Okay, so the New Years celebrations have come and gone, and if you’re like most of us, a lot of your resolutions have gone bust. It happens.
Don’t fret. It’s only March and there is plenty of time to set in motion those 2023 goals. And if your goal is voiceover work, here are some tips to rev up your creative engine. Any time you feel the road is too hard or too long, or when you feel overwhelmed, just remember this quote from Vincent Van Gogh: Success is a series of small steps.
How true. So here are some small steps I recommend:
If you haven’t created your business plan, do it! First, stick to it. Check it weekly and make small goals, not lofty ones. And second, adjust. What’s working for you and what’s not? You might have set a goal of practicing every night but find your voice is tired and fading. So do it in the morning after you warm up your voice. Third, if you have a demo, great. If not, save up and make plans to do one soon, or add a few new spots and take out any dated ones.
Jump start your career. For those who’ve done a demo – make a goal to send it out at least five times a week to agents, producers, production companies, and even audio studios. This is something you can do even if you have good representation. Introduce yourself and attach your demo to an online link – do not make them download MP3s. Make it as easy as possible for them. They are busy, and some will pass if they have to do more than one step to listen. Then follow up by email or a call about four or five days later to make sure they got it. You don’t need to ask if they’ve listened to it or if they would like to set up an appointment or meeting.
Do you need more credits, or credits in an area you want to focus on? Consider creating your own projects to get noticed and to stay in the loop with audio directors and producers. During COVID lockdowns, when things were slow, I decided to start my own podcast which turned out to be a wonderful ride! And my husband and I, along with some of our VO friends, produced our own old fashioned radio dramas, or as some call them “scripted podcasts.” Doing your own podcast is super simple and gets you some fun work, a collaborative effort, and the joy of actually acting and doing what you love.
Last, get out there and meet people, whether it’s in person or online. Most of the casting workshops, workout groups, and classes are online, but you still get face time with casting directors, and fellow talent. And it’s flexible to everyone’s specific schedule.