Coaching

The One Voice Conference USA; Don’t Miss it!!

August 23, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

I’m Leaving on a Jet Plane…

Yes, even in the midst of the mounting news about the delta variant, with great enthusiasm I am packing my bags and flying to, of all places, Dallas, TX for the OneVoice Conference. Why? Because the amazing J. Michael Collins and his team have worked hard to create a lineup that is great for both newcomers and established professionals alike. And if you think I’ve been flying about so what’s one more trip, this is actually the first flight I am taking since the pandemic began. So I want to explain up front why I am comfortable and what your options are before we delve into the details about the conference.

The conference is being held at a Hyatt on airport property. Consequently, masks are required while in all common spaces. This would not have been true had they chosen a different site. I plan to mask up while indoors except for at meals and when I am presenting. Next, J. Michael explains that there will be about 300 people in attendance at OneVoice. Last week there was an anime conference at our venue. They hosted 1000 guests and that dod not feel crowded, so with only 300 voice actors, we should have ample room to distance. It is also important to note that it is the policy of the conference that you have up until the day before to cancel for a full refund or switch to an online pass with no questions asked. J. Michael explained that because he, Hugh Edwards, and Peter Dickson earn their income in other ways, they can offer this level of flexibility to conference attendees. When I heard this, I was blown away by their generosity of spirit and level of understand. Running a conference is hard enough, and these guys are really putting others’ needs first. Lastly, J. Michael talked about the availability of rapid tests for those who feel they need them. Lastly, then conference team even have different lanyards to distinguish between those who want hugs and those who prefer to distance. I will take hugs! For me personally, as I have family members with precarious health concerns, I plan to quarantine for three days post travel and already have a PCR test scheduled at CVS for day 3. So, will all that thought of, I have an array of masks and some travel air purifiers and I will come with all the enthusiasm in my heart.

Why Dallas?

When they could have had the conference anywhere in the country, I was curious how J. Michael came to choose Dallas. He explained that its central location was a huge draw, making it easy for everyone to get to. JMC explains that it is much more cosmopolitan than people realize, and that it has Diana Birdsall who now lives in Dallas conquered that it has become quite a melting pot. In addition to the vibrant culture, the restaurant offerings, and the sports, it’s a city that has grown up and a place we would all be excited to visit. When we asked J. Michael if he plans to keep the conference there going forward he said he yes, he loves building a relationship with a venue and he wants us to be treated well going forward.

The Tech of the OneVoice

For those who don’t know, Hugh Edwards has created his own platform called reattendance. This offers seamless virtual conferencing. They are also working with an AV company local to Dallas and Uncle Roy Yokelson of Antland Productions is in charge of everything Tech on site. For all attendees, whether in person or remote, you will have access to the recordings of the sessions.

The Awards Night

In the UK, the OneVoice awards are the only awards for voice over talent there are. When they brought the conference to the US this year, they had over 2000 submissions. Unlike other awards events, it is free to enter and the statue is free. JMC said we need as many celebrations of what we do as possible, and I rather agree! This is just another opportunity to lift each other up.

Some of the Highlights

J. Michael tells us he is really excited about the blend of living legends and rising stars at the conference. He says that they keynotes will be wonderful. He is excited about guests like Joe Cipriano, Randall Ryan, Melissa Disney, Vince Lebica, and Bill Farmer. He is also really excited about the workshops, some of which still have availability.

Other Details to Note

There will be a TriBooth available for use. With the exception of the awards night, all meals are on your own. There is a restaurant in the hotel that will be open 3 meals a day. Pastries and coffee with be out in the morning in the conference area. About 5 minutes from the hotel by car there are several great restaurants. Attendees and presenters ca park for free in terminal C which connects. Please note, there are two Hyatts at the Dallas airport hotel. The conference is at the Hyatt Regency across from terminal C. There is a shuttle. For those who need more assistance J. Michael recommends blacklane.com.

