The VO Breakfast Show

In this podcast episode, Jamie and Carin answer listener questions around studio tech, including their holiday experiences, tech interests, and the significance of professional home studios for voice actors in 2024. They delve into the importance of self-learning, challenges of operating system updates, and the need for high-quality audio recording. Here's a concise summary of their conversation:Jamie and Carin start with a lighthearted discussion about their ages and holiday experiences, including a New Year's Day party miscommunication. They then shift to tech, with Jamie expressing interest and sharing feedback gathered from a Facebook group post.The duo emphasizes the importance of professional home studios for voice actors in 2024. While expensive equipment isn't necessary, they stress evaluating sound quality professionally. Jamie suggests prioritizing the studio environment, using acoustic blankets, and experimenting with live engineering for sound improvements.Carin voices concern about reliance on others for tech knowledge, emphasizing the need for self-learning. They discuss the importance of understanding technology in voice acting and share experiences with clients assuming industry-standard equipment usage.A casual discussion follows about work routines, working from booths, societal appearance expectations, and subtly processing auditions. They reveal their use of specific audio equipment and plugins, highlighting the importance of understanding their features.The duo delves into audio recording topics, covering gainstaging, normalizing processes, and techniques. They stress aiming for proper volume levels, adjusting gain based on performance type, and avoiding distortion. Carin discusses the need for a mute button feature on Source Connect, and they address challenges with operating system updates.The importance of capturing high-quality audio is discussed, along with solutions for recording in noisy environments. They touch on professional audio recording software, recommending trying different options and discussing limitations of free solutions like Garageband. Session recording and playback strategies are also explored, with Carin preferring recording takes and Jamie expressing concern about technical issues.In summary, Jamie and Carin cover a wide range of topics related to voice acting, technology, and audio recording, providing valuable insights and advice for fellow professionals in the field.

Join us for an incredible voiceover conference in Costa Rica! Find out more here: https://www.vocationconference.com/costa-rica.htmlCarin and Jamie engaged in a diverse conversation covering the impact of FOMO on their lives. The discussion delved into their experiences with social media, award submissions in the voiceover industry, the concept of return on investment, and the nature of social media as a highlight reel. They concluded with reflections on their pandemic experiences and New Year's resolutions.The duo began by humorously discussing podcast episode planning. Carin highlighted their success in organizing the NAVA Foundation Benefit event, raising nearly $60,000. They also touched on their involvement in a voiceover conference, suggesting the release of Maria Pendolino's keynote speech as a podcast episode.FOMO, or Fear of Missing Out, was a central theme as they explored its impact on their lives. Both shared challenges in balancing work and personal life, with Carin expressing how having kids and engaging in social media intensified their FOMO. Jamie concurred, pointing out FOMO's use as a motivator by companies. They discussed their contrasting approaches to attending events, with Jamie advocating for a more selective approach.The conversation shifted to their personalities and social preferences, with Jamie identifying as an introvert with occasional extroverted tendencies. They explored the potential benefits of social events for extroverts but didn't reach a clear resolution.A debate emerged around award submissions in the voiceover industry, emphasizing the financial and confidence challenges involved. Carin suggested submitting each other's work, while they discussed the pros and cons of nominations, with Carin highlighting authenticity and Jamie expressing concerns about pressure.Carin shared their experience of winning a voice arts award, noting its impact on securing more work and opening opportunities. Jamie discussed the marketing potential of nominations and awards, emphasizing industry variations.Social media's role in their industry and the concept of return on investment were discussed, with Jamie emphasizing the subjective value of opportunities. They explored the influence of social media on FOMO and highlighted the complexities of sharing achievements online.The importance of responsible financial decision-making in attending voiceover conferences was discussed, along with strategies to combat FOMO. The conversation delved into the nature of social media as a highlight reel and the balance between celebration and bragging.The duo shared experiences during the pandemic and discussed New Year's resolutions. Carin aimed to say no more often and delegate better, echoing Jamie's agreement and emphasis on the benefits of delegating. They touched on religion, music, and a future episode about the documentary "Love Has One."The podcast ended on a humorous note, with Carin and Jamie joking about the potential dangers of drinking colloidal silver.

