Accepting failure as part of the process, learning from mistakes, seeing setbacks as a means to success – all these are some of the steps taken into any unknown territory, and are necessary to find what works.
It sure can throw you, though.
That said, I’d certainly rather be learning something new, with a few scrapes and bumps along the way, than bitterly walking away from a project forever without giving it a real chance.
Here’s an early failure I’ll share with you that I hope will be of value to you, especially those who are just beginning their voice-over adventure.
Upon completing my training with Such A Voice, the beginning voice-over journey was not without its ups and downs.
We’ve all experienced it:
“We regret to inform you that…”
“After careful review, we find …”
“Back to the drawing board …”
I had submitted an audition recording to a pay-to-play site that required a sample before my profile would be approved. It was rejected. Twice. The company required certain technical standards and automatically rejected any file that didn’t measure up. Mine didn’t.
I knew that auditioning was (and is) the way of life for a voice-over artist, and that I had to have a solid process to create audition recordings. The fact that my auditions were not up to snuff presented a problem to the future I wanted.
I felt completely derailed at first, and even panicked a bit since I had finished setting up my home studio and had already begun auditioning for jobs. Considering this rejection, I questioned and worried over the setup itself, as well as these other submissions – were they “substandard” as well? Was the space I had set aside for recording going to need even more adjustments? What was I going to do?
I floundered some, agonized a little more, but then realized that if I could solve the issues noted by the rejected file, it could only improve the overall process. Editing and production is often the biggest challenge for many who decide to enter this industry, since in addition to being a talented voice actor capable of script analysis and character development, one must also become an engineer of sorts, making, editing, and producing high-quality recordings. That doesn’t always come naturally, and the learning curve can be daunting.
However, I was determined to figure things out, so I researched a bit, and considered options for my recording space: maybe a sound screen to place behind me? Sound absorbing panels hung from the ceiling? Different editing software?
I contacted Such A Voice, since they offer consults to students on technical issues. I got some terrific input and ideas, and brushed up on my editing training. I was advised that my setup was actually pretty close to what was needed, with a few alterations.
I adjusted the physical position of the mic relative to the sound absorbing material I’d installed, added a sound absorbing “cloud” above my space, and enclosed the space more completely with sound absorbing panels.
As my attention turned to my editing process, I changed some settings on my recording software to ensure a more reliable noise floor, incorporated some filters and gates, and improved my overall editing workflow.
Lo and behold, when I started recording again, I immediately felt (and heard!) the quality had improved. Making recordings was a little easier, and each session allowed me to learn a bit more about mic technique, editing, and recording. I regained the confidence I needed to continue auditioning.
Since then, my auditions have become more successful, my VO career has taken off, and in the studio I have added new mics, gotten much more advanced in my editing skills, and even been brave enough to start developing a travel setup so I can take my show on the road.
I know there will always be challenges, but as I experience bumps in the road, I have friends and colleagues in the voice-over business I can reach out to. I continue to get coaching, develop new skills, and even refresh some established ones. I truly believe real progress is often made through a series of ups and downs rather than successes alone, and that failure just might be one of the best teachers.
P.S. If you haven’t yet taken our introductory voice-over class, where we go over everything one needs to know about getting started in the voice-over industry, sign up here!
