30
Wisdom from the Pros

In this Chapter

We are fortunate that the majority of voiceover professionals are not only willing, but eager to help anyone who is seriously interested in pursuing this profession. The key word here is “serious.” There are many people who think voiceover is “easy” or “quick money.” If you’ve read any of this book, you know that this business requires some specific skill sets, focused attention, diligent effort, and a driving passion. Simply put, voiceover isn’t for everyone! If you think it’s “easy,” think again.

The voiceover professionals who have contributed the articles in this chapter, and throughout this book, have been down this road. They’ve made their mistakes, learned a lot, and they know what works… and what doesn’t work for them. Most of what you’ll read in this chapter has been said before elsewhere in this book. But, perhaps, hearing these lessons from the pros themselves, in their own words, might help to reinforce what you’ve learned so far.

Peter Dickson and Hugh Edwards

gravyforthebrain.com

Peter Dickson and Hugh Edwards co-founded and run gravyforthebrain.com—one of the world’s biggest voiceover training companies. They’re online 24/7 and offer the training, resources and support needed to grow and maintain a solid voiceover career.

Hugh works as a voice director and a casting director and over the last 20 years has cast thousands of roles and directed hundreds of film, TV and gaming projects.

Peter Dickson, known as “Voiceover Man,” is an award winning voice talent who has worked over the past 40 years on over 30,000 commercials for major brands, been the promo and brand voice for 60 channels in both the U.K. and U.S., acted on 30 AAA game titles and was the voice of the 2012 London Olympic Games. On top of that, he’s also the voice of over 120 TV shows including The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, The Price Is Right, Family Fortunes, and the BBC’s Flagship Comedy show Live at the Apollo. What both of them don’t know about voiceover, isn’t worth knowing!

Advice on Considering a Career in Voiceover

© Gravy for the Brain. All rights reserved.

We’re often asked by newcomers: “How do I get into voiceover?”

Thankfully, they’re asking the right people, since we work in the voiceover industry every day but that doesn’t make the question a simple one to answer.

So, let’s get to the meat of that first question and walk you through your first moves as a budding voice talent.

Here are 4 simple things that anyone needs to have in order to enjoy a successful career:

• Training
• Perseverance
• The ability to cope with rejection
• A second/alternate source of income (initially of course)

So, just 4 things to consider and we’re done right? Not quite.

Being a professional voice artist takes a huge amount of skill, lots and lots of practice, hard work, rejection, disappointment (you will not be selected on many castings), perseverance, more practice, experience and… of course talent.

This might all sound a bit tough right out the gate, but we’re just being honest and trying to manage your expectations up front. So starting now, let’s assume it’s day one of your voiceover journey.

You have zero hours voiceover experience and are therefore at the back of the line. That’s why we tell you to think long term, because you will get ahead one day, it’s just going to take some time. You wouldn’t expect to play major league baseball without coming up through the ranks now, would you? We totally get it that you’re really excited to get going. That’s great, we’d be concerned if you weren’t. So, you say “What do I need to do?” “Where do I start?”

Allow us to rephrase that question. “What should I NOT do?”

Well, don’t even think about making any demo reels or auditioning for anyone.

That might sound strange but it’s the number one mistake that new voice talent make. Imagine if you were starting out as, let’s say a hairdresser. You haven’t even touched another person’s hair yet let alone cut any! You get a friend to agree to give you a test run and the results are… well let’s just say this hypothetical person was very upset!

Another few months roll around and thankfully the hair and the relationship have finally recovered. So you ask for another go. What do you think they’ll say?

No. That’s the simple answer. It’s a big fat NO and maybe if you’re lucky, a big fat NO, THANK YOU! You might be much more skilled now, but crucially the trust has gone and a second attempt is going to be very unlikely.

It’s the same with voiceover. If you start sending people your reels and auditioning for jobs when you’ve just started out, you’re not going to do yourself any favours. So, eventually when you do improve and you’ve worked really hard, it’s going to be more difficult to get your work in front of directors and casting agents, because they’ll have already judged your work on the voiceover artist you were, not the one you’ve become. This is possibly the best advice we can give right now. This is a people business and relationships and crucially, trust are uber important.

So it’s time to start doing the 3Ps (we love acronyms in this business).

Practice! Practice! Practice!

The best place to start is by listening to the demos of other voice artists. You can find these on the websites of major talent agents, or simply listen to the TV or the radio. Then, practice by making your own recordings. In fact, you should be recording yourself all the time. You can do this on most smart-phones or on your computer. Play these recordings to trusted friends to get some feedback. Whatever you do, make sure that feedback is honest and trustworthy. You’ll get a lot of both constructive and negative criticism early on, but if you take that to heart, you can learn from these early mistakes and improve.

Every time you make another recording, compare it to those established voice actors and ask yourself, am I as good as them yet? It takes time, instruction and practice. Lots of it.

Guess what? Over time you’ll get better and by the time you’re ready to audition and record your own demos, you’ll be a fresh exciting, new voice in the industry, with the talent and drive to get people excited about working with you.

And this is where training comes in. You can always practice by yourself, but it’s important to learn the lessons of the art of voiceover from an expert. If you try to do it all alone, you’ll more than likely get into bad habits and it’ll be a much slower and frustrating learning process.

This is why training (and a second income initially!) is important. Wherever you receive your training, it’s vital to realise that you will need to invest in your future. That takes time and yes… money. Voiceover is not something you can easily learn on your own.

