Paul Stefano

I get a lot of weird outreaches on social media and email. “We’ve been trying to reach you about your car warranty”…check. “Hi, I’m looking to meet attractive men like you”…check. I’ve even received some non sketchy requests from voice over business related people. Due to the success (minor as it is) of our podcast The VO Meter, I’ve become a bit of a minor celebrity in the VERY small VO world. So, every few days, someone reaches out to me asking for advice on microphones, or how to market to a specific genre, or even sometimes how to podcast!

Then there’s this…Recently a person sent me a connection request on Linked In. Their profile said they were a voice actor. Ugh. Usually, I’m VERY giving of my time and energy but this particular week, TWO local friends asked me to speak to THEIR friends about “how to get into voice acting“. I got in contact with both of them and it was fine, but after both conversations in one week my patience was a little thin and my spider sense was up.

Sure enough, IMMEDIATELY after accepting the connection request I get a direct message that says in part this “thanks for the connect! I’m actually talking with other actors to see what they think of their agency and if they have any recommendations”

SERIOUSLY? Buy me dinner first guy!

People, this is NOT the way to go about getting a voice over agent! When someone refers you to ANY business contact, they are saying that you are a person they trust. That goes doubly for a referral to an agent. After all, an agent is still very much part of the lifeblood of the entertainment industry. They get you work, negotiate for you and sometimes even refer you out themselves! All that comes with a trust factor that is precious.

Oh, and by the way, even asking for such a thing with an established friend or colleague can be touch and go. It can sour a relationship fast if you are not careful. If you ARE going to ask for a referral to an agent, it had better be from a close colleague, with whom you have a ROCK solid relationship and who knows your talent, your strengths and weaknesses.

Now…having said that, I HAVE referred people to agencies. Even did it this week! I do it a lot actually. ONLY, however, when I know the person, trust the person and have a REAL relationship with them. Friends have done the same for me, and I’m eternally grateful. When done right it can be a win/win for everyone involved. Just be sure you ARE doing it right!

 

When it comes to equipment for voice over, there are a LOT of opinions. Should you use an “industry standard” microphone like the Neumann TLM 103, the Sennheiser MKH-416 or the AKG C414? Should you go for the low end of the scale with something like the AT2020, the MXL 990, or EEK! The Blue Yeti?

First, I’ll tell you, I’ve used all of the microphones above. If you have heard my podcast The VO Meter, this is not news to you. Our “Questionable Gear Purchase” segment is probably the most popular with our listeners because we always have new gear. I’m sure, it’s fun to hear our trial and tribulations, sort of like how it’s impossible to look away from a train wreck!

In spite of all the equipment swapping I’ve done, I may, and I stress MAY have had an epiphany. I LIKE being the Yeoman. My family growing up was decidedly working class. My parents were both public school teachers, and my Dad was a struggling professional musician on the side. We were not in poverty, but we were pretty freaking close. I remember my Mom scrimping on groceries and buying me “bobos”. That’s what the kids called the shoes you could buy at Kmart for less than $20. That’s all my brother and I wore for years. We had very few luxuries. My Aunt used to drop off boxes of chips, cookies and soft drinks because we couldn’t afford those.  I even remember helping my Mom stuff envelopes for a local business so we could get paid a small amount of money as a side job. My Mom was on sabbatical at this point to help raise my brother and I. It was only years later, when my Dad started getting regularly booked in Atlantic City, Philadelphia and New York, and my Mom went back to teach full time that we climbed to the middle class.

As such, I always had a strong work ethic instilled in me. Part of it was necessity. If I wanted to buy something as a kid, I needed to pay for it myself. So, I worked! I had a paper route starting at around age 10. As soon as I could get working papers I got a part time job at Burger King. Then the local grocery store. I would work as much as I could around school and other activities like sports and Boy Scouts. In the latter, I also worked hard and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. All while playing baseball, in several school bands, doing the morning TV announcements, editing the school paper, and working 15-20 hours a week. I eventually was accepted and graduated from college with a bachelors degree.

This background has always left me in touch with the working person. I view myself the same way. So, when I look for equipment for voice acting. I’m am ALWAYS trying to do more with less. That brings me to my current microphone of choice. The Neat King Bee. The original. I actually bought one of these 2 years ago and liked it, but it was in the middle of a huge binge I was on where I was still trying every mic under the sun. I liked it then, but figured it was just okay, or good. After another recent mic bender where I went out and tried a few more mics, I have decided (possibly for now) that Good, is GREAT. The King Bee, both the original and the newly released King Bee II are perfectly fine for what most voice actors need! And if I’m being honest, the style is great too. I just LOVE that black and gold striping on the original as it sits in the honey comb shock mount. Just look at this beauty in my studio!

