A big part of successfully marketing yourself as a voice actor involves networking. Networking with potential clients as well as other voiceover artists. Having professional relationships and friendships with other voice actors is good for both your career and your sanity!
One rough thing about doing voice over full time is that you are always working alone. Alone, and in a tiny, padded cell — I mean, room.
Meeting with other voice actors will give you the opportunity to learn and grow from another person’s experiences, ask for advice, and hopefully get honest feedback on your voice-over technique. In the right setting, a casual group could be the most affordable voice over training out there!
An example of a voice over group that keeps it both professional and fun is the Orange County VO Peeps Meet-Up, started and run by Anne Ganguzza. This group started out as a small group of classmates that met in a local voice over workshop, but now they meet bi-monthly in a potluck-style setting as friends.
“Our group welcomes all talents,” says Anne Ganguzza. “We want to educate, motivate, and inspire others — and hopefully we’ll help each other reach our career goals and get as many voice over jobs as possible!”
The group of 23 members has a wide range of experiences and training, and they all take turns reading copy. The other members give feedback as if this were a real life voice over audition. Anne even had Tim Keenan from Creative Media Recording come as a special guest to give them voice-over technique tips on reading corporate narration copy.
On the agenda for up-coming meet-ups is everything from marketing to writing business plans, bidding on jobs to editing auditions, and working with VO agents to managing finances.
One member, Eila Ulyett says of the group, “As a newcomer to the group and having attended just one event, I have to say how much it helped to encourage and motivate me. As we all work independently and alone in our recording worlds, it’s great to have a group of like minded people who understand the problems we face as we build our vo careers. Without doubt Anne’s enthusiasm and professionalism is motivational in itself.”
Meet-Up groups are definitely not a good substitute for traditional voice-over technique training though! They are most effective if the members have had some voice-over training and can contribute as much to others as they get from the group.
If you are in the Orange County area and would like more information on Anne’s Meet-Up group, please contact Anne directly at: info@annespeak.com
Learn how to start getting more voice over work today! If you want to become a better voice actor, contact us to get all the information you need today!