443.692.7260

voice@rexanderson.com

REX ANDERSON

VOICE OVER ACTOR

VO CAREER

Leaving Midgar

VOICE OVER ADVICE

One of my fondest video game memories is the 90 hours or so I plunked into Final Fantasy VII as a kid. The whole first act of the game takes place in Midgar, an oppressive, gloomy city, carved out in claustrophobic corridors. It’s dank, trashed out, and the sun literally never shines there. There’s a scrappy underdog quality to everything you do there; it’s not great, but it’s home, and you’ve got your little niche (it’s basically terrorism, but you know, good guy terrorism). About eight hours in, however, you up and leave the city, suddenly thrusting your party into the whole wide world, which up until then I wasn’t even sure existed in this game. This blew my mind when I was a kid. Now we were no longer scavengers scraping by in a totalitarian hellhole, barely escaping with our lives. Now, we had to…to..

..wait, what do we do next?

The Business of Doing Business

The anxiety of suddenly having an entire world to play in was exhilarating and more than a little overwhelming. I think I’m at that point with my voiceover career right now. I wake up, try to do normal human things like eat breakfast, brush my teeth, have my coffee, take my daughter for our morning walk, then…stare at the mountain of possibilities.

Do I straighten one of those corners I cut getting here? That would mean finding a coach, booking a demo session, or sessions, with a professional, and likely undergoing weeks of training. OR! I could scrounge on VDC (I know, I’m not proud of it) and Upwork and the other places I recently added myself to in the hopes of sussing out some bucks.

OR! I could revamp my website and have a good long think about my basically non-existent branding and get that all fixed and in place so I can market properly… as soon as I get these new demos that I think I need with the training I should do and also I need a lawyer and to talk through my new business structure with my CPA and hell! I haven’t even thought about, you know, auditioning for jobs or warming up and practicing.

Need agents and contacts with production houses for more opportunities, better get on stalking websites and emailing and cold calling people. But is my gear good enough? Could I have more options for delivery? Would that help? Is the studio space I’m building out right now going to cut it? Better start planning phase two.

Getting Started in Voice Over is The Easy Part

I guess you could say I’m getting a little bogged down with all the realities of maintaining a voiceover business. Let this be a warning to you newcomers: be careful what you wish for. Maintaining your career is, in my opinion, much more difficult than breaking in. That’s the part that will determine whether or not you’re wasting your time. After that, the clock starts ticking. There’s constant pressure to fix and do and reach out and expand. Should I make a political demo/is my commercial demo not enough? That’s a whole other field of marketing I also know little about. I’m realizing how behind the 8-ball I was with the business-y, boring side of things, that I now need to balance those scales to remain viable, instead of getting increasingly bogged down with weird, one-off gigs from jobs boards and other low ROI activities that have been all too prevalent this year.

Solopreneur, Give Thyself a Break

I’m probably being too hard on myself. This is a never-ending learning experience, after all, and I can’t expect myself to perfect every aspect of running a business with no prior business education, or really, much interest behind being a freelancer who doesn’t get screwed at tax time. There’s also that ‘being a new homeowner and father’ thing I need to deal with on a constant basis. Mostly, I just need to get back to a point where I’m doing good work I’m proud of again and making enough money walk through the door doing it.

It’s a refinement rather than a do-over, and that’s something to remember. This career, once you’ve started, is yours forever to do with what you will. Just remember to breathe (from your diaphragm), appreciate what you do have without lamenting what you don’t, and be gentle with yourself. The world, especially in the entertainment business, will do a perfectly good job of beating you up all on its own. Be your own advocate, and be your own biggest fan. And just get through the work, at least that which needs to be done.

If you feel like you’re going in circles, then find a new path. A new podcast, a new book. Spend a ton of money going to one of those VO conventions. There’s eventually going to be an internal struggle to stay interested (if you’re anything like me). Persevere. From what I hear, having a real job still really sucks.

<3

I Bet You Thought This Would Be All Fun and Games

VOICE OVER ADVICE

It’s just talking, you said. It’s the easiest job in the world, you assured yourself. You love talking in goofy voices, and look, you even own a microphone! Easy peasy.

Not so fast there, buddy. There’s a lot more to consider.