Our Demo Giveaway

https://youtu.be/bULrow3DHgw

If you missed it in our earlier postings, we are doing a commercial demo giveaway to OneVoice USA attendees! Here is the info and good luck:)

Getting Noticed Using Voice Over Marketing

July 25, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

Whether you’ve been able to tune in to our Clubhouses the past few months, fellow professional female voice talent and coach Diana Birdsall and I have been spending A LOT of time talking about voice over marketing in our weekly club “Ask the VO Coaches.” Why? As working creatives, we wear a lot of hats, but we have to run our business like a business, which means building lasting relationships with clients. The best way to do this is with marketing. This week, we were fortunate to have the amazing Montreal-based talent, coach, and demo producer Kim Handysides join our panel! Kim is a true inspiration and a wealth of knowledge. For those who don’t know, Kim happens to be in a weekly accountability group with me and Diana, so we know her quite well. Kim has blazed a path for women in voice over, pushing the boundaries of what women can earn, where women can work, and proving just how much one woman can do! Kim has done it all through smarts, fierce determination, creativity, and oodles of talent. So, if you sadly missed hearing her wisdom, here is just a taste of what you missed out on from the great one.

Voice Over Marketing with Kim Handysides

Kim has always had a uniquely creative approach to marketing. In the early 1980s, when Kim launched her voice over business, she created a demo tape and marketing campaign all themed around a coffee break. She hired an actor to go with her, dressed in makeup, and around break time at 10:15 Am, they would approach potential clients like ad agencies. They were able to get into and actually talk to 90% of the companies they approached. While there was an initial investment of about $700, which in that time was even more money than it is today, Kim started her business with this campaign and still works with many of these companies today.

Inbound vs Outbound Voice Over Marketing

We spent a lot of time talking about this with Kim. Kim talked about how when you seek clients, research them, create a list, and reach out, that is outbound marketing. If you are looking for experts in outbound marketing, coaches like Mark Scott and Jonathan Tilley focus on outbound marketing.

Inbound marketing, in contrast, is when you draw clients into your website, whether it’s through blogs, videos, or stories. You make your website a place clients want and need to come. Kim referred to marketing experts like Seth Godin and Gary Vaynerchuk. Kim advised that sharing infographics can triple your traffic and including Instagram stories and tik tok videos is another strategy to yield huge results. Kim explains that inbound marketing is 59% better on leads and 61% less expensive!

A new voiceover talent, David Jacobs, asked a common question that has been coming up a lot in our weekly Clubhouse. He wanted to know how to position yourself when marketing when you genuinely don’t have a body of work. He asked if “fresh” is the way to go? Kim reminded us that 90% of what we bring is our own unique personality. We spent time talking about how we differentiate ourselves from other talents, and what we bring to the table that makes us unique. Another new talent, Ben Ekres, was concerned about having a tagline to market himself. We all assured him that none of us have a tagline and we are all thriving in our business marketing endeavors. Kim explained to Ben that it is far more important to spend 50-100 words to say who you are and what you do so that google can find you.

How Our “Storefronts” Should Attract Clients

Kim did a thoughtful analysis of how to sort out what our clients are interested in. Whether you want to blog, do a podcast, do or videos, there are a lot of ways to present great content to position yourself as a problem solver for those who might cast you. Kim gave the example of saying you are an anime guy and staking your claim through a targeting marketing approach. She suggested a thoughtful blog about the art form, or perhaps doing a review of a video. Kim suggests coming up with a list of different topics within the main category of anime so that you can appeal to people in that field. This example can be applied to other genres.

How Do You Know Which To Do?

Kim advised that you should consider what makes you happiest. She also said to think about what you are good at. Lastly, if you try both, you should see what yields better results in your target market. Kim happens to prefer nurturing existing relationships, inbound marketing, and pay-to-plays for herself. Kim also reminds us that if you have 15-30 regular clients who send business all the time your business will thrive.

