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eLearning coaching

The Best Voiceover Coaches still Polish their Craft

Voiceover Coach


You know the old saying “those who can, do and those who can’t, teach.” This doesn’t apply to voiceover. Or it shouldn’t. I​n​ voiceover, those who can, ​sometimes​ coach. Of those that do,​ the best voiceover coaches still polish their craft.

Don’t Trust Your Voice Over Career to Just Anyone – Make Sure You’re Choosing Coaches With Experience

A word of caution – the voice over world is large and just getting larger. As with any growing industry, there are many choices for coaches to work with. It’s important to make sure you d​on’t trust your voice over career to just anyone​ with a teaching shingle on their website. Make sure you’re looking to work with people in the industry who have the know-how to guide you. ​Choose coaches with experience.

Take the time to do a bit of research to find out how long the coach has been in the industry, what area of voice over they work in, if they’re experienced with casting or highly successful and know themselves what is booking. Make sure they’ve had some directing experience. They must be able to help you take it where it needs to go. Have their students gone on to further success of their own? Are they actively involved in the community and keeping up with the latest trends, technology and challenges?

No matter who you end up choosing to work with, make sure you are compatible – does their instruction make sense to you, are you “on the same” page when communicating? An amazing coach with a lot to offer isn’t going to be the right choice for you if the two of you can’t speak the same language (figuratively and literally, obvi.). Sometimes people really click and that connection improves the learning experience.
Sometimes they don’t – no fault of either of you – so ​finding the right match and getting the best ROI with a coach is just smart business​.

A Successful 25+ Year Career in Voice Over

I have a looooong history of working in ​voiceover​ – ​a successful 25+ year career​. I’ve worked in many different genres of voice over including radio, tv, commercials, elearning, narration of various flavors and degrees of technicality and audiobooks to name a few. I’ve spent a lot of time and money over the years polishing my craft. I am proud to note that thousands of creatives and producers have trusted me to tell their stories. I feel like I can safely say I’ve seen if not all, most of it anyway.

So when I made the choice to start teaching it was from a mindset of giving back to the community and industry that has given me so much. I bring to my coaching the benefit of having “been there and done that” and love being able to help guide new voice over entrepreneurs.

I coach voiceover for:
● Narration
● Elearning
● Commercials
● General VO Entrepreneurship – including marketing & business best practices
● Improving your read rate – specifically for long form narration

I’ve been excited to have also coached and been a guest speaker here:
● Worked with ACTRA on Commercial Performance Delivery at AGM
● Worked with ACTRA & L’INIS (L’Institut National de l’Image et du Son) on annual
workshop on voiceover
● Coach/Guest speaker at Dawson College Theatre Department on voiceover
● Coach/Guest speaker at National Theatre School on voiceover
● Demo Director at Les Syllabes in Montreal
● Coach/Guest speaker for Black Theatre Workshop Montreal on voiceover
● Speaker/coach at VO Atlanta 2018, 2019
● Speaker/coach at VO North
● Coach at Elley Ray Hennesey’s Open Mic workshops on Narration and Commercials

The Art of Voice Acting Is Always Changing And Growing – Never Stop Studying It

As a fellow voice actor, I firmly believe the essence of our work is a craft. ​Voice acting is always changing and growing​ – and one can always improve and learn from the successes of others. In fact, learning from each other is one of the best ways to gain insight to be better. If this is your calling, ​never stop studying it​.

Here is a short list of some of the coaches
I’ve worked with in the last few years. Many are colleagues as well as teachers and have all brought meaningful new insights to our work together and have given me fresh perspectives to bring to my performance and business:
● Dave Walsh
● MaryLyn Wissner
● Cliff Zellman
● J Michael Collins
● David Tyler
● Pat Fraley
● Scott Brick
●Marc Graue

Every year, as part of my annual business plan, I carve out time and set aside money to reinvest in improving my skills as a voice over artist and to make my business more streamlined. If you’re not already doing so, I encourage you to do the same.

