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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! The question comes up often, and it shows up in various forms. This time, a client wrote this: “David…I cannot believe that in today’s cultural environment, that there are authors who expect me to say the n-word. I can’t understand why they’d even write it! How do I make it clear to this rights holder that they need to edit that word out of their book? Do you have a message in your message template that lets them know that I won’t narrate their book unless they change that? A...
Hey there, hero! Everybody loves baseball. And the language of baseball is part of cultures around the world. And over the course of time, I’ve settled on one question when I’m trying to serve a client, a peer, an affiliate, a family member or just a friend who needs my support. More often than not, they react with surprise and delight, and proceed to answer the question with depth and detail. They love this baseball-inspired request. Watch or listen to this episode to hear this simple questi...
Hey there, hero! The title of this podcast episode comes from the words of author Michelle Rozen (not Rozer, as I misspoke at the beginning of the podcast), who wrote The 6%, a book on high achievers. And when I heard it, it struck me that we kinda face this dilemma all. the. time. We can worry that no one wants to see or hear or read what we’ve created. And that can stop the effort to create…dead in its tracks. How do you approach the act of creation? With an eye toward whether pe...
Hey there, hero! Wow. That’s dark. A BTS look at my updated audition background, and why I chose to simplify my look. (I’ll likely be back to the bricks next episode.) But why the severe change? Because I look for any distraction from my acting and try my best to remove it. And I do it so that all the casting director has to pay attention to…is my acting. That’s it. So…what have you been adding to your look or sound or writing that you might want to let go of? Let me know in the comments belo...
Hey there, hero! The perfect server not only gives you great service… …they are actually nowhere to be found when they aren’t needed. Ever notice that? It’s an art and skill to know when you’re needed and when you’re not - and that applies to us when we’re auditioning and pursuing the work. I have some thoughts, and how to make our “level of appropriate service” rival that of our fave bartender, hair cutter or customer service rep. Care to share any experiences you’ve had with that perfect se...
Hey there, hero! A marketing mashup…what the heck is that? It’s what I call those quick little phrases that give someone a clear idea of your creative essence: who you are, how you sound, what kind of characters you play…that sort of thing. What’s my marketing mashup? “Paul Giamatti meets Uncle Fester.” Simple. Direct. To the point. And maybe, for all the profiles and bios and headlines and signatures you’re asked to create in our business, maybe you could use one. Heck, maybe you already hav...
Hey there, hero! The concept of open loops has come up so much in the last few weeks for me that I wanted to revisit an episode from 2019 that explained open loops and how powerful they can be for you. Writers use open loops to create cliffhangers. VO talent can use open loops in their profiles and bios. Actors can use open loops in their slates and “tell us more about yourself”s. And on and on it goes. After you watch this episode, can you think of some ways I didn’t mention that let you use...
Hey there, hero! In another episode, I threaten you with harsh words if I ever catch you minimizing yourself. And it’s not just in how you describe yourself, it’s specifically about how you set your fees. And, of course, there’s a TED talk on this: Casey Brown gave that talk over a decade ago, and it’s timeless. And she has two big takeaways that are so on point for performers like you that it’s as if she was vacationing in our heads. How do you stack up in the self-worth conversation? How co...
Hey there, hero! I was at a party a couple of years ago, and someone in our group was asked, “What do you do?” In Los Angeles, it’s rare that the answer to that question isn’t “I’m an actor.” In this case, the woman answered with a bit of a twist: “I'm a bit of an actor." Please don’t let me catch you saying this. That would be an issue. And I’ve heard versions of that: "I dabble in audiobooks." "Occasionally, I write some stuff." In this episode, I want to impress upon you that words do matt...
Hey there, hero! Lagom is not “just OK.” It’s not “good enough for government work.” It’s actually a cultural concept in Sweden that is really useful in lots of different ways. In a nutshell, it means “not too much, not too little, but just right.” Kinda like Goldilocks and her interaction with those three bears. And we, as performers, can embrace lagom to help us try just a bit harder… …and not get wrapped around the axle trying to be perfect. Your thoughts on this? Does the concept of “just...
