Business – Page 9 – Connie Terwilliger

I Wanna Go Viral!!!

Yeah! And I want to win the lottery too. Going viral isn’t really something you count on.

But WAIT! There may be some key elements in viral videos that if incorporated into your work COULD lead your video to end up with that all telling hit count, likes, reposts, shares, etc.

Bryan Boettger, Chief Creative Officer of The Buddy Group and creator of the Viral Barometer, just published an article on MediaPost with some tips on things that MIGHT help make your video rock the ethernet.

Bryan says, “It’s just a matter of applying some science to your art.”

Here’s the short list – check out his article for the details – including links to videos that exhibit one or more of these particular elements. I have to admit I was strangely drawn to the taxidermist spot – very odd…

1. Authenticity

2. Irreproducible

3. Odd

4. Funny

5. Musical

6. […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:19+00:00November 11th, 2011|Categories: Business|Tags: bryan boettger, media post, viral video|

The 1% (or whatever it is) in the VO Biz

With all the talk about the 1% vs the 99% these days with regards to Wall Street and Jobs and Taxes, something crossed my eyeballs this morning that shows that this spread exists in other areas as well.

Voiceover actors have been chatting about the jobs being lost to “celebrity” voices for years now…ever since the animated Alladin was released featuring Robin Williams as the Genie. There is no doubt that Robin Williams stole that movie, but it paved the way for more and more celebrity on-camera actors being cast in animated features and fewer and fewer opportunities for working class voice actors.

Written by SCOTT MESLOW – an Atlantic contributor and a film and television writer based in Washington, D.C., who has also written for Campus Progress andWealthBriefing – this article highlights how the “A-list” actors are nudging out the “ubiquitous but nearly anonymous, traditional voice actors.”

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/10/how-celebrities-took-over-cartoon-voice-acting/247481/

His main question is whether there […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:19+00:00October 31st, 2011|Categories: Business, Musings|Tags: animated feature, Connie Terwilliger, Scott Meslow, voiceover|

In the Online World, Context is King…

It is hard to get any work done these days because you follow links which lead to more links and suddenly you have forgotten what you went online to do in the first place, but it is almost always an interesting distraction. Sometimes pure silliness, sometimes thought provoking, sometimes good for business. I’m always looking for interesting tidbits that will help the bottom line.

One of the mantras of video has been “Content is King.” With the emergence and tsunami of online video, it may be that the context will be driving the dollars.

Today, I was reading a post from MediaPost and it led me to an article called “Context is King: How Videos are Found and Consumed Online” packed with information from a November 2006 study by Bear Stearns Cable and Satellite analyst Spencer Wang called “Why Aggregation & Context and Not (Necessarily) Content are […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:20+00:00October 24th, 2011|Categories: Business, Musings|Tags: Ashkan Karbasfrooshan, Connie Terwilliger, Content is king, context is king, voiceover, voiceover business|

Auditioning the “wrong” way

I followed a link from a voiceover talent (Lori Taylor) on one of the Facebook voiceover groups – there must be half a dozen – so how one keeps up with all that chatter is really beyond me – but this caught my eye.

This well-produced quirky web series is about what NOT to do in on-camera and in-person VO auditions and features two very talented actors who portray a couple of endearing, yet completely oblivious wannabe actors. The series follows their auditions as they show up for commercials and industrials and PSA’s. The scripts are brilliant. Here is the first episode.

[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/AYLShnsC width=”550″ height=”339″]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:20+00:00October 23rd, 2011|Categories: Announcements, Auditioning, Business|

The Long Tail Keeps Getting Longer

The amount of work in media communications continues to grow. Most of it in the long tail where the dollars are not as high, so in order to build a business and stay in business, you need lots of business. The number of people wanting to jump into the business continues to expand as well. So in order to compete and grab the business, producers need to find those areas where they can produce good quality media at a reasonable price point.

Neil Perry, president of Poptent, formerly with McDonald’s in a number of key positions and a VP of marketing at Monster.com, just posted an article on MediaPost’s Online Video Insider that showcases an under-videofied (I just made that up to go with the word video-izing that he used) area for media communications producers. Video manuals.

