Voiceovers Blog - Official Voice123 Team Blog

Get 'Tooned In' at Emmy Award-Winner's Animation Workshop in NYC

2009-07-07T08:42:00.019-05:00

Emmy award-winning voice over artist, Stevie Vallance, is holding a TWO day animation workshop on July 18th & 19th, focusing on:

Character development
Audition monologues
Improvisational exercises
Mic technique
Basics of the industry
A cd of the work done in class
Industry contact list
Info on how to make a demo

This animation voice over workshop will be two fun, five-hour days with just 16 participants max!

Please register here for this exciting voice over workshop in New York City.

If you would like to see more about veteran, voice over artist Stevie Vallance, you can view a clip of her in action here!

You can also visit her website to read more about the workshop at http://www.stevievallance.com/toonedin.html.

Thank you and best regards!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
Twitter: @stevenNYC123

Voice Over Insight: 'Understanding the Voice Over Community'

2009-07-02T10:26:00.013-05:00

This is the third week in a row in which we provide for you, voice over insight into understanding the two voice over businesses that work together on Voice123:

Voice over talents
Voice seekers

We were inspired this week by voice talent Mark Fletcher, for providing insight recently on the Voice123 Premium Forums. In this case, this voice talent posted a project as a voice seeker, and got an understanding as to what the voice seeker sees from his/her end, which has in turn, given him have a broader perspective for what works in online voice over casting.

On the same topic, today a voice seeker called Voice123, and asked to speak to me. The conversation was interesting, and showed me that even the most experienced job posting professionals are still very new to online casting. Two questions that stuck out to me were:

How will I get the final work, if I want to hire them?
I have seen so many rate cards out there. What is 'the right one' to use?

What struck me as very interesting is that these questions are similar to questions often heard by voice talents in Voice123 customer service, and in Voice123 Premium Forums:

I was hired. How do I send the file?
I was hired. What do I charge a voice seeker?

In the past six years, online voice casting has connected talents and clients directly for voice over work, reinventing the way one must do business to adjust to working online. For many, 'it's just like starting over', whether you are a voice talent or a voice seeker. In all of this, the core of what makes someone successful in voice overs has really not changed. Read more on succeeding in voice overs, in a forum post from voice talent Scott Pollak.

Voice123 will tirelessly provide as much information as possible to assist all of you in understanding how Voice123 is as much a voice over community, as it is a 'marketplace'.

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
Twitter: @stevenNYC123

'Top 5: Requests From Voice Talents'

2009-06-25T16:25:00.025-05:00

Understanding what the voice over community of Voice123 is thinking is important, so that each voice professional, be it a job poster or talent, has a great experience! So, last week, Voice123 shared an article with all voice over talents on the 'Top 5 Feedbacks' from you, the job poster, as to what you would like to see more of from voice talents. The article went over really well! In an effort to build understanding between all users of Voice123, we would like to share with you the Top 5 Requests given to us from Voice123 voice over talents. We hope you will find this interesting!

1. 'The ranking system is not used all that often.'

Voice123 has a ranking system in place for you to organize your decisions, as to who you will likely hire, consider, maybe hire, not likely hire, or wish to never hear from again. Such usage of the ranking system, simply put, helps you hear from your favorite talents more often, but can also help you avoid voice talents you wish to not hear from in the future. Voice talents request this because the more it is used, the better it affects their chances of being invited by those they have had positive results with in the past. It also gives them ideas on how well decisions they make are working out.

2. 'I wish I knew who they hired, or at least a thank you note for auditioning.'

Well, this is Voice123's responsibility. In fact, those doing the hiring have kindly asked us to have that option in place, as well. We will look to take care of this in the future. We appreciate everyone's patience until then.

3. 'My auditions were never opened.'

Right now, close to 80% of all auditions are opened when a project is posted on Voice123, yet 100% would always love to know that they have been heard, mainly because they had spent time to record something, and they know not everyone will be hired.

4. 'Project descriptions come across as too vague, sometimes.'

The interface on Voice123 allows for you to describe exactly what you need. However, many times only one or two words have been used to describe those needs. We have seen that those posting jobs get better results, when more details are given in the Project Description area. Post a voice over job, and see how well this works.

5. ' I lost contact with the client.'

It is important for all users to know that when replying to private messages or direct invites, DO NOT use the reply button in your email. Please use the link at the bottom of the email underneath 'How To Reply'. If you ever experience a situation in which you have lost contact with a voice over talent, contact us, and let us know! If the problem is Voice123's, we will be able to help you!

Voice123 wants all voice over industry professionals, from clients to talents, to enjoy using our system! If you ever have any questions while posting a project, or would like some advice on ways to get great results for your project, please contact us via Live Chat, phone or email.

We will always do our best to update our technology to fit the voice over community's ever-changing needs!

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
Twitter: @stevenNYC123

'Top 5 Feedbacks: From Voice Seekers'

2009-06-19T11:36:00.009-05:00

Voice123 receives thousands of feedback emails, phone calls, and Live Chats a month, all from users of online casting. There are many, who post jobs to find voice over talents, many who audition, and many who do both. This week, we would like to share the top 5 feedbacks we read from voice seekers to fill in communication gaps in the Voice123 voice over community.

We hope you will find this helpful!

1. 'The voice talent did not respond to my email, or direct invitation.'

Regretfully, if there is more than one obvious choice, a simple thing like not responding to a personal invitation can cost someone a job; sometimes you or another voice talent. Voice123 is aware of this, and has policies in place to assist both voice talents and voice seekers to avoid these problems.

2. 'The voice talent agreed on a price, but could not perform the payment method required.'

One of the reasons Voice123 has a profile parameter for Payment Methods is because there are certain types of methods voice seekers or voice talents will simply not use. The best way to avoid any negative situation is to make sure you know you can perform the required payment method before auditioning.

