Share your best tips for getting organized!
Jun 22, 2017 19:06:21 GMT -8
LKGMedia Productions and benedict like this
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Jun 22, 2017 19:06:21 GMT -8
One of the most important, and yet challenging, business-related skills of being a voice actor is keeping organized---be it staying on top of your emails, keeping track of sessions being moved around, and due dates for auditions and projects. I'm hoping to start sort of a resource thread so we can all help each other when it comes to staying on track.
For me, my lifesaver is Google Calendar. I had a busy voice actor friend recommend I start using it after I accidentally mixed up the date for a session (!) and I'm finding it super helpful. I can access it from my phone or my computer, and it sends an alert to my phone 30 minutes before each event to be sure I'm ready for it.
I also really like the fact that I can look at it visually, as sort of a spreadsheet with blocks of time organized out. That way, when different studios ask for my availability on a given week, I can easily view the times where I'm already booked out---whether it's for other sessions, or for personal stuff like hair appointments, podcast interviews, conventions, etc.
My current challenge is keeping track of emails that need attention. I've tried the "star" system, but would always forget about them or they'd get buried. So now I do "mark as unread" if it's something I need to audition for, send, or reply to when I have more time, but sometimes they STILL get buried! Maybe I need to use a reminder app to keep track of what I need to take care of e-mail wise, or put it on the Google Calendar as if it were an event...
I also have been sort of trying the bullet journal system as a physical supplement to my online/app calendar, after a friend with ADD (...which I've long since suspected I have, tbh) suggested it would help for organizing to-do lists and deadlines in order to feel less overwhelmed during busy weeks. I actually enjoy physically writing things down, but it's too bulky to really take with me. (I got a cute journal with a character I voice on the cover...ha.)
What about you?
For me, my lifesaver is Google Calendar. I had a busy voice actor friend recommend I start using it after I accidentally mixed up the date for a session (!) and I'm finding it super helpful. I can access it from my phone or my computer, and it sends an alert to my phone 30 minutes before each event to be sure I'm ready for it.
I also really like the fact that I can look at it visually, as sort of a spreadsheet with blocks of time organized out. That way, when different studios ask for my availability on a given week, I can easily view the times where I'm already booked out---whether it's for other sessions, or for personal stuff like hair appointments, podcast interviews, conventions, etc.
My current challenge is keeping track of emails that need attention. I've tried the "star" system, but would always forget about them or they'd get buried. So now I do "mark as unread" if it's something I need to audition for, send, or reply to when I have more time, but sometimes they STILL get buried! Maybe I need to use a reminder app to keep track of what I need to take care of e-mail wise, or put it on the Google Calendar as if it were an event...
I also have been sort of trying the bullet journal system as a physical supplement to my online/app calendar, after a friend with ADD (...which I've long since suspected I have, tbh) suggested it would help for organizing to-do lists and deadlines in order to feel less overwhelmed during busy weeks. I actually enjoy physically writing things down, but it's too bulky to really take with me. (I got a cute journal with a character I voice on the cover...ha.)
What about you?