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VOICE OVER TODAY - January 11, 2004
Helping voice-talent build careers.

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Published by EDGE STUDIO
     New York training - 212-868-edge
     Washington DC training - 202-398-edge
     Connecticut training - 203-374-edge
     Tele-Training - 888-321-edge

established 1988
member Better Business Bureau

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WHAT IS EDGE STUDIO?
Voice Over Career Building
- training, evaluations, demos, marketing resources, guidance
Production Studio & Casting
- commercial and narration productions

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WANT CD DEMOS?
visit www.edgestudio.com/cd_duplication.htm
NEED PRACTICE SCRIPTS?
visit www.edgestudio.com/scripts.htm

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THIS ISSUE INCLUDES:
1.) Who's the voice of "Tickle Toes?"
2.) Interested in audiobook narration?
3.) Make funny voices? Character/Animation Workshop
4.) Another Free Marketing Co-op and class begin

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ACCENT ELIMINATION - SELF-STUDY CDS !

Sam Chwat, the Speech Therapist to the Stars, directs New York Speech Improvement Services, the largest company of speech therapists specializing in accent elimination, Standard American English, and specialty accent acquisition. His clients have included Oscar winners and Oscar nominated stars such as Robert DeNiro, Olympia Dukakis, Marcia Gay Harden, Roberto Benigni, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts and Willem Dafoe, as well as Jude Law, Mark Ruffalo, Taye Diggs, Kathleen Turner and Naomi Campbell.

His Speakup! Program in Accent Elimination, designed for self-study, includes a 272-page book of exercises interacting with 4 CDs (or 2 90-minute audiocassettes), now available for $45. (plus tax and postage). Mastercard, VISA or American Express accepted.

The Speakup! Program is available in three different, specialized editions: Spanish Accent, American Accent, and Asian/Pacific Accents, and can be ordered by calling NewYork Speech Improvement Services at l-800-SPEAKWELL.

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1.) WHO'S THE VOICE OF "TICKLE TOES?"

Marty Moran is. He's also the voice many other things. Here's an interview with him:

1. DO YOU LOVE DOING VOICE-OVERS ?
Absolutely. When I'm in the booth doing a voice-over job, I always think about how lucky I am to be able to make a living doing voice-overs.

2. WHERE HAVE WE HEARD YOU IN PAST ?
Compaq, Aer Lingus, Days Inn, Sunglass Hut, Sahara Hotel & Casino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Millstone Coffee, Natural White Toothpaste, The Hartford Insurance Group, Lincoln Financial Group, Coors Extra Gold, Avid, Carmax.

3. WHERE CAN WE CURRENTLY HEAR YOU ?
Commercials for Big Apple Circus, Adelphia, Toyota Parts & Service, The Valley Hospital, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates. Also, I am currently the voice of "Tickle Toes", a musical electronic toy by Milton Bradley. It was in the stores for the holiday season this year and last year, and was named "one of the best toys of the year" by Nick Jr. Magazine.

4. WHICH JOBS ARE THE MOST FUN ?
I love doing voiceover jobs that are multiple voice, where I can work with one or more other voice-over people at the same time. I think I perform better that way, and I always try to learn something from the other
person(s) technique. Also, jobs that require me to use a character voice, either for a cartoon or toy, are a lot of fun for me.

5. WHICH JOBS ARE THE LEAST FUN ?
When either the client or producer or another talent is running really late for the session. It's fine to be 10-15 minutes late. But there's been a couple of times where we didn't even start recording until 50 minutes into the session. Unless they have a really good excuse, it's somewhat inconsiderate.

6. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED ?
I was working in the radio industry as a production director/copywriter/voice talent. There came a point where I knew I did not want to work in that industry for the rest of my life. So I researched the voice-over business as best I could and started doing freelance voice-overs on the side until I built up enough business where I was comfortable making the move to doing voice-overs full-time.

7. ADVICE TO NEW-COMERS ?
Don't make a demo until you're really ready. If you do, one of two things may happen. 1) You may market a demo that is not great. And then, when the time comes that you actually make a good demo, someone who got your first
"crummy" demo may not want to listen to your second "good" demo. Or 2) your demo will only sound good due to your producer's direction. And I've heard producers talk about the horror of hiring voice-over people who have a great demo, but could not replicate the quality of the performances on the demo in an actual session. That puts a producer in a really difficult position and they will never, ever hire you again.

8. ADVICE TO PROFESSIONALS WHO DESIRE MORE WORK ?
Explore marketing ideas to make you more visible. I'm a big fan of post-cards....but make sure they're very professional looking (don't make them at home on your computer). I feel that the business is 20% talent and
80% marketing. I can recommend two books that might be helpful in this regard. "Confessions Of Shameless Self Promoters" by Debbie Allen. And "The Wizard of Ads" by Roy H. Williams.

