The Big Game Of Voiceover

On this eve of the "Big Game",  I've been reflecting on the similarities between voiceover and competitive sports. And tomorrow as I watch the game I'll  think about decisions my home team, the San Diego Chargers made over the years, and about certain players; namely Peyton Manning, who we could have drafted, but instead took on Ryan Leaf. That move took years to overcome.

And then we had Drew Brees as our QB, and we let him go when he became a free agent. Brees went to New Orleans and is making sports history. Tomorrow, both Manning and Brees are playing each other in the BIG game. Both have a direct connection to our home turf.

What does it take to play in the big game of voiceover? What's the connection? Sure, the cost of entry is low and the competition is stiff, but one can still play. And some will win.

So.....What about career decisions? Decisions made while auditioning? One predicament after another. Kinda like life!
                                                                                             

                                                                      

But what does it take to be in the big leagues of VO? I know the answer to this question is relative. "Your mileage may vary."  For some, it may be their first paid gig for $50 from some voiceover marketplace posting,  For others, they may be wondering, what will it take to land a class A national spot, or an ongoing network promo gig, You may know some folks who are even there, who may also have a direct connection to you, through past work experience, or friendship, etc. For some, this career is just a game, or a part-time crap shoot. For others, it's  high-stakes where many are banking on the next nugget, and the approach is clear and methodical..  

The reality is, all business is cyclical. And of course, you win some gigs, and you lose some. Sometimes business is up and you feel like a voice machine,  you're hot, you're booking tons and working all the time. But when work is slow, you start to wonder if things will ever pick up. So what's up with this land of voiceover OZ?

How do you break free from the crowds at the bottom and rise to the top? How do you turn off the chatter going on everywhere all the time? How do you shake off the self-doubt when you're on a losing streak and not booking?

Look to the winners. To be on top of their game,  winning athletes work hard, despite their losses and push forward to increase their wins. So must the voice actor put a ton of work into what he/she does.  Most do this quietly and expertly. The winners have learned to trust themselves.

Be a perfectionist  about your game ( nobody else's) and be thoughtful about your business plan. Always know where and how you can improve your own game. For me , it's all about getting consistent , challenging voice coaching. I find I book more, the more I work out with my coaches. I find I am always in a state of becoming more of who I am before the mic. There is always something to learn.

Learn from your mistakes, keep working out, and move forward. Keep your goals in sight. Athletes get stronger when they work out because they are exercising muscles, essentially fatiguing and  breaking them down, only to build more muscle fiber, which in turn makes them stronger.  

There may be distractions, diversions, roadblocks, and detours along this yellow brick road, so be aware.

Remember, there's no place like goals!   
                                                                              

        

My friend DB Cooper, headmistress of the vo-bb, discusses the video game genre at the Austin Game developers conference a few months ago. This area (video games) happens to be one of the most dynamic, and rapidly changing and growth segments in the production industry.

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In case you haven't received news of the following in your email :

Julie Williams has released the latest Voiceover Insider. Free Download


You can also paster this url into your browser: http://voice-overs.com/FEB10VOI.pdf


And "Dr." Pat Fraley, Voiceover Surgeon wil conduct a webinar on Feb. 19th via Voiceover Xtra.

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January: It was  a crazy  busy month. What a great start to the New Year. I can't believe it's already February 1st!!!

January was wild and wonderful. I had lots of voiceover jobs, auditions, and top-notch training.

But after a typicial twelve-hour day, I just have to shut off the computer and wind it down, and be more available and nurturing to family.

But with that  Voiceover work, comes the administrative stuff, paperwork,  marketing, and networking.

And there are things other than Voiceover. (Huh- Really?) The third weekend of the month was my birthday, so I did take some time to play.

There is life, and other financial  and real property interests that take time to manage, like the fact that we're remodeling a bathroom in a second home we own in Wisconsin,  and the duties of management of a commercial property in California. Yes, many irons in the fire.

