Would you want a dentist named Swift or one that made you say EEK? The team dentist for the Kelowna Chiefs this year is Dr. Swift.

Every hockey team needs a good dentist – and a nearby Tim Hortons.
The TH is actually just beyond the McDonalds here on Highway 33.
By the way, my wife’s dentist used to be Dr. Wageman.

Hang in there Dr. Eek! I know what is like to have a funny last name…

     Does the fact that VoiceOver artists are getting our own month mean we get to tell our “voice seekers” what style of Director we’d like to hear in the talkback?

     I mean, can we specify up front: “I’d like to hear your direction with a sort of a Martin Scorsese feel.” …or… “Think Steven Spielberg.” …or maybe… “What I have in mind is sort of an Ingmar Bergman…but make it warm and casual.”

     Well why not? Seems like we’re increasingly being told to be Gene Hackman…or Jeff Bridges…or (for the ladies) Susan Sarandon…or (possibly for both genders) Morgan Freeman. And all the while our voice coaches continually prod us to find our own “signature sound” and stay with that!

     In fairness, I should say I have been completely entertained and impressed by all the aforementioned actors at some point. It just gets tedious after awhile having their names flung about as verbal shorthand in casting direction…which more often than not has nothing to do with what the final production will actually sound like…whether you get the part or not.

     (Sigh) But, also in fairness, I do have to admit it’s not always a case of a director simply trying to cast a project using the memory of what he saw on HBO last night.

     Sometimes it can actually be helpful.

     There was that one job which started out with me being told the client liked my demo, but wanted to hear me do the script like Robert Duvall. …even sent me a link to Duvall’s voice demo.

     Now if you know me, or you’ve listened to the demos on my home page www.voices2go.com you’ll realize I’d never be mistaken for Robert Duvall! Still, my contact convinced me to have a go at the script, which I read in a sort of world-weary delivery with a touch of authority.

     I got the job. …and two more after that for the same client using the same voice (disney i.d.e.a.s for a project they created for the U.S. Navy).

     So, okay, maybe I’m being too hard on the Voice Seekers during National VoiceOver Appreciation Month.

     But I’m also starting to delete auditon notices that should have gone to Morgan Freeman.

– over and out –

     “Be Yourself.  Everyone Else Is Already Taken.”

     Man,  my teacher Nancy Wolfson would love it.

– over and out –

September is National Voice Over Month

Not to be too dramatic about it, but it’s about damn time.

Almost every group, organization and/or species has a week or month named in honor of them. Often times it sounds like a joke when you hear some of their names and so too may the impression here now for some, but it’s not.

My friend and fellow Voice Over Talent Dave Courvoisier kinda mentioned the idea in passing when he noticed in his blog about a week or so ago how many voice over activities were taking place in the month of September (more than usual, it seemed).

For example: Amy Snively’s Faffcon is taking place in Portland, Oregon on September 11 & 12th. Joan Baker’s New York City-based “That’s Voiceover” LINK is taking place on September 22nd. These events in addition to the usual voice over seminar suspects like Pat Fraley’s regional seminar in Buffalo, NY on September 25th & 26th mean that the summer slumber has been shaken off.

Then Dave sent me an email Saturday (yes, just this past Saturday) saying this National Voice Over Month idea was gnawing at him and what did I think.

I copied him, Amy Snively and Bob Souer on my answer (because I feel it’s always better to cause trouble in a group); my answer was that Dave’s idea for a National Voice Over Month was the right idea and that we could pull it off in four days…and now we are.

Somewhere in there, Voice Over Xtra!’s John Florian and Voice Talent and Social Media Tour De Force Terry Daniel I believe also got roped into this and I think there are many others who are contributing to this month long event as well. I hope you’ll take time to acknowledge all their efforts when you see them on-line on blogs, podcasts, videos or social media outlets like Twitter or Facebook etc.

Dave grabbed a domain and created a web site, Amy drew up a logo, I helped with some copy and we’re all still actively adding to the program – as a professional voice talent you are sincerely encouraged to participate in whatever manner you feel you want to…maybe comment on blogs, retweet NVOM announcements, or maybe create a Voice Over meetup in your city where all the voice talents get together for a visit.

One of the more interesting things to see was how Dave (the true driving force of this idea) called for a hastily called weekend vote on Saturday from the board of SOVOA to endorse and support September as National Voice Over Month; by Sunday it was passed. Brilliantly executed and kudos to the Board for the response time.

Our goal, I think, is simple and openly self-serving– share with as many people as possible what Voice Over Talents do, who they are and where they can be found. Yes, we are trying to create awareness among potential employers for every voice over professional in this industry but I think we’re also trying build on the credibility we’ve established in the wake of our collective professional works this far.

I’m proud of my very small part in all this because I believe strongly not only in the art and industry of Voice Over but also in the men, women and children who perform within it around the world. We are a talented bunch and it’s not a bad thing that we say that ever so briefly…maybe once a year.

Will you celebrate with us? Let me know how you’ll be a part of National Voice Over Month.

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