Where Does It All Begin for an Actor & Voiceover Artist?
Getting motivated is a substance in itself, right? Often, it is the starting point to building a brand and/or business. As a parent, I do not always feel motivated to clean up on an evening, and much is the same way as an actor and voiceover artist, I do not always feel motivated to push ahead with my business. Researching new clients, keeping social media fresh, keeping the strings of communication fresh with existing clients, and then all the fun admin stuff just do not motivate me. So how does one feed their voiceover creativity?
Motivating the Performer!
A question for you… yes, that is correct; I am presenting you with a question. All of a sudden, the reading element of this is about to stop and be replaced with a moment of thought as you digest and answer this question.
How badly do you want it?
That is it! Do you want to work when you want, on your own terms and schedule? Do you want to build something which gives you financial freedom and opportunity? Do you want to build a client list with some of the world’s finest? Do you want to continue growing and booking different roles across the board?
If you really want this, then put that at the centre focus of everything you do each and every day. The fun part is when we are in the booth going wild, but the supporting pillars surrounding that are all the marketing and admin-related tasks. They are the pillars that keep us going.
The Essence of Voiceover Creativity for the Talent
I have found both personally and from spending time with other actors and voiceover artists that we are all driven by a love to perform. It all starts with a tiny spark. Similar to how all it takes is a spark to create a massive inferno within us lies a tiny spark for our creativity. This spark fuels us and the more we do it the bigger it becomes and the more it spreads. It is almost as though we ascend to a different level of focus where our usual patterns are temporarily left on the shelf.
Typically speaking I think about and undertake several tasks each and every day. I am thinking about what chores need doing, the work I have on, what time I am going to eat dinner or take my daughter to the park – you know the stuff I mean, I am sure. But when I am in full force in my booth portraying a range of wild characters, everything in my head leaves and I find myself in storyteller mode.
I find myself back in the mind of an 8-year-old where I can be and do anything I want, at the subject only of however far my imagination will take me. It becomes real for those moments of performance where everything the character says, does, sees, smells, and feels becomes the truth at that moment. I have also found this level of immersion to be the truth the client and casting directors are so desperately seeking from us as actors and voiceover artists.
Voice Talents Using Their Imaginations and Seeking Adventure!
Once upon a time, most of us would have found ourselves on the school playground enjoying the world of make-believe. In that environment, you would find a president, an astronaut, a superhero, and just about everything else available within high-profile roles. Kids do not care! They are also the number 1 audience member who will see through a mediocre performance, they have to believe, they have to see your commitment. In the playground, they are committed, and we must match that!
So, where did it all go wrong? Well, imagine that our imagination is like a muscle. The older we got, the more our attention was focused on other things meaning our imagination was not receiving the exercise it so vividly deserved, so weakened. Many of us also became more focused on what those around us think and what society depicts as acceptable.
So can you have that child-like imagination but still fit in? sure you can! I consider myself a moderately eccentric individual when measuring my personality type. I am someone who does not really care all that much about what other people think; what you see is what you get – complete transparency, no deception. So, I will certainly contribute to a formal discussion, encapsulating the behaviours of a working professional and business owner, good punctuality, a high level of work, and so on. But I am fully engaged with my imagination and love to have fun! I love building relationships with people and forming friendships I believe most humans do seek relationships. That being said, some would look to go deeper than others and every relationship is different too, so it’s an interesting one to measure.
I take my personality and bring it into the session – the client gets me! I present myself with all the excellent business qualities someone expects, but they are getting my personality too. I have been fortunate in that it has made me memorable and triggered repeat work and referrals. I believe this is the difference.
Voice Actors Finding Genuine Believability
Where am I going with this? Not only does your performance need to be believable, but you as a person need to be believable too. Some actors may find it easier than others to turn on their imagination whilst others might find it easier to bring their charm to a session. But when you can do both, both elevate. Your personality in the booth brings down your walls and the client’s walls and creates an excellent platform for the character to flow. The commitment to the adventure (your imagination) compliments you as a person because you demonstrate that you are not scared to go where others would not go. Those places long forgotten about as a child are obtainable to all of us! When imagination and personality walk hand in hand, congratulations, you have found your playground! Finding your playground as an adult with all the skills and disciplines you have acquired is what sets you apart as an actor and voice actor, and that’s what is going to obtain new clients, keep clients, bring clients back, and get new referrals. Next thing you know – the dream jobs are slowly coming in, and it is all because you found your essence of creativity and utilised it correctly.