Now is the time…was it fate?

I know this blog is NOT about videos or something like that, but I am a VOICE ACTOR...FIRST!

This blog has taken me over a year and 1/2 to write! It's a big part of my life!!! Enjoy!!!!

Was this fate?

Let me ask you….

Do you have a goal? Have you ever had a goal? Have you ever had a passion to pursue what you really want in life and the drive to make it happen, no matter how long it takes?

When I was in high school all I ever wanted to do was be a radio DJ. I started off DJing night clubs and weddings but I eventually went down the path of my dream. Between 1988 and 2009 I worked in markets all over Ohio. Cleveland, Canton, Youngstown, Toledo, Findlay and Celina.

In February of 2009 I was let go from my last radio job. I was unemployed for over 9 months. At that time I tried to make doing voice overs my full time job. I soon found out I wasn’t ready yet. Oh, I had the experience! But I only got a few voice jobs here and there because I didn’t have the right equipment I needed to get the good VO jobs nor the money to buy it.

In December of 2009 I was hired by this cleaning company. Basically I was cleaning toilets and mopping floors. This was the most physical job I ever had in my life!  At times I felt like I was lowering my standers because usually, the only people who have jobs like this, are the creepy guys who can’t get ANY other job! Like maybe a guy who just got out of prison or something. Not me! Not a guy with a 20 year radio career!! I HATED IT!!! At the time, my daughter was 2 and I needed to do what I had to do to support my family. So I did it!

So, in Dec. 09 this company placed me in a factory. It took me an hour and 10 minutes to drive there. But, my wife was happy I had a job! (take it from me guys, keep your wife happy!)

The funny thing is, right about this time, some new voice jobs started coming my way. So I was up to 11pm almost 5 nights a week and getting up at 4:30am so I can make my hour commute to my “day” job. It was very rough! But I knew that voice overs is what I wanted to do. In order to make that happen, I had to work 8, sometimes 10 hours cleaning and then 3 – 4 hours doing voices overs!

But I ever lost sight of my dream!

By May of 2010, I was placed at a closer factory. The same factory my wife worked at. The drive time went from over an hour, down to only 25 minutes. And more and more voice overs jobs kept coming my way! Small jobs, but a voice over job is a voice over job! Small or not!! Now, things are slowly stating to look up.

All this time, I was never losing sight of my dream of eventually quitting my cleaning job and doing voice overs full time again!

Between that time and December of 2010, I worked my “day” job and did my voice overs at night. All the while, my wife and I were planning on moving! We finally did move in Dec. of 10. Now…the drive to my “day” job was only 10 minutes!

Things were looking better everyday! And, as always, I was NEVER losing focus of the main goal!

Ever since we moved, my wife and I had talked about what needed to happen if I were to quit my cleaning job and I was going to do voice overs full time. We needed to sell the old house, and I need to have a good head start on my VO business. In other words, I couldn’t just sit at home all day. I actually had to MAKE MONEY and make this a JOB!! And I was going to go on 2nt shift at my cleaning job. (as an insurance policy for my wife) This all had to happen BEFORE the summer of 2011 because my daughter will be going to pre-school then.

Meantime the VO gigs got bigger (longer scripts and better paying) and more of them too. ALWAYS STAY FOCUSED!

Now check this out…we sold the old house last month! My daughter Paige will be going to pre-school for the first time NEXT week!

So, my next step was to go on 2nt shift at the “cleaning job”, right? After all, that was part of the “PLAN”, right? Well….I wont be able to!

As of last night (Tue. May 24) I was “let go” from my day job. Rather then go into a bitter battle as of why I think they let me go vs. what they think, I’m going to say this.

Does it really matter?


No, it doesn’t!

I know deep down inside I didn’t really WANT to go on 2nt shift anyway. Hell, I didn’t want to do that job AT ALL!  I did it because I had to!

On the other hand, it really makes me wonder…why? Is this fate?
What I mean is…

…is this Gods way of telling me, THIS time…NOW….I’m ready! I mean, come on, it’s as if ALL the stars all lining up for me! It’s just…

…well, weird how it’s all working out the way I wanted.

They say, if you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans. Well, honestly, all my plans are going the way I wanted them to. I don’t hear him laughing! I;m not mocking God. I;m just saying, maybe he’s helped me along this long journey.

For the past year, I never lost sight of my goal, I never lost focus! I stayed determined!

Now…I’m here!!!

Will there be times when the voice over gigs are slow! Yes…every voice over artist knows that.

