Two things about voice over work:

1. It’s often anonymous…people hear our voices but other than a few family members, friends, clients or industry pros, no one knows its us. And that’s just fine by me.
2. Jobs often last from anywhere from 15 – 30 minutes and unless you’ve hooked a ad campaign, VO’s are off fishing for their next job and soon as they leave the studio

So it is with great awe that I announce to you the vocal retirement from NBC News of announcer Howard Reig. He has been introducing the NBC News’ evening broadcast going back to the days of The Huntley Brinkley Report and straight through to NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.

Howard really retired from the network a few years ago, but they liked his voice so much they kept using it. And his retirement kinda fell under the radar. So now, let’s take note.

December 14th was the last broadcast of his voice, with NBC’s blog post offering up a tease of a new “familiar” voice to be unveiled on December 17th’s broadcast (possibly ala Walter Cronkite’s announce for the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.

But with an estimate of having introduced over 7,000 broadcasts, not including his career at WGY in Schenectady, NY, he’s held his voice over job for a truly impressive stretch. And the performance while anonymous was always spot on.

On the Nightly News blog post Friday, I left a comment for a man whom I have never met but who I know would have some wonderful stories to share about a great career:

Howard:

From one voice over professional to another, my sincerest congratulations on a terrific career. And kudos to NBC News for honoring you for your years of service. You give the rest of us an example of excellence to strive for.

Best always,
– Peter

I hope all my fellow voice over professionals with also sign the NBC News’ blog post’s “guest book” and let Howard know that we too respect all that he has been able to accomplish and wish him well. Wow, what an impressive ride!

Tags: announcers, commentary, NBC Nightly News, peter o'connell, radio, tv, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Fully 90% of my voice over business comes from outside my local area. It’s a kind of strange, baseless colloquialism that affects other voice talents and other businesses in general sometimes…”the talent must be better elsewhere” goes the thinking. Not everyone locally thinks that way fortunately (usually it’s the more creative and talented local minds who gladly employ local talent). But it’s a wall I’ve faced and since there is easier and sometimes greater money to be made elsewhere, then off I go with no hurt feelings.

That’s not to say I ignore my local market, quite the opposite. I participate in many professional associations and have held leadership or at least committee positions with a many of them. While networking is always my priority, I know I am ultimately better served focusing on the educational tools that these groups can offer me. I also develop deeply valued friendships which sometimes evolve into direct business or referrals which are sincerely appreciated.

One of the groups I belong to is the Advertising Club of Buffalo (formerly know as Brainstorm, formerly known as Pro Com and…after that it just becomes logo soup). But name-a-liciousness aside, the group is a good one. Its part of the American Advertising Federation and its chalk full of ad agency and public relations pros at all stages of their careers. Last year I was honored to be asked to be the voice of the Addy Awards, which has been going on for a long time. I got to work with Rob Wynne at Wynne Creative Group and Shaun Mullins at Propellerhead Media ; it was a terrific experience.

Well, the Ad Club and another Upstate New York based group called Ad Hub started a cool trade show two years ago called the Freelancer’s Expo. I know for a fact it was two years ago because my daughter was to be born the week before the expo but she decided she was very “comfy cozy” and in no hurry to arrive (it was the last time she did anything at less than the speed of sound). She thought she should wait until the Expo to arrive, which meant Da was a no show at the show. But Walter Ketchum, who runs the Expo and Ad Hub, could not have been more understanding. Walter refunded my booth money and gave me the show list of attendees to allow me to market to them, post show. It is a kindness I have never nor will ever forget. He was the very definition of the word “gentleman”.

So this year, having no birthing conflicts, I attended the Freelancer’s Expo at the Center For The Arts – University at Buffalo. It’s a lovely facility with the only downside being it’s at UB on a weeknight. Parking is at a premium when classes at a major University are in session, which may have made some prospective attendees gun-shy. On the other hand it is such a challenge to find a facility with a high profile that has free and easy access parking for hundreds of people that is centrally located. Give and take.

Be that as it may, the show was well attended I think and I had made a ton of new contacts and became reacquainted with some old contacts. I am subtly amazed at people who have an epiphany right in front of me: “oh, I knew you did voice overs but I forgot!” I could send weekly direct mails to these folks and they’d still forget.

But that’s the value of these trade shows: face to face marketing. Its comfortable, its informal but it is very informational (transmitting and receiving). You obviously need to have a great product or service, a good display, strong collateral and a refined pitch but if you do, the sky’s the limit.

