VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[EricSouer]

Let's see 10 years ago I was 7, nearly 8....We were still living in Pittsburgh. I was frequently annoyed by my baby brother......and my toddler brother. I had already done some radio commercials (Un-paid if you believe that!) and I either had just done or was soon going to do my movie (a silent [or at least my part was silent] documentary on the life of Andy Warhol, I was young Andy Warhol). Sadly, the movie was only released in Japan, so I have never seen it.

Now: Just finishing up school, then It's off to work for my Dad. Oh and now living in Charlotte, NC.

[KaraEdwards]

Since we are basing this on the 17th...

I don't know specifically what I was doing 10 years ago...but I can guess (my husband would die if I had Caryn's memory, he'd never win an argument! Hah!). I would have been working at Radio Disney, either on the air or as a writer/producer/voice talent/children's voice director...depending on the day and circumstances.

I loved my job then, as the creativity was endless and my co-workers were top notch. Still, I would most likely have been thinking of quiting my job, selling everything I own, and moving to Europe to be a painter...I spent several years in that phase (and I'm a terrible painter, FYI). I thought it would be 'cool'. Fortunately, I never did it!

Yesterday: Started out with two auditions, one of which I would give almost anything to book- we'll see! Scheduled a voice session for a live stage show (coming to a city near you- details to come!) for next week. Booked a regional radio spot, followed by local one...and ended the day with a request for an audition for an animated DVD series.

Life is still great! And I have no plans to sell everything and move to Europe However, I did go yesterday and buy a new hiking backpack- so it's kinda similar!
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Threadjackers local 420

Kara Edwards
http://www.karaedwards.com
kara@karaedwards.com

[KaseyKruz]

Working in Destin Fl. doing middays on a radio station and DJing at a pub for free beer 4 nights a week. Met my "then" future ex-wife.

Forgot the "NOW" part
News and Traffic for 8 radio stations in Fresno Ca with wife 2.0 (what a great upgrade) and 2 beautiful kids.
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Does life start at 40?

[Bruce]

Ten years ago I had just bought this house and spent all my spare time in the three and a half weeks before move-in doing some remodeling and painting everything. For work I was doing live action work for the movie Titan A.E. at Fox Animation. I got to play a variety of alien characters for director Don Bluth who is a God in the animation world (I'd also worked with him on Anastasia). I would also go to four or five VO recording sessions around town each week and do one or two on-camera industrials or commercials each month.

Yesterday I talked with a producer who's doing an hour plus documentary on Islam and the Qur'an, discussing how we'd work out the ISDN session with him while he's in Mumbai, India next month. (I also voice commercials for the Jewish Hospice in NYC and imaging work for a couple of Christian radio stations, so I'm covering all my bases.) I voiced the last pick-ups for a DVD for the US Tennis Association, a small handful of commercials, and coached a former radio personality who wants to get into VO now.

Life is complicated some days, but good.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

[Christopher French]

June 1998: Unhappily married to my first wife with no kids. . .Between jobs (just out of the Navy 3 months). . .living in Hillsdale (getting ready to move to California). . .thinking that I could do the same thing those guys and gals on the commercials do.

June 2008: Happily married to my second wife with a beautiful 8 month old son. . .gainfully employed (in a job I detest). . .living in Hillsdale (thinking about moving to a bigger city). . .still thinking that I can do the same thing those guys and gals on the commercials can do, but now I have the capability to actually do so. . .inching ever closer to my first ginormous gig (the audiobook I mentioned in an earlier post).
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Christopher G. French

"The only limitations we truly have are the ones we place on ourselves." -Attributed to Donald Trump

[Diane Maggipinto]

then: soft rock morning show "there's bread, here's kenny loggins."

thankfully, i was fired less than a year later, and one year after that, so was everyone else.


now: first national gig, many other gigs of great variety.
and today, on the roof getting the swamp cooler prepped for the summer heat.
actually, i did that 10 years ago, too.



i won't bore you with the details of the parade of BFs then and now
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sitting at #8, though not as present as I'd like to be. Hello!

www.d3voiceworks.com

[Rob Ellis]

May 1998, hmmm...had been out of radio for about 3 years, and was selling real estate in Lexington KY and finding out what it was like to actually work for a living...and also doing a lot of public speaking at local Toastmasters Clubs. The dream of VO was vaguely in my consciousness, but seemed impractical if not impossible at the time....but I was imitating the commercial announcers on the car radio, sometimes to the amusement of the other drivers at the traffic stop

2008:Today I am getting caught up on scripts for an automotive website, of which I only have about 250 to go! Also on the to-do list---an hour spent doing some kind of marketing; calls, e-mails, postcards or all of the above,
a few auditions for Voices.com, some reading for the Blind, send out an invoice, handle a few other technical/administrative issues, practice the piano for 15 minutes(which actually helps with the VO), do some accent reduction exercises(KY twang still creeps in sometimes) and hopefully get it all in before the wife gets home at around 6....Whew!

[Frank F]

Ten years ago I would drive 200 to 250 miles a day between home and gigs; averaging three to four different locations a day (there is a 45 minute drive between me and anywhere...). During this time I was also a recording engineer for location video and film shoots and still found time to work my own studio once in a while.

