It all starts with an evaluation. One that should be free.

Monday, August 07 2006 @ 08:59 AM EDT

I have gotten two calls in the last week that reminded me why voice over evaluations should be free. In both calls, neither one of the curious information seekers really had much of an idea of what VO work really was or how to get into it. They were at least savvy enough to know they should get an evaluation before proceeding, but why should they have to pay to find out it's not for them?

I get calls from all walks of life looking into getting into voice over or just finding out more about it. For some, the "at length" descriptions and anecdotes that you can find on the numerous pages on this site just aren't enough. They want to hear it from a real person, which is why I have always made myself available to anyone looking into it. I myself don’t like to take everything I read for granted and in this business it's almost a law of survival not to.

I have tried to sum it up in so many ways in the past through the podcasts, the articles, the newsletter, but to a few I guess they just aren't getting what I'm saying. So I will sum it up once again here:

Things to understand before calling for an evaluation:
• This business is not cheap to get into or stay in.
• If you are not prepared to spend at least $1000 dollars with no guarantee of return on your investment... stop right now.
• If you want to work for high end clients in this business you are looking at years of training, practice and the need for top notch equipment, which in turn will cost you more money.
• You will need to be prepared to set up a home studio to record in. If you lack the technical aptitude to set up audio equipment, install audio editing software and learn some basic wiring and audio editing you will need to learn these skills. If you lack the desire to learn them...stop right now.
• If you are thinking about quitting your day job to get into voice over...stop right now.
• The people who are out working and struggling in this business have had years of training, years of practice and years of expenditure - some of them with very little to show for it. If you are not willing to take these chances to become one of them... STOP RIGHT NOW...
• There are no cures, no out of the box magic tricks, no quickie success to be had in voice work. Sorry to paint such a sorry picture but the above is the truth.
• This is a difficult competitive business and the only way you get ahead is with some risk and expenditure.
• There is one thing though that will not cost you any money...An evaluation of your skills.

For over 10 years I have welcomed voice talent into my studio and more recently talked to them via Skype and in chat rooms, to give them an honest idea of what I think their chances are, what I think it will cost them, and how long I think they will have to train. I have never charged one of them.

Many times I try to discourage people if I see things that I think will really stand in their way. What I am looking for is a person who says, "I know this is hard, and I know I might fail - But I'm not scared and I am going to push forward with it."

If they have that type of desire then I think there are some things we might be able to do with them. But they need that desire and some talent to go along with it.

So before you venture into voice over, remember the stuff at the top of the page, ask yourself if you have the courage and desire, then call for your free evaluation that usually takes more than an hour - less than two.

It is free - It has always been free and it should be. Why should I or anyone else charge you to have you find out it's not for you. For more on Voice Over Training and the Evaluation go HERE

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