VOX Talk is up to Vol. 12 as of this week, and in this new episode (for whatever reason) the good folks there decided to include a story I sent them. Seriously, I hope you enjoy. Listen through the online flash player or download the audio here.
Blog
How to hammer home a good point
My friend Brian Haymond hits the nail on the head with this post on his blog. Good stuff, Brian. I really liked your metaphor today.
(Note: Even if you’re not paying careful attention today, you may notice my weakness for puns. That is all. Carry on.)
Be nice, get smarter
One of my favorite places in the blogosphere is The Nice Blog. A recent post there points out that being nice is more than just a good idea. It actually can help make you smarter and happier. Read the whole thing.
Then, go do something nice for someone. Maybe several someones.
Awards
A fellow for whom I’ve answered a few questions in the last several months asked me a new one the other day. “Have you ever thought about becoming a voiceover coach?”
I needed less than a second to answer. Yes, I’ve thought about it. I love helping people get better at what they do. Always have. But, I’m not really interested in coaching other talent as a profession right now for two main reasons.
First, I have too much more I need to learn myself. I’m happy to pass along nuggets and ideas here, via email, over the phone or even in person. But, every day I learn how much more I need to learn.
Second, I enjoy doing voiceovers myself too much to want to devote my time to teaching others how to do them.
All of which serves as an introduction to letting you know that Voices.com has launched a website for their “Voicey Awards.” Nominate someone. Read about the awards. Get information about the judges. It’s all there at the official website of the Voicey Awards.
Kudos to my friend Dan
As my friend Dan Nachtrab notes on his blog, he’s been in the top 10 in television promo voices at Voice Island for 3 straight months. Good for you, Dan. And even better for the stations working with you.
Actor’s Tool-Kit #4
QUOTES THAT WILL HELP YOU
by Bob Fraser
FAILURE & TRACKS
I’d like to pass along some words of wisdom from seven very sharp people, who have all made their way up the ladder of success by following their own advice and probably the wisdom of each of the others.
First up is George Burns who made his living in ‘on the boards’ for about 85 years (not a bad run), who reminds us of the first law of success, in this timeless classic:
“I’d rather be a failure at something I love … than a success at something I hate.” ~ George Burns
This is crucial: You must love what you are doing if you ever hope to be successful at it. Most actors do not have a problem here. We all love it.
Next is Will Rogers, probably the most beloved entertainer of all time. He reminds us that loving it is not enough – all by itself – you also have to do something about it.
“Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Will Rogers
Like all great remarks, this one cuts right to the heart of most career problems. I don’t think I’m talking out of drama school when I suggest that most of us (actors) have a long streak of lazy. It is something we all have to work to overcome – I know I did.
TIME & DOOR BUILDING
The third important piece of advice comes from Milton Berle, who spent his whole life in show biz (his mother started taking him to auditions before he could walk). He imparts another critical factor – a huge piece of the puzzle:
“If opportunity isn’t knocking, build a door” ~ Milton Berle
This is about thinking outside the box and doing what it takes to move things forward.
Then there is this brilliant bon mot from the typewriter of the great playwright and screenwriter, Ben Hecht.
“Time is a circus … always packing up and moving away.” ~ Ben Hecht
Oh, yes, it goes very quickly – so the sooner you get started the better off you are. Do something right now. Well, finish reading this article – then do something. Time is moving away.
Now, comes one of my favorites of all time – from one of the classiest of the classic movie stars:
“Do your job and demand your compensation … but in that order.” ~ Cary Grant
I love the fact that Cary Grant calls it a job and then he ties it immediately to the money. For most of us, that is really the ultimate goal – acting for a paycheck. Keep that in mind every morning when you wake up.
By the way, complaining that it’s hard won’t make it any easier. Making money will start to happen when you decide that’s what you want – and channel all your efforts in that direction. Getting paid to act is a big step … onto the right ladder.
If you are willing to learn from a school teacher, here’s one who became famous as a humorist some 50 years ago.
