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Voice over is a heroes' journey. Make it your journey. Actor, voice talent and storytelling coach David H. Lawrence XVII takes you on a journey each episode into the art, commerce, science and mindset of voice over as a performing art, and as a profession and business. Presented by VOHeroes.com.
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Hey there, hero! There is a difference between the capability of doing something…and the actual execution/achievement of that something. It's a subtle distinction. Sometimes we doubt that we are capable of something. Actually achieving whatever that something is may require some additional skills. But…the doubt that creeps into our minds about whether or not we’re capable of doing it - if we have the capacity and ability to pursue it. You do. Are there any guarantees that you will get it? No....
Hey there, hero! WARNING: This episode contains brief NSFW language. I don’t know what software you use to edit your video stuff, but if it happens to be Descript… …there was a post in a group I’m a member of that was…cringey: “I'm trying to make live presentations more engaging, and I’m curious if there is a feature that makes it look like the presenter is always staring directly into the camera? I've heard there is some AI that can do this?” There is. It’s part of the Descript AI-enhanced v...
Hey there, hero! Life is filled with opportunities, but some of them are scary. And it’s natural to try and limit the risk, especially if you need to put a lot at risk to attempt something new. You might be tempted to take every opportunity to fail-safe the situation. To not go all in for fear of massive defeat. Welp, you’ll never know… …until you actually do the deed. But wait…you have to actually do it before you can make it safer to do it? That makes no sense. OK…let me try to clarify in t...
Hey there, hero! Some people worry and fret about what has happened in their past, especially when that past is less than bountiful. They look at failures and past mistakes as things that are regretful, hinder their progress and just can’t be forgotten. And it can really weigh on their mental health to continually live in what was before now. Maybe you're one of them? Occasionally? But what about what you’re doing now to learn more, do better and experience change? How about the future, and w...
Hey there, hero! I often encourage you to embrace failure: we learn from it, we get better because of it and we identify those things that help us do less of what doesn't work. And that means you can achieve success through failure. Pithy, David. But what does the actual science say? Just like many research projects end up determining...it depends. It depends where you are in your journey of learning and mastery. And it turns out that you learn a lot more from failure early in your journ...
Hey there, hero! Most of the decisions that are made in the professional world revolve around money, and they are never on schedule. (Thanks to EM Forster for this episode's thought starter.) Much of what happens is random, unpredictable and not based in the arts, but rather in the commerce. And you need to be OK with that. I hope that money isn't looked at as a bad thing, either from the funding of projects so you can get work, or from you getting paid to do those things. Are you OK wi...
Hey there, hero! This episode revolves around that Deadline article, tough love, math, logic and being careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. And you also might get some unexpected consequences you might be facing. And we need to understand that potential work is at the pleasure of the partners we seek: the people with whom we want to work. And their math is what needs to be understood. They have a task that's very different from yours: they are looking for the right pe...
Hey there, hero! It's a lovely day when you're recognized as a professional at what you do. You likely get paid. You get respect from your peers. You feel accomplished. But moving from amateur to pro can feel like you're leaving something behind. It just might be...love. I think I can help you bridge the gap between what you gain and what you lose when you make the leap to pro. If you've already "gone pro," what do you miss? If you are still an amateur, what do you value about the journ...
Hey there, hero! Ever since we've been humans, from the very beginning of time, we've tried to make sense of the world around us. And among the hardest things to make sense of is the creative arts...and the choice to become a creative artist. The randomness alone is mind-boggling. If you try to make sense of it, you'll fail. Especially if you try logic. That works for other lines of work, but not ours. And I'd like to remind you, in this episode, that you need to give yourself grace. A n...
Hey there, hero! A bit of a rant this episode...about the choices we make in life, and then being upset about those choices. And creative types have enough harsh judgement being leveled at them by critics without adding to what some perceive to be a sense of entitlement. We are privileged to work in this business. No doubt. We're not privileged to yell about how hard this business is. We knew that going in. We signed up for a future that required we be adaptive to the things that might h...
Hey there, hero! AI in general, and synthetic voice and image generators in particular have led to a lot of FUD in our industry. FUD? It's an acronym that means Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt. We fear being replaced by AI-generated models that would lead not just to the loss of jobs, but the possible deletion of the human contribution to creative work. And yes, that's a possibility. So when you grabbed ChatGPT and had it re-write your bio for you, or you had Perplexity answer a question you...
Hey there, hero! Is it possible that in addition to all of the other things you're concerned with when it comes to your performance career, that actually having a bit of success might be more daunting? More daunting than the possibility of...failure? Because then, the rules have to change. You have to start living by the rules of success, not failure. And you have new responsibilities. How can this possibly make sense? Do you ever take a moment to consider if you're fearful of actually s...