People are […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:20+00:00October 19th, 2011|Categories: Business, Marketing|Tags: Connie Terwilliger, MediaPost, narration, Neil Perry, Online Video Insider, Poptent, voice talent, voiceover talent|

Faffterglow Three

Last weekend was another example of the power of Amy Snively’s (rhymes with lively) brainstorm. FaffCon 3 in Hershey PA (it was actually in Harrisburg, but the graphic possibilities were far better with Hershey) was a complete success.

One of the great things about FaffCon is that it is a gift that keeps on giving. It is coming up on a week now since FaffCon 3 and while I have been busy with “life,” my thoughts keep drifting to FaffCon and the information exchanged. I have been using little tidbits all week. And I haven’t even begun to go through my notes!

The welcoming dinner and FaffJam on Friday night was wonderful. Voiceover folks are pretty darned talented in so many ways! And I have to say that the 14 oz. slab of prime rib was pretty terrific too. And after an afternoon of heavy rain, we were able to walk down and […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:20+00:00October 2nd, 2011|Categories: Business, Marketing, Musings|Tags: Amy Snively, FaffCon|

Something smells like chocolate

I hear tell that Hershey PA smells like chocolate. Interesting how some cities have a unique odor that will stay with you forever. My college years were spent in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Cedar Rapids smells like burnt cheese toasties to me because of the Quaker Oats plant. Back when I was in school we also had Wilson’s Meat Packing plant which added a certain undefinable something to the odor of roasting oats – not particularly pleasant actually. But when I go back the CR, I know I am there when I my olfactory glands perk up with that unforgettable smell.

So I am looking forward to the smell of chocolate.

But right now I am finishing up some last minute recording for a couple of regular clients and will head out tomorrow mid-morning to work my way through airport security as I head out to Hershey PA for FaffCon 3 – to […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:20+00:00September 21st, 2011|Categories: Announcements, Business|

Be Prepared for When The Power Goes Out

Yesterday around 3:30, I was finishing a file conversion on two stray files that a client had just sent for an immediate turn. In the middle of the conversion, everything stopped – in sort of a weird slow motion. The screen went dark, the AC wound down growling softly as the fan slowed to a stop. And suddenly everything was quiet. I grabbed the laptop and jumped in the car to the closest wi-fi hot spot to get this project delivered.

During the 3 block drive to the Kensington Cafe, I listened to the radio and heard caller after caller from all parts of the county calling in to say that their power was off too. The dark traffic lights at Adams and Marlborough made it clear that the power was off here too. So I headed back home and used my droid to let the client know that I was […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:21+00:00September 9th, 2011|Categories: Business, Musings|

We Interrupt This Program…

Life happens. And our work may take a back seat to whatever situation is demanding our attention.

Right now, my voiceover friends on the East Coast are battening down the hatches, shutting off their studios and hunkering down waiting for hurricane Irene to do whatever it is she is going to do. In that arbitrary way nature has, she will surprise some with a tree limb through the front porch, or an inch or two of water in the basement, or pass over with nothing more than a few small branches in the street.

Thankfully the worst is probably over now – for Irene. But something else will come along and interrupt our regularly scheduled programming.

Actually, some of life’s curve balls can be predicted and planned for – sort of. The past couple of years I took on the added responsibility of taking care of my mother. Moved her out to San […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:21+00:00August 28th, 2011|Categories: Business, Musings|

Variety. Is it the Spice of the Voiceover Life?

We’ve all heard the saying “Variety is the spice of life.” What does it actually mean? I take it to mean if you do the same thing over and over you can get in a rut and perhaps ultimately get bored with what you are doing. Toss in something different and it tends to work as an energizer.

How does it apply to the voiceover business? As a voiceover performer, there are two basic schools of thought how to approach the business. Do one thing well and market that. Do a lot of things well and market all of them.

Do One Thing Well

I think this works when you have a truly unique vocal style and delivery. People come to you because of your proven record doing this type of delivery. You might be a “personality” and what they want is you – your unique style – your pacing – attitude – […]

Connie Terwilliger2018-02-06T06:48:21+00:00August 23rd, 2011|Categories: Business, Marketing|Tags: one trick pony, variety, voiceover work|