a great ending to a successful conference!

Hopefully Pat Fraley will understand :) Something tells me his session this morning was packed and full of fun! I will be sure to blog about today's happenings before heading back to North Carolina. In fact, I've already booked up the rest of the week with work when I return...hope I'm able to catch up on sleep while flying home tomorrow!!

VOICE 2008- Day Three...and a Half

2008-08-10T03:13:00.002-05:00

As I sit down to write out my thoughts and experiences of the day...it's dawned on me that I actually have to flip back through my program to remember where I've been today! Sad. But- it was another incredible day at VOICE!

My first session today was with my voice coach, and branding extraordinaire- Nancy Wolfson! Nancy can explain branding, and the importance of good branding like no one else. It was fun to watch the faces of the folks around me as they 'got it' (Nancy is responsible for my branding, FYI). Nancy talked about the importance of having a strong commercial VO core before plopping down tons of money on branding. Find out who you are as a voice artist and as a person, then hire a professional to guide you through the branding process. By targeting exactly what your sound is, and what you offer- you avoid confusing the consumer by being too broad and all-inclusive. She used cereal boxes to help demonstrate the point. You wouldn't want to open a box of Cocoa Puffs only to find it packed with wheat bran, would you? Same with voice over. Don't put up pictures of rainbows and unicorns on your website if you have a deep, rock and roll sound. Just because you like it, doesn't mean it's 'you'. She also had a variety of t-shirts and we went around the room finding the perfect voices that matched the shirts. I was matched to an adorable pink and purple girly t-shirt with sparkly stars. Not only did it match my voice- it's pretty cute!

After lunch with 'the girls', I attended the session with Randy Thomas. She spoke about the imprtance of dreams, and how being willing to let life guide you can take you to new heights. She was joined by Ariel Ford who taught us how to meditate in such a way as to bring about positive thoughts and feelings, which can help jump start positive changes in your life. Martha Quinn (original MTV VJ) was also there and spoke of her journey through the business. It was a wonderful session, and truly inspiring!

Following Randy's session was a panel with Bob Bergen, several LA agents, and casting directors. They spoke about their perspectives on the VO biz and took several questions from the audience- great stuff!

The last session of the day was one I had really been looking forward to. It was the profesisonal's panel with Peter Rofe. Also on the panel was Terri Apple, Rob Sciglimpaglia, David Guzzone, Keith Arem, and more! But- the man I had really been looking forward to meeting was VO talent, producer, writer, etc, etc- Wally Wingert! Wally does voices on Family Guy, Garfield, and many many more. (www.wallyontheweb.com) The panel took lots of questions from the audience, and gave out great advice. Following the panel, I hung around with my friends September Day Leach and Caryn Clark, waiting for a chance to speak to Wally. He couldn't have been a more humble, wonderful human being!! No one would ever guess the amount of credits on this guy's resume by the way he instantly draws everyone to him. No ego at all!! He even went so far as to invite a few of us at the panel over to his house to have some pizza! So, we drove to Studio City (thank goodness for the rental car) and got to tour Wally's museum...ahem, house. He has autographed and collectibly EVERYTHING! He has letters written to him by Andy Kaufman, Adam West (a good friend of his) and just about every celebrity you can imagine. He also collects movie memorabilia, his place is just too incredible to describe! When Wally found out I had done anime, he invited me to sit in on his next Bleach session this Monday- you better believe I'm gonna be there!!

So, it was another successful, exhausting, overwhelming, fabulous day!

VOICE 2008- Day Two

2008-08-09T00:59:00.002-05:00

Between you and me, I considered putting this post off until tomorrow, as I'm just plain beat from another amazing day! But, I figured it best to put pen to paper..ahem, fingers to keys while the memories were still somewhat fresh in my brain!

The day began at 8am. I received a phone call from my local newspaper with some follow-up questions to an article being written (details to come on Sunday!). Then, I had some other work to take care of...so sadly, I missed both morning sessions at VOICE. Dagummit!

I arrived at the Hyatt at noon, and joined Bobbin Beam, Rick Reid, and a few other voice actors for a quick lunch. After some chit-chat, I went to my first session with Gabrielle Nistico from Voice Hunter. She spoke about the ins and outs of radio imaging. It was truly fascinating, and incredibly informative! Sitting next to me was Rick Party from the VO Universe, an imaging VO extraordinaire! I kept looking over to him for his reaction to Gabby's presentation. It was awesome to see him mouth, 'she's REALLY good' over and over :) I wish I could write out everything she taught, but honestly- there was so much info, it would take me the rest of my time in LA! One of the points she did discuss is the time frame to use when marketing to radio stations. She said most imaging contracts are up in the 4th and 1st quarter of the year, therefore- target most of your marketing in the 3rd and 2nd quarters, just before they are looking for voices. She also showed us how ad-libbing in radio imaging can really raise your value with a station. Great stuff all around!!

After an intermission, I attended the session with Richard Horvitz. My friend and voice coach, Nancy Wolfson had mentioned that Richard's session would be right up my alley, and she was correct!! Richard is so full of life, and really had everyone waiting on the edge of their seats to see what he would say next! It was such a fun session! Richard discussed his daily mantra, "I am enough because I am a human being". I think I will be borrowing that from him! My other favorite thing he mentioned is that there is no right or wrong way to do voice over...only a healthy and un-healthy way. Meaning, if we spend our time second guessing ourselves, or talking ourselves down...we will never be as great as we could be. He was such an inspiration!! After the session, I took a quick photo with Richard and spent some time chatting- what a great guy! I plan to make it back to LA at some point to study with him further.

After the final session of the day, I ran upstairs to check e-mail. While trying to figure out why the wireless internet wasn't working, I ran into Bob Bergen and Deb Munro who were headed to dinner with Marc Cashman, John Taylor, Stefan Chinell, Steven from Audio Technica, and a few others. They were kind enough to invite me along, so I decided it was a great time for some food and great company! Bob had to leave during the meal to attend the AFTRA evening panel. The rest of us chatted, ate, and had a wonderful time. Following dinner, I snuck into the AFTRA panel, where the voice cast from the long-time series "Land Before Time" were speaking. It was wonderful!

At the panel, I ran into Caryn Clark, who was coming back from dinner with Randy Thomas and Peter Rofe. We all hopped over to the bar for a drink and a chat before calling it a night. Peter is a hoot! I can't wait for his panel on Sunday! I've already let him know that he simply must introduce me to Wally Wingert :)

Needless to say, it was another fantastic day here in LA! I'm exhausted (again) but looking forward to tomorrow!!

VOICE- Day One

2008-08-08T01:24:00.002-05:00

Well, it's finally here- the VOICE conference is officially in full swing- and what an event this is shaping up to be!

Let me start from the beginning of this amazing day...Since I was still on east coast time, I woke up around 5am and struggled to lay in bed until 7am. Just before 8am, my phone rang and it was my friend and fellow voice actor Caryn Clark. Since she is very close friends with Randy Thomas (voice of the Oscars, Emmys, Hooked on Phonics, The Insider, ET- and everything else you can think of!), she had been invited by Randy to visit the LA set of The Insider and ET. Caryn and I had made plans to tour LA today, so Caryn asked Randy if I could come along. She said yes!!

So, we arrived at Paramount Studios around 10am and went to the set to watch Randy record the voice over for that day's shows. It was an incredible process to watch. I learned a ton, and developed even more respect for Randy than I already had, which I didn't think possible! We had lunch on the lot, and then Randy took us to the new set of The Insider and ET over at the Studio City lot. While there, we met Kevin Frazier who couldn't have been nicer. It was a great day!

Once we got back to the Hyatt, we registered for VOICE. In the lobby we ran into September Day Leach, Terry Daniel, and Erik Shepard. I ran back to my hotel for a quick shower before the red carpet event.

The red carpet event began at 6pm. The first person I recognized was Beau Weaver as we arrived at about the same time. We chatted a bit, and then went downstairs to where the event was held. I saw Pat Fraley, Bob Bergen, Melissa Disney, Joe Cipriano, and old pals like Bobbin Beam, Julie Williams, Larry Wayne, Bob Souer (and his son Eric), Nina Baeza, Dave Courvosier, Gabby from Voice Hunter...honestly- this list can go on and on and on...it was nearly 3 hours of meeting, greeting, chatting, laughing, networking...and lots of other 'ings'. Really, it was so wonderful to see old friends, new friends, and soon to be friends!

When my feet could take no more, my long-time friend Kyle Hebert, Caryn, fellow anime voice actor John, and I went down to the XBar for some food (since they only serve apetizers, we ordered about 6-7 different ones to make a meal). Kyle and I told lots of stories from our days working together at Radio Disney, probably boring Caryn and John to pieces! It was a great cap off to a great evening.

However, even having met tons of people, I know there were many I missed- so I'm looking forward to the rest of the weekend and the chance to meet even more people!

As I stood outside waiting for my car at the end of the night, a guy asked me what I was in LA for. I told him a conference for voice actors. He asked me what I did for a living. I told him I was...a voice actor. He asked if he had heard my voice and I rattled off a small bit of my VO resume. He stood shaking his head, and finally said, "I really like the Simpsons". I told him I had recently won a contest for the best Lisa Simpson sound-a-like. As my rental Kia pulled up and stopped, I had to admit, "and yet clearly...that's nothing compared to being the real thing..."

So here's to a great weekend and making that one connection that earns me at least a rental Honda by VOICE 2009!

VOICE 2008- Day Zero

2008-08-06T22:48:00.002-05:00

Since VOICE doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, I decided to label this 'Day Zero' as it is my first day of this trip.

It began at 5:45am EDT when I woke up and finished packing for my 8:40am flight out of Charlotte. The flight was delayed, making my connection in Atlanta a rather tight one! Fortunately, I made the plane, and despite the passenger seated near me smelling like cat urine- it was a rather harmless flight. I must say, I am oh-so impressed with the cool new touch screens in the seats! I killed the four hour trip by watching re-runs of Curb Your Enthusiasm and some awful movie starring Ashton Kutcher.

I arrived in LA around 1pm, and grabbed a rental car to head to my hotel. I am not staying at the Hyatt where VOICE is being held- I'm just down the road at the Marriott. It's quite nice!

After a quick bite to eat and check of e-mail, I headed over to Nancy Wolfson's house for a private session. I've been studying with Nancy over the phone for about a year now, and this was my first time meeting her face to face. My first impression was that she is really beautiful! I would kill for that bone structure...but I digress. She is as dynamic, informative, and fun in person as she is over the phone. We worked on mic technique- and I really learned a lot! In fact, I'm anxious to put my new 'stance' into practice when I return!

When I got back to the hotel, I gave my friend and fellow voice actor, Caryn Clark, a call. She also arrived in LA today, and we agreed to meet for dinner. It's always fun to see the 'face behind the voice' and we had a great evening!! In fact, we've already made plans to hit Rodeo Drive and the pool tomorrow :). Since the Marriott is only about a half mile from the Hyatt, I decided to walk. I don't think I'll do that again. The distance is fine, but these are big streets and the cars everywhere scared me! Plus, it's never wise to walk alone at night...so I'll just have to pay the extra parking fees at both hotels. Oh well.

All in all it was a great first...ahem, zero-eth day! Since it is now around 9pm on the Pacific coast- that means my body thinks it is just after midnight. I am exhausted! I am so tired in fact, that I don't even plan to double check this post for mis-spellings and gramatical errors...my appologies!

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's red carpet event, and I'm really wishing I had had the time to get that pedicure I so desperately need. Oh well, hopefully no one will look at my feet.

Headed to VOICE

2008-08-04T21:12:00.003-05:00

It's been a whirlwind couple of weeks for me to say the least...the details of which I will delve into in blogs to come.

However, in my immediate future I will be heading to LA for my second VOICE conference. 2007 was a huge success, and I'm looking forward to seeing old friends and making new ones again this year.

I fly out this Wednesday, and am really excited to finally meet my long-time voice coach and friend, Nancy Wolfson, in person. I've scheduled a private lesson with Nancy just hours after my plane arrives in LA. Then, it's off to the hotel for a bit of rest before the festivities begin on Thursday evening with the red carpet party.

I'm planning to attend sessions with Nancy, Gabriele Nistico from Voice Hunter (you can check out my new Voice Hunter page here!), Chris M. Allport, Julie Williams, Randy Thomas, Joyce Castellanos, Larry Maizlish, and of course all of the keynote speakers and panel guests! I'm also very excited about meeting some of the people I've previously only known online.

