GARY MASON

443.624.3014

gary@gary-mason.com

Voice Over

Side Gigs

Acting, Voice Over

Welcome back!

And thanks for reading!  We’ve all heard the term “Starving Artist”.  And starving artists need a side gig to keep from wasting away to nothing or living out of their car.  I’m sure this term was coined because of the nature of freelance performance as a VO artist or actor…and I don’t think it is just a trope.  The nature of this business, in general, is “Feast or Famine” And if you are relying on it to make a living you may well be starving!

Not everyone, of course

The idea of a starving artist, while generally true, is not true for everyone of course.  There are plenty of people who are able to make a good living doing voice over or as an actor, but there are also plenty who are either just getting by or need a “Day Job” or “Survival Job” to make ends meet.  If you are one of those artists who are doing well, you can stop reading now, but if not, what follows are some ideas for survival work that may allow you to quit your day job and concentrate more on your art.

I’m fortunate

Starting out as an older guy, I am fortunate to have worked two full careers already with retirement.  I personally am in the enviable position that I do not rely on my art to survive.  Honestly, I could (and many of my friends ask why I don’t) just play golf every day and take naps in the afternoon. CONFESSION:  I typically DO nap in the afternoon if I am not on a gig. Hey, I’m old and I need my rest!

The issue

Here’s the issue:  Because of the on-again/off-again nature of getting work in VO and acting, most people, especially when starting out, have a full-time job in addition to their artist career.  That’s great for paying rent and buying food…but it really stifles your ability to audition for and book work.  It’s a real balancing act.

TIME

The real problem is time.  When you are tied to a full-time survival job, you lose 40+ hours a week to pursue VO or acting.  You wind up spending time late into the night searching out and auditioning for gigs.  If you are fortunate enough to be a home-based VO artist, you then spend many late nights recording and mastering the jobs you booked.  You’re burning the candle at both ends and it will negatively impact BOTH your day job and passion career.

And actors

If you are a screen or stage actor, it’s even worse.  You spend all day working, then all evening finding and auditioning for work and then you either have to use vacation days when you book something, or only accept gigs that work nights and weekends.  It’s no wonder so many people abandon their dreams of being a full time VO artist or actor!  And if you have a family that just ADDS to the demands on your time!

So, what do you do?

Well, you could do what I did and wait until you retire and have a comfortable income without having to do anything, but I don’t really recommend it.  In my case, I didn’t even know this was something I wanted and was passionate about until I was looking around for something to keep me busy during retirement (my knees won’t allow me to golf more than once every three days after all!).  If performing is something you love, I do NOT recommend this approach.

There IS another way

We all know the cliché about aspiring actors becoming waiters or waitresses (waitpeople?) while they pursue their acting career, and since they (depending on where they work) can mostly work nights and weekends it works OK. But it is STILL a (mostly) full time job that saps your energy and can be exhausting.  What you really need is flexible employment that allows you to have the free time you need to work when you book a gig without a ton of stress. So here are some ideas that are flexible and a few that even allow you to continue to be creative.

Uber/Lyft/Door Dash etc.

These rideshare and food delivery services are perfect for an aspiring artist, assuming you have reliable transportation.  We already know you are self-motivated as an artist because in order to succeed as a VO artist or actor you HAVE to be.  With these services you sign on and work when you can and simply don’t sign on when you can’t.  No boss determining your schedule for you, so when you book a gig you can concentrate on it.  They’re available 24/7, so there is no limitations on when you can work other than those imposed by the market you live in.

Graphic art

You could do what my friend Sara Matsui-Colby does.  Not only is she a Voice Over artist, Audiobook Narrator and Actor…but she also designs actor one-sheets and post card mailers for fellow artists as well.  If you’re looking for someone to design yours, reach out to her and tell her I sent you!

Photography

Or, if you either have a talent for, or can learn, photography you can do what my friend Jeremy Bustin does and photograph actor head shots.  Jeremy is an actor who has parlayed his skill with the camera into a pretty lucrative side gig.  And if you NEED headshots, definitely reach out to Jeremy, he is one of the best on the East Coast.  He’s in Richmond Virginia, well worth the trip if you’re not local and soon moving to Atlanta.  You can tell him I sent you as well.

Crew

Another idea that would at least keep you plugged in to the industry is to sign on to work as a crewmember on a production.  This one aims more at the actors than the VO artists, but pursuing a job as a PA or gofer on a film set is not only a way to earn money to survive on, but also introduces you to a range of other people in the industry.  I may have mentioned once or twice that relationships are important in the industry, so this is a good way to not only earn some cash but establish some relationships as well.  You never know where your next gig might come from!

