The Hip Chick Voice Blog!

Do we need insurance?

2010-03-31T14:00:00Z

Voice Over Xtra posted a good article about insurance for voice over actors, written by Keith Michaels. Good food for thought. Clicky click to read.

It works! It really, really works!!

2010-03-16T21:04:00Z

The Internet works!! It really, really works!!

Lately, I've noticed an increase in contacts from people who have found me through my web site, CarynClark.com. Yay! The Internet works!

I used to do my own site though the GoDaddy service. It was easy enough for me to do since in my past life, I managed a web site for large insurance company. People really seemed to like the design of the site, too. But I got tired of doing it myself. The content management system was quirky, at best, and I would spend hours trying to tweak things. I really wanted a "pro" looking site, you know?

So, I checked out sites, and found a few a really liked. Called the designers, and eventually, landed with my friend Lou Zucaro in Chicago. Lou is a voice over talent, but he also owns a company called Genusus that designs and hosts web sites. So, he totally "gets" what a voice talent or actor wants and needs in a site.

They really do a great job, and best of all, you don't have to rely on them to make your content changes. Genusus has their sites configured in such a way that one can manage their own content. I can add videos, change text... the basic things one needs to do on a day to day basis. Not to mention, Lou is one of the nicest people on the planet.

So, thanks to Lou, I'm glad to say, people are finding me on the Internet! Thank you Lou, and Genusus!!

This is a great reminder

2010-02-26T13:54:00Z

I just saw this post on Voice Over Xtra. This is a great article. Do I do all of this though? No. For example, for certain reasons, I rarely eat breakfast. I need to exercise waaaay more often. And so on... ahem. But this article is a great reminder to do all of that.

Clicky here to read "Discipline - Not a Bad Word, Really! Apply it to VO Career & Joy of Life"

The Internet... and Facebook... are Amazing Tools

2010-02-19T18:16:00Z

Ok, two blog entries in one day. The world is in a tailspin, huh? I just had to post this though.

The Internet really makes this small world even smaller.

It's amazing.

On my Facebook fan page for Caryn Clark... The Hip Chick Voice (which can be found here... I'd love for you to be a fan!), I post samples of my most recent work, blog links, etc. A while back, I posted a video for a book trailer I did for Scholastic Books for a book entitled, "I So Don't Do Mysteries" by Barrie Summy. I thought it was a great little video, and a cool book!

A couple of weeks ago, I checked the page and was pleasantly surprised to find that Ms. Summy had actually visited my Facebook page, and commented, "The book trailer for I SO DON'T DO MYSTERIES is fantastic! Your voice is perfect, perfect, perfect!!!"

Wow, well those are some very nice things to say!! I'm sooo glad that she's happy with it. It's rare that a voice talent hears feedback from the "end user" (or maybe that's "beginning user" since she wrote the book?). Thank you, Ms. Summy!!!

As it turns out, I went back to my fan page today for a little visit, and saw that Ms. Summy posted a link to a blog about the book trailer, which you can read by clicking here.

I'm flattered. Beyond flattered. I feel the love, and I like it!

Really, kudos go to the production company who selected me as the voice and produced the trailer. The guys at Rezolution Productions are the bomb! Thanks guys!!

How DO you Hire Voice Talent?

2010-02-19T16:16:00Z

If you're a business and you need a voice talent to narrate a web video, for example, how do you go about finding the right talent for your project?

The options are endless, but my friend and fellow voice over talent Brian Hart wrote a blog that explains all of the options, and answers lots of questions you might have. Click here to read Brian's blog.

No Snow Days... or Lawnmower Days

2010-02-17T15:38:00Z

As I sit here, listening to the rhythmic rumble of lawnmowers on my street, waiting for them to finish their weekly job so I can record a narration for Google Adwords, I decided to surf the Internet and take a a look at Voice Over Xtra.

I found a blog by Bob Souer, one of my most favorite talents (and friends) in the industry. Turns out, last week presented challenges to him... only with snow. And he handled it gracefully, I might add. Clicky here to read about the lack of snow days in voice over.

Happy Fauschnaut Day!

2010-02-16T15:45:00Z

This has absolutely nothing to do with voice over. But, I feel the need to recognize this day... it brings back fond childhood memories.

It's Fat Tuesday!!! No, my parents didn't get me drunk as a child. Ha!! I've actually never been to Mardi Gras, but I did just visit New Orleans over the New Year (and went to the Sugar Bowl BCS Game). It's a fabulous town, full of character, good people, and so much history!