If you have a chance to do trade shows like this within a 50-100 mile radius of your studio or office…do it. While showing up is only 50% of the effort (the other 50% is the follow up) your closing rate will amaze you.

Congrats to everyone involved in pulling off this show. And thanks again, Walter.

Tags: advertising, commentary, commercials, marketing, peter o'connell, voice talent, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I had an interesting experience last week when audio’connell Voice Over Talent’s Terri and me were invited to speak to a class of radio broadcasting students at Buffalo State College about the voice over business and commercial production.

Buff State has an impressive communications program and boasts a famous or infamous radio station in WBNY, which includes among its impressive alumni Tom Calderone who currently oversees VH1.

Terri actually set up the whole presentation because she’s finishing her degree there (way to go!) while balancing her voiceover work and her other job with the Buffalo Fire Department (and I thought MY days were busy).

Having been in broadcasting for over 30 years and teaching at Buff State for at least 25 years, the class’ professor, Tom Donahue, is a great asset for students and was a great host for we presenters. We shared some terrific radio stories.

Presenting in front of college students is always a challenge…you really have to rev them up…I think we did alright. Students were at a select disadvantage when I presented because I’m a talker AND a walker….I’ll come up to you and finish my point with emphasis right in front of you and look for your recognition….you weren’t sleeping, were you?! (They weren’t…they were all great).

While I’ve neither the patience, education nor the talent for teaching, I fully understand why it can be a satisfying profession. Tom brought some scripts to class and Terri and I would read a couple (watching the students’ eye light up…you could tell they were thinking “that sounds just like on the radio!”). Then, I’d bring them up and we’d try 2-3 takes. The difference between performances from take 1 to take 3 really caught students by surprise.

It’s the kind of surprise some students might be able to build a career on.

Tags: announcers, commentary, commercials, peter o'connell, radio, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice, voiceover meet-ups by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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There are many people you can blame for the fact that I will shortly unveil (or should I say unleash? Possibly burden?) my podcast. But rather than have you cast stones at them or start fires, just simply be forewarned.

It’s coming.

The only reason for the delay is the amount of voice over work I have had to do which takes away from my planning time. And for all the "free-form" spirit of a podcast, as my clients will tell you, I’m a bit of a audio production perfectionist. But perfect is a "goal" and the work won’t go away (God willing) so off I will sail into not wholly unchartered podcasting waters.

The title of the podcast is "voxmarketising – the audio’connell podcast". What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks does that mean?

It means that on any given episode you’ll hear insight from me and my colleagues and friends around the globe about the three channels of communication that interest me the most and that I have the most professional experience within: the voice over industry ("vox"), marketing ("market") and advertising ("tising"), all in no particular order. But I had to give my podcast a name; hence, voxmarketising™.

The podcast will evolve as time goes on (as every broadcast or publication I’ve ever been involved with always has) but I’m hoping the focus will be less on me offering my insights on topics of the day (though there will be some of that, no doubt) and more on interviews with experts and insightful folks from whom I have learned a lot and from whom I think you can gain some great practical business knowledge too.

Comments are always welcomed and may be used on the podcast. You can start now by dialing the voxmarketising comment line at +01 716 989 6151 from any phone. You can wish me good luck, tell me to stop before I even get started or throw in your comment about a relevant story that you’ve been thinking about. Leave your name and web site or podcast address so I can promote it and link to it on the show notes (oh yes, there will be show notes).

It will be friendly, informal, very informative and fun. It will not be an infomercial. Podcast posts will appear here on the audio’connell’s voiceover blog on! so make sure you subscribe now by clicking the buttons in the upper left hand corner of the blog.

Tags: blogs, commentary, internet, marketing, peter o'connell, podcasting, voiceover by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I’ve mentioned before how I loiter occasionally on VO-BB.com with my fellow voice professionals. Well occasionally, an avatar theme develops if members care to join in. The avatar is the little picture that is featured under your screen name on many message boards…the picture can be your photo, your logo or darn near anything you can justifiable identify in what amounts to a pretty tiny box.

Over on DB’s board, there have been such themes as animals, photos photo shopped in into KISS band members (some were especially odd), the Simpsonization graphics that I wrote of here and then, more recently, comp cards. Comp cards are those cards models and actresses leave behind for agents or casting directors when auditioning for a role; they usually feature one or more “headshots” and contact information etc.

