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VOICE OVER TODAY
~~~~~~ PART 2 of the HOME STUDIO SERIES:
1.) HOME STUDIO … DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS
2.) PRY, BE NOSY, and GET THE INSIDE SCOOP … TALK TO PROFESSIONALS
3.) HOME
STUDIO and PRO TOOLS HELP
Home Studio Series:
1.) Introduction (last issue November 23, 2005)
2.) Determine Your Needs (this issue)
3.) Design And Build Your Space (next issue)
4.) Equipment
5.) Set-Up
6.) Operating
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VOICE OVER TODAY – January 25, 2006
Helping Voice-Talent Build Careers.
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
SINCE: 1988
MEMBER: Better Business Bureau
RECOGNIZED: Voice and Speech Trainers Association
SPONSOR: National Public Radio, Recording For The Blind & Dyslexic
VOICE OVER
CAREER BUILDING
- training, evaluations, demos, marketing resources, guidance
PRODUCTION
STUDIO & CASTING
- commercial and narration productions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.) HOME STUDIO … DETERMINE YOUR NEEDS
Many voice talent don’t realize the importance of planning when it comes to their home-studio. Subsequently, they either spend more money and time than necessary, and/or find themselves unable to please their clients.
This article
aims at eliminating these misfortunes.
SAVE MONEY AND TIME
Interestingly, the ratio of planning to wasted money and time is, perhaps,
one-to-ten. Two examples: First, for every dollar you spend wisely, you
will save ten dollars on studio re-builds and unnecessary equipment. And
second, for every minute you spend planning, you will save ten minutes
down the road with studio re-builds and technical glitches.
Answering the following will help you determine the type of home studio right for your needs, therefore helping you save money and time.
- What sector of voice over is right for you? This should be based upon a.) the sector your voice and delivery are most marketable in (audiobook, documentary, cartoon, corporate, telephony, commercial, promo, etc.), b.) the sector you aspire to work in (you will read better, make more money, and be happier reading scripts that you enjoy), and c.) the type of customers in your marketing area (if cartoons are mostly recorded in NY and LA, perhaps this is not the best sector to pursue if you reside in the Central Plains).
- Do the sectors of voice over you plan on pursuing only record in professional studios? If so, you may have no need for a home-studio.
- Will you use your home-studio to practice, record auditions, or record actual jobs? Lower quality equipment is sufficient for the former, while higher quality equipment is necessary for the latter.
- What is your budget? If you spend your entire budget on your home-studio, you will be left with no money for marketing. This defeats the purpose.
- Is there a chance you will move? If you do, portable sound-booths and equipment will save you lots of money and time.
- Will you rent your studio to other voice over artists (to use for practice, auditions, recording)? If so, be sure to build a home-studio that caters to many studio scenarios… not just the ones you plan on using it for.
- Where will your home-studio be located? A noisy location requires higher quality sound-booths (to eliminate undesired sounds from entering). If your studio will be in a quiet location, spending that much money is unnecessary – in which case, either a lower quality sound-booth or renovating a closet may suffice.
- What type
of delivery format will be requested by your customers? MP3, Fed-Ex, ISDN,
FTP, etc.?
PLEASE YOUR CLIENTS
How nice would it be to tell your client, “Sure, no problem.”
If you plan ahead, you can. Unfortunately, however, many aspiring voice
over artists find themselves needing to turn down jobs, as they are not
prepared.
So take just one day. Call potential customers – specifically, the type of customer you aspire to market to. Ask why they hire voice over artists with home-studios, and what they request from them.
Use this information to begin determining your home-studio requirements, specifically, what type of recordings you will produce, what quality level will be necessary, and with what means you will be delivering them to your customers.
SUMMARY
Inappropriate equipment, lack of thought, and anxiousness will not help
advance your career. Planning will.
Most new businesses begin with a business plan. You should too. Creating a business plan requires planning. Begin by searching on-line for a sample business plan. Yours does not need to be complicated – an abridged version should suffice.
Once written, follow through with your business plan, including it’s time-lines, marketing efforts, and income statements.
And finally,
whether part-time of full-time, take your voice over career seriously.
Put a minute of thought into it…and save ten.
WHAT IS NEXT?
Upcoming issues of Voice Over Today will offer information on designing,
building, purchasing, setting-up, and operating a home studio.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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VO business and CV guarantees to get you “hit and heard” or
your money back. Visit http://www.CommercialVoices.com and http://www.CommercialVoices.co.uk
for all the exciting details.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2.) PRY,
BE NOSY, and GET THE INSIDE SCOOP … TALK TO PROFESSIONALS
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS!
