Voiceover Island Radio and TV Production and Voiceover Services

Welcome! Voiceover Island.com is your source for outstanding voiceovers delivered same-day via the web for radio and TV commercials, corporate and educational videos, PowerPoint presentations, podcasts, audiobooks, animation and more.

ANNOUNCING our first-ever VOICE ACTING WORKSHOP in the Philly area on Saturday, Feb. 11! Don't miss "Mel Blanc...and Me," a tribute by Chuck McKibben to his former employer, the famed "Man of 1,000 Voices!"

Only a tiny handful of people ever worked for vocal genius Mel Blanc as his personal audio producer and engineer. Philly's own Chuck McKibben is one of those rare few! Join Chuck in suburban Northeast Philadelphia at the Huntingdon Valley Library, 625 Red Lion Road, Huntingdon Valley PA on 2/11/12 from 1 to 3:30! Admission is only $30 per person, advance purchase only. Seating is limited, so click PayPal below to purchase your admission via credit card now for this one-of-a-kind workshop! (Call 215-677-2295 for information if paying by check.) Here's what this event will include:

And in case you're wondering...this is not a sales presentation, masqerading as training. You won't be talked into taking some $3,000 course because you have "amazing natural talent." No bogus "casting director" will call next day and flatter you. However, if you've been curious about getting into the voiceover field, this workshop will give you all the "how to" information nice and straight, with none of the old "hard sell." Yes, Chuck McKibben offers private voice coaching (see below). No, you won't leave feeling like you've sat through a marketing pitch for time-share property. You WILL have lots of fun and leave smiling! We'll be serving light refreshments. Please join us! To register immediately, click the "Buy Now" button. (For payment by check, please contact phillyvo@comcast.net for mailing info.)

Hi, Chuck McKibben here, inviting Radio/TV and Narration Producers to click the 'Voice Casting Services' shell on the left to sample our voice talents, and let us be your AUDIO SUPPORT TEAM!

That's what the creator of the elegant HARMONY PHI jewelry collection did. CLICK HERE to visit their beautiful website, then go the tab called "Discover the magic of an ancient secret" to hear my narration explaining the mystical inspiration behind these truly elegant pendants (shown here), rings and earrings.

Other recent projects have included recording my current student Brian Gallagher right here in the Voiceover Island studio as the official spokesman for Peter Nero and the Philly Pops! Incredibly, this is Brian's very first voiceover booking! Congratulations Brian! He was heard all over Philadelphia's CBS radio stations promoting the Philly Pops' Holiday Concert, a major Philadelphia cultural event!

Also a giant Congratulations to former student Robert Beaucheane, who recently became the newest voice of NFL Films! Wow. Following in the huge footsteps of legends John Facenda and Harry Kallas is no small accomplishment. Given Bob's talent, I'm sure he's up to the task.

My own audiobook productions of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the chilling story of Things That Are Not There for AudioRealms.com are selling very well. Several of my titles, such as those already mentioned plus The Time Traders and Voodoo Planet, both by Andre Norton, are sold world-wide on sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Just type "Charles McKibben" in the search box to find them.

Tumbles, the Turtle
That Got Glued Back Together

It's a very sweet story for your little ones. Click on the picture of Tumbles to connect to his site and hear a sample.

You've also found Philadelphia's ONLY studio for PRIVATE VOICEOVER TRAINING and COMPLETE DEMO PRODUCTION!

Ask me everything you want to know about starting your own successful voiceover career by phoning...

...but first, please read more about how and why my VO training is the affordable, intelligent choice!

I'm Chuck McKibben, and I've been fascinated by the world of voiceovers ever since I was a boy. I began my career as a radio announcer in 1963, in my teens; by 1972, I was employed by Hollywood's legendary "Man of 1,000 Voices," Mel Blanc, to be his personal recording engineer and audio producer.

This was followed by 30 years in New York as the Broadcast Production Director for two major advertising agencies, and also as a successful freelance voiceover artist. I introduced "My First SONY" to the world as that product line's spokesman in 'the '80's (you can view my first spot for SONY on YouTube); I was the senior promo voice for Time Warner Cable of New York City through the '90's; and I was the signature voice of New York's top Lexus dealership, Lexus of Smithtown, for a remarkable run of 15 years, among many credits. (To hear my own GENERAL VOICE DEMO, please click here.)

I've won numerous broadcast production awards, but more importantly, I've received the friendship, trust and respect of my students. Being thought of as their mentor has become the greatest satisfaction in my life.

How much should you spend to get comprehensive voiceover career training? NOT thousands of dollars! Some time ago, I received this email request from a prospective student, very similar to hundreds before. It said:

"I am seriously interested in starting a voiceover career, and was researching classes on-line when I found your website. I took a one-day class at a local college, and they said my voice was really good, but the cost of their course seemed very high (almost $3,000!). That's why I'm looking around. Could you please send me more information about your lessons, so that I can compare and decide who to study with? Also, would you tell me honestly if I don't have what it takes to be in voiceovers?"

