VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[allensco]

Heh heh....Jimmy Woodhaven here!

[lisaloo]

Plenty of folks use a professional or stage name for work in this industry - it's more common than you might think.

In my experience, most people make the swap for one of the following reasons:

* They feel their legal name somehow limits their marketability. For example, I was once married to a Sicilian with a beautiful last name but I knew that - especially for on-camera work - I didn't show up as particularly Italian, so I didn't use his name professionally. And sometimes a name that's just too tough to pronounce gets the boot, too.

* They want to do something memorable or (heaven forfend) "clever". Sometimes this works, sometimes not. I can tell you that alliteration can be your friend, but I also got lucky and came by this honestly. The FIRST husband was named Lewis and I changed it legally at age 20 before I really got started, so there ya go. But it sure hasn't hurt.

* They want to keep their professional and private lives separate.

In any case, if you, your family and/or your agents are comfortable with the change, there is no reason to feel reluctant to do it. Lots of people do.

And all that said, the only thing you want to make sure you take care of is payment and tax issues -- I know some folks who had a problem with this early on. So make sure that you get PAID under your legal name so you can cash your checks!



Lisa

[Deirdre]

Using the pet/street principle I'd be Figaro North I.

Yipe.

When I was jocking, my PD decided on just plain ol' Deirdre using the one-name-star idea (Barbara, Madonna, etc).
I liked that-- it was my real name, but not my whole name so no fear of identity cranks.

When I started doing traffic reports in Boston, my boss Sean Casey decided that "Deirdre" was much too difficult to pronounce. (Right-- an Irish name. IN BOSTON. There's a weather guy whose name is Cary Schwindenhammer, and he uses THAT name on the air-- so what the heck) Sean Casey decreed that I would be DB Williams, my real last name.
Part of the traffic gig involves calling the state police to check for crash updates. I would say "This is DB Williams calling from 'BZ traffic" and 9 times out of 10 the guy at the SP office would ask "DB Williams? Is that like DB Cooper?" I finally decided that yes, yes it WAS like DB Cooper, and that's been my name ever since.

People are familiar with the name even if they don't know the hijacking story.
I still have trouble getting people to pay me under my right name.
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DBCooperVO.com

[Bailey]

[Spacegypsy]

Cassius Everett....

[Jeff McNeal]

I picked out my stage name in a college classroom. Found it in a phone book. My first name is genuine, though. I was preparing for a career in radio and since most Top 40 hits were in three quarter time I wanted a three beat name. I remember deliberating between Jeff Davis, Jeff O'Neal and Jeff McNeal. My radio 101 classmates all liked McNeal and so did I. That was 1978 at Pasadena City College.

A good thing too, in retrospect. I learned at a VO dinner party last weekend that Jeff Davis is now suing everybody else who is using his name, which happens to be his real name, apparently. I found that pretty hilarious.

When you join AFTRA or SAG, your stage name becomes "official" and nobody else can use it when they become a member. Oddly enough, even though I have been Jeff McNeal with AFTRA for 26 years, when I joined SAG a couple of years ago, they said I couldn't use it because there was already a member using something "close". So for AFTRA gigs, it's simply booked as Jeff McNeal, but with SAG gigs, it's Jeff J. McNeal, which I think is sort of goofy.

[kgenus]

Pet / Street ... what happens when your parents refuse to allow you to use "human" names for a pet and only name them by "adjectives" that describe them in some way.... I'd have a hell of a time on air given the names of my pets:

Sparkles Ardella
Silky Jefferson
Brown Dog Jackson
Stinky Cedar (it was Cedar Lane, I think I like Stinky Lane better)

I'd stick with my real name.
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Genus

[Philip Banks]

A few years ago I was asked to guest on a celebrity TV quiz. Why me I asked? The assistant researcher told me what I'd done to make me worthy ................Philip Banks? No you're looking for Philip Franks. The latter came to fame playing the part of Charlie, boyfriend to the eldest daughter of Pa and Ma Larkin in The Darling Buds of May. The daughter was played by Catherine Zeta Jones

[audio'connell]

Stage name hmmm, never thought of that...well, sometimes my parents would call me shithead...is that a good stage name? :shock:
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- Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent

[ryansbeal]

I just want my clients to know who I am. Ryan S. Beal, althought my wife calls me things, I better not use them for VO name :lol: I have picked up nick name sin my time, like Diego, Senior, RYGUY, bubba and 'Hey Kockstrap' (ok the last one is an old family joka about my grandpa....

Later and out
RYGUY!!!!!!

[ryansbeal]

Sorry I fatfingered the last post. It is "Hey JockStrap"

[nick reed]

audio'connell... Hitshed might work... like, Jack Hitshed... I don't know...

[audio'connell]

[Philip Banks]

My radio announcer alter ego is called Bob Bass. I'm sure I've mentioned this broadcasting genius before.

http://thecorporatevoice.com/aircheck.mp3

[audio'connell]

I'd like to congratulate Mr. Banks/Bass on his 400th post...you kids see what you can do with your time when you're not producing auditions?!
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- Peter
audioconnell Voice Over Talent
Your friendly, neighborhood voice over talent