Voiceover

My DevLearn Experience: So Much to Tell Ya!

October 31, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

When a Solopreneur is Part of a Team

I did it. I flew across the country to Las Vegas and arrived at Dev Learn, the biggest eLearning conference of the year that the eLearning Guild runs. Any working mom knows that packing one’s bags, getting organized, and getting out always seems like an amazing feet. I even had my hair done. As a professional voiceover actor, a good percentage of my work load is narrating elearning modules, so going to an event like this just makes good business sense for me.

The morning of the conference arrived and with my super cute wheely bag in tow I arrived at the Mirage conference center. Even though I have my own business and run my own broadcast ready recording studio, this morning I was not alone. Before even entering the conference, I met up with other experienced voiceover professionals Shelley Avellino and Jack de Golia. We met for coffee and registered. We spent some time perusing the listings of attendees and discussing who might be good to connect with. I also scanned the list to find my current clients so I’d be able to check in with them. Imagine, we were there to support one another and I walked into the packed expo knowing that there were others there who had my back.

Voiceover is a unique industry. There I was at Dev Learn with the goal of reconnecting with current clients and picking up new ones. The other voice talents there had the same goal. While in other industries we might view eachother as competition, in voiceover, with these folks, we worked together. We supported eachother. We met for lunch and compared notes and swapped contact information. It was extremely helpful. I am not sure which other industries do that. Feeling part of this team was fantastic and was part of the magic of DevLearn.

Staying Current

With eLearning industry professionals from all over the world, DevLearn provides a wonderful opportunity to stay on top of current trends in an ever-evolving industry. I spoke to professionals from as far as Australia and Russia. While many of these folks were LMS providers and do not work directly with professional narrators like me, hearing about their platforms is essential to understand what the content creators I work with are using.

I also was able to meet a lot of folks who do work in content creation. From mobile learning to gamification, there was so much to see at the amazing Demo Fest. I was also over joyed to reconnect with current clients from around the country. It is really special to see people that I work with regularly in person.

Connecting with Other Working Moms

While it is great to find people who need professionals to narrate their eLearning, in truth it is even better to find universal connections and just have great conversations. I found that I could talk endlessly with a lot of different people at the conference and only had to move on when someone else clearly needed them. I found it particularly easy at the expo to connect with other working moms. This happened over and over again. Whether we had human children or dogs, we were exchanged photos and talking about our loves at home, and the lengthy chats had evolved well beyond the world of eLearning. We talked about everything under the sun from safety to dog treats to our hours. These are the conversations that meant so much to me as I was making real connections and actually getting to know people.

In the middle of the conference a client invited me to a sushi dinner at the Mirage sponsored by Vyond, formerly known as Go Animate. At this dinner, I found myself sitting at a table of women all in instructional design, all working moms. These women were amazing. They were bright and innovative. We were all from different places: Toronto, New York, California, Tennessee, and Michigan. Despite different climates and different backgrounds, we were of similar ages and we were all working moms. We all somehow managed to get all the way to Las Vegas for DevLearn.

Our conversation moved from light banter to some pretty deep topics. We covered faith, skimmed politics, and touched on issues relevant to client relationships. Being surrounded by intelligent, sophisticated women, this table at the Vyond dinner was a microcosm of the DevLearn conference. We represented what is possible in the industry when folks come together and exchange ideas. It wasn’t all pats on the bag, we challenged and questioned each other too. It is, after all, only from this kind of honest banter that real change and genuine creativity can flourish. And I believe that we were there, in this self-created circle, where we somehow felt safe enough to be open with these other people what we were only just getting to know.

The Sum of it All

So when we think about where our training comes from, and when we think about who creates the content for major companies, I am proud to say that I have met the curators of this content and that I am part of this process. The magic of DevLearn is vast, but for sure as a creative it is a joy to be a part of this process.

Tips of a Well-Seasoned Traveler

October 24, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

When Working Mom’s Leave Home, Let’s Do it Right!

Remember, It’s Not a Vacation
As a 24 year old newly wed, I think I actually packed every single pair of shoes I owned on my honeymoon! We were going away for a week, and I knew that I wanted a different dress for every single night of our trip to Bermuda. Fast forward 15 years, and without my strong and handsome husband to carry and haul all of my stuff around, and it was A LOT of stuff, I had to figure out how to have confidence in what I was wearing, look adorable, and manage all my belongings on my own. I am quite intellectually self sufficient, but this realm of physical management was something that had to be learned I boy did I conquer it. So, as I set out for Dev Learn this week, I though I would share some of my favorite tips and tricks to help other working moms best prepare for their business trips too!

