I just had to post three scenes from the funniest movie ever. Ever since I was a little girl, I would watch this movie – and no matter how many times you see it, you just cannot keep the four suitcases straight!
And even today, I still laugh! If you visit San Francisco, there are still marks on the steps from where this chase scene was filmed.
Enjoy the craziness!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPccD2IWP...
A TRULY MOMENTOUS MILESTONE…..!
On February 20, 2010, my parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary! This is a monumental milestone, one which most of us will never reach. And so, 50 years to the day they originally pledged their eternal love and devotion to each other, they renewed their wedding vows in front of close family and friends. The priest emphasized how very rare my parents are and what a profound example they are for the rest of us.
What does it take to make it through 50 years of love and devotion? No doubt there will be hard times, distressing days, financial hardships, and all the rest. As with any life, there will also be joy, laughter, and great memories.
Why do so many fail to reach this milestone? Although it was far more common 50 years ago, today very few people get married right out of high school. Many of us opt to complete our college educations, jumpstart our careers, and establish ourselves before getting married. This is wise, because the divorce rate for those who marry under the age of 28 is much higher than beyond that age.
I personally believe that the single biggest reason for the high divorce rate is simply this: We choose the wrong mate in the first place. Perhaps we were hurt in the past, and we cling to this individual to be our life preserver, someone who will nurture and take care of us. Perhaps we were unhappy earlier in life and chose a spouse who exemplifies the diametric opposite of our upbringings. Or perhaps we felt sorry for our potential spouse in his earlier life and felt we needed to rescue him from the hardships he endured. In any event, we choose mates not from the emotionally strong, healthy part of ourselves, but from the weaker, dependent part.
It reminds me of a co-worker who was getting anxious as he approached 35 and remained unmarried. Desperate, he turned to the Internet and found a Russian woman hoping to come to the U.S. Although everyone at work warned him, he acted on the weak, desperate part of himself, married this woman, had a daughter and eventually ended up divorced. She sues him for money on a regular basis and will forever be an albatross in his life.
Another reason I feel divorce is so rampant is that nobody seems to take it as a serious commitment anymore. “Hey, if it doesn’t work out, we’ll just divorce.” Of course, there will always be problems. That’s life. And going into it with an attitude like that will most assuredly end in divorce. So today, we have many “pretend” marriages, such as shack ups. That way, anyone can walk out the door at any time with no commitment required. And it’s amazing to think that arranged marriages have much greater success! In these situations, people seem to take it seriously and stick it out no matter what comes their way.
Is it any wonder that in our nation we have a staggering divorce rate of 40-50% for first marriages, 60% for second marriages, and 73% for third marriages? (Source: http://www.divorcerate.org/) The statistics alone give many of us pause to think long and hard before jumping into a lifetime commitment.
In sharp contrast is my very good friend who married at 28. Immediately after marrying, her spouse lost his job. Years later they would discover that she has a very rare genetic disease called Dercum’s Disease, a condition which renders her in constant pain, multiple surgeries, medications, sleeping constantly, and with no known cure. She and her husband have walked through fire together and come out the other side.
By now you are probably asking yourself what any of this has to do with voiceover. I can draw a parallel here by saying that on February 18 I had my 1 year anniversary with Voices.com It has been a frustrating, time-consuming year with technical malfunctions that delayed audition transmissions to a virtual dead end. Although I have ended my subscription with them for these reasons, I shall move forward in the voiceover world by finding a better path – a more streamlined, efficient, cost-effective way to promote myself in my own community and establish myself as voice talent that will actually be heard, not lost among a sea of thousands. I will continue to advance my technical knowledge and build a professional home studio. I am not quitting voiceover; I am simply finding a better way to make it happen.
And lastly…
Well, friends, today is February 24, 2010. Does that date ring a bell with anyone? Three seconds to think about it…Did you figure it out?
Drumroll, please!…..