Website development

Can you write well?  Have some talent with computers?  Consider taking a class or two on WordPress and hang out your shingle for web development.  Yeah, there are a lot of web developers out there, but if you are a VO artist or Actor you already know a BUNCH of people who need a website.  If you concentrate on just those types of sites you should be able to make a few bucks and maybe keep the lights on.

Essentially

These are just a few ideas (and some shameless plugs for friends), but you get the idea.  At the end of the day what you need is something that puts food on the table and a roof over your head and that still allows you the freedom and flexibility to pursue your VO or acting career without stress.  Something that pays enough to keep you whole, while not making huge demands on your time/schedule.  Basically, you don’t want anyone else to be able to determine your schedule for you.

At the end of the day

When all is said and done unless you are an A (or B?) list actor/VO artist who is consistently booking work and earning enough money to survive, you’ll likely need some sort of side gig to pay the bills until you are.  The key here, in order to maintain momentum and not burn you out, is to find something that interests you and that doesn’t require a full-time 9-5 commitment.  What you need is a flexible schedule that you set yourself.  You May need to get some training or learn a new skill, but that commitment will be worth it for you to continue to pursue your career in VO or acting.  Don’t do what I did and wait till you’re 60 to start moving your career forward, find a side gig that allows you to pursue your career NOW.

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

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There’s no such thing as a free lunch

Acting, General, Voice Over, Wisdom

Well, here we are…

And I’m having to come up with my own topics again. I’m discovering that writing is easier than deciding what to write.  I’m not complaining, but when I decided to start writing a weekly blog, I thought the topics would be easy and the writing not so much.  I confess that I never (used to) enjoy writing, and yet, here I am enjoying it! What I’m not looking forward to is coming up with fresh topics each week, so if there is something you’d like me to write about, leave it in a comment below. Anyway, such is life.  Enough whining, let’s get on with it!

Interesting origin…

In doing a little research into the topic, I found that this phrase, which is common and recognizable, has its origins in the 1800’s USA when bars would offer a “free lunch” to anyone who bought a drink.  Of course, all of the food was very salty, which compelled the diners to buy more drinks.  Eventually there was a recognition that the “free lunch” had hidden costs such as driving a desire for more drinks.

But we’re not really talking about “lunch” here…

I mean, we could be, but speaking more generally it is referring to the idea that everything, even free stuff, has a cost.   And no, I’m not getting political and talking about governments giving people free stuff that other people have paid for.  For this discussion, we are talking about the cost to an individual receiving something for nothing. Bear with me, it’ll all be clear soon.

Everything has a value

If you think about it, everything we have has some value.  It may be monetary value, it may be sentimental value, social value, psychological value…the list goes on.  We start with the basis that everything has intrinsic value of some kind. The scarcer something is, the greater its value.

Opportunity cost

What we are really talking about here is this: Opportunity cost.  Resources are finite, so if you use a resource for one thing, then you don’t have it for another thing.  It’s kind of like the “You can’t have your cake and eat it too” thing. That one always baffled me; I mean… I always thought if you didn’t have your cake, there was no way you could eat it…but I digress.

Sometimes

It occurs to me that this phrase is usually, but not always, true.  In rare circumstances there actually IS such a thing as a free lunch (well, getting something for nothing anyway).  Chances are people who love you have given you food or presents or their time and expected nothing in return.  So, it is not really fair to say there is no such thing as a free lunch, but it sounds better than: There are very few instances when someone agrees to give you something without expecting anything at all in return.

Never look a gift horse in the mouth

Have you heard this one?  My stepdad had this mindset, he even told me when I left for bootcamp: “If the government wants to give you something, take it, even if you don’t want it”.  He took anything that was offered “for free” and never seemed to get ahead.  The truth s you should ALWAYS check out the gift horse’s mouth.  Ask yourself what this “gift” might be costing you.  In most cases, you’ll be able to figure out the cost if you just pay attention.

A couple examples

  • Mom offers to make your favorite dinner Friday evening since you are a freelancer, and she knows you don’t have steady income. What a sweet thing for her to do!  But what is the cost to you? TIME. Time may be the scarcest resource we have, and if you spend time with mom, you won’t have that time to do something else.  Now, spending time with mom while you still have her is also very valuable, but the point is you won’t be able to record that audition or go on that date Friday.  You have to decide whether time with mom is more valuable than whatever else you intended to do (hint: it probably is).
  • You want to go someplace for a quick vacation. You can drive or fly.  If you drive, it may take hours on the road, dealing with traffic and (depending on how far away) maybe even an overnight stay along the route.  Flying may be a lot more expensive, but far faster.  You need to decide if the cost of the airline ticket has more or less value than your time in the car.

