Interviews & Insight Archives

VoiceoverPete -The Most Searched Name In Voiceover

About Voice Over, Interviews & Insight, voiceover, Voiceover Career

VoiceoverPete is a famous voiceover talent, salesman, comedian, Youtuber, Gamer and Product Spokesman who gained fame through hard work, ingenuity, controversy, and a bit of luck. Pete Accetturo is a name I had never heard before, but became curious about when his alias, VoiceoverPete began popping up in my Google autofill searches. After several weeks of seeing it, I started to wonder who this guy was.

VoiceoverPete has over 1 Million Youtube followers, a feat envied by the fiercest of Youtubers. When I ran across his name at various times of searching the term “voiceover”, I began investigating and following his youtube channel. That lead me to a barrage of funny and sometimes strange videos. I began to realize that VoiceoverPete was also PitchmanPete and CharacterPete who leveraged his background in sales and marketing to solidify a place in the voiceover world. But his story is not the average, as I quickly learned from his videos. His story is that of controversy and a rift with Fiverr.

VoiceoverPete and Fiverr

His initial relationship with Fiverr can be a story of its own. Voiceover talents have longed railed against the site that neither vets it’s talent nor charges fair market rates for voiceover. The ripple effect is believed to be that clients grow accustomed to inferior voiceover in favor of cheap prices. But Pete disagrees. For Pete, as he explained to me, Fiverr was very lucrative for him, earning him 5 figures of income a month. He figured out the algorithm and how to rank at the top of Fiverr search. He worked hard to promote his brand and with the help of his son, who is a video producer, launched his Youtube channel which attracted much attention.

That attention as a Youtuber, pitchman, and voiceover talent, caught the eye of gamers who contracted him to create videos for them to promote their brands and raise money. But a video that Pete did for one particular gamer caught the eye of Fiverr, who believed that Pete was participating in a credit card scheme for his client. That got Pete suddenly banned from the platform. Pete was left with thousands of dollars in orders on Fiverr and no income.

When his son broke the news to him, he was working in the studio and it was caught on live video. It came as a shock to Pete, who was forced to figure out how to gain his livelihood back. As a result, Pete dipped into his background of sales and marketing once again, and with the help of his son, used their Youtube channel and Patreon to rise above the controversy.

The issue with Fiverr caused gamers like PewDiePie and Ninja to rally behind the voice, which caught the attention of their millions of followers, many of which now follow VoiceoverPete. Pete has managed to amass a huge number of paid followers on Patreon who he charges up to $150 a month to get two videos of him. VoiceoverPete has taken off as an internet sensation and is the subject of countless memes online.

Why I Wanted To Meet VoiceoverPete

The average voiceover person knows nothing about VoiceoverPete. I certainly didn’t. But if I told them there was this guy who made 10k+ a month on subscriptions and never auditions, it would perk up some ears. At least it did for me. So I wanted to meet Pete and talk to him about it. At first it was hard to track him down but I did and eventually, I had a chance to meet him at his home studio in Tampa and found him to be very fascinating.

Navigating the difference between the online subject of memes and gamer trash-talking VoiceoverPete vs the Christian, calm, cool, Spin instructor who is Pete Accetturo was interesting. Pete Acceturo is a serious business person who discussed marketing with different platforms with me and offered to teach me how he does it. VoiceoverPete is the fun guy who laughed and joked with me at various times of the day.

Our conversation was a mix between the two worlds of VoiceoverPete and Pete Accetturo. And Pete expressed to me how his world and way of earning a living have clashed with the traditional voiceover world, and how that has been hurtful to him. He told me the stories of his appearance at Voiceover Atlanta several years ago and how other talent were hostile towards him because he was earning money on the Fiverr platform.

The Lesson I Learned From Pete- Be Creative and Think Outside The Box

All in all, I found Pete to be one of the most fascinating people I have interviewed. His marketing strategy and his ability to pivot and think differently than other talent was interesting enough for me to drive to Tampa to interview him. And it was worth the trip. My hope in this interview to show the traditional talent that there is more than one way to skin a cat. And even if you don’t like the VoiceoverPete way, you should still be inspired to think differently and do it YOUR WAY!

What Makes A Great Voiceover Website? w/ VoiceActorWebsites.com Team

About Voice Over, Blog, Interviews & Insight, Technology & Voiceover, Testimonials, Vlogging, voiceover, Voiceover Career, voices

The New Year is often the time when businesses begin new marketing initiatives. Voiceover actors are no different. When I started thinking about a new website for my new branding, I looked towards other successful voiceover talents for who they used. I worked well with my old web developer but wanted someone who had a fresh vision for my website. I wanted someone who also had a deep understanding for my particular business. I notice that many talent had branding by VoiceActorWebsites.com including Issa Lopez, who I am friends with. Issa connected me with Joe Davis’s number.

Joe actually knew who I was. We had met before at VO Atlanta and after seeing his face online, I vaguely remembered. But the fact that he did remember meeting me was a testament to the fact that Joe knows the voiceover industry. We talked for a while on the phone and I explained to him what I was looking to do with my site. While on the phone he did a quick audit of my site and immediately identified some things that would benefit the site and my branding. It was impressive to say the least and I was pretty convinced of his ability to deliver. We spoke a few days later where he gave me a more complete rundown of his recommendations.

