Voiceovers is the worst Get-Rich-Quick Scheme ever. Allow me to illustrate…
Last week I had an MRI done on one of those juvenile delinquents better known as my kidneys. For you long-standing blog readers of which I am eternally grateful, you may remember this nugget of joy. BTW I got the test results yesterday and everything is fine.
Anyway, the radiologist and I were chatting and it turns out he used to be a DJ at, among other places, The Palladium in NYC. As he was telling me about that, he mentioned that his neighbor’s son wants to be a film maker, but he refuses to take the SAT’s or go to college. He just wants to dive in without any training or discipline and start making movies right now. Sound familiar?
Why do people think the entertainment industry is a get-rich-quick scheme?
Why do so many people think it’s easy? And why do I get so cheesed off when people say that? Nobody thinks they can pick up a violin and start playing it at a performance-level immediately; but many people with a deep or quirky voice thinks they can be a voice talent with no training or investment.
I think impatience/immaturity is a part of the allure. People see something exciting and interesting, or at least a hell of lot more exciting and interesting than their lives currently are, and they wanna dive in immediately. When I say immaturity, I mean in terms of Maturity = Impulse Control. We’re all guilty of that from time to time, but making a career choice based on impulse or the perception that voiceovers are easy? Yikes.
TIP OF THE WEEK
Like many of you, I am frequently approached either electronically or in person, by people who want to get into the voiceover industry with a minimum of instruction and expense. I always reply with the “Letter To An Aspiring Voice Talent” template I have (thanks again, Kara Edwards!). About 90% of the people I sent it to never even replied. The rest wrote back an enthusiastic “thank you” note and I never heard from them again. In the 5+ years I’ve been sending it out, I think a grand total of one person (and you know who you are, Bethany!) actually took the leap. Why are the responses the way they are? Because the only way voiceovers are a get-rich-quick scheme is if you’re taking money from people who want to get into the industry and making a ratty demo for them.
You’re not of those people, are you…?
HAPPY HAPPYS
Happy Easter and Happy Passover! This is one of those times of year when I’m thankful that I have both Jewish and Catholic parents. I get to eat twice as much awesome food!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
(My Quotes of the Week come from a list I’ve compiled over the years, but once in a while the Quote matches up with the Tip quite nicely. I’d like to think this is one of those times…)
STUFF!: I saw the second Hunger Games movie. I think I liked it more than the first!
From Tom Dheere’s apartment, this is Tom Dheere: GKN News…