Tele-Training, New York City (NY, NYC), Connecticut, (CT), Washington DC
VOICE OVER TRAINING and DEMO SCHOOL

     Phase 1: Evaluation
     Phase 2: Tailored Training and Demo Production
     Phase 3: Marketing, Audition, and Home Studio Seminars
     Phase 4: free on-going help, guidance, support
     Accomplishments: member BBB, VASTA, established 1988

We are NOT a "cookie-cutter, hit the street when you're done" demo studio.
Expect personalized programs and on-going support.

WE'RE GLAD TO HELP
     WORKSHOPS, CLASSES, SEMINARS
     TRAINING & DEMO PRODUCTION PROGRAMS - SAVE MONEY NOW!

OR DO IT YOURSELF
     FREE - The Voice Over Industry Guide Book
     FREE - 3,500 VOICE OVER SCRIPTS


WORK WITH 9 INSTRUCTORS, ALL SUPPORTED BY DAVID GOLDBERG
     We dissuade those without potential from continuing.
     Teachers mix David Goldberg's methods with their own strengths.
     Workshops are small.
     Customized learning plans (NO boilerplate training and NO voice over demo templates).
     Questions are welcomed.
     We are all passionate, straightforward, and very accomplished.
     You'll learn to sound competitive on your own, without digital enhancement.
     Guidance and support included in voice over career programs.
     read what people say.
     We focus on your vocal strengths and career aspirations.
     Work with experience: we cast and produce Disney, Volvo, History Channel, AOL, and more.
     Be trained for the real thing (work with different producers, different script, different scenarios,...)
     Our mantra: voiceover should come easily... if not, don't pursue.
     Our NY, CT, and DC studios are clean, comfortable, and spacious: photos.

CONTACT US
We're glad to answer questions - call weekdays 9-5 ET
     New York: 212-868-edge
     Washington DC: 202-398-edge
     Connecticut: 203-334-edge
     Tele-Training: 888-321-edge


ABOUT US

founded 1988

sponsor Recording For The Blind & Dyslexic · National Public Radio · Special Olympics

member:

Voice and Speech Trainers



Better Business Bureau



website security Thawte Certificate



Internet Content Rating Association







WHO DO WE COACH?
Voice over artists for Lifetime Network · Discovery · ESPN · The Animal Planet · NBC · Dominos Pizza · Duracell · History Channel · National Public Radio · Verizon Wireless · Special Olympics · Sears · Mecury · Pantene · eSync Networks · yourGrocer.com · Crest Toothpaste · Mercedes Benz · Discovery Channel · Pitney Bowes · United Nations · GE · Lucent Technologies · IBM, United States Postal Service, Sound & Vision Magazine · Kentucky Fried Chicken · Gillette · ABC Sports · Estee Lauder · Associated Press · Fox, and countless others have used our voice over services.




VOICE OVER TRAINING, DEMO, and MARKETING INFORMATION
all excerpts from the Industry GuideBook


definition

Originally from the phrase voice-over-picture, a voice over is a spoken-word recording, also known as a narration. The voice over artist is the person whose voice is heard. A voice over artist is also known as a voice artist, voice over actor, voice actor, voice over performer, voice performer, voice over talent, voice talent, voice over narrator, voice narrator, narrator, announcer, and simply a V.O.

styles

     unaffected (natural): The natural delivery is today’s most popular style. It is generally used for most sectors of voice over, except for promos & trailers, broadcast & announcer reads, and character & animation scripts.

* IMPORTANT * Many people mistakenly interpret “natural” to mean “nonchalant.” That is incorrect. Natural simply means unaffected, which means ANY voice used in real life, such as nonchalant, energetic, funny, sad, compassionate, happy, sarcastic, and so on.

     affected (unnatural): An affected delivery is generally used only for promos & trailers, broadcast & announcer reads, and character & animation scripts. This was not the case prior to the 1990s, when many sectors of voice over used affected style delivery.

types

     voice over commercial market: 8% of voice over work is estimated to be commercial work.

