live session

Lessons Learned From Recent Live Session

February 28, 2023 by Laura Schreiber

When You Do A Lot Of Live Sessions, What Makes One Standout?

As a full-time, professional voice over actor, I typically have multiple live sessions every week. Most of my clients prefer Source Connect, and in truth I am so used to that at this point that I do too. On Monday morning, my first session of the week, with new clients, was over Teams. That was fine, so that was the first item that stood out. The second was that I was the only one with my camera on. Next, we were all in different countries. I was in the United States, and they were scattered from Italy to the UAE to Bahrain to India. I believe there were nine of us on the call, but possibly more. This session was different because this group was very chatty and wanted to talk amongst themselves a lot. They also wanted me to hang out while they edited their video, which is not standard, but luckily I had time on the other end and I could accommodate. So, from the get go, this session was different in all kinds of ways.

Why I Was SO Excited About this One

Well, if you know me you know I love chocolate. If I had to have one food on a deserted island, it would be chocolate. This commercial was for Ferrero Rochet. Not only do I particularly enjoy their delicious candy, but I also love that it is a brand that is eaten all over the world. This spot will run in the entire GCC, in places like the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and more. I think it is pretty awesome that this little candy also serves as a cultural bridge of sorts. When I think about many of these places that will view my spot, none of which I have ever had the privilege of visiting, and I think about their culinary traditions, I confess that I never imagined this decadent chocolate as part of it. I was delighted to know that we share this.

We Have More In Common

At the start of the session, the creative director wanted to make sure that I understood both the branding and the traditions surrounding Ramadan in the region. While I had, as I always do, done brand research in advance of the session, I was very pleased to learn about the traditions surrounding Ramadan, like the way that they decorate their homes with twinkle and fairy lights, in the importance of gracious hospitality in this festive holiday season. He also spoke of the emphasis of the changing and more egalitarian roles that their footage was clearly depicting. As I watched the footage and listened, I was struck by how many common shared values our cultures shared, especially with all of the spring holidays coming in the States. I was delighted by what I learned and it certainly informed my read.

The Technical Stuff

The trend for almost all my commercial bookings of late is the conversational read. Clients always want the reads to sound authentic, like I am talking to a friend. Well, authentic and relatable were not the sought after tones in this session. And don’t forget, that when taking direction, it is about giving the client exactly what they ask for. I happen to know the brand well as I often transcribe their scripts when coaching. Yet, the direction that I got went well beyond what I anticipated. The clients wanted every word of every line to be measured. In the VO coaching world we often say that if everything is important then nothing is important. But the client wanted every word emphasized the same way, and he gave precise readings for how he wanted each line broken down. The pacing was not conversational. He did not want the rhythm and the cadence to vary. He wanted every. Single. Word. Measured.

Pronunciation was another interesting part of the direction. Even though the team specifically wanted a voice actor with an American accent, certain words were non-negotiable. One of those words was “Ramadan.” They instructed me to pronounce it like rum-a-done. Next, the word “sweeter” was very important. They wanted me to hit the “ter” hard. We never do that here, but that is how they wanted the word said. So, that is how I did it.

Don’t Sound Happy. Umm, What?

Perhaps the most confusing bit of direction was the “don’t sound happy.” If you don’t already know, my tagline used to be “The Sound of Happy.” So, my voice sounds pretty happy, just on its own, without doing anything, this is how I sound. This bit of direction was tricky. I’m sitting there reading a script about a product I love, with a care bare hanging over my head (because it makes me happy) trying to sound, basically, unlike myself. I decided to flatten out the read and just try to be void of all emotion. I had to stop smiling, which is also hard because I am a smiley kind of gal. I did, in that moment though, question their casting choice.

Conclusions

Not all live sessions are the same. Give yourself the grace and time to listen to what the clients want. If they want a live session, it is either because the really want to direct you, because they are legally obligated to have someone on the team present when you record, or because they cannot please the commercial script without being there. All of these things matter, a lot. So make it great for them. Don’t talk money during the session, ever. This session ran over in time which almost never happens with me. Most of my sessions are pretty short. My instinct was to say nothing and smile while they chatted about their choices and options. Afterwards I spoke with the producer and he confirmed that it never goes well when the VoiceOver actors start talking about money and time with the end users, who typically have nothing to do with our rates. In the end, smile and breathe and hope that they have the courtesy of sharing the final cut with you to promote!

