Voice Over Courses

“After completing the Masters Program at Such A Voice, as well as the fantastic support of everyone there, it became really easy to get moving on this adventure!”

Like many voice-over artists, Tom Sheffield decided to pursue voice-over work because friends and colleagues suggested that he could “sell [his] voice”. After completing the Masters Program with Such A Voice, Tom found it easy to move on to local sports announcing, local radio and Public Television gigs, commercials, and even some audio books for local authors. He additionally found voice-over jobs for web-based applications for corporations and non-profits. His recent success came just a few days ago when he snagged a local radio talk show, which will air Mondays through Fridays, 6pm - 8pm on 1060AM, and can be heard all the way from Castle Rock, Colorado, to Laramie, Wyoming!

One of the biggest challenges for Tom was that even though he had always been comfortable as a public speaker, working with groups in the hundreds, and being on TV, he became unexpectedly nervous in the recording studio. Like many who get behind the mic to record a demo, he started fearing that he would be a failure before he even gave himself a chance! Fortunately for Tom, the recording engineers and producers were encouraging, and Tom was able to complete his demo without any hiccups.

It has only been one year since Tom completed his training with us here in Vermont, and already his life has “exploded” with opportunities! According to Tom, “Networking with people and references has opened so many doors now … the coaching, practicing and persistence has finally paid off!”

But it didn’t come easy. A typical day for Tom starts by looking at incoming audition opportunities and seeing if there is either a personal interest in the subject matter or opportunity. He dedicates time every day to network with people interested in voice-over work and to expand his local presence. Evenings are usually reserved for recording and editing.

The best think about being a voice-over artist? “Being a voice-over artist allows me the freedom and ability to be very flexible, and I have the privilege to do a variety of things,” Tom says. “Also not having to be tied down to an office!”

Tom’s advises budding voice-over artists not to get discouraged, to keep a “thick skin,” and to learn from voice-over auditions. He also says, “Practice, practice, practice, and don’t be afraid to take chances!” For all of the practicing and networking he does, Tom also realizes the importance of marketing. He says, “Make a plan, review it with your coach, execute, and modify. Don’t try to be the answer to everyone’s needs. Break it up into manageable goals. … And most of all, LEARN!”

Furthermore, to recommends to reach out to your connections in your local area. Realize that there are a lot of people out there who would love to “be in your corner” and help you become a success! If you can find a mentor you feel comfortable working with, then you have struck gold, and your dedication will pay off in dividends.

“After completing the Masters Program at Such A Voice, as well as the fantastic support of everyone there, it became really easy to get moving on this adventure!”

Like many voice-over artists, Tom Sheffield decided to pursue voice-over work because friends and colleagues suggested that he could “sell [his] voice”. After completing the Masters Program with Such A Voice, Tom found it easy to move on to local sports announcing, local radio and Public Television gigs, commercials, and even some audio books for local authors. He additionally found voice-over jobs for web-based applications for corporations and non-profits. His recent success came just a few days ago when he snagged a local radio talk show, which will air Mondays through Fridays, 6pm - 8pm on 1060AM, and can be heard all the way from Castle Rock, Colorado, to Laramie, Wyoming!

One of the biggest challenges for Tom was that even though he had always been comfortable as a public speaker, working with groups in the hundreds, and being on TV, he became unexpectedly nervous in the recording studio. Like many who get behind the mic to record a demo, he started fearing that he would be a failure before he even gave himself a chance! Fortunately for Tom, the recording engineers and producers were encouraging, and Tom was able to complete his demo without any hiccups.

It has only been one year since Tom completed his training with us here in Vermont, and already his life has “exploded” with opportunities! According to Tom, “Networking with people and references has opened so many doors now … the coaching, practicing and persistence has finally paid off!”

But it didn’t come easy. A typical day for Tom starts by looking at incoming audition opportunities and seeing if there is either a personal interest in the subject matter or opportunity. He dedicates time every day to network with people interested in voice-over work and to expand his local presence. Evenings are usually reserved for recording and editing.

