The Hip Chick Voice Blog!

How Did You Get Into Such An Unusual Career?

Caryn Clark — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:47:05 GMT

Whenever someone finds out what I do for a living, that is ALWAYS the question I am asked.

Thanks to Peter O'Connell, fellow voiceover talent and all around good guy, I had the opportunity to answer that question, and four others in his 5Q:VO Series, Five Questions for Professional Voice-Over Talent.

You can check it out here.

Thanks for reading!!!

How To Be A Voiceover Actor

Caryn Clark — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 14:14:42 GMT

Answer: Be Chris Rock.

Last night, before presenting the award for Best Animated Feature Film at The Oscars, Chris Rock made a few jokes about voiceover in animation and how easy it is, and what a payday it is.

Esteemed animation voiceover actress Tara Strong responded with a post on Facebook: "“I challenge Chris Rock to a voice off, since he thinks it's so "easy". If I win, I get his million dollar pay checks #oscars”

My guess is Tara Strong's email inbox will really light up this week, especially since her comments have made their way into the media. Click here to read.

I too posted something on Facebook about Chris Rock's comments, and a couple of my friends reminded me that Chris Rock is a comedian, and it was just a joke.

I get that. I truly do. Here, see, I'm laughing: hahahahaha!

On the flipside, many voice actors I know receive inquiries from voiceover hopefuls pretty frequently, with questions ranging from "how do I get started" to "what kind of a microphone do I need" to "who's your agent and can you give me a recommendation?"

Woah.

Baby steps, people, baby steps.

If you're interested in trying to have a career in voiceover, here are the first things I recommend you do:

1) Go to my friend Nancy Wolfson's web site, www.braintracksaudio.com, and buy the mp3 entitled "Your Voiceover Business." Listen to it at least three thousand times. (Ok, three times will likely work). Take notes. Process the information, and decide if you are truly willing and able to make the investment of both time and money to see if you can break into voice acting.

2) Buy the book "Voice for Hire" by Randy Thomas and Peter Peter Rofe. Read it. Two thousand times. It's a quick read. Ohhhh... ok, read it twice... that should do. Take notes. Process the information. This book will also give you a better understanding of how the world of voiceover works.

3) No matter what your background, or what genre of voiceover you're interested in, take acting classes. Lots of them. And improv too. Play as much as you can.

Once you've done the above, along with the one million and one things you need to do, most importantly, set specific goals. Create a business plan. Because, it is, afterall, a business. You will need to not only audition and work, but market yourself, seek out clients, be responsible for book keeping and invoicing, and all the other things that go along with running your own business.

I truly believe that if you truly have a dream to be a voiceover actor, you can do it. Lord knows, I did. I had zero experience - no radio or broadcasting background, no acting background. Just a true desire to make a dream come true. I worked very hard... no, wait, I WORK (present tense) very hard, and I am VERY blessed to be able to walk into my studio each morning and work and make a living.

But it doesn't happen overnight. Or easily. But, it CAN heppen. You have to make it happen.

"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be, your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil." ~ James Allen

The Training Effect by Marice Tobias

Caryn Clark — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:44:30 GMT

Voiceover consultant, Marice Tobias, imparts her wisdom once again. What a timely reminder as we get ready for the new year!! So very true. Gotta stay on top of our game!

Click here to read Marice's blog.

What Does a VO Director Expect of YOU?

Caryn Clark — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:43:31 GMT

My friends at Resnick Interactive Group posted a great blog post the other day about what is expected of a voice over actor during a session. It's a quick read, but one that's chock full of info.

Clickety Click here to read!!!

Be Grateful.

Caryn Clark — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:16:37 GMT

"It's not having what you want, but wanting what you have, that's true happiness."

I saw this posted on Facebook a few days ago, and it really resonated with me.

I believe in manifesting what you desire. I make Vision Boards every so often - I put pictures of places I want to go, health goals, the vo gigs I plan to voice one day, and even manifest monetary goals.

I've been doing Vision Boards for a few years now. As I look back at my old boards, it is absolutely amazing to see what has come into my life, because I put those desires out there to God/the Universe/insert your deity here, and made them happen.

But, there's also another Board I create and maintain.

A Gratitude Board. Or what I like to call, a Blessing Board.

On this board, I have pictures of the things in my life for which I'm grateful. There are also lots of words on this board, because frankly, it's easier to write these things out. I have a piece of paper glued to the board that has LOTS of space for me to write in, and every so often, I write down one or two things that come to mind that day that I'm grateful for.

I think it's important to not only put out there what you want to achieve, but to be so very grateful for all you have.

