Inside The Voiceover Studio – Blog

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One of the most dangerous aspects of any business is setting price for things. I say dangerous because this is often glossed over yet EXTREMELY important aspect of your business, if done right, can propel you and your business into success, and if done wrong, or without the proper thought, can and will destroy you like an Imperial Star Destroyer taking on a Rebel Cruiser!

Ok, I need to confess something. This particular part of business tripped me up on more than one occasion. Years ago, my wife Joyce and I had a small video productions company. Our intent was to offer quality video services for ‘rock bottom low prices!’. Well…that business failed, and I’ll explain why in a bit. Now, I have the company I was born to have, and doing for a living what I was born to do: voiceovers and narration. As an entrepreneur, there are a lot of things we need to do in order to be viable in any industry. Basic things, like deciding on your product (be it your voice or whatever); setting up some sort of accounting system; purchasing equipment; creating your brand, etc. One of the most important things is setting your price for said service or product. THIS can be most difficult. Especially if the service/product you’re offering is YOU (in my case, my voice). Why? Good question. You’d think this was a no-brainer.

Most of us use varying methods to valuate the goods and services we intend to offer. When I and my wife started our video productions company, we decided that a big part of our business philosophy was going to be offering high quality services at very affordable prices. And that’s what we did. We did very good work. We also offered photography services (weddings, parties, etc.) featuring that same low cost concept. Only problem was, clients kind of shied away from us. Eventually, after some digging and research, we found out why. Our prices were too low. Yup. TOO LOW. Came to find out that because we didn’t charge many thousands of dollars to shoot a wedding, people figured we couldn’t possibly be very good. Even though we were. See, perception is 100% of everything. We wanted to offer a high quality product at a price everyone could afford, but that backfired on us. People figured that if we didn’t charge $1,000 per hour, we must not be very good. So, eventually, we were forced to close that company down. Conversely, I knew of a guy near where we live who was a wedding photographer. WAS. Because he had top of the line equipment, a formal education in photography, he figured he could demand top dollar. Even though he was just starting. He listed his services STARTING at $1,500 per hour plus any milage. Guess what? No one hired him. He eventually sold a majority of his equipment and went to work for someone else.

These two extremes made me think, and develop what I call the folded paper concept in setting your worth. Take a plain sheet of paper, then fold it directly in half. The top half represents people like the last guy I mentioned, those who think they’re the best of the best of the best, and set their fees WAY too high right out of the starting gate. Unrealistically high. They don’t take in to account market valuation, skill, talent, etc. They just figure they WANT a lot of money so boom! Now, the bottom half is just the opposite. This side of the paper represents the people who may have the talent, skills and tools to make a good living, but they either lack confidence, or have a misguided mission to make something more affordable. So, they set their fees WAY too low. Unrealistically low. Both halves of this paper are bad.

Now, unfold your sheet of paper and take a look at the middle. See that VERY THIN line that separates the HIGH and the LOW sides of the paper? THAT is where you need to start. THAT is the realistic starting point you need to be at when you first set your price. It’s not an easy thing to do. For a lot of people, they either tend to over value themselves, or grossly under value themselves. Both of these practices can and will crush your new business. How do you set that middle of the paper price?

Well, for me, it was key to find someone I trusted, who was a seasoned veteran in the voice world – my narration coach. After training with him for several months, I asked him what, in his educated opinion, I should be charging per hour for my narration services. And he told me. I was a bit shocked to be honest, because it was a bit higher than I valued myself, but I trust him. He’s heard my work and knows what I’m capable of. That’s my advice to you. Find someone, and not your spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, brother, sister, parent, child (the reason you want to avoid someone you’re emotionally connected to is because, and let’s be honest here, they’re likely to give you an answer that is wrong. One that they feel will avoid hurting your feelings) who you trust to give you an HONEST answer, and who is IN the field you’re in and ask them. Odds are, that answer will fall RIGHT on that teeny, tiny line in the middle of your folded paper!

Remember, this is just my opinion. Not meant to be a solid, business school concept. Just something I’ve realized, and that’s worked for me. Once you’ve established your reputation in your chosen industry, THEN you can raise your fees to match the appropriate bracket you’re moving in to!

– Stay Groovy!

 

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Motivation. Kind of a funny word, isn’t it? And so personal, really. What motivates one person, is sure to be a ‘huh, what?’ for another. But what a very important word. Well, concept really. Without motivation, we’d never get anything done. Motivation fits nicely in psychologist Abraham Maslow’s theory of how we, as humans, operate within the universe. And although it’s arguably one of the most important (if not THE most important) aspect of our lives, it can also be one of the most elusive and most difficult things to keep hold of.

