The Great Voice Company

Member of the month – Dalia Bach

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:59:26 +0000

CONGRATULATIONS
to our Great Voice Inner Circle

“Member of The Month” July 2010 – Dalia Bach

Dalia Bach

How did you get started in voice-over?

My first real “voice over” experience was when I recorded the narration for an orchestral piece, The Happy Prince, with the Nebraska Sinfonia in Omaha many years ago. (I got that gig by being married to the composer, Jan Bach!) That led to several live performances of the work over the past few decades with a few different orchestras. What was particularly thrilling about doing the recording was getting to work in a state-of-the-art recording studio, one that happened to belong to Chip Davis of Mannheim Steamroller fame!

Some years later, I volunteered to read for the blind for several hours a week at a college radio station. I’d always loved reading, whether it was to my daughters, in church, or for any other occasion. And as a teacher, singer, actor and presenter I used my voice professionally nearly every day. So, after receiving positive feedback for many years, I found and read a book on voice over and considered how much fun it could be but really had no clue as to how to start.

What kind of voice over training have you had ?

I began an internet search for the best voice over training I could find and after several months of looking and checking (and double-checking!) I made the decision to test the waters with the Great Voice Company. So, in March of 2009 I took the GV teleclass. I was so impressed with that experience that I flew to NY to participate in the June 2009 VO Bootcamp and then made the commitment to continue on with the Ultimate Voice Over Success Program . This past March, I attended the Masters of the Microphone conference in Atlanta. I also have been studying with a university acting coach on book narration copy and have taken a couple of VO dialogue workshops at a Chicago studio.

Who has inspired you in voice over?

As for inspiring me to get into voice over, I would have to say my family– particularly my husband and my elder daughter. My husband once said after listening to me record something that he’d buy anything I was selling! My daughter (who is a professional actor) has given me lots of support and from her own experiences of breaking into the acting field she has given me a unique perspective on the challenges of marketing oneself. She also lends her lovely creative hand to my website and marketing material.

The person who most inspired me in the craft of voice over is Moneen Daley Harte. The quality of coaching I experienced from her in preparing my demo as part of the Ulitmate Voice Over Success Program was incomparable! Week after week, she stimulated my creativity, taught me to peel away layers to find “truth” and challenged me on so many levels with honesty and care. I consider her one of the most inspirational teachers I’ve ever had!

What is your favorite part of the Silver Inner Circle Program ?

That’s difficult to say because I find so much is helpful! Susan is an incredibly skilled interviewer so I’ve gotten a lot out of many of the guest calls. I learn a great deal from the critiques on all the audio submissions–not just my own; and I find the Q & A a great source of information. Susan is a wonderful teacher and mentor. Overall, I’d say the Inner Circle program is most useful as a way of “feeding the fire!” One can feel a bit isolated in the voice over business—so hearing Susan’s friendly voice and helpful, straightforward advice on a regular basis helps me to feel connected and on track.

Can you share some things with readers that might just be starting out in voice over?

Just do it! There’s a lot to learn and as Susan likes to say, “It’s not about the voice!” What I found surprising was that you don’t even have to have a “beautiful” voice to succeed in the business. What’s most important, no matter what you read, is how real and believable you must be. And that takes training. An acting background is helpful but learning how to connect on a personal and intimate level with your audience and your copy requires special skills. Then, of course, after preparing and recording a really good demo, there is the daunting task of marketing yourself. At least for me, that was the biggest challenge—something definitely not second nature and something I needed to learn how to do. And as much as Moneen inspired me in the craft of voice over, Susan has inspired me in the business end of voice over from marketing campaigns to cold-calling. (I can’t tell you how much I dislike being on the phone—so if I can do it, anyone can!) You have to believe in yourself and that you have something valuable to offer your clients–and be persistent. And people respond!

On a practical level, voice over work does not require a huge investment and you can do it from anywhere! That’s one of its great appeals for me—I live near Chicago and the winters have been particularly brutal lately. So the thought of getting away with my laptop and mic and doing voice over work for several months in a warmer climate is very enticing!

