Recently I was typing “VO” on one of my audio file labels and, for whatever reason, “Very Optimistic” popped into my head.  I thought about it a minute and decided that was a good way to approach the new year ahead of me.  Then I wondered what else “VO” could stand for.  Vast Opportunities came to mind.  The Internet and home studios have certainly opened up opportunities that we could not have imaged even just a decade ago.

So now I’ve decided to have some fun with this.  How can I use the letters “VO” to motivate me in my career this year?  How about Visualize Objectives?  Take a look at all of my Viable Options.  Determine to be a Vivacious Original!  Then I was suddenly craving Valencia Oranges…

As much as I dislike January in the Mid-Atlantic (in case you haven’t heard, I hate cold!!), the first month of the year does bring a sense of hope with it somehow.  A time to renew commitments and refresh our goals.  I desire to go farther with my career in Voice Over than ever before, so to be a Victorious Orator, I must Viva Occasions!  (Am I just grasping for them now)?

So what does “VO” mean to you this year?  I’d love to add to the list.  Please feel welcomed to leave your thoughts, ideas and comments here.  Even if they don’t begin with V-O, any motivators as we regroup for 2012 would be appreciated by all to want to dream big this year!

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Cold hands, warm heart. Is that a medical fact or just a figure of speech? ‘Cause my heart should be way overheated by now. Fortunately, I received a really cool (albeit “warm”) gift from my dad last Christmas that I continue to find “handy” throughout the winter months. USB powered heated gloves! So far, this Mid-Atlantic winter has been relatively mild and dry, but today we had snow and lots of wind. As I write this, it is 16°F (-9°C) outside and dropping! Of course I have heat in my office, but it still gets pretty chilly in here, especially when it’s sub-freezing outside. Yes, today was the day to break out the “indoor” gloves.

This Christmas gift from my dad has been quite useful in the winter -- heated USB-powered gloves!

They have long USB cables that plug into the front of my computer and 2 heat settings. At first I thought it would be awkward, but the cables don't get in my way at all.

Or, you can flip the mitten over your fingers when just web-surfing to warm up your whole hand. : )

Adjustable heat settings. These are really cool
(or should I say really warm?).

I’m not a fan of winter and cold, but these little blessings will help me through!

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I enjoy “collecting” voiceover direction that is well…kind of ridiculous.  Yes, I actually have a file on my computer labeled “Ridiculous Direction” where I save some of the best.  I thought it would be fun to share a few now and then and maybe bring a smile, a chuckle, a laugh-out-loud to someone today.  Or, it may just make you say “whaa…?”.

Disclaimer:  If you are a producer or talent seeker and find your directions included here, please don’t take it personally and think that I am making fun of you.  Think of it as a fun, light-hearted way of seeing the silliness of it all.  You know, amusing, but with a serious undertone…actually it’s pretty darn funny but with a hint of  somberness…try thinking Harrison Ford, but as a businesswoman with a slight Polynesian accent (which could be pretty hilarious, but we want to keep things calm and soothing, so don’t go overboard with it).  I hope that helps!!  : )

No spelling or grammar corrections have been made in these.  They are direct quotes from jobs or job postings.

Telephone Messages – Female

“Female, professional, corporate…with a touch of naughty would be perfect. 99% of our clients are male civil engineers. They need something to make their lives a bit more interesting (not too interesting though)”

75 Second Computer Promo

“Voice will be narration for a short, punchy animated promo with attitude.  What we are looking for is the feeling of a real voice behind the words, NOT a sales pitch.

Reading should be:
Simple.
Direct.
Matter a fact.

But with room for for quirky charm or a bit of wry edge and attitude to leak in around the edges. (Wow, I really love that line!) Just turn off the sales and lets hear the voice behind it.”

Corporate Video – Female

When you record your demo, imagine yourself as a European who spent time educated in the US. That should get you the accent we are looking for.”

:30 TV commercial

“I need a VO for the spot below. I want it to be good. I have no direction other than that.”

Video Narration – Female (yes, this job was posted for a female voice)

“It cant be voice of god, not too much like a movie trailer, NOT like mason adams on smuckers. NOT it was a cold and stormy night type. It needs to be approachable friendly asurring, not hard edged.  Looking for retired country judge character on his porch in a rocking chair, maybe smoking a pipe watching the sun rise as he waxes nastalgic about how new dawn has helped him live a fufilling life, deaply moved.”

Stay tuned…more to come!  If you are a voice talent reading this I am sure (it’s pretty much a given) that you have your own collection, so please feel free to share here.  We all need a little LOL each day!

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2010 was a very successful year for my business, and I want to thank all of my new and returning clients for allowing me to be “their voice”! I am also grateful for those who have shown interest in my voice by bookmarking me as a “favorite” on Voices.com, placing me in the top 20 all-time favorite female voice talent on the world’s largest voice over marketplace!