Pickups and Revisions: What’s Your Policy?

January 31, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

Why Voice Actors Need a Policy for Pickups and Revisions

As a full-time, professional voice actor, I love working with repeat clients. I love delivering finished audio I can be proud of, and over the years I’ve come up with a few strategies to reduce the number of pickups I have to do. It is important to understand the difference between pickups and revisions, and how live sessions come into play.

Just What is a Pickup

A pickup implies that you, the voice over talent, have made an error, and typically any and all performance errors are covered by the actor regardless of the size of the job’s budget. This could mean that you misread the script, it could mean that there is an odd noise in the recording and it is obscuring your work, or it could be a performance error. Perhaps you were meant to sound calm and relaxed and the client feels you give off an agitated vibe. Any of this constitutes a pickup. When I book a job, I do ask clients to give me the courtesy of asking for pickups and deliveries within 48 hours of when I give them the finished audio. Most do. Some don’t. How flexible you want to be is up to you, and makes a difference in how you feel about your relationship with the client.

What is a Revision

A revision is different than a pickup. A revision implies that the client has changed the script. Typically this means that they got your VoiceOver audio back, reviewed it, and then decided to make tweaks. For me, for jobs over $250, I include one round of minor revisions which I define as less than 20% of the script within 48 hours of delivery. If it is after 48 hours or more than 20% I charge $75 per 30-minute revision session. If the revisions are more than 40 percent of the script I adjust the rate. If the script starts to look more than 3/4 different and it is a long narration, then it becomes a new job, and negotiations begin. This is not common. In all my years as a VO talent and coach, the two times this has happened, the clients were upfront about the revisions and offered me a new rate before I even had to start worrying. If you are noticing, they are noticing. In terms of the turnaround with revisions, again, you have to decide what you can live with. For example, I work with some eLearning companies that take quite a while to review their work. For me, this is not a problem and I am happy to wait.

Throwing a Live Session into the Mix

So you have a session for Source Connect, Zoom, or Skype. Wonderful. What should your pickup policy be? Audio from a live session is always final delivery. Period. The session should not end until the clients have what they need. This is the industry standard. If the client comes back after a life session and wants a re-record, you are entitled to a fee for an entirely new booking. Basically, you have made yourself available to however many people from their team are on the call, from the producer, to the creative director, to the folks from the brand. They have plenty of time to give direction, chat, and get all that they need from you. You are not in any hurry. If, after the spot is produced, they decide to take the work in a different direction, that’s fine. They can pay you for another session.

Tips to Avoid Pickups and Revisions

In the end, here are some tips I have come up with that leave me having to do very little pickups.

On jobs under three and a half or four minutes, I deliver at least two takes. If a client has options, they are less likely to come back to you wanting more.
I deliver wilds of the end. If there is a talk line, give them lots of options of the end as you would in a live session.
If there is something that may have an unusual or unexpected pronunciation, either try to call the company and hear how they say it, or fine it on YouTube and avoid having to do the retake for that. If you can’t find it, give them wilds of the word or sentence with different pronunciations.
Try to review your audio several times before you submit it. If you are new to VoiceOver, this is a reminder that you need to do your editing for correctness to script before adding EQ/Compression/Effect stack.
If you have a long narration, I actually edit page by page. I go through each page twice before moving on to the next one. I catch my errors and it gives my voice a break.

Ultimately Why Pickups and Revision Policies Matter

In the end, we want our clients to have a great experience working with us. We want them to come back to us over and over again. If we lay out our policies clearly, and there is no room for ambiguities, communication should be seamless. Expectations should be clear. Relationships are built on trust, and when policies are consistent, because there is, in fact, an actual policy, it is much easier for a client to understand what they are being charged for and why.

