Dave Courvoisier's Blog

Paul Strikwerda is a smart guy…and a good voice actor, and coming from the Netherlands, has an excellent perspective of making a go of it as a voiceover talent on at least two…wait…three continents.

Recently, he posted an extremely helpful and cogent answer to a query on the Yahoo VO Forum, and gave me permission to repurpose the response here on my blog.

A fellow voiceover talent had posed questions about difference between American and European studios, standards, production companies, ad agencies and acceptable marketing practices.

Below the line you’ll see his considerably well-composed response.

Thanks for sharing Paul!

CourVO

Many voice-over actors like me call the USA their home, and I know quite a few American colleagues who moved to Europe in order to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond. Unless you have something totally unique to offer, consider both markets pretty much saturated. Thanks to the internet, our business has lost almost all of its boundaries anyway, as we’re moving toward a more global market.

http://www.Bodalgo.com could be seen as the European equivalent of voices.com or voice123.com However, don’t expect too many projects just yet. The site offers excellent customer service and has huge potential. It’s waiting to be discovered by voice-seekers, and the owner works very hard to drum up more and more business. Go month-to-month and see where it takes you!

As a voice-over actor from Europe, living and working in the States, I am often painfully aware of the cultural differences between the two continents. These differences are not always recognized because we are so used to our own way of doing things. It’s also easy to slip into generalizations and cultural clichés when talking about "those loud Americans" and those "crazy Europeans". In general, it would be just as wrong to generalize about Americans, as it would be to generalize about Europeans.

What makes the American market unique is the fact that on this huge continent one main language is spoken. In Europe there obviously is no common language. This makes the voice-over market more of a patchwork, and one particular approach or style that might be a big hit in Denmark, might not work at all in Greece.

My advice would be to focus on what distinguishes you from the rest, rather than trying to flavor your dish to what you assume to be the taste of the town.

Also, if you wish to be taken seriously in the European market, have some sense of the going rates for your work in that part of the world. Your bank account will be much happier, and your European colleagues who can give you referrals, won’t feel that you’re undercutting their business.

Especially in Northern Europe, you’ll find that business is usually conducted in a more formal way. You’d never start an email to the CEO of a company with "Hi John. How are things going?", unless you’re already on a first-name basis.

Secondly, here in the US we’re taught that we should be proud of our accomplishments and that it’s okay to toot our own horn. In The Netherlands (that’s where I come from), this self-promotion is often mistaken for unnecessary bragging. "Let others sing your praises. Modesty is a virtue" is very much the mindset in Holland. Instead, let your work speak for itself. Don’t tell people that you know that you’re the best of the best (even if you are!).

Third, people who were born and raised speaking English, are used to the idea that the rest of the world will speak their language, no matter what and no matter where (unless you’re in France…). As a result, many people from English speaking countries make very little effort to learn another language (and YES, this is one of those generalizations). So, even if you’re willing to make the littlest of efforts to show the person you’re communicating with that you know a few words in their language, people will remember you. I’m not talking about becoming fluent in Dutch or German. I’m referring to simple things like: "How are you", "hello", "goodbye" or "talk to you soon". Believe me; this will knock the socks off many Europeans, especially when it’s coming from an American.

And lastly, learn something about the geography and culture of the continent. No… Amsterdam is not the capital of Sweden. and there’s more to it than the red light district and pot-smoking pimps. Hans Christian Andersen was a great Dane, but it doesn’t mean he’s a dog. The Dutch get really pissed when you tell them that their language sounds like German. Flemish is very different from what is spoken in The Netherlands (see my blog http://nethervoice.com/nethervoice/2009/05/18/the-genuine-article-or-the-dutch-flemish-controversy/).

Baseball is not big in Europe. Obama is.
If all of these things are old news to you, I apologize. But a few of these tips might really help you or others build rapport. And rapport is the lubricant needed for establishing long-lasting relationships in any context.
Hope this helps!
Paul Strikwerda
www.nethervoice.com