"It's not having what you want, but wanting what you have, that's true happiness."

Life's Lessons

Caryn Clark — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:13:37 GMT

A very knowledgeable, selflessly helpful man by the name of Mike Sommer passed away unexpectedly last week. My voice over friends and I just learned about this last night.

There's an online bulletin board for voice over talent called the vo-bb.com. I've met some of my closest friends through interactions on that board. These are people from all over the world... we not only talk all things voice over, but as it happens, we share our trials and tribulations of life. The folks on the vo-bb.com are some of the most supportive, caring, loving folks on the face of this planet. And I've not even met most of them in person.

Mike was a regular on the board. I didn't know him very well, however.

I've not been a regular on the vo-bb in a while. Life has just gotten in the way, I guess. But when I do go on the board, Mike was the master of the "Gear" section, always offering his help on studio build outs and acoustics. Let me tell you, when you don't know a whole lot about this kind of stuff, when someone offers their knowledge, you are soooo appreciative.

I remember Mike would even go so far as to ask for the dimensions of the room. He would draw out a plan and go to great detail to explain what the best acoustical plan of action would be. The conversation thread could be miles long - he was generous with his time and knowledge.

Even an acquaintance's untimely passing can give us pause to think about what's really important in life.

You hear all of this time and time again, but TRULY consider this.

Give an extra hug to those you love... everyday.

Don't just tell them you care about them, ACT like you care about them. Show them.

Show appreciation for those in your life. Even those you don't know well.

Be kind. Give a smile to someone you don't know. You never know how much it will affect their day... but I promise you, it will.

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to leave the world a better place; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

You Don't Know Till You Try!

Caryn Clark — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:49:19 GMT

Fellow voice over actress, Lori Ferguson Ferth, asked that I write a blog after I posted this on my Facebook fan page:

"Not sure your voice meets the specs of a project? Give it a shot anyway! You don't know till you try!"

Lori's asked to hear a story of my winning a job I thought my voice wasn't right for.

I must say, this has happened a number of times in the past year.

My "money voice" has been the happily amped, highly charged, Disney-esque toy commercial read. Now I can spit that read out so easily, it's just second nature. I can generally get it in one take, without really breaking down the copy or overthinking the read.

In the past 18 months, I've had some personal experiences (namely, a divorce, and all that comes with that) which have changed the shape of my perspective. This, in turn, has most definitely changed the way I interpret and read certain types of copy. I am able to lend a bit more gravitas and compassion to a read.

For example, I NEVER book the "hospital" read. You know the one... the "warm, compassionate, caring" read. But recently, I booked a large gig for that very read. The client definitely liked something about my sound when they heard the audition, regardless of whether my audition read fit the specs exactly.

Normally, I would likely not make auditioning for a gig like that a priority, however, I do try to submit on ALL auditions that land in my inbox. While specs are often somewhat specific (and, well, sometimes they're not), I think that in the end, the client only knows what they want once it graces their ears.

Here's another example: again, knowing my money voice is that hyped happy toy read, I DO audition for things that are sultry and sexy, and lately, land them! I've landed one very large account using this sexy, sultry read.

Point is this: you might have your "money voice" now, but know this can change, based on events in your life. Your perspective is ever-changing. Also, even though you're given specs with the audition, sometimes the client just "knows" what they want, once they hear it.

And you don't know if you're what they want, till you try!

My First LIVE ANNOUNCE Gig!

Caryn Clark — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:49:34 GMT

(This took place in early May 2011).

Tonight, I voiced my very first live announce gig. It was for a national awards show for a high school organization, with 15,000 screaming high school students in attendance. I didn't get to see the script until my 5 pm call time, just 3 hours before showtime... and I didn't get to see the nominee names until I read them off the page during the show. The hardest name was "Saravanapavanantham." That's the last name. I'm not making that up.

Most voice over people have a broadcast or radio background, so they're accustomed to ad libbing and talking on the fly. I don't have that background at all. I worked as a writer/in marketing in the financial industry all my working life before coming into voice over.

So, six years ago, when I met the woman who would later become my mentor when I was first getting started in vo, I was in sheer awe of her ability. A script would come in via fax, and she would grab it, run into her booth, flawlessly read it, sound great doing it, and then just come back to our conversation as if we weren't even interrupted. I recall being in NYC with her, eating lunch in a studio, and she practically hadn't finished chewing when she went into the booth to read a script she was hurriedly handed. On the other hand, when I was beginning in voice over, I had these weird rituals of brushing my teeth before each session, spraying God knows what in my mouth to keep it lubricated and stop mouth noise, and would drink apple cider religiously during my sessions. If I didn't do those things, I was so nervous I wouldn't sound right. (By the way, I haven't performed those rituals in ages. Ha!)

