I'M HONORED TO CALL HIM FRIEND!

I'M HONORED TO CALL HIM FRIEND!

Published March 13, 2009

One of the very best of show in the voiceover business retired last week.

No big fanfare.  No retirement party.  No gold watch.  You don’t get that when you’re in business for yourself as a voiceover talent.

But talent is exactly what he is.  Genius talent.

He was one of the pioneers of the ISDN tool for voiceovers.  He first discovered the concept over in Japan when he was on a USO tour.  By then he was already developing his voiceover business and he wondered if this new technology might be useful for his business.  It was.  And is.

At one time he voiced for 45 different TV stations.  45!  And he voiced a national network!

On top of that he was the signature voice for a number of religious Radio/TV programs including Billy Graham and Oral Roberts.

He pretty much owned all the major advertisers in his home town.  But he was as national as he was local.  You heard his voice for Macy’s,  TV Guide,  Blockbuster,  the Fox News Channel, and countless others.

He retired last week, still a young man.  Not because he wanted to.  A few years ago he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s,  and the disease has progressed to the point where it is difficult for him to maintain the consistency he is known for.

His national and international clients have suffered a loss.  A hero for voiceover talents has stepped down.  And Kansas City will never sound the same.

I had the very rare and unique privilege of having lunch with him in his home yesterday.  It was akin to a sacred moment for me.  A man I admire and wish I had a tenth of his talent made me a sandwich.  It was a surreal moment.

But that’s just the way he is.  Down to earth,  warm,  friendly,  and a class act.

Nope.  He never lived in the major markets.  But he took a lot of business away from you guys.  He was that good!

Here’s a link to his incredible sound:  http://drewdimmel.com/Demos/Dimmel-TV.mp3

Check it out and say a prayer for Drew Dimmel.

And if you get a chance, drop him a note at:  dimmel@everestkc.net

WHAT A BUSINESS!

What A Business!!!

Published January 18, 2009

The voiceover business is a curious one.  We are part of a process that connects clients with customers.  Our clients use our product to paint an image for their customers.  When you think about it, it’s a pretty intense and amazing honor – your client thinks your voice is a perfect match for his/her product!

“Well, we’ve got this new line of dog food.  Who should we use on the commercial?  Hurst? Yeah! He sounds like dog food!”

“This video training to erradicate bedbugs has to have the perfect voice.  I can just hear Hurst’s voice on this.”

“We need a voice like Antonio Banderas.  Dan Hurst?  How can someone named Dan Hurst sound like Antonio Banderas?  We need a Juan Gonzales, or something like that!”

“We’ve got to sell more cars!  We need a new voice.  Hurst?  Are you kidding?  Isn’t he the guy that sells dog food?”

Oh well, maybe it’s not as awe-inspiring as I thought.

GIVING THANKS

GIVING THANKS!

Published November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving Day was the usual chaos around here!

A gazillion people over.  Two turkeys, a ham, and 4 slabs of ribs.  And lots of football (albeit some of the worst football I’ve watched in a long time!).

Sometime in the afternoon between football games I checked my email.  I’ve learned over the past few years that it’s not a bad idea to do that on a holiday because international clients don’t all celebrate American holidays.

Sure enough.  Two different clients had sent voiceover work!

And for that I am thankful!

Some might criticize me for logging on and spending some work-related time online on Thanksgiving Day.  But to me it was just a reminder that I have so much to be thankful for!

I’m blessed with a fabulous family, the best friends in the world, and awesome clients.

And for that I am thankful!

And as I sit here looking out over the lake, watching the winter ducks play in the ice-cold water, I realize how good God has been to me.

And for that I am thankful!

MY FAVORITE TIME

MY FAVORITE TIME

Published November 21, 2008

I’m sure I’m like most Americans – this is our favorite time of the year.  Not for everybody.  I understand that.  For some it’s a very difficult time.

I’m very blessed and very fortunate to have an incredible family to enjoy during the holiday season!  And enjoy the holiday season is what we do!!!

So, starting this weekend, it’s Holiday Fiesta time at Casa De Hurst.  For the next month and a half it’s a party around here!  Oh sure, there’s work to be done, but that doesn’t stop us from enjoying the season and each other!!!

And my wife (Marcia) is nuts about holiday decorating.  Our whole house gets transformed into a surreal Christmas world.  You’re gonna think I’m kidding, but I’m not.  We have 32 Christmas trees!  32!!!  Not to mention her Santa collection, her angel collection, and now…her carolers collection!  Half of our basement is storage.  It looks like Hallmark threw up in there.

My friend, Jima Britain with Lithia Advertising gets a little nervous this time of year.  No need to worry Jima.  The wine cellar stays closed until the work is done!

…unless Marcia buys another Christmas tree.

TRANSLATE THIS PLEASE!

