Business & Money 101 Class
Build a successful VO business from the ground up
Being a voiceover talent isn't just about being on the mic. Successful professionals also know that they are in business, and need to act as both artists and business people if they want to be paid properly and operate efficiently.
Learn these particulars of the voiceover business before you create your demo so that you can tailor your demo to match your new business and be fully prepared to begin working once your demo is complete!
Covering topics ranging from agents and casting directors, session preparedness, understanding VO norms and expectations, staying competitive and adapting to industry changes, this two hour intensive class will help you start thinking like a professional, to learn what to expect once your business is up and running, and to be ready when it happens.
About this Class
- Setting: Tele-class
- Timetable: Offered every other week
- Instructor: Vanessa Richardson
- Class Length: 2-hours
- Cost: $79 or included if you are in the Phase-2 program
To Participate
- Already in our Phase-2 program? This class is included, so just register by calling us at 888-321-EDGE (3343) or email training@edgestudio.com.
- Want to purchase this class "A La Carte"? Select the class below and click "add to cart", or email training@edgestudio.com, or call us at 888-321-EDGE (3343).
- Click for Edge Studio Polices
After You Register
- Dial 1-641-594-7078 a few minutes before the class begins.
CLASS OUTLINE
The flow of the industry
- Who hires talent (casting agents, directors, engineers, end-users/clients, essentially anyone along the chain)
- Who pays talent
- What do casting professionals listen for? Why do they hire certain talent?
- Client expectations
- Discuss the politics that exist in the industry
What it takes to be professional
- ONLY give your contact info to the person who hired you. (If you give your contact info to others, they may feel that you're trying to bypass the person who hired you.)
- ONLY discuss your rates with the person who has hired you. (If you discuss your rates with the end-user, for example, they may inappropriately find out that the person who hired you, a studio for example, was marking up your rate 10 or 15%.)
- Be on time
- Be prepared
- Have highlighter, pencil with eraser, mints, tissue, water
- Be calm, confident, enjoy the experience!
- Pay attention, listen, follow direction
- Don't self-produce, don't apologize for being stuffed up, don't apologize every time you stumble,...
- A professional reputation will travel as fast as a bad reputation!
How to ensure you set-off in a marketable way
- The most successful students and voice over artists are those that take an active role in their own careers... right from the beginning!
- Listen to select demos and LEARN WHAT THE INDUSTRY STANDARDS are for demos. Get ideas... but do NOT directly copy anyone.
- Do not record your demo until you are ready:
- you are comfortable recording (no tension)
- you are comfortable following directions (rather than just reading a script your way)
- How and where can you go to read, learn, and listen about the industry. The more you learn NOW, the more you can tailor your demo to be more marketable for you!
- Think about the type of clients you want and THEN think of a way to stand out for them, and how to stand out from competitors. Have your demo reflect this.
How to ensure you remain marketable
- Do not market your demo until
- you will be comfortable recording (no tension)
- you are sure you can reproduce the reading quality on your demo (if you market before this, you are misrepresenting yourself)
- Make sure that you are all set to begin recording the day your demo is finished. If a client wants you to record something from your home studio on a tight time-frame but you don't have it set up yet, you will leave a bad impression with the client and they probably will not use you in the future.
- Don't quit your day job. Do not assume that work will be instantaneous or that you will be able to demand the same rates of experienced talent out there. It takes time and patience... but don't give up! You can do this! If you think that once you make your demo you will be able support yourself right away you will become discouraged very quickly.
- Continually assess the marketplace, the competition, and where you best belong in it.
- Continually assess new genres (styles of vocal delivery) that are marketable for you, and be honest with yourself about the kind of work you're likely to get. Then market yourself accordingly. A great example of this is a woman we worked with: She insisted on making an audiobook demo with very serious and intense copy on it, even though she has a Southern belle/peach pie/sweet tea voice that would be much more suitable for other types of material. Not to say that you shouldn't go for your dreams, but you will likely be much more successful if you are realistic
Tips on running your business that you SHOULD BEGIN NOW!
- Know the difference between a graphic designer, an artist, and illustrator, a web designer, and a web developer. And begin vetting a team now! This will give you time to select the right team to work with you to best suit your needs, and, it will help you spend/invest your marketing budget wisely.
- Network with your fellow students. As your careers grow you can use each other for recommendations, advice, and to review materials before sending them to prospective clients.
- Start organizing any contacts now (trying to catch up later is tough)
- Keep records of costs incurred in training and setting up your business for tax purposes.
Vanessa Richardson
English and Spanish Voice Coach
Location: Washington D.C.
Coaching Formats: In Studio, Online Checkups, Skype, Telephone
Expertise: Character, Commercial, Corporate Industrial, Documentary, Narration, Spanish
To schedule with Vanessa call 888-321-3343
or email training@edgestudio.com
I love what I do.. Even if I'm down or stressed - when I'm in the voice-over booth, everything is right somehow. And I love helping people reach their goals of becoming voice over talent because I understand the desire to do something you love for a living!
Born in Colombia, South America, I came to the U.S. at a very young age. I spent my formative years moving every year and have lived everywhere from New York City to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Shaped by my ever-changing environment, I bring a unique perspective to the art and business of voice-over.
One day, a CBS producer asked me to record a voice-over scratch track, and I fell in love… with Voice Over! I began training and learning as much as I could about this field. Moving to Washington D.C. in 2000, I focused on audio post-production and was responsible for, among other things, hiring and producing voice over talent. Soon after, I began being the voice over talent. It was then that I formed a relationship with Edge Studio.
I have narrated thousands of hours of narration over the years and have had the pleasure of recording in almost every studio in Washington, DC as well as a few in New York City. The majority of my voice over work is done from my home studio. My voice can be heard on television, internet, radio, in museums, movie theaters, e-learning modules for children, training modules for corporations and in hospital lobbies.
Here are some of my favorite projects:
- Narration for two nationally syndicated television series.
- Narration for programs aired on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, the History Channel, PBS and a seven-part series for the We Network.
- Being paired with Sigourney Weaver’s voice for the Planet Earth Press Kit.
- Being paired with Harrison Ford for the Ocean Health Index Series Promos.
- Museum Installation narration for the Louisville Science Center. The educational series “Geography for Students” for Schlessinger Media. "Bees Buzz and Lions Roar", A children’s DVD in English and Spanish, and countless children’s computer-based/e-learning lessons for K12.
- E-Learning for Harley Davidson, Boeing, NIKE and Verizon.
- Internet and Website narration for Huggies and PSAs for the Red Cross and DHS/FEMA, among others.
- Live Announcement / VOG for Smithsonian’s Hispanic Heritage Month Gala and the 10th Anniversary of their Latino Center.
- National and local commercials for PBS, FILA, Comcast SportsNet, Charter Communications, Let's Dish! and Bowl America.
- Animated characters for Fallout3, K12 Children’s Educational series and the voice characterization of Daisy Suckley in a History Channel biography of FDR.
I am an active member of several organizations including Women in Film and Video (WIFV) and TIVA-DC.
I understand deeply not only what it takes to be a voice over talent - but the inner workings of the business of voice over as well. I know that no two performers -- and no two clients -- are alike. In voice-over class I encourage students to learn from a variety of coaches and life experiences, depending on your individual aptitudes and needs.
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How to Reach Us
Call us 888-321-3343
Email us training@edgestudio.com