Hey there, hero! Putting your creations out there for the world to see can feel like an act of bravery, and some people get ready for a bit of criticism. And they might be looking for a way to deal with that criticism. I say, be like Joe. Joseph Brodsky the writer/poet, that is. After a recent video I released was posted about creating my Narrate Your Own Book course, I got an odd response from a listener about how everything I teach...can be found, for free, on YouTube. How I reacted (...
Hey there, hero! Far more often than not, the projects I create and undertake tend to "stick." Rarely do I shut something down before it has run its course. And most go on for a long, long time. In this episode, I take a look at the decision making and the grief (yep!) around the choice to end a project I love (which I recently did). Part of that includes how to do things gracefully and generously, both to myself and to anyone involved that might be affected by the de-commissioning. And ...
Hey there, hero! Listen or watch this episode for an actual ONE step plan to avoid oversimplifying the clickbait options you find online on your way to success: Don't be sucked into the apparent secret sauce of a overly simple plan to ultimate success. I try not to make the "overpromise/underdeliver" mistake when I share things with you, but I can't control what you see in your social feeds. It's rarely as simple as the ads make it sound...whatever it is you're trying to do. What are you...
Hey there, hero! We're all on a pursuit. A pursuit of the performance arts career we want: acting, VO, writing and more. And we often look to those who have "made it" for guidance. How did they get success? Great question. But I think a better question would be about how they handled rejection. That skill can be really useful, as rejection is inevitable and is far more common than success. So let's give a listen to how Stephen King, Maya Angelou, Jack Canfield, Harper Lee and a few other...
Hey there, hero! As we look at things we need to get done, we get an idea WHEN we need to get those things done, what we need to prepare... ...and when we aren't ready yet to do anything just yet. And a simple shift in your activity timeline can be really effective. Your assumption as to when to do something might be just perfect. And it also might be an assumption that holds you back from getting things done, just because you've arranged things in an order that initially makes sense to ...
Hey there, hero! Sometimes, words come together to describe things that you don't expect. In a recent session with a coaching peer, she declared: "Every thing is everything." I tried to process that, and she gave me some assistance. What she meant was that as creatives, every thing we learn as performers in ANY category of work helps to build everything we do as actors and voice talent in ALL categories. In other words, if you get better at something in one area, it's going to help you ...
Hey there, hero! Do you get the number of auditions you want? On-camera, VO, whatever. You good? Or do you constantly pursue more? Is growing your audition stream an endless pursuit? The highest priority? I think everyone is different. And there's a trend in business that informs this. It's variously called "10X-ing," "adding zeroes," and "blowing things up." Whatevs. I don't personally want more auditions than I am getting now - I'm good with my current level. But some people would que...
Hey there, hero! We work really hard to create stuff. Really great stuff. And after a while, we tend to forget just how valuable that stuff is. And...in addition...how valuable our superpower, creating great stuff, actually is. This episode is dedicated to reminding you that your output is your product. Your books, your TV shows, your podcast episodes, your films, your audiobook titles...they are all worth remembering in your plans for both holiday promotion and promotion at other times d...
Hey there, hero! When you get ready to do something new, what wells up inside you emotionally? Is there fear? Being scared? Or is there electricity? Being excited? And how does that affect how you approach it? The two will likely co-exist in a sweet spot: instead of being so scared that I am immobilized, I'm...cautious. And instead of being so excited that I ignore taking reasonable steps and precautions to maximize success...I'm jacked and happy. And it feeds me from both directions. ...
Hey there, hero! I'm well aware of at least one thing: I talk too much. Believe me, it's a challenge I've faced all my life. And I actively want to listen better. Listen actively. Not just wait for others to stop talking so I can start. I look for non-verbal clues to remind myself to listen...rather than talk. And to listen is to be open to hearing what the other person is saying... ...meaning one has to be silent to be able to listen. And of all things, a kid's TV dinner from my child...
Hey there, hero! When things don't pan out for us, we want to know why. And sometimes, we simply tell ourselves stories...when we usually shouldn't. We want to have things make sense, and so if we don't know exactly why something happens, good or bad, we might make things up. Especially when we don't "get the gig." As humans, we want - no, NEED - to know why (so we can fix things, or at the very least, not repeat the defeat). And so, if we don't have actual facts as to why things went sou...
Hey there, hero! Ever get frustrated when you first start learning something and it's touch to get the hang of it? You know, you want to gain a skill and it's just not coming and you start to lose patience? How about when you're showing someone else how to do something and they just aren't grasping the fundamentals? Do you get a little annoyed? I see it happen in Facebook groups that "serve" our performer family, and it makes me sad. A little patience, some grace, a bit of remembering whe...
Hey there, hero! Famous quotes aren't always famous. Or quotes. There are all kinds of websites that are dedicated to the things that are attributed to famous people, but that they never actually said. In this episode, we're going to correct one of those misquotes, and in the process, give ourselves a gift about our lives and our professions. Once you've heard what Carl Jung actually said, does that make a difference for you? Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST: Please join this vi...
