by Alan Smithee
How to Be a
Voice Actor
by Get Creative Pages
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1
OVERVIEW:
What Is Voiceover?
Nearly any time you hear a voice but don’t see a person speaking, there’s a voiceover actor at work. On television, radio, in videogames, animation, sports arenas, or on audiobooks, voiceover is everywhere. It’s a surprisingly diverse field open to people with various backgrounds and skill sets, so whether you’re an actor looking to expand his earning potential, someone who excels at creating characters with her voice, or someone who’s constantly being told what a great voice he has, there can be work for you as a voice actor.
If you don’t mind spending hours in dark studios in front of a microphone, voiceover can be an exciting, dynamic career that, for a growing number of people, is extremely lucrative. There are no guarantees, of course, but if you have skill, an ability to learn and adapt, and most of all, good, old-fashioned luck, you can succeed as a voice actor!
What Do Voiceover People Do?
Basically, voiceover people are actors who use their voices. Some prefer to be called “voice actors,” accordingly. But the bottom line is, voiceover people speak for a living.
Below is a brief description of some of the many different areas of specialization within voiceover. We’ll go into these categories in further detail later, but here’s an overview.
Commercial: This refers to any voiceover, whether on TV, radio, the internet or other platform, that is used in selling a product. (e.g., “Refreshingly smooth Bud Light. Always worth it!”)
Promo: Television networks use promo voices to promote a program or lineup of shows. (e.g., “Tonight on NBC…”)
Animation: Animation people provide the wide and dynamic variety of voices you hear on animated programming.
Videogames: Similar to animation, these voiceover actors are the voices you hear in videogames. This is a rapidly growing field.
Narration: Narrators help tell the story in film documentaries or documentary-style TV programs.
ADR/Looping: These actors provide background voices for crowds scenes seen in films and TV shows.
Voice Matching: Occasionally, voice actors are brought in to match and overdub the dialogue of an actor in a film or TV show who is not available after shooting is over. Voice matching is also used in animated shows in which a celebrity is imitated.
Audiobooks: Some voiceover people specialize in audiobooks. They read books aloud, and specialize in bringing the words and characters on the page to life.
Trailers: Though not as common these days, film trailers still use voice actors to enhance the action. (e.g., “In a world…”)
Political: Every election cycle, voiceover actors provide voices for ads for and against propositions and candidates.
Live Announcing: Also called “Voice of God,” live announcers work in sports arenas, corporate events, award shows, and other live settings.
Television and Radio Imaging: In conjunction with sound and video producers, these voiceover people work with local radio and TV affiliates to create brand identity.
It’s quite a list! As you can see, there are lots of areas of specialization in voiceover. But we’re going to be totally honest with you. The one thing voiceover people primarily do is audition. There’s no set ratio, but you may audition dozens or even hundreds of times before you land a job, so you’ll need to be comfortable with the process of auditioning. You’ll also need to get used to the sound of your own voice, because you’ll be hearing it. A lot. Repeat: A lot.
Finally, whatever area or areas you choose, all voiceover boils down to one thing: acting. You can have a deep, resonant voice, or you may be able to do hundreds of impressions and accents, but if you can’t act, you’ll have trouble finding work. At the end of the day, voiceover is about taking words that some other person wrote and making them sound like they’re your own. It’s as easy, and as challenging, as that.
Where Do Voiceover People Live?
It used to be that you could only have a voiceover career if you lived in one of the major three markets: Los Angeles, New York, or Chicago. But with the advent of home studios and online voiceover marketplaces, this is no longer the case. It may be harder to sign with a major talent agency if you don’t live in one of the “Big Three,” but you can still develop and grow a voiceover career from pretty much anywhere.
What Am I Going to Learn?
The following guide is broken down roughly into two sections. The first is The Basics, which is designed to do two things: Give you some solid, concrete steps you can take right now to jump start your voiceover career; and, to help you determine if a career in voiceover is right for you.
The second section is the Advanced Section. Here you’ll find professional advice on how to take your voiceover career to the next level. Ready? Let’s dive in!
2
THE BASICS:
As you’ve seen, there are a number of voiceover careers. But the first area we’re going to focus on is commercial, mainly because that’s where the vast majority of the work is. Even if your ultimate goal is to do animation, you’ll still need to be able to do solid commercial reads to get your foot in the door.
