I found an amazing amount of powerfully motivating information in this seminar. If you missed the seminar, you can find information about Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino at BreakIntoVoiceOver.com.
Nancy Wolfson spoke about creating a map for success. The metaphor is re-booting our operating system. We need to start from the beginning, formulating a business plan for our voiceover career.
We have to look at this as a start-up business.
Education is key. The number of people who can’t do voiceovers is actually pretty small. Doing voiceovers isn’t brain surgery, it’s quite teachable.
Nancy Wolfson says her job is to help us brand ourselves, figure out our own personal styles, and how to present that.
Group classes can be beneficial because we can learn when someone else is not getting it, as well as when someone is really nailing it. But better is private instruction.
A bargain basement demo is often more expensive than what it costs.
Master your elevator pitch. (You’re riding in an elevator and you have to complete a pitch before that elevator ride is over.)
Pay for a good education. Pay for a good demo. Pay for great graphics.
A great tip from Pat Fraley, via Nancy, when you don’t have a pop filter handy, hold an index finger upright between your mouth and the mike. It will split the air to keep the mike from popping.
There is a list of recommended equipment to buy to set up a basic home studio on their website. BreakIntoVoiceOver.com.
Notice that we’ve not talked about agents. When we’re in the booth, we have to be able to deliver the goods. If we spend good money having a great demo done in the first place, we won’t need to update it very often.
What a great opportunity and experience this teleconference was. It was $49.00 well spent. By the way, a copy of the audio for this entire session will be available for sale through the web site. BreakIntoVoiceOver.com.
(Note: I’ve condensed and edited the “live blog” into a more succinct and coherent whole.)
Thanks Bob! Great notes, and sound advice! I’ll have to check out the websites and audio cd!
-Kara
Kara,
It was truly a wonderful time. My hope is to follow-up by studying with Nancy via phone call. I was very impressed with the amount of valuable information shared in this teleconference.
Be well,
Bob
“Education is key. The number of people who can’t do voiceovers is actually pretty small. Doing voiceovers isn’t brain surgery, it’s quite teachable.”
Education in Voiceovers is only the key to those who sell Voiceover education. I’ve been making a living as a Voice Over for a few years and my experience is the opposite to “the number of people who can’t do voiceovers is actually pretty small”.
Of 100 people who set out on the road 95 will not make a penny, most will end up out of pocket and it is not a case of poor marketing, poor training or the competition.
So ya wannabee a Voice Over? Believe in yourself, believe nothing anyone tells you especially if they are trying to sell you something.
Do you want to be a Voice Over? Not enough. Deep down inside something is driving you because you HAVE to be a Voice Over – That’s the first rung on a very long laddder.
In over 15 years I have been approach by people on a weekly basis who have all wanted to make a living as voice overs. I have advised, encouraged and guided without ever saying anything to make them feel they were not worthy. So far, to my knowledge out of all the people who have approached me I am not able to share one success story. It’s tough, really tough but it is worth it.
I’ve decided to give it another year and if it doesn’t work out ……
Philip,
I always appreciate your comments. Somehow I think after this year, a few more will follow.
(updated: As for the matter of what percentage of the population can do voiceovers vs. what percentage make money at it. I don’t think we’re comparing apples to apples here. I do believe many folks can be coached to the point where, assuming copy that matches their abilities, an acceptable level of performance can be reached.
Making money as a voiceover talent is a rather different animal, requiring a level of persistence, courage, drive and focus that very few are willing to demonstrate and even fewer to continue demonstrating when things don’t go perfectly the first few times out of the gate.)
Be well,
Bob
I don’t personally do voiceovers, but as a photographer / videographer there are times when we need to pop voiceovers into photo montages or video sequences. I bought an Apogee Duet and it’s made a huge improvement in sound quality. Even if I’m only using an SM58 with it, I can tell a noticeable difference. As I often find myself working with “talent” that doesn’t have voiceover experience do you think I’d benefit from attending a workshop myself so that I could instruct others? One of my regulars is coming in for headshots next week. I think he’s been to one of the workshops before. I’ll ask him too.
Michael,
As a voiceover professional, my first recommendation would be to hire a pro to do your voiceovers. However, if that’s not possible, then taking a voiceover workshop might be helpful; but honestly, a single workshop isn’t going to be enough to be all that useful.
Thanks for your comment!
Be well,
Bob