Blog Networking Etiquette for Creatives
Conventions, trade shows, casting calls, portfolio reviews, workshops, classes… all of these present aspiring and current creative with a chance to get acquainted with other creatives. These are all great opportunities to make friends, meet potential employers, and get career advice! However, as much as we want you to show up and shine like the star we know you are, we still heavily recommend that you stay within some of the established guidelines regarding networking etiquette. Doing so will nurture your friendships, build up your industry, and open up more professional prospects down the line!
General Networking Etiquette
Some networking guidelines apply to all situations, regardless of whether you meet with creative professionals in person or online. At its core, networking is about building community. As creators, we’re at our best when we learn from one another and work together to build out our skill sets.
That said, while a great attitude gets you far when networking, it’s the bedrock, not the entire structure. You’ll also need to keep the following factors in mind while walking the convention floor or logging into the Zoom chat:
These are, of course, just the basics. Variables exist regarding locations, situations, as well as your own comfort levels in networking spaces. Understanding the different ways to navigate the different types of networking situations helps your relationships with fellow professionals, industry friends, and your career.
Networking Tips for Shy, Introverted, or Anxious People
Let’s face it—networking can be nerve-wracking! If you are shy, introverted, and/or anxious, these stressors might feel overwhelming. At Closing Credits, we believe you should engage with the creative industry you wish to join on your own terms, within your own boundaries.
However, if you want to engage in networking opportunities on your own accord, there are strategies available to help you establish comfort in uncomfortable situations.
You are well within your right to make any adjustments you deem necessary to make a networking situation more comfortable!
If you are not introverted, shy, or anxious, take the initiative to create spaces where participants can relax and be themselves. Strike up conversations with anyone who might look lonely, as long as they don’t appear to be resting. In a convention setting, organize designated quiet zones where people can go relax when they feel overwhelmed. Meeting others where they are builds community and strengthens creative connections.
In-Person Networking Etiquette
Most creative careers will require you to network both face-to-face and in person, and you’ll need to understand the unique etiquette protocols of each if you hope to forge strong relationships. For in-person events such as trade shows and conventions, we highly recommend the following courtesies:
Everything boils down to you wanting to put your best face forward. Show potential friends and employers alike that you’re someone who can be counted on in both personal and professional settings by honoring boundaries and conducting yourself politely.
Online Networking Etiquette
As with networking in person, most online networking follows the same throughlines of politeness and respect. Social media, Discord channels, and Zoom classes are obviously formatted differently than in-person opportunities. We believe you should keep the following in mind whenever networking in digital spaces:
Networking online allows you the chance to bring people together in the comfort of your own home. It keeps the creative community thriving and constantly evolving into something bigger and better.
The Closing Credits Community
At Closing Credits, we pride ourselves in offering aspiring creatives from a variety of industries a chance to connect with one another as well as established professionals. Our classes, workshops, and Discord server are available to all Closing Credits members. You’ll be able to apply your lessons on how to network in real time, and have access to fellow creatives just as excited to meet you as you are to meet them!
Additional Resources
We said “come prepared,” and we think the Indeed Editorial Team’s guide to How To Give an Elevator Pitch (With Examples) is a great resource for learning how to summarize your ideas if you’re ever put on the spot to pitch them. Although it centers on photography, Jasmine DeFoore’s Portfolio Review Dos And Don'ts breaks down anything artists from a variety of industries need to know about making the most of their time during a portfolio review.
Looking for more insights?
See our other write-ups from our events, content, and industry professionals
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As with any profession or trade, it takes time for people to master their craft; voice acting included. A weekend seminar at a famous studio or a weeklong boot camp with a voice coach may be cool, but it probably won't increase your abilities to the point of landing loads of voice gigs. That's why we designed this course with the goal of making sure students see tangible improvements in not just acting, but speaking as a whole.