Listen
Your very first assignment is to listen. This is enormously important. In fact, if you take away nothing else from this guide, follow this advice: Listen. Listen to commercials (or “spots”) on radio and TV. When you’re driving, instead of switching stations when the music stops, listen to the ads. Same goes with TV. Where you would usually fast forward your DVR, stop and pay attention. You’ll get a feel for what’s being cast, and therefore, what casting people are looking for. It’s actually a good habit to get into, because you’ll continue to do this throughout your career. We don’t know any working voiceover actors who don’t listen closely to commercials.
Make a List of Adjectives That Describe You
The next step is to determine your “sound.” As you’ll no doubt notice as you listen to radio and TV spots, most of the people you hear sound very natural. Gone are the days when products were being promoted by golden-voiced pitchmen; the focus over the last 20 years or so is on relatability. People who write and produce advertising (or “creatives”) now want someone who sounds like someone you know and who you wouldn’t mind taking a little helpful advice from.
Therefore, you need to figure out how you naturally sound so that you can determine where you fit in terms of casting. The quickest way to do this is to put together a list of adjectives that describe you. Are you funny? Quirky? Maybe you’re intellectual, or intense, or you seem like the guy next door. Whatever it is, sit down and make a list of ten adjectives. If you come up short, ask a couple friends to describe you. (This
is occasionally an eye-opening experience, but it’s very instructive to know how you come across.)
Then take those adjectives and whittle them down to between five and seven, and put them in order, from ones that describe you most of the time, to those that describe you less often.
As an example, let’s say you’ve collected and ordered the following list:
1. Cool
2. Clever
3. Wry
4. Sexy
5. Athletic
6. Down to earth
7. Friendly
Next, you’ll want to take this list and…
Record Yourself
A surprising number of people say they hate the sound of their own voices when they hear them recorded and played back. The key reason for this is that the voice we hear coming out of our mouths is usually richer and more resonant-sounding to us, due to the larynx, or voice box, being close to your ears. When our voice hits the air, much of that resonance is lost, leaving other qualities in its place: nasal tones, raspiness, and so on. Accordingly, it’s important for you to determine how you really sound.
To complete this exercise, there’s no need to get a bunch of expensive equipment. Simply use the recording function on your phone or laptop. Then go online and find some voiceover scripts (called “copy”) to read. The easiest thing to do is go to Google and search out “commercial voice over copy.” Then, based on your list of adjectives, select a few that you think will adequately allow you to express your natural traits. If you come up short here, you can also transcribe radio or TV spots you’ve heard that you think would be a good fit.
Then, get your recording device and record yourself reading the copy. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t like what you hear right away. This is just a preliminary exercise to get you used to hearing your own voice, and to start to understand the type of persona you project. If what you hear doesn’t correspond to your list of adjectives, try making some adjustments. Keep recording and listening until you start to feel comfortable with the process. At the end of this exercise, you should have a good idea of what your voice sounds like, and, more importantly, how you come across using your voice.
Sign Up with an Online Site
Because this is the Basics section, we’re going to skip some steps, like finding and taking a class, and creating a demo reel, both of which we’ll discuss in the Advanced Section.
For right now, we’re focusing on creating some momentum. Therefore, once you’ve got a basic idea of what you sound like, you can sign up for a couple of online casting services. There are a number of them out there, but the two big ones are Voices.com and Voice123.com.
We’re steering you toward these two sites with some caveats, but we’re recommending them nonetheless. Both sites allow anyone to sign up, and neither of them requires that you have a demo or a home studio in order to get started. And they’ll both allow you to do a free trial.
Bear in mind that if you’re signing on as a new member who has neither a home studio nor a viable demo to post to the site, your chances of booking a job are very minimal. You’ll be going up against seasoned professionals for work, not to mention to a formidable number of newcomers like yourself. And at the free level, you likely won’t see a lot of auditions.
Both sites do offer higher levels beyond the free trial that cost progressively more money, but we recommend waiting to pay until you’ve gotten more experience. But since this preliminary section is really about seizing the moment and taking viable steps toward the creation of your voiceover career, there’s no harm in jumping in for the free trial. Who knows? You might strike gold, and then you’ll be on your way!