Joe connected me with two of his project managers, Alex Sanchez and Karin Barth. I only corresponded with Alex briefly but Karin mostly handled my case. Karin immediately understood my vision as well. She had taken a look at my then website and saw the diversity in my work and how my new branding would reflect that. Karin showed me a number of possibilities, from custom made sites to various templates. I had an opportunity to pick several and review with her how they would work best for me. The process all in all took a few weeks.

When I caught up with the team in Orlando, they were working at Alex’s house. I sat down with Joe, Karin, Alex and one of their newest teammates, Lo-An Schoeman. We discussed what it was that made this team so popular.

Transcript

It’s a new year and you’ve been thinking about all new branding, new demos, new marketing, new business cards. Wait! Does anyone actually still use business cards? New website! And who are you gonna call for that new website anyway? No! Not ghostbusters. Voiceactorwebsites.com.

Dane: I’m Dane Reid, The Voiceover Guy. I am here with the team from voice actor websites. Guys! (Team Introduces Themselves) (Dane) And I don’t have any labs that fit five people.

So my own website was starting to look, well, old. So I wanted a new one. So I started searching online and saw my homie Issa Lopez’s website and decided to call her and ask her where she got hers made. She told me “voiceActorWebsites.com. So I went to their website and found a contact and call Joe Davis on the phone. Joe connected me with Alex. Alex connected me with Karen and “BAM!!” I had a new website. Recently I sat down with the team to find out how they’ve won the hearts of so many voice actors.

Dane: So this is a very unique interview because this is the first time that I’ve ever interviewed 4 people. This is the most number of friends that I have in life by the way.

Alex: 4 at a time

Dane: (laughs) 4 at a time. That sounds like a different kind of video Alex. (Laughs) As you can tell this team has a whole lot of fun. And if you’ve looked at any of the websites that voice actors have, this team is responsible for a lot of those websites. And so aside from all the fun that they have, they have a lot of talent, and so I want to thank all of you guys. Usually what I do is one single

handshake but if we can get maybe a “Goooo Team”

[Laughter]

Dane: On the count of 3

Joe: Who’s on top?

[Laughter]

Dane: I’m in the building with the Voice Actor Website Team. Obviously you guys have great chemistry. I can tell already. How did this whole voice actor website team and thing come together? Who wants to answer? Just raise your hand like we’re in school or something because I have to pass this mic.

[Laughter]

Joe: It started out with just me and actually it was thanks to Dan Leonard. He, 10 years ago maybe, asked me to help him with some of his marketing. I did and then I wound up getting invited on Voiceover Body Shop which was back then east/west audio body shop. EWABS and I thought it was gonna be something fun and interesting. And didn’t really know where I was gonna go and voice actors started calling. So I said “alright so there’s something here.” and I spent about a year year and a half learning about the voice-over industry. I got to a point where I felt I knew close to as much about voice-over as I did about marketing and web development and at that point started a new company. Karin came on board and then Alex and then Lo-An. We actually have an even larger team then this today.

Dane: and they couldn’t fit in this shot. This my maximum and we’re not doing this again.

[Laughter]

I worked closely with Karen to get my website done. Karen is a fellow insomniac who worked diligently throughout the night and who was probably really surprised the first time she sent me a message at 3 a.m. and I answered so quickly.

Karin: I’ve been on for about 4 or 5 years now. And Joe is one of my closest friends. And he wanted to scale the business. So I went to onferences with him and for about a year I learned about the industry and saw what it was all about. I met people and networked, fell in love with it. The community is amazing.

Dane: What’s your story Alex? Talk to me Alex.

Alex: okay we’re getting serious here. Well I’m a project manager and I’m doing sales as well. I’ve been able to grow in that position and learn a lot about voiceover but also about the business. It’s been a great learning experience to me.

Dane: What’s your role?

Lo-An: My role is and alsoa project manager and I’m the newest member to the team. I’ve been for six months now. I also met Joe through a mutual friend. I’m in college for my marketing degree so Joe was gracious enough to give me a job.

Dane: Who are some of the people that jumped on board early on in adopting voice actor websites?

Joe: Dan Leonard was actually the first voice actor I ever met. Melissa Exelberth, Paul Strikweda from Nethervoice, Debbie Irwin.

And later the list goes on to include people like Jay Michael Collins, Christi Bowen, Sophia Cruz, Dave Clarke and Me. Did I shamelessly mention my own website yet?

Dane: What are the distinguishing aspects of what you guys do versus doing it yourself or getting someone who does websites but maybe doesn’t necessarily specialize in voice actor websites?

Karin: We’ve worked with a lot of different people in industry. Casting agents, producers.. We’ve gotten a lot of points of view from other people. You know what they think is important and obviously just going to conferences and hearing about the different needs of the industry. Knowing all about it gives us a unique view into what is needed.

Joe: At its core every voiceover site should give talent seekers the ability to hear you and hire you. Those are the two most important things. But then there’s all kinds of subtleties for example making your demos downloadable. So a lot of time you don’t think of doing that but producers and casting directors a lot of them don’t make a decision the first time they listen to something. Or they think “oh that person would be good for this other project that I’m working on” so they want to save your mp3. It might seem silly to not think of making your demo downloadable but it’s something that I’d say more than the half of people that we see their site, don’t have that.

Dane: So if someone, for example, wants a new voice actor websites, what is the process?

Alex: Typically what we do is we send a Google form to gather ideas on the design and colors they want to use. And then that becomes kind of like the starting point for the conversation where the project manager comes in. And the project manager will work to assign the designer that fits best for the project and then the whole process unfolds that way. It’s a very collaborative process.

