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HURRICANE SANDY
Notes From Voice Actors Weathering
The Storm ... How Are YOU Doing?

October 29, 2012

(VOXtra) - As Hurricane Sandy pounds and floods the U.S. East Coast, our prime concern is to get out of the way of this Halloween monster - seen here on a National Weather Service map. Thoughts and prayers are for the safety of voice actors, their families and friends.

During the storm, if you want to send a message to the VO community ... or need help rebuilding your home studio after the waters and winds recede ... please let us know.
Simply write a COMMENT to this article (see links at top and bottom of article). If our power is on, we'll post your message ASAP!

See COMMENTS now.
POWERFUL SUGGESTION:

This advice comes from Cliff Zellman in a Facebook post:

Those with Sandy bearing down upon you ... If possible, safely shut down your gear and unplug from your wall. Disconnect your RJ-45 cable (Internet) from your computer. A hard loss of power could do much damage. Also, if you do lose power mid-recording, be sure to feel around and turn off your monitors, unplug headphones and turn off your mixing boards if you use one. If your gear is set to "on" and power is restored, it may come in a surge or other nasty form. Remember, Save Early, Save Often.

APPRECIATE THE WELL-WISHES ...

Dozens of well-wishes and other messages began arriving soon after our email to all subscribers earlier today, which offered help with communications and home studio recovery. Here a few (with the most recent messages first) ...

Anthony Piselli, 5:05 pm
All is well for now - no power loss yet and hopefully no flooding!!! Lotsa prayers being said! Especially for everyone who has had to evacuate.

Stan Pickett, 1 pm
Very thoughtful of you, John, reaching out when you’re facing the onslaught yourself. We’re out of it, now, having recently moved from Maryland to western Ohio (Dayton-Cincy area), and are expecting cold, rain, a little snow, and some 50-mph gusts, but nothing to what all our Easterner friends have in store. I well remember such storms – if less strong – going back to Agnes in ’72. Stay in, stay battened down, stay safe. 


Jenny McDonald, 11:34 am
We here on the West Coast are thinking of you all and praying earnestly for your safety.


Wendy Brown Chapkis, 11:34 am
Go to my Facebook page for pictures I've been posting. Crazy stuff! And it's not even at the peak of the storm yet. OY!


Michael Druckenmiller, 11:30 am
Thank you!  It is a nice feeling when you see and feel that an Internet-based business has a heart and soul as well! Hopefully I won't need to use your resources, but wanted you to know it's nice to know they are there.  My thoughts and prayers are with you as Sandy approaches.  I am in CT as well, and was down at in Mystic yesterday helping my cousin prepare for the worst and hopping for the best. FYI: CL&P warns that if you lose power be aware that crews will not go out until after the winds are below 40 mph.


Suzanne Toren, 11:12 am
What a generous gesture, to reach out like this to colleagues - thank you for that, John! I am quite safe in Manhattan, in a hi-rise, but in a zone least likely to be evacuated. I am in my apt now, at any rate. You too, stay safe!


Domenic Anziano, 10:43 am
This one is gonna hurt. I got my boots on and air mattress ready to go.


Karen Bartholomew, 10:42 am
I hope you'll stay safe as the storm passes through. The winds are whipping in ever increasing gusts here in Teaneck, NJ. We had a lot of damage in last year's Oct. 29th storm. Deja vu!


Deborah Reast, 10:22 am
Thanks for this lovely message.  I’m between Philadelphia and Allentown, PA and just hoping we keep electricity throughout this. Just wanted to share, that "Red sky at night…" was something my Father always said and that I have so often repeated throughout my life. Thanks for bringing back a fond memory.  Dad passed in 1995 – but whenever I see a red sky at night …


Reuven Miller, 9:43 am
Actually, you are the ones in our prayers here, thousands of miles away on a beautiful Fall day -  at the Southeast corner of the Mediterranean. That goes along with our family, friends and colleagues, back in the Northeast US, facing "liquidity" issues in more than an economic sense. I hope your hatches are battened down, rigging secured, etc.  And I hope you'll stay "high and dry." Just in case, don't lose those ruby slippers! See you when it all blows over.


Harlan Hogan, Voice Over Essentials, 9:19 am
I'm sure we could loan out some Porta-Booths and Mic's.


Roy Wells, 9:16 am

Thanks for your message, but I'm in southern New Mexico, on top of a mountain 8,650 feet above sea level. If we get flooded we'll need biblical help from Noah. Alas, I've heard rumors that his ark leaks somewhat. Best of luck to all on the east coast.


Jerry Reed, 8:59 am
We're in upstate NY, where the effects of the storm are still uncertain. It looks like the eye of the storm will pass slightly west of here. We can pretty much expect very high winds and a significant amount of rain.  I'm located on very high ground and while there are some slight elevations above me, most water will flow down from here. If we can get through major blizzards, we'll get through this. That's why they call those that live in our area "survivors." We can get through anything.


Jennifer Hunter, 8:35 am
There you are, reliable as ever - Very much appreciated."Sailor take warning."May you and your family stay safe, too.

Lance DeBrock, 8:25 am
I'm about 1 mile from the beach in Seaside Heights and things are going downhill. Check out my video from yesterday. YouTube search on Hurricane Sandy Seaside Park NJ and read the caption below. It pretty much tells the story. Good luck to ALL of us!

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Comments (7)
John Florian
10/31/2012 at 11:18 AM
Greatly appreciate the tidal wave of well-wishes, concern and updates about how you're doing during and after the storm. I'm still without power in my home office but have set up daytime shop in a Hilton lobby ... and wow! Feel like a kid again with new toys - TV, newspapers, electricity, hot tea.

I hope YOU are safe, and please do let me know at VoiceOverXtra if you need help rebuilding your home studio.
Moe Rock
10/29/2012 at 2:51 PM
Wind is really kickin up here in Harrisburg PA. Already had power go out once. Might go ahead and shut down for the day soon....
Sarianna Gregg
10/29/2012 at 2:24 PM
Such a pleasant surprise to know other VO's are thinking of us here in the cross-hairs of Sandy! I'm in Northern NJ and awakened this morning to zero power - already! It just came on about an hour ago, and I'm quickly running dishwasher, boiling water, making coffee, filling water jugs and even may attempt an audition! Keep us in your thoughts and prayers as this thing progresses. Warm and heartfelt thanks to all of you from soggy New Jersey!

Sarianna
Leesha S
10/29/2012 at 12:57 PM
Storm is coming to DC later today. Not good, and I am very concerned. I hope all of you on the U.S. East Coast are okay too.
M Lewis Sauerwein
10/29/2012 at 12:49 PM
My thoughts and prayers go out to you all on the East Coast. I can only hope that you and those you love remain safe. God bless-

Cliff Zellman
10/29/2012 at 12:47 PM
In general, when turning off audio systems, do it in the opposite order of your signal flow. Instead of mouth to speakers, go speakers to mouth.

And one more thing... wait a while before re-powering up. The first half hour of power restoration may be unstable.
William Peck
10/29/2012 at 12:45 PM
So far, so good up here in the Boston area! Lots of wind and now rain. Nothing terrible = YET! Thanks much for your thoughts and well wishes, John!
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