Online Auditions - how many's too many?

[roger]

I've surpassed 300 auditions with voices.com and have yet to land anything. I'm aware I'm relatively new and inexperienced, and because of a day gig I can't submit any auditions until after 7 or 8 in the evening, but if I were given 300 shots at a basketball hoop I hope I could sink at least one. Even from half-court and not even being an athlete.
Sometimes it feels that you're sending the auditions into a big dark void.
I know I'm whining, but it can be discouraging.
I'm well aware that competition in sheer numbers (don't know how many) and level of talent is overwhelming. I often think that 200 folks got their auditions heard and I was the 201st in line. Maybe just rationalization for myself.
The folks at voices.com have been wonderful in helping and in customer service and I've learned a lot through their site...just no work.
I'd love to hear personal experiences from others and also know if this is the proper place to discuss it. Joe, please move this if I'm in the wrong heading or zap it altogether if inappropriate.
Thanx,
-roger

[JoeActor]

Hey Roger,

Hope you don't mind - I moved this to it's own topic since it's asked quite a bit.

Not sure what to tell you. I did a tonne (metric) of on-line auditions before hitting my first one. The on-line world and the agent world operate very differently. In addition to skill level, you've got to take into account the rest of the talent pool, the job that's posted, the talent seeker's experience, budget, and a whole slew of factors.

I wish I could be less vague, but it's not easy to pin down.

Therapy has always helped me... oh, and drugs ;-)
Joe J Thomas
Joe J. Thomas Acting Portfolio

* drug-free
** except prescription
*** and over-the counter
**** and homeopathic
***** and ...

[Jon Morss]

Roger,



I'm with you man. It can be a bit frustrating at times, but that is all part of the journey. Bob Bergen has posted a few times that it took him something like 4 year to land anything significant and look where he is at today. Persistence is the name of the game when it comes to VO. But in all fairness, how much time do you spend marketing yourself? Is Voice.com the only site you are listed on? Maybe you should try another online option of seek work locally to see if you have better luck. This is an area that I am lacking in as well and I am working to correct that.

One thing I would highly suggest you look into is Connie Terwilliger’s offering of "The Art and Science of Self-Evaluation" under “Buy Sell Swap”. I had the pleasure of listing to her presentation from the VOIC E2007 DVD and this was a big eye opener for me. I have a feeling you would benefit from what she has to say as well.
http://www.voiceover-talent.com/CityHome.htm

Good Luck and keep at it.

Jon

[roger]

Jon,
BTW, my first name is Jon, as well. Same spelling. Thanks for your response and encouragement. I've been doing quite a bit of local marketing with cold-calling and mailing post-cards and CDs. I have gotten a local, :30 spot and a web-tutorial (long script - 16,000 words) from a large non-profit governmental training organization.
Connie's offering is a good idea and I've read about it. I'll act on it.
Thanks, buddy
-roger

[jsgilbert]

Not to throw damp coffee grounds onto anyone's fire, but things were significantly different for those who attempted careers in voiceover 20 - 30 years ago and today. Lest we forget that even the great Don LaFontaine saw encroachment into his marketplace, casueing him to hire all slew of public relations people in order to ensure there was no doubt who the movie trailor guy is.

One significant thing that didn't exist 25 years ago is the slew of copywriters, ad agency execs, art directors and other agency folk that perform many of the v.o. in their own commercial work.

We all know that Brad Bird of Pixar doesn many a voiceover for their projects and it's little secret that almost everyone who works at Pixar and their families have all had shots doing voices for their animation projects.

Of course, the voice teachers will tell you that there has never been a greater demand for voice actors in history. Tell that to all of the waiters and waitresses out there in showbiz land.

It should also be mentioned that there is a significant difference in doing voiceover if you live in Los Angeles or New York and almost anywhere else in the world. Is it changing, well I suppose the same way that Hollywood isn't the movie capitol of the world anymore??!!

I suppose that Alcoholics Anonymous teaches us all that everyone has their own bottom. If I ever performed 300 auditions under any circumstances and didn't book anything, then that should signal me that something is wrong. In all likllihood, the desire to do something better with my creative pursuits would kick in and I might try another hobby. If I performed 300 auditions and my unemployment were running out or I had just blown the $5,000 I had to borrow from dad again, I'm sure I would reconsider my showbiz career.

Not to take anything away from all of the pros who come in here and encourage you, but aren 't they all making significant money teaching, selling CD"s or books? If the alledged cream of the crop needs to teach classes every weekend, then what does that really say for the monetary making aspects of this business. I suppose I'd rather spend my weekends cranking up the bar-b-q, taking day trips or otherwise enjoying the fruits of my labors.

I'm sure one of them will sweep in here and explain that teahcing for them isn't about the money, etc., etc. but at some point people get off the escalator, take a deep breath, and ask yourself if it's worth it.


And really, I don't hate newbies nor do I enjoy seeing people fail. Those of you who know me, know that nothing could be further from how I feel.

I do wish you good luck.

[connieterwilliger]

Not to take anything away from all of the pros who come in here and encourage you, but aren 't they all making significant money teaching, selling CD"s or books? If the alledged cream of the crop needs to teach classes every weekend, then what does that really say for the monetary making aspects of this business. I suppose I'd rather spend my weekends cranking up the bar-b-q, taking day trips or otherwise enjoying the fruits of my labors.

I'm sure one of them will sweep in here and explain that teahcing for them isn't about the money, etc., etc. but at some point people get off the escalator, take a deep breath, and ask yourself if it's worth it.

Here I come - sweeping in! Since my name was brought up earlier in the thread - I wanted to point out that I don't teach voiceover seminars "on the weekends." I hike or take tap or do community theater with my sweetie. "Bleacher Bums" opens this Friday at OnStage in Chula Vista and we are in Dress Rehearsal all week.

And last part of the sentence in quotes here JS is exactly what my CD set is all about - helping people know when it's time to give up this particular dream. Self evaluation.

I DO teach one class at San Diego City College - an introduction to Voice Acting - which focuses on this skill - something I have been doing since 1999 - and I did speak at VOICE 2007. I also attended VOICE 2007 - because you never stop learning.

It gets harder and harder for me to carve out the time to actually get down to City to teach the class because I work as a full-time voice talent. However, it gets me out of the home studio, I get to perform live in front of my students, I get to see their "ah ha" moments and most of all I learn and grow while I do it. The money isn't insignificant, I am at the top of the pay scale for adjunct faculty, but I truly do it for much more than the "money." They cancelled my class last semester, plus I took the summer off - it taught me that I did just fine without the teaching, but I was so stoked to get back into the classroom for those 5 hours a week.

About the CD I am offering - I finally read the fine print on the contract from VOICE2007 and it said that I could sell the recording of my presentation. I am packaging it with some of the material I put together for VOICE2007, plus a workbook I have been polishing in my class.

[Jon Morss]

Roger/Jon(?) -- IMHO - Looks like you are on the right track. I would just disregard what JS said and listen to what Connie has to say.

[jsgilbert]

Sorry,
I wasn't really trying to single anybody out here. I was merely trying to act as the voice of the thousands of people who spend countless hours and dollars trying to make it in a very harsh business and fail and choose to stay mute. I know many of these people. One of them tried to make it for over five years. He's divorced and not doing well. There are some other prety lousy stories.

And I can only assume that Jon Morss is more than prepared back up his statements by offering to take care of your rent or buy you some groceries. Everybody thinks they can do this. Everyone thinks they'll make money at it. Everyone thinks they have what it takes and yet a very tiny percentage of the people who try voiceover are able to support themselves.

The question was how many auditions is too many. Perhaps I should have just said "way too many" and left it at that.

[Jodi Krangle]

Hi guys. Thought I'd chime in here. I'm listed on Voice123.com with a free listing, and on Voices.com with a Premium listing. The reason I'm paying top dollar for the Voices.com listing and NOT for the Voice123.com listing? Because I actually got a couple of jobs - when I was just a *Preferred* member at Voices.com - from clients who just searched the database of available talent and singled out my voice for their project. I received a testimonial from both of them.

I've actually spoken to Stephanie and others over at Voices.com about this phenomenon and I've been told that a lot more people simply search their database of voices than actually take the time to submit a project and go through audition submissions. And who knows what it is that attracts them to a particular demo or voice? For that matter, for those that *do* send in audition requests, who knows what it is that makes them choose one voice over another? While you obviously need to be the best you can be, auditions are such that you really need to just do them and forget about them. Because what might get you chosen over someone else is pretty hard to determine - and may have more to do with forces completely outside your control than you think.

Like you, Jon - I have *yet* to actually land a project from any auditions I've done on Voices.com - or Voice123.com when I'm invited to audition for a project. I've submitted just under 100 auditions at this point. That's in about ... oh ... 4 months.

I'm a LONG way from done. I'm working with SuchAVoice.com to get a commercial and narration demo done (doing the recording for that tomorrow) even after I did produce something on my own. I'm reading like a mad-woman, took some voice acting classes with someone local and have just picked up Michael Shurtleff's "Audition" book - which I *highly* recommend as it has some really *great* hints and tips in there. A lot of "Ah ha!" moments for me in that one. AND it helps you audition better.

So as a fellow newbie? Keep in keepin' on, my friend. :) It's a long haul, but anything worth having in life is worth working at. If there's something wrong with your auditions, let someone hear them that you trust in the business and ask their advice. Work at improving - but never give up. (Never surrender. Sorry, couldn't resist.)

All the best,

--Jodi

[connieterwilliger]

Originally Posted by jsgilbert

...I can only assume that Jon Morss is more than prepared back up his statements by offering to take care of your rent or buy you some groceries.

Everybody thinks they can do this. Everyone thinks they'll make money at it. Everyone thinks they have what it takes and yet a very tiny percentage of the people who try voiceover are able to support themselves.

Now you are being silly JS - at least in the first part of your statement. But I have to agree with you completly on the second part - about everyone thinking they have what it takes. My main goal in every voiceover class is to help people see if they do or don't have what it takes. Along the way we look at the other options they might have - writing, producing, editing, recording, directing...