Getting started in Voiceover

The following letter arrived in my inbox this weekend.
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Bob –
Here is my anonymous response to some to the recent postings at your blog.
Feel free to quote from it, as it may be something others may find helpful, or they may be able to relate to my career situation, time of life or personal/professional goals. However, I’d rather not say who I am because parts of this may seem like I’m lazy or not passionate about the VO biz, which could not be further from the truth. Also, some financial disclosures I’m mentioning are such that I don’t want others to attach them to me, my reputation or my name. For some, I’ll be perceived as rich, for others I’ll be viewed as not aiming high enough in the VO field.
You may also want to re-word or re-work some of this, if you even want to use it at all. If you don’t use it, I will view it as a chance to “talk” with an old friend, as well as review some important aspects of my life. At this stage of the game it’s hard to really be in touch with how one really feels about some things, but your blog and other VO forums of late have sparked some serious – as well as some fun – thinking!
I’m much like you and your friend, Mary C. McKitrick, regarding the point of consideration by some people to get out of the VO biz. I just hate to see anyone have to do it, but any number of factors can force the issue. Lack of money is the main one ….in other words, not seeing one’s venture really take off. This is where my perspective of being in the business a full 30 years may be helpful.
To me, it’s all about finding your niches …. NOT niche, niches. Plural. Yes, this is a crowded business, more competitive than ever. But with technology, more media beyond radio and TV commercials has evolved, requiring more specialized voiceovers.
Look at the landscape now: Internet and cable outlets, training videos and CD-ROMs, web presentations, messages on hold, flash presentations, tutorials, documentaries, corporate presentations, industrials, Imaging voices for television and radio promos and station identification, voice prompts, voice mail trees… There are hundreds of new opportunities to explore!
Even 30 years ago I learned that I needed to diversity in the VO work I offered. I marketed myself for dialog spots, character voices, straight VO, narration work, as well as on-camera. I even started getting good using the ear prompter before deciding to focus just on voice work about 10 years ago.
Here’s what happened for me: I lost two huge voiceover accounts in the mid-90’s. At that same time, there were 3 concurrent “technology megatrends” emerging:

1) ISDN studios enabling real-time sessions from studio to studio.
2) Home studio digital recording and editing.
3) The Internet, offering the means for distribution of audio files and other media, as well as scripts and email communication across great distances.

From these innovations, new VO niches began to spring up.
I was rattled for a while, after losing those major accounts, but decided to get my demos on as many studio and marketing sites as possible and promote myself like crazy using the Internet and by developing a web site. The website not only serves for promotional purposes, but also is functional as a means of delivering large sound files to clients.
The strategy worked! Some new niches emerged for me right away … churches and ministries that need VOs for local broadcasts or even cable networks …. narrations for business PowerPoint presentations … message-on-hold …. government training CD-ROMS and videos … ad agencies in different parts of the country that need announcers for car spots and other local accounts. … colleges and universities that need donor-appeal narrations for banquets and DVDs …
Yes, I am still do a lot of work with one local studio and I still do tons of auditions and love reading and learning about the VO field…but I feel I have enough tops spinning that I can now call myself “semi-retired” and enjoy other aspects of my life.
I read online recently this statement from actress and VO artist, Karen Hutton:

The (home) studio’s usually up most of the day, since if I’m not recording client work… I’m working on a number of my own projects I’ve got in the works. Also… it’s fair to say that some days I just have to shut it all down and go skiing, get outside, go hear music and have some other life too. Because I’ve always felt that part of what I can bring to my work that’s unique… is me. If I’m not living a rich, multi-faceted life of many colors… how can I bring that to my work? That’s something I’ve always lived by…which was reinforced many years ago by some wonderful acting mentors. If my world gets too small, my work gets stale and flat. The most successful and well-rounded people I’ve known DON’T work 24/7…they have balance and live a really full life. So, I really listen to that voice inside and try to be in the flow of things.

