ATTENTION NEWBIES!!! The art of LISTENING!!!

[Titanium Tone]

Originally Posted by Battlespeed

As a newcomer to this forum, I must say I was wowed by the amount of time and quality of advice that Scott gave to this individual.

I've found that you build contacts from the center out, starting nearest to wherever you are right now and with whatever limited resources you have. The Internet offers a jillion ways to get your voice "out there", as he put it. Scatter enough seeds and some might take root. All you need is one.

One thing that occurred to me is that he could use Audacity and a fairly inexpensive but decent quality mike (Logitech, perhaps) to record short clips of his different voices on his own computer and package them as a zipped file for download from his web page. He can extend this by setting up pages on FaceBook and other social network sites, linking back to his download page.

Then, he sets up a blog (WordPress, etc.) covering his topic, which appears to be children's parties. He develops expertise on the subject of throwing a great kid's party by visiting other blogs on the subject (found with blog search engines), reading books from the library, relevant magazines, etc. to get ideas. Again, this blog links to his download page and to other good resources. Of course, he makes sure that his blogs are picked up by the search engines.

Once he has these "lines in the water", he goes to a local party shop and works out a reciprocal agreement. They steer people to him by handing out his attractively-designed cards (or brochure), and in return he puts an ad for the shop on his website, blog, social pages, etc. If he's real smart, he might also think about using Google ads or setting up an Amazon "book shop" on the subject of kid's parties. In this way he could "monetize" his blog, etc with a completely different income stream at least enough to help defray his small expenses.

Then, he visits local street fairs, etc. looking for artists in other media who might be good hookups. For instance, if he finds someone who makes unique toys or kid's clothes - is there a hookup there? Probably! Or he might see a magician or a cartoonist performing - hookup there. Etc, etc. Find people who have reciprocal interests or skills that complement what you do, and you'll find that they're usually as eager to know you as you are to know them!

How about local caterers? Event planners?

So far, he's probably spent less than $100.

Now, he keeps blogging about kid's parties, developing new material for his party act, adding to his social network contacts, finding party-related forums and participating on those, etc. When he does get a job, he gets some video (and permission, of course), edits it and puts that up on his site. (Contact the Media Arts Department of a local college to find eager students who need projects for their own portfolios. They'll often work cheap or even for free.)

Perhaps he creates a "theme" act that can be used in elementary schools to teach something like kid safety in a humorous way. This could be worth setting up a completely separate blog, etc., and it gives him an important entree to a whole community of people who work with kids. At some point, he could have the act professionally produced as a product distributed on CD to schools.

It's impossible to say what fish, or how many, he will catch this way but something positive is almost certain to happen. And it seems that these different efforts tend to have a kind of synergistic cross-pollinating effect that at some point reaches critical mass and begins to snowball.

My mother used to say "bloom where you are planted", and I think that's good advice for anyone. This guy doesn't have to spend a bunch of money to "get his voice out there". If he ever does need an agent, that day is a looong way off from where he is right now.

I'm new here too and so far this is the most detailed information I've seen yet. The thread starter gave good info too but I'm sensing a LOT of people here have very little patients with unexperienced people who are just asking for some info about a business they are interested in and not sure how to enter it. I keep seeing things that are meant to be "reality checks" but they come off as negative inspiration blockers. Yes it's difficult to get into this business, yes it's a harsh industry, yes there are hurdles and not everyone makes it but SO WHAT? The ones who DO make it are what matters, not focusing how many don't. Scott gave solid help, but I would recommend not adding how difficult it is to a new person with nothing but their dreams for the moment, unless the goal is to get rid of possible future competition.

I understand he doesn't seem to get it yet but I wouldn't give up him or people like that but that is just my opinion.

[Paul Plack]

I hear ya, Tony, but if someone asks the same question three different ways without appearing to read your answer, it's usually a sign you're in for a very frustrating mentor/newbie relationship.

By the way, welcome to the forum, and I'll second the comment on a great username!

[Titanium Tone]

Originally Posted by Paul Plack

I hear ya, Tony, but if someone asks the same question three different ways without appearing to read your answer, it's usually a sign you're in for a very frustrating mentor/newbie relationship.

By the way, welcome to the forum, and I'll second the comment on a great username!

Thanx.