Tradeoffs

There are tradeoffs in nearly everything in life.  We make these tradeoff decisions sometimes hundreds of times a day, usually without even thinking about them. If I was going to summarize what I’m getting at here it would be: Think about them.

What’s the catch?

It’s wise to always look at a “free lunch” situation by starting with the question: What’s the catch?  I’m sure you’ve heard this phrase often, and it forces you to look for hidden costs.  In the vast majority of situations where you may be receiving something “free” there is an expectation that you’ll give something in return.  I’ll help you move for free, but you have to feed me and buy the beer.  Or we’ll give you three nights in our beautiful resort if you’ll sit through three hours of high-pressure sales tactics for our time share program.

It’s not always money

Sometimes the catch is money, sometimes it’s time, or maybe even some emotional drain.  The “catch” may be well hidden, but you’d do well to at least find and understand the catch, so you know if it’s worth taking whatever is offered.  Sometimes the free thing is worth more to you than the hidden cost, so it is perfectly reasonable to accept…but it should be a conscious choice.

Your career

As a VO artist or actor (or both) it is imperative to look for and understand the cost of that “free” thing you are considering.  At the very least these things are likely going to cost you time, workmanship quality, money, or reputation.

Getting started

I get it, you want to do VO or start acting in order to earn extra money, not spend a bunch.  I’ve seen countless people on social media trying to get started as cheaply as possible, and I get it.  You’ll definitely have to make tradeoffs in your career in order to start generating income but be aware of the costs of doing so.  Can’t afford a professional booth and want to build a moving blanket fort to record in?  Fine, but know going in that means you’ll wind up having to record at odd hours when everyone else is asleep and spend longer editing/processing afterward.

Training and coaching

This is where I see most beginners make the mistake of not understanding the true cost of either not doing it at all or finding the absolute cheapest training you can find.  This industry requires you to know what you’re supposed to do and how to do it and do it well.  The only way to do that is through training and coaching.  Well, assuming you want other people to pay you for doing it.

Equipment

If you want to be considered a professional VO artist or actor, you just can’t avoid buying professional equipment.  You simply cannot record VO on your mobile device and get hired.  You’ll need a decent microphone, interface, and software to accomplish it.  If you are an actor, while you CAN record good video on your mobile device, without proper lighting, background, and a microphone you will struggle to land paying jobs. The cost of buying equipment on the cheap (unless you are buying good quality used equipment from a reliable person or place) is that your quality is going to suffer.  At a minimum it will require a lot more time to have a good, finished product, and at worst you won’t EVER be able to have a quality finished product.

There are a million more things

There are a multitude of “free” items that you’ll have to assess every day in this business. Make sure that when offered some free service or item you are asking “What’s the catch?” and looking for that hidden cost.  And remember: There’s no such thing as a free lunch!

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If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

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Make Goals

Acting, Encouragement, General, Voice Over, Wisdom

Continuing the series

With this week’s topic “Make Goals”.

Drum roll please!

And…here we are. This is the long awaited 38th in the series post finishing the series!  So, I suppose the heading to this ought to read: Ending the series.  At any rate, this is it, the end of the line for my subset of the 100 wisest words series.  I don’t know if you’ll miss it, but I myself will now have to start coming up with my own fresh topics each week. So, part of me will definitely miss it!

It’s kind of ironic

I didn’t plan it this way, but the irony is not lost on me.  40+ weeks ago I made a goal to write a weekly blog based on a list of “wise words” published by someone else, and here we are as I reach the goal with a post about making goals! I promise it just happened that way.

What is a goal?

The term “goals” gets batted around a lot, but before setting a goal it is important to know what it is, and what it is not.  A goal is big and time sensitive.  It is not an objective (those are the steps you take to reach the goal), a resolution or a mission.  A goal is something “out of the box” that you are trying to achieve.  You should have goals set by week, month, year, 5 years and 10 years (as an example)

Goals

OK, so let’s dive in.  Why is it so important to set goals? The short answer is; without goals you’ll never know when you’ve achieved what you set out to achieve.  As author Bill Copeland says: “The trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never score.”.  And that is just what many people do.

How does making goals help?

There are several things making a goal will accomplish.  Goals give you focus, help you stay motivated and measure progress, they help you stay motivated and ultimately help you achieve more.  Of course, just setting the goal is only the first step…you have to take action to achieve the goal once it is set.