Here's the best part, John Florian from Voice Over Xtra has assembled what he calls his 'Dream Team' of bloggers to fill everyone in on the week's festivities. You will be able to read about VOICE from 5 different perspectives (including John's). I am very honored that I have been asked to be one of the contributors, along with Bob Souer, Dave Courvoisier, and Bobbin Beam.

You can read more about it here...and be sure to check the front page of Voice Over Xtra starting this Wednesday and going through Monday. Whether you are at the conference, or you are unable to attend, I hope you'll take a few moments to read the blogs and tell us about your experiences as well!

On a side note, I alluded at the beginning of this post to having a hectic week outside of heading to VOICE. I'll be going into details when I get back from LA, but thought I would share an amusing story in the meantime...

As I was sitting at my computer this evening printing out scripts and checking e-mail, I heard a scratching sound behind my desk. Looking around, I noticed that my dog and two cats were all accounted for, so no- it wasn't coming from them. I heard it again, and immediately ripped everything out from under the table to get a good look and saw...nothing. Then it happened again, so I grabbed a flashlight and alerted my husband that there was clearly a rat under my desk and it was probably going to eat through all the cables of my recording gear. He reminded me that we have two cats, and it was unlikely that a mouse was living in my studio. Then, I heard it again- and with my nerves rocked to the core, I began to pull the desk (computer, mic-pre, MBox and all) away from the wall. That's when I saw movement...

No, it wasn't a mouse or a rat or a vermin of any type...it was a piece of paper in the printer that had come out slightly crooked and was scratching against another paper each time the air conditioner hit it.

The moral of the story? In between sessions at VOICE, you most likely will find me relaxing by the pool with a lovely umbrella drink...it is time for a vacation!

Thoughts From the Week

2008-07-28T09:38:00.002-05:00

I've always been a big believer in Karma and the Golden Rule (do unto others...). Therefore I made my own rule when I first went full-time with voice over: I would always be willing to help out my friends should they need a voice for a project, period. I don't believe money should always be the motivation for doing something I love. Sure, we should be fairly compensated for our talents, but sometimes it's ok to do this job just because we love it, and because we are needed.

Case in point...a couple of weeks ago I got a call from an old friend. He needed a short voice over for a government project he was working on for a local college. They didn't have much of a budget for voice over, and he was looking for someone willing to work pro bono. Since we've known each other for quite some time, I jumped at the chance to see an old pal.

I drove uptown to record the piece, and worked with them on a few script changes during the session. A few days later, I received a call that some of the dates had been incorrect and could I return to record a short pick-up? Of course!

Here's where I believe Karma kicked in...when I was finished with the project, they took me on a walk around the studio. It turns out this studio was getting ready to hold a casting for an animation they were doing. Since I was already in the building, they threw a script my way and invited me to audition!

Perhaps I would have received a call to come in and audition anyway, but perhaps not. I was in the right place at the right time on this particular day. Since I was the only one auditioning, I was able to provide multiple takes, really having fun with the characters. I'm not sure if in the end I will be cast in a part or not, but I'm a believer that just being given the opportunity is 95% of the battle!

Of course, I would have been more than happy helping out regardless of any 'payback' that came my way, but it is always nice when there are unexpected rewards!

On a different note, I've been thinking quite a bit about this blog lately. I do my best to write something every week, while not always succeeding with the frequency. Lately I've noticed less and less visits to the blog, and much fewer comments. I'm fine with this, as the blog is really just an outlet for my thoughts. However, I am curious...are more readers subscribing to the RSS feed, having blog posts delivered to their e-mail, thereby making it so they don't have to visit individual blogs? Could this be why fewer comments are made on this and many other blogs? Or, is it possible that with so many voice actors creating new blogs, that there are simply too many to check on a weekly basis?

An advantage I find to having readers subscribe to the RSS feed is that there is less pressure on me to deliver something new on a daily/weekly basis. I feel like I can post a new blog when I have time, and when I have something relevant to share. The drawback is that I miss the conversation that happens when people leave comments on blogs. I'm curious how others in the blog-o-sphere feel about it?

Finally, one last thought from this past week. As a voice actor, I often find it hard to tear myself away from my studio. I always have a script waiting to be recorded, an e-mail needing to be addressed, or a client needing to be called. It's difficult in this business of last minute jobs to walk away and leave the mic behind. Fortunately, I made the decision last week to do just that. After a job I did in Texas, my sister, nephew, and I took a few days to drive to west Texas to visit my grandpa (I wrote about it in a previous blog). Yes, I'm paying for it this week with a pile of work...but it was worth every minute to spend time with my family. I find it is important to remember to always be there for my clients...but to also be there for myself.

Hope you have a wonderful week!

Avoid The Distractions

2008-07-15T16:25:00.002-05:00

As you can tell, I've gotten a bit behind on my blogging as of late. I made the attempt at writing a new blog last week and it went something like this:

It's funny to me that several people recently have commented that my new camera (a Nikon D60) takes great pictures...but really, isn't the photographer the one taking the pictures? Much like in voice over, when so much discussion is had over microphones, when acting lessons should really come first. Great equipment is essential, but solid training should always come first.

Unfortunately, that was all I could come up with at the time, so I never posted that blog. Plus, since I am not a photographer and have never taken a photography class...I really wasn't in the position to rant! However, I am a voice actor...and this is a blog about all things voice over related...so I thought I'd share a story from this past week that I hope might inspire you in your daily voice acting life.

My grandfather, Herman, will be 93 this year. Now, I'm fortunate to be married to a wonderful man, and to have an incredible father-in-law...but I often say my grandfather is the greatest man alive. He still spends his days on the cotton farm out in West Texas, and never misses a Sunday at church. I've been trying to plan a trip out to see him, because it's been too long since my last visit, but work and life just keep getting in the way.

Since I am planning to spend a week in LA in August to attend VOICE 2008 and receive some private coaching, I have been doing my best to work ahead and complete as many projects as possible over the next couple of weeks. (I have projects every month that I just can't get behind on) I'm a planner, and I had mapped out my July perfectly...or so I thought!

This past Saturday I received a call, I was needed in Texas to record a project. They would need me there the week of July 21st. I immediately thought of my grandfather- wouldn't it be wonderful to also take the 5 hour drive West to see him, since I'll be in Texas anyway? Looking back at the calendar, I realized there was just no way.

Sunday morning we went to church. Now, regardless of what your beliefs are- we can all admit that the simple answers are often right in front of us if we'll just take the time to look. At the end of the service our Pastor offered a prayer. He prayed that as we went on with our week, we wouldn't let the little distractions of the days keep us from realizing the gifts we are given.

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been so caught up in busy, busy, busy that I hadn't realized how amazing it was that I had just been given a free trip to Texas in which I could do some work, and then go see my grandfather like I had been wanting to for so long.

I came home, looked closely at my calendar and realized it would be no problem at all to make this happen. Sure, I'll have to work a little harder this week (and believe me- I have been!), and it will have to be a shorter trip than I would have liked...but I get to see my grandpa and that is the greatest gift of all.

I hope that as you struggle through the week, whether it's trying to fit all the work in, or trying to bring the work to you, that you'll take a minute to appreciate the gifts in your own life. I've been reminded that when you do, the rest just falls into place.

As a side note: anyone wanting to see the photos my new camera takes can check out my Flickr page. I'm sure you'll see why I plan to stick to voice acting :)

New Membership Level at Voices.com

2008-07-02T15:36:00.002-05:00

Stephanie from Voices.com sent me an e-mail today with information about their new platinum membership service on the site...

The Platinum Membership includes your very own Voices.com website as well as listings on 10 niche voice over websites, a public relations campaign, ad placement on the Voices.com advertising network, 100 MB of storage for your MP3 voice-over demos, videos, priority ranking in the search results and unlimited Featured Talent Directory listings, and access to the industry's hottest freelance voice-over jobs.

You can read more about it at VOX Daily or on the Voices.com site.

I can see where this would be a great investment in one's voice over career, but I've always been known to take my time in making business decisions. Only the first 100 people will be allowed to sign on, so if this is something you are interested in, you'll want to jump on it. The price of an annual membership is $1,995.

I'm curious what folks think of this new step from Voices, and if you think the other sites will follow suit. Feel free to leave a comment, as I'm interested to hear opinions!

Getting Through the Week...

2008-06-30T16:38:00.004-05:00

As a full-time voice actor, we often encounter weeks where several large projects need to be recorded in a short amount of time. For me, last week was one of those weeks.

In one short week I needed to record and produce a multitude of projects, any one of which would have taken several days by themselves. I hadn't planned for all of these projects to coincide, but they did! As voice actors, we need to always be prepared to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. These are a few of the things I did last week that I believe made it possible to complete all of my work on time:

1. Make a schedule. First thing Sunday evening, I sat down and mapped out how long I believed each project would take and the order I felt was best to record them in. I decided to leave the projects that would strain my vocals the most for the end of the week, knocking out the 'straight stuff' first.

2. Get ready to throw out the schedule! First thing Monday morning, a project came up that needed to be recorded right away. Then, a call came that a studio uptown needed me to record a project the following afternoon. Finally, I was asked to record another project outside of my studio later in the week. As new projects presented themselves, I was constantly modifying my plan of attack. Needless to say, I quickly figured out that I needed to...

3. Ignore the phone. Don't get me wrong here, don't ignore your studio phone- always be there when your clients need you! The calls to ignore are the ones from your friends and family that want to chit chat. I sent an e-mail on Monday to my family letting them know I was on a self-imposed phone ban for the week. I remember reading once that you strain your voice more on the phone than in person because you need to project more, therefore the phone was off limits unless absolutely necessary! I also kept conversation in the house to a minimum. Of course, I talked with my husband...but the lengthy conversations with my pets (yes, I'm one of those people) came to a halt.

4. Watch the diet. I was extra careful all week not to eat too much dairy, no coffee, and no wine. I didn't want anything that might get in the way of being able to voice projects for hours at a time. I drank a ton of water (ok, it was more like 'gallons', not 'tons') to stay hydrated, and had a bunch of apples on hand to help kill mouth noise from using my voice so much.

5. Take a break. One of the projects I was voicing really took a lot out of me. It had about 3,000 lines all of which were read with extremely high energy in a challenging voice. About half way through, I was feeling worn down and decided to take a short nap. It was a good decision! Once I woke up, I had renewed energy and knocked out the rest of the project, actually finishing it a day ahead of schedule! Everyone takes breaks, regardless of their profession, and we need to remember to do the same. Get outside, watch a little TV, just let your voice and your mind rest from time to time and you will do better in the long run!

I remember making the comment on Sunday evening that it would be a miracle if I still had my voice come Friday. Well, miracles happen- and I still had my full voice Friday night! I do think that not overdoing it, pacing myself, and taking each project one at a time really helped. I was able to schedule everything so that each project received my full focus and attention, and my work never suffered. Not allowing myself to be distracted by the phone, or by e-mails also helped. Of course, the fact that I adore what I do for a living didn't hurt! :)

It Just Might Pay to be Nice!

2008-06-20T13:23:00.002-05:00

My husband likes to tease me from time to time for my 'do-good' attitude by calling me 'Poppins', short for Mary Poppins. Admittedly, I do have a small complex about how one action can bring about another action that might have a negative result.

In short, I'm a big believer in Karma.

Today I was reminded that you never really know when something you do might leave a very bad taste in someone else's mouth...and who that someone might just be.

Let me explain...this morning I had a voice session in uptown Charlotte. I was running about 10 minutes early (I always arrive 10-15 minutes before the session is scheduled to begin) and was not exactly driving with my 'pedal to the metal'.

As I exited off the highway and turned right onto the side street, and car came flying up behind me. He tried to go around me on my right, but I was in the process of changing lanes so I could make my next turn. So, he spun around to my left and went past me at a very high rate of speed. Then, he cut me off to make the next turn.

I've been known to call out a name or two to bad drivers, but I don't have what most would call 'road rage'. So- I kept driving, only it dawned on me that Speed Racer and I were making the same turns (he was now ahead of me). When he pulled into the studio ahead of me, it was all I could do to keep from getting out of the car laughing hysterically!

