Paul Cuthbert | 2016 Acting Reel

Do I Really Need a Professional Headshot?

Yes, you do need a professional headshot and I'll tell you why. For the past year I have been building my name as a voice over talent. Over the past few months I have been doing more work as an actor than I have behind the microphone. So logically, now that I am establishing a name for myself, the next step in my career is to sign with a talent agent. But before I do that I decided to update my headshot.
I have learned that having a headshot is important for every professional, but as an actor it is absolutely critical. Your headshot is the first, and many times the only impression you make on a casting director. Unlike voice over where your demo determines your level of success, acting is about how you look. So I decided to update my headshot before submitting my resume to a talent agency.

I did some research and found a photographer that fit my budget and met my expectations in terms of quality and creativity. Robyn Adamson was easy to work with. She took a series of headshots with different clothing choices and allowed me to select the poses that I wanted edited. Like other professionals in her line of work this photographer understood that the images captured by the camera are only the beginning of the process for shooting a headshot. While there are enhancements and color corrections to manage, Robyn's photos capture the personality of the individual not just their image, which is the reason I choose her as my photographer.

How Often should I Update My Headshot 

Honestly, that depends on the amount of work you are doing. Typically your look will change as you mature (age), so you should be updating your headshot every couple of years. But if you an actor or on-camera spokesperson you will have to update your headshot at least every year. If you are booking a lot of acting work then the rule of thumb is updating your headshot every six months. Why? Two reasons: One to keep your look "fresh" for casting directors who see hundreds, if not thousands of headshots a day. Two because as you add credits to your expanding body of work you will want your headshot to be as current as your resume. With that said, voice actors can slip under the radar with a headshot that is one or two years old, but even if you only work in the studio it is a good idea to refresh your headshot every couple of years.

I have changed my image over the past couple of years, and moved from being strictly being behind the microphone to being on camera regularly. So in my case, updating a headshot has become a priority as I continue to increase my acting work.

Why Hire a Professional Photographer

The answer should be obvious! Selfies are great for social media, but as a professional in any industry, you are representing yourself to prospective hiring managers, clients, and vendors. If you are not doing so already, you must separate your professional and personal image. I know, you are who you are and anyone who tries to divide you into a work persona and a social persona is not doing you any favors...you are who you are!
However, taking a selfie and posting that as your profile image on linkedIn or glassdoor shows the world that you might not be as professional as you claim to be. Do yourself a favor, hire a professional photographer to take a headshot or portrait for you. In addition to your public profile, you can use the image for the corporate newsletter, annual report, and employee of the month photo. A professional headshot allows you to put your best foot forward when it comes to making a first impression. And like it or not people do judge you by the image you put on your profile page. So when you are ready, take the time to research photographers and invest in yourself by hiring a pro.

How Do You Find a Great Photographer

I updated my headshot by asking my social network for recommendations. I simply wrote a Facebook post informing my friends that I was looking for a photographer and asked for suggestions. After I started seeing the responses I checked out the work being produced. 

A lot of people take pictures, but there is a vast difference between someone who has high end camera equipment and does not know about lighting setups or exposures and F-Stops and an experienced professional who can capture more than just an image with the camera lens. I looked at different photographers and their portfolios before landing on someone with the experience and creativity to capture the "real me." Once I knew who I wanted to work with I set up an appointment and planned for the photoshoot.
By choosing a professional photographer I ended up with headshots that I am proud to post as my profile picture. Now I can send a headshot to casting directors and talent agents with the confidence that demonstrates professionalism. My due diligence paid off and the results speak for themselves. I am so pleased with my latest headshots that I am promoting my photographer across every social platform. And that is a win for both of us.

Images by Robyn Adamson
www.AdamsonCreative.com

Do You Know What Is Your Voice Worth?

"If You're Good at Something, Never Do It for Free!"

As an independent contractor and freelance designer I have done a number of jobs that I have bid on without understanding what exactly the scope of the project was. Back in the days when I was a full-time graphic designer running my own shop, I had a client ask me to price out a job where I added a proposed building to a real photograph to illustrate how the construction would impact the view on a residential neighborhood. I did the work and submitted it. Then came a number of additions to the image, that was not discussed when I was hired. Each revision cost me time and took me off other projects. In the end my bill was more than the client expected. When I gave them the reasons behind the added cost of the project they understood, but I had to negotiate and settle on a price that was more than originally quoted and a lot less than the final amount owed. What I had neglected to calculate was the cost of changes and additions to the project and to let my client know just what they had agreed to pay for when I took on the project.