TRANSLATE THIS PLEASE

Published October 19, 2008

One of the remarkable things about Spanish voiceovers and Spanish translations is that there are usually two or three (and sometimes more) ways to say something.  Then throw in the local flavor and culture and a translation can end up as a hodge-podge of colloquialisms, attempted metaphors and similes that make no sense!

For example, last week I had a translation for a car dealership that was in a construction project.  They had a sale they called “An Orange Barrel Blowout!”

Uhh…

It’s a concept and a play on words in English.  But it doesn’t translate.  Think about it.  If you aren’t from the U.S. and you hear an add proclaiming “An Orange Barrel Blowout!”, what do you think?  Are they exploding orange barrels? Why?  Will my life be in danger if I go there?

Trying to translate that term into Spanish, even though the people you are trying to reach are acclimating to our way of life and language, is relatively impossible.

And some of the other names we come up with for sales…Geeesh!  How about:

The One For The Road Sale

The Tick Tock Tick Tock Sale

The Tradin’ Pants Sale

The I Told You So Sale

The No Bull**** Sale.  That one had a bleep in the middle of it, and the client wanted me to say it in Spanish.  The only way to say it in Spanish is to call it “The Sale Where We Don’t Sell You The **** Of A Bull!”

As they say, it loses something in the translation!

ELECTION YEAR!

UH OH...ELECTION YEAR!

Published August 23, 2008

I’m not sure how most other voiceover talents view election year, but for this one it’s added stress.

Personal politics aside, the stress comes from realizing that my voice (and sometimes my translation) is a critical part to that election.

I mean, let’s face it – how many regular commercials do you listen to and get turned off by the voice or the delivery of the spot? It happens a lot. An irritating voice inflection;  a word almost mispronounced; a fake chuckle;  a fake accent;  a VO guy pretending to be an honest, caring car dealer.  I listen to commercials all day long.  There are a lot out there that are just awful!!!  And of course, those are the ones that run the most!

Now,  I don’t over-stress about my voice keeping somebody from buying a can of beans, but politics…well, that’s different.

So, for the next 6 or 7 weeks I’m gonna fret a lot and stress out over each and every word, phrase,  concept, attitude and delivery.

Dang!  I’m gonna be fun to be around!

ABOUT TRANSLATORS

About Translations

Published June 9, 2008

Please allow me to grouse a little about translations…and translators.

I’ve been in this business a long time. Over 20 years. And one of the constants in this business is that clients still have trouble figuring out how to hire a translator. And worse, some people who have NO business calling themselves translators are hanging their shingle out there trying to catch a bit of the action.

I’m working on a job right now – almost 50 pages of translated copy – that is positively the worst I have ever seen in my voiceover career! And it was done by a “professional translator”. It’s full of wrong words, bad grammar, syntax errors, bad punctuation, and on and on. It’s going to cost the client twice as much as he intended to pay, not to mention the lost time and wasted energy.

So, what should you look for in a good translator?

1. Make sure they speak the language fluently…and fluidly. There are a lot of people who have learned to speak Spanish in school, and they may know the grammar. But they don’t know the little nuances and attitudes of the language. I know I will anger some when I say this, but do yourself a favor and use only translators who speak the language naturally.

2. Make sure your translator can handle the demand of your translation. Most good translators are good in specific areas, but not others. For example, I can do conversational translations all day long, but I suck at technical stuff. And don’t even try to get me into a medical translation.

3. Make sure your translator is adept at translating for your desired media. You’d be amazed at the number of translations that I read for radio and TV that were written for print. Again, it’s those little nuances and attitudes that make the difference.

4. Spanish takes longer to say than English, so if your English copy is exactly :60, expect the Spanish translation to come in ten to fifteen seconds longer. That’s just the way it is. Spanish words usually have more syllables, and the terms are ofter wordier.

And one other thing along this line: Don’t think that after the translation you can just cut a few words or lines here and there and it will all work out. It doesn’t work that way. The phrasing and terminology will often not allow for that. Cut the English down by at least 25% before the translator starts on it.

5. And finally, use a translator that speaks fluent English. At the risk of insulting my Spanish brothers and sisters, many of them simply do not understand the English language well enough to understand the intent and concept of the copy. And then you end up with a translation of words instead of phrases and ideas. Use someone who can say what you want to say, the way you want it said.

Where can you find translators like that. Well, there are most certainly lots of them. And I’m happy to recommend a few. They don’t even know I’m doing this, but they deserve the kudos because they’re great at what they do.

Jan Notzon (704) 996-1151, gets it. He knows what he’s doing. I’ve worked with him several times and can highly recommend him.

Amy Taylor (860) 459-5018 is a great female voice in English or Spanish! And you can count on her translation skills as one of the best around.

Jurgen Stevens (915) 566-3110, is a unique talent. In spite of his name, he’s full-blooded Mexican, and he’s fluent in English and Spanish. He knows what he’s doing when it comes to translations.

Oh yeah, and there’s me. Yup, when it comes to selling cars or insurance or banking or furniture, lemme at it! But just keep me away from heart procedures and metallurgical processing systems!!!

