** contributor's note: julie's original brief suggested a review of "100 words or so". but since a hundred words would barely cover the full title and a table of contents, i offer the "director's cut" review with the blessings of the lady herself. rg
How To Make Money in Voice-Overs (even if you don’t live in N.Y. or L.A.) –
Review by Rowell Gormon / voices2go.com
"Some of your potential clients," says Julie Williams, "are paying good money to people who aren’t as talented as you!" With this 5-CD toolkit, this seasoned voice actor/instructor and her expert guests provide specific ways you can put the odds more in your favor...even as you sit there alone at your computer.
This is not one of those vague, fluffy pep talks that leaves you inspired, but with no idea what to do next.
Some of Julie’s experts are voice actors themselves. All find ways to balance the listener’s perception (and mis-perceptions) with the hard realities of the market and, more importantly, how to work the system.
Disc One, while being more an overview than I expected, has valuable specifics on demo construction that shows your true "niche" sound, not "what you’d like to sound like." And studio head Frank Maranzino, whose credits include work at Skywalker Sound, avoids generalities citing home studio products by name with the pros and cons of affordability and performance (and you do not need a Lucasfilm budget!).
Disc Two’s highlight is website designer Jason Sikes. You’ll not only learn why you need your own website (not just a page on someone else’s), but what you must show visitors so they want to stay and explore. There are specific low-cost/no-cost ideas to help search engines find your site by using it as a networking tool. Stephanie Ciccarelli (Voices.com) touches on using internet job posting sites, and gaining a "support network" via blogs and internet communities.
But Disc Three was exactly the stuff I was hoping for. Larry Maizlish at VoicesOnline.com started as a voice actor, but knows both sides of the process -- how to find contacts...making sure they’re the right contacts...how to contact the contacts...and what too many voice actors do that won’t help their chances when answering auditions! He offers specific ideas of how and when to use email, snail mail, phone, gifts, or a simple "thank you". His method of ditching "cold calls" in favor of what he terms "warm calls" is probably the single most valuable concept I got from the set, since I personally hate cold calls. He cites ways of putting "networking" to work for you – letting others brag on you, so you don’t have to!
Kristine Oller (Disc Four) must have a spycam in my studio, because she describes my cluttered existence exactly! And her claim that a cluttered work envirornment causes creative and emotional stagnation is spot on! Fortunately, she offers several ways to start immediate change without throwing everything out in the street! She shows you how to think of Time, Money, and Energy as your 3 Main Resources, and how each can affect the others. There are specifics on "How Do I Get The Next Job?" covering how to ask for guidance, information, and help, in ways that allow people to want to help you.
Another revelation on Disc Four was Gabrielle Nistico of Voicehunter.com. While her specialty is Broadcast Imaging (something I would not consider myself right for), she offers advice on contacting potential clients that is useful to any voice actor: when to sell something, when not to sell anything, what makes your message remembered and not immediately tossed. She also reveals that Imaging itself is not just the powerhouse, gravel-voice shout machine some of us think of. Acting and Animation talent, she maintains, are great for Imaging as many producers start looking for something new.
The final disc covers legal issues you might not think you need to know as an individual performer. But Attorney/Voice Actor Rob Sciglimpagla has specific, practical warnings about liability, collections, registering a "trade name" (different than a trademark), and why a Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) is a legal safety net some of us "Sole Proprietors" should consider. He cites things you can benefit from immediately without spending a dime...did you know an email trail is acceptable evidence in court?...and how to best use your money wisely when you do need an attorney.
Julie doesn’t hesitate to add her own experiences, and when views differ it is in a reasoned, genial atmosphere of give and take. Her expert panel offers good advice, applicable to a wide range of listener experience and income. They also point out you ignore certain industry standards at your peril.
"How To Make Money in Voice-Overs..." covers more than just the marketing angle I had expected. That said, it is wisely designed to make sense for listeners in various stages of a voice-over career. Even topics you may be tempted to skip contain practical specifics to give you an advantage in the expanded voice market the internet has made possible – so that marketing is no longer just "who you know"...but "who knows YOU!"
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