The best think about being a voice-over artist? “Being a voice-over artist allows me the freedom and ability to be very flexible, and I have the privilege to do a variety of things,” Tom says. “Also not having to be tied down to an office!”

Tom’s advises budding voice-over artists not to get discouraged, to keep a “thick skin,” and to learn from voice-over auditions. He also says, “Practice, practice, practice, and don’t be afraid to take chances!” For all of the practicing and networking he does, Tom also realizes the importance of marketing. He says, “Make a plan, review it with your coach, execute, and modify. Don’t try to be the answer to everyone’s needs. Break it up into manageable goals. … And most of all, LEARN!”

Furthermore, to recommends to reach out to your connections in your local area. Realize that there are a lot of people out there who would love to “be in your corner” and help you become a success! If you can find a mentor you feel comfortable working with, then you have struck gold, and your dedication will pay off in dividends.

When you analyze an audition script for a voice-over job, you probably mark it up like you learned to do in your voice-over technique training classes. Make notes about what words and adjectives the writer employed, look for hidden meaning and clues to who the target audience or speaker are. You might makes notations for where to take a breath, where to come up or down in your volume or energy. Sometimes you think you are on the right track, but then you get thrown off by some funny punctuation that is inconsistent with the way you want to read the rest of the copy. Instead of scrapping your work, keep these notes in mind so that you can keep the punctuation on the page, and not in your voice!

Commas can provide good natural places to pause in the copy to take a breath, pause, use inflection in your voice to denote a list of items, or to set off phrases. Depending on the script, pausing for every comma could be (and sound) laborious! Often the commas are used for grammatical purposes, but if you don’t hear the pause when you say it in real life, don’t add it to the copy. It will sound forced and unnatural!

Rhetorical questions are questions that look like a question on the page, but they are not meant to be answered. Common rhetorical quips might include, “Why me, God?” or the sarcastic remark, “Who knew?” You’re not actually expecting an answer when you say that, so don’t end the remark with an inflection in your voice. Similarly, a longer rhetorical question could look like this: “How much longer will we have to put up with this?” The trick with the longer rhetorical questions is that they are more often situation-specific. Use your good judgement on these, and don’t be afraid to try it a couple of different ways to see what sounds best.

If every sentence in the copy has an exclamation mark after it, don’t assume the writer meant every sentence to be read with the same intensity! Again, this depends on the context! Even a high-energy, hard-sell copy should ebb and flow! Maybe the writer was too excited and didn’t know what sentence deserved the most emphasis!

Ellipses is another tricky one … According to Wikipedia, an ellipses is, “an intentional omission of a word or a phrase from the original text. An ellipsis can also be used to indicate a pause in speech, an unfinished though, or at the end of a sentence, a trailing off into silence…” All though the ellipsis has become pandemic in today’s emails or Facebook, inserting the sound of an ellipsis can make you sound listless, depressed, or flaky … Of course, if that’s the sound you are going for, then by all means…

No matter what kind of shape the copy is in when it falls into your hands, use your good voice-over technique training and judgement to know when to follow the written word or not. Record it a few different ways to see which areas don’t sound natural to you, then re-work them. And never, ever comment to the client about the writer’s poor English skills — they may have written it themselves!

For more details, visit: www.suchavoice.com

As the sun sets earlier in the day, and rises even later, you body demands unreasonable amounts of sleep and more quality time with your couch and television. The cold shuts us inside our homes, making us content to sample boxes of cookies and down endless mugs of hot cocoa and tea. We deal with the expected holiday stresses: battling the hoards of shoppers at the mall, attending numerous holiday parties, and making delicious recipes that we actually only pull out this time of year. Our other goals and ambitions tend to fall by the wayside so that we can do … nothing. On the one hand, winter offers you vacation and snow days, which is the perfect excuse to seclude yourself and re-watch all of the Harry Potter movies. On the other hand, it could present you with the perfect opportunity and motivation (you have been lacking since Thanksgiving!) to get your budding voiceover career to blossom during these winter months!

