A Frog in My Throat..or...Un Chat Dans La Gorge!

Press Pound(ing headache) for those pesky telephony formats

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Sun, 24 May 2009 06:05:00 +0000

When you’re a voice talent, as you progress in your chosen profession, you will probably find yourself doing more of one type of work than another:

Commercials,
Narrations,
Promos
….and for those of us that choose to: Telephony.

First things first: How do you to SAY “Telephony"
Click on the little flash player below to hear how to say the word correctly

Ahhh yes…telephony….that which is dreaded by the rest of humanity but loved by those of us that record for it! The “Press 1 for Customer Service” work.

Those of us that record these types of messages love them for one main reason: their repetition….it’s consistent work.

No, it’s not the highest paying VO work and most of it is non-union. But, once you start working in the telephony field and have your voice chosen by a client for their phone system…you’re in like Flynn. YOU have become the voice of that system. And updates happen a lot in telephony.

Now. There are two main ways to get into telephony:

1) The first way is to get on the roster of an IVR or MOH company who will in effect do the selling for you.

Oh…IVR? MOH? Liz’s what’s with all this alphabet soup?????

Relax...breathe...

IVR = Interactive Voice Response – These are the “Press 1, Press 2” type systems that require an interaction with you, a response from you, in order to get you to the right person or department.

MOH = Message on Hold – These are in effect sales and informational messages that clients have us record so that you know about their services or latest company happenings while you’re waiting on hold.

OK…so…

An IVR or MOH company will present their roster of talent to their clients and that client will (hopefully) choose you to record their messages. At this point the IVR/MOH company will send you a script, you record it, and you just send it back usually as an .mp3 or a .wav file. The IVR/MOH company will handle all the production.

In this case it’s pretty much like any other VO job most talents are used to.

2) The second way to get into telephony is to work with clients directly.

Here is where many voice talent’s eyes glaze over (or throats close up in fear).
There are so many different types of digital telephony formats out there and frankly unless you’re familiar with them, when clients start saying that they need a Dialogic 8bit, 8K Mu-Law .vox file…all that many talents hear is Ancient Etruscan.

I seem to have fallen into this niche and often get calls from other voice talents in a panic saying “My client says he needs a .vox file. What do I do?”

My first question is “What type of vox file?”
…at which point I get another panicked “There’s more than one type of vox file???

Yes.
One of the most important aspects of being successful in this part of the business is knowing what questions to ask.

You will NOT look stupid by asking these questions, you will look like you know what you’re doing, making sure that you give your client exactly the type of audio file he needs.

A little history:
Back in the old days….oh...like 15 years ago…before the advent and widespread use of .mp3 files, people – mostly large institutions like banks – discovered that it was A LOT cheaper to have calls routed by a computer than by a human.

One study back in the day found that if a human answered and routed a call, it could cost a company over $4.00 per call.
If the computer did it via an IVR system, it only cost the company $0.25 per call.

Yeah, a no-brainer in the eyes of the companies. And a boon for voiceover talent.

Many companies went IVR crazy with 6, 7, 8 even 9 options that people had to wade through with no way out.... and thus...voicemail jail was born.

Luckily things have changed a bit with "usability studies" and "Opt-out" features like pressing "0"for the operator...But back to history...

What these companies found was that all this audio was taking up a lot of space on the “primitive” servers of the time, so different audio file formats were created to take up less space. In the process, unfortunately, often trading audio quality for file size.

So:
Many different computer systems and many different file formats came to be.

And they don't play nicely together.
If you think MAC's & PC's don't get along:
With telephony, if you don’t provide the right file format for your client’s system it’ll sound like the snow on an old TV set.

Just like there are different types of:

.wav files (mono, stereo, 48K, 44.1K, 16bit, 24bit….) and different types of
.mp3 files (128K, 256, 96K…)
there are also different types of telephony audio files.

You’ve got:

Dialogic,
OKI,
InterVoice,
Natural Microsystems,
CCITT,
NeXT/Sun…just to name a few.

Now, don’t panic.
You cannot, and you SHOULD not have to guess as to the correct format the client needs.

It is the client’s responsibility to tell you what they need.
Let me repeat that: It is the client’s responsibility to tell you what they need.

But frankly sometimes they don’t have a clue.

So what do you do? This is where you become your client's problem solver.
Basically, when a client says he needs a telephony file format you need to ask 3 questions:

What’s the format or sound family?
What’s the bit rate/sound type?
What’s the sampling rate?

If they don’t know the answer, you can tell them that they should be able to find out that information by either contacting

their hardware vendor,
their IT person or
by actually looking at the instruction book that came with the system!

The other option is to Google the name of their hardware and see if you can find the information yourself. That's up to you. If the client is big enough, it might make you look really good!

But again, unless you give them the right file type, it just won’t play, and they’ll blame you for that! Better to get the answer upfront than by trial and error.

But let’s say a client says: “I need a .vox file?”

What’s the format or Sound family?
The format is “.vox” – 9 times out of 10 that will be a Dialogic .vox file so you can at least pretty much go with that assumption.

What’s the bit rate/sound type?
Is it ADPCM or Mu-Law (also pronounced simply “U-Law” – comes from the Greek)
ADPCM is always 4bit. Mu-Law is always 8bit

What’s the sampling rate?
6000 Hz (6K), 8000 Hz (8K)? Another rate?

With Dialogic for example the 2 most common are:
4bit 6K ADPCM and 8bit 8K Mu-Law

But the bottom line is that with so many formats out there, you can never assume anything.
Just ask.

So how do you create all these formats?

Here’s the bad news:
Most professional audio programs that we use for voiceover do NOT convert to telephony formats.

They will convert to some.
SoundForge, for example, can convert to 4bit ADPCM .vox and 8bit 8K CCITT mu-Law .wav, but not .vox.

There is pretty much only one program out there that will convert to all of them: VoxStudio. It was invented by a company in Belgium and has pretty much cornered the market on telephony file conversion. Once you get used to the way to format a voiceover script and import it into the software, it’s a powerful and useful program.

