EWABS Episode 152 July 28, 2014 with Rudy Gaskins

Show Log

0:01:37  Opening video

0:02:19  The show begins with a big radio sound!

0:04:03   Hot weather in Southern California.  He was in Las Vegas last week in 110+ heat.  

0:04:49  Ventilation in a pre-fab booth and how to add it your recording space.

0:05:40  You need to exchange the air.  The first key after air circulation is having cool air to work with.  

0:06:58  You may need to build a “muffler” to quiet air movement.  You can buy them or build them yourself with online instructions.

0:08:22  Another trick: make the distance the air has to travel a lot longer.  Longer ductwork snaking around in the attic will quiet air movement.

0:09:06  In a small closet, you may have to get creative with convective cooling.  

0:10:30  You may have to install an A/C unit outside the house.  

0:11:32   Dan tells his tale.  He cut a hole in the ceiling of his closet and installed a “plenum.”  

0:13:37   This is why a booth in a garage is a bad idea, since there’s little cool air out there.  Also, “sound proofing” by making a booth air tight is unhealthy!  The best a basement.

0:15:34  Break

0:16:40  Radiant celestial brothers clip.  Name that movie (Grand Budapest Hotel).

0:17:00  They’re back.  

0:18:26   Q: What’s a good way to measure the “noise floor” of a personal studio.  

A: George—there is no industry standard.  He’ll listen to a voice (between -6 and -3 dB) and room tone.  He’ll then normalize to 0 dB.  He then takes the room tone and analyzes the peak level for “noise.”  He feels -55 dB is a good level.

0:20:34   Dan joins in.  Any noise below -55, -60, is much easier to remove with gating.  Don’t use reduction; it destroys audio.  Dan does a similar process.  He also looks at the frequencies of the sounds in the lower end of volume.  

0:22:46  George talks about noise gates.  

Q: Isn’t -50 kind of high?  

A: low frequency noise isn’t as loud.  

0:23:56  

Q: If through EQ you get to -60, should you take it down further? 

A: It’s not your problem if you’re not a producer.  But if you’re going to process your auditions, downward expansion can be useful.  George doesn’t use a compressor without a downward expander.  

0:25:54  

Q: How do you export stacks in TwistedWave?  

A: George describes that.  In the Stacks window, you’ll see an option that says manage stacks.  That will take you to a folder where you stacks are. Open the Stacks folder.  See George’s video on importing stacks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Wn9OZa6Xo

0:28:23  

Q: How do you change the settings in the effects stack?  

A: If you want, go ahead, just don’t change the original.  Play back as you change the settings to see what they do.  

0:30:50  If you have a question email ewabshop@gmail.com, write Question in the subject line.  They also have a voicemail box at ewabs.net.

0:31:56  Break

0:33:46  They’re back with Rudy Gaskins.

0:34:54  George asks Rudy how he picked his business location in NYC.  

0:36:18  Dan asks Rudy to tell us about himself.  He tells about his career. He got into sound engineering.  He got his start recording sound effects for a Coppola film.  He moved into directing and producing on NY TV. Then he went to ABC News doing promos and that got him into marketing. He then launched Push Creative.

http://www.pushcreative.tv/ He met Joan Baker, a voice actor. http://joanbaker.tv/

They married and that got him into voice work and spawned “That’s Voice Over.”  http://thatsvoiceover.com/ which led to the Voice Arts Award.

0:40:31 Dan notices an Emmy in the background.  

0:41:50  Rudy won his Emmy for the 2000 Olympic Games with NBC Sports, writing and producing promos and athlete vignettes.  

0:43:20  Dan asks about the Voice Arts Awards.  Rudy explains “That’s Voice Over.”  This yearly expo led to the awards.  

0:46:12  Dan asks how many categories are in the Voice Arts Awards program.  

0:46:58  A display of the categories appears on-screen.

0:48:00  Dan asks how people submit for the awards.  Rudy explains the process.  It’s all online.  http://sovas.org/home-vaa/  and https://www.facebook.com/VoiceArts.

0:50:38  The nomination process doesn’t include sending in a demo.  Submissions get reviewed by a group of jurors who put out nominations.  This elevates how you feel about your work.

