Soundtrax Chief Engineer Cameron Fitzpatrick overseeing another successful voiceover recording session in Raleigh, NC (July 2021)

What a great treat recently to get back into SOMEONE ELSE’S voiceover studio with other real voiceover people.

Look, it’s always nice to be cast in any voiceover project because….money.

But this recording session was even MORE fun because it involved not just going to somebody else’s studio but it was a GROUP session with anywhere from 2 to 5 people safely recording TOGETHER in the studio!!!

Voice Actors Peter K. O’Connell, Bonnie Marie Williams & Asif Samad at Soundtrax In Raleigh NC

Now, if you’re reading this and not very familiar with voiceover, all this excitement may seem rather silly. I get that.

But if you’ll remember back some weeks and months ago…when maybe you went back to work or celebrated a holiday with people you hadn’t seen IN PERSON in months or a year…you were excited and happy.

It’s like that.

Voice Actor and Soundtrax General Manager Becket McGough in session

It was great to see my VO pals again, in person.

Even better, I didn’t know all the voice talents I was working with. Some of them were new to me. New friends, yay!

One of them I had worked with remotely….they were in one studio and I was Source-Connected in from my voiceover studio. When I heard her voice today in person right next to me, I thought “where have I heard that voice?” 🙂

Male Voice Talent Peter K. O’Connell and Male Voice Talent Chadd Pierce At Soundtrax Recording Studio In Raleigh NC

Look, whether pre-COVID or post-COVID, often there are not that many group voiceover sessions outside of NY and LA (and those are becoming less frequent too). It was great fun to see, visit with and work with my voice acting peers again  – in person!!!

Voiceover people are FAR from normal under the best of circumstances 😉 but this voiceover session was a taste of normalcy for us.

The way life used to be.

I’m thankful.

Tags: commentary, source-connect, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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In spite of my vast voiceover knowledge, expertise in all things broadcasting, immense superiority in marketing and tremendous humility (tongue firmly implanted in cheek) there ARE other people who know some stuff about the business of voiceover besides me.

You’re shocked, I know. 😉

Truth be told, in spite of my actual experience I am always learning from other voiceover talents, most of whom are brighter than I am.

So while it was a pleasant discovery, it was not a surprise to come across some very concise yet encompassing voiceover advice and helpful links in two blog posts by Canadian voiceover artist Kim Handysides.

I agree with most all of the suggestions and references she offers* and think the read would be worth your time.

*I disagreed with the note that said short, fat, Irish voiceover talents are less useful than poutine…I happen to know we have a value EQUAL to poutine. How dare she!!! 😉

From a blogging perspective, I will also compliment her on her smart links to her own past blog posts about the topics she is advising readers about. That’s just SEO goodness right there. Well done.

Oh…you probably want the links, don’t you. Man, you are demanding!

35 Ways to Really Help You Crush It As A Voiceover Actor

37 More Ways to Really Help You Crush It As A Voiceover Actor

Tags: commentary, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover blog by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Every micro-business owner (like me) will tell you that you need to have an expectation of a return on investment (ROI) for the marketing dollars you invest.

Why?

Because while many micro-businesses don’t have unlimited marketing dollars, most have barely ANY marketing dollars…we have to make them count.

Which of course is why I just dumped multi-hundred o’dollars into my neighborhood swim team’s sponsorship program from which I am sure will lead to almost zero ROI.

Yup, no ROI and no charitable write off

Ain’t I a marketing and business genius? 🙂

Let me explain.

I’ve written so many marketing posts over all these years I’m guessing I must have mentioned Gut Marketing. It’s a highly technical business term which means marketing that may not make business sense but feels right.

Whether you as a business owner mean to support or straight out donate to an event or group, it’s your gut that tells you that you CAN make this one community investment…you have confidence in your other targeted, ROI-focused, customer-centric marketing programs that WILL build your customer base and your branding efforts.

When you know, you know.