However, at over $550 (399 Euros) it’s not a cheap program, and it only works on the PC platform. I would only suggest you get it if you know you’ll be doing a lot of telephony work directly for clients.

So,

If your eyes haven’t completely glazed over and turned to mush yet, take a break, read over this post a few more times and if you still have questions feel free to email me. I’ll be happy to help!

Like I said, it’s not a glamorous part of the voiceover biz, but it certainly is one of the most consistent.

Peace!

Software Review: Word2Wav

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:21:00 +0000

Those of us that are full-time voice talent do a lot of different types of work. TV and radio commercials, E-learning, and a lot of Message on hold and Interactive voice response work.

Many of these types of VO work require that individual files be created....MANY individual files......hundreds of files with names like #sys_Press_Pound_Twice_then7.wav

Renaming a few of these files manually is fine, but then you’re looking at hundreds or even thousands of audio files with names like that, it can be a daunting task.

“Dammit, Jim I’m a Voice Talent, not an editor!” (Sorry....my original-Star-Trek geek is coming out! ;-)

Up until now there really was only one piece of software that was up to the task: VoxStudio. It’s a great program, but at over $500 (399€) it’s pricey. And unless you do A LOT of telephony work it might not be worth the expense.

Enter: Word-2-WAV (http://www.word2wav.com/index.html index.html). Hereafter referred to as W2

I spent most of the month of December 2008 working with the developer of W2, Hervé Chain (RV to his friends! ;-), giving him suggestions as to what I - as a voice talent - would want in a program like this. With each upgrade/revision that he made to the program, I told him what was working and what wasn’t.

I have to say that when it comes to customer service, Hervé gets an A+.
YES! The French can be nice, helpful and fun to work with!

Whenever I had an issue or a question, he was right there with an answer and was open to all of my suggestions. Personally, it was a real blast to see suggestions that you make as a user, actually appear in a product!

At $295 it is a powerful program that is really well suited to what we do as voice talent:

• We get scripts in either Word Table .doc format or Excel spreadsheets – W2 imports scripts in both formats.

• We record many files at once – W2 can import up to 500 file names and associated prompts/paragraphs at a time in batches. This means that if you have 2000 files to record it imports the first 500 file names/prompt scripts, you record them and then it automatically imports the next 500. No need for YOU to manually cut-up the script. This was a major upgrade for the first version.

• We need to provide separate files with individual names – W2 names the files as you record them based on the imported recording script.

• We don’t want to name files manually! Did I mention that W2 names the files as you record them?

W2 has few other features that may seem minor to an outsider, but are a real plus in my book:

• You can adjust the font size within W2, no need to play with text wrapping and cells in the original excel spreadsheet.

• You can type corrections/additions to the script within W2. This is great if a missing word or misspelling is messing up your recording flow! You can then export that corrected script from W2

• It has a counter – so if you’re recording 500 files you can see how many files you’ve recorded already. (You can thank yours truly for that little addition!)

• You can see the content of more than one cell - If you record foreign language scripts like I do, you can either have the translation imported into the same cell you are recording from or have it come up as a separate “comment” – this is very handy for some phrases that can be said different ways depending on the context.

• You can choose from several bit/sampling rates to record in.

• You can record an alternate take on the fly and W2 will create a separate audio file, naming that file with the original file’s name and “ALT” after it.

Keep in mind, this is NOT an audio editing program.

In other words, once the files are recorded you must use your own preferred editing program (Audition, Audacity, ProTools, SoundForge, etc) to edit & cleanup the files.

You may need to get used to the fact that you don’t see a meter as your recording, but as voice talent, we’re pretty consistent, so after recording a file for level, you can be pretty sure that your levels will be fine.

A Tip: If you’re importing a WORD .doc, make sure there are no “page breaks” in the script. W2 will see the first one as the end of the script (ask me how I know! ;-)

You can download a fully functional trial version of Word-2-WAV from the W2 website: http://www.word2wav.com/index.html

The trial version will expire after 30 days but you’ll be able to put it through all its paces in that time. And as I said earlier, Hervé is very open to suggestions & comments.

In the interest of full disclosure: After all the input I gave him, but before this review was published, Hervé gave me a permanent licensed version of W2. I will tell you though that I would have bought the program anyway. It is well worth it.

I am now off to record a 9000 word French e-learning narration that needs to be cut up into 401 separate files.

You know what software I’ll be using!

Peace!

Pay it back by paying it forward

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 13:50:00 +0000

I’ve said it before in this blog, but I’ll say it again, there really is no competition in VO. Either you’re right for as gig, or your not. And I love that.

It leads to a wonderful sense of community within this business that I don’t think exists in any other. Those of us that work at our VO dream everyday know this and live it. How?

By helping each other out whenever we can.

I’ll take this past Tuesday as an example.

I get an email from a client who was looking to have a script translated and recorded into French.
So I gave them the name of a wonderful French translator I trust implicitly, Guylaine Laperriere.

Now, my client was going to submit my voice (thank you!) but they also said their client was leaning toward booking a male talent for this particular job so they needed a French male sample as well. So, I gave them the name of a French male talent I also trust. Full disclosure: he’s my brother André, but that’s really beside the point. He’s a male French talent and that’s what they asked for.

So what happens?

Guylaine booked the translation gig.
André booked the VO gig.

And what did I get from this?….think before you answer….
.
.
.
I got a very happy client who remembers that I helped them out.
And I have two friends who got work they may not have gotten otherwise!

My father used to tell me: “When someone does you a favor, you may not be able to pay them back directly, but you can do it indirectly by helping someone else who asks you for help.” And this was WAY before the move Pay It Forward came out!

As an example, this week alone I was forwarded a lead from non-other than the wonderful Bob Souer, and got amazing advice from DB Cooper, Kara Edwards, Moe Egan and Pat Fraley.

I have been on the receiving end of so many favors from VO friends & colleagues that I consider it essential to return those favors by helping out those that I can.

Call it Karma, call it the right thing to do, call it the whatever you want, but to me it just makes me smile!

