Monday, December 13, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Make something....just make something!!
I just read a really good post about drawing that holds true for voiceacting, acting in general, writing scripts and life. I really like it so I'm sharing it here. Tell me if you agree or disagree that what she says carries over to acting or anything else for that matter. Talk soon.
danidraws.com
Forris
danidraws.com
Forris
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Got audio?
Many people don't realize how important audio is to video. Especially good audio. You have to have good audio or people may not be interested in watching your video or movie for any extended amount of time. To prove it, just turn the sound down next time you watch a movie or even commercial on TV. It makes no sense without audio yet many people do not pay attention to the sound when recording home movies and many independent film makers don't pay attention to sound in their movies.
Let's discuss a few simple steps that can help you with your home movies first. By home movie I mean those videos you shoot to remember birthdays, holidays and such. We're strictly talking audio here.
1) Don't talk - If you are running the camera or are near it but aren't part of the video don't talk. It's that simple. As an example, let's say you are recording your local Memorial Day parade and everything you see you say "Oh look, a firetruck!", "Oh look, a horse!", "Oh look at how cute those kids dressed as vegetables are!". The viewer will be watching your video and I ASSURE you they will know that the big truck with ladders, hoses and guys sweating their butts off in fireproof suits is a firetruck. They will know that the big animal with the long neck is a horse and not a giraffe. As far as kids dressed as vegetables they will also have an opinion about whether it's cute or just plain weird. People will enjoy your video alot more without commentary. The exception would be if you are actually teaching your audience something they don't know such as a tour of Hoover Dam for instance. Then you might want to explain what things are and how they work
2) Don't stand near noisy equipment, TV sets, radios, people talking (see #1), traffic or anything that is generating lots of noise that might distract from the video. Be aware of what's around you. If you tape your child's play in her classroom and there is an air conditioner running, set up your camera on the other side of the room. You will be surprised at how much easier this makes this video to watch no matter how painful the child's play may have been.
3) If your using the microphone that is on the camera be as close to the subject as possible. Get to the events early if need be. Remember, if you get to an event late you may have to be behind people who are talking and your camera will pick their discussions up. Nothing is worse than going to a local music concert and the audio on your camera has a mix of Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" and some lady complaining about her friends "ugly lipstick". Try to move to a location that has the bet sound quality for whatever your recording at home or on the road.
4) Get a better microphone for your camera. Most cameras have built in mics that are lousy to say the least, but they may have an "external mic" plug so you can plug in a better microphone. There are many choices available. check places like BHphotovideo.com and amazon.com. You'll be impressed with the difference a good mic can make!
5) Be near the audio that does make sense. At an amusement park? Maybe the sounds of the motor of the ride are kind of cool to have in the video. Be at a distance where they mix nicely with the sounds of people yelling, screaming or just having fun. At an air-show? Stand near one of the speakers so you can get the narrator speaking. This is such a simple way to make an air-show video much more enjoyable! At a family gathering? Maybe uncle Eugene tells funny stories so tape him telling stories. Video peoples reactions but be close enough to hear clearly Uncle Eugen's tale.
6) Be aware of wind and don't handle the camera too much. Wind can raise havoc on the audio and handling the camera excessively can be a noisy proposition. If using a tripod be prepared for what shots you want so you don't have to keep loosening and tightening the tripod. If it's windy outside move to a location, if possible, to block the wind and make sure you have your mic switched to wind reduction if it has that feature.
Follow these simple steps, use a little common sense and your audio will move to the head of the class in no time!
A quick note for Independent film makers. If you have the cash try to buy a nice mic with XLR conectors and a boom. This will bring up the quality of your movie tenfold. If you don't have XLR on your camera you can purchase mics with mini jack but be careful. This audio is what is called "unbalanced" and can have alot of noise. XLR is by far the way to go.
If you have questions or comments I'd love to hear them,
Forris
Let's discuss a few simple steps that can help you with your home movies first. By home movie I mean those videos you shoot to remember birthdays, holidays and such. We're strictly talking audio here.
1) Don't talk - If you are running the camera or are near it but aren't part of the video don't talk. It's that simple. As an example, let's say you are recording your local Memorial Day parade and everything you see you say "Oh look, a firetruck!", "Oh look, a horse!", "Oh look at how cute those kids dressed as vegetables are!". The viewer will be watching your video and I ASSURE you they will know that the big truck with ladders, hoses and guys sweating their butts off in fireproof suits is a firetruck. They will know that the big animal with the long neck is a horse and not a giraffe. As far as kids dressed as vegetables they will also have an opinion about whether it's cute or just plain weird. People will enjoy your video alot more without commentary. The exception would be if you are actually teaching your audience something they don't know such as a tour of Hoover Dam for instance. Then you might want to explain what things are and how they work
2) Don't stand near noisy equipment, TV sets, radios, people talking (see #1), traffic or anything that is generating lots of noise that might distract from the video. Be aware of what's around you. If you tape your child's play in her classroom and there is an air conditioner running, set up your camera on the other side of the room. You will be surprised at how much easier this makes this video to watch no matter how painful the child's play may have been.