Voice over recording is basically the same as creating graphics or providing any service. With any service that is offered the old adage rings true,"Time is money," and if you underestimate the time it will take to complete a project you could be losing money. Case in point, about six months ago I agreed to read a college textbook that is being used in an eLearning course. My fee for each finished hour was $125. 

However, at the time I signed the agreement I was unaware that the client wanted each and every breath removed from the files. Three hours of recording turned in nine hours of editing and by the time I completed the project I was earning around $9 per hour for my time.

Often, I find that VO clients add to a project when they discover that I can provide additional services, yet they don’t consider that adding to my time equates with spend more money for the additional work. Whenever I add royalty free music scores to a commercial, there is a cost involved.  I have paid for the library and have to add in a price for the convenience of editing a score to fit the length of the voice file. Although there are different costs and add-ons that can be charged to a client, I like many others, have been taken advantage of by clients who request more than they anticipate paying for. 

In the 2008 blockbuster film “The Dark Knight,” the “Joker” is asked by a gathering of underworld crime bosses, why he doesn’t voluntarily kill Batman. “Joker’s” response is one that I have adopted as a philosophy for calculating quotes in my work. “If you are good at something,” Joker states, “Never do it for free!” As a voice actor, designer, writer, and marketer I have learned that everyone wants you to hand them work without ever considering the cost of my time. Instead of surrendering to an unfair price or accepting that the client may take advantage of me, I elect to stand up for myself. I have learned that what I have to offer has value. I know it is scary to ask for money, but if you don’t face that fear you will always be underpaid and underappreciated.

Only after I began believing that I have value was I confidently able to ask to be paid what I am worth. The lesson to be gleaned here is that until you value yourself and your services, no one else will. If you have no idea what to charge, your clients will only give you what they are willing to part with. Until you decide that you have value you will be taken advantage of. I know now that I left hundreds of dollars on the table before I started to believe that what I offer has value. No one will tell you that you are worth more than what they are willing to pay. It is up to you to set the price by knowing what you can offer and what you can sell your services for.

I learned a hard lesson about the value of my time as a voice talent in the booth and my time editing raw audio files for broadcast. The more technically savvy you become the greater your value is. The more services you offer, the more valuable you become to your clients. By delivering quality your clients will see your worth and be willing to pay what you ask for, but only after you accept that you are truly worth every penny you ask them for.

Today if a client low-balls me, I ask myself, “Is this project worth my time?” If the answer is no, I turn down the assignment. My clients understand that I set my prices competitively and my work is of the highest quality. I gain respect as a professional voice actor and my business prospers because I am certain that my work has value and is worth what I demand for my time and talent.

I hope you find value in my wisdom and price your services according to what you are worth.

Until next time, Ciao! 

Creating Accents and Character Voices

Kids Enjoy Character Voices

I love voicing characters and breathing life into stories. One of the things I do to promote myself as a voice actor is reading children’s books. I especially enjoy lending my voice to stories that inspire imagination. Children like to hear parents or grandparents read to them and add different voices to each character, and many people are using the internet to tell stories to kids. So as part of my marketing strategy, I decided to animate a few popular children’s books and read them using my talent to give each character a voice of their own. I find it very satisfying to post a new book on my YouTube channel and watch the number of views start to climb.

In the months before I had my voice over demos in hand, while being trained by my first voice coach, my wife suggested I produce a few Read-Aloud books for elementary school teachers. Teachers are always online looking for new resources and read aloud books provide a way for teachers and students to enjoy following a story to learn sight reading skills. Teachers do not have to read the book out loud themselves to share the story with their class. So when I started putting together children’s popular stories with different character voices I discovered a niche for voice acting that allows me to practice my craft and build an audience. It’s a win-win.

For the book “The Scrambled States of America” by Laurie Keller, I voiced several different states calling on accents that fit the region to help kids understand how people speak in different parts of the country. Along with the narration by “Uncle Sam” I provide 10 different voices for the states that are featured in the story. It is amazing how accents change from one place to another and just how much I have taken for granted my own ability to blend my voice comfortably with California, Texas, Hawaii, New York, Maine, and Minnesota, which each have their own unique sound.

I put a great deal of work in providing quality productions for the stories I upload on YouTube. In addition to voicing characters I also do all of the scanning, cleanup, added animation, and video production to ensure that children, parents, and teachers are watching the best interpretation of the authors’ original work. While I do have demos for different accents and celebrity impressions on my website, I find it rewarding to read the stories that light up a child’s imagination by including different character voices or accents into each book I present.