Take these tips below, and continue to find creative ways to weave your voice over work into the holiday season:

1. Involve your friends and family. Just because the kids are home from school and your house is crowded with guests, it does not mean that you won’t be able to get some quiet time for your voiceovers. This is the perfect opportunity to show your friends and family what you have been up to with all of your voice over training and fancy equipment! Teach them how the set-up works, and put the producer’s hat on for a while. Get a laugh or two out of recording their sample voiceovers and playing them back. Chances are they will support your hard work even more now that they see how difficult it is. Later, they will understand when you say you need to go to “work,” and just walk down to the basement!

2. Voiceovers: the gift that keeps on giving. Come up with creative gifts to get you back in your home recording studio! Instead of typing and printing holiday newsletters or cards for your family and friends, mix it up this year by sending a narrated holiday greeting! Personalize it even more by getting the whole family involved, and I guarantee no one will notice that it didn’t even cost a dime. Have children? Take the opportunity to record some holiday favorites, including T’was the Night Before Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and A Christmas Carol.

And if time management is an issue…

3. Set your goal, and work backwards. Actually, this is great advice any time of year. For example, if you want to bake cookies, wrap gifts, and be in bed by 10:00pm, calculate the time it takes to wrap presents and bake cookies, and subtract that time from 10:00pm. For example, it will take an hour to wrap presents, so make sure that you start at 9:00pm so that you can still be in bed at 10:00pm. The cookies will probably take about 45 minutes, so make sure to start those at 8:15pm, unless they can be in the oven while you wrap presents. You finished dinner at 6:30pm, so you now have almost 2 hours to dedicate to working on your webpage or auditioning for a voice over job. Use this time management strategy daily to balance your holiday time, reduce stress, and stay well-rested.

Stay committed to your success in the voiceover industry by making voiceovers part of your daily life as much as possible. Renew your affirmation in the new year by telling your friends and families your goal. Saying it out loud will help motivate you to stay on track to reach your goals!

Hey Everyone!!

This year we decided to spread a little free holiday cheer by posting some of the funniest holiday voiceovers out there! Send us your original voiceovers — either audio or video, poking fun at the holidays and/or voiceovers. Themes can include: family fun, hilarious holiday traditions, silly scenarios, voiceover no-no’s, or anything else that’s blog-worthy this holiday season.

Before you ask: there are no rules, there are no prizes, and there are no deadlines! Just share the holiday spirit with fellow voiceover artists, and lend us a laugh on the blog that we can return to at any time of the year! Email submissions through the new year to: Kat@suchavoice.com, and we’ll post them as soon as we get them!

We’ll get this party started by posting a couple of our favorites here!

Happy holidays, and spread the cheer!

Before I start, I’m pumped to let the “cat” out the bag and announce that Such A Voice is launching its very own *podcast* in January, 2010! While we are still ironing out some details, so far I can tell you that Mel Allen and I will be producing the podcast together. I know what you’re thinking: “But you just had your voiceover training! — How could you possibly offer me any useful information?” I will be the first to admit that Mel is the “Yoda” of the show, and I’m (at best) the “Daniel-san,” eager to learn from all of Mel’s years in the industry! [Or Mel is Mr. Miyagi and I’m … ]

Although I’m saving a majority of the details for our first couple episodes, I’ll share the backstory as to how I ended up as a Masters Program student here at Such A Voice. We first thought it would be a good idea for me to participate in the Masters Program strictly for professional reasons. As PR Director, I’m better equipped to help students, field questions, and work with the media on the classes and workshops if I have first-hand knowledge of our products.

