This gallery contains 8 photos.
Graphic JoeActor! Part of the job of being self-employed is letting people know what you’ve accomplished. Since I normally eschew traditional marketing methods, I decided to get a bit graphic instead. Below are some iconic graphics featuring characters that I’ve … Continue reading
Do you ever give away your VO work for free?
Why would anyone do that?!?!?
Well, actually, there are a number of great reasons to work for free.
(and a metric tonne of reasons *not* to work for free)
Here’s just a few ways to use your VO powers for good:
Reading for the Blind and Visually Impaired
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Ten years ago, my career in VO got a boost of NASA proportions.
Through the kindness of a VP at Disney and five amazing animation stars, I landed my first agent.
Here’s the scoop!
How can a picture of a Turkey with some guns drive traffic to a web site?
It’s a mystery well worth investigating…
Back in November, 2013, I posted a song parody “Herbert The Homicidal Turkey” for Thanksgiving. It featured the following picture of the felonious fowl:
Herbert The Homicidal Turkey
Fast forward to today… not a day goes by that Joe’s Dump doesn’t get at least a few hits for the song.
So, what gives? Where are the hits coming from?
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*** Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and I don’t claim to know the law. The following is just my personal experience in one area of copyright… Reader discretion is advised! ***
How is a major record label making money off of my song?
Well, if you do parodies, sooner or later someone’s gonna notice and claim copyright.
For me, that happened with a parody I did of Brad Paisley’s “Mr. Policeman”, and posted it on YouTube. Ironically, my parody is about Legal Disclaimers:
Copyright is a thorny issue, to be sure. I can understand both sides.
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Who knows what the future will bring?
Well, here at Joe’s Dump Labs, we do!
Follow me on an investigation of new areas of scientific research that may forever change the studio of tomorrow…
Imagine a light, flexible material that you could easily apply to walls, or even just hang from the ceiling – that would completely change the acoustic shape of your room!
Enter Acoustic Cloaking!
Using a material made from plastic sheets with a precise array of holes, Dr. Steven Cummer of Duke University was able to effectively make an object invisible to sound!
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Have you ever been in a situation where everything just seemed to “click”?
You’re at the right place, right time, and everything feels… Right!
Like a perfect storm of awesome!
Well, this isn’t about that.
It’s about the opposite.
How do you know when you’re the wrong man for the job?
Let’s look at a recent example (imho) from the media…
Last month, Bob Dylan released his new album “Shadows in the Night“, a collection of 10 show tunes (mostly), previously sung by Frank Sinatra.
Bob Dylan. Show Tunes. Frank Sinatra.
What could possibly go wrong? Continue reading
There’s a first time for everything.
Casting for Live From E.V.I.L. was a first for me.
“So, Joe… How did it go?”
Wow! It was tough for a variety of reasons.
There were a lot of really good auditions. I’d asked for folks to come up with their own original character that would fit in at a party on EVIL Island, then voice a few lines. It was an opportunity to be really creative, and believe me, creativity is alive and rampant in Voice Acting!
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Today, I’d like to discuss how a pop song from 1963 can provide some very valuable lessons about business, and about life.
“Wishin’ and Hopin’” was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. First recorded by Dion Warwick in 1963 and also released later by Dusty Springfield in 1964.
In brief, the song delivers advice to a woman who seems intent on landing a man. The conclusion is that wishing is not enough – she’s gotta actually do something!.
(video and lyrics are at the bottom of this post for your reference)
So let’s break the song lyrics down into three categories and find out how they can help us to achieve our own goals: Continue reading
A big part of the job of voice acting is auditioning. And a current trend seen in many auditions is the “Conversational” or “Non-Announcer” style. Rarely a day goes by that I don’t see at least one audition request asking for that guy-next-door sound. A friend. A neighbor. BUT NO ANNOUNCERS!
Well, I’m here to tell you, friends and neighbors… there’s very little VO out there in the real world that would be mistaken for an actual conversation. Here are just a few examples: