Introduction
Hello mga KapitVAHay!
Ako nga pala si Dave Soltura, isa sa mga voice actors ng Voice Actors at Home PH.
Our goal is to help one thousand Filipinos become full-time voice actors by 2025, and you could be one of them.
Today, let’s answer the question na “Kailangan ko ba ng voice acting website?” or “Do I need a voice acting website?”
Need for a Voice Acting Website
Para sa karamihan ng mga projects dito sa Pilipinas, hindi kailangan ng voice acting website.
Mas mahalaga na meron kang voice acting samples or audio recordings.
Marami akong kilalang full-time voice actors and even industry icons and legends na walang sariling voice acting website.
Nakukuha nila yung projects nila through relationship building and auditioning pag merong pagkakataon.
Reality of Voice Acting Work in the Philippines
In reality, for the vast majority of work na ginagawa dito sa Pilipinas, especially sa mga studios, ang hinihingi lang nila is mga samples.
Aaminin ko lang na meron akong bad habit dati na pag merong mga directors na humihingi ng samples ko, ise-send ko lang sa kanila yung link sa website ko.
Kasi isip ko, kung pupunta sila sa website ko, then maririnig naman nila yung samples ko.
The Problem with Directing Directors to Websites
Ngayon, yung problema dito is pagpunta ng mga casters or director sa website ko, napa-play nga nila yung samples pero hindi naman nila ma-download.
Eh, sa work flow nila, nag-iipon sila nung mga audio files ng samples ng voice actor.
Usually kasi, sine-send yun sa mga clients for approval.
Imagine nyo na lang kung gaano ka inconvenient yun para sa mga casters and directors na meron na silang audio files or samples ng ibang voice actor pero sakin link.
Text siya.
So minsan sa halip na pinupuntahan yung website, ini-ignore na lang siya.
Kasi extra step pinahirapan ka pa sila!
Significance of Websites for Local and International Projects
So na-establish natin na dito sa Pilipinas, hindi naman talaga kailangan yung website.
But, websites are still helpful, so long as hindi natin siyang ginagamit na substitute sa mga samples and auditions natin.
Minsan nakakatulong din siya bilang support sa samples natin nakakatulong siya.
Nung first time nating mag door to door sa mga studio sa Makati, meron tayong pack ng business cards.
Nakalagay lang don “Dave Soltura and www.davesoltura.com”.
Stinapler ko siya dun sa mga form na finill-out ko nung nag-a-apply ako dito sa mga studios na to or nag voice file ako sa mga studios na to.
After that meron din tayong compliments na nakuha from the casters na nagustuhan din nila yung website natin.
So again, hindi kailangan nung website pero pag meron ka, mas may dating.
Ngayon, if your goal is to have projects sa ibang bansa, then you definitely need a voice acting website.
For local projects, support lang siya, pero for international projects, expected siya.
First Function of a Voice Acting Website
Ngayon, sa international na konteksto, merong dalawang function ang voice acting website.
Una, nagsisilbi siyang gift wrapper ng iyong voice over demo or demos.
Merong mga ballpen na mura lang, di lalampas sa sampung piso.
Ito yung mga nakikita natin sa mga convenience store or sa mga school supplies store.
Meron ding mga ballpen na napakamahal, aabot ng isang libo, sampung libo.
Parehas lang naman sila ng dami ng tinta, pero yung isa merong box, isang napaka-premium na gift wrapper.
O kaya, may mga tsokolate na mura lang.
Pero the moment na nilagyan mo ng golden foil, suddenly ten times na yung presyo niya.
The Role of Using Streaming Platforms
“Pero Dave, meron naman mga streaming platform tulad ng Sound Cloud, di ba?”
Yes, pwede naman yon na mag-upload ka ng mga demo mo dun sa Sound Cloud tapos yung link nun, yun ang ise-send mo sa clients.
That’s okay for beginners, pero merong dalawang weakness tong approach na to eh.
First is, para ka nagbenta ng ballpen na walang box, medyo mali-limit yung perception sa brand ng boses mo.
Yung second weakness naman nito, yung Sound Cloud kasi nag-o-auto play yan.
So pag sinend mo yung link na to sa client, may chance na hindi yung demo mo yung mapakinggan, or after mapakinggan yung demo mo, mapakinggan niya na yung demo ng ibang voice actor.
Something to consider lang when using those platforms, pero okay lang naman mag-start dun.
Second Function of a Website
So, unang function ng website: isa syang gift wrapper.
Second function ng website: isa siyang convenience store.
Pansin niyo ba na hindi halos kailangan ng Seven Eleven ng mga TV commercial?
Meron naman siguro, pero hindi na sya kailangan talaga.
Magbukas lang sila, meron na agad silang customers.
And this is because of location, yung buildings nila tinatayo lang nila kung saan maraming taong dumadaan.
Importance of SEO
Ngayon, for websites, ang katumbas ng location is SEO, or search engine optimization.
Ngayon, parang napaka-intimidating ng concept ng SEO, ano?
