VC Radio
Voice Coaches Radio Episode 727 ” Recording Studios And The People Who Work There”
John: [00:00:00] Hi, friends. It's John.
Tina: It's Tina.
John: And guess what time it is.
Tina: It's time for...
John: Voice Coaches Radio Coaches Radio. We almost did it.
Tina: Almost.
John: Almost. All right, not quite, but we almost did it. Uh, well, next time, you know what? I, I'm, I'm thinking about having, like, a Christian choir come in and sing it.
Tina: Ah, that'd
John: be- Voice Coaches Radio.
I
Tina: might like be- right behind us in the robe- Yeah ... and everything. That'd be cool. Yeah, that would be.
John: Yeah. With VC on the chest.
Tina: Yeah. So... Right? Big gold chains. All
John: right, so, uh, hey, we, we have an episode today that I think i- is needed. A- and for anyone, whether you're just getting into voiceovers- Mm-hmm
whether you have been in voiceovers and, right? And we're gonna talk about recording studio, and, uh, what should we call it? Um- Etiquette?
Tina: Etiquette. Eh.
John: How about recording studios and the people who work there?
Tina: Okay. How
John: about that? That's pretty easy, right? Recording studios- Yep ... and the people who work there.
Tina: [00:01:00] Okay.
John: Finally, an episode we can remember, I think.
Tina: We will.
John: We'll see at the end. Yeah. We'll see at the end, yeah. Yeah. At the end. I didn't write this one down, so- No, I know ... I'll be in trouble at the end. Uh, so the, uh, and I wanna talk about this because the thing about this industry, and there's a lot of things I always say- Mm-hmm
that are similar to other things in life. But the thing about, uh, voiceovers and the entertainment industry in general- Mm-hmm ... is that it's filled with creatives.
Tina: Yes.
John: Right? Yes. So there's gonna be all different types of people. Mm-hmm. Now, now in voiceovers, I think, in particular, there are people who come into voiceovers from the outside who don't come from that background, and that's cool.
Yeah. 'Cause a lot of those people- Mm-hmm ... find a lot of success. Mm-hmm. So you might have a background in banking- Yeah ... or you might be a lawyer, a- and- Okay ... some of these people find real success in this industry.
Tina: They do,
John: yeah. And they're, and, and the reason they're doing it is to tap into their creative side, right?
Mm-hmm. Okay. So if you wanna tap into your creative side, you also have to give some grace to the people who work in recording studios-
Tina: Yes ...
John: who are super creative. Mm-hmm. They might not have the background that you have, right? So- Mm-hmm ... [00:02:00] um, a- and uh, I'll give you an example. Like, they're probably not gonna be dressed in suits.
Tina: No, they're, hardly ever.
John: No.
Tina: Hardly ever.
John: They're gonna, they're gonna- Mm-hmm ... you know, your audio engineer might have a flannel on with like a- Yeah. ... with like a skullcap or a winter hat, you know? Mm-hmm. And their, their creative personality. They, um... But also, um, it's a different kind of environment. Like for us, for example- Mm-hmm
here at the studio, we're appointment only, right? Yes. We don't, we, we don't really want people just showing... Uh, by the way, you can, uh, if you live in the area, if you want to come in and tour the studio- Yeah, and you want to take a... That's cool.
Tina: Yeah,
John: yeah. But for the most part- You should call first ... we don't have just people who randomly- Yeah
showing up at the studio because we, we are- Mm-hmm ... booked up, right? Yeah. So we have appointments. Um, so- You have to understand that. So if you come to the door, and you knock at the door and, and then at first no one answers- Mm-hmm ... we're here. Yeah. Ring the bell.
Tina: Yeah.
John: Ring- Knock on the door. Yep. Um, and if you can't call- Yeah
call. Yes. Someone will answer. Yep. We, we have a staff here. Mm-hmm. And that goes for every studio. Yeah. But every studio's different. Like, we have a full-time staff, right? Mm-hmm. So we're, [00:03:00] we pretty much have someone at the front desk- Yeah ... Monday through Friday at least- Mm-hmm ... there's someone at the front desk.
Yes. And so if you show up to the front- Door,
Tina: yeah ...
John: glass door-
Tina: Yeah ...
John: someone's gonna buzz you in. Um, not every studio's like that.
Tina: No, no, absolutely not. Uh-
John: In fact, I would say, I would venture to say most studios are not like that.
Tina: No. There, you are going to find, f- first of all, different locations. That's, that's the biggest thing.