Voice Over is a Business First and an Art Second

Do you know how to make an invoice? How about creating an invoicing system that can track client names, pull up anything from any year you’ve been in business in a couple clicks? Do you like tracking all of your expenses and keeping reports on them? How about marketing and advertising, writing your own blogs, building your own web site (with samples, client list, rate sheet, a call to action, effective layout…), or developing the engineering skills to make demo after demo after demo as needed? Do you have enough liquid cash on hand to be an exhibitor at a convention, or to build a soundproof booth in your house, or to buy the equipment and software you need to be competitive? Does dealing with delinquent clients, renegotiating/auditioning/arguing with longtime clients every time they have a new project, or creating an LLC or corporation complete with accounts, books, payroll, and quarterly taxes sound fun?

Time Behind the Mic is Precious, and Transient

This doesn’t scratch the surface of what your actual job is as a voice actor. That bit behind the mic is icing on the cake. Hell, I barely mentioned auditioning, which you’ll be doing a ton. If you’re lucky enough to suss out all the various sources of auditions, convincing them to put you on their rolls, so you can START trying to get actual ‘work’.

If you’ve ever been unemployed, looking on jobs boards, filling out online resumes and writing cover letters ad nauseum, know that looking for voiceover work is basically a cooler version of that, but forever. You get all the freedom and anxiety and night terrors that come with unemployment, but you’re actually working the whole time. There are peaks and valleys, and it can really screw with you mentally and emotionally.

Plus, you know, you’re going to be isolated. Often. Not super fun.

40,000 Hours or Ten Years, Whatever Comes First

That said, I’m over five years in, and I keep hearing that I have to starve for ten years before this thing really busts wide open. I guess I’ll report back in five years and see if there’s validity to that statement. And it’s not to say I’m starving, exactly. I wouldn’t call this the most stable job I’ve ever had, but I’ve never been as invested in anything I’ve ever done before in my life. And it’s the most rewarding job I could ever do. And so far, somehow, my house is still standing and my daughter is still well-fed and happy, so I guess I’m doing my job. My wife pointed out that I am a voice actor. Not someone trying to break into voiceover, not a guy looking to do something…I am a voice actor. That feels really good.

So no, it’s not all fun and games, but is it worth it? Only you can answer that for yourself. I say it every few posts, but I’ll say it again – this isn’t a part time gig you flit in and out of. This is a lifestyle. It’s got to be part of who you are, not just one of the things you do. You have to put up with a mountain of BS, then shove it all aside to perform. Otherwise, what good are you to your client?

<3

Rex

[update: this blog was updated April 27, 2021.]

In Voice Over, Persistence (Potentially) Pays off

VOICE OVER ADVICE

I turned a job down last week. It didn’t meet the rates that I had been honing for the last three years, the turnaround was too quick, the script too long, the subject too boring, so I just…turned it down. It felt really good, as I’m pretty sure I’ve never done that with a voiceover job before.

Pause the Hustle and Take Care of Yourself

I’ve also taken a vacation recently for the first time in years (that didn’t involve a convention in some capacity). Another one’s planned for November. Work’s been coming in practically on its own all year, mostly from repeat clients I’ve built up campaigns with for the last year or two. Marketing is more for fishing for new clients rather than an urgent desire to survive; I even rejoined VDC, mostly out of boredom (plus they offered a huge discount at the time).

Oh, and I bought a new car when our old one died a couple week ago. I’ve never even bought a car before. My one steady gig isn’t exactly what I’d call stellar work, but hell, I know I’m not going to starve. And after doing it for a year, the benefit of having a baseline has prevented me from ever having to get a side gig to make ends meet.

It took years of determination and focus to get to this point. And damn does it feel good.

Living The Good Voice Over Life

Life is good. And all it took was ten years of research, two moves across the country, and becoming increasingly unemployable for years to get me to start on this path. It took my friends in Baltimore building a theater company to get me to consider trying out acting at 27. It took the love and support of my wife and our family and friends, to keep us afloat as we readjusted to living in Baltimore again. It took a credit score I don’t know how I earned to buy my first studio setup (which is due to be fully paid off sometime in the 2030’s) when I decided I’d rather be homeless than work in an office ever again.

Well, I guess my home studio is basically an office, but I only have one office mate and he rules.

It was years of risk, and hell, it could still all evaporate next week and I’d have to start over again. Not from the bottom per se, but this isn’t exactly a stable industry.

How to Get Into Voice Over

A lot of people ask me how to get into voice over. Giving advice is not one of my fortes, and also I’m pretty insular and shy/a jerk sometimes, so if you’ve tried getting in touch with me and I haven’t responded, I apologize. But also, this blog is basically the answer to that question, so…you know, start here.

