tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27607853262160190702024-03-16T10:14:37.562-07:00John Miles Voice Tales, Techniques, and Tattles of a San Francisco voice actorUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-73007976257375560872024-03-15T11:40:00.000-07:002024-03-16T07:52:00.416-07:00Funny man Steve Martin on being undeniably good<p> I think most folks would agree, comedian Steve Martin has enjoyed phenomenal success in his long career. So many funny moments on screen. And who could forget his hilarious song "King Tut" from the late 70's. (he wrote it by the way. Some called it racist).</p><p>He had this to say about being undeniably good. As you grow in your voice over career, keep this in mind. (or any career for that matter).</p><p>From A-Z quotes...</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Be undeniably good. When people ask me how do you make it in show business or whatever, what I always tell them & nobody ever takes note of it 'cause it's not the answer they wanted to hear-what they want to hear is here's how you get an agent, here's how you write a script, here's how you do this-but I always say, “Be so good they can't ignore you.” If somebody's thinking, “How can I be really good?” people are going to come to you. It's much easier doing it that way than going to cocktail parties."</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", Arial, "sans serif";"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cdasO1GKrBFpdjr9D3NrcPyqAb9O3P-2EJAFHJrY5j6PG1csvhbb7N2aJXHcpIFL32q-I-L_nlMKXidN96IsdTUPayLLn2AFT0mf7UFjUVHwaDqr5s0frsnGE3r2mo9W-LDJk0dDyKu8mRFVlBGG5HJpkkE3StbBOXaVa7jgorDNDvrWwI_9-8VgCZ_d/s182/steve%20martin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="182" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3cdasO1GKrBFpdjr9D3NrcPyqAb9O3P-2EJAFHJrY5j6PG1csvhbb7N2aJXHcpIFL32q-I-L_nlMKXidN96IsdTUPayLLn2AFT0mf7UFjUVHwaDqr5s0frsnGE3r2mo9W-LDJk0dDyKu8mRFVlBGG5HJpkkE3StbBOXaVa7jgorDNDvrWwI_9-8VgCZ_d/s1600/steve%20martin.jpg" width="182" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-79704717310289816282024-03-13T11:03:00.000-07:002024-03-14T06:02:44.678-07:00Eric Carmen passes at age 74 "All By Myself"<p> By far, probably one of the most talented singers/songwriters/composers I ever played on radio was Eric Carmen. He was born in Cleveland. I was raised there. His mega hit "All by Myself" went to top 5 here in the states and also charted high in the UK. Celine Dion and countless others covered his songs. I "hated" him for his fantastic rock star hair and his dashing good looks. (Um, OK. I was jealous). Almost everything he did musically was a hit. Hardly a radio show would go by without me playing an Eric Carmen song. And his"Hungry Eyes" in Dirty Dancing starring Patrick Swayze expanded his fan base even more. In this sit-down with reporter Russ Mitchell, he gives a shout out to the Beatles and tells an interesting story about a controversial Rolling Stones appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show. The interview is only 7 minutes long and very engaging;taped at his luxurious home in Cleveland. RIP Eric and thanks for all the great music;beyond a job well done. Oh, and please do me a small favor. Tell the hair gods you bump into up there to send me some hair. Unlike you, I'm "follically challenged." </p><p>Here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYHcCzkwfy8"><b>link</b></a>.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJvNnEYfpN0av0cN_wbrnicOIGlq6OBEzG3hOWtffKKHCvh9rcKllTiJwIITWTUHaAbZigx_NTkd-GoqSMVsrcTZ4RnqMBGsykYRhfkRzV4zQkmQpARKvQ1JGqyBSW-0rh401g0kvuilq5TTI50yd6Wd6DdcYtP5tweZOLxhx7I3z1giTF3Somh1TMQV6/s170/e87bc55c59bdeac71587f64e91fd3f46.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="170" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJvNnEYfpN0av0cN_wbrnicOIGlq6OBEzG3hOWtffKKHCvh9rcKllTiJwIITWTUHaAbZigx_NTkd-GoqSMVsrcTZ4RnqMBGsykYRhfkRzV4zQkmQpARKvQ1JGqyBSW-0rh401g0kvuilq5TTI50yd6Wd6DdcYtP5tweZOLxhx7I3z1giTF3Somh1TMQV6/s1600/e87bc55c59bdeac71587f64e91fd3f46.jpg" width="170" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-40154221157182924052024-03-12T05:35:00.000-07:002024-03-12T05:37:47.016-07:00"Pssst! I have something really cool to share with you"<p> One of my favorite, top tier, A list voice actors is Scott Rummell; a terrific promo and trailer voice. He's a big league talent you've no doubt heard over the years. A Disney voice, Lee Jeans and much more. He also seems like a very generous and nice guy. (his picture is down below)</p><p>Here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NlILH-XMBQ"><b>link</b></a> to Scott in an L.A. studio recording a new commercial demo. Watch the process. Much to learn from this. It runs about 20 minutes. You'll notice the session was "light and breezy." The guy producing the demos is Chuck Duran of "Demos That Rock Studio" in L.A. </p><p>And here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zr0BWxXTFho"><b>link</b></a> to a really entertaining TED Talk Scott gave where he speaks about how he got started in voice acting. Very enjoyable. I highly recommend you watch it. It's truly inspirational and also runs about 20 minutes. If you've been sitting on the fence about getting into voice acting, maybe this will give you the kick in the pants you need. Even if you're not a voice actor, check it out. The power of persistence comes through loud and clear.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TyR5v-9JBb5lwi9awCFVqFLxOQZZBXJbsYLLydR5eE_UTvjFel_D_re8lHu3S7vmjq9LEpUPogHYVhPjxN0TrounskblGub4mcWgpz3R-JvOWEOmMBb8pEGRRF-Rm6WinWDWPyoZQyLf9wHMvMT3yyC5AeFDCWFb63I7Osz47DkG85vhhQlBJhBjJaP2/s225/download%20(12).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TyR5v-9JBb5lwi9awCFVqFLxOQZZBXJbsYLLydR5eE_UTvjFel_D_re8lHu3S7vmjq9LEpUPogHYVhPjxN0TrounskblGub4mcWgpz3R-JvOWEOmMBb8pEGRRF-Rm6WinWDWPyoZQyLf9wHMvMT3yyC5AeFDCWFb63I7Osz47DkG85vhhQlBJhBjJaP2/s1600/download%20(12).jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-85850732076497583312024-01-22T12:09:00.000-08:002024-01-22T12:23:17.100-08:00ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! Are you getting enough sleep?<p> Without a doubt, sleep, or the lack of it, plays a major role in our daytime performance; whether at work or at play. We spend a third of our life sleeping. The great inventor Thomas Alva Edison slept only 3-4 hours a night and was also a "power napper." He had this to say about sleep:</p><p>"People will not only do what they like to do — they overdo it 100 per cent. Most people overeat 100 per cent, and oversleep 100 per cent, because they like it. That extra 100 per cent makes them unhealthy and inefficient. The person who sleeps eight or ten hours a night is never fully asleep and never fully awake — they have only different degrees of doze through the twenty-four hours."</p><p>I have never been one to sleep for long periods of time; 6 -7 hours. As a kid, growing up in a rural area of Ohio, my Dad use to write up a list of chores for my brother and I to do while he went off to work to support himself, my Mom, and 9 kids! Yep, a very large family. Kind of like the Waltons. When in junior and senior high, sometimes I would hear a schoolmate say, "Oh man. I feel SO good. I slept in this weekend way beyond 1 PM." I was never one to sleep in. My father made sure of that. Everything was geared toward getting up and getting at it. These days I find I need a bit less sleep. </p><p>If you have a voice over job you'll be doing next day in your home studio or a session to go out to, enough sleep is essential. And yawning in front of the director is not a really good thing to do. As some would say, "a bad optic." I find sometimes it's hard to fall asleep when I have an important voice over project to get to first thing in the morning. I'm thinking about the script, the client who is expecting speedy turnaround, my strong desire to give him or her the read they need, and a host of other things. For sure, I've had some sleep issues. Thankfully, there are remedies. </p><p>Here's a <b><a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/22-facts-about-sleep-that-will-surprise-you/">link</a></b> to some 22 surprising facts courtesy of sleep specialist Dr. Michelle Drerup. It may provide some needed input if you struggle with sleep. Here's one of the facts on the list...