Exactly, Karen! I’m learning the same thing too.
After working in a deadline-driven business for 30 years, I am now at a place where I can realistically aim to make $300 – $500 a day. If at the end of a given week or month I see I am off pace, I’ll take a look at what’s slipping, but for the most part, I remain on course.
Should I aim higher? Do more? Be better? Try harder? At this stage, frankly, I want to reap the harvest. If something big comes my way, great! Several times a year, I do a national spot or get to record some cool character voices for a museum, whatever. But I am no longer striving for such things. The good Lord is my agent and I am reminded of the scripture that says, “teach me, Lord to number my days”. I’m in my 50’s now. Do I want to work night and day like I have been for the last 30 years? No. Do I want to wait until I am 70 to start traveling with my wife? No.
Two scenarios coming up highlight what my “semi-retired” life is starting to look like.
1) A producer friend I’ve known for years, but haven’t heard from in a long time, is now the public relations manager for a Bible college in one of my favorite parts of the country. He called me the other day and says he has me in mind to narrate two projects for the college. One is a 5 – minute piece that I can do by phone patch from home, the other is a long form narration for a DVD and possible broadcast. We’re negotiating a rate for this that would allow me to record at their facilities. They would fly me and my wife there on a Wednesday, I would record on Thursday and Friday while my wife shops or hangs out at the hotel … and we would take Saturday and Sunday to tour around some more.
2) To celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary, I’ve decide to make it extra-special for my bride. I’ve arranged for two weeks on the Hawaiian islands. Since I’m incorporated and own my own production company business, my “boss” (the owner) is paying for most of the trip. I will work out of an ISDN studio in Sacramento on the way there, which will break up the trip. Plus we’ll spend a weekend to take in the Redwoods and giant Sequoias along the northern California coast. The company has enough frequent flyer miles to make airfare free.
I experienced a panic attack this past summer that sent me to the local hospital emergency room. While there, I happened to see in the waiting room another VO talent that I have known for years. He’s near 80 years old, has a great voice and has been know for always being there and always doing a good job. But I realized as I looked at him that this guy was not known for having much of a life outside of doing voiceovers. He was at the studio all the time. Yes, he’s made a ton of money, but, well, it was a “Christmas Carol” moment for me, and it was as though I was observing the “ghost of Voiceover future” if I’m not careful. How many vacations had I put on hold or canceled altogether over the last 3 decades? How many rounds of golf have I passed on, or even opportunities to be of service in the church or community?
So what I’m saying is…don’t turn up your nose at the low-mid range VO jobs out there. Don’t think you have to be on the upper tier of VO work to make a decent living and enjoy the one life you are given on earth to make the most of.
Folks who desire to do voiceovers should not give up too soon. If you work in radio, do what I did and get a night shift so you can freelance during the day and get that home studio going along with the web page. Hone your demos, sign up with online voiceover services and aim to make $300 – $500 a day so you can quit your night job 😉 … Phase into the VO work you love, and then begin to really enjoy your life!
Mr VO Anonymous
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I’ve made a few slight edits to what was sent me to clarify a few points made by my friend; but the substance of what he’s written is entirely his own. I’d love to know your thoughts. Leave a comment.

Over at Tim McLaughlin’s blog, he asks and answers the question “Is Broadcast Advertisting Dying?” I think Tim makes some excellent points.

I’ll say again, as I’ve noted here a number of times: the world of voiceover work is growing not shrinking. In fact, it’s growing fast enough that there’s plenty of work for everyone with the talent, drive and teachable spirit needed to be successful.

But, to be successful you do need to have at least some talent.

You do need to be persistent enough to make it through the tough times.

And you can’t believe you know it all. Because you don’t. Neither do I. In fact, I probably know less than you. But, there’s always something to learn. Always.

If you’re new to voiceover work, or even if you’ve been in the business for a while, you may encounter words or terminology with which you’re not familiar. Having to ask “what does that mean?” is not only embarrassing, but could give the impression that you aren’t really a pro.

Marc Cashman has compiled an extensive list of terms related to the voiceover industry and posted the list at the Vox Daily voiceover blog at Voices.com. Read. Learn. You’ll be glad you did.

So, you’ve been trying for a while now to make some money doing voiceovers, right? You’d read on a website about all the money people make doing voiceovers. All your life people have told you that you have a nice voice and you really should be “on the radio” or a “voiceover person.” You know how to talk, so how hard can it be?

But…

After hundreds of dollars spent getting a demo made. Hundreds more having a website designed and hosted. And joining Internet casting sites. And doing dozens, even hundreds of auditions through those sites. You’ve tried low-balling the price. You’ve tried raising the price. And what do you have to show for it? Zip? Maybe a few hundred dollars?