Will I have to get a part-time job in the evenings? Maybe, but I hope not. On the other hand, I do know, if I had to get another job, I can handle it. After what I’ve been though in the past year and ½, I can handle just about anything!

My goal has ALWAYS been to do voice overs full time.
In 2009, I wasn’t quite ready yet.

Now….in May of 2011…I am!

Look out world, here I come!

Vivatar 560 HD - Review

Vivatar DVR 560 HD

His is a blog in relation to the video I posted on Youtube about my video camera review of the Vivatar DVR 560 HD.

** Please remember, I was not paid for this review. This is just my personal opinion about the camera. **

As I said in the video, YES, It is only $40 at Big Lots. (actually $39.95) If you’re OK with the sound quality then this might be an OK cheap camera for you.

But I personally think this video camera is just…well, OK to record video with. But the mic that picks up the sound for the videos completely sucks!

** Remember, I’m not a technology expert. I love geeky toys but I usually do a lot of research before I buy a new camera or tech toy. Since this was only $40 it was an impulse by. **

The Vivatar DVR 560 HD takes HD quality video. And also lower grade videos too. To be Frank (like that pun, since my name is FRANK…anyway) this is basely a cheap video camera. 

Simply put…you get what you pay for.

For my video review, check out my Youtube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBtXQzXznVo

Thanks

Frank

Happy Mother's Day

It’s Sunday May 8, 2011 – Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s day.

When I grew up, I had a little bit of a rough child hood. Without getting into that much detail, my mom didn’t raise me. My grandparents did. My grandparents adopted me and my sister in the late 70’s.

My grandparents grew up in the 40’s and 50’s but my mom grew up in the late 60’s and early 70’s.  To be raised by our grandparents is a HUGE generation gap! My grandfather never understood what I was doing or why I didn’t want to be a painter like him. (My grandfather was painter for 35 years) I was always an outgoing person and I wanted to be a radio DJ ever since high school. My grandfather didn’t know why I didn’t like fixing things.

Now my grandmother, she was more of a stay at home mom. Oh, she had her share of jobs.  A factory for 15 years. K-mart for about 10. But mostly, her job was raising her own 2 kids (2 daughters) and then my sister and me. You see, even though my mother gave birth to me and my sister, my mom was never around that much.

But (and this is very important) my grandmother rarely turned my mom away. That’s the kind of kind heart she has.  Only at a very last resort of desperation did she ever throw her daughter (my mom) out. (I can really only think of once) My grandmother would almost always have her door open for any of her kids or grandkids.

And even though my grandmother raised me she legally IS my mother! (since she adopted me) But to me, my grandmother IS my grandmother. And my mom…is my mom.  No piece of paper will tell me otherwise.

Now here it is, many years later, my mom lives with my grandmother! In the very same house I grew up in, in the suburbs of Cleveland, OH. My grandmother is almost 85 and my mom is in her 60’s. It’s great to see my mom help take care of my grandmother.

I can’t visit them today because my wife and I just sold our old house and we are trying to get back on our feet. (shouldn’t take to long now, we don’t have 2 house payments anymore!) but I plan on going up to visit them really soon.

I wish my mom and grandmother knew how to work a computer. This way I could see them on Skype! But a simple phone call will have to do. On the other hand, sometimes that’s all it takes. Something simple.

In 2007 my wife and I had our daughter Paige. My wife became a mother! Now Amy is the “mother” in my family. Amy is a great mom too.

But I don’t just mean “family” as in me, Amy and our daughter Paige either. I mean, it’s like she has become the MOTHER to “her” family.

You see, when I first starting dating Amy she lost her mom in a car accident. Now her 2 sisters have little kids of their own and a lot of times they call Amy for motherly advice. Her sisters are great mothers, but sometimes they need a little advice on what do to, so they call Amy.

So…

….to my mom (Sandy) and my grandmother (Lorraine) and my wife, Amy.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Hello World - 1st Blog

Hello

Let me introduce my self. My name is Frank James Bailey. I'm a voice actor. I do voice overs.

But, I also love to make videos too.

Even though voice overs is my main job and that's what I love to do, I'm also trying to make a Youtube channel where I can just be my self. Do crazy stuff and be a ham!

My first Youtube channel (Youtube/FrankJamesBailey) is all about my voice over business.

My second channel, Franks Video World, will be about...ME! I might post videos of my family, my wife, my daughter Paige. Just about anything...BUT, voice overs.

Enjoy.

Frank