3. 'The person did not follow instructions.'

Actually, this feedback is related to events that have happened AFTER someone was hired. Online voice over casting is new to everyone! One's perception of how much instruction is needed ahead of time can vary from user to user. At Voice123, we work to build technology to fill communication gaps in the voice over community, but it still may happen. The important thing to do is always keep track of what is exactly being asked for. An example would be, if the seeker asks for audio not to be compressed, or the MP3 file to be named a certain way.

4. 'The audition was great! So, what happened to the voice talent?'

The best thing to do, if you are going to audition, is make sure that you have contact info in your profile and remarks section that reaches you quickly. In addition, if you audition, always make sure you are indeed willing to do the job.

5. 'I wish there was some flexibility and understanding. We are all in the same boat.'

Working online as a voice talent, in many ways, requires that the talent can offer his/her own brand of customer service for voice seekers. There are indeed times when someone asks for a great amount of work, for very little. Before the decision to say 'No, I cannot help you.' is made, fully analyze the bigger picture! Will this person be a long-term client? Can I afford what is being asked of me? Above all... Will the effort eventually lead to a higher return of investment.

Perhaps the toughest part of being an online voice over talent is mastering the art of being a self-agent, business entrepreneur, marketer, and equally skilled at copy reading, while having sound recording skills.

The first step to all success...

Maintain a positive attitude, and work hard. Success will eventually find you!

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
Twitter: @stevenNYC123

Voice123 Turns Six!

2009-06-11T15:42:00.016-05:00

Voice123 will celebrate its sixth birthday this Saturday, June 13th. It left us thinking, "My my... These darn websites just grow up so darn fast!".

In six short years, online casting for voice overs has changed from 'something you might want to look into if you do voice overs or need voice talent' into a 'necessary & cost-effective way to market, audition, and/or find professional voice over talents'.

There have been changes in web technology, ways 'business is done', and new ways to communicate in 'real-time'. All of this has contributed to the growth of the online voice over community, and in a few short years, made it truly a professional and respectable way to find voice over work, or voice over talents.

The growth of Voice123 is evident in our Project Directory. Our first March in 2004, 81 voice over projects were posted. This year, over 1500 projects were posted, SmartCast & Private Jobs combined!

This could never have happened without the help of you, our Voice123 community of voice talents and job posters, and the drive of those who chose to dedicate themselves to making a better website, and voice over industry.

Our staff here celebrates a sixth birthday for Voice123, with all of you, our Voice123 community.

We thank you so much for making Voice123 special, and hope to be around for many years to come! Voice123 staff is now and forever, a hard working, dedicated staff on a mission to create, maintain, and innovate the best voice casting website with the goal of connecting members of the voice over industry, seven days a week!

All of you in the Voice123 community have made the past six years very special for all of us at Voice123!

Cheers!

Juan Salcedo
General Manager

Voice123 Facts About Posting a Voice Over Project

2009-06-03T16:42:00.009-05:00

Voice123 is the fastest, most efficient way to connect job posters (the voice seeker) with professional voice over talent.

Did you know?
After a project is posted on Voice123 during our regular business hours (yes, we also work on weekends), your project is approved within 15 minutes and it can then take as little as 60 minutes for auditions to start arriving. Also, studies done in March 2009, show that voice talents audition for projects 24 hours a day, with the slowest time of day being between 3AM & 5AM EST.

Did you know?
In 2009, we have seen more and more jobs coming to Voice123 than ever before. Just take a look at our Voice123 voice over Project Directory for SmartCast projects, and that directory does not include the 500 to 750 jobs posted in which voice talents were contacted directly for SmartCast Disabled projects.

Did you know?
Voice123 has a shared inbox feature that allows you to easily email your clients a link to your audition inbox. This is a great time-saver!

Did you know?
Voice123 upgraded its servers last weekend to make sure that all in the Voice123 community, enjoy a smoother, faster experience!

Our site has such features to encourage you to post more work on Voice123, the largest & most professional community of voice talents in online casting.

Give Voice123 a try and see for yourself! We know you will enjoy it!

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
Twitter: @stevenNYC123

Server Upgrade Means Planned Outage This Weekend!

2009-05-27T18:22:00.002-05:00

This weekend, Voice123 will be making a much needed server upgrade to meet the growing demands of its user community.

This does mean the site will have to come down for Sunday, May 31st, 2009, between the hours of 3:00 am and 7:00 am (USA ET).

Some of you may have experienced a slow response time from the web server recently. We thank you so much for your feedback and patience in recent weeks. We hope this upgrade will serve our Voice123 Community by having faster site speed, which makes for a much more pleasant experience.

If you are a Voice Seeker planning to post a project this coming Sunday, we suggest that you do so after 7:00 am (USA ET), or send us the details of the project via email to help@voice123.com, so we can process them for you.

If you are a Voice Over Talent-Producer, please schedule yourself to send your pending auditions and proposals before or after the planned outage.

Cheers,

Juan Salcedo
General Manager

Talent Finds 'Terminator: Salvation' on Voice123!

2009-05-22T12:55:00.021-05:00

We are very happy to announce that Voice123 talent, September Day Leach, booked a great job through Voice123, doing promotional materials for the movie, 'Terminator: Salvation', which premiered last Thursday! We thank her for letting us know about this great job, and she agreed to answer some questions about how this came to be.

Q. First, tell us about the job!
A. I was hired for promotional work for the film. I'm on www.skynetresearch.com, and all the cool viral stuff they did including infomercials for the SciFi Channel! It was just really, really cool!

Q. What exact project did you find this work through?
A. This one: http://voice123.com/lv/Corporate_Site_2.html

Q. When did you realize exactly how big the job was going to be?
A. When the production company told me who the real client was, I think I giggled like a schoolgirl for a good half hour! I was thrilled that my sexy, monotone voice was chosen as the most iconic antagonist, Skynet!