There isn’t a definitive list of skills to learn, we’re all different and it will depend on what kind of voiceover work you want to do. Voicing a video game, reading an audiobook, presenting a corporate video or doing a commercial VO, all require very different styles. Here are just a few of the basic skills you need as a voiceover, regardless of the genre you choose:

• The ability to interpret copy
• The ability to properly project and enunciate
• Good Microphone technique
• How to breathe life into your delivery
• Characterisation skills
• Mastering emphasis, inflection and prosody
• Mastering a natural conversational style
• The art of self-direction
• The art of editing speech and music
• How to take direction
• How to create accents
• How to apply humanisation to your delivery, to make it real

That’s literally just a handful of the skills you’ll need. If you don’t now see why we recommend training and investing time in acquiring these skills, then… well you’re not going to have the best time of it.

So… get some training!

Once you’ve been trained and feel like you’re up to scratch, then it’s time to start getting technical with your personal recording space. The trend globally is moving away from recording in professional studios and moving towards voice talent recording themselves in their own home studios. This has come about for a few reasons. The Internet has brought huge competition to the VO world and VO’s who can offer a complete recording for say, an audiobook without the client incurring a studio charge, have started to win the battle. The Internet also allows today’s savvy voice artists to work internationally.

Faster internet speeds have also made it very easy for voiceover artists to send out high quality work live from their own home studio using ISDN, Source Connect, and ipDTL making remote working globally a true reality for many.

Lastly, the cost of setting up a home studio has also fallen dramatically, and you can now create a viable recording space with a good microphone, microphone pre amp, headphones and software for less than $1000—a “sound investment”, if you’ll excuse the pun.

And in the same way that the Internet has made recording from home easier, it has also brought about the ability to search for work from home as well. Ten years ago, you had to have a voice agent to get voiceover work, someone who had all the professional contacts and knew the business inside and out. Those days are gone and while an agent is helpful, in fact invaluable to established talent, those who are just starting out can get going right away, once they’re ready.

Pay To Play (P2P) sites, or subscription sites, are now hugely popular and you can easily join some of these, pay your money and start receiving auditions. Effectively they are virtual voice agents that you pay to be on their books.

Hugh will tell you as a voice director, 80% of what is sent to him is nowhere near up to standard. Peter competes with the best, every single day and even though he has been at the top of his game for many years, he will tell you himself that he never stops learning… or practicing.

There are more voiceovers in the world than ever before, some estimates put that figure at 1 million. But as we said earlier, so many of them aren’t properly trained. Their performances are consequently dead in the water. We don’t wish that for you.

If you want to be a professional voiceover artist and enjoy the fruits of a long and successful career then you should aim at the outset to be able to do it well, so get trained and be the best. The better you are, the more you will be in demand and the more in demand you are, the more you will earn.

Shelley Cohen

vocaldynamo.com

Shelley Cohen has been a professional voice actor for more than 30 years, and a coach for more than a decade. Based in Ottawa, Canada, Shelley has worked internationally, voicing hundreds of corporate narrations, commercials, web videos, and is the voice of several phone systems. In her workshop, “Becoming a Voice Actor,” she teaches many of the performing techniques and business disciplines covered in this book. Shelley’s “survey” that follows is an excellent summary of the key points covered throughout this book.

Is This Business Right for You?

© Shelley Cohen. All rights reserved.

Wouldn’t you like to know if you are suited to the industry before you commit to taking some training or producing your demo? To help you decide, ask yourself the following questions and be very honest. There are no right or wrong answers, only what’s right for you!

If you answer “yes” to (nearly) all the questions below, then you just might be suited for voiceover work.

If you answer “maybe” or “no” to more than two or three questions (other than #9), then voice acting may not be right for you. You need to be 100% confident and completely sure about whether you want to jump into the fray because it’s going to take time, money, work and commitment to get there… like learning any new skill.

#1—Am I an entrepreneur?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

If you have been in the same job since forever and think maybe it’s time to leave it and take up voice acting, WAIT A MOMENT AND THINK AGAIN! Unless you have been self-employed before AND you have an entrepreneurial spirit, DO NOT QUIT YOUR DAY JOB to become a Voice Actor. Sometimes it can take up to several years to make any money worthy of supporting one person let alone a family! Of course, it could happen sooner by putting the necessary work in. If you DO have an entrepreneurial spirit and have been self-employed before, then surely you know the pitfalls and challenges!

#2—Am I persistent, tenacious, patient and willing to do what it takes no matter what (within legal boundaries of course)?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

A ‘CAN DO’ attitude helps, but more importantly, if you are someone who tends to try something once, doesn’t see the immediate benefit or reward and moves on, then this business is DEFINITELY NOT FOR YOU! Being persistent, tenacious and willing to do what it takes to get the job (done) will go a long way to helping you achieve success. While Voice Acting isn’t the only field this applies to, you can bet it definitely applies here! Sometimes, it can take five to 10 tries just to reach someone to talk to about your services. Are you willing to keep trying?

As well, learning the skill of voice acting is a process that takes time and practice, so you will also need patience if you want to sound like a pro!

#3—Does competition scare me?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

On any given business day and many weekends there are literally millions of voice actors looking for ‘gigs’ as they are referred to in the business. Not just in North America, but worldwide! Think you can compete?