When is YOUR New Year?

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:25:00 +0000

Well...here we go again!

A brand new calendar year! (What's the alternative right?)

Is this a fresh start for you? Or just another day....

For me, frankly, it's a little of both.

When I was a kid, summer started at my best friend's birthday the first week of July and ended with my birthday the last week of August.

The New Year was always symbolized by September's start of the new school year. I loved getting all the new notebooks, and pens and backpacks, not to mention all the new books! I have always been an avid reader and I loved cracking open all those brand new books...except the Math ones...but that's another story! ;-)

January 1st just brought the end of the Christmas vacation break!

Through the years I have marked other milestone dates that brought new beginnings of sorts:

- October 19th: the day I got married
- April 10th: when me moved into our house
- November 17th: when my mother had her stroke - which started a whole new way of life for all of us
- May 24th: when I got "downsized" and was released to follow my dreams.

Yes, January 1st is the day I put up the new calendar and look back at how close I came to my calendar year financial goals. But it's less about "resolutions" for me, as it is about filing and organizing paperwork for taxes!

That's not to say that it's not a fresh start of sorts, but for me, other dates hold more meaning.

Whatever January 1st and the new year mean to you, I do hope this calendar year brings new hope and renewal to the world.

I hope it brings you health, happiness and prosperity!

And may 2009 be whatever you wish it to be...and more!

Harlan Hogan & Elaine Clark Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:43:00 +0000

"He who learns but does not think, is lost!
He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger."
~ Confucius

When it comes to being a freelance/journeyman voice talent, I firmly believe that continued training and getting out there and learning from those farther along on the VO path is essential.

This past weekend I had the awesome opportunity to attend a workshop run by Elaine Clark and Harlan Hogan.

Harlan, Liz & Elaine

Elaine is an accomplished voice talent & on-camera actor and fabulous teacher. She runs Voice One out of San Francisco. Harlan is one of the best voice talents around, has been in the business for over 30 years, is the inventor of the famous Harlan Hogan Porta-Booth, and is based in Chicago. I also have to mention that they are both hysterical, and so generous with their knowledge.

The bonus was that I was able to go with my older brother André who is also a bilingual voice talent.

André & Liz

What an amazing weekend. I now know the real meaning of “my brain hurts!”

Saturday was devoted to Elaine working with the assembled group on all types of voice work. We concentrated on Commercial work and within the first half hour of the workshop, I got info I could put to use right away! She showed us concrete ways to “break-down” copy. How to get that “twinkle” in our reads and how your point of view really does affect your performance.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted and jazzed at the same time. Elaine really is a great teacher and if you are ever in the position to learn from her, I highly recommend you go for it!

Sunday was devoted to Harlan giving us hints and tips on how to have a voice over career over “The Long Haul.” As those of us who are full time voice talent know:

“The work of getting the VO work is the work! – The act of voiceover is the fun!”

Not only is Harlan an amazing voice talent, he’s a marketing and promotional genius. He kept us laughing throughout the day with voiceover “war stories” but always with the goal in mind of finding ways to make yourself memorable. What is it that makes you different? What is your Unique Selling Proposition? What different ways can you market yourself? By the end of the day I had several ideas that I’m going to start working on.

It was a fun and informative weekend spent in the company of new friends and even family!

I also want to thank John Burr, who also does voice over training, for bringing Harlan & Elaine to the DC area so that could finally attend one of their workshops! Thanks for setting up the audio too, John! (And thanks André for the use of your guest bedroom!)

And now the fun begins! Implementing all that I’ve learned into my voiceover career.

Watch me! Here I go!

The grass may just look greener on the other side, ‘cause you’re standing in the shade.

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 14:48:00 +0000

A while back I got a call from a potential new client. It was a very pleasant call, asking about my rates and availability. And then, as is often the case in IVR/MOH work they asked how long I’d been doing this work, and basically whether I planned on being around to complete any updates they may requires months, or years down the line. I told them that this is what I do.
I’m a full time voice talent. I don’t have a “day-job.” This IS my job.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

Then a sigh.

Then “Wow…that must be nice.”

Now, don’t get me wrong. I LOVE my job. I really can’t see myself doing anything else. BUT, when I get this reaction, I really think people think that we Voice Talent have it so “easy.”

Sure, all we do is get paid to talk all day, right?

Sure, we get paid to talk.
But we don’t get paid to market our services.
We don’t get paid to attend networking events.
We don’t get paid to spend hours on the Internet and on the phone prospecting for new clients.
It’s all part of the job – which I actually enjoy – but non-VOs just don’t take this into account.

We also all have our own personal crosses to bear.
Whether it be the “normal” responsibilities of raising children.
The added issues of a child needing extra medical care, or – as is my case – an aging and disabled parent that is approaching the end of life.
Some talent even have their own personal medical issues that they deal with and overcome everyday.

We don’t get paid when we can’t work because our charges get sick. We certainly don’t get paid when WE get sick and sound like we have a frog that has taken up residence in the folds of our vocal chords!

Voice talent are just like everyone else running their own business. We just happen to be “creative” and so are somehow put in another sphere.

There are MANY voice talents that I look up to. (Bob Souer, Moe Egan, DB Cooper, Harlan Hogan, Philip Banks, Frank Frederick, Peter O'Connell to name but a few!)
Many have become great friends, and are very successful.

When I look at them, I count myself lucky to be in such great company.
But I also know that they are just like me. They are thrilled to be doing what they love to do all day. They have good days and bad days. Productive days, and some less so.

I have stopped comparing myself to others because their lives are different than mine.
Their path to VO was different than mine, and that’s just fine!

There is no “magic” to success in VO. Just like there is no magic to success in any other field of endeavor.

Learn. Practice. Train. Make friends. Get out there. Train some more. Be nice. Do a good job. Rinse and Repeat.

Yep. This really is a great job.

If you want to succeed, step out of the shade and you'll see that your side may be just as green. It may just need some watering.

The sun feel good, doesn't it?

