My pal Stu Gray has tagged me for a recent blog he wrote. It's about being a student of your own success, and he asked several of us voice actors to answer 4 questions.
1. What habits have enabled you to become successful?
Consistency is key to any success. My clients know they can rely on me to deliver a quality product on time (or ahead of schedule). It also pays to be friendly and flexible. Working as a freelance actor/voice actor means I don't have to adhere to staunch corporate rules. I can work with my client to meet their expectations. I have found no better marketing tool than simple word of mouth, therefore I give each project 100%
2. What habits have blocked you from success?
Fear and self doubt. In a profession such as voice over, the 'competition' is staggering. It is easy to doubt my abilities when I am not hired for a job. Fear has prevented me in the past from picking up the phone to market and sell my services. Cold calling is one of my greatest weaknesses. I also suffer from mild stage fright. I've been working very hard to overcome all of these obstacles. There is no room for self doubt in this business. I've been blessed with a thick skin from years in radio, and I work to keep my confidence levels high.
3. What advice would you give a young VO professional?
Keep your day job. Seriously! I receive so many e-mails per month from people ready to quit their jobs and become full time voice actors. I guess it sounds so glamorous. They have no idea the amount of work it will take to build a client base. Many of these folks have only had one or two jobs and think the clients will just appear. I always tell people to keep their day job, and do voice over on the side. When voice work is paying more than their day job salary, then it's time to consider a switch to full time.
The other advice I give is to never stop learning. Continue studying with different voice coaches, taking acting and improv lessons, singing lessons, etc. We must always work to improve our craft and challenge ourselves.
4. Whats the best book(s) you have read to help you become successful at what you do?
This will sound funny, since it's not a book about voice over...but Smart Women Finish Rich is one of the best books I have read. As a freelance non-union actor, it is up to me to put money back for my retirement. I have to keep my earnings and expenses organized, pay taxes, etc. The more business knowledge one possesses (branding, marketing, networking, book keeping, etc), the better the chances of overall success.
Thanks Stu- this was fun! I look forward to reading everyone's response to the questions!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Can I Take Five?
This past Friday morning I had an on-camera session, filming a series of web videos. I was fortunate to work with one of my new favorite production companies, as well as a terrific client and ad agency.
The beautiful and talented make-up artist on set had to actually pin me into my brown wool suit as it was about one size too large. So, there were large clips and invisible tape running all along my spine and across my collar bone. From the front, everything was clean and crisp...from the back, I looked like a giant science experiment!
Because of the time spent locking me into my mark, I didn't want to move around very much- lest I pop any pins or have pieces of my hair fall out of place.
The first hour moved along smoothly. I had a total of ten sections to record via teleprompter (which I was told was the smallest teleprompter in existence, a fact I can attest to!). With only 3 sections left, I started feeling slightly dizzy.
Because of the massive studio lights (the largest I had ever seen) and my dark wool suit (which felt more like a corset than a suit), I was sweating profusely. The beautiful and talented make-up artist was having to 'blot' me between every take. I was slowly beginning to dehydrate, and was in desperate need of some sugar (having filmed through lunch).
But, I wanted to keep going. I didn't want to risk messing up all the pins along my spine, and I wanted to get us back on schedule (the previous production had run long, and I was hoping to help everyone out). So I continued to push through.
With only two sections left to go, I started getting that 'sinking' feeling...like I might actually pass out. The director was watching me closely and asked if I would like to take a break.
No, no- I'm fine, I said. Then I had a flashback to some reality show I had seen one time (I can't remember which one- something to do with modeling). One of the girls was succumbing to hypothermia but continued with the shoot. In the end, her photos suffered because of it.
So, I re-thought my answer and asked if I could take a few minutes to sit down out of the lights. Of course, it was no problem and the client took those five minutes to discuss some changes to the script.
In the end, the break worked out for everyone. My pins stayed in place. I felt much better, and the client was able to make the necessary changes. The production ended right on time.
Driving home afterward, I thought about why I was so afraid to take a break. What did I have to prove? What if I had passed out...that would have delayed production much longer than my tiny break did! Knowing my limits came across as much more professional than giving a sub-par performance.
It is impossible to give your best if you are running on empty. You suffer, the production staff suffers, and ultimately the client and the product suffer.
From now on, I will never be afraid to take five and recharge. Whether it's a long voice over session or an on camera session, walking away for a minute can help the mind and body refocus. In the end, everyone wins!
The beautiful and talented make-up artist on set had to actually pin me into my brown wool suit as it was about one size too large. So, there were large clips and invisible tape running all along my spine and across my collar bone. From the front, everything was clean and crisp...from the back, I looked like a giant science experiment!
Because of the time spent locking me into my mark, I didn't want to move around very much- lest I pop any pins or have pieces of my hair fall out of place.
The first hour moved along smoothly. I had a total of ten sections to record via teleprompter (which I was told was the smallest teleprompter in existence, a fact I can attest to!). With only 3 sections left, I started feeling slightly dizzy.