VA101 is designed to teach students about their vocal instrument and how to play it. Starting out from the basics and diving deep into understanding the different parts, how to control them, and how to train them to ensure its longevity. You will learn about your Voicebox, your articulators, posture, warmup and breathing techniques, consonants, plosives, sibilance, natural articulation, handling a lisp, mic techniques, and so much more!
In VA201 'The Emotional Roller Coaster', you will learn how important emotions are in the world of acting. Without feelings and emotions it is very difficult to bring words to life in a way that will engage the listener. Over the next 8 classes we will take you on the ride of a lifetime as we put you in the front seat of your emotional rollercoaster. You will work on techniques that will help you face your fears and get rid of any nerves you face that can get in the way of a great performance. You will discover how to bring hidden intentions into everything you read.
Explore an emotional journey and break down common basic emotions and get in touch with how you express emotions for different situations and how you can bring this into everything you do. You will uncover effective ways for your characters to express their emotions and hidden intentions that will differ from your own. Learn the different elements that contribute to creating emotion in your script from an acting perspective as well as production. Master the tools and techniques that will help you bring your scripts to life. You will learn how listening and reacting will completely change the way you perform. There will be plenty of scripts to read in this course, so grab your box of Kleenex, get your chops ready and hang on for an emotional ride into the world of emotional performance.
Now that you’ve discovered how to use your instrument properly and how to bring emotional context into your words, it’s time to learn how to put it all together and learn how to act.
You will hear many terms used to describe someone who uses his or her voice to make a living. Voice Over, Voice Talent, Announcer etc., but one of the most important terms that most won’t debate is Voice Actor. After all, this is what we are doing, acting with our voice.
As we’ve described in previous workshops, Voice Acting is the combination of Theatre, Film and Broadcasting. It’s very helpful to have experience in all three in order to truly master the variety of skills needed for each individual project. No two projects are the same, so there is always a need for a variety of skills. In this course we will do our best to teach you all three.
It's time to get down to the nitty gritty!
As with any profession or trade, it takes time for people to master their craft; voice acting included. A weekend seminar at a famous studio or a weeklong boot camp with a voice coach may be cool, but it probably won't increase your abilities to the point of landing loads of voice gigs. That's why we designed this course with the goal of making sure students see tangible improvements in not just acting, but speaking as a whole.
This course is designed to assist you through technical production of individual voice over spots that showcase the brand and skills of a voice over artist.
This voice-specific audio engineering course takes you behind the scenes to lay out step-by-step instructions for producing a quality, great sounding spot. Follow along a seasoned producer as he live streams his editing process, and gives industry tips and tricks. By the end of this course, you will have gained knowledge and experience by producing your own voice over spot(s) under the direction of an instructor and TA, and with valuable peer feedback.
The material will be applicable in a variety of genres such as commercial, narration, animation, or video games. Learn the art of storytelling and advertising with creative ways to entice your listener, and stand out!
When you wake up in the morning, you’re not presented with the day’s script that tells you what to say. For the vast majority of your day, your brain is forming those sentences using improvisation and ordering your body to convey the message.
The key to authenticity in your voice acting is to embody that exact process with a script: to make someone else’s words come out of you as if those words were your own.
In this 6-week course, you will learn about the fundamentals of short-form improvisation. Through this curriculum, you will gain an abundance of self-confidence, practice in storytelling and characterization, the collaborative spirit, and empathy for others.
More importantly, you will gain additional awareness about you, the person. And it is precisely this awareness of self that will play a crucial role in your ability to authentically deliver those lines in a script.
The side of voice acting that is seldom taught but is just as important is the business. What price should you charge? What are the advantages you can promote locally, online, and in foreign markets? What considerations should you consider before walking away from a client? There is no one-size-fits-all-answer to these questions because it is different between every person on every job. This is probably why so many talents have such a hard time when it comes to the business side of the art. In Business for Voice Actors, you will learn about the fundamentals of business and how they apply to voice acting. This course is beneficial for new AND experienced actors.