Pero you can have good SEO simply by having proper labeling sa website mo.
Di ba sa social media, merong hashtags?
Ang mga website, merong mga ganoong katumbas din.
Kunwari, sa case ko, just adding “children’s media voice actor” sa title at sa mga paragraph helps my website to be found on Google and other search engines.
So pag gagawa ka na ng voice acting website mo, try mong isipin kung ano yung key words or key phrases na gusto mong ma-associate sa website at brand mo.
Final Thoughts
Now, if you want to learn yung mga details ng ganyan sa specific situation mo, pwede kang tulungan ng mga coaches ng “Voice Actors at Home PH”.
Just visit voiceactorsathome.ph/coaching.
Ngayon, kung bitin kayo, you might want to check out this other video.
Introduction
Hello KapitVAHays!
I am Dave Soltura, one of the voice actors at Voice Actors at Home PH.
Our goal is to help one thousand Filipinos become full-time voice actors by 2025, and you could be one of them.
Today, let’s answer the question “Do I need a voice acting website?”
Importance of Voice Acting Samples
For most projects here in the Philippines, a voice acting website is not necessary.
What’s more important is that you have voice acting samples or audio recordings.
I know many full-time voice actors, and even industry icons and legends, who don’t have their own voice acting website.
They get their projects through relationship building and auditioning when there’s an opportunity.
Reality of Voice Acting Work in the Philippines
In reality, for the vast majority of work done here in the Philippines, especially in studios, all they ask for are samples.
I confess that I had a bad habit in the past.
When directors asked for my samples, I would simply send them the link to my website.
Because I thought, if they go to my website, then they would be able to hear my samples.
The Problem with Directing Directors to Websites
Now, the problem here is when casters or directors go to my website, they can indeed play the samples but they can’t download them.
In their workflow, they collect audio files of voice actor samples, because these are usually sent to clients for approval.
Imagine how inconvenient it is for casters and directors when they already have audio files or samples of other voice actors, but for me, it’s just a link.
So sometimes, instead of going to the website, they just ignore it because it’s an extra step; it makes their work more difficult.
The Role of a Website in Voice Acting
So, we’ve established that here in the Philippines, a website is not really necessary.
But websites are still helpful, as long as we don’t use them as a substitute for our samples and auditions.
Sometimes, they can also serve as support for our samples.
Websites can help.
Benefits of Having a Website
When we first went door-to-door to studios in Makati, we had a pack of business cards that simply say, “Dave Soltura, www.davesoltura.com“.
I stapled it to the forms I filled out when I applied or submitted a voice file to these studios.
After that, we also received compliments from the casters who also liked our website. So again, a website is not necessary, but if you have one, it’s more impressive.
Now, if your goal is to have projects abroad, then you definitely need a voice acting website. For local projects, it’s just support, but for international projects, it’s expected.
First Function of a Voice Acting Website
Now, in an international context, a voice acting website has two functions.
First, it serves as a gift wrapper for your voice over demo or demos.
There are pens that are cheap, not exceeding ten pesos.
These are the ones we see in convenience stores or school supply stores.
There are also pens that are very expensive, reaching a thousand, ten thousand pesos.
They have the same amount of ink, but one has a box, a very premium gift wrapper.
Or, there are chocolates that are cheap.
But the moment you put a golden foil on it, suddenly its price is ten times more.
The Role of Streaming Platforms
“But Dave, there are streaming platforms like Sound Cloud, right?”
Yes, you can upload your demos to Sound Cloud and then send the link to your clients.
That’s okay for beginners, but this approach has two weaknesses.
First, it’s like selling a pen without a box, it will somewhat limit the perception of your voice brand.
The second weakness is that Sound Cloud auto-plays.
So when you send this link to a client, there’s a chance that your demo won’t be heard, or after your demo is heard, they might hear the demo of another voice actor.
It’s something to consider when using those platforms, but it’s okay to start there.
Second Function of a Website
So, the first function of a website: it’s a gift wrapper.
The second function of a website: it’s a convenience store.
Have you noticed that Seven Eleven hardly needs any TV commercials?
They probably have some, but they really don’t need them.
They just open, and they immediately have customers.
And this is because of location.
Their buildings are just built where a lot of people pass by.
Importance of SEO
Now, for websites, the equivalent of location is SEO, or search engine optimization.
Now, the concept of SEO seems very intimidating, right?
But you can have good SEO simply by having proper labeling on your website.
Just like on social media, where there are hashtags, websites have equivalents too.
For example, in my case, just adding “children’s media voice actor” to the title and paragraphs helps my website to be found on Google and other search engines.
So when you’re creating your voice acting website, try to think about the keywords or key phrases that you want to associate with your website and brand.
Final Thoughts
Now, if you want to learn about these details in your specific situation, the coaches at “Voice Actors at Home PH” can help you.
Just visit voiceactorsathome.ph/coaching.
Now, if you’re still curious, you might want to check out this other video.