Who are some of your biggest inspirations in the business?

I grew up listening to Ken Nordine and Mel Blanc and marveling at the nuance and versatility of their voices! But, more recently, both Susan and Moneen have been my greatest inspirations with their knowledge, experience and generosity. I’m new to the business, but what I’ve learned from them has been extremely useful and has given me confidence to feel that I now have much more than a “clue!”

What have you been up to lately?

I’m easing out of private voice teaching for singers as I rev up the time spent on voice over work. It was great to get my first paying gig recently (a direct result of cold-calling!) and I have a few more projects in the works. I have a monthly direct mail post-card marketing campaign, audition regularly , continue to do cold-calls and am looking for networking opportunities where I can meet and develop some relationships in person.

Wednesday July 21, 2010

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:24:14 +0000

Week 4: Wednesday July 21, 2010

Wednesday July 14, 2010

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:14:44 +0000

Week 3: Wednesday July 14, 2010

Wednesday July 7, 2010

admin — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 18:40:33 +0000

Week 2: Wednesday July 7, 2010

July 2010 Member of The Month

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:06:22 +0000

CONGRATULATIONS to our Great Voice Inner Circle

“Member of The Month” July 2010 – Dalia Bach

Dalia Bach

How did you get started in voice over?

What kind of voice over training have you had ?

Who has inspired you in voice over?

What is your favorite part of the Silver Inner Circle Program ?

Can you share some things with readers that might just be starting out in voice over?

Who are some of your biggest inspirations in the business?

What have you been up to lately?

View Past Members of the Month, Click Here

Wednesday June 23, 2010

admin — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:59:58 +0000

Week 1: Wednesday June 23, 2010

How to Break into Voice overs Without Wasting Your Time and Money

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 15:43:40 +0000

What’s a voice over?
It’s the art of using the voice to sell, inform or entertain on radio and TV commercials, non-broadcast narrations for corporate audio or phone lines, and animation or cartoons.

Since 1987 I’ve voiced thousands of Voice overs for companies including: AT&T, Citibank, Dunkin’ Donuts, Avis, Johnson and Johnson, Sprint, Coopers and Lybrand, and many others. I do this full time, and have my own recording studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Here are the answers to the questions people always ask about how to break into the field.

1. People always tell me I have a great voice and should do voice overs. It sounds like fun. How do I know if I have any talent? I don’t want to embarrass myself or waste my time.

It takes much more than a great sounding voice to be successful in voice overs. While clear speech is essential, you also need:

The ability to take someone else’s words (the script) and make them sound believable and sincere, as if they were your own. This has more to do with acting ability and timing than voice quality. With proper training this skill can be learned. A strong desire to do this and the ability to persist. Some start up capital to invest in training and a professionally recorded demo tape.
A solid marketing plan and a list of people to send your tape to. There are some people (male and female) who are born with what I call “the voice of god”… But in my experience, natural talent has very little to do with voice over success. I’ve seen people who I thought would never “make it” book jobs. I’ve also seen those who were naturally talented never get work. In my opinion, what most people call talent is really a combination of desire, preparation and persistence.

2. I’ve heard that the same people (especially celebrities) do all the work. Is this
true?

There are tens of thousands of television and radio stations in the United States. Each radio station runs an average of 12 commercials per hour and each TV station runs about 20 commercials per hour. That means each hour there are many thousands of commercials on the air nationwide.

It is physically impossible for a handful of celebrities or a small group of people to do all that work! The voices of celebrities just seem to be everywhere because we recognize them.

Producers always tell me they are constantly on the lookout for fresh new voices. Anyone with proper training, a good demo tape and enough drive has as good a chance as ever to break into this lucrative and exciting field.

3. Do I need to join a union to do voice overs?

Not necessarily. One can be quite successful as non-union voice over talent but there are some risks which I will explain in a moment.

There are two unions which govern voice over work: AFTRA (American Federation of TV and Radio Artists) and SAG (the Screen Actors Guild). The talent unions offer many benefits which members fought long and hard to gain. For instance, the client must pay you scale and residuals and contribute to a pension and welfare fund on your behalf. Should a client not pay talent for work done under a union contract, the union will sue for collection on your behalf.