3) If your using the microphone that is on the camera be as close to the subject as possible. Get to the events early if need be. Remember, if you get to an event late you may have to be behind people who are talking and your camera will pick their discussions up. Nothing is worse than going to a local music concert and the audio on your camera has a mix of Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" and some lady complaining about her friends "ugly lipstick". Try to move to a location that has the bet sound quality for whatever your recording at home or on the road.
4) Get a better microphone for your camera. Most cameras have built in mics that are lousy to say the least, but they may have an "external mic" plug so you can plug in a better microphone. There are many choices available. check places like BHphotovideo.com and amazon.com. You'll be impressed with the difference a good mic can make!
5) Be near the audio that does make sense. At an amusement park? Maybe the sounds of the motor of the ride are kind of cool to have in the video. Be at a distance where they mix nicely with the sounds of people yelling, screaming or just having fun. At an air-show? Stand near one of the speakers so you can get the narrator speaking. This is such a simple way to make an air-show video much more enjoyable! At a family gathering? Maybe uncle Eugene tells funny stories so tape him telling stories. Video peoples reactions but be close enough to hear clearly Uncle Eugen's tale.
6) Be aware of wind and don't handle the camera too much. Wind can raise havoc on the audio and handling the camera excessively can be a noisy proposition. If using a tripod be prepared for what shots you want so you don't have to keep loosening and tightening the tripod. If it's windy outside move to a location, if possible, to block the wind and make sure you have your mic switched to wind reduction if it has that feature.
Follow these simple steps, use a little common sense and your audio will move to the head of the class in no time!
A quick note for Independent film makers. If you have the cash try to buy a nice mic with XLR conectors and a boom. This will bring up the quality of your movie tenfold. If you don't have XLR on your camera you can purchase mics with mini jack but be careful. This audio is what is called "unbalanced" and can have alot of noise. XLR is by far the way to go.
If you have questions or comments I'd love to hear them,
Forris
Monday, August 9, 2010
Ideas for practicing voiceover
Here are a few ideas for practicing different voices for all the folks who are into voiceover or want to get into it.
#1 - Read everything and read it out loud. Read it with your normal voice and read it with your character voices. Add inflection, even if it's a serious piece from the newspaper, read it as if it were funny, sad, or whatever you come up with. This is a great way to add inflection to your reads. You can read an instruction manual for an air conditioner, do it in one of your character voices, add inflection and you'll be really surprised with what you get!
#2 - in conversations with your friend use one or more of your character voices when speaking to them. Yes... your friends will think your weird, but hey, they probably think that anyhow.
#3 - Do stand up comedy. Look for open mic comedy night's in your area, go to them and do your voices when you tell your stories and jokes. Watch comics on TV and you'll see that they do it all the time. You can too!
The following is a shameless plug for my open mic comedy page
#4 - Purchase books on the subject. There are tons of them and most are very good. Amazon.com has lots of reviews on them and you'll know which ones to buy. I plan on doing interviews with some of these authors in the future so stay in touch for that. These books have allot of ides for practicing your voices.
#5 - Follow along on TV cartoons and television shows. Repeat what they say. Try to mimic the voice or make up your own. Write some of the dialog down and keep practicing it.
These are just 5 of 5,000 ideas. Think outside the box. Always practice different voices and you'll be well on your way, if you aren't already to doing voiceover as a hobby or career.
If you have any questions or comments I'd love to hear them.
Forris
Thursday, June 24, 2010
"I Wouldn't Do That If I Were You"!
Let's talk about your dreams today. Not your dreams from last nights slumber, but I mean your dreams about life and all the things you'd love to do but keep putting off. One of mine was to work in independent movies, but, as I was warned by many people,"I wouldn't do that if I were you because _______________" (fill in blank). There are many reasons not to do something, mostly related to the possibility of failure and failure is a enormous possibility in many career paths.
