Happy World Voice Day everybody!!
Today is the one day of the year dedicated to celebrating the human voice and how essential it is at work, in social and in family life. And who would know this better than our lovely voiceovers? Party on guys!!
kisskiss
the piehoologans
OK, so what’s the deal with the CEC (current economic climate)? Everyone’s panicking left, right and centre and it’s hard to know which way is up. And in fairness - the panic isn’t completely without merit.
I work in an ad agency, and lived through the 9/11 worldwide financial dip, which famously hit advertising agencies very hard. The reason being, is that advertising budgets are the first things that get slashed (that, and nose hair waxing apparently). Those lovely exotic film shoots with the fancy helicopter shots, cappuccinos and first class flights tend to go out the back door while economy class and instant coffee slips in through the front door.
So where does this leave voiceover artists? Is everyone going to be shaking a tin cup in ‘09?
Well, there’s actually a number of factors at play here, and I foresee a few different things happening. Firstly, there will be less money wastage, so we’ll probably find that clients are less likely to splurge money to demo a range of different artists for a gig. They might just want pick one VO and hope for the best.
Secondly, TV budgets will probably get slashed. This might mean nothing to the voiceovers, because no matter how high or low a budget is to produce a TV ad - you’re still going to need a voice over at the end, punting the product.
Another thing which might happen is that clients shoot fewer TV ads. This could also mean they re-use last year’s ad. Great for the voiceover: you get paid again without even having to set a foot in the studio. Or perhaps, in the case of campaigns - they might only shoot 1 or 2 ads for the campaign as opposed to 3 or 4. Obviously - this would mean less money for the voiceover. Or, god forbid, they just don’t shoot an ad at all this year.
The big ripple effect, if less TV ads were being made, is that clients will still need to sell their products somehow. The medium of radio has always been considered TV’s poorer cousin - and has also been considered a very hard-hitting, good value for money medium. My prediction is that clients will be forced to put more of their advertising budgets toward radio. So instead of shooting one fancy TV ad per year, they might rather run 5 different radio ads throughout the year.
I’m hoping that things will kind of cancel each other out for voiceovers in ‘09. What you lose on TV, you’ll gain on radio.
Think about it - did you notice the airwaves suddenly free of annoying ads during the 9/11 slump? No friggen way. The ads might become less slick, and high-production-value like - but as long as there are products to sell, there’s going to be some company trying to peddle them off onto the unsuspecting public. And they will need just the right voice to do it.
Found this voiceover skit online. Its an oldie, but a goodie… Enjoy!
Voiceover Tara Flynn let us know she’s doing her first singing gig in aaages at The Phoenix near Oxford Circus. Drop by if you’re in the area to watch her squirm.
Wednesday, January 21st, 8pm, £3.
37 Cavendish Square. W1G 0PP
It’s 2009!!!
May this be a prosperous year for all voiceovers!
Here’s a scary thought: What if old Goldenballs decided to become a voiceover?
Mu-hahaha!!
Happy Halloween Everybody!!
As a voiceover, you need to constantly market yourself. Or find ways and places to advertise on. All successful businesses advertise to attract new customers. You should do the same to get voice jobs. Even if you have an agent. I’ve already said this, but it stays true: the more people you have promoting you, the better.
So, trawl the web and register on as many directories as possible and also put your name/demo out there in the real world. You need to treat your VO work as a business and set an advertising budget.
Never underestimate the power of H2O!
The larynx works best when it is moist, like the inside of your mouth, so drink plenty of water, daily. 6 to 8 large glasses of water a day are usually recommended, especially for a voiceover. The thin mucus that lubricates your vocal folds (and your nose, throat and chest) depend on the water content of the body.
Without plenty of water it becomes thick and sticky. The vocal folds may become dryer and stiffer making them more vulnerable to damage through excessive or inefficient voice use. The sticky mucus can also cause irritation leading to coughing or throat clearing which may further damage the vocal folds.
And there’s nothing worse than trying to get a smooth read from a voiceover when they sound like the Sahara.
Here’s another important tip regarding time / timekeeping / punctuality. Time = Money in the advertising world, so arrive 10 minutes early to every single gig.
You want to make a good impression. Especially since there’s a room full of clients / sound engineers / producers / copywriters / account directors waiting just for you. It also shows that you’re taking the job seriously -which prevents clients from feeling like they’re being ripped off by some airheady inconsiderate thespian. Besides, you can spend the time meeting new contacts & dishing out the old business card.
Remember, a happy client = repeat business in the voiceover world.
Today’s tip for voiceovers concerns urgency.
If you get a message that someone is trying to book you for a gig, don’t wait a single minute. Call back immediately! It may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t.
Ad agencies are usually up against very tight deadlines, and if you take too long getting back to them, they’ll simply book a voiceover who is answering their phone.
Remember - just one or two new clients per year can mean loads of repeat £££ over time.