When I was growing up, Fat Tuesday, aka the day before Ash Wednesday, was known as Fauschnaut Day. We lived in a rural Pennsylvania village on the eastern side of the state... yup, Pennsylvania Dutch Country. And you know what they do for Fauschnaut Day???? They make and eat doughnuts!!!! I remember coming home from school, walking into the kitchen where my Mom would be, in front of a big pan of hot grease (which was a very rare happening in our household), frying up doughnuts!

So, enjoy Fat Tuesday, Fauschnaut Day, Shrove Tuesday, or whatever YOU call it. I think I'm going to have a doughnut today.

A New Blogger in Town

2010-02-12T16:16:00Z

My friend and talented voice over, Brian Hart, is now blogging. You might want to check it out.

Don't be afraid to look dumb

2010-02-03T21:30:00Z

I enjoyed this little diddy by Philip Banks, and I hope you do too!

Click here to read Philip's blog.

One of Us is Gonna be on the TV!!!

2010-01-08T16:28:00Z

My friend and fellow voice over talent, Jeffrey Kafer, is going to be on the Huckabee Show on the Fox News Network!!! The show is about people who have been laid off and have created their own businesses, I believe. You see, Jeff used to work for Microsoft, but was let go several months ago. When he had his full-time job, he was also a part-time voice actor. Since then, he's been pursuing voice acting full-time.

The show will air tomorrow, Saturday, January 9, at 8ET/5PT PM, and will repeat on Sunday, January 10, at 11ET/8PT PM. Be sure to watch!

I'm so excited for Jeff, and I can wait to see his debut on TV! Break a leg, Jeff!!

Attitude of Gratitude

2009-12-18T00:24:00Z

I want to repost this blog post from Effortless Abundance. It's a good one. Enjoy!

Where have I been? Oh, and are you interested in VO?

2009-12-16T15:13:00Z

Wowza, it's been a while since I've written a blog! Thankfully, fall is a busy time for me, with the toy products/commercials being produced for the holidays.

I received an email from a person interested in voiceover today, and after I wrote my response, thought I'd post it here for all to see. This is my general response to anyone who asks me about how to get into voiceover. I was very blessed to have much encouragement along the way when I first started out. However, it occurs to me that even though I had that encouragement, this career is something I REALLY wanted to make happen, and I did everything I needed to do (and still do) to make it work! You have to be persistent!

So, without further ado, here is the question:

"I have always been curious about doing voice work. have done impressions for yrs. I have no idea what kind of background one needs for this career. I have heard your voice on many ads and decided to search you out for advice. Thank you in advance for your time."

My response:

Hi XXXXX,

Thank you for contacting me! I'm happy to give you advice from my point of view.

Most people in vo come from a radio or broadcast background. But that's not "required." It just so happens that most of the people do. I, however, am one of the few that doesn't have a radio or broadcast background. I came from good ol' corporate America. But, I had a passion for singing and using my voice, and that's what drew me to this career.

I recommend reading a book or two first. "Voice for Hire" by Randy Thomas and Peter Rofe is a good one. I helped copyedit this book, but honestly, all of that aside, it really is a good overview of the industry and what it takes to get into voiceover. Another good book is Joan Baker's "Secrets of Voice-Over Success." That's not a cover to cover read, but gives good vignettes from people who have really done well in voiceover. I also recommend going to Nancy Wolfson's website, www.braintracksaudio.com and buy the mp3, "Your Voiceover Business."

Once you've read those books and listened to the mp3, and you are still interested in making this a career you want to pursue and invest your time and money into, then you can move forward. What you learned in the books you read and the mp3 will be helpful and give you a plan. Take acting classes... mainly scene study and improv. Also, find a coach. Study with that coach, and eventually, they'll let you know when you're ready to make your first demo. There's much to do after that, but these are the basics.

This career is an investment of time and money. You'll constantly spend money, putting it back into your business be it replacing equipment, marketing, working with your coach, making new demos every couple of years, etc. I don't know if people realize that when they're looking to get into voiceover. The other downfall of this business is, it's very competitive. My job is to audition. They say most voice actors book one out of every 50 auditions. I do anywhere from 1 to 10 auditions a day. Sometimes more... it all just depends. Sometimes there are just a few of us auditioning, but much of the time, there could be 50 to 500 of us auditioning for the same spot. You're not going to get rich quick being a voice actor. Frankly, you may not "get rich" at all. But, if doing something you LOVE to do and is your passion is important to you, then this could be the career for you. And that could be "rich" to you.

