voiceover

Voice Over Breathing Techniques

March 23, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

All Voice Actors Breathe

I remember when I first got into voice over years ago, one of the very first things I had to learn was not to hold my breath. Learning to actually incorporate breathing was hard. Voice actors need to learn how to breath and when to breathe. But being told to breath from your diaphragm and then automatically doing it at all the right places in the script are two very different things. That’s why this week fellow voice over coach Diana Birdsall and I invited Michelle Blenker into our Clubhouse room “Ask the VO Coaches.”

Michelle Blenker is a well-established professional voice actor and coach. Michelle is the only coach we know who has developed a curriculum specifically for breathing and voice over. She began her vocal training as a young child, taking singing lessons in MA where she grew up. There Michelle learned a breathing methodology to protect the voice.

This practice is useful beyond VO, and would work for people in sales or public speaking as well Michelle noted. As both a trained opera singer and a graduate with a Speech and Hearing Science degree, Michelle has both the training in specific breathing programs and the knowledge and understanding of human anatomy to bring out the best in her voiceover students.

Does Your Voice Feel Tired After Recording All Day?

We were eager to ask Michelle about vocal fatigue. Whether you are auditioning or doing booked work, often your voice feels tired as the day goes on. Our voice is a delicate instrument, Michelle explained. She said our entire being is used when we do voice over. We use our body but our vocal cords take the brunt of what we do so we need to use our whole body to support them. As we bring air into our larynx, we want the air to float through and we don’t want to push air in. She suggests that we reframe our thoughts about where our voice comes from and focus on the diaphragm.

How Can I Control My Breath More?

This is so common, from newbies to established professionals. Everyone wants to know how to best control their breath. Michelle cautions that if you sit, you often slouch which is problematic. In contrast, when you stand, you engage your legs. This provides a loosed base for your instrument. Apparently, most people barely use 40% of their air capacity!

In order to increase this amount, you need to learn how to stand. Then, you need to engage your ribs and fill them more deeply with air. Lastly, you need to control how quickly the air is exhaled. When you learn to use your resonators properly, which are found in your sinuses and more, many voice talents discover that their true voice is actually higher than they realized.

Interestingly, Michelle cautions that a lot of people mistakenly think their voice comes from their chest. It does not. Our vocal apparatus is actually suspended quite miraculously in air by muscle and just floats in the throat. That is why pushing too much air can be so destructive. Our instrument is so delicate. Unlike drums, we need to phonate healthfully to prevent our vocal cords from getting damaged.

How Do You Avoid Vocal Strain?

It seems like that raspy sound is still popular. Still, just because they ask for it, this does not mean you have to provide it if that is not your natural vocal tone. When we speak, our vocal cords vibrate and bump into each other to create sounds. When this happens, we can get nodules. Then, the vocal cords don’t open and close properly. To prevent rasp, there is an exercise you can do:

Take a deep breath in and learn how to control the flow of air
Do this singing and speaking exercise:
- - Very softly and gently sing “Hah-may-mah-mo-meh-moo” across keys

Diana noted that she always feels like when she practices such exercises she should do them stronger and louder. Michelle explained that in this case it’s experiential and you should feel the softness and then put power behind it.

One of our attendees asked a question about promo reads. He said that when he tried to get deep resonance he loses his breath. Michelle confirmed that he stands and he said yes. She directed him to put one foot in front of the other. Then, he was told to tuck his bottom under to expand the back ribs. Michelle said that as he releases his breath he needs to control it and let it come through more slowly. She then told him to do the above exercise in the tucked stance, letting the air flow in and out like a balloon.

Another attendee wanted to know if cardio vascular exercise improves voice over endurance. She surmised that her best recording days are the days that she does her elliptical machine. Michelle suggested that your body is more oxygenated on work out days, so it is possible. She further instructed Lisa to work on practicing her breathing as she walks. To count her steps, and try to control her exhales as a means of learning to increase her breathing capacity.

We also had a touching chat with Keaston, a voice actor living with a spinal cord injury. Keaston has to sit all the time, so he was curious how this technique applies to him. I was fascinated to learn that like pilates, the technique that Michelle teachers her voice students was created for injured veterans after World War II. So, perhaps he could learn from it as well.

