It often starts with a compliment:
“I just love your voice. I could listen to it for hours.”
“Wow, you take great pictures.”
“Your jewelry is absolutely amazing.”
“You’re a born writer.”
Followed by:
“Have you ever thought of doing this professionally?”
For a moment you are flattered, but you quickly dismiss the compliment and say:
“Thank you so much. It’s just something I like to do for fun.”
But after hearing the same comments from different people, your brain starts playing with the possibility. Someone planted a seed in your mind and it’s definitely growing! One day, you wake up in the middle of the night with this question:
This is on par with “The Terrible Truth about voice over” but much more in depth.
I don’t know if VO was ever a hobby for me, but more something I liked to do that I enjoyed learning and practicing. The goal was always to make money. In my house, a hobby that doesn’t earn its keep, ahhh, is a constant annoyance from “the admiral” my wife.
When I thought I was industry standard, I contacted a coach, for a through exam of my technique, my audio recording capabilities and really, to ask the question “Can I compete in the market today with what I have?” That I believe is the one reason you should hire a pro when you are getting started. Until I received confirmation from an unbiased pro in the industry who had nothing to gain for telling me that, I started REALLY learning. But the focus was on making everything better, because being “Industry standard” only gets you a ticket to the dance…I’m still dancing 24 months later! (thanks to YOU and Nethervoice keeping me square!)
Your way is the way to do it, Ted. You contacted an unbiased coach and started learning. It takes two to Tango! Enjoy the dance floor. You’ve made it your own and all of us are celebrating your success!
Thank you Paul! This is so much exactly what I have been needing to hear, and so clear and well said. Questions have been going through my mind on this very subject for quite some time. I learn from every one of your blogs but this one in particular has really helped me. I do love doing voiceovers, but have been struggling with whether I really want to do it full time as a profession for various reasons, including having the money to make the money or setting the priorities in the bits of time in between the day job, etc. Hobby it is, for me anyway. Thanks so much!
Glad to hear that this was helpful, Paula. Doing VO as a hobby does mean that you’re missing out on all those fabulous tax deductions in April! Enjoy your time inside and outside of the recording booth!
Great as always!
But I have a format comment rather. I liked it better when you didn’t have 2 pages. Maybe you are doing it to know who really reads the whole article, but it is a minor inconvenience.
I know, this sound rather petty now that I write it, maybe I just need to get accustomed to it, which in the case of your articles, I don’t mind at all.
Best regards
Memo
Thank you for the feedback, Memo. If more people aren’t happy with the page split, I may return to the old format. For now you’re the only one who’s been kind enough to comment on it.
“Sláinte!” That is fabulous advice! Yet another great article to add to my “give to newbies” file!
Cool, Moe. I hope a few more experienced colleagues will reevaluate their business model too, and see if they’re running a business or if they’re enjoying a hobby.
Paul, I stumbled onto you in the course of pursuing my hobby. It is refreshing to find an artist whose talent soars, yet has his feet firmly planted on solid ground. Thanks for sharing your accumulated wisdom. I’m glad to hear from Ted on this, too, because I’m where he is. And I’m perfectly fine with my hobby always being a hobby as long as I’m learning, having fun, working with great people…and it pays its own way. My reality check occurred this week when a NY talent agent courteously, yet honestly, critiqued my website. The unvarnished truth revealed several flaws, but chief among them was that I had a choice to make: present myself as a typical radio guy or distinguish myself as a voice actor; someone who was more versatile and capable of believably interpreting a script. Seems there’s no shortage of radio guys out there competing for work. So I’ve decided to concentrate on the performance side…and having the time of my life.
Again, excellent Paul. Most share worthy!
Bravo, Paul! I too feel that basking in the glow of ‘non-industry’ accolades is a short term ego boost at best. Staying on this comfortable island had initially softened my edge in our competitive industry!
Thanks for the topic.
Tim Crow
http://www.tcrow.com
—-
Show up, pay attention, tell the truth and do not be overly attached to the end result.
Great article Paul , I’ve been learning and studying the voice over craft since 2010, I’ve got a pro coach now who has helped me understand the BUSINESS end first! Good thing because without knowing the in’s and out’s of the business side of voice overs you are pretty much doomed from the start. The one thing that I do is practice,practice,practice to the point where I now feel it’s time to record my demo. My website is in the planning and development stage. It’s a time consuming process and I feel it must be done in order to succeed.
It sounds like you’re planning your career very carefully and professionally, Kenny. I wish more people would take that approach. Without a website, you don’t exists, but a VO website without demos is like a car dealership without cars. Good luck with all of that and keep us posted!
Paul,
Much of what you said in your article coincides with what many presenters pointed out at the V/O 2014 Atlanta conference recently.
Voiceover is a craft and needs to be treated as a business for those serious enough to pursue this long term.
For former radio broadcasters like myself, some good first steps are to enroll in some improv classes and/or acting or voice acting classes. Many of our presenters stressed the importance of ongoing training.
Ed, you could have saved yourself a trip to Atlanta! But seriously, the most important piece of advice I give to aspiring voice talent is to treat it as a business and not as a hobby. Those who do will stand a chance. Those who don’t, no matter how great their talent may be, will have a very hard time making a living wage.
Paul,
I live in the Atlanta area so I drove to the conference each day.
It was a great conference and I hope you can come next year.
I’ve heard great things about Atlanta, Ed. I certainly hope to make the rounds next year and learn from all of you.