I hope you find this helpful!! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I'm happy to try and help!

Merry Christmas, and may 2010 bring much happiness your way!

Caryn

You Gotta Have Faith!

2009-09-29T17:57:00Z

If you know me, you know I'm an avid Florida Gator fan. Yes, that's right, I bleed orange and blue. I graduated from the University of Florida in 1994 with a Bachelors degree in English and am very loyal to my alma mater. Why am I so loyal? I guess because my college experience was a pivotal time in my life. I came from a very small town and an even more dysfunctional family. I did fairly well academically in my small high school. Then I went to this huge university. While I didn't do nearly as well academically, I learned a lot about life in general, and college prepared me for the next step in my life... to be a productive member of society.

My husband and I have had the opportunity to attend a couple of football games so far this season. We both admire The Gators' star quarterback, Tim Tebow, a great deal. But not necessarily for his talent in football.

Here's a kid (ok, he's 22 years old, but still a kid in my eyes) who is a senior college, won the Heisman Trophy as a sophomore (a first in Heisman Trophy history), has lead The Gators to two National Championships, and has won more accolades and recognitions than even HE can probably count.... and yet, he is a person who appears to be as grounded as you and me. Oh, and MOST importantly, he's an incredible role model. Here's an example... before the first football game, he spent time on the football field wheeling around a child who has cerebral palsey, talking to him, and introducing him to the other players. He invited the child into the locker room, and really, made him part of the entire day. I bet that kid hasn't slept yet, out of sheer excitement from the experience! He'll never forget it, and I bet he'll have an equal affect on someone else in his life someday.

So, what makes this 22 year old college star tick?

I think, mainly, it's his faith.

Now, as for religion - to each his own. However, all of us have faith in some way, shape or form. Whether it's in God, Buddha, The Universe.... most of us have faith. You don't have to go to church to have faith. So, insert your favoriite deity into the following.

Tim Tebow has a devout faith. I wonder, without that faith, would he have accomplished all that he has so far? And, imagine, he's got the rest of his life to live and accomplish things!! I think he does credit his faith in God for his abilities and talents, and he uses his "celebrity" to talk to others about faith... prisoners, orphans, and others that are not as fortunate.

In voiceover, as in life, we gotta have faith. Faith in <insert name of favorite deity here> that we will be shown the way to what it is we're trying to accomplish, AND, faith in ourselves that we CAN accomplish our goals! Be thankful for what you do have - your abilities, your family, the work you've obtained recently - I bet the list of things to be thankful for is endless.

Things aren't always going to go as we plan. We're not always going to be as busy as we would like to be. The goals we set may not be as easy as we thought they would be to accomplish. We're going to be discouraged from time to time. We're going to question why things are so hard, or what are we doing wrong. It's all part of the process...the road we're being led down to get to where we want to go. And you know what? Even when we get there, we're still going to face challenges.

Have faith.

In the City of Angels... and Event for an Angel

2009-09-03T13:18:00Z

Last night, in the City of Angels, there was an event held in honor of a voice over angel, Don LaFontaine. The party was held at Joe Cipriano's humble abode, where 200 industry folk gathered to celebrate a life of the patriarch of our voiceover industry in order to raise just a little money for the new Don LaFontaine Voice Over Lab in Los Angeles.

LA socialite (just kidding).... I should say, LA voiceover actor DC Douglas was kind enough to share his blog with me, and I'm reposting here. What a great night for a great cause!

CLICK HERE TO READ DC's BLOG!

What's Your Batting Average?

2009-08-27T01:10:00Z

Dutch voiceover, Paul Strikwerda, had a blog article featured on VoiceoverXtra today. What a great blog, with lots of interesting points to ponder. I'm really looking forward to Part II of the blog!

Online voiceover casting sites, or pay to play sites as some call them, are definitely an interesting concept in our industry. Since their advent is somewhat recent, no one knows what the future will hold. Are these sites our future? Will they take over all casting, eventually, putting unions out of business? Well, hopefully it won't go that far, but their long-term impact on our industry has yet to really and truly be determined.

Paul makes great points about these sites: the lack of a creation of a relationship at the onset of the encounter (or the "interception"), the conversion rate challenge, and more generally, just makes you consider the sheer number of people who are auditioning for these voiceover gigs. Paul also extrapolates the logic to your own web site.