One year ago today, in a virtual world far, far away, an unknown domain launched onto the Internet and started something big.
Today is the 1 year anniversary of VOCasting.com! I was among the first 30 members on this site, joining on only the second day of its original launching, so it has been exciting to see how we have grown tremendously in 1 year. We now communicate and connect across various sites, including LinkedIn, Bodalgo, Twitter, and others.
Happy 1st Birthday, VOCasting.com! And many, many more to come!
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to all! May you know peace, joy and love this season and all the best life has to offer in 2010! Let’s make this the most phenomenal year yet!
As I write this post, I have been waiting the better part of an hour, an INTERMINABLE amount of time for my auditions to reach Voices.com I am now at the point where I close all open programs on my computer, close my Internet connection, and try, try again for the auditions to reach their site. It takes, on average, 5 attempts.
One day, as I was rushing to get to work, I left my computer on while the audition was supposedly going through. When I returned from work, 9 HOURS LATER, my audition still had not gone through! There are so many other people jamming the system at Voices.com that it is almost impossible to submit auditions. I don’t have this problem if it is 1 a.m., but then again, by that time, 115 other people have beaten me to the punch for these jobs.
Imagine how DISHEARTENING and DOWNRIGHT FRUSTRATING it is to race against the clock, recording custom scripts, editing, adding background music, trying to beat the competition to the punch, and then…oh, no, only to be STOPPED DEAD IN MY TRACKS by a jammed Internet loaded with others trying to reach their site as well!
Each and every day, I grow more and more disgusted with this service. And since leaving a voicemail message yields no return call from them, I am voicing my frustration here. About 6 weeks ago, I responded to one of Taji’s posts on Voices.com and soon received a message in my inbox from one of their staff. Apparently they read what we write here, and sent me an e-mail to set the record straight about their service.
I responded with two return e-mails and received no response.
Hey, Voices.com: When you advertise yourself as the “#1 Voiceover Service,” exactly WHO BENEFITS from that? Your service certainly benefits from the membership fees submitted by the voice talent and the escrow fees submitted by the voice seekers. But if by being the “#1 Service,” that means that voice talent simply has LOTS and LOTS more competition, does that really benefit us? At this moment, I am watching the circle turning around and around as it tries desperately to send my audition to your site. Wow, what a waste of my precious time!
It seems as though this site has taken on a life of its own, and 8 full-time staff just can’t handle the enormous workload generated by more than 102,000 people on Voices.com
What we desperately need is more competition – not for the voice talent, because we have far more than we need.
No, the competition needs to be among the Pay-for-Audition sites, because once other Internet companies start offering these services to the voice talent, there will be a much more even distribution of work. Having only 3 major pay-for-audition sites, Voices.com, Voice123.com, and VOPlanet respectively, is far too few to handle the enormous projects out there. More competition for them means better service for us.
I was really proud of the work I put into these auditions today, and you know what? They still haven’t gone through.
I had a very interesting Audition week with Voices.com. In fact, in the last two weeks I received project notices that included:
A 4-star General Apocalyptic Voice; A Parrot Voice (You must actually sound like a parrot, not a person imitating a parrot, but an actual parrot saying, “rinse, please.” ); A sexy, young, exciting voice (Chicago based talent only); and a script where the talent simply says, “Go to wcpc.com” but with a “wink of the eye.”
By the way, I actually auditioned for that last one, but the others…well, they weren’t exactly my speed. It was great when I got an audition notice recently that read, “soothing voice.” Right up my alley! In fact, the word “soothing” is actually on my voice profile description. It really is a testament to the versatility of this profession when in the course of a mere day, you can be an excited teenager, the innocent girl next door, or a cartoon character for a new animated TV series. To switch from one to another is like Cybill on a good day.