So, that’s the basic approach to getting your voiceover career started. If you like what you’ve seen and done so far, and if you think you’ve got what it takes, let’s move on to the Advanced Section!
3
ADVANCED SECTION:
Now that you’ve gotten your feet wet, recorded and listened to yourself, explored the online marketplace, and have decided that you’re ready for a career in voiceover, it’s time to take the next step. First thing you’ll want to do is…
Find and Take a Class
If you’re serious about making a go at a career in voiceover, taking a class is the best place to start, for a number of reasons. First off, even if you’ve been recording and listening to yourself for some time, you still need to have someone who actually works in the voiceover profession to listen to you and provide guidance. You can only get so far on your own. Also, when you take a class, you’ll be spending time in a recording booth, and you can see if it feels comfortable for you. Some people find recording booths to be stressful and claustrophobic, and if that’s you, now’s a good time to find that out. But most importantly, when you take a class from a reputable teacher who works in the industry, you’ll make a contact and begin to establish a relationship. And many facilities that teach voiceover classes also cast for things. A class is a great way to jump in all around.
If you live in or near one of the big three markets for voiceover (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago), you’ll have no problem finding a reputable voiceover class or coach. Below is a list of recommended teachers in each market:
LOS ANGELES
Commercial/General:
The Cashman Cache© of Voice Acting Techniques
661-222-9300
Elaine Craig VO Pro Workshops
323-469-8773
Pat Fraley Teaches
www.patfraley.com
818-400-3733
Steven Reisberg
818-415-1289
Voicecaster Workshops
818-841-5300
Animation:
Bob Bergen’s Animation Voice Over Workshop
www.bobbergen.com
818-999-3081
Pat Fraley Teaches
www.patfraley.com
818-400-3733
NEW YORK
Lisa Fischoff and Elizabeth Bunnell
917-804-8469
Vivian Meisner
212-874-3860
Stacy Seidel and Paul Liberti at Actor’s Connection
212-977-6666
CHICAGO
Mindy Verson, Audio Producers Group
312-977-4001
Tom Taylorson, Act One
312-787-9384
http://actone.com
Should you not live in one of these cities, not to worry. There are a number of people who coach via Skype.
VO COACHES VIA SKYPE
James Alburger and Penny Abshire
www.voiceacting.com
Marc Cashman
(661) 222-9300
Kevin Delaney
www.TheVOCoach.com
Steven Reisberg
(818) 415-1289
Because all voiceover work boils down to acting, it’s also not a bad idea to take an acting class, or even an improv class. If you decide to specialize in animation, looping, or even commercials, learning to think on your toes is a valuable asset that can help you land (and keep) jobs.
One final word about classes. There are a number of online facilities that promise the moon to inexperienced voice actors. They offer to train you, to do your demo reel, to help with connections and so on. It has been our experience (as well as the experience of many other voiceover professionals) that these organizations over-promise, overcharge, and under-deliver. Our advice is to steer clear.
Create a Demo Reel
Here’s where the rubber meets the road for any serious voiceover actor: the demo reel. Your reel is your calling card. It gives potential agents and casting people an idea of who you are and what you sound like, all in 60 to 90 seconds. A good reel generally consists of six to ten key sound bites taken from different spots, selected and placed to both show range and to highlight a voice actor’s “sound.”
Regardless of what area you intend to specialize in, you will need to create a commercial demo reel. This is what any potential agent wants to hear first. Don’t worry—onc
e you’ve signed with an agency, there will be time and opportunity to create reels for any area you wish to work in. But for now, your efforts and resources will be best spent putting together a commercial reel.
For voice actors who have been in the business awhile, a demo reel will consist of snippets of actual recorded and aired commercials. If you’re a beginner, though, you’ll need to record and manufacture the spots yourself. This is where our list of adjectives from the Basics section comes into play. You will want to select and record commercial scripts that allow you to show your range, but that also highlight where you’re most comfortable as a voice actor. Because casting directors generally want people who sound natural and relatable, this is the stuff you want to put right up front. Some people refer to this as your “money voice.”