0:52:15  Dan asks what the judging criteria are.  Rudy says they’re explained online.  Generally, they look at creativity, innovation, originality, and execution on the brand message.  The judges are all professionals—agents, publishers, producers, voice actors—who know what’s effective.

0:54:20  The web address, voicearts.org (redirects to http://sovas.org/home-vaa/).  The event is on November 9.  Submission deadline: August 24 (it’s been extended).  There’s a cost to submit.  See http://sovas.org/rules-eligibility/#entry-fee for details.

0:55:37  Rudy explains how the fee helps support the quality of the award itself.  The design includes a mic hanging upside down over a copy stand.  

0:57:02  Sponsor time: Harlan Hogan http://voiceoveressentials.com/  He’s got everything you need except your voice!

0:58:07  George praises Harlan’s return policy.

1:00:30  Q: Do you have to be a member of SOVAS to participate in the award.  

1:00:49  This leads to a pronunciation discussion SOVAHSSS?  Nevah-duh?  Neva-dah?  

1:01:08  A: You don’t have to be a member, but members get discounts on several things.

1:02:10  

Q: Why do people have to pay to enter?  

A: Again, it has to do with making this non-profit work.  You aren’t nominating yourself, you’re entering a field from which nominations will be chosen.  

1:03:44  Rudy reviews the process.  There’s a lot to be gained for your marketing effort.  Get exposed to major producers without asking for a job.  

1:06:37  Throughout the process, there’s buzz, win or not.  

1:07:42   Awards are a line item in production company budgets.  This is an unknown in the VO world, but well known in other areas.

1:08:55  

Q: Do all the submitters get heard?  

A: Yes, they listen to everything in order to select the nominees.  Rudy explains what the jurors expect.

1:10:25  Some jurors want to stay anonymous.  

1:11:00  Dan asks how jurors are selected.  Rudy explains.

1:11:50  

Q: How did you come up with this year’s Lifetime Achievement awardee, James Earl Jones.  

A: Rudy explains.

1:13:44   Rudy observes that when the James Earl Jones choice hit Facebook, the feedback was all positive.  

1:14:31  

Q: What were your greatest challenges?  

A: He’s done a lot of things—launching the award show is the hardest thing he’s ever done.

1:15:14  

Q: Are the jurors names on the website?  

A: Some, soon, on Tuesday next week.  Look for the “juror” button on the SOVAS website.

1:16:05  

Q: Where will entry stats be posted?  

A: They won’t list all entrants.  Nominees will be listed.

Note: During these few minutes, Dan replaces his malfunctioning microphone with a VO1-A from Harlan Hogan to fix the problem.

1:16:47  

Q: What do you think the awards will do for the VO industry?  

A:  The award becomes a lightning rod for how we collaborate.  You’ll list your producer, copy writer, and others, as in other industries.  The pursuit of excellence doesn’t happen by itself.

1:19:27  

Q: How many nominees in each category?  

A: It depends on the quality of work in that category, maximum of five.

1:21:38  Break with information on VoiceOver Xtra

1:22:29   Hear now from Sponge Bob Squarepants.

1:22:42   They’re back.

1:22:53  Announcements, including a Dan freeze.

1:23:28  Donor acknowledgements.  

1:24:49  Clickers!  Buy some today!  Go to www.ewabs.net to order.  

1:25:23  EWABS Essentials at the EWABS YouTube channel.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSdw5Ry09A0&list=PLDHBaemlTK_T7X-gGnPiTq9zcc7YcVuZH

1:26:20  Next week (August 4): no show!

1:26:36  On August 11, Dave Courvoisier will be the guest.  Dan and George will both be in Southern California.  

1:27:12   August 18—a surprise guest!

1:27:19   August 25—Social Media Roundtable!

1:27:40   September 1—The show will be recorded at Voice2014 and aired on this date.

1:28:11  Thanks to sponsors, Edge Studio, VoiceOverXtra, and VoiceOverEssentials.  Click the LIKE button at YouTube!

1:28:47  Thanks to the wives.

1:29:08  Thanks to Kathy Curriden, Anthony Gettig, Jack de Golia, Tim McKean, and Lee Pinney.  

1:30:30  End of show.