Let's face it, I know there are things you'd like to do and I know there are people telling you you shouldn't because: You might fail, you can't afford it, your wasting your time, you went to college for this why do that, and the list goes on and on. I beg you, if you have a dream at least try to pursue it. Excuses are so easy to come by, but reasons to do it are harder to come by. If your dream is film-making do it! It's hard, time consuming, the film might not make any money and if your like me and like doing voiceover, well that's hard, time consuming and you might not make any money. OK... dully noted.
I had a conversation with a young man last week. (He's a young man because he's younger than me). He was complaining to a friend how hard it is to find a job in accounting, the field he just graduated college from, so in my desire to help him I suggested he knock on the doors of some local accountants. He says none are hiring. I say "offer your services to do taxes for people", he says"well it's not really tax season". The whole time he barely looks at me. I'm sitting here thinking to myself that this kid doesn't want to do accounting. I asked him what does he really like doing? His eyes looked up and for the first time in our conversation he smiled and said "I LOVE working on cars"! He stared me in the eyes and said it! I could see that he loved working on cars. My next question seemed dumb to him. I asked "Why don't you work on cars instead of doing accounting?" to which he replied "Because I went to school for accounting".
I went on to bore him with stuff like "Work on cars and use your accounting skills to start your own business". At this point I guess he figured I was just some older guy who has no concept of how tough life can be so we both moved on. I feel sorry for him that he didn't want to hear the message I was trying to share. "Do something you want to, not what everyone else thinks you should do". Sure you need that regular job to pay the bills, but don't be afraid to try things that interest you and might be outside your comfort zone. If I was afraid I would have never tried acting, would never have done voice-acting and would have never met half the people I know today.
If you have ever wanted to do voice-over, acting, jet skiing, parachuting, knitting or anything else just search the web. There are hundreds of sites that can help you get started, but check the negative attitude at the door, it will only stop you and stop you FAST! Check out some of the links on this blog to get started in voice-over, video and film. There aren't too many at this point but I am slowly building the list. I know... very slowly but they will be there. Until then just type whatever it is you want to do into Google or Yahoo and you will find people that want to help you succeed.
I am lucky because my wife, family and friends support me in the things I do because they know it doesn't do any good to tell me it can't be done. The next time someone, when referring to your dreams says "I wouldn't do that if I were you" just smile and think to yourself "I am so glad your not me", then march forward!
Coming up in near future blogs I'll be interviewing actors, directors and screenwriters who have been told not to follow their dreams. Did they listen to people? Like I said....they are actors, directors and screenwriters.
Let's face it, I know there are things you'd like to do and I know there are people telling you you shouldn't because: You might fail, you can't afford it, your wasting your time, you went to college for this why do that, and the list goes on and on. I beg you, if you have a dream at least try to pursue it. Excuses are so easy to come by, but reasons to do it are harder to come by. If your dream is film-making do it! It's hard, time consuming, the film might not make any money and if your like me and like doing voiceover, well that's hard, time consuming and you might not make any money. OK... dully noted.
I had a conversation with a young man last week. (He's a young man because he's younger than me). He was complaining to a friend how hard it is to find a job in accounting, the field he just graduated college from, so in my desire to help him I suggested he knock on the doors of some local accountants. He says none are hiring. I say "offer your services to do taxes for people", he says"well it's not really tax season". The whole time he barely looks at me. I'm sitting here thinking to myself that this kid doesn't want to do accounting. I asked him what does he really like doing? His eyes looked up and for the first time in our conversation he smiled and said "I LOVE working on cars"! He stared me in the eyes and said it! I could see that he loved working on cars. My next question seemed dumb to him. I asked "Why don't you work on cars instead of doing accounting?" to which he replied "Because I went to school for accounting".
I went on to bore him with stuff like "Work on cars and use your accounting skills to start your own business". At this point I guess he figured I was just some older guy who has no concept of how tough life can be so we both moved on. I feel sorry for him that he didn't want to hear the message I was trying to share. "Do something you want to, not what everyone else thinks you should do". Sure you need that regular job to pay the bills, but don't be afraid to try things that interest you and might be outside your comfort zone. If I was afraid I would have never tried acting, would never have done voice-acting and would have never met half the people I know today.
If you have ever wanted to do voice-over, acting, jet skiing, parachuting, knitting or anything else just search the web. There are hundreds of sites that can help you get started, but check the negative attitude at the door, it will only stop you and stop you FAST! Check out some of the links on this blog to get started in voice-over, video and film. There aren't too many at this point but I am slowly building the list. I know... very slowly but they will be there. Until then just type whatever it is you want to do into Google or Yahoo and you will find people that want to help you succeed.
