Talk
Here's an exchange I had with a recent client after he took the Voiceover Exploration with me:
I certainly understand there are no guarantees... and I'm good with that. Just wanted to make sure I got your honest and completely forthright assessment!
Are you the best person I've ever heard with the best chance to rake in the dough? No. Do you have amazing pipes, and would it be a good idea to have an audio calling card you could email or give to people to sell your skill? Yes. But no, there are no guarantees. If money is super-tight for you right now and you'd be eating boxed mac 'n' cheese for two months, I'd say don't do it right now. (Though I like Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese. Try mixing it with tuna.) If you have some money to invest in yourself, and you'll regret hearing another ten people tell you that you have a great voice without being able to give them a demo, then I'd say go for it.
With going ahead and committing to a demo, does it make any sense to combine a little of the generic commercial copy with something a little more charactery and/or narrative? Or if I want to do some of the latter two styles, would I need a separate demo for each?
If you're selling your ability to do truly amazing character voices, we may add one or two character snippets to your minute, minute-fifteen commercial demo. (Keep in mind all the individual pieces for your demo will be fairly short.) But if you want to pursue the other types of work, you'll need the other demos. I charge different prices for different demos. Email me directly if you want details. If I can charge less than $850, I will.
Do I understand that in order to get into some of the character work and/or narration, one should really have a solid base demo of a more generic commercial nature first to get "on the map?" Would the character work more than likely involve traveling to the west coast... or is some of that done electronically too?
If you're going to be in the voiceover business, you have to have a basic commercial demo. That's what people expect. You'll give an idea of what you can do in the narration and character arenas on that minute-long piece, but only the merest hint. If you're burning, burning, burning to do voiceover for animation (which is not necessarily accents and personality imitations) you'd have to move to the west coast. But I have done animation work here in Chicago from time to time, and auditions for that work often show up on the Voice123 web site.
Where, in the list of priorities, would be having you come and help me get set up with in-home studio capability?
My costs for setting up a studio are listed on the site. Do you need a home studio? In my opinion, yes. So much of this work is done by emailing mp3s, especially as you're getting started. Later, when you're a big, big star, the agency will have you come in just so they can touch the hem of your garment. ;-)
Would it be to my advantage to prepare some of my own copy, now that I have a little better idea of what it could/should be? I've begun to play around with this a little this evening after listening to more demos on Voicebank [the monster repository of voiceover demos] and could run some ideas by you.
I will prepare the copy for your commercial demo. You could give me some things you like or would prefer to do, but I may or may not use them. The reason you hire me is because you believe I know what works best for this business and for your voice.
What time commitment am I talking about to make a demo? (a few hours at your studio... a whole day... more than that?)
Recording a demo here takes between two and three hours, possibly less. Then you give me two or three weeks before I get something back to you. If you have suggestions for revisions (reasonable and not endless, please) I do them, and then we're done. Godspeed to you and your career.
*************
Here are some questions from another young guy looking to get into the voiceover biz:
I consider myself a singer/actor and my plan once I graduate is to pursue a career in stage acting in Chicago. I also want to be open to anything my training might have indirectly prepared me for. Is it possible to pursue a career in stage acting and voice-overs simultaneously?
It's very possible to pursue a career in stage acting and voiceover simultaneously. If you end up being successful in both fields, you can schedule your VO auditions around your stage work, and even send auditions from the home recording set-up you'll need.
I know the voice-over community is tight-knit. How much time does it generally take to start generating a constant cash flow? Is there enough voice-over work in Chicago for a new talent? I'm poor.
The real answer? Work is slow, and for some, very slow. There are absolutely no guarantees. You might be incredibly good at this, with a hot young voice that agents and advertisers love, and make a ton of cash. You might be so-so, and make little or no money. That's one of the reasons I'm doing demos at this price. It's one thing to make little or no money after paying $850 for a good quality demo. It's quite another thing to make little or no money after paying $1,500, $2,000 or $3,000. I make around $250 for a radio spot. How long does it take to recoup an investment? Don't absolutely count on voiceover. If you're an actor, it's another valuable tool in your toolbox. If you're good, it might turn into some supplemental income. If you're very good, and lucky, you could make some real money. After the Voiceover Exploration session, we'll both have a better idea of what your odds are.
Do you include music and sound effects on the demo? That was probably a dumb question.
There are no dumb questions! Yes, for your finished demo, I provide any backing tracks required for the completed demo. The Voiceover Exploration session is just your voice, recorded doing generic copy for assessment and practice purposes only.
***********
A cheerful woman had a very good question for me:
I was wondering -- do voiceover demos in Chicago run 1 or 2 minutes usually?? THANKS!