It’s like driving

I like to compare goal setting to taking a road trip.  Before you jump in the car and head off down the road, you need to have a destination in mind.  Just driving around until you see someplace you want to stop will only waste time and money.  And with fuel at $5.00 a gallon (or more in some places) you can’t sustain that model.  No, you must have a destination selected before you even walk out the door to get in the car!

But the goal itself is just not enough

What good is it to know where you want to go without some idea of how you plan to get there?  Again, like driving, simply saying “I plan to go to Los Angeles” and then driving around aimlessly hoping eventually you’ll wind up in Los Angeles won’t work.  You have to map out the trip.  And, yeah, I know with a GPS in your car it’s easier but stick with me here.

The first step

The first step in goal setting, believe it or not, is knowing where you are NOW.  If you want to go to LA, establishing a starting point is paramount!  Following directions from Atlanta to LA doesn’t work if you are in Billings, Montana.  And yeah, I get your GPS figures that out for you but don’t get stuck on that, the whole driving thing is just an analogy.

One BIG goal, many smaller objectives

You may have heard it said that the way to eat an elephant is: One bite at a time.  This is also true with goals.  Let’s face it, big goals are not achieved in one fell swoop (now THERE’S an oldie for ya!).  Big goals are achieved one objective (bite) at a time.

Which means

Once you have decided on a BIG goal and know where you are at in relation to that goal it’s time to look for intermediate objectives.  A series of smaller “goals”, if you will, that lead to achieving that big goal.  Let’s go back to that trip from Atlanta to LA by car.  Getting to LA is your big goal, but now you have to map out your route, and since you know it is going to take several days you’re going to have to figure out where you’ll stop to rest along the way.

So…

You pick a route (a series of highways) and then decide how many hours per day you’ll drive and figure out where you’ll be along the route when you need to stop.  In those locations you’ll make sleeping arrangements…maybe family, maybe a hotel, maybe a campsite…it doesn’t matter as long as you know ahead of time so you’ll have a place to rest.

Now…

Now that big goal doesn’t seem quite as daunting.  You have smaller, objectives (intermediate goals) to achieve along the way that keep you moving toward your bigger goal. So, you don’t have to worry about LA on day one, you only have to worry about reaching your first stopping point.  You set objectives that are reasonable, measurable, and achievable.  Achieve all your objectives, and you achieve your goal!  Easy right!?

Not so fast!

What if something interferes with an objective, or you change your mind about wanting to go to LA along the way?  In our example, what happens if your transmission decides to blow out on day two?  In those cases, you need to re-evaluate and replan.  It’s as simple as deciding if LA is still your ultimate destination (it is in this story) and then set objectives anew from wherever you are at.

Periodic review/renewal

Goals are not stagnant.  It is important to periodically review your goals and decide whether they are still goals you want to achieve. The goals are yours, so it is perfectly reasonable to drop a goal and add a new one…let’s face it LIFE HAPPENS, and we need to adjust when it does.

In business

As a freelance business owner (face it, your VO and acting career is a freelance small business) it is imperative that you set goals for yourself and your business.  Without goals, you’ll never know if you’ve become “successful” (as you have defined success for yourself).  What do you want your VO or acting career to look like next week?  Next month?  Year?  Decade?  Only you can answer these questions for yourself, and I would bet there are as many right answers as there are voiceover artists and actors.

And then…

Set some objectives for yourself.  Want to become an A-list actor?  Ask yourself what steps you need to take to get there.  Will you need training?  Maybe a degree?  Just like our trip from Atlanta to LA (which is a trip many VO Artists/Actors want to take, BTW) the first step is to determine where you are in relation to that goal.  Find a coach who can evaluate your talent/ability (someone who won’t pump smoke up your…well…backside). Then, based on that honest evaluation, map out the objectives along the way to get where you want to be.  Get training, get an agent, book some student films, then a couple Indie films and finally some 5 or less roles and co-star roles.  Whatever it takes.  And then FINALLY…keep at it…keep your eyes on the next objective and routinely evaluate if your ultimate goal is still right for you.  There are many forks in the road, and you MAY want to take one!

It’s your journey

And only you can map it out.  It doesn’t matter (to anyone but you) what your goals and objectives are.  What’s important is that you HAVE them and are tracking them.  So: Make Goals!

Looking for your next great read?  Check out the “New Ideas and Different Perspectives” promotion!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything!

Smile at Strangers

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over, Wisdom

Continuing the series

With this week’s topic “Smile at Strangers”.

The last two weeks

Believe it or not, I was out of the country touring Greece the last two weeks, so I wrote blog posts to cover while I was gone.  Now I’m back and struggling with a bit of jet lag, so bear with me this week if I ramble a bit.  NOTE TO SELF: When traveling, ALSO write the blog for the week you return ahead of time.

