Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A New Home for Voices Online Now
When the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office decided to expand its campus into the block east of the library, Voices Online Now’s affiliate production studio, Metropolis Integrated Media, sitting directly east of the library, suddenly was at a crossroads. Owners, Brent Marshall and John-david Brewer, decided to see the city’s exercise of eminent domain as an opportunity to reinvent their business with a new location, a new building, and a new brand. The old Metropolis building has since been razed to make way for the city’s Public Safety Complex. And the former Metropolis Integrated Media is now Metcom Studios, Salt Lake’s newest resource for leading-edge creativity and development of digital media. Located just three blocks northeast of their home of 20+ years, Metcom is nearly double the size. And when you visit, you’ll quickly see that it’s poised to be one of the audio & video production jewels of the west.
Metcom Studios, the new home of Voices Online Now, will be located at 352 South 500 East. Centrally located in Salt Lake City, the exterior architecture and landscaping are traffic-stopping, ultra-modern, with a stunning interior that houses a most impressive list of recording studios, edit bays and sound stages. The last time a full-service facility was built from the ground up was STS Productions in the early 80’s.
In spring 2010 Marshall demolished the former Replicolor building and began an aggressive construction schedule. In early January 2011 Voices Online Now moved into the new Metcom Studios - custom designed from the foundation to the lighting grid. Their attention to design detail is not only striking but pushing the edge with the latest technology.
Metcom is a full-service production company with highly skilled directors, editors, recording engineers, producers, storyboard artists and animators, as well as strategic and creative resources. “I’m most excited about our new capabilities that our team now has to offer to our corporate clients,” Marshall stated. “These strategic relationships are producing great results and fueling some really exciting new work,” added Brewer.
Metcom is excited to continue their relationship with Voices Online Now as their affiliate production studio in the new facility. VON features over 400 voice actors from Dallas to Moray shire, Scotland. The company has found voices for local, regional and national projects for radio, TV, telephony, corporate and internet. Some of their clients include, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Bank, Plantronics, Verizon, Tellme Networks, Adobe and many other clients I’m sure you would recognize.
Voices Online Now also offers translation, localization, foreign language VO coaches and foreign language VO talents from their native countries. They have translated and recorded phone prompts for Merrill Lynch in 10 languages. Melaleuca hired them to translate and record VO in Spanish and Canadian French for 2 of their product videos. They also translated and recorded a Mandarin project for Verisign’s Chinese website.
Metcom Studios is one more jewel in the crown of Utah’s assets for attracting production business to Utah.
Metcom Studios Specs
Stage:
Sound Stage 36’ x 44’
2 Coved Walls with 8’ Corner Radius
Black Cyc Curtain
17’ Ceiling (floor to grid)
Acoustically treated for optimum sound quality
Large Garage Entry
Spacious Dressing Room
Visual:
3 Video Edit Bays
Film/Video Production Services
Video Switch Room for Multiple Camera Shoots
Animation and storyboards
Audio:
4 Recording Control Rooms
3 Studios
Isolation booth
C7 Yamaha grand piano
Foley Pits
Metcom Global:
5 Voice Booths
5 Language Coach ProTools Stations
Audio Master Control
2 ASL Green Screens
Monday, January 3, 2011
Starting a Voice Over Career
Voiceovers can be a career, or a little extra money on the side, but it's always fun! First, forget any preconceived notions that you have about the business. If you are returning from a break from VO... understand technology has completely changed the anture of the animal!
For example, if you want to get into voiceovers simply because people say you have a nice voice... consider this. Voice is less than 10% of what's needed to do voiceovers. VO is a skill that requires training, preactive, and technique. In fact, if your voice is too good, it can work against you, if you are not skilled enough to be transparent. Clients don't want people to notice the voice... they want people to notice the message the voice is communicating.
If you want to get into voiceovers because you think it'll be easy... and won't cost much to get into, you're only partly right. Compared to franchises (like Subway, Curves, etc.) that will be starting a business, and you will need investment capital. You'll have expenses for training, marketing, equipment, etc. just like in any other business. If you can't afford to start a business right now, you can't afford to get into voiceovers right now. However, if that is the case, and you may want to enter the field in the future, DO take advantage of all the free services available to you, to research your possible future career!
