The reason I ask this question is that I just enjoyed a nice three day weekend, pretty much away from the computer. This AM, opening up my Google reader, I see over 900 blog posts and over fifty of them are in the voiceover category.

What is it we think we all have to say? And I include me in there too.

It’s a vicious circle, mind you. You should have a blog to be an active participant in social media (and SEO/SEM) and everybody has the right to share whatever they like. Equally true, we can all subscribe and unsubscribe to any blog at any time (except this blog, you can check in anytime you like, but you can never leave).

With all this content, what are we all contributing to? And how many people are not just reading (Feedburner +) but understanding? Are we communicating or are we just spewing? Because more important to social media than the tool (a blog) is the content…saying something of relevance.

A blog writer has to assume that their posts resonate with someone if they have even one subscriber (and by the way, not for nothing, I mean it when I say thank you for subscribing). But when I think about 900 posts over three days multiplied times content on radio, television, newspaper, Facebook et al multiplied times international content….my head literally spins a bit.

Today I will hit “mark all as read” on my Google Reader very often and likely erase some quality content that I cannot make room for. I must move on.

Am I simply oversubscribed or overwhelmed? Have these thoughts ever occurred to you? How do you deal with all this communication, all this noise? Do you tune in more or totally tune out? Any tricks you care to share?

Tags: blogs, commentary, facebook, google, internet, newspapers, technology // 7 Comments »

Editor’s Note: This post is my contribution to Blog Action Day, joining thousands of other bloggers to write about one topic for a single day. This year’s topic is climate change.

This is a tough topic for me because I have this feeling in my gut that many people will espouse the opinion that we are suffering from global warming, that it’s catastrophic and that buying the right car or light blub will fix all this.

I don’t think it’s catastrophic but I do think it’s an issue. Buying environmentally friendly cars or light bulbs sounds good I guess but I think our world needs to look at its emissions or better yet and more directly pollution which is a past blog action day topic.

To me, when you look at a city like Beijing or Rio de Janeiro or Los Angeles….actually look at them especially from higher ground looking down on those cities and actually see the pollution in the air…you know that such pollution has to have a negative effect on their climate and the world’s climate in addition to the obvious hazards to the health of its citizens.

Pollution, in my opinion, or more specifically efforts to control pollution will result in greater benefits in the short and long term for our cities, countries and planet.

Tags: blog action day, commentary // Comments Off on blog action day 2009

Some software products developed for computers mandatory – an operating system like Windows lets your computer do stuff.

Other stuff isn’t mandatory but helpful and there’s stuff that’s sorta helpful but cool.

You’ll have to decide where the free download “Fences” falls for you. The premise is that Fences organizes and hides all the icons on your desktop until you want them. They’re invisible until you double click the desktop at which top they magically appear, organized in the format that you customize to your own needs.

Helpful? Maybe. Cool, oh I think so but then I’m still amazed when somebody pulls a quarter out of my ear…my standards aren’t always as high as others. I’m using it and I think its fun (and no, I get no spiff for the endorsement.)

What so you think? Mandatory, helpful or cool?

Tags: commentary, internet, technology // Comments Off on bordering on useless and brilliant

Voice Actor Travis Davis

I opened up Facebook today to see a post from VO Planet’s Donna Summers announcing the passing Monday of voice talent and actor Travis Davis from a 15 month long battle with stomach cancer.

He leaves behind a wife and two young children. There is a foundation set up to help the family.

Until this day, I never knew who Travis Davis was.

But I have a wife and two young children and right now my heart is racing and not in a good way.

If you’d be willing to forgo the morning Starbucks for a week, it might make a nice donation for a family that just lost their Da.

Tags: requiescat in pace, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover // Comments Off on requiescat in pace travis davis

Emmy Award Winning Female Voice Actor Stevie Vallance

I trained with Stevie Vallance at her “Tooned In” Workshop about two years ago in Toronto and it was a good experience. As you might guess by the name, Stevie’s focus is on animation voice over, a field where she has been an Emmy Award winning performer and producer for many years.

This week, unbeknownst to me, the Ottawa International Animation Festival is taking place and I’ll let you guess the city. Stevie has advised:

I will be in Ottawa teaching a workshop at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. On Wednesday, October 14th, I’ll be turning the hosts into ‘Toons’, on the A Channel’s Morning Show (aprox 7:30 am).

Sign up for my 2-hour Animation Voice-over Acting ‘Drill’, at the Ottawa International Animation Festival, on Thursday October 15th, at 7:00 pm, in the Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Ave, Ottawa. There is a $15 dollar walk-up entry fee, based on availability.

On Sunday, October 18th, I am teaching the ‘original’ Tooned In! Animation Acting Workshop, from 10am to 6pm. This event will take place in a state of the art recording studio, in Ottawa. ‘Animation acting’ experience is not required. Class capacity is limited for quality control and to ensure ample mic time for all participants. This workshop is 8 hours of intensive voice workout and participants will leave with a rough demo.

She noted she also has upcoming workshops in Owen Sound (Nov 1), New York (Nov 8), Toronto (Nov 29) and Vancouver (Dec 13)

For details or to register visit http://toonedin.ca

Tags: animation, commentary, voice actors, voice talent, voiceover, voiceover advice // 2 Comments »

It should not come as a surprise to you, gentle reader, that I love design and specifically advertising and marketing design. Visuals that must convey meaning and message in a short amount of time (usually) and birth an emotion and/or action within the viewer.

From a world wide perspective, there is no bigger brand in the world than Coca-Cola. My preference in cola leans directly toward Pepsi but business is bidnez and Coke is it. To wit:

With 450 brands operating in 200 countries, and 20,000 retailers selling 1.6 billion servings of Coke products per day — that’s 18,000 servings per second — it would be hard to find a bigger canvas on which to explore design as an enterprise function. (He) oversees a team of 50 designers within Coke and works with some 300 agencies worldwide.

With the curtain is pulled back on the recent design activities of the world’s largest brand, I think it’s worth a read.

And according to the story’s protagonist, the process may involve design but it isn’t about design – it’s about selling stuff.

Darn tootin’!

Tags: advertising, branding, commentary, commercials, logo design, marketing // Comments Off on 18,000 servings per second