There can be as many as 162 talent submitting auditions, or 0. That category for English (North American) includes a lot of talent, and I feel fortunate if I can make it in the first 20…or 30. Often it’s a race against the clock to see how high I can make it in the audition line. And it’s exciting to see the number of “listens,” which Voices provides so we can track just how many times clients are listening to our demos. When I submit auditions and then later log in, noting how that number keeps increasing, I know that the voice seeker was interested enough to look up my profile and listen to more demos.
If I were to get into my car now and head West, I would be in Los Angeles in less than an hour. (Keep in mind it is late Friday night. If this were a workday morning, it would take closer to two hours!) When you think of all the voice talent in L.A., which includes the overlap of stage, screen, and television actors, the numbers must be well into the thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands. Let’s not forget the neighboring communities of Studio City, Hollywood, Santa Monica, and more.
And yet here, in my small town, it’s all so different. From its beautiful, lush, rolling green hills that dominate the rural landscape, to its crystal blue skies, to more than 30 miles of natural trails, the City of Angels is but a distant memory. So close, and yet so far. I marveled at this anomaly from the moment I arrived. Amazed by its awesome beauty, it is the subject of stunning photography – truly unlike anything I had ever seen before. Situated on the far reaches of the largest county in the nation, it was a new, undeveloped, desolate secret yet to be discovered – a precious jewel.
Today, there are drug stores, restaurants and various businesses, but hints of yesterday still remain. Just today, as I was heading home, I couldn’t help but notice the row of cows strolling across the ridgeline. And even though the miles of cornrows have vanished, you can see the occasional man chasing a chicken across the road, attend the annual Dairy Festival to learn what real butter tastes like, or stop for horse crossings. A few ranches, equestrian centers, and dairy farms still remain. There is even a yearly Rodeo Festival and Cowboy Dance.
The local newspaper is always good for laughs, complete with absurd typos, obituary notices where the deceased passes on at a future date, and complete with the week’s lead story about a woman with the longest fingernails or the prison outbreak that prompted a visit from our famous actor-turned-Governor. And last year was a record year for us, when this small town was not only hit by California wildfires, but the actual epicenter of a big earthquake. It was obvious the Los Angles new media knew very little about us, but we were finally on the map!
This past year, the egg prices increased, so I called a local rancher and asked for his price. “How many cases do you want?” he asked. “Oh, I only want a dozen,” I told him. “You know what you need to do, then? You need to go see Billy! You can go to his drive-thru Egg Ranch. Now He even has a his own phone!” he replied. Wow, his own phone! Imagine that! ”Hi, Billy! Are you near Joey’s?” I asked when he answered his phone. Sure enough, Billy’s Egg Ranch was down the street from Joey’s Bar-B-Q.
People often tell me, “You look so familiar,” and my response is generally that they have probably seen me at some gym within a 20 mile radius. Other times, they say, “You name sounds familiar,” in which case I respond that they have probably read something I have written – whether it be an article about a local business, a cookbook review, or a profile piece on the regions of Italy.
Many years ago, when I first became interested in the Voiceover world, I contacted industry talent in Los Angeles – people like Thom Pinto, Cindy Akers, and Elaine Craig, who once told me, “I suspect you have a lot more talent than you are willing to admit.” (At the time, I wasn’t quite sure how to take that!) Another comment that I never forget stays with me today: “You could be a big fish in a small pond.”
There are business owners, ranchers, city employees, and retail workers, but just how many voice talent reside in my tiny corner of the planet?
The answer could very well be…..1.
If that is the case, then there is enormous potential. Surely there are businesses who require on-hold voicemail greetings for their phone lines, an independent filmmaker in need of voice talent for his latest project, or a company producing a training video for its corporate office. Doesn’t it make sense to start your own business and monopolize the industry in your own private corner of the globe?
Come to think of it, I am in an ideal situation – close enough to Los Angeles to utilize its studios if necessary, and yet far enough away make a name for myself in this very unique community. Instead of competing with hundreds of people for the same projects, clients would contact me directly because I am the only game in town – literally. As far as I know, there is no other voice talent in this area.
