VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-over Actor

by Harlan Hogan

Overview

Not only does veteran actor Harlan Hogan offer a fascinating personal account of the crazed clients, practical jokes, and amazing coincidences encountered during his twenty-five year career, he also provides a wealth of tested tips for surviving and thriving as a voice-over actor.

This indispensable guide features dozens of techniques to help readers train their voices, gain experience, make a demo, join unions, get an agent, and more. It also includes strategies for finding work in venues outside film and television, including games, automated telephone systems, and even Web sites. Actors, broadcasters, and anyone else who longs to make money speaking into a microphone will cherish this informative, insightful, and often hilarious glimpse at the business.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781581158618
Publisher:	Allworth
Publication date:	09/21/2010
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	1 MB

About the Author

Harlan Hogan has been a voice-actor for thirty-five years, and odds are, you already know what he sounds like. His commercial voice-overs include classic and contemporary ad slogans from “Raid. Kills bugs fast, kills bugs dead” and Life Cereal’s “It’s the cereal even Mikey likes,” to “This PBS program is made possible by viewers like you” and “Ford F-150. How’s that for trendy?” Twenty-six million online gamers hear him as the voice of Alistar in League of Legends, while filmgoers see and hear him in the fea-ture-length film Dimension. He’s equally at home narrating documentaries like Fannie’s Last Supper and Storm Warriors, as well as voice-overs for political candidates from mayors to presidents. He lives in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	vi
	Introduction	1
Chapter 1	The Worst Voice in the Whole Third Grade--Talking Robots, Talking Rockets, and the Recordio	3
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Talking Inside the Box--Training, Technique, Tools, and Talent, or, the Four Ts of Voice-Over	8
Chapter 2	Stumbling Through School--Ronald Reagan, Radio, and a Whale of a Roommate	13
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Coining a Phrase--Spinning Words into Gold?	20
Chapter 3	Indiana Airwaves--Big Time in the Small Time, But Dick Clark Never Called	24
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Free and Not-So-Free Voice-Over Classes--From "Wanna-Be" to "New-Be"	29
Chapter 4	No Sale--Could There Be a Worse Computer Salesman?	38
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Storytellers of the Electronic Age--Ask the Right Questions, Tell the Right Story	42
Chapter 5	An Accidental Actor	48
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Radio and TV Voice-Overs--The Skills, the Opportunities	54
Chapter 6	Recorder's Revenge	58
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Long-Form Voice-Overs--The Skills, the Opportunities	61
Chapter 7	The Teamsters Made Me Change My Name	66
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Corporate Voice-Overs--The Skills, the Opportunities	69
Chapter 8	Wclr and the Big Bang Theory	74
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Character Voices and Your Multiple Personalities--The Skills, the Opportunities, the Misconceptions	77
Chapter 9	No Longer A "Wanna-Be"--Fast-Forward on the Right Track	81
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Other Voice Work--The Skills, the Opportunities, the Talking Beer Bottle Openers	85
Chapter 10	In July--Inside Jokes of the Voice-Overs	89
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Flying Solo--Performing Alone	95
Chapter 11	Smack Dab in the Golden Age of Voice-Over	98
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Playing Well with Others--The Art of Dialogue	101
Chapter 12	Say the Secret Word--"Blooper's Soap"	105
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Making the First or Fiftieth Voice Demo--A Never-Ending Project	112
Chapter 13	The Voice Talent's Connection--Go Ahead, Make My Day ... Beep Me!	117
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: All about Agents--Hearts of Gold	121
Chapter 14	What Planet are You From? Brand Managers--Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid	128
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: All about Auditions--The Art of One-Upmanship	131
Chapter 15	A Remarkable Way to Make a Buck--Plates, Statues, and the People who Collect Them	135
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Terms of Employment--Talking the Talk	139
Chapter 16	The Nineties' Celebrity Voice-Over Invasion--Stars, Satellites, and Cable TV Slither onto our Turf	146
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Studio Smarts--Twenty Studio Commandments for VOs	149
Chapter 17	Talking in Corporate Tongues--This May Not Sound Like English	153
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: All about Unions--To Join or Not to Join? That Is the Question	158
Chapter 18	Advertising in the Twenty-First Century--Too Hip For the Room	161
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Persistent Self-Promotion--From PR to the Post Office	163
Chapter 19	Prescription Drugs and Those Pesky Contraindications--Side Effects Worse Than the Disease	170
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Preserving the Tools of the Trade--Although I'm Not a Doctor, I've Played One on TV	174
Chapter 20	The Fine Art of Directing Voice-Overs--Real Voice Men Don't Ask ...	177
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: You, Yourself, and the IRS--The Business of Show Business	181
Chapter 21	Behind the Scenes--the Real Work Behind Voice Work	186
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: A Studio of Your Own--A New Opportunity, a New Convenience	190
Chapter 22	My Soon-to-be-Famous Acquaintances--Befriended Before They Were Stars	195
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Virtual Voice-Over--The New Business Model	200
Chapter 23	Riding Through the Strike Zone--A Forced Vacation, for a Chosen Vocation	203
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: Kaizen for Voice-Overs--One Lesson, One Session at a Time	208
Chapter 24	Acting up, Cracking up--Conduct Unbecoming	211
	Techniques of a Voice-Over: The Simple Truth--A Conversation Peer to Peer	213
Chapter 25	Fast-Forward to Future Tense--Where Voice-Over Acting Goes from Here	217
	Postscript: The Unremarkables	223
	Resources	225
	Alice's Adventure's in Adland	229

Editorial Reviews

The best VO in the business has written the best (and funniest) book about the VO business.
—executive creative director, C&C Advertising, San Francisco

Chuck Cohen

For an actor pursuing any facet of the entertainment industry, this book contains a wealth of invaluable information.

Margaret Travolta

For anyone considering a career in the voice-over business, Harlan's book is a must-read. It's like an old friend explaining the positives and negatives of becoming a voice-over actor.
—ARU, Chicago

Mike King

I have had the privilege of learning from Harlan Hogan for several years now. His words are as wonderful to read on paper as they are to hear on television. Any person interested in a career in voice-overs should read this book.
—executive casting director, Just Voices Casting, New York City

Michael Wells