Dane: So about how long does the process take? Let’s say if I wanted a three-page website. I mean, what would be the standard?

Lo-An: I think that’s like dependent on the voice actor. Because sometimes they have all the content that they want to put on their site and ready to go, and you know, have a site launch in 2 to 3 weeks. So it just depends on what they’re willing to get us.

Alex: so it’s basically self-paced in that way and then the client provides the content and we turn that into a website. So it’s dependent on that open line of communication.

Joe: It also depends partially on where some of these in their career. Are they just starting out? Have they been doing this for 20 years or somewhere in between. Because they’re gonna have a different body of work and probably we’ve been goal for the site. Also, the two basic types of sites that voice actors have are either an extension of the business card, meaning they’ve had some sort of prior interaction with the person that they’re sending the site to and you’re sending them there to hear you. And the other is more of an SEO driven site, where you haven’t interacted with the person before and you’re trying to get them there based on the search that they did and have them listen to you and hire you. So the the first type of site, the extension of the business card, it could be one page, two page, five page site. I wouldn’t do, you know 500 pages, but probably betweeen one and five pages will be average. An SEO site, the bigger the better. Google is, at its core, kind of a

relevancy engine and a popularity contest. And so the relevancy engine portion of it is, the more relevant your result is to a searchers intent, the more likely you’ll come up. Meaning, if someone is searching for pharmaceutical commercial voiceover and you have a website about voiceover, is it relevant? Yeah, that’s good. Could it be more relevant? Absolutely! So then let’s say you have it broken up into the different genres. If you do a page for commercial, a page for corporate narration, a page for ivr, a page for e-learning, Google looks at that and says “the site’s about voiceover and it’s about commercial, is it relevant? Yes! But could it be even more relevant? Yeah. So then now let’s say you have a tertiary level of navigation where commercial’s broken up into kids commercials, and automotive commercials, and pharmaceutical commercials. And each one of those pages has audio content and text content and supports that narrative that you are voice actor that does commercial work and whatever that subgenres is, in this case pharmaceutical voiceover. So, Google looks at that and says “Wow!” It’s about

voiceover, it’s about commercial and it’s about pharmaceutical. It becomes perhaps the most relevant result on the internet.

Hanging out with the team from voice actor websites, I learned so much about how Google serves up information about your website. It’s so important to your business. It’s certainly important to mine.

Dane: What do you guys think it is that makes this whole thing work?

Alex: At least for me my experience, working for the company, sets it apart as an experience. Because the personal connections that we built

with our clients or with each other is what really makes us a success. Because people see us as people and we’re a small business as well. So we understand that when clients are investing in the websites, they’re also small businesses. So we come with that experience and we make friendships.

Karin: And we make awesome friends.

Alex: Yeah. We make awesome friends. And we see them conference and it’s like a reunion. It’s really special and I think it speaks to the VO community. There’s something unique about it. Very special!

Dane: I teared up. Guys you have incredible energy and just seeing the team together…. Because I’m used to talking to Karin on the phone at 2:00 in the morning. She like “what are you doing up?” But yeah I mean just to seeing you guys here together and working together…. When I came you were on your laptop’s. It looked like you’re watching YouTube, not working. [Laughter] So one last question. Obviously, here’s the answer. It’s quite easy. Where do we find you guys if you want a voice actor website?

Everyone at once: Voice Actor Websites dot com

Dane: I’m Dan Reid the voice of a guy with the voice actor website guys and girls. I’m gone

[Music]

Everett Oliver – What The Hell Is A Booth Director and Why Do I Need One?

About Voice Over, Interviews & Insight, Uncategorized, voiceover, Voiceover Auditions, Voiceover Career, Voiceover Events, voices

Everett Oliver is a shy, introverted booth director who got his start 25 years ago in the animation world….. And if you know Everett you know that there is absolutely nothing shy nor introverted about him. Everett is a no holds barred, unfiltered, instinctive voiceover coach and booth director who fights hard for the success of his clients.

As a booth director, Everett directs clients auditions to help them book jobs. Voiceover actors often have auditions that they REALLY WANT to book. Some of these auditions are the BIG ONE that can make our careers. Whether it’s a network promo job or an animation project, we know this can mean the difference between success and failure. We sometimes spend hours recording the audition and then second-guessing ourselves on the read, the sound, the tone etc. Ultimately this can result in paralysis of analysis. In those moments, what we really need is a second ear.

That Second Ear

Everett is that Ear. Working with a voiceover audition coach like Everett accomplishes several things. It cuts down the time you spend on auditioning and allows talent to submit auditions faster. Sometimes agents submit the first good auditions as they come in and those are the ones that are most highly considered. Working with Everett also gives you insight into what the client is most likely thinking when he wrote the copy. Everett knows that world and he has an incredible instinct for predicting what books.

Taking His Show On The Road

Everett Oliver has been touring North America, taking his brass brand of coaching to various cities. And talent are better off for it. In my time speaking to Everett, he explained to me about an entire world that goes beyond what most talent could even imagine. It’s a fast-paced, backroom world where the end result is what matters. Everett knows that world, having been in Hollywood for many years and being a part of it. It’s a world where talent is replaceable and feelings can be a liability.