Final Thoughts and Breathing and VO

One of our regular attendees, Xavier, made an interesting observation. He noted that when he is really engaged in a script, you can’t hear him breathe and he incorporates the breath naturally. In the end, isn’t that the goal? To have good habits so that the breath flows naturally and all of these habits become second nature?

Sales Funnels For Voice Over

March 17, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

Marketing to Voice Over Clients

Note: this is not a story with a happy ending. If you want to skip to the follow up blog, click here.

In voice over, we talk about marketing endlessly. How do we get clients? Voice actors love to talk about marketing. We love to talk about our CRMs. Building client relationships is another hot topic. A few weeks ago Robert Sciglimpaglia started talking about sales funnels for voice over. Diana Birdsall, fellow VO Coach and I got super excited. Why? After years of emails and LinkedIn outreach, sales funnels are different. And why work with Rob and his daughter Mary Brainard? Put simply: they are fantastic.

You might be wondering how a voice actor/attorney and his daughter teamed up to do this? Well, Rob explained that it was always his dream to work with his daughters but none are lawyers. Mary actually studied English and Psychology in college. At present, Mary does copy writing and marketing for companies with six and seven figure budgets. Mary and Rob decided to team up and bring Belair Creative to the voice over community so that we can benefit from their marketing expertise. In just their first month on the scene, business exploded for the father-daughter duo.

Explaining a Sales Funnel

A sales funnel is a fancy word for a sales process. If you picture a tube or a pipe that is wider at the top and narrow at the bottom, that is what a funnel looks like. In a sales funnel, as people move through the funnel, there are more people at the top and fewer at the end. This is because not everyone wants or needs you services at the moment they are pulled into the funnel. You can work to maintain contact with all who have come into the funnel through follow up emails, calls, and social media. Also, it came up in our clubhouse chat that funnels should really be used for experienced voice actors who have their business up and running. If you are new to VO and just starting out, this is not the system for you. You can try this once your booth is set up, your website is up, and you are ready to seriously invest in your business.

Knowing Who to Target

Just like when you mark your script and you have to understand who you are talking to, in marketing you have to understand who your ideal or dream client is. Some other people might call this a buyer persona, although Rob and Mary did not use that terminology. Anyway, instead of sending out endless emails in hope of a reply, Mary uses targeted videos well-placed in social media groups so that they land where you want them. Often, clients need talent but don’t know where to find them so they end up on casting sites. By going directly to them, and finding the clients where they are, we are making ourselves easy to find.

Some Sales Funnels Have More Steps Than Others

Every clients is on a different path in their journey. Some might be ready to buy your services today. Others might be ready to purchase next month. Maybe some might never be ready to take action. It’s possible funnels have more steps because they want to qualify the potential clients. Other funnels have more steps because there are different types of funnels. Some have a survey, a questionnaire, or a form. The main goal could be information for a mailing list. Another main goal could also be the sale of services. The funnel is based on what you want to accomplish. Belair creative does a three level funnel that includes video, a survey, and scheduling an appointment.

When Mary and Rob work with voice actors, they are aware that different talents need varying degrees of handholding when setting up their sales funnels. They basically set up a system so that someday we can maintain it ourselves. Through the funnel, we can learn where our clients come from. We will get data both from the CRM and from social media. In order to run a solid funnel, you need to know who you are talking you and what you want to specialize in.

The Downside to Sales Funnels

We asked if there is a downside to sales funnels. Mary said she thought a lot about this. She said if you set it up and did not use it that would be a downside. Or, if you got too many new clients and you could not manage them all, that would also be a downside.

Why Sales Funnels are Unique and Some Final Thoughts

As Diana astutely pointed out, so many voice actors are on pay to plays and do direct marketing. What we all want is jobs in our in box every morning, right? We asked Rob why this is the next great thing. He said that in addition to finding clients where they are, so much of the funnel process is automated. From follow-up emails to scheduling appointments, automation helps drive the campaign. Mary also offered that doing a funnel allows you to be more in control of your business. You get unique, specific data about who is purchasing your services. By reaching out you are building relationships and staying top of mind. Getting clients is really important, and that is what funnels do.

