How People React to Male vs. Female Voiceovers
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
-- By: Mark Dolliver
The results of an AdweekMedia/Harris Poll, conducted last month, give reason to believe gender stereotypes are alive and well in the way many people react to male and female voiceovers in commercials.
On the question of which sort is "more forceful," 48 percent of respondents said a male voiceover is, vs. 2 percent saying a female voiceover is. (The rest said it makes no difference.) The pattern was just the opposite when people were asked to say which is "more soothing," with the female outpointing the male by 46 percent to 8 percent. There was no significant gap, though, on the question of which is "more persuasive." Eighteen percent said a male voiceover is, while 19 percent said a female voiceover is.
Elsewhere in the same survey, respondents were asked to say which sort of voiceover is "more likely to sell me a car." The male was the bigger vote-getter here, 28 percent to 7 percent. The same was true on the question of which is "more likely to sell me a computer," with 23 percent picking the male voiceover and 7 percent the female voiceover.
Are you shocked and appalled? Do you agree with the findings? Leave us your comments and thoughts here!
Congratulations to the Talent of the Month: Natalie Donegan
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
"With my genuine British accent, I am very lucky to sound different than anyone else I come across living in Tennessee!"
Natalie Donegan has done an amazing job of marketing herself in her local area by capitalizing on her unique voice; in this case, it's her British accent! Since training with Such A Voice, Natalie has worked with MotionFoundry, Inc. doing a voicemail and web commercial. She has also done several telephony recordings for other clients both locally and abroad. Natalie says, "I love the flexibility, the variation in projections I work on, and the fact that I am my own boss!"
Natalie decided to pursue voiceovers because she has always had an interest in the arts, and she studied Drama and Theatre Studies in Cambridge, England. She was always drawn to the off-camera voice-over jobs, but she accepted a desk job as a Sales Manager at a daily newspaper and found that she was unable to dedicate the time to following her dreams. Now, as a stay-at-home mom, she has the time and luxury of pursuing her voice-over dreams, and she admits, "It's nice that now I'm not required to immediately get regular paychecks for my work." She adds, "But so far it's working!"
Natalie dedicates 3-4 hours a day to her voice-over work, and sometimes she works into the evenings. As a member of Voices.com, she is able to audition everyday. She also makes sure to dedicate time to corresponding with clients and recording tracks that she has been hired for. Networking also seems to come naturally to this transplant, Natalie says, "I really enjoy the marketing side of my business and the constant contact with potential clients, too."
In fact she has a business plan that she sticks to, which includes a goal of new contacts to make on a weekly and monthly basis. She constantly works on her web presence, making sure her portfolios are complete on her social media sites, such as Facebook, My Space and Twitter. She also makes sure to update her email contacts every so often to let them know of new projects that she has been involved with.
She shares with us her most recent success story: I took the advice on the Such A Voice marketing CD and recently offered my first free service to a new client, and it has worked out really well! I did a 30-second free web commercial for a company called MotionFoundry, Inc, who added my voice to a video for one of their clients. From this free track, the client has then hired me to record the telephone systems for their office. Then, they called me back again and said they had selected me as one of 16 voice talents to join a new project they have recently launched called Spot24. Spot24 is a new idea in which a client can upload camera, camcorder media and/or stock images, choose a theme music, pick a pro voice-over talent from their pool of artists (of which I am one), tell MotionFoundry what they want to say and MotionFoundry puts it all together. The TV/Web spots are completed and delivered back to the client in 24-48 hours.
Her advice to new grads? Natalie says, "MAKE SURE YOU GO THROUGH THE WHOLE TRAINING PACKAGE SENT FROM SUCH A VOICE! It took me quite a lot of time, but it taught me so many useful things -- especially when it came to marketing myself."
Great job, Natalie, and we look forward to hearing more of you in the near future!
Insights from the Mentor Program: Dennis Gimmel
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
Dennis Gimmel joined the Mentor Program before he completed the Masters Program because he felt like it was the "logical thing to do". Being completely new to
voice-over work, he figured he would probably need the extra support and one-on-one guidance. Dennis thought the Mentor Program would bring a slew of challenges and pressures, so made sure that he was the source of his own motivation throughout the program. Although his mentor, Brian Thon, didn't have to "crack the whip" much, he was grateful to feel that Brian would have nudged him if he started to slack off.
