Voiceovers: Putting Your Mouth Where The Money Is (Paperback)

~ (Author), Tom Wiecks (Author) "The morning air was so crisp it surprised my skin..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Review

There's relatively little information available on this form of making money, so Douthitt's title is especially valuable to any who have heard about voice-over potentials. Tom Wiecks edits a fine guide which covers not only money-making potentials, but the mechanics of how voice-over operates. From assessing one's competitive advantages to handling initial sessions, this provides a clear guide to voice-over's pros and cons. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Description

Perhaps the most complete overview yet of the voice-over business, this book explains more than just the voice talent's job. It describes the whole production process and what's expected of you by the writer, engineer, ad agency, agent, talent union -- and, of course, the client.

Learn all about interpreting scripts and taking direction. Preparing your demo tape. What happens during recording sessions. How voice casting works. Exactly how much voice-overs pay. And much more.

Complete with over 20 pages of sample radio, TV, narration and animation scripts, this is one book that has people talking.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 229 pages
• Publisher: Grey Heron Books (April 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 093556621X
• ISBN-13: 978-0935566215
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #384,674 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Picks up Where the Others Leave Off, April 13, 2001

By A Customer

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.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent "Producer's-Eye View" of Voiceovers, May 30, 2000

By	Voiceguy (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

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.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good info, but beginners may want to look elsewhere, July 9, 1999

By	"sanstv" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

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.