</p><p>"Being awake for 16 hours straight decreases your performance as much as if your blood alcohol level were .05% (the legal limit is .08%)." </p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-56288806876330139002023-12-25T07:57:00.000-08:002024-01-17T08:26:01.596-08:00Golf temper tantrums. "Getting to know you...getting to know all about you..."<p> Somewhere along the line, I read that upon first meeting someone, if you really want to know how the person truly is, either take a vacation with them...or go golfing together. The golf advice hit home with me, because as noted in other posts here, I jumped into playing golf as a boy with my dad's guidance and instruction, and I learned a lot about golf etiquette too. For example, don't talk while someone's putting. Be ready to hit your shot so you don't slow up play. There are many other golf etiquette rules; some dating back to 16th century Scotland where golf was invented. </p><p>By the way, there are plenty of road rage folks that bring their "act" to the course on golf carts. BEWARE! Talk about a miserable golf outing for all. Statistically, each year, about 15,000 golf cart related accidents happen nationally requiring emergency room visits. I've seen guys race their golf carts up a greenside slope, jump out in a hurry to go putt, forget to engage the cart parking pedal, then freak out when they see their cart rolling away down the fairway... driverless. If you're a wise golfer, you never treat a golf cart like a toy.</p><p>I remember watching the former #1 golfer IN THE WORLD, Rory McIlroy, throw a club in a lake on national TV after hitting an errant shot. It was a shocking outburst and very unusual for Rory; always the gentleman. The announcer said he was having a hard time adjusting to a new set of irons he had endorsed. Apparently so. Adding insult to injury, the announcer actually said the name of the club manufacturer on TV! The golf club CEO must have been foaming at the mouth. Later in the broadcast, they showed some scuba diver dude who went under water on the lake and retrieved the golf club. I think he returned the 3 iron to Rory. There was a moment of humor. </p><p>We had one big and tall golfer on our high school team who was a hot tempered club thrower. One time, we were on the course in a match when he hit his ball into some trees. He proceeded to hit his next shot and the ball ricocheted off a tree and went further back into the woods. His face reddened, and with all kinds of angry, facial expressions, he took his iron and slammed it into a tree, causing the shaft to split in half. He disgustedly threw the two pieces down on the ground and stormed off to find his ball. Our golf coach usually stayed off the course and behind the 18th hole. Had he seen Dean's temper tantrum, I'm certain he would have pulled him from the match immediately and given him a heated lecture about his unacceptable behaviour. Back then I played a lot of recreational golf on weekends and avoided this type of player like the plague. Their reputation tended to get around in the clubhouse. Not too many golfers I know like to play with a hot head. I guess the moral of the story is know who you're playing with before you go. And keep your mouth shut when they hit a bad shot. Don't add fuel to the fire! Golf clubs can serve as lethal weapons in the wrong person's hands. That brother in law or stranger you're playing with may turn into another Adam Sandler or Bob Barker character from "Happy Gilmore." The smack down scene is hilarious, isn't it? "The price is WRONG, Bob!"</p><p>Before you know it, the 88th edition of The Masters will be here from Augusta National Golf Club with its amazing pimento cheese sandwiches for $1.50! The Masters has one of the most knowledgeable fan bases in the world. They insist golfers be on their best behaviour. Legend Arnold Palmer was a stickler for proper etiquette. He often schooled the young PGA players coming up;starting with taking your golf hat off when entering a clubhouse. And making sure, when signing your autograph for a fan, it's legible!</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbwWbinM1q2UEz_Qg3LPzAbM58kTniSefLvX0SHTLncvgjsAMbbCvvrSO2rx-UPRItoSJPuHMXCQZk9VKAG4jxyMPMRkLOBlZhPGsBJkiGlDEMwN_26qrJPxIOKdFywROFBDyQCtMjWwkhPvnhQk7E8dpdOwkrco6Clm-OVf7QqnBulFxYghEKb9F5z0S/s233/images%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="216" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcbwWbinM1q2UEz_Qg3LPzAbM58kTniSefLvX0SHTLncvgjsAMbbCvvrSO2rx-UPRItoSJPuHMXCQZk9VKAG4jxyMPMRkLOBlZhPGsBJkiGlDEMwN_26qrJPxIOKdFywROFBDyQCtMjWwkhPvnhQk7E8dpdOwkrco6Clm-OVf7QqnBulFxYghEKb9F5z0S/s1600/images%20(3).jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-74865187584766261662023-12-17T02:07:00.000-08:002023-12-22T01:25:54.373-08:00A 20 million dollar lottery scratch off ticket...in my backyard?<p> A good friend of mine texted me a link recently to an article about a Bay Area guy who just won 20 million dollars on a $30 scratcher. He apparently was on a lunch break from his airport job (I'll skip giving his name here as I'm sure he's getting plenty of unwanted attention), when he walked into L & M liquor store and threw down 30 bucks to buy the jackpot winner---"Set for Life." This store is right next door to my favorite breakfast place I often go to, "Rosie's Cafe," a cozy mom and pop. From time to time, I've purchased lottery tickets at L&M for Powerball and Fantasy 5 drawings, but never for a high priced scratcher. That's too expensive in my book (unless you hit the jackpot). Even after they take the taxes out of 20 million, he'll be doing just fine. Spend wisely my friend; spend wisely. Watch out for the scam artists bombarding your email with "friendly hellos." Or the long lost "relatives" who come knocking.</p><p>L&M will be getting a tidy $100,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Let's see if they do any store upgrades. It's one of those old school neighborhood liquor stores and could use a little "sprucing up."</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-84637643414489283812023-12-16T00:34:00.000-08:002023-12-16T00:34:45.093-08:00Is perfectionism ruining your voice over auditions?<p> So you work from a home studio and do your fair share of auditions for voice over jobs. You preview the copy for clues as to how to audition; trying to zero in on what they are looking for. You read the specs the client has provided as to what they want. You crank up your recording software, and with copy in hand, head into your booth, or wherever you do your voice work, to record the audition. Being a fairly new, enthusiastic voice talent, you aim for perfection. At this point, I'd like to step in and ask your permission to kindly offer you some advice. And here it is... STOP trying to be <b>perfect</b> with your auditions! Aim for good or very good. Perfect? NO. Perfection is a very subjective thing. One man's perfect is another man's "Just OK." Trying to be perfect is a fool's game you'll never win. If you're standing or sitting in your booth recording an audition and wondering how you're doing<i> <b>as you're recording the copy</b></i> ("Hmmmm. Does this sound right?") there's likely going to be a disconnect. In other words, you should NOT be self critiquing as you're voicing the audition. </p><p>Merriam-Webster dictionary has this definition of perfectionism:</p><p>"a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable"</p><p>Trust your voice! Try to bring something unique to your audition. Maybe a take on the copy that they would not expect. And definitely forget about trying to be perfect. That's a waste of time; you'll drive yourself crazy in the process. In my humble opinion, if you can't nail a solid audition in no more than 3-4 takes, you probably shouldn't be auditioning for the job. Too many takes and you'll be second guessing yourself as to what take to submit for the audition. Be selective in what you audition for. And again, drop the need to be perfect. It's a myth. No voice actor markets himself/herself as a "perfect voice talent." No voice actor is right for EVERY job. Even the greatest of the greats. </p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-23753400125549871802023-11-26T10:19:00.000-08:002023-12-27T05:03:11.705-08:00About this blog and "time flies!"