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VOICE OVER TODAY – February 15, 2005
Helping Voice-Talent Build Careers.

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Published by EDGE STUDIO
www.edgestudio.com
     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, duplication

Production Studio & Casting
- commercial and narration productions

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

PRACTICE and DEMO SCRIPTS
$19 www.edgestudio.com/scripts.htm

CONVERT YOUR DEMO to MP3
$40 for one demo, $10 each additional demo.
Call 888-321-edge.

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THIS ISSUE INCLUDES:

1.) Seats Going Quickly…
2.) Misconceptions Within the Voice Over Industry
3.) Attention Talent Agents and Acting Instructors
4.) Part 4 Of The 'WORD EMPHASIS' Series

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1.) SEATS FILLING QUICKLY…

in NEW YORK
CHARACTER & ANIMATION Workshop: $99 - February 28, 6pm-10pm
DO VOICEOVERS FROM HOME Seminar: $79 - March 2, 7pm-9pm
ADVANCED CHARACTER & ANIMATION Workshop: $99 - March 7, 6pm-9pm
COMPREHENSIVE 3-DAY BREAK-IN EVENT: $999 - March 11, 12, and 13, full day
ADVANCED TECHNIQUE Workshop: $99 - March 30, 6pm-9pm

via TELE-CLASS
DO VOICE OVERS FROM HOME Seminar: $79 - February 21, 4pm-6pm
in WASHINGTON DC
INTENSIVE-TECHNIQUE EVALUATION workshop: $159 - March 3, 6pm-10pm
MARKETING NON-UNION Seminar: $119 - March 4, 9am-11am
DO V.O. FROM HOME Seminar: $119 - March 4, 11:30am-1:30pm
PROMO AND IMAGING Workshop: $119 - March 4, 2:30-4:30pm
TELEPHONY Workshop: $119 - March 4, 5pm-7pm
AUDIOBOOK INTENSIVE Workshop: $159 - March 5, 9am-1pm
ADVANCED AUDIOBOOK Workshop: $159 - March 5, 2pm-5pm
CHARACTER & ANIMATION INTENSIVE Workshop: $159 - March 5, 6pm-10pm
ADVANCED CHARACTER & ANIMATION Workshop: $159 - March 6, 9am-12pm

in CONNECTICUT
INTENSIVE-TECHNIQUE EVALUATION workshop: $99 - March 8, 3pm-7pm

INTERESTED?
Please call to participate.
Call us weekdays 9-5 EST at 888-321-edge (3343).
IN THE BROWSING MOOD?
www.edgestudio.com

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2.) MISCONCEPTIONS within the VOICE OVER INDUSTRY

(Excerpt from the Industry Guide Book – www.edgestudio.com/guidebook.htm)

One person tells you, “Hey great voice! You could make a fortune in radio!”
The next says, “Don’t even bother…they hire the same 3 people over and over!”

Things like this make it confusing for those considering voice over. We will clarify this.

Since voice over is a relatively new industry, and since it’s gone through major transitions in it’s short life (such as analog to digital, commercial to commercial & narration, male to male & female, announcer style to natural style, etc.), there are many schools of thought. Each “expert” preaches a different theory.

The problem is that many “experts” speak from their own perspective, as opposed to considering all possibilities. This causes them to contradict one another.

So anytime someone tells you “exactly how it is” they are not necessarily correct, as there is a time and place for everything.

Some examples:

• One voice over book says, “When reading children’s stories, use high energy.” Yet another book says, “When reading children’s stories, use low energy.” The correct way to read is to use the appropriate energy given the intent. For example, if the children’s story is intended to help children fall asleep, low energy is appropriate. If the story is to keep children entertained, high energy is appropriate. If the story is intended to help children learn to read (as in a picture-book), a slower tempo is appropriate. If the story is to help foreign children learn English, a highly articulate delivery is appropriate.

• Many aspiring voice-talent are anxious to “hit the street.” Therefore, many voice over schools take advantage of this and rush you through the training process without ‘complete training’. Bypassing certain steps allows you to get the demo faster. But at what price? Without proper training, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll receive less work. Do not fall into the ‘get a demo quick and hit the casting directors’ mentality. Instead use a training facility that 1.) will candidly evaluate your talent, 2.) help you determine which genres your voice is most marketable for, 3.) offer time to study those genres, 4.) train you, and 5.) help establish a marketing plan specifically for those genres.

• You may have heard a struggling voice over artist say, “Don’t bother…I’ve been trying this for a year and haven’t gotten any work yet!” We meet these people everyday and immediately know why this is the case. While they believe it's that three people get all the work, we feel otherwise. Most unsuccessful, aspiring voice over artists do a number of things wrong, including marketing only a commercial demo, with an announcer style delivery, and with horrible marketing tactics. Of course they don’t get work. Obviously, if you treat this like a business and train and market correctly, you greatly increase your chance of obtaining work.