Don’t go crazy BUT trust your gut.

Tags: commentary, marketing by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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With so many more voiceover talents jumping on the Source-Connect bandwagon in the midst of COVID-19, some voice talent may ignore a key marketing tool included with their Source-Connect membership.

The Source-Connect user profile.

As with almost all things internet, every Source-Connect member can (and should) fill out their profile. There’s the basic form to fill out (name, rank, serial number….that was a joke, don’t try to search for rank and serial number).

But the important part, in my opinion, is the biography information below the form.

This is where I think thoughtful voice talents have the opportunity to stand out successfully.

There will always be a few producers who blow past the Source-Connect bio opportunity and not read it because…whatever.  Some voice talents may feel the same way. That’s fine.

There are a few more producers who may be torn between picking from some Source-Connect voice talents whose sound is similar, who both obviously have Source-Connect but whose profiles say and convey different things.

Those conveyed differences could be the distinction between you getting and losing the gig. Those same million variables exists on every voiceover job, I know. My point here is: with a little work now, do it right, set and forget it and you’ll have a better shot of getting the job.

You want that possible advantage, don’t you?

Here are the things I think you should make sure you include in your Source-Connect profile biography.

OVERALL
This biography is absolutely NOT like the biography (the “About”) page on your web site. This should be informative, concise, easy to read and extremely focused on the needs and wants of the studio producer reading it. Lots of meat, very little warm and fuzzy.

THE STUDIO
Many but not all people hiring you will own their own recording studio, your Source-Connect session will be recorded in their recording studio. To the people who do the hiring, studio information can make a difference. Be as detailed and yet as matter of fact as you can be. Those recording in closets, do your best to describe your custom built or custom designed recording space. You need not feel shame as long as your recording space SOUNDS professional…no doubt most Source-Connect using producers have recorded more than one voice talent who voices from a good sounding closet.

THE TOOLS
Especially with (but not exclusively to) recording studios, engineers will look with a keen eye at your list of mics, audio interfaces and software. They do not have many ways to ensure for themselves they are going to be receiving quality sounding audio BEFORE they actually hear it in the session so reading about your gear IS important to them. That said, don’t get into a “brand-panic” or fall into an inferior mic complex or some such thing. Just make sure you consult with an audio engineer (the George Whittham’s of the world) to make sure your studio tools give you a quality, broadcast-ready sound BEFORE you try selling yourself ANYWHERE, let alone via Source-Connect.

THE CREDITS
The word credits is born of word credibility. While your entire Source-Connect biography is about establishing your recording credibility (studio and performance) – listing your professional voiceover credits is a way to assure producers that whatever project they have you in mind for…their session with you will NOT be your first voiceover recording rodeo (this is true for any professional voiceover biography). Your list of voiceover credits allow the media producer to know other producers and specifically other brands (hopefully, well known, easily identifiable and respected brands) have trusted your professional voice talent and/or recording abilities and so can they. Anywhere from 7-10 featured brand credits (across multiple industries) should assure them you are an experienced, professional voiceover talent.

THE YOU
Probably the biggest difference between your “ABOUT” biography on your personal web site and your biography on your Source-Connect web site is “The You”. On your web site, you can talk about your likes and family and unicorns and rainbows. All fine.

Not on your Source-Connect biography…at least that’s my opinion.

Producers are usually rushed for time when hiring a talent and if…IF…they take the time to read this part of your Source-Connect profile (and again there are no guarantees they will) give them ‘just then facts, ma’am’.

If you want to tie in a few words about your personal brand (very few) and location, that’s fine. Keep it short. For example, in my Source-Connect profile, I mention I used to live in Buffalo, NY and now live in Raleigh, NC. Some producers from years ago may remember me from Buffalo, not realize I moved to Raleigh and thus may not be sure I am the same guy. That location detail has professional, business relevance to my profile. Otherwise I wouldn’t include it.