<p> It's hard for me to believe that this blog is now 13 years old. I write this blog mainly for new voice over talents and intermediate. I want to thank a friend of mine, David, for helping me set up the technical stuff. I can create these blog posts at ease. I enjoy writing and try to post new messages at least 2 times a week to keep things fresh. I go to voice over blogs and see the most recent posts were created a year ago or more! That's one thing I swore I would never do; let my blog get stale and abandoned looking. I also knew that writing just about voice over was going to be a huge challenge. There are so many blogs and videos on You Tube talking about voice over technique already, and I didn't want to limit myself to just writing about voice over. I believe some voice over talents start out with good intentions about writing a blog, and then often hit a wall; a writer's block, lose interest and their blog becomes very dated looking. I have two goals with mine; be informative... and be entertaining. </p><p>I've been contacted by folks through the years who visited this blog, and then emailed me with questions about how to get into doing voice overs and make some money. Just last week, a female voice talent emailed me and said she was recording voice overs years ago, and then took a break for 15 years (!) and she now wanted someone that could help her stay focused and motivated as she wanted to get back in. I emailed her a link to a very popular voice over forum I'm a member of where people freely share. Bob Bergen, the voice of Porky Pig, often drops by to weigh in on discussions. (Psssst. The man knows what he's talking about). How he landed the gig of being Porky Pig is so inspirational. Check out his website at <a href="http://www.bobbergen.com"><b>www.bobbergen.com</b></a>.</p><p>I'm always happy to offer advice and tips. Feel free to email me. Over the years, I've found many people in the voice over community to be very generous with helping others with their expertise. We all start somewhere. It IS very competitive, but it can be rewarding honing your craft, and then landing some voice over jobs to be proud of. </p><p>If you've come to this blog to hear me spew politics or religion, you'll be very disappointed. (you'll have to come to a family get together to hear that!) I'll leave that to other blogs and websites. I have a "no politics" policy here.</p><p>If you scroll down to the bottom of this blog, you'll see "Older Posts." Click on that to see posts I did when I was just starting out. There's a bunch of voice over info there too, including a post about Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson. (what a job she landed).</p><p>You'll find contact information and my updated voice over demos at the link below.</p><p><a href="https://www.johnmilesproductions.com"><b>https://www.johnmilesproductions.com</b></a></p><p>Good luck on your journey!</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-55279388350045775542023-11-25T09:18:00.000-08:002023-11-25T09:22:34.504-08:00The amazing Morgan Freeman and his voice tip<p> So I was online and stumbled on to an interviewer and the incredible Morgan Freeman talking about his big, deep, distinctive, authoritative voice. The interviewer, who was sitting back to the camera and not anyone famous, asked Morgan how he, the interviewer, could get a deeper voice. Morgan said something I have never heard before. He said, "yawn a lot." Yawn... really? He went on to say that yawning is one effective way to RELAX your vocal chords which will give you a deeper, richer pitch to your voice. I had heard about relaxing your vocal chords for effective voice over, but never heard about using yawning to go deeper with your voice.</p><p> I yawned a lot in junior high school as the teacher lectured on and on with a topic I was zoned out on, my eyes glazed over, but I don't recall my voice getting any deeper. But when Morgan Freeman speaks, people listen. So, I'll definitely take him at his word. Just be careful not to yawn when your other half is speaking to you at the end of his/her day with another all-important, drama filled story from work. Full attention please. Yawn at your own peril.</p><p>Then from an article in Time Magazine there's this...</p><p>"But there’s something deeper going on with the appeal of Freeman’s voice—literally. In scientific experiments, people consistently perceive low-pitched voices in men as stronger and more physically attractive than male voices with a higher pitch. “It’s not surprising that Morgan Freeman is used for a lot of voiceover work, because his voice is perceived as that of a dominant, strong male figure,” says Casey Klofstad, associate professor of political science at the University of Miami and researcher of how society and biology influence the way we make decisions."</p><p>I always have to laugh when I see cheesy ads where the voice seeker puts in their ad, "MUST sound exactly like Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones." And then you see they're offering $20 for the voice-over. Comedy at its best.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-22124405103662312822023-11-18T06:31:00.000-08:002023-12-30T06:08:24.228-08:00"Tiny Tim on MY country radio station? Oh, hell NO!"<p> So I was broadcasting my midday, country radio show from our remote studio at the Burt Reynolds Ranch in Jupiter, Florida when our station photographer called to tell me of a celebrity he had in his van. They were coming down the Florida turnpike not far from my studio. He asked me if I wanted to put Tiny Tim of "Tip Toe Through the Tulips" fame on the air with me. He said Tim was in South Florida to cut a new record with a country music flavor. I told him, with some reservation, "OK. Bring him by."</p><p>They showed up, and I must say, Tiny Tim was just like he looked on the Tonight Show when he married Miss Vicki with Johnny Carson overseeing the proceedings. Make up on, he was looking like a stretch from being masculine and a very quiet man. We chatted on air for a while and at the end, I told him we needed to hear a bit of "Tip Toe," his novelty hit song with his ever present ukulele and high falsetto. He gladly agreed, and then left after taking a picture with me. </p><p>The negative phone calls I received afterwards from listeners was off the charts. I took heat. How could I put this feminine man on their macho country radio station?!</p><p>I shook it off. He was a well known celebrity at the time and a super nice guy. Too bad the good ol' boys had an issue.</p><p>It saddened me to hear he died of a heart attack while performing on stage in Minneapolis in 1996. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpMhTDOFjC_ewqA26BoSWRYWdf8WE3TDELzZNVhPboy79l2d2g6d6d9UF_-gIpKXKnIn3xhPwLh_Bn2GaT4ppj4B99-Dca73AtgPM52Mx4hjxIa9TLd5fVM7Pkea8-I8llb-g0UUvIavU7cmgkjSguwpghFxu7auBnFXHFXFMXcvpiEGnug-q-Voityut/s1420/IMG_20180404_0003.