VAM 073 | Q & A Session 13 – How to Approach Voice Actors & Can I Fix a Bad First Impression
Welcome to episode 73 of the Voice Acting Mastery podcast with yours truly, Crispin Freeman!
As always, you can listen to the podcast using the player above, or download the mp3 using the link at the bottom of this blog post. The podcast is also available via the iTunes Store online. Just follow this link to view the podcast in iTunes:
http://www.voiceactingmastery.com/podcast
In this episode, I continue answering questions from my podcast audience! For those who may not be as familiar with the podcast, in past episodes, I’ve given out a phone number where you can call in and leave me a question about voice acting as a voicemail. From time to time, I’ll pick the most relevant questions I receive and answer them here on the podcast.
For this round of Q & A, I answer questions from Wesley from Thousand Oaks, CA and James from Dallas, TX.
Wesley has learned through experience how important it is to act professionally towards voice actors. He’d like me to expand on that idea of acting professionally so that others can understand the value of acting professionally.
I’m happy to expand on the idea of professionalism and I’m glad Wesley brought up the topic.
I talk at length about how to think and act like a professional in episode 30 of the podcast. I also explain what is expected of professional voice actors in the booth in episode 31.
However, what Wesley seems to be describing is how someone who may be a fan of certain characters or voice actors should interact with industry professionals. What’s the best way to approach those whose artistic work you admire deeply?
Creative people, like anyone, want to be treated with courtesy and respect. No matter how enthusiastic a fan may be, if they cannot act in a courteous way towards a creator, the creator will want to avoid that fan. If you are a fan and you would like to join the ranks of industry professionals, I explain how to educate yourself and change your mindset so you can talk to them as an equal, and not like a fan who wants or needs something from them.
James had an opportunity to audition for a studio, but has yet to hear back from them. He worries that he may have made a bad first impression. He wants to know how to approach them so that he can make a better impression the second time around.
I explain to James that while it is true that we never get a second chance to make a first impression, I believe that it is always possible to impress someone in the industry the second time around. It just takes a little more work.
The best way I know to regain the interest of an industry professional is to go out and make good art. Go work on other projects. Start your own projects. Get out there and hustle a bit and apply your artistic skills in any project you can. Once you have created something or worked on something that is measurably successful, you can then share your success with industry professionals.
However, it is vitally important NOT to overwhelm those professionals with every little thing you might be working on.
I explain to James how to communicate his successes in projects in a professional manner so he can avoid annoying or harassing the very people he’s trying to impress.
I hope you find the answers useful in your own voice acting endeavors!
If any of my listeners would like to call in with your own thoughts, thank you’s or questions, the number is:
323-696-2655.
Please don’t forget to include your first name and what city in the world you’re calling from. I’m looking forward to hearing from you!
Thanks for listening!
Download Voice Acting Mastery Episode #73 Here (MP3)
11 Responses to “VAM 073 | Q & A Session 13 – How to Approach Voice Actors & Can I Fix a Bad First Impression”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- VAM 074 | From Fan to Pro, or, How to Be a “Famous” Voice Actor | Voice Acting Mastery: Become a Master Voice Actor in the World of Voice Over - […] this episode I want to expand on a subject I addressed in my previous episode, #73. In it, one…
The first time I went to an anime convention, the guy next to me told me, “Remember, these guys are just normal people like you and me, but their jobs are a lot cooler.” I’m not sure if he was trying to tell me that or reassure himself, but I got along with the voice actors I was speaking to just fine. Would it be alright to say to behave like a peer? I know we might be at different levels in our careers, but we’re still actors all the same.
I’m a follower of Diamond Dallas Page (former three time WCW World Heavyweight Champion) and his DDP Yoga. DDP released an audiobook on how to “Own Your Life.” One of the principles was to be pleasantly persistent. The exact quote is, “Be persistent. Now I call it being pleasantly persistent. You don’t want to become a pain in the ass.”
Thank you for your time and wisdom, and thanks to Wesley and James for their questions.
It is a great idea to behave like a peer. A peer is someone who values what they value and understands the challenges facing them as a professional. We are all still actors.
Pleasantly persistent is a great phrase as well! You certainly don’t want to become a pain in the ass, but pleasantly persistent will most likely get you results!
Thanks for your very insightful comment!
I like to say thanks for the podcast it did shed some light on meeting voice actors in a courteous way. I jut hope the performers don’t misinterpret it due to my Asperger’s Syndrome.
You’re welcome. I’m glad you found the podcast episode helpful.
Due to me being an Aspie, would that somehow affect my performance and linguistic skills when it comes to voice acting or is it an asset for me to perform well?
I don’t know off-hand. I’m not intimately familiar with Asperger’s syndrome. If Asperger’s is a form of autism, then I have heard that it can be difficult for people with autism to pick up on the emotional cues that people communicate through facial expressions, vocal tone and body language. If those are difficult for you to read, then you’ll probably need to put in some work to develop your ability to read emotional nuance and sub-text.
Okay. Thanks.
Lovely episode as always. Great questions with fantastic answers!
Looking forward to more~!
~ Kalyn
Thanks so much Kalyn! Glad you enjoyed it!
Crispin thank you so much for answering my question. Like I said I think it’s really important to learn this and I’m glad I learned at 19 instead of at 22 because it’s an important thing to know. Just to relay a story. I remember interning for this guy that did hosting stuff on a show I watched everyday for the 8 years it was on. And meeting him was weird at first and then it just became normal, and I was like holy crap he’s just a normal person like you and me. So from that point on I knew the way to act, because I just had to treat them like anyone else. Because every person has boundaries and actors are people too.
You’re welcome Wesley. Thanks for a great question.
We are biologically programmed to react to celebrity. There’s actually a great documentary about it called The Human Face hosted by John Cleese. We have adapted to recognize and regard those who are important with reverence. It takes a conscious decision therefore to realize that those people are still people and they have boundaries and limits just like we do.
Thanks again.