I also decided to kick off the new year with some intensive training, to ramp up and begin strong. The workshops involved one weekend (Jan. 16) doing the Patrick Scott Smokin' Mysteries with Pat Fraley & Scott Brick, and this weekend  (Jan. 30-31) I went back to Los Angeles for a workshop weekend wih Marice Tobias.  I always find that I book more work the more I train.

What a cohesive group. This weekend workshop was a very special experience for me. Everyone was extremely funny, supportive and generous in spirit! And we worked hard. Many, many drills. Many rounds on-mic, even cold reading.




                                        From The Marice Tobias Los Angeles event Jan. 30-31, 2010.
Pictured in front , L-R, Perry Anne Norton, Alan Burns,, Stephanie Riggio, Janet Ault, Catherine Campion, Tony Banks, Bobbin Beam, and Bob Dunsworth.

Back row, L-R: Mark Barbolak, Peter Cuttler (session engineer), Michael Cohen, Jon Mohr, Steve Frost (missing is Bill Lloyd, who attended Saturday only. Bill was also in my October Marice workshop- So it was kind of like "old home" weekend )

I  am so lucky to have made some wonderful, talented new friends. I savored every moment.

        

A few weeks ago I found another voiceover blog site I've found to be worth mentioning called,  Voice Actors Notebook.

David Radtke has written some nice, thought-provoking insights, tongue twisters,  a list of acting emotions, and offers quite a few helpful resources for voice actors.

Most notably, I like his Best Voice over Books selections:

I happen to own most of the books he presents on his list, which are indeed my favorites, which I refer back to again ... << MORE >>

                            


As I posted here earlier this month, Voice coach Nancy Wolfson of Brain Tracks Audio, and voice talent Anna Vocino present tonight's 90 minute teleseminar, Break Into Animation Part I, featuring Richard Horvitz. Richard is a voiceover vet, recognized for his work in animation and video games, most notably as the voice of Invader Zim on Nickelodeon. Other roles include Billy on The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy, Daggett on Nickelodeon's Angry Beavers, Rodney J. Squirrel on Squirrel Boy on Cartoon Network, and hundreds of other animated voices.

The Break Into Animation Teleseminar, Part I, is set to go on TONIGHT- Wednesday January 27, 2010 from 6 pm PST/ 9 pm EST.

I believe there's still time to sign up here. 

        

                                                                            


                              Early Bird Registration Ends January 31st

VOICE 2010 is just 6 months away and it'll be here before we know it. Save some bucks by acting now!Everyone can take advantage of the "early bird" discount by registering on or before this Sunday, January 31st. But if you have attended one (or more) VOICE events, you are eligible for an additional discount on this year's registration! However, this discount will end on January 31st, along with the early-bird discount.

Using both discounts, you can save $200
by registering before the end of this month!

If you are unable to attend the entire event, day passes are available too!

REGISTER

Click here to view the entire
VOICE 2010 schedule!!

        

The Patrick Scott Smokin' Mysteries Event



                            Scott Brick, Stefan Rudnicki, and Pat Fraley

Last Saturday I spent the whole day at Buzzy's Recording studio in Hollywood at another amazing event hosted by Pat Fraley:  "The Patrck Scott Smokin' Mysteries Event."

This one was a lot different from a usual voice coaching workshop.

I was among twelve participants who stepped into the booth and performed with Pat Fraley and Scott ... << MORE >>

Here are some upcoming happenings that came into my email box which may be of interest:


Audition Acrobatics with Deb Munro

Saturday February 06, 2010, 09:00AM
Ends:	Sunday February 07, 2010, 05:00PM
Event Type:	Training/Seminar
Location:	Voice Trax West Studio City, CA US
Price:	$395.00 ($50.00 off if you mention this ad)
Website:

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I happened to stumble upon an excellent oldie but goodie article by former voice actor Joshua Seth  who is the voice behind Tetsuo in Akira  and many other anime productions. This article in Animation World Magazine was published in 2001 .

I just happened upon it and I am sharing it here, in case someone else hasn't read it.

The article hold up extremely well, 9 years later.

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