Could I buy (another) MKH-416 or TLM 103? Yes. Do  I need it? No. The point is, at $200 used and $169 new (for the II) both are great choices for any voice over, and really great for you Yeoman out there.

Welcome, Friends to another edition of Facebook VO Group say wha?

You’ll have to forgive me, because when I read this post, I did a quick eye roll and scrolled on by. I’ve seen it so many times, that I can’t even anymore. Is that still a saying? I think probably not, but leave me alone, I’m old.

At any rate, in SOME voice over online group a talent asked, “Hey Guys, wondering what good agents you recommend…”

Ugh.

There are 2 things wrong here. Whichever motivation is actually the case, both are gross.

Firstly. Let’s assume the question is innocent enough. Someone really just wants to know what makes up a good agent. What is a good agent? How does one decide? Is there a list of criteria somewhere? Some qualification set listed online or in a professional organization’s by laws? Sorry, no.

Even if there were such a list of qualifications, the criteria is still VERY subjective. Some actors want an agent to hold their hand. Walk them through auditions, tell them they are doing a good job and communicate constantly. By the way, those agents are harder and harder to find. The world is so fast paced that in most cases agents don’t have time for that level of personal attention. Then there are those voice overs that just want to be left alone. Send me the audition, and don’t contact me unless I book something.  I fall somewhere in between, leaning more toward, don’t call me, I’ll call you. Not because I don’t like my agents, I DO! More, because I know they are busy and I know that if they are still sending me auditions, we’re good.

Don’t get me wrong. There certainly are things an agent MUST and more importantly MUST NOT do, but that requires another post, I’m really not in the mood to write at the moment.

Now, my issue with this original post of which I spoke is that it could be (and you may argue probably is) a thinly veiled attempt to glean information from the acting community. It’s like the poster is saying “Hey, Can you refer me to your agent”. They are hoping that someone will shout out, “Oh, My agent XYZ is great, I’ll send them your demo” It’s like when you are watching Netflix with your significant other and they say “boy, it sure would be nice if we had some popcorn”. What they mean is “Hey, make me some popcorn!”

Curiously, talent DO refer each other to agents. I do it all the time. In fact, I did it yesterday! What’s great about the voice over community is that we really look out for each other. It doesn’t hurt that no two voices are exactly the same. Even my friends who are middle aged (okay old) white dudes, don’t exactly sound like me, and I have no problem referring them to agents or businesses if I’m not a fit.

The trick is, these things only happen after establishing a RELATIONSHIP. I have been referred business and to agents by many colleagues. I have done the same. It has only been, however, after establishing trust and rapport with someone. We met at a conference, or industry event. We were in a class together, and the like. I’ll note it doesn’t have to be someone I see all the time. With events of the past few years, there are some people I’ve never even met in person, who have still become trusted friends, entirely virtually!

The point is, this business (and all business) is still about people, and relationships. Don’t be that person who walks into a room (real or virtual) and shouts, “Okay…Where’s all the business at!”

This past weekend was the last Voice Over Atlanta conference…except, it wasn’t. On the last day it was announced that J. Michael Collins and his wife Anna are taking over! The future looks bright for the biggest VO conference in the world, after all.

Still, up until Sunday, the whole voice over world thought this was the swan song for VO Atlanta. I didn’t go. I had been to the conference the last 5 years and enjoyed every minute of it. I have talked on The VO Meter podcast, a lot, about how that and other conferences changed my career and life. I was a little sad I could not make it this year. On Sunday, I always get a little nostalgic at the conference, and this weekend was no different. Though I wasn’t there physically, I still was into all the posts and pictures I saw on social media of my good friends who were. I also chimed in on a few.

As I was driving to the University of Maryland to announce a softball game, the closing ceremonies of VO Atlanta were going on. So I thought to myself,  wait a minute? You are actually going to do one of the DREAM jobs you aspired to do when you started in voice over and went to your FIRST conference. Isn’t that crazy? Here I am, sad that I can’t attend an event, whose entire purpose is to train you to work in the voice over field, WHILE on my way to voice over job I never thought I would have. I’m announcing at the biggest school in my state, that is a member of The BIG 10, one of the largest athletic conferences in NCAA Division 1

So it got me to thinking, what other mileposts have I reached, or blown right by and never taken the time to appreciate? Sean Daeley, my podcast co-host and I did an episode about this, but it’s always fun to put down on paper, your accomplishments and achievements. So, here is a list of a few milestones or career goals, I had when I first started thinking about voice over.

