VOHeroes | Michael E. Russo | Activity https://voheroes.com/members/gtmrussoverizon-net/activity/ Activity feed for Michael E. Russo. Sun, 12 Apr 2026 08:46:09 -0700 https://buddypress.org/?v=2.21.0 en-US 30 hourly 2 1718fbb4759b51d6247259248e8a3611 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/how-do-you-feel-when-a-friend-gets-the-gig/#comment-89554 Thu, 05 Mar 2026 12:25:07 -0800 f57dc257145e2ee7db2e7c2f4f84a54e Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/talking-to-yourself-crazy-or-crazy-smart/#comment-85187 Tue, 06 Jan 2026 15:19:27 -0800 4231e18dbd3ea53660390861b88abed2 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/self-care-and-the-hills-you-choose-to-die-on/#comment-17071 Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:37:44 -0800 13b341bca55c022ff0d4fea437079b89 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/stop-bitching-about-changes-in-how-we-audition-right-now/#comment-14651 Tue, 30 May 2023 11:03:11 -0700 8f3ddeb8222fa66e0a1ada749d60efe1 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/a-huge-lesson-from-rick-rubins-the-creative-act/#comment-14648 Tue, 30 May 2023 02:33:05 -0700 eb8860a521f48d051bdb6a7d40a1c6c3 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/do-this-to-get-better-responses-to-your-online-questions/#comment-10740 Tue, 14 Jun 2022 13:29:34 -0700 54a4f0d08462e2a6a70a72a28a306420 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/how-to-really-stick-it-to-online-trolls/#comment-10364 Tue, 10 May 2022 16:58:26 -0700 2c5632f160624b6683e246e759f95d82 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/im-pretty-sure-this-proves-im-a-frickin-genius/#comment-10083 Tue, 15 Feb 2022 16:00:52 -0800 d3875cdb023aad5d6c8e71753942e2bc Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/how-to-use-silence-in-your-voice-over-work/#comment-9748 Tue, 30 Nov 2021 14:55:07 -0800 b124448456018735ca20c353ef889a7e Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/the-four-options-i-use-to-answer-questions-dont-be-afraid-of-4/#comment-9597 Wed, 03 Nov 2021 18:52:17 -0700 1b33975bb5d553a07dd8746125e68fce Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/want-better-answers-ask-better-questions/#comment-5852 Wed, 25 Nov 2020 13:52:15 -0800 9cafa4c2a7fe32b6e3e95f83f2b069a0 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/how-this-pro-members-journey-may-be-different-from-yours/#comment-5701 Mon, 09 Nov 2020 11:45:32 -0800 I had a math teacher in high school named John Heller who’s favorite quote was “Either find a path or make one.” He’d love Adam’s story. Welcome aboard, son!

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I want you to meet our newest Pro. He has some challenges in his life that are probably unlike any you might have, but he’s on it, and doing things to meet […] ]]> a01e7c3d5fa6e7e178809e26b3f2402a Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/how-covid-affected-my-first-on-set-tv-booking/#comment-5637 Sun, 11 Oct 2020 02:09:28 -0700 This should do the trick (https://www.georgiafilmacademy.online/courses/gfa-covid-19-general-prevention). You can enroll for free and check out what they’ve developed. Like I sand, the best training videos I’ve ever seen.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I didn’t see this coming, but I happened to have been fortunate enough to be one of the first actors back to work on a network TV show after production resumed a few […] ]]> ccc80f8d957830cbcacced66d06b701b Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/how-covid-affected-my-first-on-set-tv-booking/#comment-5631 Wed, 07 Oct 2020 13:12:16 -0700 Well, I didn’t book the job I mentioned, but I DID book a day on “Mare of Easttown”, an HBO series starring Kate Winslet. One day of actual work was paid as two days, as I spent the day before actually shooting getting a COVID test and quarantining in a Holiday Inn 10 miles from where we actually shot.

This was so different from what… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I didn’t see this coming, but I happened to have been fortunate enough to be one of the first actors back to work on a network TV show after production resumed a few […] ]]> d3cafcd66a663027e580a29a83184a0e Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/how-covid-affected-my-first-on-set-tv-booking/#comment-5378 Sun, 30 Aug 2020 14:48:46 -0700 Will do. I have this inactive blog about my life as a background actor called “Don’t Blink!” that I may revive if I book this, seeing as I’ll have three days to myself and my Google Chrome laptop doesn’t work with Audacity, so I can’t work on my podcast, or the audio books I’m doing (four for one author over the next two years, thanks to… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I didn’t see this coming, but I happened to have been fortunate enough to be one of the first actors back to work on a network TV show after production resumed a few […] ]]> 2edd2ab881d980e381ba143999517558 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/how-covid-affected-my-first-on-set-tv-booking/#comment-5333 Sat, 29 Aug 2020 13:16:18 -0700 I got a text the other day from a local CD asking about my availability for a film being shot in Philly starting in October. Here’s what’s involved for BG in this film:

