Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeff Savage. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jeff, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
You know, it’s funny how sometimes our professions choose US. Over the course of many years, I would receive comments about my conversational, everyday voice from not only people I knew, but also from complete strangers who had no incentive to go out of their way to give me their feedback. Sometimes in the most random of situations, ordering a coffee, in the checkout line at the supermarket, or interacting with the world around me, I would hear people say things like, “Have you ever considered a job in radio?”, or “I could listen to you read me the dictionary!”
But having the voice, having the instrument if you will, is not enough to succeed in this creative industry. Like any instrument, it’s how well you play it! The biggest lesson I had to learn was to understand the trends of the advertising world, and how most Voice Over in ads is not the Big Announcer voice, but a more one-on-one, conversational tone. Having restraint, finding nuance, and emotional balance in the delivery is absolutely essential. And these qualities can only be taught and be reinforced by having a professional Voice Over coach and acting classes, such as Improv.
When I first started out, I feel ego and over-confidence stood in my way as I was operating with the world telling me I was great before I actually entered the profession. And I stumbled badly and made mistakes right out the gate. If I had taken acting classes or received professional coaching from the start, I would have had a smoother entry into this highly competitive creative field!
Jeff, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hi, my name is Jeff Savage, and I’m a Professional Voice Actor! In a funny way, when I introduce myself to people who declare “Wow! I’ve never met a Voice Actor before!”, I usually reply with, “Well, this is what we look like!” I feel that a combination of curiosity and feeling emboldened by the world around me encouraged my foray into this industry, and it’s fulfilling when I hear my voice representing a brand or a marketing campaign with a message that aligns with my beliefs and passions.
You know, gone are the days of being a Voice Actor living in the big city, spending your day going from studio to studio, having your agent primarily finding you work, or auditioning in person. Today’s Professional Voice Actor works from their home studio, markets their creative services to find most of their own clients, and continues to invest in their education.
I provide Voice Over services to clients all over the world from my broadcast-quality home studio here in Dallas, TX! My studio and audio quality rivals that of big-name professional recording studios. Whether it’s Commercial work, audio books, narrating corporate training videos, being the voice of online E-Learning courses, animation, video games, telephone recordings… if a project is in need of a male voice with a neutral North American English accent, chances are I’ve done it!
What sets me apart from other talent who provide voice services is my efficiency and turnaround time, and always striving to provide something extra of value, whether it’s providing editing services, or finding ways to eliminate the hassle of collaborating remotely. I operate with a mindset of “going the extra mile” that I learned from running marathons and bring that mindset to the business world and striving to give my clients something more than they expect, to encourage them to hire me again in the future.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
There is an indelible moment in my career that definitely stung. During a period of relative inexperience, I took great pride in being signed by one of the biggest talent agencies here in Dallas. I felt that this would be great exposure for me, and would open the door to fantastic opportunities, fame, and fortune! I had stars in my eyes. I had arrived!
But I was in for a rude awakening…
After several months or not booking anything through the agency, I was shown the door. I was figuratively laughed out of the place. And with this swift and sudden defeat, I was kind of devastated. I had drawn a connection in my mind with this agency and my potential success in Voice Over. In my naive worldview, and not fully understanding the creative landscape, I thought that having an agent was a requirement to being successful.
But as I licked my wounds, I surrounded myself with positive messages, got into running marathons, and devoted my life to the merits of Health and Fitness. With a new mental focus, I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and tried again. I chose to go the freelance route and started my own Voice Over business. Instead of relying on an agent to give me validation, I relied upon myself to put one foot in front of the other, for the long haul, much like running a marathon.
I invested in my education. I built up my home studio. I auditioned for any script I could get my hands on. I knew I had the talent. I just needed to prove to myself that I had the ability to make the dream a reality. And I failed ALOT. Through many years of trial and error, blogs, podcasts, webinars, Voice Over conferences, and peer feedback, I started to find a groove. By getting back up every time I got knocked down, I took ownership of my life and my career direction. You’re only defeated if you stay down. You may get knocked down, but you’re never knocked out!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Quite simply, to treat creative professionals with the respect that they deserve. It is unbelievable how many people feel entitled to creative services from professionals for free or very little compensation. I see it in many creative fields such as photography, graphic design, music, video production, AND voice over. Working for “exposure” does not pay the bills, and in a society that consumes so much content minute-by-minute, creatives are often compelled to give away their work for scraps. The erosion of arts programs in our schools diminishes the luster of pursuing creative endeavors, and often these professions are viewed as hobbies, side hustles, or novelty acts, like performing magic or juggling.
Creative professions provide society with emotional outlets, an opportunity to see the beauty in the world often overshadowed by darkness, to feel a connection with our communities and families, and express pride in our collective heritages. When society looks the other way when creative works are stolen, downloaded illegally and pirated, that’s a clear example of what’s not working in supporting a thriving creative ecosystem. When you watch the end credits of a movie and see the thousands of names listed on screen, it’s clear that creative professionals rely upon being paid to survive. Valuing the contributions of creative professionals to not punch them in the gut while you cheer for your favorite superhero is a great place to start as a society.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JeffSavageVO.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/jeff_savage_vo
- Facebook: facebook.com/jeffsavagevo
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jeffsavagevo
Image Credits
Opticalkind – Vlad Kudriavtcev