Hey there, hero! Like most specialty pursuits, we performers have our own special language when it comes to auditioning and doing the work of actors and voice talent. And sometimes, people channel The Princess Bride's Inigo Montoya when it comes to some of that jargon: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." A good example is the audition request that is phrased like this: "Give me multiple takes." In this episode, I'll tell you what I think that means...
Hey there, hero! Isolation is a curse to some, yet can be a boon to artists. It can be damaging not to have social contact on a regular basis, but it can be nourishing to our skill building. I have a couple of famous people joining me to share their thoughts on how being alone can be just what the doctor ordered, and is some ways, essential to our professional growth. Do you agree? Are you the gregarious type that needs others around you to flourish? Or are you the loner type that needs i...
Hey there, hero! We know as performers that the way things are handled in our business are sometimes very different from the way they are handled in more mainstream businesses. And that can be frustrating, especially when it comes to not getting the booking. We're not told why. We never know why. We won't ever know why. But that's a double edged sword, especially given this new twist to the traditional rejection letter that the Muggles get when they don't get the job. You might be very s...
Hey there, hero! It seems like almost everyone, at some point, gets the urge to become a performer. They look at the fame, the money, the autograph seekers and just how easy it is and those are just their first four incorrect assumptions. Maybe you made some of those. Some rules you thought were true. Some shortcuts you thought might work. And then, they, and you, were likely introduced to actual harsh reality. Ugh. Building a performer's practice is filled with mirrors and smoke and dis...
Hey there, hero! Creative types have no guarantees. Actors, voice talent, writers...have no tried and true template to follow for success. Almost everything about our journey is unknown. We have no idea what's coming. And that can be scary. It can be frustrating. It can be daunting. But...it is heroic. Not everyone can do it. But you can. And I want to thank you for being heroic. Give me your thoughts on being a hero (which you are!) in the comments below. REQUEST: Please join ...
Hey there, hero! That moment before you launch into a pickup sets the scene for how that pickup goes. And it needs to match the original voice work in terms of tone, energy, emotion and volume. And if your feelings, your mouth, your face or anything else is affected by that frustration or anger, or somehow isn't keyed to the lovely and unique moment that the content occurs, that will change, sometimes drastically, how that pickup comes out. And that can lead to even more frustration, and ...
Hey there, hero! The United States Federal Trade Commission requires that businesses who show their clients achieving things that require engagement, study, dedication, hard work and a fair amount of luck, and whose other customers likely have varying results...they have to disclose something. It's along the lines of "YMMV." Your Mileage May Vary. Sometimes you see it in phrases like "Results not typical." It's certainly applicable here: at VOHeroes, we help you create a successful, satisf...
Hey there, hero! How we go about finding work is a fair bit different from the average Indeed.com job applicant. They will track their progress through the job search process in one way... ...and we are completely different. And for once, we have less work to do than they do. You might think you need to track your auditions and clip submissions...and you would be making work for yourself that's unnecessary. Do you "track" your submissions? Are you able to let them go? Let me know in the...
Hey there, hero! We tend to hear the word "opportunity" and dress it up big time, expecting glitzy as opposed to basic work or work that prepares us for further opportunity. Opportunities show up in various heights and widths and various levels of glamour. Sometimes, they are awesome and legendary. But sometimes, they show up very calmly, ready to do some grunt work. And that grunt work is sometimes more spectacular than the glitzy stuff. And you get to play and benefit either way. Thou...
Hey there, hero! You're at that delicious moment...a blinking cursor, or waiting for the 2nd to call the cast and crew to quiet on the set, or the first moment you've opened a new audio or video recording window... ...how do you feel? Fearful? Anxious? At sea? Completely and utterly confident? Or maybe, simply excited. Anticipating action. About to DO something. How about that last one? It absolutely changes how you feel. What do you usually feel when you are presented with that moment ...
Hey there, hero! There are great MeetUp groups (like our beloved Voices Anonymous here in LA)... ...and then there are MeetUp groups that are not so great. I know they meant well, but still... Joining a MeetUp group, creating content to be used in a VO demo and sharing among members is possibly the worst strategy I've ever heard. And I got invited to participate in this voyage...by that site's algorithm. I doubt they could have asked a worse candidate to join their merry MeetUp menageri...
Hey there, hero! Feel free to wake up every morning and give yourself a break. You are fallible. Don't assume that with experience, even a great amount, comes perfection. Even if you have years of mastery, you can still make a simple mistake. And it doesn't mean anything other than you're a human being. You're going to make mistakes. Forever. Learn to take them on as teachable moments. How do you treat yourself when you make a mistake you don't think you should have made? Let me know in...
