Term To Look Out For On Voice Over Pay2Play Sites

February 17, 2020

You’ve probably heard us say, “Watch out for breakdowns that say ‘in perpetuity’.” You’ll often see that term on Pay to Play sites. Now there is another term I’m seeing more and that is BUYOUT. What does a buyout mean? It means they have rights to your commercial for as long as they want.  Here’s an example from a recent P2P site audition –    “The ad will run for one month in 13 US metro markets. Your acceptance of the contract, however, includes buy-out for future use (although this is very unlikely).” This is saying that if you accept, they can use your spot for as long as they want to (basically in perpetuity) with no additional pay. That $700 may look good at first but when you see your commercial running a year from now and you have to turn down the $10,000 audition because it conflicts…that $700 doesn’t look so good anymore. I love that they put in parentheses “although this is very unlikely.” That is a contract no one would say is okay to accept. The reason contracts exist is to set parameters.  Now, if this is a job you really want, when you submit your audition add in the notes that you are fine with the payment but not with the potential buyout. You can say that you will only agree to the 1 month run.  Just a little heads up for you!  -Mike & Heidi

5 VO Tips Before You Set 2020 Goals

February 3, 2020

I LOVE the end of the year. It’s a time I take to slow down and reflect on the past year. Goal setting as a freelance voice actor is imperative for growing and increasing your income BUT you have to have clarity before you do that. That’s why I take time to evaluate the year past first. These are 5 questions I ask in order to evaluate my past year.

1| What are my proudest accomplishments?      This could be something I learned, a breakthrough, a goal client, a financial goal, etc. Reflecting on this helps me see how I can create more of those OR what “lights” me up which helps me set better priorities.  2| What are the things I wanted to accomplish this past year but didn’t?      Then I ask myself if those things are still even goals.  3| Are there any tasks I can delegate or aren’t as important?      This is going to be a big one this year. I ran REALLY low on time this past summer moving into our new studio space. Not only that but our studio is growing. However, I still have my own VO career (plus The Heidi Rew Show Podcast & on-camera work). We don’t take a paycheck from Atlanta VO Studio, so my income is strictly from my own stuff. I am busier than ever but need to be able to devote time to Atlanta VO Studio as well. Next year, I have a wonderful paid intern that will be helping me and I plan on finally handing over all my book-keeping. It doesn’t have to be a major delegation either. It could be as simple as getting your teenage son/daughter to help you address client thank yous.  4| What areas can I create systems to ease my workload?      Are there any ways to automate what you do? Can you sign up for Planoly to schedule your Instagram and FB posts? Create email templates to save time responding?  5| What are the opportunities for growth MENTALLY, SPIRITUALLY, PHYSICALLY and RELATIONALLY?      I know 100% balance is probably an impossible achievement but I really strive to do something for my mental, spiritual, physical and relational well-being every day.

Hope these help! I have an AWESOME podcast guest coming on my show (The Heidi Rew Show) December 29th that has created a planner specifically to help meet goals. Her name is Megan Hyatt and she’s the COO of her father, Michael Hyatt’s company. He’s an incredible leadership and business expert. Take some time to ask these questions first, so you can be ready to create goals that will help you move forward.

-Mike & Heidi

Voice over Trends

January 20, 2020

Last week, I was so honored to sit on a panel with Rhavynn Drummer (Casting Director for Tyler Perry), Gideon Cohen (Sr Producer, Fitzco), Jeffrey Umberger (ACM Management), John Roberts (Owner & engineer of Soundbyte), moderated and organized by veteran VO actor Brad Davidorff. This was for Georgia Production Partnership (GPP) https://georgiaproduction.org. If you aren’t part of GPP, it’s a great organization and a wonderful way to connect with others in the industry (acting, production, VO and other media).

One of the things mentioned on the panel was something I thought would be interesting and helpful to you. Gideon Cohen, Sr Producer at Fitzco, said that a lot of their clients are asking for a YouTube star-type VO.

Great you may say but HOW do you get there??? One of the best ways to prep yourself for that type of read is to improv a conversation before the copy. Have the person you’re talking to and begin a conversation with them. But don’t just talk about nonsense. Talk to them about something real. Tell them about what you were thinking in traffic earlier or your morning routine. Then go into the script…WITHOUT losing that raw, real, human feel.  I know it’s easier said than done but with practice, it will become seamless.  Hope you have a great week!

