Recently in Voice-Over Category
The following message was left as a comment to my post The feel-good voiceover blog of the summer! I copied the message exactly as I received it because I felt the answers to the questions deserved to be their own entry.
I've been considering launching into this field---and really want to know what it takes and what to expect. The best way to find out the pros and cons of any occupation is to talk to others who actually do it.....So, I'm open to whatever info you think would help me so I don't invest a lot of money and energy needlessly. My first question is, "Do you like voiceover work?" and "How difficult is it to break into this business?" I'm thinking it may take a few years...Is there really that much work out there for new talent?
-- Elizabeth
-- Elizabeth
Do I like voiceover work?
I don't know of any person who would say they didn't like the voiceover part of the job.
Voiceover is like any career in that you like some parts of it better than others. Of course, I love the actual act of reading the words on the page, interpreting the author's meaning, and recording the author's words with my voice. I love employing all sorts of marketing tactics that do not require me to make cold calls. I love writing articles on my blog and responding to reader comments (hint, hint!). I love connecting with other voice talent and clients in person and on-line. I love the immense satisfaction of hearing my voice at work in different media for various companies, and, yes, the coolness factor of this occupation is pretty hard to beat.
Perhaps a better question is: "Are there things that you don't like about being a voice talent?"
Editing the recordings is not my favorite task, especially since editing takes far more of my time than recording. Auditioning for countless projects and not even getting a response can be very depressing. Chasing down payment from clients who are at least a month late in paying for completed work is downright annoying. The situation with late-paying clients is even more stressful when that money is needed to pay one's own obligations.
Also, you've probably read about voice actors who brag about recording in their pajamas. What they didn't tell you is that they are wearing their pajamas because they are working early or late hours or on the weekend in order to meet a client deadline. If you want a structured, 40-hour-a-week job, you will want some other career choice than being a voiceover talent.
How difficult is it to break into this business?
How difficult is it to start any career that inherently means you are a self-employed business person? Becoming a voice talent necessarily demands that you will spend time, energy, and money as part of the start-up and continuing operational costs of your business. There are NO shortcuts!
I actually have a couple of mathematical formulas for figuring the method to become a voice-over success story. I wrote about the first one here, and the second one is below.
Take your age
Add to it the number of car payments you have left
Subtract the number of pillows on your bed
Divide by the square root of Pi
The answer is the number of seconds you'll spend figuring out any logic in this formula.
My feeble attempt at humor merely illustrates that the question can't be answered because every person's path into and through a voiceover career is different.
So, how does any start-up business become a thriving enterprise? Obviously, the business' chance for survival -- much less prosperity -- depends on the people who work there and the product they are selling. The time, energy, and money you invest in developing your technique, demo(s), web site, and marketing plan will be the deciding factors in your chances for success in starting and maintaining your voiceover business.
My questions for you
Anyone contemplating any career -- whether as a voice talent, computer programmer, or Sherpa on the mountainside -- should ask themselves as many or more questions than they ask other people. Whatever career you pick will require substantial amounts of time and energy; chunks of money are also required when you are considering starting a business. Spend some introspective time determining your answers to the kinds of questions I list below, and your answers will help you decide if voiceover is a good career choice for you.
- What are your values? Values are different than goals. For instance, if you value security as highly as I do, you'll probably want to have a day job with healthcare benefits and a 401K plan at least until your voiceover income consistently exceeds that of the day job and you're able to insure yourself and plan your retirement.
- What is your passion? If you don't know, what activities make you happy? When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? (If you want to see some great books that will help you find your passion, check out this page on my web site.)
- What about voiceover work is appealing to you? Do you think it's an easy and glamorous way to make money? Do you love to read? Do you love to learn things? Is technology your friend? Do you have a desire to help people? Do you work well in isolation? Do you work well on multiple projects at one time and under multiple deadlines? Do you have an inner calling to do a certain kind of voiceover work? Have you ever actually recorded your voice and listened to it?
For an excellent reality check about starting a voiceover business, I highly encourage you to read Peter O'Connell's Voiceover Entrance Exam. Peter is a veteran voice talent and savvy marketer who gives you the straight scoop on this business in a free e-book.
A final question on my list
Whatever happened to saying "thank you"?
People frequently fire off questions to me without including the simplest acknowledgement that my valuable time will be needed to answer them. I don't expect compensation -- not that any is offered in most inquiries I receive. I supply my advice as a service out of a true desire to help others. However, I'm constantly amazed by the number of people who overlook the small courtesy of saying "thank you".
Therefore, my parting advice is to develop an attitude of gratitude, starting with every communication you have with another person about your career choices.
In a world....
When the legendary voice talent Don LaFontaine uttered those famous words on a movie trailer, you would be ready to go to a quiet, dark theater to escape -- escape the weather, escape obligations, and escape the chattering voice in your head. That inner voice can be especially critical to a voice artist who is feeling discouraged with her progress. Since my brain has come up with numerous scripts having that kind of negative inner dialogue, I thought it might be helpful if I shared 3 techniques for keeping a feel-good mentality about your voiceover career as you direct the movie of your life.
