Storm Clouds a Formin’!
These days it seems like everyone in the #media creation universe is scrambling, looking warily over our figurative shoulders for the next new thing coming to take our careers from us.
#Video producers are fending off amateurs armed with 4K-capable cell phones in their pockets, always at the ready for capturing “good enough” footage. And most newer computers ship with editing software that would have been state-of-the-art not so long ago.
Our #audioproducer colleagues are defending their places in the #mediaproduction chain against the onslaught of youtube trained “pro-sumer” engineers. So maybe the voice doesn’t cut through the music bed – you get what you pay for!
#TVadvertising gurus are having to justify their media commissions in a landscape where anyone with content and a credit card can get their messages in front of huge audiences via targeted social media ads, for good or (really, really) ill.
On camera #casting pros are feeling the pinch from “self-tape” auditions, allowing producers to do an end around and avoid paying for their invaluable services. So what if producers do themselves a huge disservice, wasting time and energy weeding through lousy submissions and worse, not even seeing some of the best actors out there. 
And long-time #voiceover actors who were used to the in person studio auditions and sessions model long ago came to grips with the fact that home studios were no longer a luxury but a necessity, and that falling rates were the unwelcome side effect of easier access to the industry.
It’s Always Darkest Before the Dawn, Or Something Like That
Is there a silver lining in all of this? I say “yes!” but only if we professionals maintain our standards, embrace the challenges and keep learning new skills. After all, there is more of an appetite for content now than ever before! For one thing, this is truly the golden age of TV, with more shows and platforms than ever before.
Where I live, in Portland, Or., we recently had 5 major TV series being shot here at the same time. That would have been unimaginable a decade ago. As an actor, I never imagined I’d have a shot a big-time acting projects unless I moved to LA, but I did, and have the IMDB credits to prove it.
Thanks to the hard work of the @OMPA_org and @oregonfilm, and forward thinking state legislators who saw the value of tax incentives to attract the work, hundreds of Northwest based actors, crew, post production, catering, casting, transportation and other professionals found work right at home. Fingers crossed that there’s more on the way.
On the voice over front, professionals who embrace the business side of the business have access to a global client base, even for those of us who only speak English.
So to anyone who thinks the sky is falling I say, keep your chin up, your skills sharp and your mind open to new possibilities, and most of all, let’s stick together!
If any of this resonates with you and you’d like to share your perspective on changes in the media production industry, please feel free to connect with me here, like, comment, share…whatever strikes your fancy.
And remember, we’re all in this together!
