Behold the Digital Revolution

I've been listening in on various discussions and talking with artist from all over, and it's seems that the economic slump we are all experiencing is beginning to take it's toll on people's time and energy.  If it is any ray of hope, I would like to say to you all, "get up you SOB, because Mickey loves you" (Rocky 5 reference).
  
Try like hell to keep your tools polished. If you can for just a little longer, you'll see a trend begin to pick up. Up-and-comers like myself who have decent jobs and love to dream big, will start venturing out on their own and finance their own private work. People are beginning to realize that the best way to find meaning in their 9 to 5 is to complement it by incorporating the work they love along side it.  The administrative assistant works in order to promote his/her online scrapbooking website, the janitor put 50% of his check to purchase molding resin for his sculptures.  So essentially, their job becomes motivating, as it becomes the means to support, and hopefully have a career in what they truly love.
  
I'm currently an internship coordinator at a 4-year accredited university, and over the course of about three years, I've a trying to hone my craft as a successful screenwriter.  Over the course of this journey, I've noticed that I'm having to go beyond just writing and trying to sell a script.  I have to be more of a commodity now. So that means having other revenue streams like artbooks, sculptures, live action or animated shorts to accompany my writing. I hired voiceover actors to help with my motion comic. I'm just a city guy with a dream of one day telling a story to millions.  To do this I'm making my own "roster" of talent and together we all promote each other's work.  This is where you come in.

The big movie execs are scared of confronting the financial burden of nurturing new talent with fresh ideas, so people are going more independent. We will see lots more in the upcoming years, and it won't be just live action movies, it will be motion comics, animations, puzzle games, online tutorials etc. All of the artists in those areas will be looking for various talent. So if you are making yourself known to these folks, and you name a good price, you'll have an opportunity here. It's already beginning to happen, and the pieces will come together even more.

We are waiting for the "Digital Revolution" to come full swing. All the tech savvy students and neighborhood wiz-kids who can't find jobs will eventually decide to revolt by creating their own software programs and selling them cheap or free online. It's been happening for some time now, but it hasn't come full swing just yet. As more jobs go overseas, and Microsoft and others turn down more applicants, people will come up with their own solution.  Even though some computer science majors are not graduating due to early job offers, this doesn't happen for everyone.  When this becomes more apparent, you will see even more people using affordable software to do their projects, which means more people will be in the market for you to work with. You just have to hone your craft and be flexible on price. If you nurture that relationship, and some of these folks become successful, hopefully they will reach for you. But you have to show that you love their work or else you might be "just another person they worked with."

So there are still other avenues to check, if you can find a second wind. Low-level game developers at the University looking for affordable talent, digital comic artist looking for help, Screenwriters at the pitch festivals and film festivals looking to add elements to their script. Smaller audiobook companies. Hell, I work at Career Services, and it would be much easier if we had a voiceover actor for our online resume video, 

With that I say, sand up your surf board, and prepare to follow the digital wave.




Other things you can investigate:

• Alternative Press Expo - OCT 13-14, San Francisco,  http://www.comic-con.org/ape/
•  www.vworker.com (use it as a marketing tool to locate, and pitch your talents with digital companies).
• ComicCon - July 12-15 (Just attend, but bring business cards and pitch your talents to booth holders, be willing to negotiate a price. (have a website ready and listed on the business card). 
• Work with the marketing team at your local University, maybe they need VO for their education or promo videos.
• Another way to market is to do pro-bono for non-profits organizations in your area, as they will talk endlessly about what you did for them.

There is more that I can say, but I'll stop for now.    :)

Just my 2 cents,

RW