The other day a voice-acting colleague of mine expressed the sentiment that VO Webinars were getting out of hand. “Everybody has to have a webinar these days!”
There’s some truth to it.
The comment set me to thinking of the myriad and manifold ways we voice actors have at our disposal for absorbing information. And voice-acting isn’t the only business being besieged. I don’t know about you, but I get offers by email every day with an encouragement to participate in some form of online or in-person, or psueudo-in-person session.
Let me just attempt a list of the many types of learning enticements voice-actors are subject to on any given day:
- Webinars
Skype
Google Hangout
GoToMeeting
FreeConference Calls
Zoom
Customized (eg. EWABS, VO Peeps, etc)
- Private Skype or Phone coaching
- White papers
- Books
- LinkedIn Groups
- Peer-to-peer conference calls
- Weekend or week-long coaching Workshops
- Conferences and Unconferences
- Live in-person seminars, and remote Teleseminars
- Twitter Tweet-Ups
- Blogs
- MOOC (Massive Open Online Course)
- FaceBook Groups
- Google+ Communities
- Surveys (Survey Monkey)
- Newsletters
- Virtual conferences
I’m sure I missed something. [only semantics separates some of these categories]
No doubt, the VO learning universe is getting more crowded. FaffCamp was just announced for next March, overlapping for a couple of days with the newly-minted VO Atlanta 2015. Think about it. That puts both those events 9 months away on the calendar! I don’t know about you, but I’m lucky to get next week scheduled.
By the way, FaffCamp 2015 is contingent on a successful “kickstarter-type” campaign, and if you would like to attend, you need to get your commitment in by July 11th. Now THAT’S a deadline I can relate to!
The best approach to this info opportunity overload is to avoid being overwhelmed. I offer the following reminders that may influence your walk through the media minefield, and still hold true to the advice that every voice actor should pursue coaching every year.
- Priorities. What does your business plan say? How are you focusing and directing your future?
- Budget. You have only so many dollars for this. How can you best spread the wealth?
- Quality v. Quantity. Spending time with the Wolfsons, Fraleys, and Tobias’ of the world beats paying for relative unknowns.
- Trending. Keeping up with the technology, the latest techniques, and tomorrow’s “next big thing”.
- Networking opportunities. Will you get more than just info? Relationships count.
- Virtual or Vital? How important is it to shake a hand, and look someone in the eye. Online goes only so far.
- Essentials versus electives. Filling the gaping holes in your fundamental needs, trumps acquiring a bauble or technique that you may want.
What have I forgotten?
You know what…I think this whole topic would make an excellent webinar! Watch for my notice soon! ;-}
CourVO
