Eight Ideas to Help You Wade Through Inbox Muck
In a previous life, I was a Software Development Engineer in Test at the largest software company in the world. The team of extremely smart folks that I was on, developed a prominent e-mail application. I believe one of the goals was to keep customers in our e-mail inbox for as long as possible. It was designed with bells and whistles that alerted you when new mail arrived, beckoning you to deal with it in real time.
On any given day, I received over 200 e-mail items. Some were not important enough for me to be addressed in the To or Cc line, while others screamed for my attention with a “High Priority” tag. Out of necessity, I learned a number of ways to be more efficient with e-mail and ultimately, recouped time for real work. Perhaps I’m sharing tips that I shouldn’t. After all, the largest software company in the world spent millions to condition you to live in your inbox. But, if you are ready to deal with the muck in your inbox, try some of these tips:
1. Understand Your E-mail Application
Not all e-mail applications are designed the same. Some have nothing more than an inbox, sent items, and deleted items folders. Others are robust with functionality that can automatically move items from your inbox into other folders. Get to know your e-mail app and find out how it can help you. The goal is to make your e-mail application do as much as possible so your triage time is reduced.
2. Make Time to Read
Don’t leave your e-mail application open all day long, and don’t try to handle your e-mail responses in real time. E-mail was never meant to be a replacement for other means of communication. Your clients have access to all of your contact information from your business card, website or previous e-mail interaction. If they need your immediate attention, you’re just a phone call away. Instead schedule time to triage and read your mail. I recommend that you check your e-mail at the beginning of your work day; after lunch; and at the end of the day. Maybe 90-minutes total for the entire day.
3. Ditch the Bells
Most e-mail applications can notify you when new messages arrive. The bells and whistles are specifically designed to get your attention to immediately check every new item. If you decide to leave your e-mail running all day, at best turn off the alerts and notifications so your intrusive e-mail application can’t disrupt your workflow. Stay focused on your task, your e-mail will be there when you check it later at your specified intervals. Don’t let your e-mail be the boss.
4. Create an Alternate Inbox
Filter what enters your primary inbox by creating another e-mail account just for nonessential e-mail. Use a free account from Gmail, Hotmail or Yahoo and use that address for newsletters, sales solicitations, and notifications from social sites. That way, only e-mail from clients, prospects, and peers go to your primary inbox. Everything else goes to your alternate inbox.
5. Touch it Once
If your e-mail app supports it, manually triage the items in your inbox by flagging those that need immediate follow-up or response. Then, delete those that are noise, and move those that don’t require a reply at all, such as newsletters, to another folder. Follow this by taking care of your flagged items first followed by those that are read items only. Maybe schedule time to read newsletters one day a week.
6. Category Triage
All the e-mail that is delivered to your inbox probably shouldn’t have equal importance. A newsletter does not have the same urgency as a response from a client. Before you begin reading your e-mail, decide what’s important and delete the junk and items you know you won’t read. Move the newsletters to a folder in your e-mail application marked “Newsletters.” If you subscribe to a P2P site move those items to their own folder. The idea is to generalize the category of each item and get it in the appropriate folder.
7. Priority Triage
Apart from messages that are marked with a specific priority by the sender, use three levels of priority and act on them accordingly. For example, those sent directly to you, where your name is in the To line, are high priority. Items where your name is in the Cc line are medium priority. And, items that you’ve received by Bcc are low priority.
8. Clear Your Inbox
Think of your inbox like your traditional mailbox. When you go to your mailbox, you grab all the mail and don’t leave anything behind. Your mailbox is not a great place to store mail because it’s difficult to manage and next to impossible to find what you need when you need it. After your application has made a pass through your inbox, do your own triage on what’s left before you begin reading. Either flag it, move it or delete it. An empty inbox is a happy inbox.
Using any of these tips consistently will help to increase your productivity and may even preserve your sanity. Do you have a process that helps you navigate the muck in your inbox?
Five Must Have Online Gizmos for Your Voice-over Toolbox
It should never be said that voice-over work lacks variety. Whether it be the type of project, length, emotive delivery or just the file format requested by the customer, most projects are unique.
Along the way on my voice-over trek, I’ve gone searching for tools to help me get a particular job to the finish line. Most are easy to use and intuitive to implement. Except for one, all cost nothing to use. Free is a price most anybody can afford.