In a dynamic conversation, Jamie and Carin delved into various aspects of their professional lives, covering topics such as in-show narration, work routines, true crime's appeal, reality TV, and voice acting. Their engaging dialogue provided valuable insights into the intricacies of their industry, highlighting the importance of understanding narrative structures, cultural differences, and the unique challenges faced by voice actors.Jamie and Carin explored the often-overlooked genre of in-show narration, emphasizing its significant influence on storytelling. They discussed how narrators shape the narrative progression and underscored the flexibility the role offers. The discussion concluded with a focus on the importance of grasping the format and rhythm of different networks and shows.The duo shifted gears to discuss their work routines and cultural disparities. Jamie's use of British terms prompted a consideration for an episode catering to American audiences. The conversation extended to sleep and work schedules, with Carin highlighting the impact of circadian rhythms and sharing her strategies for overcoming jet lag.Carin and Jamie delved into the world of reality TV, emphasizing the crucial role of narration. They shared admiration for Desiree Burch's work in "Too Hot to Handle" and discussed how the narrator becomes an integral part of the show's narrative, shaping viewer engagement and perception.Focusing on specific examples from "Too Hot to Handle" and "Married at First Sight," Carin elucidated the structure of reality TV shows, highlighting the narrator's role in each phase. Jamie likened the narrator to a bassist in a band, essential but not the central focus. The discussion shed light on the intricacies of reality TV production.Carin provided insights into the act structure of TV shows, detailing the progression from problem discovery to resolution. Jamie emphasized the significance of the wrap-up phase and the potential for unexpected developments, showcasing the dynamic nature of TV storytelling.The duo explored the importance of understanding the structure and pacing of TV shows, advocating for familiarity even in genres one might not typically watch. They also discussed the relevance of thorough audition preparation, including researching the network to enhance chances of success.Carin and Jamie delved into the emotional aspect of narration, stressing the need to convey perspective and emotion through inflection. They discussed the balance required in bringing scripts to life, even without visuals, citing humorous examples from their past projects.Sharing their experiences in voice acting, Jamie and Carin highlighted the challenges of last-minute script changes and discussed effective audio editing techniques. Jamie emphasized the ability to isolate and enhance core audio, even in noisy environments.The duo shared strategies for handling disruptions during voiceover recording, emphasizing the importance of pauses and emphasis. They agreed on the need for multiple readings to offer editing options and stressed the contextual understanding of each line.Jamie and Carin concluded their comprehensive discussion with insights into voiceover pay rates and a glimpse into the upcoming 2024 VOcation Conference in Costa Rica. Their conversation provided a holistic view of the multifaceted world of narration, reality TV, and voice acting, offering valuable lessons and perspectives for industry enthusiasts.

