Keeping the Faith – 2

Grand Canyon photo taken by my friend, Michelle

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately refreshing and improving my knowledge on the technical aspects of voiceover recording. Here are two links that I found to be most helpful.

Dynamics Processing Explained, A Tutorial

and
Click Removal in Sound Forge 5.0 Even though this is an old edition of sound Forge, the technique is probably still valid.

Here according to one of Pat Fraley’s (one of my fave VO tutors) voices.com podcast lecture are the

9 Critical Skills to Voiceover :

Acting
Reading & Voice
Relaxation
Character and Accents
Energy
Microphone Technique
Business
Sense of scene and Text analysis
Improvision

Ok, got that? Now here’s Susan Berkeley’s interpretation, which I found in Susan’s e-book -

The 7 core voiceover-competencies:

Voice Quality
Diction
Reading skills
Acting Skills
Relationship/Networking skills
Technical skills
Marketing skills

One of my favourite tools for keeping my faith and energy in a positive place are ‘Oracle Cards.’ I discovered them on a couple of my trips to Glastonbury [England].

To me they are quite good for inspiration or guidance, and for focus.

I usually shuffle them while thinking of my question or a statement about some aspect of my voiceover career. Then I pick three — turn them over, and have a read and a think.

The artwork on them is quite beautiful – so that’s a creative, uplifting blast right there.

I’m drawn to the card sets that express the ideas in practical, easy-to-understand language. These cards are brilliant, easy to understand and quick to use, as I often don’t have time to go through a whole drawn out ritual. I like to pick out three at the start of a day — sometimes plucking a few cards from one deck and a few from another deck — and then get on with the business of the day.

The cards that I currently use are “Magical Mermaids and Dolphins” by Doreen Virtue [because I've been very fond of dolphins for years], and “Cosmic Ordering Oracle Cards” by Barbel Mohr.

The “Angelic Abundance” cards by Angela McGerr are really cool as well. They’re divided into various categories for different aspects of the user’s [the person using the cards] life.

Of course Oracle Cards don’t replace the marketing, learning, networking, etc. that one needs to do to keep any type of career on track, but the cards are darn good little helpers and good friends.

How do you keep yourself focused and moving in the right direction?

Cheers!

Bookmark this on Delicious

A Walk on the Wild (Nature’s)Side

A little bit of Voiceover/Life Advice which turned up in my

email in-box the other day.

“Turn your dream into a vision, then into a goal, then into a plan and then into reality! After all, a goal is nothing more than a dream with a deadline!

 

Had a chance to take a little break recently in the form of a 6-mile walk along the South West Coastal Path, along the cliffs from a place in Devon called Budleigh-Salterton to Exmouth. I thought it might be too much, but it was great fun. Good exercise. Devon is a lovely area of England. What is it, I wonder, about open spaces that makes one burst into song while hiking? Rather than rabbit on further, I’ll just show you the piccies…

The Starting point

Stop and smell the flowers along the way!

 

 

Clowning around with hubby.

 

 

Looks like we’re in good company here!

 

 

Seagulls getting a free lunch by following the potato farmer

as he turns over the soil.

 

 

This made me feel like we were walking through

a secret fairy garden!

 

The end of the hike at Exmouth. Done! Where’s the pub?!

After our little sojourn, it was back to work. Finished off and uploaded an e-learning video last week focusing on improving listening comprehension skills for beginning/intermediate learners of English as a Second Language. (Please see “Voice Over Videos -3″ page.) Ready to roll now on the next voiceover project. Where are you? Bring it on!

Cheers…

VOX 2009 and all…

Bob Soeur, myself, Deidre Cooper, and Philip Banks

Attending VOX2009 was fantastic. It was so good to meet some voiceover peeps whom I’d only known through the VO-BB (see sidebar for a link to this forum) and to hook with some vo colleagues based here in London. Above are some of my mates from the VO-BB.

Trish Bertram and Anthony Richardson

London-based voiceovers – Trish and Anthony

David, and Mike Cooper

More London peeps — David (not sure of surname)
[just found out! David Vickery],

and Mike Cooper

Meeting the various producers was a wonderful opportunity to present my voiceover services to people whom I don’t ordinarily have a chance to interact. Speed networking is something else! 15 seconds for producers to tell about themselves,and then 1-minute for me to present myself, then the whistle blows and it’s move along swiftly to the next chair and producer. Wow! It was very exhilarating experience. But if you’re clear on your purpose, know your services and where you’re coming from, and listen carefully to the producer’s intro… it’s very do-able.

Now all the excitement is over and it’s back to gigging, marketing myself and everyday life. I’ve just received a script for a Dr. Who internet radio drama. My character wasn’t ravaged by the monsters…she’s back. Hooray! I love acting. I love voice acting.