There’s So Much More to Voice Over Marketing

The summary ends here. If you missed it, I suggest booking a business and marketing coaching session with either myself, Diana, or Kim to catch up! We can help you come up with a strategy for your business. Our Clubhouse with Kim covered so much more, including what to put in your bio, common mistakes talents make like imposter syndrome, and who to target when looking for contacts. Kim talked about finding areas you want to focus on and becoming an expert in a field. Even though we only chatted for an hour, the blog could go on and on. Kim is brilliant and we are so thankful to have had her with us!

Finding the Right Voice Over Coach

June 21, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

I’ve Been In Your Shoes

Laura Schreiber with Anne Ganguzz — Years ago at Atlantis Studios in Santa Monica with Anne Ganguzza, my beloved coach:)

It seems like just yesterday I was just starting my own voice over career. When I was new to voiceover, I, like you, had questions about everything from technique to gear. I had so much to learn, I was not sure where to begin. Coming from an academic background, my inclination was to research, but finding the right voice over coach that was the right fit for my vast VO goals was a goal in and of itself. If you look at my resume, it reads like a “Who’s Who” of the best of VO. I’ve coached with Anne Ganguzza, Bill DeWees, Nancy Wolfson, J. Michael Collins, Eric Romanowski, Dave Walsh, and the list goes on. You might be thinking, why has this gal worked with so many coaches? Well, there are three reasons: At different points in your career, you need different things. And, coaches have varying areas of expertise. Lastly, voice over, like many other professions, is a field for career-long learning.

Now, as a long-established full-time professional talent and working coach myself, Diana Birdsall and I have teamed up and started a Clubhouse room called “Ask the VO Coaches”

Ask the VO Coaches — Join Laura Schreiber and Diana Birdsall on Clubhouse weekly!

where we can have a weekly dialogue where people who are walking on the same path can now have a trusted space to pose their questions. Last week on Clubhouse Diana and I talked about finding a VO Coach that is right for you. Here are some of the issues that we considered:

Clubhouse Screenshot — Are you curious about Clubshouse? Find us there Thursday and Friday afternoons and chat about VO for free!

Vetting the Right Voice Over Coach

During our Clubhouse panel last week, Diana and I were excited to have Randy Thomas and Dan Friedman as guests. Both established voice talents and coaches like us. We discussed that group classes and conferences are great ways to test the waters and see if a voice over coach is the right fit for you. You should consider things like their demeanor and philosophy. See if you can get a sense of their methodology. What is their approach to studying voiceover like?

What Questions You Should Ask

You should ask voice over coaches about their policies. For instance, do they require 24 hours notice for cancellation or are they flexible?
Do they provide the scripts? Some coaches plan the lessons and provide scripts, others expect you to find your own scripts. I always provide scripts, but this is not standard, it really does vary and if you don’t want to go digging you should ask. Or, conversely, if you want to control the material, you should ask.
How do they know what you are ready to go to demo? Not all coaches produce demos. I do work with an amazing demo team, and I do not send my students to demo until their reads are repeatedly bookable.
Do they offer a free consultation? This is very common and is a great way to see if you are a good fit. Do they offer a consultation for demos? This is very helpful as well.

What Guarantees Can They Offer

None. That’s it. You can do everything right. You can have an amazing demo. No one can promise you work. Voice over is hard. It is a grind. It takes hours of commitment and sacrifice and more determination than you can measure. If you have demo producers promising you the starts you should run for the hills. There are no guarantees and anyone that suggests that there are should not be trusted. Gabby Nistico, another amazing coach who I know as an industry friend, has a video about the rule of 10. She talks about how you have to put in years of effort to reap the rewards. The secret is there is no secret.

https://youtu.be/MyuNcKjU9rs

The One Important Secret to Being Successful in Voice Over. (https://youtu.be/MyuNcKjU9rs)