I am lucky because my wife, family and friends support me in the things I do because they know it doesn't do any good to tell me it can't be done. The next time someone, when referring to your dreams says "I wouldn't do that if I were you" just smile and think to yourself "I am so glad your not me", then march forward!
Coming up in near future blogs I'll be interviewing actors, directors and screenwriters who have been told not to follow their dreams. Did they listen to people? Like I said....they are actors, directors and screenwriters.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
"Silent Salesman" Part 2
There are several opportunities to promote your product or service on your phone system. We've discussed the answering portion so far.
Another often overlooked chance to share information with your customers is the on-hold portion of your phones. Why have a captive audience member waiting on hold listening to cheesy music? Worse yet many companies use radio stations which at first thought sounds good but that station might be promoting your competitions product on it. Imagine you own a sandwich shop and a customer calls to place an order. You're really busy taking orders and ask them to hold for a minute. You're playing the radio on your on-hold system and they hear a spot for a nearby restaurant that does delivery and they figure it must be meant to be, so they hang up and order from the other joint. Nice work! You just sent the customer away. You have them on-hold, they probably aren't happy about it so at least give them some information about YOU and a reason to stay.
Ok. You hopefully now agree with me so you are going to record your on-hold message and answering machine yourself. WAIT! Before you do that you need to ask yourself a few things.
#1-Do I speak clearly?
#2-How do I sound to other people? (Happy, mean, grumpy, unintelligent, funny)
#3-When I speak can I get to the point quickly?
Of course there are lots of other questions you could ask yourself such as "Is there life on other planets?", "Does this shirt make me look fat?" or "Can your tongue REALLY freeze to a flagpole in winter?" but those are irrelevant to this conversation. It's just that...well... these are three I want to talk about. By the way the answers are "Yes","No comment", and "Try it out and see what happens".
We'll go over each one (of the real questions).
#1 Do I speak clearly?
When you record your message, the person on the other end needs to understand what you are saying. If you have a speech impediment, mumble, or speak to softly you need to re-think doing the message yourself. No offense, but this is business and people should not have to tolerate being forced to listen to a message that they have to work to understand. Make it easy for them and speak clearly.
#2 How do I sound to other people?
Do you have a pleasant voice or do small children run in all directions every-time you talk? Your message needs to sound welcoming. Your customer is your friend (even the ones you don't like). Let's face it... some people just sound like they have a bad attitude and this is exactly what you DO NOT WANT on your phone system
#3 When I speak can I get to the point quickly?
You have 60 seconds tops on an answering machine. Get the facts out quickly without sounding rushed. Script it out if you must. Don't record your message with ANY "Ummms" as if you are thinking of what to say next. If it's an on-hold message, script out a bunch of little snippets such as your hours, your website, specials, and talk about products you sell or services you offer.
Bottom line: Be clear, friendly and concise!
If you have no-one that sounds good in your home or office consider hiring someone to professionally record it for you. (Hint, hint). It should have some production music mixed under to make it sound more professional. Don't forget to keep it fresh by up-dating information such as sales and employee's names as they come and go.
Remember...Your phone system is truly a "Silent Salesman". You chose whether it sits in silence or gets to work making you money!
Need more help? Contact me with any questions at:
Another often overlooked chance to share information with your customers is the on-hold portion of your phones. Why have a captive audience member waiting on hold listening to cheesy music? Worse yet many companies use radio stations which at first thought sounds good but that station might be promoting your competitions product on it. Imagine you own a sandwich shop and a customer calls to place an order. You're really busy taking orders and ask them to hold for a minute. You're playing the radio on your on-hold system and they hear a spot for a nearby restaurant that does delivery and they figure it must be meant to be, so they hang up and order from the other joint. Nice work! You just sent the customer away. You have them on-hold, they probably aren't happy about it so at least give them some information about YOU and a reason to stay.
Ok. You hopefully now agree with me so you are going to record your on-hold message and answering machine yourself. WAIT! Before you do that you need to ask yourself a few things.
#1-Do I speak clearly?
#2-How do I sound to other people? (Happy, mean, grumpy, unintelligent, funny)
#3-When I speak can I get to the point quickly?
Of course there are lots of other questions you could ask yourself such as "Is there life on other planets?", "Does this shirt make me look fat?" or "Can your tongue REALLY freeze to a flagpole in winter?" but those are irrelevant to this conversation. It's just that...well... these are three I want to talk about. By the way the answers are "Yes","No comment", and "Try it out and see what happens".
We'll go over each one (of the real questions).
#1 Do I speak clearly?
When you record your message, the person on the other end needs to understand what you are saying. If you have a speech impediment, mumble, or speak to softly you need to re-think doing the message yourself. No offense, but this is business and people should not have to tolerate being forced to listen to a message that they have to work to understand. Make it easy for them and speak clearly.