He’s a Tough Mutha Shut Yo Mouth

Everett’s style is all in preparation for acting in front of those people who run that world. He’s hardcore, but when you speak to him one-on-one, you realize that it’s all in love. He’s like the mother hen who looks out for you until you are ready to fly before he himself pushes you out of the nest. And believe me, Everett Oliver pushes. His personality throughout his session was both tough and hilarious.

Conclusion

There have been so many voiceover jobs that I crossed my fingers and threw up 7 hail Mary’s that I didn’t get. Somethings are just perfect for you and you’d love to call up someone special and say “Listen to me on this”. And those are the voiceover auditions that I would call a booth director for. Those are the jobs that I prep for with a voiceover coach months in advance for. Those are the jobs that I now keep Everett on speed dial for. Now, my booth director is Everett Oliver.

How Do I Become Joe Cipriano

About Voice Over, Blog, Interviews & Insight, Studio, Testimonials, voiceover, Voiceover Auditions, voices

At the cross section of one of the most successful voiceover careers and the embodiment of talent, is one of the nicest people in VO, Joe Cipriano. I had a chance to meet Joe Cip (as he is affectionately referred to) a few years at VO Atlanta. He was signing copies of his book “Living on Air” which was co-written by his wife Ann. As soon as he spoke, I recognized that iconic voice. I was intimidated to speak to him. But after purchasing his book, myself and fellow VO friend Scott Chambers sat around talking to him and even sat at his table for the lunch session. He was so COOL. It made me want to know even more about “How Do I Become Like Joe Cipriano?”

Joe’s career is the admiration of most voiceover talent. It spans decades and thousands of very well known promo and radio imaging projects. You’ve heard him as the voice for promos for the Simpsons on Fox and he’s been the voice of comedies on CBS forever. But inspite of his success, Joe is incredibly humble. When I decided that I wanted a chance to interview him, I doubted that he remembered me. But I knew that Scott had kept in touch with him. So I called Scott. And Scott called Joe. And Joe gave the “ok”. This, I knew, was gonna be exciting.

Not every voice actor, podcaster or youtuber visits “The Clubhouse” where Joe cooks up nationally recognized voiceover. Joe has been the voice of the Emmy’s, Network TV and Game Shows and keeps a busy schedule. So, I was excited to get some of his time for this interview. Much of the prep time at the Clubhouse I spent shooting B Roll of Joe just simply working. His schedule is of back to back jobs. He goes from Game Show, to promos to Radio Imaging with the precision of a surgeon, never missing a beat.

Reading Voiceover With Joe Cipriano

But Joe is still one of the most talented guys in the industry. I had a chance to do a promo read with Joe which blew my mind and inspired the direction of my voiceover career for 2020. Check it out in the video at 9:28. Joe showed me how to break down promo copy. We talked about timing and the nuances of the script which indicate different inflections and points at which the VO talent should change moods, voices etc. The scripts are complete with info for everyone involved in the project from audio mixers, to the SOT and the video producers. Joe showed me all of that.

Watching Joe Work

Joe changed the way I do business. I watched Joe work for hours and what I was impressed with most was his level of organization. He was like a machine. Every job he did, he documented in his system and emailed his agent about. Joe explained to me that it was not only important in keeping track of getting paid, but also making sure you were doing the work you’re being paid for. I know from radio imaging that you are contracted each month to a certain number of pages. Joe keeps track of even the length of scripts and how much he had done that month. After watching him handle the administration part of the job, I went home and became more precise.

Joe credits his success to 4 things: Relationships, Talent, Luck and his wife Ann. Back in 1997 Joe was a radio guy in LA when he was heard on air by a television executive who was searching for the right voice for their new network Fox. He made a few phone calls and a connection of Joes made the introduction. That sparked a relationship with Fox that has lasted more than 2 decades. And similarly, a relationship that he had with a CBS executive that landed him the promo jobs at that network.

But it’s the relationship that he found long before he was nationally admired, with his wife Ann that he seems most proud of. Joe and I talked about his family as much of being a part of his success as he did his talent. Ann helped write his book Living on Air, which they released in 2013. The book explores Joe’s career as well as helps VO talent build their own careers. It takes you through the wild adventures of broadcasting life.

I walked away from the Clubhouse that day thinking about luck. When speaking to most people, they credit hard work exclusively to their success. But during my time with Joe, he was humbled by the fact that there were many key moments when he just got lucky. Obviously, Joe has more talent than most voice actors could hope for. But he very plainly expressed that if it weren’t for simply being given certain opportunities, that he might not be the Joe that we all know. For me, that was humbling.

Voiceover Branding Interview W/ The Brand Therapy Podcast

About Voice Over, Blog, Interviews & Insight, Studio, voiceover, voices

Voiceover Branding and Marketing may be as important as the performance itself. In my lifetime I have seen terrible products marketed well that sold in large numbers. Equally, I have seen great products with terrible marketing and branding that had no traction. Recently, I sat down with long time friend, Marketing expert and podcaster Vanessa Kelly to chat about Voiceover Branding and VO in general.

I sat down with Brand Therapy for a lite-hearted conversation about a field that few even notice. We spoke about voiceover branding and how I started my career and how I’ve kept it alive this long. Additionally, we talked about what voiceover is and what it is not. We discussed marketing and voiceover branding. I educated the audience on how to find a qualified voiceover artist as well.

