RadioDaddy.com: Industry

A couple surprising nuggets about the inescapable political ads set to dominate airwaves through the November elections:
1. There are people that actually wish the ads played year round. I'm talking about Nashville voice actors that can rake in $100,000 in a few months.
2. There are things those voice actors won't say.
As the amount of money spent on election campaigns skyrockets, having a golden voice that voters trust has become more lucrative. Just ask Byron Warner, a Nashville voice actor who can be heard in political ads across the country. (Check out some of his work here.)
Warner said he shies away from mudslinging.
"Generally they hire a girl to nail the (opponent). Then I'll come in and extol the virtues of the candidate in a gentler tone," Warner said.
Warner, who charges between $350 and $1,000 per hour, expects to pull in six figures in political work this campaign cycle. He's already done a handful of spots, but August is when things really crank up. "In September it should be just about tolerable, and October will be insane. Just nuts," he said.
Allegiances are common among voice actors. Warner only works with Democrats. "It has nothing to do with how I vote. It has a lot to do with client loyalty," said Warner, adding that voice actors fear being blacklisted by one party if they work with the opposition.
On the other side of the aisle is Nashville voice actor Travis Turk (a video reel of his work is available to the right). After years of being a hired gun who would say "almost anything" for a price, last year Turk drew some lines in the sand for personal reasons. Now he only voices spots for conservative Republicans or independents, and he doesn't do attack ads. The stance has cost him 50 percent of his business.
"I've lost clients, but it's worth it," Turk said.
The flood of money pouring into campaign advertising has made the field more competitive, Turk said.
"There are many more people out there doing voice work than there have been in the past five or so years," Turk said. "I've seen the amount of people doing voice work increase by a factor of five times."
Warner is more than just a voice. The dual-threat does work in front of the camera, as well. While he won't do spots for some candidates with whom he disagrees on abortion, he's got no qualms putting on a lab coat or pretending to be a Colorado hunter or a truck-driving farmer concerned about Denver special interest groups. And he does it all without leaving Middle Tennessee.
"You can go to Colorado in 30 minutes by going to Ashland City and pretending it's Colorado," Warner said. "Tennessee is really good because it has all sorts of terrain."
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Best Voiceover Showcase.....

On Saturday, August 25th 2012 the multi-talented Joan Baker and her equally gifted husband Rudy Gaskins will be hosting yet another "That`s Voiceover" in Chicago Illinois!


Previous successful events have been held in New York and Los Angeles California where prior winners have gotten to do voicing for TV spots on major Networks and received the TLM 102 by Neumann, www.neumannusa.com a top brand Microphone for which Joan has been the Voiceover spokesperson since 2008!


Are you often told you have a wonderful voice? Well as Joan, the recognized "Queen" of the voiceover industry will tell you and who is also the author of the highly successful book, Secrets of Voice-over Success, there`s a bit more to it and you will get a crash course at this event!


This year also includes speed dating, which means your demo reel will be presented to the top industries in voiceover and will be picked by a lottery and the winner will also voice a "Promo" that will run on NBC Chicago! Additionally, Top Agency Stewart Talent Chicago will meet and interview (with the possibility of future consideration) the winner.


Various giants in the VO industry have attended and participated in previous events such as Rolonda Watts from the popular--- The Rolonda Show--- And also these individuals listed below:


Announcer, Late Show with David Letterman

Alan Kalter

Voiceover Actor

Valerie Smaldone

Voiceover Actor

Rodd Houston

Voiceover Actor

Joe Cipriano

Voiceover Actor

Bill Ratner

President, TGMD Talent Agency

Vanessa Gilbert

And

Chief Creative Officer of Grey New York

Tor Myhren



This year more highly respected people in this field will be participating and although I won`t name them all--- Here is some brief information on Pat Fraley who is coming in from California to support this event and Deb Doetzer, Chicago`s own!




Industry Legend, Pat Fraley!


Ed Asner "If you`re ready for an audio version of Cirque du Soleil, look no further than Pat Fraley."


Brad Garrett "Pat Fraley is such a gifted and passionate coach that immediately after taking his class I became a hand model. He`s truly brilliant. Bring your wallet."


Patrick Fraley Brief Bio

Patrick Fraley is one of the best known and respected voice-over people in North America. He has been performing and teaching for 39 years. As a performer, he has created voices for over 4,000 characters, placing him in the top ten of all time to be cast in animated TV shows. As a teacher, Pat has guided more performers into meaningful voice-over careers than anyone in the history of VO Instruction.