It all depends on where, you know? Um, I know that there is, um, like one, one studio we deal with, um, the instructions for the, the students to go when they're going to go do their demo is to park in a, another establishment's parking lot, go to the back door, or go to the back of the building and look for the red door.
So, see, that's what I'm saying. The reason why I'm saying this, because they are different.
John: Yeah.
Tina: There, there's so many different areas.
John: Right. And, and unlike an office-
Tina: Mm-hmm ...
John: right?
Tina: Yeah ...
John: the audi- S- S- Most studios, I would say, okay, and I've visited studios all over the country. Mm-hmm. We have a lot of affiliate studios.
Yeah. I've been to many of [00:04:00] them. Most recording studios, you know who's there? Who's
Tina: there?
John: The audio engineer in the set.
Tina: That, yes. W- Yes ...
John: and the audio engineer, by the way, you should know- Mm-hmm ... another thing, I think many people who come from outside of, uh, the entertainment or spec- specifically- Mm-hmm ... the audio side of this industry, what they don't realize is it's soundproof.
Tina: Yeah.
John: It's soundproof.
Tina: Yep.
John: So if you come to the door and you knock- Mm ... they're not ignoring you. Th- They might be in the control room setting up for you.
Tina: Yes.
John: They cannot hear that door right away.
Tina: No, no.
John: That's why it's important to continue to knock or- Mm-hmm ... maybe call, 'cause you usually have a phone in there or whatever.
Tina: Yes.
John: But they can't hear you because they're setting up for you most likely, and it's all soundproof. Yes. It has to be soundproof-
Tina: Yeah ...
John: or soundproof as possible. So that's something to really keep in mind because I, I, you know, I've, I've heard of people- Mm-hmm ... in the past say, "I was knocking on the door and, and no one came."
Tina: And just, and waiting. Yeah, they
John: can't hear you.
Tina: Yeah,
John: yeah. They can't hear you. They know you're supposed to be there. So-
Tina: They will look for you at the time ... they're gonna look for you. Yes. Right.
John: And if you show up, and it's fine, uh, listen, 15 minutes early, that's fine, but keep in [00:05:00] mind they know. Like, say your appointment's 8:00 PM, right?
Mm-hmm. If you up, if you show up at 7:45, that's perfectly fine, but here's the thing. If, if the door's not open- Mm ... and if they're setting up for you- They're probably not gonna look for you until about five of 8:00 or 8:00. Yes. Right?
Tina: Yes, exactly.
John: They, they're gonna go- Yes ... "Oh, that person's supposed to be here."
Mm-hmm. They're not gonna be, 'cause they have stuff to do for you. They're actually setting up for you, so they can't- Yes ... stand next to the door, 'cause you may show up 15 minutes early- Mm-hmm ... but not everybody does. Another voice actor may show up five minutes early.
Tina: Mm-hmm. And that's the thing to take in that to consideration too.
But we do say, "Come f- you know, go 15 minutes early," you know- Mm-hmm ... if you can. You know, and that we understand traffic and all that- Yeah, yeah ... stuff like that. But like you were saying, they might not be ready for you, you know? Um, they might not be looking for you until a few minutes before the s- the a- actual time.
Exactly. 'Cause we don't say to them, "Hey, we told them to come 15 minutes early." No. This is, this is the, when the demo's gonna start- Yes ... at 8:00 PM. Mm-hmm. You know, expect that, you know?
John: And even if we told them you're coming 15 minutes early-
Tina: Yeah ... [00:06:00]
John: I have to tell you, recording studios operate on-
Tina: Their time.
John: their time. And, and, and by the way, w- we're not, we're not paying them 15 minutes early. Keep that in mind. Mm-hmm. You know, y- your time starts at- That time ...
Tina: this time. Yeah.
John: And so that's when they're gonna make sure you're in there.
Tina: Yeah.
John: Uh, so, but, but again, it's a super creative industry, and most of these people are super cool.
Mm-hmm. But just know they're not gonna be the business- They're typically not, like, 9:00 to 5:00 business types.
Tina: Yeah. And, and it really does all depend on the, the type of studio. 'Cause I've been, I had worked with a studio in New York City where, um, it was, like, in a brownstone or something like that. I wasn't expecting, so I, you know, you walk up the stairs- Yeah, yeah
and open up the door. I was expecting a brownstone type of feel. Everybody in that office was in suits. And so- Oh, that's funny ... yeah, so there is- That
John: was a recording studio?
Tina: Yes. Wow. Yes. Wow. That's- So in that one area where everybody was, where the suits were, they were... But then when I walked to the back where the recording part of it, everybody was in jeans and shorts and sneakers- Yeah, yeah
and things like that. So [00:07:00] it had the two sides there, you know? And so you're, I was just- That's cool. That's interesting ... it threw me off at first. Yeah, yeah. I was like, "Ha. Am I underdressed?"