Whenever the genre of live announce was mentioned, I would squirm and wiggle and practically become ill. Hell, I can barely spit out a sentence NOW without stuttering. I recall auditioning for the MTV Video Music Awards a few times. I would let my mind wander about what would happen if I actually landed the gig... and I decided I would just have to decline it if I ever did land it. Just thinking about voicing something that was heard by thousands, live, would make me sick to my stomach because I "knew" I'd never be flawless at it.

When the opportunity came along to voice tonight's show, I spent some time thinking about it before I accepted. Actually, I think when I accepted, I even recommended someone else because I made excuses as to why I might not be right for the job. But, after I thought about it, this time around, the idea of live announce actually made me a little giddy, and I knew the time was right for me to try it out.

This morning, I woke up and felt a tad nervous (you know, kinda like when you voiced your first gig? Like that. That generally doesn't happen to me anymore, but it did this morning), and I posted that on Facebook. My friends were so wonderful and showed me they had confidence in me. I was really overwhelmed by the gestures of support. Their words meant a lot.

The show itself was crazy fast. Hectic. Loud with thumping music (which for me, is very helpful to set the "mood" and got me pumped up). Excited and screaming kids. Flat out cold reads... and such an adrenaline rush; so much fun. For these kids, this night was a really big deal. They'd worked hard to earn these awards. They were so happy to win, and there were actually many tears shed too. It was our job (I had a male counterpart) to ensure their night was special.

After the show, as I was walking out of the convention center tonight, it occurred to me, I did it. I did something I thought I'd NEVER do, EVER. I did it and didn't get sick, or pass out, or make a fool of myself. Matter of fact, I realized I have become what I always admired in others: calm, even-keeled, able to make changes on the fly, my feathers didn't get ruffled... I got the job done. I did something tonight most people could never fathom doing.

Here's what I figured out: You can accomplish ANYTHING you want. Things you might think are impossible... but they're not. Nothing is impossible. It might be a challenge, and you might have to work at it, but you CAN do it. Don't let negative thoughts or words permeate your mind. You are unstoppable. Make it happen.

3rd Annual NYC Voice Over Mixer - Who's In?

Caryn Clark — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 17:20:00 GMT

The 3rd Annual NYC Voice Over Mixer is coming up - Saturday, December 4, 2010, at Tonic Bar in Times Square. RSVP by emailing lindz@voicetalentproductions.com

So, who's going??

I've never gone before because it happens to fall on my birthday weekend, AND, more importantly, the SEC Championship gameday in which my beloved Florida Gators always play. However, chances of them making it to the SEC Championship this year are slim, and so I'm considering the trip to mix with fabulous voice over talent!!! Maybe I'll see you there?

Good Words to Live By

Caryn Clark — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 15:10:00 GMT

I came across a quote today that really resonated with me, and thought I'd share.

"How people treat you is their Karma; how you react is yours." - Wayne Dyer

While I'm a college graduate with a degree in English, I am by far not the most cerebral chick on the planet. And, I'm not a Buddhist. However, I can appreciate much of the Buddhist way of thinking. I love this quote. I come from a family where we joke that our reactions are based on the premise of "Ready, Fire, Aim." I think my siblings and I pay special attention to not react like that in business or personal situations.

So, if you have a client that is just annoying you by asking for a million retakes on a project you decided to cut him a break on and now it's taking up more time than you anticipated, or it's a personal relationship issue, remember this quote. Step back, take a breath, and think about how you're going to react. Know that your reaction sets the tone for what happens going forward.

We need our clients in order to be successful, so it often pays to be the bigger person.

No Paid Sick Days in Voice Over

Caryn Clark — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 14:10:00 GMT

I neglected my usual preventative plan, and now I'm sick with a cold. I can really rock that sexy sound since my voice is about three octaves lower, but I also have a bit of Sesame Street's Mr. Snuffleupagus thrown in. I loved him as a kid, but he doesn't really complement the sexy sound!

When you're a voice over talent, you don't have paid sick days. As a matter of fact, not only can you not work during your illness because you don't sound like you're supposed to, but you really can't audition for future work because, while I might be able to pull off a hot sexy rasp now, when they actually schedule the recording session, I will be better, and won't sound like I do today.

