This week, I ticked something off my bucket list.
I got to record a video game at OMUK.
For those who might not know, they are one of the foremost providers of voice casting and production in London.
Amongst the countless titles they've worked on, I'd pick 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝟯, 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗼𝗻 𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝘄𝗻 and 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗱𝗲 as three personal favourites.
I first did a workshop with OMUK's director Mark Estdale back in 2017, so to be finally in the studio for an actual job rather an audition was a huge relief 😅
The session itself was fantastic too:
✅ A wonderful project.
✅ We finished an hour early.
✅ Enabled by OMUK's fantastic set up.
And I even got to share a scene with VO royalty Stephane Cornicard 👑.
And yet...
It would feel disingenuous to leave it there.
Because I've been on the other side, 'looking in' too.
Whenever I see one of my VO friends (and they almost always ARE friends) taking a selfie at a studio I'd love to work with, a little part of me questions what I'm doing wrong.
Not that that 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 don't deserve.
Not that 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 should't celebrate their work.
But the inevitable shadow of comparison looms.
Now this isn't new to acting life.
And we all know what comparison is the thief of.
𝗡𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗼.
You train with the right people.
You trust the process you've built.
You audition to share your interpretation, not second guess.
And if other people's content triggers you (however unwittingly), you remove it from your life.
This post is just my way of sharing the struggle.
I'm incredibly grateful for every opportunity that comes my way (including this courtesy of Voicefox). And I'm currently on a pretty good run with a number of great projects on the boil, my first VO award win etc etc.
But I still get knocked back on a daily basis. Indeed, I've spent the last decade fighting for the opportunity to be knocked back in the first place.
And while I'd love to say 'it's nothing personal', when it's your voice and personal creative response that's being rejected on a consistent basis, that just sounds a bit mad to me!
So, we learn to adjust and cope best we can.
For me, it's sharing these thoughts here.
If that makes you think me unprofessional, then I'd call that 'lead qualification in action'.
By Chris Tester - British Male Voice Actor