If you have been told by an agent or client that you need a demo CD, and you are wondering what to put on it, STOP! You do not want to do your own demo! And any reputable coach I know will not do one for you if you don't have training, because they don't want to take your money knowing that you won't get any work!While it's obviously not their job to get you work they don't want to take advantage of your desire to enter this biz... knowing that you will definitely not get work--since you have nothing to offer yet but a voice (which is worthless without skill.)
Unfortunately, there are a number of unscrupulous cmpanies and coaches who prey on the dreams of wanna-be voiceover talent. For liability reasons, I obviously cannot name any for you. As a rule, I'd suggest you train with individual coaches, rather than big companies. As with mom and pop businesses, they tent to care more about you and your success. I also suggest you avoid voiceover training that studios provide. FOr th emost part (not always) they know a lot about technical, but not as much about VO itself. And you typically should not learn how to be better at voiceover from a coach who does not DO voiceovers! Another red flag... do they have a "curriculum" in which your demo is produced based on a formula? This class + That class = demo? That doesn't really add up! You need a coach who does your demo when you are ready!
Written by Julie2
Listen to Julie2's demo here
http://www.voicesonlinenow.com/
For example, if you want to get into voiceovers simply because people say you have a nice voice... consider this. Voice is less than 10% of what's needed to do voiceovers. VO is a skill that requires training, preactive, and technique. In fact, if your voice is too good, it can work against you, if you are not skilled enough to be transparent. Clients don't want people to notice the voice... they want people to notice the message the voice is communicating.
If you want to get into voiceovers because you think it'll be easy... and won't cost much to get into, you're only partly right. Compared to franchises (like Subway, Curves, etc.) that will be starting a business, and you will need investment capital. You'll have expenses for training, marketing, equipment, etc. just like in any other business. If you can't afford to start a business right now, you can't afford to get into voiceovers right now. However, if that is the case, and you may want to enter the field in the future, DO take advantage of all the free services available to you, to research your possible future career!
If you have been told by an agent or client that you need a demo CD, and you are wondering what to put on it, STOP! You do not want to do your own demo! And any reputable coach I know will not do one for you if you don't have training, because they don't want to take your money knowing that you won't get any work!While it's obviously not their job to get you work they don't want to take advantage of your desire to enter this biz... knowing that you will definitely not get work--since you have nothing to offer yet but a voice (which is worthless without skill.)
Unfortunately, there are a number of unscrupulous cmpanies and coaches who prey on the dreams of wanna-be voiceover talent. For liability reasons, I obviously cannot name any for you. As a rule, I'd suggest you train with individual coaches, rather than big companies. As with mom and pop businesses, they tent to care more about you and your success. I also suggest you avoid voiceover training that studios provide. FOr th emost part (not always) they know a lot about technical, but not as much about VO itself. And you typically should not learn how to be better at voiceover from a coach who does not DO voiceovers! Another red flag... do they have a "curriculum" in which your demo is produced based on a formula? This class + That class = demo? That doesn't really add up! You need a coach who does your demo when you are ready!
Written by Julie2
Listen to Julie2's demo here
http://www.voicesonlinenow.com/
Friday, December 3, 2010
Medical Narration Voice Over
Medical Narration is its own animal. It's a VO genre that presents unique challenges, but also offers great rewards.
One of the greatest rewards in Medical Narration is repeat business. Once a client finds a talent who can confidently and competently rise to the challenge, he usually comes back time and time again. It's not easy for clients to find someone who can do medical narration well. In fact, I've noticed that even many seasoned voice actors and actresses--not to mention some prominent voice coaches who have decades of experience--do not do a very good job with medical narration!
Why? Perhaps because they focus too much on pronouncing difficult terminology correctly-- as if that were the only challenge of medical narration. It's not. Sure, pronunciation can literally be a mouthful, but that's easy to remedy. Find out how to say the words and practice saying them until they roll off your tongue like a fluent language.
