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HOW TO TURN VOICEOVER INTO A CAREER - GROWTH
Actors frequently ask me how they can grow and improve their craft, how they can book more work, what they should be focusing on, etc.
There are five areas into which an actor can invest to fuel a career. Let's talk about 'em. ->
Actors frequently ask me how they can grow and improve their craft, how they can book more work, what they should be focusing on, etc.
There are five areas into which an actor can invest to fuel a career. Let's talk about 'em. ->
Each of these 5 areas provides an avenue to increase the amount you work. For a successful and long-term career in this very fickle business, ultimately you will want to spend a significant amount of time learning about each one. Yes, it can be overwhelming. But I believe in you!
1. Grow technically - improve the ability to rapidly and accurately interpret copy, and know the correct emotional turns and beats in a given line.
This mostly comes from practice and coaching, but listening to other (better) actors also helps. Greatly aids self-direction.
This mostly comes from practice and coaching, but listening to other (better) actors also helps. Greatly aids self-direction.
2. Grow in versatility - learn new accents, colors, resonances, vocal tricks, etc. to give you more tools in your vocal toolbox.
This allows you to create multi-layered, nuanced, complex character portrayals, and have greater range for projects requiring lots of different roles.
This allows you to create multi-layered, nuanced, complex character portrayals, and have greater range for projects requiring lots of different roles.
3. Grow business acumen - learn ways to dig up new prospects and clients, market yourself better, and how to communicate in negotiation.
Learning sales and business-management strategies provides you with more opportunities to pursue and helps you to run your business better.
Learning sales and business-management strategies provides you with more opportunities to pursue and helps you to run your business better.
4. Grow in acting ability - by more authentically connecting to emotions, to stories, and to characters, you sound more 'real' to the listener and will be hired more often. Coaching, classes, studying great actors, and practice can help you immerse yourself in your roles fully.
5. Grow audio knowledge - by learning better engineering tricks and how to use gear more effectively, and investing in your space and sound, your audio quality will improve, and delivering a quality product is probably the most important bottom line necessity in this biz.
6. (BONUS!) Grow social and emotional intelligence - be humble, be a good listener, take direction well, be a true friend, be easy to work with, support moral causes, and have a life outside the craft. This will make people want to work with you, because you're a good person.
Each of these areas are intensely important in their own ways. Each one could (and should) be studied for years. A successful actor will never quit learning. If you become complacent, you'll be left behind.
Ask yourself which area you're weakest in, and get learning! Good luck!
Ask yourself which area you're weakest in, and get learning! Good luck!