Vacation

View from our Air BnB

Just to kick it off, the vacation was AMAZING.  It’s not what this post is about, but here are some highlights anyway.  We flew to Athens and spent three nights there.  The archaeological sites were something to behold, and the food was out of this world. I’d say you’ve never REALLY had a gyro till you’ve had one (or several dozen) in Greece. After Athens we drove around the Gulf of Corinth through the Peloponnese mountains for 4 days finally landing on the island of Aegina where we spent a week in an Air BnB.

It was completely relaxing

And I worked very little…really only enough to make sure there wasn’t anything pressing and to send my pre-written blog posts out.  If you’d like to see some highlights of the trip you can check out some more pics here.

Smiling

OK, on to the topic at hand. Being in a foreign country gave us plenty of opportunity to see and interact with strangers.  Like…everyone there besides us.  And we were on vacation, so of course, as you can see,  we smiled…a LOT.  In my very brief experiment, what I found was this:  When you smile at someone, generally they smile back! A smile is contagious.

What happens?

Researchers have found that smiling, or even nodding at strangers you pass on the street has psychological and physical effects.  The acknowledgement has the effect of making the other person feel included (yes, even briefly).  Not acknowledging them (with a smile!) can make someone feel excluded, even briefly, which leads to loneliness and loneliness can be deadly!

It’s contagious!

Smiling at someone makes them feel “included”, which in turn makes them feel good, which makes THEM want to smile…a smile really IS contagious.  Try it for yourself.  Pick a day and endeavor to smile at strangers you pass on the street and see what happens.

Really, it’s science!

According to mental health expert Roseann Capanna-Hodge, “Smiling at another person can have a ripple effect, not only improving your own health but creating well-being in others.” And “When we smile, it triggers a cascade of feel-good brain chemicals called endorphins…Endorphins lower stress levels, reduce pain, and produce feelings of well-being and happiness—which make us just feel good.” So, smiling not only helps strangers, it make YOU feel good too!

Caution!

But beware…a fake or forced smile does not have the same effect as a genuine smile. Somehow, we humans have a way of detecting when a smile is not genuine.  So don’t try the experiment on a day when you can’t muster a genuine smile for someone, or it will backfire!

And then…COVID

Is it any wonder people were grumpier during the pandemic?  Besides the fact of the disease and the suffering it caused, it ALSO covered up everyone’s smiles.  I’m happy that mask requirements are being relaxed because we can smile at one another again.  And we have enough reasons in this world to not smile, so seeing people smile is a treat.  Even if you’re uncomfortable removing your mask in public, seeing others smile may help you feel just a little better.

Why might we not smile?

There are loads of reasons to avoid smiling at people.  Maybe you are focused on something important, or maybe you feel like a smile will lead to something you don’t want like a conversation when you don’t have time. I get it.  But remember, smiling at strangers helps not only THEM but YOU as well.  Feeling grumpy or overwhelmed?  Try smiling (genuinely) at people. Before you know it you’ll feel much better.

What does this have to do with VO or acting?

I’m glad you asked!  As a freelance VO artist or actor, you are going to wind up meeting and working with strangers ALL THE TIME.  It’s rare to show up on a new set, or log into a directed VO session with people you know.  True, there are times, but it is rare.  And on a set the odds that you know even one person, let alone a group of people, is slim.  And no matter what, there will ALWAYS be someone you don’t know (a stranger).

I may have mentioned before…

Maybe just once or twice anyway, that this industry is built on a foundation of relationships.  It is going to be rough on you if you can’t establish, build, and maintain relationships.  And think about it: People don’t really like a sourpuss (yeah, that is an older phrase that reveals my age, I know).  Every time you show up on set or log into a directed session, you have an opportunity to smile and make a new relationship.

A face for radio

That’s what my mom used to tell me.  Yeah, I know, not very encouraging.  I loved my mom, but she was…complicated.  Anyway, enough about her.  How the heck do you smile at someone as a VO artist when they can’t even SEE you?!  And the answer is…just the same way as if they CAN see you.

My coach

Well, one of my VO coaches anyway, used to say, “I can’t hear your smile”.  I was like, what?  That’s like saying I can’t taste blue.  It made no sense to me.  But here’s the thing: Your facial expression drives a change in your voice.  You actually CAN hear a smile.  Think about the last time you called someone who was happy to hear from you.  You can tell by the way they sound.  And then try calling your boss to take a sick day…THEY’RE not smiling, and you can tell that too!