John: Yeah.
Tina: You know, you start to, now you start to really think. Don't
John: look. And don't judge a book by its cover.
Tina: No. No, absolutely not.
John: So we work with an award-winning studio. When I say that- Mm-hmm ... we work with a studio that's won multiple Grammys. Mm-hmm And they're in a plaza
Tina: Oh
John: They're in a plaza Yeah Like, it looks like a strip mall
Tina: Yeah
John: And they have won multiple Grammys. So keep that in mind. Don't, don't do that thing where you go, "Ugh."
Tina: Yes.
John: No, no, no, no, no, no. That studio, that studio's won multiple Grammys. It's the same- Yeah ... studio you're talking about, where they tell you to go to the back and go to the red door.
Tina: Yeah.
John: Same studio. Um, i- they've won multiple Grammys. Wow. Yeah So you don't judge a book by its cover. Mm-hmm. You, you know, d- there's so many different ti- there's, there's studios that are multimillion-dollar studios.
Yeah Like you come to our studio, you, we're a separate building- Mm-hmm ... and it's, it's huge, right?
Tina: Yeah.
John: But there are studios that are small. There's like, you, you go in, there's like one control room, one-
Tina: Yes ...
John: one vocal booth, one [00:08:00] live room, and that's it. Mm-hmm.
Tina: That's it.
John: And it's not a big studio. There's a tiny, tiny lounge- Mm-hmm
with one couch. And then, um, there's other ones that are, that are like really, like I've been in- Yeah ... studios where you walk in, it's like a little hallway- Mm-hmm ... and, and there's really not, 'cause they're so appointment-driven- Mm-hmm ... they don't even have a waiting room. They're like- Yeah ... "You're, if you're here, you're doing something."
That's
Tina: it,
John: yep. "And so
Tina: let's go. We're gonna go." Let's get you in the booth. That's it.
John: Yep. Yeah. So, so just be prepared. This is a creative industry. And be open- Mm-hmm ... be, and, and you know, um, and I assume that's why you wanna get into this, is to b- is to be creative. You're, this is gonna tap into- Mm-hmm ... your creative side.
But you're also gonna be around a lot of creative people-
Tina: Yes ...
John: which can foster your creativity.
Tina: The, the biggest thing also to remember is if, even if you are waiting 10 minutes outside of that door, and if they fi- the engineer or whoever comes to answer that door, remember don't, they still, they're the ones that are listening to your demo or they're listening to your work- Mm-hmm
I should say, and your voice acting. You never know when that person might need a voice and remember. But [00:09:00] then they'll remember you sat there and y- you finally opened up the door for them, and they complained that you sat there for 10 minutes.
John: Right. So,
Tina: you know, so there's that. Yeah. You gotta remember who you're, you're working with.
You never know, that person could be also producer or director, you know? Yes. That, that could be. And so they could be that one, that, that person who does the hiring, but now you sat there and complained because they didn't answer the door for 10 minutes.
John: Yeah, the audio engineer at a studio could- Yeah
absolutely be the producer for that studio. They're just not in that capacity right now.
Tina: Yes. Right.
John: Yes. They're acting as an engineer for us.
Tina: Yeah.
John: But that person actually does produce and maybe hire voice actors for that recording studio. Uh, so that's something to think about, too.
Tina: Yeah.
John: If, if you even just wanna think of business like...
Tina: That's, yes. Right? Yep. And just, you know, just say, "Oh, I'm glad you're here," you know? It's like- Yeah ... "Glad we got it. We're, I'm excited to be here."
John: You know? Exactly. Exactly. "It was
Tina: great sitting outside sweating." No,
John: I'm done. Yeah. So, so that's the audio engineer. And you might have... Now, now, if you- Mm-hmm ... get a professional job, you might have the audio engineer, and you might have a producer.
You
Tina: might have both, yes. Might
John: have both. Mm-hmm. And again, um, my, my... [00:10:00] Listen, I, my whole thing is always be nice to everybody.
Tina: Yes.
John: Right? What's that saying? You get more bees with honey.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: Right?
Tina: Exactly.
John: I don't know how you get bees otherwise, but...
Tina: Oh.
John: And why you'd want them. That's a strange saying. You get more bees with honey, but why would you want the bees?
Tina: Yeah. Um, busy bees are workers. There you go. Workers. I don't
John: know. Yeah. It's a metaphor that I'm not... You know.