RED SKY AT NIGHT

Red Sky At Night...

Published May 14, 2008

HA! It’s 7:30pm and I’m sitting out on the deck watching the ducks and geese fly in on the lake. The sun is just about to set. I’m thinkin’ a nice Chilean wine would go well with this.

…and up pops an email from one of my favorite clients needing a translation and voiceover first thing in the morning!

Well, that’s a problem. I’ve got stuff scheduled for the morning. Now what?

I’ll tell you what. I do the translation, run up to the studio and do the VO and hustle my butt back down to the deck in time to catch a little lavender on the lake…and a little vino in the crystal.

…and I send my client a little special note of appreciation. It’s because of him that that I can catch a moment of clarity on a perfect evening!

Today’s been one of those days. Two new clients, two clients I haven’t heard from in a while, and two regular clients, all with immediate needs. Hey! It happens. I certainly don’t blame them for their clients needs!

And the truth of the matter is it’s my job to make my clients look good to their clients!

So, what do you know! It’s a little after 8pm…the sky is still gorgeous…the birds are still singing…the ducks are settling in…I take my first sip of a 2003 Don Melchor…and…

DANG! That’s good!

I learned years ago that no client ’s needs are an inconvenience, but rather an opportunity to make my life better!

UH OH!

UH OH!

Published August 6, 2008

I just wet myself!

Well, I couldn’t help it.  I just watched the following video…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngRq82c8Baw

Go ahead.

But I’m warning you.  Don’t be drinking anything.

Not enough?  OK, try: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNuGKbwRudE

But don't blame me for your snorting.

MEET MY MOM!

Meet My Mom!

Published May 7, 2008

Alice Hurst.  What a cool lady!

Mom and Dad raised me in Honduras.  They were missionaries for about 724 years, give or take a few.  I was still a baby when they left the States and headed to Central America. 

It was the greatest life a kid could ever have.  I grew up in a multi-cultural world, speaking two different languages, with the freedom to run the jungles of Honduras, all under the gentle watchcare of an amazing woman who LOVED being a Mom! 

And I never lacked for anything, thanks to her! 

Remember the Nehru jackets that were all the rage about 200 years ago?  Well, you couldn’t just go out and buy one of those in Honduras.  So…my Mom made me one. 

Rice Crispy Treats.  I love ‘em.  Only problem was that in Honduras you couldn’t go out and buy marshmallows back then.  So…my Mom made ’em.

And one year when we were going to come back to the States on furlough but the different school years would have set me back a year…she taught me 7th grade just so I could start 8th grade on time back in the States.

Yup, she’s a cool mom. Always was and still is.

…but she still wonders when I’m going to get a real job.

 Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

WEEKEND WORK

Weekend Work

Published May 2, 2008

Ahhhhh! Friday!!!!
God bless whoever invented Friday!!!

Fridays are GREAT days for Voiceover guys. It’s on Fridays that producers realize they have that last little project that HAS to be done and it’s P-A-N-I-C time for them. So, you get this frantic call saying that they need the job done ASAP, can you help?

I’ve just learned that my Fridays usually don’t start until late in the afternoon. No big deal. On the other hand, Monday’s are usually pretty slow although clients start booking the week that day.

It took my wife some time to get used to this sort of schedule. It irritated her that a client would call last minute and ask for a voicer and I would jump.

Hey, that’s what we do! We’re on call!

I very seldom have to work through the weekend, but it does happen occasionally. That’s just the nature of the beast. And I love that it happens. There’s something very satisfying knowing that you’re working on a deadline and if you don’t hold your end up of the bargain, the whole project is trash. Not to mention your relationship with your client!

I remember a friend that had a pool cleaning business. He once remarked that he never got called to work on the weekend. But, he said, he would give his left arm (he didn’t really say his left “arm”) if a customer would call him for a weekend job. Why? Because the way he figured it, if I client felt he could call him for a weekend job, it meant the customer felt he could count on him to get the job done.

Yup, it’s all about customer confidence!

GOD BLESS MY CLIENTS!

God Bless My Clients!

Published April 21, 2008

God bless clients who get it!!!

I just finished a session today with a voiceover client who had 6 scripts to do. Each of them had some grammatical errors and some rather awkward wording. I changed the wording and submitted the work. The client was happy…HAPPY I made the changes!!!

It’s a pretty interesting deal.

I have clients that are very sensitive and threatened by copy suggestions. So, I’ve learned to keep my mouth shut and just do it the way they want it done. No problem. I don’t resent it. That’s my job!

On the other hand, I have clients who welcome suggestions for alternative ways of saying something and/or want you to correct the grammatical errors.

Hey…it’s my job to make the client look good, right?

One thing I’ve noticed is that the clients that welcome you into the team, and welcome your input, are clients that stay with you. Their clients love them…and they love their clients and are happy to do everything they can to do the best job possible for them.

Ya gotta love those clients!!!