It was clear by the look on his face that he was surprised when the 'slow poke' pulled in behind him. Without a word, we both entered the studio. We were handed scripts and realized we would be in the session together.

Honestly, he was a very nice guy, and crazy talented- we had a great session. I never said anything about our driving experience, and neither did he.

Driving home, it dawned on me...what if I had been the producer, the director, or worse- the client? THAT would have made for an uncomfortable session! Hah!

In our business, you never know who the next person is that will be hiring you, directing you, working with you, or discovering your abilities. It pays to be kind to everyone you meet, because it's a small world and most people have very good memories. A bad first impression will always stick, while a good first impression can bring about great things.

Deviated and Proud of It!

2008-06-12T13:47:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a short bout I had with laryngitis. A few days of silence seemed to clear things right up, but I decided to finally make an appointment with an ear, nose, and throat specialist just to have things checked out.

In the 12 years since I first began earning a paycheck for using my voice, I have never seen an ENT. I read somewhere recently that professional voice actors, singers, announcers, etc should always have a good ENT on speed dial just in case. So, I decided it was time I get a complete check up. I went to my insurance website and found a list of doctors in my plan. Then, I researched and read a few reviews. It didn't take long for me to settle on Dr. B, and I made an appointment for this morning.

The staff was fantastic, and Dr. B is clearly top notch. We began with a full history, and I explained that my voice is my life. She then sprayed some horribly foul tasting stuff into my nose to numb everything before inserting a small camera inside to have a look around.

About a year ago, my allergist commented that I have very small nasal passages. Of course, I found this to be hilarious since I've always felt I have a rather large nose. However, what Dr. B found actually surprised me. I have a deviated septum.

A few of my friends over the years have mentioned that they had deviated septums, but I've never really understood what that meant. I've been doing a little research, and in my own terms, it means the nasal passage is slightly crooked. For some, it can cause trouble breathing, sleep disorders, or recurring sinus infections. Since I've never known differently, I'd say I breathe just fine, and I've never had trouble sleeping. However, I spent many years fighting sinus infections prior to allergy shots and my neti pot (which, I was told only works for some people- I'm glad I'm one of them!).

I was surprised that I had never been told about this deviated septum, but then again- this was my first ENT experience. The doctor explained that for some people, surgery is a good idea to fix the deviation. She also said because of my career as a voice actor, she was strongly opposed to such action. Apparently, this mild deviation has something to do with the sound of my voice. She said surgery would absolutely change my vocal resonance- something I would not be ok with.

What really struck me ironic was that nearly 13 years ago, I strongly considered plastic surgery to 'fix' the appearance my nose. I spent my teen years dreaming of the day that I would get my perfect nose, and what it would look like. However, when I finally had enough money saved to do it...something inside of me couldn't go through with it. In the years since, I've toyed with the idea, but again...never followed through.

Knowing what I know now about how so many of our 'parts' work together to create our individual sound, I am so thankful everything is the way it is! I know for many surgery is a good choice, but at this time, for me- it just isn't. I have a feeling it is this slight deviation in my nose that helps me create character voices, sound naturally young, etc.

Voice acting is my passion, and Dr. B unintentionally reminded me just how blessed I am to have the ability to do it!

At the end of my appointment, word had spread that I was the voice that many of the nurses and assistant's children listened to on various shows and programs. So- with a numb nose and a deviated septum, I gave them a few 'voices' as well as an autograph or two for the kidos. Needless to say, they made my day :)

A Little Extra Goes a Long Way

2008-06-07T14:33:00.002-05:00

There is a long debated topic amongst working voice actors: what rates to charge for which services. The debate ranges from the time spent recording, to overall usage, to length of script, etc...and there is no right or wrong answer (OK, there is a WRONG answer...but that's a different topic).

Something that recently caught my eye on one of the message boards was a discussion about rates for editing audio. I wondered if I should feel foolish after reading it, because I have never charged extra to edit my audio before sending it to the client. Whether it's simply editing out the dead space between multiple takes after a phone patch session, or editing out everything except the best possible take...I've always considered editing to be part of the job. Smaller files mean less rendering, less space taken up on my ftp, and they are ultimately easier for the client to deal with during post-production.

After reading the thread on the message board, I started thinking back to my sessions from the past few days...

One was ISDN (so no editing required there), two were fully produced audio pieces (so of course that was edited), one was just voice (edited and uploaded to ftp), and two more were via phone patch.

Of the two phone patch sessions, one was a first-time client and one was a long-time client.

The first-time client was incredibly friendly- we had a good laugh when he admitted he was directing me from the back of his RV while he and his crew were driving across several states to their next video production gig. It made me realize what an incredibly cool and high-tech world we live in where he can work on one job while traveling to the next! We also talked about his last vacation with his family, a bit about my career in voice over, etc. Since I like to charge by the job and not by the hour, it's wonderful to spend a few minutes getting to know a bit about my client when the client's time permits. At the end of the session, I edited together the client's preferred takes, leaving small spaces between each one for post-production, then uploaded them to ftp.

My second phone patch session was with my long-time client. Since he's become a dear friend as well as a client, we spent a few minutes catching up before getting down to business. During recording, I kept track of his favorite takes, and then we decided it would be helpful if he could hear the best takes edited together. It was no problem, as I quickly edited together a final piece for approval. Once we had things the way he wanted, we decided it would be funny to put together a 'fake' take so he could play a prank on his co-workers. Back in the booth, I came up with a crazy character voice and tried to keep a straight face as I once again recorded the commercial. I uploaded both edited versions to my ftp as well as some additional takes in case he needed a different edit down the road. The entire session only took an hour of my time, but reminded me how much fun this job can truly be!

You see, I'm someone who doesn't like sessions in which I enforce time constraints. It's different if my client is in a hurry- but if they prefer a leisurely pace, then so do I. I also find it's the little 'extras'...like editing a file or being willing to have fun by providing silly outtakes...that make my clients more comfortable with my services. In addition, getting to know my clients a little gives my services a more personal touch. It makes the sessions feel less like work and more like just having a little fun while getting the work done.

Perhaps it's because I'm comfortable producing audio as well as recording it that editing doesn't seem like a big deal to me. I would never fault anyone for feeling differently, our differences are what make us valuable and keep our clients coming back. However, if I were to offer any advice to an up and coming talent it would be this, be willing to give a little extra now and then. Not only will your clients be grateful, you might find it keeps things just a bit lighter and more fun for you too!

Sometimes, Silence is Not Golden...

2008-05-29T17:01:00.002-05:00

Eight years ago, I came down with a very serious case of laryngitis. It was after a six hour session voicing a seven year old boy followed by a way-too-late evening out with friends. I was told by my doctor to be completely silent for two weeks...which put my radio job and voice over career in jeopardy.

Needless to say, eight years ago I learned a very, very, VERY valuable lesson! Since then, I've always treated my voice with the utmost kindness. I never yell (unless it's during a recording session), not even at sporting events. I drink tons of fluids, and I warm up properly before sessions.

However, despite my mildly obsessive ways, Mr. Laryngitis came calling this week for only the second time in my career.

Don't get me wrong, I've had a hoarse voice before- particularly after long sessions...but there is a difference between being hoarse, being vocally tired, and having laryngitis. Laryngitis is when your vocal chords swell causing the air to pass by them creating a weak or distorted sound. (Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a speech therapist, and these are simply my own observations)

Over the Memorial Day weekend, I attended Animazement, a fantastic anime con that takes place annually in Raleigh, NC. After attending last year and becoming hoarse from too much talking and 'doing voices', I decided to take it as easy as possible this year. I was restrained when voicing characters, I got plenty of rest, and I drank a TON of water. However, I realized early on that my nemesis was not the talking itself, rather the lack of proper ventilation in the hotel. I am allergic to dust, and it was very clear to me that my allergies were in overdrive all four days.

Upon returning Sunday night, I decided it would be wise to talk as little as possible. Monday morning, I realized it wouldn't matter- my voice was shot. I knew I had until Wednesday at 2:30 to get it back. Despite desperately needing to work on a large project throughout the week, Wednesday I had a session scheduled I couldn't back out of.

So- I went silent. Completely silent.

I e-mailed my client with the on-going project and asked for a deadline extension of a few days. No problem. Then, I loaded in some new music beds I had just received and started working on production elements...all the while sitting in silence.

My husband took to interpreting my hand signals and poor writing on a pad of paper I carried around. He also adjusted to blank stares in response to any questions. After day 2 had passed he mentioned that he was amazed at my ability to truly be silent for so long. (Followed by a comment that this was what most husbands dreamed for...yeah, he'll pay for that later!)

I wrote that I learned a valuable lesson eight years ago, and silence was the only cure to this ailment.

Wednesday morning I began with a few vocal warm ups. Some simple stuff as to not strain my recovering vocals. While I knew I wasn't in 'full voice', I felt confident I would get through the session OK. It went wonderfully! The other actor had a slight cold, so we had a big laugh about our mutual ailments. The client was thrilled, and I immediately resumed my silent ways.

As of today, my voice is about 95%. I'm still taking it easy until tomorrow when I have 2 projects I have to voice. I'll also spend my weekend catching up on the projects I fell behind on.

I realize how lucky I was this time around, to 'cure' in a few days what once almost cost me my career. As voice actors, it is up to us...and only us...to take care of our instrument. Even with a stack of projects to complete, we have to put our long-term vocal health first. Silence for a few days is nothing when my dream career is on the line.

Supply / Demand

2008-05-21T09:53:00.002-05:00

For well over a year now I've been buying my pet food from a local holistic supplier. Our dog suffers from acid reflux, and it was a challenge to find food she could eat. She couldn't have grain, corn, wheat, etc- and this one store was the only place I found that carried foods that met our specifications.

Shortly after we became customers of this store, the pet food recall happened. Suddenly, thousands of people began switching their pets to holistic and all-natural foods. I loved it, because I'm a supporter of all things holistic, organic, and all-natural! I was also pleased because this sudden increase in demand pretty much guaranteed that our new favorite pet store wouldn't be going out of business anytime soon!

This morning, I stopped in to stock up on pet supplies and noticed that prices had gone up. I asked the owner if it was due to the massive increase in fuel costs to ship the food. She explained to me that fuel costs were one reason, and the other was due to so many people switching to all-natural pet foods and the farmers and butchers not being able to keep up with demand.

You see, many of the well known pet food brands are made from the scraps left over after 'people' food is packaged. Holistic and all-natural foods are made from scratch. It's the same problem we are finding with corn and rice...there just isn't enough to feed everyone and produce alternative fuels.

Now, I realise that those of you that read this blog are very intelligent and don't need a lesson in simple economics, but I found it interesting that our voice over industry is experiencing a similar problem, only the opposite is at play.

There has been an influx of people trying to break into the voice over industry in the last few years, and it seems to grow exponentially each year. Basically, the supply has far surpassed the demand (and no, I don't believe there is enough work for every person making a run at VO like we all hear over and over!). I realize how fortunate I am to have many years in the business under my belt and a variety of regular clients that keep me hopping. However, I wonder about those just getting started, how do you make a ripple in such a vast pond?

Voice over is becoming an Internet based business, with each actor having their own website, home studio, and ability to audition with a relatively inexpensive membership to a variety of VO sites.

One of the studios I work with sent out a fantastic marketing postcard recently. It talked about how some places allow anyone with a microphone to audition, while they have a very select group of true professionals to choose from. Had I been a company looking for a voice, this would have sold me!

What it all boils down to is raw talent, knowledge, and experience. When this 'food crisis' began being touted in the media, I was happy to know I had a garden full of vegetables waiting in my backyard. When the 'inundation' of voice talent was being discussed on the message boards, I was glad to know I had experience in my corner.

The world is changing on a daily basis, and new ideas are being presented all the time. It takes drive and passion to push through barriers, and those that work the hardest will shine through the rest of the 'supply'. Just as the demand for all-natural foods skyrocketed when people realized the dangers associated with the 'cheaper' brands, so will the demand for all-natural talent.

It is just simple economics, afterall :)

Well Rounded

2008-05-11T12:33:00.002-05:00

I receive many e-mails each week from people wanting to break into the voice over industry. I sometimes find it difficult to explain just what it takes to make a living in this business. This morning I was thinking about it, and may have come up with a decent comparison.