#2 How do I sound to other people?
Do you have a pleasant voice or do small children run in all directions every-time you talk? Your message needs to sound welcoming. Your customer is your friend (even the ones you don't like). Let's face it... some people just sound like they have a bad attitude and this is exactly what you DO NOT WANT on your phone system
#3 When I speak can I get to the point quickly?
You have 60 seconds tops on an answering machine. Get the facts out quickly without sounding rushed. Script it out if you must. Don't record your message with ANY "Ummms" as if you are thinking of what to say next. If it's an on-hold message, script out a bunch of little snippets such as your hours, your website, specials, and talk about products you sell or services you offer.
Bottom line: Be clear, friendly and concise!
If you have no-one that sounds good in your home or office consider hiring someone to professionally record it for you. (Hint, hint). It should have some production music mixed under to make it sound more professional. Don't forget to keep it fresh by up-dating information such as sales and employee's names as they come and go.
Remember...Your phone system is truly a "Silent Salesman". You chose whether it sits in silence or gets to work making you money!
Need more help? Contact me with any questions at:
forrisday@yahoo.com.
I'd love to answer any questions you have about setting up and maintaining your phone system's messaging.
Friday, June 18, 2010
"Silent Salesman" Part 1
Most businesses have a "Silent Salesman" and they don't realize it. This salesman never calls in sick, doesn't waste company time taking smoke breaks, doesn't require health insurance and never complains if he has to work past 5 (Because this salesman is on duty 24/7). Give up....? It's your business phone system! What do I mean by "Silent Salesman"? The phone system in most business is one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment in the office.
When people call your company they have to use the phone. What happens when you are not there? The answering machine picks up... right? This is what I call an "opportunity". Don't waste the callers time with such messages as "We are not available to answer your call but your call is important to us so after the beep leave a brief massage and your name and phone number. Someone will get....blah blah blah" zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Get the idea? Welcome to the 21st century. People know what to do when they get an answering machine and if they don't, well you probably didn't want to talk to them anyhow.
Your answering machine message should give people REAL information and quickly. Say who they have reached first. This is important because maybe you sell the little fins on missiles that make them go where they are supposed to, but the person on the other end miss-dialed and is actually ordering a pizza. By saying who you are you saved that person time and you don't have to waste your time listening to an order for the "Vinny's Special" with extra onions!
You could maybe state the hours, and I'm a big fan of giving an alternate number to reach someone in case of emergency, but only if applicable to the business. Here is what many business don't do. Promote something. If you are going to use up 60 seconds of phone message state the important facts first then promote something.... whatever that something your business does. Maybe birthday parties if you are a bowling alley, or car detailing if you are an auto body. Nothing lengthy, but mention it. Hey they called you, teach them something about your company!
My next post I'll talk more about phone systems... keep your eyes peeled for part 2
When people call your company they have to use the phone. What happens when you are not there? The answering machine picks up... right? This is what I call an "opportunity". Don't waste the callers time with such messages as "We are not available to answer your call but your call is important to us so after the beep leave a brief massage and your name and phone number. Someone will get....blah blah blah" zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Get the idea? Welcome to the 21st century. People know what to do when they get an answering machine and if they don't, well you probably didn't want to talk to them anyhow.
Your answering machine message should give people REAL information and quickly. Say who they have reached first. This is important because maybe you sell the little fins on missiles that make them go where they are supposed to, but the person on the other end miss-dialed and is actually ordering a pizza. By saying who you are you saved that person time and you don't have to waste your time listening to an order for the "Vinny's Special" with extra onions!
You could maybe state the hours, and I'm a big fan of giving an alternate number to reach someone in case of emergency, but only if applicable to the business. Here is what many business don't do. Promote something. If you are going to use up 60 seconds of phone message state the important facts first then promote something.... whatever that something your business does. Maybe birthday parties if you are a bowling alley, or car detailing if you are an auto body. Nothing lengthy, but mention it. Hey they called you, teach them something about your company!
My next post I'll talk more about phone systems... keep your eyes peeled for part 2
Introduction to my blog
Well this is my first blog.... ever, so bear with me. It's here so folks like you and I who enjoy doing voiceover and video can discuss and maybe learn a few new things. I'm going to discuss how many business can use voiceover talent and they may not even realize it. We'll talk about movie making, video editing and all kinds of techie things and not so techie things. If you've got something to add then bring it on! I look forward to sharing my knowledge and gleaning new information from everyone. Here we go................
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