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="1420" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpMhTDOFjC_ewqA26BoSWRYWdf8WE3TDELzZNVhPboy79l2d2g6d6d9UF_-gIpKXKnIn3xhPwLh_Bn2GaT4ppj4B99-Dca73AtgPM52Mx4hjxIa9TLd5fVM7Pkea8-I8llb-g0UUvIavU7cmgkjSguwpghFxu7auBnFXHFXFMXcvpiEGnug-q-Voityut/s320/IMG_20180404_0003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-3149730506371705222023-11-09T09:11:00.006-08:002023-12-19T06:16:37.306-08:00"Take a Walk on the Wild Side"<p> If you're a busy voice over talent, you may have those days that can be overwhelming with client expectations about your turnaround time/tight deadlines and everything seemingly coming at you all at once. I record a good amount of learning content. Some of it is very technical. Aviation scripts comes to mind. I think it's super important to force yourself to take a break and reboot. Do something that centers you again. In my case, I like to go out and walk a bit through my neighborhood. Lately, here in the Bay Area, we've had some outstanding weather; mid 70's and a slightly cool breeze. The streets are such that I can take a short walk, or much longer one, depending upon how much time I have. I say hello from afar to a big, bad, barking dog that's fenced in and looks very intimidating. I absolutely love walking as you notice things you would never see while driving. Sometimes you find a few coins in the dirt. And unfortunately, sometimes you see litter. Time to bring back that 60's TV campaign, "Don't be a Litterbug." There's a mom and pop convenience store just across the way I can get to in about 8 minutes from my front door. I'll go over there and grab a snack and buy a few lottery tickets. They have those "pickle in a pouch" things which I like a lot. (Van Holten's). I've enjoyed those since I was a kid. I'm also addicted to homemade pickles... but that's another story. There's a hofbrau in San Francisco called Tommy's Joynt with a big barrel of all you can eat pickles! I'm dying to try that out. (I know! I know! It's the little things in life). Anyway, I head back to my home studio, enjoy the snacks, and get back to recording or editing the audio. It's not an overly long break, but just enough to reset. When I walk, I always try to take some deep breaths along the way and move briskly. Of course, if walking's not your thing, there are so many other options. Some like to close their eyes and meditate or listen to music with headphones on. Hey, whatever works for you. </p><p>Over the years, I've gotten many compliments about my fast turnaround of the voice overs. That's totally cool. But you really should take those much needed breaks. Resetting is, in my opinion, a very wise thing to do. And you might even save yourself an aspirin or two at the end of the day!</p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-73388459285255532232023-10-14T04:59:00.004-07:002023-10-14T05:03:26.281-07:00Why your voice sounds SO different to you on playback<p> I was recently reminded about this phenomenon when a friend of mine visited my studio to record a few demo intro tracks. David has a wonderful South African accent and I asked if he wouldn't mind helping me out. He said, "Sure, no problem." After the very brief recording session, he came out of the booth to watch me edit the tracks and hear his takes through my monitors. He noted how it's always strange to hear your recorded voice, because it sounds so different from how we hear ourselves through our heads.</p><p>Here's a <a href="http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20130913-why-we-hate-hearing-our-own-voice"><b>link</b></a> to "Why we hate hearing our own voices."</p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-71564392625063935682023-09-15T09:29:00.015-07:002023-11-14T06:09:28.591-08:00"Everybody tells me I have a great voice!"<p> Seems everybody and his brother is getting into voice over these days. There's the promise of making some good money and the cost to set up a home studio is quite modest. Decent microphones are not expensive. And setting up an OK/acceptable studio is not going to break the bank. </p><p>But here's the thing. If I were to teach voice over and somebody came to me for instruction, my first question before we even started reading practice copy would be "So why do you want to get into doing voice overs?" If the answer is "I want to make a lot of money and be famous;" I would more than likely pass on giving that person instruction. The harsh reality is even if you have the skills and talent, making a lot of money at voice over is questionable at best. The vast majority of people doing voice over work do NOT make the big bucks. (six figures on up). As for the fame part, well, there are folks making really good money and have been at the craft a long time and if you ask them if they are famous, they might fall down laughing. If you're getting into voice over because you want to be famous, good luck with that. Many successful veteran voice actors will tell you they like the anonymity of doing voice over work. They actually love going unnoticed in the supermarket or on the street. "Fame...Shmame. Just make sure my check clears."</p><p>I sometimes hear, "everybody tells me I have a great voice to do voice overs." You can have a so called great voice but it's what you <b>do</b> with your voice that matters. Do you have a marketable voice? (i.e. is your demo competitive?). Do you have the skills needed? Are you willing to forgo a weekly paycheck? How do you deal with a lot of "nos" and rejection? Are you willing to put up with the peaks and valleys of the business? I can go out and buy a shiny new set of quality golf clubs, but unless I have the skills and have practiced and trained, those fancy clubs aren't going to help me. It's unlikely I'll be bragging to everyone in sight about my amazing 76 I shot at my local golf course.</p><p>I love doing voice overs. But it can be a tough go. You'll be auditioning a lot and not landing any jobs. That's the way it goes. If you're not recording a job, you'll be looking for work. (or should be). Don't let anyone sugarcoat things and tell you how easy it is to make big money in voice overs. Bull. Or as we use to teasingly say as kids,"You're full of it!" There's a well known lady pitching her voice over classes online and I actually cringe when I see her because she makes it sound like winning great paying jobs is a breeze. (Her first name is Susan). And let's not forget the folks who "inflate" their income when asked how much they make doing voice overs. By the way, I would never ask a voice actor what they make. None of my business and, in my opinion, poor form.</p><p>I'm not throwing a wet blanket over anyone's dreams and aspirations. I'm just telling you it's a very tough, competitive business and getting into it because you want to make lots of money and be famous is not good motivation. Or realistic. It's not a get rich quick industry. Feel free to prove me wrong.</p><p>Personally, I think the way to go is keep your day job and explore voice over on the side. You'll know when it's time to go full-time with voice over. Or, maybe you have no intention of going full-time at all. Either way, good luck!