The Good Karma Network is an entertainment industry support group. We're here to help each other cast projects, get cast in projects, advertise the projects we get cast in, and share tips and tricks to succeeding in our field.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
GKN Weekly Update 7/27/09
And a happy albeit humid Monday to you!
Last week something great happened not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES that epitomizes the Good Karma Network. I was called upon to cast three different voiceover projects, two medical narrations and one e-learning project. I sent out a few blasts via the GKN as well as making some targeted phone calls to talents who I think would be right for the projects. I was able to submit many of you and the clients have been VERY happy with the quality of the submissions. On top of that, as a result of the search for appropriate talent we have three new members of the GKN: James Clamp, Nicola Barber, and Karen Jarman-Caruana. Welcome!
TIP OF THE WEEK: this is EXACTLY why I formed the Good Karma Network. Building relationships with your colleagues and clients is they key to success in our industry. Always be at your best during every phone call, audition, booking, and networking opportunity. Smile, don't complain, and don't explain!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: The mind is a strange and wonderful thing. I'm not sure it'll ever be able to figure itself out. Dr Dan Kaufmann, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
DISCUSS!: do you have a networking success story to share? Please do!
Last week something great happened not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES that epitomizes the Good Karma Network. I was called upon to cast three different voiceover projects, two medical narrations and one e-learning project. I sent out a few blasts via the GKN as well as making some targeted phone calls to talents who I think would be right for the projects. I was able to submit many of you and the clients have been VERY happy with the quality of the submissions. On top of that, as a result of the search for appropriate talent we have three new members of the GKN: James Clamp, Nicola Barber, and Karen Jarman-Caruana. Welcome!
TIP OF THE WEEK: this is EXACTLY why I formed the Good Karma Network. Building relationships with your colleagues and clients is they key to success in our industry. Always be at your best during every phone call, audition, booking, and networking opportunity. Smile, don't complain, and don't explain!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: The mind is a strange and wonderful thing. I'm not sure it'll ever be able to figure itself out. Dr Dan Kaufmann, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers"
DISCUSS!: do you have a networking success story to share? Please do!
Friday, July 24, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
GKN Weekly Update 7/20/09
Good evening! I'm penning this pretty late since I spent the day at my friend's store helping him with some SERIOUS re-merchandising (Hey Tom, can you move everything on this wall over to that wall?).
Got a short but good networking story for you. Last week I had not one, not two, but THREE voiceovers in the same studio in the same day for three different clients! The guys at Hagens Studio were kind enough to recommend me for an Ultimate Escapes online promo and a website tutorial for Deloitte. Working with them for over twelve years and developing positive relationships have yielded great results. Thanks guys!
TIP OF THE WEEK: Don't take your regular clients for granted. Always be appreciative of them and treat every gig like it's your first!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Conscience is the most sacred of all property. James Madison
DISCUSS!: Tell us a story about a time when a regular client came though for you...
Got a short but good networking story for you. Last week I had not one, not two, but THREE voiceovers in the same studio in the same day for three different clients! The guys at Hagens Studio were kind enough to recommend me for an Ultimate Escapes online promo and a website tutorial for Deloitte. Working with them for over twelve years and developing positive relationships have yielded great results. Thanks guys!
TIP OF THE WEEK: Don't take your regular clients for granted. Always be appreciative of them and treat every gig like it's your first!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Conscience is the most sacred of all property. James Madison
DISCUSS!: Tell us a story about a time when a regular client came though for you...
Monday, July 13, 2009
GKN Weekly Update 7/13/09
And a happy Monday to you all! We had another nice weekend of weather to bask in. That makes two weekends in a row. Must be a record!
Today we're going to talk some more about networking...
I spent the weekend working at Dexcon 12 in Morristown, New Jersey. It's four days of playing board games, card games, video games, strategy games, role playing games, and LARPing! That's right, Live Action Role Playing, which is basically a bunch of people in a hotel banquet room dressed up in tights and beating each other senseless with foam rubber swords. Anyway, I was there working for my friend's store All In One Collectibles. I watched his vendor table and helped out here and there. So, what does this have to do with networking?
After someone relieved me from a shift of working at the All In One vendor table, I decided to look around at the other tables. In a "can't help but sniff the bad milk" kind of mood, I stopped at the foam rubber swords table just to see what all the fuss was about. Can you believe some of them run for $100?! Anyway, I started chatting with the vendor and the next thing you know, we're talking about the voiceover industry. It turns out that her mother is a former VO talent and she herself works for a video game company. On the side she's a concept artist and offered to help me design a logo for my business. Talk about finding opportunities in the strangest places!
