To change my image or not to change it? That is the question!

Well, it's been a year that I've been playing the part of the Big Gun.

Has it suited me well? Well, my image/branding is certainly out there. God knows I've paid a fortune in development, web design, advertising, email blasts, merchandise and all the ancillary stuff that goes along with it.

So, did it work? Have I gotten more work from it? Has the ROI (return on investment for all of you not in the business of business). Ummmmm my answer is: A heartfelt, resounding "Gee, I don't know????" I'm not making a million dollars yet...so in that capacity...NO.

So, what's a voice over/former ad guy supposed to do?

Survey!

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2kydty2fzvgplbj/start

Yep, I put a survey out there to 6,000 folks who receive my monthly email blasts.

Out of those who responded - the general consensus - was hey, it's OK.

Don't get me wrong, there were a few naysayers who thought using a gun in any marketing in this day and age was a big mistake...but its a SHOTGUN microphone. Thus the tie-in. Hello?

Then there was the comment that if you're going to call yourself the "Big Gun" you'd better be able to back it up.

Well, I'm not a household name but I've done my share of National work over the past 23 years...Let's see, just off the top of my head and in alphabetical order: American Airlines, Amtrak, Antinori Wines, Anekena Wines, Audi, Buick, Bosch Electronics, Buick, Carhart, Colgate, Coors Beer, Chevrolet, Credit Suisse Banks, DHL, DreamWorks, ESPN, Ford, GM, GMC, Hooters, McDonalds, Michelin, Munder Funds, OnStar, Putnam Publishing, Qwest, Sony Playstation, Verizon, Verizon Games, Vtech Games and Xerox.

Pretty good resume.

Than there was the comment about only Don Lafontaine could be considered the Big Gun! Nnnnnnnnot so fast. I knew Don - I mean we didn't hang out together, but we exchanged pleasantries. Not only did he like the idea, he told me he was going to steal it. (In a good natured way of course! He was a really kind man and respected fellow voice people).

Anyway, all tolled there were more positives than negatives.

So, do I throw away a years worth of effort and more importantly money to start fresh?

Maybe. What's your opinion?

Hey I've done the whole RCA Victor thing...it sucks so don't suggest it.

Simply go here and fill out the survey for yourself

http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e2kydty2fzvgplbj/start

Peace out.

John Boy...we hardly knew ye'

If you watched any football this past weekend, chances are you saw a plethora of national car commercials. Car commercials voiced by some very familiar voices! The endless Hyundai spots voiced by the Big Lebowski himself, Jeff Bridges. Very undude like.

Honda, voiced by Kevin Spacey. The Rescue Me star, Dennis Leary, as the voice of the Ford F-150 (my opinion - perfect fit), James Spader, voicing Acura and of course John Boy, Richard Thomas, who I met in New York a few weeks back, voicing Mercedes-Benz.

Well, at least he is for now. How do I know this? Simply because like several other non-descript working voice actors out there, I received an audition with explicit direction from the current ad agency. Wow, how could they bitch slap John Boy, by sending out auditions behind his back?

Don't fret John Boy! It could simply be a ploy to convince the client that you, Richard Thomas a.k.a. John Boy is the perfect fit for the luxury line. They just need to be sure! It could be that the manufacturer thinks the buying public is bored with his voice.

It could be that no one really cares whether or not the voice of Mercedes is Richard Thomas or John Smith for that matter...And what with the economy and all, why not pay a regular voice over guy or gal, than the multi-million dollar contract they have with John Boy.

Some years ago, while I was employed with Young and Rubicam, the decision was made to hire a relatively unknown Gary Sinese - a.k.a. Lt. Dan, to be the spokesvoice of the brand.

Well, a multimillion dollar deal was cut and Sinese was on the hook to record maybe 9 spots for the entire year, plus there of course were clauses and addendums for him to voice over updates, etc. at a reduced rate of maybe $50K per session.

After all was said and done, the spots went into testing. The general consensus? No one cared.

Huh.

So the client was out a boatload of money and sales tanked.

Celebrity voices...do they sell cars, or are they just a waste of money? I guess we need to ask Hyundai.

Voice Auditioning. It's all about shifting gears!

I read an excerpt today from my friend Randy Thomas' new book, Voice for Hire, and it said "When someone asks you what you do for a living, proudly tell them you audition" The quote was from fellow voice over actor Mark Avery.