I actually don't get frustrated with these types of people, mostly because I'm a bit dislexic myself and sometimes need things explained to me a few times too. I have a friend that is exactly the same as the guy who is asking for help. I've told him the same things I don't know how many times but I see his potential and I know he can succeed but he's YOUNG and distracted whereas most of us are older and trying to make it ourselves. I stay on his case about practicing, classes, etc. He has yet to take his first class but I won't let him make the same mistake of procrastinating his youth away the way I did. In the end it's HIS choices that matter but I don't mind being that older mentor and giving him some help because I see he needs it and I wish I had someone in my life who'd do the same.

[Mike Sommer]

...I'm sensing a LOT of people here have very little patients with unexperienced people who are just asking for some info about a business they are interested in and not sure how to enter it....

The one thing about the VO biz is that everyone loves to help each other out, but there comes a point when one grows weary of talking to flowers on the wallpaper.

Originally Posted by Titanium Tone

I actually don't get frustrated with these types of people, mostly because I'm a bit dislexic myself and sometimes need things explained to me a few times too....

The ability of taking direction is one of the first things a performer needs to able to do -the first time, every time.

As stated by an LA director-
When taking direction in the studio: If one does not understands what's being told to them the first time, it may be dismissed as poor communication on the part of the director. By the second take, if the talent does not get it, the talent may be having a bad day. But if the talent can't get it by the third time, then that talent won't be getting a call back from that director again.

Directing an idiot

[Scott Pollak]

Oh Mike! That video is AWESOME! I almost LITERALLY fell out of my chair laughing so hard! That's GREAT.

And briefly back to the topic here, the problem with the guy who contacted me was that he kept saying, in essence, "Yes... but!".

He should have simply said "Yes... thanks!" and gone off to lay his groundwork. But as someone else just mentioned to me in an e-mail, it sounds more like he felt I had some sort of magical key that would open the door to v/o success and he simply wanted me to hand the key to him.

[shenecke]

Mike, that's funny!!! Had me rolling!!

[Jon Morss]

Scott,

I think you went above and beyond all expectations with regards to this person. Some folks just need a bit more guidance than others. When I get these type of email messages I try to link them up with a local VO workshop so they can get the idea of the process and what is expected. Some find that it really is not all about the voice and there are many things to learn just to be a workable VO artist. The one good thing this person did was to seek you out and seemed to have trust in you based on your years of expereince. That is, in some off shoot way, a compliment. From what you gave them, I would imagine they have enough to get started.

The best advice that someone gave me when I was lost in what to do to get going in VO was to "Just Do It". Once I figured out what that meant for me, everything seemed to start to fall into place.

[Scott Pollak]

Well, as you saw from the original post I made, I quit responding to this guy after his third 'rebuttal' (so to speak).

And I haven't heard back from him. Should I, I'll tell him he's not listening and he needs to go back and re-read everything I've already told him.

Regarding comments above about not necessarily telling a newbie how hard it is to get into this biz; well, that's your prerogative. I'm just being honest. Before you venture into ANY career it helps to have as much info at hand as possible to make an informed decision and the truth of the matter is that very few people succeed at this. Most people will say, "So what?! I'm going for it anyway!" And that's their prerogative. And God bless 'em. Some will succeed, many will fail. I'm not trying to dissuade anyone, but merely telling the truth.

[Jon Morss]

Originally Posted by Scott Pollak

Before you venture into ANY career it helps to have as much info at hand as possible to make an informed decision and the truth of the matter is that very few people succeed at this.

Scott -- That is great advice. Like this guy, when I was getting myself established, I tried to contact everyone that would talk to me trying to pick their brains. Heck, I even contacted Bob Bergen at one point and he offered some great advice. For me, if it were not for DC Goode and his mentoring and his willingness to answer my constant newbee questions still to this day I would still be a lost puppy. Not that I am not one now.

I think you did what you felt was right and that is all that guy should ask for. Personally, I may have just told him that I can not help him any further and that he should really look into VO or Acting classes or someone in the postition to provide this type of instruction. But that is just me. You are a busy guy and had to do what you had to do. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[Mike Sommer]

You should not have to do anything Scott. It seems to be a virus theses days in that when someone asks for
advice -and advice is given- the advice is often discarded as fodder. There is nothing more that can be done, the
ball is in his court, and it is up to him to volley with constructive conversation, or take what is given and move on.

It's not like any of this is a secret too. A simple google query will turn up any number of groups, coaches,
organizations, unions, discussions and books - oh the books!!! So if someone really wants to pursue VO, it is
splayed out before them in living color. They just need to get up off their fanny and do something about it.
It's not up to you to spoon feed them a career.