“You must learn from the mistakes of others. You cannot possibly live long enough to make them all yourself.” ~ Sam Levenson
What this means in simple terms is read books, watch biographies, make an effort to find out how others have succeeded – then “copy” their successful strategies while trying to avoid the pitfalls they stumbled upon, long before you arrived.
THE HUSTLE
The great thing about copying others yourself is that you will only copy those methods that fit with your desires and needs. You won’t be in the position of having to accept someone else’s version of success. You can customize your plan for your own comfort level.
Here is my favorite exhortation by one of the great humorists and writers of more contemporary times:
“Contrary to popular opinion, the hustle is not a new dance step … it is an old business procedure.” ~ Fran Lebowitz
Okay, I slipped in a writer who isn’t really in show business, but please listen to Fran. Our business is an old business. It’s a darn good idea to use that old business procedure to succeed at it.
Let’s review:
Love it.
Do what needs doing.
Build your own door.
Start immediately.
Keep that paycheck in mind.
Learn from others.
Hustle.
And here’s one I really like:
“Try, try again.” ~ McGuffey’s Reader
Hey, I got a million of ’em.
NEXT INSTALLMENT: TELL ME A STORY
============================================================
PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint articles from Actor’s Tool-Kit, on your website or electronic newsletter.
However, in order to comply with my copyright, you must also include the following paragraph with your reprint:
“Reprinted from ACTOR’S TOOL KIT, the email course just for subscribers of Show Biz How-To — The Free Actor’s Monthly. Get your own free subscription by going to: showbizhowto.com Copyright © 2006 Bob Fraser Productions All Rights Reserved”
============================================================
One big pig show
As I’ve noted elsewhere, I grew up in the farm country of north central Minnesota. During most of my Junior and Senior High School years, I worked in the summer time for my grandfather who had a hog farm in the next county north and west of where we lived. While my grandfather didn’t enter any of his hogs in the pig shows at the county fair, I saw plenty of them. Plenty of pigs. Plenty of pig shows and pig auctions and pig…well, let’s not go there.
I mention this bit of long-ago history because Kara Edwards-Suchan draws a wonderful parallel between pig shows, life and the professional world of voiceover work, on her blog.
Kara, I couldn’t agree more. Voiceover work is not a competition. Even more than snowflakes, every person is unique. However much some of our voices may sound alike in a superficial way, the differences in age, experience, background, talent and a host of other factors guarantees that every one of us is different from everyone else. Sometimes I’m cast for a job. Sometimes one of my friends is. Sometimes none of us are. But, there’s plenty of work for everyone with the desire, persistence and talent to do this work.
Thanks for the thoughtful words, Kara.
(edited to fix typo)
Audio gateway
Tim McLaughlin for points out a cool site on his blog, a site that serves as an gateway to a rich trove of information from the audio and recording newsgroups. Thanks, Tim. Good stuff.
What happens in Vegas…
Stays in Vegas. So goes the city’s famous ad slogan. But, at the end of March 2007, what happens in Vegas isn’t going to stay in Vegas. Or at least it shouldn’t. It should come home with you, and help you move your voiceover career to the next level. Of course, I’m talking about V.O.I.C.E. 2007.
With other voiceover talent coming from as far away as Japan and Australia, you’re not likely to win a prize for traveling the farthest; but it’s going to be worth the trip however long or short it may be for you.
I hope I’ll get a chance to meet you while we’re there.
Do what you love
I’m always delighted to find a new voiceover blog to add to my blogroll. Rich Gates has taken the plunge back into voiceover work after a decade of doing something else that ultimately he didn’t love. You can read about his decision, here.
Publicity and traffic
Karen Commins writes a voiceover blog I make a point of checking just about every day. Her new post about ways to build publicity and traffic for your site is well worth your time. Thank you for the continuing stream of good ideas, Karen.
Go deep
One of the key points I gleaned from the teleconference the other evening was the idea of keying in on a signature sound for our voiceover work. Seth Godin makes this point brilliantly in a recent post on his blog.
I am not suggesting that we narrow our world to only one kind or category of voiceover work; rather that we concentrate our marketing efforts on our signature sound, who we really are. Other work will almost certainly come our way. And we evaluate each of those jobs to figure out if it makes sense to take that work or recommend someone else better suited to that job.