I’ve also produced two real estate/travel oriented video tour narration demos. They’re in the videos section of this blog. Just did an audition for what looks like a fun project — so fingers crossed on that one!

Keep smiling, keep positive, keep voicing!

Cheers

Money is our Good Friend!

Hello Voiceover pals, colleagues and clients.

Received this beautiful piccie in my email this morning. This gorgeous lady is — I believe — the goddess of prosperity. I wish I knew her exact name. Does anybody know what it is?

Prosperity is Everywhere!

Wishing you all a shining day, and the best of opportunities & assistance  for permanent prosperity in all your endeavors. Be thankful daily for all of your blessings. You are lucky!

 

Cheers…

Voiceover News/Tips & the Glastonbury Moment

Chris, Panda&Dale (visiting from US)and Fiona

Met up recently with some voiceover chums from Pendant Audio Productions. Panda and Dale were visiting from America, via Ireland, so we all got a chance to hook up and talk shop. It was going great till the fire alarm went off and everyone in the pub was herded outside. Oh, well there you go! Time to break up and go home, the party’s over. The internet is really great, it’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with peeps of common interests, and collaborate on projects via long distance, and it’s even better when you finally can meet “offline”!

 

James Alburger & Penny Abshire have gifted us with a fantastic Resource on Delivering Your Files. It’s an invaluable tutorial on the various methods that we can use to get files from us to the client. Thank you James and Penny!

If you’re tired of all of the gloom and doom in the media. Here’s a little something to counterbalance that point of view. It’s a new blog, that I visited the other day, entitled, Good News Blog. Happy Reading!

 

When we were in Glastonbury a few weeks ago, I found a little card with a prayer that’s been circulating around the town. You can find this card in many of the shops as well. I think it’s a wonderful example of the power of collective consciousness used to create your own reality, taking charge versus just absorbing like a sponge. These merchants and residents are creating their own belief of prosperity, despite what goes on around them. Maybe some of this is applicable to anybody, anywhere. Here’s the prayer:

The Glastonbury Moment

Spirit of All Life, Mother and Father of us all, look with loving kindness on this community of Glastonbury and Avalon.

Bless all beings here with love, compassion and growing consciousness.

Help us to be good neighbours as we build a safe, creative and prosperous town in which all children are cared for and all people supported in their growth and fulfillment.

Inspire us to care for our sacred landscape so as to benefit the natural world and our children’s children for generations to come.

Help us to be mindful and caring towards our many visitors and pilgrims, honouring their diverse paths and faiths, as we honour and celebrate the diversity of belief among ourselves.

We pray for peace and justice at home and all across the world.

Blessed be. Amen. Om.

Cheers!

Keep the Faith!

Niagara Falls – Canada side

I’ve been having a little bit of a busy time lately. I’m working on editing and cleaning up the VO for an audiobook project. It’s great fun finding bits of sound effects to be judiciously added to the action. Not too many, but enough to give an idea of the energy of the chapter. Next will be a mystery audiobook project.

There are also plans for three YouTube voiceover videos in the works. Add to that the usual round of auditions (fingers perpetually crossed!), and marketing. Looking forward immensely to VOX 2009 next month. It’ll be my first time to attend, so I’ll tell all in a future blog.

Found this beautiful inspirational poem in an email the other day.

CHEERFUL THOUGHTS
LIGHTEN DARKEST FEARS

Cheerful thoughts like sunbeams Lighten up the “darkest fears,” For when the heart is happy, There’s just no time for tears. And when the face is smiling, It’s impossible to frown, And when you are “high-spirited,” You cannot feel “low-down.” For the nature of our attitude Toward circumstantial things, Determines our acceptance Of the problems that life brings. And since fear and dread and worry Cannot help in any way, It’s much healthier and happier To be cheerful every day. And if you’ll only try it You will find, without a doubt, A cheerful attitude’s something No one should be without. For when the heart is cheerful, It cannot be filled with fear, And without fear, the way ahead, Seems more distinct and clear. Helen Steiner Rice (1900-1981) www.HelenSteinerRice.com

 

I really sincerely hope this brighens your day as much as it did mine. Keep the faith, it’ll all be right in the end! Don’t let any gloomy media stories bring you down! We are all winners!

 

Cheers… Stefania

FULL SPEED AHEAD!

Hi all – clients, prospective clients and VO pals!

 

 I’m working on editing an audiobook, and then looking forward to starting on the next audio project. Starting artwork for a new animation production soon to go on my YouTube channel. And, busy with increased marketing activity as well, whilst waiting for a few “projects in discussion” to materalise. So, today’s blog is a quickie!

 

News of two valuable VO resources from Edge Studios arrived in this morning’s email.