Because of the massive studio lights (the largest I had ever seen) and my dark wool suit (which felt more like a corset than a suit), I was sweating profusely. The beautiful and talented make-up artist was having to 'blot' me between every take. I was slowly beginning to dehydrate, and was in desperate need of some sugar (having filmed through lunch).
But, I wanted to keep going. I didn't want to risk messing up all the pins along my spine, and I wanted to get us back on schedule (the previous production had run long, and I was hoping to help everyone out). So I continued to push through.
With only two sections left to go, I started getting that 'sinking' feeling...like I might actually pass out. The director was watching me closely and asked if I would like to take a break.
No, no- I'm fine, I said. Then I had a flashback to some reality show I had seen one time (I can't remember which one- something to do with modeling). One of the girls was succumbing to hypothermia but continued with the shoot. In the end, her photos suffered because of it.
So, I re-thought my answer and asked if I could take a few minutes to sit down out of the lights. Of course, it was no problem and the client took those five minutes to discuss some changes to the script.
In the end, the break worked out for everyone. My pins stayed in place. I felt much better, and the client was able to make the necessary changes. The production ended right on time.
Driving home afterward, I thought about why I was so afraid to take a break. What did I have to prove? What if I had passed out...that would have delayed production much longer than my tiny break did! Knowing my limits came across as much more professional than giving a sub-par performance.
It is impossible to give your best if you are running on empty. You suffer, the production staff suffers, and ultimately the client and the product suffer.
From now on, I will never be afraid to take five and recharge. Whether it's a long voice over session or an on camera session, walking away for a minute can help the mind and body refocus. In the end, everyone wins!
Monday, April 7, 2008
Necessities
It has been a very busy few weeks for me, which I am extremely thankful for. When you work freelance, you never know from day to day what type of projects may land in your lap. In just this last week, I voiced a large e-learning project, an children's audiobook project, several radio commercials...and even managed a couple of on camera jobs.
I don't want to bore you with my day to day happenings (like in my previous blog- hah!), but I thought I would share a few of the items I have found that make my life as a voice actor much easier.
No, I'm not talking mics and pre-amps, we all know how important those items are. I'm speaking of the non-essentials we all have lying around our office that suddenly become oh so essential. Here they are, in no particular order...
1. My calculator. Rarely am I found more than a few feet away from one of my calculators. I love those little solar powered tools! Mine is regularly used to help with invoice totals, tax withholdings, etc. It also came in quite handy recently when quoting for that e-learning job!
2. My stopwatch. I have 2- and they are used all the time. In the U.S., radio commercials are typically :30 or :60 long...which means our voice over needs to be no longer than 28.5 or 58.5. My inner clock is never that precise, that is why a good timer is a major necessity. Plus, if you are ever stressed out and need to check your heart rate...bingo!
3. My scanner. Having discovered some papers I forgot to give to my CPA, and having no time for a trip uptown- that scanner came in mighty handy! It's also great for scanning in checks and pay stubs to keep for your records.
4. Dictionary.com. The e-learning project contained about 700 medical terms I had never heard of. Thank goodness for pronunciation guides!
5. 100% Whole Grain Fig Newtons. Need I say more?
6. Pilates: 10 Minute Solution. My favorite work out DVD of all time, it contains (among others) a 10 minute set for relaxation and flexibility. I have found no better (or shorter) way to relieve stress and open your chest to help you breathe better.
I'm sure, given time, I can come up with a very long list of essentials for voice over. I'd be interested to hear what non-studio equipment items you find you can't live without!
I don't want to bore you with my day to day happenings (like in my previous blog- hah!), but I thought I would share a few of the items I have found that make my life as a voice actor much easier.
No, I'm not talking mics and pre-amps, we all know how important those items are. I'm speaking of the non-essentials we all have lying around our office that suddenly become oh so essential. Here they are, in no particular order...
1. My calculator. Rarely am I found more than a few feet away from one of my calculators. I love those little solar powered tools! Mine is regularly used to help with invoice totals, tax withholdings, etc. It also came in quite handy recently when quoting for that e-learning job!
2. My stopwatch. I have 2- and they are used all the time. In the U.S., radio commercials are typically :30 or :60 long...which means our voice over needs to be no longer than 28.5 or 58.5. My inner clock is never that precise, that is why a good timer is a major necessity. Plus, if you are ever stressed out and need to check your heart rate...bingo!
3. My scanner. Having discovered some papers I forgot to give to my CPA, and having no time for a trip uptown- that scanner came in mighty handy! It's also great for scanning in checks and pay stubs to keep for your records.
4. Dictionary.com. The e-learning project contained about 700 medical terms I had never heard of. Thank goodness for pronunciation guides!
5. 100% Whole Grain Fig Newtons. Need I say more?
6. Pilates: 10 Minute Solution. My favorite work out DVD of all time, it contains (among others) a 10 minute set for relaxation and flexibility. I have found no better (or shorter) way to relieve stress and open your chest to help you breathe better.
I'm sure, given time, I can come up with a very long list of essentials for voice over. I'd be interested to hear what non-studio equipment items you find you can't live without!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
