Hello everyone and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. We had a bit of an unscheduled break there due a myriad of reasons, many of which I get into in the podcast.
Not least of which was some technical issues that lost me a couple of podcast episodes. (That's why I didn't post when I said I was going to go. My computer decided to eat them.)
Anyway, we're back and I hope to get another episode out in a few days. Playing catch up.
As always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the episode via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts OR you can download it directly by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
More podcasting goodness is coming...
Just so you guys are aware, there are more episodes in the works. Things have been a tad busy lately and right around the time I decide I'm going to do more post work on the episodes is right around the time my (new!) clients start coming out of the woodwork. So once everything settles a little I will post the episodes I have. I'm guess one will go up sometime this weekend and then another will be up the middle of next week.
As always, drop me a line if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
The Slack Jaw Voice Over - Episode 8 - Voicebunny
Hello again. We continue our series of reviews of online voice over marketplaces. Today we discuss Voicebunny.com. Voicebunny is the little brother of Voice123.com. It is definitely very different from other systems I've used.
I'll let the podcast speak for itself on that one.
One thing I did want to mention that is an "update" to a previous review. (I'll post this on that review as well.) In the Voices.com review I spoke a lot about the "like" feature on that system. I had made the assumption, due to the pattern I saw, that clients would use the like function to shortlist the talents and then select the one they wanted. I went further and assumed all clients did this. This is not true. Apparently only about half to a third of Voices.com clients use the like function in that way. I had just had all the clients who gave me jobs to fall into that group. So I assumed they all did. Since that time I have spoken with other voice over talents in addition to being awarded some jobs without being "liked" first. I just wanted you to be aware so you didn't get worried if you weren't being liked. (Like I was.)
As always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the episode via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts OR you can download it directly by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
I'll let the podcast speak for itself on that one.
One thing I did want to mention that is an "update" to a previous review. (I'll post this on that review as well.) In the Voices.com review I spoke a lot about the "like" feature on that system. I had made the assumption, due to the pattern I saw, that clients would use the like function to shortlist the talents and then select the one they wanted. I went further and assumed all clients did this. This is not true. Apparently only about half to a third of Voices.com clients use the like function in that way. I had just had all the clients who gave me jobs to fall into that group. So I assumed they all did. Since that time I have spoken with other voice over talents in addition to being awarded some jobs without being "liked" first. I just wanted you to be aware so you didn't get worried if you weren't being liked. (Like I was.)
As always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the episode via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts OR you can download it directly by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
The Slack Jaw Voice Over Podcast - Episode 7 - Voice123.com
Hello everyone. Thanks for coming back to hear the second installment of our list of reviews of voice over marketplaces.
Today we are going to talk about Voice123.com. I go over the pros and cons and then explain why I'm not a paying member. (Hint: more cons than pros) That being said, do your own research on this. Look into it and if you think it's worth the cost of entry then by all means go ahead.
One place to start is the Voice123 Blog.
As always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the episode via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts OR you can download it directly by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
Today we are going to talk about Voice123.com. I go over the pros and cons and then explain why I'm not a paying member. (Hint: more cons than pros) That being said, do your own research on this. Look into it and if you think it's worth the cost of entry then by all means go ahead.
One place to start is the Voice123 Blog.
As always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the episode via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts OR you can download it directly by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
Monday, October 21, 2013
The Slack Jaw Voice Over - Episode 6 - Voices.com
UPDATE BELOW
Hello all!
Sorry for the late upload. It's been a crazy week and a half. I talk a little about it in the episode but the long and the short of it is I have started to work (mostly) full time on my voice over work. This basically means I'm auditioning as much as I can. And with the transition from a basic "9-5" job to one that is from home has taken some more adjusting than I thought.
Anyway, in todays episode we start to talk about the various different voice over marketplaces that exist out there. These reviews obviously aren't exhaustive, and I do recommend you do your own research, but it's a place to start.
Today we talk about Voices.com. This is the service that I am most familiar with as I am a paying member. The episode has more details as to the "ins and outs" of the program.
As always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the episode via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts OR you can download it directly by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
Take Care!
UPDATE 11/5/13: In this review I spoke a lot about the "like" feature on that system. I had made the assumption, due to the pattern I saw, that clients would use the like function to shortlist the talents and then select the one they wanted. I went further and assumed all clients did this. This is not true. Apparently only about half to a third of Voices.com clients use the like function in that way. I had just had all the clients who gave me jobs to fall into that group. So I assumed they all did. Since that time I have spoken with other voice over talents in addition to being awarded some jobs without being "liked" first. I just wanted you to be aware so you didn't get worried if you weren't being liked. (Like I was.)
Hello all!
