When you think of love, do you think of walking through a beautiful green meadow combed with the rays of the setting Summer Sun while carrying a commercial script in your hand? Or when you think of love do you mentally picture yourself with little chocolates, a soft cuddly teddy bear, and a bottle of Sangria in your recording space while you do an all-night 100-plus page eLearning project? Perhaps when you think of love you think of the 15 hours you’ll spend narrating an audiobook not to mention the fun you’ll have doing your edits? While some of these examples may not be your opinion of love, some people do think that performing new scripts, exciting books, and meaningful (and some not so meaningful) eLearning projects as labors of love (for profit). Do you know what it’s like to love being a voice actor? Before you go out and buy your first shotgun microphone, let’s cover a few of the basics of loving one of the best careers ever, voice acting.
Love is in the Airways
Voiceover is the process of making an announcement or reading a piece of text, which is a lot like reading aloud in school. But voiceacting is the process of bringing a script to life through peppered inflections and intonations to communicate feeling and information as one. Serious voiceover actors can be a little sensitive because they know what it takes to achieve success in the field. Not everyone will come out smelling like a rose on the other side of their voiceacting pursuits. Some will lose their shirts and be bitter about the experience, while others will look back with fond memories. Make sure you’re in the business to develop found memories.
Define Voiceacting and You
Find out if voiceacting is really for you. I know people who love to sing but can’t carry a tune in a bucket even with help holding up either side of the bucket. Now, this does not mean that the person is not sincere in his or her desire to sing. It usually means someone is unable to mentally or physically perceive musical pitch. Consult a good coach on your voice and delivery to determine if you have the basics needed for a rewarding career in voiceovers.
Read up on the life of voice actors and actors. Try to get an understanding of the typical actor’s journey to success as well as why some actors give up on the profession. Imagine your reaction in similar situations and how you would address any setbacks. Once you’ve considered the career move, decide if voiceacting is something you want to do no matter what comes with the choice.
Be Committed to Your Success
Once you know voiceover acting is a good career choice for you, the real work begins. In such a competitive field, commitment is vital. Knowing why you’re in the business will help you go for it. Backstage’ s 7 Qualities Every Successful Voice Actor Should Cultivate gives a list of key success points.
Believing in yourself while doing the hard work will help you push toward your goal. Spending all your time practicing or shopping for microphones usually won’t get you an eLearning job. You must balance your time to focus on all aspects of building from the ground up your voiceover career.
The success of your business will also require treating your business like a business. Gravy for the Brain’s, You Must Master These 4 Skills for a Successful Voiceover Business has some great take-a-ways on starting and running your professional business. There’s no shortcut for keeping good records and marketing to new clients. Remember, if you run your business like a hobby, it will pay you like one.
Being in love can make you feel alive, happy, and unstoppable. As a voiceactor, you should love what you do. So, before you go out and purchase that ring to place around the base of your microphone (to hold it correctly in the mount), make sure you and your voiceover career are mated for long-term success.
Happy Valentine’s Day and break a lip.