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Greetings and Welcome!

The main goal of our CV NewsLetter is to keep our membership aware of industry related news and to inform and entertain subscribers who have an interest in the VO industry. Designed to be a short read, our Newsletter solicits information and input from industry leaders and Voice Over Talents. If this Newsletter was passed on to you and you would like to subscribe, please click here. This NewsLetter is published mid-month and your opinions and suggestions are warmly welcomed.

Thank you for your subscription.


In this Issue:

Mike Weiner ........Actor or Announcer?
Home Depot..........Heavyweight
Directing Voiceovers.............The Beginning by Peter Drew
Justin Taylor.........Voice Image Productions expands.......and how!
Let's Link up............improve your web site rank.
Website Tips...............from Glen McGinnis
 

Mike Weiner ...........Actor? Or Announcer?
By Mike Weiner

I had a prospective client call me the other day. He asked to hear my best FM announcer voice. But when I first read the copy, it struck me that he wanted an Authoritative read, yet he was using the description as “FM Announcer”. Not taking offense at this (after all, only those of us who have worked in this business for a length of time understand the differences), I gave him my delivery based on what the copy was calling for, not what he was describing. I got the job. So what does this mean?

As a Voice-over Actor, we have the responsibility for finding out the intent of the writer (based on the script), the emotion that corresponds with it, and the point of view we must be in to communicate the message as desired. Sometimes, a producer/writer/director uses the wrong words to describe what he/she wants, and it leads us down the wrong path in our delivery. However the Actor goes deep into the copy to find the underlying meaning of the message.

The copy has within it a set of clues that direct the astute performer to deliver it as it was being heard in the writer’s head. Not to belittle FM Announcers, but they are usually NOT Actors. They rely on the strength of their balls (sorry, ladies, it’s the best description), and throw their voices into being big, Big, BIG in order to deliver the copy. Yet it falls flat as a performance.

Sadly, the radio business is a lousy training ground for an aspiring Voice Actor. Radio doesn’t give a damn about you bettering your performance, so there is no training, direction, or concern. It took me 18 years to realize that, and I got help. When I put my ego aside, stopped going for the ballsy sound, and started listening, hearing and feeling the words in a script, my performance improved (and so did my income!). Next time you hear someone walking around sounding like an FM Announcer, you can smile and think to yourself, “I know better”. And if it happens to be you, remember knowledge is power. Now you know.

Mike Weiner is a national voice-over actor, coach, producer and owner of The Image Generators, Inc, based in metro Washington, DC. His work can be heard at www.nakedvoice.com. Read more on this in his book, “IS THERE MONEY IN YOUR MOUTH?” available at www.xlibris.com/weiner.
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Harlan Hogan's new book "Voice Actor's Guide to Home Recording" is now on sale at Amazon.com and Harlan Hogan.com
 

"Home Depot".........the heavyweight

Home Depot Remains Radio's Most-Played Commercial

For the second straight week, radio's leading national brand advertiser ran more commercials in the markets reviewed by Media Monitors than any other client. Geico, Verizon Wireless, McDonald's and Coca Cola rounded out the top five in the most-played spots recap for the seven days ending March 13. Kohl's, Welch's, Ford Lincoln Mercury, Radio Shack and Nissan completed the top ten.

Home Depot also was the most-played commercial on Country stations, while Geico was the most-played spot on News/Talk and Sports stations. Univision, AutoZone and top ten-newcomer Greyhound led the Spanish-language stations report, while Verizon Wireless and McDonald's topped the list on Hip-Hop stations.
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Directing Voiceovers..........the beginning
By Peter Drew
Christina & the Animation Demo, Pt. 1
by Peter Drew

On January 19, 2004, I received an email from Christina, a 15-year-old living in Melbourne, Australia. Christina asked me:

“I have to put my voice on a demo for a producer who is going to do some TV animated pilots up in Queensland. He has given me the opportunity to do a demo showing different styles. However, I am not sure of what I am meant to say on it. Can you please advise? I have always wanted to get into Voice Over so I am new to this and don't want to lose it. I am also an actress and model and have been given very little work, even though I have an agent. So I thought, I will keep my agent but will look for work myself too.”.......More

Peter Drew, a card-carrying member of the Commercial Voices cadre, provides voice overs for all electronic media. Have a comment about this article? Please visit Peter Drew Voiceovers and drop him a line via email. While you're there, check out Peter's demos and additional articles on the voice-over business.

