VO Tips

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing a new video series that will help you become a better voice over talent, or even just a better communicator. Copy Checkup is a self-produced video series that breaks down simple sections of copy and shows the different ways that the phrases can be enunciated.

You can either click here and watch it on my youtube page or click below and watch it on the page for the post. Enjoy!

As a trombone player there is one thing I learned that not only helped me on trombone, but helps me everyday when I get behind the microphone.

It is a free resource for you to use as much as you want. There’s an unlimited supply of it almost everywhere you go.

Air.

Try saying a phrase on half lung capacity and then take a deep breath and use more air when you speak.

What happens? That’s right, your voice sounds more resonant, it carries better, and you have access to more of your range. Plus, if you keep using a good amount of air when you speak, this will energize you, raise your heartbeat, and give you a little bit of a workout. This increase in energy will allow you to focus better and put more energy into your performance, more than likely reducing the amount of takes you’ll have to do to get the copy just right.

The only downside I can see is you having to take bigger breaths when you need to breathe, but that shouldn’t ever be that big of a problem.

That was easy. Hey… where’s my staples button when I need it?

What do you think of when you hear the word meditation?

Most people think of monks high on a mountain somewhere high in the Himalayan mountains sitting around on mats with their legs crossed.

That’s not where I’m going. Meditation is simply deep thought. It’s actually something I practice quite often.

Let me explain…

Going off of the last post, People. If you have thousands of connections and nothing to offer when they find you, you might as well not waste your time.

Sounds a little harsh, but it’s true. If someone finds you on your Myspace, Facebook, personal website (do you have one?), or they contact you by phone, are they going to be impressed with what they see or hear, or will they blow you off because you sound like an amateur?

There’s one way to prevent that: Practice.

I never say practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to voice over work. Practice makes persistence. You can’t always be perfect when it comes to voice over. Perfection lies in the ears of the producer or the client, not with your ears. Something may be perfect to your ears but completely wrong for the listener.

How do you practice using your voice? There’s a lot of great practice methods I use all the time.

Rodney sent me an email yesterday and told me he has a new CD of motivational music hot off the presses, here’s the email:

“Hello Michael,

Hope all is well. Just wanted to let you know about my new motivational and
inspirational album, ‘Better Than Before.’ It’s seven songs
geared toward the voiceover community. Music designed to keep you in a positive
frame of mind as you pursue your voiceover career. It’s a collection of
R&B, Pop and Gospel selections sung by me. You can purchase it at
www.rodneysaulsberry.com.

YouTube Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-okWBRH8K0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrRx54eRJDg

Your web site is very impressive Michael. Not only does it promote you greatly,
it’s a great source of information for the voiceover community. Happy
Holidays!

Thank You,

Rodney Saulsberry”

Thanks Rodney, I definitely appreciate it and look forward to getting my copy asap.

All of you should too, it will make a great gift to yourself or an aspiring voice talent that you know.

Also, Rodney’s book “You Can Bank on Your Voice” and “Step Up to the Mic” are amazing resources for voice talent of every caliber, you should get a copy or two if you don’t already have one. There are some amazing tips in these books, trust me, I have both.

All of the aforementioned are available via his website: www.rodneysaulsberry.com

If you can read any of these faster and cleaner than him (especially the last one!), send it to me and I’ll post it here. This is AMAZING! Thanks Rodney! Rodney’s website

Let’s just admit it: There is some copy out there you wish never existed. It is redundant, half the sentences in the darn thing make no logical sense, long words are used but their placement is incorrect (trying to make the author look smart, but actually achieving the opposite), etc. There are about a million different kinds of boring and terribly written copy, so what do we do about it?