-Mike & Heidi

What We Should Be Practicing EVERYDAY… and it’s not Scripts

January 13, 2020

About to get vulnerable here. The other week, an agent sent me an email telling me I forgot something in my audition. It was a promo script that had all of the different days in the script like this “Sunday at 7” “Tomorrow at 7” “Tonight at 7” “Next at 7.” Well, I’ve always just chosen one to do for an audition. I want the casting director/client to get right to the meat of my audition instead of hearing the list of days. But my agent said, “Your audition was great but you forgot to add in all of the days. If you ever have questions just ask. Please re-cut and send back.”

My first reaction wasn’t great. It was simply, “Seriously?” But then I stopped and thought about it.  This became a great exercise in humility. Instead of questioning my agent or getting frustrated, it reminded me that humility is something I should practice every day. The more experience and longevity you have, it’s so easy to start thinking that you know what’s “right.” In an industry that’s so subjective, “right” is ever-changing. Not to mention, my only marketing “strategy” (if you can call it that) is to cultivate relationships with people. Staying humble is a big ingredient in cultivating great relationships.

This experience was such a great reminder that to be a successful anything takes more than practicing technique…it takes practicing good character.

-Mike & Heidi

How to Retain What You Learn Faster

January 6, 2020

How to Retain What you Learn FASTER Since Mike and I started teaching classes at the studio, I’ve been so interested in how people learn. Everyone is so different. One way we’re all the same is how we retain information.

Because it allows you to make mistakes. When you make mistakes, you have to figure out how to correct your mistake which makes your brain concentrate.

This is why we make sure everyone in our classes is getting up to the mic and PRACTICING! We want you to leave not just KNOWING the information but RETAINING it.  This is a great reminder for us to be practicing what we learn on our own, if not in classes.  Have a great week!

-Mike & Heidi

Understanding Advances in Tech

December 16, 2019

We are excited because today’s blog post is brought to you by Brian Bremer, our Intro to Voiceover (and Animation) Workshop instructor. Here’s Brian…Understanding Advances in Tech Technology. It can be an intimidating word for those of us who aren’t sound engineers! But the reality is, in today’s marketplace, talent has to be somewhat tech savy and keep up with the trends of the “home studio requirement”. Often times I work with seasoned pros who resist the advancements in technology, and I try to help them realize that, to be competitive these days, you have to be tech aware and able to deliver.

• 

Bite the bullet and educate yourself on Source Connect, Skype phone patches, Zoom…a phone patch if you have a land line. It’s not as scary as it sounds. Research and ask for help. It’s a cost, but it’s a cost of doing business.

Atlanta VO Studio has a great tutorial available on home studio set up, so check the website. Take the plunge and be sure you can deliver what the great variety of clients are asking for in today’s market. Personally, I’ll go in  studio and work with my awesome Sound Engineers any time I can, and I have negotiated talent rates with many, so that in a pinch I can go in and eat the cost, if my fee justifies is. But we have to be able to deliver in a pinch and from our own home studios when called upon. We have to take it upon ourselves to keep up with the ever changing tech that drives our business. -Brian Bremer

Tip for Increasing your Booking Ratio

October 14, 2019

As you go through your VO career, ah-ha moments are so valuable. They can mean huge growth and sometimes even increase your booking ratio.  For Steve Henderson that ah-ha moment not only changed his booking ratio but he’s been teaching it for several years now. Here’s the tip Steve has for you that may help –

Overcoming the difficulty of giving yourself permission to truly be yourself during your delivery was a huge turning point in my career.  Once I permitted that freedom, I noticed my booking ratio increase immediately.  You are the best person at being you.  No one else can even come close.

Thanks so much Steve! We’re so thrilled to have Steve teaching a NEW class at Atlanta Voiceover Studio. It’s called The Character of You and will be on Wednesday nights from 7-9pm. It’s for all levels but you must have taken at least our Intro to VO workshop (or the equivalent somewhere else).  Here’s to being YOU this week! We think you’re pretty awesome.

-Mike Stoudt & Heidi Rew

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The Gift of Time

October 4, 2019

I’ve been feeling very inspirational lately…so perhaps I owe you an apology. Perhaps not. Maybe it’s what you need to hear? I promise, I’ll send out some more meaty, voiceover-specific emails soon.  Time is the root of so much impatience. We either have too much or not enough.  If you’re feeling especially anxious at how slow your VO career is going or frustrated that you have a great month, then a slow month, let me share a story not related to voice over.