Party Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:25:00 +0000

OK...as freelance VO talent, we are very often sitting in our own studios...our own "padded rooms" if you will.

So whenever we get a chance to get together & have some fun as a community, we jump at the chance!

One such chance is coming up on December 5th in NYC, put together by my friend Erik Sheppard of Voice Talent Productions!

The information is on the image to the left and also by following this link: 2008 NY Voice Over Mixer
It's free to attend (we all like free!) but an RSVP is required so that Erik knows what to expect! :-)

I'll be there!
If you are, remember to say "Hi!"

Twitter, Twitter, Tweet, Tweet

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 17:14:00 +0000

OK...so I have finally given in!

If you are REALLY interested in what I do all day...

You can now follow me on Twitter

Aren't you excited!...Now go follow me...I suddenly feel watched ;-)

9/11

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:13:00 +0000

A Sad Day for the VO Community and the World

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:33:00 +0000

Today I feel as if my worlds have collided:

My Voiceover world and my Caregiving world.

Don LaFontaine, THE premier voice talent, that truly gave a face to our industry, passed away yesterday.

I was lucky enough to have met "The Don" at VOICE 2007 last year, where he spent over an hour answering questions from attendees, all hoping to gain some wisdom from his experience. He then spent another hour...or two...posing for pictures with each and every voice talent that wanted to after his talk...and that was pretty much every talent in the room! He was gracious to everyone and always had a kind and encouraging word to all committed voice talent.

I was lucky enough to meet him in a more intimate setting this past April, at Joan Baker's Voices Remember event. There I had a chance to have a great conversation with him and Joe Cipriano about the fact that there really is no competition in this business. Your sound is either right for the job, or it isn't.

I was also fortunate enough to meet Nita, Don's beautiful wife, former nurse, his advocate and caregiver. I was glad to have the opportunity to thank her for all she was dong to support him and his health.

I grieve for the voiceover community who lost its patriarch.

I grieve for the world who lost a truly wonderful human being.

I grieve for his family who lost a husband and a father.

He will be missed.

He will not be forgotten.

Don LaFontaine & his beautiful wife Nita Whitaker

(April 2008)

Question of the Week: How Do You Define Yourself?

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:07:00 +0000

As the school year starts for kids all over the Northern Hemisphere, I think back to how we all define ourselves:

In High School & College were you:
The geek, jock, egghead, band member, cheerleader, yearbook editor, or goth?

At home are you the:
Spouse, oldest/middle/youngest child, parent, grandparent, or in-law?

As a voice talent are you:
The voice talent, engineer and producer?

As the owner of your own business are you:
Chief cook & bottle washer?

Fine.

But, how do your clients define you?
As: my voice of choice, a great person to work with, someone who delivers clean files just the way I want them on time and on budget? Someone who is fun to work with?

They should!

We were all defined somehow in school. – We outgrew it
We’re all defined somehow at home – We were born or married into that

BUT when it comes to being defined by your work and by your clients – THAT is YOUR choice.

What’s the definition of YOU in this business? And is it what you want it to be?

Go define yourself & grow your business!

Federer, Nadal, and Voiceover!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:31:00 +0000

I love Tennis. And it has been a family tradition for the past 25+ years to watch the Men’s Finals at Wimbledon every year.

This past Sunday I watched the epic 4 hour and 27 minute match between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. It was the longest match ever played in Wimbledon history and it was the best match I (& John McEnroe!) have ever witnessed.

Even if you’re not a tennis fan, bear with me…you’ll see how this relates to VO in a bit

The match started off with the Federer, the 5-time Wimbledon champ - being seemingly dominated by Nadal. Federer lost the first 2 sets (Remember you have to win 3 sets to win). He then fought his way back and won the next 2 sets in tie-breaks! In that time Federer managed to stave of not one but TWO championship points. Nadal could have won it in the 4th set, but no…Federer won the second tie break and forced a 5th set.

Finally despite an amazing effort by Federer, Nadal won the final point.

The match started at 9am Eastern Time and ended at 4:30pm – That’s 9:30pm London Time! They had to deal with two rain delays and played the longest match in Centre Court history.

Neither one of these guys gave up. Not once. They were both in it for the long haul and neither one was going to give up without a fight. Yes, one was eventually going to win, but it would never be for a lack of effort or grit from the other. I’m also sure they both had a lot of mental battles going on:
- Can you imagine what was going on in Federer’s head after losing 2 straight sets?
- Can you imagine what was going through Nadal’s head when he lost two Championship points?
- Can you imagine what they both were thinking when rain delayed the match a second time?
Neither one succumbed to these doubts. They just kept playing, and playing, and playing…giving us, the spectators, an amazing memory in the process.

In the end although there was a winner and a runner-up (there’s NO way Federer can be called a “loser!”) both players were gracious in their comments and you could feel the respect each of these athletes had for one another.

So…have you figured out what this has to do with your VO career yet?
Take a hint from these two tennis greats:

Are you in it for the long haul?
Are you willing to keep going no matter the delays or doubts?
Are you willing to be gracious to those you work with and those you’re “competing” against?

You’ll have a much better chance to “Ace” your career if you answer YES!

The ball's in your court! ;-)

I felt like the Energizer Bunny!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Fri, 30 May 2008 16:02:00 +0000

This week I had one of the most amazing experiences of my voiceover career: a 10-HOUR voiceover session.

Yep, 10 hours.

It was an ISDN session where I was in a studio in NJ and the client was at a studio in San Diego, CA.

I have to say that while it was the longest session I have ever had, it was also one of the most fun, rewarding and personally enriching experiences I’ve ever had. Because I now know that when it comes to long sessions…I can pretty much handle anything!

I thought I’d share a few tips I think might help you prepare for some of those long narration sessions you may have:

- Make a habit of drinking at least 8 glasses of room temperature water or herbal tea everyday. I am SURE that my voice would never have held up if my vocal chords/folds were not well pre-hydrated prior to the session. Remember: it takes at least 2 hours after you start drinking for that hydration to start having an affect. I drink tea throughout the day everyday.

