VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[audio'connell]

I would offer the opportunity to have an incredible impact on the world's grammar and also the internet....

Let's establish the definitive spelling for voiceover.

Easy you say, because Merriam-Webster says....uh, uh, uh....MW doesn't have sway over the internet and when you talk search engines...there are three ways to spell it
1. voiceover
2. voice over
3. voice-over

And the true purpose of picking the definitive version is so that searchers (also known as prospects) know which one to pick when looking for us (sure there are other words to search too but this is one of the top ones).

Now many folks, like me, use all of them so engines find us one way or the other.

Ultimately, we might not have the impact we want but it seemed like a discussion topic. Any thoughts?
_________________
- Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent

[mcm]

This is something I struggle with on a regular basis!

I would think that voice-over is technically correct, because it's short for voice-over-picture, which as a compound noun should be hyphenated. But I favor voiceover, because one doesn't have to worry about spaces and hyphens and the corruption that can occur when there is a non-letter character. Or maybe it's just my years of studying German....

[billelder]

I have a theory that even though voice-over is proper, the general public doesn't need to be slowed down with the "dash" to get to my web site. So it is all written as one word. Or if you do have a dash, you can do: Voice(dash)Overs(dot)com
As far as META files are concerend, I use them all, too.

[anthonyVO]

LOL - the eternally unanswered question! I was just discussing this with my wife (she reviews all of my outgoing marketing letters) and decided that whatever I choose, I need to be consistent (logos, text, etc.).

Voice-over is probably the correct one because of what Mary mentioned (voice-over-picture) plus it seems almost like a descriptive phrase. But then again, if it has become commonplace then its a set phrase and would be voiceover.
Darn - I thought I had the answer, but now this is more confusing than ever.
I say we change it to just voice - because in radio there is no picture so what is the voice "over"? :wink:

[Bruce]

Well you can always go to one of the modern day "authorities" on such things: Google.

Type in -- voiceover -- and you get only 708,000 items, but most of the listings and the ads are for voice talent.

Type in -- voice-over -- and you get 10,800,000 items. However, most of the listings on the first page are for VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) the technology that lets you use the Internet for free or cheap phone calls. The ads are all for voice talent.

Type in -- voice over -- and you get 71,100,000 items, many of which are VOIP related. Most of the ads are for voice talent.

Type in -- voice talent -- by the way, and you get 6,790,000 items and almost all of the items on the first page appear to be related to our buisiness, and all of the ads certainly are. Add quotes around the term "voice talent" and the item count drops to 269,000 for those who like that kind of detail.

Funny, I Googled "voice of God", and I didn't get Charlie Van Dyke on the first page.

Bruce

[Philip Banks]

Did God get a mention? If not he ought list with an online talent base.

Audition required - Someone to create the world and everything in it, the universe and stars beyond number. Regular work for 6 days. Low budget but a copy of the finished material will be made available for the successful artist's showreel.

If I got it my agent would want 10%. I calculate that she would be entitled to Norway.

[Andy]

I try to use 'em all in my meta tag thingies. I work in TV. If I wuz good at grammar I wood be a writer. Ya never know, somebody looking for VOIP might find me and ask me to record his phone message. By the way, I'm on my third whiskey sour, How y'all doin'?

[Don Hammock]

I say that WHICH EVER spelling gets paying clients to go to our sites, AND email or call us with orders- then THAT is the correct way to spell it !!!

Take care ,
Don

P.S. - ANDY, you said you were on your 3rd Whiskey Sour- I won't tell you WHICH beer I am on- BUT to answer your question as to "How Y'all doin??? As some around here ( Beaumont/Port Arthur-"Next to LA on the Gulf Coast-where you can cut up and serve the Humidity with a knife!!!)
wouls say- " Thanks fer askin!- I'm jest Happier then ah SOW PIG Wollerin in SLOP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Now THAT'S HAPPY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Deirdre]

Just finished my 2nd to last performance tonight of Lettice and Lovage as Lettice Douffet.

On my 2nd vodka screwdriver.

Dudes.
May I say-- Life Is Grand
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[lisaloo]

Congrats on your tour of the boards, DB.

And on all that Vitamin C.

As to this issue, I think that voice-over is correct (as Mary points out) for most usage, but when referring to myself as the person doing the action of voice-over, I feel more comfortable writing "voiceover" instead.

For the record, I don't think I'll ever feel comfortable referring to myself as a voice artist (but that's just my midwestern humility kicking in).

I can deal with voice actor, though. That seems fair and it doesn't connote any high-falutin-ness. (Look THAT one up in your Funk and Wagnall's!)

And let's toss this in the mix . . . back in the day when I was putting ads in local AFTRA Guides and stuff, I actually used this:

voice/over

It wasn't proper at all, but as a silly young thang I guess I liked how it looked in print.

Lisa Lewis,
Voiceover

[audio'connell]

Well...it took over a month of research among the finest voices and the lousiest spellers from around the world.

We debated spaces, dashes, slashes, googles and consumption (but not consummation and really, I'm OK with that :shock: )

The results?

Inconclusive? Hardly!

More like non-existent. :lol:

Tune in next time when we'll inconclusively decide that age old voiceover/ -over/ actor / artist question:

On the rocks or straight up?

"This has not been Don Pardo speaking. Good Night!"
_________________
- Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent

[Guest]

[lisaloo]

Thanks much. The site is due for (and is about to get) a much-needed updating.

And yes, that's from the vaults, isn't it? I remember that from "Laugh-In" -- a show that I found hysterically funny -- when I was four years old. Seeing it again on "Trio" reveals . . . it's not so funny to me anymore. Oh, well.

Still, it's nice to know I have room in my brain to recall those old jokes but can't remember where I put my keys half the time . . .

[mcm]