Generally, union work is the only work that pays residuals so your earning potential is tremendous. Without a special waiver, union talent is not allowed to do non-union work.

To join the unions there is a substantial initiation fee of over $1000 for each union. This fee will vary depending on the size of your local market. Dues are paid annually depending on talent payments earned during the previous year. AFTRA is an open union, but SAG requires a contract to join.

There is a separate union scale rate for voice overs on TV, radio, cartoons, and non-broadcast usage which differs by market size. Contact the local near you for rates in your area. Because union initiation fees are so high, I advise most people to wait until they book a union job before joining.

When you work as non-union talent, you are on your own. You negotiate your rate with the client and you are responsible for collecting your talent payment. Residuals are generally not paid for non-union work. Unless you negotiate your own contract,
the client has the right to use your recording any way he likes without paying you another dime beyond what you received initially.

4. How much money can I make in this business?

A lot. Top voice over talent make six and even seven figure incomes. If you are lucky enough to book a long-running national commercial you can make well over $10,000 in residual payments for just one spot!

But don’t quit your day job. It can take many years of perfecting your talent and marketing yourself before you reach this level of success. Non-union jobs pay anywhere from $75-$400 a commercial depending on market size and whether your commercial runs on TV or radio. While these fees are not astronomical they are certainly good pay for something that’s so much fun to do!

5. Can I do this if I have a “day job”?

Absolutely! In fact, it will probably take a few years before your voice over career is established enough to be your sole means of support. In the meantime, you’ll need to invest some of the money you make at your day job in things like classes, demo tape production and duplication, and marketing expenses to get your voice over career off the ground.

6. But how do I do both? Do they hold auditions and bookings on evenings or weekends?

Unfortunately not. Most voice over sessions happen during normal business hours.

Before you can get work, you need to market yourself. This is done by consistently sending out tapes and following up with phone calls. Tapes can be sent after hours and calls can be made during lunch time or breaks.

Even if you do this consistently, it will probably take several months before you get your first call for an audition or booking. When the call comes take a day off or make some other excuse to duck out of work for a while. Most voice over jobs take about an hour to do.

7. Tell me about agents and managers. Do I need one?

An agent’s job is to send your tape to casting directors and producers. Sometimes you are booked directly through your agent and sometimes you must audition. An agent makes 10-15% for their services. Never pay an agent before a job is booked and paid for. Usually payment comes to the agent and is then disbursed to you less their commission.

Agents serve a very useful function in the casting chain. They represent a wide variety of talent in each market. Most casting directors and producers prefer to work with agents rather than call talent individually. It helps save time.

Agents work with talent two ways: freelance or exclusive signed. Agents give first priority to their signed clients and are more willing to take an active interest in their career. Freelance means you choose not to be exclusive. In this case, several different agents can represent you. This can increase your exposure but because you are working with many agents instead of one, they are less likely to be as supportive and loyal as they might be if you were a signed client.

If a reputable agent wishes to sign you, its probably a good idea, as long as the contract provides a liberal “escape” clause if the relationship doesn’t work out. Make sure you have a lawyer review the document before signing!

Before you agree to be represented by an agent, check their reputation with other actors and casting directors. You should quickly be able to find the names of the best agents in your area.

If your city has a talent union office, call SAG and AFTRA and ask which agents have a union franchise. This is usually an excellent indicator that the agency is reputable.

If you cannot get an agent to represent you or if there are no talent agencies in your area, you can still get work on your own by sending your demo tape directly to casting directors and producers and following up religiously!

8. Do you need to live near New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago to be a successful
voice over artist?

No. However, most agents will only represent clients who live and work in the same market, close enough to get to auditions and bookings quickly when the call comes in. However, if you are a good marketer and able to find work on your own, you can live anywhere you like as long as you
have access to a recording studio, phone, fax, and overnight delivery service. Many voice over artists do extremely well in medium size markets.

