I started my voiceover career almost by accident as I waited for ‘things to happen’ on the acting front once I had finished drama school. I had bravely given up my media career at companies like Cartoon Network and Walt Disney to learn how to tread the boards in a Shakespearean fashion, only to realise that the phone – did we have mobiles back then..? – sadly did not ring straight away.
Wish they’d told you that at drama school.
So while I was…er…resting! – and because I had previously worked directly with voiceover artists during my stint at Cartoon Network – I thought I might as well pick up the phone and start calling agencies to see if someone might represent me.
I had a connection to VSI International in London as I had booked Artists through them in my previous career (so they knew me as a client not a talent) so they were my very first call. Luckily, they offered to help me record my first demo and, bless them, even gave me my first ever job: a very small role in a corporate video for Toyota.
To this day, I remember that first job. And VSI remain one of my main agents.
Now, I honestly wouldn’t say that things were easier back then because that simply wouldn’t be true. But one thing that is very different today is the sheer amount of information that is available.
There is SO much of it.
(To prove my point: Yesterday I recorded some ads for Fire TV which promises customers to help them ‘find’ the most watchable things for them. The world has definitely changed from just offering 3-5 channels.)
And while I know there are many excellent sources for all things Voiceover out there already – look at the very brilliant Gravy for the Brain for example – I did think there was something lacking when it came to a simple, concise overview of the industry and what you need to know to start out with. Note: not everything there is to know – just what is relevant specifically for beginners at the start of their journey.
This is why I created a 10-Module Course for complete beginners which touches on all relevant subject matters from demos and home studios to representation and performance. But deliberately in a “restricted” way, so to speak.. There is more to learn. But you don’t necessarily need all of that right now.
The fact that I have worked across the entire Voiceover Spectrum as I call it – and admittedly this happened organically rather than by design – made this type of course the perfect one for me to create. Because there are other successful VO Artists out there who don’t get to work across all genres and there are those who even deliberately specialise in one area (like gaming, medical e-learning or commercials.)
But for me – Breaking In – How to Launch your VO Career – was the right one to write.
Delivered to you on a silver platter on Teachable. Here’s the link. 😊