As as a voiceover business owner, there is always the question of how much capital to invest into one’s business.

One wants have very good audio technology that allows for the best voiceover audio quality.

One also want to have enough money to pay the mortgage and eat.

I get it.

A voiceover CLIENT, on the other hand, wants everything to sound perfect, they want no technology problems and they want all that broadcast quality sound and more right now.

Only the client’s wants and needs matter, by the way. That’s just a fact.

Occassionally, voice talent (who are new or relatively new to the voiceover business) focus their budgets on microphones and not so much on their recording environment. Goodness knows there are low-cost, short-term tricks to making an audio recording environment “workable”. We’ve all been there…especially when trying to record voiceovers while traveling.

This discussion isn’t about traveling.

This is about home voiceover recording studios.

(Note: I am NOT a home studio expert, nor have I played one on TV. But after nearly 40 years in the business, I have learned a thing or two <hundred> about audio recording).

One’s home voiceover recording environment is critical…short term fixes (closets, blankets etc.) can work but also have significant limitations that reveal themselves at really inopportune times (usually with a client on the line, a deadline looming and one of your biggest paydays hanging in the balance….no problem!!)

Outside noises in your studio will negatively disrupt a recording session, upset a client, make re-takes a nightmare and basically ding the “professionalism” of a talent’s reputation – at least in the opinion of a voiceover client (and really, is there any other opinion that matters?)

This video (below) shows one way to address your recording environment professionally. It is NOT the only way and it doesn’t have to be pretty (unless clients will be coming TO your voiceover recording studio). My non-home voiceover recording studio expert but significantly experienced advice is to find a good, strong recording space solution to ensure, more often than not, that the quality of your home voiceover recording environment is as dependable and reliable as you are as a voice actor.

It ALL really matters. Hope this helps.

Tags: audio production, commentary, video, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I think most Moms are the same…they all mean and do well for their children.

So I’m guessing your Mom, like my Mom, said something to you like “The little things matter.”

It was only later in life people tell you “not to sweat the little stuff.”

But the little things DO matter, especially when it come to kindness. And small business ownership.

Like when you write a hand written note to your prospects or clients. So I’m going to chat a little bit about that.

Tags: video, voice over workshop, voiceover, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
Comments Off on “Notecard” The Voiceover Workshop with Peter K. O’Connell

Too simple “they” will say, (you know, those THEY people).

Doesn’t apply to me, “they” will also say.

“They” say finally that this doesn’t even count as advice.

Except it does.

We all have work clothes. We all have lazy clothes.

I contend (as do others) that if one tries to do work in their lazy clothes…they won’t be nearly as effectual.

We have to be physically and psychologically prepared to work every day (although it’s not THAT dramatic as that sounds)

Well, anyway, watch the video and consider the advice. You are the ultimate decider…for you.

Hope it helps.

Tags: video, voice over workshop, voiceover advice by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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Sometimes the simplest tricks are the ones that get ignored.

Nonetheless, I will to and share with you one really great voiceover business idea.

This video is called One New Lead.

For your business….you need to find one new voiceover lead per day.

The leads are everywhere, it’s like fishing in a freshly stocked pond.

Think about it… 5 new leads a week times 52 weeks…that’s 260 new voiceover leads.

It’s up to you.

Hope it helps.

Tags: commentary, video, voice over workshop by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I loves me some television car commercials.

They are fun for me as a voiceover talent because the vibe is different for every dealership’s tv car spot and every car brand.

Some are super hard sell and some are very warm and fuzzy…others are in between. It’s great because it’s a unique persona (ugh, more arty-farty acting words!) for each spot. It allows me to show off my acting range (oy, ok, enough with the acting lingo).

So this one was nice because its a regional television spot for the 18 dealerships of the Deacon Jones Auto Group in North Carolina. Their dealerships are in Smithfield, Goldsboro, Princeton, LaGrange, Greenville, Selma, Raleigh & Clinton. Their car brands include Chrysler, Dodge, Ram, Jeep, Ford, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Kia, Lincoln, Nissan, Honda and Toyota.

Client was looking for a friendly, trustworthy voice and lo and behold, here I am: your friendly, neighborhood voiceover talent at your service.

Very nice folks to work with and pleased to have been of service to them.

Tags: commentary, commercials, video by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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I’ve have produced voiceovers for a fair number of TV car commercials over my many years. Some of the spots in both script and pictures were frighteningly bad.

And sometimes maybe the voiceover wasn’t perfect either 😉

But some of these TV spots for auto dealers were good, really good.

Local TV spots for car dealers can be challenging because often times the dealer / owner wants to be in the commercial and…and, well, let’s just say they shouldn’t be.

On the other hand, some folks are great on TV and it helps them sell lots of cars. I went to high school with a friend of mine whose family owns a number of dealerships in Western New York. He runs the dealership now, he’s the TV spokesperson and the camera loves this guy!

He’s never asked me to voice his spots. That sonofa… 😉

So producing car spots can be tricky and there really is an art to a spot that isn’t just screaming price and promo (but make no mistake – those screaming spots sell lots of cars!)

A spot I recently voiced for a dealership in the Albany, NY area did a really creative thing with their dealership’s TV commercial.

They used mostly graphics and some video to underscore the selling point of the script. The most unique thing is…almost no cars in the entire spot, yet it is very clearly a car commercial!

I’m not saying this because I voiced the spot, truly I am not.

This spot hits all the right points of difference and branding elements to create an effective car commercial.

Watch this.

Tags: commentary, commercials, video, youtube by peter k. o'connell, your friendly, neighborhood voice-over talent
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