1. Word to Time
When I get a request to quote a narration project, I start by getting the word count of the script. Most modern word processors have the ability to display word count. Then I head to Edge Studio’s Word to Time Calculator to get an idea of how long the finished time should be. This easy to use calculator allows me to enter the word count or paste in the actual script, and then adjust the delivery rate.
2. Say What?!
Sooner or later you’re going to run into a word that you won’t have a clue how to pronounce. You could ask the copywriter for a phonetic pronunciation and if that’s not available there are three tools you should definitely check out.
The first is Dictionary.com and it’s just what the name implies. Words that you search are retrieved with their definition and an audio pronunciation of the searched word.
In cases where Dictionary.com doesn’t resolve your phonetic quest, check howjsay.com. This online talking dictionary of English pronunciation has over 14-million entries.
For words that are not part of the English lexicon, take a trip to Forvo.com. Touted as the largest pronunciation guide in the world, this tool goes way beyond spoken English. The top languages covered are English, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, French, Spanish, Arabic, German, Czech and Swedish. And for the occasional Star Trek commercial, Klingon is also supported.
3. Audio Formatting
Most clients need the audio file format of MP3, AIF or WAV. For occasions when you need to provide something other than those or you don’t have the means to convert to different file types, I recommend starting with Media.io. You can convert to OGG, WMA, WAV and MP3, and for a few of the formats you have the choice of multiple quality levels.
File formats are pretty standard for most voice-over projects. However, those in the area of telephony may require something completely different. ConvertMyFilesNow.com is great for converting to a variety of on-hold and phone-tree formats. While this tool does cost a small amount to use, the price is negligible.
4. Save the Video
I ask for digital copies of the finished production whenever I hand off audio to a video producer. For the times that the request goes unfilled, I take a trip to the video sites to see if the project has been published. If it has, I’m in luck and I can download a copy using Keepvid.com. This tool works on YouTube, Vimeo and others.
5. Say Thank You
When you get done with a session, take a moment to write a thank you card and send it off to your client. Include two business cards in the envelope with the card and let them know that you appreciate their business. If you need inspiration on what or how to write a thank you note, take a look at these three sites.
Thank You Note Examples and Tips.com
I use these tools every day, and I’m continually hunting to find more. What are your “must have” online tools of the trade?
Three Part Voiceover Practice Method that’s Close to Perfection
An athlete practices daily to train for competition. Without practice, the chances of success are greatly reduced. It’s important to teach the body how to move or react to situation so it can do so automatically without having to put much thought into it.
Like an athlete, voice actors should train. Doing so will increase the chance for successful auditions. An hour a day can make the difference between missing the mark or landing the job. Practice will not make you perfect; it will make you closer to perfect.
I start each morning with a warm up that includes body, facial, breathing and vocal areas. After I’ve warmed my body and vocal path and hydrated myself, I start my practice workout.
1. Cold Read
My job as a voice actor is to clearly read aloud my client’s scripts and add my vocal color. So, to improve my ability to read aloud I start my practice session with a 15-minute cold read. I subscribe to a number of magazines, ranging from AFAR to Wired, and each morning I read aloud from one of them. It’s a great workout as I’m challenged to read unfamiliar words and names, strange phrases, words that are written for the eye and not necessarily for the ear and there’s an educational element as well. I record these readings so I can monitor my improvement by comparing how I read a couple of months ago to today. I’m happy to announce that I’ve improved. You should too.
2. Stretch the Range
My voice acting coach, Veronica Weikel, starts each session by having me create as many character voices as I can from the multiple line script she’s given me. I love this so much that I’ve incorporated it into my practice and it’s become my favorite part. The sheet has six sentences that lend themselves well to creative interpretation. Here’s an example:
- Enjoy a walk on the beach with your favorite super hero and experience your childhood fantasy.
- Popular? No, I’m not popular. I just act like I am.
- About 10 years ago, your sister developed the desire for bigger purses. Now, she just carries around a suitcase.
- With that type of attitude you’d think it was easy being a nude circus clown.
- Night after night, it’s the same thing. “Igor, get another body from the cemetery.” Sheesh!