Within 6 weeks, we will cover everything from accounting to networking; branding; pricing; contracts, and more. In this fast-paced class you will see real life case studies, work on assignments you can apply immediately when you reach out to your next potential client, discuss concepts such as what it means to give more value to the client, what is your value as a voice actor, as well as basic administration duties such as bookkeeping and invoicing.
A solid foundation in audio as a voice talent in this modern remote-working world is imperative, especially when working with studios and engineers, and while it takes time to master the craft, we want to give you a fast and effective path towards a professional standard of work in your own home studio.
Over the course of 6 weeks we will cover introduce to you such necessary tools as gain staging, EQ, and compression as well as real world uses of the skills needed to be successful.
You will be given audio examples and practical projects that relate closely to real-world professional practice. This is a hands on course designed to guide you, step-by-step, along the path to possessing a strong skillset in audio engineering your voiceovers.
Mastering Characters is instructed by Dr. Elley Ray, an award-winning actor, writer, director, producer, casting agent, teacher with over 40 years experience performing in over 300 productions. She is a juror at the Emmy Awards and a professor at California State University & Senaca U of Toronto.
This course is designed to provide participants with a recreatable catalog of characters with the ability to perform and sustain them.
Participants will obtain specialized insights in the animation genre of voiceover along with strategies and tactics to advance their craft.
THIS COURSE RECOMMENDED PRIOR TO 'ADVANCED AUDIOBOOKS'
If you've ever wondered about narrating and/or producing audiobooks, this is the class to discover whether or not it's right for you!
In this introductory course, we will cover:
* Ethical and Philosophical choices (accents, adult material & more)
* Technical aspects (DAW, microphones, space treatment, & more)
* Unique performance challenges (vocal, reading comprehension)
* Auditions (choosing, performing, and... yes... more)
* Performance (reading and critiquing your own and others')
Voice acting is a unique style of performance, and audiobook voice acting is an even more particular skill set. Come learn what it's all about!
Commercial Voiceover is taught by Dave Bisson, A Chicago-based full-time voice artist who’s lent his voice to hundreds of TV, radio, & digital commercials, as well as industrial narrations, video games, toys, IVR, & just about every other form of VO except audiobooks.
Commercial VO auditions are near-universally asking for a read that’s “Conversational”, “Authentic”, “Genuine”, “Guy/Girl-next-door”, “A real person, not an actor” which has left a lot of aspiring (or even established) voiceover talent wondering how they can be any of these things for a script saying that power saws are on sale at the local hardware store.
In this course, you will learn how to approach any Commercial script and, by answering a few simple questions, find a voice that is authentic, conversational, friendly, & confident – without having to do any research on power saws.
Additionally, this course will deal with all the traps and pitfalls scripts can contain that are sabotaging your authentic voice without you even realizing it.
Why do some actors feel so confident improvising in their work and others seem to fall apart if the script isn’t followed to the letter? Improvising is a learnable skill, not just something you’re born with. It takes practice in the playing and risking, to get comfortable in the area of discovery and performance without safety nets. What better place to do that work than with other actors and instructors BEFORE you might need it on set, stage or in the booth. Improv is a tremendous skill to hone so that your work is always engaging, reactive and “real-feeling” to you and the audience. Over 6 weekly online live classes, we will play in many ways to familiarize you with techniques you can do solo or in a group to unlock your potential as an actor creatively capable of improvisation in script or unscripted work.
Improv helps actors with their auditioning and acting skills as well as giving them the tools to use on set, stage or in the booth. Many directors will ask actors to improvise on set with their fellow actors, and often before casting you, in the audition(s).
You have a basic working understanding of how an equalizer or compressor plugin can be used to help tidy up your voiceover recordings to give them a professional sound, but what would you do if you had to re-record some dialogue in a different space - say a hotel room - which sounds completely different to your original audition or submitted recordings, and *you* must provide *finished audio* to match?
