Voicebank Blog

Creating Community in the Voice Over World

With the tremendous popularity of Social Media sites, the voice over world is a much bigger world than even a few months ago. “Community” seems to be the 2009 buzz word, whether it’s in cyberspace or “meat space” (another buzz phrase referring to real life or the physical world).

Although the growth of online communities is growing by leaps and bounds, it’s that very cyber community that can connect us to each other, in person.  Judging by last weekend’s big turnout for the Voice Over Potluck/BBQ at producer/voice talent at Tori Hartman’s house (also hosted by Heather Hale) we still need to meet face to face. (click here to read  Face to Face FACE-OFF with Facebook).

The party was packed with lots of very chatty (no surprise) voice talent excitedly talking about their latest gigs or new marketing strategies. I spoke with voice actor, Mike Wood who has been in Tori’s “VO Community” for 6 months now. I asked him how being part of a voice over networking group has helped his career. “Having to be accountable to others has really made me take action with my career. Like doing a series of cold calls to radio stations across the country to get radio imaging voice over jobs.”

So, even in the very solo (and sometimes isolating) career of the voice over actor, creating community can be a real plus if not a great way to de-isolate ourselves and help each other succeed.

How do you find communities and human contact events in your area? Where else? The internet. Go to Meetup.com, join a Facebook group or other social media site groups.

-Tracy Pattin