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-86682424763385829632023-08-19T09:43:00.011-07:002024-01-24T04:46:34.807-08:00The Nicest Couple I Ever Met (an unlikely friendship)<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span>My radio broadcasting career took me to lots of places and allowed me to meet many wonderful people. Not just recording artists, but "real people." As any well traveled radio deejay will tell you, there's no shortage of invites from listeners... home dinners, birthday parties, summertime swimming pool get togethers (Bud on ice) and beyond. You became a sort of local celebrity. And yes, I attended some invites I wish I hadn't, but those are stories for another time. </span></p><p><span>I was on the air in West Palm Beach one day when a phone call came through on the listener line while a song was playing. I answered it with my standard hello..."W-I-R-K! Who's this?" I immediately heard a very low, smoky, senior citizen, female voice on the line when she blasted, "Is this deejay John? Are you the one on the air right now?" I wasn't sure I wanted to answer that thinking she might have a listener complaint. (she sounded like a nun I had in grade school!). I paused a second and said "yes it is." She told me that from time to time she would hear me on the air mentioning my Ohio roots and the Cleveland Browns. She said she too was from Ohio and along with her husband Kenneth had moved to Florida to get out of the cold. (all of this chit chat was going on while a song was playing). At one point, she lowered her voice a bit and said, "we like you the most of all the deejays on your station John because you play the best music." I chuckled a bit inside. I didn't have the time to go into details with her about how all of our deejays played the songs from a prepared, paper music "log." The songs were hand-picked for us. In short,we played what the program director or music director told us to play;we had no choice in the matter. I thanked her for the compliment nonetheless. She told me her name was Doris and we wrapped up the call with a friendly goodbye. I told her to call anytime she wanted to. There are a lot of lonely people that call in to radio stations, so I was always open to a little chat while the songs played...my good deed for the day.</span></p><p>Fast forward a few weeks. I was on air when Doris called me again with her unmistakable, husky voice with an invite to join her and Kenneth for a breakfast at Farmer John's restaurant. I couldn't resist, as I'm a HUGE breakfast fan. Besides, she seemed nice. We set something up for a Saturday morning and we would eventually meet in person after exchanging appearance descriptions over the phone. ("I'll be wearing a cowboy hat with boots"). As I approached them at a table (she was very short and pudgy) she eyeballed me and said, "Are you John?"I told her I was and we sat down at the table to get acquainted and order some coffee and food. She said something to me that every radio deejay has heard at some point in their career; "you don't look a thing like you sound on the radio." I would love to counter with, "you don't look a bit like you sound on the station request/listener telephone line." The look I got was always good for a chuckle. Kenneth was an extremely soft spoken, kind and respectful man;very attentive to Doris. They told me they had been married a long time. You could see how much they truly loved each other. Maybe I should say, "you could FEEL how much they loved each other." None of it was put on. Authentic and true... not fake like you see with some couples.</p><p><span>We would go on to have future visits at Farmer John's for breakfast, and whenever a Cleveland Browns game was on TV (this was back in the 80's) I would pick up a 6 pack (or 12) and head over to their house and we'd watch the game together. It was great fun! I'm sure they've passed on by now, but I often think about my unlikely friendship with Doris and Ken. Many fond memories and much admiration. So glad I took them up on their invite.</span></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-70660329469214520422023-08-14T07:56:00.005-07:002023-12-24T04:29:21.403-08:00"This ain't no funeral! What's with the coat and tie?"<p> So you are about to head out to your very first recording session as a newbie voice talent, excitement abounds, then it hits you; "What should I wear?" I can't speak for others, but what I've seen at almost <b>every</b> recording session I've done is casual to business casual--without fail. Why is that? I think that COMFORT rules the day in recording studios. Simply put, you want to be comfortable when you're recording. You'll notice the folks who run the recording studio are dressed quite casually. Also, remember that you don't want to wear clothes that may create unwanted sounds when you move in the recording booth. Sensitive mics can pick up EVERYTHING! Now, there are limits when it comes to casual dress. I use to work with a guy in radio who was known for his deep sea diving exploits off the air and he'd show up in flip flops, cut offs and a tank top to do his show. OK. No big deal with that. He was on the overnight show and there were few people around. I wouldn't recommend you show up for a recording session with flip flops though. That's a tad too casual. On the other hand, if you show up with a suit coat and tie, you'll be way too formal and look like you're heading to a funeral. And NOBODY wants to work with someone who looks like they're heading to that big microphone in the sky. </p><p>Shifting gears from outside recording sessions to at home ones, the cool thing about recording from a home studio is no one sees how you dress. Well, maybe your kids or other half do, but they could probably care less how you dress while you record just as long as you make lots of money so you can support their fast food habits. </p><p>There's a voice actor who runs a very popular (if not controversial) blog that wrote a book about making a living doing voice overs from a home studio in your pajamas. Who would know? I say"Go for it" if that's your thing. Or, you could take it one step further; do voice overs in your birthday suit. OK. Maybe not. This I wouldn't recommend for a number of reasons. I won't go into that here as we're approaching creep factor X 10. </p><p>So, when heading out to a recording session, think casual NOT <strike>funeral</strike> <strike>formal</strike>. You'll fit right in.</p><p><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-14134304897524879682023-07-06T08:03:00.004-07:002023-12-24T06:06:16.049-08:00"If you're coming to San Francisco be sure to..."<p> As mentioned in other posts on this blog, pre-pandemic, I enjoy having a nice breakfast in San Francisco on Saturday and then walking through Chinatown and down to Pier 39 where most of the tourists and sea lions hang out. It's a considerable walk from where I start at the cable car turnaround at Powell and Market streets. Most of my breakfasts are fairly simple-eggs,hash browns, sausage/bacon, toast and coffee. And while I love a cup of hot coffee first thing before my city walk, it can often wreak havoc when I need to find a public restroom QUICKLY. Recently, I added an app to my phone that is GPS driven, FREE, and shows over 200,000 public bathrooms worldwide. It indicates where the closest public restrooms are from where I am, at any given time. A real life saver! Google "Flush Toilet Finder." It's tough to find a PUBLIC restroom in the city. Most restrooms are for paying customers only. There use to be a small coffee shop in Chinatown I could count on to be my "saving grace" on my walks. It was the size of a few phone booths, but they DID have a public restroom if you bought a cup of coffee. Too bad it closed a number of years ago due to a lack of business. Bummer. </p><p>Some good news however! San Francisco has entered into an agreement with a French agency to debut some cool new public toilets citywide. Yipeeeeee! There's this on the ABC 7 website...</p><p>"Media company JCDecaux has agreed to pay for the public toilets and maintain them in exchange for allowing them to install advertising kiosks in the downtown area."</p><p>ABC 7 had a sneak preview of the toilets that will be arriving, and boy, are they nice! So modern looking. We all know how scary public restrooms can be. Hopefully, solid maintenance will be in place.