Even a scan of the group California Voices on this site reveals no one in my immediate area. That leaves a gigantic hole that needs to be filled. Find a need in the industry and fill it. That is one of the cardinal rules for success.
Perhaps one day someone will say, “You SOUND familiar.” At that point I’ll follow my own road to success and know I made it big in the little city.
Six months ago today, in a cyberspace land far, far away, an unassuming little site called VOCasting.com launched its way into the universe. Its mission: join Voiceover professionals for networking, advice, friendship, encouragement, and even amusement. And accomplish that mission it did.
Today, nearly 600 members are featured on our site, running the gamut from curious newbies to seasoned veterans in the industry. We come from all corners of the globe – from the office complex where the site originated in Sao Paulo, Brazil to Mahmoud Taji’s home in Cairo, Egypt to broadcasters in the Philippines to Southern California and beyond.
At the six month anniversary, there are 30 groups, with specialized interests such as Multilingual Voiceover Artists, Dubbing Actors, Singers, and even Home Studio Recording Equipment.
It is a place where we all come together – cyberally speaking, that is. Although none has physically met another, we have truly connected on an emotional level, not only as professionals but as human beings living in a complex universe.
This site has opened a new world for me. I have met colleagues, shared my own experiences, benefited from others’ expertise, and made great contacts. And those contacts have opened up even more doors – and more possibilities.
I am glad I followed my instincts 6 months ago when a strange e-mail appeared in my Voices inbox, because truth be told, we are all better for it.
Happy 6 month Anniversary, VOCasting.com! Cheers to Everyone!
Today, all eyes are on Los Angeles, as people fly in from around the world to immortalize a music legend. The City of Angels is inundated with throngs of adoring fans, and the city’s LAPD and fire department are on duty at L.A.’s Staples Center. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is asking L.A. residents for donations to fund the memorial, estimated to cost $3.8 million dollars! That’s for a city that is already in financial crisis, and in a state facing economic collapse.
http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/in...
It’s all over the news, from television to radio, Internet, and newspapers. One airline even sold out of tickets due to fans flying in from around the world, even if they did not win the random lottery drawing to be seated at the memorial ceremony. In the last few weeks, this event virtually overwhelmed local newscasts to such a level that KABC (Los Angeles) nearly devoted entire newscasts to this story alone. It really says a lot about a value system that overwhelmingly honors celebrity over heroism. The sideshow circus taking place in Los Angeles today really will include a circus, as Barnum & Bailey are bringing in elephants for entertainment.
Meanwhile, Colonel Kenneth L. Reusser, the most decorated U.S. Marine Corp aviator in history, died at the age of 89. Shot down five times in three wars, he earned two Navy Crosses, four Purple Hearts and two Legions of Merit among his astounding 59 medals. Colonel Reusser was a true American hero whose passing was largely ignored on news stations, which instead chose to focus all of their energies on “celebrity.”
And just yesterday…”Bombs and bullets killed seven U.S. troops Monday, making it the deadliest day for U.S. forces in Afghanistan in nearly a year — and a sign that the war being fought in the Taliban heartland of the south and east could be expanding north.”
So today I am pushing the media circus aside and forwarding the story of Colonel Reusser, who deserved far more honor and attention than he received. In all honesty, we could never thank him enough for what he and other American heroes have, and continue to do, for all of us. He was truly a wonderful man, courageous soldier, and honorable human being.
As always, I ended up writing a longer response than intended and now…here is another blog. This is, of course, in response to Taji’s last posting. Since my registration on this site, I have not seen any backbiting, ultra-competitive, “dog eat dog” mentality among ANY of the members here.
