OK, the World Wide Web isn’t all work — but it has been lately. I have done some redesigning of my website and of this blog, too. I have also been searching for ways to improve my web “presence”. It’s all about being found by the right people. That’s why I’ve categorized this entry under “VO Tools”. The Internet is one of the biggest tools in the business now. It is so important for a voice talent to be web savvy.
Once again I am blessed to have help in this area. My website has evolved over the past few years into something I am pretty pleased with, especially considering that I’ve paid practically nothing for it. Yup, doing it yourself is lots of work, but it is also super rewarding, and a huge savings on my budget right now. Of course, I can in no way take full credit for this site, since I’m no web programmer. However, thanks to a good friend who is, I’ve learned a lot (well, enough to get me through the basics anyway). The site isn’t anything real fancy, but it is functional, and overall I think it represents me pretty well.
Obviously, even the fanciest website is worthless to a voice talent without some well-produced demos to be heard on it. So…that’s the other thing that has been keeping me busy in recent months. Please check out my newest demos (each complete with its own video) on my demos page.
VO Demos are such a tricky thing. You’ve got 60 to 90 seconds to showcase your voice, but realistically, it’s more like 5 to 10 seconds. Voice seekers and producers are often so busy that 7 seconds might be all they will listen before deciding you aren’t what they want and move on to the next person. But…I AM what they want, and they would have known that if they had only listened to 30 seconds of my demo, because that’s where I did that style of read. Hmmm, so what to use first? What order should all of these pieces fit together? Well, that’s the tricky part. Your first piece can’t be the perfect read for every job, so at least make it something you do well. Even if it isn’t the style a seeker has in mind, if you’ve done it well, it just may get your full demo heard (or at least more than 10 seconds)!
So, I do my best and then hope for the best. But I never rest (not for long anyway). Marketing is so important. There is more competition out there every day, so I need to stay on top of my game. Keeping my demos updated and fresh is one way. Befriending the World Wide Web is another. And then there is the networking…
I’d like to recommend a couple of people in my personal network. In case you were admiring my way-cool logo, it was created for me by Erin Fike of Erin Fike – Graphic Design. She came up with so many excellent logos for me to choose from; I had a really hard time deciding. If your business could benefit from a personalized logo, contact Erin, she’ll fix you up with the perfect image. : )
I also appreciate the expertise of audio engineer, Jim Mikles. Jim is the designer of my home studio and has been a consultant on many audio related topics. In addition, Jim is now offering web programming services, and he has been invaluable to me as I set up my own website. When you need a top-notch audio engineer, or someone to create a functional website for you, contact Jim at jimmikles@audio-simplified.net.
When you contact Jim or Erin, tell them that I sent you. I can’t say that it will get you anything, but maybe I’ll get a few brownie points! ‘Cause you know, it’s all about the networking…