On set

As I mentioned, nearly every time (if not EVERY time) you arrive on set for a job there are going to be a LOT of people you don’t know.  Smiling will act to make the environment brighter, and if you’ve ever been on an “unfriendly” set (I have) you’ll know that it makes for a very stressful, very long day.  And if you’ve been on a friendly set, you’ll know that it makes the work a breeze (well, it IS still work, but…) and you’ll want to work with those people again.

And…

If you are the one that always responds with a smile, they’ll want to work with you again.  And as a freelance performer, that is what you want.  You want to be the person people want to work with.  So, you be the person who smiles and soon others will be smiling.  At the VERY least you’ll get to work on a fun, friendly set.

At the end of the day

Try to remember that a genuine smile helps to make others feel better and more included.  It helps to relieve (even a little) someone’s loneliness and it also gives you a little endorphin rush as well.  It’s like the simplest win-win situation and you have control over it!  So, from now on…Smile at Strangers!

Looking for your next great read?  Check out the “New Ideas and Different Perspectives” promotion!

If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

If you haven’t already, please feel free to subscribe so you don’t miss anything!

 

Your dance moves might not be the best, but I promise making a fool of yourself is more fun than sitting on the bench alone

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over

Continuing the series

With this week’s topic “Your dance moves might not be the best, but I promise making a fool of yourself is more fun than sitting on the bench alone”.

The dreaded school dances.

Come on, admit it.  When you were in Middle School (or as we called it Junior High School) and went to your first school dance you were as embarrassed as I was to actually dance, right? No?  Just me?  I doubt it. In my experience there were a half dozen girls out there dancing and everyone else was stationed in two camps (one boys camp and one girls camp) on opposite sides of the school gymnasium. Well, maybe except for the occasional slow dance.

My mom

My mom loved to dance, and whenever I would come home from a school dance, she always asked me: “Did you dance?”.  She asked because she knew the answer was always no.  And then she would inevitably use a phrase similar to this week’s topic to remind me that it would be more fun to dance, and no one cared how I looked doing it.  Needless to say, I was sure she was lying just so she too could laugh at me for embarrassing myself.

She was right

I hate to admit it, but my mom was right.  I’d love to say she was right about most things, but I’d be lying…about this topic, though, she was spot on.  When I finally did get out to dance (not JUST the slow dances) I had a blast, and no one cared how goofy I looked doing it.  Although I confess, I enjoyed the slow dances a lot more.  I still do and believe it or not almost 50 years later I still feel self-conscious dancing in public.  I generally don’t do it without some “liquid courage” even though I have taken some dance lessons.

But here’s the thing

I look back on all those school dances (and can still feel how self-conscious I was at them) and I can’t remember thinking other people couldn’t dance.  I never once watched someone else dance and laughed at them or was embarrassed for them.  Mostly, I thought, “I wish I could dance like that!”.  I really should have gotten out there more, and maybe I would feel more comfortable dancing today.

It’s not just dancing

I doubt I am alone in this, but the idea of not participating in something because you don’t feel talented enough is not just about dancing.  I believe this applies to many areas in life.  Sports, work, dating…and I think a lot of people miss out on some pretty fantastic experiences because of it.

And sometimes, we do suck at it

Not everyone can be good at everything.  Sometimes we do things we love, and we just don’t do them very well.  But if you love doing it, you do it in spite of not being very good at it.  Don’t sweat it, though, because everyone has something they suck at!

Golf

I love golf.  I mean, it is a passion of mine.  Like, I’ll play every chance I get and I only started golfing a few years ago.  And here’s the thing:  I feel like I am a really BAD golfer most times.  I’m self-conscious whenever I play with someone I don’t know or who I hadn’t played with before (which, if you golf you know makes your game even worse).  I golf anyway though.

And what happens?

A couple things happen when I golf all the time.  The first thing I notice is almost everyone is bad at golf, or at least has really bad days.  And the next thing that happens is (and this is the important part): I get better at the game!    And of course, I have fun.  Playing bad golf is a lot more fun than NOT playing bad golf.

That’s kind of how it works

It’s almost universally true that the more you do something, the better you get at it.  I think the old saying is “practice makes perfect”.  Although I don’t believe anyone can ever be “perfect” at something, I mean even Tiger Woods only wins some of his tournaments, you can definitely become proficient at things by doing them.  But you have to do them!  And sometimes, you can even have fun while you’re at it.

