Switching to Mac

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After many years of thinking about it, a few weeks ago I finally took the plunge and bought a Mac, specifically the new MacPro. I lucked out in my timing. A few months earlier, Apple took an expected turn in its production and decided to start shipping products with the Intel chip inside. What that meant is that people could now purchase the first computers that can literally run all the current operating systems out there: Windows, Mac, Linux, Unix. For my part, I was only concerned with MAC OS X and Windows XP.

 

My first big surprise with the MacPro was the noise factor: none. It’s whisper quiet; easily the quietest machine I’ve ever owned, and considering it has server specs (two duo core CPUs), I was expecting major blowers on it. The fans are big but wider and the whole machine is tight (the metal case fitting very snugly) — so air flow is very even which probably helps keep it quiet.

 

I’ve spent the last few weeks between work and learning Mac OS X (that’s Roman numeral 10 not X; apparently, it’s a source of ridicule if you don’t know that). So far I’m finding the system pretty intuitive, but downloading software or updates without having to virus check is very strange to me. I understand from prior research that there hasn’t been a reported Mac virus in 15 years and that was only a joke or message popup, nothing destructive. Pretty cool if that’s true. Obviously, MAC OS isn’t impenetrable and I’ll still be looking into any necessary security before I place important data on the system.

 

Oh, and I love the Mac dashboard, but I understand Windows created one (or Yahoo did for Windows). Nice to have real-time references, clocks, weather, whatever, with one mouse click. Frankly, the only thing I’m finding hard to get used to is the standard keyboard; I have to get a Mac keyboard that’s ergonomic, which is what I’m used to now.

 

The one major drawback has nothing to do with the Mac, but rather with Adobe. I know I can get all my major production software for Mac OS, except Adobe Audition 1.5, my sound editing program. I’m a voice producer who can’t use her favorite editing program with Mac OS. On the definite plus side is that I downloaded the beta version of VMWare for Mac, Fusion. VMWare is a virtual machine software program like Microsoft’s Virtual PC. Basically, it creates a virtual computer within your computer and allows you to run other operating systems without rebooting.

 

My hope is that I can run Windows and Adobe Audition through VMWare on the Mac. Since Fusion is still in beta, I’m not sure how much of this I can test. Alternatively, I can try Microsoft’s Virtual PC. The demo looks great, especially when the ability to drag and drop between the Mac OS (host) and Windows (guest) — two computers in one.

Sun Tzu’s Art of War

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A voice actor I met through VoiceOverSavvy.com, Todd Ellis, recommended a 6th century book by Sun Tzu, The Art of War, as a marketing resource. In term’s of military strategy, the book has a long-standing history, over a thousand years, in both Eastern and Western cultures. In marketing terms, the book has gained popularity as a guide to overcoming the competition, and it doesn’t have to be messy. In fact, Sun Tzu argued that “supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.”

 

The book is in the public domain and available through Project Gutenberg, translated from Chinese to English by Lionel Giles in 1910. To see a side-by-side guide to applying Sun Tzu’s tactics in business, you might prefer The Art of War Plus the Art of Marketing, by Gary Gagliardi. The Art of War discusses, for example, method skills of moving and positioning — basically changing positions to take advantage of new opportunities.

 

With advances in technology creating both affordable home audio equipment and more robust Internet connectivity, the voiceover industry has seen huge changes over the last decade. Veteran voice actors who used to travel to commercial recording studios for auditions are now competing for jobs going to home-based, online competition. To overcome the competition, these voice actors have had to learn to self-direct and self-produce, and in very rudimentary terms re-position themselves online. Those veteran voice actors who have moved to adapt to the changes, and challenges, of the online voice market will be in the best position to take advantage of new opportunities in voiceover.

YouTube: Tool for Voice Actors

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One job lead wanted a Mae West voice for museum video narrations; another audition asked for the copy delivered like Madonna’s sound in Justify My Love. A lot of voice actors have the ability to impersonate some great voices. They just need to prime the pump. Like other voice artists, I can mimic a couple old standards, like Kate Hepburn. (Who can’t?) I can generally attempt her cold. Certainly voice actors who have specific character voices in their repertoire can call those voices up in a pinch.

 

For other voices, every now and then, I need a key phrase or audio clip to get that particular sound in my head. Then, I can attempt to reproduce it. And for that, there’s YouTube, a great online video archive that was doing so well Google bought it up. It’s free to browse and free to join if you have something you want to download: like a quick animation with your terrific voiceover.

 

If you’ve never checked out YouTube, definitely give it a try. Go head. Run a quick search for Mae West . . . or Madonna’s Justify My Love.

 

Of course, voice acting isn’t about impersonating voices; it’s about interpreting copy, providing a particular spin that enhances without upstaging the message; and it’s hugely subjective and incredibly fun.