CHAPTER one
Introduction to Animation Voice-Overs

Is This the Career for You?

Do you love to “play” with your voice, changing the pitch, the texture, the overall sound? Do you enjoy creating different characters, making each one sound unique? Do you like to experiment with different dialects? Different laughs? Different sound effects? Can you keep everyone laughing? Do you have more fun performing than anything? Are you good at selling yourself? Are you able to give up a stable daily routine and a stable income in order to do what you love? Then maybe this is the career for you!

Major Objectives of This Chapter

In this chapter we’ll start with an overview of the industry and consider how best to get started. You’ll find out what voice-over is and where the opportunities lie in an ANIMATION VOICE-OVER CAREER. We’ll talk about the animation production process. What skills do you need? What negatives do you need to avoid in order to find work? How hard is it to get work? How do you keep a positive attitude? What do you do first? How do you pick a good voice-over teacher? What resources are out there for you? How do you persevere and stay in charge of your own career? What support do you need? Where can you find work? How can you finance your early career? What tools do you need right away? How do you keep up with the industry and the world? How can you best use this book?

What Is Voice-Over?

Voice-over is the voice communicating unseen on an audio track used in radio, television, film, multimedia, or the business world. Voice-overs are used everywhere! Just open your ears and listen. There are lots of opportunities for actors with imagination. Voice-overs are used primarily in commercials, narration, training or other corporate audio, and animation. For animation, voices are usually recorded from a script or storyboard prior to the actual character animation.

Work Opportunities Available in Animation

The Animation Production Process

Traditional Animation

Traditional animation starts with a story idea that becomes a script, although sometimes a story is developed visually without a written script, using only a storyboard. Characters and backgrounds are designed. A casting director may be hired to cast the project or at least the first episode. Voice actors may audition for specific characters. Audition scripts are typically a paragraph to a page or so in length with a drawing of the character included. Sometimes there is no drawing on the audition copy. If the actor is hired, a recording script will be sent out, probably the day before recording. More often than not, there is no rehearsal. In prime-time television, table reads are sometimes held prior to recording so that writers have a chance to punch up the comedy after listening to the actors read. Most television animation is recorded with all the actors at one session. For feature animation actors are normally recorded separately. After the script is written, a storyboard is made or completed, and timing is added by a timing director. Characters and props are designed. Layouts are made from the storyboard, and backgrounds are refined. Layouts also let the animators know how each scene starts and ends visually. Background artists paint the backgrounds. Color models are made. Scene planners may check out technical aspects and look for possible future problems. Around this point the project may be shipped overseas for further layout, animation, and checking there. Overseas working materials are translated into the local language for the artists there. Animators do the animation, using the vocal performances to inspire the action. Checkers check the finished drawings on paper or in the computer. Painters paint the drawings that have been Xeroxed onto cels or scanned into a computer. Drawings in computers are painted by flooding in the spaces with color. The work is checked again. Problems are fixed. The animation goes to camera. Editors mix the voice track with ADR, sound effects, and music tracks. The sound effects may be Foley effects or effects from a sound effects library. The director views the finished animation. Television programming executives, toy executives, or financing executives may be entitled to give final approval as well. Retakes are done. If the production has been done overseas, the overseas company may have already done some retakes before shipping the project back home. This is the basic process. There are many variations.

Computer Animation

Computer animation may be similar. In computer-generated imagery (CGI) productions, designs are usually created in two dimensions first and then modeled in three dimensions afterward. Rigging later adds skeletons to the models. The animation is done in the computer. In CGI, lighting is added and drawings continue to be refined. Effects are added. Checkers check the work. Color is added. Everything is checked again. The computer artwork is rendered (processed into images) and composited as all the elements are layered back together. Postproduction may be similar to that in traditional animation.

Other Animation Production Processes

This all sounds simple, doesn’t it? It’s not. Animators may instead use stop motion to do their animation. That’s a process where each character is posed, the camera shoots one frame, the character is moved a fraction, and the camera shoots again. Or they may use motion capture, where an actor is rigged with motion capture sensors so that software can convert his performance to animation for a predesigned character. Today animation is seldom simple. Out of twenty projects, fifteen of them may be done differently. Special effects director Joseph Gilland tells us that in twenty four hours’ time he used Maya, Flash, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Toon Boom Harmony, Alias Sketchbook, and Adobe AfterEffects software, as well as paper and pencil in his projects. Today’s animation is often very complex.