I was watching the movie 'Funny Face' starring Fred Astaire and Audry Hepburn. It was released in 1957. My husband came into the room and remarked that I love watching old movies. I explained to him that I especially love old movies because the actors had to be multi-talented. They had to act, sing, dance, etc. Without special effects, the directors had to rely solely on the talents of the actors to carry the movie, and I love watching true talent!

Being a successful voice actor is much like being a successful actor in the 'old days'...the more well rounded you are, the more uses there will be for your services. For example, the most famous movie stars are able to transform into any character. In voice over, animation is not the only place where we transform. In the last week I've gone from a woman gabbing with her friends over lunch, to a 12 year old giving advice, to a mom reading a story to her children, to a voice selling a product. In these instances, it was less about 'changing my voice' and more about 'selling the real person'. None of these involved a silly cartoon voice, they were each very realistic and very different.

2008 has also brought about several projects that required me to sing. I am not a trained singer, and never thought much of my voice...but I decided that if I had the confidence to use my voice to speak, then I could be confident in my ability to carry a tune. Turns out I have a stronger voice than I thought I did! Like the legendary actors we admire, a voice actor must be willing to tackle any role, and never say 'I can't'. How can you know what parts you are right for if you aren't willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone?

While voice actors are rarely seen, there is a form of 'dancing' involved with each job. One of the many things Bob Bergen teaches in his class is to physically become the character. When I voice a child, I fidget like a child. When I voice a mom, I put my hand on my hip and an all-knowing smile in my voice. We also must be able to 'dance' with the mic- otherwise known as mic technique (something that must be taught by a coach in person).

A great actor on the big screen must clearly possess natural talent and drive, but the best have also spent a lifetime studying their craft. I've been studying voice acting for over a decade, and I am nowhere near done with my lessons. I believe learning never ends. Not only do I study with some of the best coaches, I try to take something away from each session I do. What can I do better, different? How can I continue to stand out from the crowd?

Being a voice actor is much, much more than having an interesting voice. Even with technology as it is, with the ability to alter voices and add effects, you want to give the producer as much to work with as possible. You want to be well rounded, multi talented, and endlessly flexible. That is what I believe it takes to be in this business, and I make this my goal each day.

A Few Things...

2008-05-02T09:13:00.002-05:00

John Florian, creator of Voice Over Extra, has posted the results of a survey he conducted regarding health insurance for freelance voice actors. It's an interesting read, thanks John!

After a whirlwind April, I welcomed a couple of days this week that were relatively slow. Anytime I get the sense that a day may be open, I always try to schedule in some rest and relaxation. Genetics gave me high blood pressure at an early age, and I have found that through diet, exercise, and self discipline- I can stay medicine free.

Yesterday I planned to take a day off, or so I thought! I scheduled a morning massage and planned an afternoon hike with the dog. Shortly after my massage, work came calling...which is never a bad thing! My afternoon was spent recording, including a fun ISDN session with a great client! (Don't ya just love the clients that are happy with everything you do?)

It was a reminder that as freelance talent, we are never really 'off' for a day. We always have to be willing to be available with little to no notice. This is one of the main reasons I became a freelance voice actor, I love not always knowing what exciting jobs may pop up at any given moment. It keeps life fun and spontaneous!

Now, back to that glorious massage...I've been seeing Vera for a little over a year now. My wonderful husband got me a membership to a nearby spa that specializes in all types of massages. I'm a believer in the overall health benefits, so I try to make it in at least once a month.

In each of the rooms of the spa, music plays over a loud speaker. It is always something calming: a tropical beach sound, an Asian garden, soft piano, etc. However, yesterday- right in the middle of my massage- a very strange song came over the speaker. I'm not sure of the name (I plan to look it up later), but it is the song often played during a formal wedding when the bridal party makes their entrance. It is also the theme song of a national jewelry commercial- though I can't think of which jeweler at the moment.

All I know, is the song is beautiful....and very, very formal sounding. In an instant- my mind went from lying on a sunny beach listening to the waves lap onto the sand...to sitting in a pew wondering if my shoes really match my dress. It completely took me away from my environment and transported me to a cousin's wedding I once attended!

It started me thinking (imagine that!) about the person that chooses the songs for the spa. Technically, it is a beautiful song with lovely piano and a rolling chorus. However, put in the context of a relaxing massage, it just didn't 'fit'.

Now, I always find a way to relate everything back to voice over, so here it goes...

Have you ever listened to a demo and there is one spot that doesn't seem to flow right with the rest of the spots? It really takes away from the overall effectiveness of the demo. Your mind gets 'stuck' thinking about the strangeness of the transition, while you miss the 3 spots that follow.

It is important when compiling a demo that you tell a story, that each spot flows easily to the next- taking your listener on a journey. While a particular commercial, narration, imaging bit, etc might sound great on its own, it doesn't mean it will sound good in the overall context of your demo. It is important to have objective ears listen to your demo before you post it for clients to hear, someone else may hear something odd that you hadn't noticed.

If your brand is that of "young, fun, and fresh", you don't want to have a demo that only showcases your 'mature' side. Sure, you can fit something in to show your range- just make sure it flows naturally and doesn't distract the listener from your overall message.

It is remarkable how music and sound can transport us, so make sure you transport your listener to the places that best represent who you are as a voice actor.

VOICE 2008

2008-04-24T20:40:00.003-05:00

If you are someone that has followed this blog for a while, then you are likely someone who has visited some of the voice over message boards from time to time. Lately, there have been many threads posted discussing the upcoming VOICE 2008 conference going on in LA in August.

I attended VOICE 2007, and had the time of my life. I had been hesitant to commit to attending VOICE this year for a variety of reasons. The majority of the reasons were personal (my husband and I hope to put our house on the market around that time, but we may push that back). However, I really wanted a confirmation of some sort that VOICE 2008 would be as great as 2007. I wanted to know that I would learn a ton and have an opportunity to connect with some of the best in LA.

While I did pick up some great morsels of information at VOICE 2007, the best part was networking with fellow voice actors and producers. My fear this year was that it would be too tailored to those new to voice over. I also worried that some of my pals from last year might not be there this year.

I'm someone who likes to see a 'sign' that lets me know what I should do. So- I sat back to see if anything would pop up letting me know I should go.

My sign came 2 days ago in the form of an e-mail from Judy Steidl. My pal Bobbin Beam had thrown my name into the hat of folks to join the Advanced Team for VOICE 2008. I recognized the sign, and immediately signed up for VOICE!

Let me say, I am SO glad I did! I just finished my first conference call with the Advanced Team (including James and Penny). I can not express how thrilled I am with some of the items James and Penny are cooking up for the conference.

I'm not allowed to spill the beans just yet, but I want to encourage each of you to sign up for the newsletter at the VOICE 2008 website. Announcements are coming soon that will really put VOICE on a new level. Whether you are just getting into voice over, or are a seasoned professional- this is going to be an amazing event.

Early bird registration ends May 15th, so if you are planning to attend, you'll want to hop to it!

I know I can sometimes be a skeptic, and I believe asking questions and making people think is a good thing. I will say- for me- it has now been confirmed that this event is going to be worth every penny . [Although I'm still amazed at the $20 a day parking, which I'm told is normal in LA! This small town girl has never paid $20 to park a car!]

I'm pumped about VOICE, and I can't wait to see what else James and Penny have up their sleeves. If tonight is any indication- it's going to be a wild weekend!

If you are attending, make sure to say hello!

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T11:11:00.002-05:00

Earth Day is a special day for me. Not only because I am passionate about our planet, but also because two years ago today my husband and I were married.

It was a coincidence that our wedding fell on Earth Day, yet it was so appropriate considering he is a meteorologist and I am a supporter of living 'green'.

It's been very exciting to watch as the word 'green' has become something wonderful, something to strive for. No longer are conservationists considered 'tree-huggers', they are looked at in a positive light. It is now hip to be green- YAY!

Even better...and Kermit the Frog would love this...it is easy being green!

New products are popping up all the time...household cleaners made with essential oils in place of dangerous fragrances, energy saving appliances (even light bulbs can now conserve energy!), organic foods, etc.

If each day we all do at least one thing positive for our planet, it not only changes our lives, it changes the Earth for future generations.

Last year I wrote a blog about how voice actors can take small steps to conserve energy and live a greener life. I hope you will take a few minutes to read it.

In addition to the suggestions listed, I have found a few more fantastic items and ideas that can help your business while helping the Earth:

1. Microfiber Electronics Cloth. It is important to keep our equipment free of dust and pet hair. These cloths can be used over and over on computer screens, keyboards, and all audio and video equipment. Plus, they can be washed and used again! No more sprays, and less waste from disposable cloths.

2. Energy Star. Look for vacuums and appliances with this label. Not only do they conserve water and energy, they are tax deductible! (Please speak with your accountant first) Make sure you are using energy saving light bulbs in your lamps and fixtures.

3. Stop printing those scripts! I am guilty of this myself. so many scripts, so much ink, so much paper wasted. After a recent project had me printing 45 full color pages to read, I knew I had to make a change. I added a shelf to my recording booth so I can set up my laptop to read scripts from. Easy!

4. Ebay. Yes, I mentioned this a year ago, but wanted to drive home the point. If you need new equipment, why not buy used? It is unlikely anyone will ever know that mic-pre has a tiny scratch on it's left side...and you'll save money while keeping one more non-biodegradable object out of a landfill.

5. Clean up. I mentioned the microfiber cloths, but did you know how much dust and pet hair can become trapped inside our equipment? Over the weekend, we took the casing off my computer, and in only a few short months since it's last cleaning, it was full of cat hair. Cleaning out the insides of electronics helps prolong their life and overall efficiency.

So, there you go- 5 more easy ways to be a greener voice actor! I'd love to know the many ways you conserve, so feel free to leave a comment!

Finally, a very happy anniversary to my amazing husband. Thank you for your support, love, and friendship...you mean the world to me.

Because I Can

2008-04-19T09:09:00.003-05:00

I started this blog a year and a half ago because I missed having an outlet for my thoughts after more than a decade spent on the radio sharing my life. I try to be helpful, and I try to give a glimpse into the life of one voice actor building a business. Lately, there's been something on my mind- and I've decided to write about it...as delicately as possible. As I tend to do, I'll be comparing two opposite thoughts in the hopes that the comparison will sell my point.

I've had my Blue Point Birman cat, Xen, for 9 years now. He is one of those cats with a huge personality that everyone loves because he is so beautiful. One of the things I love most about him, is his ability to constantly push my buttons. He will do anything and everything to get my attention.

Case in point...most mornings I wake up in a very strange position on the bed. My head is not on the pillow, and I am often contorted down near the foot of the bed. Why? Because as soon as my husband leaves for work in the morning, Xen starts slowly pushing me off my pillow. Because I am asleep, I don't even realize it's happening. He will lick my forehead, claw at my hair, lightly bite me...anything to get me to inch by inch move away from my pillow. Once he is successful, he stretches out like a King across my pillow and sleeps the morning away. What makes this so funny, is that we have dozens of pillows in the house that Xen could choose to sleep on. He could even take over my husband's pillow once he is gone. However, Xen has a point to prove- he takes my pillow for the simple reason that he can.

What Xen doesn't understand is that we both lose when he does this. I spend the morning trying to get my pillow back, and both of our sleep is disturbed because of it...nothing is gained by this little competition.

OK- here comes the comparison to voice over. I've noticed some major jobs popping up on the pay to play sites lately with extremely low budgets. EXTREMELY low budgets. They are jobs we would all want to have, but at the rates posted, I am amazed that anyone goes for them.

I believe when one voice actor takes a national job for the price of a local commercial, it hurts all of us- including the actor that accepted the job. Sure, they can promote the fact that they booked a huge gig, but does that tiny perk outweigh the overall damage done?

Those of us with many years under our belt as voice actors have always said the client will get what they pay for. If they offer considerably less money than they should, they will only be able to book a less than stellar voice. Sadly, in the last few weeks I've noticed that isn't the case. Decent actors seem to be taking these jobs to have something to promote. It's a short term gain for them in exchange for a long term loss to the voice acting community.

Much like my cat Xen, once he learned that he could push me off my pillow...he continued to do so. If clients are able to find decent voices for small budgets, then the rest of us will suffer. I do not blame the client for this. If I could build a great house for a fourth the price, I would!