Pat Fraley shares...

We performers are in the amusement business. `Amuse` in Greek translates to--- "Not think." Having a purpose, like participating in "That`s Voiceover", and supporting the Alzheimer`s Association puts meaning into a performer`s life.`"


Rudy and Joan Baker are wonders and sharing the stage in any way is a privilege. That`s how I get better. There`s an old saying, "When the tide comes in, all the boats float. My dingy will be sailing along with a couple of yachts."


"I`ll be taking volunteers and teaching some storytelling and dialogue skills for audiobook narration. The Audiobook Market is on fire. So much work available. Five years ago, 2400 books were recorded into audiobook versions. This year, it`s 43,000."


"That`s Voiceover" and the donations. which will be made to the Alzheimer`s Association, is close to home. My mother suffers from Alzheimer`s and it was her encouragement that lead me to my career as a voice over performer. What a fit, huh?"



He lives and works out of Hollywood Heights, California.

For further information on Pat, do visit the below link:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0289710/

http://www.patfraley...reeLessons.html

http://www.patfraley.com




The Gifted Deb Doetzer!


Deb Doetzer shares...



Any idiot can face a crisis. It`s the day to day living that wears you out!

~ Anton Cherkov, Russian Poet


I am also a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, although sometimes we are hard pressed in the moment to know what that reason is, it is usually revealed soon enough and even hardships we face will always make us stronger in the long run.


I am honored to be a part of "That`s Voiceover" this year and although I have never met Joan or Rudy, they have been so lovely and welcoming I already feel like I am part of their family! I am grateful to be able to give back to the community I so love--- This career has been a blessing and through my teaching I feel like I am giving back a small part of all the support that was given to me when I was starting out.


Wishing everyone success in making their dreams a reality!


Deb Doetzer Brief Bio

Deb has been working in voiceover, theater and improv for almost two decades. A proud member of all three performer`s unions (AEA, AFTRA and SAG), her voice has been heard for such national accounts as Blockbuster Video, State Farm, McDonald`s, Nestle`s Toll House, Kraft Mac and Cheese, Ford and Red Lobster, among numerous others. Deb is currently the voice for Emmi, an interactive medical website, and can be heard on various PlayStation, Gamecube and XBox games, as well as on a few slot machines in various casinos across the country. Deb is currently an ensemble member of Rivendell Theatre Ensemble, where she was last seen in the critically acclaimed performance of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4. Deb has performed in Shear Madness with both the Chicago and Boston companies, and has also worked at The Annoyance Theater, Eclipse Theater and Improv Olympic.



For more information on the extremely talented Deb Doetzer, do visit the below link:

http://www.actingstu...eb_Doetzer.html

http://www.stewarttalent.com/




From left to right, Karen Jacobsen, the voice of the GPS system and Top Agent Billy Serow from Abrams Agency in New York, one of the top industry professionals on the Voiceover New York Panel and Voiceover Queen, Joan Baker




Rudy Gaskins with wife, Joan Baker



Joan just recently hosted a successful tribute to her good friend, the legendary and now sadly deceased Don LaFontaine that took place in Hollywood with some of the biggest lumanaries in the industry.



This event was created by his wife, Nita Whitaker LaFontaine who will also be presenting the Don LaFontaine tribute at That`s Voiceover at the newly established Voiceover New York.






In closing, the craft and business of voiceover can be a very enjoyable and lucrative field. Joan and Rudy, co owners and creators of Push Creative Advertising for years have been giving people who have "The Goods" employment. I also feel blessed to share this information knowing how many people are in a desperate search for work in our current economy and I too also have a beloved Uncle who died suffering from Alzheimers.


The actual press release is below for more detailed information and more insight can also be found on the links directly below:
http://thatsvoiceover.com/

http://thatsvoiceove...t-is-it/videos/



So--- Do you have what it takes?


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Chicago, Illinois, August 25th 2012 -- AN EXPERT PANEL OF TOP VOICE-OVER ACTORS, TALENT AGENTS CASTING DIRECTORS AND AD EXECUTIVES PROVIDE A CRASH COURSE FOR THOSE SEEKING CAREERS IN THE EXCITING WORLD OF VOICEOVER ACTING. AND ONE LUCKY AUDIENCE MEMBER CAN WIN A VOICE OVER JOB ANNOUNCING AN NBC 5 PROMO AND OTHER PRIZES. CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE EVENT WILL BENEFIT THE ALZHEIMER`S ASSOCIATION.