9. How do I get started?

First, find a competent coach to train you in voice over technique and help you with your demo tape. Then, record your tape in a professional studio. Duplicate and distribute the tape to casting directors, agents and production companies. Then, follow up consistently on every tape you send. Keep practicing and working to master your craft.

Warning!
Here’s a voice over SCAM to avoid!!

Beware of ads that advertise for “voice talent with no experience needed” in your local paper.

They are typically placed by fly-by-night individuals claiming to be talent agents or managers. Answer the ad and they’ll invite you to their office. Once there, you’ll “audition” by reading a script. They will then gush all over you, compliment you on your voice and promise to make you a star. Then, watch out for the scam. They’ll tell you that if you give them several hundred dollars or more they’ll make your demo tape, duplicate it, send it out and get you work. Sometimes they’ll try to get additional money for headshots or a modeling portfolio.

They’ll send you to record a few scripts in some equally shady studio (or maybe record you right on the spot) with no coaching or preparation. And then they’ll take your money, and run! You will never hear from them again and in a few weeks their phones will be disconnected and they will be long gone with your hard earned money!!

A sad story, but one I’ve heard again and again from people who were ripped off .

Here’s how to keep this from happening to you:

1. Never give any money up front to an agent, manager or anyone who promises to get you work. A legitimate agent or manager gets paid their 10 or 15% AFTER they get you the job, never before.

2. Never give money to someone who claims to be an agent or manager for demo tape production. The only person you should pay to help you with your demo is a qualified coach or a legitimate recording studio, which you have thoroughly investigated before you invest. A legitimate agent or manager will never charge the talent for tape duplication or marketing costs. To prevent any “funny business” arrange for tape duplication yourself and pay the duplicator directly. Give the agent or manager a few tapes to send out at his expense and tell him to call you when he needs more. If you don’t hear from him after a month or so, you’re out nothing more than the cost
of a few audio cassettes.

4. A legitimate agent or manager will NEVER make promises or ask for money up front for anything. Period.

5. Investigate anyone who claims to be an agent or manager by:

Calling your local department of
consumer affairs
Talking to experienced actors and voice talent in your
area
Calling your AFTRA or SAG local to see if they are franchised
Asking
for a list of at least 10 other actors who have worked with them so you can check
references
Trusting your gut. If it feels fishy or sounds too good to
be true, it probably is!

Tips In the New Economy Video #2

admin — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:00:05 +0000

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Recorded live at my recent Masters of the Microphone Event in Atlanta

Next Voice-over Bootcamp: NYC, June 25-27, 2010
Just a few seats left!!!

Questions?
Contact Jason Davis: 800-333-8108 x229
Jason@greatvoice.com WWW.GREATVOICE.COM/BOOTCAMP

Tips In the New Economy Video #1

admin — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 19:45:34 +0000

Recorded live at my recent Masters of the Microphone Event in Atlanta

Next Voice-over Bootcamp: NYC, June 25-27, 2010
Just a few seats left!!!

Questions?
Contact Jason Davis: 800-333-8108 x229
Jason@greatvoice.com WWW.GREATVOICE.COM/BOOTCAMP

Testing This Page

admin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 14:49:17 +0000

What’s
a voiceover?
It’s the art of using the voice to sell, inform or entertain
on radio and TV commercials, non-broadcast narrations for corporate audio or phone
lines, and animation or cartoons.

Since 1987 I’ve voiced thousands of
Voiceovers for companies including: AT&T, Citibank, Dunkin’ Donuts, Avis,
Johnson and Johnson, Sprint, Coopers and Lybrand, and many others. I do this full
time, and have my own recording studio in Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Here are the answers
to the questions people always ask about how to break into the field.

1.
People always tell me I have a great voice and should do Voiceovers. It sounds
like fun. How do I know if I have any talent? I don’t want to embarrass myself
or waste my time.

