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VOICE OVER CAREER
If you attended the NAVA Gala (National Association of Voice Actors, December 4, Los Angeles) you can skip this article as you’ve already heard what I’m about to say. ACTUALLY, maybe you didn’t. Why? Because there were 400+ of the Who’s Who of voice over in that room chattering up a storm and I practically had to shout like Juan Peron on a balcony to be heard. That’s not an indictment of the noisy crowd, but reason to celebrate. See, here’s the thing. In just one year, the NAVA Gala, an event where people come from far and wide, sometimes at great personal expense, to then GIVE BACK EVEN MORE by bidding on auction items, making donations, and spreading the word, has grown to a size equivalent to the One Voice Conference USA - in other words, pretty much tied for the second largest headcount among industry events. And no one is there to GET. Everyone is there to GIVE. PROFESSIONALS, GIVING BACK Conferences are incredible and valuable things, but you pay for your admission with an expectation of RECEIVING: knowledge, insight, face-time, a few free drinks, maybe some good Southern fried chicken, and a free swag on closing day. But in LA, hundreds turned out to GIVE back to an organization that is dedicated to fighting for our collective existence as professionals. This tells me something that runs counter to so much of the FUD (look it up) that we see on voice over social media these days. It tells me that, in spite of synthetic voices ... in spite of current and past and future? strikes… in spite of a rapidly changing media landscape that naturally engenders uncertainty… WE, as a profession, WE, the voice actors ... WE ARE WINNING! A room full of people bidding 10x market value on autographed VO-industry memorabilia to help NAVA fight for us. A room full of people standing up so fast to just DONATE thousands of dollars that the folks writing down paddle numbers could barely keep up. A room full of people only half? based in LA, the rest spending copious amounts to fill up hotels and airplanes just to be there to give. This, my friends, is not an industry in difficulty. It is an industry full of success stories. MOOD MATTERS However, all too often, the increasing tenor of social media, with small but noisy groups of tut-tutters sniping at those who post their wins and amplifying struggle stories and doom and gloom about the NEXT BIG THING THAT WILL BE THE VOICE OVER APOCALYPSE, not only gives the impression of an industry that is doing poorly, but moreover discourages the many talent who are absolutely thriving from sharing their successes for fear of being labeled show-offs. And ultimately, this damages all of us, because mood matters. When collective psychology says, “things are bad,” people don’t fight as hard for fair rates, because if things are bad we need to take what we can get, right? Even agents might be afraid to push for more when in the grips of a culture of negativity. When newer talent are talked down to and dismissed for asking questions or told, “why bother in this market?” they might hesitate to speak up when something goes right for them, or avoid making that one move that would be the difference between them reaching their goals or not, or just give up altogether. Negativity breeds more negativity, which ultimately leads to defeatism and collective damage. CHANGE THE CONVERSATION This is not to dismiss those who ARE legitimately struggling. And there are many. And for innumerable reasons. And yes, we want to hear those stories too, and help, and lift you up and see you become a part of this vibrant, thriving community. But this is meant as a challenge to those who ARE NOT struggling. To those who are fu***ing crushing it right now day in and day out, or week in and week out, or who just booked their first big national thing but aren’t sure if someone will say something critical if they post it. IT’S TIME TO SHOW YOUR A** This industry needs to know that there are hundreds of talent out there booking daily. Thousands booking weekly. And that for many, 2024 will have been their best year yet. It’s time to change the conversation. It’s time for those who win in the shadows to step out and LEAD the conversation. To show and tell, and heck, if you can, TEACH others how you did it. If you are hitting six figures plus and you care about this industry it’s incumbent upon you to send the elevator back down ... to make yourself known ... and to yell to the rafters that IT CAN BE DONE AND THIS IS HOW. The voice over business NEEDS YOU. We need new blood, new thought leaders, new perspectives, and new stories about how building a career in the 2020’s looks different, but can still be just as rewarding as ever. Are you up for the challenge? NOTE: For more about the National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA) and its programs, please visit: https://NAVAvoices.org. Email: jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com |
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By J. Michael Collins
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