A Voice for Every Need: Voice Overs for Movie Trailers

In a world or maybe just a website with a search feature...You will find your movie trailer voice overs are right here at Voice123!

With a combination of 'voice' & 'fire in the belly', movie trailer voices leave people breathless and looking to buy tickets for the next big hit at the box office! Trailers are usually heard through deep, resonant, and enchanting voices. These voices can give your movie a spirit you had never dreamed possible!

What you need to propel your creation is a professional voice behind it, the most professional voice over artists ready to introduce your creation to the world!




Listen to voice over talents of Voice123 that can provide your next movie trailer!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Community: Sharpen Your Voice Over Vision!

Voice talent Shawn Maroney let us know about a special event coming up from Sept.23rd - 25th, called ‘Voices of Vision’, presented by Boss Entertainment and Shawn Says It! This is event will offer voice talent time behind the microphone, and a chance to speak with voice over professionals across North America, as well!



Are You Busy Tonight?
I have a date with Bettye, and you should, too!Voice123 coach, Bettye Zoller, will be holding a webinar tonight! We hope you will look into it! It is great information from a great voice over coach! I look forward to attending this myself! Voice123 supports all efforts that make for a better online voice over community!



Voice123 Meetups!
Remember that Voice123 Meetups are free to create and a great way to organize meeting other voice over professionals! Special thanks to Bill Brewer for his Voice123 Meetup last week!

We hope great info was shared! Organize one of your own, and see how big or small, Voice123 Meetups are great ways to get acquainted with those within the voice over industry!

Thank you!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Special Community News: ‘VH’ Celebrates 1st Birthday!

An up and coming website, VoiceOver Hispano, a voice talent community of Spanish voice talent run by Carlos Estanga, is very proud to celebrate one year of operation on August 28th, 2010!

In the past three years, the entire voice over talent community has truly gone ‘global’, as more talent go online each day to find voice over work on Voice123, and community support from sites like VH, Voice123, and many others. The world is so small in fact that staff member of Voice123, Giselle Geney, was able to reach Mr.Estanga via skype for an interview about this special day!

To read the full interview, please go to this forum post. Quote from interview:

• “I think everything is changing as people are becoming more familiar with computers and Internet. A voice over talent depends on a computer to be able to get some work. That’s something we need to have very clear: We cannot do a thing without a computer these days. If there’s no computer in a studio we cannot record properly; if you don’t travel with your computer, with your laptop, you can’t respond to any jobs. These things have developed a sense of trust between technology and VO talent. There’s a sort of marriage. We cannot get divorced of the technology reality.”

We hope all voice talent will recognize the growing global community of voice talent this weekend, and celebrate along with VH!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Trend: A Game Of ‘Kindle, Paper, iPad'?

And...Shoot!
In a world, where ‘time is money’, there are always studies being done on how to save time. Although the inventions of Kindle and iPad have given people a unique tool to read books, and are slowly replacing paper book publications, a recent study showed it actually takes a longer amount of time to read books iPad and Kindle. Dunder-Mifflin’s Scranton-branch can rest easy for a day or two, but not very long.

Please go to this link and read about it! It will not take very long:

• “...the printed book was the clear winner in terms of speed. Users were reading 6.2 percent slower on an iPad compared to paper, and 10.7 percent slower on the Kindle 2. Nielsen did not provide any statistics on the reading time for the PC monitor.”

So much for resting easy:
“Regardless of how fast people can read on an electronic device, the e-reader is becoming more popular every year. E-books raked in $313 million in 2009 growing by 176.6 percent compared to 2008, overtaking audio book sales. In 2010, e-book sales are currently growing at a rate of 217.3 percent versus 2009, according to estimates by the Association of American Publishers.”

Do you record audio books?
Tell the Voice123 Community about it, if you have noticed a change in the amount of audio book jobs being offered! Go to our Facebook, Twitter, or Forums, and let us know what you think about this!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Trends: Demands of a Paperless Business

Last Friday, a person working with another company in our office asked, ‘Are you using the fax machine? I need to use it’. Rather than answer, ‘Faxes? That is sooo 20th century!’, I simply said proudly:

‘Not us. Voice123 is a paperless business.’

It is pleasure to make such a statement. A company with paper filing systems spends money on paper (of course), but also storage space, which over time takes both a toll on a business, and on a global scale, the environment.

As for demos and auditions on Voice123, it is important for us to keep it digital. We are aware of the amount of cd’s, and marketing materials that go to waste; most of the time before it is even considered. This is why we have things such as our shared inbox.

If your company is aiming towards ‘100% Paperless’, you will face demands you may or may not have expected. We offer this article to you today, if this has been something your business was considering:

"There are the costs of new equipment and software to consider, as well as that of converting paper records into electronic files. And there are decisions about how to make the move and when, how much existing paper to convert, how to handle paper that continues to flow in from vendors and customers, how to get employees onboard with the idea and trained in new systems, and how to simply keep doing business as usual during the conversion.”

