Success in Voice-over: What are you afraid of?
This week my friend and colleague Liz Solar and I each drove to the center of the state to meet for lunch (she from eastern Massachusetts and I from the west). I met Liz two years ago at the amazing Women in Animation workshop run by Pat Fraley and Hillary Huber, with guest Candi Milo, and we’ve kept in touch ever since.
Liz and I talked over our lunch about everything under the sun, but heavy on the voice-over of course. She mentioned she had read an article in that day’s Boston Globe about Scott Chapin, who voices promos from his New Mexico studio 10 hours a day. We talked about what kinds of sacrifices a voice talent might have to make in order to sustain that kind of schedule, and it made me wonder, how many of us in this business are ready for that level of success?
Many of us believe we would like to be so successful as voice talent that the jobs are coming in all day, every day. Or that we would like to have a regular role on an animated series, or land roles in feature films. Are you one of those people? If you aren’t there yet, are you actively engaged in bringing your dreams to reality? If not, what is holding you back? Children at home? Caring for a relative? Civic duties? Are you waiting until you “get organised”? Or until you get a killer character demo made or until you save up enough to build a better studio? If you achieve this success, what impact will it have on life as you know it?
Do you know where you want to be? Have you sat down to think seriously about how to get from where you are now, to that place? What will it take?
Liz and I talked over our lunch about everything under the sun, but heavy on the voice-over of course. She mentioned she had read an article in that day’s Boston Globe about Scott Chapin, who voices promos from his New Mexico studio 10 hours a day. We talked about what kinds of sacrifices a voice talent might have to make in order to sustain that kind of schedule, and it made me wonder, how many of us in this business are ready for that level of success?
Many of us believe we would like to be so successful as voice talent that the jobs are coming in all day, every day. Or that we would like to have a regular role on an animated series, or land roles in feature films. Are you one of those people? If you aren’t there yet, are you actively engaged in bringing your dreams to reality? If not, what is holding you back? Children at home? Caring for a relative? Civic duties? Are you waiting until you “get organised”? Or until you get a killer character demo made or until you save up enough to build a better studio? If you achieve this success, what impact will it have on life as you know it?
Do you know where you want to be? Have you sat down to think seriously about how to get from where you are now, to that place? What will it take?
Labels: greatness, success, voice talent, voice-over
posted by MCM Voices at
3/21/2008
3 Comments:
Hey! I just joined the vo-bb and have been following links like crazy . . . anyway, turns out we were in the same class together (Pat's women in animation that you just mentioned). Not sure if you remember me--I think I was probably the youngest one there, if that helps. Anyway, small world! AND I'm actually going out to LA in two weeks for a class with Pat and Candi!! SO excited!!
I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog!!
-Rachel
Welcome Rachel! Weren't you the one who taught us that imDb is a verb? Have fun in L.A. - wish I were going with you!
Mary
Love the post Mary -
I was doing VO part time for about 3 years until I decided to try it full time last October. I've given myself a full year to at least feel as if there's a future in it for me. It helps that I can still freelance at my old job doing corporate audio-visual.
Since October, I've found myself so dedicated to "the life" that I don't see going back.
I still have a long way to go but think I'll always be doing VO in some capacity or another for the rest of my life.
Hopefully full time. :)
Sometimes you just have to go for it!
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