Hey there, hero! This episode is a simple reminder that some data is visible, and some data is hidden. You likely know who your haters are - and you might not know how many people love you. Is this something you might be missing on a fairly regular basis? The people who love you for who you are, as opposed to those who don't? Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil. --- Are you an actor, VO...
Hey there, hero! I'm now subscribed to two newsletters I cannot quit. One is from James Clear, and the other is from Mark Manson. Mark is the one that can't stop using the F word in his book titles. But that bit of profanity can distract you from the power of his writing. And in particular, the writing in his weekly newsletter. In a recent edition, he talked about what we can and cannot change. And it's worth talking about. Ever struggle with trying to change something that you simply c...
Hey there, hero! We get comfy when we have a pattern to look at: we create a life for ourselves, we get into a habit, we get systems in place and we think that's it. It's never going to change. What we have now is what we will always have, good and bad. But is that really true? Does what we have now somehow predict what we'll have in the future? Is what we have now all we can expect for the future? Absolutely not. Think about the completely random nature of our business. And how we are t...
Hey there, hero! Had a great time on the VOBB (VO Booth Besties) with Jen, Jen and Aleesha: https://www.boothbesties.com/ ...and I had the chance to answer some questions from the attending audience of VO talent. One question that came up was "How do you keep all the voices you create for the characters in an audiobook straight? How do you avoid using the wrong voice for a character by mistake?" Great questions, and one that has a number of different possible answers. Let's explore exact...
Hey there, hero! One of the most satisfying things that can happen to us is that all goes according to plan. That you set up a process, and you follow the path, you execute the steps, and it works out perfectly. But ask yourself: how often does that really happen? Not very often, if at all, I would think. It's really difficult, given all the variables in life, and especially in the performing arts, to set everything up to occur on a particular date and time. And that can be really frustra...
Hey there, hero! This episode is for you if you feel like you missed the boat. That you're too old to be the artist you want to be. So... We tell ourselves the stories we hear from others. It's convenient and reliable. Sometimes. But sometimes, the stories we tell ourselves are different from the conventional wisdom. And it's actually all a choice. It depends on how much you want it. If you want to switch up what you're doing in life...you can. Really. And you actually have an advantag...
Hey there, hero! The little moments in life when we do what we do as performers...record an audition, narrate a chapter in an audiobook, self-tape an on-camera audition...they are juicy, aren't they? I'm wondering what goes through your head, just as you're about to start. To take that "blank page" and add content to it. To change it from nothing to something. Do you have doubts? Are you supremely confident? Something in between? Do you even notice that moment anymore? I wonder how tha...
Hey there, hero! If there's one thing we don't have enough of, it's time. But there are ways to guard your time and protect what you have. You can even take steps to re-claim that precious commodity. One is fairly obvious. The other can feel a bit dangerous. A bit risky. I'd like to set your mind at ease about that "dangerous, risky" one. How do you guard your time? How do you make sure you have the time you need to do the things you want? Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST: Pl...
Hey there, hero! Our NarrateYourOwnBook.com training course, designed for authors who want to be the voice of their own books, has a lesson in it that shows them how to "claim their title" from Kindle and start the process of producing the audiobook version of their book on ACX. You'd think you'd need some sort of permission to claim a title, but you'd be wrong. In this episode we discuss how easy it is for scammers to create ACX projects from any title that has yet to be claimed, leaving ...
Hey there, hero! I'm just starting the process of taking a course, and I'm looking for advice from you. Whether you formally teach others or not, we all make the move from showing others how to do something to learning how to do things ourselves. What do you do to be as open as possible to the great things headed your way? How do you combat the assumptions you've made about something you're learning? What do you do to quiet the distractions? What are your best practices as a learner...
Hey there, hero! This episode is a quick reminder that there are a lot of ways to go about doing things in our business. Some are pretty good. Some are uh-MAZE-ing. But some...um, no. Just no. Can you see what's very wrong with the process I came across in the Meetup profile I talk about? Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation on VOHeroes, where the comments are moderated and civil. #Acting #Voice #VoiceOver #Performance #Productivity #Tips #A...
Hey there, hero! It's easy to get into a rut. You get used to doing something, you're not challenged any longer, and it starts feeling monotonous. Even if your goal was to create a reliable ritual. It just gets old. You get stuck. Then Ajarae Coleman jumped in with a new concept. You try to shake things up, and strike out for something more challenging. Something new. And it doesn't quite work out. The feelings you have when you try something, fail at it, and reflect on the process can ...
Hey there, hero! The number one answer to the question I ask when I'm trying to gauge a student's concerns about learning, "What are you most worried about?" is so interesting. And we don't really think about that one moment, that one concern, that everyone in the world has also experienced. It's a universal. And if you give this momentous occasion a thought or two, it can really change your perspective on being a beginner. Or a "never tried it.". Or, at some point, an experienced profes...
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