The other day a VO talent I’ve known for a few years asked for referrals to agents I work with and agents I know personally. I VERY rarely give referrals because 1. I must be comfortable with you as a talent and as a trustworthy source. 2. I must believe in the potential of what you’re able to do as a voice over (commercial, animation, narration, video games, radio, etc.) and 3. You must have trained or worked with people I know in voice over. [Read more…] about Think about what you say…
It’s 2017 and I’ve decided to do my very best to add VO related articles to my blog 3-4 times a month, primarily on Sundays.
I encourage readers to subscribe if what I have to share is of value. If not, no worries.
As a kid, I wanted to be famous. I won’t lie. The 1980s was just such a magical time for me when it came to movies and cartoons. I wanted to be part of it all. Then the 1990s came and the magic slowly began to fade. When the 21st Century arrived, it wasn’t about wanting to be famous as much as being part of amazing projects. And as time passed the thought of being famous sounded more like a nightmare.
Every day, the media shows what it’s like when intrusive paparazzi stalks well-known actors, YouTube stars, and even their children! Anything they say, anything they do, anywhere they go and anything they wear in public is judged. They’re on display like animals in a zoo, and why? Because they appear on a screen for the entertainment of others. That’s fame today. And the viewers who idolize and obsess over them are forgetting there’s more to life than illusions. This can happen in voice over too. Sooner or later people want to know what the person behind the voice looks like, how they talk in real life when they’re not in character, or if they can talk to them in person at a convention. The latter is what I hear about the most. And when I meet young people who tell me why they want to “get into” voice over, that’s one of the top reasons. They never talk about committing time to acting classes, performing in theatre, reading out loud every day to improve their speech, attending VO workshops or participating in improvisation workshops, or networking with experienced VO talent. They want to be the next “so-and-so”. They want fans clamoring to take their picture or asking for autographs. They want to make LOTS of money and fly all over the world attending conventions to feed their egos.
I know more than enough voice actors who enjoy the fame that comes with the work. I however, don’t have a legion of fans, but I do have lots of friends in the entertainment industry as well as lots of colleagues, a great client list, working relationships with creative people — hardworking agents doing all they can to help me – – and a great deal of support from admirers inside and outside my family. Everything mentioned above is what I value far more than fame. It’s respect.
Fame doesn’t make you a great voice over. It doesn’t guarantee more work. It can eat away at the soul, turn people sour against you, and in the end, isolate you from all that’s been good in your life. A handful of people in the world understand how to treat fame with humility. You only need to watch YouTube, or visit celebrity gossip sites to see how the rest handle it.
If you want to be a voice over, ask yourself why. Is it to achieve fame and fortune or respect and creative employment?
If it’s the later you must work hard at your craft, listen to professional wisdom, take criticism whether it be positive or negative, practice daily, network, keep up with changes in the industry, have patience when things don’t go your way, and appreciate others whether they help you or not.
If it’s the former, then nothing I can say in this blog will help you. Just google “How to be Famous” and see what comes up.
Why did I spend 7 years learning Krav Maga?
This is something I’ve been asked about a lot lately and yet there’s no simple answer. I had taken Tae Kwon Do in my teens, experimented with Karate, Judo and Kung Fu but couldn’t bring myself to stay with them. Some teachers were kind, some were stern yet understanding, and others were… just not for me. As a beginner I was judged as not being able to keep up with the pace of intermediate or advanced students. One man complained that I wasn’t trying hard enough to do full sit ups and said Judo would be no good to me anyways. Ah me. Can’t please everyone. The arrogance got worse when it came time to consider tournaments and other competitions which I had no interest in. I wanted a martial art that would teach self-defense like how to get away from gun attacks, knife attacks, chokes, rape prevention and more. But these other styles only cared for technique used in forms. So I finally gave up searching for a new studio. After years of traveling, soul searching, and praying for guidance I decided to try dancing. It did not last. You might say it was the straw that broke the camel’s back because I found my feet moving into a fighter’s stance instead of a dance routine.
