Happy Fourth of July and Ramadan! It’s a good thing they’re not on the same day. Who would wanna have to fast on the biggest BBQ day of the year?
I teach Business and Money 201 for Edge Studio. It’s a one-hour webinar where I cover topics like invoicing, goal-setting, negotiating rates, etc. At the beginning of each class, I always try to “prime” the students so they’re in the right frame of mind to receive & process what I’m about to teach. I talk about Systems of Thought (why you do what you do) and Systems of Execution (how you should do it). I share what I like to call “The Newbie Paradigm” and give specific examples of how their Systems of Thought usually lead to failure. The most important piece of advice I give is to learn how to think like a successful voice talent. It’s very simple: you’re an artist inside the booth and a business outside the booth.
What does that mean? The first part is simple enough. When you’re in a recording session, you’re an artist, a performer. You’re vocally, mentally, and physically free. You’re open-minded and taking direction happily. You’re emoting and fully immersed in your technique. It’s all rainbows & unicorns in there and everybody is happy.
The second part is where most people go off the rails. Many people are attracted to the voiceover industry because they think it’s easy. “You just talk, right?” (sigh). They think you get coached up, get a demo, get an agent, and watch the money roll in. Oh, and they’re famous too because they get hired to do Family Guy just like that (double sigh). I hate to burst their bubble, but that’s just not how it works.
When I say you’re a business outside of the booth, I mean just that. Do you really think the heads of IBM just wake up in the morning and say “I wanna make some money today. Let’s build computers!” and not have a plan? Designs? A budget? A marketing campaign? You need to be your own Accountant, Office Manager, Marketing Department, and Human Resources Manager. You need to set goals, have an Action Plan, build a budget, build your brand, and much, much more. If you think like a business, you will act like a business. If you have the talent, self-discipline, and a willingness to fail & learn, then you will succeed. If you won’t do what it takes to be a business, may I suggest community theater?
TIP OF THE WEEK: There’s an old saying, “Many are called, but few are chosen”. In the voiceover industry, many are called but few make the right choices. Be one of the few!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Yesterday, I checked into a motel room and said to the receptionist, “I hope the porn channel in my room is disabled.” “No,” she said, “It’s regular porn, you sicko.” Don Berns
STUFF!: Drunk water volleyball! That’s all I have to say…
From Tom Dheere’s apartment, this is Tom Dheere; GKN News…