The Joys of Studio Dogs in a VO Booth

September 12, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

My Dreams Come True

Having studio dogs is a luxury. As a working mom, I have blogged about this before, but I never knew if I would be able to have children. When I was 22 and I got my first Cavalier King Charles Spaniel of blessed memory, I was not sure if this fur baby would be my only child. While I have been blessed with human children too, they never changed the status of my dogs, who have meant the world to me. My dogs have been there for me and by my side on my best and worst days. For my greatest celebrations and for my worst sorrow. I believe that Barclay, Violet, and Daisy understand and connect with me in a unique and special way, and having them in my life is as much a dream come true as my professional voice over career is. I very much view having these precious fur babies by my side in my home studio as a luxury. Everything about my career, from my studio set up to being able to be present for my children is icing on the cake to being able to live the dream of life as a full-time voiceover actor. If you are thinking of getting a studio dog, I urge you to move forward without hesitation. If you are thinking about it, let me share the traits that have made my dogs ideal to be in the studio daily and give you some ideas of what traits work, what does not, and what to look for when having a voice over studio dog.

Violet

Violet has always been a wonderful studio dog. Violet is a Blenheim cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Her temperament is calm, quiet, and she is eager to please. She rarely barks and sleeps a lot. Despite her angelic personality, there are several challenges to having this love muffing in the booth. When Violet sleeps, she often snores. Despite her tiny size of only 15 lbs, her snore sounds like a local train coming through town. The next challenge is that Violet, who was bred to be a lap dog, very much wants to sit on my lap. While she will sometimes settle down and snuggle with her sister, she will more often beg to be on my lap. Imagine that I am doing a long form narration or eLearning project and she is on my lab. If she exhales or shakes and her collar rattles, the mic will pic this up. While Violet is pretty close to being perfect, there are some hiccups sometimes and as human as she seems she still has no idea that I am doing actual work or that she can interrupt it.

Daisy

Daisy the Silver LabDaisy is a Labrador Retriever puppy. As a silver Lab, she is just precious. She is goofy and sweet and has a lot of energy. Let’s just say when she first came to the voice over booth, she had no idea it was a place of work. She literally tried to eat the aurelex acoustic foam off of the walls! Well, that could not go on. Outside the studio, Daisy had a number of behavior issues ranging from jumping to counter surfing to pulling while walking that also needed to be addressed. So, we sent her to the Monks of New Skete for some dog training. They taught Daisy to go to her place. It was amazing. After 17 days at the monastery, when she returned, she understood to lay by my feet quietly when given the command “place.” This was life changing and Daisy is now a wonderful and enjoyable companion in the studio.

When They are Not There

Regardless of how amazing Violet and Daisy are, I do not have the girls in the booth for live sessions. Whether I am doing a Source Connect of Zoom session, my feeling is that when clients are paying a premium for m services, the dos should not be there. Ever. I do a lot of commercial work and also have live sessions for video game work and sometimes even eLearning, and there is not a circumstance in which the dog’s behavior interfering with the audio would every be acceptable. In a business where there are a lot of people who do what we do, and we as talents are very replaceable, we need to be mindful of what is ideal for our clients and put their needs above all elese. Are there times I would prefer to have my pups in the booth? Of course there are, but it is more important to have clients return again and again.

So, if you are a voice actor and you are getting a pup, here are some things to keep in mind:

You want a dog that is not a barker. They either are or they aren’t, and if they are that will never change.
You want a dog who is not anxious. They need to be ok by themselves when you have live sessions. If you put them somewhere else in your house, whether it is a crate, a den, a gated kitchen, you need to be able to count on them to be quiet for the duration of your session.
You want a dog who can stay calm and rest for upwards of an hour, even at a young age. As voice actors, it’s an endurance game. We are often in our studio for hours on end. You want a dog who can tolerate being indoors and does not demand walks or outdoor play on their schedule.

I am so thankful for my girls. I hope you find a studio dog to make your voiceover life complete!

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.

