When you step into the booth, do you find yourself overthinking? Worrying about what everyone else in the room is thinking? Worrying about how you’ll do—if you’ll read too fast, too slow, or if you’ll “mess up?” [Read more…] about Read to Express, Not Impress
From the Cart-Before-the-Horse Dept.: Eight-Foot Blue Curtains
A student the other day was all pleased about his new gear. His dad had, without asking, went out and bought a package deal (RED FLAG—well-meaning, but untrained parent, “helping”). The package came with a USB mic and an interface and some cables. [Read more…] about From the Cart-Before-the-Horse Dept.: Eight-Foot Blue Curtains
10 Tips for Taking Care of Your Voice in the Winter
In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in the thick of winter right now, and with winter comes warm, tasty mugs of cocoa, comfy sweaters, nights snuggling by the fire, and…colds.
Lots and lots of colds.
As a voice actor, it’s important to take care of yourself. Our money-maker happens to be a part of our body! Missing scheduled recording sessions or auditions because of a sore throat or an illness can cost a VO talent a lot of money–not just in lost wages, but in opportunities like auditions for potential jobs! [Read more…] about 10 Tips for Taking Care of Your Voice in the Winter
How to Give Yourself Permission to PLAY in the Booth
Something happens to us when we become adults. A switch flips on that tells us, “Alright, buckaroo. That’s it in the ‘fun’ department. No more playing in the sandbox. No more dress-up. No more goofing off or running around just for the sake of pretending you’re a knight fighting a dragon. That’s it. From here on out, it’s only mortgages and suits and words like ‘invoices’ and ‘accounts receivable.’ Pack up your imagination instinct, because you are now an Adult™ and Adults ™ need to take things seriously.” [Read more…] about How to Give Yourself Permission to PLAY in the Booth
How I Record On the Go
Recently, my husband, Troy, and I went on a cruise to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. We had a blast, and I was still able to take care of my clients while traveling. Believe me, we had all kinds of time to eat and play and get our vacation vibes on, but taking an hour out of our day to make sure all of my regular clients had everything they needed has led to long-lasting, wonderful business relationships. My clients trust me. They know I care. They know they are a priority to me. This has served my career well over nearly twenty years. At the end of the day, in addition to the super fun creative work we get to do. it’s all about serving our clients’ needs. [Read more…] about How I Record On the Go
Gratitude is Everything by Melissa Moats
Curl up with a cozy blanket and a mug of tea, because I’ve got a story for you:
About 18 years ago, I was sitting in the lobby of a local studio waiting for my recording session to begin. I was hired to voice some commercials for a Las Vegas casino client. I arrived about 10 minutes early.
(Side note: It’s always a good idea if you’re recording in person for a live/directed session to get there a little early, but not too early. About ten minutes ahead of time should do it. Otherwise, it gets weird for the staff because they don’t have time to entertain you! If you can print your script(s) ahead of time–if they’ve emailed you in advance–make sure to do so and bring them with you. Also, it never hurts to bring a bottle of water, a pencil, and a piece of hard sour candy just in case your mouth goes dry! Never assume the studio will have everything you need–though most studios do! I just like to come prepared. I’m kind of a Girl Scout like that) [Read more…] about Gratitude is Everything by Melissa Moats
Jacked Up: GEAR: The Final Frontier
I recently took the second biggest financial leap of my VO career. The first was the first year or two of lessons and classes, before I’d submitted a single word for an audition. The current leap was buying a pre-made booth, for— let’s just say— four figures.
But I want to be sure you all know that you don’t need an expensive recording booth to have a successful career. In fact, before making the jump to a pre-made booth, I operated in my $100 booth starting in 2012. [Read more…] about Jacked Up: GEAR: The Final Frontier
Are You A VO Perfectionist?
Do you overthink things? Me, too. (I’m a little weird about locking doors. I’m a double/triple door-lock checker!)
Thinking about overthinking makes me think of (bear with me here) voicers I see struggling to make their reads ‘perfect.’ I’m here to tell you that a perfect read is impossible. Heck, perfection is impossible! Who is your ‘perfect’ read for, anyway? You? Your client? Your cat? Millions of listeners? [Read more…] about Are You A VO Perfectionist?
A Take-Action Plan for Every Voice Actor
I often say that no two voiceover journeys look the same. This is because we all define success differently!
To you, success might be booking your first voice over gig, or finally getting your home studio tuned in just the way you imagined. To others, success might mean booking voice work on a regular basis or building up enough steady clients to leave their corporate day job. No matter where you are on your VO journey, I’m here to remind you to be patient, present and to take action. [Read more…] about A Take-Action Plan for Every Voice Actor
Jacked Up: Posting on Social Media and Your VO Career
Everybody has opinions. Social media lets you express them, but only YOU can control them. If you’re getting into business as a voice actor (or any other form of self-employment), you need to add a new filter: How would expressing myself on social media affect potential customers and my reputation?
Want to complain about (pick a topic)? Want to advocate for (pick a candidate)? Want to single out a bad client or lousy experience in VO?
THINK before posting. What benefit would you get for your VO business? What harm might there be? [Read more…] about Jacked Up: Posting on Social Media and Your VO Career
