Networking as a voice actor is a key way to marketing yourself to potential clients. If you aren’t doing so already, you should also be networking with fellow voice actors. Making VO friends and developing those relationships will enhance both your career and help keep you sane!
One of the few drawbacks of doing voice over full time is that you get used to spending time alone. Lots and lots of time in a small, padded cell — er, room.
Meeting with other voice actors will give you the opportunity to learn and grow from another person’s experiences, ask for advice, and hopefully get honest feedback on your voice-over technique. In the right setting, a casual group could be the most affordable voice over training out there!
One group that recently caught my attention is a group in California called the Orange County VO Peeps Meet-Up, which Anne Ganguzza started as a way to keep in touch with fellow classmates. They had all attended a local voice over workshop, and Anne thought it would be easiest to stay on top of her game if she had friends to work with. Anne organizes the group that meets bi-monthly, and it’s as casual as a potluck with a group of friends with common interests.
“Our group welcomes all talents, from beginners to advanced professionals in the industry,” says Anne Ganguzza. “We strive to educate, motivate, and inspire — hopefully helping members achieve their career goals and go out and get as many voice over jobs as possible!”
The group consists of 23 members, and they all come from different backgrounds and levels of experience. They each bring a different dish to share, and then they take turns reading copy and getting constructive criticism on their read, as if it were a professional voice over job. They even hosted a special guest, Tim Keenan from Creative Media Recording to come give them feedback on how to read corporate narration copy.
On the agenda for up-coming meet-ups is everything from marketing to writing business plans, bidding on jobs to editing auditions, and working with VO agents to managing finances.
One member, Eila Ulyett says of the group, “As a newcomer to the group and having attended just one event, I have to say how much it helped to encourage and motivate me. As we all work independently and alone in our recording worlds, it’s great to have a group of like minded people who understand the problems we face as we build our vo careers. Without doubt Anne’s enthusiasm and professionalism is motivational in itself.”
Meet-Up groups are definitely not a good substitute for traditional voice-over technique training though! They are most effective if the members have had some voice-over training and can contribute as much to others as they get from the group.
If you are in the Orange County area and would like more information on Anne’s Meet-Up group, please contact Anne directly at: info@annespeak.com
Learn how to get more voice over jobs today! If you want to improve your voice over recording skills, contact us for all the details and information you need today!