Sorry for the late upload. It's been a crazy week and a half. I talk a little about it in the episode but the long and the short of it is I have started to work (mostly) full time on my voice over work. This basically means I'm auditioning as much as I can. And with the transition from a basic "9-5" job to one that is from home has taken some more adjusting than I thought.
Anyway, in todays episode we start to talk about the various different voice over marketplaces that exist out there. These reviews obviously aren't exhaustive, and I do recommend you do your own research, but it's a place to start.
Today we talk about Voices.com. This is the service that I am most familiar with as I am a paying member. The episode has more details as to the "ins and outs" of the program.
As always, drop me a line or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the episode via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts OR you can download it directly by clicking here. Thanks for stopping by!
Take Care!
UPDATE 11/5/13: In this review I spoke a lot about the "like" feature on that system. I had made the assumption, due to the pattern I saw, that clients would use the like function to shortlist the talents and then select the one they wanted. I went further and assumed all clients did this. This is not true. Apparently only about half to a third of Voices.com clients use the like function in that way. I had just had all the clients who gave me jobs to fall into that group. So I assumed they all did. Since that time I have spoken with other voice over talents in addition to being awarded some jobs without being "liked" first. I just wanted you to be aware so you didn't get worried if you weren't being liked. (Like I was.)
Thursday, October 3, 2013
The Slack Jaw Voice Over Podcast - Episode 5 - Finding A Path
Hello and welcome back! Thanks for checking us out.
In today's podcast I talk about finding your path. As I've said many times there is no one right way to do this. My path may be different that yours. Then again we could have very similar paths. There are many ways to become a voice actor. That's the whole reason why I'm doing this. Showing people how I have done it.
And here we come to the part about choosing your path. You have a lot of options ahead of you. Just like I do. What I'm going to be doing in the next few weeks is talking about the various "options" that are out there now. I can say right now that choosing only one will make for a slower progression. So it will all depend on how fast you want to go. In any case it's probably going to take longer than you would like, or even be comfortable with, but stick with it. That is the most important thing. I have listed below the various path(s) you can take and a brief description of what they are. These include various online vocal marketplaces (NOTE: Some of these options are not exclusively voice over.) and other options you may have. And please, don't take my word for it. Research, Google, talk to any voice over folks you know or work with. Just because it works for me, it may not work for you. And conversely if it doesn't work for me, it might just be your thing. I plan on spending one episode on each of these "paths." Please come back and check them out.
Drop me a line at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the podcast via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts, OR you can download it directly by clicking on the title of this entry OR click right here. Thanks for stopping by! (List of upcoming episodes are below.)
What we'll be talking about in the coming weeks. I've included links if you want to check them out before you listen to their respective podcast.
Voices.com - This is a dedicated voice over marketplace. They connect talent with clients who are looking for VO talent. There is a monthly or yearly fee to get access to these jobs. (Clients list for free and pay a fee upon selection of talent.) As a talent you can set up a profile for free and even post demos and such. But to get access to the leads you need to pay.
Voice123 - Another dedicated voice over marketplace. Again, they connect talent with clients. Here there is only a yearly fee option here for access to clients. Can still set up a profile for free though. Here the client lists for free and there doesn't seem to be any fee for them. Everything is handled directly between the talent and the client. Voice123 will moderate issues though when they arise. (Full disclosure: I do not have a membership to Voice123. I'll explain why in the episode.)
Voicebunny - This is a dedicated voice over marketplace with a twist. It's run by the same folks as Voice123 but has a vastly different set up. It's free to post a profile, list a job, whatever. Voicebunny takes a cut from the money that is paid from the client to the talent. This one has a difficult to explain set up that I'll save for detailed explanation for the podcast itself. It is free, but one thing to remember, they review auditions and submissions. They reject those that aren't "perfect." If you get too many rejections you may be asked to leave the Voicebunny community.
Bodalgo - Another pay to play voice over marketplace. This one has high standards for entry they only accept "professional voice over talent." There is a monthly or yearly charge but from what I can tell it's much lower than other places. I'm still waiting for my account to be activated so I'll have more details later.
Fiverr.com - Here we come our first "general" marketplace all based around $5 "gigs." Fiverr is actually pretty interesting as you can find a lot of different products and services. There seems to be a large voice over base here. One nice thing about Fiverr is there no auditioning. You put up your "gig" and then people come to you. There is more to it but I'll get to that in this episode.
Elance - Another "general" marketplace. While Fiverr is more for the hobbyist looking to make some money on the side with some serious moneymakers in the bunch, Elance is the opposite. Mostly for serious folks looking to make money. There is even jobs listed that are for plumbers and such. Again there is a base of voice actors on here. Again I'll get more into my thoughts in the episode for Elance.