The standard commercial voiceover demo is coming in these days at a minute to a minute-fifteen, from what I've heard from top voiceover agents in Chicago. There are a few demos (not many) out there that are running longer, in the minute-thirty range, and some (quite a few) which are running shorter, but that's the sweet spot.
***********
This gentleman had an interesting question, one that doesn't come up a lot. How do you get back into the business if you've had some experience?
My daughter has had previous voiceover experience (several years ago). She is a
SAG/AFTRA member (currently she has her membership on hold, as she is now a
college student).
She has expresssed an interest in getting back into voiceovers.
What can you suggest?
Ed
Hello Ed,
There are a few ways to proceed.
If she's not sure where she is skills-wise, I think it would be valuable for her to take my Voiceover Exploration session. I have information about that on my web site, here.
If she's super-confident in her skills, she can email me three to five recordings of commercial copy in mp3 format. Those would be recorded with the recording set-up every voiceover performer needs today to practice, audition and work. (It's actually a pretty simple matter to set up. She can let me know if she needs advice on this.) If I think she's ready to go, based on these recordings (I might ask for more) then we would set up an appointment to record a one-minute commercial voiceover demo. (I don't charge for the assessment.)
If she has a fairly current demo and can record auditions, or sounds enough like her old demo, she should contact an agent and start auditioning. Chicago agents can be found here. [NOTE TO EVERYONE! Do NOT contact a talent agent for any reason unless you are absolutely ready to do so! There's no better way to NOT get work than to send to or harrass an agent when you're unskilled and clueless! You will become an office joke -- hey, they're human, and like to laugh! -- and will get nowhere.]
If she has a decent demo and a recording set-up, she can pay to join an online voiceover casting site. I think the best is Voice123.com.
***********
Kids in Voiceover?
How does a child get into the voiceover business? I have a 9-year-old niece who's got the cutest voice.
There's not a TON of work for kids, but there is work.
I recently had a nine-year-old in to do the Voiceover Exploration, with copy tailored specifically to a young girl. But this girl had experience performing in shows at school and in on-camera parts on commercials, and I believe had done some modeling. Does your niece have any experience at all, even in school plays? Is she very, very, very good at reading? Is her mother computer savvy (for her to audition from home) or does she have plenty of time to change her schedule at a moment's notice for an audition or a job?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, I'd urge your niece and an accompanying adult to come in for the Voiceover Exploration, to do a further assessment of whether she should pursue voiceover. If the answer was no to some or all of these questions, I'd urge her to spend her time elsewhere, or wait a few years.
I certainly understand there are no guarantees... and I'm good with that. Just wanted to make sure I got your honest and completely forthright assessment!
Are you the best person I've ever heard with the best chance to rake in the dough? No. Do you have amazing pipes, and would it be a good idea to have an audio calling card you could email or give to people to sell your skill? Yes. But no, there are no guarantees. If money is super-tight for you right now and you'd be eating boxed mac 'n' cheese for two months, I'd say don't do it right now. (Though I like Kraft Mac 'n' Cheese. Try mixing it with tuna.) If you have some money to invest in yourself, and you'll regret hearing another ten people tell you that you have a great voice without being able to give them a demo, then I'd say go for it.
With going ahead and committing to a demo, does it make any sense to combine a little of the generic commercial copy with something a little more charactery and/or narrative? Or if I want to do some of the latter two styles, would I need a separate demo for each?
If you're selling your ability to do truly amazing character voices, we may add one or two character snippets to your minute, minute-fifteen commercial demo. (Keep in mind all the individual pieces for your demo will be fairly short.) But if you want to pursue the other types of work, you'll need the other demos. I charge different prices for different demos. Email me directly if you want details. If I can charge less than $850, I will.
Do I understand that in order to get into some of the character work and/or narration, one should really have a solid base demo of a more generic commercial nature first to get "on the map?" Would the character work more than likely involve traveling to the west coast... or is some of that done electronically too?
If you're going to be in the voiceover business, you have to have a basic commercial demo. That's what people expect. You'll give an idea of what you can do in the narration and character arenas on that minute-long piece, but only the merest hint. If you're burning, burning, burning to do voiceover for animation (which is not necessarily accents and personality imitations) you'd have to move to the west coast. But I have done animation work here in Chicago from time to time, and auditions for that work often show up on the Voice123 web site.
Where, in the list of priorities, would be having you come and help me get set up with in-home studio capability?
My costs for setting up a studio are listed on the site. Do you need a home studio? In my opinion, yes. So much of this work is done by emailing mp3s, especially as you're getting started. Later, when you're a big, big star, the agency will have you come in just so they can touch the hem of your garment. ;-)
Would it be to my advantage to prepare some of my own copy, now that I have a little better idea of what it could/should be? I've begun to play around with this a little this evening after listening to more demos on Voicebank [the monster repository of voiceover demos] and could run some ideas by you.