JOAN BAKER, author of Secrets of Voice-over Success (foreword by DAVID HYDE PIERCE) and NBC 5 Entertainment Reporter LEEANN TROTTER host an entertaining and immersive day of hands-on practical career guidance, as well as an American Idol-styled audition, complete with industry judges. At a time when "jobs" is the word of the day, That`s Voiceover! brings newcomers and professional voiceover talent together with the teachers, buyers and producers who make jobs a reality.



Attendees will meet and hear from the talented voices behind movie trailers, TV & radio ads for, DISNEY ANIMATION, THE SIMPSONS, THE OSCARS and EMMYS, AMERICAN IDOL, the NBC OLYMPIC GAMES, HBO, SHOWTIME, VERIZON WIRELESS, BET, ESPN and countless others. These consummate pros will separate the facts from the fiction about BREAKING INTO THE VOICEOVER BIZ. Even seasoned voiceover actors find incredible guidance as the conversation delves into best practices for enhancing and revitalizing careers in an industry of evolving trends.



Says Rudy Gaskins, co-creator of That`s Voiceover!, "Voiceover acting is an intriguing career opportunity that`s growing at an enormous rate. Because of its largely anonymous existence, it`s very difficult for newcomers to get information and training from reputable sources. We fill that gap."



That`s Voiceover!, produced by Push Creative Advertising and Joan Baker has become the most respected events of its type anywhere in the world, drawing from the top voiceover talents in the field as well as the agents, creative directors, marketing executives and advertisers who make up the wider voiceover community.

And the proof is further evidenced by A-list panelists like Joan Sparks of Stewart Talent, Kiki Powell of Chicago`s McGarry Bowen Advertising, Jay Wadhwa of NBC and the voice of HULU, Dave Fennoy.

SPONSORS:

SAG AFTRA, BACK STAGE, Sennheiser Electronics, Stewart Talent Agency, the Alzheimer`s Association, Swissotel, Neumann Microphone Company, SAG-AFTRA and Push Creative Advertising are major sponsors behind what is a growing success to expand employment opportunities in the exciting and often lucrative field of voiceover acting. And, as is the case with Joan Baker`s breakthrough book, Secrets of Voice-over Success (foreword by DAVID HYDE PIERCE), contributions from this event will benefit the ALZHEIMER`S ASSOCIATION.

PUSH CREATIVE, INC. IS AN INTEGRATED BRANDING PROVIDING MARKETING SERVICES ACROSS DIGITAL, PRINT AND FILM PRODUCTION FOR ADVERTISING AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRIES.

CONTACT: Rudy Gaskins at 212-269-0700
Push Creative, Inc.

1697 Broadway, Suite 500

New York, NY 10019
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Just a day or so ago we brought to you the first teaser trailer for the big screen return of Superman in Man Of Steel. Voiced over by Kevin Costner, playing the hero’s adopted human father Jonathan Kent, the footage gave just a hint of what we can expect from next year’s anticipated release. To add to that, a new second teaser has been released, boasting no new footage but simply an alternate voice-over from Russell Crowe, representing Superman’s Kryptonian father, Jor-El.
Whilst many will be scratching their heads in puzzlement over the marketing decision, it does seem a logical and intriguing option adopted. The differing trailers do offer the suggestion that the family dynamic surrounding Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), or Kal-El if you are Kryptonian, will remain a focal point in Man Of Steel, with Clark’s emotions thrown into play with his two fathers at the forefront of his mindset and life decisions.
Personally, the influence (and possible opposition) of both fathers becoming somewhat of a difficulty to choose between for Clark, would enable the film to garner some much needed realism and throw emotional grit into the proceedings – something that has proven successful in the likes of the Batman trilogy of late.
They will stumble. They will fall…In time, they will join you in the sun.
If Jor-El’s words are an early indicator, Man Of Steel is set to be unleashed on an epic scale and revitalise another of DC Comics’ trademark heroes.
Directed by Zack Snyder and starring Kevin Costner, Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe and Amy Adams, Man of Steel is out 14 June 2013.
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Nationwide Insurance is launching an integrated national marketing campaign July 27 featuring the voice of actress Julia Roberts.

TV breaks July 27 during NBC’s broadcast of the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Summer Olympics. The tagline is “Join the Nation.”