I’m going to take another swing at hewing down my advice into a logline:

Do your research, buy a mic, get good, find work. Continue ad nauseum until it works. 

 <3

Rex

Every Job Feeds Into the Next

VOICE OVER ADVICE, VOICE OVER MARKETING

I was recently interviewed for a college survey project about my career as a voice actor. This is the first time I’ve given an interview because of my VO work. Throughout the interview, I noticed most of my answers had a bent toward marketing and advertising. I hope I didn’t bore my interviewer too much by making the magical world of VO sound like a business 101 lecture. But there was one point I happened to make to that I wanted to explore.

Before Voice Over

I haven’t been a voice actor for very long (I went “full-time” back in October). Before, I was a wedding DJ, maintenance, audio engineer, server, bartender, HUD appraisal manager, IT tech, and graphic artist. As you may imagine, none of these industries have a ton of crossover. But, I’ve taken the skills and tricks I’ve learned from each of these jobs and applied them to my current endeavors.

This is what constructs my unique business approach: You may have sat down to a Pro Tools session in a studio, but have you ever replaced the carpet and tiles in that room? Have you been the delivery guy who brought you lunch? You’ve been a wedding guest, but have you been the valet, server, maitre’d, bartender, and/or DJ? While this may not seem relevant to voiceover, these experiences have shaped my outlook  and informed how I approach challenges. I’ve sold myself as a DJ to brides for years, which taught me all the ropes as far as selling yourself goes. Improv skills help in that realm just as much as behind the mic, by the way.

Your Experiences Make You Who You Are

I couldn’t have built my own home studio without having learned construction on-the-job. I wouldn’t have appreciated the freedom and empowerment running my own business is without having sat in many offices on many boring days. Those memories are the catalyst for building a successful business. And let me tell you, it’s a hell of a good one.

Just Get Up Every Day and Do It

As I progress in my business, now every job feeds into the next by way of word of mouth or repeat business. Even my side hustles align: I’m performing a school assembly, acting in a short film, and producing Meanwhile, at the Skullbase. In five years, who knows? Maybe I’ll be discerning between audiobook work and IVR. A guy can dream.

<3

Rex

What Motivates You?

VOICE OVER ADVICE

I recently had a discussion with my wife about our respective places we find ourselves in our burgeoning new careers. We talked about everything from our fears and hesitations about the future to why we’re pursuing what we’re pursuing. Yes, there are things like bills and debt and years of schooling that have led to these decisions, but beyond the immediate needs a career (hopefully) provides for, there’s a desire inside us that, at least I’ve, never felt for an occupation before. Since starting my career in voice acting, I’ve discovered this little feeling in my stomach when I sit down to an audition recording session.

I was actually looking forward to what I was about to do.

I actually, gulp, liked my job! Yes, it’s very part time, it’s not really paying the bills, but it is generating income and it is the thing I’m most likely to associate with my name. Even though I’m a wedding DJ, an assistant to DC Magician Max Major, and a IT associate, voice acting is my trade. Instead of rattling off a half mumbled explanation of what I’m doing and what I really want to do, I get to introduce myself as a voice actor. ‘Nuff said.

Let Discipline Fill the Gaps Motivation Leaves

As a freelancer, your motivation will be the difference between flirting with a new concept and making it into your lifestyle. And yes, being a freelancer is a life choice, not just a career. Why do I sit in my basement all day, microphone in front of me, sending audition after audition after audition, then switching to networking and researching new markets while planning out new ways to get my name out in the world? It’s a ton of work and the benefits are not immediately felt. There’s plenty of room for depression to creep in when the phone doesn’t ring and the inbox remains empty for days, weeks, or even heaven forbid months on end. How do I stick through the bad times to get to the good, assuming the good days are out there?

The Company You Keep Makes You Who You Are

I was playing video games with a good friend and bandmate of mine the other day when he told me how inspirational my decision to become a voiceover talent was to him. It stopped me in my tracks. I get so caught in the day to day grind, the constantly evolving marketing strategies, the hunt for connections and friends of friends and potential clients that I rarely sit back and even listen to what work I have finished and put out into the world. It didn’t even really occur that what I do would even be recognized. When my wife told me the same thing later that night, I felt compelled to carry on if not for myself, than to be a positive example in my circle of friends.