I will prepare the copy for your commercial demo. You could give me some things you like or would prefer to do, but I may or may not use them. The reason you hire me is because you believe I know what works best for this business and for your voice.
What time commitment am I talking about to make a demo? (a few hours at your studio... a whole day... more than that?)
Recording a demo here takes between two and three hours, possibly less. Then you give me two or three weeks before I get something back to you. If you have suggestions for revisions (reasonable and not endless, please) I do them, and then we're done. Godspeed to you and your career.
*************
Here are some questions from another young guy looking to get into the voiceover biz:
I consider myself a singer/actor and my plan once I graduate is to pursue a career in stage acting in Chicago. I also want to be open to anything my training might have indirectly prepared me for. Is it possible to pursue a career in stage acting and voice-overs simultaneously?
It's very possible to pursue a career in stage acting and voiceover simultaneously. If you end up being successful in both fields, you can schedule your VO auditions around your stage work, and even send auditions from the home recording set-up you'll need.
I know the voice-over community is tight-knit. How much time does it generally take to start generating a constant cash flow? Is there enough voice-over work in Chicago for a new talent? I'm poor.
The real answer? Work is slow, and for some, very slow. There are absolutely no guarantees. You might be incredibly good at this, with a hot young voice that agents and advertisers love, and make a ton of cash. You might be so-so, and make little or no money. That's one of the reasons I'm doing demos at this price. It's one thing to make little or no money after paying $850 for a good quality demo. It's quite another thing to make little or no money after paying $1,500, $2,000 or $3,000. I make around $250 for a radio spot. How long does it take to recoup an investment? Don't absolutely count on voiceover. If you're an actor, it's another valuable tool in your toolbox. If you're good, it might turn into some supplemental income. If you're very good, and lucky, you could make some real money. After the Voiceover Exploration session, we'll both have a better idea of what your odds are.
Do you include music and sound effects on the demo? That was probably a dumb question.
There are no dumb questions! Yes, for your finished demo, I provide any backing tracks required for the completed demo. The Voiceover Exploration session is just your voice, recorded doing generic copy for assessment and practice purposes only.
***********
A cheerful woman had a very good question for me:
I was wondering -- do voiceover demos in Chicago run 1 or 2 minutes usually?? THANKS!
The standard commercial voiceover demo is coming in these days at a minute to a minute-fifteen, from what I've heard from top voiceover agents in Chicago. There are a few demos (not many) out there that are running longer, in the minute-thirty range, and some (quite a few) which are running shorter, but that's the sweet spot.
***********
This gentleman had an interesting question, one that doesn't come up a lot. How do you get back into the business if you've had some experience?
My daughter has had previous voiceover experience (several years ago). She is a
SAG/AFTRA member (currently she has her membership on hold, as she is now a
college student).
She has expresssed an interest in getting back into voiceovers.
What can you suggest?
Ed
Hello Ed,
There are a few ways to proceed.
If she's not sure where she is skills-wise, I think it would be valuable for her to take my Voiceover Exploration session. I have information about that on my web site, here.
If she's super-confident in her skills, she can email me three to five recordings of commercial copy in mp3 format. Those would be recorded with the recording set-up every voiceover performer needs today to practice, audition and work. (It's actually a pretty simple matter to set up. She can let me know if she needs advice on this.) If I think she's ready to go, based on these recordings (I might ask for more) then we would set up an appointment to record a one-minute commercial voiceover demo. (I don't charge for the assessment.)
If she has a fairly current demo and can record auditions, or sounds enough like her old demo, she should contact an agent and start auditioning. Chicago agents can be found here. [NOTE TO EVERYONE! Do NOT contact a talent agent for any reason unless you are absolutely ready to do so! There's no better way to NOT get work than to send to or harrass an agent when you're unskilled and clueless! You will become an office joke -- hey, they're human, and like to laugh! -- and will get nowhere.]
If she has a decent demo and a recording set-up, she can pay to join an online voiceover casting site. I think the best is Voice123.com.
***********
Kids in Voiceover?
How does a child get into the voiceover business? I have a 9-year-old niece who's got the cutest voice.
There's not a TON of work for kids, but there is work.
I recently had a nine-year-old in to do the Voiceover Exploration, with copy tailored specifically to a young girl. But this girl had experience performing in shows at school and in on-camera parts on commercials, and I believe had done some modeling. Does your niece have any experience at all, even in school plays? Is she very, very, very good at reading? Is her mother computer savvy (for her to audition from home) or does she have plenty of time to change her schedule at a moment's notice for an audition or a job?
If the answer to all these questions is yes, I'd urge your niece and an accompanying adult to come in for the Voiceover Exploration, to do a further assessment of whether she should pursue voiceover. If the answer was no to some or all of these questions, I'd urge her to spend her time elsewhere, or wait a few years.