In my humble opinion, that quote is 300% absolutely right! Because the actual performance of the script is the fun and easy part! Now landing it that's the hardest part of all.

The passage got me thinking that on any given day, I can crank out 10 to 15 or more auditions. That's a lot of mental gear shifting. A lot of shifting of different personas.

It's morning here in W. Palm Beach and I've already cranked out four auditions and I'm only on my second cup of coffee.

I've auditioned for a documentary narration, a toy, a commercial for a DVD and a promo for a news talk radio station.

Four distinctly different reads.

I shifted gears from a serious, deep thinking and over emotive History Channel narrator, to processed and monotone robot character, to bright sounding higher register Gen-Y Guy, to hard hitting and straightforward newsman.

And now I'm idling in neutral waiting for the next one.

I guess that's one of the benefits of being a voice actor. It's never boring. To be sure, you may not get any of the gigs, but moulding and developing your craft and developing your own skill set is priceless.

On average you will score 1 out of every 50 auditions. And that's doing great. Well, only 46 left to go before my next job!

Oh and Randy Thomas' book which was written with voice coach Peter Rofe'? Go buy it now! A great read and cool insight. From beginner to working pro, there's always something to garner from people who are successful in this business. And Randy and Peter are no exception!

Available with a mouse click at Amazon.com

Peace out.

More on the book...

This voice is for hire. In fact, all actors’ voices are for hire—or should be. Voice-overs offer a great opportunity for actors to get extra work, even full-time work.

Author Randy Thomas is America’s most recognizable female voice announcer—she even announces the national television broadcast of the Academy Awards! Author Peter Rofé is New York City’s top voice-over coach—he teaches actors to sell their voices for every possible voice-over purpose.

Together they explore all the ins and outs of this exciting and lucrative field: auditioning, making demos, training, marketing, script interpretation, animation, radio promos, narration, live announcing, and more. Want to get your mouth in the door and keep it inside once it’s there? Sure you do.

Ed V

Voice Over Specs - To read them or not to read them that is the question

Voice Over Specs. They are the bane of every voice talent's worst nightmare. Specs are how a client or producer perceives - in his or her mind - how copy should be delivered. And in order to explain what they mean, they put these "Specs" down on paper.

Yet many voice over experts and coaches pooh-pooh the specs. Tell you, "don't bother with them, don't read them. Do what YOU

think...what YOU feel."

And I tend to agree.

Today, I received an audition with the following specs:

"We want an announcer who is authoritative and credible, able to build rapport and trust with the listener. The announcer should also be persuasive and compelling, able to convince the listener to act."

Hey guys, we can only do so much with our voices! Do you want me to drive to their homes and beat them into submission to make them buy what it is you are selling?

Still other Specs don't want you to be you. They of course want you to be someone else.

The following are all actual "Specs" that came through for various auditions last week:

1. Deep dramatic voice, authoritative delivery. Similar to John

Wayne or Sam Eliot. But we are not looking for a parody or a sound alike

2. Looking for a Deeper voice, Kelsey Grammar -like. Very Announcer like, witty

and sarcastic. Male.

3. Need someone to deliver copy like Mike Rowe, (Dirty Jobs), George Clooney, (Budweiser) or Morgan Freeman (Visa)

Nnnnnnk - which one is it? Rowe, Clooney or Freeman? And if you're such a big, important national company - why not actually hire those guys instead of a cheap imitation.

Still other "Specs" are

confusing and quite nebulous?

Looking for someone with a lot of energy, ability to pump up a crowd. Should feel the smiles in his delivery. Natural sounding, not the announcer type.

or

Male, 30-50yrs old, weather man sounding. Direct, quick read

So, what's a weather man sound like?

And yet still others pretty much sum up that the Client/Producer doesn't know what he wants, but he'll know it when he hears it.

Should be 30-40's male, caucasian sounding, with a slightly caring tone but heavy handed with it. Please do two takes, one lighter than the other.

Or,

Looking for a cross between angry direct and happy caring read. No announcers. Comedic timing and gruff. Could be English, African American, Male/Female.

Ummmm huh? Throw some Albanian Transvestites in their and I think we've covered just about everybody!

So, I guess the best we can do as Actors is interpret the copy in our own way. And deliver it the way we feel it should be done. End of story.

What better way to self deprecate than with Out Takes and Bloopers!

