Don’t Write Your Own Script
Unfortunately, there is a current trend in
Nashville towards voiceover artists feeling compelled to write their own
monologues. Successful voiceover actors usually hire experts to write for them,
as writing and performing are two completely different skill sets. Trying to
write your own copy is going to split your focus and attention, and the results
will likely be less than ideal. Try and find a producer that offers formulaic
styles relevant to your best qualities and attributes.. There are also some professionally written scripts, free of copyright, that can be used at EdgeStudio.com.
Keep Your Clients Requests
Priority Number One
While you are the talent and certainly bring
your expertise to the table, your top priority should be ensuring that you are
staying within the guidelines given to you by your employer. Even if you think
you have better ideas or an alternative way of doing something, keep that
reserved for the later takes - after you’ve already done it their way several
times. Be respectful, courteous, and always listen to the requests made by the
engineer. Be sociable without becoming a "motor mouth", always show up on time, and keep
the details of the job private (unless the client says otherwise).
Always Get Agreements In
Writing
This piece of advice applies to many
situations in life, but is especially relevant in the rapidly changing world of
voiceover acting. Regardless of how trustworthy a client seems to be, memories
of agreements can easily fade and change over time. Making sure to get
contracts in writing will save you a lot of stress and conflict, and chances
are your client will understand why you’re making this request - although at
first it can feel uncomfortable. This can usually be done BEFORE the session day via email. If you've been sent to the session by your agent then the paperwork has already been taken care of.
Don’t Make Your Demo Until
You’re Ready
Breaking into the voiceover industry takes
time and patience - you’ll need to practice, maybe hire a coach, and assess your
unique vocal style. If you spend money producing a demo before you are truly
ready, that could be money down the drain. Winding up with an inferior demo that will do more harm than good in helping you find work.
Your demo should showcase the absolute best of
your abilities - if it’s done properly, there is really no need to make
changes. Just as new businesses can take three or more years to become
established, you should expect the same of your voiceover career. Don’t get
impatient, remain consistent, and keep strategizing your next moves.
It can be highly challenging to get your
first voice over gig without a top-notch demo. That being said, merely having a good demo doesn’t guarantee employment - having a good agent, being
motivated to market yourself and staying on top of industry expectations are equally important components of success in
this industry.
Practice Out Loud Every Day
As we all know, practice makes perfect. People
love listening to Stairway to Heaven, but who considers the thousands of hours
of guitar practice that happened before that was possible? It’s a good idea to
read out loud everyday, practicing tongue twisters and keeping your face and
mouth active. If you don’t, you could start to get rusty faster than you think! You need to be ready to audition or sound healthy and professional answering a phone call at a moments notice.
No comments:
Post a Comment