Well, this brings up the old voice over talent argument of whether to ever feature your photo if you are a voice actor. Will your photographic image change in any way a casting director’s opinion of whether you are the right voice talent for a voice acting role (nothing on camera about it)? As I don’t like to do on camera work because I think I’m lousy at it, I always vote no to pictures but also do not begrudge any voice talent who also does on camera work for featuring their photo on their web site etc.

So when the board started posting comp card avatar’s after audio’connell Voice Over Talent Amy posted her recent headshot, I wasn’t going to participate. Until, that is, I got the crazy idea to create a comp card from my Simpsonized photo. THAT seemed most apropos as it’s a cartoon caricature and one of the things I do is character voices for cartoon and animation. Further, it also seemed silly and for me that sealed the deal.

So now on my web site biography, you will find my comp card and I’m also featuring it on my Facebook profile as that’s about the only photo of me I think the web is really ready for!

Tags: advertising, announcers, commentary, peter o'connell, tv, voice actors, voice casting, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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There are savvier people than I (amazing, huh?! 🙂 ) who spend megabytes and hours defining and debating social media and web 2.0 while the rest of the world yawns and says “I need to make business contacts to make money to pay my mortgage and maybe go out to dinner.”

I’m professionally drawn to those select few in these web communities who both talk AND walk the walk of social media and online communities. These people help other professionals (like me) build my business financially with their insight and experience, they help me learn about fast changing trends within what I believe will prove to be a major shift in the way business is conducted locally, nationally and internationally, as well as provide introductions to people who can help me and (equally as important) who I can help as well.

But to benefit from what is certainly for me an imperfect learning experience (which may be a polysyllabic synonym for “life”) I know that I have to actively participate and do so with an open mind. These communities are filled with folks mostly younger and waaay smarter than me and we meet having vastly different life experiences…finding common ground is part of the fun. For the old schoolers out there, the process I’m speaking about is nothing more than a virtual networking system or event that, if one is fortunate, morphs into a real life networking event.

All this pre-ambling is a way of giving you insight into why I write a great deal in this blog about social media and applicable internet trends/tools and why I attended the Toronto Geek Dinner on Wednesday evening. I’ll start by answering your top three questions (see, I’m getting so much smarter that I know you’re questions before you’ve asked them!)

What is a Geek Dinner?These dinners area random get-together of professionals from the worlds of Marketing, Communications, Advertising, Public Relations, Blogging and Podcasting. The Geek Dinner is where their worlds collide…in a very professional way, of course.

How does one get invited to a Geek Dinner? Basically, someone takes the lead and puts it together then puts out the word. Mitch Joel, he of the Twist Image blog out of beautiful Montreal, posted a notice on his blog and within days it was sold out. So if you keep the lines of communications open with influence-ers like Mitch, you hear about good stuff.

What is the value of a Geek Dinner? It’s like any good networking event, especially if you come to the event not trying to sell yourself like maybe a used car salesman would. Everyone at the event shares common interests while also bringing a diversity accumulation of practical, useful knowledge from their work. My voice over, marketing, advertising, broadcasting, blogging and podcasting experience allowed me to serve as a resource in some cases. Its not pushy, it’s welcoming. People getting to know people.

And of course, as I’ve noted previously, you do not need to bend my arm to go to Toronto…I always feel jazzed going up there and even coming back. I love that city.

Who did I get to know at the Toronto Geek Dinner? Some great people!

I caught up with Bill Sweetman of Sweetmantra.com, an internet marketing blog. He and I first met at Podcamp Toronto.

Dining with me were Eli Singer of Cundari SFP, he runs a social media site; Eden Spodek sat next to me, she of Bargainista fame, a web site for people who love to shop (there’s a huge audience). I also met the self-proclaimed “Smartest Man in the World” (says so right on his business card); his name is Saul Colt and he was a very cool guy.

Next to our table was a bunch of people from webfeat, a very cool online marketing company with a very impression Fortune 500 client list; the people I spoke to the most from there were Stephen Giles and Ellie Rosen. Both very interesting folks and fun to have dinner with. The “podcastic” Donna Pappacosta was there and if you’re thinking of putting a podcast together and you need to know EVERYTHING you need to know, visit Trafcom News…Donna’s a great lady. I also finally got to meet Bill Nygren of Boom Sonic Branding. They do some amazing production there.

My thanks to Mitch and everybody who had a hand in putting together the Geek Dinner. It was terrific!

Tags: blogs, commentary, internet, marketing, media, peter o'connell, podcasting, radio, technology, tv, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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