It takes much more than a great sounding
voice to be successful in voiceovers. While clear speech is essential, you also
need:

The ability to take someone else’s words (the script) and make
them sound believable and sincere, as if they were your own. This has more to
do with acting ability and timing than voice quality. With proper training this
skill can be learned. A strong desire to do this and the ability to persist. Some
start up capital to invest in training and a professionally recorded demo tape.
A solid marketing plan and a list of people to send your tape to. There are some
people (male and female) who are born with what I call “the voice of god”…
But in my experience, natural talent has very little to do with voiceover success.
I’ve seen people who I thought would never “make it” book jobs. I’ve
also seen those who were naturally talented never get work. In my opinion, what
most people call talent is really a combination of desire, preparation and persistence.

2.
I’ve heard that the same people (especially celebrities) do all the work. Is this
true?

There are tens of thousands of television and radio
stations in the United States. Each radio station runs an average of 12 commercials
per hour and each TV station runs about 20 commercials per hour. That means each
hour there are many thousands of commercials on the air nationwide.

It
is physically impossible for a handful of celebrities or a small group of people
to do all that work! The voices of celebrities just seem to be everywhere because
we recognize them.

Producers always tell me they are constantly on the lookout
for fresh new voices. Anyone with proper training, a good demo tape and enough
drive has as good a chance as ever to break into this lucrative and exciting field.

3.
Do I need to join a union to do Voiceovers?

Not necessarily.
One can be quite successful as non-union voiceover talent but there are some risks
which I will explain in a moment.

There are two unions which govern
voiceover work: AFTRA (American Federation of TV and Radio Artists) and SAG (the
Screen Actors Guild). The talent unions offer many benefits which members fought
long and hard to gain. For instance, the client must pay you scale and residuals
and contribute to a pension and welfare fund on your behalf. Should a client not
pay talent for work done under a union contract, the union will sue for collection
on your behalf.

Generally, union work is the only work that pays residuals
so your earning potential is tremendous. Without a special waiver, union talent
is not allowed to do non-union work.

To join the unions there is a substantial
initiation fee of over $1000 for each union. This fee will vary depending on the
size of your local market. Dues are paid annually depending on talent payments
earned during the previous year. AFTRA is an open union, but SAG requires a contract
to join.

There is a separate union scale rate for voiceovers on TV, radio,
cartoons, and non-broadcast usage which differs by market size. Contact the local
near you for rates in your area. Because union initiation fees are so high, I
advise most people to wait until they book a union job before joining.

When
you work as non-union talent, you are on your own. You negotiate your rate with
the client and you are responsible for collecting your talent payment. Residuals
are generally not paid for non-union work. Unless you negotiate your own contract,
the client has the right to use your recording any way he likes without paying
you another dime beyond what you received initially.

4.
How much money can I make in this business?

A lot. Top voiceover
talent make six and even seven figure incomes. If you are lucky enough to book
a long-running national commercial you can make well over $10,000 in residual
payments for just one spot!

But don’t quit your day job. It can take
many years of perfecting your talent and marketing yourself before you reach this
level of success. Non-union jobs pay anywhere from $75-$400 a commercial depending
on market size and whether your commercial runs on TV or radio. While these fees
are not astronomical they are certainly good pay for something that’s so much
fun to do!

5. Can I do this if I have a “day
job”?

Absolutely! In fact, it will probably take a few
years before your voiceover career is established enough to be your sole means
of support. In the meantime, you’ll need to invest some of the money you make
at your day job in things like classes, demo tape production and duplication,
and marketing expenses to get your voiceover career off the ground.

6.
But how do I do both? Do they hold auditions and bookings on evenings or weekends?

Unfortunately
not. Most voiceover sessions happen during normal business hours.

Before
you can get work, you need to market yourself. This is done by consistently sending
out tapes and following up with phone calls. Tapes can be sent after hours and
calls can be made during lunch time or breaks.

Even if you do this consistently,
it will probably take several months before you get your first call for an audition
or booking. When the call comes take a day off or make some other excuse to duck
out of work for a while. Most voiceover jobs take about an hour to do.

7.
Tell me about agents and managers. Do I need one?

An agent’s
job is to send your tape to casting directors and producers. Sometimes you are
booked directly through your agent and sometimes you must audition. An agent makes
10-15% for their services. Never pay an agent before a job is booked and paid
for. Usually payment comes to the agent and is then disbursed to you less their
commission.