I need to thank my good friend and fellow voice actor Wayne Henderson for the ‘inspiration’ for this post. I was struggling with the motivation topic, but Wayne asked a question in our voice over marketing think tank page recently about how we deal with lulls. Well, that prompted me to write! Cuz, you know…I’m just a wealth of knowledge.

It happens. We all, no matter how successful we are, suffer from lulls. Lulls in business, where nothing seems to be coming our way. Lulls in our energy. Lulls in our motivation. It’s very difficult when we’re faced with these lulls, and they can really wreak havoc with…well everything. So very destructive too, if you don’t recognize when it’s happening, or, when you freak out about it (yep, been there, done that, bought the tee-shirt). Even though lulls and lack of motivation affect everyone, it can be especially tough on the self-employed, because, well, because if we self-employed peeps start to suffer from that sometimes crippling disease Motivation-Avada-Kedavra, we ain’t makin’ no moola.

I’m going to give you some advice from my world – the voice acting world. This is how I combat lack of motivation and lulls in work. It may or may not work for you (whatever your ‘world’ is), but hopefully the concepts I share will at least get you thinking about the process, and you’ll develop your own system. So, here we go…

First off, I like to grab a piece of paper and kind of create a ‘mind map’ of things. For example, when I started developing my business plan for 2015, I wrote down what it was I wanted to achieve in the year. Like…a 30,000 foot view look at it. The big picture. Mine was to make XX% more money in the voice over world than last year. Then, I took that, and broke it down into component parts. What did I need to do to make the big item happen? Book more VO jobs. Then, took that even lower: how do you book more VO jobs? By auditioning for more, etc. Sounds simple, but you’d be amazed how this sort of thing just slips right by your mind. Then, after working out all the little pieces, make it official by creating a document, be it a Word or Pages document, or whatever. But make it something  you can look at. Trust me, this works.

Now, how does this help lulls and lack of motivation? Glad you asked!

Lulls are simply down time when you really look at them. Created because you have no work to fill them. By doing the ‘mind map’, and creating a plan of action, you’ll have things to do all the time in order to complete your ultimate goal. If my goal is to be a more successful voice actor, well, I need to work more, audition more and get my name and brand out there more. That means more auditioning and….a LOT of marketing. So, even if you’re not actually working, that doesn’t mean you stop working. Get your name out there by posting on social media, hosting podcasts, or, even writing a blog 🙂 MARKETING. ‘Yeah, that’s easy for you to say Al. What do I do if I’m not motivated?’ Great question!

Lack of motivation doesn’t always mean having no ‘reason’ to do something. For me, getting a little ‘down’, or even feeling way overwhelmed because you have a LOT to do, can lead to what I call ‘motivation leak’. That’s when you WANT to do something, but just can’t seem to FOCUS. (Sound familiar?). Happens more often than I’d care to admit.

It’s very difficult to bust through that wall, and to be honest, you’ll need to discover your own method, but for me, I look at it like training. The more you do something, the easier it becomes. For example, when I was younger, I loved to exercise. I was an athlete, and really enjoyed it. Now that I’m….well, NOT so young anymore, I don’t so much. But I understand deep down that it’s good for me. So, I push through it and, even though I don’t WANT to do it, I’ll walk on our treadmill or take the dog for a long walk at the park. And you know what? By the time we get back home, I’m glad I did it. Same thing with my work. I admit that there are times when I’m between jobs, haven’t had a successful audition in weeks, and I just start to feel sorry for myself and think ‘oh what’s the use? why bother?’, or ‘ah…I’ll just do this (or that) tomorrow’. But guess what? If you put it off until tomorrow, it becomes easier to do it again. And again. And again. Remember? The more you do something, the easier it becomes? So, that’s when I’ll open up my official mind map and take a look at it – and get motivated.

I think one of the biggest obstacles to success is that feeling of being overwhelmed. Either with too much to do, or overwhelmed with no work to do. This is what leads to lack of motivation. And, often to the dreaded lull. If you don’t reach out and grab what you want, someone else will…and keep it for themselves. So, I guess what I’m saying is that the key to overcoming ANYTHING in life is inside of you. It’s not always easy to find, and not always easy to shake the lulls or lack of motivation blues, but if you really decide on what you want to do, and push through that temptation to just sit down in a puddle of self-pity pooh, then you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

– Stay Groovy

 

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“Hey, what microphone would be best for me?”. What a loaded question THAT is! A relatively innocent question, but one that is sure to spark page after page after page of comments on any social media site. And yes….I too am guilty of asking that particular ‘newbie’ question.