In business it is really important to be careful who you take advice from. There have been many conversations about being cautious of “the next big thing.” We have all scene recent promises that sounded wonderful and did not pan out. You probably know already that I do not have a crystal ball. I can’t guarantee that every funnel will get who we need to get. What I do know is that you can waste a lot of time marketing to the wrong people on your own. Rob has been loved my many in the VO community for years, and once you meet this father daughter team, you will see why Diana and I were so delighted to share them with the community.

The line between the voice actor and our business?

February 28, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

The Philosophical Question of VO

Without doubt people love John DiMaggio’s character Bender on “Futurama.” So when DiMaggio’s contract was up, he faced a dilemma. Many voice actors have actually faced this very dilemma. Does he hold out for the rate he deserves? Should does he walk? Or perhaps in this instance, DiMaggio responded like his character Bender would have.

This is a complex situation. If you have not watched the show or have not read about it, there are a few key details. DiMaggio has played Bender since the 90s. He has described Bender as being part of his soul. Hulu decided to revive the series. There are a lot of unanswered questions:

We do not know the entire budget.
What was John DiMaggio’s offer was relative to others in the cast like Billy West?
Was actually only about the rate?

As voice actors, we face a daily struggle. We are working artists. Creatives. How do we align artistic principles with business principles? If something is “part of your soul” how do you attach a rate? When a character becomes part of the fiber of who we are, how do we walk away? At the same time, we spend years training. We invest in pricey gear. We have a huge cost to maintain our business. How can we afford not to maintain our rates? If we do not stand up for our value, who will?

Recently I was on a college tour at Georgetown with my son. They tour guide spoke about religious and philosophical life on campus. He said they want the students to grapple with the questions to which there are no answers. When I read DiMaggio’s story, I thought back to this. As voice actors, we need to find the intersection between our acting goals and our business goals.

Voice Over Bookings Like Library Books

In March of 2019, I was at the World Wide Radio Summit in Burbank. I remember Kelly Doherty saying something brilliant. She likened VO gigs to library books. Kelly said they are ours for a time then they go to someone else. I loved that. As someone who has always believed we get the jobs we are meant to get, that worked for me. My friend used to do the Burlington ads on Spotify, then I did them. Now someone else is. I used to do the IVR for Big Bear Gear. Then they wanted a male voice and I happily passed it on. That’s how it goes.

What makes it different in the scenario is with Bender, is that fans equate actor with the actor. The actor has developed the character. The actor has not only made the character who he is, but the character then becomes a part of the fiber of the actor.

Now, let’s flesh this out. There are times when actors assume roles that have already existed. For example, Bob Bergen took over as Porky Pig. Dora from Dora the Explorer has been voiced by three actors: Isabella Merced, Caitlyn Sanchez, and Fatima Ptacek. “Tom and Jerry” had no fewer than seven voice actors over the many years. There was not feuding when these actors stepped into a role, the role, like a library book, simply changed hands.

What Makes the Bender’s Voice Over Role Different

Some philosophical questions must be asked at this point in analysis:

Does fan attachment come into play?
Do some actors define a role?
Can actors seamlessly take over for each other?
Where is the line between budget and performance?
Is it more important for a talent to earn a living wage? Or, is it more important for the character to go on to exist and be part of a series?

When DiMaggio could not reach an agreement, many industry insiders came to his defense assuring everyone that they would not assume his role either. This leaves us with an open-ended question: imagine of someone had tried to replace Beaver Cleaver or Arther Fonzerelli? If someone tried to replace Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, we would notice that too, so perhaps some characters are just different. Perhaps Bender is one of those characters. That, of course, leads to another great question: does the voice actor develop the role is does the role create the space for great talent?

As a professional voice actor, I can tell you that great scripts are a gift and they do not come your way so often. When they do, they give voice actors a chance to shine. It is hard to give a brilliant performance when the specs in no way match what you are sent script wise. So my thoughts are that when characters become iconic, it’s because an extremely gifted actor is placed in a wonderful cast and has a great script to work with.