Filed Under: Voiceover Coach Tagged With: actor, coaching, commercial, eLearning coaching, elearning narration, voice over, voiceover

This is how “voice actor websites” can rock your w-w-world

Voiceover Business

(Credit: Huff Post)

Hey, voice actors. Is your website limp, lifeless or barely there? Does it suffer from lengthy load times, apparent invisibility to Google or other seo struggles that could steer precious potential clients away from your online storefront? Well then, I’d like to direct your attention to a team I have come to consider partners in my success: Joe Davis, Karin Barth and Brian Fulsang of voice actor websites.

When I came across Joe in May of this year, I was in a quasi-desperate state. I had invested a chunk of change in a marketing company that was doing-me-wrong. They demanded a contract, used secretive and sneaky seo practices, remained unaccountable regarding the use of their time (aka my money) and for all that, were ineffective. They were the Snidely Whiplash to my Perils of Pauline….er, Kim.

(Credit: tvtropes.org)

In swooped my Dudley Do-rights….ok, right, I’m carrying this metaphor too far. In came Joe. First, he gave me more information about how my website operated (or didn’t) in one phone call than I got from the Snidely team in six months. Then, after I finally got the former team to itemize some of the things they accomplished for me, he verified what I had thought. I was being bamboozled with tech talk and railroaded with keep-her-in-the-dark-itis.

This was not what I’d signed up for.

I switched to Joe’s company. I learned that my website itself needed cleaning up, revamping, and solid branding. Its load times were slow and not uniform across devices. My demos weren’t even showing up on mobile phones! As in – completely invisible. And that according to Google’s eyes, other sites (they who shall not be named) were more of an authority on me and my business than my own site was.

Tsk. Tsk.

Where to begin?  Three years ago I threw my old site up without a solid plan – other than the fact that I wanted blue to predominate and that it should feel soothing or calm when you landed. For my new site, Joe directed me to Karin, who asked me to fill out a questionnaire and send them links to other sites I liked.

Then I got to browse color combos. I went a bit nuts with those. They were so beautiful. I pulled out color combos for home renovations and wardrobe choices as well as my new site 🙂 I narrowed it down to three and forwarded them to Brian, my new graphic design guy. Not content with just my questionnaire responses, Brian and I chatted on skype and he pulled more info from me. Not the best at waiting – it makes my eyeballs itch – I dove into other things and a short while later Brian sent me a mockup of my new site and logo and it was unlike anything I could have envisioned myself.

Pkhoooh. (Sound of old ideas exploding and falling away)

It was beautiful. Mountains and waves and a color pallet, that I picked, but hadn’t envisioned in those combinations. I asked if could add a photo element to the graphic that I liked. He did and saturated it in what were becoming my branding colors. We played around with a few elements and it came together more. I loved the collaborative feel. I had some input, but Brian really knew how to take my input and turn it into something that I love even more, every time I look at it.

Then came Skype time with Karin. We talked content. She explained that some people would only stay on the home page and scroll up and down and that we should make certain they found everything they needed on that first landing. Then she pointed out that more pages were an asset for anyone who wanted to spend more time on my site. That we should have an About page, so they could get a bit more insight into me, my career & my life in general, a Demo page (in addition to the demos on my home page) where people could listen and download all kinds of stuff in both mp3 and video format, and a Contact page. Other things people like to see? Testimonials from those who you worked with/for, great or recent Clients, and since I blog, a page for that.

I also had two other pages I wanted to add. Although it’s not a part of my regular marketing scheme (meaning I really don’t market this much at all – yet), I do coach online and in my hometown, so a Coaching page was warranted. I also wanted a page for the charity work I do. The pro bono VO and so we put together my Giving page.

Content loaded and coded, we Skyped and went through it together. Again, the collaboration was incredible. On my original site (the one I created three years ago) it took forever to get my instructions understood and changes modified. With the Voice Actor Websites team, I always got quick responses and solutions that were better than what I’d originally asked for. Plus, they were super to work with. My new beautiful site went live in less half the time it took the original site to make it out the birth canal and at a cost commensurate with the price of the old one.

If you’re thinking of updating, branding or rebranding, improving the seo of your site or anything else related to the online marketing of your voice business, I whole-heartedly recommend checking out Joe and his team. They totally rocked my vox!!

