Tools of the Trade: A Microphone

There is a point in everyone’s life where they wonder to themselves if the career they are currently in is the right choice for them. Does it offer them the right level of challenge that we all as people need? Does it give them that sense of accomplishment that keeps us all going? Does it offer the right level of compensation? Finally, does it offer that special kind of excitement that will keep them happy for years to come?

Being only a few years in to my current career now I know that, for me, it lacks all of these qualities. The negative side to realizing this is that now I need to change careers and start at the bottom again. But that seems to be the only negative. The many positives far outweigh any reason for me to continue on down my current career path.

To begin on the topic that no one wants to talk about, but everyone should, the compensation. Being younger, my wife and I would eventually like to start a family and in my current career we wouldn’t be able to do it when we wanted to. We would have to wait until the opportunity arose for us. That’s not the way it should be done. A career in voice acting is going to be hard work, but the potential pay and the more flexible hours, would provide the perfect atmosphere for a new family and for me to provide for them. I know people don’t like talking about money when they set off to pursue their dreams but it needed to be said and now we can move on.

Voice acting provides the creative stimulus that my number-crunching, cubicle-life just can’t offer me. Being creative and expressing that creativity has always been a part of my life since a very young age. I would draw comics and create voices for the characters, and based off of those voices their personalities would develop. It was snowball effect as then my drawings would become better, and I would refine those character voices. Working in a job that offers no creative outlet has taught me something, that if you don’t continue to utilize your creativity it will become harder to try ,and remain creative. I don’t ever want to lose that.

That brings me to my next reason for pursuing a career as a voice over actor, being creative makes me happy. Working each week with your mind fixated on the weekend and getting away from your job just doesn’t make me happy person. I found that I was wasting whole blocks of time (five days each week) doing nothing, and naturally, this was very depressing. Voice acting aims to bring back that excitement in my career that will make me strive to be better and help live my life again. I say one of the main reasons for me wanting to become a voice over actor is simply to come home happy on a Tuesday evening.

After putting it off for many years, January, 7th 2008 I begin voice over lessons at the Media Performance Institute at Boston Casting in Boston instructed by Sonny Dufault. This is poised to be one of many important steps in a career as a voice over actor. This website, VoiceOverture.net, is another of those steps.

Tools of the Trade: The Mixing Board

VoiceOverture.net is set up to be a tool. A tool for me to solidify lessons learned and to teach myself in the ways of the business. But I don’t want to keep this all to myself. I want this to be a community tool as well. A place where experienced voice over actors can come and share their knowledge as well as a place for those new to the industry to come and learn about this business.

As of writing this I hope to accomplish a number of things with VoiceOverture.net:

• As a learning tool for myself and others I will be offering weekly recap write-ups of the lessons learned in my voice over course.
• Articles regarding tips and resources about being a voice over actor today.
• Articles on the terminology and other quirks that can only be found in the voice over business.
• News from around the industry that is pertinent.

Be sure to check back for edits and updates to this list as I hope new ideas and feedback come in a constant stream.

So, welcome to VoiceOverture.net! I look forward to providing informative and entertaining content on the exciting and rewarding business and art of voice over. I also look forward to meeting and conversing with you, the voice acting community.