Twitter is now Uber

I’m addicted to two things; my BlackBerry and Twitter. Of course I have a Twitter application on my BlackBerry. I’ve gone through three of them now, and I have gone back and forth between them, always hoping one is better. That is until I found UberTwitter.

A friend on Twitter recommended it for everyone to try. I was a little reluctant to try the application because it states it’s still in open beta. I kept TinyTwitter on my phone, and downloaded UberTwitter. The first question I had was “will it kill my battery?”. A test was started, I set the application to refresh Twitter every five minutes and then let it go.

I am happy to say my phone was off the charger all night and through the day. I am only at half battery.It will continue to refresh your Twitter for you, but it won’t pull pictures or information until you go into the application itself.

UberTwitter also has a leg up on it’s competition with BlackBerry Twitter applications. The settings when you download it allows you to fully customize your application, including refreshing your feed when you want it to, and displaying pictures or not. It also allows you to see pictures on the feed itself (if you choose the option) instead of using your mobile browser to view pictures and opening a new application.

It’s definitely the best Twitter app I’ve found for the BlackBerry, and it’s still in a beta phase. This means we’ll probably see some major improvement before too long.

Updated Demo Reel

My latest demo reel has been updated with a bit more recent work. The newest reel includes work from; Soma Games and Beyond Ascension Ltd.

The previous demo reel from 2008 is still available as well as other promotional reels.

You can download or listen to the new reel here , or you can find it anytime from my Voice Over page.

Don’t Block Me, Bro!

Once again, I am in a throng of players begging that our country IP addresses is not blocked. Who would block the IP of an entire country? The publisher of a free to play MMORPG. Especially when there are multiple publishers the world over for one game.

I’m currently in the (now) open beta for a game that may be blocking the IP addresses of North America, Australia, and Asia. This is a problem that I have come up against before, and it won’t be the last time I see this issue happen. However, the players seem to think they understand why publishers for free MMOs do this. They keep crying “foul”, and in the words of Inigo Montoya; “You keep saying that word. I do no think it means what you think it means.”

Read More

Getting Headshots

Many voice actors get headshots to accompany their demo reels and packets for companies or potential clients. Not too long ago, I ran into some voice actors looking for headshots that made a big mistake. They got a bad photographer, and needed the shots re-done. Plus the photographer they encountered was someone who should not be trusted.

I thought back to a few years ago when I was modeling. There were a lot of ground rules for photographers that I think should be carried over to actors as well. These “rules” keep you safe, and guarantee you have good pictures for marketing yourself.

First, you are not a model. Going to websites like Model Mayhem to find a photographer will probably give you bad results. These sites are designed for models and photographers to network. Many times, you encounter novice photographers who are looking for TFP (time for print or time for digital images) work. This is not what you want.

Yes, you may have to pay for the work you get but it is worth it. Find a photographer in your area by getting recommendations. Find other actors, or a community where a photographer who can do good headshots may be in. Look over the photographer’s work before you make a choice, and meet with them to go over what you want if possible. You’re paying for this; it’s OK to make sure it’s good!

If the photographer wants to meet in their home or yours it’s a big no. Meet with them in a studio or a public place. Do not do the shoot in their home either unless you know it is a home studio, and you have checked it out. Google the photographer to see if there are any reviews or warnings on different websites about them.

When you go to your shoot, always bring someone with you. The general rules for female models is to bring a male friend or family member with you (not a boyfriend!) because it can ensure your safety. No matter what, make certain you have someone with you when you go to your photoshoot.

Don’t forget to prep for the shoot and have a checklist. Make sure your face is clean, and your hair is well trimmed/groomed. If you have on make-up, make it as minimal as possible. You want to show who you are in a headshot, not what your make-up does for you. Bring a bag with a few different shirts to change into, some travel toiletries like deodorant, and a spray bottle of water and make-up remover. Also, don’t forget to bring the make-up you are wearing with you as well!

Make sure that the contract with the photographer is very specific. You know what you are paying, and what you are paying for with the headshots. If you have trouble with the contract, get someone more experienced to look it over for you. Never pay in full up front! Pay partial up front, but the full payment should not be completed until you have your images in your hands. Also, make sure to thank them and take a business card when you are finished – especially if they did a good job.