As I stated in a previous posting, there is truly a place in this business for all of us! On my way to work today, Axl Rose was on the radio and I thought, “Who would have thought this voice would be famous?” Judging from the popularity of Guns ‘n’ Roses, Axl’s voice found a place. The same can be said of Ozzy Osbourne, the gravely Rod Stewart, and even Mic Jagger. Who would have imagined that Louis Armstrong’s voice would be famous, especially when paired with a song liked, “What A Wonderful World”? And yet, somehow it worked. What was Steve Miller thinking when he sang, “Abra Abracadabra, I wanna reach out and grab ya”? Somebody liked it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTJ1hRaEl...
I watch TV and hear the Norm’s Restaurant commercial where the VO states at the tagline, “Norm’s Restaurant – where life happens.” It sounds like she walked into the studio after smoking her 6th pack of cigarettes that day. Evidently, Norm’s Restaurant wanted a down-to-earth, honest to goodness, blue collar type voice to appeal to its target audience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMzMZWffI...
How many of us were told by our parents, “How can you listen to that caccophony?” It didn’t matter if it was Led Zeppelin, Scorpions, or Sammy Hagar belting out his signature, “I Can’t Drive 55.” Sammy always did have a voice that could melt steel, and it always appealed to me and many others as well. Even Mark Slaughter, with his strong engaging vocals, has extended his career into VO, performing cartoon voices as well as straight narration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JJXy2pKy...
There are the guys with the “monster truck type” voices, the women who can sound like teenage boys, voiceovers who can perform multiple regional accents, dubbing actors, books on tape, dramatic roles, and the list goes on and on. The possibilities are endless! Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simspon, was perfect for this voice role.
There are so many facets to the VO business that we can all find our specific niche. Simply find what you do best, work hard at your craft, and continue promoting yourself. Some of us have voices perfect for audiobooks, while others shine in more dramatic roles. There is a place for the “announcer” type voice, as well as the girl next door. No one person is a perfect match for every job, but everyone is a perfect match for some jobs.
Despite what the folks at Voices.com think, I am not a good match for a male voice. Yet, when I hear of these jobs, I post them on this site to give the guys a chance to try out for them. We work together as a community to inform, entertain, and promote dialogue.
And when I see postings that are great matches for myself, I do the best possible audition I can and hope for the best. Some I get right at the first take; others take a little longer to perfect. I do not take it personally if I don’t get it, because the client may be looking for something specific I don’t know about, or perhaps chose someone higher up in the audition line. Either way, I keep trying and pitching until I get it.
Also in a previous posting, I stated that the greatest competition I have is myself. I am in constant competition with Julia Lombardo. She demands more of me than anyone else. It is simply a waste of my time and effort to worry about what Jack S. is doing. I am spending all of my time competing against myself to be the best possible me that I can be. And that’s a full-time job in and of itself!
Every once in awhile, someone will approach me in the gym, saying the greatest distance they have ever run is 13 miles. “I wonder if I could ever double that to marathon distance.” I encourage them to train properly and go for it. This sport is a brotherhood, not a vicious competition, and I view these moments as my chance to encourage them – just as someone encouraged me nearly 10 years ago.
Like everyone else, I have my stronger areas and weaker areas. When I see a job in which I know I excel, I apply immediately. If it is a dramatic role, I do my best to act the part. Some projects are very easy for me. Others take more effort. And ironically enough, my final point directly links to this weekend’s church sermon. The message was simply this: we are all here on this earth for a reason, for a specific purpose. Find out what your purpose is and then go for it with all your might!
In every area of my life, I will continue to strive higher and higher toward my purpose, while at the same time, encouraging others to do the same.
I hope all of you had an outstanding 4th of July, whether or not it is a national holiday in your country. During our last holiday, a young man in his late twenties/early thirties told me that although he has his own contracting business, it exists solely through word of mouth.”The worst thing I ever did was advertise,” he said. “All I got were the bottom feeders who didn’t appreciate my quality work and weren’t willing to pay for it.”