Hey there, hero! You’ve likely heard many times in life the pithy quote, “Winners never quit!” (And sometimes, the additional converse of “Quitters never win!”) Yeah. You can safely ignore that. This episode is all about the truth: winners do sometimes quit. Let’s discuss a bit deeper when and how and why. When do you decide to give up? What are your personal standards for abandoning an effort? Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full ...
Hey there, hero! If you’re at all like me, I’ve often wondered if I’m the odd man out. A left-brained person in a right-brained body. See, I’m a creative…but I’m also proudly analytical and organized. I hear you. “Freak!” Yep. And guess what? Turns out you are too. My evidence? Two different authoritative videos on YouTube that dispel the left-brain/right-brain myth. From Encyclopedia Britannica: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkJHc5QKc8w And from TedX: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMSbDw...
Hey there, hero! What is your reaction when you see someone you know on TV? When a colleague pops up on the screen in a movie? When you hear that familiar voice in a spot? When you see the byline, and it’s not you, but someone…just…like…you? And further, what kind of feelz well up when it’s for something you submitted an audition? I’m sure there is a whole rainbow of reactions - and I’d love to know what you have as a go-to response. Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST: Please join thi...
Hey there, hero! Actors, voice talent and writers often face the question of whether they should run their creative practice as an individual, being paid as an employee, or as a company, paid via invoicing on a more formal basis. And the answer is… …it depends. In this episode, I take a look at the options you have in either case, not as a professional business manager, but from both sides of the equation. What has your experience been when making this decision? As I say in the episode, pleas...
Hey there, hero! I ran across a quote by psychiatrist Thomas Szasz that called out a huge difference in how feedback/criticism/adjustments land with kids…as opposed to how that can land with adults. And it comes down to what he called “...the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem.” Adults don’t like to be questioned about their choices. Kids? They usually don’t give a rat. They’re used to being guided by adults, and don’t know what they don’t know. So…some advice in this episod...
Hey there, hero! Short and sweet: six words that might make your day a bit more impactful, and give you a bit more moxie and courage to do what we do as professional performers. (I ask my students at the end of each of our live workouts if they had anything resonate for them during the session - a #1 takeaway - and as I traversed the web yesterday…Ms. Anjelou, in just those six concise words, handed me what was my #1 takeaway of yesterday.) Thoughts? Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST...
Hey there, hero! So… …you didn't get the gig. They went with someone else. You're disappointed, and that's understandable. But what are you missing from the experience? It can be a lot of valuable information and factual results. I share some of the gifts we get when we don't get the job. Were any of them forgotten? Are any of them a bit more valuable than you thought? Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, where...
Hey there, hero! As you sit there at the moment of creation... With a blank page... Nothing yet recorded for an audition... A blinking cursor... Not even a countdown to begin recording, or an unclicked record button, not even a cleared throat... ...how do you handle that moment? Are you frozen? Or do you make a mess and then make it better? That's a phrase I didn't include in the episode, but it's worth having handy: just get something made, even if it's messy (it likely will be first time ar...
Hey there, hero! The pundits are out with their predictions for this year. I have my predictions as well, and I guarantee you that mine are right and theirs are wrong. And there's joy in what I'm predicting. I think you'll be surprised. And what are your predictions for the new year? What are you looking forward to, hoping for, maybe even prepared to be disappointed over? Let me know in the comments below. REQUEST: Please join this video's conversation and see the full episode on VOHeroes, wh...
Hey there, hero! If you find yourself talking to yourself when you're by yourself... ...that's not only OK, it's a mark of genius. That's what the Internet says, and I'm going with them on this. I don't want you to feel anything but joy and wisdom if you're an inveterate self-talker. And I'm not limiting my support just to those who murmur or mutter to themselves - I'm a full-volume talking machine when I'm alone, sometimes raising my voice to make a point. And I want to celebrate with you th...
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