A voice over artist for more years than millennials have walked the earth, Kim Handysides is thrilled with her new voice over website. 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Voiceover Business Tagged With: actor, branding, eLearning coaching, narrator website, online marketing, seo, voice actor, voice actor website, voice over, voiceover, voiceover talent, web site, website, website design

How to Voice Over ELearning for Kids

eLearning

eLearning for kids Kim Handysides
Photo: theweddingwardrobist – blogger

Just like this Porifera named Bob, children are like sponges. Sometimes we forget how quickly and how much they pick up and next thing we know, they’re repeating words we may not think they should incorporate into their vocabularies just yet. They absorb more information than we realize, and their education doesn’t stop when the school bell rings.

 

And of course, they are extremely comfortable with electronic environments. This plus the fact that schools are overcrowded and underfunded, is it any wonder close to 50% of the growth in eLearning in the US in the last couple of years

has been in the K-12 market. Ergo the profusion of ELearning courses for kids.  Whether you as the narrator or a character within a course is helping kids stay on track with their studies or relaying new and exciting subjects, there are a few things voice over actors need to remember when speaking to a younger audience.

Teaching One-on-One, Not Talking Down

Voice over narration for kid’s eLearning is about finding the correct delivery to ensure the young learner is keeping up, but doesn’t feel talked down to. Kids are super sensitive not only to what we say, but how we say it. Speaking too slowly can sound condescending to little Izzy or potentially boring to young Jake. When it comes to educating the next generation our mission is to help keep them interested in and excited about the subjects they’re learning, by staying engaged with the material ourselves. Here’s where your imagination comes into play. Picture Izzy or Jake by your side. They will be super excited and feel great when they understand what you’re saying. Making it real for you, makes it real for them. Your client will read this as a student that is engaged with his or her eLearning is more likely to score better and retain the information.

The Tone, Inevitably, Sets the Tone

 

Photo: i.imgur.com

Your tone of voice also dictates how the learner receives the information. Kids react well to an upbeat, lively, conversational tone, but the most important thing is to keep it real. Kids are very perceptive and are used to being highly entertained (tv, social media, gaming). You may know the declaration of Independence so well it may be snore city to you, but beware of sliding into a soporific, meditative voice. Take it as a challenge. This is new info to them, make it new to you too. Bring a light undercurrent of energy to your tone. It will help you stay present. Also take the age of your audience into account. Very young children respond better to bubbly or friendly voiceovers, while older kids respond to a broader range of styles from the hip or cool, to quirky or matter of fact. (i.e. Bill Nye the Science Guy) Another possibility is hiring an adult who sounds like a kid. Friend and talented voiceover artist Lisa Biggs has done eLearning for kids with the boy voice she created, “Liam.” She also offers an excellent course on how to discover your boy voice. Many talented female voiceover artists have a couple of those in their tool kit. (Think Nancy Cartwright, a.k.a. Bart Simpson)

 

The thing to remember for  eLearning voice over project directed to kids or any age, is that your work is a major part of the listener’s overall understanding and education. As they say in the modules, key takeaway? It’s: important.

Filed Under: eLearning Tagged With: believable, coaching, conversational, eLearning, eLearning coaching, elearning narration, female elearning voiceover, natural, professional, voiceover, voiceover narration, voiceover talent

How to Bring Life to a Commercial Voice Over Script

My Voiceovers, Voiceover Coach, Voiceovers Completed

How to Bring Life to a Commercial Voice Over Script You receive a voice over script for a new commercial for toothpaste, insurance, or maybe it’s shoes. You’re want to deliver the perfect sound to match the product, but there are no tags or directions to guide your delivery. How do you get started? Even the most seasoned voice actors need to do a little digging. As a voiceover coach, I tell my students, many of the clues and questions to ask are in the text itself. An experienced pro might take it further and do a bit of research, too. Whether you’re new to narration or a venerable veteran, here are three simple script analysis tricks to bring your commercial voice over script to life.

Who Am I?

Commercials evolve. And so does their sound. A vocal delivery that worked in the fifties or the nineties, won’t work in the 2000-teens. Every commercial requires something different from their voice actors—and that’s all in the script. Are you the voice of authority or are you a dear friend? Are you a stressed-out mom or the beloved pet dog? Figuring out what role you play in the commercial narrows down your focus. Once you’ve determined that, use your actor’s toolkit to embody that character to sell your product as they would.

 

Who Am I Talking to?