Think about…

Think back to all the things you won’t do because you’re embarrassed.  And then try and remember other people doing those same things that you thought were really bad at it or who made a fool of themselves.  Can you think of anyone?  If you can, I would say not very many.  The simple truth of the matter is that most people are simply too absorbed with their own actions (and possible embarrassment) to even be paying attention to you.  Honestly if you knew how little other people even notice you, let alone think about you, no one would be embarrassed about anything.  Almost.

The entertainment industry

Working in the entertainment industry is no different, no matter what aspect of the industry you are in.  Particularly as the talent, I find that a lot of people who would love to do Voice Over or Act simply don’t do it because they are afraid of making a fool of themselves.  Sure, you can (and probably will) have a performance that is worth remembering not because of how brilliant it was but because of how NOT brilliant it was.  And so will everyone else.  So…who cares?

And you will improve

It’s inevitable, if you keep doing something over and over…including VO and acting, you will get better.  Everyone starts somewhere, and nobody gives an award-winning performance the first thing out of the gate. So, if performing is something you want to do, don’t let a fear of making a fool of yourself stop you!

Earning a living

It is true that it is difficult to earn a living as a VO artist or actor.  At least at first.  So the truth is, if you want to be a part of this industry to become rich and famous, you are approaching it for the wrong reasons.  Many people, and not just the ultra-famous people, make a living as actors and VO professionals.  Eventually. Remember it is said that it takes ten years to become an overnight success.  But it will never happen if you just sit on the sidelines and dream about doing it.  It takes the same 10 years whether you start today or 10 years from now…so if it’s what you really want, start now.  It is NEVER too late!

You can’t do this for money or accolades

I mean, you CAN get them, but it can’t be your motivation. If it is, then I suggest you are in the wrong industry.  To really succeed as a performer, you have to do it because you love it.  If you love what you are doing, and you do it, you have already succeeded even if you never make a dime.

There are ways…

And there are proven, time tested ways to improve your chances of being able to earn a decent living as a performer. Start by finding classes to take that will teach you the basic methods to deliver a performance, and then continue to both take classes and get coached along the way.  Each of these things give you an opportunity to actually perform in a safe and non-judgmental atmosphere to acquire and hone the skills you need to be successful.

And by non-judgmental, I mean…

You know if you are in a class or working with a coach their JOB is to tell you what you need to improve, right?  So, in effect they are (by design) judging your performance.  You will get critiqued, but don’t let that stop you, it’s part of how you improve.  Classes and coaching sessions are the place it is safe to be judged because it is your improvement that is the goal.

And there will be critics

It is a sad reality of this profession that there will be people who are critical of your performance. The performing arts are so…subjective.  One person will love your work while another will hate the same performance.  There is just no escaping it.  As a performer, you simply can’t let a bad review keep you from pursuing your career.  You do the very best you can, and make sure YOU liked your performance…and that’s that!

But none of it matters…

The only way to get a bad review is to be performing.  None of it matters if you remain seated.  If performing is something you dream of then not doing it because you are afraid of “making a fool” of yourself means you’ve already failed.  So, remember:  Your dance moves might not be the best, but I promise making a fool of yourself is more fun than sitting on the bench alone.  And you never know where you might end up!

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Make the little things count.

Acting, Encouragement, Voice Over, Wisdom

Continuing the series

With this week’s topic “Make the little things count”.

An old adage

Almost everyone has heard it: “It’s the little things that count”.  I like to tell my kids these saying don’t just fall out of the sky, they develop over time for a reason, and this one is no different.  This quote originated in the 20th century (believe it or not) and is attributed to a system’s programmer at the RAND corporation, Cliff Shaw.  What he actually said was: “It’s the little things that count, hundreds of them”.

And it’s no wonder, really

It’s not surprising that the phrase was coined by an early programmer.  Anyone who has done any coding will know that the smallest mistake can make a program crash.  But the truth of it has been around for a lot longer, and there are a lot of little sayings that relate to it. “Watch the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves” (Ben Franklin) for example;  and “The devil is in the details” (Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche).

But it’s been true forever

As far back as time itself, big things are made up of all the little things.  Look around, a huge brick mansion is made with thousands of small bricks, huge pyramids are constructed out of thousands of smaller (OK, they are still big though) stones.  And don’t forget your body is made up of billions of cells, which in turn are made up of thousands of atoms.  It’s kind of mind blowing if you think of it.

It’s not just material things

Those little things matter in a lot of ways.  Ways that affect you every day, but you maybe don’t notice anymore.  Do you go to the same establishment frequently?  Does it make you smile when the people working there recognize you and greet you?  A little thing that makes a big difference! One of my favorite little features that makes a big difference in the car is the short flash mode for turn signals so you don’t have to remember to turn them off after changing lanes.  Now if I can just remember to turn them ON to change lanes…

If you pay attention

Today, take some time to notice all those little things that happen without you really noticing.  Pay attention to all the things people do, or little additional features in your favorite products that just make your life easier.  I think you’ll be surprised at how many little things you notice that really matter.