Dos and Dos (who needs Donts?):

Here are some of the highlights that get me through conference packing

DO Pack light.
DO Ship conference materials like brochures and swag in advance. I also ship my travel rig in this package.
DO Be sure to call your hotel and make sure they will hold the above package until your arrival!
DO Stick to one color palate.
DO Wear/Pack shoes you can actually function in ALL day and night! I love my chanel ballet flats. They look chic and are very supportive. I always pack black and gold for such trips. Sometimes, in summer, I also bring pink ones. https://www.chanel.com/us/fashion/search/?text=ballerinas&page=0&suggestion=false&cat=True&axis=fashion
DO Use travel size toiletries. I keep mine packed always and replenish as soon as I run out so that bag is always ready. I use this bag from Tumi that is TSA approved and you do not have to take anything out at security: https://www.tumi.com/p/split-travel-kit-022193D2/

Today as I work on this blog I am in the midst of packing for a trip myself. In addition to actual work, I have to pack a weeks worth of school lunches and snacks. I have to do all of the laundry. And sadly, my sweet dog who is always by my side is already at my mom’s house. I try to plan as much as I can in advance not just to make my departure easy, but to make my return easy.

There are a few details that always help me. I keep toiletries that I need in flight in the same cosmetic case and check that I have what I need the day before departure. For cross country and international flights, which I often have, I would hate to be without anti-nausea medicine. I always brink a cozy scarf. I love the ones from J. McGlaughlin: . I also make sure that I not only have m computer, but that I have a cosmetic cased filled with my charger and a Mophie so that I can recharge when I land or if I have a long day at the conference. I always, always travel with my Bose noise canceling headphones. I am a little bit nervous when I fly, not about the actual plane, but about all the details that I can’t control like whether or not we’ll land on time and who will be in my row, and just removing the extra noise helps a lot! So, I always make certain to have these travel essentials!

A Little Pampering Never Hurt

Everyone has different goals on their work trips. When I am going and I will be meeting potential clients or seeing current clients, I want to look and feel my best. This is not the time to cut corners! I make sure to bring what I will sleep well in and will be most like home. This is not the day to try new mascara, nor is it the day to let your hair air dry. If you are a solopreneur investing in flying across the country to connect with clients, spend what is likely between $30-50 and have your hair blown out if you cannot do a decent job on your own. People come from all over the world for these conferences. Once you have actually gotten yourself there, you might as well but your best foot forward.

You can Always Buy It There

I find that it is far better to arrive organized and shop of you need to than to overpack and overwhelm yourself. Unless you are going somewhere very remote, if you forget something it is just a great reason to shop!

In the end, you can figure out what works for you! With lots of business travel under my belt, I have quite an efficient system. If you have tricks that work for you I’d love to hear about them! Wishing you safe travels and an enjoyable trip! Now, don’t forget souvenirs for your kids! 🙂

A Voiceover BBQ? Yeah, You Heard Right!

October 17, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

It’s At Uncle Roys and It’s Fabulous

For a group of people who work at home, alone, in padded foam booths, it’s pretty exciting when we get to leave our studios and mingle with other professional voiceover actors, producers, and agents. It’s even more exciting when it happens to be a glorious fall day in New Jersey. And better yet, add a smokin’ live band and some pot luck food into the mix? Well our beloved Uncle Roy of Antland Productions sure knows how to roll out the red carpet and make everyone feel welcome. Even our voiceover website people fly in for this! It is no wonder why voiceover folks come from as far as Europe and the West coast to attend Uncle Roy’s over 12 hour BBQ extravaganza. And let’s not forget the bagel brunch the next day…

But anyone in voiceover really knows that it is not the burgers and beer that draw the crowd. Uncle Roy is creating the quintessential schmooze fest for all of us to unwind and relax. There is no coaching. No one is trying to sell anything or book any demos. Aside from the occasional mention of an upcoming conference or a mutual client, most actors stop talking shop and just spend time getting to know each other face to face. This opportunity to leave our booth and connect is something that we clearly all crave and need in order to thrive in the voiceover industry.

