5 VO Thoughts for Your Monday, June 17th Edition

 

For most folks this weekend was Father’s Day. For the Collins household it was the high holy day known as the annual bacchanalia surrounding the birthday of one young Tom. After prep, (mostly Anna,) sweat, (mostly me playing laser tag with 8 year olds,) and Tom holding his new Nintendo Switch out for the world to see at his party like he was presenting Simba to the masses, it’s time to roll into another week of all things voiceover!

Here are a few thoughts to get you started.

 

1.) I was chatting with a coaching client last week who comes from a pretty successful business background, and we got on the subject of just how out of whack many people’s expectations are when it comes to starting a small business. And that’s what launching a voiceover career is….starting a small business. According to Shopify (https://www.shopify.com/blog/cost-to-start-business#) the average cost of starting a small business is $40,000 in the first year. In most cases this is before even thinking of seeing a profit. By comparison, methodical and thoughtful preparation to open a voiceover business is likely to run between $10,000 and $20,000 if done right. You can spend more, and you can certainly spend less, but if you want to work with coaches who will help you improve quickly, get decent gear, put together a good recording space, get competitive demos and a website that does more than collect dust….plus any of the other various expenditures that will come up along the way….this is a good benchmark. And, compared to most industries, it’s a bargain.

Yes, it’s easy to say that from a place of privilege at a time when the economy sucks for most people and just paying bills is a challenge, but my purpose here is to suggest that the first thing anyone considering building a business in this field needs to do is to save the capital necessary to avoid cutting corners and half measures that are likely to lead to failure. And, in case you were curious, 90% of new small businesses fail. This helpful article from Eric Degen of TITAN Business Development Group explains why, ( https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-90-small-businesses-fail-eric-degen-cpa-cgma-cepa-lpbc-cmec-uyece/), and if you think about it, every reason he enumerates can be applied to voiceover.

Starting a small business is a not-inexpensive endeavor that will most likely end in failure. If you’re going to take the leap, you MUST give yourself every possible advantage at the beginning if you want to separate from the pack.

 

2.) Being good isn’t enough. Yes, the industry has become massively more meritocratic over the years, but as my previous article discussed, the glut in the middle is making it harder to stand out, and when combined with the massive shifts happening in every level of the online casting space, you can’t rely on just paying a membership fee and getting your audition in early to put food on the table anymore.

If anything, the industry is shifting back to a more relationship-based world. Some people will call this gatekeeping or politics. Another term for it is real life. There’s no industry on the planet that operates purely on merit. Being liked and likable, looking out for others, being helpful, and not being someone associated with negativity are key attributes for success in EVERY FACET OF LIFE. It’s called playing the game, and it may not always be fun….hell, I enjoy it more than most but still get exhausted sometimes….but friendship and connections are the currency of humanity.

Do not expect to thrive in voice over because you, “earned it,” or “it’s your turn,” or you, “did all the right things.” Not alone, at least. Doing all the right things is important, but if you can’t get buyers and casting professionals to give you the time of day, it might be time to look at relationship building as the missing piece of the puzzle. If you’re waiting to be “discovered,” you’re gonna have a long wait.

 

3.) We’ve been seeing remarkably fast shifts in the commercial VO world in particular lately with regard to trending reads. To the point where it’s hard to pin much down other than to be aware of the full range of different techniques and to be able to deploy your best guess as to the right one at will.

But one thing I’m hearing that is cutting through all the noise is more of a vibe than anything else…..the voices consistently getting hired for quality commercial work have an inherently effortless modern coolness to them that is different than what was trending just a few years ago. It’s the steady person in the group…..the one who would keep their head in a crisis but also likes puppies and will happily carry their infant in one of those carry-the-baby-on-your-chest things (that’s the technical term,) on hike up a mountain. They’re fit, but not a gym bro or duckface girl, smart but not patronizingly so….probably right but not morally superior. They’re the person who sees the world on fire and makes the best of it their way, without complaining about the service or how life screwed them over. It’s a pivot towards positive without the sell, and I kinda dig it.

 

4.) Check out the Artists Against Generative AI FB group if you want to see some folks who really understand how to knock AI sludge down a peg. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1404116417142065

 

5.) Okay, time for colonoscopy prep! My doctor cracked a Michael Jackson/propofol joke to Anna when describing the sedative. If you don’t hear from me again after tomorrow morning, you know what’s up!