I'm a lot better about this one than I used to be, but even I occasionally still fall in the trap of negatively comparing myself to other voice talent. For instance, I recently read a review of an audiobook voiced by a talent whom I know. While I truly am thrilled for that person's success, I admit that I also had the thought of wishing for both the recent audiobook narration gig and the favorable review.
When other people comment about the great voice-over work that you have performed for them, I hope that you ask them for a testimonial that can be included on your web site. Not only do these comments from past clients serve to convince potential prospects to hire you as a voice talent, but they can bolster your self-esteem if you feel down on yourself.
Fisher proves that patience and persistence are the keys to realizing your dream. People expect instant gratification and are disappointed when nothing seems to happen. However, you have to maintain the hope and expectation each day since the manifestation of dreams rarely occurs on our timetable! Whether it takes a day, a month, a year, a decade, or longer, you need to have the unshakable inner KNOWING that the fruition of your dream is on its way to you.
Stop the Comparisons
I'm a lot better about this one than I used to be, but even I occasionally still fall in the trap of negatively comparing myself to other voice talent. For instance, I recently read a review of an audiobook voiced by a talent whom I know. While I truly am thrilled for that person's success, I admit that I also had the thought of wishing for both the recent audiobook narration gig and the favorable review.
It's one thing to make comparisons as part of a learning process. We all can improve in a variety of ways, and analyzing others' success is a good way to start. I'm talking about the kind of comparisons when you think envious or discouraging thoughts like, "I just can't get a break-through. I never win any auditions. I'm not good enough. It will never happen for me." These kinds of thoughts can be debilitating and will actually slow or completely stop your progress.
If you have these kinds of thoughts, the first one may appear on its own. You may not have been in control of that first thought, but you ARE in control of the second one. Remind yourself of the steps you have taken toward your dream. If you feel frustrated, find some action that you can do that will propel you forward. In all cases, think/write/speak what you WANT into being.
Ask For and Review Your Testimonials
When other people comment about the great voice-over work that you have performed for them, I hope that you ask them for a testimonial that can be included on your web site. Not only do these comments from past clients serve to convince potential prospects to hire you as a voice talent, but they can bolster your self-esteem if you feel down on yourself.
In addition, I notate my accomplishments and review them as my own evidence about the manifestation of my dreams. If I feel a hint of discouragement because the level of success I envision in voiceover is taking a while to appear, I only need to take a quick look at things I've done in just over a year -- recorded a new commercial demo, launched a new web site with new branding elements, and gained several wonderful new clients, all while mourning the loss of my mother and dealing with my parents' estate. When I stop to review all that I've done, I feel pretty darn good about my place in the voice-over world!
Maintain NOW Thinking
This morning, as I walked Yogi, our adorable miniature schnauzer, I was thinking about the message that I wanted to write in this blog entry. I also was thinking how Yogi lives completely in the moment. He sleeps, eats, and plays without dwelling on the past or fretting about the future.
Once we returned home, I turned on the TV and scrolled through the program guide. For some unknown reason, I felt compelled to watch Joel Osteen's oration today for the first time. This choice is all the more unusual since I'm not a religious person and normally would steer clear of televised church services.
The reason was clear to me from the first moment I heard Osteen speak. He was talking about living in this moment with the constant expectation of receiving the good that is on its way to you, no matter how long it takes to arrive. He encouraged his audience to awake every day with the thought that "THIS could be the day!"
Osteen used Mel Fisher as an example of this type of positive thinking. I, too, have drawn inspiration from Mel Fisher and can't believe that I haven't written about him previously.
You see, Mel Fisher was absolutely convinced that a Spanish ship laden with treasure had sunk off the coast of Florida in the 1600s, and he was determined to find it. Each day, he told his crew, "THIS will be the day!" Every night, after they didn't find the ship, Fisher would tell the crew, "Tomorrow will be the day!".
Fisher maintained his positive outlook and searched for the ship for an incredible 16 years. He faced innumerable odds, including an array of critics and doubters. I read once that his son died during the search efforts. Still, Fisher pressed on, doing things each day toward his dream and feeling perpetually confident of the good that would come to him.
Like so many people, the realization of his dream was far bigger than Fisher could have imagined. He found the Spanish Atocha, with treasures of gold, silver, and gems worth over $500 million!
Fisher proves that patience and persistence are the keys to realizing your dream. People expect instant gratification and are disappointed when nothing seems to happen. However, you have to maintain the hope and expectation each day since the manifestation of dreams rarely occurs on our timetable! Whether it takes a day, a month, a year, a decade, or longer, you need to have the unshakable inner KNOWING that the fruition of your dream is on its way to you.
Osteen said you should ask for things now and live life today, knowing that your desires may not be fulfilled immediately. He pointed out that things can suddenly change for the better. Finances can suddenly change. Relationships can suddenly blossom. Dreams can suddenly materialize.
For a voice talent, a new client could suddenly book you. You could suddenly have extra money to get that fancy microphone. Your latest blog article could suddenly capture the interest of the media and catapult you into the recording booths at Disney, Pixar, and other animation houses. (It could happen!)
By using these 3 techniques, I hope you will be able to silence the inner critic. As the star and director of your life's movie, consistently feeling good about your voice-over career will enable you to live happily ever after!