Voice Actors Earning a Living Wage

All of that said, I am a voice actor because I have a passion for my craft. I have an advanced degree and while there are many things that I could do, there is only one thing that I want to do: voice over. Of my daily routine, I take joy in the minutiae with one exception: negotiating rates. Despite the prevalence of well-publicized rate cards, I constantly have to negotiate with clients. It is so frustrating. DiMaggio’s recent problems bring all of this to light. If the most famous and talented among us cannot get paid what they feel they need to continue an on-going role that they are known for, how are the rest of us supposed to hold out hope that we will get the rate we need on the next commercial or eLearning gig?

Talking Voice Over with Randy Thomas

February 17, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

Chatting with Voice Over Industry Icon Randy Thomas

Randy Thomas, Laura Schreiber, and Diana Birdsall as we chat on Clubhouse!

Yesterday we had Randy Thomas in our Clubhouse room “Ask the VO Coaches.” If you have ever been in our Clubhouse, then you know that the vibe of the chat was different with Randy. Everyone was extremely excited to have her there. Randy has a body of work like no one else in voice over. She books across genres including Radio Imaging, Promo, and Live Announce and the list goes on. From the Oscars to the Tony’s to GMA, everyone has heard Randy. Despite her celebrity, Randy remains kind and humble. Always dedicated to helping those around her in voice over, Randy spent an hour with us!

How Randy Segued From Radio To VO

Randy worked in radio for many years. Starting as a teen at a station in Detroit, she loved it. As a DJ, she went from MI to NY to Dallas to Miami. Randy said she thought radio was everything and she’d do it forever. While she was at the Miami station, they gave her copy to read. That was when everything changed. Randy became the first female ever to announce for the Oscars.

Live Announce Vs Other Genres

Next, Diana Birdsall and I asked Randy how Live Announce reads are different. She said when she reads for the Oscars she reads it big, with confidence! It’s not about being loud, it’s about the tone and the vibe that you project. Over the years, Randy says she has mellowed. We asked Randy how different shows get different reads. Her instincts come into play a lot. For example, the Tony’s are way more compact. When in the Director’s Guild Awards she feels like she is in “rarified air” and gives a special, hipper read.

Like with other genres of voice over, actors have to make a choice. Directors give input and Randy works with that. Randy shared an anecdote about her late, great friend Chris Corley. Chris is well-known for being the voice of the MLB network, movie trailers, imaging, and more. Anyway, once auditioned. He was cast in this role. Once hired, they told him his read was not what they wanted. But, he was so committed and they loved that commitment to the read. The choices we make when we read and the characters we choose matter so much across genres.

Another interesting aspect to Live Announce is the scarcity. So, no matter how talented a voice over artist is in this genre, there are simply not enough gigs. This is why brancing out into other genres becomes necessary.

Being the First Woman to Announce the Nightly News

I confess I was beyond excited to talk to Randy about this. Only Randy not only has such a good opportunity, but her opportunities have been unique. As the first woman announcer for Prime Time, Randy broke this glass ceiling. We asked her why it took so long? Randy said men were making decisions. They went with what they new. When she got the opportunity to host the Oscars, she did not think about being first, she was thrilled. Randy’s work as the voice of news shows like GMA and Prime Time is important. She is changing perceptions about women and where we fit in the workforce.

Having Top Agency Representation and Its Implications

Atlas Talent represents Randy and all her bookings go through Atlas. Randy shares that 95% of her work comes from Atlas, and she has a few relationships of her own. We asked Randy about the impact of top representation. Having always coveted it myself, I was curious for her perspective. Randy shared she thought it is possible to still go after certain genres without such an agent. In my experience, having various regional agents I am very thankful for, there are limits. Promos, TV Affiliate, and Radio Imaging seem to be under the lock and key of the top tier agencies. As some one with lots of agents, that work just does not come my way and I sure wish it did.

Randy also talked about being a union talent. She talked about how much being part of the union means to her. The union scale jobs have been great for her career.

Exciting Clubhouse Announcements

Finally, we had big announcements! VO Master is coming back in 2022! Randy shared they are back in force this year. Rachel Wohel, Randy’s daughter and fellow VO actor, Joined us. They divulged several upcoming events.

First, they present “Marketing to Local Businesses to Become ‘The voice of your town’” with Tom Aglio. That’s this Saturday, Feb 19th from 9:30-11:30 am PST.

Next, they offer “The Anatomy of a News Promo: Work With ABC News Producer Yoni Mintz” on March 7th from 5-7 PM PST.

Lastly, for the first time ever, they are doing casting on Clubhouse! They will be casting for a dystopian poem, “Drums of Grace” by Michael Rothenberg. Randy and Dennis Kleinman have already co-narrated it. This will be a condensed version written by Cherise Alexander. They will be casting for this live reading soon, so don’t miss your opportunity!

Why Improv is Great for Voice Over

February 14, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

How did I end up doing Improv?

Firstly, I never set out to study improvisational technique when I started doing voice over. Early in my VO career I worked with amazing coach Fred Frees. Fred was my character coach. We were doing private lessons working towards a character demo. Fred is not only an established talent, but he also grew up in the industry. Fred happens to be the son of VO legend Paul Frees. There is not a voice, character, or trick that Fred can’t do. The man is amazing. One day in one of our lessons Fred told me I had to find an improv class. For me, this was out of my comfort zone. He told me that he heard repetition in my characters and that I was falling into patterns. The only way to break this was with an improv class.

Why was I nervous? Well, in the safety of my studio, I was fearless in front of a microphone. Fred suggested leaving the booth and going to an actual theater with real live people. Learning a very new different skill set was scary. It was daunting. And, it was necessary.

I found a class called “Advanced Acting and Improv” at Paper Mill Playhouse. Taught by Broadway great Elisa Va Duyne, the class was hard. I was not used to learning lines. The amount of drama was also a big change. Physicality amongst others was also new to me. But I started the class none the less. Want to know how long it took for Fred to hear a difference once class started? Fred heard a difference in my reads in one week. He said I was like a different person in our sessions.

Scott Parkin and Voice Over

Fast forward quite a few years. Now I have the luxury of having a weekly Clubhouse Room, “Ask the VO Coaches.” This week voice over legend Scott Parkin was our guest! Whether you know it or not, you likely know Scott! He is the voice and face of many recognizable brands as he does both voice over and on-camera work. He actually started out on morning radio. Scott has a national Tide TV commercial and many more. He has also made appearances on well-known shows like “Grace and Frankie.” Scott finds that the relationship between VO and on-camera work is symbiotic. Scott shared that most of his work comes in through his agents at DPN. As a single dad, his daughter Miranda grew up socializing with other talents in the DPN waiting room.

Scott Talks Improv and Voice Over

Diana Birdsall and I asked Scott why voice actors should study improv? Scott explained that improv helps you find a character. It also helps you find that sought after conversational read. For example, think about what you like to do for fun. When you respond, you make it real, including stops and starts. Scott was great fun in the Clubhouse! He fell into many characters for us. He was Angus, a Scottish soccer player. Then he was Doug from Doug’s BBQ in Texas. First Scott became the character. Then he showed how they would say their lines with ease.

Improve Across the Genres

We asked Scott which genres of voice over improv helps with. He said it is useful in all genres. We talked about assuming characters in genres like eLearning or narration. One of our attendees, Jeffrey, told Scott he is taking improv classes in Atlanta. Jeffrey asked Scott what he should look for in class. Scott said it depends on your goal, which might include:

On-Camera work
Sharpening your skills
Writing Sketches

The conversation went on to consider if improv practice can happen via zoom. Scott said that he has adapted his drills to work on-line. But, in-person classes are still the gold standard.

The Culmination of Improv: “Comet Casino”

“The Comet Casino” Original art by Miranda Parkin

Scott has a daughter Miranda. Miranda is both a voice actor and an amazing artist. Perhaps it’s because Miranda grew up surrounded by voice actors. Maybe it’s because Miranda’s dad bursts into character at the snap of a finger. Or most likely it’s because Miranda has oodles and oodles of talent! This 21 year- old phenom has created her own cartoon: “The Comet Casino.”