Welcome to My VO Store: Voice Over Buying Made Easy

January 3, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

It’s 2021 Now…

You don’t need a middle man if you need a voiceover for your next project. Instead, with a revolutionary online store front, you can shop for you voice over needs just like online food marketing or buying shoes. This client-centered approach is about making it easy and clear for you, the buyer. Let me explain how it works. Here’s the online store:

Voice Over Buying Made Easy

So let’s say it’s 2 am and you have just finished editing your explainer video. You have a super fast turn-around and you need a professional female voice talent who does not need a lot of direction, you tell her what you want, and voila, pristine audio will arrive fully-edited and according to your specs.

Or you have a commercial. You are looking for that quintessential millennial voice. You know, the authentic girl-next-door that sounds like a real person. You want it for a regional broadcast, and you need a live session via source connect. It’s 10 am, and you need the audio in the next day. Easy, you just click, and set up your session.

https://youtu.be/p31p69CD_sM

First Security Bank TV Commercial (https://youtu.be/p31p69CD_sM)

Here’s another potential scenario in which client’s love this online store. You’re looking to change your office voice mail recording. A holiday is coming up, so you want it to be seasonally appropriate, your hours are changing, and you need Laura to work with a professional engineer to add music to match your branding. Here are two recent samples where Laura was hired directly by the client to redo their IVR, and she customized the sound for them with a talented engineer.

https://youtu.be/9VHT-SawW5E

Laura Schreiber IVR Phone Greeting Sample – Law Firm (https://youtu.be/9VHT-SawW5E)

https://youtu.be/5Y1Ojjw4BVU

Voice Over Phone Greeting by Laura Schreiber for Hatboro Pediatrics (https://youtu.be/5Y1Ojjw4BVU)

All of this is possible without even a single phone call, all with online purchasing through Laura’s voice over store.

The Process is Simple

First, the client would go to the “Services” page in the menu.
Then, select your category from the “menu” of service items.

Note that many of the categories differentiate the length of usage. It is important not to simply choose the cheapest option. Instead, you must actually select the real usage for your project.
When you are in the correct category, select the “Buy Now” button.
Choose the option that is appropriate and select “add to cart.”
To check out, click “view cart”

Then click “Proceed to Check Out”

When you are in the check out screen, there is a notes section for any special notes about the booking. This is where you can make any directional requests about tone or pace.

All that’s left to do is to pay! That’s it, it’s that easy.

Rates…

As a full-time working professional with years of experience and top brands as my clients, maintaining industry standard rates is essential to my business ethics. What are you paying for when you hire an established voice talent? You might think you are paying for the actual voice over for a given project and the usage of that voice over, but the rates stand for even more. The rates are based on the years of coaching and the on-going training that a professional has to understand what is current and booking in the industry. The rates are in a certain zone because professional talents maintain broad-cast ready studios with expensive equipment so that the audio quality is pristine every single time. The studios typically offer costly methods for live sessions, including Source Connect. Lastly, when you book a job in a certain range, you have are getting the guarantee of revisions and availability of that talent. The rate being in a certain range, then, should come as a quality assurance. Conversely, rates that are surprisingly low should serve as a red flag and alert you that either a talent is inexperienced or lacking in one of the areas and you should run for the hills.

Other Perks of Easy Shopping

Again, the purpose of the online store is to make the shopping experience as easy as possible for the client. When shopping in this online store, transparency is a given. You know what you are getting upfront. If you need pickups or revisions with your booking, they always come with jobs $250 and higher. Live sessions are always final delivery. Laura always delivers her bookings in 24 hours and typically much faster. If you need RUSH work delivered in less time, whether it is for a commercial, an explainer, IVR, eLearning narration, or another project, simply let Laura know and with an additional $50 fee (as is industry standard) Laura is happy to accommodate.

It’s 2021. We’re still in a pandemic. We need what we need quickly. Laura gets it and she wants you to have perfect audio without a fuss at the click of your mouse. Let Laura know how she can help you!

