A few years ago, a vacation was a vacation if you were a voice talent. It had to be. Away from your home studio or the professional studio that you did all your recording in, you had no choice but to enjoy some time off.
Things are different today.
To record a voice over on the road these days all you really need is a mic, a laptop and preamp to connect those two pieces. I have a Shure X2U. It’s tiny and very portable.
Don’t Miss An Opportunity
As a professional voice talent you’re a solopreneur. That’s to say, you’re responsible for your own destiny. There are no two weeks worth of paid vacation days written into your employment agreement. Being on the road and away from the office means you’re going to miss out. You’ll have to pass on auditions. You’ll have to pass on jobs. It can be a tough pill to swallow.
But everyone needs a vacation!
Now that recording on the road is so easy, I know more and more voice actors are packing their equipment right along with the rest of their luggage. After all, you can’t afford to miss an opportunity right?
Or can you?
Working Vacation
I’m heading out tomorrow for a few days. A somewhat last minute adventure to Vegas. I thought long and hard about whether or not I should bring my gear with me.
I reasoned with myself that I’d only use it for an emergency. I wouldn’t spend any time auditioning or looking for work while I was gone. I’d just have my gear in case a client called and needed something done before I return on the weekend.
That’s just good business. Right?
I was justifying all of this in my head. A rather convincing argument, I might add.
I talked to my friend that I’m traveling with. She agreed to the proposal. She said she understood the pressure of working for yourself and not wanting to miss out on opportunities. She was genuine. If I brought my gear, she wouldn’t hassle me if I had to stop and record.
She was giving her blessing for a working vacation.
Vacation Vacation
Here’s the thing. A vacation, by it’s very definition, isn’t supposed to involve work!
Vacation: : A period spent away from home or business in travel or recreation. (Source: Merriam Webster)
I’m supposed to be getting away from business. Not bringing business with me!
I thought about it some more over the weekend and decided my gear wasn’t coming with me. Instead, I was going to get away for a few days, have some fun, enjoy the adventure, and not worry about whether or not I was missing any work.
We all need time away. Time to reset. Time to recharge. Time to renew. It makes us better people. It makes us better voice actors!
I decided that time time, I’m going on a vacation vacation!
QUESTION: Do you take your gear on the road? Do you have working vacations or vacation vacations?