The following was written by Zoom AI Transcript and then edited by Chat GPT. It's almost accurate:Welcome to another episode of The VO Breakfast Show with your hosts, Carin Gilfry and Jamie Muffett! This is part 2 of our listener questions on business etiquette.Summary:Technical Progress and Advocacy Work: Carin and Jamie kick off the show by addressing technological hiccups and sharing insights into the preparation of their podcast. Carin raises concerns about sound quality and recounts her experiences advocating for the voiceover industry, shedding light on the financial burden of such advocacy work.Gala Planning and Business Etiquette: Carin and Jamie discusses the upcoming NAVA gala—an exciting event with Maria Pendolino delivering a keynote speech, silent auctions, prizes, and more. They emphasize the importance of donations, available tickets on NAVA Voices and Eventbrite, and dive into business etiquette, with Jamie sharing a personal anecdote.Workplace Friendship Challenges: Navigating personal friendships in a work setting can be challenging, and Carin and Jamie share their experiences. Workplace dynamics, especially power imbalances, are discussed, highlighting the importance of maintaining professionalism outside regular work hours.Remote Collaboration and Session Fee Negotiations: The hosts delve into the challenges of remote collaboration in the talent agency, sharing experiences from Voice Tracks West. They discuss handling rate adjustments when clients increase project scope and stress the importance of negotiating session fees after a pleasant session (lol @Zoom).Sexist Feedback Discussion: A detailed conversation unfolds about handling sexist feedback, with insights on deflecting inappropriate comments and questioning their seriousness. The hosts share techniques to navigate such situations and explore the broader context of client behavior.Payment Challenges in Business: The challenges of non-union payments and late payments take center stage. Jamie shares his difficulties in chasing payments from distant clients, and Carin discusses her process of sending payment reminders. The episode leaves open the question of handling situations where payments are not received.Workflow and Voiceover Discussion: Carin and Jamie share their work processes, emphasizing the importance of a good support system. They discuss the intricacies of voiceover work, highlighting the need to stand by the best version of their work and sharing a lighthearted story about a director ordering lunch during a tense session. (almost @Zoom, almost)Client Value and Referral Strategies: The hosts underline the significance of client value and effective sessions. They explore different approaches to seeking business-related information from friends and stress the importance of recognizing and letting go of clients who don't value their work.Work, Recording, and Review: Carin and Jamie tackle various work-related topics, explaining the phrase "horses for courses" and discussing the importance of studio quality. They share experiences of negative reviews on pay-to-play sites, concluding the necessity of standing by their work.Voiceover Timing Techniques and Online Reputation: The hosts detail their techniques for recording voiceovers matching scratch track speed, emphasizing the efficiency of their methods. Jamie shares insights into maintaining a high score on work-related websites.

For this episode summary I used the Zoom AI Assistant feature to summarize our discussion. It turns out that was too long, so I then took that text and asked Chat GPT to summarize it. Two layers of AI in, let's see how it did:In "Zoom, Data, and Baywatch: A Confident Discussion," Jamie and Carin discussed various topics. They talked about Zoom's use of third-party models and data sharing. Carin shared her recent medical condition and advice from a doctor. They reminisced about being lifeguards and considered a Baywatch-themed episode. Their next meeting would focus on business decorum, where they planned to discuss real-life situations from listener queries without giving professional advice. They expressed confidence in their methods.They also discussed challenges in a voiceover session with a demanding agency client. Carin advised maintaining contact with the agent and setting clear end times for sessions. They discussed compensation for sessions running over and clarified that the performer's responsibility ends with the session.The challenges of communication with directors were also addressed. Jamie shared his experience offering interpretations when directors were unclear, and Carin stressed the importance of understanding the director's perspective. They agreed on the need for flexibility and execution of the director's vision.Client demands and work management were another topic. They discussed strategies for clients extending booking dates and emphasized honesty and good communication. They also discussed charging clients for additional work and suggested being polite and accommodating, especially with difficult clients.Client changes and flat rates were discussed, with suggestions on handling clients changing their minds and explaining why flat rates without guarantees were unacceptable.Inappropriate behavior in the workplace was addressed, with Carin sharing her experiences and suggesting responses to unwanted advances, including reporting severe cases to authorities. They discussed power dynamics and societal responses to such behavior.Reporting inappropriate behavior within the industry and dealing with colleagues' advances were discussed. They advised building personal relationships before pursuing romance. Grammar errors in scripts were addressed, emphasizing the importance of correct grammar and clarifying instructions.Grammar and colloquialisms in scripts were discussed, along with strategies to make them sound more natural. Carin and Jamie shared their views on dealing with badly written scripts.They talked about client contract challenges and boundaries, emphasizing the importance of adhering to contracts, setting boundaries, and not taking business matters personally.The podcast content dilemma was also addressed, with suggestions for managing excess content and engaging the audience. Jamie mentioned his other podcast, Soundstage Insider, and an upcoming interview with the Barbie movie's costume designer.

On this episode of the VO Breakfast Show, we talk about Facebook, etiquette (including some not so child-friendly language) and CPAP (obviously). Half way through the episode we realized this was going to have to be a two-parter, so stay tuned for episode 2, coming soon!VOcation Costa Rica, April 25-28 2024 is on sale now! Visit: https://www.VOcationConference.comJoin our Facebook group for the up-to-dateiest information: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vocationconference