logologo
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com 202-738-1151
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Demo Production
    • Demo Production Guide
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
    • Coaching
    • Voiceover Coaching Guide
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Demo Production
    • Demo Production Guide
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
    • Coaching
    • Voiceover Coaching Guide
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

A few weeks ago, Red Dead Redemption 2 was released to the world, featuring the voices of roughly half of our friends and colleagues, (and much congratulations to them for their amazing work.) This Old West-themed video game takes place across a stunning landscape where law and order is more theory than fact, and where those who don’t keep their wits about them often find themselves in a pine box.

The VO industry is a bit less cutthroat, thank goodness. We tend to support each other rather than fire our Smith and Wessons into our competitor’s backs, and identifying the guys with the black hats isn’t all that tough. The evolution of our business, however, bears a lot of resemblance to a world where there are few maps, fewer rules, and a lot of fool’s gold.

It seems like we’ve been waiting for the better part of a decade for some order to emerge from the chaos. The union taking a firm guiding hand and imposing structure on the industry. A major Internet-age player consolidating the online space to create a dominant clearinghouse, hopefully operating on a meritocratic and transparent basis. Someone to lead us out of the wilderness and establish order.

Those things aren’t coming.

The union remains too focused elsewhere, and too sclerotic in its processes, despite the best efforts of some of the leading lights in our industry. It’s been demonstrated that even with millions of dollars, consolidating the online space is too much for any industry company to bite off. And the business is saturated with gurus and messiahs ranging from the truly career-shaping to purveyors of the foulest snake oil, but none of whom have a one-size-fits-all answer for everyone.

The West is getting wilder.

In the new VO landscape, one gun won’t keep your career safe. If all your eggs are in online casting, with a single agent or three, relying on SEO or strictly your own self marketing, you’re at a disadvantage.

Agents are under pressure due to declining broadcast rates and an over-saturation of talent in the LA & NYC markets in particular. They are still the gatekeepers of the best work, but competition is fierce.

Online casting is morphing into an ever-more-diverse space featuring everything from honest matchmaking-only sites with numerous great jobs, to corporate profit-centers, to start-ups, fly-by-nights, and gig-economy soul traps where you trade your voice for beer money. Figuring which is which is no easy task, especially if you don’t follow the constant buzz churn on social media. To effectively gain traction through online casting, mastering at least 2-3 sites is essential. No single site will sustain a career, and the risk of having your income heavily weighted in a single marketplace that may fail, run into reputational/ethical issues, or experience other shocks is to be avoided.

Self-marketing and cold-calling are the answer for many, but cold leads by definition pan out less frequently than hot leads, and not everyone has the personality or constitution to pick up the phone and sell themselves while experiencing mostly rejection. Cold-call clients can be loyal and lucrative, but it can take dozens of approaches before landing one, and discipline is key.

The growing number of curatorial-minded buyers forsaking both traditional hiring avenues and online casting is a great source of walk-in work through your website, but SEO is a fine art that usually requires hiring a pro, and even the best-SEO’d sites only lead to a handful of walk-in jobs per week.

It’s enough to give a gunslinger fits.

Things aren’t going to change, folks, at least not for the time being. Unless and until the union or a much bigger online beast, (think Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc…,) invests the dozens or even hundreds of millions necessary to structure and dominate the voiceover industry, the West will continue to grow wilder. We’re a friendly lot, but we are playing at survival of the fittest and savviest, and if you want your career to be as strong or stronger five years from now than it is today, it’s time to saddle up and make sure you keep your wits about you. The VO world will only continue to change. Stay diversified. Keep your eyes 3-5 years down the road. Anticipate what’s next. If you see the whole industry moving one way, see what might be down the opposite road, or at least off a side path. Change is the only constant.

Are you ready?

Trackback URL: https://www.jmcvoiceover.com/2018/12/10/welcome-to-the-wilder-west/trackback/

J. Michael Collins
Previous PostUpdates from Voice123 Regarding the New Site
Next PostThat's Voiceover & The 2018 Voice Arts Awards...
8 Comments
  • Jim Cooper December 10, 2018 Reply

    Planning and persistence appear to be the keys, along with a healthy dose of networking. As someone who is still on the “newbie” rung of the totem pole, i’m finding the trick is to keep expectations low but smarts and perseverance in the forefront.

  • Chuck Davis December 10, 2018 Reply

    Great read, J. Michael. You can feel the ground shifting underfoot these days. Taking steps here now to broaden my reach and work on platforms that I’ve not used in some time. 2019 is going to be an interesting year, to say the least.

  • Dana Vanhoy December 10, 2018 Reply

    As Wayne Gretzsky once stated: “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.” We as voiceover talent need to skate to where the puck is going to be.
    Also, nice use of the word “sclerotic”.

  • Anthony Powell December 10, 2018 Reply

    Thanks for keeping it real! I am so tired of seeing daily pitches for: “Make a ton of money with your voice!” It’s total BS! There are so many things you must do to make even some money. I sometimes don’t think I am cut out for it. Just being real.

  • Sean Gray December 10, 2018 Reply

    “see what might be down the opposite road” – so important. I read a very nice quote a few years ago; “competition is for losers”. Going down different paths than the masses, seeking opportunities that not everyone sees is going to take less effort than competing with the best in the world.

    • Mike Sanderson December 10, 2018 Reply

      Yay! …that’s the spirit.

      If by “so many things,” you mean spending all day ever day, then yes; you are correct.

      As for ‘tons’? I’m not sure. I’ve never weighed my money. I suppose it depends on the denominations.

  • Christine Myrick December 11, 2018 Reply

    Thank you Michael for this succinct summary and timely advice! You are a great role model for so many of us.

  • Ted Leonhardt December 21, 2018 Reply

    I’m sorry to hear that your union had not been more help. I wonder if you could form a co-op and combine your marketing efforts for the benefit of all members? I’ve been writing about forming a co-op for creative professionals: https://tedleonhardt.com/the-case-for-a-creative-co-op/

Leave a comment

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Archives
Subscribe
  • Receive News & Updates
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
RECENT TWEETS

@jmcvoiceover

March 2nd 2021 12:03:31

This April, the Unicorn Award will finally change hands again after a year off due to the pandemic. Three talent wi… https://t.co/rwbI2wlW6a

@jmcvoiceover

March 1st 2021 09:03:05

https://t.co/3Gi5So033z

Episode 2 of This Week in Voiceover is up!

Armin Hierstetter joins with his usual subtle… https://t.co/dRkBJURB2W

@jmcvoiceover

February 25th 2021 09:02:14

Group coaching the impressive talent from Impressive Talent never gets old! Congrats to this fantastic lineup on a… https://t.co/t20cd9dVwJ

@jmcvoiceover

February 24th 2021 02:02:17

https://t.co/MNhFF82TIE

@jmcvoiceover

February 23rd 2021 12:02:59

https://t.co/TsWRTGPECx

I'm proud to premiere my new weekly podcast!

Check out Episode 1, featuring the hilarious… https://t.co/6vIV13Povi

@jmcvoiceover

February 22nd 2021 01:02:52

https://t.co/KGOBME8qLb

Check out my upcoming VO Xtra webinar featuring the legend himself, Dave Fennoy. Get the l… https://t.co/uJQFXKCilX

@jmcvoiceover

February 22nd 2021 12:02:54

https://t.co/G9xs7Dvb9P

Everybody was Facebook Fight-ing......... #vo #voiceover #voiceovers https://t.co/0t3SLUQumk

@jmcvoiceover

February 2nd 2021 04:02:01

RT @UKVoiceTalent: My new #commercialdemo. Courtesy of @jmcvoiceover and his incredible team. Having the demo created was one of my prizes…

@jmcvoiceover

February 2nd 2021 04:02:56

@UKVoiceTalent @DebMunroVO @Elley_Ray #rockstar

@jmcvoiceover

January 28th 2021 08:01:45

RT @jasonkappus: #HeyVAs: ALWAYS. BE. LEARNING. Coaching/listening/studying/conversing. Engage with the community, hit those free webinars.…

@jmcvoiceover

January 28th 2021 08:01:37

@jasonkappus I'll send you an invoice. :P

@jmcvoiceover

January 28th 2021 12:01:25

@CodyRockVO @plushiebunnies GREAT job!

@jmcvoiceover

January 25th 2021 11:01:23

This is what being a dad is all about. #goat @TomBrady is pure class. https://t.co/0u7leKhx7e

@jmcvoiceover

January 20th 2021 04:01:58

https://t.co/TAbOBrCwXH

@jmcvoiceover

January 19th 2021 04:01:59

@TheAlixMartin @GravyForBrain @JMCdemos You rocked it! Always a pleasure working with you. :)

@jmcvoiceover

January 18th 2021 05:01:45

https://t.co/FPkETFCxTZ

@jmcvoiceover

January 18th 2021 01:01:22

https://t.co/89rhMteg8P

Are you honoring your colleagues' kindness when they give you the gift of a recommendation… https://t.co/ewP1XnGptL

@jmcvoiceover

January 14th 2021 11:01:17

@jasonkappus LOL :)

@jmcvoiceover

January 14th 2021 11:01:13

Always a blast working with talent repped by Impressive Talent, and this group was legit impressive! #vo #voiceover https://t.co/lDCKvMQNRW

@jmcvoiceover

January 9th 2021 07:01:49

@aganguzza This x100

@jmcvoiceover

January 8th 2021 11:01:05

Devastated by the loss of @bradvenable May you rest in piece, my friend.

@jmcvoiceover

December 25th 2020 12:12:20

From our family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Wishing all safety, health, and prosperit… https://t.co/eUp74u7F1Y

@jmcvoiceover

December 22nd 2020 07:12:48

#vo #voiceover https://t.co/DOE7PurDKv

@jmcvoiceover

December 21st 2020 01:12:06

Congrats to JMC Demos clients Doug Turkel, Stacey Kimble, Gaynor Kelly, Jason Kappus, Jenn Henry, and Paul Cartwrig… https://t.co/rAPSAfM4lq

@jmcvoiceover

December 15th 2020 12:12:24

#vo #voiceover https://t.co/rZpdx4tHpn

@jmcvoiceover

December 12th 2020 03:12:27

#vo #voiceover #voiceovers https://t.co/yZQjxA7gC2

@jmcvoiceover

December 11th 2020 12:12:40

https://t.co/BBWJse3954

Check out part 2 of my blog on where the industry stands in the year of COVID, featuring t… https://t.co/TEOzp7WNqT

@jmcvoiceover

December 11th 2020 12:12:03

#vo #voiceover #voiceovers https://t.co/DvppE8uffb

@jmcvoiceover

December 10th 2020 04:12:28

https://t.co/Ow7dpfkQ7D

@jmcvoiceover

December 9th 2020 09:12:18

@jemrosenfeld @Joanthevoice @rgaskins1 @SovasVoice @ThatsVoiceover https://t.co/nEQ2uvdOLs

@jmcvoiceover

December 9th 2020 07:12:08

#vo #voiceover https://t.co/VWtvRtIInx

@jmcvoiceover

December 8th 2020 01:12:50

https://t.co/kjrMJggjFc

@jmcvoiceover

December 7th 2020 12:12:31

https://t.co/6isS4eNAd1

@jmcvoiceover

December 7th 2020 05:12:29

@UrbanLegendVO @jasonkappus That gives new meaning to food porn.

@jmcvoiceover

December 6th 2020 04:12:27

https://t.co/pJz0RhZxHC

CONTACT
202-738-1151
jmichael@jmcvoiceover.com
  • Home
  • My Demos
    • Commercial
    • Crisis Commercials
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Recent Work
  • Demo Production
    • Demo Production
    • Demo Production Guide
    • Commercial
    • Medical
    • eLearning
    • Corporate
    • Automotive
    • TV Promo
    • TV Narration
    • Radio Imaging
    • Telephony
    • Political
  • Coaching
    • Coaching
    • Voiceover Coaching Guide
  • Photo Gallery
  • Success Club
  • Euro Vo Retreat
  • Public Speaker Training
  • Giving Back
  • Blog
  • Contact

Privacy Policy ©2021 J. Michael Collins // Voice Over Site by Voice Actor Websites