Tina: Let's not explain it. I'm
John: sure there's something kind of historical. Yeah. I've learned about that, like, where I go, "Oh, what was the one that someone told me about not too long ago?" I can't remember, but it didn't make any sense to me.
And they're like, "Oh, it's because..." There's a historical reference for all this stuff. Anyway, you get more bees with honey. The, the, the thing is, you find in this industry especially, and I'm sure it's like this everywhere, but I've found in this industry, voiceover industry especially, that first of all, I, I get along with everybody.
And so, but- Mm-hmm ... but the, the nicer you are to people, the friendlier you are, number one, they're gonna remember you.
Tina: Yes. You
John: know? Mm-hmm. What's that saying? People don't remember what you say, they remember how you make them feel.
Tina: Yes. Right? Yep.
John: And so be friendly. Be nice to people. Mm-hmm. Uh, and it's gonna take you a long way in this industry [00:11:00] especially.
It is. You know, people are gonna say, "Oh, you know who I worked with? I worked with Tina. What a- Mm-hmm ... she was a great voice actor, but really nice. I mean, really nice." That goes a long way, 'cause then people go- It does ... "Let's work with her then. Let's get her back in here."
Tina: It does. I've gotten- Now the other thing-
a lot of callbacks because of they remembered our conversation. Exactly. They said, "Oh," they said, "We had so much fun with you. You wanna come back in? We got a script that we think is perfect for you." Right. Whether it's perfect for me or not, you know? Yeah. But they were, but they remembered 'cause I was just...
We had conversations. Yep. We laughed and-
John: Yep ...
Tina: and it was nice and, you know.
John: And I can tell you what won't happen.
Tina: What?
John: This is not gonna happen. Yeah. Oh, you know what? Tina, great voice actor, not friendly at all. Yeah. Guess what's not gonna happen at that point? You're not getting asked back in. No. You could be the best voice actor in the world.
Tina: It does not matter, yep.
John: If you are not nice to people, they are not- Mm-hmm ... hiring you again. Exactly. They're just not doing it.
Tina: Yeah.
John: So just, again, give grace. Mm-hmm. You know? Um, it's, I always think in, in my life, I always, um, I, one of the things I try to never do is I don't try, I try not to [00:12:00] assign intention to other people's actions.
Mm-hmm.
Tina: Okay.
John: Because you don't know what their intentions are. No. You can't... And so, and, and we tend to do that. Like, it's like when someone pulls out in front of you, right? Yeah. You're like, "
Tina: Ar." Yeah.
John: That person isn't doing it to you specifically. They- Mm-hmm ... they probably didn't see you.
Tina: Yeah.
John: They're in a hurry.
I'm not saying they should have pulled out in front of you. Mm. But they're not like, "Oh, I'm gonna get Tina."
Tina: Yep. Unless they know me, you know?
John: So d- just try, try not to assign negative intention to someone's actions. Mm-hmm. Because they're, they're not even thinking of you most likely. No. And most of the time, they like you.
Yeah. They like you. They're, they're- They do ... you know, until you give them- Mm-hmm ... cause probably not to like you, right?
Tina: I will tell you, I think every, every producer and engineer I've dealt with in this industry has been fantastic, great attitude. Yeah. Because it is a very creative and fun job.
John: Everyone wants to be here.
Tina: Yes, they do. No
John: one, there's no, I've never had anyone walk in and go, "Ugh." No. "Another day at the grind."
Tina: I gotta read
John: this? "It's a grind here in the studio. Ugh." No, it doesn't, that's not how it goes. Nope, it does
Tina: not.
John: This is a fun and, [00:13:00] and, uh, creative environment. So there you go. Just, just quick, I mean, I know, listen, we can go on forever about- Mm-hmm
the recording studio and the people who work there. In edit kit, instant. I remember the, the recording studio and people who work there. Boom.
Tina: There you
John: go. You got it. Remember the... Yeah. Got it. Uh, we could go on forever about that. Uh, but just know that no matter who's there, they're all creative. Mm-hmm. They all wanna be there.
So you're, y- as a voice actor, act like that.
Tina: Yes.
John: Act like you wanna be there, and again, be nice to everybody.
Tina: Absolutely.
John: All right. Uh, again, uh, don't forget, if you'd like to go to an intro webinar, uh, you can use the, the code pod, P-O-D. Mm-hmm. You get 50% off. You can, uh, go to our website, voicecoaches.com.
That's right there. And you can buy a ticket on our ticketing platform for one of our intro webinars. But, uh, if you have any questions, comments, whatever, I'm John G at voicecoaches.com.
Tina: And Tina at voicecoaches.com.