I’ve been in the voiceover world for two years now. It’s funny how time flies, and perspective changes things, isn’t it? It really seems like just yesterday I was clueless about how the voice industry works, and was asking all those questions designed to annoy those I was asking them of. (Well, not really DESIGNED to annoy, but, you know what I mean). Now, I’m getting hit up by ‘newbies’ for advice (I know, RIGHT? ME???), and you know what the number one question I get asked is? Hint…look at the title of this blog entry…Yeah…’which microphone should I buy?’. Well, I’d LOVE to answer that question for you, but seriously, the BEST answer to that question is: the best microphone for your voice.

Yeah, I know…you think this is a cheap, cop-out answer. But the truth is (and I’ve learned this over the last two years from people far more schooled than I), it’s nearly impossible to tell someone, who I don’t know, what microphone would be best for them. I would venture a guess that even the likes of George Whittam, or Sean Pratt would be hard pressed to tell someone, sight unseen, what microphone they should buy! Too many factors involved. The BEST way to find the BEST microphone for your voice, is to TRY THEM OUT. The audiofile’s Disneyland, Guitar Center, has stores all over the U.S.A., and the great thing about them is that they’ll allow you to try out as many microphones as you’d like (in store of course), and they’ll even help you. Try a few out. See how you sound. Narrow it down to two or three, then bite the bullet and buy one. Take it home, record yourself and see how it sounds. If you don’t like it, take it back. Most audio type stores have great return policies. The bottom line is: this isn’t a quick fix answerable question.

But, to help you out just a bit, here are a few of the microphones I’d suggest:

HIGH END:

  • Neumann U 87.
    • Probably one of the most widely used studio mic’s in the world. It has three polar patterns, which makes it GREAT for VO’s who do a wide variety of jobU87SetZs. This one could be considered the Luxury SUV of microphones, and as such, carries a big price tag – $3,599. I’ve never used one of these, in fact, I’ve never even seen one up close. Unless you’re rolling in the dough, or, have been in the biz for a LONG time, this is really just a ‘wish list’ item

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  • sE Electronics sE4400a. Another that’s classified as ‘a perfect all around, all project microphone’. This large condenser mic is often referred to as a great vocal’s microphone, since it has a twin-diaphragm design (which offers a ‘cleaner’ sounding pick up). Again, another pricey mic, but MUCH less so than the Neumann. This baby will set you back $650. Whereas the Neumann is a ‘wish lister’, the sE is more of an attainable dream for most of us.

C214MEDIUM END:

  • AKG C214. AKG has been making microphones for a long time, and has really made strides at offering high quality microphones for a reasonable price. The C214 is the younger brother of the legendary AKG C414 – which you’ve most likely heard before but just didn’t know it. That is the mic used on thousands of hit records, on stage with countless artists and some of the biggest broadcast facilities in the world. With great sound quality, the C214 will set you back only $400.

 

  • AKG Perception 220. This is the microphone I currently use, and have never had any complaints. In fact, I’m often told my voice sounds like ‘hot cocoa’ (whatever THAT means!).Seriously though, I have a rather loud voice, but the Perception 220 5324132does a great job of making me sound pretty decent. And, at a price of about $200 (depending on where you find it), it’s a great microphone to move you up from the novice class to intermediate, and beyond. Plus, it comes with an awesome shock-mount!

ENTRY LEVEL:

  • Blue Microphones Yeti USB Microphone. While, not a BAD mic (it actually does sound Yetipretty decent), it’s best to steer clear of USB microphones if you’re trying to record professionally. I started with this mic (actually recorded our Disneyland podcast with the Yeti’s for a couple of years), and even recorded my first three audiobooks with it. But you can really tell the difference between this and an XLR mic. USB’s can be ‘noisy’, which is a no-no if you’re recording for a living. But, at $120 or so, it’s not a bad way to get your feet wet.

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  • MXL V250. A good, solid entry level microphone. The MXL is actually pretty decent for most voice work (more like short form instead of long form though). It’s not as warm as the AKG Perception 220, and it doesn’t really pick up as well, but for $49, this would be a good microphone to start with, as it is an XLR connection.

Disclaimer: I am NOT a professional sound engineer. The microphones I listed are really just my opinion, the ones I looked at while finding a good microphone for me. The only definite advice I can give is to steer clear of anything that plugs directly into your computer (USB), since they tend to create a messier sound. XLR connections into an audio interface (discussed in a future blog), is the best way to go. Do your homework. Test out a few mic’s and find the best for your voice. Voices are a lot like fingerprints. Each one is unique. Find your voice. It’s out there!

Stay Groovy!

