Male Voice Talent Dan Roberts
Caught a blog post today about National Voice Over Month from a voice actor named Dan Roberts.
Looks like Dan was also at VOICE 2010 – sorry I didn’t get to meet him but now I can follow him on his blog. Welcome Dan!
Voice Over Agents for Male Voice Talent Peter K. O'Connell
I’ve been fairly fortunate in my voice over career to have partners in my voiceover business.
They are my voice over agents who represent me and hundreds like me to thousands of potential clients for each new voice over project that comes out.
I speak to all my agents fairly regularly and I think most even know my name (kidding! – just agent humor). They do know my name, my voice talent and I am fortunate to have gotten business from and made money for these valued partners.
Now, as we begin September’s National Voice Over Appreciation Month (or National Voice Over Month, as I prefer to call it so I don’t have to type as much) I thought I would mention how I think Voice Over Agents can benefit from this month long celebration. Maybe these tips might work for your agents too.
Something to Write About
The challenge in promoting talent within an agency is with so many people represented, it’s tough most times to just promote one individual talent to a full data base of clients. The other talents get a bit perturbed if they are not the “chosen one”.
That’s where National Voice Over Month comes in…sending out a direct mail piece (letter, postcard or even email blast) to your database of prospects and clients about the National Voice Over Appreciation Month celebration that directs readers to your list of talents is a great and simple way to drum up business.
Something to Talk About
Often times, when outbound calling (aka “dialing for dollars”), agents fish for something to talk to a potential or even regular client about. Once a job is over, an agent has to search for the next hit. That can be just as difficult and awkward as it sounds but its part of the skill set agents bring to the table – that ability to keep the conversation going.
Should they do the direct mail piece our to prospects and clients – what would normally be a cold to lukewarm call immediately becomes a warm call – the agent has something to talk to the client about.
“Did you see our announcement about National Voice Over Month? Yeah, it’s a kinda silly celebration but it got me to thinking about some of our voice talents who just completed some really cool projects. I’m really excited for you to hear them.”
That conversation could go somewhere or nowhere but at the very least, the agent got in front of the prospect at least one time if not two times in one month’s time and kept the dialogue going.
That’s what sales is all about. My team is good at that – I hope yours is too.
My thanks to all my agents who work on my behalf:
NEW YORK: All Coast Talent – Toni Silveri > 716.836.4339
NEW YORK: Voice Talent Productions – Erik Sheppard > 631.332.9550
CALIFORNIA & ARIZONA: Dani’s Agency – Dani Green > 602.263.1918
ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN: Lori Lins, Ltd. – Maureen Troy > 414.282.3500
TEXAS: Pastorini-Bosby Talent – Jenny Bosby > 713.266.4488
WASHINGTON & COLORADO: Big Fish Voice Co. – Elynne Dale > 303.778.6708
OHIO, KENTUCKY & INDIANA: Heyman Talent – Thomas McClure > 614.291.8200
GEORGIA: RSH Management – Richard Hutchison > 404.261.7824
GEORGIA: Voice Scouts – Becky Wilmes > 877.351.1060
TENNESSEE, LOUISIANA & ALABAMA: Dan Agency Inc. – Stephanie Beck Williams > 615.591.7064
September is National Voice Over Month
Not to be too dramatic about it, but it’s about damn time.
Almost every group, organization and/or species has a week or month named in honor of them. Often times it sounds like a joke when you hear some of their names and so too may the impression here now for some, but it’s not.
My friend and fellow Voice Over Talent Dave Courvoisier kinda mentioned the idea in passing when he noticed in his blog about a week or so ago how many voice over activities were taking place in the month of September (more than usual, it seemed).
For example: Amy Snively’s Faffcon is taking place in Portland, Oregon on September 11 & 12th. Joan Baker’s New York City-based “That’s Voiceover” LINK is taking place on September 22nd. These events in addition to the usual voice over seminar suspects like Pat Fraley’s regional seminar in Buffalo, NY on September 25th & 26th mean that the summer slumber has been shaken off.
Then Dave sent me an email Saturday (yes, just this past Saturday) saying this National Voice Over Month idea was gnawing at him and what did I think.
I copied him, Amy Snively and Bob Souer on my answer (because I feel it’s always better to cause trouble in a group); my answer was that Dave’s idea for a National Voice Over Month was the right idea and that we could pull it off in four days…and now we are.
Somewhere in there, Voice Over Xtra!’s John Florian and Voice Talent and Social Media Tour De Force Terry Daniel I believe also got roped into this and I think there are many others who are contributing to this month long event as well. I hope you’ll take time to acknowledge all their efforts when you see them on-line on blogs, podcasts, videos or social media outlets like Twitter or Facebook etc.
Dave grabbed a domain and created a web site, Amy drew up a logo, I helped with some copy and we’re all still actively adding to the program – as a professional voice talent you are sincerely encouraged to participate in whatever manner you feel you want to…maybe comment on blogs, retweet NVOM announcements, or maybe create a Voice Over meetup in your city where all the voice talents get together for a visit.
One of the more interesting things to see was how Dave (the true driving force of this idea) called for a hastily called weekend vote on Saturday from the board of SOVOA to endorse and support September as National Voice Over Month; by Sunday it was passed. Brilliantly executed and kudos to the Board for the response time.