What Talents or Skills Do I Need?

Lucille Bliss (voice of Smurfette and many others) believes that there are three things that a voice actor needs: patience, perseverance, and preparedness. Janet waldo (voice of Judy Jetson and others) would add passion to the list. There is room for all kinds of voices in animation, but those who work most are usually those who are most versatile and can do many kinds of voices. Most voice-over skills can be developed. Casting director Michael Hack, who sometimes attends the theatre to see new voice actors, looks for clarity and bigness in an actor’s work. Actor/director Charlie Adler believes that the best voice-over actors have a theatre background. They have learned how to communicate with other actors and with directors, and they understand direction. They have learned to give and take with other actors, they can improvise, and they have learned comedy, timing, breath control, and character development. They are fearless. Adler believes that to really excel in animation voice acting, an actor must be able to become many different characters instantly, have a great sense of humor and timing, have the ability to do dialects, be fearless, and really enjoy creating something on the spot.

How Difficult Is It to Get Work?

Normally, it is difficult to get work in the animation voice-over field. There are a great many people who would like to work in the field. Many of these are talented actors, who still find it hard to get work. But casting in voice-overs does not depend upon a certain look. Voice actors come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. There are children who do voice-overs and grannies who do the voices of young kids. One industry casting director estimates that it might easily take two to five years or even more of full-time work taking classes, practicing, and auditioning to become established in animation voice-overs.

The figures have shown that in the voice-over industry in the United States in general, men get about 70 to 75% of the work and women get only 25 to 30%. It is perceived by many clients that the male voice is more authoritative and the lower pitch is more pleasing. In animation women have another problem. It is perceived by development people that girls will watch television cartoons where the main characters are boys, but that boys won’t watch shows where the main characters are girls. That perception is changing a bit. Another factor is that the majority of animation writers are men, so that the men naturally tend to write more stories about boys. That, too, is changing somewhat. Today most games are made for men. The roles are also for men. However, game developers are discovering that young girls and seniors are eager to play games, and in the future more games may be developed for those markets. To offset the negatives, many women, such as Nancy Cartwright, who plays Bart Simpson, do the voices of boys. If you can do the voice, no one cares what size, shape, age, or gender you are.

A more recent problem for voice-over artists is the use of celebrity voices. Businessmen feel that known celebrity names will bring in an audience, especially to films. Fans may go to see a celebrity’s work, even when they can’t see the celebrity himself. And a celebrity can give a film publicity by making the rounds of the television talk show circuit and talking about the film. Jeff Bridges was chosen for the voice of Big Z in Surf’s Up, not only for his celebrity name, but also because of his gravelly voice and, because as a surfer himself, he was a close match for the character. Fewer celebrities are used in television cartoons. Of course, the more celebrity voices are used, the less work there is for professional voice actors. Celebrities are most often cast to sound like themselves, and there is a growing market for voice-over artists who can imitate celebrities to loop the celebrity voices when the celebrities themselves are too busy or the pay is too small. So the use of celebrities can, occasionally, actually bring in work, as well as take it away.

The industry itself has grown and opened up to new talent. There are many companies, both large and small, now involved with animation. New media have added additional opportunities. Animation has blossomed with a wide variety of Styles and content. All over the world there is a need for acting talent for projects such as games and for dubbing. Most countries are developing their own television programming, and more are making their own animated feature films. Home recording studios make it possible for voice-over talent to work on projects all over the world. Because of the Internet, casting directors can listen to 100 auditions for a single session, if they wish, which means that competition is stronger, but the opportunities have also grown. New people do find a way to get started in the industry all the time.

What Negatives Will Make It Difficult to Get Work?

A Positive Attitude

Succeeding in the entertainment industry is always difficult, but people do it every day. Because it’s so difficult, it’s important to go in with a positive attitude. Every day tell yourself that you can do it. Get in the habit of saying, “Yes!” instead of “No.” Visualize yourself doing what you want to do, then work toward those goals every day. Build up your own confidence by working hard to learn your craft and finding your own opportunities, and then reward yourself with a pat on the back. If this is truly what you want to do and others beside your mother feel that you have talent, then don’t give yourself excuses to fail. “I can’t support myself while I wait to make it big.” “I live in the wrong place.” “The competition is too tough.” “I’m not lucky.” “i’m not good at marketing myself.” there are many more excuses out there. It’s your career, and it’s up to you to find a way. If this is what you Want to do, plan just how you’re going to do it. Work every day toward doing it, and be patient. It takes time to build up a base of casting people who know and respect your talents. You do need a bit of luck, but you must be prepared when that luck or opportunity presents itself. Audition whenever you have the chance. Be persistent.