Thank you for reading! Voice123 LLC is currently pursuing our own ‘Green Certificate’.

You can see an example here of a site that is certified 'green'.

Thank you for reading!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Community: “What’s Your Brand” The ‘Non-Contest’!

What This Is About and Why?
Did you ever go food shopping and find there are certain types of drink that you must purchase? Did you ever stop and think about why you feel that way? It may just be because of the ‘brand’.


Even though it is tough as humans to think of ‘voices’ as ‘products’, every single voice talent has to have their own ‘brand’ to offer something no one else does, which can be only ‘you’. Simply having amazing talent is not enough, and if you do not know your ‘brand’, the buyer will not figure it out for you.

Share your ‘brand’ with the community, so we can share it with voice seekers!

So! The Non-Contest...Well, it is just about you...

1. Please go to this forum post on Voice123 Forums.
2. In 10 words or less, describe your ‘brand’.
3. Add your image, if you would like. (Please make sure they are originals)
4. Make sure, you add your demo!!! After all, it is you!
5. Voice123 will be using your entries to send individually to voice seekers, share on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Decisions on when you will be shared will be decided by community voting on Facebook and Twitter! Keep your eyes open for it!

Now...I am off to get a diet coke; not because I like the taste. In fact, I hate it. But maybe because the silver and red can, and the brand name reminds me of no longer feeling thirsty, much more than the no frills types of soda, which costs less, but I pay more anyway for a brand name. Interesting.

What is your brand making others think about you?

Voice123 Meetups This Week!

• Tonight! Bill Brewer has organized one for Oklahoma City, Oklahoma!
• August 24th with organizer Gilbert Gauthier!
• August 26th with organizer Rosalie Halligan!

Please organize your own, and network with voice talent in your area!

Voice123 Meetup in Bogota!

• Last Friday, I had the pleasure of talking to Voice123 staff the night of their Voice123 Meetup via web cam! In attendance was voice over coach, Rene Figueroa. (click on the photo)
  

Thank you!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Image courtesy of Stoneyroads.com

Coach News And Meetups, Too!

We wanted to bring to you some great news reported on our Voice123 Forums!

Bob Bergen’s 1-Day Special NYC Event – Speaking of Voice over:
"Speaking of Voice over" is a special full-day lecture presentation on all things Voice over! The event will be held at Actors Connection, 630 Ninth Ave (bet. 44th & 45th Sts.) on Saturday, October 2nd, from 10:00am to 5:00pm.

If you would like to be a part of our Coach Partner or Affiliate Programs, please contact us!

Voice123 Meetup in Latin America!
Several staff members from Voice123 will be holding a Voice123 Meetup tonight in Bogota, Colombia. It was a pleasure to meet Voice123 talent Rene Figueroa and Felix Riano at the last Meetup in Colombia! They shared feedback with the staff that was enlightening, and one of our staff has started taking classes with him, too!

Oklahoma City, too!
On Monday, August 23rd, Bill Brewer will be holding his own Voice123 Meetup in Oklahoma City.

Special thanks...
I wanted to thank Scott Gentle of Voice123 for coming to Meetup with me in Manhattan. I was able to recognize him from his avatar. Admittedly, it was not a typical place. It did not matter. It was great to talk face-to-face with a talent, and get some valuable insight into his day-to-day usage of Voice123.

Organize your own, too! There is no software that can replicate a handshake!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Trends: Do You Speak App-ish?

App-ish?
There are many discussions on mobile apps, and you will hear anyone on any given day tell you how much you need to have it. Before building up a graveyard of bad purchases, see the various types provided by mobile app developer, Mark Kirby.

Through all the discussions of apps that ‘you must have, or you are just not keeping up with everyone’, as an online business of being a voice talent, take a moment to reflect on how much these apps are actually being used in the business you work in, and for your purposes of getting you work; not just contributing to a social network.

Take a look at this slide show. It will display interesting numbers from studies in the past.


"I want one of those!"
The bottom line always is, ‘Will I make a profit from my efforts when apps are a business expense?’. Well, if you are a person who uses mobile apps for social networks to get work, you will find survey results in this Voice123 forum post interesting.

When all is read and done, we hope voice talent find an answer to the question, ‘Do I need to speak App-ish?’.


Thank you for reading!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Trends: Growing Freelance Market on Voice123

Sorry Jim...It’s Not The End, My Friend:
The voice over industry has gone through some changes in the past seven years, and it has been new for those finding voice talent online. Where some see the Internet as ‘the end’, websites like Voice123 are truly a ‘means to an end’. We have watched Voice123 grow, and 2009 to 2010 were two of our strongest years thanks to those seeking voice talent online.