While the smaller portion of voice over, few jobs pay as well as a national television commercial. However most professional talent earn the majority of their income from narration work, as there is simply much more of it.

     radio: commercial

     television: commercial

     PSA: public service announcement

     promo: promotional advertisement for television show

     trailer: promotional advertisement for movie

     voice over narration market: 92% of voice over work is estimated to be narration work.

Many voice over artists (as well as voice over recording studios) specialize in one or more types of narration voice over. For marketing purposes, their demos demonstrate their specialty, e.g.: an audiobook demo. And likewise, they market themselves to audiobook recording studios, audiobook casting professionals, and audiobook producers.

As you read through the technique portions of this guidebook, begin thinking about the sectors of voice over that are the most marketable for you.

     announcement: airports, stadiums, train stations, etc.

     audiobook: adult, children, self-help, best seller, classic, etc.

Audiobooks are approximately a $1 billion per year industry, which is approximately 13% of the publishing industry. Amazingly, audiobooks reported a 5% growth in the industry last year, with similar growth projected for this year. Most bookstores now sell audiobooks, and most libraries rent them. Today there are even narrated weekly magazines and narrated daily newspapers.

Self-help, teen, and non-fiction are some of the faster growing styles. Other popular styles include fiction, science fiction, romance, contemporary classic, children, and mystery.

     biography: celebrity, politician, etc.

When most people think of biographies, they think only of the biography channel on cable television. However biograpahy voice over narrations are also popular for non-fiction audiobooks, educational films, and self guided museum tours.

     character & animation: talking toys, cartoons, children’s books, multimedia educational videos, video games, etc.

* IMPORTANT * Many people mistakenly confuse the terms Character and Animation. A Character voice is representative of someone else, such as an accent, dialect, impersonation, and cliché voice (such as a New York cab driver). An Animation voice is one that is created to represent a being that does not naturally speak, such as a cartoon character, an animated movie, a talking toy, and so on.

     corporate (industrial): sales video, trade show exhibit, promotional material, new hire video, training tutorial, compliance video, etc.

     documentary: wildlife, country and people, natural disaster, children’s, etc.

     education & training: learning program, training film, CDroms, children’s films, etc.

In a society which promotes learning, self-help programs, on-line tutorials, Internet college classes, narrated textbooks, children’s education films, adult continuing education training programs, are increasingly popular.

     film dubbing, ADR, looping: television, movie, international corporate training material, etc.

     Internet: website presentation, museum self-guided tour, banner ad, interactive tour, on-line tutorial, etc.

Internet voice over appears to be the largest and fastest growing sector of voice over. In fact, many voice over artists and production companies estimate that Internet audio totals one-quarter to one-half of their business.

Types range from narrated banner ads, on-line tutorials, flash presentations, ‘Welcome To Our Company’ presentations, interactive self-guided tours of college campuses, museums, and parks, etc.

     inspiration & exercise: self help, exercise video, meditation, etc.

     medical: training, procedural film, pharmaceutical, trade-show, display, etc.

     telephony: menu prompt, IVR, information on hold, auto attendant, etc.

Telephony is any type of recorded voice over used for telephones. It is great because companies often re-hire the same voice over artist to update their system on a regular basis. The most popular styles or telephony are:

“Menu Prompt” systems prompt the user through a menu of choices, such as, “Please press 1 for sales, 2 for repair, 3 to…”

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems allow the user to speak with the pre-recorded voice. For example, an IVR recording may say, “Please say operator, sales associate, or customer service.” or, “Please speak the last four digits of your social security number.” or, “Hmmmm… I’m sorry, I didn’t understand. Please say…” IVR systems are replacing many menu-prompt systems, and is quickly gaining widespread popularity.

Voice Mail systems (also known as Auto Attendant systems) are used in most businesses to act as an assistant for the employee when they do not take the call, want a message recorded, or want a call transferred.