- Winning would be easier if you showed up for practice. The coached is not happy.
For each line, I come up with three different character voices and change pace, cadence, emotion and word emphasis for each one. Like the cold read, I record this and play it back as soon as I’m done. I’m happily amazed by the voices that come out of me.
3. Audition Rehearsal
The final stage of my practice session is to workout with some scripts. I’ve collected a number of them from jobs I’ve done, auditions, and from Edge Studio’s script repository. I randomly select three from my stack and treat each one as an audition. I mark up the script, record three takes with a slate and then listen to the play back. This will train your ear: you’ll begin to notice right away what worked in your read and what bombed. You might have a great idea how the script should be read in your head, but can you get it out the vocal path? This will help to improve that process.
Now that I’ve finished my warmup and workout, I’m ready to take on the day. I’m in the mindset to audition and feel confident that I’m doing a better at my craft today than I did yesterday. Practice can’t make you perfect, but it can make you a better voice artist.
The Angry Click and 7 Must Have Items for Your Home Studio
Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned pro doing voice over work in your home studio, there are a few necessities that are valuable to have in order to be productive. Of course you need the basics: a computer, microphone, recording software and a place to be vocal. But, you also need a few support items to help make your recording sessions easier.
First, a story about mouth-clicks and a pencil. During a relatively easy session, I was having difficulties with mouth-clicks. The script was about 30-words with no unusual phonetics or unfamiliar terms. After my first take, I listened to the playback only to discover my read was loaded with mouth-clicks. So, I took a swig of water, ate a bite of green apple and headed back into the booth for a second take. This time, I read the script twice to make sure I had a clean, mouth-click-free recording.
During the playback of my second attempt and to my disappointment, I found that the nasty mouth clicks were still there. This time they were much more numerous than the first take. Not only did there seem to be more, the tiny obnoxious clicks had gotten louder. It was as if they had taken on a life of their own and were mocking my efforts to get rid of them.
After hydrating myself again, I trekked back to the booth for attempt number three. This time I was going to really pay attention to what sounds were emitting from my mouth. With pencil in hand, I began my read. I put emotion in all the right places and enunciated clearly. I was emoting with my entire body, stabbing with my hands for emphasis. And then that’s when I heard them. Click. Click. Clickity-click. Click. Click!!!
I realized to my embarrassment and relief, the clicks were not coming from my perfectly spoken words, but from my pencil. It was a blue Pentel mechanical pencil that I had freshly loaded with new lead. Every time I shook my hand for emphasis, the pencil replied like a miniature baby rattle. Click. Click. Clickity-click. Yes, it was a pencil and not my mouth, thank you very much.
So, now the Pentel sits on my desk and not in the booth. I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of the thing even though it made me sound ridiculously clicky, it’s been with me since I was a Freshman in high school. Ah, the price of sentimental nostalgia.
And now, my list of seven must have items for your home studio.
1. Pencils
Wooden No. 2 pencils work the best. You can woodshed or markup your script at will, and erase when needed. Pens allow you to write but most don’t allow you to erase. And, while mechanical pencils look rather prestigious, they are not worth the trouble. Trust me on this!
2. Water
H2O is very important in reducing mouth-clicks and keeping your mouth and throat moist while doing voice overs. I have a 32-ounce bottle in my studio that’s refilled at least three times a day. Room temperature is best, cold water somewhat restricts vocal cord movement.
3. Warm Tea
Along with water, warm, caffeine free tea with honey and lemon is a throat saver. I use a variety of blends, each one is tasty and seems to relax and clear my vocal path. One tea specifically marketed as medicinally appropriate for voice actors, is Traditional Medicinal’s Throat Coat. You can find this in most grocery stores.
4. Green Apples
It’s true. I’ve used them and have found that they do the job of significantly reducing mouth-clicks. One of the first things I do in the morning is slice up a green apple to keep in my studio for the day. It’s easy to chew a piece before a session or audition.
5. Comfortable Work Station
When I’m not in the booth recording, I’m at my desk editing, writing proposals, or replying to client e-mail. An ergonomically adjustable desk and chair will allow you to work more comfortably for longer periods of time. My desk is designed by BioMorph and my chair is a Humanscale. Without them I’m sure that I would not be able to put in the hours I do.
