Choose your chair wisely!

 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. 

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: 

Lower back pain 

Sensation in lower extremity: pain, numbness, tingling, weakness 

Pelvis/buttock pain 

Hip/groin pain 

Feeling of leg instability

 Restless sleep patterns 

Disturbed sitting patterns due to pain 

 Pain going from sitting to standing

Yuck! None of this stuff is good for recording throughout the day.

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).

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?")

Miraculous as it sounds, the pain quickly went away. I have never had a bout of sciatica from that time on!

Make sure you buy the right chair! Sometimes the most comfortable chair is not the best one for your needs.

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"Hello. I'm Johnny Cash" (A surprise throwback pic)

 This picture of me and Mr. Cash was totally unexpected and not planned.

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.

A station photographer and friend of mine ("Sam") 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 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." He's quite an imposing figure! Now if only I could sing like him! A  real treasured photo.   

                                                                                

"Let's Get Physical!"

 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.

"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." 

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.

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.

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. 

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.

So, go ahead, get physical when you voice that copy! 

Alcatraz audio tour update "I'm scared!"

 Now that the pandemic restrictions are easing, if 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." 

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 here

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).

                                                                        

Kirstie Alley (before she was famous) and "You'll never make it!" stories.

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).

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).

Hugh Jackman was fired from a 7-11 convenience store job because his boss said he talked too much to the customers.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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 clip 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.

       

"Don't Touch That Microphone!"

Let me say up front that this information is for beginning voice over talents as more experienced ones will already know this. There is a thing called "studio etiquette." It's sort of the "code of conduct" when you go outside your home to record in a studio with a client or customer.

When in the recording booth, never EVER touch or move, in any way, the microphone. That may get you a major look of disapproval (or scolding) from the recording engineer who is there to set up the session. It's his job to reposition the microphone, if necessary. Microphones can be very sensitive and expensive. So remember, while out in a studio, "Hands off!" 

While recording the  script and being directed, should you flub a word, don't whine on and on and beat yourself up verbally. That makes you look like a beginner. And you won't win any points with the director(s). Simply listen to the direction as to where they want you to do the retake.  This is called a "pickup." Typically, you'll go back to the beginning of the sentence where you made the flub and read the line again. By the way, it's no big deal. Even the best of the best flub a word or two. Nothing to be embarrassed about.  

As noted in another post here, arriving late for a session is a HUGE no-no. (No explanation needed for this one).

NEVER make fun of or mock the copy you're recording. The person(s) who wrote it may well be at the session.

After the recording session, come out of the booth, sign any necessary paper work, thank them... and LEAVE. Don't linger with endless chatter. These folks are busy and that's bound to be very annoying to them. It's all about carrying yourself like a pro. It'll go a long way in your voice over career. The business is tough enough as it is. Don't shoot yourself in the foot and look like an amateur.  Be grateful for the work and move on.