John: There you go. We out.
Tina: It's Tina.
John: And guess what time it is.
Tina: It's time for...
John: Voice Coaches Radio Coaches Radio. We almost did it.
Tina: Almost.
John: Almost. All right, not quite, but we almost did it. Uh, well, next time, you know what? I, I'm, I'm thinking about having, like, a Christian choir come in and sing it.
Tina: Ah, that'd
John: be- Voice Coaches Radio.
I
Tina: might like be- right behind us in the robe- Yeah ... and everything. That'd be cool. Yeah, that would be.
John: Yeah. With VC on the chest.
Tina: Yeah. So... Right? Big gold chains. All
John: right, so, uh, hey, we, we have an episode today that I think i- is needed. A- and for anyone, whether you're just getting into voiceovers- Mm-hmm
whether you have been in voiceovers and, right? And we're gonna talk about recording studio, and, uh, what should we call it? Um- Etiquette?
Tina: Etiquette. Eh.
John: How about recording studios and the people who work there?
Tina: Okay. How
John: about that? That's pretty easy, right? Recording studios- Yep ... and the people who work there.
Tina: [00:01:00] Okay.
John: Finally, an episode we can remember, I think.
Tina: We will.
John: We'll see at the end. Yeah. We'll see at the end, yeah. Yeah. At the end. I didn't write this one down, so- No, I know ... I'll be in trouble at the end. Uh, so the, uh, and I wanna talk about this because the thing about this industry, and there's a lot of things I always say- Mm-hmm
that are similar to other things in life. But the thing about, uh, voiceovers and the entertainment industry in general- Mm-hmm ... is that it's filled with creatives.
Tina: Yes.
John: Right? Yes. So there's gonna be all different types of people. Mm-hmm. Now, now in voiceovers, I think, in particular, there are people who come into voiceovers from the outside who don't come from that background, and that's cool.
Yeah. 'Cause a lot of those people- Mm-hmm ... find a lot of success. Mm-hmm. So you might have a background in banking- Yeah ... or you might be a lawyer, a- and- Okay ... some of these people find real success in this industry.
Tina: They do,
John: yeah. And they're, and, and the reason they're doing it is to tap into their creative side, right?
Mm-hmm. Okay. So if you wanna tap into your creative side, you also have to give some grace to the people who work in recording studios-
Tina: Yes ...
John: who are super creative. Mm-hmm. They might not have the background that you have, right? So- Mm-hmm ... [00:02:00] um, a- and uh, I'll give you an example. Like, they're probably not gonna be dressed in suits.
Tina: No, they're, hardly ever.
John: No.
Tina: Hardly ever.
John: They're gonna, they're gonna- Mm-hmm ... you know, your audio engineer might have a flannel on with like a- Yeah. ... with like a skullcap or a winter hat, you know? Mm-hmm. And their, their creative personality. They, um... But also, um, it's a different kind of environment. Like for us, for example- Mm-hmm
here at the studio, we're appointment only, right? Yes. We don't, we, we don't really want people just showing... Uh, by the way, you can, uh, if you live in the area, if you want to come in and tour the studio- Yeah, and you want to take a... That's cool.
Tina: Yeah,
John: yeah. But for the most part- You should call first ... we don't have just people who randomly- Yeah
showing up at the studio because we, we are- Mm-hmm ... booked up, right? Yeah. So we have appointments. Um, so- You have to understand that. So if you come to the door, and you knock at the door and, and then at first no one answers- Mm-hmm ... we're here. Yeah. Ring the bell.
Tina: Yeah.
John: Ring- Knock on the door. Yep. Um, and if you can't call- Yeah
call. Yes. Someone will answer. Yep. We, we have a staff here. Mm-hmm. And that goes for every studio. Yeah. But every studio's different. Like, we have a full-time staff, right? Mm-hmm. So we're, [00:03:00] we pretty much have someone at the front desk- Yeah ... Monday through Friday at least- Mm-hmm ... there's someone at the front desk.
Yes. And so if you show up to the front- Door,
Tina: yeah ...
John: glass door-
Tina: Yeah ...
John: someone's gonna buzz you in. Um, not every studio's like that.
Tina: No, no, absolutely not. Uh-
John: In fact, I would say, I would venture to say most studios are not like that.
Tina: No. There, you are going to find, f- first of all, different locations. That's, that's the biggest thing.
It all depends on where, you know? Um, I know that there is, um, like one, one studio we deal with, um, the instructions for the, the students to go when they're going to go do their demo is to park in a, another establishment's parking lot, go to the back door, or go to the back of the building and look for the red door.