The Right Voice Over Coach Should Make You Better

At the end of the day, you know where you are when you start. You should know how you learn. A good coach should bring

Building Blocks Class Image — It was such a joy to see our students make progress week to week. From top left: Laura Schreiber, Jeffrey Mahoney, Rosemary Le, Dave Scott.

out the best in you and push you. For example, I respond well to positive reinforcement. I do not respond well to criticism, harsh feedback, sarcasm, or cruelty. I am not the kind who can rise above to prove how awesome I am. I will, instead, just fall to pieced. It is not good. So for me, I look for a specific energy from coaches. Ultimately, I was very excited to build my VO career. Now, as a coach, when I work with students, I am trying to build a relationship with them just as I do with my clients. I want them to build a strong foundation of skills that will not disappear when they are nervous in a live session or when there is noise outside their apartment that they cannot control. I want them to hear my voice in their head cheering them on and lifting them up.

My Second Career as Working Mom: My Voice Over Journey

June 1, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

My Son Hates When I Say Journey

I realized this year when my son had to do a rather grueling elimination diet that he hates when I say journey. Whether it is related to food, weight loss, his college search… it doesn’t matter. He hates if I say journey. I think it doesn’t resonate with him. He still thinks that where he is going, the end result, is the most important thing. As a mom of twins, I can say that I have learned I seldom end up where I thought I would. As a professional voice actor, I can say that this career path is for sure a voice over journey. The opportunities that have unfolded since I started my career never cease to amaze me. The combination of passion and hard work seems to result in a delightful array of unexpected options, many of which I never anticipated.

A New Career

When I was in my mid-30s I decided to start my voice over business. I had to work with coaches all over the world to build my credentials. I needed tech training to learn to edit my audio. I had to build my studio. When I say I started then, I came to the industry with no experience. I never did school plays. I never did on-camera work. I took a leap of faith and invested in myself. I plunged in whole heartedly and the only option was to succeed. For six months before my business launched, I spent all day, every day, practicing and preparing. That is how my journey began. You might think that this was an easy choice? While my husband was extremely supportive, many in my family seemed to question my choices. Whether they outwardly remarked about my shift from a career in education to voice over or my snide remarks about how I could so easily “not use my degrees,” I understood the message. They questioned my choice to segue into voice over. Fortunately, the voice in my head propelling me towards VO was substantially louder than the many voices of doubt that surrounded me.

Solopreneur

When I began my business, I understood that it was just that: a business. As a working creative, I wear many hats: mom, voice actor, voice over coach, demo producer, but always the business owner. Over the years I’ve had to think a lot about my practices and policies. I’ve had to think about how the business choices I make inform the relationships I’m building. As I had a liberal arts education that focuses on Political Science and History, I really knew very little about business when I launched. Even though I am surrounded by a family of lawyers, I did not want to constantly rely on others for guidance. I have taken multiple classes to bolster my business and marketing knowledge. This has been very fulfilling. I enjoy all ongoing professional development, but my learning in this area has been very valuable. Whether from a class, a conference, or a webinar, I am proud of the confidence I have in my choices. I also try to read continually about business released topics. This part of my journey has been a true joy.

Opportunity as Working Mom

I will say, that as a working mom, I am extremely thankful to be in voice over. Even as I write this blog, my dogs are sitting on either side of me. Often, I am able to take breaks from recording to have snacks with my kids or go for walks. Some days I schedule my coaching so that I can go to pick them up from school, other days my husband does it. As a working mom, voice over seems like the perfect fit.

New Ventures Within VO

There have been many surprises for me in voiceover. First, I work in many genres I never knew existed when I started. This includes telephony, eLearning, and radio imaging. I never heard of any of those and learned about all of them from online webinars. I have been able to really build those areas of practice over the years.

Another big surprise for me has been voice over coaching and demo production. If you had asked me even three years ago if I’d be doing this, I would never have guessed. But the truth is, the voice over coaching seems like the perfect fit for me as a former teacher. And most of those students need demos, so teaming up with All Systems Go AV to provide my students with what they need just makes sense.