Q. How many auditions did you go through to get the job?
A. Just the one SmartCast audition. It was weird because the client hid the real name of the company in the script. I actually thought it was a security firm of some sort.

Q. They hid their name, so how did you know who it was, and what is the process of signing an NDA? Did you negotiate anything ahead of time?
A. I got a phone call while I was in a cab on my way to the NYC voice over mixer that Erik Sheppard, and I held in early December 2008. The production house e-mailed me a copy of the NDA the day before I got the phone call. The name of "Warner Brothers" was on it, so I had an inkling it was going to be a big deal! All it said was that once I found out who the client was, I would not tell anyone in detail about the scripts I would be recording. I had signed it and faxed it back the day before I left for the New York City VO Mixer, and didn't think I would hear back until Monday. They called me on Friday while I was in my cab from La Guardia, going to meet Erik at the NYC (34th St.) Macy's to see Santa. I was all calm and cool on the phone, but freaked my cabbie out a bit when I started doing the victory dance (which looks an awful lot like the "Snoopy dance") in his back seat! When we finally got to sit on Santa's lap (and we have picture proof of Erik sitting on Santa's knee!) I told him that I had already gotten my Christmas present! :) I knew the general price range for the initial recording, but I did negotiate prices as we recorded more scripts. The people with the production house were very nice and professional. All of the sessions were recorded via phone patch from my home studio.

Q. How about other jobs you have booked on Voice123?
A. Voice123 allows me to book the bread and butter jobs that makes it possible for me to be a full-time VO, while at the same time granting me access to career-changing jobs for clients like MTV, Subaru, IKEA, and now, Warner Brothers! The return on investment is incredible! No matter how successful I am able to be in this industry, Voice123 will always be in my marketing arsenal.

Voice123 thanks September Day Leach for sharing her success story with us, and we wish her all the best in future auditions! Nothing makes us happier than to hear people are working in a voice over career they love!

We thank you for reading!

If you have a voice over casting success story of your own you would like to share with us for the future, please let us know by writing us, or in our Voice123 Premium Forums!

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
Twitter: @stevenNYC123

'My Voice Tags' in Your Profile!

2009-05-18T16:42:00.004-05:00

Demo tags are finally here! The work put in by you, the professional Voice123 talent, has helped us create a great new feature for helping all Voice123 voice over talents to be found much easier than ever before!

When the new Voice123 Search Feature comes out soon, the very tags you choose to keep in your new 'My Voice Tags' section of your profile, can assist you in being found quicker and easier. Simply put, these are keywords that have been anonymously left on your profile demos by other professional talents throughout the last year.

Demo tagging is a very complex web development feature, which makes it faster & easier for people to connect in order to be hired. Bottom line, you can only benefit from it!

You may check at any time what tags your voice has received in the 'My Voice Tags' option of the 'My Profile' section (you can remove tags you don't agree with). And if you want to tag other talents, you can do so here.

You can never connect if a tag does not match what you are, and because you can remove these tags, while leaving some for others, you now have a voice in shaping the professionalism of Voice123!

This feature works because the Voice123 community made it so, and we thank you so much for being a part of Voice123.

Read more about it in our Resource Center article about Demo Tagging, if you have questions.

Cheers,

Juan Salcedo
General Manager

Demo Tagging Winners Announced!

2009-05-13T12:32:00.012-05:00

The demo tagging promotion to give away five premium subscriptions ended last week. Over the weekend, Voice123 spent many hours looking through them to see just who tagged the most demos. We are happy to announce the following five winners of Voice123 Premium Subscriptions!

We received over 25,000 tags throughout the past year. Over 9,600 voice demos were tagged, belonging to 8,500 voice talents. The tags left were very professional, and it was a pleasure to see such high community participation!

We thank all who took part in this promotion. You may continue tagging demos as you wish. The ability to see and remove the tags given to you will be available very shortly as part of a new feature to help you increase your online exposure!

If you have any questions about Demo Tagging, and how it will be used, please ask us here on the Voice123 Premium Forums.

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
Twitter: @stevenNYC123

Copy Reading - Some Tips and Thoughts

2009-05-06T17:21:00.006-05:00

In a creative industry, there are no 'absolutes', yet the one thing that seems to have changed very little over the last 20 years is 'how to read copy', even with all the technology out there, which changed the way business is done.

Back in the 90's, I read the book 'Word of Mouth', by Susan Blu & Molly Ann Mullin. When it comes to copy reading, I still refer to tips in this book. Of course, the way we do business has changed with online casting, in that it is now more 'do-it-yourself'. So, as someone, who listens day to day to demos and auditions on Voice123, I would like to share some thoughts and tips about copy reading, a main component of booking voice over work.

Know who you are talking to, always, while you read copy
Each script has an audience. It is important to sound as if you are addressing someone while you speak. I have always believed that 'if you talk to someone specifically, you talk to everyone at the same time', and if you are listening to a voice over, the voice that stops the audience in their tracks is one that sounds as if it was directed at one person.

Do not try to sound like anyone else. Be yourself
In a business with so many talents, you have to sell a product, that being your voice, and there is no other person out there like you. Trying to sound like what you perceive voice over artists to sound like, actually makes you sound inexperienced.

Creativity & originality is a must, BUT know the basic rules first
I live by the motto, 'You can only break rules, once you know the rules.' That said, true creativity and originality can be implemented when you know what is being done, and should not be done. For example... Announcing in an audition that you are 'Trying something new here...', actually scares people into thinking you do not know what you are doing. Why? Because true creativity and originality that holds the listener's attention requires no explanation, before or after. Just do what you think is best, based on what you know. If you are having a creative block, just change up the cadence, and try inflections on words, even if they make no sense. Remember though... do this when you practice, so that when you audition, it is second nature to you. On this point as well, all creativity you have may be lost if your recording quality is poor.