1. Book a paid job! This sounds simple but I’m sure there are people who think voice over will be an easy “side hustle” try their best and never get paid before giving up.
2. Getting an Agent! I thought this was the end game when I first started. I think a lot of voice actors do. Get an agent, book a national commercial, move to Hollywood, right? Well, it doesn’t quite work out that way. I am represented by several great agents now and I love working with each of them! They get me opportunities I never could get on my own.
3. Book a job in a certain genre. When I first started, my dream was to be on radio or TV. Check and Check. Over the years I think I have booked jobs in just about every genre you can think of. Commercial, e-learning, IVR, TV, Radio, podcasts, live announcing, dubbing. I’m sure there are more. The only one I can think of, that I have not worked is audio description.
4. Hear my voice on TV or Radio. This has happed as well. It’s totally just an ego trip, but like the Wonders (or is it Oneders?) in the film That Thing You Do, the first time I heard my voice on the radio I was like a kid in a candy store. I turned it way up, and smiled from ear to ear. It didn’t hurt that some friends texted/emailed me and said, “hey I just heard you on the radio!”
5. “See” my voice on TV. Last year I did some dubbing for Netflix. Being able to first of all, say that, then witness it on my own television with my wife and kids around me, was pretty darn magical! I’ve also been on CBS’s The Amazing Race.
6. Announce in a large building or venue. My voice has now been heard in 12,000 seat stadiums and arenas and this weekend will bellow out in the 54,000 seat Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium.
7. Aspirational gear. When you are just starting out in voice over there are certain pieces of equipment that everybody needs. Then there are certain “must have” brands that everybody aspires to have.
   1. Booths. Whisper Room or Studiobricks booths, specifically. Voice Actors dream of having one of these so that they can record in peace, whenever they want without having to worry about interruptions from outside noise. I am proud to say I have, or currently have owned both!
   2. Microphones. Sennheiser or Neumann. As you may know, I have owned dozens of mics. Maybe over 50 by now. There are 2 particular mics that people aspire to own, however. They are the Sennheiser MKH 416 and the Neumann TLM 103. I have owned both!
   3. Audio interfaces. Not as sexy, but believe me, there are aspirational audio interfaces as well. One that comes to mind is the Apollo Twin, which allows on-board real-time effects. I owned one of these as well.
8. Finally, industry recognition. I didn’t set out looking for this, because I’m a pretty humble guy. Still, when a few certain accolades were thrown upon me it was pretty neat. I have been asked to present at 5 industry events. My podcast has been a partner for another 5-6. And, just this past year I was a finalist for an award at the One Voice Awards, USA in Dallas.

Even as I read this list again, I’m a bit blown away. I don’t say this to brag, but because I am so genuinely surprised I have made it here. When I first decided to pursue voice acting, I would have been happy with any one of these milestones. It’s only, in taking some time to be introspective, that I even realize I have hit these mileposts and in most cases, blown right by them. Sometimes it nice to stop and reflect.

So, what mileposts have YOU reached or passed without even realizing it?

Stage Fright. We all get it sometimes. Whether it be on an actual stage, like a theater, or a virtual one, like your office conference room. You know, the rumbling in your stomach, the butterflies, the cold sweats. In take take a long time to get over your performance anxiety in the workplace.

I thought I had conquered mine in voice over and announcing. I no longer get nervous when reading on the mic in front of a group of peers,  and coaches. Not during a live session with a director on the line. Not even in a 12,000 person stadium when my voice comes booming over the loudspeakers.

Recently, however, I have been reminded of how our bodies can be affected internally, even when we have seemingly conquered our fears.

You see, I suffer from ulcerative colitis. The Mayo clinic defines colitis like this.

Ulcerative colitis (UL-sur-uh-tiv koe-LIE-tis) is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes inflammation and ulcers (sores) in your digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis affects the innermost lining of your large intestine (colon) and rectum. Symptoms usually develop over time, rather than suddenly.

Ulcerative colitis can be debilitating and can sometimes lead to life-threatening complications. While it has no known cure, treatment can greatly reduce signs and symptoms of the disease and bring about long-term remission.

I’ve suffered with this for about 20 years. It took a long time and visits with LOTS of specialists to get an answer, and even more to get things under control, but for the most part I did. With the help of medication, my symptoms were in remission, almost entirely.

That is, until recently.

I started to think about what might have been different to bring about this return of symptoms, with a vengeance. I can’t be sure, and that is one of the truly insidious parts of this disease, but…it may be my stage fright!

One theory about something that can exacerbate UC symptoms is nerves or anxiety. Nothing in my life has really been anxiety producing lately, except when I dug a little deeper.

