For Voice Over Talents

Fear is one sneaky little critter, and it can be a pretty crafty foe when it comes to stopping us from doing all kinds of things…

Like asking for what we want.

I’m not talking about asking for what we want by slamming down our fists with a ridiculous demand. I’m referring to polite and non-threatening requests that can help us get ahead in our careers – and the world in general.

What Can Happen When We Ask

Let me give a couple of examples from my own recent experience, both of which came up during projects I was completing for voice-over business clients. In both instances, some changes occurred during the project, and I felt the fee amount that we had originally agreed upon needed to be raised a bit to adequately compensate for the additional work and usage involved.

It would have been SO easy to ignore that feeling in my gut and just finish the project, thereby avoiding the risk of rocking anyone’s boat. But, experience has taught me that when I feel the urge to make a request, it is best that I speak up. So, I emailed a very polite message to each client explaining why I felt the pay should be more than what we had originally estimated.

In both cases, the request resulted in a pay increase. It also prompted a phone conversation where we discussed improving our pricing policy. On the other, the client more than doubled what they originally offered!

Why Asking for What You Want Matters in the Voice-Over Business

Asking for what we want can be especially important in being fairly compensated for your time and talent in the voice-over business. The market can often seem diluted with so many vying for the same jobs; we might think low pricing is the way to win. But, in many cases, voice-over clients are willing to pay for better quality and more value.

And in ALL cases, we’ll never know… unless we ask. Not every request for a pay increase necessarily results in one. I’ve had instances where a loyal client had a very tight budget on a particular job, and I agreed to a lesser rate than usual. We were still able to discuss the issue in a positive light and lay the groundwork for future opportunities.

Asking for what we want is magical that way. And it sure beats what can happen when we’re too afraid to speak up.

What Can Happen When We Don’t Ask

When we’re too fearful of making a request, bad things can happen. For starters, we’re not likely to get what we want because people won’t have a clue as to what that is. We can then start to feel resentful, which can make us unhappy in our work as well as our lives.

Feeling resentful toward the people helping to pay our bills is self-sabotaging and absolutely deadly in the voice-over business. Fear can still stop us from making our requests. We may be afraid of being rejected. We may be afraid of making someone upset. We may envision a confrontation or think that the request will change our relationship with the person somehow. It’s human nature to want to be liked and to make people happy, and we may fear that making a request will result in a negative outcome.

While fear may be playing all those games in our heads, we need to remember that the basic reality of the situation is much simpler. In a business situation, what is the worst thing that will likely happen if we politely ask for what we want?

The person might say, “No.” And “no” is not the end of the world. “No” is not a rejection of me as a human being; it’s just a rejection of my request. And an opportunity to perhaps make an alternative request that will elicit a different response. Even a rejected request is still preferable to being unhappy, resentful, or not getting what we want simply because we’re too afraid to ask for it.

So, how about you… Was there ever a time when you felt fearful about asking for what you wanted, but you did it anyway and got a great outcome? Please comment and share your story!

I found this article by James Clear to be very insightful and thought-provoking. It is relevant for voice artists and anyone who “creates” for a living, which includes a lot of people beyond our typical definition of what an artist is. He opens with a story about a very famous choreographer named Agnes de Mille…

“Agnes de Mille had just achieved the greatest success of her career, but right now the only thing she felt was confusion.

She was a dancer and a choreographer. Early in her career, de Mille had created the choreography for a ballet called, “Three Virgins and a Devil.” She thought it was good work, but nobody made much of it.

A few years later, de Mille choreographed a ballet named, “Rodeo.” Again, she thought her work was solid, but it resulted in little commercial fame.

Then, in 1943, de Mille choreographed “Oklahoma!,” a musical show from Rodgers and Hammerstein that enjoyed nearly instant success. In the coming years, “Oklahoma!” would run for an incredible 2,212 performances, both around the nation and abroad. In 1955, the film version won an Academy Award.

Continue Reading James’ article about the hidden dangers of comparing yourself to others.

I especially enjoyed this passage of his article:

“If what you write on your paper doesn’t meet someone else’s expectations … it is no concern of yours. The way someone else perceives what you do is a result of their own experiences (which you can’t control), their own tastes and preferences (which you can’t predict), and their own expectations (which you don’t set). If your choices don’t match their expectations that is their concern, not yours.

Your concern is to do the work, not to judge it. Your concern is to fall in love with the process, not to grade the outcome. Keep your eyes on your own paper.”

Avoiding Self-Judgment as Voice Artists

We can put this into some perspective as working voice artists, where we are in competition daily and constantly judged by our work. I think the key takeaway here is to stay strong in the belief of our inherent talent, no matter whether we win the next voiceover audition or make the monthly income goal every single month.

Of course, it is pretty important that SOMEBODY out there is liking our voice and hiring us for jobs.

Even though you don’t win every audition you send in, it is important that you feel you are winning your fair share and have recurring voiceover clients who contact you regularly for repeat business. If that is not happening, then you are getting clear feedback that indicates something needs to change.