Because I approached this process for PR purposes only, and not as an aspiring voiceover talent, I expected to be more of an “active” observer instead of a participant. Boy, was I wrong about that! Not only was I not able to blend in with the wallpaper because we intentionally maintain a small class size, but the Group Technique Teleconference piqued my interest and attention from the get-go so that I wanted to participate more! This is where I realized how much fun it would be to become a voiceover artist!

I walked away from the first teleconference excited to do my “homework”! I couldn’t help but listen to the radio differently, read a book at night with a more dynamic narration playing inside my head, and I looked at everything — from the back of my shampoo bottle and cereal box to prescription medicine ads in magazines — as commercial scripts. I listened to TV commercials more than I watched them, and I found myself analyzing them from the client’s perspective: who are they trying to target? What’s the underlying message here? How did the voiceover artist accomplish that?

All the pieces to the puzzle fell into place during the Masters Program. Working with all types of real copy in small groups and alone sparked our creative energies, and we quickly became more articulate with our analyses and feedback. It was clear that everyone had come prepared to soak up as much knowledge and tips as we could. Brian Thon, Jodi Petersen, and Brendan Coyle provided us with a wealth of voiceover technique tips and marketing strategies to take home with us. By the time I walked into the recording studio, I felt well-prepared, confident, and excited for the professional voiceover artist experience!

Now, my homework is to practice the many techniques I got in my voice over coaching sessions, continue to play with my voice and learn to control my voice in ways I had never thought of. We left equipped with CDs on social media and marketing, and I am currently working on creating my brand, and everything else that goes with that.

Stay tuned for our podcast in the new year, when we’ll go more in depth to my experiences in the Masters Program, and you’ll get to hear what I’ve been up to since then!

For more details, viist: www.suchavoice.com

“It just made sense for me to join the Mentor Program so that I could be diligent and plow ahead on what I do know, but then I could stop and ask the pro for advice along the way.”– Dennis Gimmel, Mentor Program student of Brian Thon

When Dennis Gimmel completed the Masters Program back at the end of May with Brian Thon and Dan Levine, he graduated feeling very encouraged that he was on the right path and relieved that he had joined a voiceover training program that gave him a “first class demo.” Even before he hit the market for auditions and gigs, he signed up with Brian Thon in the Mentor Program because he recognized how crucial it was to develop a business the right way in an industry as competitive as the voiceover industry.

“As time went on, it was such a valuable thing,” Gimmel says. Taking the branding and marketing homework he got in the Masters Program, he quickly developed his own brand and webpage, which he felt immediately gave him credibility in the clients’ eyes. He followed the advice he received in the Masters Program, such as contacting agencies and asking for who would be the right person to send demos to, following up with emails the next week, and contacting businesses he hadn’t heard from in a couple of months.

The voice over jobs started trickling in, and Gimmel was happy to be able to provide clients with what they were looking for. This isn’t to say that he didn’t have any bumps along the way. Gimmel admits he has never been business savvy, which is where Brian Thon came in. Dennis and Brian met for one hour once a month to touch bases on how Dennis’ marketing strategy was coming along.

“I wasn’t nervous when a client asked me a question about music or another technique that I didn’t know the answer to,” Gimmel says. “In the back of my head I knew that I could just ask Brian later on.”

For Dennis, the continued support from Brian was invaluable to establish himself as a professional voice over artist. With Brian’s help, he could sound like he had more experience than he actually had, which always helps in business.

Dennis highly recommends the Mentor Program to those just getting started in the industry. He says, “If you’re serious enough to join the Masters Program, then you’re serious about pursuing voiceovers. It’s just common sense to take that extra step to get continued support and guidance until you’re seasoned enough to be able to answer your own questions.”

“I wanted to make sure that my ideas and goals were on-track and not overly ambitious — and also to make sure i was being ambitious enough!”

