VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[Donovan]

I don't use a "stage name" but I have been using a brand for the past couple of years. The fact is, I don't necessarily fit with ALL types of reads and I'm fine with that. My base sound is more "ethnic" or "urban" or whatever adjective is being used now. Bottom line is, I can't pass off a Ryan Seacrest or Mike Rowe sound. I can give you the attitude and feel of them, but not their sound. That's the reality of it.

Because of that, I started my brand of "The Voice of Cool." Does it limit me, maybe. But it has also provided me with the biggest paying gigs of my career. It tells you what I do best and I deliver. I actually have no regrets at all about using it as my brand.

That being said, I recently have become a client of a fairly big talent agency/management firm in NYC. One of the first things I was told was that the focus needed to move away from my brand and more towards my name. I already had donovancorneetz.com, so they want me to market that more. The reason is they want people to hire ME, not my brand. Make relationships with ME, not my brand. It was a tough pill to swallow at first, but it makes sense and I'm willing to do what it takes to grow.

So that's my take on the subject. Take it for what it's worth.
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Donovan

www.DonovanVO.com

[bobsouer]

I've always just used my real name, or more correctly my nickname (Bob) and my real last name. When I was on the radio, and in my voiceover work. I do have one client (a production company) that asked me to use a pseudonym with them. I agreed and that has worked out very well for both of us, but everywhere else I'm just Bob Souer.
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Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[Bruce]

I too signed with a production house that wanted me to change my name even though they let some of their older roster members keep theirs (maybe the same one Bob?) ....wrankled me a bit. But it turns out I'm getting a pretty fair amount of work through them, so now I'm wrankle-free.

Don't matter what you call me, so long as you don't call me late for supper...
.......or my sacks of cash.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

[Eddie Eagle]

[bobsouer]

Bruce,

Probably the same one. The only thing I stipulated to them was that I had to be "Bob" whatever because if someone called me Bill or George or Sue or anything else, I was unlikely to respond. I've been "Bob" (or "Robert" when I'm in trouble) for too long to change now.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[Bruce]

Yep, I'm Bruce (middle name) which makes me quite unique....

Nope. Scratch that. I Googled and there are dozens with that name too.

But my voice, attached to either name...now that's unique.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

[todd ellis]

i used to be known as "shorty mcnabb" - but that was a different line of work ... i rarely speak of it.
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"i know philip banks": todd ellis
who's/on/1st?

[Moe Egan]

Speaking of which Todd, how's that rash?

I always used my maiden name when I was doing radio- it was just easier to say and cheaper than getting an unlisted phone number. Most of my professional contacts have only known me as Egan. I started using Moe on the air when I started co-hosting a morning drive show, we called it Mike and Moe in the Morning- catchy, don'tcha think? ( I spell Moe the male way because the first time I ever saw it in print was in the credits of the 3 Stooges- and it stuck). I've recently gotten my maiden name back for real (which is a good thing) and I'm stickin with Moe because Moe Egan is insanely memorable. When submitting anything to a new/potential client or in marketing I always make sure the phrase Female Voice Over is some place very prominent.

The one problem with having two regularly used names was always I had to stop and think of where I was before I introduced myself...who am I here?
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Moe Egan
i want to be the voice in your head.
~~~~~

[surroundhound]

Interesting replies! I never considered the possibility that a client would ask a talent to use a different name. And CC, I can see your point of not wanting to be mistaken for a man when your auditioning for a female part.

I think, less than "brand", I find it interesting to see how our internet and business "presence" is cultivated. Whether we like it or not, certain things become associated with us through searchable content -- some that we can control, and some that we can't. It can be an issue if one's personal/social/religious/whatever life isn't something they want spilling into their professional one. Plus, as some folks, mentioned, once you are successful and are known by a certain name in business, it's usually a good idea to keep it for easy recognition.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go see if HotCanadianVOMamma.com is taken...

[bobsouer]

[Moe Egan]

And Bob- Ryan is Moe Egan's Son (gamblers in Massachusetts love that one)
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Moe Egan
i want to be the voice in your head.
~~~~~

[Donna]

And from the 'if you can't be a role model, be a cautionary tale' dept:

When I started out in radio I did not want to use my last name as I was mercilessly teased in grade school because it rhymes with 'fuzzy'. So I used my brother's first name as my last and became Donna Michaels.

I'll make this short. Fell madly in love, woke up one day married and hyphenated, Michaels-Race. Agent is not happy, but I am in love.

Between husbands, I remain Donna Race. Hey, it's the same name as my kids.

Annnnd now I am Donna Postel.

Shoulda just used my real name from the get-go, but since I have NEVER used it in my entire working life, it would feel like starting over. And now that I'm over the sting of playground teasing, I realize that it is, in fact, an awesome name.
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Dangerous.

Donna Postel
donnapostel.com
donna@donnapostel.com

[Randye Kaye]

OK, so my mother decided my first name should be spelled "Randye" because it looked so good next to our last name "Kaye". Instant stage name! Plus not too boy-ish anymore, but people still get confused (yeah, Connor/CC, I know what you mean)

I just want to get "VO" in there somehow for search engines. working on it!

my married name is cool but there's already a Randy Thomas! and a Randi Kaye (CNN) for that matter. Sigh.
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Randye Kaye
www.vo.randyekaye.com
e-mail: randye@randyekaye.com
e-mail:randyekaye@gmail.com
http://www.twitter.com/randyekayeVO

[cyclometh]

I just use "Cyclometh" because it's a name I've had for a while, it's memorable, and I have the domain name.
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Corey "Vox Man" Snow
http://voxman.net

[Mandy Nelson]

Ah, the name game. When I was in college and did college radio I adopted my middle name as my on-air name - Delsina - because it was memorable and fun. But when I got my first VO gig with a production company I thought I'd be all grown up and use my real first name - Miranda - and I'm still that name on their roster, 13 years later. At some point, though, I decided I didn't want to try and remember what name I was going by with what client so I went with the name most everyone calls me, Mandy. And then I got married and because Nelson was so much easier to spell than my maiden name I ran with it. I'm now thinking that "Mandy Nelson" is such a bland name that I should be branding myself as the "bland voice" except I'm a person so that won't do (right Anthony?).
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006 member of the Sisterhood of the Traveling Mic. Bonded by sound.

Manfillappsoc: The Mandy and Philip mutual appreciation Society. Who's in your network?

Have you seen my mic closet? ~ me to my future husband