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VOICE ACTING
Who Has Time Anymore For What's 'Better' Or
'Best'? Coping With Fast-Moving Voice-Over Biz

By Dave Courvoisier
Voice Actor

This is not so much a criticism as it is a lamentable observation:
  • No one has time for it.
  • No one has time to listen.
  • No one has time to consider.
  • No one has time to choose.
  • No one has time.
That prospect considering your audition? She found a similar audition that was good enough, and it came in an hour ago.

That producer who needs a better voice? He's hearing his boss say he can't afford it. "Hire the guy we had last time."

That newsletter you took so many pains to write? There wasn't enough time for anyone to get past "the fold."

Your regular client who's been paying you the same for 4 years? He doesn't have time to hear your rationale for a rate increase. Fiverr is too easy.

YOU'RE GUILTY, TOO

The reason it's hard to criticize this deadly deadline mindset is that (if you think about it) you've probably succumbed to it in a decision here 'n' there lately, too. 

Now that this paradigm has gained general acceptance across the business world, there's almost no changing it. Sink or swim.

We ALL are part of this cultural shift where too much info is coming too fast, and none of us have enough time to give a decision the time it deserves.
  • What's handy, works.
  • What's convenient, wins the job.
  • Whoever is first, gets the gig.
  • The lowest price, gets prime consideration.
CAN YOU ACCEPT THIS?

This is why being in the first 10 to 20 to respond to ANY audition counts more than returning the BEST audition.

This is why offering the lowest price on one of those online sites where you have to bid, garners more attention than the quality of your voice.

This is why sending the first take is maybe better than the sixth or seventh (better) read.

Are you agile enough to go with the flow? Can you accept this way of doing business? Do you have any choice? 

Grace (unmerited favor), and genuine second chances are few and far between these days. 

No one has time. On to the next seemingly important thing.

Urgency trumps distinction.

Luckily, there are surprising, unexpected, and wonderful exceptions to this mindset in our business. But you can scarcely count on that to be the norm these days.

No one has the time.
--------------------
ABOUT DAVE
Dave Courvoisier is a full-time voice actor and audiobook narrator based in Las Vegas, where he was formerly an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, producer and the main weeknight news anchor on KLAS-TV, Channel 8, the CBS affiliate. A former president and a founding member of the World-Voices Organization (WoVO), he also writes Voice-Acting in Vegas, a daily blog of voice over adventures, observations and technology, and is author and publisher of the book, More Than Just A Voice: The Real Secret To VoiceOver Success.

Email: CourVO@CourVO.com
Web: http://www.courvo.com
Blog: https://courvo.com/blog
More Than Just A Voice: http://courvo.com/more-than-just-a-voice


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