Voiceovers, Online Marketing, and New Video Content

This past week has been filled with sessions, and meeting new clients. I got to take part in a couple of voiceover sessions. We had a few people come in for Mascola Group. I got to sit in on their voiceover session, and take part in a discussion about how our social media presence affects our business. It was extremely interesting.

I also got to sit in on on 2 sessions for Such A Voice, a company that coaches voice actors, and helps them put together, and produce demo reels.

I also got to sit in on a session for an NPR interview. David Daley came in to talk about his new book (which you should check out if you are interested in politics). It was really cool getting to hear the interview, and take part in recording.

Meeting new clients is always really fun for me, because I enjoy networking, and talking to new people. And everyone who walks through our front door is somebody interesting, and talented.

Outside of our sessions, Kyle and I are still working on new ways to create video content, so we have been filming everything. We are hoping to make a vlog, or an even better version of our Sound Of The Week videos.

Videos, Voice Overs, and Producing Demos

This  past week I got the chance to edit a Sound of the Week video by myself. I really enjoy getting to create something for the studio, so this was a fun project for me. You should watch it. I also got to sit in on multiple sessions this week.

I got to see my first voice over session, which was really cool because the actor was recording at a different studio, in California. I also got to sit in on two musical sessions. Both of these sessions were with clients that I met before. A few of the more frequent clients are actually starting to learn my name as well which is really flattering because it makes me feel like a part of the studio.

We are also trying to think of ways to generate more content for our social media sites and our website, so I have been doing some research on different styles of videos that might be good for our brand. And I have been doing a lot of writing as well.

I also got to sit in on a recording session for a voice over demo reel. It was extremely interesting to watch. Afterwards, I actually got to produce the demo reel (and I think I had a little too much fun choosing some of the music). This was was first job working specifically with audio mixing on my own.

Videos, Errands, and Writing.

I am actually going to move my blog ahead to the beginning of week three (I am finally getting the hang of writing it) but I should give a quick update on last week.

I got to run my first errand as an intern, which was pretty fun. I also got to meet a couple of clients, and I brushed up on softwares like Photoshop, and Premiere. I got an opportunity to do some photo and video editing for our social media sites, and I got to do some editing on the Sound of the Week video, so make sure you check that out.

Towards the end of the week we got a job from the New Haven chapter of the Gear Up program. The program had a class, with Bill, that taught music production, and they wanted a short video of all of the pictures from the class, that included the songs that the students worked on.

This week started with me actually editing the video. I needed to make sure the pictures worked with the tone of each song, make sure that the movement of the photos matched the music. I also got to try my hand with some photoshop to make effects and title cards for the video. So for two days, most of my time was spent editing that video. This was really exciting for me because it was the first tangible piece of work that I worked on for a client.

Once the video was finished, I got back to my regular work, which means, researching clients, working on the social media pages, and doing a lot of writing. We are actually starting an account on Medium (the professional buzzfeed), so I have been writing drafts of anything that I think could be relevant to our audience. Of course I also get to listen to all of the music that is coming from different rooms in the studio at any given time. And, learning how to use Pro-tools by watching Kyle and asking questions also keeps me relatively busy.

First Weeks, coffee, and audio consoles.

I am Elizabeth Shaher. I am an Audio Engineering student at the University of Rochester, and I have been the intern at Tapeworks for 2  weeks. I was (and still am) extremely excited to get this opportunity.

On my first day, I came in at 9am and got to really see the studio, as an employee for the first time. Kyle took me on a full tour of the studio, and briefed me on the work that was being done. Currently Tapeworks is working on a UCONN a cappella group’s album. I, of course, was also taught how to make the coffee (because are you really an intern if you don’t make coffee?).

I got to sit in on a mixing session with Bill, and an editing session with Kyle. Both of these sessions were very interesting, because they were so different from anything that I have seen before. Bill uses plugins that I didn’t even know existed, and while I understand what they do, it is very cool to learn new ways to mix music. Editing large sessions on protools was pretty new to me as well. I have done minor edits on pieces before, but none like the ones Kyle was doing. He encouraged me to ask questions, and showed me functions in pro tools that I hadn’t really encountered before.

Closer to the end of the session, Kyle and I got onto the topic of social media, and how tapeworks is branded on sites like twitter, facebook, and instagram. He also told me about our mini sound of the week series.

On day two, I walked in to see a desk that was set up with a computer for me to do work on. Bill and I talked about what my jobs would be as an intern and what I would end up learning throughout the summer. I got to work, trying to figure out how to execute certain aspects, like writing this blog, or researching clients. I spent a lot of time doing an analysis of our instagram account, trying to see what type of content gets the best reception from people. I then got to sit in on a continuation of the mixing session that Bill was doing the previous day. After he finished mixing the song that he was working on, he started set up for a recording session later that night.

