Customer Reviews

Voiceovers: Putting Your Mouth Where The Money Is

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I can recommend this book on two conditions: one, if you have already read The Art Of Voice Acting by James Alburger and two, you are enrolled in a voice workshop or class where you can ask an instructor follow up questions. Some of the advice in this book is patently false. For example, a three and a half minute demo tape? Most demos run one and a half to two minutes, tops. And the author gives the impression that you can make your own demo, when the industry demands a professionally produced tape or cd just to get an agent. It's not fair to say that all the information within this book is not useful, but I would place it a distant third behind the two fine books by Alburger and Elaine Clark.

Don't start with this book, because you need to have a foundation of talent and craft before some of the things in here will begin to make sense. But if you've got some decent chops (from classes or perhaps by working through Susan Blu's "Word of Mouth" or Elaine Clark's "There's Money Where Your Mouth Is"), by all means profit from this excellent guide to the "externals" of voiceover work.

I say "externals" because this book does not really focus on the inner journey that a voice actor must undertake to become skillful: the acting techniques, like relaxation, concentration, visualization, and so forth. But there are other books that cover such things (including the two mentioned above).

Where this book shines is in describing the real-world environment in which voice actors must work, a world in which producers and directors have a sense of what they want (i.e., "be more conversational"), and whether or not they are getting it, but lack the ability to guide the talent very far in precisely how to achieve it. But, as the author himself admits, "The purpose of this book is to explain what to do with your voice talent once you have it."

Douthitt outlines a "4-Point Plan to Success" at the outset of the book:

1. Competitive abilities (you are as good as the people already doing the work);

2. Proof of abilities (an outstanding demo tape);

3. Connection to the work (learning about jobs, primarily through an agent); and

4. Availability (you are close to the market and able to attend auditions, call-backs and recording sessions throughout the business day).

This theme is carried throughout the remainder of the text.

If there is an overall message to this book, it is, "Be realistic." Douthitt makes it clear that it takes a lot of commitment and dedication to succeed in this field. But he also makes it clear that lots of mere mortals are doing it.

Because of Douthitt's background as an engineer, the technical discussions in this book are accurate and helpful - which sets it apart from most other books on the subject. The book reads very well, no doubt reflecting the contribution of editor Tom Wiecks. The book provides depth in more specialized fields, such as industrial narration, that receive little notice elsewhere.

The author's sense of humor (he would probably call it healthy cynicism) is evident throughout. A priceless pair of diagrams on pages 87 and 88 depict recording session hierarchy: "how it's supposed to work" and "how it often works." The first diagram sets out a neat, orderly chain of command starting from client through agency people through producer to engineer to talent. The second, however, shows a chaotic arrangement of people and arrows, all of which point to the engineer and the talent. "Plan to do seven takes for every 'director' in the room," Douthitt dryly notes. (Later in the book, on page 204, he invites the reader to try voicing the same airline tag with 70 -- yes, 70 -- different one-word directions taken from actual studio sessions, including such helpful gems as "patriotic," "babyish," and "like a cat would say it." Talk about frying your brain!)

An excellent book and much-needed in the field.

This has some excellent information on getting an agent, a demo tape, and some real inside dope on the business. It's also clear, and well-written. However, if you're like me--a complete novice--I'd suggest you look elsewhere. The authors (correctly) tell you to take voice lessons, and while they have a few helpful excerises, the book isn't much good for actually helping a beginner develop his or her talent. It's telling that the chapter on money comes two chapters before the one on "Getting Talented." In other words, the book is great for career advice and technical advice about the business, but not so great on helping one develop the tools to get there.

Chris Douthitt's book is the one to buy if you want a complete introduction to the voice-over business. Rather than try to teach you how to be talented (which would be a specious claim at best), Douthitt carefully describes each aspect of a voice actor's career so that you can see if your talent and motivation are a good fit. His humorous and succinct manner make the book a breeze to read and re-read--you can use it as an introduction or as a quick review. I've had the good fortune of meeting and working with the author subsequent to the publication of this book; he's a highly knowledgeable, experienced, talented voice-over engineer-artist. If you have any interest in this field at all, Mr. Douthitt is an excellent resource--and his book is a must-buy!

After reading and then re-reading Mr. Chris Douthitt's "Voiceovers: Putting Your Mouth Where The Money Is," I am pleased to have the opportunity to share my feelings regarding this wonderful, essential tool for the commerical voice talent. The voice-over profession is stimulating and exciting, but can be somewhat confusing for a beginnng and intermediate-level talent. Why? Because the majority of the information one needs to be a successful performer can be difficult to obtain. Mr. Douthitt gathers it all together for you, and puts it into an easy-to-understand format. I firmly believe this publication is THE textbook, the "Bible" for the voice-over business. And because this is a business, Mr. Douthitt is exceptionally candid about what one can expect regarding the commercial voice-over talent's moneymaking potential. The author wants the reader to really consider whether or not this profession is the right one for him/her (there is a considerable start-up cost involved--believe me, I found out quickly!), and provides advice on honing one's talents and abilities. "Voice-Overs: Putting Your Mouth Where The Money Is" gives practial, valuable advice on producing your demo tape; do's and dont's for the talent; what to expect at the recording session. The book also introduces the reader to the studio, and details the roles of all the professionals involved in creating a voice-over spot (from the writer to the engineer to the ad agency to the agent to the TALENT to the client). "The copywriter is the architect of the ad. The talent is the carpenter. The script is the blueprint. The studio engineer provides all the construction materials." Also being a writer, I LIKE that passage! Mr. Douthitt also provides sample scripts which he analyzes, and that the reader can practice. And, the glossary is extremely helpful. Before reading this book, I had voice-over training. However, this publication has proven to be an essential tool if I wish to be really successful. And, isn't that what you want? To conclude, this marvelous textbook is a witty, entertaining read. I sincerely hope I have the opportunity to work with the author one day. Mr. Douthitt--thanks for shining a bright light on the voice-over world!

I read this book when I was first starting out and it really helped me on my way, now I have a very successful voiceover business! www.laurasweeney.com