Here is just a quick sampling of a few of the places my voice was used in 2010.  To view or hear each sample click on the links (in red) below.

Informational / Instructional Video

DALSA Corporate Video

MyPrint eTools informational web video (Click on the 3 videos to “see why you should choose MyPrint”)

Planet GPA web promo (Click on “What Can We Do For You? – Planet GPA About Us”)

Miller Brown Family Companies (videos automatically begin on each page):
Introduction
What To Expect
Why We Exist

Ocean Club Resorts (Click on “Resort Video”)

Zurvita – ZLinked promo video

Kohjin – Glutathione promo video

Smart Way America Realty promo video

Cathe Friedrich Workout Blender Tutorial (Click on “View the Tutorial”)

Excent – Special Educators informational videos (25 videos)

Radio/TV Advertising

Gleen Cloth TV Commercial

Gleen Cloth Radio

Cyber Clean TV & Web Ad

Gold 915 – Radio in Curacao
– Prowin Motors – Seat
– Hyatt Regency Medi
– Hyatt Regency Shor
– Bruna Bookstore
– Goudsmid Jewelry
– Vreugdenhil Supermarket

Phone Systems / IVR

EEMA Lighting Group (Welcome & On-Hold messages)
– EEMA Main Welcome Message — EEMA On-Hold — Liton On-Hold Message
South Carolina Bar (Full phone system)
– Welcome and Main Menu
Loring Ward (Full phone system)
– Welcome and Main Menu
Steel Aviation (Welcome & On-Hold messages)
– Main Greeting — Company Info — On-Hold
Excent (Welcome & On-Hold Messages)
– Welcome — On-Hold
Startec (IVR Prompts)
– New Prompts

I am looking forward to the privilege of providing quality voice overs to represent many businesses, industries and individuals in 2011.

Thanks for listening!

Follow @DianeBeanVO

Come on down!!! You’re the next contestant on The Price Is Right!

Sometimes, setting VO rates can feel like you are playing a game. But that is the last thing I (or most voice talent) want to do. There are so many variables that go into each project, and therefore, into each price quote. I am often asked for my rate card. While I do have predetermined rates for all categories of voice over, I use them as a guideline, and not an amount carved in stone. Why? Well let’s take a look at the variables.

One thing that goes into consideration is the type or purpose of the recording. Is it a radio commercial? TV commercial? Corporate video? In-house training video? Telephone messages? You may wonder why this matters. Well, my voice can be used to simply welcome someone who calls a particular company, or it can be used to actually bring in money for the company through advertising. It can be used to train new employees, or it can be used to increase the company by recruiting new employees. Even the unions such as SAG and AFTRA recognize this is a valid starting point for determining rates.

Next, we need to look at the target market or audience. If that radio commercial is going to be heard on syndication nationwide, it obviously should cost more than a spot only being used at a couple of stations in a rural community. The unions have some base rates for radio and television spots and then add additional fees according to the cities where they will be broadcast. So, for me, the amount quoted for an advertising voiceover can vary greatly.

Even with non-advertising jobs, the target audience can still come into play. A training video being used by a large corporation to train employees at multiple locations will most likely pay more than a small business that is using the video in-house for a handful of employees. And if the video will be distributed, rented or sold to other businesses within an industry, or if it will be sold to the general public, then the rates just went up again. So, you see part of the determining factor has to do with whether the client will monetarily profit from the use of my voice or not.

Then, of course, we come to the length of the script. How much time will it take for me to record? And, if I am expected to record from my own studio and also edit, and/or mix the audio, and convert it to the required format, that not only takes more time, but also more expertise and equipment.

This is not an exhaustive list of variables for determining rates, since there are also items like the use of ISDN to record, or whether this is for a buy-out of usage or if residuals will be expected, or even if and how many sessions of revisions will be allowed without new charges. So, if you ask me for my rate card, and I ask you to provide me with some more information first, hopefully now you can understand why. It’s not because I’m trying to find ways to get more money out of you, it’s because I want to be fair to you, to me and to the voiceover industry.

For a general idea of common voice over rates, here are a few links (in red below) to some websites that offer guidelines for non-union fees for VO. You will notice a wide range of rates between each of these resources, so again, consider the variables. The more information I receive about a project, the more accurate (and fair and reasonable) my quote will be.


Edge Studio Voice Over Industry Ratecard

Voices.com – Voice Over Rates

Voice123 – How Much Are Talents and Voice Producers Charging for Non-Union Voice Over Work Delivered Online?

And one site that provides a list of current union rates for SAG and AFTRA:
Producers Handy Dandy Mid-Atlantic Voice Over Resource for Union Talent

Another valuable resource I use for determining length of audio:
Edge Studio Words to Time Calculator

Please call or email me with the details of your project for a quote.  Oh, and I’m always glad to provide you with a custom sample of your script at no charge!

email: diane@dianesvoice.com
phone: 240-580-3355
web: DianesVoice.com

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