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Philadelphia Voiceover Arts Production and Training...Chuck McKibben's Voiceover Island.com is your source for outstanding voiceover recordings delivered same-day via the web to producers of commercials, corporate and educational A/V presentations, podcasts, audiobooks, animation and more. It is also the Philadelphia area's ONLY resource for Private Voiceover Training, affordably priced and structured on a "pay-as-you-go" basis, the same as ordinary piano or singing lessons. Demo production is INCLUDED in every lesson...there are NO separate demo recording fees! Call today to receive a FREE, NO-OBLIGATION CONSULTATION by phone! Phone (215) 677-2295 or e-mail phillyvo@comcast.net ABOUT MY PRIVATE COACHING... 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
the '60's while still 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. Recently, I've been enjoying recording dramatic audiobooks for a great website, www.AudioRealms.com (under the more appropriately "serious" name of Charles McKibben). The newest release is a classic 1950's title by the very popular sci-fi author Andre Norton, calledVoodoo Planet. Fun stuff, to be taken as seriously as, say, early Star Trek episodes. Please visit AudioRealms.com to hear a sample clip. PROGRAM ALERT: This coming Thursday, April 17, at 9 PM Eastern, I'm honored to be the guest of program host Robert Acosta on www.radiooutofthe past.org. Radio Out of the Past is dedicated to fans of OTR (Old Time Radio), and I'm really looking forward to answering questions from many of them (and from you, if you'd like to join in). Please join us for this hour-long "live" webcast. Speaking of qustions, the one that I've been answering for aspiring voice artists for some time now is, quite simply... "How to Get Into Voiceovers!" 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. Let me explain it this way: 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 create an inexpensive yet great-sounding home studio; How to market your voice to the world via the internet; plus... 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 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! 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! ("Just in case" there was a technical problem with the answering machine.) Please DO NOT send inquiries to my former "Optonline" address in New York, which is no longer in use. 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! IMPORTANT CASTING NOTICE! Because of my standing as a nationally-recognized voiceover coach, I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO HELP RECRUIT NEW VOICES for a Philadelphia-area audio production company. They are particularly interested in finding qualified FEMALE VOICEOVER TALENTS and people of both genders who SPEAK A FOREIGN LANGUAGE FLUENTLY, PARTICULARLY SPANISH. The company serves major business clients worldwide and keeps five studios busy. All recording is currently done at their suburban Philadelphia headquarters, but sending recordings from a home-based studio may be a future possibility in certain situations. This company is managed by some of the nicest people I've ever met in the audio production business, and I've love to bring a few GREAT new talents to their attention! Could you be one of them? Please call (215) 677-2295 or e-mail phillyvo@comcast.net for your FREE phone consultation, at which time we can talk further about this exceptional voiceover opportunity. SOME PERSONAL NOTES: This past St. Patrick's Day, March 17, was a pretty big milestone for me. It marked my 45th year of professional voice work, dating back to the first radio show that I hosted on WING (AM) in Dayton, Ohio. I have truly been blessed to be allowed to spend my entire adult life in the career that I love. In the bio section About Chuck McKibben, I pay tribute to some of the friends and mentors who helped me so greatly along the way. I am deeply thankful to all of them. Another big date for me, and for my wife, was January, 2007, the beginning of our life in Northeast Philly, an area that we really love. Among our favorite Philadelphia treasures: Pennypack Park, which is not just a city park but a wonderful nature preserve, winding 8 miles right through the heart of the city; Fox Chase Farm, apparently the only working farm remaining within the boundaries of any major American city; Raytharn Farm, 160 acres of meadows and forests guaranteed to refresh your spirit, yet just 5 minutes past the city limits; plus the beautiful little village of Bryn Athyn, with its magnificent cathedral and fascinating, world-class history museum. Our surviving natural areas, like those here in Pennsylvania, are a treasure that we must protect; we're all left impoverished when they're taken away. I watched as they "paved paradise and put up a parking lot" on Long Island (to quote the song Big Yellow Taxi), clear-cutting 10,000-year-old forests for industrial parks and strip malls. It was painful to see the trees go, one last surviving parcel of land at a time. 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 green open space, it was almost all gone. Aside from all the environmental arguments, there is a practical 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 an excellent, eye-opening discussion of what must be done NOW to keep our world (and specifically, Pennsylvania) livable, please visit www.davidhanauer.com/buckscounty/sprawl. I guess I'm beginning to sound more and more like Bill McKibben, the famous environmentalist author with whom I share a last name. Well, that's a pretty good thing, isn't it. Chuck McKibben, April 2008 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." (Click the LA Times link above to read the article.) 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 the link below to Voice123, the biggest voice talent resource. To see just how many job leads are being offered on the web, and what they pay, click on the Voice 123 icon below, and get a free basic membership. Also, as an instructor officially recognized by Voice 123, Chuck McKibben can arrange a FREE Premium Trial Membership for his students. Please ask for details. Producers can use Voice 123 to build a great cast, while letting Voiceover Island handle all the production. Also, you can check out many of Chuck's talented proteges who have demos on the site by typing-in "Chuck McKibben" as a search in the Voice123 talent database (this will locate those who have listed him as their instructor). New voice talents looking for the widest possible exposure are encouraged to click the Voice 123 logo below, as well. Website created by Theresa Landolfi. Entire contents, including the names "Voiceover Island," "Philadelphia Voiceover Arts" and variations including "Philly VO Arts" are Copyrighted © 2006, 2008 by Charles McKibben. All Rights Reserved. <a href="http://voice123.com/">I Am a Voice123.com Voiceover</a> <br><a href="http://www.maploco.com/view.php?id=2309279"><img border=0 src="http://www.maploco.com/vmap/2309279.png" alt="Visitor Map"></a><br><a href="http://www.maploco.com/">Create your own visitor map!</a><br>
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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 actually 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 for a remarkable run of
15 years, among many other credits.