#4—Am I ‘directable’?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

When someone asks you to change your work, do you get offended or are you willing to take a different approach to make it better? We all have egos and some of us need stroking regularly, particularly Voice Actors, but in the recording booth, it’s not about you; it’s about what the client wants, i.e. the work. Are you prepared to give a variety of reads according to what the clients wants (and it’s not always known, so many times you are guessing) without being offended after the third try when someone says, “We’ll see what we can use from those choices.”? Directors, producers, clients all have different opinions and you get conflicting messages which can be confusing for a new talent to figure out who is boss!

#5—Can I set goals - then follow through?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

Goals are an important tool to help you get from ‘A’ to ‘Z’ and every step in between. You need to be able to identify what you want to do and make a plan that works, and then… work it!

#6—Do I want this ‘badly’?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

While measuring how much you want something (i.e. ‘badly’) is completely subjective, the degree to which you want it can determine how much you are willing to do or sacrifice to get it. A burning desire can be a driving force that propels you to achieve your goals. It’s also helpful if you are passionate about what it is you want as that emotion will also be the fuel to keep you going when things are slow or not moving fast enough for you. If being a Voice Actor is a burning desire from within, then chances are you will find a way.

#7—Do I handle rejection well (or does it bother me)?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

You might know actors who routinely audition and don’t get the work, or perhaps you know about Hollywood actor Mark Ruffulo (The Hulk) who auditioned what he estimates is 600 times before he got his first job in film. With the competition being what it is in voice acting, chances are, it might take many more auditions before you land that first gig! Are you prepared for waiting to hear, ‘no’ or absolute radio silence, repeatedly? Can you handle the rejection?

#8—Am I ok with self-promotion?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

Depending on the generation you’re in, self-promotion can either be a ‘dirty word’ or something you do shamelessly on social media! If it makes you uncomfortable to spread the word about what you do in any way at all, then this business is not for you! Think about how you found your last job. What did you have to do to get it? It’s likely you used online job sites or recruiting companies where you either posted or sent your resume, unless you went to the company directly. Looking for voice work is very similar, but not exactly.

#9—Do I have stage fright?

□-Yes □-Maybe □-No

Yes, you may record in a studio but if the recording is at a client’s chosen production company, then it is likely there will be many people in the studio watching you. If you just gasped… and you have made it this far, then you will be happy to know there are techniques to help you overcome that stage fright!

Now it’s up to you to decide whether you have all of the necessary traits to not merely survive but thrive as a Voice Actor! Being entrepreneurial, persistent, tenacious, competitive, confident, self-assured, directable and fearless are most, but not all you need! Remember that having a great voice and being able to read a script out loud like you’re having a conversation with someone are also vital and fundamental elements that will help you succeed in the voice acting business! Good luck!”

Dana Detrick

seriousvanity.com

As a voice talent and music producer, Dana Detrick works with business creatives to help build their marketing strategies and brand. Through her Serious Vanity music publishing company, she has produced and released numerous independent music CDs and developed advertising and marketing campaigns for her clients.

22 Jobs a Creative Solopreneur Must Be Able to Do

© Dana Detrick. All rights reserved.

They say solopreneurs must wear many hats, but exactly how many? Here’s a list of the 22 roles all creative solopreneurs have to fill to keep their businesses afloat.

Running the Creative Show

1. Creative Director and/or Project Manager: No matter what area of creative is your focus, “CD ” is your title. From developing concepts and products for both clients and in-house marketing, to overseeing and organizing outsourced creative, acquiring projects and leads, creating timelines, plus checks and balances for all, it is all on your shoulders.

2. Talent Agent: Any creative will be managing, acquiring, and selling talent—even if it’s just their own!

3. Web Developer: Most of us at least start out taking on some of these duties on our own. Having direct control of your web branding, site maintenance, e-commerce, and the user experience is not to be underestimated.

4. Graphic Designer: Ok, so you might already be a graphic designer by trade, but even if you’re not, odds are good you’ll be creating some visual collateral at some point (even if it’s just an avatar or simple logo).

5. Audio Producer: Whether you’re putting together your own podcasts or your specialization is in audio production, this is a consideration now. Digging into development tasks that include editing, mastering, software, and session management is the least of what you can expect to do.

6. Video Producer: If you’ve got a smartphone, you’re creating something for your business with it. Even something as small as a branded Vine or Periscope video is part of almost every marketing plan, but many are doing much more. Content creation, acquisition of b-roll or templates, hardware, and software are on your to-do list.

7. Photographer: You are going to be hard pressed to not find some aspect of your work that won’t require photography at some point. Even if you’re just maintaining a presence on Instagram or Facebook, photos are basic components to engage your audience.

8. Copywriter and/or Blogger: The written word is your most powerful marketing tool, used at almost every stage in business life. From proposals to web copy to podcast scripts and invoices, you’ll be speaking (effectively, if you take this seriously) through every marketing channel.

Sales and Marketing

9. Advertising Agent and/or Marketing Manager: Such a small word for such big tasks. Overseeing all marketing efforts including branding, plans, structures, communications, collateral, branding, and vendors, for inbound and traditional advertising campaigns.

10. Social Networking Strategist and Manager: Digital Marketing tactics to get the word out about your business often fall to the solopreneur first. Controlling, developing and managing networks, online marketing plans, and contacts are all going to be part of your daily life.

11. Public Relations Specialist (PR): Traditional public relations will be your job, too. You’ll need to develop media relationships, manage collateral and delivery channels, communications, and create press releases.

