Some say he’s got a big blob of gravy for a brain.
Some say he is the secret love child of Telly Savalas and his Austrian mistress Inga.
Some say he combs his armpits with an electric toothbrush, and they are sure he shines the top of his head with extra fine sandpaper, giving him a ten-minute braingasm.
All we know is that he’s called….
Huge Edwards (photo).
Apologies. It’s Hugh Edwards. Actually.
If you’re a Top Gear fan, you recognize the reference. If not, you probably think I’m stark raving mad. You might be right. This self-quarantining situation does crazy things to a sane mind.
Anyway, today I had a chance to talk to the Stig of the voice over world. The man who can pull off stunts no one has ever attempted before. The guy who is working 24/7 to put together the world’s first LIVE virtual voice over gathering. The co-creator of the One Voice Conference which opens its online doors on Thursday, May 7th.
And by the way, the bold words in blue are (as always) hyperlinks.
A PLANET GONE VIRAL
Listen, I don’t have to remind you how much the world has changed thanks to this nasty virus. I know you’re probably not working as much as you would like. That does mean you have more time on your hands, and I know just the way to spend that time. You need to get ready for when the world reopens and you’re back in business. Stronger and better than ever. As I said before:
“This is the time to sharpen your axe, and use it wisely.
Refresh your demos, revamp your website, step up your marketing, increase your social media exposure, work with a coach on your weaknesses, build a proper studio, upgrade your gear.
Invest. Invest. Invest.
If you don’t do it, others will, and they’ll come out of this crisis ready and running.”
That’s why I’d be thrilled if you could join me at the One Voice Conference. All the other VO conferences are not going to happen this year, and -as you will hear shortly- if you decide to join me, you will have access to not one but THREE conferences at a price which has been slashed in half by Stig Edwards himself.
SELLING MYSELF
If this sounds like a self-serving sales pitch to you, I am guilty as charged because I’m one of the contributors to the conference. Do I want this thing to be a huge success for everyone involved? Of course I do!
But even if I wasn’t contributing, I would still suggest you sign up because I know and trust the people who are putting it together, and I’ve seen the line up of speakers (53 and counting). Check them out, and imagine for a moment that you’d have to pay each presenter $150 to $200 for a private consultation.
Get this: A weekend virtual conference pass is $226.80, and Gravy For The Brain members are paying even less.
One of the frustrations of a “normal” conference is that by going to one presentation, you miss out on many others because they’re happening at the same time. With this virtual conference that’s no longer a problem. You get access to all of them (and more), and you can watch them whenever it is most convenient for you.
But wait… there’s more!
THE ONE VOICE INTERVIEW
Earlier today I had a Zoom meeting with Hugh Edwards, and we talked about how participants of the conference would interact with one another, and with the presenters. Did the content of the conference have to be changed due to the virtual format? Will the sponsors of One Voice still offer surprise bonuses and special deals? (A little bird told me that Sennheiser is giving away a $700 Neumann BCM 705 broadcast microphone, and a pair of $100 Sennheiser HD 280 closed back studio headphones)
I began by asking about the challenges Hugh and his team had to overcome, to put this LIVE conference together.
Many thanks to Hugh for talking to me in the midst of his busy schedule.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the situation during one of the One Voice dress rehearsals (and believe it or not, this is only one quarter of the kit).
MY ROLE AT ONE VOICE
“But Paul, what about your contributions to the One Voice Conference?” you may ask.
Good question!
On Friday May 7th, I’ll be doing a 40-minute presentation about how blogging put me on the international map as a voice over artist (and why you should start blogging too!). I have a surprise gift for everyone who’s attending.
On Saturday May 8th I will conduct a 3-hour paid workshop, entitled: “Blogging Yourself To Voice Over Success” (click here to book a seat).
Both take place at 4 PM UK time (11 AM EST, 8 AM PT).
The Friday presentation is in part my personal story and also an introduction to the value of blogging for voice overs. The Saturday workshop is a practical, in-depth look at the process of blogging, and I’ll teach you how to reach an audience, and how to monetize your blog.
I know one thing for sure: without this blog very few colleagues and clients would know my name, my voice, and this website. It was, and still is crucial to my career, and having a blog can do the same thing for you!
So, I’m counting on seeing you at the conference in May. If only for one reason and one reason only:
To make Hugh/You Happy!
Paul Strikwerda ©nethervoice
PS Hugh is the first to acknowledge that world’s very first online voice over conference was Voice Over Virtual, back in 2013, produced by John Florian of VoiceOverXtra. What makes ONE VOICE stand out, is that it’s the first LIVE virtual conference.
Good blog, Paul! However, you should have mentioned he can also write The Lord’s Prayer on the head of a pin. 🙂
Hugh is a man of many talents. It’s hard to pin him down, no matter how hard I pray.
Hi Paul,
I’ll see you there, as I’m on the ethics panel.
This is NOT the first virtual VO Conference, though. John Florian coordinated one several years ago under the VoiceOverXtra banner.
Best of luck in your presentations!
Dave Courvoisier
Thanks for pointing out that this is not the first virtual VO conference. Hugh acknowledged that fact in part of the conversation we decided not to use. One Voice is the first LIVE virtual VO conference in history. After getting some feedback on this, I added a post scriptum to my blog. Credit where credit is due!