6. Printer
I print a number of scripts everyday. Before I purchased a printer for my studio, I used one that was connected to my home network. My studio is on the second floor and the printer was inconveniently located on the first. Sure, I got my exercise and it gave me an opportunity to get off my butt. Nothing beats having a printer close by. I settled on a multifunction printer from Canon that gives me printing, scanning and faxing capabilities. I suggest going with a laser printer and staying away from ink jets. In the long run laser is cheaper, quieter, has better image quality, stands up to pencil markups better and is not smudged by highlighters.
7. Good Lighting
You need to see what you’re reading in the booth and at your desk. In my booth I have a Mighty Bright Triple L.E.D light clipped to my copy stand. It’s powered by three rechargeable AAA batteries and gives off an incredible amount of light for its size. The adjustable halogen desk lamp that I use lights up my entire work area.
These are the tools I need and use daily in my studio. What are your “must have” items in your studio?
Five Tips for Better Client/Talent Workflow
One of the most fascinating aspects of voice acting for me is the chance to meet new clients who want to use my voice for their projects. I’m curious to find out the details about the project and their vision for the end result. I also like to get an understanding of how and where my voice will be used. More times than not, clients are excited about what they’re producing and appreciate that I take an interest in their needs beyond the cost and turn around of my services.
There are five important communication necessities that I believe should take place between my prospective client and myself during the initial stages of the booking process. These easily apply to a any number of freelance jobs and for me, make the process of working remotely smooth and easy.
1. The Handshake
The initial e-mail contact from a client usually comes in the form of a request for an audition and proposal. I consider this similar to an old-fashioned handshake, an introduction that’s friendly and informative. The e-mail usually includes specifics about the project that help me audition properly and prepare a fair proposal. These details typically include project type, length of approved script, target audience plus how the script should be read (tone, pace, cadence).
2. Audition and Proposal
In most cases, I respond with an MP3 file that contains my audition read of the script and a proposal that details estimated cost, services included and payment terms. At this point I make sure that I clearly understand the timezone differences between myself and the client. This will help establish expectations to e-mail replies and immediate availability should the zones be significantly different.
3. Come to Terms
After my client listens to the audition and reviews the proposal, they might reply with questions or want to negotiate a different rate. When I’ve answered their questions and we’ve come to an agreement on the rate for the project and payment details, I ask for their acknowledgment that we’ve successfully come to terms.
4. Project Confirmation
Following the talent seeker’s agreement to terms, I send a project confirmation that outlines the job as understood by the client and me. This is to make sure that we are on the same page and clearly understand the project. I make sure that the confirmation contains all the necessary contact information for myself and request that they provide theirs when they reply.
5. Schedule Studio Time
After all the documentation and terms are agreed to and understood, I feel confident that we have the basis for a good working relationship. At this point I’ll schedule time to complete my new client’s voice over project.
The Bottom Line
Nobody likes unexpected surprises, so get it in writing!!! Doing so will reduce the chance of misunderstanding and will make the process of completing the job more efficient.
This process works well in my voice over business and I hope that you find something in what I’ve written to be helpful. I’d like to hear about what you’ve done that has made working with remote clients easier?
Five Ways to be Remembered by Your Clients
The next time my clients need a voice talent, I want to make sure that I’m the first person they consider booking. In order for that to happen, I stay in contact with them using a variety of methods. Here are five ways I keep in touch with my existing clients.
1. Monthly Blast
Each month, I send a newsletter that provides suggestions on improving the relationship between talent seeker and the VO talent. In the newsletter I include a short blurb about two of the clients I worked with the previous month. Clients appreciate being mentioned and it seems to have positive, beneficial results for my business.
2. Hello, Again
I take time to send a short e-mail to clients I have not heard from in a while. I might send along a link to an article that is relevant to them personally or professionally. Of the personalized e-mail that I send, about 30% respond and at the very least acknowledge that they received my message.
3. Rekindle Missed Opportunities
It’s important for me to stay in touch with prospective clients as well. I send a very short e-mail to individuals and agencies who have contacted me for a quote. I remind them that I’d still like their business and ask that they pass my contact info on to anybody who is looking to hire a voice talent.