Small Update

I would love to be able to give all of you an update on what I have been up to, and make it something big. Unfortunately, that’s not quite the case. I’ve been keeping up on some commercial voice overs, and I just finished recording for Season 3 of Chronicle of the Annoying Quest. This will be my last season with them so I can focus on other projects.

G from Soma Games is doing really well. I am so glad, and I am so glad I got to be a part of it. There have been a lot of reviews and interviews with the guys from Soma since the game has been a success on the mobile gaming market.

Lately, I have been able to focus a bit more on my day job. I work part time for a company as a writer, and I also do freelance writing on the side. Both of those have been taking up a lot of my time. I’ve always been able to organize my time rather well which is good.

Soon enough, there will be more coming up. I do know that most of you who check this site don’t want to hear about commercial voice overs, or my writing; you are more interested in the acting side of things. I’ll be updating on that when more develops.

4 Twitter Tools I Can’t Go Without

I’m a Twitter lover. I use Twitter for a lot of networking purposes. Many other voice over artists, and many musicians I showcase on Frequency-E music are on Twitter. It’s a way to keep in touch, expand my network, and get bite sized information quickly. Heck TinyTwitter is always up on my BlackBerry because I’m addicted.

Since there is no 12 step program to get yourself weaned off of Twitter, I will instead present you with the 4 tools I can not go without.

#1. WeFollow.com – This website is a great way to find new people to follow (especially with the new policy change for @replies). You can search for people on the top right-hand corner who added themselves to the directory using a hash tag (#). You can also add yourself to the directory using tags to describe you. I’m listed under #voiceover , #voiceactor, #music and #electronic …just in case you wanted to know.

#2. Whatthetrend.com – Something new, but a good tool for Twitter. With the new “trending topics” section, people often wonder “Why is this topic in the trend?”. If you check whatthetrend.com you will find an explanation of why that topic is trending.

#3. TinyTwitter – The best mobile application for Twitter. I’ve tried a few others, but TinyTwitter has won out. This application is available on all java enabled mobile phones, and most Windows Mobile enabled phones. If you are an iPhone user, try Tweetie . I can’t personally recommend it, but my friend Rob who is a Mac evangelist loves it.

#4. Twhirl – If you are like me, and you work in a home office or you just have a lot going on when you are on the computer, you want things to be compact. Twhirl is an Adobe Air application that goes on your desktop. It takes some mild configuration to get it the way you want it, but it shows you tweets in real time, and notifies you when you receive an @reply or a direct message. I’ll be a girl here, and mention I really like the ability to change the color scheme.

Weathering the Storm

Many of you who follow me on Twitter, have probably heard of the storm that I just went through this past weekend. On Friday, what they are calling an “inland hurricane” hit Carbondale and Southern Illinois. The entire area has been declared a disaster area, and thousands are without power; many without food, drinking water, and homes too.

I have to say that we’re really blessed. Both Brad and I were huddled up in the hallway with a frantic dog for a few minutes. After that, we moved out of the hall, but things weren’t over. The wind started again, and we ended up in the laundry room because we realized that debris was hitting our bathroom window which was right by the hall.

Fortunately, we were able to get Brad’s son after the storm subsided, and find out a little more about what had happened. The entire area was a disaster. I have been born and raised in South Florida. This was nothing new to me…didn’t I do this last year? Going through multiple hurricanes prepared me for this. It did not prepare me for the biggest shock…how kind people were being.

Many gas stations and stores in the area opened up to get rid of their inventory since the power was out. I don’t carry cash on me, and we just wanted to find something to get Brad’s son a drink. Of course, their credit card machines weren’t working but one man in front of me looked at the kids’ drink I had in my hand and said “I’ll pay for it. Don’t worry.” I don’t know who that man is, but thank you so much!

We drove about fourty five minutes to a place with power. There, we got gas and some things to hold us through the next couple of days. When we pumped the gas, I realized that we got more than I pre-paid for. After going back inside, we found out a nameless person had pre-paid for our pump already. Again, I don’t know who they are but thank you!

These two were just a few of the examples I saw of people going way over what they should in a time like this. Currently, I am on a tethered laptop, working and at a place being powered by a generator. Home still has no power, but we have a cooler, a grill that works, and everyone’s safe and sound.