- If you get the script ahead of time: READ IT! The worst thing you could do is walk into the session saying…”I have a few questions…..” when you’ve had the script for several days. Yes…this prep work IS part of the gig. Ask as many questions as you can before the actual session, as this will help keep the session moving once you’re in the studio. Nothing slows down a session like asking a question that needs a phone call to an outside person before being able to continue recording. Get those questions answered beforehand. Of course…if you don’t get the script…well then, prepare for a longer session! ;-)

- Supplies to bring to the session:
o At least TWO PENCILS with an ERASER. I say a pencil because every once in a while the client will say “cut this part out” and then change their minds. You want to be able to erase the line through the copy you just made! And two, because one pencil point might break!
o Tissues
o Room temperature water
o Herbal tea bags – one of my favorites: Twinings “Herbal Unwind”
o “Throat Coat” Tea bags – MY lifesaver!
o Bagels & Peanut Butter – Carbs & Protein!
o Granola Bars – My favorite? Nature Valley Crunchy Oats & Honey
o Bananas

Yes, it may seem strange to walk into a session with a bag full of this stuff, but believe me, they come in handy!….You don’t want your stomach growling during a session, do you?

- Wear comfortable clothes
o Skintight jeans are not what you want to wear to a long session!
o A cotton shirt – remember polyester makes noise!

- Get friendly with the engineer so that they can help keep you in cups of tea throughout the session! :-)

- Keep a positive attitude! Long sessions are taxing on all concerned, but lets’ face it, would you rather spend ten hours in front of a mic or digging a ditch?

- Don’t be afraid to ask for breaks. If the session goes longer than two hours. Ask for a break at a point in the script that makes sense.

- If you “hit a wall” and start feeling tired, ask for a break, go to the restroom & do some jumping jacks, quick arm punches, anything that will get your body moving. It’ll get the blood flowing and re-energize you. Throw some cool water on your face…and then look in the mirror, smile and think about what an amazing gig this is! Walk back into the booth smiling!

- Remember, your job is to make the client’s job easier. If they want something said 3 different ways, then record it 3 different ways. The easier you are to work with, the better the chance you’ll have to get re-hired. No one likes to work with a prima donna!

- Have Fun! This is a great gig!

I have to say that I walked out my 10-hour VO session feeling amazing. I know that the client who was on a super-short deadline was happy to have gotten everything recorded, and I was thrilled to know that I could get this done. I felt like the Energizer Bunny® that kept voicing, and voicing, and voicing!

Yes, it was a long day, but I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else! I was in front of a mic, living my voiceover dream! I LOVE my job!

Demos Here, Demos There, Demos, Demos Everywhere!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Fri, 23 May 2008 17:48:00 +0000

OK…in the old days…yeah, OK…not so long ago, when you decided to “Get into Voice Over,” you made a demo (a demonstration reel – demonstrating what you could do & the “sound” that you had). Years ago demos were on reel-to-reel tape, then audio cassette, then CDs and now, more and more they’re digital .mp3 files.

The world has changed.

It used to be that you got training, made a commercial demo and off you went to get an agent to get work.

I say again: the world has changed.

Now, more and more, although most VO talent start with a commercial demo, if you want to branch out into other areas of VO, you then start being asked for:

- a Promo demo
- a Narration demo
- an Audiobook demo
- a Telephony demo
- an E-learning/Online training demo
- an Animation/Character demo
…just to name a few!

And that’s not to mention all the custom demos you’re asked to create for potential clients on the online lead generating sites. Sure, those are more like auditions, but still...

And there’s more!

In the non-union world of VO, one of the ways many of us market ourselves, and generate repeat business, is to get on the roster of as many production studios, marketing companies, message on hold companies, audio book publishers….you get the idea…as you can.

That generally means creating custom demos for those companies as well. Whether it be the fact that these companies want all their talents voicing the same script, or having all the demos the exact same length or of the same genre.

Right now, I have 32 different demos floating out there on the Internet. That’s 32 different demos (there may be more, I stopped counting ;-) not counting my “generic” demos that are on many different rosters and my personal website. Now granted, that’s because I have both English & French demos out there, but still, even if I were a one-language talent, I’d still have about 16 demos out there!

Getting into voiceover these days is not just about having your commercial demo produced. Yes, that’s a very important step, but it’s only the first step.

How many demos do you have out there?

Press 1, For More Business

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:39:00 +0000

In the voice over world, just like in any other business there are niches and specializations.

When people say they want to “get into voice over” they are often thinking of the “glamorous” work of National TV commercials. You know the “voice” of Ford or Macy’s. But there’s a lot of voice over work that never makes it to the airwaves, yet keeps many of us working voice talent very busy.

I’m talking about “Telephony.” (Pronounced teh-LEH-fuh-NEE). You know…voicemail jail! Those infamous “For Sales, Press 1” recordings that people have complained about for years.

Well, I’m here to stand up and proudly proclaim: “Hi, I’m Liz, and I am a voicemail recorder.” Actually in our business we call them Interactive Voice Response or Message On Hold recordings (IVR and MOH for short).

Besides long form narrations, telephony is a mainstay of my business.

And I’m very happy with that!

Although it’s not looked upon by some as very prestigious, I see it as a very important part of my and my clients’ business.

Let’s face it, these days, the IVR/MOH system is usually your first contact with a company. It’s the first impression you get and usually that’s the impression you stay with when dealing with a company forevermore.

We’ve all heard horror stories of being trapped in a voice mail maze, or about the awful voice you had to listen to while on hold. That’s not the impression that a company wants project. Those awful recordings were probably recorded by – if I may be so bold as to to assume – the cute receptionist that was pressed into service to “just record this into the phone.”

Clients that hire me and my fellow IVR/MOH specialized voice talents know how important it is to give a good first impression. They know that by having an effective IVR or MOH system in place they are putting their best foot (or voice!) forward.

