Very, very recently, in a galaxy close, close by, there lives a Voice Over dinosaur who was completely oblivious to the wonders and technical developments of instant audition invitations and the capacity to zoom out custom demos at light speed with a moment's notice. Gone are the days of Dixie cups and string. Farewell to packing your demo reel on your back and trudging through the marshes and tundra trying to avoid the tar pits while foraging for your next gig.

"How did this come about," you may well ask. While wading through the waters of the internet while exploring the possibilities of how to get back into the v/o biz after a 20+ year hiatus, this "dinosaur" luckily happened across a miracle. This panacean web site not only has literally tons of valuable and pertinent information about how, what, when, and where. It also hosts a veritable gold mine of who's. A treasure trove of experts and professionals with the generosity and grace to share their copious knowledge of the ins and outs, the do's and don'ts, the why's and wherefore's with the entire voicing community with nuggets of wisdom--no matter what your experience level.

Of these shamans and spirit guides that could instruct and lead one out of the Jurassic era into modern day methodology one in particular drew my attention with the depth of her knowledge and the amount of information that she shares through this wondrous site and she lives right down the street from me in Dallas, Texas--REALLY!

That is how I found Bettye Zoller who has poked and prodded and instructed and encouraged me ever since. Discovering Bettye though Voices.com I soon learned from her the power and importance that Voices.com would play in my resurrection back into voice over work during my very first workshop with her. I even set up a profile BEFORE I had a demo, but got my demos up as quick as I could.

I also found out about the good folks at Reading and Radio Resource here in Dallas, home of North Texas Radio for the Blind. Bettye and I had emailed back and forth and she had advised me how beneficial working with them could be. Besides giving a helping hand to those in need it has also allowed me to get re-accustomed to the upgrades of sound booths and how things are recorded now, as well as familiarized me with changes in microphones and voicing techniques, etc. So I jumped in with both feet.

By doing this you also develop a comfort level that makes auditioning and equipment manipulation second nature and not so daunting. I started six months ago, hesitantly at first, as a substitute host reading THE ECONOMIST on the air, before my first actual workshop. After tax season the original host came back, but now I am the voice of READER'S DIGESTS at NTRB.

In the meantime, I fleshed out my profile and uploaded the demos Bettye and I made together. I was finally out there. I was actively seeking gainful employ doing what I have always wanted to do--Full Time. About a month after the site under construction dust finally settled, I received a blanket email from Dave Gilbert at Wadjeteye Games touting the upcoming release of the next installment in a series of the BLACKWELL computer games. I already had BLACKWELL LEGACY and BLACKWELL unbound and anxiously awaited the next one.

About two years ago, Dave and I had communicated when I had commented on one of his blogs and he had helped me with a computer glitch on one of my games. It just so happened that I had the wherewithal back then, while I was complimenting him on his games, to mention the fact that I had done voice over work and was considering getting back into it.

I replied to his email, told him that I now had a dynamite demo and asked if he had ever considered remote casting. (This was something I had NEVER heard of before my venture into Voices.com and my tutelage under Bettye Zoller). He emailed me back--almost immediately. Serendipitously, he was going to be out of the country and one of his character voice actors had dropped out. I shot him back a link to my profile at Voices.com suggesting that he check out my demos and voila--instant legitimacy with a photo, profile and demos at his finger tips. Consequently, he sent me copy. I sent custom demos. He hired me for three of the four characters that I had voiced for!

If you are interested you can find me at http://wadjeteyegames.com by following the GAMES link to BLACKWELL CONVERGENCE to the CAST PAGE LIST. I'm half way down the page. (I used the bomber jacket head shot instead of my Voice.com profile photo because it was more ominous.)

While I didn't actually get this job through Voices.com, I can honestly say that I got it because of y'all. (That "you guys" in Texas-speak. We have never grasped the concept of a plural "you".)

I have signed with Danette Linicomn at THE ELITE AGENCY here in Dallas and have submitted my information to an agency seeking representation in Atlanta. I guess I'm on my way! So, my advice to you is to JUST GO FOR IT! Onward and upward--and may the VOICE be with you.

Marcus Weems
Dallas, Texas