Personally, I refuse to drop my rates for any job. Why? Because I've spent thousands of dollars on great equipment, voice coaches, training, website, etc, etc. Voice actors have a larger overhead than most would expect, and I need to maintain my rates to profit.

Plus, I know I'm worth it. So, I'll continue to fight Xen for my pillow, and I'll continue to audition for jobs that are willing to pay the fair rates. I believe if we all maintain the same integrity, in the end- we will all win.

I'd like to add, I did not write this blog to ruffle any feathers. Nor do I think I am going to change the way anyone operates. However, if one person just getting into the business reads this and decides to stick to the fair rates...then I will have succeeded in my mission.

Student of Success

2008-04-14T08:49:00.003-05:00

My pal Stu Gray has tagged me for a recent blog he wrote. It's about being a student of your own success, and he asked several of us voice actors to answer 4 questions.

1. What habits have enabled you to become successful?
Consistency is key to any success. My clients know they can rely on me to deliver a quality product on time (or ahead of schedule). It also pays to be friendly and flexible. Working as a freelance actor/voice actor means I don't have to adhere to staunch corporate rules. I can work with my client to meet their expectations. I have found no better marketing tool than simple word of mouth, therefore I give each project 100%

2. What habits have blocked you from success?
Fear and self doubt. In a profession such as voice over, the 'competition' is staggering. It is easy to doubt my abilities when I am not hired for a job. Fear has prevented me in the past from picking up the phone to market and sell my services. Cold calling is one of my greatest weaknesses. I also suffer from mild stage fright. I've been working very hard to overcome all of these obstacles. There is no room for self doubt in this business. I've been blessed with a thick skin from years in radio, and I work to keep my confidence levels high.

3. What advice would you give a young VO professional?
Keep your day job. Seriously! I receive so many e-mails per month from people ready to quit their jobs and become full time voice actors. I guess it sounds so glamorous. They have no idea the amount of work it will take to build a client base. Many of these folks have only had one or two jobs and think the clients will just appear. I always tell people to keep their day job, and do voice over on the side. When voice work is paying more than their day job salary, then it's time to consider a switch to full time.

The other advice I give is to never stop learning. Continue studying with different voice coaches, taking acting and improv lessons, singing lessons, etc. We must always work to improve our craft and challenge ourselves.

4. Whats the best book(s) you have read to help you become successful at what you do?
This will sound funny, since it's not a book about voice over...but Smart Women Finish Rich is one of the best books I have read. As a freelance non-union actor, it is up to me to put money back for my retirement. I have to keep my earnings and expenses organized, pay taxes, etc. The more business knowledge one possesses (branding, marketing, networking, book keeping, etc), the better the chances of overall success.

Thanks Stu- this was fun! I look forward to reading everyone's response to the questions!

Can I Take Five?

2008-04-13T10:47:00.002-05:00

This past Friday morning I had an on-camera session, filming a series of web videos. I was fortunate to work with one of my new favorite production companies, as well as a terrific client and ad agency.

The beautiful and talented make-up artist on set had to actually pin me into my brown wool suit as it was about one size too large. So, there were large clips and invisible tape running all along my spine and across my collar bone. From the front, everything was clean and crisp...from the back, I looked like a giant science experiment!

Because of the time spent locking me into my mark, I didn't want to move around very much- lest I pop any pins or have pieces of my hair fall out of place.

The first hour moved along smoothly. I had a total of ten sections to record via teleprompter (which I was told was the smallest teleprompter in existence, a fact I can attest to!). With only 3 sections left, I started feeling slightly dizzy.

Because of the massive studio lights (the largest I had ever seen) and my dark wool suit (which felt more like a corset than a suit), I was sweating profusely. The beautiful and talented make-up artist was having to 'blot' me between every take. I was slowly beginning to dehydrate, and was in desperate need of some sugar (having filmed through lunch).

But, I wanted to keep going. I didn't want to risk messing up all the pins along my spine, and I wanted to get us back on schedule (the previous production had run long, and I was hoping to help everyone out). So I continued to push through.

With only two sections left to go, I started getting that 'sinking' feeling...like I might actually pass out. The director was watching me closely and asked if I would like to take a break.

No, no- I'm fine, I said. Then I had a flashback to some reality show I had seen one time (I can't remember which one- something to do with modeling). One of the girls was succumbing to hypothermia but continued with the shoot. In the end, her photos suffered because of it.

So, I re-thought my answer and asked if I could take a few minutes to sit down out of the lights. Of course, it was no problem and the client took those five minutes to discuss some changes to the script.

In the end, the break worked out for everyone. My pins stayed in place. I felt much better, and the client was able to make the necessary changes. The production ended right on time.

Driving home afterward, I thought about why I was so afraid to take a break. What did I have to prove? What if I had passed out...that would have delayed production much longer than my tiny break did! Knowing my limits came across as much more professional than giving a sub-par performance.

It is impossible to give your best if you are running on empty. You suffer, the production staff suffers, and ultimately the client and the product suffer.

From now on, I will never be afraid to take five and recharge. Whether it's a long voice over session or an on camera session, walking away for a minute can help the mind and body refocus. In the end, everyone wins!

Necessities

2008-04-07T11:07:00.002-05:00

It has been a very busy few weeks for me, which I am extremely thankful for. When you work freelance, you never know from day to day what type of projects may land in your lap. In just this last week, I voiced a large e-learning project, an children's audiobook project, several radio commercials...and even managed a couple of on camera jobs.

I don't want to bore you with my day to day happenings (like in my previous blog- hah!), but I thought I would share a few of the items I have found that make my life as a voice actor much easier.

No, I'm not talking mics and pre-amps, we all know how important those items are. I'm speaking of the non-essentials we all have lying around our office that suddenly become oh so essential. Here they are, in no particular order...

1. My calculator. Rarely am I found more than a few feet away from one of my calculators. I love those little solar powered tools! Mine is regularly used to help with invoice totals, tax withholdings, etc. It also came in quite handy recently when quoting for that e-learning job!

2. My stopwatch. I have 2- and they are used all the time. In the U.S., radio commercials are typically :30 or :60 long...which means our voice over needs to be no longer than 28.5 or 58.5. My inner clock is never that precise, that is why a good timer is a major necessity. Plus, if you are ever stressed out and need to check your heart rate...bingo!

3. My scanner. Having discovered some papers I forgot to give to my CPA, and having no time for a trip uptown- that scanner came in mighty handy! It's also great for scanning in checks and pay stubs to keep for your records.

4. Dictionary.com. The e-learning project contained about 700 medical terms I had never heard of. Thank goodness for pronunciation guides!

5. 100% Whole Grain Fig Newtons. Need I say more?

6. Pilates: 10 Minute Solution. My favorite work out DVD of all time, it contains (among others) a 10 minute set for relaxation and flexibility. I have found no better (or shorter) way to relieve stress and open your chest to help you breathe better.

I'm sure, given time, I can come up with a very long list of essentials for voice over. I'd be interested to hear what non-studio equipment items you find you can't live without!

2008 Day Diary

2008-03-31T12:57:00.002-05:00

I wrote recently about a new book that has just been published featuring day diaries from working women across the country. I've been reading this book for the past couple of weeks (a diary a day) and have to say I love learning about the different professions and what different women go through (Let me just say, I hope I never have twins! Moms are superheroes!). As you may already know, I participated in Diary Day on March 27th of last year, and I am also one of the featured diarists in Watercooler Diaries.

It was such an amazing experience to write down everything I did and everything I thought for an entire day. It was like taking a snapshot of my business as I was just going full-time with freelance voice over. I made a promise to myself that day that every year on March 27th, I would write a new day diary. This year's diary is not nearly as extensive as my first (the original was around 9 pages!), but it is a tiny glimpse into what one random day in my life was like in 2008. This will be my longest blog post ever, so just an advanced warning :)

March 27th, 2008

2:30am- The alarm goes off. I never even hear it. My husband gets up and goes into work – again, I never hear him leave. I feel bad that he has to wake up so early as a morning show meteorologist, but he loves his job!

7:45am- My living alarm (otherwise known as my dog, Macy) goes off 30 minutes earlier than normal. She ignores my cries to ‘lay down’ (otherwise known as ‘snooze’) so I get up and take her out. I was really counting on the extra sleep, as it has been one of my busiest work weeks ever. Oh well, time to check e-mail and see what came in overnight.

8:00am- Whew, no emergencies! Only a new blog comment and some spam. That means I can enjoy my morning and eat some breakfast in peace…first day this week that has happened! I’m going to take 10-15 minutes first and check the voice over message boards. They are as addictive as a soap opera…I always want to read what people are up to. My cat Storm crawls into my lap and begins to purr…

9:30am- I eat the same breakfast every morning. Boring, I know. It’s Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax cereal. It sounds awful, but tastes delicious! I also try to do at least 20 minutes of Pilates. I’ve had to skip it every day this week due to work deadlines, but today I indulge in nearly 30 minutes of exercise. I re-check e-mail and am delighted to see nothing major has popped up. I’m going to take some time now and water the plants and vegetables that have been desperately neglected all week.

10am- I have a stack of invoices from this week to type and send…I like to use Quickbooks Invoice Manager. It’s user friendly, and helps keep all my invoices in order. Of course, I prefer to keep a hand written notebook as well. I’ve never been one to fully rely on technology; if my computer crashed I’d be sunk! I can always count on my notebook for secure organization.

10:20am- I’ve just received an e-mail from a regular client. He reminds me to bring several changes of clothes to Tuesday’s on-camera shoot in Florence, SC. We will be shooting a series of :60 TV commercials for a local car dealership. I’ve been the spokesperson for this dealership for well over a year now. The sales manager is my on-air co-host. He is such a funny man; I always look forward to seeing him. We shoot on average of once a month. OK, back to invoices…

10:40am- Phone call from Charlie with GOV-TV. We schedule a shoot for this Monday at 10am. I am the on-camera anchor for a local government show called Meck Matters (Mecklenburg County is our largest county in the Charlotte area). It takes about 30 minutes to shoot a month’s worth of segments, since I am only there to introduce the stories and give contact information coming out of each packaged story. Charlie tells me the maroon shirt I wore last month blended into the background too much, can I wear a different color this time? No problem, I wanted to wear my new blue shirt anyway!

Looking at my calendar, I’ve just realized I have 3 on-camera shoots next week. GOV-TV on Monday, Florence, SC on Tuesday, and a commercial for a European video phone on Thursday (this one is a non-speaking role). I knew I should have scheduled a hair cut this week, but I just didn’t have the time! I’m looking really shaggy. Oh well, what can I do? I need to call Sherry and see if she’ll squeeze me in at some point for an emergency trim. When I decided to go full-time as a voice actor, I never imagined I would get on-camera gigs as well. They’ve really come from out of nowhere, but are fun and generally pay pretty well. As long as it doesn’t interfere with my voice over business, then why not go for all the gigs I can get?

12:35pm- I just got off the phone with my voice coach extraordinaire, Nancy Wolfson. We had an hour private phone session. I’m always amazed at how much I can learn in only an hour. Not only did we review a chapter from her course work, we spent about 20 or so minutes discussing some questions I had regarding my business. Nancy has so much knowledge about the voice over world; I always come to every session with a load of questions. I owe her so much; I’ve really seen a major impact on my audition to booking ratio in the time I’ve been studying with her. Plus, she is my go-to person when I have big decisions to make. The fact that we can also discuss clothes and shoes makes her all the more wonderful in my eyes :). We talked about demos a bit, I’m hoping to update my commercial demo soon and record a promo demo at some point. Ah, the updating never ends!

During my session with Nancy, my phone kept ringing. It was my local acting agent, her message said Thursday’s shoot date has been changed to the following Tuesday. Now I’ll have a shoot Monday, Tuesday, and Friday of that week- whew! I’m going to have some very late nights trying to keep my voice over work pile under control!

I call my local agent back to let her know I got her message. She reminds me not to get pregnant anytime soon, I’m on a roll with bookings. We have a good laugh, I love having her as my agent.

Ten minutes to 1pm…I need to finish up my taxes so we can drop them off with the CPA at 5pm. First, I have 3 voice auditions I have to record for one of my VO agents. Oh man, I’m starving! I need to eat lunch too. Auditions first, then food, then taxes.