Movie clapboard photo credit: TPopova/iStockPhoto.com
Recently, the talented voice actor Paul Strikwerda asked a question on the highly active discussion board of the LinkedIn Working Voice Actor group about using an e-reader in his recording booth. I decided to re-purpose my answers to Paul's question into this post.
My iMac computer is outside of my WhisperRoom recording booth. I have longed to have a paperless studio and perform my scripts straight off a computer. I can't place a computer in my booth because my microphone would pick up the sound of even the quietest computer fan. My Macbook Pro laptop is very quiet but not quiet enough, and any computer fan could rev up at unexpected times.
The Apple iPad has solved the problem for me. I use the Wi-Fi on it to connect to my wireless LAN in my house. I've been able to read scripts from agents' and clients' web sites, as well as long e-learning Word files sent in e-mail.
I saw a note on the Yahoo Voiceovers list that someone did an audition with an app called PureAudio ($2.99 in the Apps Store) and thought it came out well. When I originally posted about it, I saw only a handful of reviews were available for that app, and most were reporting various problems. Since the iPad is in its infancy, I know that more and better apps will be available over time.
I originally wanted a second monitor in my booth. I could either stretch cable 10' or more across the center of the studio floor or wind it a greater distance around the baseboards and corners to reach my computer desk. Due to the size of my WhisperRoom and the door placement in my studio, reconfiguring the studio isn't really an option. I don't like seeing cables everywhere, especially when my stunning soundproof studio is so incredibly beautiful that WhisperRoom features it on their brochure. Therefore, a second monitor is not an option. Wireless monitors seem to be on the horizon, so maybe a second monitor will be workable for me in the future.
The Apple iPad has solved the problem for me. I use the Wi-Fi on it to connect to my wireless LAN in my house. I've been able to read scripts from agents' and clients' web sites, as well as long e-learning Word files sent in e-mail.
My view of the world when I'm recording voiceover scripts and audiobooks --
my Neumann TLM 103 mic and Apple iPad
I had an Amazon Kindle, but it didn't work well for me in the studio. It was cumbersome to load a Word or PDF document to it. Scrolling the screen required a click, which could be audible and/or disrupt my flow of narration. I can endlessly and quietly scroll the screen on the iPad while continuing to perform.
I typed my original response to Paul on my iPad, which reminded me of another advantage to it. I was recording a job, and the client sent me some changes in e-mail. I was able to read the e-mail and record the changes without leaving the booth.
My husband is my director, and he also has an iPad. He can keep the script in front of him while maintaining full-screen view and control of Pro Tools on the iMac. When Drew isn't available to help me, I use a Frontier Design Tranzport to control Pro Tools from within the booth, so that's another reason the iPad is a good solution for me.
The only downside I have discovered is that I can't mark the text while recording, like when I want to take notes on direction. I could mark text in Word on my computer before recording. The method is not perfect, but it's superior to printing.
I typed my original response to Paul on my iPad, which reminded me of another advantage to it. I was recording a job, and the client sent me some changes in e-mail. I was able to read the e-mail and record the changes without leaving the booth.
My husband is my director, and he also has an iPad. He can keep the script in front of him while maintaining full-screen view and control of Pro Tools on the iMac. When Drew isn't available to help me, I use a Frontier Design Tranzport to control Pro Tools from within the booth, so that's another reason the iPad is a good solution for me.
The only downside I have discovered is that I can't mark the text while recording, like when I want to take notes on direction. I could mark text in Word on my computer before recording. The method is not perfect, but it's superior to printing.
The iPad doesn't have a built-in app that lets you edit text in Word. However, as you might guess, "there's an app for that". Apple's Pages app is the most popular. It can be purchased in the App Store for $9.99 and gives you functionality similar to the MS Office suite. This PC World article has more info about viewing and editing Word docs on an iPad.
Your PC can already talk to the iPad with email. If you're using Outlook, you could set up a Gmail or other web e-mail account. You could then send your edited file to yourself and read the attachment in the booth.
I'm recording an audiobook of a public domain book. I was able to find the book in iBooks by searching on the title, and it loaded in that app. Just like on the Kindle, the on-line dictionary is handy. I can also change the font size and highlight characters' lines within the iBooks app.
I saw a note on the Yahoo Voiceovers list that someone did an audition with an app called PureAudio ($2.99 in the Apps Store) and thought it came out well. When I originally posted about it, I saw only a handful of reviews were available for that app, and most were reporting various problems. Since the iPad is in its infancy, I know that more and better apps will be available over time.
Oh, and BTW -- Drew and I have given up our Kindles. I'm a voracious reader, and I loved my Kindle. After getting the iPad, I didn't use the Kindle. I can read my Kindle books on my iPad with an app. The fact that the iPad allows me to carry around a library of videos, books, and music is an added bonus to its tremendous functionality in my studio.
If you're not a member of the Linkedin Working Voice Actor group, you're missing a lot of fantastic and lively discussions that will help your voiceover career! Another talented voice artist and group owner Ed Victor always "whacks the hornet's nest" with a new and interesting topic each week. Just as Paul asked the question about e-readers, you can post your own questions about any topic related to voiceovers. As always, I'd love to have your questions or comments about this post, so please share them on the blog.