Thank you, Paul, for a thought-provoking blog.

ART & COPY

2009-08-26T16:56:00Z

As a follow up to yesterday's blog, be sure to check this out. It's a film about "advertising and inspiration."

Click here to learn more about the film, ART & COPY.

I hope I have an opportunity to see this film. If you have seen it, please feel free to post your thoughts.

What are YOUR Favorites?

2009-08-25T19:00:00Z

Advertising is really and truly a work of art. There are, of course, many forms of advertising. My blog today is going to focus on television commercials.

The folks at ad agencies have the unique ability to create some of the funniest, hard-hitting, quirky, and informative messages - which are communicated in the short time span of a commercial lasting anywhere between fifteen and sixty seconds.

Where else can you hear a story, learn about a why you need a detergent, or remember how good a greeting card makes you feel... in such a short time span? The visuals (in the case of TV), the voiceover, the little story with a nice button at the end... all have to do with the image being created in your mind.

Jingles help too. Not all commercials have them... but when they do, a winning jingle will become an earworm for days, even years, and you'll never forget the product.

One of my favorite commercials is the Free Credit Report dot com commercial. Actually, there are two of them that I love. Have I used the service? Nope. I haven't had the need for a credit report. But if I did, I would consider using it.

Click here for the Pirate in a Restaurant commercial

Click here for the Driving in My Used Subcompact commercial

A commercial that's been airing lately for Ally Bank has me cracking up everytime I see it. The look on this little girl's face is priceless. She's no fool.

Click here for the Ally Bank Pony commercial (this is an article from AdWeek, with the video)

My other favorites are the Geico commercials, with the talented voiceover actor, DC Douglas. In his blog, he writes about this campaign and posts the videos of these great commercials... check it out. These commercials were memorable, funny, and relatable. Now they have a new campaign - "The Money You Could be Saving with Geico" - which my guess is has been another homerun for Geico. In circulars in the Sunday paper, they even include a little "money with eyes" thing that you can put together and leave around your house. I put ours together and left it on the coffee table and freaked my husband out. When he asked me what it was... over course I said, "It's the money you could be saving with Geico." Good fun!

In the end, overall, commercials need to be relatable. Ad agencies are really geniuses in being able to create the relationship in a matter of seconds. Commercials need to touch you in some way - be it your funny bone, your emotions, your intelligence - so that you can relate to the product and have a need for it. The voiceover in the commercial, while seemingly insignificant, is not. You aren't just going to relate to what is being said, but how it's being said.

So, share with us your favorite TV commercials, and why!!!

An Event You Don't Want to Miss...

2009-08-21T15:01:00Z

Sorry to regurgitate news, but I thought this important.

There is going to be a fundraiser for the Don LaFontaine Voice-over Lab, presented by the Screen ActorsGuild (SAG) Foundation. The fundraiser will be at the home of Joe Cipriano, on Wednesday, September 2, 2009. Tickets are $150 per person, and the event is limited to 200 people. Be sure to get your ticket NOW if you are going to attend.

Joe Cipriano has been quoted saying,

“The Don LaFontaine Voice Over Lab will keep Don’s legacy of givingback to the community alive. The Lab will be at the SAG Foundation Actors Center and feature 2 state of the art recording studios and a classroom where voice actors will be able to hone their craft. Seminars will be taught by the best in the business and the studios will be available for actors to work on demos, do auditions, jobs and take workshops all for no charge whatsoever.

The Don LaFontaine Lab at the Actors Center will become the place for the voice over community to learn, teach and inspire.

It’s going to be an incredible night. Fantastic food, drink (a DLF signature cocktail at the bars) and live entertainment with SPECIAL SURPRISE GUESTS performing LIVE. Valet parking provided.

This is a great opportunity to remember Don and meet and mingle with colleagues and friends from every aspect of the industry on both sides of the microphone who have gathered to show their support of this tribute to DLF. You’ll meet new friends and I’m guessing you’ll seesome you haven’t seen in years.

We’ll also have a few one-of-a-kind original drawings that Don penned on his scripts during sessions that will be for sale in the silent auction. These are very rare and you’ll be amazed when you see them. Fantastic memorabilia, with all proceeds going to the Lab. 100% Tax deductible.”

To purchase your ticket or make a donation, please click here.

I don't know about you, but it sure does sound like a fun time to me for a very good cause!! What a neat venue for voiceover artists to gather and learn the craft. I was going to try to attend, but unfortunately, cannot make it. If you go, please come back to my blog and tell us all about it!!!

