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Pattin’s Place - Voice Over Success is when opportunity meets preparedness.

December 30th, 2007 Posted in General Info

Hi!  I’m Tracy Pattin and welcome to my blog! I’ve been a voice over artist/talent/actor/person (what DO we call ourselves?) for 20 years and how things have changed. I’ve voiced everything from commercials, documentaries and ADR to audio books and even remote controls! I’ll be blogging about everything voice over from my own past experiences and my current ones to what producers, casting directors, directors, even celebrity voice over actors are saying about the industry. Where do I begin? This quote, “Success is when opportunity meets preparedness” seems like a good place to start. If I could sum up the “secret” to voice over success it would be just that. A voice over actor must “prepare themselves as much as possible.” It is starting a new business, so think of all the things you need to do if you started your own consulting business. From seed money ($3,000 or so) to training to promotional materials, the VO actor must become a business person. I’ll add another component to the mix- you must get up to speed with the NEW ways to promote yourself because of the tremendous growth of New Media. The VO industry is as competitive as ever and technology has opened the doors for so many more people to enter this market. I recommend you read Chris Anderson’s “The Long Tail.” You must think out of the box and away from the mic. It’s not just having a demo reel, an agent and going to auditions (however this still is a must) it’s being pro-active and inventive to get your voice out there to as many people as possible. So for the beginning voice over artist, get prepared, for the veteran VO actor, be on the cutting edge. I look forward to your comments!

  1. One Response to “Pattin’s Place - Voice Over Success is when opportunity meets preparedness.”

  2. By kiliki on Jan 11, 2008

    Wow Tracy! What a wonderful interview with Martin Jarvis! Anyone getting into the Voiceover world would definitely benefit from listening to what Martin Jarvis has to offer as tips. It sounds like both of you have one theme in common based on reading your first blog post and his comments, “Be Prepared, and do your Homework.” Great advice!
    A few great quotes from Mr. Jarvis in your interview which all beginner and experienced voiceover should remember, “You have to go the distance.” AND “You DON’T get in front of that microphone if you haven’t done your homework and preparation first.”
    He had some other wonderful tips that he “Tried out Voices” before going into the studio and I loved that he also said he was, “Shooting a movie in my head”. It really helps to know what a pro is thinking before going in.
    I can’t wait to hear more of your podcasts and read more of your blogs! Keep it coming!

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