- Follow The Directions For Auditions

There are simply too many examples of people not following directions for auditions. If you are told to call on a specific day and time, call at that time. Some people thinks it makes them seem pro active if they call a day early. You don't make any friends by interrupting what people are doing by not following directions concerning when to call.
If the directions are to send an MP3 audition file with 3 takes, do not send 5
Production of voiceovers, video and all media requires a great deal of coordination. Make sure you help these people learn that you could be an asset in their hectic lives by following directions .

- Success - It's Not How Smart You Are, it's how Smart You Are About Other People

The development of social intelligence is an important element in achieving success in any field. We are concerned here with the field of voiceovers. I hear a lot of stories from producers and engineers about the wide variety of behaviors they witness from voiceover artists in recording sessions. In many cases they say they can't believe how socially inept some artists are when they come to a session. Common complaints are: Talking too much, interrupting people as they are setting up, apologizing for being late because of traffic, apologizing all the time for flubs, being too happy to meet everyone, taking too long to "get going", asking for too many definitions of what they mean when giving directions about what they want in the read... it goes on and on.
Here are some simple thoughts about how to behave.
Be on time. No one cares about your excuses. The rule is, "if you're not early, you're late".
Allow for the worst traffic possible. Obviously no one wants you there an hour early, so if that happens, just park and explore the neighborhood.
Don't talk too much. Keep the greetings simple, friendly and short.
When the session is over, LEAVE. Some people think it's ok to hang out, it is not.
If they are telling jokes, by all means laugh, but this is not an invitation for you to tell jokes too.
When you flub, just say pick up and go back to the top of the sentence. Do not apologize or explain why you flubbed, no one cares. Just fix it.
Be a good listener. Observe how the people behave and conduct themselves. They are there to do business as are you. Everyone wants to do good work and get good work from the voiceover artists. We can contribute to the projects success and our own success, by watching, listening and being smart about other people.
Have a great week.

- Getting Work - It all Takes Time, But You Can do it.

People hear stories about the voiceover business and how much money can be made. It's true that voiceovers can pay very large amounts of money. The thing that doesn't happen very often is a new artist getting rich because some one says OMG you're wonderful here's a pile of money. Everything takes time. All businesses take time to develop. If you love doing voiceovers and keep working at developing your skills, the odds are very good that you will find your place.

- A Great Way to Practice and Develop Voiceover Skills

One of the best ways to develop your ability to read copy is to pick any piece thats at least 5 or 6 pages long and cold read it. Take the time you need to read it perfectly. Remember to scan ahead with your eyes as you take a breath for the next sentence. Your eyes should always be 2 or 3 words ahead of where your mouth is speaking so you can deliver ideas and not just the words.
There is something amazing that happens to everyones talent when they spend a lot of time reading out loud, they get a lot better.
Happy  4th everyone!