VOICE2010, the international conference for voiceover talent held in Los Angeles, has ended, and the participants have gone home. I appreciated reading blog updates from other voice talent all the more since I wasn't there. My travel budget this spring was spent instead on a trip with Drew to Hawaii. However, I was reminded of 7 great lessons that apply to a voice-over career, all courtesy of my surfing instructor.
SURFING? As in the water sport known for "hanging 10"? If you're wondering what my surfing instructor could possibly teach about voiceover, read on!
Voiceover talent and recent surfing student Karen Commins
offers the universal greetings of surfers.
Drew and I went to Honolulu to celebrate his birthday. We make it a point to travel each year for one of our birthdays, and it was his turn to pick the destination this year. He picked Hawaii so he could later say that he had a surfing lesson on Waikiki Beach on his birthday. :)
Drew found our instructor Erik Lillmars at DCX Surfing School by doing a Google search for surfing lessons on Oahu. Since Drew is also a photographer, he liked the fact that Erik's site included photography services. In fact, Drew selected this particular instructor because photography was listed.
Two things are important from this part of the story:
1. Get your own web site, preferably with your own domain. Also, make sure that search engines can you based on your geographic area. People often prefer to deal with someone locally. While it's a global economy, I want to be the voice actor of choice for anyone in the Atlanta area!
2. If you offer extra services outside of voice-over (copywriting, audio editing, marketing consultation, etc.) or have some specialized subject knowledge, be sure to include that information on your site. Lots of people are voice talent. Your value-added services or subject expertise may be the reason you are hired.
Erik taught the lesson in his office on Koa Avenue, a block off of Waikiki Beach. He talked to us a long time before ever getting to the actual mechanics of the lesson. Some of his topics centered around Zen and meditation; he indicated the best surfers practice meditation to quiet their minds and visualize their success.
Erik also repeatedly told us to relax. If you're aren't relaxed on a surfboard, you'll be unsteady on the board and could fall off the side before you ever get to a wave. (Trust me on this one.) If you actually get to the point of being ready to ride a wave, tension in your body could cause you to lose your balance and injure yourself in falling off the surfboard.
3. Relax. If you aren't relaxed in front of a microphone, your throat muscles will constrict, and the tension will be heard in your voice and on the recording. What's worse, people can hear that tension and will want to shy away from your work. You may not think you could get injured doing voiceover work, but the long-term effects of strained vocal cords can lead to damage.
Most surfing instructors probably show you something about standing up on the surfboard using the actual board while on the beach. In our lesson, though, Erik spread a mat on the floor of his office and showed us the moves there.
The surfers you've seen on TV make it look so easy; they get to a standing position as if by magic. (If you want the magic formula to make your voiceover work look easy, skip ahead to lesson number 6.) Erik stressed safety and showed us how to get to our knees, put one foot in front of you, and finally rise to a standing position while turning to a sideways stance for balance. He had us practice this move several times in the office. Erik showed us how to dip down while twisting our body to maintain balance.
Birthday boy Drew Commins demonstrates the first step in standing up on a surfboard:
raise up from lying flat to balancing on your knees.
4) Stand up in stages. Just because you have done something briefly in a class setting doesn't necessarily make you ready and qualified to perform the actual work. I especially worry about those aspiring voice talent who take a 2-hour group class and then jump into making a demo. It's akin to the same level of preparation and expertise you have after practicing a move 3 times on a floor mat and then thinking you can surf in deep water.
Drew and I had to carry a 9-foot surfboards under each of our arms when walking from the office to the beach, which was maybe a fifth of a mile. After toting that load in the Hawaii heat, I was TIRED by the time we got to the spot on the beach!
Once we finally got in the water and on our surfboards, I felt very shaky on the hard, wood surfboard. As I started paddling out to the waves, my neck hurt immensely, and I kept feeling like I would fall off the board. Erik encouraged me to get off the board and float in the water rather than risking injury. I told Erik that it was more important for him to spend his time with Drew, and I would be happy just hanging out in the water for the duration of the lesson.
During the office part of the lesson, our instructor also told us that he had studied the pattern of the waves. Using a traffic analogy, he said that the incoming and outgoing surfers should be in separate lanes. We were impressed that Erik had created a chart that showed us how to use a particular balcony of a hotel and a structure near Diamond Head as a visual guide to our proper lane.
Like the sun over the Hawaiian beach, Erik's research was golden. Waikiki Beach is the world's most famous beach and probably has the greatest concentration of surfers at any given moment. Since Erik had spent hours and hours in studying the patterns and rhythms of the ocean, he knew the best position in the water to catch the wave. He also knew the best place to be if you wanted to hang out in the outgoing surfing "lane" while staying safely out of the way of dozens of incoming surfers. I greatly appreciated that insight since that's where I was while Eric was working with Drew.
Aloha! Drew was a natural surfer, standing up several times during his only surf lesson.
Diamond Head is in the background.
As Drew was riding a wave toward the beach, Erik came back to me. He commented several times about inexperienced surfers who were going out to a spot where no one else was. He said the waves didn't break in those locations, so the stray surfers were wasting their time.
5) Know where the waves are. Once you have decided to pursue a voice-over career, you need to analyze your strengths and gifts to know where your voice fits in the market. With that information, you can define a target market and niche within that market. You then need to study the habits of your target market in order to position yourself and gain work.
