Quarterly Review

In my last post, I mentioned that I'd revisit the goals I'd set forth for myself at the start of the year.  Here's my first quarter review:

1)  365 Auditions in 365 Days - B
I borrowed a page from Julie Powell, of "Julie & Julia" fame for this goal.  The idea behind it is to instill discipline into my practice of voiceover.  Instead of cooking recipies from Julia Child's cookbook, I'm auditioning as much as I can, whether it's freelance work on voices.com or opportunities sent to my by my agency or casting contacts.

As of this writing it is day 118 out of 365.  My audition count is 98, which is 20 fewer than I'd planned on by this time.   Time has always been a premium in my life, and I've found it challenging to carve out enough time daily.  I've experimented with doing more on weekends, when I have more time to play in my home studio, but find that I allow myself to slack off during the week (for having been soooo productive on Saturday and Sunday).  Morning person I am not, and to help give me time for this, I'm working on waking up earlier so that I can fit in at least one opportunity daily from now on.


As a corollary to this goal, I wanted to book at least as much work in 2010 as I had in 2009.  I am happy to report that by the end of the first quarter of 2010, I surpassed my bookings in all of 2009.  It's not about the money, but about the experience.  To date I have been...

...two badass video game characters
...a Filipino mother worrying over the health of her children
...a narrarator
...a storyteller
...a tag line

And recently, I booked my biggest role to date!  No details just yet, but I am very excited about the role and so grateful for the opportunity.

As I filter through opportunities, I continue to realize that voiceover is both a business and an art.  The business is one of marketing, hustling for audition opportunities, and staying top of mind with your agent and casting network.

But once you've gotten the audition, there's actual work to do...which really, is play.  In the hustle and bustle of, well, hustling, sometimes I forget to play.  As a child, you're encouraged to play and explore, and as we grow up, we are encouraged to tamp down on that playfulness.  So as I continue on this journey, I continually remind myself that it's okay to play.

2)  Take one class per quarter - A+
I'm actually a little ahead of the game.  I started the year by taking a Level 3 workshop at WCT.  It's probably the 2nd time I've taken this class, and though I've already graduated from the WCT's program, I like to revisit these classes from time to time to
- learn something new
- improvise with new players
- improve my own understanding of various techniques

In addition, I've been refining my voiceover chops in a 6 week animation workshop and attending workout groups to keep my commercial and promo skills warm.

3)  Perform - A
Team X recently celebrated its first birthday!  And we continue our regular performances on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month at our home theater.  Our audiences have been so great and receptive to us - and I'm super grateful they're willing to stay up late with us on a Monday night.  We've played to some amazing crowds!

In addition, Team X traveled to Seattle in February, to participate in the 2010 Seattle Festival of Improv Theater.   Team X performed 3 shows at the Market Theater near the famed Pike's Place Market, and had a blast!   We loved sharing our energetic style of performance with the improv community of Seattle, and meeting fellow improvisers from Seattle, Austin and Chicago.  To my friends who came to these shows:  thank you!

After our great experience in Seattle, Team X was inspired to keep pushing the boundaries of improv.  We're experimenting with forms, and recently debuted a new style of improv.  And we are grateful and fortunate to be invited to perform in Honolulu, Hawaii this fall at the 2010 Improvaganza!

Looking ahead, I'll continue my journey with Team X, as well as look for opportunitites to explore theater, musical improv and music performance.

A few thoughts & a look ahead
Looking back at the first quarter of 2010, I'm happy with the progress I'm making towards my goals.  I've become more focused and disciplined about my approach to performance and my artistic life, though I still have ways to go.   With the encouragement and support of my friends and family, I'm grateful to be able to do what I do.  And I need to rebalance a few activities in order to optimize my time and energy.   In the months ahead, I'll be taking more classes, auditioning as much as possible, and working on demos and marketing to help expand my voiceover opportunities. 

I look forward to sharing my journey with you, and hope you'll chime in your own stories.  How has 2010 been to you so far?  What are you working towards?  What do you need to do in order to accomplish your goals?