Doug,

I see we chose to tackle similar subjects today. :)

My argument in support of your position has to do with three words: longevity, passion, immersion. You won't likely succeed at anything unless you play it like a marathon, see through the frustration, and show everyone that you're here to stay. Voice acting is more than a job, it's a lifestyle.

Nice going!

Dave Courvosier

Well said as always, Doug.

There's a new crop of newbies every month. A minimal investment and a whole bunch of misinformed enthusiasm. Some will survive, most will not. The roadside is littered with cheap USB mics and unused V123 subscriptions.

As long as we continue to learn, grow and develop our skills and our craft...we'll be just fine.

I agree with what Doug is saying, but there is another side to it.

I have to say that some professionals forget about the road they travelled. Some are probably also jealous that someone can start up at a fraction of the cost they shelled out.

I think that the professionals who complain about so called 'wannabe' voice actors, need to stop and think back to the day when they thought, "I'd love to do that," and how they got into the business. I am sure many studied at drama schools, learned about audio engineering and the like, but there'll also be many that didn't.

Acting of any kind is not an academic subject, and no one can be stopped from trying, and as such, anyone with talent can do it as a vocation, and through experience become a professional.

If someone can provide broadcast quality audio signal via a USB mic, then why not? If the producer has a voice talent, then it is going to be wave for wave pretty much the same quality.

In agreement with Doug again, it is quality that will win the spot. Clients know what they want.

Thanks, Doug, for a great synopsis of what's important.
Persistence.
Getting better at every aspect of the business of voice over and the actual doing of voice over.

GREAT article on several levels, Doug!

First, "Dog eat dog" isn't the only correct interpretation of social Darwinism. "Find a niche and fill it" is also true. Second, it's more empowering to let lost opportunities motivate positive change than be overwhelmed by frustration.

The "Getting Better" graph is a wavy line moving steadily upward, and part of that is the dips. I'd say there's hope for those of us who are serious about this profession. Voice actors are better than most at wavy lines. We look at them all day long. ;)

Doug - awesome post! and so true. I think I'll post it near the computer as I do my marketing reach-out work...and remember that the last gig I got was from a P2P site where the "competition" made mistakes like mis-pronouncing "Phi Beta Kappa" --
There is room for everyone. Abundance thinking - and quality wins out with the clients we most want to keep!

I think the critical point here is, what's "good enough"? For many projects these days commodity thinking applies. It's not who's better, but who's cheaper... assuming that the "talent" has a minimum level of skill. In Doug's case marketing himself to the right people has been key: forget the hoi polloi on both sides of the transaction and go for the projects that pay. They'll know if you're good enough and they'll pay accordingly. Of course, talent just starting out will probably need to cut their teeth for a while on lesser paying projects... but the sooner you move on, the better your rewards will be.

I agree, Doug. This reminds me of something also stated by one of my mentors, Jim Rohn, who basically said, "Don't wish things were easier, wish you were better." Amen!