Drew made several attempts to ride a wave using the techniques Erik showed us in the office. As you can see in the above picture, Drew was successful in standing up and riding the waves several times! His hang time might not have been very long, but it was great he could stand up and surf!
As soon as the surfers fall off the board, what do they do? They paddle back out and wait for the next wave!
6) Practice! In any creative endeavor, whether it's surfing or voiceover, you have to practice if you ever expect to improve your skills and advance to the next level. Erik was an awesome surfing coach who helped us achieve our goals for the lesson. Consistent practice on your own and lessons under the direction of a good voiceover coach will do the same for your career.
While the surfers are indeed practicing their skills each time they ride a wave, they also do it for another reason -- the sheer joy of the experience. In fact, Erik told us in his office that he had previously worked in the music industry with Neil Diamond but decided to give up that hectic lifestyle to pursue his true calling and passion to teach others about surfing.
7) Do it for the joy, not the money. I often see newspaper articles about introductory voiceover classes that leave the reader with the impression that anyone can take the class and quickly start making megabucks just by "talking". Just know that if it were that easy, everybody would be doing it. The best and most monetarily successful voiceover talent are those who have the passion and true calling for the work. Even professionals with years of experience continue to practice and improve their skills. Since the vast majority of your time in voiceover may be spent in gaining work rather than actually performing it, you will definitely want to feel as much joy as possible!
I'm sure many people are already planning their trips to VOICE2011. As for me, I'm already planning my birthday trip next year! If you can think of a cool idea for me or have thoughts about my surfing story, I hope you'll leave some comments on the blog.
Success leaves clues.
Every day, I see questions on various voice-over boards like:
Yesterday, I analyzed Barry Manilow as a brand to offer clues to voice talent about marketing your personal brand to your clients. He has defined his core product, offers consistent results, and embraces constant improvement.
Today, I realized I forgot the last and most defining C in the branding process. As you can hear toward the end of this clip (1:07), Barry Manilow has a secret weapon that has made him a legend in the music industry and which savvy voiceover folks will want to adopt.
Barry Manilow performs with his back-up singers (Keely Vasquez, foreground)
at Paris Las Vegas, 3/21/10
The 4th C of Branding -- Create Your Own Stuff
- How do I get an agent? (I wrote a little about agents on my advice page for my site.)
- Should I join one of the voiceover casting -- commonly referred to as pay-to-play (P2P) -- sites, and if so, which one is better? (If you're interested, my answer to that question is here.)
- Who actually wins all these auditions? (You do have more on your marketing plan than waiting for auditions, don't you? If you need help in creating a marketing plan, check out this post. Also, this post contains 25+ marketing and publicity ideas to attract clients to you. You'll find other marketing articles in the archives.)
To me, the approaches above cause you to give away your power. I'm not saying you shouldn't do them as part of your marketing mix. However, you'll have far greater power to move your voiceover career in the direction you want it to go by casting yourself in your own projects.
Our friends who act on camera or in the theatre will write a play or show for the web, create the set, design costumes, get their friends to act with them, star in the show, direct it, and publicize their effort -- all WITHOUT pay. Either we professional voiceover people aren't creating our own stuff, or we're not publicizing it too well.
I also think many people resist investing time in such projects when they aren't being paid. Our society tends to attach monetary value to everything, which can make us feel that it's not worth doing something simply for the pleasure of doing it. Creating our own work allows us to develop skills and make us more competitive for those paying jobs. You might consider your own project to be a specialized form of practice. In addition, we can use our own projects in our publicity efforts. If you keep working at it, who knows? Someone may even pay you someday for your creation.
What to Create?
I think the question could be answered by looking at what you like and the category of voice work that you want to obtain. Below are some ideas that may inspire you.
Promos? How about creating your own video with your voice as the promo? If you can't create a video, perhaps you could work with the public access cable channel to develop one. You could post the finished product on your site and others like YouTube.
Audiobooks? How about recording short stories and books for the blind, reading at your library, or recording for LibriVox?
Commercials? How about writing your own copy and setting it to music?
Video games? How about voicing some projects on one of the fan sites?
Podcasts? How about turning an organization's newsletter into a podcast or Internet radio show?
Narrations? How about narrating feature stories from magazines? You could scan pictures or buy stock images and add them to PowerPoint or a video to create a finished presentation. As another idea, you could create audio or video podcasts based on scripts that you write.
I cannot express to you the power and importance of creating your own work in building your personal brand and attaining the level of success you want in voiceover. But -- don't take my word for it.
For years, actor/producer/director Bob Fraser has been advising actors to cast themselves and create their own work.
Author/producer/casting director Bonnie Gillespie is such a strong advocate of self-produced work that she includes someone's self-produced work each week in her popular column The Actor's Voice.
And now, you've heard it directly from Barry Manilow.
Success does leave clues, and 3 famous and highly successful people have all left the same one. Now that you have it, what are you going to do about it? I'd love to get your comments and see examples of your creations on this blog!
Barry Manilow.
Paris.
Both are iconic brands that exude love and romance. Can you sum up your voice-over brand in a few short words?