“Episode 3 features conversation with voice over actor Dane Reid of Dane Reid Media. With over 15 years in the VO field, Dane gives us his expert breaks down of exactly what VO is and isn’t, when you should hire a VO actor for your project and other fun tips

If you are some who works with, is in charge of, or are trying to build a #brand, voice over work should be a consideration for your next project.”

Milledgeville Film Festival Voiceover Panel w/ Jeffrey Umberger, Widdi Turner, September Day & Tony Messano

About Voice Over, Interviews & Insight, Voiceover Events

Milledgeville Film Festival 2019

When I got the email from my agent Jeffrey Umberger to be on a panel, I had to check to make sure that he had sent it out to the right person. Lol. I have seen Jeffrey moderate and participate in panels many time from SCAD to VO Atlanta to That’s Voiceover and each time he has asked me “Why weren’t you on that panel?” I have been on panels before although not many. I have taught a few voiceover classes and have a few voiceover students but I mostly focus my attention on being a voiceover talent myself and finding and maintaining voiceover work. But when your agent ask you to be part of his panel, you say “Yes!”

And then you type the address into your GPS and you realize that the panel is at 11 am on a Saturday at a location that is 2.5 hours away. The Milledgeville Film Festival was only in it’s thrid year and this panel would be the first representing voiceover. It included myself, Tony Messano, Widdi Turner and September Day Carter. September and I had never actually met but felt like we had. We’re connected through facebook so it feels like we had.

Jeffrey moderated the hour long panel in which we discussed our different career paths, rates, projects and what it is like finding work and maintaining a voiceover business. When the session wrapped up, the fun continues at a local eatery where we further discussed finding opportunities and life around being a voice talent. September is a mom and also a wife to a fellow working voice actor and Tony is a blessed grandfather who enjoys his grandchildren when he’s not in the studio. It was just an all around great time getting to know them and well worth the 5 hours in the car traveling back and forth to Milledgeville.

Note: If you go to the Milledgeville Film Festival website, pay no attention to the picture of me. Lol That’s Tony

The Making Of A Narration Demo With Gabrielle Nistico

About Voice Over, Blog, Demos, Interviews & Insight

Demo production is both an art and a science. It’s a combination of matching the voice and personality of the talent along with the trends in voiceover production. To do that, not only do you need a producer that knows what are the current trends in voiceover (things like the 6 second commercial), that person also needs to know, or at least have a feel for you as a talent.

My Demo Producer Pick

It had been too many years since I had updated my demos. When I sent out my last set of demos to various production companies, clients and agents, I had almost always received positive feedback. But among people who knew me, including myself, I had always felt that my demo was a bit stiff. It didn’t truly reflect me as a person. So when I decided to do a new narration demo I wanted someone who knew me as a person as well as having great experience and insight into the world of voiceover. So I picked Gabrielle Nistico.

Relationships Matter

Gabby and I have known each other for years. She knows my background. She knows my voice and every time we speak it’s always fun. She teases me. We’re both New Yorkers so she gets me and she sees a lot of my crazy social media post and follows me on my adventures. Oh, and she gives great hugs too. While not every talent and their producer will have this kind of relationship, it’s important that there is some kind of relationship beyond “ok, when I press record, say this line kid”. Why is this important? Because the scripts she picked out have to be tailored toward me personally to get the best reads.

The Right Scripts

The producer has a bunch of scripts. They could randomly throw some scripts at the talent and that would be the end of that but it’s important that they can visualize the way the talent will interpret and project that copy before it is recorded. That helps them pick better scripts. Gabby knew both how I read things and how I say things normally. That helped. Bigly! Having knowledge of my background in education helped in choosing one particular script on my demo and another which we later decided to table was chosen because of my background with live announcing (I decided to create a dedicated live announce demo instead produced by Jean Francois Donaldson)

Talk But Also Listen

Short of having been to your demo producers house, finding a demo producer could leave you scratching your head. I know experienced talent who still play the guessing game as to who to produce their demos with. Firstly I recommend having conversations with demo producers who are recommended by industry professionals. Talk to them about their dogs, their favorite ice cream and their philosophies about the voiceover industry. Ask a lot of questions but also listen to hear whether they ask a lot of questions about who you are. Wait to see if they ask if you have a website or any work you’ve already done. A good producer will want to research you as well.

Not A Production Demo

Listen to a producers samples of past work carefully. Has the producer worked with voices like yours before? Are the demos overproduced? Remember that this is a voiceover demonstration of your voice, not a demo showcasing great overbearing production. And remember to take into account that the demo has to be a true representation of the work that you really perform as a talent. Don’t get stuck with a demo that you can’t reproduce in real life scenarios.

Your Producer Cares About The Next Step

Bonus points should be given to a demo producer if they also ask about how you are going to market your demo. Of course they may have additional services that help you at extra cost but it also shows that they have a vested interest in the final product with their name on it. Gabby offers complete voiceover career coaching so she stands by her work. For me that means I’m not getting trapped in a demo mill where I get coaching for a few weeks and then a demo whether I’m ready or not. (Tip for new professionals) I of course have been in the voiceover industry for many years so I know many producers but if you are new you probably don’t. But a voiceover demo takes time. First, extensive coaching and evaluation should be done, then a demo if the talent is shown to be ready. But I digress.