So…

What now? You’ve heard that “winners never quit and quitters never win,” but you’re wondering how much more money you have to sink into your voiceover “career” before you start making those big bucks?

Well, where ever you are on the road I’ve just described, please believe me; the vast majority of people trying to make money doing voiceovers never do. Yes, the vast majority. And there are lots of folks who will happily take your money to “train you for a professional voiceover career” or “create that killer demo” or whatever. Maybe you’ve already met some of them?

Being successful in voiceover requires a host of skills, only some of which have anything to do with talking into a microphone. If you don’t succeed it’s both because and not because of the competition. There’s always someone more experienced, more talented and more driven than you are. Always. Someone with a better voice. A better demo. A better agent. Or something.

You can make excuses all day long. None of them amount to a hill of beans, except for the way they block you from actually getting where you want to go.

So, here are some concrete suggestions from a guy who’s learned more than a few things the hard way…

Don’t sign up for the first training opportunity you find. At least, don’t sign up until you’ve checked to see if the person doing the training actually knows his or her stuff. And until you’ve checked to see if the prices being charged are reasonable. In many cases, you’d be far better off taking an acting or improv class at the local community college. And then some singing lessons. If you have talent for voiceover work, you’ll learn everything you really need (except microphone technique) in theatre and singing classes.

Don’t make a demo until you’ve spent at least a few months listening to the demos of top notch working professionals. Here, I’ll save you the trouble of finding them. Click this link. That’s the Union/International house reels for voiceover talent agents. As you can see and hear, there are hundreds of people in line ahead of you. Actually, it’s not hundreds. It’s thousands.

Don’t build a website until you have a demo worth promoting. And when you build the site, again, don’t go with the first person you meet who can code a little html. Has this designer ever worked on a site for a voiceover person, or even an actor, before? Look at the sites. Look at lots of sites from other voiceover people. Take note of what you like and what you don’t like. Discuss these with your designer. Or, do what I did. Find a template you like, study some html, and build your own.

Are you depressed yet? Look, I’m deliberately trying to splash some cold water on your face because at some point you have to examine the question: is it time for me to quit this and get back to doing something else with my life?

Bonnie Gillespie is a brilliant Hollywood casting director, mainly for independent films. She writes a weekly column for Showfax called The Actor’s Voice. I’ve pointed to her work a number of times before, but this post was prompted by reading Bonnie’s column from October 16, 2006. While, as usual, the focus is on Hollywood actors, the lessons apply to all of use who earn our trade acting with our voices in places other than Hollywood. As Bonnie writes…

What I’m hoping to provide here is a nice little kick in the butt for those of you who hem and haw about leaving the biz. To paraphrase Yoda: Leave or leave not. There is no whine.

And this is, I think, the money quote…

Remember that what you do as an actor most of the time is pursue work. So I’m not talking about finding yourself jealous of those who are succeeding in ways you were not. That doesn’t count. That’s like being an astronomer and finding yourself jealous that you didn’t discover a new planet. Very, very, very few people have the level of success that draws people to the pursuit of acting in a major market. If you cannot be happy pursuing the work, improving your craft, and building relationships in this industry, you absolutely should consider packing it in…

Take a long hard look at reality. Are you putting your family in jeopardy? Are you spending too much time and money on this dream of voiceover success? Do you truly understand in your bones that voiceover work, like any other kind of acting work, is mainly finding work? This is a marketing and sales job far more than it’s a “talk into the microphone” job.

So, how are you doing? I’d love to read your thoughts and experiences. Comments are open.

With my thanks to Stephanie at Vox Daily, I strongly recommend you take a few minutes to read this excellent article in Backstage, titled Voice of Authority. It’s well worth your time.

 

A discussion group I take part in at Yahoo.com centers around the world of voiceover work. Recently Dave Stone posted some thoughts I thought so valuable that I asked him for permission to quote them here.