How to Bring Life to a Commercial Voice Over Script Now switch hats and put yourself in the potential customer’s head. You’ve probably used this product or something similar to it. What do you want from the product? What would catch your attention? Use your real-world experience to help you find the right sound.

 

Once you’ve figured out your customer persona, research the product itself. Find out what the product is about. Check out past ad campaigns that might be on You Tube. Though it doesn’t always work because they might be going in a completely new direction, past ads may help you more accurately determine the appropriate voice to use. We may think a toothpaste commercial will be more light-hearted than a life insurance ad, but that’s not always the case.

What am I Trying to Say?

Read the text a few times with this question in mind: what am I trying to say? Look beyond the written word and find the subtext. What’s underneath dental hygiene or sassy summer sling backs? Good ads really sell the intangible. Peace of mind, security, connection with others. Find it or create it and let that intangible infuse your read. What is my bottle of detergent voiceover really saying to the girl doing her laundry in this spot for SJVC College?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aSSI44cFyg

Once you’ve answered these three questions, play! Bringing your commercial voice over script to life takes practice as well as trial and error. Even when you understand your audience, the role you play and the message itself, perseverance is the greatest key to success.

Filed Under: My Voiceovers, Voiceover Coach, Voiceovers Completed Tagged With: coaching, commercial, commercial voiceover, delivery, eLearning coaching, script analysis, subtext, success, voiceover, voiceover coach, voiceover narration

My Guest Spot on vobs.tv with the Jimmy Kimmels of VO: Dan & George

News

Logo headphones and moustache voice over body shop

 

I had a particularly stellar Monday last week as the guest on the LA vlog show, Voice Over Body Shop on Mar 27th, hosted by Dan Lenard and George Whittam. We jawed on about a lot of things voice over talent chat about.

How did I get started? My early days wove back and forth between theatre/film and radio/ TV.

How I became one of the top ten female voiceover artists in Canada. Hard work, marketing, great relationships and always working the craft.

How does the eLearning coaching I do differ from commercial or corporate narration? It’s about helping other voice artists find the best way to help their listener either change behavior for corporate training or retain the info you parlay for academic eLearning.

And if I could only do one type of voice work from now on, what would it be? That’s a tough one as I love them all, but I would settle on commercial voice overs because of the variety and creativity of that particular medium.

 

Here is the link to my portion of that episode (the 71st) of Voice Over Body Shop.

https://youtu.be/g6swZ18OH7U

 

Vobs.tv is the brainchild of two industry heavyweights. The mightily mustached Dan Lenard, a.k.a. The Home Studio Master, purveyor of not only a great set of frequently used pipes himself, but a leader in sorting out how to set up your own studio, from planning and construction to everything in between, to be able to get voice over jobs from home. The other half of this dynamic duo is gifted  gear guy George Whittam, of the Home Studio Support Squad, affiliated with David Goldberg’s Edge Studio in NYC. Dan and George used to call the show EWABS (East West Audio Body Shop) when Dan lived in Buffalo New York, but when Dan and family moved to the left coast, in 2015, the name change was inevitable.

 

Hosts of vobs.tv voice over show
George Whittam & Dan Lenard on vobs.tv

With over 1600 subscribers on their YT channel, Dan and George just celebrated their 6th anniversary. Weekly, voiceover professionals from around the world tune in to their live stream podcast vlogcast for answers to tech questions, the goods on the latest gear and a guest, sometimes in LA, sometimes via zoom hosting. Guests have ranged from talents like the legendary June Foray (voice of Rocky the Squirrel & Cindy Lou Who) and brilliant Debi Derryberry (voice of Jimmy Neutron) to industry leading voiceover demo producers Cliff Zellman and Uncle Roy Yokelson, lawyers, agents, casting directors and a host of others.

 

The show was a blast. We had a high number of guests tune in and a lot of fun questions. I had a few requests for voiceover coaching for eLearning afterward too. Add vobs.tv to your list of great voiceover resources. They air every Monday 6 p.m. Pacific. I’ll probably see you there in the chat room!

Filed Under: News Tagged With: audio, coaching, conversational, Dan Lenard, eLearning, eLearning coaching, elearning narration, expert, female elearning voiceover, George Whittam, narration, narrator, vobs.tv, vocal coach, voiceover, voiceover narration, voiceover talent

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