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
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:)
Ok, after a very enjoyable time sheltering in place with my family during the pandemic, if you asked this working mom where the first place I’d be flying to would be, I would not have guessed Dallas, TX. So, why, when we can finally go anywhere, am I using my coveted Amex points to travel in style to Dallas (not that there is anything wrong with Dallas, but we can all agree it ain’t Paris.)? Well, J. Michael Collins and his mazing team are hosting the 
If I could shout it from the roof tops, I would. I would not be where I am today without my VO Powerhouse as we call ourselves. My beloved accountability group includes me, Diana Birdsall, Kim Handysides, Michelle Blenker, and Shelley Avellino. In our panel called “Build a Badass VO Career With a Powerhouse Accountability Group,” we will help you consider why you need one and how to create one that will help your career the way our accountability group has helped ours. I don’t know where I would be without these amazing women who life me up, inspire me, and have helped me be my best self every day. Sitting on a conference panel with them is an honor and a dream come true and you can find us on Saturday, August 28th at 3:50 PM in Room 2.
I am really excited to be a part of this amazing panel! First of all, to share a stage with Randy Thomas, Joe Cipriano, AJ McKay (who by the way did my main Radio Imaging demo), Brent Williams, and Scott Cartwright is like a dream come true. My path as a female radio imaging voice was different than most. I did not come to radio imaging from a career in radio. Rather, I learned about it from one of J. Michael Collins’ webinars and fell in love! Because of the energy and the vibe, this genre is perfect for me. I look forward to talking about the ups and downs of my journey and how I’ve worked hard to grow the radio imaging side of my business over the years. When I look at the other panelists, I know that my path into imaging was different than theirs. While I may not be as well-known or famous in the industry as they are, I believe I offer the perspective on how a regular professional voice talent can build an imaging career. This panel is Saturday, August 28th, at 5:30 in Room 1.
As part of the joy of coming to One Voice USA, my demo partner Dave Scott ( of All Systems Go AV) and I really want to give something back to the voice over community. Dave and I will both be attending the conference in person, and we will give out postcards with the demo giveaway rules at One Voice. If you are a working, professional voice actor, and you take a picture with either one of us or both of us and post it on instagram and tag the conference and both of us, you will be eligible for a free video demo! It can be EITHER a commercial demo OR a narration demo, and it includes both a video version, an MP3 version, the planning session, and the necessary prep sessions! After a year in, we are very excited to meet more of the community and we thought this video demo giveaway is an awesome way to celebrate our coming back together!
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.
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:
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 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. 
This depends on where you live and what your goals are. I happen to be an LLC. I live in the United States and I wanted to be able to bid on 
P2Ps, or Pay to Play websites like voice123, bodalgo, cast voices, and others are a great way to bring in business. Sure, there are plenty of voice talents who build their businesses without P2Ps. I am on voice123 and cast voices at present. I have built lasting 
Yes. While it’s great to be on a Pay to Play or to post audio on YouTube, it’s hard to market yourself to clients with only these options because you are automatically sending them to places where they can immediately find other voice talents. It’s far better to have a website that you set up as your storefront. This is your chance to make yourself stand out and shine. There are a lot of really good people in voiceover, so the question is, why are you different than other talents they could work with? Your website is your big chance to show prospects why they should hire you and look no further. You should have your demos, your contact information, and any stand-out details obviously displayed to make it easy for those who cast to find you and hire you. Your demos on your site should be downloadable. 
Agents are wonderful and present you with the opportunity for work. Agents do not guarantee work. Just like with Pay to Plays, agents are a source of auditions. The auditions that agents send are typically more lucrative. The catch, though, is that the competition is much stiffer when auditioning for agents. Agents are far more selective, so it is less about getting on an agent’s roster and more about staying on an agent’s roster. Every agent is looking for something different, but at a minimum, they want to see that you have trained and continue to pursue work on your craft, that you have a professional set up, that you can offer live sessions via Source Connect and/or ipDTL, and that you have solid demos that will appeal to your clients. Building a rapport with your agents is helpful, and doing quality auditions in a timely manner matters a lot!