The "Real" World - Here is the one that probably is the most nerve racking. This is where you go out, and find any local casting agencies, agents, etc to help you find jobs. While I have very little "real world" knowledge in this regard I do have some. And by the time we get to this episode I will hopefully have more.
Thanks again for sticking around and I look forward to talking more about these options!
In today's podcast I talk about finding your path. As I've said many times there is no one right way to do this. My path may be different that yours. Then again we could have very similar paths. There are many ways to become a voice actor. That's the whole reason why I'm doing this. Showing people how I have done it.
And here we come to the part about choosing your path. You have a lot of options ahead of you. Just like I do. What I'm going to be doing in the next few weeks is talking about the various "options" that are out there now. I can say right now that choosing only one will make for a slower progression. So it will all depend on how fast you want to go. In any case it's probably going to take longer than you would like, or even be comfortable with, but stick with it. That is the most important thing. I have listed below the various path(s) you can take and a brief description of what they are. These include various online vocal marketplaces (NOTE: Some of these options are not exclusively voice over.) and other options you may have. And please, don't take my word for it. Research, Google, talk to any voice over folks you know or work with. Just because it works for me, it may not work for you. And conversely if it doesn't work for me, it might just be your thing. I plan on spending one episode on each of these "paths." Please come back and check them out.
Drop me a line at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the podcast via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts, OR you can download it directly by clicking on the title of this entry OR click right here. Thanks for stopping by! (List of upcoming episodes are below.)
What we'll be talking about in the coming weeks. I've included links if you want to check them out before you listen to their respective podcast.
Voices.com - This is a dedicated voice over marketplace. They connect talent with clients who are looking for VO talent. There is a monthly or yearly fee to get access to these jobs. (Clients list for free and pay a fee upon selection of talent.) As a talent you can set up a profile for free and even post demos and such. But to get access to the leads you need to pay.
Voice123 - Another dedicated voice over marketplace. Again, they connect talent with clients. Here there is only a yearly fee option here for access to clients. Can still set up a profile for free though. Here the client lists for free and there doesn't seem to be any fee for them. Everything is handled directly between the talent and the client. Voice123 will moderate issues though when they arise. (Full disclosure: I do not have a membership to Voice123. I'll explain why in the episode.)
Voicebunny - This is a dedicated voice over marketplace with a twist. It's run by the same folks as Voice123 but has a vastly different set up. It's free to post a profile, list a job, whatever. Voicebunny takes a cut from the money that is paid from the client to the talent. This one has a difficult to explain set up that I'll save for detailed explanation for the podcast itself. It is free, but one thing to remember, they review auditions and submissions. They reject those that aren't "perfect." If you get too many rejections you may be asked to leave the Voicebunny community.
Bodalgo - Another pay to play voice over marketplace. This one has high standards for entry they only accept "professional voice over talent." There is a monthly or yearly charge but from what I can tell it's much lower than other places. I'm still waiting for my account to be activated so I'll have more details later.
Fiverr.com - Here we come our first "general" marketplace all based around $5 "gigs." Fiverr is actually pretty interesting as you can find a lot of different products and services. There seems to be a large voice over base here. One nice thing about Fiverr is there no auditioning. You put up your "gig" and then people come to you. There is more to it but I'll get to that in this episode.
Elance - Another "general" marketplace. While Fiverr is more for the hobbyist looking to make some money on the side with some serious moneymakers in the bunch, Elance is the opposite. Mostly for serious folks looking to make money. There is even jobs listed that are for plumbers and such. Again there is a base of voice actors on here. Again I'll get more into my thoughts in the episode for Elance.
The "Real" World - Here is the one that probably is the most nerve racking. This is where you go out, and find any local casting agencies, agents, etc to help you find jobs. While I have very little "real world" knowledge in this regard I do have some. And by the time we get to this episode I will hopefully have more.
Thanks again for sticking around and I look forward to talking more about these options!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
The Slack Jaw Voice Over - Episode 4 - The Gap
...no not the clothing store. I haven't been able to fit in those clothes since ever.
Today I talk about how it's important to create content. No matter what. It's why I'm doing this podcast. I also talk about a quote from Ira Glass that has been floating around the web that speaks to this very idea.
I look forward to your comments and questions. I want this to be as much of a dialogue as possible.
In that spirit, drop me a line at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the podcast via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts, OR you can download it directly by clicking on the title of this entry OR click right here. Thanks for stopping by!
Today I talk about how it's important to create content. No matter what. It's why I'm doing this podcast. I also talk about a quote from Ira Glass that has been floating around the web that speaks to this very idea.
I look forward to your comments and questions. I want this to be as much of a dialogue as possible.
In that spirit, drop me a line at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. You can access the podcast via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts, OR you can download it directly by clicking on the title of this entry OR click right here. Thanks for stopping by!
