“…nobody likes the person who comes to a potluck only bringing a fork…”

In other words, you came to FaffCon4 to learn.  Let us learn from you, too!

The wisdom in that statement is understanding that you uniquely have the answer to someone else who has a unique question about voice overs.  Today many of those questions were answered.

As the freely-formed agenda began to take shape first thing Saturday morning, no topic area was left untouched.  Questions covered the spectrum:  agents, demos, auditions, software, hardware, audiobooks, time-saving and management techniques, union representation, on-camera work, and on and on and on.  Issues that weren’t covered in sessions were dealt with at lunch, or in the hallway.

Participants were encouraged to move about like a bee or a butterfly to flit from session to session as need be, to take advantage of all the shared knowledge, but clearly once in a room, it became hard to pull yourself away.

In one hour alone, I took in an AudioBook session being led by Tom Dheere,

…a mobile recording session led by Sean Caldwell,

….a “mining the internet” group led by Steve Cunningham, a USC professor,

…and a live-direction session held by booking agent Martha Mayakis of Talk Shop

Bob Souer’s “living room” talks occupied a comfy corner of the central area complete with customized “Bob Souer Storyteller” pillows (a surprise gift from Amy).   Volunteers and staff flitted about to make all the arrangements come true.  Door prizes capped off the closing general session…gifts from BSW, Audio-Technica, Harlan Hogan, VoiceBank, Dan Friedman, Doug Turkel, and other sponsors.

The most overheard comment:  “This day has gone so fast”!!!

Among the nuggets I gleaned:

1)  To follow-up with clients who’ve given you work, purchase $5 Starbucks gift-cards customized with your logo to show your appreciation.  Hand write onto the card:  “Thanks a latte!”
2)  Just because you’re tall, doesn’t mean you’re a basketball player (how to answer people with a good voice who want to get into VO).
3)  Cold-calling clients means doing research and homework.
4)  Constantly update your demos to the new trends, and the more niche demos you can legitimately claim, the better.
5)  Your voice is not what’s getting you work, your real personality is getting you the work;  be comfortable, assured and confident in yourself.
6)  Do I want to be with a huge “name” agency and never get work, or a smaller boutique agency that’s booking you regularly?
7)  Like the wood, oxygen, and a spark makes a fire;  you, your listener, and your product must combine to get you the job.
8)  Follow-up, follow-up, follow-up…keep a file to schedule it, take advantage of online and software tools to achieve it.
9)  You have two ears and one mouth, use them proportionately.
10)  Rejection is not personal.  Move on.

Turns out, I am not a stranger to people who are total strangers to me.  Why?  This very blog.  Thank you for your patronage.  …And no, I can’t tell you how I do it all in a day…but I do, and it’s fun, and I learn something in the process.

My day ended with about 20 fellow SaVoa members at a funky little Italian restaurant on the beach.  The service was slow, the food was good, and nobody noticed…we were all talking.  This is a fun bunch, and I count myself lucky to be among them.

Sunday, Mercedes Rose, Trish Basanyi and I will conduct a session on Social Media, and how to use it to get jobs.

CourVO

Ventura, California is nice this time of year (well…ok…all year).  60°F…a little foggy till mid-afternoon, then sunny and pleasant.

That was the backdrop for an early-afternoon “whale-watching” boat outing off the coast of California.  We saw the Channel Islands, and oil drilling platforms, but no whales (although the guides went out of their way to tell us that, technically dolphins WERE whales, and yes, we DID see dolphins).

No matter, the boat was just backdrop for conversation.  Of course conversation.  We all talk for a living.

You may recognize some of the peeps in these pics.  I know about 2/3rds of them by first name, and the others I’m getting to know quickly.

A few of us were overtaken by the swells and lost our lunch.  But every single one who got green behind the gills was smiling later. 

After the boat was lunch in the park with In ‘n’ Out Burgers.  After that was the first formal meeting of the day.  Faffy herself (unconference founder Amy Snively) offered welcoming statements, encouragements, and basic rules.

She reminded us of our…well…our destiny here.  That despite doubts, ego, or perceived mission, we would find the REAL reason for our presence at FaffCon4.

The bigger group divided into three…sitting in a circle to quickly answer two simple questions:

A) What brought you here?
B) What do you hope will happen?

You might guess that the answers coalesced around some main themes:  a chance to learn, a opportunity to give, the desire to bask in community and relationship.

Some had specific goals in mind:  marketing, technology, time-management, business challenges.

The evening culminated in a session sponsored by VoiceBank (the main sponsoring presence of FaffCon).  VoiceBank’s VoiceRegistry Platimun members were asked to read to the live audience, and be critiqued on the spot by a member of a prominent Los Angeles-based talent agency.  The kind of feedback VO’s NEVER get on their auditions.

It may sound corny, but through it all, it’s the slaps on the back, the intimate conversations, the hallway musings that make this event.  Seeing Cliff Zellman (with me in this pic) makes me smile.  I talk to him on FaceBook, Twitter, and email.  Here, I can shake his hand, pose for a cheesy photo, and look him in the eye to ask how his family is doing.

My answers to the above questions:  That social media is foreplay…and that I came to Ventura to seal the deal.  That I take joy sharing in a community of like-minded souls.  And that I hoped to find inspiration (and maybe some marketing tips) along the way.

Watch for a summary Storify story on our collective tweets on Derek Chappell’s blog.

‘S’been a long long day…my thanks to my wife for driving here this morning.  I’m operating on about 3 hours sleep in the last 24…so it’s off to bed, so I can soak up as much as possible tomorrow.

Thanks fellow Faffers.

CourVO