Reflections on the Voice Over Journey

So why do they need to share these thoughts and feelings about my journey? Since I started coaching, quite a few students have asked for reassurance that they are not getting into VO too late. Hearing my story, how old I was, and that it was a second career for me too, has been comforting to them. Do I know where this journey will take me? No. But I sure am thankful for the opportunity to be on it.

What Makes Great VO Demo Session

May 23, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

The Demo Session Matters

From both sides of the mic, as both a professional voice over actor and coach, I can tell you that how the demo session goes affects how the demo turns out. You’re investing a lot of time, money, and effort. The demo should be nothing short of amazing, and the key to having an amazing demo is an amazing demo session. Our job as demo producers is to make you shine, and as the client, it should be made easy for you. The work should be on our side and you should be made to look your very best, assuming that your voiceover knows to wait until you are demo ready. So, for our team between me and Dave Scott at All Systems Go AV, when your reads are bookable, we move to the demo phase and this is how we make you look awesome:

The Scripts

We create scripts that offer a range in two respects. First, in about 60 seconds, we want you to show a broad range of emotion in your acting ability. These will ultimately be lined up to show contrast and keep the listener and or viewers’ interest. Next, and equally, as important, the scripts also cast a broad net in a range of industries you aspire to book work in. There is a secret sauce in selecting the right blend, and we work hard to custom-fit these scripts to bring out your talents. We also are careful never to duplicate anything that another client has used.

It’s in the Prep

Another way that we make you shine is that we prep you really well for your demo session. Included in your demo package is two sessions (in addition to the demo planning session) to prepare the scripts. We work on the target reads and talk about the different potential options for each read. By the end of these two sessions, you know your scripts. You know them intimately, and you are comfortable with them. We do not move forward until you can deliver them at this level, with joy, enthusiasm, and ease.

Our Relationship

The dynamic I have with coaching students plays a key role in how they develop as a voice talents. I work hard to get to know my clients. It is important to me to form a meaningful relationship. When there is trust, and the guard is dropped, I can bring out the best in you. I can also teach you strategies to prepare you for sessions, which is actually the goal. The goal is not the demo. Remember, the goal is booked work. By building a rapport with my students, and building on their strengths, we can get to a magical place with their reads.

So, What is Demo Day Like?

Well, some clients like the excitement of being in the studio with me and Dave, so they choose to come to my professional home studio to record. Others are just as happy and comfortable choosing a remote but live-directed session via Zoom, Zencastr, or Source Connect. Here is the rundown:

Remote Demo Session

Remote Session with Kathleen — Laura Schreiber and Dave Scott directing a remote session for a commercial demo with Kathleen!

Clients can choose their preferred way to patch in. Typically our top choices are Source Connect and Zencastr as there are not latency issues and the quality of the audio is outstanding. We typically set a time that is ideal for the client. When we first connect, we confirm the order of the scripts. Typically Dave does a sound check first and will either ask you to send him a quick recording of the audio to make sure your settings are correct or if we are using zencastr he will simply upload a sample to check. After making the necessary tweaks, we begin recording.

We typically take multiple takes of each spot, just as we practiced. We want options so that we can give you the most amazing demo possible. Before moving from script to script, I confer with Dave to make sure he has what he needs as well. We are listening to every single read for both the quality of the read and the audio quality. When we have what we need the session is over.

Sometimes waiting for the demo to come back is the hardest part!

In-Person Session

If you choose to come to record in person, that is fantastic too! We try to make you feel totally at home, my booth is your booth for however long you’d like to stay. We sit just outside in the workspace and direct you via the speaker. We go on mute while you record. There sure is excitement and it is a joy to be able to collaborate in person. Again, as in the remote session, we make sure that in each read we have the technical read that we want and the audio quality that we need.

