Quote:
If you, the reader, is just starting out, please follow this path:
1. Develop as a talent. (Take acting classes, vo workshops, etc.)
2. Buy professional gear. (Not the Guitar Center special of the month.)
3. Get a professional demo.
4. Begin marketing. This includes the online casting sites and signing with an agent.
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This is a good list - in my talk on Self-Evaluation at VOICE 2007, I broke it down to 4 key areas which tie 3 and 4 above together and add the element of general business requirements. But the order here is what is important - so many people make the demo first - before they are ready to start marketing, before they have the ability to do a professional recording.
Talent, Technology, Marketing, Business
1. Develop as a talent and know the idustry, where you fit and your competition. (Classes, research, listening, self-evaluation)
2. Know the technology required to deliver professional quality material. (Do you need the bare basics, or do you need a Whisper Room and ISDN?)
3. Have a marketing plan in place which includes developing a great demo and a database of contacts. (Don't do the demo until you know what you have to sell and who might want to buy it.)
4. Understand the business aspects of this business and if you have what it takes to survive and thrive. (Bidding, contracts, invoices, follow up, wondering when the next job will come...)
Something that has been added to the responsibilities of today's voice talent with a home studio is that now we have to be able to live up to our professionally produced demos (and if you want to compete against the best, you will likely need a professionally done demo.) That means before you start marketing your demo, you need to know that your "studio" is acoustically sound, that you know how to use a professional audio recording software, and that you have a professional grade mic.
Yes, these boards are great to ask for some help in an emergency, but if someone asks how to save an MP3 file, then it is pretty clear that this person has flip flopped some of the steps.