Speak personally, anonymously, and candidly with an industry-respected,
full time working professional voice over artist.
Anonymously
Ask, Pry, Be Nosy, Learn, Get The Inside Scoop, and GET ANSWERS and TIPS!
IT'S SIMPLE
From your standard telephone (land line or cell phone), call in to our
special number, and be connected with a professional voice over artist
and approximately nine other voice over artists.
CODE OF CONDUCT?
Ask anything you want (it's anonymous)!
...and expect candid answers, since we enforce that the professionals
are straightforward.
Approximately 10 participants.
INTERESTED?
February 9, 7pm-9pm ET: Jim Cissel
March 9, 7pm-9pm ET: Joan Franzino
April 13, 7pm-9pm ET: Marty Moran
May 11, 7pm-9pm ET: Bruce Bayley Johnson
biographies at: www.edgestudio.com/workshop-talk-with-a-pro.htm
$35 each
Call 888-321-edge weekdays 9-5 ET
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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To order
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Be sure to
check out the section on Voice Talent-and sign up for YOUR
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guide@audiofilemagazine.com or visit www.audiofilemagazine.com.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3.) HOME STUDIO and PRO-TOOLS HELP
Want help with your home studio?
Three types
of help follow. Feel welcome to call us weekdays 9-5 ET:
- New York - 212-868-edge
- Washington DC - 202-398-edge
- Connecticut - 203-374-edge
- Tele-Training - 888-321-edge
* * * ‘DO VOICE OVERS FROM HOME’ SEMINAR
Tele-Class and In-Studio
$79
NEXT New
York Studio Seminar: February 1, 7pm-9pm ET
NEXT Tele-Seminar: February 7, 6pm-8pm ET
This seminar
is made simple, yet is intense, detailed, and current.
…An easy way to LEARN technical jargon, USE it, and APPLY it.
COURSE OUTLINE:
Consideration: home studios are NOT right for everyone...learn this BEFORE
you invest
Technically understand and incorporate digital technology
Use technology to increase sales and become an information resource to
your clients
Equipment recording booths, software, microphones: types and costs
ISDN and PHONE-PATCH: what are they? Do you really need them?
Engineering tips to help your clients love your sound quality
Production tips to help your clients love your vocal delivery
Services: amazing values you can now offer your clients
Audio Delivery: FTP, MP3, WAV, AIF, CD...deliver completed voice over
quickly and digitally
Revenue: what to charge for home studio services
* * * IN-HOME STUDIO SET-UP…YES, WE TRAVEL!
Unless you're
an experienced engineer, getting your studio to sound like a seasoned
one may be difficult. Want
us to help design, purchase, build, set up, teach, and save all parameters
of your
home studio?
...So all you must do is "turn it on" and read your script?
Step By Step:
step 1: design: different styles of voice over require different types
of studios
step 2: budget: determine what equipment works within your budget
step 3: purchase: we deal with the suppliers and have equipment shipped
to your studio
step 4: set up: we visit your studio and set it up
step 5: teach: we help you learn how to use your studio
step 6: on-going support: we'll take notes, so if you call with questions,
we can answer
Your
choice: Let us help you with all steps, or just where you need assistance.
Estimates:
step 1: consultation: ½ to 1 hour
step 2: budget: ½ hour
step 3: purchase: ½ to 1 hour
step 4: set up: 1 to 3 hours
step 5: teach: 1 to 5 hours
step 6: on-going support: depends on you and if your studio grows
Rate
is $150/hour
Travel time is $100/hour
* * * PRO-TOOLS TRAINING
Via
telephone, your studio, or our studio, Pro-Tools requires special attention.
READ THIS:
Our customized Pro-Tools training prices should be lower than the cost
of
aggravation (and possible therapy fees) you'll incur trying to teach yourself.
Plus a better set-up means better sound means happier clients!
Private sessions
are offered via telephone, your studio, or our studio.
1 hour: $150
2 hours: $290
3 hours: $430
4 hours: $520
If at your studio, travel costs apply.
Note: These
programs are strictly for Pro-Tools equipped studios. If you want other
software and/or equipment help, consider our Do Voice Overs From Home
Seminar and our In Home Studio Set-up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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No pay, but good practice accurately cold reading text and taking direction
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Email slaymakerb@sullcrom.com with "Reader" in subject for 1-page
phone audition. Those who've auditioned previously are welcome to audition
again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAVE
A DEMO?
We're always
searching for new voice-talent.
Please email your MP3 demo to: demosubmission@edgestudio.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HAVE A WEBSITE?
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 2006, Edge Studio, LLC. All rights reserved. This article is
protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property
laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated,
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