The Camaraderie

Unlike many other creative industries, there is a true sense of camaraderie in voiceover. I felt it from the beginning of my time in professional VO, people really want to help each other and lift each other up. There is a sense that there is enough work out there for everyone and o good days and bad professional voiceover talents are really helpful to one another.

I think I was perhaps most excited about Uncle Roy’s barbecue because other women that I chat with all the time in my accountability group were going to be there. Seeing these women in person, being able to talk face to face in the same actual space, meant so much to me.

It is also exciting that after being in voiceover for a few years, I am really starting to build connections and get to know people. It is so nice to walk in and recognize so many faces and feel so at home. I remember as a newbie how overwhelmed I was and wondering if I would ever fit in. Having these professional relationships that feel like such a deep connection is something that I value greatly.

The Aftermath

Another reason Uncle Roy’s bbq means so much as that I have the joy of having some friends actually stay at my home and get to know my family a little more. I have blogged at length about how my children are the motivation for everything that I do. Having the people that I work with get to know my husband and my kids is also quite gratifying.

It also works the other way. It was a joy to me to come how from the train station, having picked up two dear friends who were in town for the bbq, and see my son Jack making waffles for our friends. Jack made quite a mess and our friends were trying to help. It was so nice to see the kids forming their own bods with these people that I have come to cherish and value. My hope is that it will help my twins to understand this part of my life more thoroughly.

It is so amazing to me that so many people make this great effort to come to Uncle Roy’s bbq. It means to them what it means to me, and we all want to be there and value the connections that we are building and maintaining.

From One BBQ to the Next

So how do we make it from one year to the next? Well unfortunately we don’t get to see everyone all the time. We don’t even get to see the other voiceover actors who live close by often because well, life gets in the way. But, we all try to get to the big events and the conferences. And Skype and FaceTime sure do make life easier.

When I was young I was in a sorority called AXO. I never intended to join a sorority but boy did I love it. I realize that I am a people person and that building relationships is very important to me. So, when I think about why an event like Uncle Roy’s BBQ matters, I think it is because at this point it gives all of us another opportunity to foster these relationships that are critical to our professional and personal success.

The Best of Things

October 10, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

The Unfathomable

On Friday morning I sat next to my son, in the midst of our grief stricken community, at a friend’s funeral. Tragically our friend had what is believed to be a sudden heart attack while traveling for work in Asia. Everyone was devastated, most of all his wife, his two beautiful daughters, his two brothers, his parents, and his grandmother who is a Holocaust survivor. Taken from his family at just 43, and listening to their tearful tributes, one after the next, the theme that came through is that there is no promise of tomorrow. If today is all that we have, are we making the most of today?

In voiceover, the rhythm of our days varies. Voiceover talents typically talk about our field being feast or famine. But sitting at this funeral, and thinking about the totality of how we live our life, forced me to take a step back and look at my career as a whole and not in microbursts. If today is all I have, then these are some of the reflections I am grappling with.

The Relationships We Build Mean Everything

While voiceover can certainly start to feel like a numbers game in terms of how many auditions an actor submits or how many marketing emails we send out, the building of real, inter personal relationships is far more important. Getting to know our clients and the producers who work with us means so much more than whether we submitted 10 or twenty auditions on Thursday. Remembering to ask how someone’s son’s asthma is or checking in on how the toy fair went out of genuine concern, and letting these folks get to know you, is far more meaningful then submitting into the abyss.

Relationships with our fellow voiceover talents is also so important. I will never forget the first time I heard another talent say “the rising tide in the harbor lifts us all.” The sense of camaraderie in voiceover is incredible. I have blogged before about my womens’ accountability group. In addition to daily contact with these women, I look forward to our weekly meeting and that our is one of the most important hours of my week. It gives me a support, stability, and confidence. I am so thankful for the close relationships that I have built with other professional voiceover actors. I particularly love the women that I have met and am so thankful for this bond in my post sorority years.

Stand Tall and Be Proud

If today were all that I had, I would want my children to know that every single day, all the work that I do is for them. That every single booking, each commercial and phone message, each narration, they all add up and they were all for them. As a momtrepreneur, I have done my best to show them that as a family we stick together and we take care of each other. That I am proud of all of my projects. I am proud of both the actual work that I have done and I am proud of what it represents. I am proud that I figured out how to work full time and get the laundry done and cook dinner, because believe me when I say that was not easy to learn and I still wish that fairies would come into my house and do it all. But nothing means more to me than having dinner with my husband and kids and talking about our day, and I guard that time like a hawk. So I am trying my best and somedays I juggle better than others, but when I look back I am so proud that I have at least figured this out for them. And as far as jobs go, working as a professional voiceover actor is a pretty cool one!