Repetition and practice is key
The best way to learn a new skill is through repetition of educated steps. The best way to learn how to read copy is to practice reading it consistently. Doing this in classes and with coaches is better than trying it for the first time when auditioning. You want scripts and copy to become a new language for you. Practice also helps your diction, and also gets you 'out of your head', almost so that you are not thinking so much about how you sound, but more so whether or not you are accomplishing the goal that the script has set before you.

I still remember the day I felt like something clicked inside me while reading copy... I was reading something, and I knew while I was reading it, that I was not getting the point across, I was speaking too fast, and that my NYC accent slipped in there by mistake, and it was out of place and not asked for in the script. It was very much an 'in the zone' feeling that came after many months of working diligently with a coach, and classes on what types of voice overs I sell best. I also remember that when I auditioned on Voice123 as a talent, I read the script almost 20 times before recording, just to make sure I knew what the script was really trying to do, backwards forwards.

I hope this insight helps. You can always share your opinions or ask for Demo Advice on Voice123's Premium Forums. Opinions may vary, but you can never forget practice, and dedication.

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
Twitter: @stevenNYC123

Demo Tagging Coming to a Close Next Week

2009-04-30T11:10:00.009-05:00

Many of you have already taken part in the demo tagging on Voice123. Thank you!

As this comes to a close before the release of our new search feature, we wanted to send one last reminder that the five people, who have tagged the most demos by May 8th, will receive a free Premium Subscription to Voice123.

Tagging demos takes place after an audition has been submitted on Voice123, a function of those with Premium subscriptions. Please remember that tagging is anonymous, and all tags will be available for removal, if you disagree with them once they have been released. If you would like details, read more here.

If you are curious, and maybe would like to know more about this, you can always ask me on Voice123 Premium forums.

Thank you so much!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
twitter.com/stevenNYC123

"If I Never Hear These Questions Again, It Will Be Too Soon" - Bettye Zoller

2009-04-27T11:20:00.016-05:00

Bettye Zoller is a member of the Voice123 Coach Partner Program. She has been kind enough to write this article for the benefit of the voice over community. We hope you find it useful.

"Let me begin this article with a couple of wise quotes from veteran broadcasters I’ve had the pleasure of knowing. I won’t mention names, but here ‘tis:

If you tell me you are “thinking about” going into broadcasting or voiceovers, I’m going to advise you not to do it. You obviously do not have the passion, the fire, the drive if you’re only “thinking about it.” Go into another line of work!
It never matters how good someone is at what they do if that person doesn’t sell, sell, sell. A good salesperson will always make more money and have more success in any given endeavor than a talented person will have, every time!”

As a longtime voice, speech, singing, and voice over coach, it is the voice over students who ask questions over and over again, many times, unanswerable questions! So, I decided to write this article in an effort to aid voice performers in overcoming “fear of failure,” the real reason behind these unanswerable questions. First, here are the questions:

How long will it take me to make money in the voiceover business?
I want to quit my job (retire or whatever…) so do you think voiceovers will allow me to do that without a loss of income?
What is the start-up cost involved in becoming a voiceover performer?
Do you think it’s worth the money to join an online pay-to-play voiceover website?
Do you think I should renew my membership with an online pay-to-play voiceover website?
Why am I not winning more online auditions?
OK. I’ve downloaded the Audacity recording software and I put a microphone on my computer. I’m all set up as a recording studio but don’t know how to record anything on it. What should I do?
OK. I don’t have the money for a voiceover CD demo because I just spent all my money outfitting my computer as a recording studio. Is that ok? I can do the demo in awhile.
I just paid to be on Voice123. Now what? Should I have signed up through you, my coach?
How do I know which online jobs to audition for and which to pass over?
How do I find a good voiceover coach?

Everybody, here are the ‘answers'! (only kidding…), but I’ll try to clarify some issues:

Who knows? Ask a fortune teller but don’t pay more than $5.00 and don’t expect an answer from her either.
Remember: Voiceovers, just like every other business in the world today or forever in history has or has had a startup period, a build. Voiceovers are no exception. It usually takes two to six years to establish a career if you’re diligent and good and a terrific networker and salesperson.
From $500 to $5000 dollars: Ask an architect how much it will cost to build a house for you. What sort of house? What materials? Where? There are too many variables to quote start up costs for anything…ever. But one thing is clear: Starting a voice business is far less costly than many, many other types of businesses.
Yes. Joining a pay to play online voiceover site is the foundation of today’s voice business. I predict that in years ahead, our online voiceover work will supercede any other type of voiceover work.
Yes.
Who knows? Are you auditioning for jobs not suited to your strengths? Are you a beginning voiceover performer or someone who, as of yet, is not very accomplished? Is your accent or dialect or perhaps your poor diction causing the rejections? Do you need more voiceover training? Are you auditioning for jobs you don’t fit? Are you auditioning for jobs requiring a higher level of audio engineering or certain recording equipment you don’t have yet or that you are not capable of providing at this time? Are your audition MP3s noisy, boomy, too low in volume? But also, know that auditioning is “a NUMBERS GAME.” Also, some clients should have chosen YOU but didn’t! (There…do you feel better now?) Let me tell you the story about the client who did not choose me because I reminded him of his ex-wife! (True!) Do you know that statistics show that most small businesses fail because they gave up too soon? There is no explanation for why one person is chosen in most auditions over another equally good person. Learn to live with this fact!
Investigate community colleges in your area to find a recording studio course and enroll in it. Perhaps find an audio engineer working at a local recording studio who will teach you privately a few times to answer your questions and give you a start on knowing more about recording. Ask your local library for a book on recording techniques. Search online for articles on websites addressing your concerns about recording yourself. Talk with others in voiceovers who may share information. Query others in an online chat group, on a message board, or in an online email group to get answers to some questions.
Every week that you do NOT yet have a “killer” demo (or more than one!) simply postpones your possible successes one week further into the future. The demo is the foundation of everything. You put the “cart before the horse.” By spending your money on the recording gear too soon. First comes study. The demo comes next. Setting up your computer as a recording studio comes down the line. Learn your craft and get good at it before putting in a studio. And don’t do a demo until you’re ready either! Never do a demo with a so-called producer who works with you one hour to day and shoves you in front of a microphone. Your demo should be prepared totally, rehearsed, the copy chosen with great care.
Voice123 has a “coaches’ program whereby a coach who is a signed coach with the site can offer a newcomer a free trial period before he or she pays to become a premium member. Take advantage of this trial period by signing up for it through your voice coach. If your coach is not a Voice123 coach, ask the folks at Voice123 to refer you to a resident coach. I help my students who join on the trial program through me to build their page, upload their demos, get a start. Ask your coach for help.
“Know Thyself.” If you do not know your strengths, get busy with a coach who can help you identify these areas. No one is good at everything. Only do what you’re fabulous doing. Make a list of your voiceover strengths. Stick with it. Pass over auditions that are not among your best areas. And set limits on “how low you’ll go” with the lowball jobs on the online sites. What’s your asking price?
A coach is not “good” for everyone…only good for SOME PEOPLE. Unless a coach is untrained and not knowledgeable, uncaring and unprofessional, that coach can probably impart to you some wisdom, teach you some good things. Everyone should study with a variety of coaches. Study often! And if a certain coach is not your “favorite,” not the “best coach” you’ve had, please do not take that to mean the coach might not be good for others. Everyone is different with differing needs. A dear friend and colleague, the late Don LaFontaine, once told me, “If you gain one useful bit of knowledge from a teacher or a workshop, it’s been worth the money. And when the lesson’s over or the workshop’s finished, ask yourself what the best piece of new knowledge was that you learned.” So true. Great advice!

Let me close by addressing the greatest fear of all: I call it, “the imposter syndrome.” When students in medical colleges reach the intern-stage of their education, many drop out. They quit. They become fearful of being a physician because they feel inadequate, afraid, untried. This is primarily because of FEAR OF FAILURE. One thing is absolutely certain and I tell all my students this fact: The one certainty is that if you do not try, you have failed. And you never will know if you could have succeeded or not. But also, one must know when enough is enough, when to quit. Not everyone succeeds at voiceovers. Ask yourself these following questions:

Are you built to be an entrepreneur?
Should you find a job with a steady paycheck?
Are you not good at self promotion or sales?
Are you shy and fearful of meeting new people?
Are you unknowledgeable about recording and really do not want to learn it?
Perhaps you also are mostly computer illiterate? Do you have a speech disorder or accent of some kind?
Is English, for you, a second or foreign language? Perhaps you should be trying to get more jobs in your primary language.

I constantly dispel the myth that a person who “speaks well” can do well at voiceovers. Not true. It’s much more than only “talking.” It’s voice acting. It’s a REAL BUSINESS! Welcome to the real voiceover world!"

- Bettye Zoller Seitz of voicesvoices.com is also a Voice123 Coach. See her profile for credentials! She coaches by phone as well as privately. She holds degrees through the doctorate from three universities and is the Feagin Guest Artist Professor at Tulsa University in Oklahoma and The Academy of Dramatic Arts this August in NYC.

Difference Between SmartCast & SmartCast Disabled

2009-04-23T16:53:00.011-05:00

In the Voice123 system for posting a job, there are two kinds:

SmartCast
SmartCast Disabled

However, there is a big difference between the two.

SmartCast is a system that automatically matches what you are requesting to the profiles that best fit what you require. It requires little time to use, and you normally begin receiving auditions within the hour. Invitations to audition for your project will be sent to hundreds of professional talents, who match your needs.

Then, we have SmartCast Disabled. This form is different. It requires that you, not only fill out a form, but that you also MANUALLY invite voice talents, either through our search feature, or from people you have worked with before on Voice123. It involves the use of our private messaging system. In turn, you will be doing the casting yourself, by who you find.

If you ever have any questions about how to post a project, please contact one of our account executives, or myself, for assistance. Post a project, and see for yourself!

Thank you for using Voice123!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
twitter.com/stevenNYC123

'Ya' Never Know!'

2009-04-23T11:11:00.011-05:00

The very fact that names can be saved or that talents can be marked as 'preferred' by a voice seeker, means that every audition carries the same responsibility as one that comes with meeting an agent or casting director. Why? Simply put...'Ya' Never Know' who will be listening one day, or who you have struck a chord with in the past.

When it comes down to it, 'people' are using Voice123 on both sides of the community. One side of the community is made up of 'voice seekers' that use the technology to post projects, and hear auditions. Each has their own personality. They have an easy time keeping track of those professionals, who at one point, stuck out to them and planted that all important seed in the brain known as 'I would like to work with that person one day'. However, the needs of clients to hire a talent can be unpredictable, even with all technology in place to cut out the unpredictability factor out!

We give you two examples, which you can find in our Voice123 Forums, that illustrates the importance of professional auditioning, all the time!

Please see the following posts!

These have been written by David Swinehart and Scott Pollak! Thank you to you both for sharing such positive news, and insight, with the community of Voice123!

Being that no 'rule' is absolute when it comes to a creative industry, we point to one common thread that has made talents memorable, as learned in feedback from voice seekers:

One with the ability to choose the right auditions for themselves, combined with an audition and online communication skill that saves the client 'time', which can very well be the warmest hug you can give someone who is using a computer. It is like saying, 'I know what you are going through. So, let's work together.' This understanding is key in establishing long-term working relationships, while working online, too!

