Seizing an Opportunity

"Opportunity is what you make of it." I try each day to live by this theory.

Sometimes an opportunity just lands in our lap, sometimes we have to spend months- even years- to make one happen. With the day to day struggle of trying to make things happen, it is so easy to let our fears and doubts keep us from grabbing hold of an opportunity and making all of our dreams come true.

OK, this isn't breaking news- I realize that. So, let me tell you a story about how I turned one trip to LA into a week filled with opportunity.

Last year I attended VOICE 2008. I knew there would be great opportunities to network with my fellow voice actors, learn some new things from the various coaches and pros in attendance, and enjoy some time with my VO friends. But, seeing a chance to milk a little more opportunity out of my time in LA, I extended my trip a couple of days past the end of the conference.

I won't go into great detail here- as to save you a little reading time- but I do want to illustrate my point. These are just a few of the opportunities that landed in my lap that week. I was able to tag along with VO pro Wally Wingert to a few of his voice sessions one day (which gave me a chance to meet several folks at some of the top LA studios). I got to have a private, in-person lesson with my long-time coach Nancy Wolfson (something everyone should have the opportunity to do!). I had a private lesson with Cynthia Songe- and then randomly bumped into producer Chuck Duran following my lesson (what a cool guy he is!). I met an LA agent that now sends me auditions on a regular basis. I met folks for the first time who are now considered dear, dear friends. This list could continue, but I think you get the point.

Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the VOICE conference in and of itself, I chose to make the absolute most of my time in LA. I try to do this each and every time I travel somewhere for voice over.

Sometimes opportunities are obvious. Sometimes we have to work to find them. But there is never any excuse to ignore them. There will be many discussions in the next 10 months as to whether you should attend VOICE 2010. I don't plan to participate in those discussions. Why? It's a decision each person should make for themselves. To be successful in voice over, you must decide which opportunities make the most sense for your business. None of us will follow the same path- but we all will hopefully reach the same goal of a successful career!

In 2 weeks I'll be headed to Austin, TX for the Austin GDC. I have no idea what to expect, but you better believe I'll be seizing every opportunity that comes my way while I'm there!

Now, if you'll excuse me...a few opportunities just landed in my inbox :)

Kara Edwards Voice Over

Both Sides of the Glass

We've all heard the phrase 'working from both sides of the glass'. For anyone not familiar with that phrase it describes (in relation to voice over) a person who works as a talent and an audio producer (the 'glass' being the wall that separates the talent and producer during a typical session).

I was so fortunate to have been trained many years ago as not just a voice actor, but also an audio producer. I spent several years producing radio shows- my job included producing liners, sweepers, features, commercials...you get the picture. I've always thought knowing both sides of the job helped me understand, as an actor, what the producer needed from me.

If you've ever read my blog before, you know I like to draw parallels between different parts of my life and voice acting. Recently, I had just such an occasion.

My photography instructor invited me to the studio this week to stand in as a live model for one of his other students who was learning about portraits. (I'm using the term 'model' lightly- I was really just a warm body) I jumped at the chance, because I always try and see the bigger picture. The way I figured it, I could listen to everything my instructor said to this other student and apply it to my own photography.

While I did learn a lot about the technical side of photography, what struck me was how important it was for the photographer and me, the talent, to be comfortable with one another. Here was a relationship in which we both wanted something from the other (both of us wanting the pictures to turn out well), and the best way to achieve this was to communicate clearly, and relax around one another. (The instructor pointed this fact out on more than one occasion!)

In voice over, we don't always get to see the people we are working with. We don't get to make eye contact and shake their hand. So, we have to find ways to communicate and relax while over the phone, over ISDN, or over e-mail. As voice talent, if we aren't relaxed- it will show in our voice, just like stress will show in our face during a photo shoot.

So, how to relax and get comfortable with a stranger you can't see? It's easy- It comes down to something as simple as having the confidence to be yourself. If you are confident in yourself, the producer will be confident as well. When you are both confident, you can then establish trust- trust that the other will do their job to the best of their ability. With trust and confidence, magic can happen!

Now back to that 'glass' I mentioned earlier. Knowing how the audio will ultimately be shaped, being able to respond to producer lingo in an educated manner, offering suggestions when the director is 'stuck'- all of these are examples of how having experience on both sides of the glass will make you a better voice talent.

Does this mean you have to be trained as a producer? No. But, taking an afternoon to go to a local studio to see how things are done will certainly help you as an actor! The more we understand about each aspect of the business, the more equipped we are to be wildly successful!

Do You Still Get Excited?

A short post today.

As voice actors we often record a file, send it off (or disconnect the ISDN line), invoice, and move on to the next project. I find that I rarely see or hear the final product, unless it's an on-line project or I happen to hear it on the TV or radio.

Earlier this afternoon, one of my clients sent me a 'preview' of a TV spot I voiced a couple of weeks ago. I was so excited to see it, and couldn't wait to show my family!

It's funny, no matter how many projects I voice- big or small- I still get excited to see the finished product. The excitement is still as strong today as it was 13 years ago when I heard myself for the first time.

I truly hope it's a feeling that never goes away, and I suspect that it never will.

So I ask, do you still get that giddy feeling when you hear a finished product? What other things help to keep your spirits up in the world of voice over?