Once you get into the flow of the business, you may be auditioning a number of times a week. No matter how good you are, you’re not going to get hired for many of those jobs. Realize that it’s not your fault. Strike “fault” and “blame” from your vocabulary. You’re not a huge success because you book a job, and you’re not a failure because you didn’t. Getting a job and not getting one will be a part of your career until you’re 106! Just let it go. There will be times in even the best careers where you’re just not getting work for a while. That’s the nature of the business. Use the time to take more classes. Learn different acting techniques. Work on your characters. Get into a workout group. Network. Market yourself. As long as you keep moving ahead, the auditions and the work will return.

The world is constantly changing at a dizzying speed, and you need to keep up. If competition spurs you on to be your best, then use that to help you excel. Personally, I prefer to compete with myself. Keep working to become better and better at what you do. Keep learning and growing. Never stop.

It’s important to be friendly and contribute whatever you can. The industry is small, and there’s no place for backstabbing or an attitude. Don’t be afraid to give a thumbs up when others do a great job. However, it’s not a good idea to give unsolicited advice.

Most people in the animation industry are friendly and nice human beings, but no matter where you are, difficult people do appear. There are casting people who cast YOU when someone else may have been better for the role. One casting director likes to remind actors, “A job is not a career!!” You can only do your best. Then move on. There are directors who don’t know what they want. Try giving them a new choice by asking them if you can try something else. Remain patient. Keep professional, deal with problems in a friendly and tactful way, and, if a problem doesn’t concern you, mind your own business.

What Do I Do First?

Many animation voice actors studied to become actors either in college or with acting coaches. Others found ways of developing a natural talent by taking special classes in voice-over. There are many voice-over classes available both in the major animation areas around the world and online. I would recommend both majoring in acting at a college or university to gain the necessary acting skills and then taking some specific animation voice-over classes afterward. Audition for plays and musicals, and join the chorus both in high school and college. This acting and singing experience is valuable and gives you a head start. You may need classes in speech (articulation, standard pronunciation, dialects, etc.) or vocal tone production (strengthening the voice and increasing the range) in addition to classes in specific animation voice-over skills. Cynthia McLean at Sutton, Barth, & Vennari believes that improv classes are important to help an actor with character choices. They help you learn to think on your feet.

Bob Bergen, voice of Porky Pig and many others, says “Study, study, study!! Be a good actor first!! Then study voice-over. It’s all about the acting. Study acting and improv BEFORE ever stepping into a voice-over workshop. Most people go the opposite route and find they don’t have the acting skills needed to handle voice-over copy. The difference between being a trained actor and a nontrained actor is that a trained actor makes choices. A nontrained actor makes guesses.”

Voice-over classes in the major animation cities such as Hollywood help you develop specific animation skills such as voice placement, and they often introduce you to animation casting directors as well. Many of these classes are reasonably priced, but a good rounded education in voice-over will cost quite a bit … just like any good college education. Take from as many different teachers as you can to get a wide variety of approaches and tips. Keep a watch out for unethical teachers; many of the best teachers are industry professionals themselves. It’s possible to learn how to do voice-over from any place in the world. There are teleclasses. But it’s tough to become good enough to compete without a teacher or mentor there in person to coach you.

As an actor you need to evaluate your assets and your faults. What do you need to learn? what do you need to fix? Evaluate the quality of your voice. Seek out the specific training and exercises that you personally need to bring your voice up to professional quality. Is your speech standard or do you speak with a dialect? Does your voice need strengthening? Do you need to increase your range? What specific acting skills do you need to focus on the most? Do you need to learn how to be more believable? Do you need to work more on releasing your emotions? Do you need to work on listening and reacting to the other characters? Do you need to learn how to dig deeper into characterization? Do you need to learn voice placement and other specific animation voice actor skills?

How Do I Pick a Voice-Over Teacher?

