That Voiceover Life...

I listen to my friends talk about their jobs and all of the stresses they deal with - irrational bosses, stressed-out colleagues, rush-hour traffic, 30-minute lunch hours. When I hear those things, I just smile and think to myself, “I'm glad that's your job and not mine”.

Because at my job, I have no commute, no clock-in time, no boss, and no coworkers. I work as much as I want, whenever I want. That's because Voiceover, like many other occupations, has been positively affected by the Internet Age. Let me explain how things have changed:

Traditionally, you would need to be represented by a talent agent to get any sort of paid opportunity. You got their attention by mailing them your demo tapes (which cost you $2000 to have made for you). They would be consulted by a production company to call you and bring you in to a fancy million-dollar studio downtown where are you would show up, give them your takes, and go home. Your check would come in the mail a few months later, unless there were any revisions to be made, requiring you to transport yourself back to that studio for pick-ups. If your agent doesn’t get any calls for you, you don’t work. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Period.