The show boasts an all star cast with the likes of Tara Strong, Billy West, and Maurice LeMarsh to name a few. Dad and daughter are doing all the leg work themselves. From creating the team to raising funds for animation, it is a family project. What’s the point? If you connect the dots, it’s no accident that a kid with profound improv training did this. Miranda can act. She is also an artist. Miranda had a vision. This gal also happens to have an amazing dad behind her. Now, am I saying that if you study improv you can write a show? Maybe not. But the point is, you never know where years of exposure and on-going training and coaching will take you. That’s the point. Work on your craft. In conclusion, keep working on it. And if you have the means, also support this amazing family here.

Pickups and Revisions: What’s Your Policy?

January 31, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

Why Voice Actors Need a Policy for Pickups and Revisions

As a full-time, professional voice actor, I love working with repeat clients. I love delivering finished audio I can be proud of, and over the years I’ve come up with a few strategies to reduce the number of pickups I have to do. It is important to understand the difference between pickups and revisions, and how live sessions come into play.

Just What is a Pickup

A pickup implies that you, the voice over talent, have made an error, and typically any and all performance errors are covered by the actor regardless of the size of the job’s budget. This could mean that you misread the script, it could mean that there is an odd noise in the recording and it is obscuring your work, or it could be a performance error. Perhaps you were meant to sound calm and relaxed and the client feels you give off an agitated vibe. Any of this constitutes a pickup. When I book a job, I do ask clients to give me the courtesy of asking for pickups and deliveries within 48 hours of when I give them the finished audio. Most do. Some don’t. How flexible you want to be is up to you, and makes a difference in how you feel about your relationship with the client.

What is a Revision

A revision is different than a pickup. A revision implies that the client has changed the script. Typically this means that they got your VoiceOver audio back, reviewed it, and then decided to make tweaks. For me, for jobs over $250, I include one round of minor revisions which I define as less than 20% of the script within 48 hours of delivery. If it is after 48 hours or more than 20% I charge $75 per 30-minute revision session. If the revisions are more than 40 percent of the script I adjust the rate. If the script starts to look more than 3/4 different and it is a long narration, then it becomes a new job, and negotiations begin. This is not common. In all my years as a VO talent and coach, the two times this has happened, the clients were upfront about the revisions and offered me a new rate before I even had to start worrying. If you are noticing, they are noticing. In terms of the turnaround with revisions, again, you have to decide what you can live with. For example, I work with some eLearning companies that take quite a while to review their work. For me, this is not a problem and I am happy to wait.

Throwing a Live Session into the Mix

So you have a session for Source Connect, Zoom, or Skype. Wonderful. What should your pickup policy be? Audio from a live session is always final delivery. Period. The session should not end until the clients have what they need. This is the industry standard. If the client comes back after a life session and wants a re-record, you are entitled to a fee for an entirely new booking. Basically, you have made yourself available to however many people from their team are on the call, from the producer, to the creative director, to the folks from the brand. They have plenty of time to give direction, chat, and get all that they need from you. You are not in any hurry. If, after the spot is produced, they decide to take the work in a different direction, that’s fine. They can pay you for another session.

Tips to Avoid Pickups and Revisions

In the end, here are some tips I have come up with that leave me having to do very little pickups.

On jobs under three and a half or four minutes, I deliver at least two takes. If a client has options, they are less likely to come back to you wanting more.
I deliver wilds of the end. If there is a talk line, give them lots of options of the end as you would in a live session.
If there is something that may have an unusual or unexpected pronunciation, either try to call the company and hear how they say it, or fine it on YouTube and avoid having to do the retake for that. If you can’t find it, give them wilds of the word or sentence with different pronunciations.
Try to review your audio several times before you submit it. If you are new to VoiceOver, this is a reminder that you need to do your editing for correctness to script before adding EQ/Compression/Effect stack.
If you have a long narration, I actually edit page by page. I go through each page twice before moving on to the next one. I catch my errors and it gives my voice a break.

Ultimately Why Pickups and Revision Policies Matter

In the end, we want our clients to have a great experience working with us. We want them to come back to us over and over again. If we lay out our policies clearly, and there is no room for ambiguities, communication should be seamless. Expectations should be clear. Relationships are built on trust, and when policies are consistent, because there is, in fact, an actual policy, it is much easier for a client to understand what they are being charged for and why.