You may have seen me post on social media, or on my podcast The VO Meter, talk about my large increase in my live announcing gigs. The pace has really picked up. This year, I have worked for 3 different Universities doing the public address announcing for: Wrestling, Gymnastics, Baseball, Softball, Lacrosse and Men’s and Woman’s Volleyball. Each of these sports were new for me at each respective school. Each one brought a lot of prep work, practice and excitement!

Now, after my years of doing voice over work and announcing previously, I thought my time getting “nervous” just before game time were over. After all, I don’t feel nervous. Well, maybe a little. I never was overly shaky, no stumbling, no fumbling and really, I all around Kicked Butt!

I started to think about my recent colitis flare up and thought, “Maybe it’s the new jobs”. As I said, all of these “gigs” as we call them in voice acting were new at each respective school. Could I have buried my nerves around each of these situations to the point that they were affecting me internally, even though on the outside, I was cool calm and collected? After all I was driving to new locations, sometimes stuck in traffic wondering if I would get there on time. Looking at campus maps to find the right parking lot to park in and walking directions to the venue. Using different equipment like microphones. Meeting new staff and trying to make a good impression. Yes, I was doing a good job, “on the mic” but was I secretly driving myself to illness?

Unfortunately, I probably will never know for sure. I know outwardly, I’m having a blast, still doing a good job (I think?) and learning more all the time.. I can only hope that as things become more routine, my body settles down, and I can keep doing what I love.

So, have you experienced anything similar? Have YOU conquered your Stage Fright?

I’ll never forget the day Bob Bergen told me I sucked… Sort of. Bob, the longtime Looney Tunes Voice of Porky Pig and Tweety Bird is WAY too much of a nice guy to use that kind of language. He did tell me my voice over demos were not at all competitive and I should remove them from the internet quickly before I did permanent damage to my career. As the saying goes, you never get a 2nd chance to make a first impression. I listened. After all, who am I to argue with Porky Pig? I took down all my horrible self produced demos, and went back to the drawing board. Well, started on the drawing board really.

I see this scenario play out again and again in the world of voice over. Someone has some itsy bitsy bit of training in acting, radio, television and the like and they think they can just buy a USB mic, setup in their kitchen and press GO. It’s much harder than that, however.

Let me backtrack a bit. When I got into voice over 7 years ago, I thought I knew what I was doing. I had a B.S. in broadcasting from Towson State University. A very good school that had turned out tons of great local media personalities as well as a few national ones. Dwight Schultz from the A team was probably the most famous when I enrolled. Now it’s Brian Stelter or Amy Schumer. During school I was on the FM radio station, and cable access tv station. I had tons of classes on broadcasting and production. I had also been an NCAA Division 1 public address announcer for years. So when I decided to hang out my shingle for voice over work, with NO VO training whatsoever, I thought I GOT THIS!

And, I was COMPLETELY wrong. It turns out I didn’t know a THING about voice acting. Luckily through dumb luck and maybe a bit of web savvy I found a few online resources to help. The VO-BB or Voice Over Bulletin board was extremely helpful. That was where I “met” Bob. Truth be told, however, this forum has been around so long that its really just a traditional bulletin board service. People post text replies and questions and someone replies in a thread. Even posting pictures is a bit hard. Still, there is a ton of information on the world of voice over there. If you have the chance to check it out, I highly recommend. Anyway…I posted a link to some horrible demos I produced myself. A simple music bed sourced from the music of my longtime friend Chris Ritsch, some really poor reads by me and no other effects or producing whatsoever. Bob (and others) told me they were terrible, and you know what? They were RIGHT!

It was ONLY then I found out there was a whole world of voice over classes, conferences, online tutorials and private tutoring. So, the next year was a crash course in learning as much as I could in order to be able to get “demo ready”. I did produce a demo within a year and started submitting it. That still probably wasn’t the best idea, but that’s a story for another day. Truth is I have never stopped learning. I still soak up as much information and training as I can every day. Still, that demo did land me with several agencies and booked me lots of work. YMMV.

Now as I’ve been in the business for a while I try to help “newbies” to the business as well. Hopefully you’ve heard of my podcast The VO Meter that is all about that. I post in facebook groups and reply to tweets. Some may say I’m too brutally honest, but that’s just the way I am. I hope, whomever hears/reads my words takes them to heart and puts them to good use, like I did when Mr. Bergen tried to help me.

So, moral of the story. Voice Over is HARD. I spend more time each day getting rejected than I do working. At this point, I’m pretty good. Good enough to be a full time voice over person, working every week, and even getting nominated for awards! But, it’s all because I listened to the seasoned pros who were so giving of their time and expertise who set me on the right path. Thanks BOB!