Coaches may teach students individually; voice-over teachers may teach a small number of students at once. Either may work for you.

Some teachers teach teleclasses for a fee over the telephone. This may not be ideal, but it works for someone who does not live in a large city with easy access to the animation industry. To take a teleclass, on the right day at the right time you may dial the phone number that you’re given, enter the class number for your specific class, perhaps enter another code, and start the class. There is interaction in a teleclass just as there would be in any other class.

Other Resources

There are voice-over resources on the Internet. Just google the word “Voice-Over” to find international resources. You’ll find Web sites that offer voice-over services internationally, chat rooms, sites that answer questions, and teachers. Some sites offer feedback and support. There are also animation scripts available online. Most scripts have copyrights, but if they are available online, it’s possible to use them for practice at home.

You can also try comic books, books, DVDs, or the TV to use for practice copy. You can transcribe copy from your favorite cartoons on TV or DVD. If you’re using a cartoon from your TV, record it first and make use of your pause button. June Foray (voice of Rocky and Natasha in the Bullwinkle cartoons, Granny in the Sylvester and Tweety cartoons, Jokey Smurf, and hundreds of others) credits literature with her ability to develop characters. She advises voice-over students to read out loud and develop characters that way. Comic books also work well as they usually have more dialogue.

Watch cartoons and other animation as much as you can. It’s a good place to learn. Pay particular attention to voice placement, to comedy timing, and to characterization. Is there something that you can do better than what you’re hearing? What skills do you still need to develop in order to compete? Listen to the classic radio shows. Watch classic films and classic sitcoms. Pay attention to the timing and the brisk pace. Be familiar with the voice styles of the classic stars. You may need to imitate them some time. Consider what and who are currently hot in pop culture, what specific voices and what styles. How can you fit into today’s marketplace?

I’ve found that a number of actors and actresses impersonated others as a child. They would go to see a movie or play and come home and pretend to be one of the actors. If it helped them develop their voices, then it can help you as well. Listen carefully and mimic what you hear as closely as possible, trying to place your voice as close to the original as you can.

Try to get a mentor. You might find a teacher who will believe in you and mentor you. A few lucky, young voice actors in the past have convinced a wellknown voice actor of their talent and passion, and the actor has helped them learn the skills that they need. Don’t be a pest; that will work against you. Most voice actors are very busy.

You Are in Charge of Your Own Career

When you feel that you’ve progressed to a professional level, get that demo made and start sending it out. Take the steps you need to take to make agents, casting people, and other working voice actors aware of your talent. Even after you have an agent, much of the work that you get may be from what you have already done. Agents work hardest for those that bring in the most money. Don’t procrastinate. Keep at it.

Rejection is a part of the business. Even the best actors get rejected. Don’t take it personally. Analyze what was said, see if you can fix the problem, and move on. If you have talent and you persist, people will eventually discover what you can do. Keep learning. Keep networking. Don’t forget to contact those you haven’t heard from for awhile. Find new places to look for work.

Casting director Ginny McSwain tells future voice-over talent to do what they do well. Get familiar with your own voice by using a recorder. Know your volume. Know how to get where you need to be instantly. Know how big you can get and how you can bring it back down.

Casting director Michael Hack says “Study your craft.” Actors should study acting, not just voice. “Learn as much as you can about studio etiquette. Get in front of a microphone.” He suggests that you watch cartoons, closing your eyes so that you can focus on listening. For him a good attitude and being on time are important traits for a voice-over actor. “But you have to be a good actor first. You’re not doing voices, you’re creating a character. … If you really think you want to focus on voice, make it your primary goal.”

Actress/director Ellyn Stern tells actors “Don’t say ‘No’ to potential projects that come along, because you can never tell where they can lead. Take classes in everything that’s around because you never know where the opportunity will come from. You have to be prepared. You have to be a self-motivator. You have to know how to market yourself. It’s called show business. It’s not called show play.”

Actress June Foray tells actors that they need luck and real talent. They can’t be mediocre. “I say ascertain, confirm that you have talent. If you have talent, persevere. Eventually, you’ll become successful. Don’t be discouraged by anybody.”