12. Salesperson: Lead generation, qualification, and conversion can be creative, too. Prospecting, networking, cold calling, and discovery sessions are part of the deal, whether it’s product, licensing, or service sales you’re after.

13. Consultant: Every creative has to be able to get to the heart of their clients’ needs, walk them through the process, and defend their decision making. A good grasp of consulting is the way it’s done.

The Cogs

14. Content Manager: Developing systems of organization, registration, and distribution for your traditional and digital content will keep the cogs rolling. Without properly having processes in place here, chaos can overtake a solopreneur’s business quickly.

15. Legal: You’re in charge of developing licenses, forms, rules, and policies, as well as your communications with an outside legal consultant (wouldn’t recommend doing this one on your own!).

16. Accountant: Payables and receivables, taxes, growth tracking, billing, communications, and filing systems fall into this category, but like legal, it’s recommended to at least have an accountant on standby for the big things.

17. Distribution: If you deal in physical deliverables at all, you’ll need to create some processes to make this as quick and painless as possible. Whether it’s a shipping and receiving routine, or acquiring channels for digital delivery, you are in charge of making sure the buyer gets their goods.

18. Customer Service: The relationship does not end when the check clears, so proactively create systems for this before needed.

19. Clerical Worker: General filing and office management may not seem like that big of a deal—until you go without it.

20. Finance and Funding Expert: The acquisition of investors and opportunities will call for some technical writing skills, good accounting sense, and specific legal knowledge, all geared for forward motion.

21. IT Tech: Gotta keep the systems running! That includes all of the hardware and software in your office.

The Work

22. YOU!: This is the reason you started your business. It may feel like, with all of the above responsibilities on your shoulders, your true purpose got a little lost. But when you’re in “The Zone” using your talent to solve your client’s most urgent problem, all of these other tasks will be worth it.

Marc Cashman

cashmancommercials.com

Marc Cashman is one of the few people in the commercial production business who works on “both sides of the glass”—as an award-winning Radio and TV commercial producer, as well as a working voice actor. As President of Cashman Commercials, Marc creates and produces music and advertising for Radio, TV and Internet, and has won over 150 advertising awards, including the prestigious CLIO.

He has narrated more than 150 audiobooks and was voted one of the “Best Voices of the Year” by AudioFile Magazine—three times. As author of, V-Oh! Tips, Tricks, Tools and Techniques to Start and Sustain Your Voiceover Career, Marc teaches his “Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques” in Los Angeles, CA and writes for several national publications. He was a keynote speaker at four of the five VOICE conventions and has been featured at numerous other voiceover events and as a featured speaker for broadcasting and advertising groups.

Twenty Crucial VO Tips

© Marc Cashman. All rights reserved.

1: Don’t race through the first sentence. In any well-written copy, the first sentence usually sets up the whole rest of the story. Usually, in commercial copy, the premise or subject is introduced in the beginning. Don’t throw it away.

2: Reformat commercial copy; make each sentence flush left and increase the font. It’s easier to read when you don’t have to deal with big paragraphs or line breaks. And it’s easier on your brain when there’s more white space on the page.

3: There’s no need to read when the copy is short. You can memorize a short line without reading. It’s called “throwing” a line. You’ll sound authentic and conversational.

4: Ad lib a short backstory before you perform commercial copy. It helps you frame the story and warms you up before you dive in. And it gives you a reason to say what you’re saying.

5: Always take a few minutes to warm up your voice. Stretch your facial muscles, do tongue twisters and sing to oxygenate and hydrate. Walkers and runners and singers do this religiously.

6: Mark your copy in pencil, not pen. You can’t erase pen if necessary. And keep the marks simple, so you can navigate through the text easily and consistently.

7: Your smile is the promise of a good experience. When people hear you smile, they think if you had a good experience with the product or service, they will, too.

8: Every spot is an invitation to try a specific product or service. Always invite folks in, particularly on the tag line at the end. Welcome them, like you would guests.

9: Ask 3 story-related questions to understand what you're talking about: a) Who am I? b) Where am I? and c) Who am I talking to? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you don’t understand the story. And if you don’t know what you’re talking about, shut up until you do.

10: Be true to your voiceprint. Don’t bother auditioning stuff way outside your voiceprint age. You won’t sound authentic. Ask your colleagues how young or old you sound—hopefully they’ll be honest and objective.

11. Be cognizant of your upspeak—and don’t let it control you. It makes you sound like you’re either not sure or you don’t care. However, upspeak is part of our vernacular, and is sometimes okay to use in your performance.

12. When “coloring” words, use pastels, watercolors or colored pencil when talking to your peers; finger paint and day-glow colors for toddlers. We speak to little kids in tones they can relate to; we speak to our peers in shades and nuance.

13. Stand for scripts that require energy and excitement, but sit (on a stool) for more thoughtful, softer reads. You need your whole body to exude energy properly; but a stool helps you lower your center of gravity and relax your voice and delivery.

14. Need to shave time? Quicken your pace, contract words where possible, eliminate commas and shorten the space between sentences. Commercial voiceover copy is the only kind of copy that’s timed—to the second.

15. If you see words in bold, italics, underlined or capitalized, that’s the writer asking you to emphasize just those WORDS. Ignore them at your peril.

16. Instead of saying “two thousand” for dates in this century, use “20” and the year. Usually fewer words and syllables and more precise. Plus, by 2020, everybody will be saying “twenty-twenty.”

17. In V-O, you’re not always talking to one person. The story tells you how many people you’re talking to. Most commercial copy isn’t written in a realistic one-to-one style, so don’t try to put a round peg in a square hole.