(update: edited to fix typos)
Be Yourself
Gary Terzza is a well respected voiceover coach in the UK. On his blog he illustrates for us how “being yourself” can sound on their side of the pond. Good stuff, Gary.
Some good thoughts on budgeting
My friend Elaine Singer has written a helpful post on her blog about how much time it really takes to record a long form narration, and how that influences the amount of money a voiceover talent needs to bid on such a project. Good stuff, Elaine.
The Break Into Voiceover Teleseminar (edited)
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.)
An oppotunity, right now (updated)
With my thanks to Stephanie over a Vox Daily for posting about this, there’s a 2-hour teleseminar this evening that should be of interest to anyone wishing to get serious about voiceover work. It’s hosted by Nancy Wolfson and Anna Vocino.
It’s taking place tonight, Wednesday, January 31, 2007 starting at 9:00 PM Eastern, 6:00 PM Pacific. Registration is $49.00 and you can sign up at BreakIntoVoiceOver.com.
(Update: I’ve signed up already, so I’m putting my money were my mouth is…uh…typing fingers are.)
Among other things, it takes guts
Kristine Oller is a woman with remarkable insights into how to get where you really want to go. And her blog is specifically written to help you think about where you’re going and how to get there.
Her post on January 24, 2007 is a perfect example of what I mean. Maybe you’ve been thinking and dreaming about working full-time as a voiceover talent for some time now. How long? It doesn’t matter. However long it’s been, if it seems like a long time, it is.
You’ve made some money doing voiceovers, but not enough to live on. At least not consistently. You’ve talked with people you respect. You’ve read and taken part in discussions online.
These are some of Kristine’s thoughts…
So, whose advice do you follow? Whose opinion matters most? Whose smarts can you count on?
The answer is: your own.
Ultimately, you have to learn how to trust your own gut. Success definitely involves soliciting sage advice, gathering informed opinions and educating yourself, but it also involves filtering all of that information through your gut to determine what “feels right†to you.
Kristine continues by making a distinction between your brain and your “gut.” My friend Roy Williams would probably say Kristine is actually drawing a distinction between using the left and right hemispheres of your brain.
But the point stands, regardless of the language you use. Eventually, you have to figure out what’s truly right for you.
Take a few minutes, and read Kristine’s entire post. It’s not short, and while I don’t agree with every word Kristine writes; I think it’s well worth your time.
Oh, and while you’re there, if you found benefit in what you read, why don’t you spring for a hot chocolate for Kristine? The links are just to the right of her posts.
Read a blog post, expand your vocabulary
My friend Peter O’Connell, better known in the voiceover world as Audio’connell, has taught me a new word this weekend: Favicon. You can read about it on his blog in the January 26, 2007 post.
Actor’s Tool-Kit #3
THE SEVEN ACTING MYTHS
by Bob Fraser
Myth #1 – YOU HAVE TO START YOUNG
This commonly held belief is far from the truth. Although starting young will certainly give you more time to perfect your craft, many stars have started “late.”
Phyllis Diller started her career at age 38 after raising a family and spending almost twenty years as a newspaper writer. Richard Farnsworth was over fifty before he began his acting career. When he won an Academy Award nomination for his role in Comes a Horseman, it came as a surprise to many in the industry that this ‘newcomer’ had been around since the ’30’s – as a stuntman.
There are literally hundreds of these examples. No matter how old you are, if you love it – TRY.
Myth #2 – IF YOU HAVE TALENT … YOU WILL MAKE IT
Although it’s important to have some talent, any reasonable observer can point to dozens of successful actors who might be considered ‘talent challenged.’ In fact, depending on talent alone is a strategy for disaster. There are many other skills (mostly business skills) that lead to success as an actor. If you’re talented, great. But don’t depend on your gifts for success. It’s mostly hard work.
