Newsletter

June 2010 · Newsletter Archive

"There are risks and costs to a program of action. But they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction."

- President John F. Kennedy




Revisiting How to Promote Yourself

If we produced your demos and you’ve been promoting as we recommend then here’s what you’ve been doing: you’ve been promoting yourself to BOTH talent agents nationwide as well as directly to Ad Agency Creatives (i.e. producers, copywriters, associate producers and assorted Creative Directors).

When done completely, consistently and CORRECTLY better than 70% of our clients attribute this aspect of the SOUND ADVICE process to their ultimate success in this field.

We remind you these are two separate and distinctly different types of promotions, and while we reiterate this point again, it still bears repeating to make sure we’re all on the same page. So, here’s how you do it for effective results.

Promoting To the Creatives

Promoting to the Creatives at Ad Agencies is done two regions at a time, ideally. Should you concentrate your efforts on the East Coast and the Midwest simultaneously, for example, this is best done by sending postcards to the same individuals every other week for three to five weeks in a row, thereby driving interests and traffic toward your demo web site.

In other words, each week of this Ad Agency promotion proceeds as follows:

  • Week one: postcard
  • Week two: skip a week
  • Week three: postcard
  • Week four: skip a week
  • Week five: another postcard

It’s best if you follow this full mailing by beginning with yet another two regions such as West Coast and the South or Chicago. (Chicago is it’s own region among our mailing lists!)

As a reminder: promoting yourself to the Creatives does NOT require you have a talent agent first. So never let that stop you. The whole point of promotion is to make yourself known, drive traffic to your website, establish yourself as a brand through your demo logo and affiliate your name with voice-over. You’re creating a presence. Keep it professional.

Once you have all your materials printed, hosted, posted and prepped—NEVER wait to promote. Get it out there. This is your job from here on out.




Promoting To the Talent Agents

Simply follow the 8-Week Game Plan we spelled out for you in detail in our May 2010 Newsletter.

Increasingly we’re finding numerous agents across the nation are encouraging email submissions alone. For these talent agencies, I give you the ‘EMAIL ONLY’ version of our submissions process. This can be done once a week for 8 weeks or every other week until you elicit a response.

  • WEEK #1: subject: Joanne Jawalott, voice-over
    Hello, BOB (agent)…
    I’m interested in representation. Please find my demos included in this email.
    Best,
    Name, cell and hyperlink leading directly to the voice-over ONLY web page.

  • WEEK #2: subject: Joanne Jawalott, the Approachable Expert
    Hello, BOB (agent)…
    Please find the direct link to my site and demos in this email.
    Looking forward to meeting you soon!
    Best,
    Name, cell and hyperlink leading directly to the voice-over ONLY web page.

  • WEEK #3: subject: Joanne Jawalott, Alpha Mom
    Hello, BOB (agent)…
    * NOTE: This email can include an email version of your graphic that acts as a hyperlink directly to your web site. (Thereby enticing more interest in you and what you bring to the table!)



  • WEEK #4: Send a postcard, on it write:
    “Looking forward to meeting you at your earliest convenience. Best wishes!”
    (And HIGHLIGHT your email and cell# so they can reach you.)


  • WEEK #5: subject: Joanne “HGTV” Jawalott, voice-over
    * Another email version of your web site/ postcard would be a very nice touch here.


  • WEEK #6: subject: Joanne “Lifetime Television” Jawalott
    “Hope to become a welcome asset to your talent roster sometime soon. Best…”
    Include direct links to your site and/ or add mp3s of your demos.


  • WEEK #7: subject: Joanne Jawalott, VO
    “Looking forward to learning whether you have my type in your talent pool. Best…”
    Include direct links to your site and/ or add mp3s of your demos.


  • WEEK #8: subject: Joanne ‘e-learning’ Jawalott, voice-over
    “Looking forward to speaking with you regarding representation at your earliest convenience. Best…”
    Again, be sure to include a direct link to your site and/ or add mp3s of your demos.

Once again, it bears repeating, promoting to the talent agents requires a constant, consistent effort for at least eight consecutive weeks as one full promotional process including via email.

It may take at least THREE full rounds (24 weeks or more) to secure representation. It’s important to stay the course, stay positive, and continue promoting until you secure the representation that suits you best. Considering most talent literally waste years floundering doing absolutely nothing to secure proper representation you have to admit this beats the alternative!

If you are sent a response from a talent agent saying, “No thank you at this time.” Respond with a brief Thank you note right back. In most instances you will resubmit to this agent again in 6 – 8 months.

The downside of email submissions is recipients can opt out of receiving them, which is why postcards will not evaporate altogether from your promo. The frequency has certainly changed significantly over the last couple years, but nothing quite creates an impact like the tactile opportunity direct mailing affords.

It isn’t over till it’s over! So, by all means… please continue…

    * We’re now encouraging our clients to have what we call ‘emailer’ versions of their graphics made in order to promote themselves to various agents and production opportunities as needed. This further promotes your brand and allows for a direct link to your site. Nice touch.







Establishing Your Brand Identity

The primary function of a graphic artist is to create a versatile, memorable logo, known as an identity. The object is to establish you as a professional brand. Your continued promotion of this appealing brand is to entice others to listen to your demos because you appear to be a complete package. This means incorporating color, form, but most importantly making your name known and synonymous with voice-over. And even more specifically, define what you do best. Your graphic should look like your demo sounds.

Identity and branding are defined conceptually by describing what the subject represents. If the subject is ‘fences’, for example, describe ‘what’ this represents: home, ownership, pride, security, tradition. Get it?