The example above is just one of a near-endless number of little tasks that audio engineers face today when working on both studio *and* remotely recorded voiceovers and ADR dialogue. Every voice actor’s home studio has a different acoustic profile, they all use different microphones and interfaces, and not all actors know enough about what happens to their tracks after they stop recording and send off the files.
Over the course of 6 weeks we will take you through time-saving project organization, definitions of and practical excercises in advanced techniques for equalization, compression, de-essing, analyzing & cleaning your noise floor, and much more.
ADR / Dubbing 1 is instructed by professional voice directors, accompanied by an experienced audio engineer. Together they will run live simulations of ADR sessions, presenting various information throughout this course. This small class-sized course will have each student performing real ADR sessions each week.
ADR is a post-production process used in filmmaking and video production in which additional or supplementary recordings are synced and mixed with original production sound to create a finished product.
8 hours spanning 4 weeks with minimal theory and all practice, to get you familiar with ADR and character development for voice over. Understanding how ADR works from behind the scenes as well as in the booth is so important for in-studio and remote talent! You will get practical training at an introductory level with practice scripts, mic time, and guided step-by-step ADR processes.
After this course, you should feel more comfortable stepping into a booth, understanding and interpreting an ADR script, and feeling confident in creating character choices.
Full course description & final dates TBA
We will announce when this course is ready for enrollment - please wait until then.
Have you ever created a character in your mind, but you lacked the proper skills to draw them?
We want to introduce you to the creative side of digital art to give you the proper tools and knowledge as a digital artist so that you can completely create your own original character from scratch. You can also use these tools to create your own world for your character.
In this 4-week course, you’ll be learning how to draw your own original character from your imagination using the program Clip Studio Paint.
You will be given assignments every week that will help you in each aspect of the process such as sketching, lineart, and shading. You will be given the step by step process of how to start from just the idea of your original character, to bringing them to life through art.
Authentic Narration Voiceover is taught by Dave Bisson, A Chicago-based full-time voice artist who’s lent his voice to hundreds of TV, radio, & digital commercials, as well as industrial narrations, video games, toys, IVR, & just about every other form of VO except audiobooks (aside from his own).
Narration VO auditions typically demand a voice that is “friendly” & “welcoming”, as well as being “an authority” or “an expert.” This can be difficult when your script calls for you to discuss “the formation of malondialdehyde and conjugated diene compounds, which are cytotoxic and mutagenic.” Don’t forget to sound like an expert!
In this course, you will learn how to approach any Narration script and, by answering a few questions, find a voice that is authentic, conversational, friendly, & confident.
Additionally, this course will deal with all the traps and pitfalls Narration scripts can contain that are sabotaging your authentic voice without you even realizing it.
ADR / Dubbing 2 is instructed by professional voice directors, accompanied by an experienced audio engineer. Together they will run live simulations of ADR sessions, taking your dubbing skills to the next level. This small class-sized course will have each student performing real ADR sessions each week.
Familiar with the ADR / Dubbing process, you are ready to tackle more dramatic and difficult scenes, and make bold choices for your character performances.
8 hours spanning 4 weeks with practical direction and invaluable feedback, this class will further prepare you for work as a professional voice actor.
Game Mode is a dynamic VO program taught by Chris Okawa based on his monthly workout series Cricket Fam VO Jam curriculum he's taught at Cricket Sound for the past 3 years.
Week over week it folds-in vocal disciplines specific to the video game genre, a genre unique for the opportunity to play the entire lifecycle of a character, it's epic theatrical scenework, and a branching, complex narrative structure.Learn how to bring fights to life, spur the Player on, and access new and under-utilized corners of your voice.
Being able to do a variety of unique voices can be a huge plus in your career and make you a must-keep for clients and studios.
The ability to portray different characters and make them sound different enough that you can have them in the same scene and not sound like they are the same person is a skill that few have, but not something that can't be learned.