Here's how I answered that request. I'm hoping it will provide answers to your questions, as well:

"Did you by any chance just attend a local 'Introduction to Voiceovers' presentation from a company that charges about $3,000 for their 'course'? Naturally, they require you to put that whole amount on your credit card right up-front. Their so-called 'casting director' probably raved about your great natural talent, so you're tempted to 'go for it,' in spite of the huge price tag. They may seem to be 'endorsed' or approved by a college or university, because that's where they hold their presentations, but please know the truth: all they have done is rent a room. They're not actually connected with any real educational institution in any way. And you most certainly do not have to pay anything like $3,000 to train for a career in voiceovers.

BY CONTRAST, my training is just $60 per one-hour weekday lesson ($75 on weekends), pay-as-you-go. Period. Your first "orientation" lesson, that covers the "business of the business," is 2 to 3 hours long, for a flat fee of only $60. I ask for nothing in advance. I don't fill you full of false praise, but instead tell you honestly about your weaknesses, as well as your strengths. I've turned away potential students who had little reaIistic chance of succeeding. I produce your demo in class as a part of your studies, and unlike the restrictions imposed by some VO teachers, you are free to take away any and all recordings you make in class. They are yours, with no strings attached and no extra 'demo production' fees.

You get completely customized, one-on-one lessons in my world-class studio by appointment (you set the appointments to fit your schedule). Hours are from 12 Noon into the evening on weekdays, with some limited weekend hours available. Come once a week, every other week, or even just once a month, as you choose. There is no 'one size fits all' cirriculum, because that doesn't work in voiceovers. You study with me at your pace until you decide you are ready to end your training, and begin competing successfully in the voiceover industry. Simple as that.

I offer 50 years of experience in the voiceover field. I have been an award-winning broadcast producer, director and nationally-recognized voice artist in both Hollywood and New York for longer than many people in the business have been alive. I had the rare honor of being the personal recording engineer for Mel Blanc, the most famous voice artist of all time. I'm on several on-line lists of private coaches, and am endorsed by respected VO textbook author/authority Harlan Hogan (harlanhogan.com). My bio is on Wikipedia, and Wiki has included my name in its short list of 'Audio Book Narrators.'

I happen to be the only private voiceover coach in the entire Philadelphia area, but even if there were others, I would still have to say, quite candidly, that I don't think you could study with a more knowledgeable voiceover instructor, or a more dedicated mentor.

I do hope to meet with you sometime soon. Thanks again for contacting me. Please phone (215) 677-2295 anytime, and let's have a nice chat to get acquainted. No obligation, of course.

I've helped get many VO careers established through the years, by providing COMPREHENSIVE CAREER TRAINING that includes ALL the skills that are now considered essential to becoming a WORKING VOICE ARTIST. In other words, I don't just teach my students how to read scripts; I teach them how to SUCCEED IN THE VOICEOVER BUSINESS. The final goal is NOT to make a demo CD; that's just a minor promotional tool, not a career destination

In fact, it's no longer really necessary to make any hard copies of your demo tracks, since the voiceover business is now largely conducted online. Sites that connect voice seekers with voice talents, such as my favorite, www.Voices.com, make it easy to market yourself world-wide from wherever you live. I recommend Voices because, in addition to having by far the largest number of visitors each month (measured in the many tens of thousands), they have lots of unique selling tools not found on other sites.

For example, when my students book jobs through Voices, they get displayed in the "Recently Hired" section plus the "Featured Talent" of the home page...thus generating as many as several hundred additional listens by producers seeking talent that week. The result? Quite possibly another job from another producer, and a trip back onto the "Recently Hired" list to be discovered all over again! I've witnessed how effective this marketing technique really is, because I've been seen students of mine appear on the list week after week...with as many as four of my students on the list at the same time!

My point is, to achieve a successful voiceover career, proper marketing is as important as having a good voice. Let's say you wanted to be the next big singing star. You'd have to know much more than just how to sing. You'd have to learn about the entire recording business...how to get signed by a label, work with agents and managers, get promoted, create albums, get your songs on the radio, go on tours and all the rest.

Fortunately, it's not nearly so hard to become a well-trained voiceover artist, but you absolutely WILL want to learn all the things that I teach, including:

How to record and edit your own digital voice tracks (even if you're technically challenged!);

How to succeed in traditional auditions with agents and casting directors (I have decades of insight as a producer to share with you!)

As my student, you'll RECORD EVERY LESSON in a BROADCAST-QUALITY STUDIO, BUILDING YOUR DEMO SAMPLES IN CLASS! Your best readings are never wasted as "practice." This is the FAST TRACK to producing your completed samples, with no need for a separate, extra-fee demo session at the end of a number of lessons. I always "bank" your in-class readings for later inclusion on your demo...and you'll take home a CD of your work from each lesson, or an mp3 if you prefer.