Support

This is a career that is demanding of your time and, in the beginning, of your money, as well. Actor Bob Bergen tells students that a voice-over career is a $10,000 investment (counting lessons, demos, etc.). You need the support of family and friends. In the early years, voice-over requires money spent on classes and a demo. It requires hours exercising your voice, developing characters, dialects, and more. It can be difficult for a spouse and other family members to understand where the money is going and why you’re unavailable to do other things when there’s no paycheck to cash. Some days you might have to go to as many as five auditions in a busy animation market.

When you are finally getting work, the calls can come with little notice. Can your son understand why mommy has to leave in the middle of his soccer championships? Can you get a sitter at an instant’s notice? Can a vacation wait this year because you have to record a series all summer? Not only do you need the support of your family, but you need friends who can understand the ups and downs of the business. They support you when an audition didn’t go so well and when there are no auditions in sight. They support you when you can’t even get an agent to listen to your demo. There will always be better days in the future if you stick with it. You need friends who understand that. You support them in return.

Union and Nonunion Work

Being a member of a union is a requirement for many voice-over jobs, but your first job will likely be a nonunion job. Nonunion work generally pays less, but it provides good experience and helps you build your career. Union membership is a mark of a certain level of professionalism. In the United States the unions are the Screen Actor’s guild (SAG) for film, found online at www.sag.com, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) for TV at www.aftra.com. Animated films and many television series are covered by SAG. Originally, animated television series were shot one frame at a time on film. Because the series were always covered by SAG, many of the large animation companies still pay the slightly higher SAG rate. Newer companies that have always done the animation work digitally are more likely to be covered by AFTRA. Some interactive work is covered by SAG and some by AFTRA; some game work is nonunion. SAG and AFTRA have slightly different membership requirements, but basically actors join after obtaining SAG or AFTRA jobs. The unions have rules that normally require their members to accept union work only. There are a couple of exceptions to those rules. One exception is O.P.O. (One Production Only), which allows you to have a waiver good for only one nonunion job. Another is financial core membership, which requires that you join the union and then request a change to financial core status. You must still pay a membership fee (slightly reduced), and some rights are lost, such as voting, receiving the union newsletter, and taking part in union events, but you’re entitled to work both union and nonunion jobs. This is not a popular choice with union members because if too many members choose financial core status, then the union will lose its negotiating power. Unions protect your rights as a voice-over artist and negotiate better pay and benefits. Union television work in the United States pays residuals; nonunion work is unlikely to do that. Both of these unions have a substantial initiation fee and semiannual dues. New member information can be obtained over the Web site or by phone.

In Canada the voice-over union is the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television, and Radio Artists (ACTRA) at www.actra.ca with a branch in British columbia: the Union of Bc Performers (UBCP) at www.ubcp.com. A number of U.S. series are recorded in Canada. I have been told that this is less of a cost factor than it is one of convenience for the producers. The convenience is that the producers do not have to track their cartoons internationally to pay residuals to Canadian actors as they do to U.S. Union actors. Union actors are used in Canada, but the Canadian unions will allow a “buy out.” That means that the producers can agree to pay, for instance 200%, on top of the usual session fee instead of paying residuals on the English language series worldwide. If the series does not run long, the actors can actually make more money this way. If the series runs longer, then the actors make less by not getting residuals. There may be a very slight savings in the currency exchange rate as well. There is added cost and work for the casting director to go back and forth to Canada. Of course when the series is dubbed into other languages, then the original actors do not get residuals in any case.

The voice-over union in the United Kingdom is Equity at www.equity.org.uk. To find local unions in other countries, ask local voice actors or contact local agents or managers for information.

If you work as a nonunion actor, you have no one to watch your back. You negotiate your fee and collect it yourself. There is no standard. Normally, you will not be paid benefits or residuals. The client has the right to use your work in any way he sees fit, unless you are able to negotiate your own contract.

Early Experience

Any acting experience helps. Get experience by acting in plays, movies, or films. Act in your local community theatre. Join a local chorus or audition for your local opera. Do readings. Appear at improv and comedy clubs. Not only is the experience itself valuable, but these activities help you establish connections that might help you with your career later. You can volunteer to record books, magazines, or the daily news for the blind. This is like an internship. It can give you good experience in cold reading and help you become comfortable using a microphone. It might even give you experience developing different characters (an advice column has the character who asks the question and the one who gives advice). Some actors volunteer to describe plays, concerts, films, parades, and so on to the blind. Some voice-over artists start by recording books on tape or CD. Take any voice-over job that you are offered to get experience. Many people get their start in games or anime. These areas are more likely to have some nonunion jobs.