4. Say Thank You!
After each job, I send my clients a handwritten notecard, thanking them for using my voice for their project. I include two business cards so they can easily pass my contact information on to other folks who need VO talent. Aside from the repeat business from clients, I’ve received a few referrals using this method.
5. Get Social
LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are useful tools as well. These allow me to get a snapshot of what my clients are doing and provides me the opportunity to interact with them on a social networking level. I don’t spend hours on these sites, but I do take a quick glance to see what’s up.
These five ways to stay in contact work in most client/service relationships. whether it be voice over, copywriting, photography, design, dentist, doctor, carpenter, lawyer and others. Keep your clients aware that you are available for business.
This combination has worked well for me. I’m always open to suggestions that might make my process better and more profitable. What works for you?
10 Things to Keep in Mind when Building a Home Studio
Congratulations on making the decision to set up a home recording studio. With your own studio, you can audition for voice over jobs as much as you want, improve your narration abilities and most importantly, be available to your clients for work. There are many options as far as equipment is concerned, and it should be easy to stay within a relatively small budget.
1. Recording Space
The first thing you’ll want to do is decide on a location for recording. A smaller space is easier to set up than a larger area and with the right sound absorbing/dampening material, you can create broadcast quality audio. The goal is to remove as much life or echo as possible. This can be done with sound absorbing material such as Auralex. Find a room without windows if you can. A walk-in closet would be perfect.
2. Digital Audio Workstation
Mac or PC? It doesn’t matter. I recommend that you use an operating system that you know since there will be a learning curve for understanding how to use recording software. There is no sense adding more to your educational stack by having to learn an unfamiliar operating system and recording software.
3. Computer Audio Interface
To get your voice into your computer, you need a computer audio interface (CAI). A single input is all you need to get started. The Apogee One features a single input interface that’s simple to use. Another choice is the MicPort Pro from CEntrance that allows you to convert an XLR microphone to USB. Others to consider include the Fast Track Ultra CAI form M-Audio that will allow input of multiple voices simultaneously. Also take a look at the Lexicon Omega Studio. Since you’ll be using a condenser mic, make sure that the CAI you purchase has 48v phantom power.
4. Software
Take a look at Adobe SoundBooth, Audacity (which is free) or use GarageBand if you go with a Mac system. Also on the horizon is Adobe Audition for Mac, which is currently in Beta. You want to record spoken words and get them to a file format that can be used in post production. ProTools is overkill. While it is the standard for experienced musicians and sound engineers, its not well suited for beginners. Keep it simple.
5. Microphone
The Rode mics are great introductory hardware and they do an amazing job. Other mics to consider would be the Audio-Technica 2020 or 2030 and the Blue Bluebird. Since no voice is the same, it’s a good idea to audition a variety of mics. Some work better with deep resonating voices, while others do a better job with higher voices. Make sure you get a cardioid pattern condenser mic and pick up a pop filter. If you are buying over the net, check the return policy of the retailer. Order 2 or 3 mics and return the ones that fail your audition.
6. Headphones
There are a number of options for headphones. Consider those from reputable companies such as Sony, Sennheiser, AKG and Audio-technica. If you are purchasing a computer audio interface make sure to purchase one with headphone amps built in. There really isn’t a need for a separate headphone amp.
7. Cables
When you purchase your hardware, ask the sales person to set you up with appropriate cables. Monster makes an excellent line with several price points. DO NOT GO CHEAP ON CABLES!!! EVER!!! You’ll need cables for mic, monitors and connecting your CAI to your computer.
8. Monitors
Hearing what you recorded should be done with speakers equal to what your audience will be using. If your audience is primarily listening to the audio you create with their computer, then a smaller monitor is all that’s needed. Since you’re recording spoken word, stereo is not important. Consider self-powered monitors made by Mackie, Behringer, and JBL.
9. Stands
On Stage makes a great line of mic stands. Also consider a music stand to hold your copy while you read. Make sure to purchase solidly built stands.
10. Work Desk
Look for a desk that is comfortable to sit at and will hold all the gear you’ve purchased for recording. The desk should have a top large enough to accommodate your computer monitor, keyboard, mouse, audio interface and a pair of studio monitors.
This should give you enough information to start thinking about how you’ll assemble your home studio. In future posts, I’ll go into each one of these areas in more detail.