18. Ad copy isn’t always engraved in stone. A little ad-libbing or improv in commercials and especially videogame copy is expected by the writer. Plus, a bit of improv/ad-libbing always makes a story sound more conversational.

19. When given a celebrity reference in an audition, listen carefully to their tone and key. If your signature voice isn’t close to it, pass. Determine whether the direction calls for an exact sound-alike or just a tonal reference, then proceed accordingly.

20. Many commercials have three parts: a problem, a solution and a call to action, just like stories have a beginning, middle and end. Understand and deliver the appropriate tone for each part.

Melissa Moats

ladyluckvoiceovers.com & thevoiceactorstudio.com

Melissa Moats is a seasoned voice over actor with thousands of bookings under her belt during her almost 2 decade-long career. She is heard worldwide on everything from national television campaigns for major household brands, documentaries, and video games. But wait! There's more! Melissa is also the founder of The Voice Actors Studio in Las Vegas, NV where she mentors up-and-coming voice actors and also teaches a voice acting course for the University of Las Vegas.

A Day in the Life of a Voice Actor

© Melissa Moats. All rights reserved.

To find success as a voice over actor today, the talent must be equipped to wear many hats, and wear them all well. Finding balance between continually honing your craft, auditioning, recording/editing, becoming tech savvy, quoting, negotiating, invoicing, scheduling sessions with clients, having great ‘people skills’ and mastering the practice of self-discipline. In addition to that, one of the most challenging and often scary areas for the voice actor today, is letting voice buyers know you exist.

Marketing and self-promotion. Yep, we are now an agent of sorts too. Up and coming talent love the idea of becoming a voice over actor and romanticize what they believe our industry is all about. It’s so much more than doing a few silly voices or ‘having a good voice.’ Very few are willing or able to wear all the hats required to find consistent work and truly make a career of voice acting. As an eternal optimist, and mentor to many, building a career for yourself can be done, it just takes persistence, practice, and most of all patience. Try saying that on mic and avoid ‘P’ pop-age! You really can’t rush the process.

First there’s the discovery of who you are, and how your voice type/style fits into the marketplace and uncovering the different genres and approaches to each type of copy. Then skill development and refinement, which doesn’t happen overnight, and then it can take years to build a steady stream of regular clients. Aside from being exceptional at your craft, which is a MUST, we must be equally savvy at recording/editing, acquire various business skills, and become a solid self-promoter.

You’ve got to be hungry, and in it for the right reasons. You must love it. Your heart must be in it. If voice acting is just another revenue stream to you, you’re in the wrong business.

Pay to Plays, agents, direct B to B, Social Media and YOU. They each play a part in the world of VO. Focusing on only one will limit your access to opportunities. If you decide to audition for projects on Pay to Play sites, do yourself a huge favor and have a solid education on how rates work. Make sure you’re quoting properly, and don’t submit on low-ball projects. This is good for ALL of us, our industry as a whole. There are many great resources for union and non-union rates online, and I have no doubt that James has pointed you in the right direction to locate industry rate-cards somewhere in this book! Right, James? Right! He’s great like that.

Agents are working hard for us, and they have our backs. Establishing a great relationship with your agent(s) is very important. You may have agents across the country in many different markets. The more relationships you have the better. Just be sure you are clear on which regions you’re agreeing to work in with each agency, so you don’t run into any conflicts.

Your agent will go to bat for you on rates, session lengths, usage, and in general, exercising good business practice. And they’ll make sure you get paid! Yay! Just understand that you can’t put all your eggs in one basket today. You will get work from your agents, but with the size of many agency talent rosters and changes in our industry’s landscape you’re going to have to hustle on your own as well.

Which leads me to direct business to business and social media. Whichever genre(s) you are pursuing, get to know production companies directly! If it’s video game work you’re wanting more of, target game developers, and production companies who specialize in video games. Message on Hold your cup of tea? Research all the IVR/Phone Hold Companies near and far. The world-wide-web is your new bestie and Googling potential voice buyers until your eyes are googl-ey is so right now.

You want to search for the people who will potentially hire you. If you’re into commercial voice over, reach out to ad agencies and audio/video production companies, and so on. You’ll get much further with prospects if you’ve done your homework and know what they specialize in before calling or emailing them. Stand out from the crowd and express interest in what they do.

Ask questions instead of trying to oversell yourself. If you plan to call on the tely-o-phone, practice a few times before making the call. What are you going to say? Who will you ask for? One of my famous lines when I get people on the phone is, “Hi. I hope you can help me…” Before I say anything else. People are nice. They want to help. When someone asks you for help what do you generally want to do? Help. I thought so.

Voice actors are awesome people. (In my humble opinion). And yes, nowadays people do still pick up the phone and call. Emailing is more the norm however, but if you’re well-spoken and communicate comfortably person-to-person, go for it. You’ll most likely stand out. Just stand out for the right reasons. If you email them to make initial contact, carefully choose your words, double-space your email, and keep it clean, brief and to the point. I’m talking 5 sentences max. Producers, agents, casting directors, etc., receive countless emails every day. Make it easy for them to read quickly. Less is more.

Send them a link to your website and put a little personality in your writing. We’re connecting with creatives, so don’t feel you need to be too stuffy or formal. Most of the people hiring us wear concert t-shirts and holey jeans. They appreciate casual writing styles and being real. To them you’re a name, a voice, and an email address so let YOU shine in your cleverly, thoughtfully crafted words until they get to know you. You can be casual, and still be professional. That’s a thing. Just don’t acronym all over the place. Complete sentences are still cool.

