Dee Bradley Baker's "All to Know About Going Pro in V.O."

Short form insight for (voice) actors, part 1

Thoughts on acting, VO and going for it, in no particular order.

Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes permanent.

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Become a magnet: The question isn’t, “Where do I find opportunity, representation and work?” It’s, “How do I get good enough so that opportunity, representation and work are drawn to me?”

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Wanting isn’t enough. Talent isn’t enough. You must earn the trust of the gatekeepers and creators.

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One question leads to all answers: “What am I doing now to get better at this?”

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The career of acting is like a casino game that many play for the thrill but few play to win.

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The limits of “training:” With classes you pay-to-play, you’re safe and stakes are low. With a gig you are paid-to-play, vulnerable and stakes are high.

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Talent cannot be taught, it can only be excavated and refined.

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A mediocre demo is worse than no demo.

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Don’t “follow your dreams.” Have your dreams follow you.

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Try before you buy: Do you enjoy acting or just the idea of being an actor?

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Auditioning isn’t about “people pleasing.” It’s about creating a performance that is an irresistible proposition.

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A good actor isn’t there to take something. They are there to make something.

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You aren’t hired for what you’d like to do. You are hired for what you know you can do.

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Nobody hires “polite” and you can’t charm your way into a gig.

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An in-studio audition is two shows: One during the recording and one before and after.

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Don’t apologize. Course correct.

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You are hired not just to solve, but also to save time.

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Wasting someone’s time is an insult not quickly forgotten.

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An audition can take years to book.

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Help everyone but avoid doing favors. Likewise, ask for help but not favors.

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You set the low bar for how others value you: Don’t see or present yourself as a low-status servant. See and present yourself as a high-status, specialized, problem-solving collaborator.

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Protecting your voice is vital to serving the script and delivering the goods. It is in everyone’s interest. It is your responsibility.

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Step up: An actor is expected to have an opinion, add ideas and also to push back.

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Voice actors: Would you hire yourself? Would you entrust your expensive production on your own performance?

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Don’t just read words. See it as you say it.

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You’ve either already arrived or never will, so forget that. You’ll feel less agitated if you pin your satisfaction on process and momentum rather than achievement.

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Breathe before speaking. There is no rush to launch the words.

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The three ADR “beeps” are a good opportunity for a deep breath.

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“Ready” not “prepared”: Arriving at a session “prepared” implies the confinement of a single path. Instead, arrive “ready,” like a fully charged battery, primed to power a flow of choices in any direction.

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You must continually earn your place and momentum.

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Though they are of you, you are not the characters you voice.

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You set the bar for how others value you by how you radiate your value of yourself.

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You never know who else may be listening in on a Zoom session.

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A good actor isn’t a blank slate. A good actor overflows with an abundance of choices that connect beautifully with the story being told.

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Strive to become yourself and you will become a better actor.

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Artistry grows the more you paint from a pallet that is your own.

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A lot of pressure: In voice acting, as with golf and stand up, it’s all on you.

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Which game are you playing?: Hustling to get a single gig is a different game from hustling to build and maintain a career.

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What you say between takes can be as consequential as what you say during takes.

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Perspective: There are a hundred people adding their efforts and artistry to a character you voice.

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Value and defend yourself or no one will: Don’t give an authority permission to demean you.

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You are the gatekeeper of your own value as a human and an artist.

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An animated character is one puppet with a hundred puppeteers.

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Avoid people and situations that drain your health or cloud your sky.

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Don’t curse the ladder: You may have to climb over a hundred rungs of “no” in order to reach that eventual “yes.” Remove any one rung below and you never would have made it.

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Are you having any fun?

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© Dee Bradley Baker 2023

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