The Final Product

I got my demo back from Gabby within a week. Before listening I dialed back my excitement to allow myself to objectively critique the demo. It’s my voice and ultimately my project that represents me and so I couldn’t allow neither the pressure now the excitement to skew my opinion of the demo. Ultimately after listening, we decided to make some changes mostly to the arrangement of the pieces. Most people in the industry will advise you to put your best demo clip first. So we agreed to change the order around based on what I thought was the best. Also I allowed a few professionals to take a listen and give feedback which I factored into re-arranging. Working together Gabby and I came up with an order that we both felt truly told a story. It’s my story. It’s partly who I am and what I offer the voiceover world. Take a listen.

To Book My Professional Voiceover Services

Jeffrey Umberger
Voiceover Agent
404-372-1680
jeffrey@umbergeragency.com

Or please go to my contact page at https://danereidmedia.com/contact/

twitter.com/danereid

linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/danereid/

Vacation & Voiceover In Australia- The Movie

About Voice Over, Blog, Interviews & Insight, Travel

I had met Australians in various parts of the world; China, Thailand, Hawaii and even in South Beach. And my experience with them has always been the same…. Excellent! I had found them to be intelligent, friendly and laid back people who were relatable and worldly. And this was the conclusion that I reached long before I made the plans to actually visit. But when I arrived even I wasn’t prepared for just how hospitable they are on their own soil.

I met Marion Just, a fellow voiceover artist on LinkedIn after she saw a posting of my Vacation & Voiceover Video In Hong Kong. We messaged with one another for months as I was planning to visit Down Under. Her spirit shone even through her online presence as she reminded me of the open invitation to visit her and her husbands studio in Sydney. And I accepted.

It was a 15 hour ride from L.A. straight with no layover. American Airlines had the best direct flight but for a deal, check out China Eastern. Upon arrival, we were picked up by my cousin and his best friend and taken to the hotel where we freshened up. From there they took us to a large Aussie lunch gathering of friends and family who refused to let us pay for our own meals. I wasn’t used to this. But this was the start of Down Under hospitality that didn’t stop till we boarded the plane to go back to the States. Everyone was so friendly and so conversational and happy. I felt at home in a place I had never been.

BlackBox Voice Productions

And that spirit continued when I met Marion Just and Mark Kennedy of Blackbox Voice Productions in person. The internet is powerful but not so powerful as the connection I felt with my new friends across the Pacific. Upon arrival and the beginning of the interview, everything was just so natural. We talked about a wide range of topics in the voiceover industry including the demand for Australian voices in the marketplace, the importance of their work in helping fellow voices from around the world find work and my personal favorite, the value of educating and training in this field of voiceover.

Aside from that Mark and Marion provided great insights on the country they call home. Sydney has so much to offer and so they drove us around for a while before settling in for lunch at an area cafe in Kirribilli Village near the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We talked about everything it seemed. They gave us some good advice on where to visit when we got to Melbourne too. Mark was the one who told me about the trolley system there. We spent hours chatting and had it not been for the fact that my cousin and friend came to pick us up, it might have been hours more. By the time I left their company, I had bonded with two new great friends.

New Year’s Eve In Sydney- The Greatest Party On Earth

While the best thing about Australia is definitely the people, the New Years Eve fireworks surrounding the Sydney Harbor Bridge were also truly impressive. Growing up in New York I’d grown accustomed to great 4th of July fireworks, but it was nothing compared to how the Australians used the Bridge in their celebration. Thousands of people lined the shoreline to see what I call the best fireworks display I had ever witnessed. Even before the big show there were aerial shows and pre fireworks that kept us busy aboard the boat ride. And when the fireworks at midnight hit, it was a display that would’ve made the original Chinese fireworks inventors proud.

Great Barrier Reef

If you want to see the Reef you should probably plan for it. Don’t be like Dane. Dane is a procrastinator who flew from Sydney to Cairns without a plan. Upon arrival we scrambled to find a tour in Port Douglas that would book us for the next day. And luckily, after calling almost every tour company there, weI found one that had just a few seats available. The tour company picked us up from our not so impressive hotel in Cairns the day after arrival and drove us one hour north to to Port Douglas to catch a boat 2 hours out to the Reef. I had snorkeled before but was still overwhelmed once I hopped in the water. I’m not a strong swimmer and the water in intimidatingly deep to me. But once I overcame my fear, ie received a life jacket, there was no stopping me. Armed with my Gopro I dipped into swim along the largest living structure on earth. Underneath I saw huge turtles exotic fish and of course the reef itself. Unfortunately according to our guides, the Reef is dying due to pollution and global warming.

Melbourne

I felt very familiar with Melbourne once we arrived. It was if I had been there before. The extensive tram system reminded me of my time in San Francisco while aspects of the city like the layout took me back to Chicago and New York. It’s a big city with great food and alleyways aligned with various places to dine. Melbourne also boast a great shopping district downtown, which I resisted my natural urges to browse and of course buy from. I couldn’t resist the souvenirs there, also I passed on the Kangaroo testicle key chain.

We strolled around the city via the free city circle tram which mostly serves tourist like us in the downtown area. In every large city I have to visit the tallest building to look down. For Melbourne, this is the Eureka building which has a retractable skydeck with a glass floor so you can look down. It’s very cool. It’s also the tallest building in Australia (to rooftop) and was the 3rd tallest residential building in the world at the time of our visit.

