Voice-Acting in Vegas

Social Butterfly

Stu Gray. 

It's all his fault.

He put me up to it.

The Nashville-area voice talent and prolific VO blogger approached me a couple of weeks ago with the idea of doing a Q & A about social networking.  He with the "Q".  Me with the "A".

Well it took me long enough, but I finally finished.  Good questions...wordy answers.

We agreed to sort of share the wealth...so if you want to get the full impact of my pithy musings about social networking, and its value to voice actors, you'll have to visit BOTH sites. 

I recommend you start with Stu's blog: The Creative Mouthpiece.  Click HERE.

Then see the link underneath my name, below, to read more.

Thanks, Stu, for coaxing me to really think about the value of social networking to my business.  I hope by sharing what little I know, someone may gain some momentum.

CourVO

DMOZ

'Heard of the "Open Directory" project? 

Their "about" page describes it as: "...the largest, most comprehensive human-edited directory of the Web.  It is constructed and maintained by a vast, global community of volunteer editors.  The Open Directory was founded in the spirit of the Open Source movement, and is the only major directory that is 100% free.  There is not, nor will there ever be, a cost to submit a site to the directory, and/or to use the directory's data.  The Open Directory data is made available for free to anyone wo agrees to comply with our free use license.

Kinda sounds like Wikipedia, but remember, it's a directory, not an encyclopedia.  (I just haven't figured out where the acronym DMOZ comes from in their URL.)

With such an ambitious mission statement, you'd have to expect there might be mention of a good many resources for Voice Actors, and you'd be right.  Not only that, but apparently, I'm VERY late to the party.  TONS of links, references, resources, names, agents, coaches, production houses, talent...you name it. 

On the site, you're encouraged to submit your own website for approval, but they're also big on you volunteering to help edit submissions.

Click HERE for the page that reveals results of a search for "Voiceover" resources.

....and....volunteer!

CourVO

Eldorado Recording Services

George Whittam is a techie's techie.  He's also a great guy, a voice-actor (when he wants to be), and about as sharp as they come with the artistry of audio engineering.

His latest newsletter is a treasure trove of ideas, contacts, important dates and solutions.  Please read and make contact with him if you're so moved. 

I especially love the service ERS provides in checking to see if your travel location (hotel) will be able to handle your ISDN needs.  Great idea!... but of course, you need to be a subscriber.

Link to his blog and read it...you'll learn a bunch!

CourVO

Together

A successful hitchin'!

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Erik Alexanian.  Wonderful wedding, even though rain scuttled plans to hold the ceremony in a nearby sunken garden.

The other pic is me with the mother of the bride (my sister Nancy in the fuscia), and our oldest sister Joan (with the hat).

Yes there was dancing. I personally asked the DJ for conga-line music. And, uh-huh...a few people got tipsy, but no one had to drive, so that was good.  I even got a chance to enjoy some excellent conversation with the father of the groom over a fine cigar at sunset.

These are truly the times we toil for.  The personal "bests" that keep us buoyed in life...the relationships that carry us when celebrations are few and far between.

                           

CourVO

VoiceLympics Update

 Deb Munro writes with the latest updates and offers if you want to have great cruise AND learn a bunch about voiceovers from real pros.  VoiceLympics.

See her e-mail to me below...an amazing line-up, and some incredible offers!

CourVO

Allerton

Robert Allerton Park is in Central Illinois, and it's gorgeous.  It's on the registry of Historic Places, owned by the University of Illinois.  This is the place where my niece is getting married tomorrow.

The sculpted gardens here are worthy of the ones at the world-famous Versailles Palace in France.  That caliber.

Over 30 different varieties of Peony are on display here...

Incredible blooms...all colors...and no thorns.  'Hate that about roses.

Of course, my day didn't begin here, it began at my sister's house, cooking bacon.

Meat candy!

This exercise in social tradition is as much family reunion as anything.

All the in-laws are here from Boston...uh...that's Bahstahn to you, buddy!

I figured I'd better post something tonite...I may not be in any shape to do that tomorrow night by this time.

CourVO

DAW Round-up

'Posting this link again.    This article was part of a previous blog featuring EQ's online magazine.  But the content is too good to be overlooked.