The Result: A Demo Session That Will Blow Your Mind

My work as the coach ends on demo day. I work with Dave to select the best takes, and we put together the order that highlights your range and showcases your talent. At that point. Dave and his team as All Systems Go AV work to create the magic. From video clip selections to choosing current music that draws the audience, to working on branding, the team at All Systems Go AV creates fresh, vibrant content that you will be excited and proud to use to market yourself.

When Are you Ready To Make a Demo?

April 25, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

Order of Events

So you’ve decided to make a commercial voice over demo! Where ever you are in your voice over career, there’s nothing more exciting than a new demo to get a voice actor going! So when I, as the coach and demo producer, get the call from a voice talent, it’s my job to assess where they are in terms of demo readiness. If another established talent is working as long as I have calls, they can go straight to demo. If a newbie calls it is obvious they will need coaching. But there is a vast grey area in between a working professional voice actor and someone completely new, so how do I assess what my clients need? Ultimately, no one goes to make a demo unless they are ready to book work at the time the demo is complete.

When a New Talent Needs a Demo

When someone brand new to voiceover calls or emails, after our initial consultation, I like to send them an audition script to read to get a baseline idea of where they are starting. From that, I can best assess approximately how many sessions it will take to get them demo ready. Some people are fast learners and they only need a handful of lessons. Others take substantially more time. Here are some factors that influence how quickly you can get to your demo:

How much time do you have to practice?
How much time do you have to listen to other samples and repeat them?
Have you acted before?
Have you taken improv classes?
Do you sing?
Are you a good listener?
How determined are you to reach your goals?
How good are you at following directions?
How often can you meet?

As the answers to these questions vary so much from voice student to voice student, the results vary. In general, when a voice actor reaches out and wants to do a demo, they are pretty determined to make it happen and that determination and passion lead to success.

When an Intermediate Talent Needs to Make a Demo

In the past month, I have had two clients with acting and entertainment experience who were new to voice over reach out for demos. Again, both were given baseline reads to asses. Both were amazing. You’d think they’d been in voice over for years. Even without coaching, as one had stage and vocal training and the other had on-camera tv experience, their instincts of what to do with the script lead to a natural, authentic, solid read that would be bookable if they submitted.

When someone like that reaches out, I am comfortable moving forward with the demo, as my demo packages include the necessary coaching to prepare the demo. Whether a client chooses the full video package or an audio-only package, their script selection and works on those scripts are included in our process. My goal is for them to have an amazing, jaw-dropping commercial demo that shows their range as a voice over actor, so we choose spots that demonstrate this range.

When an Experienced Voice Actor Needs a Demo

When a working voice talent needs a demo, again, we can move forward with script selection and a process that showcases their range and strengthens their business’ brand. I work hard not only to bring scripts that enable voice actors to target aspirational clients and showcase their capabilities but also to have the demos be a reflection of what the talents value, care about, and matter. The demo prep process is collaborative and the voice talent’s personality and opinion matter greatly.

Again, the demo packages all include the necessary demo prep, so whether you have been in voice over six months or six years, come demo recording day, my job is to make the demo client shine. I work really hard in the time leading up to the demo to flesh out the nuances of the scripts and talk about the different possibilities so that when the day comes to record the demo client is ready.

My Philosophy About Demos

I believe a demo is an opportunity. A good, solid demo gives you a chance to market yourself to potential clients and them what you can do for them. Particularly when you are new to voiceover, a video demo gives you an instant body of work to market that you would not have. If you have been in voice over and reaching out to video production companies, it is just logical that people connect best in the medium that they work in: video. So, why not give them the content the way they like seeing it? If you are doing an audio-only demo, that demo has to be amazing. Every spot has to show a range and the demo cannot be too long. They have to be attention-getting and leave the listener wanting more. I also believe demos should last for many years and should not be dated, so finding content that the client will not age out of and that will not date the demo is of the utmost importance.