Dennis realized that the Masters Program and the Mentor Program prepared him well for the voice-over industry when his first client's response to the
voice-over job he did was, "Wow!" His next voice-over job was for a tire ad in Ocala, Florida, and Brian gave him some good pointers on how to squeeze a lot of text into 52 seconds. His next challenge was using Source Connect from his home studio, which allows him to read from home and be directed from Florida. With Brian's suggestions, he was able to set it up, work for about ten minutes, and make another client happy!
During his experiences with Such A Voice, Dennis says, "I found that my strength is that of a 'warm, front-porch storyteller'. Just knowing who I am as a
voice talent has to help in my future efforts."
Dennis adds, "During my mentoring session, one of my clients wanted me to provide music on one of my reads. Brian Thon, my mentor, was able to direct me to reliable sights to sample and obtain music. He also gave me advice concerning what that would mean as far as billing the customer. At about this same time, potential clients were asking me about ISDN capabilities and similar questions. Brian was able to give me a better understanding concerning this technology, plus advise on how to deal with such concerns."
Dennis Gimmel is the perfect example of how someone who is motivated to excel in the voice-over industry can make the most of the Mentor Program to get all questions answered -- no matter how basic or complex. To check out Dennis Gimmel's website, go to:
http://www.dennisgimmel.com
Technique Tip of March: Find Your Diaphragm
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Voice-over training requires a lot of talking! If you are not used to projecting your voice for a continuous period of time, your vocal chords may tire easily. [Teachers: you have a leg up on all of us!] Your vocal chords will eventually adapt to the added demand you make on them as you practice controlling your pitch, attitude, volume and energy. If you find that you feel a bit tired or winded after practicing voice-over technique, maybe you are not using your diaphragm. Learning to use your diaphragm will not only increase your stamina, but it will allow you to control your pitch, attitude, volume and energy more adeptly, and put you in the perfect place to get more
voice-over work!
Your diaphragm is a smooth muscle that lies beneath your lungs and controls the mechanics of inspiration. You are always using your diaphragm to inhale and exhale because it is a muscle that works automatically, like your heart. When you inhale, your diaphragm actually contracts to allow air to be sucked into your lungs. Your diaphragm then relaxes, which puts more pressure on your lungs so that you exhale. While your diaphragm does this without your conscious awareness, you can deepen your breath, calm your nerves, and control your voice by consciously engaging your diaphragm.
First, you need to find your diaphragm! Do this exercise to learn where your diaphragm is and what it feels like when you consciously control it. Start by lying on your back on the ground. Place a book on your abdomen and breath easily for a few minutes, just like you normally do. The book should rise and fall with each inhalation and exhalation. Next, watch the book rise on an inhale, and this time when you exhale try to keep the book (and your abdomen) raised like it was at the end of your inhalation. You'll feel like you are pushing down into your stomach when you exhale in order to keep your stomach raised, which is why this exercise is sometimes called "deep belly breathing". Continue to keep the book elevated with your abdomen as you slowly inhale and exhale.
You should feel a definite increase in your lung capacity after doing this exercise for only a few minutes. Try starting each
voice-over job or practice with this exercise, and see how you feel after only a couple weeks!
5 Guys in a Limo
Monday, March 01, 2010
In case you haven't seen this before... it will add a smile to your
Monday morning!
9 Years and Counting...
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Today we would like to take a moment to pat each other on the back for receiving this certificate of excellence from the Better Business Bureau (BBB). I mean, we know we're good -- but it certainly feels good to get that validation nine years in a row from someone whose job it is to rate businesses according to customer satisfaction, "honesty, integrity, ethics and trust".
"I'm really proud when I look at our record with the Better Business Bureau,"
Ben Werlin, Business Manager at Such A Voice says. "I think it clearly illustrates our commitment to the success of our clients. It also speaks to the strength of our voice-over coaching and production staff and their ability to really deliver quality training and demo production on a consistent basis." He adds, "I am truly thankful to have the opportunity to work with all the talented individuals that make up the Such A Voice Team!"
