VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD! Forum Index VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!
Where A.I. is a four-letter word.
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages   Log inLog in 

Tools and Talent
Goto page 1, 2  Next
 
Post new topic   Reply to topic    VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD! Forum Index -> Chat
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Lizden
A Zillion


Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 8856
Location: The dark recesses of my mind

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 9:25 am    Post subject: Tools and Talent Reply with quote

Hey!

If you own any of the Digital Juice libraries, you probably get their magazine.

There was a GREAT quote in this issue's "Juice Insider" (p7) about having the tools vs. having the talent to use them.

Viv T. Beason, Jr. talked about how Desktop publishing went through a phase of everybody claiming to be a Graphic Designer 'cause they all had the tools...same thing with video producers...and dare I say VO.

But there seems to be a shift going on.
Sure it's a lot easier to afford the tools that we use for our trade, but not everyone has the talent or tenacity to keep at it.

The quote is:
"Once the equipment reached the point where almost any consumer could own the gear, things changed yet again. We started to see better work. Why? Because at some point it became not about whether or not you have the means to produce, but whether or not you possess the talent and desire to produce and create."

EDIT:
Here's the link to the online version of the whole article!

Just thought I'd share!

Liz[/url]
_________________
Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
bobsouer
Frequent Flyer


Joined: 15 Jul 2006
Posts: 9882
Location: Pittsburgh, PA

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Liz,

Thank you. That's excellent.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
ISDN, Source Connect, phone patch
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website AIM Address MSN Messenger
Don G.
King's Row


Joined: 11 Nov 2004
Posts: 1071
Location: MA

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 10:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ha! Just received the magazine in today's mail and set it aside to peruse a little later. Thanks for the preview. Smile
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Bruce
Boardmeister


Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 7921
Location: Portland, OR

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This runs quite counter to what Bettye Z has to say. She's had some lengthy rants in another location about how voice talents shouldn't be doing production work....something to the effect that it's too hard for them and they should never try to learn unless they get special training.

B
_________________
VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Lizden
A Zillion


Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 8856
Location: The dark recesses of my mind

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 12:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The article IS geared toweard production people, but I was looking at it from the angle of all the wannabe-VO-people that may spend some money on a mic & a computer and expect to be making sacks of $$ in a day!

Quality will prevail in the end....wheat, chaff & all that Jazz! Smile

L.
_________________
Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
dMichaelb
Contributor IV


Joined: 11 Jul 2008
Posts: 144
Location: NYC

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for sharing, Liz.

Reminded me of all the ugly handbills, flyers and print ads that surfaced during the initial years that computers first allowed everyone to typeset. Now, when we want something printed to look really good, we go to someone who knows what they're doing.

Let's hope we're seeing a similar phenomenon in the VO marketplace! (See Jeff's recent post " ... Don't Hire Your Family ...")
_________________
--Michael

D. Michael Berkowitz
800/965-9672

"... in this life you can either be oh so smart or oh so pleasant.
Well, I was smart for a long time. I prefer pleasant. You may quote me."

- Mary Chase ("Harvey")
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Deirdre
Czarina Emeritus


Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 13016
Location: East Jesus, Maine

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's "another location"?
_________________
DBCooperVO.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
imaginator
The Thirteenth Floor


Joined: 10 Nov 2004
Posts: 1348
Location: raleigh, nc

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
This runs quite counter to what Bettye Z has to say. She's had some lengthy rants in another location about how voice talents shouldn't be doing production work....something to the effect that it's too hard for them and they should never try to learn unless they get special training.


bettye just doesn't want the competition from those who are good...and doesn't want to have to clean up the messes made by those who aren't.
_________________
rowell gormon
www.voices2go.com
"Mr. Warm & Friendly Voice...with Character!"
Rowell Gormon's Clogged Blog - http://voices2go.com/blog
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Lance Blair
M&M


Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 2279
Location: Atlanta

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 2:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

As someone who works as a sound mixer/field audio engineer in video and film I strongly disagree with this article.

The people I know who broke into the industry in 1968, 1978, 1988, 1998, or 2008 all have an equal amount of artistic passion. It's insulting to suggest that those from a certain era weren't authentic because of the economics of accumulating capital at that time.

I would also argue that if you accept his argument, today there are 20 wannabees with a $5,000 camera whereas in the past there was one wannabee with a $100,000 camera. What is the qualitative difference?

Over the past ten years, I've seen the industry become more pro-am and have much more of a "carny" atmosphere.

In many cases, the proliferation of available technologies means that many "artists" don't know the full capabilities of their equipment. I haven't been a fan of working with people that don't know their camera menus down cold, which is often the case. At the post house I worked at in Boston we all had to memorize the manuals of all our gear. By the time I left not enough people knew how anything worked thoroughly and people would call me after I left to go freelance to troubleshoot their gear.

Lance...how does this mixer work?

Lance...how do I set the black levels in the camera?

Lance...how do I get into the edit screen in the teleprompter?