On a drive one day I happened to pass a studio that had just opened its doors. Curiosity brought me into the parking lot. But while sitting in my car I thought no one was there. Nonetheless, I got out, approached the doors and saw a man behind a counter enthusiastically inviting me in. Of course the first thing I asked was, “What is Krav Maga”, to which the man explained it to me in great detail. It would be intense, the warm-ups alone would be rigorous. But it made sense to me, his attitude was very positive and encouraging without being salesy. I took a free lesson, learning about arm grabs and how to best get out of them. That sold me in a heartbeat. No other school wanted to teach me self-defense in a first lesson. Back then it was all about how to stand in a horse stance or where to position your arm with precision above your head with your fist tight before taking a step during form 1.
So for a few weeks I was the only student taking Krav Maga at this new location. I liked the individual attention. Then little by little others started to join in. Months later I took more till those months became years and the school expanded not once but twice. My teacher used to teach on his own, now he had 7 or 8 teachers to help with kids, teens, adult beginners, intermediate and advanced.
Before I knew it, 7 years had passed and I was told that it was time for my black belt test. Nobody gets their black belt in just 3-4 years in Krav Maga. You’re confronted physically, mentally, emotionally and beyond. I’ve seen lips busted, noses broken, feet broken, teeth knocked out, shoulders dislocated, and bodies slammed to the floor (including my own). With every new belt I tested for came new challenges such as trial by fire (put in a circle with your eyes closed and having someone attack you with a technique that you must get out of in less than 8 seconds) or a rattlesnake drill (multiple people attack you one after the other).
As I progressed to higher belt ranks the intensity skyrocketed. My strength didn’t feel adequate against men a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier than me. So I was encouraged to consider cheats if I was attacked in the real world such as scratching, biting, grabbing back fat, eye gouging and ripping the groin. That upped my confidence a tiny bit. Later more women joined the class. I felt even better to be working with them instead of men who could throw me across the room. By the time I got to my red belt 3 which was the last step to reaching black belt, I had learned multiple techniques to work with but also had the freedom to be inventive with them.
My teacher stayed patient with me even when under lots of stress. He knows I’m someone who will question anything and everything since something that works for him may not work the same for me. Then last month, the date of my test was announced. All I could think of was how I wanted to get it over with quickly. The first hour alone had me out of breath. That was just the start of the warm up. From there you had to ignore the clock as much as possible and move from one demonstration to the next. After lunch I felt ready to give it all the last 4 hours until we had to spar which I detest immensely. I did what I could then cried my eyes out thinking I was too much a disgrace to go forward. Yet again, my teacher encouraged me not to give up. Even my opponents urged me to keep going. So with tear streaked cheeks, puffy eyes, swollen ankles, sore arms, an achy back and shaky legs I forced myself to endure more trial by fires till I heard what I’d be waiting to hear for 8.5 hours “Awesome work! That’s it!”
Then we all got emotional. And I wondered if I truly deserved getting a black belt. Some areas I excelled at and others not so much. But I lasted through the entire day. My teacher said that was a big part of the test.
Now to answer the question at the top: Why did I spend 7 years learning Krav Maga?
I did it to prove I was just as worthy as anyone else of getting as far as I did with dedication.
I didn’t quit or walk away, I remained where I was, gave it my all and now I can look at my list of accomplishments and add achieving a black belt in a martial art. Best of all, the learning will never stop. A black belt doesn’t mean you’ve learned everything, it really means you’re ready to go beyond learning itself to become stronger, competent and understanding of who you are. Not what other people think of you.
All those years ago I remember being nervous just trying something new. I had been somewhat agoraphobic, and very shy. Now, in 2016 my awareness has increased dramatically. I’m more open-minded in conversations or topics under discussion. I feel less intimidated by others unless they just have really bad attitudes. I also found myself exploring new interests such as teaching yoga which I encourage classmates to take in order to improve their balance and flexibility when training in Krav Maga. This is where I am. Where do you want to be?