Bill wanted to track some drums for the song that was going to be recorded that night. We already had a rough cut of the song.  So on my second day working at tapeworks, I not only got to be a drummer (for the purpose of making sure we had some signal), I got to step behind the desk and do a little bit of recording. This was my first time recording something where the preamps weren’t built into the board. After a few takes we finally got a take that we felt worked for the song.

Day two was also the day that I got to meet clients for the first time, and sit in on a recording session. The clients were incredibly friendly, and it was so much fun to see them play, and mess around with way the song was played. We also came to the point where the drums that Bill and I recorded didn’t really work with the artist’s vision of the song, so once again, I got to step behind the desk and do a little bit of recording.

Day three started with me tearing down the studio from the night before. It may sound a little strange, but tear down is actually a great way to start your morning. It gives you the same productive feeling as cleaning, and wrapping cables is weirdly relaxing. I also got to sit in on another editing session with Kyle. He showed me the melodyne software and how it is used to tune tracks, something I really haven’t done before.

I spent a lot of my time today exploring the Tapeworks website, gathering photos for twitter, and looking into places where I might be able to find clients. I was also told to brainstorm new ideas for the sound of the week. And I finally got around to starting my blog.

I ended the day with setup for a vocal session tomorrow. Yes, I started my day with a tear down, and ended with a setup.

So we started day four with meeting, which for me was my first meeting in a professional work environment. I also learned how to use a French press to make coffee.

An artist came in to record a song with Bill, so Kyle and I spent the afternoon discussing how I should contribute to the social media sites and the blog. I also got a chance to water the piano. I did not know that pianos needed to be watered (the humidifier needs to be filled with water) until I started working here. I ended my day by assisting in recording Sound Of the Week.

What's Goin' On This Week?

The past week has been an exciting one in the studio. Almost every day it has been bustling with clients from all over the place!

Tapeworks fosters such care for their clients, and I definitely saw that reflected in Ernie Sabella's and Brian Dennehy's faces when they came in to record voiceover tracks. In the midst of their sparkling acting careers, both men have been working with Tapeworks for a multitude of projects. They come back for the quality of work, but also because of the friendship.

In addition to these sessions, we've been hard at work on spots for Hartford Health Care and Mascola Group. The projects have ranged from radio spots to national TV spots. For each one, Tapeworks gathered audition tracks from their database of voice actors, chose the finalists alongside the team at Hartford Health Care and Mascola Group, and finally recorded the tracks in a session. It's inspiring to see these teams of people come together to complete projects with swift determination. I got to meet not only the people in charge of advertising at Hartford Health Care, but also the scriptwriter and talent! It certainly takes many more people that I was expecting to create an advertisement, and Tapeworks is an integral part of the process.

A Day With Daym

If you haven't heard of Daymon Patterson, otherwise known as Daym Drops, then you are missing out on a significant piece of entertainment. We got the opportunity this month to work on voiceovers with him for his new show, "Baby Got Snack," on the Cooking Channel.

I'm talking about a big man with a big personality. In the few hours before his arrival at the studio, I learned about his history from managing retail at WalMart and Carmax to making videos reviewing fast food restaurants. The Internet was taken with his review for Five Guys Burgers and Fries. This was when a world of opportunity opened up for Daym. He has come a long way and is now working hard for the Cooking Channel with his enthusiastic, playful and exciting food reviews.

On the day of his session, the studio was buzzing with excitement. Soon enough, Daym and his co-host Chris Clarke, otherwise known as "C-Snacks," entered the building. When Daym enters a room, the atmosphere becomes electrified. He speaks with a booming fervor that puts a smile on your face and a laugh in your belly. There's no question about why Damn is as successful as he is, especially after seeing him work with his producer while Bill recorded their voiceovers. Daym experiments with phrasing and accentuation, all the while maintaining a flow that is unique to him.

What I really took away, though, was the lesson that anything is possible with hard work. Daym and Chris have both travelled down a long road that has brought them to extraordinary places. They are absolutely charming and inspirational.

I hope I've caught your attention, because they are working on a project that is definitely worth your attention and time. If you want to learn about food and laugh along the way, be sure to check out, "Baby Got Snack" on the Cooking Channel!

The new intern steps in through the buzzing doors at Tapeworks Inc for her first day in the studio. 

I'm Therese Masotta, twenty-two years old, fresh out of UConn with an English degree/concentration in creative writing/Psychology minor, and I have been granted with the opportunity of interning with a uniquely talented audio produce: Bill Ahearn.

Join me in a grand adventure to discover what it truly means to work at Tapeworks Inc in this eclectic town of Hartford, CT. From what I can tell already, we'll meet people from all walks of life: stars, musicians, voice over artists, radio announcers - all brimming with determination and enthusiasm for the craft. And the entire way will be lead by the ever talented, never boring, Bill.

I'll be posting throughout the summer of 2016 to keep you updated on all the hard work happening here at Tapeworks. I sure do hope you find joy in following along!

Signed,

Therese M (TM)