Leaving the Bubble

One of the biggest challenges for me when I went back to work was leaving the bubble which I pleasantly inhabited for the prior part of my married life. In that bubble, even though we live in a fairly diverse area relative to where I grew up in Pennsylvania, most people are from the same socio economic background, lived in NYC at one point, and are quite well-educated. Having attended an Ivy League University in the North East, when I first left the bubble, it was a bit shocking for me, meeting people from different parts of the country with very different lives. I very quickly learned that you could not make any assumptions about peoples’ backgrounds based on their last names, and that despite where we were from and where people went to college, I loved being around other creatives and meeting people who were so different than those around me every day was a joy and an inspiration. It opened my eyes to a new world and I have met so many amazing folks. Leaving my comfort zone was far from easy, but in my travels and at all sorts of industry events I am so thankful to have pushed myself to engage. This is an aspect of voiceover that a lot of folks don’t talk about but has been a big deal for me.

A Last Glimpse of Studio Life

Lastly, but certainly not least, I am so thankful that I spend my days in my professional studio with my dog Violet. Violet, a lovely and sweet Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, is the light of my life. She is the best companion a girl could ask for. If I had all the money in the world I would clone her like Barbra Streisand did with her dog. If tragedy struck today, I would be so thankful that Violet was on my lap or by my feet and brought me the greatest joy.

Why Voiceover Professionals Need to Improv

October 3, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

Laura Schreiber Female Voice Over Talent Fredfrees — My coach – Fred Frees

“We’re Looking for Someone Who Can Put Their Own Spin On It”

“You Really Need an Improv Class”

Years ago, when coaching with my beloved mentor Fred Frees, every session was different and exciting. If I could have worked with him every day I would have. The characters that he helped me develop we exciting and fun and the hours that we spent via skype were some of the most thrilling of my life. Fred is a creative genius and one day when I was learning to scream as if being dragged by an alien pulling my away and never to return, Fred said I had to take improv. Despite months pf training and progress, he said that without an improv class he would not even consider setting a date for my character demo.

So, I overcame my fear of performing on stage and signed uo for the Advanced Acting and Improv class at Papermill Playhouse, our local theater. The class was taught by esteemed Broadway actress Elyssa Van Duyne and it challenged me in every way possible. From scripts like “Augusts of Osage County” that forced me to tap into anger, an emotion I do not enjoy, to exercises where we had to throw and catch a balloon while reciting our lines in different ways and somehow manage not to crash into each other. Every class brought out different weaknesses and struggles and revealed how much I had to learn, yet week after week I returned hungry to learn more. As professional actors, even as voiceover actors, if we do not continually work on our craft, we do not improve. This unique opportunity to leave my padded foam booth gave me a perspective I previously lacked as working with others on a stage is quite different than working alone in a very solitary space.

How did this effect my training with Fred? He heard a difference from the very first class on. One of the drills Fred would do was to ahve me run through my roster of characters that I created and read the script as different characters. Before the class I was reading them with the same pace and intonation, not varying the rhythm enough. This changed immediately. There was a freshness to my reads and I was able to connect with the copy in a very different way. While I would not have gone if Fred had not insisted, I am so thankful that he did! I believe that all professional voiceover actors benefit from improv training because we need to provide our clients, in all formats and genres, with alternate reads and options.

Daily Use of Improv

When I first did my training with Fred, I correctly assumed that the improv would help me in my character work. From toy demos to video game characters, the improv training that I have had has helped me bring fresh reads and passion to each character. I actually think the improv and fast response becomes a part of a voiceover actor’s innate response after years of doing it.

More and more often I am seeing commercial auditions posted that ask for talents who can adlib. Often during a guided session, clients will ask for something that is off script, and suddenly I find myself putting my improv skills to use. Sometimes even when staying on script completely, I find that my improv drives my commercial reads in that it enables me to give a totally unique second or third take. Again, in my experience improv is an asset to professional voiceover actors.