1:40pm- I’m figuring a few final things on taxes and eating Spaghettios at the same time. I never eat Spaghettios, but I didn’t have time to fix something healthy. I’ll make up for it with dinner. My cat, Xen decides that at this very moment he simply must have some attention. I try to shoo him away, which gets my puppy Macy all wound up. They start wrestling. The busier I get, the more attention my animals demand. I think they are trying to push me over the edge. It has to be a conspiracy- it just has to be!

1:45pm- E-mail from my local acting agent. I now have a rehearsal on Wednesday for the website video shoot in 2 weeks. I’m supposed to have a 5 page script memorized by then. Oh my. How will I ever swing this one? I’m an auditory learner (not sure if I’m saying that right), so I have to hear something to learn it. Therefore, I will record the script in my studio and then load the .mp3 into my iPod so I can listen to it on loop. Looks like I’ll have an exciting weekend ahead of me now (said with a touch of sarcasm).

1:55- An e-mail arrives from one of my best clients. It is in regards to a very large project I am helping them with. The e-mail includes 3 pages of notes for production changes. Wow. I love that they are so specific; it makes my job much easier. It is sinking in with me now that this is going to be a very long weekend. Production by day, memorization by night. He asks me to call him so we can discuss the notes. I realize that if I’m going to fit a shower into this day it better be now…or never.

2:30pm- Showered and refreshed. My hair can drip dry while I call my client to discuss the project. I’m hoping I’ll have time to put on a bit of make-up before we meet with the CPA. OK, time to call…

2:35- It goes straight to voice mail, he must be on the other line. I hate how I ramble on when leaving a message. I’m a professional voice actor for crying out loud- it shouldn’t be so difficult! I better double check and make sure all of my tax stuff is ready- I may not have another chance.

3pm- My client calls to review the notes he sent. All the changes he wants make perfect sense, and overall everyone is very complimentary of the first draft I submitted. My husband comes home from work while I’m on the phone, and I wave hello as he passes by my studio door.

4:15pm- We are on our way to the CPA’s office to drop off our taxes. Since 2007 was my first year as a full-time business owner, I have a million questions to ask. I hope I remembered everything!

6:30pm- We are done with our meeting and all of my questions were answered. I’m starving and we decide to try a new pasta place near the house.

7:50pm- I arrive home and find a CD with my newest headshots in the mail. I recently had some new pictures done for my local agent, and I’m anxious to see how they turned out. There’s also a check from a recent job- I love getting money in the mail!

7:55pm- I’m completely bummed to discover that some stupid basketball game is on in place of Survivor. Even Lost is a re-run tonight! Where is the humanity? My husband is thrilled because he can have the big TV to watch his game. I’m just not a sports person; I don’t get it at all. I’m heading upstairs to look at pictures.

8:30pm- Yay- a few of the pictures came out pretty good! My agent will be happy. I was really tired the day we took them, so I’ve been worried about the bags that were under my eyes. You could definitely tell in a few pictures (it may actually just be my age finally catching up to me, who knows), but it wasn’t as obvious in all of them.

9pm- Chris is heading off to bed. It’s been a long day for him. I’m still checking e-mail and printing out the notes for tomorrow’s project. I have an audition I need to record, but it will have to wait. I’m worn out and would just sound tired. I’ll do a better job in the morning after a good night’s rest. I have some new comments on my blog I need to respond to now.

10:30pm- I’ve decided to post a few of my headshots on the VO-BB. Many of the folks on the message board are also on-camera people, so they are great at choosing which pictures would work best. I’m not so great at choosing, so I lean heavily on the opinions of others. I think I’ve messed around on the computer as much as I can for one day. I’m off to dream land now. I’ll have to read a bit in order to fall asleep, it’s the way I’ve always been. I guess I’ll need to practice that script I have to memorize as I drift off. They say you obtain the most material right before bed. At least that’s what I think they say.

Alright, come on Miss Macy, time to call it a night.

11:45pm- Lights out.

Rhyme or Reason?

2008-03-26T15:04:00.002-05:00

As a freelance full-time voice actor/actor, it can be easy to become complacent in the face of endless auditions.

Each week we are confronted with auditions from on-line casting sites, agents, fellow actors, random website hits, etc. We are taught by time and experience which types of work we are best for. Therefore, when one comes along we believe we may be wrong for, we either ignore the request or submit something believing all along we'll never actually get cast.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog post about an audition I thought I had really messed up on. I arrived insecure, unprepared, and feeling quite foolish. It has become a bit of an inside joke with my local agent in the time since (the joke always begins and ends with my own self deprecation). "Don't give Kara the long scripts to memorize, hahah."

It is always easy to be the first to put ourselves down, for fear someone else may beat us to the punch. It is like building a cocoon around our feelings lest they be poked at a bit too deeply.

If I am honest, I would like to book every audition I submit, because I always believe deep down I am the best person for the job. This is the type of confidence each of us must possess in order to truly succeed in this business. There is little room for self doubt as an actor.

So, why the long diatribe?

Today I was reminded that I should never sell myself short. The audition I just knew I had blown? I was offered the job today. Not only did I book the original job, but I have also been offered a second job by the same studio to do some on-camera work for a different client.

There is no room for complacency in this business. We are given one chance to smile, hold our head high, and prove why we are the best person for the job. You see, while I did not do my best during the audition, I was sure to express my gratitude at having been given the opportunity.

Sometimes it isn't just the audition itself that books the job, it's the full package that comes with it.

I'm Animated Alright!

2008-03-19T17:16:00.004-05:00

I am completely obsessed with statistics. Stats of all kinds, but especially my personal website stats.

My wonderful web designer, Jason from Village Green Studios, has been helping me fix a slight bug on my stats page. The company I use has had a few minor problems, and my stats sometimes get stuck for a few days...leaving me stat-less.

Hopelessly and utterly stat-less. Not knowing how many people have visited my page, clueless as to the sites that lead them to me. Pathetically without my beloved numbers.

Fortunately, Jason was able to encourage the stat guys to update my stat page...and I am again stat-full!

While checking out the numbers, I came across my favorite stat of all time. Under the section that lists phrases typed into search engines that brought a particular visitor to my site, I found this phrase...

"animated cow poop"

Yes ladies and gentlemen, look for some good old fashioned animated cow poop online and you will indeed find me.

For anyone wondering how that could possibly be, just read my website bio and it will explain everything. As for me, I plan to spend my evening wondering what on earth could possibly have possessed this person to go searching for it?

Top 100

2008-03-18T14:14:00.002-05:00

My thanks to Stephanie Ciccarelli of Voices.com for including my little blog in her 100+ Industry Resources For Voice Over Talent. It's a great compilation of blogs, message boards, books, etc that all voice talent should take a look at! While you are at it, also be sure to check out:

80+ Online Marketing Resources for Voice Over Talent
10+ Podcasting Resources, Tools, and Services
100+ EBusiness Resources for Voice Over Talent
100+ Online File Storage and Delivery Resources for Voice Over Talent

These are each lists worth bookmarking! I can't imagine how much time it took to compile them, so again- a huge thanks to Stephanie and the Voices team!

Another 'list' to peruse is the Client Survey Voices conducted. Interesting results!

On a different note, I had lunch with a fellow actor today who is also the program director for one of our local radio stations. He asked me a question that stuck in my head...when did I know I was funny? (Which he asked after hearing my old morning radio show demo) Without hesitation I told him I knew when my dad told me. I was a little girl and my father once mentioned in passing that I had a very dry, witty sense of humor. I've always remembered that moment of encouragement, and have never shied away from a good joke since. :)

It's wonderful when folks we look up to take the time to point out one of our gifts. It helps us be fearless in our pursuits. So, my question to you...when did you know you had a special talent?

It feels good to think about it, doesn't it?!

Nerves

2008-03-17T10:11:00.002-05:00

I was reading some voice over blogs this morning, and came across one that really hit home. My friend Peter O'Connell wrote a blog recently about speaking in public, and how nerves can take over when you arrive unprepared.

I had a similar episode last week, although it did not involve public speaking. Friday, March 7th, I arrived in Atlanta for the Bob Bergen VO class. I checked e-mail as soon as I linked up at the hotel and discovered a note from my local acting agent. She had scheduled an audition for me on Thursday of the following week for an on-camera website video. The catch was that I would need to memorize a three page script prior to the audition (not a dialogue- a straight read).

Looking at my calendar, I knew I would never have the time to memorize that amount of copy (it was going to be a busy week). So, I politely declined the audition. She explained that I should just memorize as much as I could, and go to the audition anyway. I agreed, and set up a time.

Unfortunately, as the week progressed, I was never able to really sit down with the script. I would learn a line here and a line there, never really putting the whole thing together. I should also mention this was a remarkably difficult script with lengthy affiliate names, and difficult sentences.

I started to really stress about this audition, and sent a second e-mail to my agent explaining that I only really knew half of the first page, and probably should cancel. She told me she was proud of me for learning as much as I did- and to proceed as planned.

The morning of the audition, I was a wreck. I have never shown up to anything so unprepared, and I was embarrassed to have to admit my lack of dedication to learning the lines. The folks running the audition could not have been kinder (which proved why my agent encouraged me to still go!), they weren't as concerned with the words as they were my overall presentation.

Sadly, I had worked myself up into such a state of humiliation, I wasn't able to shake the feeling I just wasn't good enough. I stumbled over the few words I did know, never really showing what I was capable of. Basically, I blew it. I'm not expecting a call back.

The reason I share my story is to show that the crazy thoughts we put in our head prior to any audition or job has a direct impact on our performance. If I had gone in with my head held high, knowing I could memorize the script later, and proving to the client why I deserved the job...things would have turned out differently.

When we allow our doubts and insecurities to take over our better judgement, we are not preforming to the best of out capabilities.

It is a mistake I do not plan to make again!

Building a Business

2008-03-13T16:53:00.003-05:00

March has always been one of my favorite months. The Earth comes back to life, and business starts rolling in. I love taking a few moments in the early spring mornings to sit outside and listen to the birds with their beautiful songs. I find myself thinking of the many parallels in nature and business.

About 3 years ago, when I first bought my house, a pair of finches decided to nest in my front porch light. Fearing for their safety (the running electricity scared me around the nest), I would tear down the nest as soon as a few branches were placed. However, the finches were persistent, never giving in. Each morning, new branches would appear until I finally gave up and let them build their den.

That first year, I took pictures at each stage of the process, from the first eggs to the first flight. It was remarkable to watch! Once I realized the birds were perfectly safe, my husband and I made the decision to just let them be. Each year since, in early March the first branches will appear.

This year, my finch friends were remarkably fast in their nesting. A beautifully constructed nest appeared literally overnight. So pretty, it almost looked like a Christmas ornament. The finches were brilliant, they even left a small opening so they could fly inside. They were also quite remarkable because this year they decided to use fibers from our entryway mat, leaving quite a mess behind!

This past weekend, I drove to Atlanta to attend the Bob Bergen animation VO workshop. It would take a lifetime of blogs to explain everything I learned, but one thing did stick out. Bob asked us how much we truly wanted to be voice actors. What were we willing to do, willing to sacrifice to live our dream? Did our adrenaline pump each time we stepped up to the mic?

My answer? Absolutely!

I have been able to recite entire scenes from my favorite cartoons since I was a little girl. More than a decade has been spent working and practicing my craft. I've built my nest slowly with the fibers of knowledge from the wonderful coaches I study with. Much like the finches, instinct drives me to pursue my dream year after year, despite a few branches that may be torn down along the way.

Spring is always a wonderful time to reassess your career. Am I following a dream? Am I building a solid foundation? Spending my days doing what I know I am meant to do? Is instinct driving me? Is my client family growing each year?

When one follows their true path, the answers are easy.

The Town Crier

2008-03-05T15:35:00.002-05:00

New jobs in voice over are popping up all the time! By sheer accident, I think I may have found my newest 'calling'.

Yesterday evening while watching American Idol, one of the worst storm surges I have ever experienced happened upon my neighborhood. My husband had warned me it was on its way, but I was completely caught off guard by how strong it was. Wind gusts came through at around 50 miles per hour toppling patio furniture, and doing minor damage to homes all around.

As soon as the first gust hit the house, it occurred to me that my beloved cat was still outside! I frantically ran to the back of the house, throwing the door wide open, and began screaming his name over and over. I called and called, and didn't even care that my neighbors were flipping on their lights and opening windows to see what the commotion was all about. So what if I was getting strange looks, I wanted my baby back home safe!

