Digital Arts Hosts Veterans and VO Cares
Digital Arts recently hosted VME: Veterans in Media and Entertainment for an informative and fun "workout" evening. Talent agents, casting directors and engineers were paired with groups of of Veterans for some coaching and tips on working in the voice acting world.
Engineers Frank Verderosa and Dominic Michelle ran sessions overseen by Sound and Fury's Jill Kershaw and Carli Silver, with Digital Arts producer Lauren Boyle coordinating the event.
Tim Walsh from Atlas Talent and Sandy Gunar from Avanti Talent offered excellent advice and insight into the state of the industry, while Tony Mennuuto of Horizon Media, Jill and Carli from Sound and Fury gave direction to an excited and eager group of talent at all stages of their careers.
Veterans in Media & Entertainment is a nonprofit networking organization that unites current and former members of the military working in the film and television industry.
Founded in 2012 as a grassroots movement and 501(c)3, VME is a professional association of U.S. military veterans working in, or aspiring to work in, media and entertainment. Members come from creative and corporate leadership positions to production trades and artisans, and at all career levels. With 3,000 members across the nation, our footprint is currently concentrated in film, television, digital media, theater, music, and gaming. VME is headquarter in Los Angeles with new chapters in NYC, Chicago, Nashville, Atlanta/Savannah, and Washington, DC.
In the entertainment industry it’s a “who you know” business and, according to a recent LinkedIn Survey, up to 85% of jobs and internship positions are filled through personal connections, which puts military veterans at a distinct disadvantage due to their length of service (average 8 years).
The evening ended with all of the participants being awarded Challenge Coins from the Veterans who participated. An already fun, exciting and energetic evening ended on a wonderful note.