Then there’s the love of the medium. I’ve been a huge fan of video games and cartoons since I was old enough to form memories. I was hooked on Atari since I was two years old. The first movie I ever saw in theaters was The Land Before Time. I guess I secretly always wanted to be a part of that world, even if that wasn’t obvious to me until fairly recently. And now that I am aware of that desire in myself, I’m hard pressed to think of something I’d feel prouder of than a great character in a great piece of work.

Love You You Do…

One final thought: during my office days, I used to be fond of saying ’40 hours a week is an awful lot of time to waste on something you hate doing’. Just a little matter-of-factly negativity to cement my poor attitude, but it’s true. And, at the very least, I don’t feel that way about my career anymore. Even when it’s more like 80 hours a week than 40. At the end of the day, I still get to call myself a voice actor.

-Rex

From the Office to Behind the Mic: 2013 In Review

LIFE AND LOVE

Well, this was a hell of a year. What started out as a desperate struggle by my wife and me to re-establish our lives in Maryland and find work has ended up seeing us both launch our careers and have work schedules as erratic and fickle as we are.

Don’t Quit Your Day Job (Unless You Should)

I started the year with the intention of writing and DJ’ing when I returned to Baltimore. Specifically, I focused on working at Agora, where many of my fellow English degree holders had found refuge. I eventually scored an internship there, but the transition was tough. I went from managing a department for a decent salary and benefits to being a paid intern for a much more daunting, less welcoming company. Still, I took what I could get.

The work was garbage. Simple. Repetitive. Menial as hell. I held a Bachelor’s in Writing and a resume that had everything from web designer to graphic artist to audio engineer on it, and I get hired to do data entry. Hell, not even data entry, it was copying and pasting data over from one source to another. I wasn’t too broken up when the “internship” ended and I was released back into the wild without so much as a good luck.

Baltimore Rock Opera Society To the Rescue

Luckily, I fell in with the BROS while I worked there. Murdercastle premiered at the same time, and as fate would have it, that would steer the course of my career in a much different direction than what I’d originally planned. It was here that I learned I could actually maybe act a little bit. The shows all sold out, we got tons of positive reviews; some people even told me that I was their favorite character despite only appearing midway through the show. Also, I got to hang out with my new friends on a constant basis and party like I hadn’t partied since maybe ever. There was a hazy moment at one of these many post-show ragers where I typed a note to myself in my phone that would become my personal mantra by the end of the year.

Since then, I’ve decided that as long as the world was going to reward my months of job searching with soul-crushing busywork like what I’d been offered, that I was simply going to start looking for work I actually wanted to do. Since I entered the workforce, the office scene was predicated on the unsaid agreement to put up with a life of monotony in exchange for a living wage and benefits. Seven months into the year and each offer was less and less of this. I’d have to work full time and keep DJ’ing on the side just to pay my half of the rent. Why bother?

So I started acting.

And lo, I started to get work. Fun work. Dress up in a suit, hang out on TV show and movie sets, meet interesting new people. Really, it didn’t feel like working at all, and while the pay and security weren’t great good, at least I wasn’t staring at a computer screen all day wishing I were somewhere else. So with this new found optimism towards working, I decided to pull the trigger on my biggest dream, the one I never thought I’d actually pursue out of fear of not being talented or trainable or disciplined enough.

The Journey Starts With One Step

I’d researched a career in voice acting before. Even made a demo with my brother’s father-in-law once. But I never seriously thought I could do it. How could I? I mean, for God’s sake, just listen to Rob Paulsen or Fred Tastasciore or Jim Cummings. How could I possibly compete with that? It never seemed plausible, and I didn’t think I had a talent for it. But with the overwhelming support, hell, even goading I received from the BROS pushed me to start making demos, getting out there, and making a real go for it. A short few months later, and I proudly call myself a voice actor. It’s going to be an uphill battle, but at least I’ve finally got my heart in the fight.

I’ve finally arrived at my career, and it truly feels like I’m entering a new era of my life. Maybe I’m arriving at my thirties a couple years in advance. I’ve always tried to be ahead of the curve (i.e. I’m a cranky old bastard at heart). In any case, I’m just glad to be here.

Also, Meanwhile, at the Skull Base. I can do a whole other post about what an amazing experience this has turned out to be, so I’ll hold off for now. Just please, go listen. Everyone involved rules and is killing it and I’m very, very proud of it.

I still look at that note on my phone every time I think I’m not good enough or that I should quit this silly dream and go get a “real” job. “They asked me to do it, so I assume I can.” Thanks again, guys. I wouldn’t have made it here without you.

<3

Rex