 

3,500 Free Practice Scripts

 

http://www.edgestudio.com/scripts.htm

 

Free Industry (VO) Guidebook

 

http://www.edgestudio.com/guidebook.htm

 

 

That’s all for today…see – told you this was going to be a really quick chat!

 

 

Cheers…

 

Stefania

Ego and Voiceover

Mountain temple in Japan

The other day I was working on a project. A colleague offered to help.

My first thought was ‘that’s ok’ I can handle this. Then — perhaps as a result of all the positive reading that I’ve done and podcasts that I’ve listened to — another thought came to mind, and the actual words that came out of my mouth were in the vein of…’this is what I’ve done — what do you think? How can I improve it?’.

In another instance a respected colleague said to me, ‘move this to the beginning of your demo, and dump this other demo, it doesn’t work for me’.

I thought about it and said, ok…I respect this person’s opinion & experience…I’m going to follow his advice.

I’ve spent much time in the past ‘protecting myself’ and forging ahead. I’ve discovered it’s liberating to work as part of a team and ask for help and feedback.

The voiceover world is no place for those of a delicate disposition of one kind or another. In the studio, it’s good and necessary, to be open to client feedback and different interpretations. We might think we did a stellar read — but if the client wants it done a totally different way — open up to being “schooled” and do the revised version with enthusiasm and love for the craft. You wanna get asked back, don’t you? Humility is a good thing sometimes. There’s strength in letting go and flowing.

Here’s a tip from Mark Hunter, “The Sales Hunter” [see link on the side of this page].

“At the end of each day, congratulate yourself for accomplishing whatever you believed was your most successful event of the day, even if it is something as small as getting an email from someone. The key is to never allow your day end with a negative thought.”

Cheers…

2009 — Day by Day

A lovely beach in Cyprus

 

2009 — Discipline, Fun, Growth, Prosperity, Service,

New Contacts/Clients, Friendship, Enthusiasm

No new year’s resolutions here…Just plans to build on progress made in the last year and keep on the path.

Friendship is so important. Thank you to all of my new friends whoI’ve met on my travels, at various networking events, and to all my cyber mates, especially the lovelies at vo-bb, who’ve helped, supported, and encouraged me over the past year. I hope that I’ve been encouraging and useful to you too!

Exciting v-over projects and plans in the pipeline for 1st quarter, 2009, but mum’s the word till the deals are actually gone down, and the money’s in my hand (or in my Paypal account)!

I’m often surprised when I get asked for advice on pursuing a voice over career. I don’t consider myself that far along that I can dispense advice, but I want to be helpful. So, the main thing that I try to get across is just ‘having a nice voice’ isn’t going to cut it. You need constant training, diligent hard work and marketing, and knowledge of how to work with your voice and take care of it. Then I’m always grateful that I can point these folks in some constructive direction for further guidance.

One of my voiceover colleagues, Philip Banks, encourages us to do something every day regarding our voice over careers, & to keep track of what we do, for steady progress and growth. This is brilliant advice!

A friend gave me a mini-calendar that’s perfect for this purpose. I’ve already started using it exclusively to keep track of auditions, emails from potential clients, gigs booked, items sent out, etc. I have it hanging on a basket on my desk, so there’s no hunting about for it — I can just grab it and jot down the info. It’s clearly in my eyesight so I don’t forget about it & I can be consistent in keeping it up to date.

Lovely hubby gave me a digital recorder as a crimbo pressie. I look forward to now following Pamela Lewis’ (Talking Funny for Money) advice to take my recorder with me as I’m out and about to record voices and sounds that could be useful for future characters. It’s great to finally have a device that’s small enough to use for this purpose! It’s a great tool for any voice actor.

“Discipline yourself to do what you need to do to get where you want to go. You won’t wake up one day & find yourself a success. You would have systematically made it happen by consistently doing the little things every single day, that add up to a successful life.”
Dr. Kem Thompson

Cheers!

My 2nd Audio Blog…More nuggets on positive living and inspiration

This is a picture of beautiful koi fish living in a canal in a small village in Japan.

 

I dug up a book today that has been sitting on our bookcase for ages. I bought it and never had time to read it. I’ve been doing a lot of voice over marketing and voice over auditions lately. I just had a hunch to pull it out this book. Maybe the Universe is trying to tell me something!

The book  — by Dr. Daniel T. Drubin –is called:

Busting Your Rut — 33 Practical Lessons to Alter Your Destiny,

Transform Your Life and Free Your  Spirit

I did a little recording of a section from the book entitled:  Change Happens When You Do

Let’s all stay positive no matter what’s going on in the world and keep on moving forward! Please click on the link below to go to the recording.  

Daniel Drubin-Bustin Your Rut

Cheers!