It takes one to know one -- Part 1

[Clintonnobles]

Greetings all. For those that do not know me, my name is Clinton and I have been in the Voice-Over industry for a little over a year. During this time I have learned a considerable amount about this carrier and I look forward to learning so much more everyday. However, when I first started I thought how great it would be to have a outline of things to accomplish for newbies. So with this in mind I have written an article of sorts. I am going to record it in MP3 version so it can be a downloadable for those that wish to listen and not read.

It is important to understand while reading this that this is my take on things. I might not be right in all my views, but it is what I found to be true in my beginnings. Hopefully it will help others out there.

Also, this is going to be a two part thread.

Hope you like it, Hope it helps.

Hear Ya Soon!

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It takes one to know one: A guide to the Voice Over world by a newbie and for a newbie.

By Clinton Nobles

1. Research.

 ---Not enough can be said for this step. And above all others it is continued throughout the life of a voice actor. Research the industry from every point of view you can think of. Talk to radio listeners and ask them what they think of Voice Acting. This helps you understand your public you will be speaking to. Talk to seasoned veterans of the business. The VO community is like a huge family and they want to help, but keep in mind these people do this for a living and have struggled to know the patterns of success. In other words don't expect them to tell you everything. Not because he is a horrible person or against you, but because he has worked very hard for that knowledge, and only a fool utters all his heart. This is where voice coaching and voice over workshops help tremendously. A good voice coach will aid your research and understanding of your instrument. Voice over workshops will educate you in the business and help you make contacts that you will hopefully keep for the rest of your career.


***SIDE NOTE***
For the veteran that is hearing/reading this; something to remember when giving advice comes from the pages of the Holy Bible. "Give them meat convenient." You are a learned teacher and you honestly want to help, but sometimes knowledge just isn't good for those that seek. If I am just starting out I don't need to know about how to talk to Disney CEO's.

2. Reading.

 --Books provide probably the most accessible form of learning for the newcomer as well as the veteran. There are a host of books on the subject and most are all very good. However, there are also articles, YouTube videos, etc. Basically this just brings us back to research. The difference between the two is more sedentary vs. fieldwork. In other words, by reading you learn from other experience, but it is with a more general overtone. You simply have one point of view, a single thought process; there is no bouncing of ideas or personal connection. Books, are an incredible asset and articles give learned advice, but reading will only do so much for you. It is practical experience that does the real training. I can read about math, but until I physically add 2 and 2 I will not really know how it equals 4. The same principle is associated with the Voice Over Industry. Until you start putting in practice (lots and lots of practice) the things you learn you cannot understand them. Plosives will always be a problem until you start practicing your exercises. I am a extreme proponent of practical knowledge. You will never really know Voice acting until you start using your voice.



3. Budgeting, Equipment, and Training.

--- As far as I am concerned, for a newbie, one of the most difficult urges to control is the want to buy. It is nearly impossible to resist buying everything that you see when you first start in the voice over industry. For example, I have a list of at least 10 different things I want to spend hard-earned cash on right now. However, as I save, I must make a conscious effort to prioritize my spending habits. A cash flow doctrine cannot just be for the moment; it must plan for the future as well. Purchasing a subscription to one of the pay to play sites like VOPlanet or Voices.com may seem like an exciting and wonderful idea; but wisdom says that I am not ready to compete on that level just yet. Simply wanting the thrill of auditioning isn’t justification for wasting $300+. Because soon after the 100th refusal or poor rating, that thrill of the moment will fade into the dark abyss of foolishly squandered funds. The book of Proverbs says "a fool and his money are soon parted." This needs to be the creed for everyone, no matter how long you have been in the business.
Then there comes the time for spending some of that hard-earned money. Once again the first two steps should lead into this. You cannot just go out and buy stuff, learn what you need. You do not need to buy the most expensive, but you need to get good equipment. A good condenser microphone can be purchased for $120 (sometimes less) and a pre-amp can be gotten for $150. Put that into a decent laptop (if your running vista look into switching to xp pro, less buggy and not such a memory hog) or PC. I do not use Mac myself, but some swear by it. I find that unless you are already established with a Mac it is cost prohibitive to put together a VO startup. My personal set up is a StudioProjects B-1 microphone going through an M-Audio mobile Pre-amp then finally into a Laptop using Adobe Audition 3.0. It should be noted here that Adobe is costly (I got a great deal on it and that is why I have a copy) you can get a freeware program called Audacity and it works very well for start up. Pretty much until you learn more about compression and audio production, a simple -- yet quality -- recording program is all you need. I know a lot of Pros who run this exact program for auditions. Especially if they are traveling.

***IMPORTANT***

Background noise is killer to recording. I did a lot of research when I first started and still put my system together wrong. I built my computer myself and didn't even take into consideration that computer noise was one of the leading gremlins in the VO industry. I suggest you read up on noise reduction methods prior to buying equipment and look into building a few sound boards (Here are a couple of links that were a tremendous help to me that were given by a friend of mine John Weeks (www.johnweeksaudio.com): SOUNDPROOFING WALLS ceilings USING RESILIENT CHANNEL AND ACOUSTICAL MAT --- GIK Acoustics. --- John Sayers Productions --- RealTraps - Acoustics Articles and if you want to build your own panels SoundPanels)
As for the training a good voice coach is a must. Do not be afraid to ask for references or a short list of notable people they have trained. If you are like me and not in a area conducive to such avenues of learning, try local “carpet-bag” theater groups. Often you can join and receive training and experience that money couldn’t buy. These are mostly community theater organizations so do not expect pay. However, just because budgets are low that doesn’t mean quality is poor. Most are lead by seasoned actors of the stage who have walked miles in shoes you can only dream of. Give honor and show respect. Remember, you are going to them for help, not they to you.
Workshops and classes are probably the most widely accessible form of learning outside the covers of a book. These, however, are seldom the low-budgeters friend. An average workshop lasting four hours will run you $250 (and will likely be a hundred miles away. Ha ha) Workshops, to me, are something to be delved into once a career is started. Though they offer a more personal and concise view of the industry, all of the knowledge is available in other – less expensive – forms. Here are where forum’s can be a huge asset. Places like Voice-overs.com provide vast amounts of information to those that take the time to simply read. Make sure to participate in the discussions and most of all have fun with your new friends.


(To be continued . . .)