SYWDVO: Put Me in Coach!!
Breaking in to Voiceovers for Beginners.
OK, you got your friends and family telling you how great your voice is. You have done a little bit of research into voiceovers. You know you need a mic, audio software, a place to lay it down, a…..woa, WOA…slow down.Stop! Before you do any of that. Before you buy one piece of acoustic foam or try to figure out the P2P thing…you need to do one thing first. It is the MOST important thing to do. It is literally the first step on your road to success.
We wouldn’t just jump into a car at 15 years old and merge onto the freeway? Would you jump in the pilot seat and expect to take off and soar the skies? Hell no. There’s just way too much to know to just jump behind the wheel and expect to take off like a shot and not crash and burn. , you gotta study and when your instructor says you’re ready, you reluctantly grab the wheel, take a deep breath and slowly begin. Voiceovers are the same way. You need someone that will show you the ropes. That person who has been there at the starting line and is crushing it. A Person who made that mistake and knows this is the best way. If only you could employee your own personal “In-crowd” person to lead you down the path, answer your questions and let you know the secrets of the industry. OH WAIT!! There is a person that does that…a voice over/acting coach. Yes, a coach. You need a coach. You want a coach. WHat if I have years of theater and stage experience, wheat if I know i can act, what then! Well, like any craft or sport you need to practice. Tom Brady has many rings, he knows what he is doing, but he still nedded a coach. It’s another perspective, an insider view and as you develop, a mentor.
You absolutely need a coach. A coach will lead you and guide you and tell you like it is. I can hear you right now, but where can I find a coach? Once I do, how do I know they are legit? Finding a coach is not as difficult as you think. You can google “Voice over coach near me” and IMDB each person you find. For me, I used a mobile app call “Thumbtack.” This is a great app to find folks to do whatever job you need, and I mean any job. I posted I was looking for a voice acting coach, and within a few hours I had folks asking for an Interview. So, I googled each name, IMDBd each name and searched social media (facebook, twitter, Instagram, etc…). After that, I had each call me and we interviewed each other. Yes, interviewed each other, You have to ensure, for your success, that you employ the right person. Also, they need to be sure you are a good fit for them.
Prospect1: I had one prospect who basically told me they’d have me making a demo in a week and on P2P sites, and making money within a month. I was like, slow down boss…I got so many que….they cut me off and started developing a plan. This one did not want to hear from me at all, no thank you.
PRospect 2: told Me we would tour, virtually, the classics of Shakespeare and Chaucer and the development of theater through the ages. OK, but I studied Shakespeare, Chaucer, Geoffery of Mammoth, etc in college. I have a deep appreciation for the theater and all aspects, I’ve paid for those courses once, I am not gonna do it again.
Prospect 3: Then another prospect asked me what I expected, where I thought I should be and what were my goals. OMG! Yes! This person is interested in my expectations and my goals. I hired the latter, and my coach is remarkable!!
And in today’s virtual world, you can get a coach from anywhere and ZOOM those sessions!! Also, most coaches charege from $50.00 a session to $150.00 a session.
Once the interview process is over, and the contracts are signed, you and your coach will sit down map out your goals and come up with a strategy for your success. Your coach is your lifeline and plug in into the industry. They are there to ensure you have the right tools, the right attitude, and the right direction. They should be answering all your questions or sending you to the right resources. Your coach is your greatest resource and your advocate. When you are ready, they will help pick out scripts that play to your strengths for your demo (s). When you’re ready they will guide you through the demo process (we’ll toch on that later). When you are ready, they will help you find talent management. When you are ready, they will help you navigate through the red tape. But, you need to realize, your coach is a resource, they are not your “100% lemme getchu in, yo,” person. That’s all you. But they are the ones that will let you know when you are ready. They are the ones that will help you be successful.