</p><p>So, until the new toilets arrive in full, just a heads up. Know where the public restrooms are or get the phone app. As the old Scott McKenzie song says "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair." I say,"Be sure to know where the nearest public restroom is." Let's get our priorities in order. </p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jvFMvbNpOSywSkzOb3L93W4Skr9JKxbpZs4AnAnNZE9wIYU0abaHxWg4_rZARH7trXKi9NtC8d1f433wpiIAlC6hlKcgDsdAmMex1QHFOKmAsGcs9qgemjciqv6sK4k25OCc91aBe5PTwqJvQxf7xesNtY2grLHMT4YmF0eHg7aR0kt2ax8_70Lkq9fY/s259/images.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="259" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jvFMvbNpOSywSkzOb3L93W4Skr9JKxbpZs4AnAnNZE9wIYU0abaHxWg4_rZARH7trXKi9NtC8d1f433wpiIAlC6hlKcgDsdAmMex1QHFOKmAsGcs9qgemjciqv6sK4k25OCc91aBe5PTwqJvQxf7xesNtY2grLHMT4YmF0eHg7aR0kt2ax8_70Lkq9fY/s1600/images.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-45481732645591939452023-06-13T06:42:00.014-07:002024-03-11T04:03:18.421-07:00Pat Sajak...the "Wheel of Fortune Wimp!"<p> UPDATE: Ryan Seacrest will take over for Sajak. What a shocker! Ryan has another job. Does the man ever sleep? </p><p>You've probably heard by now that Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak has decided to hang it up.What's the matter Pat? Did spinning that big wheel hurt your elbows in your old age and you just couldn't take it anymore? Don't feel too bad. We're ALL aging. Some more gracefully than others. You'll have lots of time to do what you want to do. How about an appearance with Dr. Phil? A part time job bagging groceries at Trader Joe's? Or perhaps learn how to play pickleball. Ya know, it's all the rage. Maybe challenge Vanna to a game or two. I'm certain she'd beat the stuffing out of you then flash her million dollar smile as you have a meltdown and throw your paddle across the court. (think tennis bad boy John McEnroe...or my type A brother in law on the golf course). "Duck Vanna...duck!"</p><p>OK, all of the above snarkiness is just a joke from yours truly. I was never a Sajak fanboy per se, but let's give him (and Vanna) congrats. He hosted Wheel for 40 years. 40 years! That really IS amazing. Imagine the backstage stories he has. As we know, they tape multiple shows in one day. Pat confirmed that he and Vanna use to go knock back a few drinks from time to time before the tapings. Back in 2012, he had this to say on an ESPN talk show...</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Vanna and I would have two or three or six [drinks] and then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet,” Sajak said. “I had a great time." </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">Pat's 76 now and he says he'll be doing one more season of Wheel and that starts taping in September. He'll then be a behind the scenes consultant for 3 years. Consultant? "The new guy doesn't look happy enough." "I don't like the way he spins the wheel." " He has a crooked smile."</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="background-color: white;">His backstory is interesting. He was a southern California weatherman way back displaying his great sense of humour on screen when the Wheel of Fortune creator, the late talk show host Merv Griffin spotted him on TV. While auditions were held for a host, Merv insisted that Pat get the job. Apparently, there was a bit of "tug of war" between Merv and the shows producers; some saying Sajak was too "local" and the rest of America had no idea who he was. As owner and creator of Wheel, Merv certainly had plenty of leverage. Sajak got the job. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="background-color: white;">So, Pat will go through his final season, number 41, and they'll have plenty of time to give him a proper send-off. In fact, I predict some will complain </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">before all the hoopla is over,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202124;">they've heard enough about his departure already. "Go! Just go Pat! And here's a big, wet kiss on the cheek to boot!" </span></p><p><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="background-color: white;">Applause from this corner Pat, and congrats on your record breaking 41 years on Wheel. Your fans will surely miss you. Word is Vanna will stay on.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #202124;"><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #202124;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnADigDR5UAvH1zH4NDC2JelJ6B4nieAb6F6Dnri6RJhCnkLdbINXRKtHVeR6tQz6uHWDTbao1jHgliXDr1LqO4tfi7weaIwJNHx0cYSHaGSV9qnQtimhJUxXdqwGu9WV9WapjJcTJYmReKG-TqGp5DwEBpceYd6aoDV0tTNl73TLICA_YvcklH1vjAw/s246/download%20(15).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="246" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnADigDR5UAvH1zH4NDC2JelJ6B4nieAb6F6Dnri6RJhCnkLdbINXRKtHVeR6tQz6uHWDTbao1jHgliXDr1LqO4tfi7weaIwJNHx0cYSHaGSV9qnQtimhJUxXdqwGu9WV9WapjJcTJYmReKG-TqGp5DwEBpceYd6aoDV0tTNl73TLICA_YvcklH1vjAw/s1600/download%20(15).jpg" width="246" /></a></span></div><span style="color: #202124;"><br /></span><p></p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-66131490542499867602023-06-07T08:08:00.000-07:002023-06-07T08:08:13.881-07:00"One man's sandwich is another man's..." <p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">A number of years ago, I would leave my home studio to record in San Francisco. As mentioned on this blog, working alone from home can be very isolating. So, it was fun to get out and be around other voice talents as we recorded together at the wonderful Pyramind Studios. (Yes, "Pyramind" not "Pyramid.")</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">I can hop on our rapid transit (BART) here in East Bay where I live and be in the heart of the city at Powell and Market Streets at a cable car turnaround in about 30 minutes. Super convenient. The walk down to the studio is 10 minutes or so. Always the early bird, I landed in San Francisco with about half an hour to kill. I decided to buy a croissant ham and cheese sandwich from a vendor at the Westfield Shopping Plaza. It was much larger than I anticipated. So, I finished half of it and wrapped the whole other half in the food wrapping paper it came in inside the bag. It was great that the lady used a knife to neatly halve it back where I bought it. The thought quickly occurred to me as I walked down the sidewalk to the recording session, I could give the food to one of the many homeless folks frequently seen. After a short while, I spotted a man down on the grass near a bus stop. I told him I had an untouched, half, fresh ham sandwich in the bag and he could have it. He immediately declined and said "I want money, not food." So, I bid him a good afternoon and continued down the street a bit where I saw another homeless man lounging on the grass. As I approached and told him I had free food for him, he jumped up excitedly and snatched the bag from my hand and put it in a backpack he had on. He was thrilled. I told him to enjoy the sandwich and continued walking to the studio. Off in the distance he yelled at me, "Hey man, can I come with you?" I told him "No, but thanks for asking." I had work to get to. But the encounters left an impression on me. Money well spent on the sandwich and an interesting study in human behaviour. </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-21800050791039300272023-06-05T11:04:00.009-07:002023-11-11T02:47:29.185-08:00Choose your chair wisely!