Seriously...
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Diane Maggipinto
Spreading Snark Worldwide


Joined: 03 Mar 2006
Posts: 6679
Location: saul lay seetee youtee

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lance ... how do I get into voiceover and make gobs of money tomorrow ? !

Hmmm ... carny atmosphere indeed.

I think with experience comes excellence (one would hope). When I was fired from one radio station, I was stunned that the gal who knew not how to thread a reel-to-reel deck was still on staff. Yipes.

I've always thought that, because I have vast and varied experience with voicing, editing, and broadcast, I have an advantage and a broader understanding. And, I think talent goes a long, long way. Sure, anyone can do voiceover, I suppose, but can just anyone do it well?
_________________
sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!

www.d3voiceworks.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ed Gambill
Cinquecento


Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Posts: 561
Location: King, NC 35mi SE of Mayberry

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My credentials are; Studio Engineer TV, Broadcast Engineer Radio, Location Sound Mixer Film and Video, Editor Film and Video, Adjunct Instructor Sound for Film and Video, Political Media Consultant, owned and operated a cable advertising company and Carpenter. Aldus Page Maker, I think its still here some where.

I was hired by a film school to do a two day workshop on location sound recording. I had already produced a video on sound for video and film which several universities had bought. It was my first effort in the face to face arena of teaching.

I put together a good (I thought so) lesson plan, a plan where they would get a grounding in the essentials of location sound.

By the way, in my life I have owned Ariflex with Zeiss Glass, Auracon, Mamiya RB67, Cannon F1, Nagara, Sony R-DAT…. the list goes on and a few Plumb, Stanley and Craftsman hammers.

At the end of this two day session I learned all the students really wanted to know was how to set up the time code on the Fostex recorders. They figured if you get the code right the rest would fall into place.

A pin hole camera in the hands of the right person can yield masterpiece results. It’s not the tool, it how good you can use the tool.

No one ever ask a carpenter what kind of hammer they use, they ask “how good is the carpenter.”

So now I have a small form factor HD camcorder here with Zeiss Glass, on the desk and a yearning to tell an important story. I’ll still need the hammers to build the set.
_________________
Esse quam videri "To be rather than to seem"
www.SaVoa.org No. 07000 Member AES


Last edited by Ed Gambill on Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:20 pm; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Lance Blair
M&M


Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 2279
Location: Atlanta

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 4:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Diane, on the other hand, experience comes from excellence. You're not going to get hired for the second gig if you're head isn't screwed on straight.

I have been impressed by a few talents I know that achieved a thriving career after only a few years because they sussed "it" out, and knew how to deliver "it" to their clients dependably and professionally. The spread of affordable production technologies have been great for naturally talented people like that...so in that regard the article in question is right.

Ed, If all they wanted to know was how to set the time code they could have googled the manual and downloaded it - sounds like that could have saved everyone a lot of time! I've cut off contractors for not having the proper tools for the task, and I've been in many situations where freelancers do or do not get hired for their gear. I worked with a crew that did not get rehired by MTV because they didn't have wireless audio feeds to send to all the cameras. Nobody was discussing how you can get masterful results with a pinhole camera that day. People who are thorough ask about the hammer as well as the carpenter. I always do. One of my favorite cameramen to work with also has gear that stinks and it's always holding him (and the rest of the crew) back. People would say he's "great" but that's not the whole story.
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Ed Gambill
Cinquecento


Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Posts: 561
Location: King, NC 35mi SE of Mayberry

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lance

You da man! BTW that little gig with time code predated Google. Smile

So are you saying Tools over Talent. I always belived that talent was the engine that drives the tool. Have I had it wrong all these years?
_________________
Esse quam videri "To be rather than to seem"
www.SaVoa.org No. 07000 Member AES
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Lance Blair
M&M


Joined: 03 Jun 2007
Posts: 2279
Location: Atlanta

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 6:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Talent drives the tool, definitely. That's why I don't like the article, it implies that everything is hunky dory in ProductionWorld(tm) because of the availability of sophisticated gear.

However, while a hammer really is usually just a hammer, a camera isn't always just a camera. You've got to be choosy for the application and for the technical quality required. People that think they'll be fine with any ol' piece of gear are selling themselves, and the ability to prove their talent, short.
_________________
Skype: globalvoiceover
and now, http://lanceblairvo.com the blog is there now too!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Lizden
A Zillion


Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 8856
Location: The dark recesses of my mind

PostPosted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lance Blair wrote:
Talent drives the tool, definitely. That's why I don't like the article, it implies that everything is hunky dory in ProductionWorld(tm) because of the availability of sophisticated gear.


Oh..see... I don't read the article like that at all.....in fact I read it the opposite way.

I read it that tools might be there for all to aquire, but only those that know how to use them creatively and that have the talent to deliver will thrive....like what YOU said....

L.
_________________
Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic    VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD! Forum Index -> Chat All times are GMT - 7 Hours
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Page 1 of 2

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group