What I Learned At The CineTech Expo

Last weekend I had the pleasure of taking part in the CineTech Expo at Fairleigh Dickenson University in Madison, New Jersey.

To quote their website, the CineTech Expo is “New Jersey’s premier video and media production showcase.” and right they are.

The Expo was held at the beautiful Hennessey Hall a.k.a. The Mansion on the FDU campus. Here’s a pic I took of the backyard:

It was a full day of panels and demos along with an impressive array of exhibitors including Sony, Canon, and JVC.

The panel I was a part of included myself and wonderful voice talents Lynne Darlington, Liz De Nesnera, Melissa Exelberth, and Paul Payton.

This was a great experience. It was well produced & displayed with something for everyone in film, video, television, screenwriting, lighting, and audio production. They even had food trucks! I recommend Oink & Moo.

TIP OF THE WEEK

What did I learn?

“Analog marketing” as Paul Payton puts it, is still king! There is no substitution for interacting with people in person.

As more and more people are attracted to the voiceover industry, the majority will enter via the Internet and rely solely on digital marketing and remote recording to achieve success. While that is a viable business model and a significant part of my success is predicated on it, I think many if not most of us are leaving money on the table by hiding in our booths.

Get out of your booth and do as much as you can to interact with voice talent and voice seekers in person as much as possible. Of course many of you live in what is unfairly called “the flyover states” but there still are opportunities to participate in analog experiences. For example:

1. Your local Chamber of Commerce

2. Toastmasters

3. Le Tip

4. Meetup

5. Facebook Events

6. Yelp

If they don’t have one in your area that’s right for voice talents, make one!

NEWS AND NOTES

Tuesday September 19th: “The Year’s Top Hard Science Fiction Stories” will release! I had the pleasure of narrating “RedKing” by Craig DeLancey, “Number Nine Moon” by Alex Irvine, and “Something Happened Here, But We’re Not Quite Sure What It Was” by Paul McAuley.

Tuesday September 19th: my next “Business and Money 201” webinar topic will be ‘Paperwork’.

Friday September 22-24: FaffCon 9!

Tuesday September 26th: my next “Marketing 201” webinar topic will be ‘What Your Website Says About You’. 

November 1st to December 15th: ACA Enrollment

HAPPY HAPPYS

Happy Double Cheeseburger Day and Roald Dahl Day!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

From my village to yours; this is Tom Dheere, The H is Silent, but I’m Not.

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Tom Dheere is a 30-year veteran voice actor specializing in corporate narration and commercials. Known as a "street-smart professor," he blends his theater-based training and guy-next-door performance style with mastery over voice over project management .

When he isn’t in the booth, he provides strategic business consulting at VOStrategist.com and produces the comic book Agent 1.22.