Nothing like a good ol’ DIY project, AMIRIGHT?
Creating something out of nothing with only blood, sweat and tears (and a good set of power tools)…
Well, you can step away from the electric drill for now, because I’m talking a different kind of DIY.
If you’re anything like me, you already spend a LOT of money on your voiceover career. You shell out for P2P sites, for coaching, for workout nights with agents and casting directors, for demos and equipment, and for all sorts of other little expenses here and there.
It all adds up preeeeetty quick!
While there is value in investing in your career, your investments should be strategic.
Why spend extra money on ongoing voiceover practice when you can do it yourself?
I think a lot of people either don’t realize that DIY is an option in this area, or they’re intimidated by the idea.
Whatever your needs are right now, someone else is probably looking for the same thing, whether it’s an accountability group, a general meetup/support group, a workout group for a specific genre, or whatever. And those people are probably waiting around for someone to take the lead and create that thing too.
Your options are to:
Keep waiting for someone else to create the thing you need
Pay to access something already made, or…
DIY
You can do something with this!
Want to give DIY a go?
Here are three things you need to DIY your voiceover group:
You need a leader
Without a leader of some kind, groups tend to fall apart quickly. Everyone thinks it’s someone else’s responsibility to take care of communication or planning.
By creating your own group, you take on the responsibility of being the steady, consistent rock that shows up 99% of the time and leads by example. It’s one of the tradeoffs of not paying someone else to take on that role, so make sure you’re ready for it.
You need a plan
It’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel. Whether you’re building bunk beds for your kids or creating your own workout or accountability group, use what others have done as a blueprint for your own DIY project.
Ask around for ideas or do some research, and then tweak from there.
You need to be flexible
If you’re renovating your kitchen, you might need to adjust your plans as you find out that the plumbing can’t be moved, the tiles you like aren’t available, and the cabinets you wanted are outside your budget. When problems come up in your group, it’s the same thing—flexibility will save you a lot of grief. The needs of your project will dictate the adjustments that need to be made.
I’m no stranger to career DIY, having started multiple accountability groups, a marketing group, and helping run a meetup group, but up until now, I’ve never done DIY performance coaching.
Recently, though, after shelling out over $600 between January and February for pro workouts, I’ve been wanting more consistent voiceover script practice with outside feedback…but without the additional added expense.
Time for some more DIY!
So, last week, my new voiceover friend A. W. Miller and I put together a weekly voiceover workout group and invited friends. We met on Monday for the first time, and read through scripts, and it was great!
Aaron has a background in theatre, as do I, and he’s also a certified Meisner coach. I just have performance tricks and tips gleaned from two decades of acting classes. We plan to work on scripts in all sorts of genres and open-mindedly explore different exercises that could help us with our voiceover auditions.
I encourage you to try doing it yourself. The rewards of DIY (and the savings) are immense.