And remember

That great things are built out of a lot of little things.  If you are as old as I am, then even sitting here today in front of a computer, using a word processor and posting to the internet is the result of a million little things to get us here.  I was born in 1960.  We hadn’t yet been to the moon, or cooked food in a microwave, or talked on a phone that wasn’t attached to the system with wires or a myriad of other things.

And it didn’t happen all at once

Where we are today is the product of millions of experiments, development, and improvement over time.  We all KNOW that, but rarely think of it in those terms.  This keyboard I type on started its life as typesetting in a printing press, then moved on to a manual typewriter, then an electric typewriter (I loved the ones that would “backspace” and erase mistakes without white out) and now finally a keyboard for a computer.  Each small improvement builds onto earlier improvements over time.

And neither did you

You didn’t happen all at once either.  And I’m not just talking about being formed and born.  I mean SINCE birth.  The you that exists today is the result of countless “little things” that have grown and shaped you over time.  It is the culmination of all those little things that make you…well, you (as opposed to, say, me). And if you are still breathing, you are not done.

But you know what?

All of those things I’ve written to this point are great but only serve to highlight the importance of the main point of this topic which is not “Pay attention to and notice all the small important things around you” but is instead “MAKE the little things count”.  An important distinction, but without the context of the importance it’s just a cute saying.

Wait, what?

Make them count?  We are 800 words into this short essay, and I’ve spent them telling you that those small things DO count, so why do we have to make them count? I’m SO confused! Don’t fret, I’ll explain.

Up to this point

Up to now I’ve been talking about how the little things that happen to you are important so that you’ll believe this next part.  And here it is:  All the little things you do for someone else are just as important to them.  And they remember them, just like you do.  For example, are you recognized at an establishment you frequent and go there instead of somewhere else because of it?  You remember.  They will too.

Relationships

At the risk of sounding like a broken record (Hmmm…vinyl records…talk about incremental improvements over time!), the entertainment industry is built on relationships.  I won’t say it is more important than talent (although sometimes I believe it is) but I can firmly say it is equally important. Making those small things count is what builds and strengthens those relationships.    And if you are not intentional about them, not MAKING them count, you could miss out on great things.

Why does it matter?

As a performer of any kind, VO, stage actor, screen actor…any of them…you are in a freelance industry where the commodity you are selling is YOU.  Your goal is to book jobs, and it is other people who make the decisions who to book.  What you want, no…what you NEED…as a performer is for people to remember you and want to work with you when they have a role to cast.

OK, so how do you make small things count?

Well, a good question and maybe MAKING small things count is a bit misleading.  They do count, already…but only if you DO them.  What follows, in no particular order, is a PARTIAL list of things to do to stand out to people.  With the hope of building relationships and out of that HOPEFULLY booking work.  Remember: The motivation has to be building relationships not booking work.  Booking work is a by-product of relationship building.

Some small things to always do

Again, these are not in order of any importance (I’d say they are equally important, really) and it is not an exhaustive list but should serve to give you an idea what I am talking about:

Remember names: You like it when people use your name, so make a habit of remembering people’s names (I am absolutely abysmal at this myself and am working on it, which is probably why it is the first one on the list).

Be on time: You want to get noticed on a production?  Be the person who is always 15 minutes early for your call time.

Be prepared: Showing up 15 minutes early won’t help you if you haven’t spent time preparing for the job.  Memorize lines, rehearse them ahead of time…whatever the job requires.

Be pleasant:  If you are unpleasant, they’ll remember you too…but for the wrong thing.

Be helpful: As long as it doesn’t go against union rules (assuming it is a union job) be seen as that “team player” who is always willing to help.

Be encouraging: Especially to new or younger folks and particularly to traditionally “forgotten” folks like the BG actors.  Remember to praise publicly but admonish (if you are in a position to do so) privately.

Friendly and reliable

At the end of the day most of this is talking about being intentional about making sure you are friendly and reliable.  You want to be the person people enjoy working with AND who people know they can rely on.  Like becoming you, it is not going affect your career overnight but over time you’re going to wind up being the first one they call when they are trying to fill a role.  So remember: Make the little things count!

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If you enjoyed this, please leave a comment below to let me know.  If you DIDN’T enjoy it, well, I’d like to hear from you too!  And please feel free to share this blog on social media or with other people you think might enjoy it.

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