This is a chart of our project growth from 2009 and 2010:




Why has it grown? Logically speaking...
We take this quote from Economist.com’s article: ‘A Clouded Future’:

“Technology is driving the trend. Over the past few years a host of fast-growing firms...have begun to take advantage of “the cloud”—tech-speak for the combination of ubiquitous fast internet connections and cheap, plentiful web-based computing power—to deliver sophisticated software that makes it easier to monitor and manage remote workers.”

Possible rebel activity? Emotionally speaking...
We quote the same article:

“Although numerous online exchanges still act primarily as brokers between employers in rich countries and workers in poorer ones, the number of rich-world freelancers is growing. Gary Swart, the boss of a (freelancing site), says the number of freelancers registered with (his freelancing site) in America has risen from 28,000 at the end of 2008 to 247,000 at the end of April.

That may, in part, be a reflection of American bosses’ ruthless cuts in full-time jobs, forcing those laid off to scramble for whatever work they can find. But it is also a sign of another notable trend: the range of work available is growing to encompass more complex and better-paid tasks.”

For years, there was a belief Voice123’s activity would drive the market down for the voice over industry, where in fact all it has done is remove middlemen-intervention and given buyers and sellers efficient tools to communicate and work more often with each other, directly and quickly.

In closing, we need to share a quick thanks for being loyal members of Voice123, and hope we can help you in the voice over industry for years to come!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Community: Contest Winner and Meetups!

Autographed-Poster Contest Winner!
The votes are in! We sent out an email campaign, invited voice talent, and used Voice123's Facebook and Twitter to seek votes for a contest giving away a Spanish Buzz-autographed Toy Story 3 poster by Javier Fernandez-Pena!

We congratulate Amy Elk (listen to the demo) for receiving the most votes, mostly on Facebook, but Twitter, too!

It will be a pleasure for us to send her this poster, seen at the end of this interview!

If you would like to hear the entire set of character voice submissions, you can do so at this link!

Voice123 Meetups This Week!

This week there will be Voice123 Meetups around the world! See if one is in your area!

• Encinitas, California on August 18th, 2010
• downtown Manhattan, NY August 19th, 2010
• Bogota, Colombia August 20th, 2010
  

Do not forget to organize your own!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Friday the 13th! Very Superstitious?

Friday the 13th!
Are you very superstitious about working online? There is no need to be, and we can show you exactly why. I am doing this monthly webinar to show you around Voice123 and remove any doubts you may have about our service! This webinar will discuss using Voice123 to get voice over work, and also how to read information you are seeing to make better choices and enhance your subscription!

Reserve your Webinar seat now.

Seriously, if you want to work on Voice123, you do not want to miss this.

What I address in this webinar...

• How SmartCast really works, and why
• The ways people are getting work online, how, and why
  
• How to select the best projects for you
• Knowing the right people to take advice from
  
• Avoiding scams and schemes that have been around longer than you realize
• Peace of mind for working in a 'do it yourself' environment

It is our company's mission to do our best to help you get more work, while attracting quality jobs, and that starts with knowing what you are dealing with...No superstitions!

Happy Friday!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Tips: Revisiting A Need For Remarks

Keep in mind:
We are often asked here, ‘What do I put in my remarks section?’. We commonly recommend keeping it short and sweet, with contact info. It helps, but it is not everything, nor is it a dealbreaker.

Remarkable:
During the Voice123 Thursday training, we send in a test using an audio file of a talent’s voice over demo. It is usually taken from a Voice123 profile. The fact that even though we label it a test, when a voice seeker likes what they hear, they will make an effort to reach you. This means there is no ‘absolute cure-all remark’ because when your audition is remarkable to the listener, remarks mean very little.

Click on the image below:


This voice seeker showed interest, and you can see by the remarks that what was said mattered very little. When the seeker showed interest, he asked me who it was, and how to get in contact with that person.
The point...Great auditions will speak volumes for you, always.



Voice123 Meetups!
There are great Voice123 Meetups in your city coming up, like this one in Encinitas, California! Organize a Voice123 Meetup, and connect with voice over industry folks in your area!

All the best to you!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Voice Seeker Survey: You Prefer Quality!

Keeping it real...short:
Not to long ago, a survey was sent out to all those currently posting jobs on Voice123 to find voice over talent. We asked a simple question: 'Do you prefer 'quality' or 'quantity?'.

We collected the results, and here is what you told us!

• Prefer receiving hundreds of auditions: 15.4%
  
• Prefer receiving what was requested in the project, good, and nothing else: 84.6%
  

We also asked, "How many years have you worked in media production and/or the voice over industry?":

• Less than 10 years: 38.5%
• More than 10 years: 7.7%
• More than 20 years: 30.8%
• More than 30 years: 23.1%
  

We greatly appreciate all those who answered the survey, and will use your responses to make for a better Voice123!