You know, sometimes when you're at a loss for creating content, especially free content, like my series Straight Shootin' with the Big Gun, you do one of two things. You create

1. A Best of Show...

or

2. Out Takes and Bloopers.

Well I chose to create the latter. Ten episodes worth of the funny behind the scenes stuff.

Oh my sides.

So enjoy at my expense.

A New Logo Idea. My identity crisis.

Recently, I started kicking around the notion that my marketing efforts just aren't working. God knows I've spent a fortune creating and promoting myself as the Big Gun. The notion that came from the fact that I've been doing advertising, marketing and voice work for over 20 years. I mean the logo was created by the same Hollywood design and movie poster company that created the graphics and movie posters for everything from Billy Elliot to Sideways to The Wrestler, not to mention the Raiders of the Lost Ark franchise. There was the photo shoot in LA, the travel, the website design, the business cards, letter head...on and on.

The logo was carefully designed with the Neuman 416 Shotgun microphone. Get it Shotgun Microphone. The actual gun I am holding is the real prop gun from the 1972 Dirty Harry Movie. The same one Clint Eastwood gripped oh so many years ago.

Then, because I'm not getting the work I think I should be getting, or the agents I believe I

should be working with, I start second guessing myself. Is it me? Is it my voice? Is it the economy? Hmmmmm it must be my logo. Yeah, that's gotta be it. I know, I'll start from scratch by pulling what I call a "Madonna". After all, she's the queen of reinvention and it works!

So, I started kicking around some new branding ideas. My last name is Victor, so I should go with

something based off the RCA Victor franchise? After all, that was the name I was called, or should I say relentlessly chided by in grade school.

Yeah great. I'll go with that. Besides, I can always use another law suit to give me something to do. So how do I make it my own...I know, I'll throw my trademark hair on the dog that should

change it up. Make it interesting and all. Yeah, that's the ticket and throw some sun glasses on the dog to show how really cool the dog is.

After I paid off the artist I realized what a stupid idea this was. So it was back to the drawing board. Then I thought, why not just go with my name - Ed Victor. Sounds like a great voice over name anyway.

Yeah let me try that.

But like all voice over people this new graphic designer threw the dreaded microphone in. The Microphone is the universal symbol of HE MUST BE A VOICE ACTOR! Right? The name looks fine but another microphone graphic...how pedestrian.

Now here's another idea speaking of microphones. Why not take my trademark hair. One of my most recognizable attributes and throw it on a microphone. I mean shit, it's the best of both worlds right? My hair on a microphone!!! Brilliant.

Yeah...until you see it. Looks like a Mr. Potato Head sort of thing, Or one of those M & M characters. Or a Weeble on a stick. It just doesn't work. Maybe I should change my name to Harry Mike. Yeah, Harold Harry Mike. Chances are Neuman will sue me for infringing on their fucking microphone design. And like I said earlier, just what I need another law suit to pass the time of day with.

So, after all is said and done, I think I'll stick with my original logo. The Big Gun. Unless someone else can come up with something better. This is my friends is my Identity Crisis.

The Client I Just Can't Seem To Get

As a voice talent/on-camera talent. I've been auditioning for the Michigan Lottery for going on 14 years now. That's right...14 years of reading copy about every game the Michigan Lottery has come up with. Last year, I put my foot down and told my agent in Detroit. No more. Do not ever

send me another Lottery Spot to audition for...ever. If you think you want to...don't! Just walk away and tell them I've got a conflict...Like 14 years of wasting my time.

As an aside, over the last 4 years - that's 4 years. I have been the voice of the Florida Lottery, Colorado Lottery, Georgia Lottery, Indiana Lottery and Missouri Lottery. Just to prove I can do LOTTERY!!!

Well, a buddy of mine who owns a film company shot me an email the other day, replete with a storyboard and script...for...you guessed it! THE MICHIGAN LOTTERY. I explained my past 14 year record - A million scripts...0 wins...A million losses. Nonetheless at his urging and his direction of "do whatever you want!" I proudly bring you this...my on camera audition of a shlub who just won a million dollars, yet is still a shlub. So enjoy. I mean hell, I put a half days effort into it, why shouldn't someone else get a kick out of it? Ohhhh and although everybody loved it...needless to say...Yeah - the Creative Director nixed it...I'm guessing, probably cause it wasn't his idea. Whatever dude...whatever. My days of Michigan Lottery Auditions are done! Really...I mean it!

Back to Work Summer's Over!