TIP OF THE WEEK: Always keep your eyes open for networking opportunities. Make sure you have business cards with you at all times and are able to quickly articulate what you do and your recent work. You never know when it'll come up!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: This, to me, is the ultimately heroic trait of ordinary people; they say no to the tyrant and they calmly take the consequences of this resistance. Phillip K. Dick
DISCUSS!: Where is the oddest place you've networked? (keep it clean please!)
Today we're going to talk some more about networking...
I spent the weekend working at Dexcon 12 in Morristown, New Jersey. It's four days of playing board games, card games, video games, strategy games, role playing games, and LARPing! That's right, Live Action Role Playing, which is basically a bunch of people in a hotel banquet room dressed up in tights and beating each other senseless with foam rubber swords. Anyway, I was there working for my friend's store All In One Collectibles. I watched his vendor table and helped out here and there. So, what does this have to do with networking?
After someone relieved me from a shift of working at the All In One vendor table, I decided to look around at the other tables. In a "can't help but sniff the bad milk" kind of mood, I stopped at the foam rubber swords table just to see what all the fuss was about. Can you believe some of them run for $100?! Anyway, I started chatting with the vendor and the next thing you know, we're talking about the voiceover industry. It turns out that her mother is a former VO talent and she herself works for a video game company. On the side she's a concept artist and offered to help me design a logo for my business. Talk about finding opportunities in the strangest places!
TIP OF THE WEEK: Always keep your eyes open for networking opportunities. Make sure you have business cards with you at all times and are able to quickly articulate what you do and your recent work. You never know when it'll come up!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: This, to me, is the ultimately heroic trait of ordinary people; they say no to the tyrant and they calmly take the consequences of this resistance. Phillip K. Dick
DISCUSS!: Where is the oddest place you've networked? (keep it clean please!)
Monday, July 6, 2009
GKN Weekly Update 7/6/09
Happy Belated Fourth of July! I hope everyone had a fun, safe, and filling weekend. Mine was blissfully quiet. I haven't had a weekend like that in a while so I am all kinds of geeked up for the week!
Let's talk about auditioning today. Ingrid French Management got me an audition for a lead role in a feature film! I'm not sure I can say what it is, but the character I read for is a certain Great Dane of comic strip fame. I was asked to record the audition from home and email it to them so they can pass it along to the casting director. I read the whole script (which was fun!), the sides they wanted me to record, and a character description. The funny part is that they want a deep voice which is young, energetic, and eager at the same time. At first I thought it was a contradiction, then I read who they wanted it to sound like: Seth Rogan. Aha! He would be perfect for this role and I think that's a great call on the part of the casting agency.
However, I do NOT sound like Seth Rogan. My voice is young-sounding and energetic, but not deep at all, at least the voice I use to do the bulk of my gigs isn't. When I try to deepen my voice I sound like a ten-year-old kid making a crank call. So what do I do? I did two things. First, I made sure my vocal placement was in my stomach, not in my chest, neck, face, or head. It gave me a bit more resonance without trying to deepen my voice. Second, I made sure my pitch didn't go too high like it does when I record these high school/college roles I so often do. It took the top off my register so it made my voice sound deep-ish.
Will it get me the part? I have no idea, but doing those two things allowed me to focus on my acting and not on trying to sound like Seth Rogan.
TIP OF THE WEEK: Unless you're a gifted impressionist, don't try to sound like someone else. Sound like you!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. Thomas Jefferson
DISCUSS!: What kinds of adjustments do you make based on the roles you audition for?
Have a great week!
Let's talk about auditioning today. Ingrid French Management got me an audition for a lead role in a feature film! I'm not sure I can say what it is, but the character I read for is a certain Great Dane of comic strip fame. I was asked to record the audition from home and email it to them so they can pass it along to the casting director. I read the whole script (which was fun!), the sides they wanted me to record, and a character description. The funny part is that they want a deep voice which is young, energetic, and eager at the same time. At first I thought it was a contradiction, then I read who they wanted it to sound like: Seth Rogan. Aha! He would be perfect for this role and I think that's a great call on the part of the casting agency.
However, I do NOT sound like Seth Rogan. My voice is young-sounding and energetic, but not deep at all, at least the voice I use to do the bulk of my gigs isn't. When I try to deepen my voice I sound like a ten-year-old kid making a crank call. So what do I do? I did two things. First, I made sure my vocal placement was in my stomach, not in my chest, neck, face, or head. It gave me a bit more resonance without trying to deepen my voice. Second, I made sure my pitch didn't go too high like it does when I record these high school/college roles I so often do. It took the top off my register so it made my voice sound deep-ish.
Will it get me the part? I have no idea, but doing those two things allowed me to focus on my acting and not on trying to sound like Seth Rogan.
TIP OF THE WEEK: Unless you're a gifted impressionist, don't try to sound like someone else. Sound like you!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it. Thomas Jefferson
DISCUSS!: What kinds of adjustments do you make based on the roles you audition for?
Have a great week!
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