Why so much info on a profile that is supposed to be so brief? Because to be concise, you have to be fairly thoughtful about those few, right words…about sharing the most valuable content. I hope this blog has offered you some helpful guidance and ideas.

Tags: commentary, source-connect, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Everyone seems pretty up to speed with how badly almost every American small retail business has fared during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Don’t even get me started on the small Mom & Pop restaurants impacted by the pandemic…too often, that news is like reading the obituaries.

The chain stores are doing OK and the on-line stores are through the roof with amazing sales. I am sincerely pleased for all of them.

But the small retail stores, those that have remained open in our communities thus far (and many have closed up forever) they are about to have something amazing happen to them.

Something amazingly good or amazingly bad. The decision is up to you and me.

I fully respect that many national chains have had sales dry up and they have closed – leaving landlords and employees scrambling for new tenants and new jobs. Those situations certainly negatively impact a local economy. Such closures hurt people and communities.

But situated in an even more precarious position as we head into the critical holiday shopping period are America’s small retail businesses.

You know who they are in your city and towns and suburbs. Maybe you’ve driven by them and always wanted to go in a look around.

I am asking you to please do that and do one more thing. Buy something at that store.

Black Friday, which will also change in 2020, led to a new inititaive some years ago called #localsaturday where shoppers are encouraged to buy from LOCAL merchants the Saturday after Thanksgiving. I’m asking you to please to this…and more

Buy ALL your gifts for your family and friends this holiday season 2020 from your local small businesses.

Online will thrive for all the chains…the local stores NEED YOUR HELP TO STAY OPEN.

Think of your local purchase as being a life giving blood donation to a local neighbor deathly in need of blood.

This holiday, don’t only think of others who you want to buy a gift for…think of the business itself, the LOCAL business where you buy that gift.

Help that local business stay open and help your truly local community THRIVE.

Thanks.

Tags: commentary, community by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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This past weekend’s V.O. North was my first virtual voiceover conference. It worked out well.

Look, nothing will ever be as much fun an in-person conference. The interactions and the spontaneity of in-person events cannot be matched.

What would be worse, though, would be to not have ANY voiceover conferences at all and I believe that was Tanya Buchanan and Dervla Trainor’s thinking in going ahead with V.O. North 2020. They were the event producers.

Me and 250+ of my closest friends all agree theirs was the right decision.

From the execution of the web-based seminars (which was technically pretty much flawless) to the content and even the evening parties…we all had a great time.

Tanya invited me to moderate 4 seminars this weekend with a total 14 presenters and they were all so (individually and collectively) terrific! The content was practical and applicable, the information shared was thoughtful and insightful and the presenters very willing to share their knowledge. Of course all the attendees were extremely nice.

Special thanks to my panelists:

• Tanya Buchanan from Ta-Da Voiceworks (full disclosure, my Toronto-based Canadian agent for at least 8 years and friend for longer)
• Roger King from PN Agency
• Carol Rathe who is now retired from Go Voices
• Roberta Romano who is the director of the Voice Department at Fountainhead Talent
• Erik Shappard from The Sheppard Agency (full disclosure, my agent for at least the past 12 years, maybe more and friend for longer)
• Ralph Streich from Vancouver’s RED Talent Management
• Long time friend and fellow voice talent Bev Standing who now heads up the Canadian division of Gravy for the Brain
• Voice talent David Toback who also oversees GVAA
• Vancouver-based voice actor Noel Johansen who runs On The Mic
• British voiceover artist Rachael Naylor who owns The Voiceover Network
• Los Angeles-based voice actress Rachel Wohl
• Audio producer (and Calgary Flames hockey fan) Bruce Crews who work with On Air Studios in Calgary
  Long time friend and voiceover talent Liz de Nesnera
• Los Angeles-based audio producer and sports ball fan Andrew Silagy, who is the terrific Talent and Production Manager for Snap Recordings

Y’all made my job very easy. Thanks!

Tags: commentary, V.O. North, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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