9. STRANGEST EXPERIENCE IN A VOICE-OVER SESSION ?
Nick At Night was doing a "Happy Days" marathon, and they needed Fonzi's voice saying "Aaayyyy" for the promos. They couldn't lift it from the show because of the audience applause in the background, so I auditioned and got hired to do it. It was funny that 9 or 10 people from Nick At Night and the production company showed up for the session to record one word. They had more than enough "Aaaayyy"s within the first 10 takes, but I think they
wanted to feel useful, so they all started giving me different "direction" for the "Aaaayyys". I'll never forget that one of the people there asked me to "start out triumphantly, then end it on a melancholy note". I was never aware that Fonzi got that deep. Actually this was the session that got me hooked on voice-overs while I was still in radio because I made more money recording that one word than I made working 2 weeks at my radio job.

10. HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU FEEL TRAINING IS ?
Some people have a natural talent and may not need as much training. I'm not one of those people, so for me training was and continues to be important. It's no different than taking piano lessons...the more you do it, the better you get.

11. WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST TO LOOK FOR IN A COACH ?
Someone who is more practical with their coaching and less esoteric. In my experience, producers and casting directors make better coaches than actors do. Ultimately, it has to be someone you are comfortable with and that you
learn something from.

12. HOW DO YOU FORESEE THE INDUSTRY CHANGING IN THE FUTURE ?
I believe there will be more and more reliance on the internet to audition, record and deliver voice-over audio. It's already happening now. Also, as the radio industry continues to consolidate and eliminate jobs, I foresee many out-of-work radio DJ's entering the voice-over business. Many of them won't last because they don't understand the difference between talking "at" an audience (the old broadcast style) and talking "to" them (the voice over style). But there will always continue to be many new people entering the business, as well as many new jobs, so you've got to keep on your toes.

13. WHAT'S YOUR SECRET TO SUCCESS ?
I try to see things from the client's perspective...what can I do to make their job easier? That's why I return calls as soon as possible and I offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on any voice-over that I do. I also keep in mind that each new day brings new possibilities and opportunities in the voice-over business.

14. ANY FINAL THOUGHTS ?
If you're just starting out, make sure you do at least one thing each day toward the development of your business. And don't let anyone discourage you from getting into voice-overs if it's really what you want to do....only you
can make that decision. It can be tough sometimes, and you've got to have a thick skin, but I think it's a wonderful way to make a living.

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UPDATES TO ENHANCE YOUR TRAINING

Edge Studio and The Voice Design Group have two great changes:

WEEKEND HOURS: You can now schedule voice-over training sessions on Saturday!
Contact our office weekdays 9-5 EST at 888-321-edge if interested.

NEW NY LOCATION: Our New York studio has moved into a much larger,
brighter space with 24/7 security (just 3 blocks from our previous location),
and right next to Penn Station/Madison Square Garden:
Edge Studio
307 Seventh Avenue
Suite 1007
New York, NY 10001
PLEASE NOTE: our Connecticut studio has NOT moved (203-374-edge).

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2.) AUDIOBOOK WORKSHOP

Since audio-books are a $3 billion industry. And since audio-book narration
is expected to nearly triple in the next few years. And since they are fun.

We got the best to teach audiobook workshops: Grover Gardner.

(Grover Gardner is one of the most versatile narrators in the audiobook
field today. He has recorded over 500 titles for Random House, Harper Audio,
Time Warner, Books On Tape, Blackstone Audiobooks and dozens of other
publishers of abridged and unabridged audio programs. His credits include
"The Cider House Rules" (Harper Audio), "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace"
(Random House Audio), Shelby Foote's "The Civil War" (Blackstone
Audiobooks), Will Durant's "The Story of Civilization" (Books On Tape) and
best-selling authors ranging from Ernest Hemingway to Elmore Leonard.
Recipient of numerous awards and honors, Grover has been named one of the
"Best Voices of the Century" by AudioFile Magazine and is featured in their
annual "Golden Voices" industry update. In addition to his narration work,
Grover is an experienced producer and director of audiobooks and maintains
his own private studio in suburban Washington, D.C.)

This highly specialized, intensive 4-hour workshop includes:

- 1.) An overview of the audiobook industry

How are audiobooks produced and recorded? How are narrators selected?
How can a voice-over artist market themselves for this specific area?

- 2.) Audiobook narration skills and techniques

Audiobook narration differs significantly from other types of voice-over
work. Discuss the special skills, techniques, and demands of audiobook
narrators, how to develop them, and how to create an effective demo aimed at
audiobook producers and directors. Also discuss the specifics of the
recording process and what to expect at a typical audiobook recording
session.

- 3.) Practice and evaluation

Would you make a good audiobook narrator? Some people have the knack, others
have to develop their long-form narration skills. In this workshop, your
potential will be evaluated, and steps recommend to make audiobook narration
an effective part of your voice-over repertory.