If you are interested, this may just be the course for you.
Whether you want to create a webtoon for fun or professionally, we're here to give you all the knowledge you need to succeed. You have a general understanding of Clip Studio Paint and creating characters, but you want to tell their story.
In this 8-week course, we'll be taking you step by step through creating your own webtoon from scratch! We'll dive into topics such as jobs in the webtoon industry, publishing, building your story, creating your cover, logo, credits and buffers, storyboarding, etc.
There are many forms of creative expression, and art may be one of the most prominent in the creative community. Whether you've been experimenting with drawing for a while and looking to brush up on the basics, or you haven't yet taken that step past scribbling stick figures, learning the fundamentals of drawing is a sure way to improve on your skills as an artist. In "Introduction to Drawing", you will be doing just that; learning the very core basics of how to draw.
Over the course of 6 weeks, you will be learning the "from the ground up" techniques of drawing: from how to properly wield your pencil (or stylus), how to draw objects using shapes, shading and lighting methods, perspective, and more!
Each week will offer step-by-step instructions, descriptions, and live examples of the various fundamental methods of drawings as well as related assignments to complete and optional practice activities that will enhance your understanding of the basics of how to draw.
Materials required for students using traditional art tools:
Wooden pencil, and optionally a mechanical pencil
Black pen for inking
Ruler
Compass
Sketchbook with A4 page size
Handheld eraser (optional)
Materials required for students using digital art tools:
Digital art interface (DAI)
Pressure sensitive drawing tablet
OR pressure sensitive digital display tablet
8 weeks, 120 mins classes. ALL LIVE VOICING with direction and feedback on the biggest genres within the medium of professional Voice Over/Acting.
-Character work for Anime, Cartoons; prelay and dub styles-Commercial work; being real vs being characters.
-Announcer work
-Narration: manuals, textbooks, long-form commercials
-Audio books: fiction and non-fiction
-Video Game voicing: realism vs charactery
-Trailers: for film and media products
-Deeper emotional and energetic training
What is the main value of this course.
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In this 6-week intensive, you will receive the core training of how-tos of becoming a solo-preneur in the voice over industry and learn the tools, tricks and techniques of building a solid foundation as a DBA/LLC business in the first year.
Intro to Writing Fiction Professionally is a six-part online course taught by an award-winning journalist and critically acclaimed author. It will walk you through character building, settings, story structure, the ever important “show, don’t tell,” and other important writing skills. The course is built from more than a decade of years of interviews with professional authors as well the instructor’s own experiences. This course will involve weekly writing assignments with instructor feedback, as well as tips for breaking into the writing industry.
The course is designed to guide participants into creating a productive writing space and habit, develop strong characters, build a cohesive plot, and enter the publishing world with some foreknowledge of what it takes to succeed.
Participants will obtain insights about what it’s like to be a professional writer, as well as create a basic protagonist and outline for their own novel.
This course is lecture-based with segments of feedback for homework assignments.
You’ve got an idea for a novel, the perfect space opera, a chilling horror tale, or the best coming of age story ever conceived.
The only question now is: how do you turn that into an actual book that people buy and makes you money? Starting a book can be a real nightmare, which is why we’ve designed a course that will lay out all the basics for a crafting a great novel or other writing project.
In this 6-week intensive, you will receive the core training of how to's of becoming a solo-preneur in the voice over industry and learn the tools, tricks and techniques of building a solid foundation as a DBA/LLC business in the first year.
The basics of marketing and branding, creating and sustaining mindpower and focus, as well as discovering hidden gems to help you avoid common pitfalls that new VO talent fall into.
Focus on how to get the best bang for your buck in training, demo production and marketing your talents. You will walk away knowing the ABC's of becoming a voice-over professional and what you realistically need to invest/commit to become successful.
This course is the culmination of Lau Lapides' many years as President and Founder at Lau Lapides company, professional SAG-AFTRA member, head agent with Model Club Inc, and many more. Full bio below.
