VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

Neil K. Hess

So I am a newbie and trying to save up for voice lessons and a demo. In order to do this though, I need to get some jobs. What ideas do you guys have for finding work before you have your demo made? I am grinding away on fiverr, but that is REALLY SLOW to try and get enough cash together for a demo. Any other ideas? Would voice123.com work without having a demo made yet?

Thanks all!
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todd ellis · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:41 pm Post subject:

You go to grade school, middle school, high school, college, medical school, residency, then ... Then maybe you take out a spleen. You don't just walk up to the table with a knife and start carving. Back up a few yards. Take some classes, improv, workshops ... Make money as an accountant, waiter, bus driver ... Whatevertheheck you know how to do while you learn how to use it. You can't demo your voice until you find it.
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 9:52 pm Post subject:

You are a prime candidate for Nancy Wolfson at Braintracksaudio.com. She will guide you where you need to go, and when *she* thinks you're ready, you'll work with her to make a demo.

She's not cheap, but the best usually aren't.
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Jason Huggins · Posted: Thu Dec 13, 2012 10:18 pm Post subject:

There is a cheap guy...he has a snowball mic and can make you sound cool...cause he has a Mac. Smile

Joking aside, I started out with the same zeal as you, and my coach said...chill...just work at it and it'll eventually happen. I'm a gogetter, and that didn't sit well. I figured, I can do anything...lets just do this thing, lets make it happen. He said, "If you make a demo now, before you're ready...you'll quit."

I didn't get it at the time, but stuck with it, and realized that this business really takes time. Nothing will happen over night. I worked with a coach for over a year (and I mean worked regularly) before he finally said, "I think you might be ready." Then I cut a demo that was decent enough to get me some work.

I think Voice123 and Voices.com were great places for me to get practice at auditioning. I won't get into the debate about pay-to-play sites, but it will never hurt to audition for as many jobs as you can. In the process you'll learn your voice, learn your gear, learn some mannerisms, and maybe land a job or two.

Don't worry about making money in VO. This is a career that calls you out of bed at night, excited about an idea or a voice or a read. If its calling you, just chase it with your heart, and when you really catch it...you'll know, and if you're lucky, you can quit your job, and ride the wave (not necessarily the tsunami of titles like Corey). Smile

Welcome to the adventure!

Oh, and Nancy is awesome! Just make sure you aren't faint of heart...she will whip you where you need to go. I believe I read a post about some guy crying while working with her. Just watch a video of hers, and you'll understand.

Jacob Ekstroem · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 5:50 am Post subject:

So you're basically a singer who want to take singing lessons, but in order to afford singing lessons you need to sell a lot of albums.... right?

Jason said it best. You can try to get as many jobs as you can, no one is stopping you, but it won't do you any favours, and you won't do the industry any favours, either. You will pick up bad habits that will stick, and in the end will make it harder for you to learn the right way. Patience, my friend.
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Jacob - Danish Voice Overs (try it... it sounds really funny, too!)

heyguido · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 7:35 am Post subject:

And I'd take down those BS endorsements from your site before you embarass yourself.....

Rolls Eyes

Patience, Grasshopper.... A journey of a thousand miles, and such....

Inoccent

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Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

Karen Souer · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:11 am Post subject:

Fastest way to get no one to hire you is to not be able to deliver what you promise--voice included.
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Bob Bergen · CM Joined: 22 Apr 2008 Posts: 979

Hey buddy!

I'd like to commend you for posting your questions here. I popped you a note on one of your other threads, and wanted to respond here as well. It's not easy being new at anything, and especially anything in the arts. When I was starting out, there were no forums to post questions and gather advice. But it takes a lot of guts to be the new guy on a forum and ask experts advice. Very brave. It's that kind of risk taking that is needed for success in this business. Ya gotta be willing to put yourself out there, and gamble.

Now, that said, you are asking how to get jobs to help subsidize your vo classes so you can get demo ready. This is like someone interested in being a doctor asking if anyone is willing to allow him to operate on them so he could make a few bucks so he can pay for medical school and eventually open a practice.

At this stage you need to just concentrate on studying VO. Get to the point you are demo ready. Again, you have NO idea of knowing the right or wrong way to do this. Good for you for just diving in!

Check out the demos from this producer and compare to yours:
http://www.demosthatrock.com/portfolio.html

I think you will clearly hear how these differ from yours. You also have your demo labeled "promo." It's not a promo demo. Also, as I stated in my FAQ page, you get a 4 second listen. You take up valuable real estate on your demo announcing who you are and what folks are listening to.

