There is a lot of tension in the voiceover industry right now. It’s been building over the last five years or so.
There is tension between some union and some non-union voice talent.
There is tension between some who use Pay-to-Pay sites and some who think they’re unethical.
There is tension among some aspiring voice talent and some veteran voice talent.
There is tension on many of the voiceover-related Facebook groups.
Sidebar: I have HAD IT with most of the voiceover-related Facebook groups. Many have gotten too negative and often downright toxic. It feels like every other blog post I write stems from someone’s awful behavior on one of them. It’s great blog fodder but it definitely increases my tension level. It’s like every day there is another smart-mouth know-nothing newbie, scumbag predatory demo coach, knuckle-headed flamer, holier-than-thou union member, or jaded veteran who has nothing better to do than Statler & Waldorf the group minus the funny. Anyway…
Why is there so much tension in the voiceover industry today? There are a number of factors, but I think the number one factor is…
TIP OF THE WEEK
Thoughtlessness.
The voiceover industry has changed massively over the past fifteen years. Social media and the Pay-to-play model have severely disrupted the industry. Some would say for the better, others (likely if you’re in SAG-AFTRA and book mostly agent-driven work) for the worse.
How can we reduce the level of tension in the voiceover community? Be more thoughtful. How?
Get a Grip. I’m talking about the aspiring voice talents with stars in their eyes who can’t be bothered using the search function and expect everything to be handed to them, the grizzled veterans who are disgusted with the way things are now, and everyone in between. Pull your collective heads out of your collective asses and do your best to make your perception of the voiceover industry match reality. That way you’ll be less inclined to judge as quickly and harshly as many of us have, especially on those sometimes-soul-crushing voiceover Facebook groups.
Educate Yourself. Take the time to learn more about exactly how and why the voiceover industry has changed so you can better adapt. When the light bulb was invented, nobody felt bad for the candle-makers. Learn, adapt, grow!
Think before you post/talk/answer. Put yourself in the other person’s shoes before you judge them. Read your social posts aloud and ask yourself how you would feel if someone said it about you. If it’s an “angry” post, imagine writing it to your grandmother or your kids or your boss. Sometimes the best thing you can do with your posts is to never write it in the first place.
We are in this together! This is a tough industry to navigate, much less be consistently successful at. We were all newbies once, we all have feelings, and only by working together can we make the voiceover industry a better place. Always be in the business of being a good human and collecting good humans.
NEWS AND NOTES
Thursday, August 15th @8:oo PM EST: The Edge Studio “Business and Money 201” Webinar, ‘Rates’. In this one-hour webinar, I’ll talk about how to build an effective Rate Sheet, how to negotiate rates with clients, how to bill them, and how to make sure you get paid. Click here to sign up!
Thursday, August 22nd @8PM EST: Edge Studio Marketing 201 webinar, ‘4 Words that will Kill your Marketing’. In this one-hour webinar, I’ll talk about your vocabulary can seriously damage, if not destroy, your voiceover career before it even starts.. Click here to sign up!
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Oyster Day and Professional Speakers Day!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Tom Dheere is a 20+year veteran of the voice over industry who has narrated thousands of projects for hundreds of clients in over a dozen countries. He is also a voiceover business & marketing consultant known as the VOStrategistand produces the comic book “Agent 1.22”.