After about 5 minutes of screaming again and again, I heard a faint howl. Then it became louder and louder until my sweet kitty came bounding over the fence running for shelter. I scooped him up in my arms, wrapping a towel around his wet, muddy, and shivering body. He was scared, but perfectly fine.

Smothering him with kisses, I walked into the living room to tell my husband. That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks.

You see, my cat's name is Storm.

So, during one of the fastest and most ferocious storms in years, I stood on my back porch screaming, "Storm, Storm, Storm!" Perhaps this could be why I was getting such strange looks from the neighbors.

I'm not sure when I will be able to look any of them in the eye again, but there is a silver lining to the story. My husband has promised me a new pair of hiking boots if I will stand on the back porch tonight screaming, "Partly cloudy, partly cloudy, partly cloudy!"

Creative Chaos

2008-02-26T17:07:00.006-05:00

About 10 years ago, I began studying the art of Feng Shui. Translated to literally mean "Earth-wind", Feng Shui utilizes the art of placement to obtain harmony in our living spaces and in our lives. By now I'm sure you've heard of Feng Shui, and if you have not- there is a ton of information all over the Internet.

When I first began studying this art, I spent a lot of my time making sure my home and my office adhered to every 'rule'. All the elements were represented, furniture was placed just right, etc, etc. I remember being teased relentlessly by my old neighbors for burying crystals in the apartment courtyards just to keep the energy flowing in the right directions. Are you wondering how in the world I found a man to marry me? Yeah. Me too. The good news is I haven't buried crystals in years, and I have relaxed on a few of the Feng Shui 'rules'. However, I am always thinking about placement, and how different objects cause me to feel.

Recently, I was checking out pictures of home studios from some of my fellow voice actors at VoiceOver Xtra. Many of these home studios are simply gorgeous, while others are strictly about efficiency.

For me, it was more interesting to see the actual space that had been created than it was to see the equipment used. I wonder what each person is thinking when certain pictures are hung, or why objects are placed where they are. Then, I decided why not share my own space?

What is funny about my studio is that it does not match the rest of my house, at all! My taste is very understated, very 'Southern Living' meets a taste of Italy (if you can picture that). My studio? Not so much. I decided from day one that I wanted a space filled with creative chaos. I wanted bright colors (mainly shades of blue, for success, creativity, and career), and I wanted to be surrounded with encouragement. I knew my studio would be the one room in the house I spent the most time, and I wanted to be comfortable. I also knew there would be days of frustration, and I wanted to be able to look around and instantly be reminded of success.

With these things in mind, I decided to cover nearly every inch of the room with pictures. Favorite drawings in frames, photos, autographs, cartoon posters, and more! I added rugs , plants, and an overstuffed chair to give the room a lounge vibe. My actual recording room has a blue shag rug and a shelf covered in polka dotted fabric. I put beanie babies and action figures of characters I have voiced all around. Honestly? It's hideous! And I love it completely.

My favorite object in my studio is a wooden cross that hangs just to my left. On it is painted a quote from Emma Bombeck.

"When I stand before God at the end of my life I would hope that I would have not a single bit of talent left and could say, 'I used everything you gave me'."

I'm curious, what were the motivations behind your space? Feel free to leave a comment!

As a side note, in the morning I will be flying to a new space for a few days. I'm headed with my mother for a girls trip to Costa Rica. If I get any good macaw, sloth, or monkey pictures- I'll be sure to post them here!

Will Work For Food

2008-02-16T10:53:00.004-05:00

In my opinion, the most difficult part of being a non-union, full-time voice actor living in a right-to-work state is the setting of rates. I have lost work because I am 'too expensive' and I have slapped myself upside the head upon realizing I totally could have charged more. (Union rates, after all, are only a minimum)

That's why, when the occasion arises to simply 'work for food' it can be the most rewarding experience of all.

Let me explain...a few days ago I received a call from one of my favorite local studios, The Groundcrew. A mutual friend of ours at Hot Sake was putting together a series of animations for Charlotte's Addy Awards. He needed voices for the characters, and about 7 of us were asked to come to the studio to 'play'.

The pay would come in the form of food, and fun. Upon arriving at the studio, I found some of the best darn pizza money can buy along with some of my favorite voice actors in the area.

The sky was the limit when we began recording- we could create any silly characters we wanted. I don't want to spoil anything for those attending the awards, so I'll hold off on any specifics for now.

Money is a stress in any business. We all want to be fairly compensated for our unique talents. However, on occasion, it is nice to be reminded why I do this job. It isn't so I can get rich. It is because I love the job, the people, and the experiences it provides.

Given the choice between staying home on a Friday afternoon with my nose to the grindstone earning a few bucks; or spending a few hours laughing, bonding, and creating- in exchange for pizza...I'd just assume work for food.

A note to my wonderful clients: No, this does not mean you can pay me in mozzarella now :)

Voicey Awards

2008-02-12T17:32:00.000-05:00

The 2008 Voicey Awards finalists have been revealed, and this year, Voices.com is making it even more exciting with the addition of some cool new categories. I was very honored in 2007 to be named a Voicey Award winner for "Best New Voice", and was blown away when listening to this year's contenders. Voices.com does an incredible job promoting voice actors and the industry as a whole. I am thrilled to be nominated in two categories for the 2008 awards and want to thank everyone who voted for me!

The first category is "Best Voice Team" and I am proud to be nominated along with my friend and colleague, Adam Fox. Adam and I first met online early in 2007 through Voices.com, but became fast friends after we were hired to voice an engaged couple for Dunkins Diamonds last summer. We realized we liked working together, and clients seemed to naturally pair us together- so we made it official with a 'duo demo'. Adam has not only been a great go-to voice for my clients, but he has been a huge help to me in the production arena. When a recent client needed production elements I didn't have at the time (but do now!), Adam was all too happy to step up to the plate. If you haven't had a chance to hear Adam's demos- be sure to check out his website. You can also hear our voices together on my Voices.com site.

The second category I received a nod in is "Best Personal Branding". This is a nomination I am especially proud of because it was a long, long road to get where I am now with my branding! I could go through the lengthy details, but think it might be more helpful to share something I recently wrote to my voice coach and branding guru, Nancy Wolfson. Nancy sent me an e-mail asking what my thoughts were concerning my own branding...this is what I told her:

Branding is about the feeling you give your clients. It is all-inclusive between the way you work, the thoughts you inspire...and is backed up by colors and images that tie it together. Looking at some of the testimonials from my clients [sic: in response to my new 2008 artwork/branding] I found these key phrases:

"Not only did I get a timely professional result that was right on target but I met an amazing woman with many talents. The richest being her ability to handle her many gifts in a way that genuinely brightens your day, and makes you feel special."

"In addition, your genuinely charming personality and approachable demeanor had a noticeably calming effect on the Bobcats personalities appearing in the spot."

"Experienced, easy to work with, great sense of timing - and humor."

"Always professional, forever creative, and shockingly charming"

"she has been consistent, reliable, and an absolute joy to work with"

"She's a real pro who brings her energy and
unique character voices to every session"

"Plus...her easy going nature makes any type of project more relaxed and enjoyable"

"Listening to at least 25 professional female voices, I decided on a young lady by the name of Kara Edwards."

The words that pop out to me are...creative, bright, young, joy, charming, approachable, humor, energy, etc.

There are 3 words I put at the top of every audition proposal:
Fresh, Young, Vibrant.
A fellow VO, Peter O'Connell once used them to describe me, and they stuck in my head.

These are the things I try to keep in mind when marketing. It all came together the day you (Nancy) found the beautiful yellow background for my website. It encompasses all the things I believe I offer my clients. I offer them a bright, fresh voice (yellow) in an easy-going, stress-free manner (flowers) and on time (like a busy bee). My website is my brand. You know from one look that I will most likely be young, fun, and sound very real. Plus, since most folks know me as a character VO- the cartoon bee is perfect!

My holiday thank you gift to my regular clients and agents this year was a Hyacinth bulb in a small yellow vase. A few mentioned it was very 'me' and that they loved it. It reminded me that my clients don't use me because of my cool website, or a gift- it's because they feel they know me...and they trust my brand.

Branding is a broad term, but I feel I really have begun to understand what it means.

It is likely to take me many more years to fully grasp what branding is and can be...but I hope by sharing the above e-mail it will inspire you to look more closely at the message you are sending out to your clients. As of right now, my business cards, logo, writing pens, marketing materials, etc all match my website in color and concept. However, what really matters is that my voice work and overall client experience live up to the image.

Looking over the other nominees for Best Personal Branding, I am truly humbled to be among them. If you are looking for inspiration in your own branding, I highly recommend you check out the four other names in the finals!

The Voicey Awards will take place on February 21st. I want to thank Voices.com for all of their hard work and endless positive energy!

As a side note, if you are new to my blog and are wondering why I have a bee on my website, here is the story :)

Are You Willing to be Silly?

2008-02-10T18:43:00.001-05:00

Like most of America, my husband and I first saw the Tide 'Talking Stain' commercial during the Superbowl. We loved it then, and it still makes us laugh everytime we see it. Each time it airs, I find myself wishing I could one day be called in for a job where I was asked to blab and blah and nanernaner through the entire session.

Seriously, the voice of the stain had to have a blast walking into a studio and making those noises! It's one of the silliest voice overs I have ever heard.

One never knows what type of job may pop up next, and a professional voice actor always has to be willing to leap out of their comfort zone at a moment's notice. Imagine if the talking stain guy had felt uncomfortable during his session, the spot wouldn't be nearly as funny.

A few weeks ago, I was asked to drive uptown for a short session. It was for a variety of animated characters with just a few lines each. In the span of about 30 minutes I went from a singing fish to a buffalo (with a few stops in between). When it came time for the fish to sing, I asked if they had a sample of the harmony. Surprisingly, it hadn't been written yet!

It was up to me to create a spur of the moment tune that would eventually be sung by an entire school of fish (since I was the first fish to record). So, I did.

Then I was asked to sing it again, only with a Carribean flair. Before my nerves could kick in, I broke down with the Reggae beat, baby! By then, we were all starting to get a case of the giggles. Finally, I was asked to do the song one last time...only this time as a rap song. [insert record scratch here] Yes...a rap song. And...I did it.

Keep in mind, this was not done in the privacy of my own studio, this was done in front of people. I am a voice actor that is very active when I record and I did not hesitate to 'rock to the beat' if you know what I'm saying! I had my hands in the air waving around like I just don't care! Believe it or not, it helped!

Being willing to be silly made the session more enjoyable for me, and a greater overall success for the director. Obviously, it is rare that a voice actor is asked to rap or sing Reggae...but you have to be fearless in the face of any request. Whether you are a natural narrator being asked to voice a movie trailer, a commercial voice being asked to voice animation, etc...you must strive to have enough confidence in your abilities as an actor that you don't even bat an eye regardless of the request.

Be silly, and be willing...it's fun, and it works!

On a different note completely, I was searching some of my favorite 'green' websites and found this little gem of information at arborday.org...

FACT:Over the course of 50 years, a single tree can generate $31,250 of oxygen, provide $62,000 worth of air pollution control, recycle $37,500 worth of water, and control $31,500 worth of soil erosion.

As Spring (and planting season!) approaches, it is a wonderful fact to keep in mind :)

Ask Arizona

2008-02-06T17:30:00.001-05:00

I've spent the last month or so working on an exciting new project for Highlights Magazine (yup, the one we all grew up reading!).

Highlights has a regular feature in their magazine called "Ask Arizona". Kids can write in with their questions, and Arizona helps them find the answers by providing stories from her own life. (written by Lissa Rovitch)

After an open-call audition for the magazine, I was approached about helping create an audio podcast for each month's story. I am very excited with how it turned out!

This is one of my favorite projects, not only because I get to create voices for all the different characters, but I provide the audio production as well.

Click here for February's premier episode!

Be sure to check back each month, as the episodes just get better and better!

A special thanks goes out to 3 very special kids: Bob Souer's son, David, and Brian Haymond's girls, Olivia and Samantha! They are the voices you hear in the podcast intro. Great job guys! I also want to thank my good pal, Adam Fox, for helping with the production for the podcast intro and outro. It's a wonderful reminder that voice actors have the best community around!

Location, Location!

