I had an opportunity to regain some perspective last week by getting to know around 1200 10th graders! I was invited to speak and interact with teens attending a day-long career exploration day at a local college. The event was great and the folks I met, all 10th graders from across New York’s Capital Region, were even better. An interesting thing I heard throughout the event was the inability for these teens to conceive that someone would actually choose not to follow through and do the thing they want to do in life. I met young men and women who wanted to be musicians, actors, broadcasters, and even a couple who had aspirations in voice acting. The thing that struck me as interesting is that nearly all of them were determined to pursue and be successful doing what they WANTED to do. Not doing it never even crossed their minds. Now, conversely, I have spoken to groups across the country on Voice Acting and Ethics in Acting Training. In these groups the average age of my student is probably 50 something. Many of these folks want to and always wanted to do something like voice acting…the difference is… most of them never will! Certainly makes me wonder what things might be like if people actually did the things they wanted to do in life! Whether you want to pursue Voice Acting, fly a plane, learn pottery, or sail the world, on behalf of 1200 10th graders and myself… GO FOR IT!
Archive for March, 2008
The Break-In Mentality
Respect our industry
Voice Acting is a business. It is a business in which professionals count on other professionals to provide a service that requires knowledge and skill. These days however, it seems as though there is a lot of banter in the training community about “Breaking In” to our field. The folks who ply such terminology are beginning to make the educational side of our field sound like a day at the used car lot. In this case,I want to make our opinion quite clear: Voice Acting is not something that you break into. Success in Voice Acting is not about luck or a magic formula. Voice Acting, like any other professional endeavor is something you educate yourself about, develop skill in, and pursue as a professional.
I feel that even those coaches out there who use terms like “break in” as a loose synonym for “get started” are acting irresponsibly and are using hype to lure individuals who know nothing about our field. This is unfortunate because in many cases, the aspiring voice actor’s targeted quickly become disillusioned. Whether it’s Voice Acting or any other creative endeavor, I strongly suggest that you recognize that there are professional skills required for long-term success. Learn about, develop skill in, persevere at, and thoroughly enjoy every aspect of the process!
Leave “Breaking In” as a possible solution to your keys being locked in your car.
Best Regards!
David at Voice Coaches
