Every now and again, I read something that makes me say to myself, “I wish I’d written that.” Today’s entry into this continually expanding category is The Voiceover Entrance Exam, a brilliantly succinct, pull-no-punches e-book that every — and yes, I do mean every — new or aspiring voiceover talent should devour like a hunk [...]
Archive for the ‘Strategy’ category
The Voiceover Entrance Exam
May 6, 2009Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain
April 20, 2009We still have some polishing to do, but you’re getting an advance preview of the new branding materials being developed for me by the World’s Greatest Graphic Designer — or Mr. G. (as in Graphics), as I like to call him. Technically speaking, this preview isn’t for your benefit. It’s here so that Mr. G. [...]
Pardon our dust!
April 4, 2009Don’t be surprised if you drop by here sometime in the next couple of weeks and see a strikingly different look. A friend and colleague from my corporate days — who also happens to be a graphic designer par excellence — is putting the finishing touches on The Mic Guy’s new branding elements, including a [...]
Pat-urday in San Francisco
March 9, 2009Now that I’ve had a moment to rest and recover, here’s the lowdown on last Saturday’s workshop. Pat Fraley titled the event Audition Technique Masters, which probably described everyone in the room other than me. Pat invited agent John Erlendson, principal of San Francisco’s JE Talent, to direct one of the two sessions. Sydney Rainin, [...]
Thinking ahead
March 6, 2009Tomorrow, I’m participating in Pat Fraley‘s Audition Technique Masters workshop in San Francisco. Given that I’ve never worked with Pat, or either of the other directors, I suppose this is something of an audition in itself. As I recall, I was always a dreadful first date. This workshop begins an intensive four months of VO [...]
New lightbulbs for my chandelier
February 24, 2009Now that I’ve had a night to sleep on it, here’s a summary of the lessons learned in yesterday’s coaching session. I have a tendency to cut my projection too much when reading at low-to-medium volume. I’m not sure whether I’m subconsciously being protective of the microphone (afraid of overamping it) or simply feel awkward [...]
Little victories
February 23, 2009This evening, I had my first private coaching session with a new director. I’d heard from others that this director had a reputation for being difficult to please (I’d heard another student comment that he had “worked her over” in a recent session). All trepidation aside, I was looking forward to working with this individual, [...]
Rainy days and Wednesdays
February 11, 2009If I have to trek 40 miles through the rain, Sausalito isn’t a bad place to wind up. Before my private coaching session this afternoon, I sat in my car atop the hill behind the Sausalito Public Library and looked out over Richardson Bay. The sky was glowering gray, the air clean and clear, and [...]
“Less is more”
February 3, 2009That’s the mantra that was drummed into my skull over the past four Thursday evenings in my Voicetrax narration workshop. The problem, of course, is that I am by nature a “more is more” kind of guy. I’m working on that, though, at least in terms of my narrative reads. I spent a couple of [...]
Call me sometime, when you have no class
January 23, 2009At some point during last evening’s narration class, I figured out why voiceover classes are cool. Not the voiceover part, of course. I already know why that’s cool. The class part. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I’m something of a lone wolf. Simply understood from a psychological perspective — I grew up [...]