“We want to check your availability for HUSTLE on 10/6/2020 and show your pic to the director. You’d be a (U) Maintenance worker and be paid $178/8. It’s shooting… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I didn’t see this coming, but I happened to have been fortunate enough to be one of the first actors back to work on a network TV show after production resumed a few […] ]]> c8a12a8ab3b9090220b397643b60bf62 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/predict-your-future-by-designing-it-then-creating-it/#comment-5154 Sat, 06 Jun 2020 12:24:44 -0700 Three quotes popped into my mind as I listened to this:
“Luck is the residue of design”-Branch Rickey
“Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” John Lennon
“You wanna make God laugh? Tell Him your plans”

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. The times we’re living in are not ones we would have expected or predicted. And we can chalk that up to external developments that we neither asked for nor […] ]]> 0aac4cfec140813e0ffed88c6a90847d Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/the-fear-some-vo-talent-are-now-facing/#comment-5108 Sun, 31 May 2020 15:00:19 -0700 I’m not worried at this point, because I don’t have an agent for VO, but if I did, and if they told me I needed to invest the national debt of a third world country to make them feel better, I’d play them my demos that got me bookings, and I’d tell them how I made them. The silence from their mouths would be deafening.

PS: I did take a look… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. As I say at the outset of this episode, I really need your help. I’ve been getting tons of fearful messages from VO talent. From clients, students, and strangers out […] ]]> 0b7087dbbb8321d5d2a5d1246f885941 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/using-that-music-on-your-podcast-three-rights-you-should-know-about/#comment-4594 Fri, 06 Mar 2020 02:34:00 -0800 As a musician, I always got annoyed when people thought that they could do what they wanted with recordings they’d purchase, saying “it’s my music”. No, it isn’t, I’d reply. What you have is a tangible manifestation of the artist’s work. You can’t just do what you want with it. Lots of times the arguments fell on deaf ears, but I tried.

For… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I just drove back from San Diego, where I met the people who created eCamm Live, the software I use when I do Facebook Lives, and a conversation I had there with […] ]]> d626b00e87a655a76cb80c92a211c6a3 Michael E. Russo: After getting my first audiobook on only the 4th audition, […] https://voheroes.com/news-feed/p/1592/ Wed, 22 Jan 2020 03:05:55 -0800 After getting my first audiobook on only the 4th audition, I thought it was a total fluke. Even after getting it produced and having the rights holder and I develop a great working relationship (she’ll be on my podcast next month), I didn’t think that I’d book another book so soon. Lo and behold, after only 5 more submissions (!?!), I’m working… Read more

]]> 0 76dd990158246b61899b2acda14e3c1d Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/thank-you-for-all-your-help/#comment-4467 Tue, 31 Dec 2019 14:52:55 -0800 You’re welcome. Thank you for bringing us along for the ride.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. So here we are – the last video of the 365 I challenged myself to create throughout this year. I have so many people to thank, but mostly…I want to thank […] ]]> 74879f62e90973bb86922b935c26400f Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/the-awesome-plaque-at-the-entrance-of-the-audition-space/#comment-4455 Sun, 29 Dec 2019 16:03:35 -0800 Love that sign. I think it should be in every casting office across the nation. By the way, my wife was watching this one with me, and she likes your shirt.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. So…I got a call back to the audition I had the other day. And as I walked through the door, I noticed a plaque that I’d probably seen 100 times, but never stopped to […] ]]> 26d2eb26f6d66c95ebbd54e7beb84316 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/whats-the-best-gift-i-could-give-you/#comment-4445 Thu, 26 Dec 2019 21:58:22 -0800 As long as you continue to be the Authentic You that I’ve seen in these videos and heard in all of your classes, that will be gift enough.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. As I’ve done these videos each day this year, I’ve often wondered if they’ve been useful to you. And you’ve reacted in an extremely receptive way. So now, let’s […] ]]> 79ce964486a4bc938b01ce08e04f21ce Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/what-is-the-most-generous-assumption-you-can-make/#comment-4397 Tue, 17 Dec 2019 14:39:43 -0800 I think that you’re a wonderfully positive ball of energy in a sometimes negative world. I’ve been trying to get away from thinking the worst about auditions I’ve done for years, and I’m getting better at it, but it still needs work on my part. Thanks for the additional guidance.