So while we’re chatting about communication, let’s look at social media. Keep it positive. Keep it light. Many talent choose to have a ‘personal social media presence’ and a separate account for their voice over relationships. That was way too much messing around for me, so I combined mine. Remember when you’re posting, you’re representing yourself and your VO business.

Play nice out there. If you land an exciting gig, share it. (After you’ve gotten permission, of course). You never want to discuss or post anything prematurely or confidential. Ever. That’ll get you remembered for the wrong reasons. It just reminds your ‘friends’ what you do and that they should book you too!

Share helpful info. Avoid participating in ‘ranting’ threads. Especially if they’re industry related. Think of social media as a way to share a combination of your life, your personality, and your VO wizardry with the world. People want to know you. Just proceed with caution. If you’re going to post something ask yourself, “Would I say this out loud in front of a stellar, new client?” Mmm-hmm. It’s like when you were in first grade and asked yourself if you’d say or do this-or-that in front of Mom? Same rule applies. You’re just a big kid now.

Kidding aside, LinkedIn is another great platform for direct engagement with potential clients. On this platform still be yourself but turn up the professionalism a few clicks. Make sure your profile is detailed and up to date. You can really score some amazing relationships on LinkedIn if you do it right. I recommend Tracy Lindley’s LinkedIn course. You’ll get a ton out of it, and she’s fantastic. My last thought on social media in general: Limit the amount of time you spend engaging social media! If you’re commenting on every post, sharing 20 cat memes per hour, or uploading selfies every five minutes… Y’know what your message is to the world? That you’re not working. You’re not auditioning. And producers/clients are especially annoyed by this if they’re waiting for audio from you!

At the end of the day, take a deep breath, be kind to yourself, embrace the creative learning process, work hard, audition often, treat your clients well, nurture your relationships, be grateful, and always continue to hone your craft. Even after almost two decades of voicing for a living, I still remain a humble student.

Oh, and don’t forget to have fun! You’ve totally got this.

Kelly Buttrick

kbvoiceovers.com

Kelly Buttrick is one of those rare voice actors with a brilliant mind for business. She’s a professional voice actor with a background in theater, radio, public relations, journalism, copy writing, advertising, and ton of performing and marketing experience. One of her passions is her Jeep Wrangler… to the point where she created an entire TV ad campaign designed to pitch herself as the next voice of Jeep. Her KB4Jeep campaign won four Telly® Awards,, garnered more than $75,000 in free advertising and boosted Kelly’s bottom line by more than 30%. You can get a peek into her business mind when you visit her website. Her tips here are short, but to the point. Take her advice. This is one woman who knows what she’s doing.

Career Compass: How to Navigate Your VO Career

© Kelly Buttrick. All rights reserved.

It can be difficult to stay the course on your voiceover journey, tripping over roots of self-doubt, distracted by shiny new gear or tempted down pathways pursuing promises made by industry predators.

Find direction through career compass points:

Kate McClanaghan

voiceoverinfo.com

Kate McClanaghan knows voiceover! Born in Chicago, she currently lives in Los Angeles working as a voice talent, casting director, producer, and coach. She owns Big House Casting and Audio Studios with offices in Chicago and LA, and is the author of “The Sound Advice Encyclopedia of Voice-over & the Business of Being a Working Talent.”

What You Should Know When Meeting with a Talent Agent

© Kate McClanaghan, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

Much like a really good first date, sitting down with a new agent can be simultaneously exciting and nerve-wracking. Granted your date may appear stunning and very discriminating, and you may feel flat-out privileged to be out with them, but you want to be sure you’re both on the same page. If your relationship is going any place then your meeting needs to be a mutually satisfying venture, if you’ll excuse the metaphor.

So, let’s assume you’re fully prepared to arrive at the agent’s front door with up-to-date promotional materials: you’re well-trained, your voiceover demos are current and represent the best of your abilities, and you’re ready to work. Great. Now what?

To be clear, by definition, a talent agent has access to work you’re best suited to land and you aren’t likely to secure on your own, and they have a good working knowledge of what those jobs are worth. This is precisely why they want to meet with you from the start. They want to ensure you’re up to the task as a professional. They’ll likely give you an 8-12 week, if not a 6 to 8 month, trail period. Although they aren’t likely to tell you that, however, talent agents have done this for ages. And they might not even state they’re trying you out at the onset. But they do want to see how your handle yourself over few months time, just like most jobs.

Here’s what you should know prior to sitting down with a talent agent:

1. This “meeting” is an audition. Regardless of how you got in the room (i.e. a friend-o f -a-friend, a professional referral, a relative, or even your own submission), this is a job interview. You may have thought this was a simple ”meet and greet”, or pleasant fact-finding mission, but the agent in front of you is reading whether or not you’re worthy (and savvy enough) to become someone who would represent the agency well or not. You would be representing them as much as they’d be representing you! Therefore, this is as much a “chemistry read” as anything, whether the agent has you read a script or two or not, and they might not.
2. Be flexible. You may or may not be asked to perform. Just be as prepared to get to know the agent and their needs and wants, as to read a script or two. And don’t be surprised if they’re running 20 minutes to a half hour late and you have to sit there. You want them to be BUSY. That’s a good sign. Who wants a talent agent that rarely gets any work?
3. Be someone people honestly want to work with. The agent wants to see how well you carry yourself, professionally, especially when they aren’t there and you’re on a job. What’s your temperament like when you’re not acting? Are you personable? Are you thoughtful? And not just to the agent, but to other talent, and the person at the front desk? If you’re impatient or short with others and pour on the syrup with the agent alone, that doesn’t go unnoticed. Additionally, if you spend the brief time you have with this agent dissing various people, or crabbing about all the things you “hate” about this business, you won’t be using their time (or yours) wisely. And if you only talk about yourself, or just as bad, hardly talking at all, you need to rethink your approach. Offer more than simple one-word responses. No one wants to work that hard to get to know you.
4. If you’re not working, you’re training. This isn’t a cliché reserved for someone else—this means YOU. Just as every professional athlete is found training when not in the game, the very same applies to you as a talent. If you aren’t currently training, better get busy. And be quick about it! Agents want to know you’re reliable. The best litmus test for that is your continued quest to improve your performance, and to maintain your professional chops. This is where so-called “seasoned” talent entirely miss the mark. If the last time you took a class was a couple years ago, it’s highly unlikely you can be counted on to deliver your best at a moments notice. This fact is elementary to some, yet better than 80% of all talent leave this element entirely out of the equation. No one’s diminishing your experience or expertise, just don’t assume there’s nothing left to learn. Proper coaching offers a fresh approach, and helps feed that drive that gives you your competitive edge. Otherwise, it’s likely you’ll expect more from the talent agency than you’re willing to do yourself. And that would be a red flag for the agent.
5. The agent isn’t your manager or publicist. Typically, these responsibilities fall to you, especially as a voice talent. While many agents will try to help and refer you to this demo producer, or that headshot photographer, or even this class or that workshop… you’re expected to arrive on their doorstep ready to work, rather than basing your entire career on random referrals from a single talent agent that may or may not have any real experience with who or what they are referring. Happens all the time. That’s NOT their job. Agents want to help, but there’s honestly only so much they can do. This is the legwork you’re responsible for well in advance of submitting your demos to them or expecting them to sign you their agency. GET COACHED!
6. Ask intelligent questions. Easier said than done, especially if you’re nervous. So, be prepared. Determine what sort of work the agency is known for and why you’d honestly be an asset. Determine why you’d be a valued talent to add to their talent roster. Finally, if you determine this is an agency you want to align yourself with, reassure them you’ll do your level best to be a reliable asset to them. And then live up to your word, if not surpass it.

Careful not to fool yourself into thinking that simply having a demo will drive jobs to your door—you have to promote it. The very same applies to talent agents, simply having a talent agent doesn’t mean your work is through—you’re only just getting warmed up. Get your demos into the hands of a number of talent agents who are known specifically for voiceover, and who will want to audition you to ensure you can deliver what you claim.

The very best voiceover jobs are cast from well-curated pools of talent represented by professional talent agents across the country. This is why studying with a seasoned professional like James Alburger, or with us at Actors’ SOUND ADVICE, can dramatically improve your odds. Be sure you’re receiving the most complete training and voiceover demo production available anywhere, regardless of where you live.

Lisa Orkin

radio-ranch.com

I started writing a creative introduction for Lisa Orkin, then I realized I couldn’t match her bio on the radio-ranch.com website:

Lisa is the daughter of Dick Orkin (1933-2017), co-founder of Radio-Ranch and the man behind “Chickenman,” “Tooth Fairy,” and thousands of creative and highly effective radio commercials. Creativity is definitely in that family’s genes! She is now Creative Director of Radio-Ranch and also writes and voices award-winning radio spots. With well over 1,000 radio spots under her belt, Lisa is a driving force in the world of radio commercial production.

What follows was written for the copy writer, who might also be the client or producer, who would ultimately be directing. In your personal studio, most of the time you will be the director as well as the actor. Even though you didn’t write the script, you need to know how to interpret the words and direct your performance. So… pretend you DID write the script. And as you direct yourself, heed Lisa Orkin’s advice and give yourself permission to play.

Directing Radio Spots: It's All about the Playables

© Radio-Ranch. All rights reserved.

Congrats. You are all set to take your spot into the studio. Your script is a fine-tuned to a tee; everyone from creative to account execs to client is totally on board; you’ve got your dream cast. Now, all you have to do is talk to them.

Seems simple enough. You wrote the words, you should be able to coax performances out of your assembled actors. Right? Easy peasy. That is, if you pay attention to that crucial word: Actors.

Despite the conviction on the part of some writers/producers (“Please give us actors. No VO people”), good voice over performers are real actors. Really, really good ones.

The first and best advice I would give anyone directing voice overs is to take an acting class. Basic acting 101. Improv training helps tremendously with writing, but acting workshops are the tits for directing. I think actors make some of the best directors, because they can walk the walk and certainly talk the talk. They know just what to say to actors, because it’s precisely what they would want a director to say to them.

And here are a few handy tricks to help you find the words:

Trick #1

Remembering back to my first acting class in college, the first thing we did when we got a script for a scene, was to come up with a set of playable adjectives for our characters and their situations. These are helpful beyond measure for voice overs. A good actor of course does this for himself. A good director has a list of them at the ready. If you didn’t write the spots you’re directing, have the writer come up with a list. It’ll be a good exercise for them as well.

