VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

colinsz1 · Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 5:31 pm Post subject: What was your road to VO?

Hello everyone, I'm not sure if there's been a topic like this already, but what was your journey to becoming a Voice-Over Artist? Everyone is different, so I think it would be interesting to hear about those personal experiences.

Mike Harrison · Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 5:49 pm Post subject:

– Started in radio (Production Director/Air Talent) local station in NYC suburbs (1974)
– Several years later (77) was hired freelance to do a couple of narrations for a corporate multimedia production agency
– Joined the production agency full-time as Audio Producer/in-house narrator while remaining in radio on weekends (78-81)
– Co-founded a small ad agency geared for radio in NYC suburbs (81-86)
– Bounced between radio, corporate communications and other creative work (86-2004)
– Took voice-over full-time in late 2004
– Eternally grateful for the wonderful input/feedback/advice/guidance and friendship from other VO-BBers Wink

_________________
Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

Scott Pollak · Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:18 pm Post subject:

- Started in radio in college in 1975
- Had a fun, fun gig hosting a Saturday night show in New Orleans at a big band station til around 1983
- Took a break til mid '90's, while working as a video producer for the phone company
- Got back into radio p/t in Atlanta in 1996, then f/t in 1998 as creative services dood for a contemporary Christian station. Got fired from there in '01 for rocking the boat, then immediately went BACK to that same station as a freelancer for a 50% pay increase. (Don't ask)
- Did some p/t stuff for Atlanta's biggest contemporary Christian station from about '03-'10 while starting to dabble in v/o beginning in the early 2000's
- by about 2006 was doing well enough to go into v/o full time (eventually got tired of the weekend radio gig which I gave up around 2010)
- The rest is proverbial history. Currently working half the hours for twice the money I made in radio.
_________________
Scott R. Pollak
Clients include Pandora, NPR Atlanta, Wells Fargo, Cisco, Humana, Publix, UPS, AT&T, HP, Xerox and more.

www.voicebyscott.com

Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 979

http://www.bobbergen.com/onemanshow/trailer.htm

bobsouer · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 6:52 am Post subject:

Tearing a page from Bob Bergen's playbook, here's a link to my story as I posted it on my blog 8 years ago. The blog post is called The Pity Party.
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Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

Bruce · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 7:01 am Post subject:

We've done this before but my search efforts for past threads has failed so far.

Radio was my entrée to VO. When we recorded spots for our station we sometimes got paid $25 to make an extra tape of the commercials for another station to run. It just grew from there.

Speaking of Bob Bergen's show, I had the supreme pleasure of seeing an abridged version of it at one of the Faffcons. He's great story teller and it covers much more than his rise to Porkydom. I highly recommend it if you get the chance.

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. .

cyclometh · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 7:41 am Post subject:

Bob, that's a wonderful story, I hadn't seen it before.

1981, heh. I was 11 years old. Wink

Rather than re-hash my story, I'll just link this blog from Peter O'Connell's site where he asked the same question:

http://blog.audioconnell.com/2012/04/19/5-questions-for-a-professional-voice-over-talent-%E2%80%93-corey-snow/
_________________
Corey "Vox Man" Snow
http://voxman.net

scottnilsen · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:54 am Post subject:

Good idea, Corey...linking to Peter's blog is much easier!

While my story links to Scott Pollak's demos, the story is mine. Smile

Oh, and pay no attention to the hair. It ain't there any more.
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We have nothing to fear but fear itself.

Well, that and mimes.

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Jason Huggins · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 8:59 am Post subject:

Looks like I'm the newbie round these parts.

- 2 years ago a producer said, "You should look into VO."
- I took his advice and got training and built a studio.
- I spent a year building a client base.
- January I went full-time...and here we are. I still have my house.

Philip Banks · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 10:21 am Post subject:

Postcard in local shop window at a cost of 50p per week.

Voice Over requires work
Tel 01542 839230

I waited
People called
They still call
Yesterday I earned WELL over £1
I'm gonna keep that ad in the local shop

Lizden · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 11:35 am Post subject:

Yep...Peter's blog about covered it Smile

5Q:VO: Liz de Nesnera
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Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com

Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 2:02 pm Post subject:

http://blog.audioconnell.com/2012/02/20/5-questions-for-a-professional-voice-over-talent-%E2%80%93-jeffrey-kafer/
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Jeff
http://JeffreyKafer.com
Voice-overload Web comic: http://voice-overload.com

DougVox · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 2:23 pm Post subject:

Television ------> Radio -----> VO
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Doug Turkel (tur-KELL)
Voiceover UNnouncer®
UNnouncer.com

Drew · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 7:37 pm Post subject:

Long and twisted.
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Skype: andrew.hadwal1
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Michael Schoen · Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:18 pm Post subject:

I voiced a project for my 9th grade class -- and went from there.
The path included radio, TV and always doing commercials.
Always wanted to do it.
Still doing it.
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http://MichaelSchoen.com