From Melbourne there is the highly recommended Great Ocean Road Tour. The US has great road trips like Route 66. Australia has it’s version which starts in Melbourne and takes you down the coast to see some of the most beautiful sites the country has to offer. This full day tour takes you from the Port Campbell Park with some of the biggest and interesting trees to the famed and well photographed 12 Apostles rock formation which I had seen many times on screen savers. The views were great and short of the pesky and overwhelming flies, I loved it. I highly recommend it for those who want to get out of the city.

I’ll Be Back Australia

Was it all worth it? Definitely! The bragging rights alone of being among the first in the world to celebrate the New Year was worth the trip. But this country has so much to offer. The fireworks show alone was worth every penny and every hour sitting uncomfortably in 3rd class on the plane there. I’ve been many places in the world but only a few make me want to definitely go back to. And what attracts me to Australia the most are the people. The people are the friendliest that I have met in the world.

To Book My Professional Voiceover Services

Jeffrey Umberger
Voiceover Agent
404-372-1680
jeffrey@umbergeragency.com

Or please go to my contact page at https://danereidmedia.com/contact/

twitter.com/danereid

linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/danereid/

4 Reasons To Voiceover Blog- An Interview With Derek Chappell

About Voice Over, Blog, Interviews & Insight

I’ve been fortunate to do two things that I really love to do in this lifetime. One of them is to travel. The other is to do voiceover. I’ve been all around the world to some really impressive places and in many instances, wherever my physical body hasn’t been, my voice has traveled to. But one such place where neither had ever journeyed to was Ottawa, Kansas. Ottawa is a town one hour from Kansas City and where I met Derek Chappell in person. And from the first moment we met, we hit it off. Derek was quite humble about his town, thinking that my international travels would cause me to be bored as we drove around his hometown. He was wrong. Ottawa was Middle America, at the center of who we are. And how fitting! Derek himself was at center of the voiceover world.

Derek was one of the first people to ever pick up on my voiceover blog and channel. When I first ventured to tell my story as a voiceover talent, he was one of the first ones to listen. Derek had been listening to the stories of voiceover bloggers for several years. As a voiceover talent himself, he not only blogged but was an enthusiast and cheerleader of other talents. He developed a system of being alerted of new voiceover blogs and industry news. This not only allowed him to continuously learn more about the business that he loved, but also to promote the work of fellow voice talents that he admired.

Derek and I had one major disagreement though. He is an avid Royals fan. As a lifelong Yankee fan and Mets supporter, it was hard not to be distracted by his Royal’s Blue. But we got through it. But if there is one big thing that we could agree on, it was the reasons why VO Talent Should do voiceover blogs.

Blogging in any industry is beneficial to a business. It’s a way to keep consumers aware of what’s going on with your business. Here are 4 reasons you should voiceover blog

1)Recognizability
Pinocchio once proclaimed “I’M A REAL BOY NOW!!!” It was probably after he published his first blog. Blogging makes you human. Before blogging, I was just a business with a name and it was one of many voiceover businesses. But blogging has changed who I was from “Dane Reid Media” to simply “Dane.” Blogging makes you feel as if you know some of the industry’s finest like Dave Courvosier, or Dan Friedman, or Lance Blair or Marc Scott. It puts a face to a name and makes readers feel more personal with the voiceover blogger.

2)Increase Leads
And sometimes those readers become buyers… I talked about business being personal in my vacation and voiceover blog click here. In it I discussed 5 Steps to Keeping You Relevant In Voiceover. One of those very important steps was maintaining relationships. People tend to buy from people they know. In feeling that someone knows you, they are more apt to go from being a reader to a friend to a buyer.

3)Long & Short Term Search Results
People are looking for you right now. But if you just blend in then how will they find you? While Google constantly changes it’s search algorithms, one thing remains constant. The number of pages other people visit helps you with relevance. When someone is searching for your kind of voice and you have been blogging about your talent or other relevant info, you are easier to find. Initially after your blog is released you will see a bump in page view. Hopefully, since those pages never disappear someone will run into them again a year or two when you least expect it and will call you to work on their project. I can tell you from personal results that it has happened with me.

4)Establishes The Blogger As A Resource
Sometimes I still Google the word “Voiceover.” It’s because I’m looking for possibly something in the industry that I didn’t know already. I’m looking for a resource on the latest trends, the best gear, the top searched talent (and what they are doing right) and just any information on the career that I love. Today when I googled the word several things came up. Voices.com, Thats Voiceover, Gary Terzza’s page and Oh… Freakin’ Fiverr. One of those results leads you to a voiceover blogger who has a plethora of information which he freely shares. (The last one leads the voiceover industry into the depths of despair). Search results vary depending on your location but certainly Gary has done something great to establish himself as an authority and a resource. This can be great for business. Although I know from personal experience also, that it can serve as a distraction when everyone who wants information on how to get your job finds your number and calls. Either way, from where I sit, if you want a resource on the industry and training videos, contact Gary Terzza.

