Archives

Do Nice People Always Finish Last?

“Why do clients always think they can play me?” said one of my students. Let’s call her Ella. “What do you mean?” I asked. “Well, first they try to nickel and dime me, and then they expect me to record a major revision of a script for free. After going above and beyond to keep them […]

Stop Selling Yourself Short

A while ago it happened again. One of my contacts sent me the following message: “Paul, my client would like you to voice two animations. Both advertise the same product on the same platform, but each one appeals to a different audience. Both scripts are no longer than 125 words. Normally we’d pay you €250 […]

Picking the Perfect Voice-Over Microphone

Guilty as charged: In the past few years I’ve become a hopeless gearhead. I like to look at new audio equipment; I like to read about it, and I like listening to sound samples. On any given day, I have to spend at least a few minutes studying reviews, gazing at pictures and drooling over […]

The Wind Beneath Our Wings

This blog post is dedicated to my wife Pamela.   Some fifteen years ago, I walked into the office of my very first U.S. casting agent. I was absolutely thrilled, but I didn’t realize that I was about to make a big mistake. The walls were filled with posters of all the blockbuster movies the agency […]

4 Ways To Get From Good To Great

Being a successful voice-over. It has a little bit to do with having pleasant pipes, and lot with other factors. Some of those factors can be influenced. Others are beyond our control. A few weeks ago, one of my students had an interesting question for me. Professionally speaking (pun intended, always), she was doing okay. Clients […]

I’m Still Here!

There’s not much I remember of Monday, March 26th, but it’s a day I will never forget.  In the late afternoon while at work in my studio, I suddenly and inexplicably began to feel light-headed. My legs became weak like rubber, unable to support the body they held up. Then I blacked out for who […]

The One Voice Awards: More of the Same, or Setting a New Standard?

Oh no, not another voice-over award! That was my initial reaction when I heard about the British One Voice Awards, coming to you at the end of April, courtesy of the people behind Gravy For The Brain Ltd. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m rather ambivalent about artistic contests […]

Celia Siegel’s Voiceover Achiever

“Brand Your VO Career. Change Your Life.” That’s the somewhat ostentatious subtitle of Celia Siegel’s book Voiceover Achiever. It’s an illustrated, conversationally written step-by-step guide to branding your voice-over business, by one of the most amiable experts in our industry. Will your life change after reading this book? It depends on how you’d answer the […]

Why I Didn’t Like VO Atlanta

Yes, it’s totally true. I didn’t like VO Atlanta. I LOVED it! Sorry for the clickbait headline, but I couldn’t resist. My clogs sometimes take me places I have no business going. Before I get into anything else, imagine this… You just came back from a spectacular four-course dinner at an amazing restaurant. The atmosphere […]

A Quick Course In Blogging & How To Get Thousands Of Subscribers

As you’re reading these words, I’m at VO Atlanta, the largest gathering of voice talent in the world. When people spot me on the conference floor, one of the first things they usually say is: “Hey, are you Paul from the Nethervoice blog? I thought I’d recognize you!” Then we’ll chat for a few moments, […]