So, see, that's what I'm saying. The reason why I'm saying this, because they are different.
John: Yeah.
Tina: There, there's so many different areas.
John: Right. And, and unlike an office-
Tina: Mm-hmm ...
John: right?
Tina: Yeah ...
John: the audi- S- S- Most studios, I would say, okay, and I've visited studios all over the country. Mm-hmm. We have a lot of affiliate studios.
Yeah. I've been to many of [00:04:00] them. Most recording studios, you know who's there? Who's
Tina: there?
John: The audio engineer in the set.
Tina: That, yes. W- Yes ...
John: and the audio engineer, by the way, you should know- Mm-hmm ... another thing, I think many people who come from outside of, uh, the entertainment or spec- specifically- Mm-hmm ... the audio side of this industry, what they don't realize is it's soundproof.
Tina: Yeah.
John: It's soundproof.
Tina: Yep.
John: So if you come to the door and you knock- Mm ... they're not ignoring you. Th- They might be in the control room setting up for you.
Tina: Yes.
John: They cannot hear that door right away.
Tina: No, no.
John: That's why it's important to continue to knock or- Mm-hmm ... maybe call, 'cause you usually have a phone in there or whatever.
Tina: Yes.
John: But they can't hear you because they're setting up for you most likely, and it's all soundproof. Yes. It has to be soundproof-
Tina: Yeah ...
John: or soundproof as possible. So that's something to really keep in mind because I, I, you know, I've, I've heard of people- Mm-hmm ... in the past say, "I was knocking on the door and, and no one came."
Tina: And just, and waiting. Yeah, they
John: can't hear you.
Tina: Yeah,
John: yeah. They can't hear you. They know you're supposed to be there. So-
Tina: They will look for you at the time ... they're gonna look for you. Yes. Right.
John: And if you show up, and it's fine, uh, listen, 15 minutes early, that's fine, but keep in [00:05:00] mind they know. Like, say your appointment's 8:00 PM, right?
Mm-hmm. If you up, if you show up at 7:45, that's perfectly fine, but here's the thing. If, if the door's not open- Mm ... and if they're setting up for you- They're probably not gonna look for you until about five of 8:00 or 8:00. Yes. Right?
Tina: Yes, exactly.
John: They, they're gonna go- Yes ... "Oh, that person's supposed to be here."
Mm-hmm. They're not gonna be, 'cause they have stuff to do for you. They're actually setting up for you, so they can't- Yes ... stand next to the door, 'cause you may show up 15 minutes early- Mm-hmm ... but not everybody does. Another voice actor may show up five minutes early.
Tina: Mm-hmm. And that's the thing to take in that to consideration too.
But we do say, "Come f- you know, go 15 minutes early," you know- Mm-hmm ... if you can. You know, and that we understand traffic and all that- Yeah, yeah ... stuff like that. But like you were saying, they might not be ready for you, you know? Um, they might not be looking for you until a few minutes before the s- the a- actual time.
Exactly. 'Cause we don't say to them, "Hey, we told them to come 15 minutes early." No. This is, this is the, when the demo's gonna start- Yes ... at 8:00 PM. Mm-hmm. You know, expect that, you know?
John: And even if we told them you're coming 15 minutes early-
Tina: Yeah ... [00:06:00]
John: I have to tell you, recording studios operate on-
Tina: Their time.
John: their time. And, and, and by the way, w- we're not, we're not paying them 15 minutes early. Keep that in mind. Mm-hmm. You know, y- your time starts at- That time ...
Tina: this time. Yeah.
John: And so that's when they're gonna make sure you're in there.
Tina: Yeah.
John: Uh, so, but, but again, it's a super creative industry, and most of these people are super cool.
Mm-hmm. But just know they're not gonna be the business- They're typically not, like, 9:00 to 5:00 business types.
Tina: Yeah. And, and it really does all depend on the, the type of studio. 'Cause I've been, I had worked with a studio in New York City where, um, it was, like, in a brownstone or something like that. I wasn't expecting, so I, you know, you walk up the stairs- Yeah, yeah
and open up the door. I was expecting a brownstone type of feel. Everybody in that office was in suits. And so- Oh, that's funny ... yeah, so there is- That
John: was a recording studio?
Tina: Yes. Wow. Yes. Wow. That's- So in that one area where everybody was, where the suits were, they were... But then when I walked to the back where the recording part of it, everybody was in jeans and shorts and sneakers- Yeah, yeah
and things like that. So [00:07:00] it had the two sides there, you know? And so you're, I was just- That's cool. That's interesting ... it threw me off at first. Yeah, yeah. I was like, "Ha. Am I underdressed?"