I also want you to take a listen to demos from these agents:
http://www.voicebank.net/cabinet/agencyfolder.do?path=%2f1588%2fcabinet%2fpublicaudio%2fCommercial%2fMen
http://www.voicebank.net/cabinet/agencyfolder.do?path=%2f3705%2fcabinet%2fpublicaudio%2fCommercial%2fMen
http://www.voicebank.net/cabinet/agencyfolder.do?path=%2f1589%2fcabinet%2fpublicaudio%2fActors+-+Commercial
http://www.voicebank.net/cabinet/agencyfolder.do?path=%2f1592%2fcabinet%2fpublicaudio%2fCommercial%2fMen

That's your competition. By putting yourself out there, you are telling the world you are as good or better than those already represented and working. In the old days, the only people who got our demos were those we snail mailed em to. Today, by posting anything online, you are allowing the entire world to judge and critique you.

The only thing you want to put out there is brilliant work. Even if you take it down, you never know who is going to keep it.

Now, fret not! The only way to learn and grow is to make mistakes! We've ALL made em! The important thing is to learn from em!!

And when you check out the demos on Voicebank, look at actors with stars next to their names. Those actors have websites as well. Check em out and again, compare to yours.

Hope this helps! As I said in the other thread, I really like your voice and read. You have a very natural/conversational delivery that is SO in these days. And I can hear you absolutely have the acting chops. Now you just need to take the proper steps to get yourself at the place you are ready to make the demo and compete.

Hope this helps!

BB

todd ellis · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:33 am Post subject:

a LOT of great advice in this thread ... and, of course, bb comes through again. i hope neil takes it in the spirit it is given.
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who's/on/1st?

Neil K. Hess · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2012 9:50 am Post subject:

JTVG · Backstage Pass Joined: 21 Jun 2007 Posts: 433

Neil was introduced to me via a mutual friend a few weeks ago and I answered some questions he had, but directed him here for further insight because I knew he'd get quality advice. Once again, the VO-BB shows it's amazing heart and soul in a way that exceeded even what I was expecting.

Scott Rummell, a promo/trailer behemoth in this industry was asked to give a single piece of advice to someone who might be just starting out in the biz. He said to just relax and not get too uptight about making things happen now, now now! Everything worth doing/creating/producing takes time.

The journey is fun and unpredictable or stressful and frustrating, depending on your perspective. Sometimes a mix of all of that. If you're in it for the long haul, things will generally happen at the exact times that they should.
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Joe Szymanski
http://www.joethevoiceguy.com

ChrisMezzolesta · Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 12:55 pm Post subject:

So much gold....Neil is actually quite lucky to have been led here and not to a demo mill-type joint....and Bob while I may disagree now and again on strictly union issues, you are spot on about the biz and the journey, and it's great to read you reaching to help out. Kudos and thanks for keeping it real.

And all the best in your own journey Neil, if it's meant to happen and you push that along with the right efforts in the right places, it will.

Rock on!
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Chris Mezzolesta, Voice Talent
800.356.5519 www.voiceatile.com

ConnieTerwilliger · Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 2:38 pm Post subject:

You have a lot to learn about the business - just went to your site and listened to your "promos" demo. First point, don't introduce yourself or say your URL. Name your file with your name and what it is.

And this is NOT a promo (promos?) demo. That is a completely different animal. Which tells me that you are still in the First Stage of learning - the unconsciously incompetent stage - where you don't know what you don't know. We all started there...in anything we learned. Most of us thought we could drive before we ever actually sat behind the wheel and we got smacked back to the reality.

Good to ask questions to help move you to Stage Two - Consciously Incompetent - here you will know what you need to work on.

Listen listen listen - follow those links Bob included above. You MUST be able to hear where you fit and when you are doing quality work. If you cannot tell when something is ready for prime time and when it isn't, then you will not be able to do the oh so important self-evaluation needed to succeed in this business.

And once you start really listening, you should hear how a commercial demo is really put together - and you will probably want to take down what you have on your page now. It really isn't a demo at this point and will not do you any favors should someone happen to run across it.

Also, search the archives for topics related to having your picture on a voiceover site. You will get lots of ideas on why most people think that isn't such a good idea.
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Voiceforanychoice · Joined: 26 Nov 2012 Posts: 11

KaraEdwards · Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 5:52 pm Post subject:

Good, good, good advice here!

And it sounds like you have the right attitude all around. I understand the desire to make money right off the bat...that's human nature! I remember the year I decided to go full-time. I had 10+ years working part-time in VO and morning radio, had a couple of cartoons and several national spots on my resume....and promptly fell flat on my earnings-face. There is no magic formula or direct path to doing this for a living.

That year I hooked up with Nancy Wolfson and spent a weekend with Bob Bergen (and several others), I flew to every convention I could and read everything I could get my eyes on about the biz, marketing, branding, etc.

Years later...well, life is real dang good! But I know I have to stay fresh, constantly improve in all areas of the biz, and respect when those I look up to are willing to offer any shred of wisdom.

If you want it bad enough, make sure to be the best you can be before that first client comes calling. Do whatever you have to in the meantime to get to that place. And read everything Bob Bergen writes (as well as Nancy)...those two continue to amaze with their generosity to our community!
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