–Mary Catherine Joes, from the Mentor Program with Brian Thon

Mary Catherine heard about the Mentor Program opportunity in the Masters Program, and again in blog posts and the newsletters, but it took her a few months before she decided to join the Mentor Program with Brian Thon. Knowing that she would work best if she had someone she could check in with, she also wanted to make sure that she wasn’t making the mistake of reaching too far or selling herself too short! Jones and Such A Voice Producer and Coach Brian Thon had worked together during the Masters Program, and she felt sure that she would enjoy learning more from him.

“The program has been almost exactly what I expected — only better!” says Jones. In the beginning, she was concerned that she would run out of questions or that Brian would ask her to do something that she wasn’t ready for. On the contrary, she says, “The sessions are jam-packed with exactly the information I need at the time that I need it.” By keeping a list of topics they discuss from month to month, it makes it easier for Mary Catherine to chart her progress and see concrete results.

“The best part is, I don’t ever feel that my questions are too elementary. Brian reminds me that even he was new at this once upon a time.”

Mary Catherine really values Brian’s energy and enthusiasm as well. She recently hit a wall with a potential client who looked like he was going to move on to another voiceover talent. She mentioned what was going on to Brian, who immediately suggested that she record another version of the audition, even though the prospective client hadn’t asked for it. She sent along two more versions and ended up landing her first gig of 2010!

Mary Catherine’s new year’s resolution (or business plan) with Brian is to tackle her local market in the Burlington, Vermont area. She plans to network with the Chamber of Commerce, as well as offer her services for producing audio-tours for some of the city’s many local art museums. When asked how she plans on accomplishing that, she said, “That is between me and my mentor! Ha ha!”

Keep up the great work, Mary Catherine, and we look forward to hearing more of your voice around Burlington this year! For more information on the Mentor Program, visit this email address info@suchavoice.com

“I used the marketing tips I got from the Masters Program to not only launch my voiceover career, but also my acting career!” -Heather McCormack, Talent of the Month

A recent graduate of the Masters Program, Heather has already taken many of the marketing strategies she learned from us and applied them to help build her voiceover and acting careers. She first got into acting in college, where she enjoyed the creative freedom and interactions she got with other talent. Heather learned to control her voice like an instrument in her theatre classes, and she finds it easy to summon a wide range of tones, emotions and feelings with her voice — only one of the reasons that makes Heather a great new voice talent.

After she graduated from the Masters Program with Such A Voice’s Producer and Coach Brian Thon, Heather took our advice and started marketing herself in her local community and offer her talents to people she knows. She soon found her first professional voiceover artist gig recording a 230-page audiobook for a co-worker of hers!

Heather’s current project couldn’t be more suited for her. Having just completed her Masters Degree in Psychology, Heather jumped at the opportunity to audition both as an actor and voiceover artist for a video on couples counseling. Her familiarity with the subject area and passion for counseling makes her the perfect candidate. She plans to offer her voiceover skills to the same company for a PSA on couples counseling as well.

Of her early success, she says, “If it weren’t for the things I gained from attending the Masters Program, I would not have had the resources or knowledge to find and pursue these jobs.”

What Heather finds most challenging about getting started is figuring out a schedule and sticking to it! While she practices her voiceover technique everyday while multitasking work and taking care of her 6-year-old child, it’s hard for her to set aside blocks of time to dedicate to researching and making new contacts. “I don’t feel like I’m getting anything done unless I have a good 2 or 3 hours to dedicate to networking,” she says. “I’m trying to tell myself that 30 minutes’ worth of work can still be significant.”

When she does find the time, Heather is making connections with people who want to meld creative pursuits with voiceover acting. Unlike traditional voiceover work, Heather wants to work with people who will give her creative license to work with the material. She likes working with NewFiction.com because they record audiobooks in the style of old time radio shows, with each character read by a separate actor. Down the road, Heather would also like to get into character voices and narrations.

Her advice for new voiceover artists? “TENACITY! — don’t let anyone get you down,” Heather says. “If you approach everything with confidence and a friendly attitude, you’ll go farther than on raw talent alone.” And finally, “Don’t give up!”