While past Nationwide Insurance campaigns have leveraged on-screen celebrity talent, this campaign is the brand’s first use of A-list celebrity talent in a voiceover capacity, said Jennifer Hanley, senior vice president of brand marketing for Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Insurance.

“For this campaign, when we were considering how best to deliver our message, we were looking for a familiar voice that would bring our brand character to life,” Hanley tells Marketing Daily. "Julia’s voice brings an authentic, inspired tone to the campaign that resonates well with our target audience.”

The Olympics are predicted to be one of the Top 10 television events of the year, making it an efficient, high-profile buy and a smart advertising investment, Hanley says.

“Nationwide believes the summer Olympics provides the perfect blend of strong audience reach and high engagement programming needed to launch the Join the Nation campaign,” she says.

Developed in partnership with Durham, North Carolina.-based ad agency McKinney, the effort includes TV, radio, digital and print advertising. The creative highlights Nationwide’s mutual structure -- which has allowed the company to put members first, not shareholders, since it was founded in 1926.

“Anthem,” a 30- and 60-second spot, celebrates the lives of Nationwide members and all that being part of this special member community has to offer. The second ad, “Disappear,” focuses on Nationwide’s Vanishing Deductible product, an option for members that rewards them for safe driving. It will begin running in August.

“We plan to create additional ads that focus on our brand, as well as our product offerings,” Hanley says. “The launch ads will run in varied rotation throughout summer until new messages are rotated in.”

The campaign also includes a dedicated campaign Web site, www.jointhenation.com, which will provide ongoing, protection-oriented content that encourages participation from members and other key audiences.

Nationwide employees will help kick off the campaign during the weekend of July 27-29 at the NASCAR Nationwide Series Indy 250 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Web.com Tour’s Nationwide Children’s Hospital Invitational golf tournament in Columbus.



Read more: http://www.mediapost...l#ixzz21WGU0yk3
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Voices.com recently teamed up with a group of voice actors to create a public service announcement for the petition encouraging the Academy of Arts and Sciences to introduce a Voiceover Performance category at the Oscars.

Voice actor Andy Boyns originally brought up the idea of a PSA in a conversation with Voices.com Social Media Manager, Ashley Hall. Together they approached Pablo Hernandez, a voice actor with previous experience creating PSAs, to discuss the idea and assemble a cast.

"This was a collective effort between Pablo, Scott, Andy, Lori, Doug and myself. I am extremely pleased with the support and enthusiasm we have received from the voiceover community in regards to the Oscar Voiceover Petition," says Ms. Hall. "All of the voiceover talent involved with this PSA project are so talented and creative. What a great group of people to work with!"

The PSA is a volunteer effort with one common goal in mind, to achieve recognition at the Oscars for the actors who give outstanding performances off-camera.

Scott Fortney, voice talent and PSA Producer, asks, "If you can get an award for sound editing, sound mixing, visual effects, art direction and makeup, why are voice actors' contributions ignored? Try watching "Toy Story 3″ with the sound muted. Not such a great story without the voice actors to bring the characters to life, is it?"

The petition is going strong with 675 signatures. Voices.com hopes to reach 2000 signatures in time to present the idea for consideration before next year's nominations are considered and the respective nominees are announced.

A true testament to the age of the Internet the project came into fruition with participants from far and wide including Puerto Rico, the UK, Canada and the USA.

Pablo Hernandez indicated, "Everything was done via e-mail and via private messages on Facebook. The entire collaboration process was really easy, all the voice actors and voice actress involved in the project are all voice over professionals that work on {these kinds} of projects."

Click here to download the Oscars Petition PSA.

To view the petition, visit: http://www.thepetiti...oscarspetition/

Cast and Credits:

Pablo Hernandez (Executive Producer & Copywriter)
Scott Fortney (VO talent & Audio Producer)
Andy Boyns (VO Talent)
Lori Taylor (VO Talent)
Doug Warner (VO Talent)

Source: Vox Daily

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Over the last decade the use of celebrity voice overs for television commercials has grown in leaps and bounds.

During the Oscars program this year there were twenty-four percent more ads featuring celebrity’s compared to last years program which had just four percent. Most of the ads this year featured celebrity voice overs rather than on-camera appearances.

With the jump in celebrity voice overs it seems clear that in the minds of marketing gurus it’s worth every expense. Because celebrities are recognizable, people tend to have an emotional response to the sound of their voices. They remember them from their favorite movies and from the media. The more distinct the voice the better. People are therefore more likely to gravitate to that product over the competitions because they have an emotional connection to it.