And lets be clear, I don’t want my recordings to illicit a “Wow, what a great voice” response. I want people to listen to that Message on Hold and say “Oh, I didn’t know this company offered that service, I’ll have to ask the rep about that when they get back on the line.”

An effective IVR or MOH recording will keep a company's clients happy by routing them to the correct department quickly…which gets their questions answered quickly…. which keeps them coming back and doing business with the company. An effective Message on Hold recording educates customers about your business and your services

So the next time you are asked to “Press 1, for Sales” or to “Ask our representative about our 10% discount on bulk orders” say “Hi!” That pleasant sounding voice may just be mine!

And if you need a telephony recording done? Call me!

Free Public Service Announcements For Myanmar Relief Efforts

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:10:00 +0000

Once again my friend Peter O'Connell has stepped up to the plate.

Ever the one to work at finding a solution to a problem, Peter has written and produced 2 public service announcements to get the word out on how to donate funds directly to UNICEF for the cyclone relief effort in Myanmar.

If you know of any radio station or television station program directors, internet radio stations or podcasters, please tell them about these ready-made, ready to broadcast PSAs.

Again, tell your contacts to go here.

This is what our global social networks are really for!

Happy Blogiversary, Bob Souer!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Fri, 02 May 2008 14:02:00 +0000

Today is a very special day for a very special friend of mine.

Today is Bob Souer's 3rd Blogiversary!

It was three years ago today that Bob Souer started his blog that I believe should be required reading for ANY voice talent.

He's also reason I started my blog, so you can blame him! ;-)

Happy Blogiversary, Bob!

Thank you for all you do!

An Amazing Night For A Great Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:40:00 +0000

I am walking on air today, with a huge grin on my face!

If you know me, you probably know that besides being a VO, I'm a family caregiver.

I care for my mom who had a stroke in '94 that has left her paralysed on the right side and wheelchair-bound.

I also cared for my dad. He died in 2003 as a result of Alzheimer's Disease.

Some Background

Joan Baker, a top VO here in NYC wrote a book called "Secrets of Voice-Over Success" where a whole slew of top voice over talent each wrote a chapter about how they got started and succeeded in our awesome industry.

Not only is it a great book, but all profits from the book go to the Alzheimer's Association, because Joan's dad died from the disease and she wanted to do something that could raise money to help find a cure for this awful disease.

I met Joan, because after buying the book, I emailed her thanking her for both putting together the book (it's really great!) but also for doing what she's doing to raise awareness about the disease that took both of our fathers.

We started an email correspondence and then I actually trained with her. She has since become a friend and I'm in awe of her energy and talent. Joan is an awesome lady!

Voices Remember

Well, last night, Joan held another fundraiser for the Alzheimer's Association. It was an intimate event called "Voices Remember" where several singers and Broadway performers sang and used their voices in memory of those who lost their voices to Alzheimer's.

Because this was a cause close to my heart,
because Joan was putting it together ,
because she was bringing together top VO's and VO industry leaders,

I decided to attend.

I am so glad I did.

Joan & I

The talent that was gathered in that room, to support a cause so important to our society today was just amazing.

Not only did I have a great time, but it was heartwarming to know that all these people were there for the same reason. Because they knew how important finding a cure for Alzheimer's Disease is. (Yeah, OK, there was some networking going on, but frankly it had the feel of an intimate dinner party, and I felt really lucky to be there!)

Yes, I met some of the top voice over artists and industry people in the country today.

Stewart Wilson-Turner (the creator of VoiceBank.net) & I

Yes, I got a night out,
Yes, I got a respite from my caregiving duties.
And.....

Yes, I got a kiss from both "The Don" and Joe Cip!

But what was even more important to me was that I showed up, supporting a great cause and validating to myself that as a working voice talent, I am doing what I love and showing up for my dreams. I am so happy to belong to an industry where the people are nice, generous and talented!

It's a night I won't soon forget!
(OK...how appropriate a comment is that for an Alzheimer's event! ;-)

Do You Believe In Magic?

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:46:00 +0000

Sometimes in this business (and yes it IS a business..more on that in a minute) you hear about/learn from some amazing talent. Bob Fraser is one of those people. Bob posts on several of the Voice Over groups I'm on, and a post this week really resonated with me.

Voice Over is work. It's what I do. It's my job. IT'S MY PASSION. It is NOT a "quick way to make a buck." I wanted to share this post as a reminder to those of us who are working at what we love, and as an eye-opener to those who think that Acting/VO are easy! (This is a long post, so grab a cup or glass of something, pull up a chair and read on)

Thanks Bob!

* * * *

Do You Believe In Magic?

There are basically two types of actors who read my stuff, study my computer-based programs, or come to my seminars:

Working pros who are looking for ways to improve their acting income, and newer performers who are anxious to start making money acting.

I think I attract those types of actors because they know that my entire focus is on the money-making part of being an actor.

The success part.

The show BUSINESS part.

As my pal, Charlie Holliday, loves to say, "They don't call it show art!" And I do my best to provide good information for actors who want to make money in show business.

But the fact of the matter is, I know the truth - and the truth is that the only actors who are really going to succeed in our business, are the ones who understand (probably before I launch into one of my rants) that they must take effective action, in order to see the fruition of their dreams.

Not to put too fine a point on things ...YOU HAVE TO WORK AT IT!

I'm sorry for yelling, but THAT is a good piece of information.

What brought on the yelling?

Well, as you have probably gathered, I am a well-known recluse. I like being at home with my family, my bird (Boyd), my books, and my computers. But in the last month or so, I've been going out to see a few plays and participate in a couple of 'panels' - at various actors' gatherings. I don't know why I get invited to these things, as I am clearly anti-social and pretty much the working definition of a hermit - but I do get invited and I go, with my adorable wife, who comes along to gently remind me to be nice.

Anyway, as a result of my recent forays into the real world, I have run into quite a few actors.

Now, while it is sorta nice to be recognized (if you could call it that) - "Oh you're that guy who writes on Now Casting. What's his name?" - the problem is that I meet far too many actors who sadden me.

There are a lot of actors out there who seem to befully invested in the belief that there is a one-step method to show business success.