It’s important to notice the feedback and take appropriate action. Life is all about “course-correction” based on feedback.

While it is good to have measures and goals, it’s also necessary to value one’s gifts and express and share those gifts with the world. Most of us (I hope) became actors and voice artists because we have a genuine love for the craft and doing the work. That’s the core that we must always revisit, when the bookings or income are not in perfect alignment with our expectations.

Do you find yourself being too judgmental of your voice or voice over skills, abilities and talents? How do you deal with that and turn it around?

I would love to hear about your experiences and ways of approaching this very common artistic dilemma. Please share comments below!

As voice over actors, we talk, we write, we dialogue with other actors, and we commune. The voiceover community as a whole has warmth among its members. Even though we compete with each other (sometimes daily, and sometimes in the same casting studio), we are somehow part of the same team. We share in each other’s successes and defeats. We support one another and cheer each other on, as seen in this documentary about voice over.

This past Sunday, I got the chance to watch a documentary available this month on Netflix called “I Know That Voice” – conceived and directed by voice actor John DiMaggio who is best known as the voice of the robot Bender, in Futurama. This film offers a peek behind the scenes at what goes on in the life and work of a voice actor.

There are names and faces you may recognize and many faces and names that you won’t. But to see the real people behind the voices for the animated characters of Judy Jetson, Rocky the Squirrel, Goofy, Daphne in Scooby Doo, Batman, Bart Simpson, and more, is to feel like you’re privy to a secret club.

The insights and observations they share about how they work are absolutely fascinating. And they demonstrate a camaraderie in their membership that is quite endearing.

If you’re a voiceover professional, a filmmaker, a video producer, or just a fan of animation and actors, I highly recommend taking 90 minutes to enjoy this short film. You may gain some keen insight into the secrets of success for a handful of VO professionals. And you will definitely be entertained.

A few months back, I saw an article posted in one of the voice over community chat groups in Google. The title of the article was: Celebrities are Silencing Career Pros in Animation Voice Work.

Provocative title, right?

I see and enjoy all of these animated films… Not only because I’m a professional voice over talent and it’s part of my industry, but because I’m the mother of two children, and they love watching these types of animated movies.

This year for Halloween, my kids dressed up as Astrid and Hiccup from the “How to Train Your Dragon” movies (see cute costume pic down below).

So, are celebrities really squeezing out other voice over actors in animated movies? There is certainly a fair amount of discussion and sour grapes about it in the voice over community. The article referenced above makes some very thoughtful and compelling arguments.

However, my personal opinion is, these types of voice over jobs have gone (and will continue to go) to celebrities and famous actors, and there is really nothing the voice over community can do to change that.

Voice Over Acting is Viable and Appealing to Celebs

What’s wrong with an “A” list actor wanting to do animation, in film or TV? Acting is acting! And in the voice over case, it can certainly be a lot less taxing than being on set for months at a time, in period costumes, working long hours in some foreign land, away from family.

I don’t begrudge a celebrity from finding work wherever they can, and in whatever genre is available. They’ve earned it. If they want to work on Broadway, public television, Sesame Street, for Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks animation, then that’s certainly their prerogative.

I think the idea in the voice over community that these celebrities are “taking away” jobs from non-celebs is misleading. These jobs wouldn’t go to unknown acting or voice talent anyway.

There Are Reasons Why Celebrities Are Well-Known

Part of the reason an actor gets to be an “A” lister in Hollywood is due to their talent. They are at the top of their craft. If you pit any of the stars or celebs mentioned in this article up against even a journeyman career VO actor, who has no name recognition in the general public, and perhaps limited or no experience playing roles on stage or screen, who do you really think is going to come out on top when it’s time to hit the box office?

Any “celebrated” actor out there has paid their dues. They’ve come up the ranks from being a no-name to a recognized, respected, perhaps even award-winning actor. That takes time, perseverance, dedication, talent, and a good dose of luck.

Being in a place in one’s career to have the opportunity of playing a character in a big animated feature, is a perk of reaching the top of one’s profession.

Sure, I can cite examples of situations where someone instrumental in the formative stages of a project was not the final choice for the end product, but that’s show biz for you. It happens all the time. It’s not about being fair.

It’s about choices; and making ones that will have fiscal rewards for the producers and entertainment value for the audience. That’s the producer/director’s job; to employ the best possible actor for each role. Best includes “best return on investment” and celebrities often bring that in spades.

There Will Always Be a Few Exceptions

There is always room for new talent. Getting that big break and then staying on top, is what most actors work a lifetime towards.

There are a few success stories as well.  Some of the voices in current blockbuster musical animation come from the Broadway ranks, and have no real name recognition at all in the ticket-buying public. The mega-hit from last year, “Frozen” is a prime example, with Broadway diva Idina Menzel (aka Adele Dazeem) playing the lead, despite the fact that few people outside of the Broadway community knew of her before that role.

Artists can be gifted in many different ways, and can grow and develop outside of their beginning niche. We see crossover all the time with actors cutting an album or singing or playing an instrument in a film. We see current pop stars making their feature film debuts…

Continue Reading this Article here…