 

 

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  You’ve got to know when to hold ’em….know when to fold ’em, know when to walk away, and know when to run’….Admit it. You’re humming that song now, aren’t you? I’ve been told, on more occasions than I’d care to admit that I resemble country singer Kenny Rogers (BEFORE the face work!). I enjoy his music, have for a very long time, but it wasn’t until today that I actually learned a valuable lesson from it. In fact, one that I’m going to institute into my business model for voice over work – in a way.

  If you follow me on social media, or know me personally, you’ve been ‘privileged’ to hear or read one of my rants on how loud it can get in my neighborhood. Especially when I’m recording. Motorcycles, trucks, a seemingly never ending parade of LOUD cars, leaf/debris blowers, and my all time favorite – small personal airplanes. Those incessantly buzzing little BUGS that seem to know exactly WHEN I intend to record, because as soon as I step in my ‘booth’ there they are! Circling. Mocking me. See, we live about 10 miles north of a small airport, which has quite a few pilot schools. So, these are little ‘trainer’ planes, and honestly a lot of folks just clocking flight hours. And that generally means circling. Circling. Circling. CIRCLING! Seems our neighborhood is right in their ‘sweet-spot’. Far enough outside the city, but close enough to the airport for THEIR comfort.

  Now, I know that external noise interruptions are not unique to my situation. A LOT of my colleagues experience the same sort of issues. Many of my colleagues have purchased ‘insurance’ policies against such demonic situations in the form of audio booths. Some people call them vocal booths, sound booths, etc. Whatever label is placed on them, to me, they’re the ultimate dream! Some day….some day I WILL own a Scott L. Peterson booth of my very own, and I shall love it, and cherish it and call it George! But for now, it’s just beyond the horizon. So, in the mean time I’m much like Prometheus chained to a rock who had to suffer the eating of his liver by an eagle on a daily basis. I have to put up with NOISE, and learn to work around it. Record between interruptions. Line….pause. Line…..pause. What should take me 30 minutes to record ends up taking me an hour and a half. Why? What, weren’t you paying attention earlier?! Interruptions for a narrator can be very destructive. Acting requires a ‘groove’ (at least for me). When you’re trying to record a sensitive passage (where a couple has discovered their deep bond of love for one another), it’s pretty danged hard to deliver lovey-dovey lines when all you want to do is SCREAM PROFANITIES TO THE SCOURGE THAT IS EATING YOUR BRAIN!! Sorry. Lost a bit of control there. So…what’s a boy to do? That’s where Mr. Kenny Rogers comes in.

  Know when to hold ’em (understand when to stay the course and plug on through despite the planes, cars, motorcycles, etc), and know when to fold ’em (accept those times when it’s just better to call it a day – no matter how long you’ve been trying – and leave the ‘booth’). This is where I’m at right now. Yes, I have a fast approaching deadline to deliver my latest audiobook, but staying in the ‘booth’ and TRYING to get this recorded between interruptions, is actually more detrimental to the process than shutting the system down and doing something else. At least for me.

  So, I guess if you’re looking for a moral to my story, it would have to be: Know thine own self. Take stock of the situation, and if it’s actually better to walk away from the task at hand – despite the gnawing, nagging fact that you’re working against a deadline – do it. Walk away from the microphone. Think of your performance. If all that external noise that is CONSTANTLY interrupting you is beginning to frustrate you, it’s going to show in your performance. At least it does for me. Now, once I’ve saved enough for one of those beautiful Scott L. Peterson audio booths, well, this blog post will be a humorous anecdote that I’ll look back on one day and just laugh…and laugh…then walk in to said booth, close the door and NOT hear all the motorcycles, trucks, a seemingly never ending parade of LOUD cars, leaf/debris blowers, and my all time favorite – small personal airplanes.

Stay Groovy Peeps! 
 – Al

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Welcome to the first entry of the new Inside The Voiceover Studio blog! I’ll be sharing thoughts and possibly (hopefully) helpful tips I’ve picked up over the last almost 2 years I’ve been in the voice industry. Don’t get me wrong. I am by NO MEANS suggesting that I know all the answers. Heck, I’m not even suggesting that I know SOME of the answers, but I WILL share with you the things I’ve done thus far that have both worked and not worked. With a little luck, maybe you’ll avoid a lot of the pitfalls I’ve fallen prey to!

I’m not fooled into thinking that I will be a millionaire doing voice work. But I do plan on making enough money to support my family off of, and having one hell of a fun time while doing it. So, be on the lookout for some exciting stuff. I’ll be sharing any wisdom that may come my way! 🙂 I’d be SUPER happy if you’d subscribe to my blog, maybe even find me on Twitter, FaceBook, YouTube, Google+…you know the drill.

That’s all for now. I will try to make at least one entry per week, maybe more, depending on my schedule. So…until next time……don’t forget to turn the light off after you.
– Al