Agents serve a very useful function in the casting chain.
They represent a wide variety of talent in each market. Most casting directors
and producers prefer to work with agents rather than call talent individually.
It helps save time.

Agents work with talent two ways: freelance or exclusive
signed. Agents give first priority to their signed clients and are more willing
to take an active interest in their career. Freelance means you choose not to
be exclusive. In this case, several different agents can represent you. This can
increase your exposure but because you are working with many agents instead of
one, they are less likely to be as supportive and loyal as they might be if you
were a signed client.

If a reputable agent wishes to sign you, its probably
a good idea, as long as the contract provides a liberal “escape” clause
if the relationship doesn’t work out. Make sure you have a lawyer review the document
before signing!

Before you agree to be represented by an agent, check their
reputation with other actors and casting directors. You should quickly be able
to find the names of the best agents in your area.

If your city has a talent
union office, call SAG and AFTRA and ask which agents have a union franchise.
This is usually an excellent indicator that the agency is reputable.

If
you cannot get an agent to represent you or if there are no talent agencies in
your area, you can still get work on your own by sending your demo tape directly
to casting directors and producers and following up religiously!

8.
Do you need to live near New York City, Los Angeles or Chicago to be a successful
voiceover artist?

No. However, most agents will only represent
clients who live and work in the same market, close enough to get to auditions
and bookings quickly when the call comes in. However, if you are a good marketer
and able to find work on your own, you can live anywhere you like as long as you
have access to a recording studio, phone, fax, and overnight delivery service.
Many voiceover artists do extremely well in medium size markets.

9. How do I get started?

First,
find a competent coach to train you in voiceover technique and help you with your
demo tape. Then, record your tape in a professional studio. Duplicate and distribute
the tape to casting directors, agents and production companies. Then, follow up
consistently on every tape you send. Keep practicing and working to master your
craft.

Warning!
Here’s a voiceover SCAM to avoid!!

Beware
of ads that advertise for “voice talent with no experience needed” in
your local paper.

They are typically placed by fly-by-night individuals
claiming to be talent agents or managers. Answer the ad and they’ll invite you
to their office. Once there, you’ll “audition” by reading a script.
They will then gush all over you, compliment you on your voice and promise to
make you a star. Then, watch out for the scam. They’ll tell you that if you give
them several hundred dollars or more they’ll make your demo tape, duplicate it,
send it out and get you work. Sometimes they’ll try to get additional money for
headshots or a modeling portfolio.

They’ll send you to record a few scripts
in some equally shady studio (or maybe record you right on the spot) with no coaching
or preparation. And then they’ll take your money, and run! You will never hear
from them again and in a few weeks their phones will be disconnected and they
will be long gone with your hard earned money!!

A sad story, but one I’ve
heard again and again from people who were ripped off .

Here’s
how to keep this from happening to you:

1.
Never give any money up front to an agent, manager or anyone who promises to get
you work. A legitimate agent or manager gets paid their 10 or 15% AFTER they
get you the job, never before.

2. Never give
money to someone who claims to be an agent or manager for demo tape production.
The only person you should pay to help you with your demo is a qualified coach
or a legitimate recording studio, which you have thoroughly investigated before
you invest. A legitimate
agent or manager will never charge the talent for tape duplication or marketing
costs. To prevent any “funny business” arrange for tape duplication
yourself and pay the duplicator directly. Give the agent or manager a few tapes
to send out at his expense and tell him to call you when he needs more. If you
don’t hear from him after a month or so, you’re out nothing more than the cost
of a few audio cassettes.

4. A legitimate
agent or manager will NEVER make promises or ask for money up front for anything.
Period.

5. Investigate anyone who claims
to be an agent or manager by:

Calling your local department of
consumer affairs
Talking to experienced actors and voice talent in your
area
Calling your AFTRA or SAG local to see if they are franchised
Asking
for a list of at least 10 other actors who have worked with them so you can check
references
Trusting your gut. If it feels fishy or sounds too good to
be true, it probably is!