Masochistic.

Gluttons for punishment.

Sadistic wackos.

If you’re one of the folks who requested a link to my Podcamp Toronto 2007 presentation “Pod Presence – aka awesome sounding podcasts”, you have to choose from one of the above descriptors.

If you decide to watch it, you’ll also have to pick one.

In either case, you’ll quickly understand why I remain firmly planted behind a microphone and NOT in front of a camera.

Watch the presentation here. (@ 35 minutes via Quick Time)

Tags: commentary, peter o'connell, podcamptoronto, podcasting, technology, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Have you ever been to an event, not really knowing what to expect only to be blown away from the collective knowledge in the room?

That’s what Podcamp Toronto was like. They took a simple audio process and outlined the future of it and the possibilities for it. Commercially, it’s an impressive future.

No one was profiting from it except to share their knowledge and gain new insight. I learned so much and still have to figure out how to process the stuff I heard but haven’t yet committed to memory.

I would highly suggest you all take a look at these seminars and take notes.

For some months now, a fellow voice over talent by the name of Elaine Singer has been corresponding with me on VO topics. Elaine is in Toronto and I’m in Buffalo (2 hours away) and we’re both in the internet business networking groups, Ryze and Linked In. Yet we never got a chance to meet. (Voice talents love to get together to share industry stories and insights we each other…they’re like war stories only funnier). Well we met at Podcamp Toronto and she was just as charming and smart as you’d guess from her posts on VO-BB. A great new friend!

And in my perspective on the voice lead companies, my attitude has changed a bit having now met David and Stephanie from Voices.com. My read is that they really are as customer centric as their site appears (as has been mentioned by others, their site seems more service oriented than V123 and now I believe I know why). They are sincere in both word and deed; they want everybody to succeed: voice talents to get quality leads and clients to be exposed to quality voice talents.

If you have a podcamp coming to your town, try and get to it. The Torontonians / Canadians / podcasters / bloggers who I met impressed the heck out of me. It would be worth risking your time at a podcamp in your area to see if the local knowledge bank in your area is as impressive as the folks I met with in Toronto.

Tags: commentary, peter o'connell, podcamptoronto, podcasting, technology, voice actors, voice casting, voiceover advice, voices.com by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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What a tremendous experience. Saturday, I participated in Podcamp Toronto 2007. It was arranged by a group of talented podcasting, sales, marketing, advertising, internet (and pros from countless other industries) to share their knowledge of podcasting (and explain what in some cases is a booming commercial industry).

Billed as an “unconference”, I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto. The “un” upon reflection having experienced it, means a more relaxed and interactive learning environment; it does not mean that there was any less talent and insight shared, in fact, just the opposite.

I like a lot about Podcamp, but what I think I liked most was coming across presenters and podcasters whom I might not have ever met in any other forum; each offered a thoughtful, smart and unusual perspective on this burgeoning industry. Remember that point in your life where you were in a business and someone said “hey you know this web site thing is interesting, do you think we should get on that internet thingy and get us one?”

Here’s you wake up call….podcasting has greater potential than you can possible imagine. This is the ground floor, get in on it.

Two presenters whose sessions I really enjoyed were Mitch Joel of Twist Image, a marketing agency Montréal whose presentation on “Building Your Personal Brand through Podcasting” was spot on. Great reading on his blog as well. The other presenter who was very impressive was Julien Smith, a Montréal based designer, entrepreneur, student, and podcaster whose presentation Giving Your Podcast A Google Presence was really smart. I’m going to have to get myself up to Montréal…it must be something in the water.

And my special thanks for Leesa Barnes of Podnomics and Caprica Interactive Marketing who was kind enough to include me in this experience. A great friend and a great client, thanks Leesa.

I have a bunch of other stories from Podcamp Toronto 2007 that I’ll save for later, including a visit with voice over talent Elaine Singer, the presentation I made to a packed house (boy was I surprised) and a visit with the owners of Voices.com, Stephanie and David Ciccarelli.

Final note, check out http://podcamp.pbwiki.com/ to find the location of the next Podcamp in your area.