And if you need a voice for your business contact Derek Chappell. Derek no longer practices law during his days as he talked about in the video and has gone back to radio. He broadcasts for a local ABC Radio affiliate KOFO in Ottawa, Kansas and does phenomenal voiceover work from his home studio. Derek and I remain bitter sports rivals. I had to humble myself as his Royals beat my hometown Mets to win the 2015 MLB World Series. But if I had to eat humble pie around anyone, I’d rather it be around a great guy like Derek. Contact Derek at http://www.thevoiceofyourbusiness.com/

Social Networks

Facebook Group – Friends of Dane Reid Media

Twitter.com/danereid

Agent Jeffrey Umberger

Please Subscribe to My Page For More Blogs

A Voiceover Career Is Not An Easy Way Out + Vacation & Voiceover In Panama

About Voice Over, Blog, Children Books, Interviews & Insight, Technology & Voiceover, Voice Ringtones

LinkedIn has a way of reminding you every year that it’s your anniversary of how long you’ve been at your present job. Thank you LinkedIn. This September marks 12 years since I started my voiceover journey and I have to say that it has been both trying and super rewarding. But sometimes as I blog and post pictures from various places around the world, I think that people only see the rewarding part. They get the impression that all they need to do is to part with their full time job as I did in 2006 and the great voice that everyone tells them they have will propel them into a glamorous voiceover career where they work a few hours a week in their underwear and collect BIG checks. I’m sure that’s what they think. I can hear it in their voices when they solicit my help on the phone on how to get started. I recorded this video after a voiceover hopeful called me last year while I was in Panama and I told her that “this is a process and it takes time.”

Building my voiceover career took years. I was nowhere close to being an overnight success. But I found since writing my blog that many people will go to my website, find out how to reach me, call me, ask for advice and then get offended when I tell them not to quit their day job. I once had a testy exchange with a woman (who in my opinion had an aweful voice and an even worse speech pattern) who told me that she would have no problem building a voiceover career in spite of not having any training and not having worked in the entertainment or advertising world prior. She said that she had a sales background and that she could sell anything. I of course agree that a sales background is extremely helpful in this field, but you need to have a great product to sell. Furthermore, if you solicit the help of someone who is already doing what you want to do, you should probably listen and take their advice as I did 12 years ago. I can honestly say that I was somewhat insulted by her idea that it would be a breeze to get started in VO.

Voiceover Career 2 — Early Days In Working In A Studio (2006)

Often voiceover newcomers think they need just one of the key elements in making their career pop. Usually they have an overestimated confidence in their talent and voicing abilities so they skip straight to what they think they need for their home studio. I have a great studio that does well for my voice but I inform aspiring talent to go and explore a local audio store to play around with their offerings to find out what works for them. But first you need to make sure other things are in place so that you are sure voiceover is for you? Do you have a plan? Do the plan cover your business, your equipment, your coaching and your education? What are your goals and what avenues will you take to make those goals happen? Luckily there are a lot of great people in our industry who help provide direction for voice talents in their careers. Tom Dheere for example is a voiceover consultant that writes a blog to help even established talent on the business side of VO. Check him out.
For myself, when I started it was without training and without business experience. I had only raw passion to guide me. That may explain the years that I went before landing some real gigs. As I learned more and I considered new ways to make a few bucks in VO, I took chances on the business side. I innovated with ideas that could make money using my voice which included a voice ringtone website called MyTalktones.com and also licensed some of those ringtones to a media copy that sold them as ringback tones to all the major cell phone companies. I wrote an audiobook, Dana The Procrastinator which I voiced myself in 2008. Feel free to buy a hardcover copy on Amazon. I wrote a second children’s book too, but I have procrastinated on getting that out to the public even up to now. While I’ve voiced for companies and brands like Sprite, Coke, Lockheed Martin, BET, Acura, Kia and a mountain of other companies in my time, none have been so big as to keep me fed beyond the next months bill. And so it has always been my plan to hunt down new work and to also be creative as to where I can apply my voice.
I celebrate 12 years as a voiceover talent knowing how much work I’ve put into this field. I have spent a lot of money, many nights awake and years developing and testing new ideas for my business. But with voiceover becoming more difficult to get into and make a profit, talent can’t just expect to call Dane Reid on the phone and get the magic solution as to how to be a success. I am still up at night racking my brain and working hard in the daytime pitching my voice and my ideas to anyone who may buy into them. I have plans for new demos, new videos, business ideas (which I can’t share 😉 ) and even a new station which I start imaging this month. I’m still passion driven but I have harnessed my creativity, effort, networking ties and talent in order to make it all work. Don’t think that my road will be your path. Results may vary.

Vacation & Voiceover In Panama
I’ve had a love for Latin America over the past few years. One place that fascinated me because of the sheer number of it’s immigrants that I knew in New York was Panama. Of course the Panama Canal fascinated me. But when I arrived in Panama City, the thing that captivated me most was this amazing mixture between the new and the old city. Prior to going to Cuba, I hadn’t seen a place as charming as Panama City’s Casca Viejo. And to see how it blended with the modern, almost US looking new city was awesome to me. But secondly, the people were great. I spent much of my time being shown the ropes by our cab driver Glenn. He wasn’t the average cabbie. Glenn was more like the guy who you knew in a town you were visiting who showed you around. Everyday he picked us up, suggested places for us to hang out and would even hang out with us and buy us drinks with the money we just paid him. lol (I just had water). Other people were great too and I found that just like in New York, Panamanians are super cool people. But finally, if you are a foodie (which I generally am not), Panama is your place. I experienced the best food on average that I’ve had in the world in Panama. There is something about the seasoning and the freshness of the food, mixed with the creative latin and West Indian fusion that totally impressed me. I’ve mentioned this to others who have either been to Panama or had Panamanian dishes who totally agree with me. Overall, between the food, music, people and the place itself, I highly recommend a visit there. 4.75 of 5 stars (There was no beach in Panama City but try Boca Del Torro)

IF YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS BLOG PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THIS PAGE AND LEAVE A COMMENT. THANKS