What exactly are playable adjectives? In a few words, descriptions which translate into performance. For instance, tall and thin are descriptive but not really playable. Particularly useless for the radio. Nervous, sappy, creepy, clueless. Those are playable adjectives. They relate to states of mind and evoke emotions. And emotions are after all the actor’s lifeblood.

Obviously, you’re directing for audio and we’re looking most particularly for information your cast can hang a VO on. You wouldn’t neglect to give an actor something as basic as “she has a Slavic accent. ” Emotional information is just as vital. Things like “one really cold dude” or “insanely happy all the time” tell an actor a lot about how to approach the character and how they’re gonna sound.

Trick #2

Any experienced director will tell you never ever give line readings. They’re right. Never ever give an actor a line reading. Sometimes, though, a simple technical direction works wonders: “Try making that a question,” or “See what happens if you throw it away.”

Trick #3

Also, pace and rhythm are as important to any performance as vocal qualities. Just having an actor pick up speed or change to a different cadence can totally nail a character and make a spot.

If you stay in the moment and tuned in to your actors, these are tools that will help you come up with directions quickly and precisely and give you what you need to give your actors what they need. Essentially, you are giving your cast a license to play, and the toys to play with.

It’s always about the playable.

Bob Bergen

bobbergen.com - @bobbergen

The opening line of Bob Bergen’s one-man show, “Not Just Another Pretty Voice,” is: When I was 5 years old I told my parents ‘when I grow up I want to be Porky Pig. My Mother told me, ‘Honey you can’t be Porky Pig, you’re Jewish.’ Today, Bob is the official Warner Bros. voice of Porky Pig and he’s considered one of the most versatile character voice actors in Hollywood. Bob has been a professional voice actor since the age of 18, working in every aspect of the business. If anyone knows voiceover, it’s Bob Bergen.

Voiceover Demos

© Bob Bergen. All rights reserved.

The biggest mistake I see new voice-over actors make is to pursue voiceover and record a demo prematurely. Everyone wants to start their voice-over career yesterday! But a bad demo will close more doors than a good one will open. If you submit a demo that isn’t outstanding it will be hard to impossible to get a second listen to a better demo down the road. People, especially agents, rarely give you a second chance. So make sure you are as good or better than those currently represented and working before even thinking about that first demo. And you will know when you are ready. If there’s even the slightest doubt, you aren’t ready.

Make sure your demo represents WHO you are, not just your sound. No one needs another “voice” in this business. Agents have all the “voices” they need. What they don’t have, and what they do need is YOUR personality. Personality is the one thing missing from most beginner’s demos. And you shouldn’t try to be all things voiceover! You need to do what YOU do well. Don’t attempt styles that aren’t you. Your voice doesn’t lie.

Check out the voice talent from the top LA agencies, such as Atlas, CESD, DPN, SBV, etc. You’ll recognize personalities behind the voices you hear. In less than one minute you’ll know who the person is, not just the sound of their voice.

I hear students say all the time, “People always tell me what a great voice I have!” Well, there’s no such thing as a bad voice! There are only good and bad actors. Your acting skills need to be honed before taking voice-over classes. A voice-over class isn’t an acting class. Voice-over classes teach you how to apply your acting skills to voiceover, and properly interpret commercial, promo, and animation copy. You’ll be spinning your wheels in a voice-over class without a good solid acting foundation. Also, improv is great training for all performers! If your commercial demo doesn’t represent the real conversational you, your personality, sense of humor, your own individual cadence and style, etc., in one minute, then you aren’t demo ready!

Fred Frees

voicepeddler.com

As a close to this chapter of wisdom and advice from some current day top professionals, it only seems appropriate to include some sage advice from one of the true voice acting legends.

You may or may not recognize the last name “Frees.” If you do, it’s likely because you are a fan of “The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show,” or “Fractured Flickers,” or any number of animated films produced by Jay Ward Productions, Rankin Bass, Disney, and others. Or, perhaps you’ve been to the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, or you remember Professor Ludwig Von Drake. The voice behind these and hundreds of other animation and live action films was the late Paul Frees. From the mid-1940s through the 1970s, Paul Frees was among the elite in voiceover, in a league with Mel Blanc and Daws Butler.

Fred Frees has followed in his father’s footsteps and is a professional voice actor, audio book narrator, and coach. Fred also manages the Voice Peddler Facebook group. When I asked Fred if he would contribute something for this book, he offered the following wisdom from his father.

Advice from Paul Frees

© Fred Frees. All rights reserved.

I’d like to pass along some great voiceover advice from my dad, Paul Frees regarding the topic of professionalism. This could be true for almost any profession, but it’s especially appropriate for voiceover and acting in general (which was my father’s intent when he said it).

Your profession is analogous to a ship on the water. You may think that once you achieve the goal of being hired, you can regard yourself as a professional. But, this is incorrect. A ship is always a ship, whether or not it has a cargo. The structure is there and it can function on the water. Getting hired and booking jobs is your cargo. Whether or not this has happened, your structure is still there and you are afloat in the business.

If you think of yourself as an amateur who is just getting along by the skin of your teeth, then others will perceive you the same way. In other words, you must be a professional long before you achieve the profession. Your attitude will carry you through, even if you’re not getting hired. Without consummate professionalism, you will never be considered. If you are asked to audition and compete with other professionals, then you are at least (in baseball terms) getting your turn at bat. When an agent or casting director considers you for a job, it is because they recognize you as a professional (despite your lack of cargo), and you should always do the same.

Never think less of yourself because you’re not booking jobs.