VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[jlatenight]

Hello all, I'm trying to break into the voice-over field, but I'm having some trouble getting started and I need some advice for all you seasoned professionals out there. I work full-time in Boston for a large financial company. I'm constantly told by friends and family that I should perform comedically in some way: stand-up, voice-overs, etc. I've always dismissed it, and frankly the thought terrified me, but I've recently decided to look into it more. I have very limited experience performing. My concern is I have limited free time; work and two children. Was anyone else in a similar situation when they started?

I don't have an "announcer" voice, which seems like the majority of work out there is geared towards. My style is more flexible and comedic: great natural comedic timing, impersonations, cartoon voices, sound effects, etc. What's the best way, with limited time, to get my feet wet with this? So far, I've read "There's Money Where Your Mouth Is" and I have a decent make-shift home studio set up connected to my PC to practice with. What should be my next step?

1. Jump in and hang my shingle on voice.com or voice123.com? I'm reluctant to spend any money without making any first.
2. Take a training class of some kind? I'm considering the voice-over classes at bostoncasting.com, if anyone's familiar.
3. Roll the dice and go to some auditions right off the bat? To me, that seems like too much of a shock without any real training.

What I'd like to have is a mentor in this business; someone local to the Boston area I can trust who's willing to advise me in the right direction. Someone I can watch and learn from. Any and all advice GREATLY appreciated!

[louzucaro]

Hi,

First, what's your name?

Second, I'm neither a candidate for Boston-area mentor or somebody who was in your situation, but I'll share a few thoughts anyway.

One thing you'll find is that the people here are from a fairly diverse set of situations. There are people here who work exclusively out of their home or office studios via ISDN, for instance. And there are those who rarely, if ever, record from their own equipment, except maybe for auditions.

From that standpoint, there's really no right or wrong way to go about launching your v.o. career.

Having a full-time job is definitely at least a speedbump, if not a road block, unless your company is really flexible with when you leave for auditions or recording sessions. In my case, for instance, I could not have done a lot of the v.o. work I've done if I had a full-time job with an inflexible schedule...most of it, in fact.

Since I own my business, I can hop in my booth to record auditions or head into the city to record sessions whenever I need to.

Spending money without making any is often a necessary part of starting a business, which is what v.o. is if you take it seriously. You've already spent money on the book and your home recording setup. Only you can decide whether voices.com or voice123.com is worth your money, but I probably would advise against giving up your day job just because you've set up an account with either or both of them

Yes, definitely get some training. It's necessary. Unless some otherworldly, ethereal lifeform has blessed you with an innate skillset of breath control, mic technique, vocal reading ability for different kinds of copy, then you need training. And this will be one of things where you'll likely want advice from somebody local.

No, don't go to auditions right off the bat. Do you have a demo? Do you have a website? Are both of these professional? Think about anything you'd hire somebody for and ask yourself if you'd waste your time or money on somebody who has really great intentions but no experience, no professional training and no professional preparedness. Now ask yourself how forgiving a director, producer, audio engineer, advertising exec etc. would be by being put into that position, and if you think you'd likely get hired by any of those people. Ever.

Like any profession, v.o. takes training. And like many other professions, it also takes some natural talent. The two together, with lots of practice and professionalism could take you to great places.

Finally, lots of people have asked questions similar to yours before, so use the search function here and try to find some previous conversations about this. Homework never really goes away
_________________
Lou Zucaro
http://www.voicehero.com

"Well, yeah, there's my favorite leaf!"

[jlatenight]

Lou, Thanks so much for the reply. My name's Jon Waitneight, by the way. Given your great advice, I think the next step for me is professional training, and a professional demo. Is there a good way to find VO training near me? I only know of this class: http://mediaperformanceinstitute.com/?cat=16 Which looks good, but it's pretty far.

[Bailey]

Jon... welcome to the VO-BB.

I can only echo Lou's comments and add that perusing through the VO-BB archives will be to your benefit. Lots of ideas, tips, books and training options. Use the search option.

I see you've had a V123 spot for about a month... but no demos. Kinda like bringing a knife to a gunfight. If you do have some demos or voice samples, it might help to post some in the critique area of the VO-BB. Some of the best voices and ears in the industry are listening and would be happy to offer advice.
_________________
"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044 .gif" alt="W00T" border="0" />
AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo."

[jlatenight]

LOL! Thanks Bailey, yeah I know. I threw up a voice123 profile just to make myself feel like I was getting somewhere. I'll cut some demo stuff and add it to my profile there, but I can't post in the forums because I'm not a paying member yet. Don't think I'm ready.

[SimondsSays]

[Chuck Davis]

Jason...I'm hearing a little of last weekend in there. That was a great time for sure.

More sushi!
_________________
Wicked huge.....in India.
www.chuckdaviscreative.com

[Rob Ellis]

Community theater and Toastmasters are good ways to explore your yearn to perform, and both will strengthen your vocal abilities both for voiceover and life in general.

Training, practice, setting up a home studio, etc.

It can be a little overwhelming at first so be patient! But there are people who have established themselves in the biz while holding down day jobs and families.

[SimondsSays]

[ccpetersen]

Hi,

I'm in the Boston area and I basically started out by studying with a voice coach in one of her classes. The class is a good way to go to get your feet wet and get feedback.

C
_________________
Charter Member: Threadjackers Local 420

[Bailey]

[Deirdre]

Who loves Jim?
I do.



_________________
DBCooperVO.com
IMDB

[Chrissy]

Jon,

I'm in Cambridge and I'd be willing to email or talk with you about teachers etc. in this area. I'm not qualified to mentor anyone at this point.

[Michael Minetree]

[louzucaro]