CommercialVoices introduces "CV's Kids"

It has taken a while to put together but we can now let you hear a new CV feature called CV's Kids. This is a free bonus to our Platinum members. If you have missed the details click here. We've believed for a while that there is some terriffic junior talent out there honing their skills and following in their parents footsteps to participate in the VO industry and now we're giving them a voice.

Click here to enter CV's Kids. You can also enter from our index page CommercialVoices.com by clicking of the Kid. The temporary login name is "general" and Password is "yellow" (minus the apostrophe's). We will leave this active for a week to showcase our child talent to our Newsletter readers but then will be implementing a new entry page which will have radomly changed passwords to help protect the kids. It will have a direct link from our index (main page) and will be promoted within "About" as well. We hope you enjoy and as usual your comments/suggestions/ideas will be warmly welcomed.

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New Business Development Feature
By Liz Raphael Helgesen

A professional voice talent and business mentor Liz will present an inspirational quote and then share a personal application of that wisdom to help us achieve greater success in our field.

“Things don't go wrong and break your heart so you can become bitter and giveup. They happen to break you down and build you up so you can be all that you were intended to be.” -- Samuel Johnson

After four call-backs for an audition for an animated feature film, I learned I didn’t make the cut. While I had already picked out my Oscar dress, I chose to see the disappointment as an opportunity for growth. I began asking, “What can I learn,” “What can I do differently next time.” “Was I acting out of ego, rather than connecting with the purpose of my character, the film?” And, of course, the bigger question, “How can I remain connected to my mission of using my talent to help others in the midst of such disappointment?”

While the answers to these questions are vital, most important for me is just the asking--keeping my thoughts on the right path of self-discovery, searching for the answers. Today, I trust that higher thinking, envisioning success and believing in myself no-matter-what will propel me to the next level in my voice over career and in my life.

Years ago, after a let down, I used to have a different conversation with myself; a negative discussion that would underscore and perpetuate negative outcomes and clog my vessels that I needed clear to connect me with others. As I became aware, I knew these thoughts would be the death of me; I had to have the courage to change the conversation.

While we are all free to choose our thoughts, today, for me, I have no choice: my attitudes and beliefs directly impact all of my relationships and the outcomes I create. Exercising and building this mental muscle, even in the midst of heartbreak, helps me be all that I was intended to be.

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Welcome to Sound Ideas

Glen Campbell welcomes all CV Newsletter subscribers and readers with an exciting exclusive offer that you will not find anywhere else. Simply submit your name, mailing address. phone number and email address to Glen monthly...that's all there is to it. First he will offer to send you a Sound Ideas Sampler of many of their terrific products and you will also be eligible to win one of two great Production CD's, Captain Audio (450 sfx) or Mzzz Muzic (200 music tracks). Just click on Glen's name to submit. I have been dealing with Glen at Sound-Ideas for many years both in radio and in VO. He is very knowledgeable and professional about his business and is not a sales-hound if you know what I mean. Give Glen a call anytime at 1-800-665-3000 (within Canada) or 1-800-387-3030 (USA), 905-886-5000 (International). Check out their Blue Plate Specials every month for amazing deals!

Welcome to Sound Ideas Online The world's largest publisher of professional sound effects, royalty free music, and your source for a comprehensive selection of production music and production element libraries.Buy direct from Sound Ideas - our e-commerce Web site offers secure online purchasing of more than 200 different sound effects and stock music products for broadcast, post-production, multimedia, game development and other wireless and entertainment applications.

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The Paperless Studio by..... Todd Schick

(Todd recorded his entire article...listen here)

I do a fair amount of work out of a particular studio in downtown Toronto; Boom Sonic Branding. A few years ago, these guys were always having problems with their printer. Either it wasn’t working or they had to run down the hall……there was always an issue (and thus, delay) every time I showed up for a session.

One day, it was impossible to print the script and these guys got caught with their proverbial pants down with the client in attendance. Being a solution-oriented guy, I suggested that I place the client’s laptop on the music stand in the booth….and I could read from that.

Thus, the idea of The Paperless Studio was born...More

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How much do I charge for?.....By Rick Gordon

After many emails and phone calls about fair rates here is a quick reference foryou to keep and refer to. Of course there are alwasy extenuating circumstances different rates for better clients but here is what I go by.

Here is another version including commercial production for radio/TV, regions, audiobooks etc.

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So, you’ve recorded a great demo.....by Terry Daniel

(Terry recorded his entire article...listen here)

So, you’ve recorded a great demo, built your own website and now, you’re ready to add your demos. Excited? You should be! You’ve worked hard to come this far but be leery of a little mistake that many voice actors have made. I should know. I was guilty of it, myself. As we all know, the demo is a key factor and there are several ways to place voice demos on your website but more often than not, actors tend to insert just the link to their demos....More

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The Funnies

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Producer's Corner
Web Site stats

Before I continue with this month's final segment on the topic of Web Stats, I would like to know what you all would like to know more about!

I have no idea what you all know or don't know, so by all means email me your questions and/or recording problems and I'll help you with them in this monthly segment. Whether it's "Is this rig a good idea?" or "What kind of acoustic treatment - and oh yes, I'm on a budget!" - the answers will help all the readers, so there are no questions that "shouldn't be asked"....

This segment can become your technical Q&A or FAQ page, filled with the kind of info you need. Email your questions or comments directly to me at Info@BlueBearSound.com.

Now on to Web Stats.................

Last month, we started discussing website stats. I described what web stats actually are and showed you how you can see your stats on the CommercialVoices.com site.

This month I'll go over those numbers using one member's actual numbers
(anonymously) as an example.

So we bring up the page for this member's stats (let's use Member X as a
name) - again by using the URL
http://commercialvoices.com/platinum/MYPAGE/stats.php, where you replace
MYPAGE with your CommercialVoices.com username - and we see the following info:

Happy Recording!
Bruce Valeriani
Blue Bear Sound

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