Well, technically summer isn't over until September 22, 2009 at 5:18 pm EDT. True...I looked it up. Now you know. But in reality, kids are back to school. Costco has their Christmas stuff out and that means it's time to get back to work.

New ad campaigns, new promos, new movies...it's all good.

Some Happy Fans! Thanks for the Kudos

Letters from some more satisfied customers (viewers)!

Hi Ed,

Last week I was in the studio working on another audio book for a legal publisher. When the engineer and I took a break, I decided to show him the webisode you did in your buddy’s studio – “Studio Etiquette”. He enjoyed it so much we ended up watching all your webisodes! Then it was back to work!

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to put this info out there. I’m fairly new to the industry and appreciate all the help I can get from pros like you. I just ordered a Voice Work hat today and hope to be wearing it in the studio soon!

Tim MacLean

Dear Ed the Voice ........and dog !

My name is Penny Johnston from ThinkDigitalTV, we have had some enquires as to where your videos have gone.

You are gaining a fan base on the site ....could we get them back ?

Thank you for making us smile, keep up the good work !

Best Regards

Penny Johnston

Marketing and Communications

ThinkDigitalTV

I like your Webisodes, Ed. I'm certain they take a bit of effort and probably eat up bandwidth $$$.

Thank you,
Steve Hammill

Ed, you rock! Thanks for sharing your wisdom and experience.

Lauren Cross

Sweet information Ed, you are saving me a lot of time and hassle....THANKS!!!

Arturo La paz

Straight Shootin' with the Big Gun Book

Many of you are familiar with the webisode series, Straight Shootin' with the Big Gun...Tools, Techniques, Opinions and Insight on the Voice Over Business. Well kiddies hold onto your microphones because the book version - Straight Shootin' with the Big Gun, Honest Answers to Your Voice Over Questions is in the works.

Many chapters are based on the insight from the webisodes. Only there's more information - because I'm not restricted to 10 minute blips!

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend. Best to all!

Ed V

Straight Shootin' with the Big Gun Webisode #10 Branding

When it comes to the voice over business, we're not voice actors, we are BRANDS! So how do you go about branding yourself? What is your USP - Your Unique Selling Proposition? In Webisode #10 Ed Victor, a.k.a., The Big Gun explains the thought process in developing your own brands. Some do's, some don'ts...some don't even think about its. So if your a voice actor and you stuck in the..."gee, I guess I'll just slap an old time microphone on it!" Think Again! And watch this informative and entertaining webisode. Yep Johnny it's Webisode #10! Sit back, enjoy and be a BRAND.

AND DON'T FORGET TO ORDER YOUR VOICE WORK HAT TODAY AT VOICEWORKHATS.COM!

ONLY $24.95 - 100% Cotton Twill in Black or Stone. One size fits all.

The things we get to do in this whacky business

So, today was another good day. And it's always a good day when you're doing voice work. Interestingly enough, today's assignments were voices for an interactive ride - like you'd see at a fair, and a voice over for a machine that makes dog tags. "Soldier, insert your money now!" and "Be Brave! We're Counting on You Soldier!" Huh...who knew. But work is work right?

Beyond that an ISDN hook-up back to Detroit for Ford and now time to write the next webisode of Straight Shootin with the Big Gun...This week's webisode is about Branding Yourself - so until tomorrow. Shake your groove thing soldier!

Doing The Greatest Voice Work Overseas - Can't Get Arrested Here!

I have been auditioning for McDonald's on and off, for the last 10 years. In the voice over world the Golden Arches are considered the holy grail. Golden arches = Gold in your pocket especially on a national scale. See how that works? Unfortunately, I haven't been able to crack the code to nail a read for one.

Then out of the blue this morning I receive and email from a production company in Belgium. Seems McDonald's is unveiling a new burger over there called the CBO - Chicken, Bacon and Onion.

And with no fanfare, no agents or manager involvement, no negotiation, no back and forth but simply based on my past experience with this company and my demo. They hand me the job. Just like that! Amazing. Last week I did Panasonic overseas and the week before Nokia. Huh. All huge jobs by American standards, yet overseas it's business as usual.

Remember a time when rock bands couldn't make it in the States? They'd go overseas...Japan, Germany, Italy, Scotland...and make it big! That's sort of where I feel I am with my career.

Can't get arrested here...but I'm Don frigging LaFontaine in France, Scotland and parts of Thailand. Go figure.

Until next time...