Another Instance of Why the VO Community Matters So Much

December 13, 2020 by Laura Schreiber

Now More than Ever…

Laura Schreiber and Industry Friends in NYC — With Uncle Roy, Lynn Norris, Michelle and Steve Sundholm, and my sister Julie Levin in NYC in Chinatown SOVAS Weekend

I think we can all agree that 2020 has presented us with some challenges. For those of us who enjoy the close knit voice over community, from the myriad of conferences each year to traditional events like Uncle Roy’s BBQ and Christmas Parties in NYC, when you work alone in a padded foam booth, interacting with others in voiceover is so much more than a chance to network. Any of us who go to these events will tell you about the gooey sweet bonding that happens between the karaoke and the shop talk. So the lack of face time in 2020 has been hard, but for me, the presence of social media groups, especially on Facebook (as much as I hate to admit it) has helped fill the gap. I feel like I still “see” my dear friends and have a sense of how they are and what’s going on. More than that, I crave the interaction, look for their posts, and try to be responsive. For me, these voice over groups on social media are not a distraction, they continue to give me a sense of connection when we are all forced to be distanced at the moment. This week, these connections in my Facebook voice over community genuinely helped me through an experience from a pay to play that had me feeling pretty exasperated.

The Frustrating Experience of this Week

Laura Schreiber at WoVo Con in Las Vegas with Industry Friends — Laura Schreiber with Michelle Blenker, Diana Birdsall, David Rosenthal, Lisa Suliteanu, and Kim Handysides at WoVoCon in Las Vegas in 2017!

On Thursday I got one of those messages we all love: I had been cast in a national spot. Spoiler: wait before you start celebrating for me, it does not end well. The initial offer was low and it needed negotiating, which in no way scared me off, negotiating is part of the job, right? But the good news was that they wanted me and I was available. The message came through Voice123 and the client asked me to call him right away. I called the client back immediately. I spent a long time chatting with the client. The spot was actually more regional in use but the client wanted national rights to not have to deal with his client more later. Fine. We also discussed pricing for web and social media. He was pleasant and very specific. He wanted a zoom session Friday morning. I gave him a choice of times and he said he would get back to me. I had a 5 pm zoom on Thursday and I was in a really good mood during that call. When I got off of that call, I got an email from the client. He said his client no longer had the budget and was going to use an in-house voice. They were going to use an in-house voice for a national spot? Are you kidding me? And he wasted so much of my time. I was really annoyed. I was aggravated. Frankly, I was pissed off.

I Was NOT Alone….

One of my VO besties suggested I post it on Facebook. We have a VO Red Flags group, and I also decided to post in our V123 Platinum members group. My wheels were turning and I was curious if he had interacted with anyone else. I wanted to see how others would have reacted and if this had happened to anyone else recently.

Laura Schreiber and Industry Friends at Uncle Roy's BBQ — Kim Handysides, Shelley Avellino, Devla Trainor, and Laura Schreiber at Uncle Roy’s BBQ in NJ

I got an immediate response in the V123 group. This guy had been making his rounds to other top voiceover talents. He had been negotiating with one male talent all week, since Monday! He had contacted other female voice actors at my level who also book a lot on that platform to negotiate with them! For some reason I have not seen my post go up in the Red Flags group yet. Sometimes that happens.

Laura Schreiber and Industry Friends at VOA — Michelle Blenker, Michelle Sundholm, Diana Birdsall, and Laura Schreiber and VO Atlanta 2018

The point, though, is that I felt much better having a community to discuss this with. I was not alone in my booth, or alone in my kitchen talking it through with my husband. I was part of a pretty awesome group of talents dealing with this together. I went from feeling angry to being thankful for having such awesome people. I realized this guy was outnumbered. He had heard over and over and over that his budget was too low. We were all in sync. The reason that there are industry standard rates and that we can all work so hard to maintain them is because those of us in the industry are such a cohesive, tight knit network.

So to be clear, the response that I got on Facebook this week had both an emotional impact on my stability and also, at the same time, showed the impact of the VO bond on our business. By communicating and remaining close, we all benefit. It is so so important that we stick together!

So cheers to a better 2021, and to seeing you all in person, so that I can give you all a big hug and we can have some fun together again! I am so profoundly thankful for this community.