Once things get back to the way they should be, I’ll let you all know what is going on. Until then, my BlackBerry is keeping me from being horribly bored. You’ll see me update a plenty on Twitter, FriendFeed , and Facebook.

New Music This Week

Since time management is of the essence, I’ve found a way to keep handing you guys new music without breaking my own clock. Frequency-E will remain a fixture on the site. Eventually, I’ll move everything to a new site. Right now…we start out small. Every week, new music comes in for you all to listen to and enjoy.

This week, I’ve profiled a UK label called Aardvark Records. Their artists vary in genre from electronic, trance, and even alternative. However, I have fallen in love with a few of Aardvark’s electronic artists including; Zetan Spore and Division.

This week, the site is going to profile a few of those artists. There are track links available, as well as information on how to buy the albums if you enjoy what you’re hearing. Check out this week’s new music.

G From Soma Games Is Live

Soma Games is a company I worked with recently. I did the narration for their new game “G” which is available for the iPod Touch and iPhone. The game has already had rave reviews on different forums. I read some of the reviews from the iTunes store, and I was very happy to see people are enjoying the game and the concept for it.

I’m really excited to see what Soma has planned. There are other games following the story line that is introduced in “G” on the board. There are also other games planned that are going to be very unique to the gaming world. I look forward to not only playing “G” but working with Soma again as well.

To check out a trailer for “G” and an interview with Chris, look on their YouTube channel here.
To get “G” for your iPod Touch, or iPhone click here and get it!

4 Ways to Network With Others

I’m not too big on majorly networking with other voice actors. I find that it comes your way not matter what you do. However, as someone who wants to continue working and getting jobs, it’s best to be a little aggressive when it comes to getting yourself out there. I’ve found that the following websites have helped me time and time again in connecting with others, and getting more work opportunities.

All of these recommendations are fairly simple to use. They are things you can use every day, and be able to use them for personal reasons as well.

#1. Twitter : Twitter is a “new” thing, right? Wrong. I’ve been using Twitter for a long time. I was what was considered one of the “early adopters” of this service. Twitter is a micro blogging site where you say what you are doing in 140 characters or less. It also allows you to add links to show others, and reply to others using the @ symbol and their username. Twitter is amazing for networking, because it allows people to search for specific phrases using Twitter Search. It also allows you to carry on quick conversations with others, which leaves out a lot of the small talk. People can be direct with each other on Twitter, and the possibilities of how many people you follow, or how many followers you have is endless.

#2. Facebook: I break a rule on Facebook. I use it for personal, and business. However, I’ve found that helps me. Using Facebook to keep in touch with my family and friends has given people a glimpse into my personal life. Using it to network with others has allowed me to be able to message people, and see what they are up to as well. Everything really personal can be hidden from view using lists, or by using private messages. You are also opened to the networks of those you are connected to which makes it easier to open up your own network of people.

#3. LinkedIn: A lot of people may be scratching their head at the mention of LinkedIn. The truth be told? I am not a huge fan of it. You have to know how to use it right, or it’s just another social network. LinkedIn is supposed to be for professionals that network with others. Connecting to someone is not as easy as just adding a friend on MySpace. If you do not know them, you must introduce yourself first. However, LinkedIn offers you some stellar search engine optimization. LinkedIn’s own SEO is so good, that it will push you closer to the top. I have found that a lot of people I have worked with use LinkedIn. I’ve connected with them, and made sure that I’m opened to their network. I don’t count on it to get a new job or work opportunity,but it does certainly help.

#4. Having a Blog: You don’t need a blog really, even a website will do, but a blog will work so much more in your favor. Why? Search engines! My own site is hosted on WordPress which has some awesome page ranking. So, my posts are pushed to the top of many results by default. People will search for specific keywords, and find my site before others. I have found that even posting something random helps you out. There are many voice over artists with their own blogs, and I have connected with a lot of them thanks to a simple search that lead them to me or vice versa. It’s a great way to find someone you might never have found before.

I know many of you are wondering why I didn’t include MySpace in this post. I will admit, it is completely out of personal bias. I really don’t care for MySpace at all. I use it to find new music, and that’s about it. I’ve found MySpace to be too young for me, and the spam of people wanting me to be their “friend” has gotten annoying. In my own opinion, MySpace is a great place to find new music artists, and independent music. As a social network, I don’t find it to be of much use.