Foundations in Voice Over
As an established, professional voice talent and coach, it seems like I made all of these choices yesterday. So whether I am speaking to someone as an industry friend, on Clubhouse, or as a voice over, I tend to hear the same questions over and over again. Yesterday I had a great call with a guy from my home state of PA and when we got off of facetime, I realized that it was the third time in a month I had a very similar conversation. So… here is the resulting blog post.
I’m good a production, can I do my own demo?
NO!!! I do not say this because I have recently started doing video demos, there are MANY fantastic and brilliant demo 
producers. If you want to catch the attention of both agents and thus who will book you, I urge you to invest in professional demos for several reasons. First, demo producers have a sense of what current trends are booking NOW. Trends do change. Next, there are certain standards that those who cast expect when listening to voice over demos. Trust them. Lastly, people who produce demos direct your demo session. They will bring out your very best reads and take your best takes, or blend together your best takes to make an awesome demo. They typically produce demos both because of their knowledge of the industry and their ear. You need someone who can bring our your best and push you beyond your own limits. It is amazing what a good director can bring out.
Do I need to incorporate or be an LLC?
This depends. This depends on where you live and what your goals are. I happen to be an LLC. I live in the United States and I wanted to be able to bid on government contracts. In order to do that, you have to be an LLC. Being an LLC also protects your personal assets, so there are certain advantages. So, since every one of us as solopreneurs is in a unique situation, whether or not you incorporate depends on both your goals for your voiceover business and your family’s financial situation. Consulting either an accountant or an attorney is helpful.
Do I need to be on P2Ps?
P2Ps, or Pay to Play websites like voice123, bodalgo, cast voices and others are a great way to bring in business. Sure, there are plenty of voice talents who build their businesses without P2Ps. I am on voice123 and cast voices at present. I have built lasting client relationships from my vast bookings on voice123 and am thankful for the opportunity they present. Cast Voices is new to the scene and is in the launch phase now. I am extremely excited to see what comes of this new platform.
Do I need a website for my voice over business?
Yes. While it’s great to be on a Pay to Play or to post audio on YouTube, it’s hard to market yourself to clients with only these options because you are automatically sending them to places where they can immediately find other voice talents. It’s far better to have a website that you set up as your store front. This is your chance to make yourself stand out and shine. There are a lot of really good people in voiceover, so the question is, why are you different than other talents they could work with? Your website is your big chance to show prospects why they should hire you and look no further. You should have your demos, your contact information, and any stand out details obviously displayed to make it easy for those who cast to find you and hire you. Your demos on your site should be downloadable.
Do I need an agent?
Agents are wonderful and present you with the opportunity for work. Agents do not guaranty work. Just like with Pay to Plays, agents are a source of auditions. The auditions that agents send are typically more lucrative. The catch, though, is that the competition is much stiffer when auditioning for agents. Agents are far more selective, so it is less about getting on an agents roster and more about staying on an agents roster. Every agent is looking for something different, but at a minimum they want to see that you have trained and continue to pursue work on your craft, that you have a professional set up, that you can offer live sessions via Source Connect and/or ipDTL, and that you have solid demos that will appeal to your clients. Building a rapport with your agents is helpful, and doing quality auditions in a timely manner matters a lot!
A professional talent has an abundance of testimonials. Period. They should have them proudly displayed on their website, on LinkedIn, on whatever Pay to Plays they are on, and likely they share them on social media. Testimonials are not difficult to get. Happy clients who have just received pristine audio are typically delighted to provide them. My very first voice coach, Anne Ganguzza, told me how important it was to get testimonials! She asked for one from me about our work and gave me my very fist one. A voice actor without testimonials is likely not a professional voiceover actor.
It’s hard to believe that it’s June and sunscreen and bug spray are repeat items on our weekly shopping list again. My twins’ final exams are over and summer vacation is in site. My kids are teenagers so we have a few exciting new times on our agenda. My daughter is going away for the first time to a summer program at a college and both kids are getting their driving permits, fingers crossed. As a full-time working mom who runs my own business, I want to make summer special for them while still meeting my professional goals and working full days. Like many women who work, I am juggling a lot of balls, but somehow when the whether is beautiful and the sun is shining I feel like I can do it all. Over the years of being a momtrepreneur, I have come up with the following tips to make our summers flow in a way that makes sense for everyone.
Since it is impossible to spend special days like this with my kids during the school year, I block chunks of time throughout the summer so that I make sure these days are available. In fact, our first special day is coming up this Friday. I have blocked half a day for my niece’s pre-school graduation. Does this mean that I will not meat my monthly minimum? Last year, I was able to meet my goals and actually surpassed them in both July and August. I find that I am extremely motivated by doing well for my children, so carving out this time in my schedule makes me even fresher when I step back into the booth.
Summer is a time for hammocks and lemonade, for flip flops and coverups. Summer is not the time for harsh criticism and self-assessment. After a few years of juggling work and motherhood, I can tell you that it will all be ok. There might be some days where your kids have to wait for you. They may not be able to swim when they want. You may also miss a client call because you took your kids to the park or to see friends. It’s ok. We all expect so much of ourselves all the time. We make so many plans and so many promises. If all of it gets done, that’s wonderful. If most of it gets done, great. What I have learned is that I always get essential tasks done. Everything else is gravy.