Whether or not celebrity voice overs hurts or helps the industry is still up for debate. Some voice actors feel that celebrities are taking jobs away from the hard working talent who make a living doing voiceovers.

“Current day celebrities don’t need the money and are taking jobs away from unknown actors who do voice overs, many of which are just as good and some of them much better.” says veteran actor Paul Dooley. “The funny thing is that the large majority of listeners don’t even recognize the celebrity’s voice out of context.”

Good or bad, the once anonymous industry is getting some Hollywood limelight.

Written by Lin Parkin · Courtesy of Voice Over Times


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According to a new report by IBISWorld USA, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) leads the list of the ten industries expected to see the highest growth rate between 2010-2016. Also on the Top 10 list are video games and Internet publishing.

This is good news for the voice over industry. These sectors regularly require voice over talent for their audio needs and could become major contributors in the job market for voice talent as they grow.

The voice over industry is said to be over $11 billion strong which is divided across a huge span of niche markets including Business, Cartoons, Documentaries, Educational Video, Internet, Jingles, Movie Trailers, Music, Podcasting, Radio, Telephone, Television and Videogames.

Corporate projects currently lead the bread and butter jobs for the voice over industry. An increase in voice over jobs for video games would give talent the opportunity to stretch their creative muscles more often and with the growing popularity of Internet publishing as a new method for entertainment programming voice actors may see more opportunities to work on projects in online broadcasting.

Over the last two years Voices.com has seen an increase in Internet job postings which seems to suggest that there is the potential for these growth industries to lean more toward e-commerce sites to search for, audition, and cast their projects.

The future is looking bright.

Source: The Atlantic/Voices.com


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Welcome everyone to the NEW and IMPROVED Radio Daddy.com...we are still everything you expect us to be and now a whole lot more.

First , I'd like to thank Adam for the hard work he's put in here switching everything over, he has done a tremendous job. Danny for letting us run in a slightly different direction and all of you for your patience and understanding.

So you know going forward, unless it is a generic bit we will be regularly removing posts from RD, most request will have a 90 day shelf life and after that they will be deleted from the server. So if you make a request or you fulfill a request be sure to to retain a copy because it won't remain on our server forever.

We will be making some items exclusive to subscribers, instructional videos, advice, reviews, and access to more than one request and commercial content will require a subscription fee. We do this to allow Radio Daddy to continue, it cost Danny, Adam and I a pretty penny to get this new site up and running...it continues to cost money daily and we need to some how generate some revenue to keep it going and to keep the Voice Pros here...we will work out the logistics over time...subscription prices will not be outrageos trust me...more information on that soon.We will still be offering FREE Voiceovers and everyone and anyone will have accesss to request them, just much more limited.

RadioDaddy Radio will be the place to tune in for great music, shows, industry talk, Voice Pro Demos, instructional advice and just plain fun...that is coming very soon.

So everyone, again, Welcome to the New and Improved Radio Daddy...you're gonna like it here.
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This article is courtesy of Emmett, one of our VoicePros.

This is intended for people who are serious about making some real income from VO. Read it if you like...Or don't. I think it will be beneficial to those who really absorb the information. I'm covering a bunch of stuff to do with gear and studios. There are a lot of misunderstandings and misconceptions. None will go into great detail. If you want to know more about something, ask!

1. The most important part of any recording is the source material. Voice quality and delivery are more important than ANY piece of hardware or software.

2. Room treatment is the forgotten investment...And more important than most others. A great mic chain will not fix a bad room...It will only reveal the room noise more clearly.

3. Sound proofing and sound absorption are NOT the same thing. Foam will not block out noise. Learn the difference and treat the room accordingly.

4. The ENTIRE mic chain is important. Don't neglect any part of it. A professional pop filter, microphone, preamp, (processor, if desired) and A/D converter (i.e. Soundcard, USB or Firewire device) are essential.

5. Recording software does not have a 'sound'. When it comes to recording, Audacity (free) sounds just like Audition, Sound Forge or Wavelab.

6. Most of the time, you don't need a mixer. It will just add noise to your chain. Few voiceover people have a real need for a hardware mixer.

7. No mic will make you sound good. Better mics will ALLOW you to sound good, if you already do. And some will compliment your voice tonal qualities nicely for subtle character...But nothing will make you sound good.

