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Uncle Roy

Defining Quality in Voice Over

May 10, 2020 by Laura Schreiber

https://youtu.be/BA8J4VMDECU

The Talk Began with Armin at One Voice

Yesterday I spent much of the day online in my den enjoying different workshops from the One Voice 2020 conference. I had not planned to fly to London to attend before the pandemic, but since virtual attendance became an option I was excited to participate. I got so much out of the sessions, from thinking about craft and marketing, to thinking about my feelings about auditions and the work that I book. So, from the start, thanks to Hugh Edwards and the entire team at Gravy for the Brain for this amazing conference!

Each session got my wheels turning for different reasons, but during Armin’s session that was around 11 AM EST, when he spoke of defining quality in the industry. My head was bursting with ideas. If you don’t know Armin Hierstetter, he is the founder and CEO of the online casting platform Bodalgo. Unlike some platforms where you can simply sign up, Bodalgo stands apart because Armin has a screening process to begin with, setting a bar for “quality” from the start. In his talk, Armin spent a bit of time talking about what is going on industry wide in terms of quality, what quality looks like, and how quality could be achieved.

Why does Armin’s chat matter so much? Well, if you recall last week I blogged about Casting Director MaryLynn Wissner and what happens if we take Coaching out of the mix when defining a professional. Yesterday, Armin made a strong argument for why coaching and training matter when defining quality in voiceover. Armin was not alone when he spoke about the importance of coaching, I heard this message from Kay Bess as well. I think any well-established talent in the industry will tell you with pride how much they have invested in working on their craft. Next, Armin also spoke about the importance of audio quality. Again, in order to book work competitively at the moment in the industry, a professional talent must have the “right” equipment in a sound treated space and know how to edit it. But simply having training and buying equipment alone is not enough, these need to combine with an ethical underpinning on platforms that are out to foster the growth of the industry, and all of that together creates a synergy to provide quality work for out clients.

So, inspired by Armin, let’s examine more in depth how we can work together at this unique moment in history to provide outstanding VO quality for our clients:

Training:

It is imperative that in order to be competitive in the voice over industry today a talent must have coaches and continue to work on their craft. When I started I did a combination of one on one coaching in specific genres, online classes, acting and improv. Whether or not you are working towards a demo, a good coach will help you develop your strengths and identify your weaknesses. They will also help you identify next steps and encourage you with other genres of voice over that would likely be a good fit. As MaryLynn mentioned in her blog post, good coaches ideally have a responsibility to give talents both a push in the right direction and a heads up if they are sub parr.

Attending conferences is essential to understanding industry trends. What is current and booking changes. If you are not in touch with other voice actors and involved in current training, how do you know what is booking at the moment? There are also differences by region. For example, I was told at WoVo Con 2019, this year, that when submitting west coast auditions I should add touches of improv but never to do that on auditions being submitted in NYC. Working out and doing line reads in the presence of other voice actors, while humbling, also helps you see where you fit in in the community and if you are in fact up to snuff. It is really important to push yourself to these challenges and participate in such community activities.

Audio Quality:

Audio quality matters. Clients can hear the difference when listening to auditions. I have always been a big proponent of getting WoVo studio approval and when I cast jobs for clients will only cast with talents who have been vetted through this process.

For those wanting to learn as much as possible about studio setups and audio standards, there are lots of great ways to go about it. The VOBS weekly show is really helpful. If you started watching today, you would be busy for a while! Both Dan Leonard and George Whittam are also available to help teach anything related to audio processing and studio set up, as is Tim Tippets, and Roy Yokelson. There are others out there too, but if you want to have competitive audio, the quality of your raw audio needs to be outstanding and then you need to know how to edit it. It’s that simple. Those of use who have been in the business for a while typically attend workshops at conferences on DAW upgrades. For example, I love learning more about Twisted Wav. We also typically make improvements to our travel rigs. If your audio is not pristine, all the coaching in the world won’t save you.

Conclusions

If you want to succeed in voiceover, there are not short cuts to creating quality work. There is an industry standard and the bar is high. That is what books. If you are aware of those of us who continue to book at this time, the answer to what sets them apart is one word: quality.