My friend and fellow voice over colleague, Randy Thomas, has taught me a lot about the business, but one of the most important things she taught me was about staying well. Randy is the voice of "Entertainment Tonight" and has announced countless award shows like The Academy Awards and Tonys, so it's vital she stay well.

Randy turned me on to Young Living's Essential Oil called Thieves . I know this sounds crazy, but honestly, it works.

Thieves "was created based on research about four thieves in France who covered themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. This proprietary essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health."

It's a combination of the essential oils of clove, lemon, cinnamon, eucalyptus, and rosemary.

When I'm feeling the onset... even just a tingle in my throat... of sickness, OR if I'm around or have been around a lot of people (like meetings, flying on a plane, etc), I put a couple of drops on my tongue and chase it with water. Warning: be prepared... it's hot, and you may not like the taste. I happen to like the taste and the smell, but many people do not.

You can also buy a diffuser and diffuse the oil in your home. Just be sure to clean out your diffuser right away... I clogged mine b/c Thieves is a kind of a thick oil.

They also have Thieves mouthwash that I swear by. But I only use it when I know I'm getting sick. It is one of the most putrid-tasting liquids you'll ever put in your mouth. Also, it contains a small amount of colloidal silver, which I am cautious about. I don't want to turn blue!! LOL. But, it truly works.

So, now that I've been back on my Thieves regimen, I can say I am just about over this cold. Typically, a cold will last about 10 days, but I should sound back to normal by tomorrow.

Edited to add: Randy Thomas has been kind enough to share her information so that if you place an order with Young Living using this info, you will receive a discount. Thank you Randy! You can call the 800 number or go online and use this info.
800.371.2928 order number
Under my name Randy Thomas it is
Member number 677 546
Password: password

Marice Tobias featured in Broadcast Dialogue Article about Promo

Caryn Clark — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:48:00 GMT

Voice over coach extraordinaire Marice Tobias was featured in an article in the September 2010 issue of Broadcast Dialogue . The article is entitled "Getting the Read You Want and Need" and is about perfecting the promo read.

Click here to read the article!

You will be missed, Chrissy

Caryn Clark — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 11:05:00 GMT

I never met Christina Fadala in person.

But, there's this little place called the vo-bb.com. And through that message board, I've met some of the most kind, caring, supportive friends I have in my life. Many of whom I've never met in person. And they live not only all over the US, but around the world.

Chris was one of those people I met through the vo-bb. Part of our little family. She had a beautiful spirit despite the fact she had her own challenges of having to use a walker or cane due to a car accident she had several years ago. Chris had a wonderfully wicked sense of humor, was wise, and was always one of the first to respond if someone needed "t&p"s (that's thoughts and prayers), or maybe some advice or a kind word that day.

Chrissy, you will be missed. Rest in peace, friend.

Life Happens!

Caryn Clark — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:18:00 GMT

Wow. What is this? Is this my blog? Hmmmm... looks a little dusty around here.... haven't been HERE in a while! Welcome back to me, huh?

So, where have I been?

All I can say is, life happens.

And mine did, big time.

Without getting too personal, I'll just say the last six+ months have been some of my most eventful and life changing ever. Some things just had to give way to make room for me to deal with everything, and blogging was one of them.

Oddly enough though, work was not one of the things that had to give way to make room for other things. Amazingly, in a time of life crisis, when I wasn't really able to focus my mind on work tasks, or do ANY marketing like I usually do, and generally just not keep up with my usual business plan goals, and yet I NEEDED work more than ever, work has been a mainstay. In the past months, I've been fortunate to gain a number of new clients, and have been doing different kinds of voiceover work, including a great deal of non-broadcast narration work.

I'm mystified as to how this happened, because I didn't really "try." I mean, I was busy dealing so many other, unrelated issues and yet, work came to me.. In the time when I need it most, I was able to not worry... it just happened. I guess maybe I laid down good groundwork over the past years, with good relationships with my agents and clients, a web presence, branding, and marketing.

And, you know another thing that happened when "life happened" and was oh, so unpleasant? I gained new perspective. One that will allow me much greater depth in my voiceover work. You can't learn that in a voice over class, or read it in a book. My life experiences of late will make me a better actress. That being said, it's time to re-vamp my demos so I can show some of that perspective and depth in my voice. Keep that in mind when life happens to you... use it to your advantage!

Do we need insurance?

Caryn Clark — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:00:00 GMT

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!!

Caryn Clark — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:04:00 GMT

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

Caryn Clark — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:54:00 GMT

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

Caryn Clark — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:16:00 GMT

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?

Caryn Clark — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:16:00 GMT

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

Caryn Clark — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:38:00 GMT

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.