8. You get what you pay for. Those cheap mics? They sound cheap. Luckily, thanks to technological developments, prices for quality have gotten much lower. That means that mics that would have once cost $1000 now sell for about $300. Large diaphragm condenser mics today start to sound professional around $220 or so. Mics in the $300-500 range can sound truly great. Below those price ranges, build quality can be sketchy and consistency is non-existant. Above those prices, you'll get a little better build quality and measurable consistency, but not always a better sound.

9. The ElectroVoice RE20 makes a lousy VO mic. It's great for durability and works very well in radio environments, but in terms of sound, it's pretty rough. For that price, you can do much, much better. It's only the radio standard...Not the VO standard.

10. Mic placement is very important. Finding the sweet spot is as important as the mic itself. Speaking directly into the diaphragm is rarely desirable.

11. Trying to make your voice 'thick and big' is a waste of time. VO artists should not perform heavy processing of any kind. It's a nightmare for a good producer.
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I listen to alot of stuff posted here on RD as I'm sure many others do and while we all know we have some GREAT talent here at RD we all also know we have some people who, while giving it the old College try, just aren't very good. That's ok, the only way to learn and get better is by doing. But if no one is pointing out the things you're doing wrong and giving you plus reps because you did attempt, this can lead to a false sense that you are doing things correctly and that you are getting better when in fact you are not.



My background is more of an On Air Personality, I thrive best in the Live situation on air, having worked in Radio for awhile now, however, I have done some voice over work professionally. No where near the amount as some of the talent here on this site and I am sure they will chime in with their opinions and advice, which will be more than helpful to us all.

If you decide that you want to try this as either a living or as a hobby you need to invest a little bit of money, even if it is just a hobby. Hobbies cost money, if you collect baseball cards you have to spend money to get the latest cards or sleeves to protect them. Well, VO work (or hobby) is the same you need to invest some money. Get yourself a decent microphone, the one that came packaged with your PC is not going to cut it. You don't sound clear and the hissing and popping is unbearable. When you buy your microphone (and we can have a discussion as to what is a good entry level microphone in another thread) invest in a pop filter or make one (hanger and stocking I'm told work decent), I'll assume you have a PC and sound card (we can discuss the different sound cards in another thread also) a mixer or mic pre-amp is also necessary to get the mic sound into the computer, unless you are using a USB microphone. So these are the basic tools you need to begin with, you also need some software that allows you to record and edit your voice. I use Adobe Audition (Cool Edit Pro) but there are others out there, and even some free stuff-someone I'm sure will list the free stuff in this thread.

Once you have these items now its time to record some stuff-PLEASE turn off your TV or Radio and get the house as quiet as possible. Too many times as of late I've heard people recording stuff for someone and I can hear everything that is going on in the background. We want to hear your voice not the television show you're watching. If you don't eliminate the background noise no one can use your recording anyway.

Read your script several times before attempting to record, I've heard people recording the script and it is obvious it is the first time they've read it. They have difficulty pronouncing words, they stop and stammer, are unsure of their place in the script. Read the script, practice it, so as you read it it doesn't sound like you're reading it. I read the paper everyday out loud and try my hardest to sound as if what I'm reading is coming naturally out of my mouth not something I'm being read. When I first started in Radio my first PD told me this technique and it has worked wonders for me. Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

Use voice inflections, don't sound like a robot-sound like you actually care-don't think that using a bunch of special effects is going to mask a poor reading. A poor reading is a poor reading and while swooshes, beeps, zaps and pops are great, it is difficult to mask a poor read with them. Again practice sounding as if you care, if the read is upbeat SMILE while you are recording it, you'll be surprised how much of a difference this makes in your voice.

Stand up-I know there are VOs who record sitting down, but until you are much better at it, stand up to record, it will help your breathing and diaphram and allow you to project clearer.

While I'm on the subject of breathing, learn to control it, learn, how much breath you'll need to say a sentence. Nothing worse than hearing a sentence where the reader runs out of breath at the end-IT IS OBVIOUS-or has to take a breath at an inappropriate time within the sentence. Pratice your breathing techniques, read the script out loud several times to know where the problem areas might be so you are prepared prior to reading.

Have confidence and have fun. With anything else if it isn't fun why do it unless they're paying you alot of money LOL-make it fun and have confidence that you can do it-that in and of itself will make a HUGE difference in how your read comes out.

I'm sure I left some stuff out and I know our great Voice Pros here will add some stuff and correct any things that I may have err'd on. I hope any new people here will use this thread to post examples of work and have pros critique it here in the thread.

Have Fun!
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