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DON LaFONTAINE SPIRIT AWARD WINNER: Rebecca Davis: 'Why Weren't Things Happening For Me?' Learn The Key To Voice Over Success ... July 8, 2014 Note: On June 26, voice talent Rebecca Davis received the inaugural Don LaFontaine Spirit Award (see DLF Spirit Award article) for her voice over commitment, desire and talents. VoiceOverXtra asked Rebecca to amplify on her career and success, which follows ...  By Rebecca DavisVoice Actor The key to my voice over success has been perseverance, patience, positivity and support. I know deep down that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. So I have no choice but to keep trying, keep learning, keep hustling, keep knocking on doors, keep networking, and keep pushing myself. And that's when patience comes into play. Earlier, I knew I was taking all the right steps and all the right classes ... so why weren't things happening for me? Why was I not a booking machine like my friends and colleagues? (Comparing oneself is a slippery slope that I still grapple with, and wish I didn’t.) Of course, when you know this is the path you were meant to travel, you have to be patient. But I spent years being patient, and at times felt like a fraud! I know many people who have had the same feelings, which is why I share that. Yet I pushed through - visualizing the time when it would all start to click. SUPPORT IS 'INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT' During this period of perseverance, support was incredibly important to me. I am so fortunate and grateful for the support from my husband, personal friends, family, and my many colleagues and friends in the VO business. When things got tough, they kept me on track. They reminded me why I’m chasing this dream and that it will happen for me. That is part of why I love the VO world. We lift each other up. We look out for each other. We’re willing to share our knowledge, and help newbies and pros. It is the most supportive community I have ever been a part of, and it all pays forward. BE POSITIVELY POSITIVE I also try my best to keep a positive outlook on my career and life in general. However sometimes, that's pretty hard to do - easier said, than done. But I try my darndest, and I try to spread that positivity to others who need it, as people have done for me. If there’s a way I can help someone, the way others have helped me, I’m there, as much as I can be. VO IS YOUR 'JOB' So, when did things finally begin to click? When I started treating voice over like a job that I actually have - rather than a job I'm trying to have - the bookings started rolling in. And as my confidence built, so did my resume. Now, my job is auditioning, editing, looking for leads and marketing on a daily basis. I’d love to say that all I do is voice over, but we have to be our own CEOs, as well. Things can also change in a heartbeat in this business. This wonderful year could suddenly turn into a dry spell. I certainly hope it doesn’t, but all businesses have ups and downs. Still, I know that if the downs hit, I have an amazing support system and places to go - like workout groups, workshops, and of course, the Don LaFontaine Voice-Over Lab, to keep working on my craft, because we are always learning. -------------------------- ABOUT REBECCA Rebecca Davis began her professional stage career at the ripe old age of 6 in New York, and hasn’t stopped performing on stage since. While earning a BFA in Acting at the University of Texas at Austin, she discovered a love for voice over and worked on numerous anime cult classics, but dropped it all when she moved to Los Angeles (where she now resides) to obtain an MFA in Acting form UCLA. After a few years of working in on-camera, she rediscovered her passion for voice over and the trajectory of her career changed direction. She’ll never stop doing theater, and takes all that acting experience to the mic. Recent VO credits include How I Met Your Mother, promos for the HUB Network, narration for Vanity Fair’s audio editions, an international Diet Coke campaign, Final Fantasy and Defiance video games, various animation projects, SyFy’s The Wil Wheaton Project, a national State Farm campaign, and a trailer for Johnny Depp’s Transcendence. She can do an awesome seal bark, along with other crazy creature and vocal effects; her zombie sounds have been known to scare children. Email: rebeccadavis@gmail.com Web: www.rebeccadavis.net |
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Love always,
SIMONE
PS: CONGRATS! for the well deserved DLSA! Rah-Rah!
Your article has inspired me to work even harder. And yes, the VO community is the most sharing & generous of all, and I am so blessed to have been embraced by this wonderful community of talent!
Congrats on your achievement & may you continue to break a leg!
THANX !
Conchita Congo