If you’re a parent, you’ve probably owned a copy of the ubiquitous book “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” It’s been the standard guide to pregnancy and childbirth for…forever.
I’m not a parent, and neither are many of my friends, so my knowledge of this book’s existence is proof of it’s pervasiveness.
It’s good that someone’s got the parenting world covered, but no one tells you what to expect in your first few years of voiceover, and so, often, people in this industry feel alone and lost.
Even people further along in their careers post about these things online, but the further you get into it, the more you KNOW that:
You’re not the only one feeling these things
The ups and downs are a repeating cycle, and while some of them never go away, you eventually learn coping skills to deal with the highs and the lows
So, if you’re new (ish) to voiceover, just so you’re not surprised when these things happen, here are some things you might experience in your first few years of pursuing this career:
Asking someone to coffee to “pick their brain.”
Posting “What is the best mic for voiceover?” or “How do I get started in voiceover?” in a Facebook group
Suffering the wrath of someone in that Facebook group for daring to ask the same question as 23,000 aspiring voice actors before you
Buying a cheap USB mic, and not understanding when some people judge you harshly because of it.
Using that microphone to record a TV promo and a few other client jobs…and no one knows the difference.
Purchasing a good microphone and realizing how much better the sound quality is.
Voiceover is a piece of cake!
Taking a beginner class and thinking “I’m a natural! This is going to be easy money!”
Taking another class and thinking, “Ugh. I suck. I’m never going to be good at this.”
Getting private coaching and discovering ALL of your bad habits.
Realizing that getting rid of your radio voice, your stage actor over-projection, your tendency to over-perfect everything you say, etc is going to be a LOOOOONG process.
Recording your first demo and being: thrilled/disappointed/taken advantage of by a demo mill/ready to record a new one a year later because you’re already so much better.
Feeling hesitant to put any more money into classes, coaching, demos, equipment, or P2Ps when you haven’t made any real money yet.
Considering jumping on UpWork or Fiverr to get some credits and make some cash, because it’s better than what you’re making at your day job.
Realizing that no one cares about your resume or “credits” in voiceover.
Being super confused about the technology, how to set levels, how to edit, etc.
Cursing the fact that voice actors have to be their own sound engineer now, and wondering if it might not be easier to invent a time machine to go back to 1998 and do voiceover in the past rather than learn how to use Reaper in the present.
Believing pre-set stacks will save you from the hell of editing
Realizing that they won’t.
Creating your first home studio setup.
Cursing planes, pets, pipes, children, spouses, roommates, and ESPECIALLY any and all lawn work in your immediate vicinity.
Purchasing or building a professional setup that you think will solve the issue…and still cursing any or all of these things on occasion.
GAHHHHH!!!! I can still hear the neighbor’s Harley Davidson!!
Being absolutely disgusted at your own mouth noises. Clicks, smacks, honks, sibilance…shudder
Learning that over-hydrating can sometimes be as bad (or worse) than being dehydrated.
Using iZotope Rx to de-mouth-click for the first time, and realizing you can stop buying apples now.
Never hearing back from agent submissions.
Never hearing from rosters you were added to.
Never hearing back from cold email marketing.
Realizing that your actions need to be independent of any external feedback whatsoever.
Getting on a P2P. Hating it. Leaving the P2P.
Coming back.
Hating it again. Leaving it again.
And still returning a third time to try it again…but actually figuring it out this time.
Doing hundreds of auditions before you book a single job.
OR…getting super lucky and booking a job pretty fast, but then not booking again for a long time, and being upset because your expectations were skewed by your good luck.
Feeling jealousy at seeing others succeed and wondering what they’re doing that you’re not…
Then realizing that the person you were comparing yourself to has actually been in the game for ten years.
Experiencing that electric surge of excitement the first time you receive an audition from your agent, get put on hold, book a job, score a national spot…
Getting to the point where these events barely register emotionally.
But still feeling super excited when your friends or family recognize your voice “in the wild.”
OMG! That was my spot!
Believing that you have to make your voice sound a certain way to book a job…
And then realizing that the key is actually making people feel a certain way instead.
Puzzling out the specs on your latest agent audition (conversational, casual, relaxed, with a sense of gravitas, but also energy and excitement!)
Understanding the types of scripts enough that you can just forget about the specs, be yourself, and give them something great that they didn’t realize they were asking for.
$300 for all media in perpetuity???
Feeling irate at the injustice of a bad rate or terrible usage.
Learning to quote proper rates and how to negotiate rates without breaking a sweat.
Believing that voiceover will be your key to greater freedom, flexibility, and financial stability…
Discovering that voiceover is unstable and can become a constant hustle if you don’t set boundaries.
Looking forward to being your own boss!
Dealing with the difficulty of self-motivating without the external stimulus of a boss, feedback, or project deadlines.
Being excited about being able to work from home, away from traffic and office politics.
Spending WAY too much time alone.
Finding a community of people in the business who are supportive and helpful.
Whatever else you experience in your first few years of pursuing your voiceover career, this last one will help your career continue past those first turbulent years and well into the future.
Until next time, friends!
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