The "Intensive Audiobook Workshop" is available at our New York studio (307
Seventh Avenue, Suite 1007).

Monday February 16th 6pm-10pm.

$99. Seats fill quickly as only approximately 10 participants per workshop.

To participate, call us weekdays, 9-5EST, at 888-321-EDGE.

(Grover also offers private coaching - ask our office for details)

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3.) CHARACTER / ANIMATION WORKSHOP

Ever think about narrating cartoons, multi-media games, character
commercials, talking toys, and more?

Paul Liberti, one of the country's most popular character voice-actors, is
teaching character workshops.

(As a voice actor, Paul has narrated for Nickelodeon, Blues Clues, The Rosie
O'Donnell Show, Disney Cartoons, VH1's Behind the Music, MTV, Professor Elm
on Pokemon, PBS, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, Noggin, Saturday Night Live
cartoons, Fisher Price, Whack-a-mole, Claritin, Starbucks, Wendy's, Lowes,
Bud Lite, Clean Shower, NJ Lottery, Informix, 1-800-Fed-Info TV spots,
Mapquest CD ROMs, and many more. As a film actor, Paul has had featured
roles in The Guru w Marisa Tomei, Dummy, No Such Thing w/ Helen Mirren, the
lead in Showtime's Priority Seating. On Commercials, his face is noticeable
as the NJ Lotzee Man, the Snapple Guy, Kraft Velveeta Cheese, Bud Lite. As a
stage actor has worked at McCarter Theatre w/Hershel Bernardi, Seven Angels
Theatre opposite Semina Delaurentis. Tours include: A Chorus Line, Cabaret,
Frankstein, Muppet Show On Tour, Muppet Babies Live. Plus Paul has done
choreography for the Muppets, Bud Lite, Diet Coke, and owns a TV Commercial
Puppet Company named Criddera And Cooties Inc.)

This 4-hour workshop has 4 objectives:
- 1.) acquire voice placement to expand your character range
- 2.) candidly discuss which of your voices are marketable, and where best
to market them
- 3.) learn how to best read character copy, with microphone time, helping
win auditions
- 4.) discuss the "business" side of character work: demos, marketing, and
auditioning

The "Intensive Character/Animation Workshop" is available at our New York studio (307
Seventh Avenue, Suite 1007).

February 23rd 6pm-10pm.

$99. Seats fill quickly as only approximately 12 participants per workshop.

To participate, call us weekdays, 9-5EST, at 888-321-EDGE.

(Paul also offers private coaching - ask our office for details)

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4.) ANOTHER FREE MARKETING CO-OP and CLASS

Have a demo?
…Want more work?

Then attend a FREE Marketing Expo, and then a five-week Marketing Co-op Class. Both are for voice-talent seriously interested in their voice-over career.

WHAT IS THE FREE MARKETING EXPO?
Free marketing information, plus an overview of getting signed by an agent with the Marketing Co-op Class.

WHAT IS THE MARKETING CO-OP CLASS?
This five-week class’ objective is to help you get your demo into the hands of over industry professionals. It is the most proficient way of marketing your demo, individually and cooperatively. Participants combine information marketing resources and can share hand delivery of demos. Results are incredible.

OUTLINE: 1) Analyze your individual skills, create an image, and define your marketability. 2) Research industry periodicals, and swap information with other participants. 3) Create a database of voice over clients. 4) Learn how to get your demo hand delivered to industry professionals. 5) Learn how to use the "Round Robin" marketing plan and create relationships with Casting Directors, Talent Agents, Radio Stations, Production Companies, Advertising Agencies, Networks & Studios.

DATES and CLASS TIMES
The next class begins Thursday, January 29th 6:30pm-9pm, and continues Thursday nights February 5th, February 12th, February 19th, and February 26th all at 6:30-9pm.

PRICE
The Free Marketing Expo is free. The Marketing Co-op Class is $300 - this price includes all five classes.

INTERESTED?
Call Edge Studio to register for the free expo or for the class. Reach us weekdays 9-5 EST at 888-321-edge.

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Are you tired of reading off of cue cards? Memorizing long scripts only to
get to the job and receive changes? Then this is for you.

EAR-PROMPTER--The ability to speak, simultaneously, pre-recorded material
from a micro-cassette recorder, while hearing it through an earpiece,
giving a flawless performance.

This extraordinary on-camera class comes from a leading ear-prompter
proficient actor and trainer. Receive a nation-wide list of "Ear" agents at
the end of the course and open the doors to more moneymaking opportunities.

Call Andréa Urban 917-664-7777 for private or group lessons.

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HAVE A DEMO?
We're always searching for new talent. Please mail us your CD demo to:
Edge Studio, 307 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1007, NY, NY 10001 USA

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WANT TO ADVERTISE in Voice Over Today?
Results have been great!
Email info@edgestudio.com or call us weekdays 9-5 EST at 888-321-edge

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