<p> No, this is not a post about buying furniture for your living room. It's about getting a proper chair for your sitting as you edit audio you've recorded. We've heard and read articles about how bad sitting is for long periods of time. I know firsthand what can happen when you use a chair not suited for hours of sitting throughout your day. </p><p>A number of years ago, I got hit with a wicked spell of sciatica. Have you ever had the same? If you have, you know how extremely painful it can be. My right leg was so sore and numb I could barely get out of bed for my morning cup of coffee. Here's the clinical explanation of sciatica symptoms: </p><p>Lower back pain </p><p>Sensation in lower extremity: pain, numbness, tingling, weakness </p><p>Pelvis/buttock pain </p><p>Hip/groin pain </p><p>Feeling of leg instability</p><p> Restless sleep patterns </p><p>Disturbed sitting patterns due to pain </p><p> Pain going from sitting to standing</p><p>Yuck! None of this stuff is good for recording throughout the day.</p><p>When I moved back to the Bay Area, I brought a chair with me I had been using for some time in my studio in Charlotte with a soft, cushion seat I bought at an Office Max. It was comfortable overall. Fast forward to my last sciatica episode years ago. I had a friend who recommended her chiropractor to me. She spoke very highly of him. So, off I went to see him looking for some relief. He asked me if I walked regularly and I told him I usually did in the afternoon. He took an X-ray of my leg and said I'd be having further sciatica flare ups and told me to walk for longer periods of time. He also made some adjustments to my leg and back in his office. I felt a bit of minor relief. He encouraged me to have a follow-up appointment with him. (which I never did).</p><p>Next morning, pain and numbness still loud and clear, I had a lightbulb moment. I thought maybe it was my cushiony chair that was the culprit. So, I went to Office Depot and sorted through the chair descriptions on each one. I ended up buying a "hard" chair that was made for extended hours of sitting. Perfect for when I had a bunch of audio to edit. (Did someone say "long e Learning courses?")</p><p>Miraculous as it sounds, the pain quickly went away. I have never had a bout of sciatica from that time on!</p><p>Make sure you buy the right chair! Sometimes the most comfortable chair is not the best one for your needs.</p><ul style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #676c6f; line-height: 1.6; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 7px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 30px; position: relative; text-indent: inherit;"><br /></li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-911253728824202482023-06-05T04:13:00.001-07:002023-12-07T06:18:18.395-08:00"Hello. I'm Johnny Cash" (A surprise throwback pic)<p> <span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">This picture of me and Mr. Cash was totally unexpected and not planned.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">It was my day to host and emcee on behalf of our radio station WIRK from the South Florida Fair in West Palm Beach. Typically, you'd have a matinee show under the big tent at 4 PM and then an evening show at 8PM. We had an RV off the midway with a live microphone back to the main station so we could go on the air from the fair and yack for a minute or so to get people to come out to see the entertainment;most of it country music stars.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">A station photographer and friend of mine was at the ready and yelled, "Hey John!" as we were going up the stage stairs. We both looked over and he snapped this cool picture of the two of us. I forgot all about it until Sam the photographer brought it by the station a few days later and gave it to me. I was honored to be on the same steps with "The Man In Black." (now if only I could sing like him!) A real treasured photo. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXteUtmEoXxicH2kaOFuKeMWlsuurokkLxv0xUshTMzpzrsLeSEPt5eZUlcpTVIAdao_RPrWxbUqEQiGAlHbo4CSWknfP3HnZqczXBzEvNTl1TPGvb3Y8YrFUdeKdXbj_a1PZmTcoODPnAlf6aZWS0FiQYSVdwzK1djyIIXWdFgydKEhSFTgd0Y4Gmw/s1480/IMG_20180404_0002.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1480" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXteUtmEoXxicH2kaOFuKeMWlsuurokkLxv0xUshTMzpzrsLeSEPt5eZUlcpTVIAdao_RPrWxbUqEQiGAlHbo4CSWknfP3HnZqczXBzEvNTl1TPGvb3Y8YrFUdeKdXbj_a1PZmTcoODPnAlf6aZWS0FiQYSVdwzK1djyIIXWdFgydKEhSFTgd0Y4Gmw/s320/IMG_20180404_0002.jpg" width="221" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-24022086883091719362023-05-23T09:14:00.010-07:002023-11-26T03:41:40.685-08:00"Be thankful for what you've got"<p>Much has been written and said through all media, church podiums, and way beyond about the need to be thankful, so I won't gab on about it here. </p><p>Oprah started her gratitude journal which was a huge hit and had many shows about the need to feel thankful. </p><p>"“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough.” (Oprah)</p><p>I remember as a kid Mom would sometimes say, "Count your blessings." A blessing at our little house was an open, singular bathroom for Mom, Dad and 9 kids. When you went in, it was almost like you were on a timer. Somebody was always waiting to get in. And you never wanted to hear Dad banging on the door for you to get out.</p><p>My Dad who owned his own business (plaster and drywall) would give his longtime clients a bottle of booze at Christmastime. Worked like a charm. And I know those folks were thankful. With every gulp.</p><p>Make sure that as you receive voice over work from clients/customers and others, saying "Thank You" is in the mix.</p><p>I left radio 17 years ago to create my full-time voice over business, and I have clients who have called on me during that entire time. Touch base with your clients, new and old, and say thanks for the business. Even a short email works wonders.</p><p>There are tons of songs with a gratitude theme. Those that know me know I spend a fair amount of time listening to my favorite songs on You Tube in between VO jobs. One of my "thankful songs" is from 1974 by William DeVaughn (yep, I'm going way back) . It went to #1 on the rhythm and blues charts. And in 2021, it was listed at #374 on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." Here's a <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvtlt-p7vB4">link</a></b> to the tune. See if you remember it.</p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-40463977636356735342023-04-19T09:45:00.001-07:002023-12-11T08:01:24.909-08:00"Let's Get Physical!"<p> Some of us remember the Olivia Newton John song, "Physical," from way back when. It was a song full of sexual tension and play. Here's the chorus line.</p><p>"Let's get physical, physical, I wanna get physical, let's get into physical. Let me hear your body talk, your body talk, let me hear your body talk." </p><p>Why am I posting this on a voice over blog? Folks are often surprised to see all the physical movements that voice actors use in the booth. Established Hollywood stars often find voice over quite challenging. That makes sense. Think about it. If you're on camera, you have both sound (your voice) and visual (body movement) coming into play. With voice over, visual is not a factor. So, there's that additional requirement of needing to convey the emotion through words alone. Not always an easy task.</p><p>Beginning voice over artists are often told by their coaches to go ahead and get physical. (Not the kind Olivia sang about, but you get the idea). Move those hands! (the exception might be if you're recording a very low energy piece of copy). Make those facial expressions as you voice! It all comes through in the recording. So it should come as no surprise to see voice actors gesturing a lot in the recording booth. Watching an animation recording session is particularly loaded with actors using body language to the max for high energy reads.