Social Distancing Free Time…What to do?

voiceover

There is no doubt that all of us in some way have been touched by the COVID-19 pandemic.  This is a stressful time for most everyone as we’ve never experienced anything like this.  People are suffering with finances, job loss, overwhelming health issues, loneliness and anxiety.  It’s very likely that you have been touched by at least one of these.  We will get through this…together.

Unless you’re a health care worker on the front lines, a first responder or working in what’s been deemed an essential business, you probably have an abundance of time on your hands right now.  There’s no rushing to work for 8hrs a day or more.  You’re sheltering in place.  Spending more time in your home than usual.  If you’re like me you’re catching up on the numerous projects that have been pushed aside.  I’ve made decent headway in cleaning & organizing my garage.  I’ve stepped up on my fitness and I’ve done some reading that I’ve been meaning to do.

So how about you?  What have you been doing to fill your hours of sheltering in place?  As a full-time voice actor, I’m accustomed to being somewhat isolated. Most days I’m either in my recording booth or reaching out to current or prospective clients.  Both activities typically don’t require much interaction with others.  I try to break it up a bit by connecting with others through lunch meetings or networking functions.  But since that’s currently not possible I’ve had to do that virtually.

Like most voice actors, I spend a large part of my day auditioning for voice over roles.  Since there has been a bit of a lull in the volume of auditions going out, I’ve had to find some other productive activities to fill my time.  I’m trying to view this time in my life not as a setback but an opportunity.  The heart of this opportunity is preparation.  I believe that WE ARE going to come out of this.  I believe that WE ARE going to be able to see each other face to face again.  I believe that WE ARE going to experience an up-trend in our businesses.  I want to be ready when that occurs.  So, instead of wallowing in despair, I’m choosing to fortify the foundation of my business.  Here are some things that I’ve been doing.

 

CLEANING UP MY DATABASE

Over the years I’ve met a lot of people and collected a ton of business cards.  After meeting someone, whether at a networking meeting, trade show or industry conference, I’ll enter that person in my CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system.  My CRM is filled with both business and personal contacts.  Considering all of my pursuits I’ve amassed quite a collection of contacts.  Managing this volume of contacts has been challenging.

People in the business world move around.  So as I comb through the various categories and lists of my business contacts, I’ve discovered many company changes, which usually means the contact information has changed as well.  Company changes may also mean a shift in job title and responsibilities.  Which may mean that the original reason we connected may no longer be valid.  However, it could also mean that there now exists a new opportunity for growth for my business or my contact’s.

Keeping all of this organized and up to date requires daily diligence.  Getting it back to where I once had it is a slow and methodical process as I bounce between social media profiles to confirm my contact’s current company, role and responsibilities.  Admittedly I haven’t been keeping up with this as much as I like but this time of securing in place has reinvigorated my desire to effectively maintain this valuable resource.

 

FURTHERING MY EDUCATION

I’m using this time to learn about, what I need to learn about!  Voice acting is a performance using the voice.  It’s composed of voice and acting.  It’s a craft that needs continuous development.  I have been putting together a plan to grow in both areas.  Part of my plan involves setting aside future time to deepen my knowledge of voiceover script interpretation and remaining current on voice over industry trends.  I want to be able to improve my ability to not only read copywriter’s words but deliver those words in the way the advertising creatives intended.

I’m also planning to develop the other half of this, the acting part.  I had a valuable experience studying  improvisation.  I learned a ton of techniques on how to jump into a scene and add my personal touch to it.  I love performing and want to dive deeper into it.

I’ve reached out to some of my actor friends and got some recommendations for on-camera acting classes in my area.  I’m really excited about this!  I’ve never done any on-camera work before…never really thought about pursuing it.  But I do have some interest and I’m eager to learn.  Who knows what will develop?

Unfortunately, due to the current COVID-19 climate there are no in person classes being held.  There are some online opportunities that I’m sure are effective, so maybe I’ll look into that…

 

TRYING SOMETHING NEW

Currently I do voiceover work in commercials, eLearning, corporate video narration, automotive advertising, , radio imaging, interactive voice response (IVR) and on hold messaging.  While I’m continually seeking work in these areas, I am always on the look-out for new business opportunities and new markets.  My thought is to use the knowledge I’ve gained over the years in voiceover as well as that of my work in the years before voice-over to create some new income streams.  Some of the things on my mind are:

  • Motivational speaking
  • Live event announcing
  • Public speaking

These would be new ventures for me which may require some additional training.  I’ve been doing research on how I can leverage the skills that I already have into these new pursuits.

 

SURPRISE!

So how are you viewing the abundance of free time that you have right now?  As a curse?  As a blessing? An opportunity?

I feel this time I’ve been given is a gift.  A gift I can squander or use sensibly.  A gift I can use or loose.  With regard to my business, I’m choosing to use this time to prepare for the time when I don’t have so much time.  Get it?