Do I Have to Live in Los Angeles or One of the Other Cartoon Centers?

In the United States, the majority of animation work is in Hollywood/Los Angeles, and most voice-over actors, who are really serious about centering a career around animation work, flock here. Some television series are recorded in New York. But there is also a little work in smaller cities such as Seattle, Chicago, and the Washington, DC, area as well. Generally, the bigger the city, the more work there is likely to be. Internationally, animated work may be found in most major entertainment industry locales. The game industry provides work in some very unexpected places, and work in areas other than Los Angeles or the other large entertainment areas internationally is likely to be work in games. Today many voice-over actors are building home recording studios and recording for clients all over the world. Most television work in the United States is done with the entire cast recording together. Sometimes, because of the unavailability of an important actor or budget considerations, a series is recorded differently. Most animated films in the United States record each actor separately, and that recording may be done anywhere in the world. If you are not in Los Angeles or another major animation capital, your animation work will probably consist of games or dubbing. You’ll need to supplement that with other kinds of voice-over work.

Bob Bergen says, “… Sites like Voicebank, Voice123, etc. and good quality, inexpensive, home recording equipment make commercial voice-over available to everyone. That’s good news and bad news. The good news is auditions are available to more people than ever. The bad news is voice-over auditions are available to more people than ever. More folks are competing for the same jobs, so they are harder and harder to get. Casting directors are used less frequently because producers and buyers can post the auditions for free. It’s harder to get an agent because with more competition out there, agents can’t develop newer talent the way they used to. They need to work harder and harder with their proven talent, just to keep them in the game. And with commercials being more and more available to actors around the country, I can’t imagine why animation couldn’t follow. If technology allows, I can see how someone living in, say, St. Louis being recorded at Disney or Cartoon Network in L.A. via ISDN, combined with some new fangled video conferencing where it’s just like they were in the same room as the producers and other actors (will someday be a reality). Even though this idea is down the road, when opportunity knocks, you’d better be ready!”

How Do I Finance a Start in the Voice-Over Business?

That’s up to you. Most people have to have some kind of job in order to get by until they’re able to get enough work to support themselves in the industry. That can take years. Evening jobs such as working as a waiter or waitress, working at a supermarket, and so on allow you to go to auditions and accept voice-over work during the daytime. It’s important to be on call always and immediately available. Auditions take place on a moment’s notice. Most half-hour animated series take about four hours to record. In addition to living expenses, you’ll need money to take classes (which are usually held in the evenings), pay for voicemail, make your demo, and duplicate it. You may have some marketing expenses as well.

What Tools Do I Need Right Away?

Work in the Future

The world is increasingly becoming a smaller place. Animation is worldwide, and many in the industry work with other professionals in other parts of the world. More and more voice-over professionals are placing demos on the Internet and accepting general voice work from around the world. They record it in their own home studios. I believe that trend will grow. Having a home business means that a voice-over professional needs more initiative and more business sense. It becomes more important to find your own strengths and brand yourself to rise above the pack. You may need to become more technically savvy to keep up with the fast changes in technology and to be your own home studio engineer. You may be accepting your pay in different currencies. You may be working with others from different cultures with different expectations, different values, and different ways of working. And you may find yourself working with clients who wake up when you are going to bed.

Change is everywhere, and the experts tell us that it will come at an increasingly fast pace. Once you get work, you have to keep up with the changes in the industry. Cartoony over-the-top voices are replaced by edgy, quirky voices, which are replaced with something more realistic and more personal, etc. You must keep listening to what’s hot right now, updating your skills and changing with the industry always.

How to Use This Book

This book was based primarily on personal experience in the animation industry and personal experience as an actress. It is based on the experience of many others, researched in other books, articles in magazines, articles on the Internet, from panel discussions about animation voice-overs, animation voice-over classes with industry professionals and guest lecturers from the industry, and many personal interviews with working professionals. The exercises and other suggestions in the book are just that—suggestions. Use them if they help or find other ways of practicing or improving your career. There is never one right way to do anything. Technology is changing rapidly. Trends change. Opinions change. Things that are done one way in one city and one country will not be done exactly the same way in another city halfway around the world. Listen with an open mind to the advice of others and then decide what is best for you. It’s your career.