VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[paddyo]

[Rob]

(Wow! 20 bucks for ice cream ! red '63 Vette is next !)

Thanks, Mom !

[ccpetersen]

To get back to Philip's points for a moment, what he wrote reminded me of experiences where I've been asked to comment on what it is that makes a successful writer. And, many of the same principles about hard work, knowing the market, etc., apply. But, that still doesn't stop people from asking me for "magic" tricks or "quick tips" on success in writing. I've even had people tell me that my "luck" in writing must be because I knew all the right people... and they seem to forget the part about the "hard work" and all that.

So, fast-forward to a couple of conferences I went to -- one was the WorldCon science fiction convention held in Boston a few years back, and the other was a conference of science and technology centers (museums, mostly) last year.

At WorldCon I had been invited to come and talk about the exploration of Mars, complete with my powerpoint presentation of nifty pics from Mars missions. That went well, and afterwards at the Q&A I had someone ask me if I would sign a copy of my second book. I said "sure" and as I was signing, the guy said to me "You must be really lucky to be a writer. I mean, anybody can write, so how did you get Cambridge University Press to publish your book?"

How could I sum up the years of study and writing and knowledge I'd gained from writing for newspapers, magazines, etc. into a glib answer? I couldn't. The wrong implicit assumptions he'd made about me, my work, my book, and writing in general were just so wrong. But, what I wish I'd said later was "Oh, I take lots of really expensive classes from celebrity writers and they taught me everything I know." Although, celebrity writers, as well as celebrity VOs also know what hard work is, and I suspect they, too, would have had a hard time answering such a question.

At the sci-tech meeting last year, I was in the exhibit hall talking with a designer about a series of exhibits I'd written about astronomy for Griffith Observatory in LA. He said he hadn't been there yet, but was thinking of changing over from design to writing because "it's so easy..." I laughed out loud at that (couldn't help myself) and said something about how long the project had taken and the many rewrites we did as the designs changed, etc.

I think the point here is that many things that look easy aren't always that way. And, as in geometry, there is no royal road to success in VO or writing or anything. Taking the classes helps because it's training and to be successful in any endeavor takes skills and the training of those skills. But, just taking the class in animation VO or TV acting or short story writing isn't going to make a person the consummate actor or writer without the skills and creativity to go along. I may be taking VO classes and acting, and I will find out if I can train that skill set; and that's important.

What I also think it needs is the sense of daring. In one of PB's messages he posts an MP3 of himself doing an American voice-over and it's amazing. It shows self-confidence and a spirit of "well, I'm game if you're game" that people need in order to be creative.

Argh... I've rambled on and on... but just sayin'....
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Charter Member: Threadjackers Local 420

[Lizden]

Well said, CC!

And I LOVED:

[LauraS]

For what it's worth, in the UK - you HAVE to be able to get to the London studios to do all the big gigs. The 5 and 6 figure national commercial compaigns, the mainstream animations and kids' shows, etc. It may change in the future but for the really big stuff none of the creatives wants to give up their days out to the posh studios and all that free food.

But you can still earn a decent living from doing the smaller radio and television campaigns, the corporate scripts and phone messaging, and that's fine. It just depends on where you're aiming.

And besides, the paperwork from earning a quarter of a million dollars and up can be a real pain in the a*** (that's the English version of ass). You have to hire accountants and managers, and they fleece you behind your back, and the next thing you know you're in court trying to get back several hundred thousand of your not-that-hard-earned money... (You have "irony" out there, right?)

Laura

[ccpetersen]

Liz,

Exactly!

As I get more experienced ('Older') I find myself doing the "I'm game" approach more often... it got me to a Bob Bergen workshop, after all... he had to work a bit harder with me perhaps, but he helped me find things in a performance that I didn't realize were there... and now I take that approach with other projects. But, the preparation, the hard work, the determination... that's the key.

Congrats on that project, Liz!!
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Charter Member: Threadjackers Local 420

[Philip Banks]

[Lizden]

They're still making Schlitz?

L.
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Liz de Nesnera O.A.V. ~ Livin' The VO Dream!
English/French Bilingual VO w/ ISDN
HireLiz.com / liz@hireliz.com

[Diane Havens]

Yeah, Liz. Big comeback.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25970479/
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Diane


Veni, Vidi, Voci
http://www.dianehavens.com

[paddyo]

[quote="Philip Banks"
Philip Banks paid £26,000 to voice new Land Rover TV ads
quote]


Banksey,

Have some spine. Let them pay you.

Paddyo
www.thepatrickoconnor.com
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Proud member of F.U.F.F.

[ccpetersen]

Schlitz... there's a name I haven't heard since my marching band days in college...
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Charter Member: Threadjackers Local 420

[Philip Banks]

[paddyo]

[Rob]

[ccpetersen]

Depends.

What instrument did you play?

I was in the percussion section... the ONLY cool section in the whole band...

My DH is a low brass player; tuba, actually...
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Charter Member: Threadjackers Local 420