Thursday, September 5, 2013
The Slack Jaw Voice Over Episode 3 - Practice Makes Perfect
Hello! Thanks for stopping by. We have a new episode for you. In today's episode I talk a little bit about how I took a break from theatre at the worst possible time and that if you want to do this for a living you need to practice EVERY DAY.
One thing that will help is if you start trying out for local theatre productions and if there is a local improv group out there then it would be a good idea to check them out. If you are anywhere near central Virginia you may want to check out Bent Theatre. They are a great improv group in the area.
I also talk a little about what you need to get started in regards to equipment. Here is the basic list of things you need:
One thing that will help is if you start trying out for local theatre productions and if there is a local improv group out there then it would be a good idea to check them out. If you are anywhere near central Virginia you may want to check out Bent Theatre. They are a great improv group in the area.
I also talk a little about what you need to get started in regards to equipment. Here is the basic list of things you need:
- Mic (A good one, I use the Shure KSM32)
- Audio Interface (This takes what is picked up by the mic and turning it into a digital signal. I have a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2)
- Mic Cord (You need this special cord to connect the mic to the audio interface)
- A computer
- Audio editing software (Audacity, Garageband, Pro Tools, etc.)
- High Speed Internet access (If you are going to try this from home you need a high speed internet connection to be able to be competitive.)
I recommend checking out Sweetwater.com as they are a great resource. Check with a vocal coach to get a better idea of the type of mic you need. But one thing I have heard often, spend ten times as much on lessons and workshops than you do on equipment. It will pay off in the end.
Well that is pretty much all for today. As always drop me a line at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com or follow me on Twitter @theslackjaw. Thanks again for stopping by!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
The Slack Jaw Podcast Episode 2 - Put Yourself Out There
Hello all. Here we are with episode two for your listening pleasure. NOTE: I realize I said "Joe DiMaggio" early in the podcast when I meant "John DiMaggio." I realize Joe is the baseball player who married Marilyn Monroe and John is the voice of Bender who is made of a Monroe Muffler. (Bad joke, but I couldn't resist.)
This podcast is a bit rambly. I will try to keep a hold on that in the future. I talk a lot about getting out there and doing theatre, stand up, improv, something to get you performing in front of people. Also it's a good idea to consume as much media as possible.
I hope you enjoy it and as always, drop me a line at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for listening!
You can access the podcast via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts, OR you can download it directly by clicking on the title of this entry OR click right here.
This podcast is a bit rambly. I will try to keep a hold on that in the future. I talk a lot about getting out there and doing theatre, stand up, improv, something to get you performing in front of people. Also it's a good idea to consume as much media as possible.
I hope you enjoy it and as always, drop me a line at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com if you have any questions or comments. Thanks for listening!
You can access the podcast via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts, OR you can download it directly by clicking on the title of this entry OR click right here.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
The Slack Jaw Episode 1 - It Starts...
Hello! Today is the day the FIRST episode of my podcast goes live! Aren't you excited? I know I was, until I had to slog through all the tutorials on how to put this dag burn thing up!
But here we are! All kidding aside I am excited. In this first episode I talk a little bit about what this podcast is going to be and a little about myself. I cover some brief Voice Over News and, well that's about it. I plan on keeping these short but I am open to expanding the format. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments by emailing me at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com. Enjoy!
You can access the podcast via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts, OR you can download it directly by clicking on the title of this entry OR click right here.
But here we are! All kidding aside I am excited. In this first episode I talk a little bit about what this podcast is going to be and a little about myself. I cover some brief Voice Over News and, well that's about it. I plan on keeping these short but I am open to expanding the format. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments by emailing me at nate@nathanbeattyvo.com. Enjoy!
You can access the podcast via iTunes, any podcast catcher app like Pocket Casts, OR you can download it directly by clicking on the title of this entry OR click right here.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Journey of a Thousand Steps . . . .
. . . starts with blah blah blah.
MY WEBSITE IS LIVE!
So it begins. Admittedly I'm a little freaked out. We'll see where this goes.
MY WEBSITE IS LIVE!
So it begins. Admittedly I'm a little freaked out. We'll see where this goes.
Monday, July 22, 2013
Welcome!
Thank you for stopping by and checking the site out. My plan is to have this site be where I talk about my journey to become a voice actor. I will be posting more soon but for right now I'm still getting things in place.
This blog will be accompanied by a podcast. I will have more information on that as time goes on. I'm still getting the technical stuff in place to get that up and running. It will be once a month and I will be talking about what I have been up to.
Please drop me a line and let me know if you have any questions or thoughts. It would be great if I could answer some reader questions on my first episode so if you see this before I post it, please drop me a question or a comment. Thanks again for stopping by!
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