The panels and speakers featured at SXSW Interactive are usually amazing. Trail blazers in their fields. However, the festival is not just all about panels. Meet-ups and parties are also a significant part of the festival, providing a valuable platform to meet, chat and exchange knowledge with those in your industry or an industry you are keen on.
I took the oppurtunity to attend the Voice Acting & Voice Over Meet Up. I thought it would be interesting to meet and chat with people a field relevant and similar to mine. (I am a radio presenter and producer by trade).
The meet up was lead by voice over talent Tara Tyler of Voice 123 who gave some valuable insights to the VO industry, especially if you are just starting out.
- Get a VO mentor, but beware of those who ask for money up front – mentors should first ask you to come in for a consultation to see if you and them would be a right fit.
- Sign up for acting classes – VO talent are basically actors behind a mic.
- Find an agent – a tip would be to get someone from an advertising agency to give you an intro to a talent agency they use.
- Be nice – repeat work often comes from your attitude, not your talent.
- Figure out if you want to be part of a Union or not. Both have their pros and cons.
- Most VO work will require you to produce the audio at home, which means you will need a home studio. Before spending your hard earned money on hardware, go through the above steps to ensure that this is what you want to do.
All in all a fun laid back session that gave an opportunity for like minded people to meet, mingle and learn something new.
A Chat with some of the Attendees and the Host of the Meet Up