Tags: commentary, peter o'connell, podcamptoronto, podcasting, technology, voice actors, voiceover advice, voices.com by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Editor’s Note: It’s very rare that I would post an entire release on voice over blog on! but this is one of those rate times for my friend Leesa Barnes who is one of the organizers of Podcamp Toronto. As I have noted in the past, any excuse is a great excuse to visit Toronto, one of my favorite cities and home to some of my favorite clients. If you are in the area, I hope you’ll join us (yes, I’ll be presenting too…but they’ve asked me to stand in a dark corner and face the wall when I present. Must be a Canadian thing!)

(Toronto, ON) – Podcamp Toronto (http://www.podcamptoronto.org), a 2-day unconference which will be held at Ryerson University on February 24-25, 2007, will teach people how to plan, produce and publish a podcast. Attendance is free.

A podcast is a multimedia file that’s syndicated over the Internet. Similar to an Internet radio program, podcasting allows people to download audio or video content when they want to view or listen to it.

“Both hobbyist and companies are using podcasts to communicate with fans or clients,” says Leesa Barnes, one of the organizers behind Podcamp Toronto. “There’s a guy who uses his podcast to teach people how to knit and there’s a large corporation that uses their podcast to give end users tips on how to maintain their computers.”

The very first Podcamp was held in Boston in September 2006. It was born out of the desire to share information about audio and video podcasting and related subjects. Podcamp Toronto is a 100% free, volunteer-driven, sponsor-supported event. Otherwise known as an unconference, Podcamp Toronto focuses primarily on allowing people to share ideas, interact with each other and learn in an open environment.

“Using the unconference method means that attendees will learn from those in the trenches, the very people who are producing podcasts on a day to day basis,” says Barnes. “Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster or someone who’s just curious about this new medium, Podcamp Toronto will allow you to learn at your own pace.”

Sessions includes Interviewing Techniques, Video Podcasting for the Average Joe, Podcasting 101, 7 Ways to Monetize Your Podcast, How to Create Hollywood Effects from Your Living Room and Podcasting in Public Interest. There are a number of panel discussions, including Will Podcasting Kill Radio, Using Podcasting in Secondary Schools and What’s Hot in Marketing Your Podcast. The hosts of 2 of Canada’s most listened to podcasts – In Over Your Head and Galacticast – will be on hand to answer questions about replicating their success. These are just a sample of the 25+ sessions and panels being offered.

A blog is updated almost daily with news about Podcamp Toronto. Sponsors include Scotiabank, the first Canadian bank to produce a podcast called The Money Clip and BabyTel, a voice-over IP company.

Visit http://www.podcamptoronto.org for more information or to register for free for Podcamp Toronto.

Media Contacts

Leesa Barnes

mailto:leesa.barnes@gmail.com

(647) 225-3792

Jay Moonah

mailto:jay@jaymoonah.com

(416) 885-5341

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Tags: peter o'connell, podcamptoronto, podcasting, technology by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Truth be told, it never takes much incentive to get me to go to Toronto for anything. While I don’t spend nearly enough time there, I always enjoy the city when I go there — it’s a huge city that to me still has wonderful vibe. The people, the shops, the architecture — all of it. Toronto ’s a great place.

So combine my love of Toronto with audio production (some of my favorite clients are in Toronto — you know who you are) and I am soooo there!

audio’connell Voice Over Talent (well, ok, just me) will be presenting a seminar and sitting in on a panel discussion during PodCamp Toronto 2007. At this “unconference” (I like the sound that already) February 27 & 28 at Rogers Communications Centre at Ryerson University. I’ll be presenting “Pod Presence” focusing on how to make pod casts sound really ear-gasmic in other words a podcast listeners would want to listen to again and again.

You can register here (its free to attend) or through the link on my links page. Come on along, it’ll be fun.

BTW, podcast is another one of those undefined spelling words: is it podcast or pod cast? Like the ago old question: is it voiceover or voice over? Only the search engines know for sure.

PS (1.15.07) Here’s a link to a TV interview Leesa Barnes did which explains PodCamp Toronto in even greater detail.

Tags: commentary, peter o'connell, podcamptoronto, podcasting, technology by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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