Customer Reviews

VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor

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I never met Harlan Hogan, but I also started in radio and soon switched to commercial production. Only I was doing it from the other side of the glass, as engineer--and then director--of quite a few thousand national and regional spots, working with hundreds of VO talents on the East Coast and LA. So I know what these guys go through.

Everything Harlan writes is true: the techniques, the way the business works, the friendships that form between actors competing for the same jobs, the life. Except his way of telling it is funnier than real life.

This is actually two books, interleaved. Chapters alternate between sage (and hard-earned) advice on polishing voice-acting performing and job-getting skills, and some of the things Harlan had to go through to learn these lesions. If you're an announcer, engineer, or sharp producer, you'll chuckle over the war stories. If you're trying to break into the business, you couldn't have a better teacher.

I am a new vo actor. A wanna-be. I have a good voice, or have always been told, and was ready to knock everyone dead. I enrolled in a class for vo's and I was horrible. I did everything wrong. I needed to do something. So, I bought Harlan's book, VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice Over Actor. It is laugh out loud funny as he describes his first days and the entire history of his experience in the business.

Not only is it thouroughly entertaining and funny, I learned so much. After I read the book and went back to class, my teacher was shocked! I am sure that prior to having read the book, my performance warranted the, "You better find a new career choice" speech. However, instead of the speech, I was told how much I had grown and how funny I was. This is due the book.

Buy it and enjoy it!

Harlan Hogan provides a lot of explanation of how things work in the VO world (or at least as they did in 2002, when this book was written). He gives great advice while lightly touching on subjects like running your business, jargon, union vs. "pre-union", etc. However, he also offers some insight that beginning voice actors aren't likely to find in a lot of other books. Harlan does this by recounting stories from his own experience that not only entertain, but relate to the major points of each section. He also lets the reader in on inside jokes of the trade like "Blooper's Soap" and the infamous Findus Foods session with Orson Welles. Sure, they're easily Google-able, but how are they woven into the fabric of the industry?

I've done radio for a dozen years, switched to the computer tech side
for another half-dozen and now I'm studying and working on figuring out
where I will best fit into the VO market. This book not only confirmed
a lot of things I felt instinctively, but it also helped me to not
listen so much to the "what if" voice that we all carry with us.

Harlan's tips and insights are great to learn from; as a master voiceover actor and personality, I found it useful to read his tales and techniques. Largely autobiographical, Harlan's book explains what it's like, the "real world" of commercial v/o, and provides a realistic perspective on how to approach and manage your career; in v/o and/or commercial acting.

The techniques he shares are insightful, on how to read and interpret your copy, and connect with the listener.

Plus, he's an interesting "character" ... I read this book cover to cover, it was that interesting. And useful.

Excellent job, Harlan!


Regards,

Ken Calhoun

In my 25 years as a VO talent and instructor (author of How To Make Money in Voice-Overs Even if You Don't Live in NY or LA) THIS is the best VO book I've ever read. Harlan not only entertains with hilarious stories --one after another-- that every professional talent can relate to... he mixes his entertainment with more "how to" facts than the straight "how to" VO books! He's direct, to the point, informative, and entertaining, all at the same time! I recommend it for talent of ALL levels. In fact, I want to make it available at my future VO workshops. Harlan --what you did here was amazing! Thank you for the laughs.. and for another fabulous resource to recommend to those who ask me about getting into voiceovers!

I've never written a review on Amazon, but I like this book so much I just had to do it. Harlan's book is a must read, not only for aspiring voice talent but for those who are curious about the voiceover profession. There's a wealth of information here, and it's written in a style that's engaging and easy to read. My favorite sections are those that describe the way voiceover used to be back in the day, now lost with our world of recording from home studios and remote access with people we'll never meet except over a phone line. Harlan's generosity in sharing his knowlege is very greatly appreciated, and I've pre-ordered his next book.

There are lots of books on voiceover for beginners and those thinking of getting into the business--Harlan has written a book that will help beginners but is also full of information and fun for working pros as well. I've been a fulltime voice-over actor for over 15 years and I not only learned a lot, I really enjoyed the stories of wacky recording sessions and the strange behavior of other talents, producers and clients. Each chapter is split into a techniques section, where you can get the meat in just a few pages, and a story section where you see the voiceover business as it really is from a man who has lived it. Don't take the shortcut! The story sections are too much fun!

Skilfully written as a concise and no-holds-barred discussion about Voice Over acting, the author draws on years of personal experience as a fledgling radio broadcaster/stage actor; becoming the acclaimed Voice Over veteran who continues to enjoy an amazing and prolific Voice Over acting career: a Master of the Game.

Generously offering useful advise on how to get started as a Voice Over actor (by finding the best workshop, voice coach, agent, union), showing how internet technology in particular ISDN/DSL patches can help leverage one's career in the Voice Over field, and breaking into personal anecdotes that inform as well as entertain readers... Harlan Hogan has covered it all in a witty narrative that is really the "missing manual" for the Voice Over professional and newcomer.

Hogan is magnificently generous in sharing his priceless knowledge of the practical side of the business -- and equally liberal with the laughs, the torment, and the personal rewards behind his own exemplary career as a voiceover artist. Newcomers and wanna-be's MUST read it. Veteran Voiceovers already know and love it for the treasure it is.

This is a must read. I have read five other books on VO and this one is my favorite. It is highly readable with real insight into the biz and hardcore guidance. If you haven't read Harlan's book, I have an edge on you.