John: Yeah.
Tina: You know, you start to, now you start to really think. Don't
John: look. And don't judge a book by its cover.
Tina: No. No, absolutely not.
John: So we work with an award-winning studio. When I say that- Mm-hmm ... we work with a studio that's won multiple Grammys. Mm-hmm And they're in a plaza
Tina: Oh
John: They're in a plaza Yeah Like, it looks like a strip mall
Tina: Yeah
John: And they have won multiple Grammys. So keep that in mind. Don't, don't do that thing where you go, "Ugh."
Tina: Yes.
John: No, no, no, no, no, no. That studio, that studio's won multiple Grammys. It's the same- Yeah ... studio you're talking about, where they tell you to go to the back and go to the red door.
Tina: Yeah.
John: Same studio. Um, i- they've won multiple Grammys. Wow. Yeah So you don't judge a book by its cover. Mm-hmm. You, you know, d- there's so many different ti- there's, there's studios that are multimillion-dollar studios.
Yeah Like you come to our studio, you, we're a separate building- Mm-hmm ... and it's, it's huge, right?
Tina: Yeah.
John: But there are studios that are small. There's like, you, you go in, there's like one control room, one-
Tina: Yes ...
John: one vocal booth, one [00:08:00] live room, and that's it. Mm-hmm.
Tina: That's it.
John: And it's not a big studio. There's a tiny, tiny lounge- Mm-hmm
with one couch. And then, um, there's other ones that are, that are like really, like I've been in- Yeah ... studios where you walk in, it's like a little hallway- Mm-hmm ... and, and there's really not, 'cause they're so appointment-driven- Mm-hmm ... they don't even have a waiting room. They're like- Yeah ... "You're, if you're here, you're doing something."
That's
Tina: it,
John: yep. "And so
Tina: let's go. We're gonna go." Let's get you in the booth. That's it.
John: Yep. Yeah. So, so just be prepared. This is a creative industry. And be open- Mm-hmm ... be, and, and you know, um, and I assume that's why you wanna get into this, is to b- is to be creative. You're, this is gonna tap into- Mm-hmm ... your creative side.
But you're also gonna be around a lot of creative people-
Tina: Yes ...
John: which can foster your creativity.
Tina: The, the biggest thing also to remember is if, even if you are waiting 10 minutes outside of that door, and if they fi- the engineer or whoever comes to answer that door, remember don't, they still, they're the ones that are listening to your demo or they're listening to your work- Mm-hmm
I should say, and your voice acting. You never know when that person might need a voice and remember. But [00:09:00] then they'll remember you sat there and y- you finally opened up the door for them, and they complained that you sat there for 10 minutes.
John: Right. So,
Tina: you know, so there's that. Yeah. You gotta remember who you're, you're working with.
You never know, that person could be also producer or director, you know? Yes. That, that could be. And so they could be that one, that, that person who does the hiring, but now you sat there and complained because they didn't answer the door for 10 minutes.
John: Yeah, the audio engineer at a studio could- Yeah
absolutely be the producer for that studio. They're just not in that capacity right now.
Tina: Yes. Right.
John: Yes. They're acting as an engineer for us.
Tina: Yeah.
John: But that person actually does produce and maybe hire voice actors for that recording studio. Uh, so that's something to think about, too.
Tina: Yeah.
John: If, if you even just wanna think of business like...
Tina: That's, yes. Right? Yep. And just, you know, just say, "Oh, I'm glad you're here," you know? It's like- Yeah ... "Glad we got it. We're, I'm excited to be here."
John: You know? Exactly. Exactly. "It was
Tina: great sitting outside sweating." No,
John: I'm done. Yeah. So, so that's the audio engineer. And you might have... Now, now, if you- Mm-hmm ... get a professional job, you might have the audio engineer, and you might have a producer.
You
Tina: might have both, yes. Might
John: have both. Mm-hmm. And again, um, my, my... [00:10:00] Listen, I, my whole thing is always be nice to everybody.
Tina: Yes.
John: Right? What's that saying? You get more bees with honey.
Tina: Mm-hmm.
John: Right?
Tina: Exactly.
John: I don't know how you get bees otherwise, but...
Tina: Oh.
John: And why you'd want them. That's a strange saying. You get more bees with honey, but why would you want the bees?
Tina: Yeah. Um, busy bees are workers. There you go. Workers. I don't
John: know. Yeah. It's a metaphor that I'm not... You know.
Tina: Let's not explain it. I'm
John: sure there's something kind of historical. Yeah. I've learned about that, like, where I go, "Oh, what was the one that someone told me about not too long ago?" I can't remember, but it didn't make any sense to me.
