So today I wanted to talk to you about the 5 voiceover resources that I personally cannot live without as a voice actor. They all revolve around support from others in the industry!
There can be times of feast and famine when you are starting out in the VO industry and having support is PARAMOUNT
This post isn’t going to be about microphones and pop filters, it is actually about the ways I find support in the VO industry. The voiceover community is such a warm, welcoming, and giving community. It is a small community and we all want to succeed and rise together.
Resource 1) Coaching and Webinars at Edge Studio
My first experience in the VO community was through Edge Studio. Not only did I receive awesome training through webinars, but I also had a great resource in my coach, Jennifer Sims. She taught me a bunch and made me feel welcome and safe.
Feedback Forum:
Edge also has a feedback forum that is changing over to SoTelling.com where you can post practice reads and get feedback from other people with varying voiceover experience.
My suggestion is to use this feedback forum and meet some people. Also, connect with a coach and get educated in order to grow your skills, and meet a VO Pro! 🙂
If you want an alternative to Edge Studio, I’ve heard many great things about Gravy For The Brain!
Resource 2) World Voices Organization (WoVO)
The second resource I joined and am still a member of today is the World Voices Organization or WoVO. You can join as an associate member when you first start out. They have some webinars and resources online, and I know they are doing a website redesign to be more user friendly,
WoVO Facebook group
The best resource I found when joining WoVO was their Facebook group. It has a bunch of seasoned and experienced (I’d argue some of the most experienced) voice actors in the biz, and you can ask them any question you want in the WoVO member Facebook group, but you have to be a member to join.
Zoom Chats
They also have coffee chats on zoom twice a week. It is a great place to start building relationships.
Professional Member
When you book enough work, have a certain number of clients, and are a proven working professional charging fair industry rates, you can upgrade to become a professional member at WoVO.
I’m a professional member now and it is really exciting when that happens.
WoVO Mentorship Program
They also have a number of people who are willing to mentor you. You can ask on the WoVO Facebook page to see if anyone is willing to chat with you!
This brings me to my 3rd resource…
Resource 3) A Mentor
I’ve found a mentor or two in this industry. I’m very fortunate and lucky! A mentor is someone who is successful and wants to help you succeed. These things come about organically. You just need to join the type of groups and associations I’ve mentioned and utilize coaching and webinars and you start to meet people.
Resource 4) Accountability Groups
The 4th thing I can’t live without is my accountability group. This is a group that you can create with people you meet in Facebook groups or webinars, etc. It can be a group that works out once a week on voiceover scripts, once a month, or it could be a goal-setting group.
Whatever you want the group to be, it should be a smaller group of people you can talk shop with and encourage and challenge each other.
Resource 5) VO Workout Group
The 5th thing I can’t live without is my VO workout group. I use VO Heaven Workouts which is run by Larry Hudson. It is so affordable at $30 a month. We meet up weekly on Skype and practice scripts together. There is a leader and everyone also gives direction to each other.
There are MANY workout groups. You can check out Larry Hudson’s group. But some friends have also mentioned:
- Brad Shaw’s Wonderland
- LIVO Takeover
- Domingo Castillo’s workouts.
In Conclusion…
I can’t live without my support group. Nobody understands what you are going through as a voice actor better than other voice actors.
I hope this inspires you to connect with others. I promise nothing will motivate you more than continuing to connect and grow your relationships with others in this industry!