Since 1993, I've traveled to over a dozen cities from London to Las Vegas just to see Barry Manilow in concert. I've seen him perform 51 times, including his newest show at the spectacular Paris Las Vegas during my recent trip to Las Vegas. The Paris Las Vegas resort is the perfect venue for Barry, and his new show includes images of Impressionists works found in Paris, France. The latest rendition of Barry's show is truly an ideal marriage between 2 romantic brands.
Barry has been creating albums and performing in live concerts for over 35 years. After that last concert, I thought about 3 Cs related to Barry's branding that may help you achieve similar longevity with your voiceover career.
Barry Manilow performing at the Paris Las Vegas, 3/21/10
People are always shocked when I say how many times I've gone to a Manilow concert. They ask me why I would go see the same performer so many times. They incredulously inquire, "Isn't it the same show every time?"
Since I want to answer that question here by talking about his branding, I think it's easier to understand branding when looking at products instead of people. If I said I had bought Tide detergent hundreds of times in my life, no one would find the revelation shocking. At best, they might be curious about the reason for my allegiance to that particular brand of detergent.
Core Product
Tide detergent is a carefully formulated product that will remove stains from clothes. It is a brand to distinguish it from other, similar-looking products that also remove stains from clothes.
Many people don't stop to think of an entertainer as a powerful form of brand promotion. Whether we're talking about a legendary performer with decades of experience like Barry Manilow or the newest voice talent plugging in a microphone today, a voice-over talent is a unique brand just as Barry Manilow is.
What kind of song is Barry known for? Love songs. True, he sings in a wide variety of musical genres -- including jazz, pop, standards, rock, and even Latin (and I'm not just talking about Copacabana) -- but he uses the same signature sound and stays true to his core product line of love songs in most cases.
As a voice talent, I also have worked in multiple genres -- commercials, audiobooks, e-learning modules, games, and phone systems. Although I may employ a different attitude or change my vocal attributes to create a character voice, the vast majority of my work employs my signature sound. I usually stay true to my core product line of factual presentation.
Just as clothes detergents look the same, and a singer's catalog tends to sound the same, you will probably note some similarity among the types of scripts on which you excel. If you stop and determine where that similarity lies, you will have found your core product. When you know your core product, it's easier to target a niche of people who want that product.
Consistent Results
Most people make all purchasing decisions out of habit or, ideally, affinity to a particular brand. We repeat our decisions when we are satisfied with the product and it provides predictable, consistent results. Fans of entertainers and sports teams repeatedly pay big bucks to see their idols perform. What's more, they are only too happy to buy merchandise with their idol's name and logo, etc.
When I buy Tide, I know that my clothes will be clean. When I buy a ticket to a Manilow concert, I know I will hear favorite songs and see a high-energy show for 2 hours. When a client books me for a voice-over job, they know they will receive a well-narrated, pristine recording of their script before their deadline. Since I market my brand as "A Vacation For Your Ears", clients rightfully expect me to be bright, sunny, stress-free, and fun!
Constant Improvement
Going back to my detergent analogy, if Tide had never made a change in the years that I had been buying it, I probably would have switched to another detergent. As it is, Tide has removed chemicals that irritated my skin, changed from powder to liquid, and created new packaging which encourages me to get refills. The basic product stayed the same, but improvements have been made based on customer feedback.
In the years that I've followed Barry, he also has improved. Sure, you know you're going to hear certain songs and some of the same jokes from concert to concert. Mandy, Copacabana, and I Write The Songs are part of his core product line. The production and staging has changed with different tours and venues. Also, Barry has continued to produce new albums, so the music changes over time as well. He has said that he gets bored with the same show, and he knows his fans would, too. Therefore, he even changes elements of the show each night.
My clients have also benefitted from my constant improvement. I have upgraded studio components and continue to take classes to maintain and improve my performance.
When you define and stick with your core product, offer consistent results, and embrace constant improvement, you will find much success in your voice-over career over the years.
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Aside from these thoughts about branding, I've learned some extremely important life's lessons from Barry which may help you live the life of your dreams, specifically:
- Don't take your critics' words to heart; what do they know, anyway?
- Forget about pleasing everybody; concentrate on playing to the people who like what you do.
- Do what you love (in my case, voice-over) not for the money but because you can't NOT do it. Barry has said: "You shouldn't do it for the applause, the money or the ego satisfaction because it doesn't work. You've got to do it because you've got to do it."
- Your job is just what you do, but it doesn't change who you are.
- You can give in, you can give out, but you don't give up.
- The better produced demo you make, the better chance you have.
At the end of his concerts, Barry often urges his audiences:
DO WHAT YOU LOVE!
He closed his autobiography with this passage, and I want to share it with you.
I believe that we are who we choose to be.
Nobody is going to come and save you. You've got to save yourself.
Nobody is going to give you anything. You've got to go out and fight for it.
Nobody knows what you want except you,
and nobody will be as sorry as you if you don't get it.
So don't give up your dreams.
An amazing trend is emerging in my voice-over career. For the second time in 2 weeks, I've had the immense pleasure of meeting some fellow voice talents. In fact, both occasions occurred on a Monday evening dinner at an Italian restaurant. See? Amazing!
First, Drew and I met our friend Dave Courvoisier during our trip to Las Vegas in March. This week, it was our turn to play hosts to our friend, the highly successful voice talent and marketer extraordinaire Peter O'Connell as he visited Atlanta.