The pre-requisite of this course is Solopreneur 1.
Welcome back! Get ready to launch, build, and level up your VO biz from the ground up! As the sequel to Solopreneur 1, we will map out your current business model, and offer a core framework for navigating daily multi-tasking actions to dealing with psychological stress, and developing a daily grind that has both a health and wellness balance, and a structure that makes sense for your lifestyle and time commitment.
Key areas we will look at: time management, financial investment, agencies, casting, and management decisions, contracts, unions. Basically anything and everything that makes your business run. This is a student-driven and directed course, so be prepared to bring questions, discoveries, anecdotes, to share with the group. No topic is off the table. Professional resources, and possible pop-in guests. This is for serious-minded VO professionals at all levels. We will meet you exactly where you're at, and help you move up in the industry.
Come be a part of the LA SOVAS-nominated Radio Play class, being recognized from coast to coast! Be a star and voice your own original character from our amazing studio writers’ collaboration, and work with high-profile guest audio directors to realize your vision in a professionally produced radio play recording with all the bells and whistles! With a character and animation base! A vintage radio twist, with a contemporary appeal. Pre-requisite: you must have a basic home studio setup.
Tons of mic time! This is NOT lecture based - it's all hands/voices on!
Time to ace those auditions and stand out from the rest. Test your audtiion skills in various genres. Work on audition skills, tips and techniques using scripts/auditions provided for you or bring in your own current auditions and have them directed by our own VOChef Deb - an award winning 30 year veteran of the voice world.
Learn what you need to do to stand out in this aggressive market, from a talent who's not afraid to tell it like it is!
FINDING YOUR OWN WORK
Creating a Voice Acting business takes drive!
In this 6 week workshop - you will be put to the test.
Hands-on activities that force you to look for work.
You will walk away with:
Marketing Schedule/Plan
Where to look for work
How to approach potential clients
Pay 2 Play, Twitter, Fiverr, and other casting sites
Finding the right agent
Cover Letter Outlines
Follow Ups
Accountability
Assessment of your material *whatever stage you are at
This class is designed for everyone, from beginner & intermediate actors, to the working talent who might be hitting a wall and need to make a change!
This unique approach to finding your own work has proven to be effective for not only hundreds of talents at different levels of their career, but is a tribute to the success of your coach - VO Chef Deb Munro.
Deb will share her industry secrets with you and take you through a plan from beginning to end, showing you another side to the business that you may have not considered. This is a daunting industry. It's not just about having the right skills, getting a great demo and landing an agent! You have to know how to go after and find the work yourself - and there are not many who want to share. This is a great opportunity to learn from a talent who built her business from the ground up and continues to thrive in her career. She isn't going to wait around for it to happen, so join her for 6 intense weeks of research, development and growth and take your career to the next level.
Movies, Video Game Narrators / Trailors, TV Stations, Podcast Promos, Intros, Extros, Station Personalities, Live Events, Award Shows and more.....
Welcome to your future......this lucrative and fascinating genre will take your voice to new heights.
Join your promo coach Deb Munro (aka VOChef Deb) - with over 30 years experience for 6 intense weeks that will prepare you for this action packed industry. Having voiced for over 45 stations, 35 live events and more, this is one coach who truly understands this industry and knows exactly how to get you there.
Each week you will be directed in each of these fascinating genres. Get live direction and feedback with lots of script time, while learning the different styles required in each of these fields.
- Week one - Movie/Game Trailers
- Week two - TV Promos
- Week three - Station Imaging
- Week four - Podcast Intros/Extros
- Week Five - Live Events/Award Shows
- Week six - CHOOSE YOUR GENRE
Discover now only tricks and techniques to ace these kinds of auditions and jobs, but get live feedback with a redirect on each of these fields - all sessions recorded for you to review and keep learning from.
This is one class you don't want to miss!
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