So then, if the subject is ‘you’ as a voice-over, describe yourself to your graphic artist… conceptually. For example: quirky, youthful, wry, approachable, contemporary. Offer five to six words that best define how you are most likely to be perceived professionally.

So, suffice it to say, it’s not necessarily what graphic elements you like most that counts, instead it’s what represents you best conceptually as a brand. This is precisely why we art direct your graphics at Sound Advice—that’s a terrific asset that is innately part of our service. (This is a benefit typically reserved to talent represented by skillful, professional talent management.)

Far too often, especially when you’re only just establishing yourself as a professional, you’re too close to truly discern for yourself how you read commercially in order to ensure your graphics effectively represent the marketing focus of the demo itself.

Our intention at Sound Advice is to help shape a complete professional package. So we do our best to see to it you have effective, contemporary graphics that represents you well because it can mean the difference between your demo being heard or discarded.

So there you have it! This is why we invest so much attention to your graphic design and logo identity.










The End of an Era

What do LOST (ABC), Ugly Betty (ABC), LAW & ORDER (NBC), Monk (USA), 24 (FOX) and Nip/Tuck (FX) all have in common? They all join the ranks of ‘what was’. No fear, we have two solid decades of LAW & ORDER re-runs to get through. That oughta give I Love Lucy a run for her money!

But aren’t they all rather groundbreaking? Without question. Will the masses suddenly find themselves having to entertaining themselves? Apparently.

What has the world come to? Hell, even As The World Turns (CBS) got the ax! And that puppy’s been on the air in some form or another for the better part of 54 years!! Okay, The Guiding Light (CBS) hit the skids too and it’s been on the air for 57 years. What will CBS put on in their place? Who cares, it’s gotta be fresher than those two. My guess is they jumped the shark back in the 80’s before Liz Taylor guest starred on General Hospital!!

Still one of my faves, Head Case (STARZ), starring Alexandra Wentworth is more than worth mentioning ‘cuz it’s flat out HI-larious, but sadly—no more. Even <>Flight of the Conchords (HBO) (double damn!) is now a goner. Even The Tudors (Showtime) has been done-in. (But let’s face it—we knew that one wasn’t going to end easy.)

Is it me, or does all this seem like a greater bloodbath than in years past?

Well, here’s the thing: there’s never been so many channels. We now have more than 2000 channels with standard cable service. Think of it! That’s a ton of programming. Heck, you can even create your own channel on YouTube now.

Still there are some really great things I must urge you to watch. I mean, I may be ducking a bullet here but, I love TV, there are some incredible things on and you could be missing them.

Case in point: Here’s my TOP five picks of the best stuff on TV today, with direct links to each so you can sample them for yourself!

    #1) FUTURE FOOD (Planet Green)… This one is NUMERO UNO with a bullet, as far as I’m concerned!! And, yes, for all intents and purposes this is a “Reality Show”. I don’t care. I frickin’ LOVE this show!! It features Chefs Omar Cantu and Ben Roche of Chicago’s internationally celebrated MOTO restaurant raising the bar on what it really means to be a “FOODIE”. It’s kooky chemistry meets mouth-watering cleverness. CAUTION: Do NOT attempt to try any of this stuff at home, Julia Child. You may end up burning the whole block down, poisoning the water supply and ultimately changing the DNA of your future dependents. Bon appetito! Taste test here: www.planetgreen.discovery.com
    www.planetgreen.discovery.com

    #2) PARTY DOWN (STARZ)… A group of Hollywood-hopefuls at their “day-job” as caterers makes for great material especially when the cast consists of Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Megan Mullally to name a few in this terrifically entertaining series. Each week the misfit catering crew work a new event for the company the series is aptly named for. Created and produced by former child-star Fred Savage, SCTV alum Rob Thomas, and Paul (I LOVE YOU, MAN) Rudd, among others. While I’m still rather partial to the first season, the current season is way funny, too, and I wouldn’t miss it! I think it’s the funniest show on television next to 30 Rock! (And that’s saying sump-em’, partner!)
    www.starz.com

    #3) CBS SUNDAY MORNING (CBS, of course)… Okay, I get it. Besides your Grannie, I realize I’m the ONLY one who’s actually up at 7am on Sunday morning when this show airs on the West Coast. But then that’s why they invented TiVO now isn’t it? If you haven’t seen it, get on with it already. This show kicks butt!! It’s been on the air since the Earth cooled. But maybe that’s because it’s AWESOME!! (‘Cuz it IS. ; ) See for yourself: www.cbsnews.com

    #4) ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT (reruns on IFC)… If I have to explain this one, I’m worried. ‘Arrested’ is Pop-Culture candy… no, it’s Pop-Culture manna. Yeah, that’s it. It’s meaty and fun and ridiculous and totally addicting because it’s hands down the funniest show of all funny shows. Ever. PERIOD. Catch all three remarkable seasons in their entirety on Hulu.com and join the ranks of comedically LIVING. Here, taste this: www.hulu.com

    #5) ICONACLASTS (Sundance Channel)… Go. Quickly. Don’t ask questions. Just do it. Great stuff. Amen. www.sundancechannel.com

I’m confident you’ll find they are ALL well worth watching. Happy viewing!!

Let me know YOUR own favorites, I love finding something new and intriguing I may have overlooked! But, don’t let anyone tell you there’s nothing on. And need I say it, be sure to really observe the ads playing ON-LINE during these shows. People are getting paid for the opportunity for you to view them. Let ‘em get their money’s worth!