The VO industry: A thread

No this isn’t comprehensive. Yes, at times I’m being cheeky.
ANIME: Life in the spotlight for better or worse. Better? Gets all the attention in the VO world. Worse? Highly volatile industry & fans. A very specific skillset, insanely competitive & hard to make a living at. Respect them for their talents but also for all they go through.
ANIMATION: The elusive sasquatch of the VO world. The step-cousin of Anime that mostly goes to celebs & a select few get to fill in the rest. Some of the glory, without all the hassle of Anime. Be ready for everything: wild lines, prelay, & dubbing. A total blast!
GAMES: You want big? Go mocap or go home (in LA only)! Some room for truly inventive art in indies. Not a visible field for VO but growing more rapidly than any other type. VO connects players with games, & players become emotionally attached to your voice with lots of time.
COMMERCIAL: More of a business with a capital B. Low overhead, easy entry, the product is you. Often thankless & in some cases disliked by audiences but still rewarding. Stupidly oversaturated market, lucrative if you’re good. Best shot at an agent. Less “artsy” but still fun.
TRAILERS: You best know somebody.

PROMO: Hope you like reality TV!
AUDIOBOOKS: Strap in buttercup because you’re in for the long haul. A bit more fun than commercial but a LOT more work for a LOT less pay. Unsung heroes of the arts. You help authors see their dreams to fruition & likely abuse Throat Coat. Just don’t read the reviews. Like ever.
LOCALIZATION/ADR: You’re in that one thing but nobody knows it. All the challenge of dubbing Anime but with acting so realistic you might as well be in the actual movie. Mostly bilingual and not nearly as appreciated as you should be.
AUDIO DRAMA: You say “no really it’s good I swear” a lot. Very accessible market to people of all experience levels. Some truly great storytelling taking place. Indies often fight against large companies for attention. Passionate people doing passion projects.
You can follow @melissamedinavo.
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