Before I left radio, I started a blog called Parties for Pennies. It was a creative outlet and I knew I didn’t have all the tools needed but figured I’d learn as I went. The one thing I DID do was promise to be consistent. I did learn – how to take better pictures, how to format posts, best way to get noticed on Pinterest, etc. I also was consistent. I posted EVERY single Wednesday except for two for SIX YEARS straight. I spent A LOT of time on it and finally I realized that just making $12k/year from something that took so much time was not wise. It felt like such a HUGE failure after all that time invested to walk away. Honestly, it’s taken me a year and a half to grieve cutting ties. A few months ago, I finally sold my site Parties for Pennies. I still got traffic but because I wasn’t posting, major players were hacking my site. I sobbed on my desk.  It felt like an even bigger failure. All that work now gone forever.  BUT…that’s not the end of the story. First of all, SO much of what I learned from blogging I applied to Atlanta Voiceover Studio. I never would’ve realized the value of an email newsletter if it wasn’t for Parties for Pennies. I never would’ve known how to edit a WordPress site or create graphics.  AND…last week, HGTV Magazine emailed me and said they wanted to feature my Christmas tree from 2015 in their December issue. They found it on Pinterest and LOVED IT.

All those years, I dreamed about doing something worthy of notice from HGTV magazine. NOW…TWO years after I stopped blogging and THREE months after selling the site, it was noticed.  I tell you that whole long story to hopefully ENCOURAGE you! You are adding the right ingredients – training, learning, practicing, growing, consistency…the magic that brings it all together is just TIME. We never know when it will happen but instead of us looking at time impatiently, let’s look at it with expectancy.  It WILL happen…you just never know exactly WHEN!

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My Biggest Regret in Voice over

September 23, 2019

You may already know my VO story. When I was in radio and got on with my first big VO agent (Richard Hutchison Management), it took me FOUR years to book my first job. I was auditioning pretty regularly too. However, I truly believe that time frame would’ve been shortened had I gotten into classes or training. I loved radio and never planned to leave, so VO was always my “side thing.” Which is probably why I didn’t truly pursue training. But that is my biggest regret!  Looking back from where I am now, there are a couple routes you can take – the long route and trying to figure it out on your own (or just treating it more apathetically) or the shorter route in learning from people that have figured out the tweaks needed to be competitive. I tried to figure it out on my own and it just took me much longer to learn. I wish I had taken the shorter route.

Those may be the routes but every journey is different. You could book your first audition or it could take some time. With some of my agents, it’s taken up to a year to see any fruit and other agents I’ve booked one of the first things.  You can’t always control where your journey takes you but you can decide which route to follow.

We’re so excited to be in a new studio so we can offer you more resoures to help your career! THIS WEEK, we’ll be announcing the new classes and workshops starting in September! Stay tuned.

-Mike Stoudt & Heidi Rew

If you’d like to stay in the loop about everything that’s going on at the Atlanta Voiceover Studio, subscribe to our email newsletter! Mike & Heidi (the owners of Atlanta Voiceover Studio) send a JUICY VO tip every Monday morning along with the latest and greatest educational resources, workshops, and classes at AVS. Here’s the link to sign up: http://eepurl.com/chj7kT

The Greatest Challenge You’ll Face in the VO Industry

September 16, 2019

The greatest challenge in the voiceover industry actually isn’t setting up your home studio or even booking a job. The greatest challenge takes place in your mind.  A couple weeks ago, I encountered a challenging mind week. There were 3 jobs I was on hold for. One was a singing job and I was SO excited about that. Another was a booking for an agency I had worked with before and the other was for a big name brand. ALL 3 fell through within 3 days. It felt like one disappointment after another. These things happen all the time. I’ve encountered my fair share but when it happens all at once, it was a tougher pill to swallow. On top of that, I was asked to join a management team and really unsure if I was a good fit. I started doubting myself.  Weeks and even months like this happen. It’s pretty guaranteed. But here are two pieces of hope 1| the more mental challenges you get through, the easier they become to handle and 2| there are ways to get through them. Alcohol. Lots of alcohol. Just kidding.    Here are ways I deal with the mental challenges when they arise –

In addition to these steps, I am a huge believer in exercise as a way to recalibrate your mind challenges. Meditation, prayer, church, etc are all great ways to shift your mind back to the right space.  I know we got a little deep in this email newsletter. Sorry about that but I hope this was encouraging for you as you tackle this week.

-Mike Stoudt & Heidi Rew

If you’d like to stay in the loop about everything that’s going on at the Atlanta Voiceover Studio subscribe to our email newsletter! Mike & Heidi (the owners of Atlanta Voiceover Studio) send a JUICY VO tip every Monday morning along with the latest and greatest educational resources, workshops, and classes at AVS. Here’s the link to sign up: http://eepurl.com/chj7kT