Working online can be unassumingly demanding, and being as new as it is, requires some flexibility when working within the community, but if you are always putting your best voice forward with dedication to sound quality and great copy reading, at some point, it will pay off for you!

"Dedication and hard work requires that success is imminent!"

Thank you for using Voice123!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog
twitter.com/stevenNYC123

"BOB BERGEN: SO, HERE'S THE DEAL" Debuts in NYC!

2009-04-20T16:54:00.010-05:00

Voice123 would like to mention a very special show that is coming to New York City this week. If you have ever been curious as to how to make it in voice overs, this is a great show to see.

"BOB BERGEN: SO, HERE'S THE DEAL"...The story of a nice Jewish boy who wanted to be Porky Pig, will make its NYC debut this week, April 22nd & 23rd, at Don't Tell Mama!

Reservations are now being accepted! You can click here to reserve for April 22nd or click here to reserve for April 23.

If you would like to make phone reservations, you must call after 4:00PM EST @ (212)-757-0788.

Interested in finding out more? Check out the show trailer!

We hope you can make it! Thank you to Marian Massaro passing this information along to us!

Cheers!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog

Pro Tips! Converting MP3 & CDA Files

2009-04-16T08:47:00.018-05:00

MP3 files are the most well-known format of audio file. On Voice123, MP3s are used most commonly for the following:

Uploading a demo onto your Voice123 profile, which you can do in the My Demos section, while you create your profile. MP3s on Voice123 profiles have to be 96 kbps, and under 3 MB (Megabytes) in order to be uploaded.
Uploading MP3s for auditions, which you would do as a Premium Subscriber to Voice123, while using SmartCast. Auditions can go as high as 10 MB in file size, but still have to remain 96 kbps.
When you are directly invited, and asked to send an MP3 through the private messaging system. The private messaging system has a file size limit of 2 MB.

So, I asked talented professionals on our Voice123 Premium Forums, to describe how they upload MP3s, or if they have had their demos on a CD, just how they transferred the CDA file to an MP3 format. You can find their answers here, and read below:

John Broniecki
"When converting from wave to mp3 I usually use iTunes 'advanced/convert selection to mp3 function'. If for some reason I don't do it that way I'll import the file into Logic Pro and then export from Logic as an mp3.

With a CDA file, you could just upload it as a data file (off your CD). I would most likely compress to a .zip or .sit before doing so."

Rodolfo Fernandez
"Converting WAV to MP3? Use iTunes in either Mac or PC platforms, which should import WAV's and then you can set iTunes preferences to convert your files to several different formats, including MP3. CDA's, or CD Audio discs, can be opened for playback in iTunes as well, and there is a dedicated button on the lower right corner of the window that says "Import CD".

When you click on that button, iTunes will import and convert the entire CD Audio disc to the format you've previously selected in Preferences > General > Import settings button.

You may also convert individual tracks from a CDA disc by selecting them individually and then going to the Advanced menu and selecting "Create --- version", where "---" will appear as the file format you've chosen in the preferences menu."

Lee Gordon
"The way I convert WAV's to MP3s is pretty simple. I open the WAV in Cool Edit and save it as an MP3. Job done."

Kelly Klemolin
"Regarding CDA to mp3: Try Adobe Audition. Open the file from the CD, save as an mp3."

Mark Fletcher
"I use Sound Forge 9.0 for everything. I bring in WAV or any other format and the mix and save to MP3. This allows me to deal with different sampling rates that may be present on files provided to me. I like to convert as little as possible to maintain quality."

David Swinehart
"...converting a .wav or .aif to the .mp3 format is as simple as importing the raw file into your audio editing software (I use Apple Logic), and running either an export or bounce in .mp3 format. The export will output exactly what you put in, while the bounce function will provide the ability to normalize the audio file as it's being converted - which is often useful in our line of work. As for converting CD's, one of the best encoders out there for .wav, .aif, or .mp3 files is actually iTunes (free on any computer). You just have to ensure that your encoding options are set up correctly to encode in the correct file type, and that you disable copy protection so that the files may be sent to clients and used on any computer."

Juan Salcedo - GM Voice123.com
"Another easy way to convert audio files, when you don't want to install software in a borrowed computer or are away from your PC, is to use file conversion services online. It's very easy to do, there are many free providers online, just google for 'online media converters'."

If you have a particular topic that you would like to know more about, or maybe content you would like to submit as an article, shoot us a message on the Voice123 Premium Forums!

We hope you have found this useful, and we thank the Voice123 voice over talents, who were generous in contributing their knowledge to this article!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog

Increase Exposure: Voice123 Link Exchange!

2009-04-07T11:22:00.009-05:00

One of the most amazing things about working online is that it gives voice over talents the opportunity to increase their exposure, faster than ever before.

A tool that Voice123 offers to assist in doing so is the Voice123 Link Exchange. You can find this in the More Tools section of your Voice123 profile. This can be an effective tool in showing up on search engines, such as Google or Yahoo.

Inbound links from other websites are important because it basically tells a search engine, like Google, that the referrer page is "recommending" your profile page. So, apart from the Voice123 Link Exchange, you can also add direct links to your profile from other websites, for example your personal website, directories, social websites, blogs, forum comments etc., increasing the ability to be found on the web. Whenever you have a chance to do this, we hope you will add a link to your profile page.

If you would like to know more about the importance of this, please read this article from our Resource Center, or ask other Voice123 users in our Voice123 Forums. I hope you will post a thread!

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog

'March'ing Forward at Voice123: New Records!

2009-04-02T08:26:00.025-05:00

Voice123 would like to start this off by quickly thanking the Voice123 community of talented professionals and voice seekers. This past month we set a record with having over 1000 SmartCast Projects posted. There were also over 800 non-SmartCast projects, in which voice seekers directly invited talents!

