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Voice over acting is a specialized field, but if you have what it takes, here are some tips for getting into the business.
 | One’s natural ability to do changeable
voices must be honed and perfected. |
Voice over acting is the talent involved with voicing characters in feature films, radio and TV shows, advertising commercials, internet sites, video games, and other forms of entertainment.
Animated cartoons are a popular source for voice over acting. An obvious example of a brilliant voice over actor is Mel Blanc, “the man of a thousand voices”, who did voices for most of the Warner Brothers cartoon characters…Bugs Bunny et al. A flood of established film stars like Tom Hanks and Robin Williams are now doing voices in popular animated films.
The voice over acting business is not easy to break into, and it requires both inherited talents and learned skills. One’s natural ability to do changeable voices must be honed and perfected.
Impeccable timing, acting fundamentals, script interpretation, narration styles, and microphone technique must be learned and practiced.
Tips for getting started
- You can begin by taking voice over acting courses, going to workshops, and consulting with people who have been successful in the art. Interact with other voice over actors and announcers. The more hands-on experience you can get, the better.
- Practice by recording yourself and analyzing your voice. Listen to your pitch, your accents, your inflections. Examine your versatility in creating different voices. If you are particularly talented in a certain type of voice, focus on that. Concentrate on what you do best.
- Create as many original voices as you can. There are lots of people out there who can mimic Kermit the Frog.
- Record a demo. It should be no longer than five minutes long. Put your best stuff first.
- If possible, get a pro’s opinion of your demo before you send it out.
- When the demo is as good as you can get it, start marketing your talent locally. Face-to-face meetings are best. Take or send the demo to radio and TV stations, ad agencies and audio and video production companies in your area. When you get some on-air commercials or other jobs, add them to your demo.
- Once you have established yourself locally and have some jobs under your belt, assemble a promotional package that can include a picture, brief bio, client list and favorable quotes about your work.
- Use the Internet as a marketing tool. Put examples of your work on your Facebook page or create your own web site.
- Expect rejection. It goes with the territory. But keep plugging and improving yourself. Patience and persistence will pay off.
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