If you share my view that this time is a gift, then by all means use it wisely because once the time is gone…it’s gone.

eLearning Developer & Voice Actor: 5 Communication Tips for a Successful Relationship

eLearning

You’ve poured hours of hard work into developing your eLearning content.  You already understand the value of using a professional voice to deliver your eLearning content.  You’ve chosen the voice actor.  Now what?  Should you just send the voice actor a script and expect that everything will work out to your liking?  Yes… if you’re feeling lucky.  But instead of leaving things to chance, you may want to take an active stance NOW to put yourself in the best possible position for success

I’m sure we’d all agree that clear communication is a vital part of the foundation upon which a successful eLearning project is built.  But how do we go about the business of communicating with the Voice of our eLearning project?  How should we manage the overall communication process?  What should we talk about before, during and after project completion?

Here are 5 tips you can use to guide your communications with your voiceover talent.

1.Communicate the goals of your eLearning project.

Be open with your vision about what you hope to see at the project’s completion.  Give your voice actor a glimpse of the place this eLearning has in your organization.  Be sure to share your desired outcome.  Part of every voice actor’s training is Script Interpretation.  This is when an actor is educated on the importance of grasping the “big picture” and not just focusing on the words to be read.  Understanding that big picture will put the actor in the proper frame of mind to deliver the lines with the tone, pace and emotion that the writer intended.  That intention of the writer could be to generate awareness, sell a product or service or to educate.  When you share your vision for your project you invite the voice of your project to see what you see.  You allow your project to be more than just words on a page or screen.  This helps the voice of your project call on his training and tailor it to exactly what you need.

2.Establish rules of engagement.

How will project details be communicated?  E-mail is one way, but sometimes the back and forth of e-mail communication can be tiresome and time consuming.  There are also web based project management tools like www.basecamp.com or www.dapulse.com.  As effective as electronic communication is, there are times when a simple phone call will do the trick.  So don’t be averse to picking up the phone and having a live conversation with your voice actor.

3.Define Roles Responsibilities / Set clear expectations

The role of the voice of your project is to deliver your content in the way you desire.  The voice actor is the expert who will bring life to the words you have written.  One of the benefits of using a professional voiceover is that you can rest assured that your eLearning project is their PRIORITY.  It is their job.  That being said, you should still be sure to leave no doubt as to what you expect from the interaction with the voice of your project.

  • Delivery date.
    • Probably one of the most important considerations. Make this known early.  If the project is lengthy and there are milestones involved be sure to set up a delivery schedule that can be used to track performance.
  • Script revisions.
    • Establish a system to handle script changes that come after the recording has been submitted. Determine how and when you’ll make the voice actor aware of these modifications; whether e-mail or phone calls, individually or in batches.
  • Recording specifications.
    • This area covers file types (mp3, wav, aiff…), sample rate, bit depth, and file naming convention. The recording software used by your voice actor has many settings that you may not need.  If you don’t specify, it’s likely that your voice actor will use his judgement and choose settings based on past experience.  If you know that your eLearning software requires a particular setting please be sure to communicate this as early as possible.
  • File delivery.
    • Depending on the length of the recordings, e-mail may not be an option. Fortunately there are a number of alternatives for electronically transmitting large files.  For example: ftp transfer, dropbox.com, www.wetransfer.com and others.

4.Contractual Agreement

Does your organization regularly work with freelance talent?  If yes, you may already have a standard freelancer agreement in place.  This agreement will typically cover things like the freelancer’s position as an independent contractor, intellectual property rights, the handling of the company’s confidential information and pricing; just to name a few.  With regard to voiceover services the following items should be clearly spelled out:

    • Recording Studio: Where is the actual recording taking place? Voice actor’s personal studio or a rented studio?  Who will be responsible for additional charges if there are any?
    • Recording Session Direction: If it’s your desire to listen in live while the recording takes place be sure to state this up front.
    • Revisions, Corrections & Retakes: How will changes affect the price previously quoted?
    • Editing, File Separation & Labeling: To make it easy for you to drop recordings into your eLearning content; it will likely be necessary to label files according to your parameters. Be sure to make the file naming convention clear.

5.Post project review

This final tip represents a great growth opportunity.  At the conclusion of every eLearning project you’ll have things that worked well and things that could have worked a bit better.  Hopefully you would have avoided disasters!  Taking the time to examine all aspects of your project will provide you with learnings that you can apply to future projects and interactions with your voice actor.   Why is this important?  Well, repeating mistakes can waste time and money.  Even if things went extremely well it would be a good idea to document that so that it can be preserved and shared with others in your organization who may be involved in future eLearning-voiceover projects.

Don’t guess when it comes to dealing with your voiceover talent!  Be proactive and engage in communication that will build a strong foundation for a mutually-beneficial working relationship.