On paper it sounded so easy.
“You have been hired to record the voices of five different guys for a new interactive game.”
After I had signed a contract and a comprehensive non-disclosure agreement, I took a moment to reflect on what I had gotten myself into.
I had wanted to break into this segment of the voice-over market, but there were at least three minor complications with this assignment.
One: I had to play all five characters.
Two: These guys were supposed to be teenagers.
Three: I am 49 years old.
As soon as I signed the papers, I started having second thoughts. Could I pull this one off? Was I really the right person for this project? Who was I kidding?
All along I have been telling you never to accept a job you think you can’t handle. Why did I choose to ignore my own advice?
Then there was this.
Paul,
I see you decided not to take my advice of switching to a weekly Haiku. Oh well.
When I was a youngin trying my hand at this voice over thing, I was told “Never judge the client and never judge the copy”. I’ve found that simple piece of advise covers about 98% of all the “demons” in my head.
I also learned that it had a lot less to do with what I think and a lot more to do with what my agent thinks, the casting director thinks, the copywriter thinks, the client thinks, etc.
If someone expresses an interest in hiring me, it’s generally not my job to “talk them out of it”, although I suspect I have occasionally done just that.
However, if I am truly following that advice of not judging the client or the copy, then I will be able to focus on the best way that I cane be a problem solver and approach the work.
By the way, making a decision to not audition for something or to not accept a particular job offer doesn’t need to be about “judging”, but simply be an intelligent decision to “not” do something for any variety of reasons, just as saying “yes” doesn’t represent a decision based upon judging the client or copy.
My big problem is convincing clients I can sound like a teenager, little kid, etc. The tendency these days is “Why hire a 50 year old who can sound like he’s 25, when we can actually hire a real 25 year old?” In my day we referred to what we did as “acting”. The problem is that few 50 year old talents today are actors. I particularly enjoy(not)visiting sites where a male talent with a basso profundo voice has posted their demos and clicked all of the boxes, middle age male, elderly male, young male, pre-pubescent male and sometimes even middle age woman and girl.
Live, love and hustle your little tushie off,
–js
Your words of wisdom
Are profound and enlightening
A fresh breath of air
I’m pretty sure it was an accident Paul. I’ve probably used up all my profound and enlightening fairy dust until Labor Day.
You on the other hand seem to have an endless bag full of the stuff.
I appreciate the fact that you get me to think and perhaps inspire me to be a little bit more.
Paul’s epistle and JS’s response articulate why this biz is so loved by so many of us, whether still finding our way and winging it a bit or well-seasoned problem solvers. This wonderful sharing of insight helps the one to become t’other, all in good time.
Absolutely, Howard. We might be working independently, but we’re nevertheless connected in so many ways. I treasure these relationships each and every day!
Thank you so much for your generous donation to the MS Society! I have now reached 89% of my goal!
Paul.,
Great advice as usual, told in a very entertaining manner. To say nothing of J.S.’s contribution!
To paraphrase Led Zep “Ramble on… sing your song.”
At the end of day
What comes out of the speakers
Is all that matters
Terrific advice…and JS, totally agree with the “acting” comment. It’s almost a lost art these days.
So, Paul, you must be mighty busy around 3:30 every day – and now that the cat’s out of the bag, all of your clients will want to take advantage of your ‘prime time’. Maybe you can structure that fact into your rates: If booking between 7 and 11 a.m., you get the ‘face not warmed up’ discount. 12:30 – 2 p.m., the ‘stomach growl’ discount, 3:30 is PRIME TIME, and after 7 p.m. is ‘Hey, you’re delaying my down time’ 1.5 X prime time rate. Of course, none of this could ever work, but it’s my dopey take after 3 hours of sleep last night took me. Great as usual, Paul, and JS as well. We be ‘Ramblin’ On’ Bruce. PS – we wanna HEAR these 5 guys – are they named ‘Moe’? Have a great weekend, Kids! – Uncle Roy
Interesting thing learned and may have just realized… Voice is higher, later in the day. Just pondering that thoughtfully… Tactically very interesting as well. Geez I love the blog! El Americano…
Some great advice as usual Paul. The longer I’m doing this, the more I realize that to be confident in your recording it’s important to make a voice acting choice with each script and then stick to it. Also your point about picking the right time of day to record in a low or high register does make a difference. I too feel younger in the afternoons and I’ve got a couple of years on you buddy.
Great blog!
Wow! Great article. This was really timely for me as I just voiced a children’s book this morning requiring me to play at least four different characters (grandmother, mother, child etc.) as well as a neutral narrator. I was in an outside studio and fortunately the writer was there to direct. One thing that makes it easier to be consistent when playing multiple characters is to voice each role separately, rather than doing everything in order, but in an outside studio with a director one doesn’t always have that choice.
Paul, you are amazing. & not only do you give great information about the biz, but it’s your honesty in your writing that lends credibility for me to WANT to read what you write very week 🙂
Unfortunately, the pay-to-play sites require us to get the read in as fast as possible & our choice of time to record within our day cannot play a factor. So, I my face muscles may be stiff, but I work on trills for the tongue & lips that assit with my sound. However, I totally get what you’re saying about learning when our “true” optimal work time is — for other projects where we have some choice in the time planning of it.
Plus, the comments form your crowd are so fun too! “Uncle Roy” really made me laugh this week, cheers to all!
Hey Paul,
my favorite time to record is same as yours, but when I have to record in the morning or evening anyway, I have to wait one hour after the meal 😉
And I just felt compeled to share with you that I had my first skype session this week and I felto soooooo happy for having someone in my little world “with me” that I felt great the whole day, really revigorating!
It doesn’t matter how much technologies will develop and lock us in a dark studio… We are social people 🙂
Hi Linda, technology can alienate and it can bring people together. Skype is great for getting remote direction. It’s much more fun and it can save tons of time. I’m glad you had the same experience!