This has been a very interesting, and hard working month for Voice123. We wanted to share with you some of the action from the past month:

On March 1st: We extended the hours of Customer Service for voice over talents, to fit the needs of requests coming from various timezones around the world.
From March 1st to March 10th: As an experiment I changed my work schedule from 10pm to 7am USA EST, and spent the night fielding requests from the good voice over folks in Europe, Asia, and Australia. I learned a great deal about who is auditioning at that time, and who posts projects, that may need immediate help overnight. I had a blast speaking with people from around the world!
On March 26th: We released Voice123 on Facebook and we also started 'tweeting'. In just five days, Voice123 attracted over 600 fans on Facebook, and 200 followers on Twitter!
Throughout March: We published two informational blogs on usage of Voice123, both for seekers posting jobs, and for voice talents who see them. We have also been working closer with voice over coaches to make sure our Coach Partner Program stays active, and beneficial for voice over talents.

We look forward to continuously working hard to make a better Voice123 for you.

We thank you once again for being a part of the Voice123 community!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog

Find us now on Facebook and Twitter!

2009-03-26T09:46:00.002-05:00

Social structures are established all the time, a reason why social networking through the Internet has become so popular. This is also one of the reasons we are now present in the biggest social networks existing on the web. Facebook and Twitter will now hold accounts for Voice123, and we will be sharing all of our updates and news with you, as well as some interesting content for you to follow. Find us on Twitter and Facebook.

Also, remember you can always share with friends and colleagues the content you find useful in our website, simply use the 'Bookmark' button located on each page:

Choose the 'sharing service' you use or the email button, and spread those articles that capture your attention. Someone you know could find it very useful, please give it a try!

Juan Salcedo
General Manager

New Online Course at UCLA: “How to Become a Successful Voice Over Artist”

2009-03-25T17:14:00.015-05:00

Johnna Gottlieb is teaching a new online course this spring for UCLA, “How to Become a Successful Voice Over Artist”. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn about the business of voice overs, all you need is a computer! Enrollment is now open and there is still space available. The first class is Tuesday, April 9th. Here is a description of the class:

"Talent and technique are just starting points in the voice over business. In this course, participants learn the essentials for developing a career and succeeding in this exciting and lucrative field. Topics include developing a marketing strategy, the different categories of voice overs and their rates of pay, standards for a competitive voice over reel, signing with the right agency, and understanding contracts. Instruction also covers the future of Internet casting, unions that govern voice over work and how to become a member, union vs. non-union work, the use of celebrities and the impact they have on the industry, and the basics of creating your own home studio. Guests will include top voice over talent, agents, casting directors, and producers."

Please don’t hesitate to contact Johnna at Johnna@jogoco.com with questions! Ms. Gottlieb writes, "I am really excited about this class. I have been teaching “live” at NYU for four years, but teaching online gives people the flexibility to learn within their own schedule. Plus, people all over the world can enroll. I actually have someone who signed up who lives in Paris!"

Johnna Gottlieb is the President of Johnna Gottlieb Consulting, a firm that consults voice over talent and talent agencies. She has also coached several talents now using Voice123.com!

As a former agent, Ms Gottlieb has represented top voice over talent, such as James Earl Jones, Jason Alexander, Stockard Channing, Philip Bosco and Blythe Danner, and has provided talent to top broadcasting companies including ABC, CBS, NBC, MTV, The Discovery Channel, HBO, TNT and Fox. She is also a judge for the Daytime Emmy's “Outstanding Performer in Animation” Category.

Voice123 thanks Johnna Gottlieb for contacting us! In the coming weeks, we will be sharing with you information about great classes offered by friends, affiliates, and coaches of Voice123!

Thank you!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog

Project Details: Refer to Description & Script

2009-03-19T16:01:00.009-05:00

I was talking to a talent in Live Chat this week, and was >asked the question, "How do you know what jobs are best to be selective with?". What I told this talent should be shared with everyone. I firmly believe from the script and project description alone, you are able to see the education, and experience level of your potential employer, if you read 'between the lines'. Taking a look back, one of the things I once did when I started at Voice123 was making projects look comprehensive. This was a mistake. I found out all I was doing was imposing my experience, and education on the project, but not that of the actual voice seeker.

Think of it this way, 'The way we write says a great deal about what we know and how we think, professionally.' If you see something written in a project description, and/or a script, that raises an eyebrow, chances are you just may know more than you think about the seeker behind the job posting. I have found that incorrect selected project parameters do not show seeker inexperience. It may very well be human error while using the Voice123 project posting form, which leads many times to projects being replaced.

I recommend to try this the next time you read the project details. Refer to the script provided, and the project description. Ask yourself these questions:

Does this project description appear professionally written, and thorough?
Can I professionally identify with the way he/she writes, and the references used?
Is the script poorly spelled, as well as, the project description?
Did the seeker write in capital letters, or use negative descriptions to get his/her point across?
How many people is this person directly inviting vs. How many have they requested using SmartCast, and how many projects have they posted?

Here is why I tell you those questions are important:

A project description not well-written, or thorough, may indicate someone is using the system for the first time, they are rushing, or they may not know what they want. The longer you work in this industry, the easier it is to know what to say to get what you need.
The way a person writes, and the formal tones he/she uses, lets you know where a person may be from. Reading a description that triggers the inner voice, 'I know where this guy is coming from', is a good sign.
A person who writes in a negative tone to get what he/she wants is actually displaying experience of some sort. This is a good thing because the person is telling you, 'I have heard auditions before, and I need something else.' There is a backdoor to opportunity in cases like this, BUT it does tell you that the seeker may have less patience than others.
If a person requests SmartCast, and directly invites an equal amount of people, and has never posted a project before, you may be dealing with a 'talent search' more than a direct opportunity.

