Some readers of The Magazine of Santa Clarita sent in questions this month about networking and business cards:
Q: Do you have any networking suggestions for V-O neophytes? I just started taking voiceover classes and really want to dive into this industry headfirst. – Jerry F., Castaic, CA
A: Jerry, you couldn’t have picked a better time to network in the voiceover industry. Not only are there excellent instructors and coaches across the country, but there are myriad opportunities for voiceover work and networking. Among just Facebook, LinkedIn and Voiceover Universe, there are thousands of people around the world who will share their V-O expertise with you, and hopefully help you navigate your potential V-O career a bit easier. And you can supplement your education by finding hundreds of tutorials on YouTube that’ll help shorten your learning curve, because there’s a lot more to know about than just performing behind the microphone. Hope you have a super successful voiceover journey!
Q: Is it best to have a business card that’s solely VO, or is it okay to bill oneself as a hyphenate—voice actor/publicity writer? – Margo Z., West Hollywood, CA
A: Since business cards are pretty inexpensive these days, I suggest you have two separate cards, Margo. Publicists couldn’t care less that you do V-O, and casting agents or potential clients aren’t interested in your publicist credentials. In fact, it plants the seed that you’re not fully proficient in either area, so you dabble in both.
I’ll be sharing more voiceover questions and answers in the coming months. If you have any questions, please write to me and I’ll get back to you.
Cashman Commercials © 2012
Marc Cashman creates and produces copy and music advertising for radio and television. Winner of over 150 advertising awards, he’s been an adjunct professor of voiceover at California Institute of the Arts and also instructs voice acting of all levels through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques in Los Angeles, CA. He was recently the Keynote Speaker and Master Class instructor at VOICE 2012, the only international voiceover convention in the world.
He can be contacted at cashcomm@earthlink.net or his website, www.cashmancommercials.com.