Voice talents Peter O'Connell, Karen Commins, and Craig Crumpton
are all smiles after dinner together
Although we've interacted a good bit on-line for several years, I hadn't been able to connect with Peter during 2-3 of his past trips to my lovely (and right now, pollen-caked) city. This time, he wisely alerted me in plenty of time so that I could hire a professional organizer to arrange my sock drawer. I wanted to eliminate any possible obstacle I would have in meeting him! :)
In addition to his tremendous vocal talent and impressive client list, I have long admired Peter's marketing prowess. He actually practices "old school" marketing and PR techniques like setting up a booth at trade shows. Of course, his skill in marketing just adds more companies to that already impressive client list. In his copious spare time, Peter wrote the fantastic VoiceOver Entrance Exam, a free e-book that should be required reading for everyone entering this industry.
I also was delighted to meet at long last the multi-talented Craig "Voiceroy" Crumpton, who was able to join us in this little soiree on Monday night. Craig and I also have shared on-line correspondence over the years but hadn't met. Anyone who lives in Atlanta or is familiar with our traffic -- sure to be on any top 5 list for worst traffic in the country -- can understand why Craig and I hadn't met before this week! Craig entertained us with stories of his recent adventures singing with a gospel quartet in Japan, as well as his stint as a featured extra in the upcoming movie The Conspirator.
We decided to meet at Olive Garden, and their slogan of "when you're here, you're family" certainly seemed to apply to us. Time flew by in the company of both these fun and engaging gentlemen. We got to know each other better as people and learned from each other as voiceover professionals. I found the conversations about agents to be especially helpful as I will soon seek additional representation in new markets.
I've met more voice-over pros in 2 months than in all of last year. Getting out of my house and meeting my wonderful peers is an exciting trend that I intend to continue.
The catchy TV ads for Las Vegas tourism caution you: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. A banner at the airport reminds you of that slogan as you head to your departure gate.
What happens in any place I travel stays there.....UNTIL I get home. When Drew and I travel, we never post anything on-line to indicate we're not at home. Tweets about the trip, Facebook photo updates, and blog posts all have to wait until we get home. It would be too easy for crooks to see our on-line updates, find our house with Google maps, and clean us out while we're gone.
Now that I'm back from a fabulous trip to Vegas, all bets are off. I had such a great time that a tell-all blog is in order!
Drew and I went to Las Vegas to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary by renewing our vows while sitting on a Harley at the Little White Wedding Chapel Tunnel of Love. Yes, we renewed our vows at a drive-through window! We expected the ceremony to be just a few sentences, like "Do you still take her? Do you still take him? Okay, ride on then!" However, the ceremony actually was very meaningful while still being fun and unique.
Karen and Drew Commins say "I do -- again!" at a Las Vegas drive-though chapel
Although our vow renewal ceremony was the reason for the trip, a big highlight for both of us was finally meeting our friend, the dedicated news anchor, energetic Renaissance man, and talented fellow professional voiceover actor Dave Courvoisier. Dave and I have exchanged many thoughtful e-mails, and occasionally, we've even surmounted time zone differences between Las Vegas and Atlanta to talk on the phone. It was such a joy to be able to spend a few hours with him in person.
Dave generously invited us to sit in on his 5pm newscast at KLAS-TV, where he anchors the 4pm, 5pm, and 11pm newscasts. Such a grueling schedule would be enough for many people. Dave's busy, high-profile job is just a part of his work week. For instance, he was an emcee on Saturday, 20 March for the Chefs for Kids Gala, a benefit at which Las Vegas chefs combine efforts to raise money to provide nutritionists and meals at Clark County schools.
Las Vegas KLAS-TV anchors Dave Courvoisier and Denise Valdez in a newscast.
Dave is on the air in this picture.
Dave is on the air in this picture.
After the newscast, we enjoyed a relaxing and delicious Italian dinner at Nora's Cuisine. The conversation flowed easily; we never encountered one of of those awkward, pregnant pauses. We talked about our families and the sadness over losing our parents. We talked about Drew's recent certification as a Dive Control Specialist. We talked about the technology at the TV studio and Dave's role as a leader and teacher of social networking among the staff.
Naturally, we spent a good bit of time talking about our voice-over careers. I rarely come out of my studio to talk with another voice talent, so this discussion was quite refreshing. Dave has been in voice-over for about 5 years, and I've been doing it for 11 years. We're on similar paths as we both continue to evolve and grow as professional voice talent. In fact, we've both recently completed extensive coursework from celebrated LA voiceover coach and branding guru Nancy Wolfson and created new commercial demos under her direction.
I was impressed to learn that Dave created a second web site solely aimed at audiobook narration. I also have had the same idea, but Dave has actually implemented it. I admire his targeted and focused marketing to one of his niche audiences.
By the way, Dave insists that he DOES sleep 6-8 hours a night, but I still find it difficult to believe that he has time to sleep at all!
Drew and I had a very special anniversary trip to Las Vegas. Spending quality time with Dave Courvoisier made it all the better, and we look forward to visiting with him again soon.
Voice actors Dave Courvoisier and Karen Commins
bask in the glow of the neon light from a tattoo shop.