I was very surprised to hear this, especially since he is the sole support of his small household, which includes his wife and a new baby as of May 12. Plus, there are women I work with whose husbands worked in construction and are now unemployed due to the recession.
As ironic as it sounds, “word of mouth” (get the reference?) just isn’t enough in our business. At least initially, we need to get our names out there so people know who we are and what we are capable of doing. If you whistle in the dark, it may sound good, but the only one who hears it is YOU. Once an individual develops a strong reputation, of course, s/he may become well known enough that clients come to them. Wouldn’t that be great? And yet, even then, it never hurts to always have your name out there, in the forefront of clients’ minds.
Today, we must approach advertising from multiple perspectives. The advent of the Internet has given us seemingly limitless opportunities for advertising. There are pay-to-audition sites, which despite the flaws, do provide exposure; our own individual Web sites that spotlight our services; and networking sites like LinkedIn and of course, VOCasting. com, where we connect with other industry professionals – absolutely vital in this field. And let’s not forget the opportunities to attend conferences, workshops, and classes to further refine our skills.
I often wonder if someday there will be a giant VOCasting.com reunion. Imagine meeting in person the images on our computer screens, and experiencing up close the mannerisms and personality traits that simply cannot be captured electronically. What an interesting reunion that would be!
I’m going to wrap up this short post with a passage that shows up every week in my church bulletin. And I ask…Does anything capture the Power of Advertising better than this?
WHY IS IT?
A man wakes up after sleeping under an ADVERTISED blanket on an ADVERTISED mattress and pulls off ADVERTISED pajamas; bathes in an ADVERTISED shower and shaves with an ADVERTISED razor; brushes his teeth with ADVERTISED toothpaste; washes with ADVERTISED soap; puts on ADVERTISED clothes; drinks a cup of ADVERTISED coffee; drives to work in an ADVERTISED car, and then…refuses to ADVERTISE, believing it doesn’t pay. Later, if business is poor, he ADVERTISES it for sale. WHY IS IT?
If someone calls you a lexophile, is that a good thing or not? Well, in our wildly illogical language, there is always a play on words for those who love words. Consider the following:
1. A bicycle cannot stand alone; it is two tired.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backward poet writes inverse.
5. In a democracy, it’s your vote that counts; in feudalism, it’s your Count that votes.
6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
7. If you don’t pay your exorcist, you can get repossessed.
8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I’ll show you A-flat miner.
10. When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.
11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France and resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
13. You are stuck with debt if you can’t budge it.
14. Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.
15. A calendar’s days are numbered.
16. A boiled egg is hard to beat.
17. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
18. The short fortune teller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.
19. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
20. When you’ve seen one shopping centre, you’ve seen a mall.
21. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.
22. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she’d dye.
23. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead-to-know basis.
24. Santa’s helpers are subordinate clauses.
25. Acupuncture: a jab well done.
26. Marathon runners with bad shoes suffer the agony of de feet.
27. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
28. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
29. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
30. No matter how much you push the envelope, it’ll still be stationery.
31. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
32. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
33. A hole has been found in a nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
34. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
35. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, “You stay here. I’ll go on a head.”
36. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
37. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab centre said: “Keep Off The Grass.”
38. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
39. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
40. Don’t join dangerous cults. Practice safe sects.
And by the way, why is it in English that we park in a driveway and drive in a parkway?
julialombardo
Julia, my first article in VoCasting talk exactly about that: “Custom Demos – The bigest voiceover artists trouble!” http://voiceover-casting.com/blog/custom-demos-bigest-voiceover-artists-trouble/
Don’t waste your time anymore. Invest in your own website, it is the best solution!
Anyway, we start the development of our Pay-Per-Audition site few weeks ago, and it will be free. The project is huge, it is where all my efforts are concentrate now.
But “if the client can have a lot of custom demos for free, why they will pay?” The VoiceOver artists need to unsubscribe this services, or stop to send the custom demos for free.