"Can you introduce me to an agent who can help me? I'll thank you when I get my Oscar," is the most common conversational gambit. I try to point out that there is no golden ticket to get "in" - and that it's a waste of time to keep looking for one. But people don't listen. Frankly, it's frustrating to see our school system turning out so many educated people who still to believe in magic, wizards, lucky charms... and, just possibly, enchanted beans.

This adult belief in a magical solution is probably the main stumbling block for those actors who are having a hard time of things. Especially those who continue to insist that their careers will 'happen' -somehow - as long as they believe it will and continue to intone that plaintive (but clearly magical) incantation ... "I want to be a working actor, I want to be a working actor." Not to mention the poor unfortunates who go to endless parties and spew out the all too common - "I'm an actor... do you know any casting directors who will give me work? I know I can be a star, if someone would just give me a chance" - elevator speech.

Don't they know that while they are in that 'mode,' they're about as interesting as an Amway salesman at an orgy?

The part that saddens is that I am certain that these actors - the sort who believe that there must be a secret passageway that leads directly to the red carpet ... and all they have to do is find someone to give them the key - are going to suffer tons of frustration and disappointment - for a very long time.

AND they are leaving themselves wide-open to the early onset of bitterness - which is a kind of mental cancer. Believe me - eventually bitterness metastasizes into regret, grief, anger and depression.

My prescription?

Throw away your magic beans!

JUST. WORK. HARDER.

It's not a good plan to lollygag around, acting for free in theatre and student films - for years on end - hoping that the Wonderful Director of Oz will appear one day, in a sparkle of pixie dust, and discover you.

Spend a lot more time looking for a paycheck for your performing and a lot less time schmoozing with adults who believe in magical chants, secret handshakes, bewitching potions, enchanted headshots or Staples' Magic Button.

Please, oh please - do not continue to believe in fairy tales - because if you do ... you will not live happily ever after.

Which brings us to talent.

Oh, that word!

Shakespeare said, "Talent will out!"

But he didn't add "Talent will be well paid, respected and successful."

(Because Willie was a sharp cookie and knew better.)

Talent is a gift - and if you put it to use, it may pay the bills.

The critical phrase is ... "IF you put it to use."

Jennifer Hudson is a recent case in point.

Meteoric is a word they use.

Has she got talent? Yes, by the truckload.

But everyone is turning her bio into a Cinderella story, a fairy tale ... "first she lost on American Idol and all looked hopeless ... but then she got a lucky break and went on to win the Oscar."

The erroneous conclusion being drawn from Jennifer's story (and others like hers) is that her talent was 'discovered' and well rewarded ... and that ours will be 'discovered' and rewarded too.

But did you know that about four years ago Jennifer was working on a Disney cruise ship - in a big heavy costume with five-inch heels and tons of make-up - belting out Disney ditties for a paycheck?

The point is this:

If a tremendously talented future Oscar winner can 'go on the road,' working on a cruise ship to earn money with her talent ... oh, never mind - I'm sure you get the point.

Listen, after you throw away your magic beans, your next move is to stop wasting your time looking for a one step solution - and start looking for acting work that pays.

ANY acting work that pays.

That's the first step.

That's putting your talent to use.

Go on the road if you have to.

GO. GO. TO. WORK. FOR. MONEY.

And please don't invite me to anything ...I'm staying home this month.

* * * *

If I lived in L.A., I would take him out for a drink!

If you want to get more insights from Bob, subscribe to his newsletter: Show Biz How-To

So, what do you think?

April 3rd is Good People Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:00:00 +0000

What an awesome idea! After reading a post by my friend, fellow VO talent & awesome marketing guy, Peter O'Connell I just had to pass it on!

uhhh....thanks Peter for "supplying" the graphic! :-)

Today, April 3rd, 2008 is GOOD PEOPLE DAY!

It was started by Gary Vaynerchuk who wants us to harness the power of the Internet and social media and have “people write and talk (and) blog and twitter and just flat out SING about people that are AWESOME and GOOD.”

In my life I have been blessed to have many GOOD PEOPLE help me along the way both personally and professionally. As someone once said "No man is an island," and even "self-made" men had help along the way. Below are just a few of the people who I consider not only good but AWESOME. Also, please know that this is far from an exhaustive list...I do need to get back to work!!! ;-) But just know that I have been blessed to have these people as a part of my life!

Of course my husband Brian, who married me in the midst of many family issues and whose support has allowed me to fulfill the role of family caregiver to my parents....and for doing ALL the grocery shopping for the past 10 years!!!!

Leanne Avery, the best sister one could ever hope for!

Fr. Alex Vinogradov, the coolest priest on the planet who has helped me through a lot!

....and when it comes to VO and Business, the following is a list of GOOD PEOPLE who I am SO lucky to have in my life! ...and remember, those of you that my mind has, for some reason, not included on this list....blame in on recent sleep-deprivation!!!! YOU are also AWESOME!!!!

There is no order in this list....I just love you all!

Moe Eagan - We met, we connected...yeah...we're stuck with each other for life!
Bob Souer - One of the most generous, giving, genuinely nice people on the planet!
Frank Frederick - Sassy & sensational!
Peter O'Connell - A marketing machine, and awesome talent!
Peter Drew - Full of info & fun!
Paul Payton - One of my most ardent cheerleaders & supporters, and a great VO!
DB Cooper - I humbly bow to her talent and generosity of spirit.
Mary McKitrick - Lovely & talented, insightful & awesome!
Connie Terwilliger - Fantastic VO, and always a fountain of info on how to move ahead.
Philip Banks - The wise one. I could listen to his voice (and advice) all day!
Kara Edwards - Beautiful AND talented....a striking combination!
Amanda Fellows - Friendly & fabulous!
Melissa Exelberth - It's great having someone who lives close by to chat with & who gets it!
Barbara Winter - The person most instrumental in helping me strike out on my own!
Alice Barry - Inspired entrepreneur & awesome friend!
Rosemary Senjem - Taught me how much fun it can be to play at work!
Johnna Gottlieb - I'm learning so much from her about the market & stepping up my game.
Joan Baker - Yeah, another killer combo of beauty, brains & VO talent!
Terry Daniel - Cool guy, funny guy, talented guy. Yep, that's Terry!
Trish Basanyi - We started at the same radio station, and both ended up in VO!