When I started doing work in radio imaging, I was pleasantly surprised to see that there is a space for improv there too. Whether it is with witty outtakes or sharp remarks, even imaging producers very much appreciate a voiceover actor for sweepers and liners who can ad lib on the spot. The challenge with imaging is understanding what is appropriate from format to format. A sarcastic quip that would draw a laugh on a Top 40 station would not be appropriate on an upbeat classic hits station.

Even in eLearning, the improv training comes in handy. Sometimes as a character in a training module, the instructional designer is looking for something different. They want their characters to be really believable. The risk taking and the ability to connect with the copy that comes with improv training will help with this even when sticking with the script.

Keeping that Edge

The more improv is requested, the more it needs to be practiced. It does get better the more you do it! There are local improv groups. There are also improv sessions and master classes at voiceover conferences. If you are thinking that you might need one, the answer is a resounding YESSSS!!!!

Yes, That’s Me in that Ad!

September 26, 2018 by Laura Schreiber

Come On, Just One Line

I was walking my dog and ran into one of my friendly neighbors working on her flowers. She asked me how my “whole voiceover thing” was going. Then she did what commonly happens. Krista said, “Can you just do one of your lines from a recent job?” This actually happens all the time, at dinner parties, doctor’s appointments, temple- folks ask to hear my work. They want it live, unscripted, in the moment. This is funny for several reasons. While I have been trained in improv, that is not typically part of what I do, especially in most of my commercial work. A very small percentage of both my auditions and my actual bookings ask for a voiceover actor who can improv. Next, all of my work is done with a script. I seldom memorize the script. There are often in-session script changes that require me to mark the script with the new lines as I go. So these impromptu performances? Well, they do not represent my actual work. But, it does get at the heart of what is really being asked: that folks I run into understand that I have found my passion in an exciting industry and I have the fortune of booking a lot of commercial work as a full-time, professional voiceover actor. I have found such joy in the 15, 30, and 60 second commercial spots full of emotional twists and plot turns and voiceover for commercial are my thang.

On the radio, ohhh on the radio

Since I started in voiceover, I have booked a lot of voiceover commercials. Perhaps this is because I am super expressive and radio is so different than tv. Without the visual for the listener to understand, as the commercial voiceover actor, all of the story is in the voice. The change for discontent to the solution to one’s problem, the shift from happy to vulnerable, it all has to be audible, and I eat those scripts up. From Am to FM to satellite to Pandora to Spotify, I enjoy all sort of commercial spots. Even the tags are fulfilling to me! I particularly love those fast-paced disclaimers that come at the end of ads. Whether it is a 15 second spot or a 60 second spot, I very much enjoy working on the script and figuring out what I am saying and why I am saying it. I get so much out of these commercial reads.

My Uncle Heard Me…..

Whether it is a one off or a campaign, local, regional, or national, I still get so excited to book television commercials at all levels! I have had the fortune to book a few campaigns in Florida where my Aunt Jody and Uncle Mark live, and they have seen the spots run which is extremely fulfilling to me. Often friends and family will comment that I don’t sound like myslef, or that they did not recognize me when I am on tv. I’m not sure if that is a compliment or not, but I am super happy and bubbly in my daily life, and not all scripts are written that way, so as a voiceover actor it is my job to play the role that I am playing in each commercial. I typically have a warm, conversational tone and I try to make each spot sound believable and sincere. As a professional voiceover actor in commercials, it is my job to bring the client their vision for the script and offer different options for the read. There are typically so many right ways to do it each time. I am so happy to be cast in each commercial, as long as the client is happy in the end that is all that matters.

Hello Again:)

In both radio and tv commercials, my greatest joy as a voiceover actor is the opportunity to work with clients again. Whether it is a producer or casting director, I love working with the same folks again and again. This does not mean I assume what they want or need on a project. But, I am always delighted that they are pleased enough with my work to use my voice for another commercial. Whether these clients needed guided sessions via ipDTL, Source Connect, or ISDN; or, they had me record and submit the work independently, their repeat use of me means they were happy and I more than met their needs. I am going for over joyed every single time I deliver the audio.

Staying in the Game

So, in this ever changing industry, with so many great talents going after the same gigs every day, how do I keep up? I believe the answer lies with on-going professional development. Just as doctors and lawyers must, so do professional voiceover actors. I work with private coaches and I go to conferences. Often some of the rosters that I am on also bring in coaches who are top in our field to train us. I take advantage of all of these opportunities so that I have the confidence to know that every day I am bringing the best I can into my commercial reads.