The real challenge in medical narration is telling the story. And for good reason. In many medical narrations the terminology is so difficult, and the subject matter so foreign, that even the narrator can't see the story! How can a voice actor tell a story you don't know? Yet if the words are spoken in such a manner that the story is not told, the voice actor loses the credibility in the eyes of the most important listener, the audience for whom the script was written. Whether it be doctors learning about a disease, students exploring biological processes, or patients being instructed on how to use a medical device, presumably, the audience will understand what is being said--even if the voice actor doesn't! And to that audience the voice actor is supposed to be the expert! He or she is the one teaching the information!
So, how can you know the story? There are a number of techniques you can practice. But for starters, don't let the words get in the way. Don't get so wrapped up in the medical mumbo that you can't see past it to the underlying message--the story.
Written by Julie2
Listen to Julie2's demo here
www.VoicesOnlineNow.com
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Directing Voice Talent II
Director prep: First, you need to understand the script and what you want the voice talent to accomplish. A way of clarifying this for yourself is to listen to a performance from a commercial, film, video or TV show that you'd like your actors to emulate in feel, tone and attitude. That gives you a target to aim at. Determine in advance how you'll direct them to achieve that. This will vary depending on your actors' skill, experience and your relationship with them.
Secondly, make sure the voice talent understands what needs to be accomplished. Let your actors in on those little secrets: who is the audience? Are they eavesdropping on a conversation? Listening to a voicemail message? Are they being spoken to directly? How do we want the listener to feel?
Don't ask the actor to produce a feeling or you'll get something forced. Tell them what you'd expect the listener's reaction to be - to cry, to laugh, to reminisce, to be energized, etc.
What thought do we want to leave the listener with? What action do we want them to take? What's the underlying attitude and agenda of the person speaking? Often it's in contrast to spoken words and can add great interest to the spot.
Describe the character(s) physically, psycho graphically and sociologically. Give your voice actors information, so they can understand where each character is coming from.
If you're directing dialogue, explain the "back story" - the relationship and history to the participants. Are they coming into this scene after a fight, or after making love? After a life-threatening experience or a spiritually uplifting one? Have the voice talent emotionally experience the moments before we enter the scene, either by imagining themselves there, or by pulling the appropriate emotions from their own experience, so they're in character from their first breath. Have them ad lib or "read into" the scene. Even the tag reader should hear what's gone before to understand how to read the tag.
If the final commercial will be produced with sounds in the background, often it's helpful to play those sounds over their headsets while they record. If they hear the traffic, or the sounds of a mountain stream, or the fireworks, or the loud music at the club, it will help put the voice talents "on location" so they'll speak with the appropriate volume, projection or intimacy.
Remember that you're doing radio. The audience will only see the characters your actors are creating in their mind's eye. Try doing the same thing. Close your eyes and listen to your talents' delivery. That way you won't base your direction on the way they look, their facial expressions or physical movements. It's kind of like listening to... the radio.
Written by Jeffrey1
Listen to Jeffrey1's Demo
www.VoicesOnlineNow.com
Secondly, make sure the voice talent understands what needs to be accomplished. Let your actors in on those little secrets: who is the audience? Are they eavesdropping on a conversation? Listening to a voicemail message? Are they being spoken to directly? How do we want the listener to feel?
Don't ask the actor to produce a feeling or you'll get something forced. Tell them what you'd expect the listener's reaction to be - to cry, to laugh, to reminisce, to be energized, etc.
What thought do we want to leave the listener with? What action do we want them to take? What's the underlying attitude and agenda of the person speaking? Often it's in contrast to spoken words and can add great interest to the spot.
Describe the character(s) physically, psycho graphically and sociologically. Give your voice actors information, so they can understand where each character is coming from.
If you're directing dialogue, explain the "back story" - the relationship and history to the participants. Are they coming into this scene after a fight, or after making love? After a life-threatening experience or a spiritually uplifting one? Have the voice talent emotionally experience the moments before we enter the scene, either by imagining themselves there, or by pulling the appropriate emotions from their own experience, so they're in character from their first breath. Have them ad lib or "read into" the scene. Even the tag reader should hear what's gone before to understand how to read the tag.