Today, three to four gigs a day without leaving home. The studios are up for sale and I no longer choose to be a Recordist for location audio for video - I have a crew for that work.

Things change but stay the same.

Toodles

F2
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

[Bailey]

Let’s see... 1998.
Production Control/Commodity Manager for Department of Defense. Recovering from nervous breakdown at work... long story... happy ending. Looking forward to retirement in two years. The words ‘Voice Over’ were not a part of my life.

Today… 2008.
Retired for 8 years from DOD... but now working part time with Elite Show Services.
Waiting on CT scan results... blood tests... and consultation with physicians about impending surgery... news at eleven.
After about 4 plus years of VO interest... ups and downs... I’m beginning to re-evaluate my true feelings of wanting to be a voice artist. Some evaluations occur while staring into the mirror and saying, “Put up or shut up.”
How ironic... a VO plebe saying “Shut up”.


sub note: Frank has staff... AND a crew!
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"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044
AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo."

[CarynClark]

Diane, I love a parade...
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Caryn Clark... The Hip Chick Voice!

"A positive mental attitude and having faith in your ability is quite different from being irresponsible and downright stupid." - Dave

[Frank F]

Yes Bailey.

I own three studios, one a full audio recording and video production facility, one audio (music) only, and one full video production facility. All are available now for the right price...

Toodles

F2
"The Voice" tm
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Be thankful for the bad things in life. They opened your eyes to the good things you weren't paying attention to before. email: thevoice@usa.com

[Audiogal]

Ten years ago I was working as Creative Services Director at a local TV station & was the voice of most of the commercials our department produced. No budget to hire outside talent. An AE who had been a radio air talent graciously helped out when we needed a male voice. Not sure what we would've done without him.
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Mary

[JBarrett]

June 1998: I was single, living in a studio apartment in Ballard (north Seattle), and was a few terms into the Computer Animation program at the Art Institute of Seattle. To pay the bills, I was doing data-entry for a commercial insurance company.

June 2008: Married with an 8-year-old daughter, living in a house we built about 30 minutes east of Dallas. Approaching my four-year anniversary with Reel FX (3.5 yrs as an animator/supervisor, 6 months as the animation TD), where we just wrapped animation for Open Season 2, are well underway on a Kung Fu Panda short film, and are ramping up on promos for Madagascar 2. In my side job as a mentor with AnimationMentor.com, I just finished the final assignment critiques and grades for my students about a half-hour ago, with the final Q&A session tomorrow night. I'm looking forward to a much lighter load next term so I can spend more time on VO pursuits and other things.
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Justin S. Barrett
http://www.justinsbarrett.com/

[imaginator]

i hadn't really thought about it...but, man, when i did.......

ten years ago this week:

was in the middle of seven weeks at screen gems studios in wilmington, nc as one of a dozen "hired hands" doing background puppeteering for Jim Henson's Muppets on "Elmo in Grouchland". it remains one of the most high-profile and best-paying gigs of my life (and one of the least useful in my VO resume since they didn't use our voices). at the same time, i was awaiting word of the birth of my little boy back in raleigh.

the day the call came in that my wife had gone to the hospital with her parents, the movie cast and crew fairly booted me off the set and on the road for a few days. i missed meeting ruth buzzi on her 'cameo' day, but was present for the debut of the little guy who's become one of my best friends. on my return to "grouchland", i noticed the writer had named one of the villain's little "hench-muppets" after my son. you can hear him referred to on the soundtrack as "Lil' Ricky".

this week:

...not so much glamour, but i am narrating some technical instruction on medical equipment for Labcorp, did a couple of regional radio spots for the west coast as an expert at his outdoor grill, played a comic newscaster for a car dealer in arizona, and will be going before the cameras as a counterman for a Carquest training video tomorrow night (all, i should add, subjects i know nothing about but am qualified as an actor to explain to others!).

and of course, i'm making sure the right toys and videogames are hidden away for my not-so-little Ricky's 10th birthday party next week.

thanks, folks, for giving me a reason to pause and remember all these things i have to feel great about. i literally was so caught up in day-to-day stress i hadn't stopped to think.

rg
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rowell gormon
www.voices2go.com
"Mr. Warm & Friendly Voice...with Character!"
Rowell Gormon's Clogged Blog - http://voices2go.com/blog

[Mike Cain]

10 years ago I was working at NBC in video tape and was doing the Rosie O'Donnell show. Recording the show and playing back the commercials.
Thursday was a two show day first show live 10A-11A Eastern then in the afternoon we did Fridays' show so Rosie could have a three day weekend.
I was used only once for a VO it was a parody of the Jerry Springer video offer. It was called "Too Nice for TV".
I retired in 2005 after 38 years. I did just about every show that came out of NYC during my career there.
Memories of SNL when it first started are still fresh. It was new TV territory with Dan, John, Chevy, Garrett, Jane, Larrane,and of course Gilda.
In the first year the muppets were a part of the show it was a treat to go up to 8H and see the rehearsals. The end of season parties were also memory makers. I met Jack Nickelson and at the same party we had Chuck Berry jammin. Those were the days.
The industry has changed alot since I first started in 1967.
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A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.