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studio dogs

Dog Painting as Analogy for VO

May 31, 2022 by Laura Schreiber

Invited to Event for Charity

Studio Dogs in boothI had an experience recently and after the fact realized that dog painting is actually a great analogy for life as a voice over actor. If you follow my blog, then you know that I have two precious studio dogs, Violet and Daisy. Last week were were invited, with the dogs, to a charity event at my brother-in-law’s temple. The event was in support of our local food pantry, and we were going to do dog painting. Yes, that’s right, dog painting. Felix, my BIL, works with a guy named Jason to run the arts committee. Inspired by a Jackson Pollock painting done with chicken feet, they opened it up to community pets. The plan was to have people paint with their pets, make a group mural, and bring pet-specific donations for the food pantry. Often those who cannot afford food for their family, also cannot feed their pets. My daughter Emma signed us up and we brought dog food and treats to contribute. Even the morning of the event, I was very unsure of what we were walking into.

Feeling Unsure and Nervous About what to Expect

My daughter Emma and our cavalier Violet painting.

I knew the space where the event was being held. My twins had attended pre-school there. While I could picture it in my mind, there were so many question marks. Would my dogs, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and a rather large Labrador retriever behave? Would they try to eat the paint? Would they engage? Would they get along with the other dogs? Would I be able to get the paint out? Would they actually make art? How messy would I get painting with them? How messy would I get cleaning them up? So, much like in voice over, I had no idea what I was walking into. Aside from knowing what the purpose was, there was no roadmap. I did not even know how long the event would be.

The Actual Experience

Guinea pig painting
Guinea Pig Painting

To my surprise, the event was so lovely. I thought it would be fine or potentially disastrous, but it was actually quite wonderful. There were 8 dogs total and one guinea pig named Mordecai. They all got along well and no one attacked Mordecai which also seemed like a triumph. The art work they made was so beautiful and all so different. Each dog had a varying level of willingness to participate. My Violet made painting after painting. Daisy, in contrast, was a less prolific artist and seemed a little nervous about the experience. She laid very still by my side and did not move. But it was a fun, happy, and friendly morning.

How it Relates to VO

Daisy the LabradoreSo, I see many parallels between dog painting and VoiceOver. Like the event, in VO there is no roadmap. We wake up each morning not knowing what to expect. We walk into live sessions and we don’t know how long they will be and what the folks will be like. Like the dog painting, there are no guarantees in voice over, no promises that things will work it. It might be fine, but everything could also have fallen apart completely with no hope of salvation. We have no crystal ball and we have to be prepared for any outcome. 

Like in dog paining, in voice over we have total command over the career we create. At the dog event, we had the freedom to mix a palate of paints, and try out which colors worked and which ones did not. To me, voice over has been very much like this. Particularly in areas like marketing, we can try out different ideas and see what works and what doesn’t, and I love that there is not one right way of doing things.

Lastly, at the event we very much had to go with the flow. We had to work with the dogs at their comfort level. In voice over, the ability to go with the flow, and see what the voice over universe sends your way is very much essential. Work comes in when we can’t predict it. We have to know how to fill our days when we don’t have bookings. Clients often make requests we have never anticipated. Going with the flow is vital to succeed in voice over.

Final Thoughts

muralI never thought I’d go dog painting. But I did and I loved it. Not only did I have fun with my pooches in the moment, but I gained valuable life insights and a refreshing perspective on being willing to try new things. Sometimes, even if you have doubts, as longs as what you are considering is safe, it’s worth trying!

Filed Under: About Me, Voiceover Tagged With: cavalier king charles spaniel, Dog Painting, Labrador Retriever, studio dogs, VO, voice over, voice over actor, voiceover

Why do Headshots Matter in VO

September 14, 2021 by Laura Schreiber

Recent Epic Mistake

Laura Schreiber With tongue outWhen I started my voice over business years ago I had headshots done for my website. While a long time ago people used to say that voice actors did not need to show their face, as the VO industry has continued to evolve and we, as talents, now have to bring in the bulk of our own work, it is on us to run our business like a business. If we want our clients to connect with us, having current pictures is a must. So, about a year back, I was presenting at an online eLearning conference and I was super excited. When they asked for my head shot, I became for cognizant of the fact that the photo no longer resembled me. I was thinner, my hair was shorter, I always wear glasses… the list went on. I decided to take new photos and update them. While my old headshots had been done by a professional, I took the new ones in my booth with an iphone. I loved them and was thrilled.

I loved the photos so much that when I did my website refresh and rebrand this January they were featured in the banner. Do you sense the train wreck coming. Well, middle-aged me does not have perfect vision. I failed to notice that in my main photo I am sticking my tongue out. I tend to be both silly and flirty, and apparently I stick my tongue out. Often. Worse, I could not see that my tongue is sticking out and this photo is everywhere.

Fast forward to this summer. I was accepted as a presenter for the OneVoice conference in Dallas. They asked for a headshot. I send them this photo. I was so elated when I was listed on the page of speakers. I clicked on my photo to make it bigger, and for the first time realized in horror that my tongue was out. Clearly the photo had to be replaced.

Brand Awareness

It’s amazing that even in the NY metropolitan area it is really hard to find a photographer to do corporate branding work. Further, it is amazing how much range there is in their rates. Beyond that, it amazes me how few were even willing to respond. There are so many things that i think about when interacting with clients: rates, making it about them, speed of response, and yet finding someone who got what I needed AND responded AND charged a sane rate seemed like the Red Sea parting. I was delighted when I actually got in touch with a photographer who had an entire corporate branding page and took the time to look at my website. She was kind and flexible and her work is beautiful. She was not easy to find and I’m so thankful that I did!

For me, I wanted these pictures to help instill brand awareness, so clients really know what it’s like to work with me. This meant:

  • letting my personality come through
  • choosing colors like pink and avoiding other colors
  • including my kids and my dogs
  • showing details of my home and office life

This is all a part of what I have built my brand on…

Chance for Clients to Get to Know You

For these headshots, I put together three looks: formal, fun, and business casual. As I work in different genres of voice over, and deal with people with differing job titles, different looks work for different people. A head shot that is ideal for radio imaging is very different than one that is ideal for corporate narration. But, I wanted my happy, upbeat, fun vibe to come through in all of these looks. I wanted my youthful, millennial personality to shine.

Face of Small Business

While I am a solopreneur, I do run my VO business like a business, and I had very specific thoughts about these photos and their usage. Having been in the voiceover industry for so many years, I knew just how I’d use these pictures and could already envision their placement as soon as I got the proofs.

Opportunity for Social media

Laura Schreiber Fun New Headshot

I also wanted to have much better images for instagram posts. This was really important to me. I was really excited to see what Erica came back with, because I immediately felt inspired and had tons of ideas. From posts about social media, to life as a working mom, to booth life, these headshots will be in the mix!

How often should you update them?

Basically, you should look like your pictures. Your hair should be relatively similar and no one should have to guess who it is. Likely every 5-7 years will make sense. It it’s more than that you have to question if you are doing yourself a dis-service. In this world where we zoom so often, people expect you to look like your photo. Using an old, out of date, or air brushed photo is almost worse than not having a picture because it undermines the foundation of your brand: you. So keep your headshots up-to-date, and have fun with them!

Filed Under: About Me, Client Relationships, Marketing/Branding, Voiceover Tagged With: brand, brand awareness, branding, Business, happy, headshots, millenial, small business, social media, studio dogs, upbeat, VO, voice actor, voice over, voice over business, voiceover, working mom, youthful

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