An AI Guinea Pig for Voice Actors
Not long ago, I wrote about a prospective client with regard to AI. The post attracted attention on Facebook and on LinkedIn. Now, in the words of the late, great Paul Harvey, here comes “the rest of the story”.
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Sounding an $800-Million Alarm on AI
Movie mogul Tyler Perry halted an $800-million expansion to his Atlanta movie studio lands last week. The former army base is already one of the biggest film studios in America. Plans called for a dozen new soundstages and more to be built on the 330-acre lot. But after testing a new text-to-video AI program, Perry pulled the plug.
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Switching Up Gears in Voice-Over
In the voice-over business they’re called tones. But I’ve always thought of them as gears. Do you want a warm, soft read? I’ve got a gear for that!
Doing What You Love for The Love of Doing It
2024 started a little slowly for voice-work. This is typical and nothing to get alarmed about. Self-employed people learn about ebbs and flows of their businesses and plan accordingly.
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Professional Pivoting is What All the Cool Kids are Doing
Long ago and far away at a point in my radio career, I transitioned away from being a music host into newscaster and reporter.
…Professional Pivoting is What All the Cool Kids are DoingRead More »
Working for the Woman
One of my voice-over clients asked me to consider a full-time job working only for them, late last year. It was flattering but I immediately turned it down. Some people in my circle thought I was nuts.
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People Who Get Peoply Are the Luckiest People
I spent last weekend in Toronto attending the VO North conference; a gathering of voice-over pros and those who want to be.
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VO Coach – My Mistakes and Successes on Fiverr
If you’re familiar with Fiverr, I know what you’re thinking. Fiverr. UGH. Cheap rates, cheap clients, ruining the freelance industry – shaking your fist at the sky! I get it, believe me, I felt the same way.
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VO Coach – Ten Voice-Over Commandments
My first VO Coaching client is off and running, getting jobs and making his clients happy, Once in a while, I’ll devote a blog post to VO coaching tips. Even if you’re not in voice-over I hope these posts will lend a little insight into the VO world.
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On The Other Side of Business
It was Thanksgiving weekend in Canada. You may have had the day off. If you freelance like me, you kept your eye on the ball. Most of my clients didn’t have a long weekend.
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My (Unlikely) Replacement
All through the voice-over trade, worries are bubbling like simmering soup that artificial intelligence will replace human voices. Some in the voice-over game full-time are wringing their hands that work will dry up, AI will take over and the voice will become obsolete. I’m in the VO game full-time and I’m not worried. With a caveat.
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The Voice
I don’t know what it’s like in other professions, but I know that it used to bother me when I was told I sound EXACTLY like someone else.
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Working For Fun
A film-maker recently approached me with a request to have me voice a character for them. The budget was “just for fun”! People have tried to get me to work for free before, but I’d never seen “fun” as a payment term.
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Unnecessary Complications
Every bank and financial institution claims it can make things easier for us. Simplify your life! Make saving money a breeze! We’ll guide you through the process! My recent experience doing a teeny weenie bit of work for one of them was a wet mackerel to the forehead. Not easy at all.
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Source Connect is Here!
This is a milestone in our little voice-over conglomerate. We now have Source Connect and I’m more than happy to tell you what that means.
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The Booth Life
The dream: To work from home in one’s pyjamas, when possible. Reality: it’s friggin’ awesome.
…The First Freelance Friday
The question I’ve been asked most often this week is, how long will it take you to sleep past 3 am? …
Pulling Up Stakes
When we last left our intrepid broadcaster, she had purchased a home in Wallaceburg and put her London house up for sale. Her husband and cat have been clearing out and packing. (Husband more than cat.) We learned that the new home isn’t commuting distance to the current job. And now, with apologies to Paul Harvey, here’s…the rest…of the story.
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