When I relied heavily on Pay To Play casting sites for trying to find voice over work, it wasn’t long before I realized that I had fallen victim to what I now refer to as, “Pay To Play Mentality.” Have you fallen victim of this yourself?
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I’m not gonna lie… there were some touch and go moments during the Apple Live Event yesterday when I’m pretty sure my heart nearly stopped and I was ready to curl up in the fetal position, giving up my will to live.
But eventually the live stream started working again. And I recovered.
Apple gave us three very cool new things to get excited about yesterday, assuming you’re a Fanboy like me. They introduced the iPhone 6, Apple Watch and Apple Pay.
But that’s not the only thing Apple gave us. They also gave us this…
If you’re a voice actor, you’re going to want to pay special attention to that commercial.
Why?
Guaranteed, before the end of the week, clients around the world are going to be referencing it.
“We want a delivery like that new Apple commercial. You know, the one with Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake.”
So listen closely. If there is one way Apple impacts the voice over industry, it’s with their commercials. Every time they release a new one, for a season, at least, casting directors and clients all want reads that sound just like them.
Bets on who has a client ask for it first? 🙂
Have you ever built Ikea furniture? If you like jigsaw puzzles, then you probably think building Ikea furniture is the greatest thing ever. On the other hand, if you don’t like building jigsaw puzzles, well… you probably wish you knew someone who did. So you could hire them.
The trick to building Ikea furniture is to first read the instructions.
All of them.
All the way through.
From start to finish.
Oh, and then, after you’ve read all the instructions, follow them.
I’ve done casting for more than a few voice over projects, both via Pay 2 Play and direct email invitations. In each of those experiences there is one thing that never ceases to amaze me… the number of voice over actors who are incapable (apparently) of following very clear, very simple directions.
Yesterday I posted a message on Twitter and Facebook.
Simple enough, right?
Apparently not.
Despite the fact that I provided, what I thought, were very, very clear instructions, what resulted was something entirely different.
Let me begin by saying that 80% of the respondents did follow my simple instructions. A quick note with a link to their demo. Just like I asked.
But then there was the other 20%.
These individuals messaged me with novels. Literally. Novels!
They included a history of their professional voice over careers. They name dropped every major client they’ve ever worked with since birth.
No less than six to eight links to various and assorted demos were included. Some included links to everything BUT their explainer video voice over work… which I originally asked for.
These individuals completely missed what I was asking for, tried too hard, and as a result… their names were not included in my referral list.
If they can’t follow my simple two sentence instructions, I would never assume they can follow instructions of a client. And I’ll never give my clients names of voice actors who can’t follow simple instructions.
Just like your Ikea furniture, if you want to succeed, if you want to get it right the first time, read the instructions all the way through, and then begin the project.
Otherwise when you’ll finish with disaster.
When I was a kid I went though a science phase. Why? I have no idea. Truth is, there’s not a scientific bone in my body. The only course I ever failed in school… science! Nevertheless, for some reason, I went through a science phase. To that end, one Christmas I only wanted two gifts. A microscope and a telescope.
I got them both.
With my microscope I could look really, really closely at the one thing that was right directly in front of me. I could zoom it in and examine every last detail. I couldn’t see what was around it. I couldn’t see what was beyond it. I could only see whatever that one thing was on my slide.
My telescope offered an entirely different perspective. A big picture perspective. Oh sure, I could pick a star and try to focus on it, but I’d see all the others around it as well. I could see far and beyond. A wide angle view.
Auditioning on a voice over casting site can become an almost robotic practice. Particularly if you’re submitting multiple auditions a day. It’s so easy to crank out a quick read, drop in your template proposal, click submit and move onto the next one.
That’s what I would call the microscope view of voice over auditions.
On the other hand, what if you took the time to really read over the directions provided by the voice seeker? What if you took a little time to find out who they were? To research their background? Maybe listen to some past projects they’ve posted on their web site or YouTube channel. What if you were able to get a bigger picture view of the seeker and their needs?
That’s what I would call the telescope view of voice over auditions!
A lot of jobs you’ll audition for on a casting site are quick one offs. But not all jobs and not all clients are created equal. Do you know how to spot the difference? And will you be prepared if you do?
Thanks to one particular casting site and some big picture telescope views, I’ve been able to see beyond single job postings and single auditions to have the opportunity to develop some great long term relationships with some very big clients!
…not all jobs and not all clients are created equal.
Taking a few extra minutes to dig into each audition and think beyond the single script that’s right in front of you could mean the difference between booking one job and booking a dozen! Between a one off client and long term relationship!
The Voice Realm is one of many options available to voice talent looking for online casting sites. But what makes it different from the rest? What makes it a site you might want to consider becoming a member of?
I recently interviewed Lauren Maree from the Voice Realm to learn more about the site and how it continues to grow and improve. Continue reading Interview: Lauren Maree From The Voice Realm