A final word about 'budgets', as I know that is a concern for everyone:

The Internet online casting world is young. Working online involves a great deal of trust in someone or something you cannot see. This is why online companies do 'trial services'. I say this because, if you see that a script is professional, and so is the description, you may be dealing with a person who can turn into a long-time client, and that very budget you see is more of a 'guess-timate'. Once they get to know you, the job could turn into something much bigger. As well, working online internationally means dealing sometimes with what a buyer can afford in his/her country.

The key to all of this:

When in doubt, refer back to the way the person writes a description and script.

Above all, I would like to close by saying, 'No rule is absolute.'

For example, viral videos and social networking have become huge opportunities for exposure, compared to when I started when jobs posted for videos going straight to YouTube, usually meant it was a college student experimenting.Times change and there is an exception to every rule, but the exceptions are not the rules.

The more you know, the better you can make educated decisions that work most of the time. If you would like to ask me more about this topic, post a thread about it on Voice123 Premium Forums.

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog

Voice123 News: Demo Tagging Update

2009-03-12T15:05:00.013-05:00

In recent weeks, Voice123 has received a few inquiries about the 'demo tagging' experiment, started last June 2008. We would like to share with you some updates:

The demo tagging experiment is still going. We have the actual data from the demo tags, and we thank those who have been participating. If you have not done so, tagging demos is still possible. You can read how that works in a previous posting.
This actual data will be used in the upcoming brand new search feature, which we are planning to release very soon. At that time, you will have the option to remove tags you dislike.
Also, by tagging other talents' demos, you are eligible to win one of five free one-year Premium Subscriptions! We will officially announce the winners in April.

On a different topic, a couple of weeks ago Voice123 posted a forum thread about War Stories from one's first year in the business. Please take a look and add your own! We hope you enjoy, and maybe post some other topics of your own.

Thank you always!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog

Tips! Using the Voice123 Ranking System

2009-03-12T11:05:00.019-05:00

Recently, I had posted a couple of projects for a producer in Los Angeles. She used the Voice123 ranking system, as the client. I believe sharing with you how I instructed her how to use it efficiently will better help those who post work on Voice123.

After you post a project on Voice123, and check your audition inbox. A screen comes up in front of you mentioning a 'ranking system'. Next to each audition, you see the following choices:

Likely Hiring
Considering
Maybe
Not likely
Won't be considered at all

Here is an example of how I see it can be most effectively used:

4 Stars, Likely Hiring: Use this only if you talents in final consideration for your project, most likely after you have spoken with the client, and they have made their decisions.

3 Stars, Considering: Use this one to indicate those who you are seriously considering to be hired. Now, if you do not use them, there is no need to change to a lower ranking, simply because not everyone you want to hire is available, so you want to keep fresh in your mind, what your favorite auditions were.

2 Stars, Maybe: This one can be used when there is something you like about the audition, and want to still consider it, but it was not exactly what you were thinking of at the time. Sometimes, a talent will do something creative that makes a client think in the other direction.

1 Star, Not Likely: If the audition is completely off the mark for what you were expecting, and/or the submission led you to believe this person is not up for the job at all.

0 Stars, Won't Be Considered: Unfortunately, this happens. This is a good to use when there are submissions that offer no consideration whatsoever, due to the recording quality, and copy reading. If you enjoyed the copy reading and recording quality, but the client said, 'No thanks.', but you felt you want to hold onto the voice, do not use this ranking.

Important note: The rankings can be changed at anytime, so if you hire someone for a project using SmartCast, and you have not ranked them yet, it is helpful for the Voice123 talent community to use 'Likely Hiring'. If you need help using the ranking system, you can always contact us at customer service for assistance and we would be glad to help you! Finally, the ranking system is not used for private projects, in which you as a voice seeker, chose to invite talents directly from the search feature.

The ranking system is also very helpful when using the shared inbox because you can send auditions to a client in the order by which you have ranked them, as the person posting the job, or even doing the hiring. Try this for yourself, and see how easy it is, and find some great talent in the process.

Thank you again for using Voice123!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog

Susan G. Komen 'Race For The Cure 2009'

2009-03-05T01:53:00.016-05:00

This information has been generously provided by Voice123 Talent, and American Women in Radio & TV Team Member , Rita Pardue, regarding a very serious topic that has affected almost everyone.

Voice123 is proud to assist in anyway possible, especially myself, the son of a breast cancer survivor.

"My mom is a survivor in the truest sense. Recently the Midwest was hard hit by the worst ice storm in many years. It wiped out power grids in portions of Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Arkansas. The Arkansas governor declared a state of emergency. My mom lives in a small town called Bull Shoals, Arkansas. She and her neighbors were without power for at least 10 days. My mom was taken by neighbors to a local shelter. During her stay at the shelter, there was a flu epidemic and the facility was quarantined. As Mom stood up to reach for her medication, she fell and hit her head. Quick-thinking shelter mates, called an ambulance to take her to the hospital. Recovering from her fall and dehydration, my two able brothers set out in their cars from Florida and California respectively. The hurricane-experienced brother from Florida came packing emergency supplies and food. The California brother brought backbone and moral support. My role—my hurricane-experienced brother stated that in an emergency, a person should only enter a disaster area in a self-sufficient manner, not a liability. I stayed behind wanting to help in some way.

As a media person, my way to help is by telling the story. I am grateful to my brothers for rallying to meet the need of helping our mother. I am grateful to the shelter volunteers, hospital staff and hard-working power crews who restored electricity to the area. Mom is back home and re-thinking her future plans to continue living in a beautiful, but isolated area.

In her honor, I am running in the up-coming Susan G. Komen 'Race for the Cure 2009', on March 15th, 2009. Please join in my support to honor, my mom, a breast cancer survivor who continues to survive no matter what life tosses her way."

If you wish, please go to this link to donate today! You can also find this posting on the Voice123 Premium Forums!

Thank you for reading!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
My Blog