• Many voice over schools suggest to “Make a commercial demo.” That is fine. However you should also consider a narration demo since narrations are approximately 92% of the industry (i.e.: audiobook, documentary, training video, website narration, cartoon animation, educational film, telephone system, corporate presentation, etc.).

• CDs or MP3s? Headshot or no headshot? One casting director claims that everyone wants demos on CD with full color headshots. The next claims that everyone prefers MP3 files emailed to them without headshots. The truth is that every casting director prefers something different. Therefore, to get the most work, never assume what a casting director wants and instead ask.

• “Use the strong, announcer, broadcast style voice” says one expert.” But that seems confusing since most voice overs you hear are natural and conversational. The answer? Unless the expert is specifically talking about promos and local/broadcast style commercials, chances are good that they prefer a natural style. This is because most voice overs, other than promos and hard-sell style commercials, use a natural and conversational style vocal delivery. In fact, the announcer style voice is being used less and less every year.

• $2,000 to record one radio commercial is fantastic. And many voice over schools “tempt” you into training with them by reminding you of such numbers. However few newcomers receive enough high-paying jobs to equal their annual income. Therefore we suggest to be realistic… begin part-time and quit your day-job when you have sufficient clientele. Or choose to keep voice over as a supplement to your day-job’s income.

• Here’s a confusing one. One voice over school charges $100 to produce a demo when another charges $800. Plus the cheaper one has lots of experience as they’ve made many demos. Well here are the facts: 1.) cheaper studios have lots of experience ONLY because everyone goes there because they are cheap, 2.) most every casting director will agree that most of these demos are unmarketable and get thrown out, and 3.) since digital recording studios are inexpensive these days, anyone can do it …even those who do not know the voice over industry and/or do not have trained ears. When shopping for a demo-producer, ask to review demos they have produced, learn if they take time with you, and ask if they cover every component of ‘complete training’ (as listed above). If they don’t, instead of saving money, you’ll waste it.

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NYU-trained screenwriter-filmmaker needs voiceover artists to read aloud 1) produced full-length screenplays (American Beauty, Shawshank Redemption, etc.) and 2) drafts of his own full-length screenplay. 3-hour sessions. Straight reading of all text. No acting/voiceplay. Readings are held in his small Chelsea studio apartment on weekends and weeknights. No pay, but good practice accurately cold reading screenplay text and taking direction. Email slaymakerb@sullcrom.com for 1-page audition, which can be done by phone. (Full-length readings usually done in person, but can be done by phone.)

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3.) ATTENTION TALENT AGENTS & ACTING INSTRUCTORS

Edge Studio invites talent agents and acting instructors to participate
in our Intensive Technique Workshop free (for those out of the NY and DC
area, we invite you for a free training session via telephone).

This is an opportunity to participate, review, and hopefully create
alliances with us. Alliances may be as simple as referral programs, and as
exciting as cross-learning opportunities for those training.

If interested, please call us at 212-868-edge or email us at info@edgestudio.com
(so we can learn about you, please provide us with your promotional material
(website, brochure, resume, etc).

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4.) EMPHASIZING WORDS - PART 4 OF 4: ELONGATION

Part 1 of this series discussed how "A Little Goes A Long Way".
Part 2 discussed raising pitch, instead of increasing volume, when emphasizing words.
Part 3 discussed the dramatic pause.

PART 4 of 4: Elongation

Watch people conversing. Within practically every sentence, their hands will move outwards, away from their body, while they elongate a word for emphasis. Often, this occurs on descriptive, unique, and special words.

As opposed to hitting a word, and as opposed to adding a dramatic pause before a word, elongation is a great way to emphasize a word. Some producers refer to elongation as “opening up the word” and “lengthening” and “stretching” the word.

When elongating words, be sure to stretch the word the same amount you would in natural conversation. This is because voice over is generally about sounding natural. If you elongate a word too much, it will sound theatrical. If you under-elongate it, the word will not appear emphasized. If you’re not sure how long to stretch the word, say the phrase naturally to yourself (using body language), and notice how long the elongated word is…that is usually the length it should be when narrating voice over scripts.

Practice with these examples:

In this example, almost every word can be elongated – try a few. Just be sure not to elongate more than one or two words within the same sentence, as that generally sounds redundant.

The roomy new Elantra, with it’s beautiful interior, only from Hyundai.

Elongation is also useful on key words...especially short ones. By elongating the word, it gives the listener more time to hear it. For example, read the following sentence twice. Do not elongate the “oo” in “Coors” the first time, and elongate it the second time – you’ll hear how much more clear the word is the second time.

Up here in the mountains...we love Coors Beer.

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HAVE A DEMO?
We're always searching for new talent.
Please email your MP3 demo to: demosubmission@edgestudio.com

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Adding active links on your website can expand your profile while
increasing search-engine results. Take this opportunity to add a link to
Edge Studio. Visit www.edgestudio.com/link.htm

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