"Trials" of a Voice Actor, Part II

                                        
                                          "Trials" of a Voice Actor, Part II

                                                                 by

                                                                    Jay Agan

     It was March '09. The end year/new year "slump" is over & activity in the voice over field was going to pick up. Already had three "gigs" under my belt & was confident things would "look up". Little was I to know the polititians on both sides of the aisle, had the recession "cemented in" for a good long while to come (My agency later informed me the economy was the reason why things slowed down. It was also the reason they dropped me over a year later.). A conversation with my voice teacher (She also owns a studio.) revealed that this field is "a leading economic indicator" and is one of the first hit. I guess a lot of peoples' dreams have been put on hold.

     So I get this call from the agency. I was to "get ready" as someone from a nationwide car insurance company heard my demo & liked it. Nothing definite but I was on the list of choices for a radio spot or two. All right!

     Two days later, another call. They settled on someone else. Those are the breaks. You can imagine my disappointment.

     It wouldn't have been so bad had they settled on someone with a better voice .....

     Yeah. Ego plays a part.
                                           
                                          Article copyright © 3-27-2011 Jay Agan

"Trials" of a Voice Actor, Pt I here.

Go to Main Page here.

"Trials" of a Voice Actor Part 1

                                         "Trials" of a Voice Actor Part 1

                                                             by

                                                                Jay Agan

      So I get home after work , 12:30 AM on an early Friday morning in October 2008 & find my agent's left a message on my answering machine: Be in Louisville, Kentucky, 10 AM Monday to do a radio spot for some restaraunt. Pays 200 bucks (Travel expenses negotiable.)

      Let's see. About a 500 mile round trip in a car past voting age, maybe get reimbursed for gas & be back in time for work later that day. For 200 bucks (Less the agents' 20% thus 160.). Uh ..... yeah.

      Called the agent the "next" day & turned it down. Just starting out & couldn't afford such "popularity" (This is how you get a reputation for being "difficult" when you don't mean to.). Next agent I get, I'm stipulating nothing outside central Ohio.

                                        Article copyright © 3-22-2011 Jay Agan

"Trials" of a Voice Actor Part 2 here.

Go to Main Page here.