So there you go...the good people in my life right now....I'm SURE the list will grow...but I want to thank everyone who has helped me become who I am!...yeah...well...maybe they shouldn't be blamed for that! :-)

So?...who are the Good People in your life?

Using the right words

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:22:00 +0000

When people first find out that I speak more than one language, I often get asked "Don't you get confused?"

It's as if the fact that I speak two languages is a hardship. Actually, quite the opposite is true. It's a gift. Having a second vocabulary opens up the world to me, it doesn't shrink it.

I admit, when I was a kid, I did sometimes mix my languages.
Notice I didn't say mix UP.
I combined them not, because I was confused, but because I was choosing just the right word that fit the meaning I wanted to convey. And sometimes that word happened to be in a different language than the one I started my sentence in!
Luckily, my parents pretty quickly made it clear: "Finish your sentence in the same language you started it in!" It was another exercise in finding the right word in the particular language I was speaking in.

Now, some languages are just more precise in certain concepts than others are. Take the Inuit who have over 200 words for our word "snow," describing all its different facets.

So what does this have to do with Voice Over?
A lot actually.
As a voice over artist, I work with words every day.
All types of words: silly words, sales words, medical words, technical words. They all convey a meaning.

My job is to bring that meaning to life.
As voice talent, we're not just reading, we're telling a story, and to do that well you need the right words.

This is not as obvious as it seems, especially when you're dealing with a script that was translated incorrectly.

I often record bilingual scripts - one version of the script in English, the second in French. Sometimes the translations leave something to be desired.

So here's my advise: If you need to have a script translated, use a professional translator.

Do not use "Sophie in HR" who happens speak French. Or "Maria in A/R" who happens to speak Spanish.

I speak French fluently, but when it comes to translations, if a client asks me for that service, I provide it by working closely with a professional translator to make sure that my client gets the best and most accurate script possible.

Yes, it makes my voicing of the script a lot easier.
But, more importantly, using the right words will make my client look and sound good to their clients. And happy clients are always a good thing!

100+ VO Resources!

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:39:00 +0000

As a Voice Talent, I'm always on the lookout for information and resources.

Well, the great gang at Voices.com just made that search a whole lot easier!

They just published a list of 100+ Industry Resources for Voice Over Talent, and I'm honored to be listed in their blog section!

Check it out. Bookmark the page! It's worth it!

My thanks to Stephanie Ciccarelli at Voices.com for this great list!

Voice Talent: What business are you in?

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:46:00 +0000

Think about that question for a minute.

It's not so obvious.
When I was "behind the glass" as an engineer/producer, the voice talent that I loved to work with the most were the ones that made my job easier!

They had talent, they knew what to do, and they were pleasant to work with.
They helped me do my job well, by doing their job well.
Now that I'm in front of the mic, I realize that my job is to make my client's job easier!

My friend, and amazing voice talent Bob Souer, has just written a great post about what business we are really in a voice talent. It's a must read!

Enjoy!

VO Cold Remedies - Take 3

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 00:41:00 +0000

My friend, and talented Voice Over artist Peter Drew posted yet more remedies that voice talent can use to help prevent or shorten the span of a cold.

Hope this helps!

"As we all know, there is still no cure for the common cold, but there are a
few things you can try to reduce a cold's severity.

At the first sign of a cold, try Oregacillin from Physician's Strength. The
active ingredient has been isolated from Greek oregano oil, which has been
used for thousands of years to fight infections. A Johns Hopkins study showed
that the active ingredient in Oregacillin kills viruses better than
pharmaceutical antivirals. I use it and it does seem to prevent a cold from
getting worse and cuts the time a cold hangs around.

Try nasal irrigation and zinc. For more info on nasal irrigation, visit this
site: http://www.ent-consult.com/#nose-and-sinusitis From what
I've heard, zinc lozenges are much less effective than zinc ointment that is
put inside the nostrils.

Gargle with salt water. Recent research indicates that much of a cold's
infection actually resides in your throat. Gargling with salt water can help
clear out that infection. Over the counter cold products and decongestants
dry up mucous production, which can actually prolong a cold because there is
no mucous to carry away the infection and products of the body's immune
response to the cold.

If you're prone to catching colds, then a good defense is necessary. Penn
Gilette of Penn and Teller fame says, since he went on the road with their
act years ago, he's become a fanatical hand washer. He avoids shaking hands
with people if he can and if he does shake hands with someone, he's very
careful not to touch his face until he can wash his hands. He admits it
sounds obsessive, but he can't afford a cold that will prevent him from
working.

On hand washing, stay away from the antibacterial hand sanitizers you can
pick up at the supermarket or drug store. Most of them contain triclosan, an
antibacterial that has been linked to creating more resistant bacteria, and
they don't have enough alcohol to kill viruses, which actually cause a cold.
The only hand sanitizers that kill enough bacteria and viruses to be of
value are the ones containing 60 percent or more of alcohol. The best way to
sanitize hands is simple soap and water. Work up a good lather and wash rub
your hands for at least 20 seconds and then rinse. Clean under your
fingernails while washing, too."

Thanks Peter!

Remember...these are just suggestions, go see your doctor if you feel you're getting sicker than usual. You know your body best!

The rain in Spain.....

noreply@blogger.com (Liz de Nesnera) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 14:35:00 +0000

If you've ever seen the movie "My Fair Lady" you remember the articulation exercise "The rain in Spain falls mainly in the plain."

As voice talent, we often "talk" a fine line between over and under-articulation.

Marc Cashman wrote a wonderful article that addresses some of those pesky little "bridge" words that sometimes fall victim to voice over mush-mouth!

Thanks to John Florian at VoiceOverXtra for posting this great article!