2008-01-31T17:17:00.000-05:00

A recent thread on one of the voice over message boards got me thinking about auditions. Years ago, when I started in this business, a voice actor did all of their auditions in person. Sometimes it was in front of your agent, sometimes it was in front of a client.

There were many advantages to this type of audition:

1. You knew your audition was being heard.
2. You often received instant feedback and could change your audition to client specifications.

The only disadvantages were the time it took to get to the audition, and the money spent on gas.

Since more and more voice actors have built home studios, very few auditions are done in person anymore (I average 1-4 per month in person).

The advantages to the at-home auditions include:

1. Unlimited re-takes.
2. Being able to hear your audition before submitting.
3. No travel time or exense.

However, there are some distinct disadvantages:

1. One never knows if their audition is actually listened to.
2. The client doesn't have the option to critique you or ask for a different read.
3. No one to offer you kudos for an audition well done.
4. No human contact (which is the strangest part of the home studio experience).

One of the many reasons I am thankful to work at a variety of local studios is the opportunity to get out of my house and actually converse with people. It is drastically underestimated! I've also been known to offer to do my auditions via phone patch, just for the opportunity to speak with my client.

My advice to anyone that is disgruntled with the audition process, is to find a way to change it. Think outside of the box and consider ways to exceed your clients expectations, while enhancing your own daily voice over experience.

Water Cooler Diaries

2008-01-22T14:12:00.000-05:00

Over a year ago, I was contacted by a wonderful lady named Joni. She asked if I would be interested in contributing to her latest book. All I had to do was keep a diary on a specific day, write down everything I did, and everything I thought from the minute I awoke to the minute I went to sleep.

Joni was careful to point out that contributing a diary was not a guarantee of being included in the book. Still, it sounded fun- and a wonderful way to capture a moment in my life!

The day was March 27th, 2007. Coincidentally, this was the first partial day of VOICE 2007, an amazing week many of us will never forget. At that time, I had only been a full-time voice actor for 6 months. I was nervous to meet friends I had only previously known online, and I was excited to learn more about my new life's passion.

There was something in the air that day...something I knew I would remember forever. No, it wasn't the smell of the urine stained walls at the hotel...it was the excitement of hundreds of voice actors coming together for the first time. It was the knowledge that in the days to come, I would make friendships that would last a lifetime.

It was a long day, sitting in a hotel waiting for the conference to start.

I'm so thankful Joni gave me the excuse to write down those memories. It's funny to look back and see how far I've come in a year.

The unbelievable part for me is that my diary will now be printed for the world to read on March 1st, 2008! I was surprised to learn recently that I was one of 35 women to have their diary featured in the book, Water Cooler Diaries: Women Across America Share Their Day at Work. My diary will appear between an Intake Counselor, and a Government Worker :)

You can pre-order the book on Amazon.com, read a press release about the book, see a list of participants, and read a review from Publisher's Weekly!

My thanks to authors Joni B. Cole and B.K. Rakhra for giving me this opportunity, and a wonderful keepsake.

Charlotte Metro Credit Union

2008-01-19T10:42:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of working with Sam Vincent and Jared Dudley of The Charlotte Bobcats on a TV commercial for Charlotte Metro Credit Union.

It was a full day shoot in two locations, and was an absolute blast! I made several new friends during filming, including the writer, Nathan Tothrow.

One of the most memorable parts of filming, for me, was spending several hours in the huddle (which takes up only a few second of the spot). My legs were sore for days! You'll also notice a beige colored purse that I am holding. Those who know me will recognize this as the purse I carry all the time. If I had known it would end up being a prop- I would have cleaned out all the loose (and heavy!) change first!

Nathan was kind enough to spend two hours uploading the commercial to YouTube. You can view it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DYTsrWEQZ8 **

**Head coach Sam Vincent and Jared Dudley of The Charlotte Bobcats join professional actress Kara Edwards in this 30-second commercial for Charlotte Metro Credit Union. The spot was written by Nathan Tothrow and directed by Joanne Hock of Emulsion Arts. The cinema-quality special effects were added by Tony Elwood of Indievision.

My thanks to everyone involved!!

Updated Jan. 21, 2007: A giant thank you to Stephanie Ciccarelli for featuring this story in the media section of Voice Over Times!

Branding Explained

2008-01-16T16:11:00.000-05:00

I have been a voice actor for about 12 years now. I've been full-time with my voice over business for a year and a half. Only in the last few months have I begun to slowly grasp this concept of branding.

As voice actors, we hear the word all the time. It haunts us...it keeps us awake at night! (OK, maybe it's not THAT bad, but it is something we think about, right?) We know it is vital to our business, but we don't always understand it, or know how to achieve it.

That's why I am SO thankful I am a student of Nancy Wolfson. Few understand branding as well as she does. The best part? She is able to put it into plain English so the rest of us can understand it!

A while back, I participated in a teleseminar hosted by Voice123. It was approximately an hour and a half lesson with Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino dedicated to the importance of great branding. This teleseminar is what convinced me I had to study with Nancy.

Now, through the power of YouTube, this priceless information is available to the public...for FREE! This is a must-watch if you want to take your business to the next level!

The Power of YOU, Inc: Work Your Brand to Get More Work

(You may notice a few technical problems in the beginning with the audio...hang in there- this information is priceless!)

More Cereal, Please!

2008-01-14T09:37:00.000-05:00

I have a brand of cereal I eat every single morning. Yes, every morning. I've even been known to travel with a box or two. The brand is called Nature's Path and the type is Pumpkin Flax. It is a healthy, organic, but oh-so-tasty kind of cereal and I love it! In fact, I've been known to scare my fellow shoppers by screaming "NO!" when I discover the local grocer is sold out of my beloved cereal.

I've gone store to store throughout town to discover which locations carry my cereal for the lowest price (that would be Trader Joe's). I buy several boxes at a time to ensure I never run out.

You may be wondering to yourself why I am writing a love letter on a public site to a box of cereal. It has nothing to do with a box of cereal, and everything to do with your client's expectations of your product.

You see, one day (a few months back), I decided to try a different type of cereal from the same manufacturer. It was in a larger box than my pumpkin flax, so I expected to get more cereal for my money.

When I arrived home and opened the box, I was shocked to discover that this large box contained half the amount of product in relation to the packaging! I felt I had been ripped off!

I immediately contacted the company with my complaint. I didn't honestly expect them to respond or to care...but they did! A response came within hours. They explained that the package's large size was due to shipping concerns (I'm sure it's a valid reason, though I was unable to fully grasp the explanation). She explained to me that the cost of the larger box was actually less than my smaller pumpkin flax because of the ingredients used. The company followed up on this conversation by sending me a coupon for one free box of their product.

Needless to say, I was impressed! Because of their professionalism (and outstanding product) I continue to use them to this day.

How does this relate to your business in voice over? Part of being a voice actor is creating your own packaging. From your demos, to your website, to the way you treat your clients. It is all part of the overall impression you put out every day.

The question you need to ask yourself is if your product matches your packaging? Can you back up that slick website? Is your talent properly showcased in your demos? Most importantly, is your product something your clients will want to use again and again?

While you consider these questions...here are a couple of links I strongly recommend checking out:

First, a post on VoiceOverSavvy in which Bob Bergen discusses the need to develop your own individual brand. Second, a post from my friend Mary McKitrick about all the things one must consider when setting their voice over rates.

No Stupid Questions...

2008-01-09T22:16:00.000-05:00

We've all heard the phrase 'there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers'. Of course, we've also all been on the giving and receiving end of one of those stupid questions. However, if you find yourself too afraid of asking questions for fear of appearing stupid, you might want to reconsider.

A few months ago, I was given the opportunity to audition for a new children's show on a major network. Part of this audition required me to cry and coo like a baby. Now, it is no secret that I am a huge fan of Pat Fraley (character voice extraordinaire), so I immediately consulted my collection of Fraley CD's. There it was, the 'baby in a hanky' trick once made famous by Mel Blanc. But, there was no 'trick' to cooing.

In a moment of complete abandon, I e-mailed Mr. Fraley to ask if he would coo into a hanky the same way he might cry? Yes, I felt foolish actually typing the words...but this was a serious audition!

Much to my surprise, Mr. Fraley not only e-mailed me back...he sent his response in the form of an .mp3! He answered my question in the most entertaining and helpful way.

Imagine if I hadn't had the guts to ask?

Last week I spent a few days in Texas with my family attending a cousin's wedding. When I returned, I had almost a dozen e-mails asking me for information about the voice over biz. Most of them were pretty straight forward, but one woman pointed out that every time I write a blog or an article- I always encourage folks to e-mail me with questions. She said it was because of that encouragement that she decided to write me.

By no means am I an instructor or anywhere near genius when it comes to voice over, but I have managed to learn a few things over the years. I consider it my responsibility to answer any questions, just as so many have answered mine.

Don't let fear ever stop you in your pursuit of knowledge. Sure, you may hit a bump or two along the way...but imagine what you might miss out on if you if you stop pushing forward!

Oh, and the answer to the baby coo? Perhaps it will be on Pat's next CD :)

Looking Back...

2007-12-28T19:02:00.000-05:00

It started with a post from my pal Peter O'Connell on his blog. Then Philip Banks brought it up on the message boards. That's when I knew it was time...

It was time to open up the books and take a serious look at my first year as a full-time voice actor.

First, I went through my 2007 earnings (no, I am not planning to share the numbers here...sorry) Turns out 30% of my earnings were on camera (commercials, infomercials, etc) and 70% was VO. Then, I took a hard look at my VO work.

Where did it come from?

I broke this down into type of job (commercial, animation, radio imaging, video games, narrations, etc), origin of job (word of mouth, website hits, local studios, agents, online casting sites, etc), and finally by client (repeat versus one time only).

The results were fascinating. I discovered that much of my time had been spent pursuing work in places that netted me the least work! I also realized my marketing efforts over the year were not always spot on for the type of work I am most likely to book.

After breaking down my earnings, I turned my sites to my spending. Where was my money going? Most of it obviously went to equipment for my home studio and website maintenance. Next in line was money spent towards classes, coaching, and conferences. Last in line was money put towards marketing.

I felt my spending was just as it should be. Without great equipment, my clients can't rely on my product. Without proper coaching (which I believe should never end!) I won't be up to date on the latest VO trends. Without great marketing...how will future clients find me?

Philip Banks said to me on the phone the other day that we, as voice talent, are really just selling our time. Is the amount of time spent on a project equal to the total earnings? If you continue to audition for the same type of jobs and aren't booking anything, is it time to pursue a different type of work?

My voice coach (and friend!), Nancy Wolfson, recently shared some incredible ideas about business with me in one of our sessions. I asked her permission to share a small part of it with you (I want to add...if you ever have the opportunity to study with Nancy, it would be a wise investment in your business. As you will read, she really knows her stuff!):

RUNNING METRICS

Every company is obliged, first and foremost, to return profit and value to shareholders. Are you returning profit to yourself?
It is wise to run the year-end metrics of your business to define and evaluate profits, losses, investments, and returns.

Evaluate the time and money and energies you expend and in what areas against the returns, having a look at what created value for you and what did not.

Do not limit the concept of "value" only to tangible dollar income. A few examples of non-monetary positive value:
- improved skills - they are like upgraded machinery in your factory.
- an improved demo (or your first one!) is like stocking your shelves with better inventory.
- perhaps you met people in your business pursuits who opened doorways to auditions or perhaps you met a friend who created publicity for you.

How much of one's day is spent on the boards versus pursuing skills, pursuing work, actually doing jobs? How much of one's sweat goes into jobs in one piece of your business's pie chart and not another...Sometimes we realize we've spent lots of energy gossiping and commiserating when that time could have been more positively spent making valuable business connections.
Has the marketing been more busywork than targeted?
Is what is being marketed up to top competition standards deserving of that energy and worth risking that "first impression"?

I'm excited to support those who work hard about working smart in '08 and beyond!-- Nancy Wolfson

With only a few days left in 2007, and with tax season looming ahead...now is the time to take a serious look at your own business. What changes can you make to ensure 2008 is even more profitable than 2007? What are your overall goals? Are they centered more around your earnings or more around the types of jobs you do? Are you in need of better equipment, or a great voice coach? What are the people and things you spend your time and money on really doing to further your dreams?

I am confident I am headed in the right direction, and with the right people by my side...are you?

Here's to an incredible 2008, may you be Blessed with health, love, friendship, and much success!