Filed Under: Client Relationships, Voiceover Tagged With: Armin Hierstetter, Bodalgo, Coaching, Dan Leonard, George Whittam, Gravy for the Brain, Hugh Edwards, One Voice Conference VOBS, quality, recording, Standards, Tim Tippets, training, Uncle Roy, VO, voice over, voiceover, WoVo approval

Why I Chose a Notebook Over a Desktop for My Voice Over Needs

May 5, 2019 by Laura Schreiber

https://youtu.be/hTvzT_v_ub0

Consult an Expert

When I started my business years ago I had so much to learn abut every single aspect of voice over. In addition to all of my vocal coaches for each genre of voiceover, and hiring a contractor to build my custom booth, I need serious advice about which computer to use and why I should make those choices. To understand how I came to a laptop, I also need to explain how I became a Mac user after a lifetime on PCs.

I so identified as a PC user that I could not possibly imagine life any other way!

I had actually started my business with a Dell Laptop. My cousin David who is an audio engineer in Philly had advised me that the software I needed to edit my work would not run sufficiently on that computer. David described a scenario where I was working and everything crashed. I assumed David was speaking in hyperbole just because he, like so many younger people I know, prefer Macs. One humiliating day early on, I had paid a fortune to work with a coach in Los Angeles and everything that David predicted come to fruition! My computer crashed. I could not sign in to ipDTL. I could not get Audacity or Adobe audition to work. Nothing worked. I was in a total crash. I had a session and I was mortified and I was ready to work and knew at that moment that I needed to make a major change.

It was time to consult an expert. I had already been working with a local sound engineer known affectionately by industry insiders as “Uncle” Roy, aka Roy Yokelson of Antland Productions. Uncle Roy is a PC guy and he was teaching me how to do the sound editing I would need when I launched my business. Switching to a Mac meant I would no longer be able to solely rely on Uncle Roy for tech support. I was told to consult with George Whittam and that he would guide me in the right direction on what my next step would be. I scheduled a call with George right away. Even though this was years ago it feels like yesterday and I am still profoundly thankful for his help and support, which is costly but well-worth every penny.

Studio Set up

I had a list of questions for George. If I was making the leap from PC to Mac, did I want a MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, or Desk Top? George encouraged me to get a souped up MacBook Air for my needs. Again, this is personal and it depends on your needs. For me, I needed a computer that would support all the audio software, have a large memory, and would be quiet. George explained that with enough RAM, the MacBook Air would meet my needs swimmingly. I also bought a hard drive to back it up so that if I had an unfortunate incident I would be covered!

George did not just make suggestions about the MacBook Air. He also guided me about other specs for the booth I was building to make sure that my audio would be pristine. As my goal was to get WoVo approval, which I did, this was also immensely helpful.

On the Go

I am ultimately very pleased with my purchase of the MacBook Air. I have been using it for almost five years now. I travel for work several times a year and it is light and not bulky. It works well as part of my travel rig set up too.

There is another element to my specific business needs. I am a working mom. I often have to leave my studio in the late afternoon and drive my twins to after school activities or sports events. The MacBook Air is extremely portable and great for the mom-on-the go. I bought a Tumi work bag on The Real Real that matches my suit case and I feel very organized when I travel. I am really thankful that I did not purchase the slightly heavier MacBook Pro, which my son has, because I have back and neck issues and for me every pound makes a difference.

Concluding Thoughts

Laura Schreiber Female Voice Over Talent MermaidAs with so many other changes I have faced in life, the anticipation of the change is worse than the change itself! I am thankful every day for the guidance that I got from my cousin and from George that pushed me in the right direction. I am thankful that the fan on my computer is so quiet. I am thankful that there is an apple store at my mall so I could get started so easily. I also LOVE using Twisted Wave. For me, the shift from Audacity and Audition to Twisted Wave was a huge productivity improvement. It is both my hope and intention that through conferences I will continue my tech education and will stay current with all of the new tech trends in voiceover so that I can best serve my clients.

Filed Under: Studio/booth, Voiceover Tagged With: adobe audition, Antland Productions, audacity, audio, David Scott Audio, fan, George the Tech Guy, George Whittam, MacBook Air, studio, tech, training, twisted Wave, Uncle Roy, VO, voice over, voiceover, working mom, WOVO

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.

Filed Under: Voiceover Tagged With: Industry Insiders, Networking, Uncle Roy, voiceover, voiceover BBQ, voiceover pros, working mom

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