You want to do voice-over work? You want to build a client list and a track record? Then take the job for the money being offered. Smile. Expect that you might be put through the mill so that the client gets the read he wants out of you. Smile. Read the line. Now, read it again, but differently. Smile. Expect that if the producer or client aren’t having a good day, you may – unfortunately – take the brunt of that. Kindly thank the client and the producer when they’ve finished with you and you’re sweating because the booth wasn’t air conditioned. Expect not to get a check right then and there. Expect that you might even have to wait 30, 60, or 90 days or more for it. Expect that you even might have to call or send a second invoice before you get it.Some or all of this may not happen, but it is reality. Again, this may not happen, but if any of it does, you’d better learn to deal with it. If you can’t, then you’ve got an ego problem, and you’ll need to dealwith that first.

In our subsequent communication, Dave offered some additional thoughts, also well worth a moment of your time.

There are, of course, other scenarios voice talent could encounter. One example, which would probably take place in a commercial rather than narration session, would be having to take direction from as many as four people (producer, director, writer, and client). This means first, not losing one’s cool, and, having to interpret all of the direction and deliver… something. Many newbies don’t realize, that in addition to this being an extremely competitive industry (which means, of course, you have to be at least ‘good’ to get anywhere), doing voice-overs also requires a thick skin because there is so much rejection, frustration and something more that I just can’t name right now. Above all, there is absolutely no room for attitude. Those just beginning their careers need to know that if they really want to reach the status of ‘always working’ and ‘often called-back,’ it’s going to take quite some time and dues-paying before they are called to the studio to have money thrown at them.

You’ll find this Yahoo.com discussion group about voiceover work, here.

Of course, sometimes in takes a while to get an answer. Just ask my friend Glenn. He waited over 6 months before I finally took the time to give him a thoughtful response. But, Noel, who wrote to me a few days ago, prompted some thoughts about Voice123.com (which is what he was asking about specifically) and about Internet casting sites in general.

I’ve asked his permission to use his emails for this blog post. Here’s his first.

Hello Bob;

I am a fellow VO at Voice123.com. I am writing to you because your testimonials at V123 led me to view your very impressive profile. – Awesome dude! Although I have made a living at industrial sales for most of my life, I truely want to break in to the VO business. I won’t bore you with details but I do feel the need to ask someone with your credentials and experience in the business for some advice. So, in a nutshell; I have an AKG Perception200 mike and a pc laptop with a free audio recording program called Audacity- no, I cannot hear myself as I record, so I playback quite a bit. I’ve taken some short course workshops in VO and came out of it with a professional studio demo CD. Since I joined V123 last February, I have submitted over 200 demos. Although I came close on a small handfull, I still haven’t gotten even one gig. What am I doing wrong? Is my voice that bad? Should I add music and effects over a dry read demo? Is V123 the wrong place for me? Anything you can tell me would be much appreciated and well taken. I pray that someone of your caliber can tell me something that I just don’t know.

Best Regards,
Noel

Noel,

Hello. Thank you for your kind words. I’d be happy to provide you with a bit of advice, but you should probably remember that it’s only worth what you’re paying for it.
First, after reading your email I found your Voice123.com listing and listened to your demos. Good work. Clearly you have talent. Now you have to examine yourself and determine how serious you are about this business. Because that’s what it is, a business.

You’ve worked in sales, so you know that you’re not going to close every call, especially not every cold call. Now, imagine that at about the same time you made one of those cold calls, 150 other sales people (with varying levels of experience and ability) are also making a cold call on that client. How likely are you to make the sale under those circumstances? Especially because the client’s final decision isn’t always going to be based on price, but often on his or her perception of which sales person can deliver the goods. This, I think, is a pretty fair analogy for your situation with Voice123.com. It’s not that you’ve done something wrong or that your voice is bad. It’s that you don’t match up exactly with what the client is looking for.

Second, the only way to grow and improve is to practice, study, and practice some more. You should read aloud every day. If you have young children, read to them. If you don’t, just read aloud to yourself: web sites, newspapers, books, whatever. And when you’re reading aloud, practice communicating more than just the words. Practice communicating the story or idea contained by those words. (For example, read this email aloud to yourself.)

Third, you have decent equipment. As time and work permits, make some strategic additions to your tool kit. I highly recommend you join the VO-BB.COM community. And then spend time reading through the archives. Since I joined in July, I’ve made it through about 30 percent of their archives, reading every post. I’ve already gained tremendously by doing so. You’ll get ideas of gear you might want to put on your shopping list someday, things to avoid and lots of different opinions. And many valuable insights into how to grow your talent and experience. (You’ll find some of my reactions to a few in the posts on this blog, too.)