Envisioning Your Gratitude

2009-08-14T13:02:00Z

The other day, I posted the following on my Facebook status: "Nothing says "I love you" like a thank you note. Gratitude at its finest." I really feel good when I thank people for the things they've done for me!

About two years ago, I read the book and watched the movie, THE SECRET, which is about the law of attraction. Ok, I know, I know... it's crazy talk, right?

Well, maybe there is a little bit of crazy talk in the movie, like, no matter how much I manifest wanting checks in my mailbox, bills are still gonna end up in my mailbox too (unless, of course, I subscribe to e-billing... LOL). But, I do think there's a lot of truth to the theory, and good that can come out of gratitude, positive thinking, and manifesting your desires. I talked to a good friend of mine who is a psychologist to ask her about this, and she said that it really can work. If nothing else, following the steps of being grateful for all you have in your life, and focusing on your dreams and desires certainly does put one in a good mood, thinking of all the things that can (or WILL) be! Nothing wrong with that!!

Not long after I read the book, I created a Vision Board and hung it in my studio. Every day, before I get out of bed, and before I fall asleep, I think of all the reasons I have to be grateful. I have to say though, I feel like I leave a lot of reasons behind... I don't know that it's becuase I take them for granted or the list is just so long!!

I'm getting ready to create a new Vision Board for my studio. In thinking about that, I came up with an idea... why not also create a Gratitude Board? There I can put pictures and list all the things in my life for which I'm grateful, and I can look at it everyday and acknowledge my gratitude. Then, under it, I will hang my Vision Board, which is full of all the "things" I'm manifesting. (They're not all "things" which is why I put quotes around that.)

I'd love to know if anyone has done this! Please feel free to comment!

THANK YOU for reading my blog, by the way, I am grateful for everyone who comes by to read my ramblings!!!

First Impressions

2009-08-03T14:27:00Z

On Friday night, I went to dinner with a couple of my girlfriends. After dinner, one friend took us to her car to show us her new stereo system that she just had installed. Technology is truly amazing... she has satellite radio, and the Bluetooth capability feeds the music directly from her iPod into her car's stereo system. Another part of the Bluetooth feature is the one we all know and love... it allows her phone to become hands-free, so she can converse without holding the phone while driving. Wonderful!

She gave us a demonstration of how this works by dialing the phone number of the for whom she works. The night message came on clearly through her car's speakers, "Hello, you've reached XXXXXX (leaving out the company's name), we're sorry we missed your call. Our office hours are...."

Keep in mind I was so excited to see this great Bluetooth technology in action, that I wasn't anticipating what I would think, do, or say next, regardless of the fact that I'm a voiceover talent for a living.

As soon as I heard the message, I looked up at my friend, and said, "Gee, who does the phone greetings for your company? If you think they might be interested in improving upon their messaging, please feel free to give them my contact information!"

Now, my reaction wasn't to say that their greetings were horrible... as I recall, it was a deep male voice, and I could tell (as you can by hearing someone's voice) it was a nice voice of a nice person. What struck me is that maybe this particular company might like a more friendly, caring type of voice.

Statistically, I do believe that the majority of phone greeting, voicemails, phone prompts, and on-hold messaging is done by women. In general, women tend to have more approachable voices - friendly, warm, caring, considerate. I don't want to stereotype too much here, because it really does depend on the type of business.

A phone message seems like such a simple thing, doesn't it? It's just a greeting, or what the callers hear when they're on hold, or the instruction they're getting via the prompts to know what extension to dial. What's the big deal?

It is a big deal! No matter how large, or how small, the business is... the phone message is the first encounter your potential new client (or current client) has when they are dealing with your business. This is the FIRST IMPRESSION your business is giving to this person. Ring ring... it's a potential client, and you finally have them calling you on the phone! Do you want them to have the impression that your business is unprofessional and it's just one of your employees (or you) reading a script off the page, or would you like to give the first impression that your business is professional, successful, friendly and easy to deal with, and can convey a believable message while the potential client is on the phone?

Having a professional voiceover talent record your phone greetings, prompts, etc. is generally a very reasonable investment. And, it's a very small investment in your business that is so worthwhile.

If you're interested in having your phone message, greeting, IVR, prompts, on-hold messaging recorded, please feel free to contact me at caryn at carynclark dot com. If my voice doesn't suit your needs, or you would prefer a male voice, I can refer you to a number of very good talent who can help you with this.