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The man to watch................. Justin Taylor is a busy, busy VO talent and the growing demand for "JT" required a substantial expansion in his studio facilities. So much so that "VoiceImage Productions" is now mobile along with the new studio digs. Read, listen, watch,..........JT is a mover. (Yeah, I'm jealous too)

"Justin Taylor VoiceImage Productions Launches New Studio & Mobile Voiceover Production Studio"

Orlando, Florida USA - Justin Taylor VoiceImage Productions has launched a new broadcast production facility in SW Orlando, Florida near all the attractions. This studio features an acoustically designed control room, and isolation booth for voiceover and live performance.

On-board is ProTools LE Digi02 running on a Mac G5, ProTools LE Digi01 running on a Mac G4, Cool Edit Pro running on IBM PC, along with 3 other desktops, 2 laptops, and a hand held HP iPAQ for out of studio communications. ISDN live sessions are conducted on a Telos-Zephyr.

Equipment includes Neumann, AKG, Shure, and Audio Technica microphones, a full spectrum of black-box outboard rack processing, a 16x8 Tascam Analog Console, a 48x16 Soundtracs Topaz Project 8 Console, Mackie ProTools control interface, as well as a full compliment of portable mobile recording gear.

Along with the new studio, JTVIP has built an air-conditioned mobile voiceover and production studio inside of a fiberglass insulated travel trailer complete with ProTools LE on a Mac G4 and Cool Edit Pro on an IBM Laptop PC. This mobile studio functions completely as a broadcast production studio once connected to location power supply and high-speed internet service.

For pictures and more information, visit online at www.voiceimage.com

Ed Note: JT is a Founding member of CV (and one heck of a nice guy too:)
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Improve your web site rank......
With all the hoop la about web site optomization and multi tune ups that are supposed to help us in our web site ranking in Search Engines one tip seems to remain constant. The more quality recriprocal links you have, the better. This is your invitation to link up with CV and we will do the same with your site. The only criteria is that it be somehow related to the VO industry. Whether you are a VO talent, writer, producer, musician, ad agency or production house, come along for the ride with CV. Click here send us your link request. You can check out our current links by clicking on "Links" at the top of this page.
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Website Tips

Last month I was asked the question: How can I edit Microsoft (WMA) audio files that are being protected by Microsoft's Digital Rights Management (DRM). There is a free tool called FreeMe which will allow you to remove the protection from the file and edit it. This tool works for files protected by version 7 and higher of Microsoft's DRM. You can download FreeMe from http://www.spinnaker.com/crypt/drm/freeme/FreeMe.exe

After some further looking I also found a commercial option: Blaze Media Pro. It sells for $50 USD. For more information on Blaze see http://www.blazemp.com/convert_drm_protected_wma.htms

Tips provided by Crystal Bay Media
www.crystalbaymedia.com
Email Glen: Glen McInnis

Mention this newsletter and you will receive a 10% discount on any of CB’s services:
• Website design and maintenance
• Custom web applications
• E-learning
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The CV Newsletter is distributed monthly to: Subscribers, CV Members, Producers, Clients and Manufacturers in the Voice-Over Industry. To unsubscribe click here. We recognize the importance of your electronic privacy, thus our privacy policy ensures that your name, address, telephone number, email address and other personal details that CommercialVoices.com may have will not be shared with any other third party for any reason. Thank you.
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April/04 May/04 July/04 August/04

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