Fourth, keep studying. As you can tell from my profile, I study every year. My first professional voiceover was recorded in 1974, and I’ve been working steadily in voiceovers since 1983. But, I know there’s much more for me to learn. I don’t ever want to allow myself to get complacent. Is Voice123.com right for you? I can’t answer that question for you. But, it might help you to know that I’ve done over 800 auditions there in the last 2 years. I’ve booked less than a 100 of those jobs. But, I look at my Voice123.com membership fee as advertising money. And I only respond to the auditions from which I want to get cast. Which means that I’ve NOT responded to over a 1000 auditions in the same 2 years. So, my testimonial for Voice123.com is more true today that when I wrote and sent it to them over a year ago.

Keep in mind there are other sites where you can put your demo. Some of them are more cost effective than Voice123.com. For example, voiceoverdirectory.com has a category for New Talent in their database. I’m not a member there, so I can’t speak to how good a site they are, but you can check. Also, Voices.com offers a level at only $100. As does CommercialVoices.com, I believe.

I hope these comments are helpful to you. Please feel free to write again, if there’s anything else I can answer or help with.

Be well,
Bob Souer

Noel resonded to those comments:

Hello Bob,

Thank you for your timely reply – The mark of a true professional!

And, thank you for taking the time to check out my demos. Compliments most appreciated. You have confirmed my initial impression – that V123 is a Monster.com of the VO world and I may not be a fit to every job description. I cannot imagine how someone that is not accustomed to rejection can stay alive in this industry. All the same, I must admit to a bit of recent discouragement and dissappointment myself. I’ve never experienced this degree of rejection – what a beating. V123 however is probably one of the best places to cut my ‘eye teeth’ in this business. I do read aloud daily (I’ve got a little one for bedtime stories – at my old age) and I do practice voice drills daily as well.

I will check out the websites, blogs and archives that you have referred me to, join and post my demo. I will keep reading and learning. I want to know every detail that all the successfull VOs do and then do it myself. Your advice has helped me know where to find it.

If you think of anything else, feel free to send it along.

Best Regards and Big Thanks,
Noel Gibilaro

Noel,

Not only are you not a fit to every job description, you’re not a fit to most job descriptions and neither am I (by fit I mean an exact match). Here’s how I look at it:

It’s not a competition for a job against all of the other voiceover people auditioning. The client is selecting the right voice, the right sound, the right interpretive ability to match what they need. Sometimes, I’m the match. Sometimes you are. In those cases, the only thing preventing you or me from getting that respective job is if the client doesn’t know about me, or you. And that’s not the client’s fault. It’s mine, or yours, as the case may be. So, I don’t look at an audition from which I don’t get cast as rejection. I look at it more the way Michaelangelo answered the question of how he knew when he approached a new block of marble from which he hoped to carve a statue. “I just remove everything that’s not the statue.” When I don’t get cast, I’m just removing another bit that’s not part of my paying work.

And there are even times when I’m the match, but I don’t want that job. Maybe the subject is something I’m not comfortable with morally, or politically or for whatever reason. Maybe the budget isn’t enough for me to bother with. Whatever. In that case, the client is going to have to settle for someone else, who maybe isn’t as good of a match as I would have been. But, assuming they hire a professional, they’re going to be happy with what they get.

98 percent of your job is finding the paying sessions that give you the income you need to pay the bills. The other 2 percent you’ll actually be in the studio getting paid for your time. Think I’m exaggerating? Wait and see.

I wish you much success, in whatever manner you describe it. (The fact that you’re already reading and practicing every day tells me you have a better than even shot at getting somewhere.)
A final thought. Spend 1 to 2 weeks lurking and reading before you begin to post anything on VO-BB.COM. I think you’ll be glad you took the time to learn the ropes.

Be well,
Bob

And I hope these thoughts are of value to you, too, dear reader. I have more to say on the subject of Internet casting sites like Voices.com and Voice123.com, but that will have to wait for another day for a complete post. Meanwhile, you can check out this thread at the Voiceover Bulletin Board for some thoughts worth reading. A few of them are from me.

(note: some of the email correspondence has been edited to correct grammatical or factual errors.)