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
bask in the glow of the neon light from a tattoo shop.
What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!
In the last few days, I have enjoyed reading my friend Dave Courvoisier's excellent 3-part series of blog articles about setting rates. When I saw the comments about not leaving money on the table when negotiating the price of a voice-over job, I remembered some unrelated advice given to me by my hair stylist. You might wonder how a hair stylist could help a voice talent, but we're both business owners. I decided to dig up and publish my entries from my journal from that day as her advice is sure to help other voiceover artists.
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Photo: iStockPhoto.com/Gerry Hernandez
Saturday, 25 January 2003
We went to get our hair cut. As I was sitting with wet hair and wearing my lovely vinyl smock, my phone rang. I thought and hoped it might be someone calling about my Prelude harp since I posted ads to sell it just this morning.
Nope. It was [client], calling about the sound files. He was trying to compress them and was getting a hissing sound. I felt bad that I didn't do any file reduction before I sent them to him. I sent him what he asked for -- CD audio. He didn't specify the sampling rate or resolution. I told him I'd try to help him when I got home. By the time I got here, I had an email from him saying that they had converted the files.
Sunday 26 January 2003
I was worrying over [client's] phone call yesterday while Theresa was cutting my hair. She said she understood exactly how I felt. She equated [client's] call to me as being like one of her customers deciding they didn't like the hair color they asked for, which would cause Theresa to have to use more product and spend time she hadn't planned. She wouldn't get any more money for the job, but she would make the customer happy.
Theresa advised me to create a manual that would include my procedures for different types of projects and questions I should ask. She hit the nail on the head when she said my business is in a growth phase. Even though I had been planning for it for quite a while, it's still hard to be fully prepared for every circumstance that crops up.
I feel this whole experience with [client] is a valuable learning experience from an operational standpoint. My manual should help me to remember to ask or do:
1) to see the script before agreeing to a final price
2) ask the client how big the final file size should be
3) if I know the files are going on a phone system, I should create smaller files before sending them to the client
I've also been reminded in the past week:
4) When someone asks me for a quote, I should ask them first if they have a budget and a timeframe in mind.
Even though it's been 7 years since Theresa advised me to devise a manual, I continue to write down numerous operational aspects of my voice-over projects, such as:
- When doing an audition, I scribble the "Moment before" on the script so that I can get back to the same frame of mind if I'm selected for the job.
- I note the method of file transmission that a client prefers. Some people want to receive files in e-mail, while others prefer services like YouSendIt.com and Dropbox.com.
- If I use music from my royalty-free library, I list the disc and cut that I selected. For podcasts, I also include the cues and timing in the music to maintain consistent intro and outro segments.
Writing my procedures allows me to spend more quality time producing my recordings.
As for the rates question that started this trip down memory lane, I want to add one thing. Asking people if they have a budget and timeframe (#4 from my journal entry) immediately weeds out those who are seriously interested in hiring me from those who want me to record for "exposure". In fact, just last week, someone proposed that I do voiceover projects for them in exchange for a link on their web site. After asking them about their budget, it's no surprise to me that I didn't receive a reply.
Bonjour! You may think the movie Julie and Julia is only about Julia Child, Julie Powell, Paris, and cooking. While those are reasons enough to watch this excellent and highly enjoyable movie, you may be surprised to learn that the movie also contains 5 lessons that will benefit voiceover artists:
1) Neither Julia Child nor Julie Powell became cooks and writers simply to make money. Both answered an inner calling and pursued their passions. Both women also had additional income to support them when they started their endeavors.
Many people enter the voice-over industry under the mistaken belief that it is an easy way to make money. They view voice-over like a part-time job at a fast food restaurant, where they have no start-up or ongoing costs and need no particular skills in order to make money. Anyone could come in off the street, fill out an application, and begin work.
As I've written numerous times, voice-over is a business. I wouldn't say it follows the 80/20 rule; it's more like the 95/5 rule -- 95% of your time is spent in activities to develop and enhance your delivery and interpretation skills, market your services, and build client relationships that will enable you to obtain the 5% of the jobs where you actually work as a voice talent.
2) Julie didn't give up her day job. I know this item seems like take two of the same script. However, I added this tip to remind you that there's no shame in having a day job. It can actually enable you to pursue your voiceover dreams.
3) When Julie compared herself to her friends, she felt small, insignificant, and depressed. I know of no quicker way to feel bad than to start comparing myself to other people. The cure for these spiraling negative thoughts is to take charge of your thoughts and words, which should inspire you to take positive action.
Whether you show the finished product to anyone or make any money from it is irrelevant. The point is to feed your passion and exercise your creativity on a regular basis. The more you do what you want to do and enjoy it, the more you become the person you want to be. Also, I've had a couple of occasions where I created something for my own enjoyment and skill practice. I loved the process and ended up using the finished piece as a demo from which I landed new clients.
To me, it means that the energy you put out in the world will come back to you in ways you didn't imagine -- and be better than you could ever dream possible!
5) Julie and Julie exemplify Thoreau's famous quote. Henry David Thoreau wrote this gem, which is as true now as it was in his time:
If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams
and endeavors to live the life he has imagined,
he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.
May all your voiceover endeavors bring you joie de vivre!
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