In case you haven't had the pleasure of working with us, I can tell you that we all love what we do here. Like, seriously -- we love our jobs! We have so much fun working with clients, and you definitely get that sense from attending one of our classes or even just calling us to ask questions. It's hard to
not get so much satisfaction working at Such A Voice when we get to see -- and hear -- our clients making their
voice-over dream jobs come true every day.
Thanks to everyone for all their hard work, and thank you to our students, past and future, for giving us the opportunity to do what we do best: voice-over training and demo production.
What's in a Contract?
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Like any successful
voice-over artist will tell you, becoming a pro in this industry takes more than the voice-over training. There's a website to build, marketing to plan, Pro Tools to master, and then there are little "details," like what information to include in a contract. Make sure you have your ducks in a row when you land your first
voice-over job so that you
look like the pro in the client's eyes that you
sound like!
Sending the client a contract is a good idea so that both you and the client are explicit about the details of the project, the timeline, the agreed upon price, and the deliverables -- including how many iterations of the voice-over they get for the rate. In most cases, a standard template in Microsoft Publisher will suffice. Devise a contract template ahead of time, complete with your brand name and logo, which will save you time later on.
You may run into a situation in which you will go back and forth with a client through email about the details of the
voice-over job, but it's generally a good idea to summarize everything in a contract one last time. The organization will be appreciated by the client, and documenting your projects will make it easier for you in tax season!
Meet Jody Petersen!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Name and title: Voice-Over Coach and Producer
Where are you from? Born New York, raised in Kentucky until the age of 10, then fell of the turnip truck in Jericho Vermont.
Job responsibilities: I produce Demos, write scripts, coach, record and teach students in the Master Class. I also vacuum the studio and put the toilet seat down a few hundred times a day.
Favorite food: My favorite food? Fresh greens, fresh greens and more fresh greens!
Hobbies: My hobbies are listening to music, playing cello, long distance road biking, snow shoeing, hiking, wilderness camping, sewing, cooking, reading, independent films, drinking, renovating, restoring, decorating, entertaining, herb crafting and gardening.
Destination vacation: Cooper Island in the Caribbean or New Zealand
What are you listening to right now? The Avett Brothers, K.T Tunstall, Toni Caitlin (!) and an incredible compilation Aaron (my buddy in Post) put together- It features everything from Jazz, African and Americana to Pop, Alternative and Esoterica. I love variety and this compilation really delivers.
One piece of advice for aspiring talent: Believe in your power to do anything you have your heart set on. Dream it. Believe it. Receive it!
Making Sense of Social Media
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Continuing our discussion of
voice-over technique quality vs. brand marketing, it's important to consider your social media strategy. Not that long ago there was only Facebook and MySpace, but today there are literally hundreds of social media sites to choose from. YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are some of the most popular, but don't forget about LinkedIn, Ning, Yelp! or Yammer. Especially if you're just joining us in the social media scene, it can be overwhelming to figure out what you
need now, what you can pass on, and what to plan for later.
As a professional
voice-over artist, you need to strategize your social media front to get as much exposure to potential clients as possible. That means you should definitely be set up with your own webpage -- either through Such A Voice (if you were a student of ours), on another site like VoiceOver Universe, and/or create your own website. There are plenty of resources that can help you set up your own webpage for free (or for little cost), like godaddy.com, weebly.com or web.com. The point is to get your picture, bio, and demo up and running so that you have a link to refer potential clients to.
Branding. Make sure your business cards match your website design and that those match your logo, etc. Have a professional design your logo after you have created your unique brand, which should represent the special YOU that sets you apart from the crowd. You can set your budget for a logo design and have graphic design artist bid for it at sites such as 99designs.com.
As a new voice-over artist, get the necessities up first and worry about the intricacies of other social media sites later. Twitter is a great way to follow people who write interesting posts about
voice-over work, job auditions, or social media articles. Feel free to ask people questions, and don't feel pressure to have a profile on every social media site. Remember: the sites should work for you, not the other way around!
-By: Catherine Marshall
Everything You Need to Do Voiceovers, and One Thing You Don't -- Blair Hardman
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Hope you like this weekend bonus video! We enjoyed it!