My rates are about HALF of what voiceover teachers charge in New York. This is PRIVATE, ONE-ON-ONE TRAINING that delivers the RESULTS you want in a hurry, yet is AFFORDABLY PRICED. I can't see any reason why voiceover lessons should be priced any higher than music lessons...and I especially can't see why you should pay anyone thousands of dollars in advance for your training!

With me, there is NO UP-FRONT FINANCIAL COMMITMENT...no minimum number of required lessons. Simply pay as you go, as you would with a piano or singing teacher. TAKE CLASSES AROUND YOUR SCHEDULE...days, evenings or weekends, every week, every other week, etc. I'm flexible, and will work with you to make lessons fit your budget and your lifestyle.

Call me at (215) 677-2295, or e-mail phillyvo@comcast.net for your FREE, no-obligation consultation via phone...and if you don't get a same-day response from me when you leave a message, PLEASE CALL AGAIN! (Please note that, due to my extremely busy schedule, I can't send lengthy email answers to questions like "How do I get into voiceovers?" However, I do encourage you to include your phone number in any emails, so that I can call you to chat.)

I'm certain you have lots of questions, and I look forward to speaking with you. (If I'm not available, please leave a message and I'll get back to you.) Also, check this site frequently for new information as it becomes available. Thanks!

It is vitally important to preserve our surviving natural areas, because we're all left impoverished when they're taken away. Asphalt parking lots don't provide any beauty, or produce any clean, fresh air, so my most depressing experience on Long Island (my former home) was watching as they "paved paradise and put up a parking lot" (to quote the song Big Yellow Taxi). They clear-cut the 10,000-year-old forests next to the Long Island Expressway for to erect ugly industrial parks and strip malls. Only when it was basically too late did Long Island's civic leaders begin to demonstrate any environmental awareness. By the time they thought of saving any open space, it was almost all gone. Even a pro-business newspaper on the Island stated that development had gone too far. That's when I began to take environmental preservation seriously.

Aside from all the environmental arguments, including preservation of the world's richest topsoil (that took millions of years to be created and will never be replaced for millions of years to come), there is a business reason to preserve natural areas. If you want to attract the best and brightest employees and businesses to a town, quality of life matters. For this reason, the new Parks Commissioner of Philadelphia has announced that they intend to add 500 acres to Philly's already great park system. Bravo, Philadelphia! Way to go! I proudly support your efforts through my membership in a dedicated preservation organization, The Pennypack Trust. Unfortunately, there are still many square miles of magnificent Pennsyvania forests and farmland threatened by the blight of urban sprawl. For an excellent discussion of what must be done NOW to keep our world livable, please visit www.davidhanauer.com/buckscounty/sprawl Please remember, as you watch the autumn leaves showing their spectacular colors, that if you love to see trees, you have to work to save trees. Thank you!

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR: You'll find interesting recollections from the Mel Blanc era in Chuck’s background. Following his sojourn in the movie capitol, he became the Broadcast Production Director of two New York ad agencies, writing, producing and directing hundreds of commercials while building his own successful voiceover career. He added private voiceover coaching to his activities in the mid-'80's; years later, he again established new standards in the quality of voiceover training in the "Big Apple" as Dean of the New York Voiceover Academy. Today, Chuck McKibben is a respected national authority on the subject of voiceovers; for example, The Los Angeles Times featured him in an interview on July 26, 2006. Entertainment reporter Deborah Netburn asked him for tips on voiceover career preparation while noting his "perfect, unaccented diction." Chuck's own long, successful run as a voice artist includes work for "blue chip" advertisers like SONY, RCA, Michelin, Crain’s New York Business, the NY Metro Energy Council, Kirlin Securities, ExecutiveHealth Exams and New York's WLNY-TV; years of imaging and promos for Time Warner Cable of NY; plus countless spots for retailers and automotive clients. His track record in the luxury-car market is highlighted by a remarkable 15 years as the spokesman for New York's premiere Lexus dealership. He's also been the spokesperson for both the Cadillac and Honda dealer groups of the New York region.

Please note that links to two of the biggest voiceover talent websites, Voice 123 and Voices.com, are presented below for your information. Both sites get a huge number of unique visitors each month (just type in their names under "site profile" on compete.com to see current visitor stats), and both provide a showcase for many of Chuck McKibben's past and present students. These sites offer free Guest Memberships, and typically send out a dozen or so voiceover job leads PER DAY to their members. Chuck McKibben accepts absolutely no fees for referrals to these or any other websites, and is not affiliated with any sites that promote voiceover services, sell audio equipment, etc. Being completely independent, he can therefore offer unbiased advice concerning membership in these or any other on-line voice marketplaces, and recommend various excellent sources for equipment.

Website created by Theresa Landolfi. Entire contents, including the names "Voiceover Island," "Philadelphia Voiceover Arts" and variations including "Philly VO Arts" are Copyrighted © 2006, 2010 by Charles McKibben. All Rights Reserved.