</p><p>Here's an experiment. Grab some copy for an auto dealership ( or write a paragraph or two) where the direction is "High energy-over the top" with the delivery. You've no doubt heard these hard sell spots on your TV. (Yep, the loud, annoying ones). Now, put both your hands in your pocket and try voicing with that high energy direction in mind. I'm sure you'll find that the hands in your pocket will clamp you down considerably. It's much more productive to get those hands moving as you read. It's the same reason why many VO artists record standing up. Sitting down can cramp your style. Studies have shown there is a direct correlation between your vocal chords and body movement. </p><p>When I was in high school, I used to get teased for talking with my hands. When I entered the voice over world, I realized that talking with your hands can make you money. Not a bad trade.</p><p>So, go ahead, get physical when you voice that copy! </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-27631669349779526982023-04-06T08:08:00.010-07:002023-11-15T06:16:07.176-08:00Alcatraz audio tour update "I'm scared!"<p> <span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">Now that the pandemic restrictions are easing, i</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.2px;">f you ever visit the San Francisco Bay Area, I highly recommend you take the ferry from Pier 33 and head out to the infamous Alcatraz. It's a very short ride. I was joined by my sister and brother in law from Ohio when they vacationed here and we went on the walking tour through the prison. The award winning narration and sound effects you hear through the rented headset are really outstanding. The audio tour is optional, but you'll be missing a lot if you decline. You'll get an amazing look and listen into the way things used to be for the inmates and guards. It's a bit creepy, but fun. Bring your best warm jacket or a coat! It can be chilly out there, even in the summer. Or as Mark Twain said, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.2px;">Travel tip: Get your tickets in advance as the tours book very quickly. Showing up at Pier 33 the day you want to go over to Alcatraz is no guarantee of being able to go that day. You can get ticket information <a href="https://www.nps.gov/alca/planyourvisit/fees.htm" style="color: #2288bb; text-decoration-line: none;">here</a></span></p><p>Bonus travel tip: There are 2 bathrooms on the ferry and only a few on the island. It's a good idea to check with the island personnel when you get off the ferry as to where they're located. (Take it from a guy who had an "emergency close call" shortly after arriving on the island).</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJUjs16KREerE-s_eS-zcfpOfSWfDx4rz1zY805aQP8buAcZFk12LF35N5V270S2CDxVpTY0F9DtpRLFTzkeMo7Nrys3KoCoQecag7UqZJ-QZOAgY_oCImcyI0f8BraLYsZor1JCADXRgZNx0-3aG1V6ZK5yRPnDtnFEGZJWg4KRn9XJdWyl7cu1NMA/s320/GOGA-Alcatraz_NPS_photo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="320" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbJUjs16KREerE-s_eS-zcfpOfSWfDx4rz1zY805aQP8buAcZFk12LF35N5V270S2CDxVpTY0F9DtpRLFTzkeMo7Nrys3KoCoQecag7UqZJ-QZOAgY_oCImcyI0f8BraLYsZor1JCADXRgZNx0-3aG1V6ZK5yRPnDtnFEGZJWg4KRn9XJdWyl7cu1NMA/s1600/GOGA-Alcatraz_NPS_photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-55996689498519887272023-04-01T09:11:00.004-07:002023-04-07T05:42:20.714-07:00A question I never get asked<p> <span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">I've been doing voice overs for quite some time now. And like many, I tend to look at other voice over websites to hear demos, read information, and see how other talents are presenting themselves.</span></p><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">From time to time, I'll see an overly lengthy description about what gear they are using...microphone, pre-amp, etc. In all my years of doing voice over, I have never had a client/customer ask me what microphone I'm using. Or frankly, about ANY equipment I'm using. For the most part, they don't care! So when I see all the specifics about equipment on a voice over website, I consider it wasted space. Here's what clients/customers want and expect. A good, clean audio file with no background noise in the format of their choosing (MP3, WAV, AIFF) with no or very limited processing, delivered on time. </span><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">As a voice over talent, for the most part, it is the client's decision as to how the audio will be processed in post production. Whether it be the amount of compression (if any) volume adjustments, possible light reverb, or any other effect they desire. Some talents will do a light de-ess and EQ before sending the audio. But not much more than that. Less is more.</span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span></div><div><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13.2px;">I have a Neumann TLM 103 and Sennheiser 416 in my studio. They are two of the most popular microphones for voice over work. They get the job done and satisfy my clients. But nobody ever asks about them. And I'm OK with that.</span></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2760785326216019070.post-68795336150206337692023-03-25T10:49:00.016-07:002023-12-25T03:15:23.416-08:00Kirstie Alley (before she was famous) and "You'll never make it!" stories.<p>There are tons of stories about famous people who were told they'd never make it; some of them well known voice actors. (Voice ace Scott Rummell comes to mind. Search for his TED Talk on You Tube).</p><p>Oprah was fired from a Baltimore TV station as an evening news reporter because some clueless director said she became too emotionally involved in her stories and was "unfit for television news." (how would you like to be the fool who fired Oprah, and then later be quizzed about it at small talk parties... F-O-R-E-V-E-R).</p><p>Hugh Jackman was fired from a 7-11 convenience store job because his boss said he talked too much to the customers.</p><p>J.K. Rowling of "Harry Potter" fame was once fired because the boss said she was writing stories on her computer all day, instead of working.</p><p>On a more personal level, while I was filling in for our afternoon drive time deejay on WIRK in West Palm Beach back in the 90's, our program director came in the studio to tell me he had passed on some up-and-comer kid named Tim McGraw to do a telephone interview with me because 'he's the son of some famous baseball player (Tug) and I don't think he's ever gonna go anywhere in the recording industry. So I told the promoter NO.' Last time I checked, our program director was still wiping egg off his reddened face. No word if he's still working in radio. Somebody throw him a towel...would you please? (Mercifully, I won't put his on-air name here).</p><p>Here in the Bay Area, I've been watching Buzzr TV, which is similar to the Game Show Network. They broadcast old episodes of shows like "Password," "Match Game," "Concentration," "What's My Line?," "Family Feud," "Hollywood Squares," and beyond.</p><p>I enjoy watching them as these are shows, and celebrities, I grew up on---many of them now resting peacefully in that big game show hall of fame in the sky. By the way, did any celebrity do more game show panelist appearances than the late Betty White? Almost like every-other-show. Of course, her husband, Allen Ludden, hosted Password. I loved it when Betty would go on Password and her and Allen would tease/squabble a bit. It made for good TV.</p><p>Recently, one of the really lovable actresses from "Cheers" passed away. What a surprise I got the other day when Buzzr TV broadcasted Kirstie Alley's appearance on "Match Game" before she became a big star. In her former life, she was an interior designer. Here's a <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uC7SgzTLM">clip</a></b> of Kirstie on MG. She gave off a ton of confidence and sexiness, even way back then. No doubt some astute talent scout was watching that day. She "auditioned" on a gameshow and got the role of a lifetime on "Cheers." Smart lady.</p><p> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0