You can hear a selection of my character voices by visiting https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCt6Ob7oI2iTiGGdVr9fyTvg?spfreload=5

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Inspired by Bono from U2

In moments of clarity there are things surrounding us that point the way for the direction our lives may take. While searching for an answer to the question, what am I going to do with my life? I received inspiration from a profound source. I was at a concert for the internationally renowned band U2 when inspiration hit. Lead singer and songwriter Bono was on stage talking about his inspiration and how when he was a boy of age 14 his mother had died unexpectedly. Bono went on to say that his mother had encouraged him to be who he wanted to be, to do what he wanted to do, and that no one could tell him he wasn’t good enough, lacked the ability, or would never be successful. She let him know that he could do anything he set his mind to doing and be whatever he decided. When she died, Bono began writing songs and he attributes his success as one of the world’s top performers to the advice and encouragement he received from his mother.

Hearing Bono speak about how at age 14 he became an artist and how in spite of growing up with very few prospects he overcame the odds and formed a band with his friends from school that are still together to this day. His words of encouragement inspired me to chase a lifelong dream I had set aside many years ago; the dream to be a voice over artist. Ever since I can remember I have had a gift for creating different voices. As a child living in England I was exposed to a number of different dialects from my homeland. At the age of 7 my parents moved from England to Scotland where I learned how to speak with an accent very different to my native one. When I was 10 my parents immigrated to the United States and once more my accent changed. At the age of 17 I lived in Germany for six months and age 19 I lived in Florida, Venezuela, and Minnesota where I picked up more accents and dialects.

I have always had a good ear for accents so imitation comes easily to me. Along the journey through adolescence into adulthood I started doing impressions of famous people. My heroes growing up were Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Hank Azaria, and Jess Harnell. I listened intently to their voices and was able to mimic the characters they portrayed. I loved watching Saturday morning cartoons both as a child and as an adult and wondered what it would be like to voice a cartoon character.

I never imagined that being at a U2 concert would have such an impact on my life. Bono’s words lifted my soul, they inspired me to go after a dream that I had left in the past decades ago. Immediately after the concert I embarked on a journey to live out my dream of being a voice over artist. One year has passed since that benchmark event changed my life. I have been trained by a voice coach, produced demos, practiced and exercised my voice and I continue to audition and gain experience in voice over. The road thus far has not been easy and I know that nothing worth doing comes without cost. I still have a long way to go to reach my goals, but I am following my dream. I am a voice over talent. My name is Paul Cuthbert and this is my story.

My Journey into Voiceover Acting

Voice acting has always fascinated me. In my teen years I began mimicking voices of celebrities and imitating accents that I heard.  I have often thought about becoming a voice actor, but never knew how to start or where to seek work. How does someone break into voicing animated characters? Do I move to Hollywood and start sending out demos to studios? Where do I record a demo? Am I even good enough to record a demo? All of these thoughts and more raced around my brain as I transitioned from high school to college. Not knowing anything about acting, and even having stage fright, I never followed my ambition or developed my natural talent for character voices and celebrity impressions.

30 years have passed since I graduated high school and I look back on my life and realize that I was never truly happy in my work, because I never honored that part of me that wanted to perform. One year ago, I left a well-paying corporate job and began pursuing my lifelong ambition in voice over work. Frustrated and feeling unfulfilled with my employment, I followed a strong inspiration to resign, but I had no idea what I was going to do to support myself. I only knew I had to change my work environment before it completely crushed my spirit. Then the answer came for an unexpected source….

I was attending a U2 concert where Bono started telling the story of how he became an artist. He talked about his mother, who always encouraged him to follow his dream of becoming a musician. He profoundly stated, “Free yourself to be yourself, only you can see yourself.” Then he went on to say that you can do anything you dream of doing and he would not be who he is today with the support of his mother who died when he was 14. I left the concert inspired to follow my boyhood dream of voicing characters with accents and impressions.

One week after hearing the message Bono gave me, I was sitting in a workshop, learning about the voice over industry and finding out if I had what it takes to be a voice actor. From that introduction I found a voice coach and began training as a voice over talent. My coach told me, “You are a natural” when it comes to reading and analyzing scripts. He also said I am one of only a handful of people who has the talent to be the voice of television and movie trailers. My coach believes in me, which inspired me to work harder to develop my talents. I recorded my first demos in October 2015 and began auditioning immediately after receiving the finished tracks.

One year has passed since I began my journey as a voice actor. I formed an LLC, licensed my business with local, state, and federal regulatory agencies and am establishing myself as a voice over talent. I have been working full time doing voice over for six months now and I continue to learn all I can about recording quality and sound engineering. My career in voice over is still in its infancy and I have a long way to go before I reach my goal of providing character voices for film and television. I am excited to be on the path toward that goal and to include you on my journey.

My name is Paul Cuthbert and I am a voice over talent.