The AAPHI Blog

Whether the audio was not audible enough in the original shot, or the character has a soliloquy, voice over production is a priceless part of television, radio and movies. From radio spots to big budget movies, the quality of the voice over production can set the spirit for the overall essence of the project. Just as the voice over caliber of old martial arts movies was laughable, any commercial or movie will not be taken seriously with poor voice over production quality. But even if your budget is extra small, you can still receive top of the line voice over production to fit your price range without having to resort to a cheap microphone and a laptop.

Ever wonder how those pro voiceovers are accomplished without breathing? Whenever we hear these voice over vocals, we rarely hear them breathe. These narrators are working with microphone and amplification tools so the smallest breath would be detected. Yet we do not hear any inhaling or exhaling on these voiceover tracks. We think that they must be holding their breath as taugh to them during some strict voice over training. This is typically not the case. These breaths are taken out in post production. Sometimes, rather than removing entirely, the editor will lower the pitch or volume on the breath so that it is less noticeable but still evident. This is why having access to a voice over production studio is so important to your project. Without it, your voiceover talent will be forced to deliver lines in one take without breathing which is not ideal to say the least.

Exchange Email Server - How to Filter Spam

By: John J. Oimann

The increase in the amount of spam e-mails raise the need to monitor and eliminate unwanted messages - ensuring that the MS Exchange system function properly

Malware e-mail has turned out to be one of the greatest threats for todays business world because they add trouble and cut down productivity. Companies receive thousands of deceptive, indecent and irking e-mails in bulk on a regular basis. Spam is a jargon used commonly to express discarded, undesirable and promotional e-mails or junk e-mails. Spam is not an acronym, thus it doesn’t denote something. A spam e-mail is usually an e-mail with commercial content that is sent to thousands of recipients who never requested any kind of information from the person or organisation sending it.

Receiving a vast amount of unwanted commercial mails can easily end up costing individuals and companyies a lot of time and resouces because they have to sort unwanted and legitimate e-mails and remove the unwanted e-mails in the process. It generates frustrations among employees hindering efficiency.

Getting rid of spam is a lengthy process, it hurts e-mail server performance and malevolent e-mails are a threat to network security Added to that, a company also risk that spam e-mails causes harm to systems and network that cannot be repaired which means disorder, work loss and increased costs.

The only measure against the spam threat ensuring total security and protection is professional assistance. Make sure your mail server is shielded properly to assure that every byte of passing data is filtered and blocked against spam. Normally a spam filter for an e-mail server is software that analyzes every incoming e-mail, detects spam based on standard configurations and removed the unwanted junk mails so they never end up in the users’ inbox One of the often used mail servers is the Exchange Server developed by Microsoft, and this product from Microsoft makes core mail services fast and reliable.

Spam plugins can be a major help carrying out the filtering on an Exchange Server and preventing junk mail. A server spam filter facilitates the users to automate the spam removal procedure at the server level - the receiving source before it reaches the network of personal computers. Making this process automatic is recommended as it protects each personal computer, it protects the internal network and prevents work loss and users’ downtime.

No anti-spam technology is perfect, periodically manual checking of all filtered messages by a network administrator is still needed to ensure that Exchange mail server is not blocking any legitimate e-mails.

This article is addressed to two groups of people: those who have cruised and those
who haven’t. Does that make sense? If you’ve cruised, you can relate to what this is
all about. If not, I’m preparing you for what to expect on that fateful day when you
do. Well, as a cruiser, I feel that an urban legend regarding weight gain must be put
to rest. The myth perpetuated by former cruisers is that, during the course of the
journey you will gain (a) 5 pounds, (b) 10 pounds, (c) 20 pounds, (d) so much
weight, they’ll arrange for a forklift on the other end. I can attest that this isn’t true.

But, people do add additional girth because, once at sea, they have forgotten how to
eat. Let me explain.

This ‘out-of-control’ behavior is the direct result of the insidious cruise line.
They make ‘food’ a destination by itself. By providing outrageous buffets, dining
rooms, snack areas, and unlimited cabin service, food is available in a nonstop,
never-ending, extravaganza that tempts even the best of strong-willed travelers.
One could eat continuously for the entire trip if one desired. Normal people become
transformed into eating machines with uncontrollable urges, heaping outlandish
portions upon their plates. It’s as if they were hypnotized into a feeding frenzy,
against their better judgment. Is there no help for these soon-to-be members of
overeaters anonymous?

Of course, and that’s why I’m here. There’s a simple solution, which I will share.
Begin with an attitude that says, I don’t want to hate myself when I get home, but I
still want to have fun and indulge. Consider every meal as a personal challenge.

Think about how you eat when you’re not on a vacation, where there is:

(a) less temptation,
(b) limited choices,
(c) an actual cost associated with each portion, and
(d) consequences with overeating.

Then begin with your breakfast. Does a stack of foot-high pancakes, a dozen
sausages and a whole pineapple look anything like what you eat at home? Try to
make a relationship back to realistic needs. If you usually have a piece of toast at
home, then why would you require a tray-load of Belgium waffles, covered with
extra whipped cream, at sea?

It’s okay to treat yourself with a dessert that you might not normally order, but
try to keep things in perspective. The temptation to overeat, because all the meals
are included, is attractive. But the reality is that one day, you’ll be back home
bemoaning the fact you have to diet because certain clothes you love won’t fit
anymore. Another way to stay fit on a cruise is to bypass the elevator. Personally, I
never use one. Even if I’m on the 5th floor and need to get to deck 14, I walk the
stairs. And walk the ship often. And when you’re in port, walk there too. If you work
out at home, use the ship’s gym: it’s free. Then, when you grab the chocolate
mousse dessert at night, you have a fighting chance to keep your weight gain to a
minimum, if any at all.

To recap, avoid temptation and eat like you were at home. Walk everywhere and
often. Treat yourself in moderation. You may not lose weight, but you should at
least keep the status quo and you’ll thank yourself when you’re back on land.
Gaining weight on a cruise is not inevitable: Myth busted and Bon Voyage!

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for
nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising
and has a Master’s Degree from Monmouth University. He had his own
advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design
firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, “Pursuit of the
Phoenix,” available at http://www.amazon.com. His latest book is, “Inside the Yellow
Pages.” Currently, he is the Marketing Director for http://www.thenurseschoice.com,
a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.