In the name of ‘sharing’...
Never forget that you can use Voice123 to hire talent, and take all the credit! Remember to use the shared inbox from Voice123 to give to your clients, so they can listen in, too! Examples:

Voice123 is referenced!

Without any references!

See the difference? With the busy autumn season approaching, we hope you use Voice123 for your next voice over project!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

photo by Pinstocker

Coach Partner Program In Voice123

What is it?
Voice123 offers a Coach Partner Program that many professional coaches take part in!

Please read about it here!

Keeping This Short And Simple:
This is a great way to for voice coaches to find new students. How?

• Voice123 promotes coaches in the program through Voice123 content.
• A voice coach in the program is given a 6-month free subscription for as long as they are referring students to Voice123 for a free 30-day trial.
• Workshops can be mentioned in Voice123 content.
• Our staff is looking to attend workshops to get the chance to meet you!
  

If you are a voice over coach, or a student with a coach who does not know about this program, please write us, and ask for Steven!

We would love to set you up in this program, and build a stronger Voice123 Community!

Voice123 Meetups: Top25 Hit!
If you go to this forum post you will find news about Voice123 Meetups! Special thanks to Vicky Jans and Stevan Speheger. Thank you to the Voice123 Community, now listed in the Top 25 of Meetups everywhere!

Organize your own Voice123 Meetup today!

Thank you!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

"And The Winner Is" Wait! Need Your Help!

Two weeks ago, we held a contest to celebrate the great news of PIXAR using Voice123 to find voice talent! The contest was mentioned here!

We sent the audition inbox to the judges, including Javier Fernandez-Pena himself, but now we would like to know who YOU think has the best character read.

Please go to this link and listen in!

One week from now, we will tally all votes and announce the winner of the 'Toy Story 3' poster, autographed by Javier Fernandez-Pena, who voiced Spanish Buzz for the film (a job booked through Voice123)!

Please cast your vote on Voice123's Facebook page!

Thank you to everyone for sharing your opinion, and hope you enjoyed listening!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

photo by TuBoston

Trends: Creating Belief Systems

“The sky may look blue to you, but to me...”
One of the most difficult things about being a voice talent is to face the day-to-day rejection. It just happens, and it is a part of life in this business. Whenever someone deals with something tough, ‘creating a belief system’ is a common reaction. Yet, it is this belief system that remains as a hidden engine to keep us moving forward. In truth, ‘reality’ is determined by ‘what we accepted as reality’.

Think about the following:

• Positive beliefs will lead to success, somehow, and it takes a great deal of work to find out how.
  
• Negative belief systems are easier. The quote, ‘Misery breeds company’ is quite true. It is easier to accept defeat than to keep fighting for what you believe in.

“You say potato...I say po-tah-to”
Having a difference of opinion is what makes us human. The online world is made up of millions of ‘belief systems’. With so much to debate about what you believe works vs. what they believe, just stop and ask yourself:

• What do I believe?
• Why do I believe it?
• Is it helping me get to where I want to be, or holding me back?
  

The reason for this...
After doing recent surveys on Voice123, we see there are many more people getting work for very large jobs more than ever before. As experienced voice over talent draft their skills to the online world, they tend to lose that spark that made them special because 'they believe' the technology has somehow changed the rules of being creative. It hasn't. All technology does is speed up the process, offer more options, and give direct control to the business process over to you.

What you 'believe' will determine how things work out from here because your beliefs will cause you to make healthy or unhealthy decisions towards being successful online.

Best to you always!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!

Tech Tip: About SmartCast Usage

Finding Voice Talent:
When you post a job on Voice123, and decide to use SmartCast technology, you should know that if there are less than ten premium subscribers who match what you are looking for, it may lead to a small response. If such things happen, usually in the case of needing a rare language, you can try:

• Go through the Voice123 Search Feature to directly invite folks
• Ask our customer service team to assist you in that search for your voice talent
• Try a Google search. We have an excellent search engine ranking!

When you come across profiles labeled ‘Standard Subscriber’, it means the voice talent has created a free profile, but is currently not paying to use the service. You will not find Standard Subscribers while using the Voice123 Search Feature, but can look people up directly on the Voice123 talent directory. Voice123 staff is experienced and looking to help you!

Please post a project and see what makes this website so special!

Last thing...We promise!
Don’t forget about this quick survey with just two questions! We hope you will quickly let us know what you think!

Best to you always!

Steven Lowell
Community Manager
Voice123 Premium Forums
Voice123 Youtube Channel
Twitter: @voice123
Voice123 Meetups!