If the final commercial will be produced with sounds in the background, often it's helpful to play those sounds over their headsets while they record. If they hear the traffic, or the sounds of a mountain stream, or the fireworks, or the loud music at the club, it will help put the voice talents "on location" so they'll speak with the appropriate volume, projection or intimacy.
Remember that you're doing radio. The audience will only see the characters your actors are creating in their mind's eye. Try doing the same thing. Close your eyes and listen to your talents' delivery. That way you won't base your direction on the way they look, their facial expressions or physical movements. It's kind of like listening to... the radio.
Written by Jeffrey1
Listen to Jeffrey1's Demo
www.VoicesOnlineNow.com
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Directing Voice Talent
Whether you're a writer, producer, actor, or director, developing directing skills will make a world of difference in your commercials.
Directing is...inspiring, coaching, encouraging, cheerleading, getting inside the psyche of a voice actor and planting seeds so that that voice actor will bring to life words on a page. Good directing not only improves the final production, but it improves the skills of the voice talent being directed.
The result is a more believable commercial. The audience, the client and the station will are the beneficiaries.
Listen to how people speak. The pitch changes that occur when they're happy or depressed, the audible tension when they're under stress, the sound of an angry person speaking with a tight jaw, are all reference points for a good director to have. As your voice talent moves through the commercial, keep asking yourself, "Is this how a person in this situation would sound?" That's the mark you should be aiming for and nudging your voice talent toward.
A common mistake is to ask the voice talent or voice actor to emphasize too many words. This can make it should too much like a pitch or announcer voice and not like a conversation. Sometimes just a small rise in the pitch of a word will make it stand out. Remember, your listener is participating in the conversation. Involve their imagination by not having the voice actor give it all away in the delivery.
Believability starts with the casting. Find the best voice actors you can afford. This will make your job much easier. Instead of telling them how to read the script, tell them why you wrote it the way you did. Let them bring their experience to it. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Be confidant of the performance you're anticipating, so you don't confuse and frustrate your talent by changing direction after each take. However, you may also get interpretations you hadn't planned for. Be open to changing your preconceptions and going with the new direction if it works better than what you had in mind.
Try to make the session fun and keep your voice talent relaxed, even if you and the client may not be.
Written by Jeffrey1
Listen to Jeffrey1's Demo
www.VoicesOnlineNow.com
Directing is...inspiring, coaching, encouraging, cheerleading, getting inside the psyche of a voice actor and planting seeds so that that voice actor will bring to life words on a page. Good directing not only improves the final production, but it improves the skills of the voice talent being directed.
The result is a more believable commercial. The audience, the client and the station will are the beneficiaries.
Listen to how people speak. The pitch changes that occur when they're happy or depressed, the audible tension when they're under stress, the sound of an angry person speaking with a tight jaw, are all reference points for a good director to have. As your voice talent moves through the commercial, keep asking yourself, "Is this how a person in this situation would sound?" That's the mark you should be aiming for and nudging your voice talent toward.
A common mistake is to ask the voice talent or voice actor to emphasize too many words. This can make it should too much like a pitch or announcer voice and not like a conversation. Sometimes just a small rise in the pitch of a word will make it stand out. Remember, your listener is participating in the conversation. Involve their imagination by not having the voice actor give it all away in the delivery.
Believability starts with the casting. Find the best voice actors you can afford. This will make your job much easier. Instead of telling them how to read the script, tell them why you wrote it the way you did. Let them bring their experience to it. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Be confidant of the performance you're anticipating, so you don't confuse and frustrate your talent by changing direction after each take. However, you may also get interpretations you hadn't planned for. Be open to changing your preconceptions and going with the new direction if it works better than what you had in mind.
Try to make the session fun and keep your voice talent relaxed, even if you and the client may not be.
Written by Jeffrey1
Listen to Jeffrey1's Demo
www.VoicesOnlineNow.com
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