Great job, Heather! Keep it up, and we look forward to hearing more of you!

For more details, visit: www.suchavoice.com

By this point, you’re probably napping on the couch or resting your jaws so you can chomp on more delicious Thanksgiving food! In the season of gratitude, we think it’s important to let you know what we at Such A Voice are grateful for. First of all, we’re thankful for the opportunity to help people achieve their dreams of becoming voice over artists. It is so rewarding when we see our students succeed, especially when they’re really working hard at it. We are proud of our training programs and are so thankful that we get to work with professionals in the voice over industry each and every day.

A few Such A Voice folks wanted to chime in and show their gratitude as well. Jim Chapman, Event Manager, says: I am thankful for the constant support of family and friends. I am also thankful for the opportunity to teach others how to approach the game of baseball. I am a big believer that you can learn a lot about how to deal with the success and failures of life by what you learn on the diamond.

Catherine Marshall, Director of Public Relations, says: I’m thankful to be surrounded by loving friends and family over the holidays! I love Vermont, but I am farther away from family than I would like to be. I’m thankful for my loving and considerate boyfriend, who makes me feel special every day. And last, but not least, I’m thankful to work at a company that gives me creative freedom and support while encouraging me to succeed as a budding voiceover artist. We’re a close-knit group here at Such A Voice!

Chris Bramley, Business Development, says: I am thankful for the good health of those close to me, working with an awesome group of people, the great relationships I have with my friends in Burlington and all over the world, and for how sweet it is to live in Vermont with the mountains, Lake Champlain, the culture, the music, and outdoor activities.

Kat Maund, Director of Social Media Marketing, says: I am thankful to have a beautiful and supportive family, amazing friends, music in all forms, and for gut-busting laughter. I’m also extremely grateful to work in an environment that fosters creativity and the pursuit of knowledge in my field. Last but not least, I’m thankful for Charlie, the office dog who so kindly greets me each and every morning when I come to work.

If we were to keep going, it would take days to list everything we’re thankful for! Let us know what you’re grateful for this holiday season!

For more details, visit: www.suchavoice.com

When I received an email from former Such A Voice student Neda Peshut announcing that she would be walking a marathon with Team in Training to help raise $3,800 for research and patient services, I couldn’t not donate to her cause. Sure, blood cancer doesn’t have anything to do with voice-overs per se, and it doesn’t directly tie into our mission as a voiceover training and demo production company, but I was touched that Neda would include us in the list of friends and families likely to support her.

As it turned out, I talked to Neda on her birthday to let her know that we would contribute $100 to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). I took it with a grain of salt when she said this was the best birthday present she’d received, but her laughter and positive energy was down-right contagious!

When asked what made her decide to do this, she didn’t really have an answer. Having successfully completed her first marathon ten years ago, she wants to see if she is as fit as she feels at a young 53 years old. “Plus, you know, the New Orleans Marathon is a very easy walk, very flat.” Not sure a marathon is ever easy, I just responded, “Oh… Right.”

For Neda, the decision to do something in her power to help those with blood cancers was an emotional one. A friend’s 5-year-old daughter died of leukemia years ago, and the tragedy is something that is still with them today. She joined a Team in Training group in the Los Angeles area, and many of the members of the team are driven to walk the 26.2 miles by a similar loss of family member or friend.

Neda and her team are set to walk the 26.2 miles on February 28, 2010. In the spirit of giving and being thankful for the healthy ones in my life, we are happy to support Neda! For more information, or to make any donation you can, please go to: http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/mardigra10/npesut

Neda Peshut is a successful voiceover artist and actress, living in the greater Los Angeles area.

If you know of a voiceover-related charity, or an organization that works with people who have disabled voices, feel free to let me know on the blog! We are always looking for great opportunities to give back to the community!

For more details, visit: www.suchavoice.com