HERE, a rather exhaustive evaluation of some of the better audio-editing software packages out there (albeit the most expensive).  Mac & PC.

CourVO

Champaign (IL) Dreams

'Safely in Champaign, IL after an unremarkable non-stop flight on Allegiant Airlines direct to Peoria.

Gorgeous here.  This is my brother-in-law's Bonsai tree farm.

Earthy Spring smells here we never get in Vegas

CourVO

Feelin' the love

For a while there, earlier this week, I felt like I was like an Alabama tick ready to pop from all the pressure.  I admit.  I got on my blog pity pot for a while.

I'm back now...mostly 'cause I was buoyed by faithful readers of my blog...many who reminded me they find my missives through RSS feed.  DUH! 'Forgot about that.  I'm sure there's a way to track that too, but I haven't figured it out yet. (anybody?)

Not only am I back, but I've set in motion some actions that will soon result in a vastly better blog in appearance, design, visual appeal, arrangement, and logistics.

Sorry.  Same crappy content.   ;-}

That's all I'm gonna say for now.  One of these days, you'll visit to find something at this address so engaging and compelling, you'll even tell your garbageman to check it out.

In the meantime.  The next few posts will seem uniquely un-VO-like.  I'm off to Champaign, IL for the marriage of my sister's oldest daughter (yes, I know....it's my niece).  It's alternately a family reunion as well.  I'll try to stay sober enough to deliver compelling pics on my iPhone and some pithy lines of narrative here 'n' there.

So, thanks to all those who commented and supported my efforts here.  Y'all are fantas-tick!

CourVO

Pondering Poddio

Gary Symons of Poddio found my little blog blurb about Poddio and sent a friendly response that I hope he doesn't mind my sharing below.

This little app is sounding more and more viable as a mobile unit...esp with the addition of the BlueMicrophone or mini mic that he mentions.

Thanks, Gary!
CourVO

-------------------------------------

Hi Dave, 
 Saw your piece on Poddio. Very well done, and I had to laugh when you mentioned the hole in our marketing plan. We were in vegas recently for the Nab Show, and right next to us was a company that syndicates voice actors, and right away we started talking about the obvious use of Poddio for voice actors. 
 
By the way, we will be selling the Blue Mikey on our site shortly in a package deal with Blue Microphones, and we also have our own VeriCorder mini mic, both of which will radically improve sound quality. 
 
Anyhow, thanks for the piece, and if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to write. 
 
Gary Symons 
President & CEO 
VeriCorder Technology

Blogging Illusions?

Almost two years...651 posts...countless hours...

Blogging is fun.  I've discovered I have a talent for writing and sharing.  I enjoy connecting dots for people, and connecting people.

....but

....after all that time, and all those blogs, my average number of visitors per day is dropping steadily.

And it was never that high. 

I understood that when I started.  This was niche stuff, and there are lots of other places where people can find solid information about voice acting.

I've tried to follow the basic rules for building blog visitors:  give a piece of myself in each blog....engage the visitors to contribute or respond...be consistent in my blogging...frequent...helpful...sharing...all that.

The only thing I didn't do was go with the incredibly difficult WordPress...that may be my downfall.  I understand that Google bots are infinitely more gracious to WordPress blogs than Typepad.  I don't care.  If Typepad is good enough for Seth Godin...it's good enough for me.

So here I am, actually considering ending the blog.  The drop in visitations is very discouraging.  I spend a lot of time on this thing.

So before I throw in the towel...any suggestions for making it better?

I know my page loads slowly.  In your estimation, is that an issue for you?

Is there TOO MUCH "stuff" on my page?

Should I swallow my pride and go with WordPress?

Thanks for your input.

Dave C

Zen of Reading Aloud

With gratitude to voice coach par excellence Nancy Wolfson, I reprint the following she sent me yesterday by e-mail.

Let me just point out that VERLYN KLINKENBORG (the author) was born the same year as me, to a midwest farming community (like me).  That's about where the similarities end.  He's pretty tight with the NY Times and has written several books.

His observations below about the spoken word are very well contemplated.

...and you thought it was only voice-talking!

CourVO