Our goal, I think, is simple and openly self-serving– share with as many people as possible what Voice Over Talents do, who they are and where they can be found. Yes, we are trying to create awareness among potential employers for every voice over professional in this industry but I think we’re also trying build on the credibility we’ve established in the wake of our collective professional works this far.
I’m proud of my very small part in all this because I believe strongly not only in the art and industry of Voice Over but also in the men, women and children who perform within it around the world. We are a talented bunch and it’s not a bad thing that we say that ever so briefly…maybe once a year.
Will you celebrate with us? Let me know how you’ll be a part of National Voice Over Month.
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota, August 28, 2010 – – Specializing in software and services that provide operational and financial efficiencies to global trucking and distribution companies, XATA Turnpike recently completed an extensive sales and e-learning project for its RouteTracker product. The web based project was narrated by male voice over talent Peter K. O’Connell.
WATCH AND LISTEN TO THE PROJECT HERE
RouteTracker, from XATA Turnpike, is a device that combined GPS information with Engine Diagnostics. RouteTracker leverages the technology of cellular phones or handheld devices to communicate GPS and Engine Diagnostic information via Bluetooth to their completely web based application, Turnpike Direct. The RouteTracker device is unique in that it does not contain an embedded modem.
Turnpike has over 30,000 vehicles made up of over 600 companies utilizing the system. Small and large fleets employ reporting tools that include: fuel efficiency monitoring, driver safety scorecards, engine diagnostics, GPS reporting, 395.15 compliant Hours of Service (HOS) driver logs, speed, hard brake events, odometer readings, payroll verification, customer delivery monitoring, and complete IFTA automation.
A professional voice talent since 1982, some of Peter K. O’Connell’s professional voiceover credits include productions for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Shell Oil, Starz Cable Channel, New Jersey Alliance and New Jersey Tourism, J. Walter Thompson Advertising (JWT), 2K Games, Cleveland Browns, Tops Friendly Markets, Island Press Publishers, Harlequin Enterprises, First Choice Power, Pathmark Supermarkets, Crosby Stills & Nash, Fashion Outlet Mall, Junior Chamber International, Peek N’ Peak Resort and Spa, Devaweb and The Advertising Club of Buffalo.
audio’connell Voice Over Talent is a worldwide, English language-based voice talent business. The company provides voice talent for commercials, animation, corporate narrations, documentaries, broadcast voice imaging, audio books, podcasts and messaging on-hold (MOH). Founded in 1982, industries served by the audio’connell include advertising agencies, media and broadcast production companies as well as both large and small businesses around the world. Sister company International Voice Talents provides similar services, using professional foreign language male and female voice actors.
Mr. O’Connell also owns Voice Over Workshop, which provides professional voice over training to novice and experienced voice talent world-wide.
audio’connell Voice Over Talent, International Voice Talents and Voice Over Workshop are all a part of O’Connell Communications, LLC.
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â–º NOTES TO EDITORS
Company Name Pronunciation:
au•dio•o’•con•nell (awe-de-oh-oh-kah-nel) or au•di-o’•con•nell (awe-de-oh-kah-nel)
Company Name Spelling:
Use lower case letters- audio’connell or audio’connell Voice Over Talent
Company Web Sites:
http://www.audioconnell.com
http://www.internationalvoicetalents.com
Company Blog:
http://www.voxmarketising.com
Social Media Connections:
Facebook
Many thanks to all of you who so kindly vote, opined and other wise sounded off on the correct choice for my new eye glasses in a blog post a while back.
I thought it a silly, fun idea for a blog post and was very thrilled to see such interest.
Clearly in the voting the gray frames were a HUGE fan favorite.
And yet I was a fan of the black frames. I just thought I could see better out of them.
So the winner of the eyeglass vote was….
Neither of them.
Turns out that the eyeglass place that I was going to buy these frames from would NOT accept my insurance so they expected me to shell out over $500 free and clear for these specs. Since I have eyeglass coverage with my insurance – that seemed kinda stupid. Plus I’d have to wait a week to get them because I wanted anti-glare on the lenses (and of course pay more for that too).
On the OTHER hand, it turns out Lenscrafters IS included in my insurance plan (saving me about 40%) and they could get me my glasses in 24 hours.
So I went simple, basic and practical – everything the other glasses weren’t. Silver metal frames (oh, excuse me, titanium). The selection wasn’t as nice as the other place but I decided that I am at a time in my life where its more enjoyable to spend money like that on my family than on me or better yet save that money for later. Must have been a passing case of vanity…shame on me.
So when you see me out with my specs, for better or for worse, this is what you’ll see.
If you are an American voice actor in the Northeast or a Canadian voice actor in Ontario or even southern Quebec, I would encourage you to check out the seminar Pat Fraley has planned on September 26, 2010 in Buffalo, NY.
Called the “Pick Up Your Oscar” Event -The Craft of Voice Over Acting, Pat welcomes only 12 students (and many spots are already taken) for the event which is the “Only Acting System Created Specifically for Voice Over”.
My friend, teacher and agent Toni Silveri from All Coast Talent is again hosting Pat and his seminars are can’t miss events.
For more info, visit All Coast Talent.
