Following the breadcrumbs…
Dots can be connected by either happenstance or rapt curiosity.
In celebration of my first anniversary in the industry, it’s a good time to begin looking back at my naive but exciting beginnings. I was warned by everyone that voice acting was a tough business no matter how great I thought I’d be at it. “You’re competing with thousands of other voices with more experience, so don’t be surprised if you aren’t chosen after an exhaustive number of auditions,” was the general sentiment.
You see — after an author or publisher listens to your samples, they often look online for a listing of books you’ve narrated to see if you’ve got the chops they’re looking for in addition to the talent. For a fledgling narrator, that can be a problem. Without dozens of books to my narrating name, I may not appear to be the best bet yet — even if they delight in the seven-plus foreign and domestic accents I showcase here.
With time, however, I know more work will come. And a new wrinkle is beginning to form: I am getting inquiries instead of having to perennially hunt for auditions — a very good sign.
The thing is, I can be dazzled by an unexpected path that leads to something different. That “different” thing began happening just about a month or so ago when I thought it was time to retire my trusty USB microphone for a better one. After calling a very reputable online sound equipment retailer, I was connected to Alex, an expert sales associate who listened intently not only to my hopes and dreams (poor guy) but also to the budget I had in mind.
In the course of this conversation, we were to find we had elements in common that wove an interesting tapestry into a new long-distance friendship. He listened to my voice samples to determine the mic that might best serve my needs. He was so personable and informative that I bought the mic on the spot.
After a week or so of receiving my shiny new equipment, I received a follow-up call from Alex. I told him everything sounded great — the nuances the new condenser mic picked up made my voice sound amazing. He was thrilled. Then he brought up something entirely new: audio description. “Your voice lends to it,” he said — no doubt referring to the low alto range I naturally emit even in normal speaking tones. It’s not a voice that wakes people up, but it doesn’t put you to sleep, either. He also said my copywriting background (a skill that calls for the economy of words while conveying a message) was perfect for it as well.
“What is it?” I asked. He went on to explain that both TV and movies were in a mad rush to add audio description (AD) to their existing as well as new projects. Like closed captioning for the hearing-impaired, AD offers the visually-impaired watcher a narration of what is happening on the screen when dialogue or sound effects are not taking place.
For instance, in a movie scene the AD narrator might say: “It’s autumn, and an older couple is holding hands while walking down a path in a park. The woman lets go and wanders off the path when she spies a tiny bird in the leaves, struggling to free itself from a pile of leaves.” In this way, the blind person has context, setting the scene in their minds as the dialogue ensues.
Getting paid just to write AND narrate for movies? TV? What a concept! I was instantly jazzed, as I always pictured myself in one of those industries in another life — especially as a would-be screenwriter. “You’ll need training,” said Alex. “But I have some connections I can send some of your samples off to once you get that training.”
Color me ecstatic. As I continued to happily record books, I looked for individuals or organizations that offered this specific type of training. I was given a few names by a fellow narrator, then looked further for a range of options. Soon I was talking to a woman who had been at it for several years. Again, we spoke at length, forming a bond by phone I knew we would expand on soon.
Bottom line: In just a few weeks, I will be introduced to the world of audio description, adding it to my menu of services here. Over the past year, I think of the dots that have already been connected by either happenstance or rapt curiosity. If you read my post about meeting local writers face-to-face, the news is that this summer I will be speaking to two writers’ groups as the very first voice actor they have ever met in person. And I’m thrilled because I will consider myself a trainer at helping authors understand my world and what it offers their narratives.
As for audio description? I may well be entering a field I can look back on as having been of great service — a gift for which I may well be remembered. And I like that idea.
Life does indeed take its turns.