And they're like, "Oh, it's because..." There's a historical reference for all this stuff. Anyway, you get more bees with honey. The, the, the thing is, you find in this industry especially, and I'm sure it's like this everywhere, but I've found in this industry, voiceover industry especially, that first of all, I, I get along with everybody.
And so, but- Mm-hmm ... but the, the nicer you are to people, the friendlier you are, number one, they're gonna remember you.
Tina: Yes. You
John: know? Mm-hmm. What's that saying? People don't remember what you say, they remember how you make them feel.
Tina: Yes. Right? Yep.
John: And so be friendly. Be nice to people. Mm-hmm. Uh, and it's gonna take you a long way in this industry [00:11:00] especially.
It is. You know, people are gonna say, "Oh, you know who I worked with? I worked with Tina. What a- Mm-hmm ... she was a great voice actor, but really nice. I mean, really nice." That goes a long way, 'cause then people go- It does ... "Let's work with her then. Let's get her back in here."
Tina: It does. I've gotten- Now the other thing-
a lot of callbacks because of they remembered our conversation. Exactly. They said, "Oh," they said, "We had so much fun with you. You wanna come back in? We got a script that we think is perfect for you." Right. Whether it's perfect for me or not, you know? Yeah. But they were, but they remembered 'cause I was just...
We had conversations. Yep. We laughed and-
John: Yep ...
Tina: and it was nice and, you know.
John: And I can tell you what won't happen.
Tina: What?
John: This is not gonna happen. Yeah. Oh, you know what? Tina, great voice actor, not friendly at all. Yeah. Guess what's not gonna happen at that point? You're not getting asked back in. No. You could be the best voice actor in the world.
Tina: It does not matter, yep.
John: If you are not nice to people, they are not- Mm-hmm ... hiring you again. Exactly. They're just not doing it.
Tina: Yeah.
John: So just, again, give grace. Mm-hmm. You know? Um, it's, I always think in, in my life, I always, um, I, one of the things I try to never do is I don't try, I try not to [00:12:00] assign intention to other people's actions.
Mm-hmm.
Tina: Okay.
John: Because you don't know what their intentions are. No. You can't... And so, and, and we tend to do that. Like, it's like when someone pulls out in front of you, right? Yeah. You're like, "
Tina: Ar." Yeah.
John: That person isn't doing it to you specifically. They- Mm-hmm ... they probably didn't see you.
Tina: Yeah.
John: They're in a hurry.
I'm not saying they should have pulled out in front of you. Mm. But they're not like, "Oh, I'm gonna get Tina."
Tina: Yep. Unless they know me, you know?
John: So d- just try, try not to assign negative intention to someone's actions. Mm-hmm. Because they're, they're not even thinking of you most likely. No. And most of the time, they like you.
Yeah. They like you. They're, they're- They do ... you know, until you give them- Mm-hmm ... cause probably not to like you, right?
Tina: I will tell you, I think every, every producer and engineer I've dealt with in this industry has been fantastic, great attitude. Yeah. Because it is a very creative and fun job.
John: Everyone wants to be here.
Tina: Yes, they do. No
John: one, there's no, I've never had anyone walk in and go, "Ugh." No. "Another day at the grind."
Tina: I gotta read
John: this? "It's a grind here in the studio. Ugh." No, it doesn't, that's not how it goes. Nope, it does
Tina: not.
John: This is a fun and, [00:13:00] and, uh, creative environment. So there you go. Just, just quick, I mean, I know, listen, we can go on forever about- Mm-hmm
the recording studio and the people who work there. In edit kit, instant. I remember the, the recording studio and people who work there. Boom.
Tina: There you
John: go. You got it. Remember the... Yeah. Got it. Uh, we could go on forever about that. Uh, but just know that no matter who's there, they're all creative. Mm-hmm. They all wanna be there.
So you're, y- as a voice actor, act like that.
Tina: Yes.
John: Act like you wanna be there, and again, be nice to everybody.
Tina: Absolutely.
John: All right. Uh, again, uh, don't forget, if you'd like to go to an intro webinar, uh, you can use the, the code pod, P-O-D. Mm-hmm. You get 50% off. You can, uh, go to our website, voicecoaches.com.
That's right there. And you can buy a ticket on our ticketing platform for one of our intro webinars. But, uh, if you have any questions, comments, whatever, I'm John G at voicecoaches.com.
Tina: And Tina at voicecoaches.com.
John: There you go. We out.
John and Tina talk about the wonderful people you encounter at a recording studio.
