different voices for different projects - I'd say that you are partly right, but, it's a talent - talents can be improved and even learned sometimes.

It's not all about sound IMO - either. I think that it's a culmination of things. Yet - I'm not a bad voice over (not great mind you) but this is going to help me - that's for sure - I'm just waiting on its arrival.

Dave

Are you kidding?

I met a perhaps 80-year old lady in a store, and told her that she was extraordinarily beautiful and that she could make extra money working as a photo model or as an actor in TV commercials.

Of course she didn't believe me, even though I tried to be very specific about why I thought she could be very successful.

She thought, "Oh no, I'm too old to be beautiful, and why would anybody want to see little old me?"

I'm kicking myself for not getting her name at gunpoint if necessary :O).

She really could have made an impact on any audience. In one word, she was radiant. Extraordinary, and with personality.

Remember Clara "Where's the beef?!?" in that Wendy's commercial from a long time ago? She wasn't there to be beautiful, but she had a pep and delivery that few others could match.

Winrock, there are many uses for a "half yankee half red neck" voice in VOs, your existence just has to be known in the right place at the right time.

ya know, i believe you are correct, thinking about it a bit i came up with one Howard Cosell, Myron Cope, and that bobcat guy, all with voices only a mama could love, but yet somehow mainstream.

i stand corrected .

Well Winrock,
one thing's for sure, watching Harlan and Jeffrey on this DVD will definitely help you develop a good "redneck voiceover" voice. :-)

Spot ,Im sure they are going to appreciate that !!!! : ) May just have to buy that DVD !

Harlan is a great guy in addtion to having a great voice. He knows this game better than anyone.

-TomE

In answer to Winrock's question -
Voice over is 100% talent - and yes that can be learned and improved.

It was my priviledge to work (and even start) many of the top VO talents in the country - guys making $150,000 a year and (way) more... without ever breaking a sweat.

And I saw many of the young ones (who ain't young no mo') develop and grow - absolutely.

But it's not a walk in the park - nothing in this business at the top is easy. Because when the money gets great, the competion is fierce - and many people that you are working for and with, are secretly hoping that you will fail. Some because of envy, some because they may be (or think they may be) - next in line.

There are some people that are happy for your success, however, and when you get a good enough clientele, you choose to service only them and say "No" to the pigs (BTW - there is no word "No" in your vocabulary - simply a price so high they can't accept it. That simply generates more respect , and sometimes they even accept your ridiculous demands. But not too often.

Eventually, you try to get to a position where you don' have to take no crap from nobody.

I am still seeking that exhalted space.

Don't ever forget that it took Speilberg 13 YEARS to sell NBC the program ER - and that was conceived and written by Michael Creighton - if Spielberg has to bite it, I guess we all do. And never forget that he stuck to it for all that time - if you ain't pushin' it, ain't nobody gonna remember YOUR project.

but I digress - please forgive me, but maybe some young person out there will take heart from the knowledge that "eating it" is a part of the game. Not every day - but yeah... sometimes, fer sure.

So VO wannabe's - give it a shot!
It's way fun to get good bucks for standing in front of a michrophone and just talking - I've seen those smiles hundreds of times.

v

Harlan Hogan did a voice over on a documentary I did---he played a dog and did it brilliantly. He was also very reasonable price wise and very efficent.

Dave,

Here is an article in Backstage on the subject of voiceovers. At the bottom are links to additional articles.

John