Information On Hold is the ubiquitous type of telephony where the user hears information while they wait for the party to answer their call. For example, “Thanks for your patience. While you’re on hold, we’d like to tell you about exciting offers. Be sure to ask your representative for more details. Thanks again for holding, we’ll be right with you.”

growth

The voice over industry is growing quickly. Very quickly.

Commercial voice over work grows as quickly as new television and radio stations are developed.

Narration work continues to grow as businesses continue finding new ways for voice over to strengthen their brand, enhance their image, promote their products, and increase revenue, such as automated services, self-guided tours, recorded manuals, talking toys, self-help educational guides, audiobooks, online training films, narrated banner ads, talking birthday cards, and many, many more.

In fact, just about every sector of the industry is growing rapidly. Following are four of the fastest growing sectors of voice over:

     audiobook

     Internet audio

     IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

     educational

major changes

While its roots go back to the early days of radio (early 1900s), voice over has only been a mainstream profession since the 1980s, and it’s only been a common household name since approximately the year 2000.

During its short life, there have been many transitions. And not everyone who speaks about voice over is up-to-date. Therefore many people speak about the voice over industry “the way it was” as opposed to “the way it really is.”

Which makes it important to verify that any coach/voice over school that helps you is up-to-date. If they are not, any coaching, advice, and resources they offer, such as marketing questions and voice delivery technique, may not be beneficial. If trained by them, you may obtain less work and eventually require seeking additional guidance and training from someone who is up-to-date.

As with anything, feel comfortable to whom you look for advice. Confirm they are immersed in the industry; understand current trends, styles, and resources; and can offer useful guidance.

During its short life, there have been many transitions. Here are some major changes:

     vocal style: has gone from dominantly announcer style to natural style

details: In the early days of voice over, microphones were not as sophisticated as they are today, and did not pick up high frequencies, such as low volumes and female voices. Therefore male voices — especially deep, strong ones — were preferred.

This strong announcer style delivery was also appropriate because groups of people would gather around a single radio to listen to a radio program together. Therefore, from the voice over artist’s perspective, a stronger tone was appropriate since he was projecting to a large group of people.

Then between the 1960s and 1980s, three things changed that caused the voice over producer to typically request a conversational vocal delivery. First, as technology advanced, microphones were developed that could pick up natural voices. Second, more people listened to radio and television programs by themselves, making a natural, more intimate delivery preferred. In other words, the public generally prefers to be ‘spoken to’, as opposed to ‘announced at’. Third, narration work became more and more popular, and since this was not “selling,” a natural style vocal delivery was used.

     type of work: has gone from dominantly commercial work to narration work

details: Originally, radio commercials were the brunt of the work. Then came along television commercials. Then came along a new type of voice over: narration. This style included educational and informational narrations. While the number of voice over commercials continue to increase every year, narrations now total approximately 92% of the industry.

     recording medium: has gone from analog recording to digital recording

details: Practically every engineering function has changed with the advent of digital technology. Productions are now completed significantly faster while simultaneously significantly more precise. With digital editing, voice talent can simply re-record a sentence, phrase, or even single word when they make a mistake, and the engineer can digitally ‘edit’ it into the recording in place of the mistake. (This eliminates the necessity to re-record an entire passage.) Clients can request that engineers give them options, as engineers can easily offer multiple versions of a production, each with different music, sound effects, and/or mix. Recording studios are now inexpensive, portable, and higher in quality. Yet by far, most engineers will confirm that the greatest benefit of digital technology is the ‘undo’ button.

     gender: has gone from dominantly male work to half female/half male work.

details: As mentioned above, since early microphones did not pick up high frequencies, female voices were not used much. Plus since the feminist movement had not yet occurred in the early days of voice over, female voices were not used much.

As microphone technology advanced, and as women began doing more professions that were considered “male work,” women began narrating more voice over work.

Today, women narrate about half of the voice over jobs. Female voices are considered to be more believable than male voices. Male voices