Voice Commercial dot com

voice over guy

My commercial voice over resume includes a Phil Donahue show but not…

Phil was doing a location show in North Carolina and since this was a weekly show the schedule was tight. It’s hard enough to do a weekly national TV show but toss in a location , dealing with a local prison system about a death row inmate, state government and a TV crew and you’ve got plenty to do.

This show needed a narrator and I got the call. Donahue was covering  an execution at a Raleigh prison. The show was going to air the next day and was being taped the night before just in time for national distribution.

My job was to be the narrator. To pop in and explain all that was happening. To read a script that would bring clarity and focus to an otherwise confusing situation.

I waited in the green room for a few hours until the show was finished. Then I was sent home. No need for a narrator, Donahue had decided to do it himself, for a personal touch, a less commercial voice.

That was the best call by far. The show was an intimate look at at a very touchy subject and Donahue had the presence and persona for it. But I was there just in case. And they paid well. Thanks Phil. Call anytime.

When you make a few contacts and do some consistent work you will get calls for work like this. If I had not been available for this job, they would have called another anouncer. I am sure thay had a list of people and were just calling to get somebody competent to fill that slot.

So be prepared to

• say yes
• be on time
• be flexible
• be ready to bail out
• make new contacts when you are there
• be professional ( stay out of the way)

Once you get in a position to do commercial voice work, it can happen like that. Just be there when you are called. A huge part of it is– just showing up.

Have you noticed that many of the same voice talents keep showing up over and over?

Keep It Coming

Many people view that as a mistake, a burn out or tired, old sameness. But if you look closer you’ll find that most of those people generally communicate by complaining.

I view consistent voices as a good thing. One of the principles of ongoing success is momentum. One of the most consistent voices in the business is Donna Reed.

Steady She Goes

I have known Donna for over 20 years. There have been whole three or four year spans when we would only catch up for a minute or two by phone but I have always been able to hear her voice somewhere.

That is real momentum.

Donna’s resume is impressive. It reflects her consistency.

She has done voice work for-

• all of the major networks,
• movie trailers,
• children’s readings,
• characters for commercials,
• TV,
• radio
• and singing jingles.

She has often been interviewed by the major industry magazines so it is not hard to find her advice on how to be a force in the voice over business.

Here are a few tidbits:

Donna has recently been asked to submit as a voice double for acting legend Judy Dench.

She has completed a project for LAX, Scholastic books and American Airlines.

Her voice has been a steady anchor for:

• news promos,
• sports and rock stations both in the US and Europe,
• animated characters,
• narrations and tutorials.

She is at it every week. Year after year. That is what it takes.

And that is why you hear familiar voices, including hers. Consistency. Momentum.

So if you ever wonder, “what’s the secret?” Step back and look at Donna Reed. She is talented and works to improve her performance, she is sincere and trusted, and Donna is committed to working even when it’s not always glamorous.

The mistake Donna does not make? Not showing up..

My Favorite

She even voices the announcements on the local bus where I live. It’s not unusual to be standing near a bus stop and hear a familiar, friendly voice saying, “Welcome Aboard”. That’s Donna Reed.

Check out these videos and listen to Donna.

photo caromalinia

This is a little off topic but …

Do you sometimes get a song in your mind and can’t quite remember the lyrics or the name of  who sang it?

A Hitch in Your Giddyup

A Radio DJ will get this all the time. A call from a listener who knows a few lyrics and a part of the melody but can’t figure out the name of the song or the artist.

Blessed Relief

Chris Pirillo is on top of the latest web technology and how sites use it so I’ll let him explain this awesome website.

Chris | Live Tech Support | Video Help | Add to iTunes

This happens so often there should be a name for it. Like ‘tune dysnfunction’, or Looney Tune ( Ha), or Tip Tongue Tune. But with this new site hopefully the world can sleep a little sounder tonight with all those mind grabbing tunes brought home to rest.

Finally, A Good Use For The World Wide Web

Honestly radio producers get this daily from listeners who call and hum just a tiny bit of a song. When asked if the artist is a male or female and many times the listener doesn’t remember and often they are not even sure what radio station they heard the song on. I am the same way when I get a song stuck in my craw so I understand.

There is only one thing more compelling than good content.

Character. In communication content is king.

But Character beats Content for recognition.

… as in Cookie Monster, Elvis, Marylin Monroe, Sarah Palin and McGruff the Crime Dog.

When you have established a strong character, the actual content is still important but it is secondary.

That’s why it is so important to have a character. Just consider the advertising cartoons that have meaning in your life.

• The Michelin Man
• Pillsbury Dough Boy
• Aunt Jemima
• Buggs Bunny
• Road Runner
• The Geico Geko

There are more personable characters as well. Non cartoon, believable spokesmodels who have instant recognition:

• George Foreman
• Susanne Summers
• Al Gore

You can find a character or make one up. Stay with it long enough for a fair test.

A relevant character soon becomes more than the voice of your advertising copy. It has meaning and instant recognition.

If you are wondering if your character is strong enough ask this question. Could this person be  parodied on Saturday Night Live?

If the answer is yes, you’ve got a strong character and commercial voice. As in Sarah Palin. Watch William Shatner explain -

Get the Deep Voice You Want

Get the voice you deserve   Click Here!

Remember back in the 80′s when  home answering machines were all the rage? Everybody had to have a novelty message as their greeting. From celebrity voices to whole families taking turns saying their names on the greeting.

Now a similar thing is happening with GPS devises. The Knight Rider voice guy, William Daniels has voiced a GPS device. That would be fun.

Plus there’s this GPS site with various celebrities impersonated telling you which way to turn.

Voice Commercial actors are having fun doing this, I am sure.

Here’s the video–

The changes in media have shuffled a lot of voice people around but it looks like many of them are getting new jobs doing things like these announcements.

New markets opening up include

• podcasting
• online radio
• books on tape (on kindle)
• video games
• good old radio automation
• satellite radio
• websites

New media is exploding and there are new applications for commercial voices everyday.

photo mandj98

If you are planning a radio or TV ad one of the most important considerations is the voice.

There are times when the best spokesperson is a well known personality. Locally, you can find people who have a strong reputation and  familiarity. This will help deliver your message and associate your product or service with a trusted name and voice.

Local celebs  include :

• A coach
• A sports figure including race car drivers
• Popular local musician
• Writer
• Educator
• A sports announcer
• Politician
• Fire Chief (good for  public service)
• Radio personality ( only on certain stations)
• Political reps ( careful)
• Product pitch person ( local advertiser)

Not About Quality Sound.

The actual voice of this kind of spokesperson hardly matters at all. It’s the familiarity and strong sense of trust that can be valuable. You could spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on a professional voice and still not get the positive response you can receive by using a local personality to voice your commercial.