Learning About an Industry Through Voice Over Work

by Victoria DeAnda on June 11, 2015

Voice over work has so many benefits. You will find many of those benefits throughout my blog. I would like to highlight another one that you may find inspiring to keep you going on days when you are feeling bogged down.

The Knowledge You Gain as a Voice Over Artist

How many times have you took on voice over work that was not in your niche? As much as you know you do not have a lot of knowledge on the topic, you took the work because it may have paid well or you just thought it was interesting. In any case, it is likely after you were done with the project, you felt as though you gained much more than just a paycheck – you gained knowledge.

The knowledge you gain from voice over work can be carried on with you much farther than a few hundred dollars. The money can always be spent, but knowledge will remain with you forever.

A wonderful example of this is in an interview with Roger Craig Smith in The Washington Post. Smith is the voice over artist for “Say Yes to the Dress.” He has narrated every episode since the show started in 2007. Due to his work, he knows more about wedding dresses than he ever thought he would know.

Some of the things that Smith says are:

“Jenny pulls a satin ball gown to get a sense of the bride’s style.”

“Melissa’s sexy lace gown is an unexpected hit.”

You may not picture a man in his late 30s who does voice over work for popular video games such as Resident Evil, Assassin’s Creed, and Avengers Assemble talking about wedding gowns, but he does and will continue to do it for as long as he can continue to do the narrations for the show.

So just because you may not fit the ideal persona of someone who would be interested in the niche, it does not mean you cannot do it. With enough research, practice, and guidance, you can learn the niche and become an authority on it. This is what will make your voice believable to everyone listening to it.

Feel Good About Voice Over Work

With every voice over project you decide to take, you should feel good about it. You are improving yourself with every job you do. You are learning and taking the knowledge you gain with you. That is something you should feel proud of every single day.

Avoid Scams Online When Finding Voice Over Work

by Victoria DeAnda on May 15, 2015

As you’re growing your business, you may have come into contact with some gigs that don’t seem quite right. While you feel that in your gut, you may still end up pursuing it because you really want to have the work. The next thing you know, you’ve delivered the work requested, and never hear from the client again. You’ve wasted hours of your time and you’re not compensated for it.

This is a classic scam scenario. Don’t feel ashamed. You are not the only one that has fallen into this trap. It’s a pretty common one because you just never know who is trustworthy these days.

However, there are some red flags you should look out for when it comes to identifying scams. There are also some things you can do to prevent them from happening.

Red Flags for Voice Over Work Scams

  • The person asks for a large quantity of work and offers to pay a lot of money for it.
  • The person is international and doesn’t have any information about himself or his company online.
  • The potential client contradicts what he tells you about payments or the work.
  • The person wants you to send money to him.
  • Even though you’ve asked questions about the work, it all still seems very vague.
  • You’re unable to call him.

As you can see, most of the red flags come through communication with the person. That can be from talking about the voice over work itself or the payments. You should never send money to anyone for any reason.

How to Prevent a Scam

There are some great scammers out on the Internet today. You’d be surprised how good they can really be, so you have to be better than them. The following are ways you can do that:

  • Ask for a deposit, especially for large jobs.
  • If the person doesn’t want to pay upfront, require partial payment upon delivery of the first part of the project. This may only be possible for large jobs.
  • Research the person online to find out if what he is telling you is the truth.
  • Create a contract and have the person sign it. This can be very simple. Once you know the scope of the project, write everything down including payment terms, and have the person sign. Verify the signature with an ID if possible. If not, research the person to ensure he is who he says he is.
  • Start with a small project and if payment is made, you can move on to other work.

Go with Your Gut

Just like with anything in life, listen to your gut. Your inner wisdom is always working. If you feel that someone is being untrustworthy, then go with that feeling and move on to finding other work. Always remember, it’s better to work for something that is a sure thing, rather than wasting your energy on something that may end up costing you time and money.

 

How to Continue Voice Over Work When Life Gets in the Way

by Victoria DeAnda on April 3, 2015

Life isn’t always easy. Problems abound with every corner we turn. Some of these problems can be quickly solved with minimal effects, while others can throw us for a loop. These troubles affect our mental, emotional and physical health, relationships and work.

Life must carry on though, as much as we want to bury ourselves underneath our bed covers. If you’re finding yourself in this type of situation, try these tips to get through your voice over work minimally impacting your quality.

Ways to Deal with Life Stressors and Voice Over Work

Let It Out

When you keep it in, pain and frustration build. They can become so strong that you may not be able to contain them any longer, and this could ruin relationships with your clients. It’s best to let it out in a safe place, such as at home with your family or friends. It’s also a good idea to meet up with or call loved ones to vent. By talking through your troubles and even crying about them, you will feel as though the bubble forming inside of you isn’t going to burst at the wrong time.

Practice Meditation

Meditation is the art of being in the moment. Before you start your voice over work, practice meditation. Allow yourself to relax and bring yourself to the present time. The present time is working on a project as best as you can to deliver a quality product to your client. By bringing yourself back to the center of your universe, you will have a much easier time pushing your problems to the side, so you can pick them up after you are done working. You don’t have to worry about them being pushed to the side while you work, because I assure you – they will still be there.

Sleep

Problems often make it difficult to sleep at night, but sleeping is therapeutic. After a long restful sleep, you may have a different perspective of the situation. If you’re not able to sleep at night, try sleeping during the day. Taking one day off to sleep is much better than producing low quality work for a week or more because you’re not able to effectively deal with life’s issues due to lack of sleep.

Spend More Time on Work

Some people want to spend more time working when they are stressed because it helps them, but another reason to do it is because this way you can boost the quality of your work despite not being yourself. Work on the project for as long as you need to until the quality meets or exceeds the work you do when you’re not in a stressful situation.

Be Good to Yourself

Everyone goes through bad times, so take good care of yourself during this time. Don’t push work away, but give yourself some breathing room. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Treat yourself. These are the ways you’ll be able to move forward with your voice over work without sacrificing your career as a voice over artist.