I also think that your voice sounds a bit tired. Get some… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. We audition all the time. We audition on-mic, we audition on-camera. And the experience of those auditions can be deflating. When things don’t go well, we can ascribe […] ]]> 797a36981c3bf94e5073a7b7841e1411 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/when-is-it-time-to-drop-the-rope-and-why-do-that/#comment-4360 Thu, 12 Dec 2019 20:50:25 -0800 I heard, “You may be right”, and I immediately went to “I may be crazy”. I also went to “Oh, I feel like letting go” (Paul McCartney, 1974). Sometimes, I’ll utter something like “If you say so” (Dickenson to Adams, “1776”), or my wife will save me on those occasions. Free associating with me can be very expensive.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. You might find yourself, as I do from time to time, in a conversation with someone who insists on being right. Even over being effective, helpful or generous. […] ]]> 77c29186260283349c46bc647c7366cb Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/is-audiobook-work-really-all-that-grueling/#comment-4314 Fri, 06 Dec 2019 03:20:55 -0800 A few days ago I was watching a video where the host asked the question, ” Is getting paid by Royalty Share on ACX worth it?” I shut if off after a few minutes because he was kvetching about having to be the producer AND the engineer AND the reader, etc. I thought as I was watching him complain, “This cat is obviously NOT a musician.” … Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. One of my favorite performance areas is audiobooks. I’ve done over 200 of them over the years. And I also love teaching how to be a great audiobook narrator […] ]]> a41936ab36e811db948abf5c4f791cdd Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/its-not-the-equipment-its-how-you-use-it/#comment-4265 Tue, 03 Dec 2019 14:35:28 -0800 Bob, I’m glad that you liked that. It’s truer than you think.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. One of the most commonly asked questions I get these days is, “What camera do you use to shoot these videos? They look great!” (Which recently supplanted, “What’s […] ]]> 1dcc19eb95f1eb679ebc342a860ec9fe Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/its-not-the-equipment-its-how-you-use-it/#comment-4220 Tue, 26 Nov 2019 21:45:24 -0800 I used to sell guitars for a living, and I can’t tell you how many folks were searching for the Holy Grail as far gear was concerned so they could sound like their idols. The theory was, if I get an X Guitar, a Y amp, I’ll sound like Whoever. It doesn’t work that way. I’ve got the same basses Paul McCartney used in the Beatles, but I still… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. One of the most commonly asked questions I get these days is, “What camera do you use to shoot these videos? They look great!” (Which recently supplanted, “What’s […] ]]> e7880506310b04cc86081485b1b65a66 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/our-extremely-short-supply-of-positive-feedback/#comment-4194 Fri, 22 Nov 2019 14:46:50 -0800 Here’s a nice compliment for you, David, that came from the NY SAG-AFTRA offices yesterday. I was asking questions of their Audiobook expert about whether or not Royalty Share projects can be counted towards a pension, and during that discussion I mentioned that I’d been studying with you. Before I could continue with the rest of the… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I’m just going to make a declaration, here and now: I love Janel Scott, an actor from Arizona. She made me feel so good this past weekend, I was downright floating […] ]]> 655429b144edd3a3677935935788dfa0 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/is-the-microphone-in-the-new-apple-16-macbook-pro-really-studio-quality/#comment-4184 Wed, 20 Nov 2019 15:14:00 -0800 I remember when my daughter first encountered earbuds. She thought they were the greatest things ever. I pooh-pooed them, touting the headphones I’ve been using for years (AKG Studio Monitors, with a great flat response). She didn’t believe me. I bought her a really nice set of headphones. She got what I was talking about. Once you’ve used… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. When Apple recently announced their new MacBook Pro, one particular feature caused my inbox to blow up. It was about a claim Apple made about the quality of the […] ]]> a277e2abe3c83436fdc592d06a919a28 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/things-are-going-to-go-terribly-wrong-guaranteed/#comment-4179 Tue, 19 Nov 2019 13:41:44 -0800 Talk about your timing: after I watched this, I went to work on editing a chapter for my first audiobook, and Audacity tells me that there was a bug or some such thing, and that chapter got replaced by another one! I had to re-record that chapter last night. I only lost a little time, but still…