Myth #3 – AN ACTOR MUST BE OUTGOING
Not at all. In fact, I’d say that the opposite is closer to the truth. Most of the stars you watch and enjoy are basically shy people. It is under the cover of a role that actors seem to be demonstrative. If you are shy or retiring, you are like most successful actors. Don’t sweat it.
Myth #4 – ACTING CLASS WILL RUIN YOUR NATURALNESS
Wow, this one is really off base. In fact, without some training it is unlikely you will get to the top ranks of the acting profession. Agents look for training. Casting directors look for it. And it goes without saying that education has rarely hurt anybody.
Myth #5 – HAVING AN AGENT GUARANTEES YOU WILL WORK
There is no doubt that having a salesman for your acting business is beneficial – but signing with a good agent rarely happens before you have already achieved some level of success.
Actors who think an agent will automatically get them to the top, rarely get there. Agents are not magicians – they are salespeople who develop leads for your acting business.
Period.
Myth #6 – YOU CAN BECOME AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS
This almost never happens. In fact, a brief study of the careers of very successful actors will convince you that the average time it takes to get into the ranks of regularly employed actors is about 9 years. Like becoming any sort of professional (doctor, lawyer, architect) this is a business that takes time to accomplish.
That’s why they call it ‘paying your dues.’
Myth #7 – ACTORS MAKE THE BIG BUCKS
No. This is totally wrong. Sure some do … and their salaries are publicized to the skies. But the reality is that the large majority of actors make very small paychecks and they don’t make them very often. Go to SAG’s website and see the statistics. Just making a decent living as an actor is a huge challenge.
Bottom line: Don’t go into acting for the money. If you want to act, do it. And do it for money as often as possible. But don’t kid yourself … this is hard work and the pay is nothing to write home about – unless you have the tenacity, business skills, and work ethic to get to the very top.
I hope you do.
Here’s some good advice from the cadets at West Point:
RISK more than others think is safe.
CARE more than others think is wise.
DREAM more than others think is practical.
EXPECT more than others think is possible.
NEXT INSTALLMENT: QUOTES THAT WILL HELP YOU
============================================================
PERMISSION TO REPRINT: You may reprint articles from Actor’s Tool-Kit, on your website or electronic newsletter. However, in order to comply with my copyright, you must also include the following paragraph with your reprint:
“Reprinted from ACTOR’S TOOL KIT, the email course just for subscribers of Show Biz How-To — The Free Actor’s Monthly. Get your own free subscription by going to: showbizhowto.com. Copyright © 2006 Bob Fraser Productions All Rights Reserved”
============================================================
An exceptional archive (updated)
With my thanks to Bob Fraser for pointing this out in an email I received today, you’ll find an amazing archive of in-depth video interviews (many of them around 3 hours!) conducted and archived by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (the people who hand out the Emmy Awards) with so many interesting and inspiring actors, writers, producers and so forth. How many? 1,351 as I type this noted tonight, although that is actually the number of 30 minute segments, not the number of people interviewed. Here are just a few of the names, as Bob noted in his email…
Norman Lear, Andy Griffith, David Wolper, Carl Reiner, Bob Newhart, Steven Bochco, Phyllis Diller, Grant Tinker, Jay Sandrich, John Frankenheimer, Dick Wolf, Alan Alda, Quincy Jones, Kim Hunter, James Burrows, Barbara Eden, Gene Reynolds, Angela Lansbury, James Garner, Diahann Carroll, Phil Donahue, Don Knotts, Dennis Weaver, Joan Ganz Cooney, Ricardo Montalban, George Takai, Bob Mackie, Stephen J. Cannell, Larry Hagman, William Shatner, Betty White, Bob Carroll & Madelyn Davis, Jonathan Winters, Sid Caesar, Jane Wyatt, Dick Clark, Grant Tinker, Ossie Davis, and a host of other luminaries of the television industry.
I’ve used Google’s search functions to sort the archive for you to include only the interviews, and in alphabetical order, just click here.
Details and background about these archives can be found at the Academy’s web site.
UPDATE! Thanks to Karen’s comment below, you’ll find a lots of information and plenty of direct links to the archived videos at this wonderful blog. There are many productive hours of reading, listening and watching available.