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. You’d think a company as revered and experienced as Disney is could get through a launch of a product without much difficulty. I mean, hey…they launch tentpole movies […] ]]> e40093b6330193cee6966bb3225c2673 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/getting-the-most-out-of-learning-three-things-to-not-say-to-yourself/#comment-4165 Fri, 15 Nov 2019 14:26:17 -0800 I don’t know if in fact that app on his phone keeps it from shutting off, but I do know that there are folks who have to have their phones on 24/7, including the manager at my Hideous Survival Job in the low end of retail, in case someone has a brainstorm in the middle of the night. That would drive me nuts. I shut my phone off after 10. If… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. Recently, I did a video that had three tips on what to do to get the most out of any training session. I was reminded of another three statements you probably don’t […] ]]> 70b7e848d13ba6fb17fc1a2a6166c439 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/the-nlp-outcome-frame-question-2-proving-your-reasoning/#comment-4083 Fri, 01 Nov 2019 13:50:13 -0700 I love it when you’re silly.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. We talked in a recent video about the NLP outcome frame, a way of looking at getting unstuck. The first question to ask yourself is “what do I want?” The second […] ]]> 9e063d1808c21c80ca9ca0c88529f18c Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/the-rest-of-julian-treasures-sour-vocal-notes/#comment-4037 Tue, 22 Oct 2019 13:22:48 -0700 I studied with George DiCenzo, who was one of the producers on “Dark Shadows”. He told the class a story about how he was auditioning someone for a project, and he noticed that this person had listed on their resume that they had worked on “Dark Shadows”, and he knew that they hadn’t. After the audition, which went well, George took the… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I’m in the midst of breaking down Julian Treasure’s TED talk on how we use our voices to connect the dots between what he says and what we do for a living: perform […] ]]> 7f45f2758bbea268ebc4541ab92ac44e Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/two-phrases-to-lead-life-by-plus-a-bonus-from-judge-judy/#comment-3952 Sat, 05 Oct 2019 13:56:59 -0700 Fortunately, no woman I’ve ever been in a relationship with, including my wife, has ever asked me the “does this make me look fat?” question. There’s just no way that this can ever end well for any man, no matter what you do. IF my wife ever asks me that question, I’ll just adjourn to the guest room for the night, because that’s where I’ll wind up anyway.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I was recently reminded of a couple of interrelated phrases that aren’t meant to be preachy. Just pretty accurate…and comforting. And then, as a bonus, Judge […] ]]> 0c1bba42467108346b02240efccde850 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/dont-assume-youre-talking-to-a-listener-or-viewer-when-voicing-commercials/#comment-3916 Tue, 01 Oct 2019 13:44:49 -0700 This couldn’t have come at a better time!. I got an invite to self-tape audition for a health care insurer this morning, and as I was getting ready to do the prep work before I tape, this came up. Between this, your Arthur Godfrey example from the classes and Karen-Eileen’s list of the Fab Four questions that I should be asking, I think I’ll… Read more

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. In guiding a client during a private coaching session today through the process of identifying her audience of one, a small but very crucial point popped up. I asked […] ]]> fb195ba9b7f2ad865fa8f26477fd56b2 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/two-reasons-self-submissions-are-great-and-one-big-reason-they-can-suck/#comment-3887 Fri, 27 Sep 2019 13:44:44 -0700 I just found out this morning that I’ve got an eco-cast audition for an under 5, so this video couldn’t be better timed. Thanks, David.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. I saw a posting on Facebook recently that quoted several casting directors on why they love self-taped auditions. Three reasons stuck out. One stuck out in a very bad way. ]]> 873cf60bbd81578de78644371535c285 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/i-love-that-you-care-this-much-about-me/#comment-3667 Sat, 31 Aug 2019 14:59:43 -0700 Oh, I’ve GOT to hear this…

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. Every so often – the tech gets the best of me. When we switched over to having these videos published on VOHeroes instead of the old site, there was a glitch, and […] ]]> ca8c9ec27263c7b406e93f3350752ad2 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/i-love-that-you-care-this-much-about-me/#comment-3664 Sat, 31 Aug 2019 02:19:21 -0700 The music that you use for the One -A-Day Videos.

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. Every so often – the tech gets the best of me. When we switched over to having these videos published on VOHeroes instead of the old site, there was a glitch, and […] ]]> fef7c238a5f794caf1f5b74c76112cd6 Michael E. Russo posted a new activity comment https://voheroes.com/i-love-that-you-care-this-much-about-me/#comment-3640 Wed, 28 Aug 2019 22:20:36 -0700 OK, I’ve been meaning to ask you this since you moved here: where did you get that music?

In reply to - David H. Lawrence XVII posted a new post. Every so often – the tech gets the best of me. When we switched over to having these videos published on VOHeroes instead of the old site, there was a glitch, and […] ]]> 6a34eb60fc1bb1716fe9fcbaed623dd7 Michael E. Russo posted an update: Good news! I submitted an audition last night on ACX, […] https://voheroes.com/news-feed/p/709/ Fri, 23 Aug 2019 14:35:20 -0700 Good news! I submitted an audition last night on ACX, and the rights holder contacted me about me doing the book. No maybes, she wants me to do it. It’s almost 10K words, and I’ll have three months to finish it, but I think that I can do it. I’m nervous and excited, as it’s my first one. Fingers crossed!

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