How to get started in Voice-Overs

The term comes from the world of film, when a narration was referred to in the script as "Voice Over Picture", or VO for short. Now, voice-over can refer to any number of ways you can use your voice to get a message across.

You've heard about commercials, corporate narration and animation, but how about automated phone messaging, Automated Dialogue Replacement (also called "looping"), or reading for the blind? That automated message that calls you in the middle of dinner to say, "Hi, this is your credit card company calling with exciting news about your account." Someone was paid to read that. It could be you.

Voice-overs are a dynamic and flexible industry. You don't need a license or anyone's permission to do it. You can do it full time, or you can get started by auditioning and working in your spare time. Either way, you'll need dedication, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit to succeed. You'll also need to learn to handle rejection. There are a lot of people in this business and you'll hear a good number of "No's" (or no answer at all) before you get that first job. You need a thick skin. Don't take the "No's" personally. Learn from it and move on to the next audition. With that said, there's always room for new talent, no matter your age, sex or "voice type".

It used to be that voice-overs was dominated by the big, booming "Voice of God" announcer style male voice, but the industry has changed. While men still have a slight edge on women in the industry, more and more women are taking on roles that have traditionally been for a "guy's voice". The split is estimated to be about 60-40 today. There's also a push away from those big announcer style voices. Producers today want a more natural, conversational delivery, like a trusted friend or the girl next door. What this means is, even if you don't have a resonant "radio voice", there's a place for you in the industry.

Voice-over is a who you know, not a what you know industry. Many jobs go to the voice actor who knows the producer or who is a customer of the client company. Often, getting one job creates opportunities for more jobs. It may seem unfair, but producers and clients like to work with people they know, people whom they already know will do a good job. There's a way around this barrier, and we'll talk about it later, but for know here's a hint: voice-overs are about making contacts.

Voice-over is a very competitive business and there are more voice actors than there are jobs. Home recording and the wonders of the Internet have increased competition as well. On one hand, inexpensive recording equipment and online casting allow you to audition for jobs across the country or around the world. On the other hand, talent from across the country can audition for the same local jobs that you´d like to go for.

Speaking in broad terms, to get work as a voice actor you need three things...

1. An average sounding voice, with a wide range of styles.
2. Above average marketing.
3. A great demo reel.

In Chapter 2 (below), we'll talk about...
"What You Must Have and Do" to "Get Started in Voice-Overs".

Get Training and Coaching
You will need training and coaching to learn how to use your voice. Even if you're blessed with a silky smooth set of pipes, you'll need to learn how to use your voice and how to deliver as wide a range of vocal styles as possible.

Can you be serious? Whimsical? Can you do accents or dialects? Character voices? Can you raise your performance to another level? The more versatile you are, the more jobs you'll get. Your voice is your instrument and coaching will help you learn to play your instrument.

The best way to get training is with voice-over and acting professionals by taking classes, workshops, and private coaching sessions. Learning really never stops for a true voice-over artist. Take specific workshops on character voices, audio book, narration and even acting classes. Attend various workshops whenever you can. The more you learn, the better you'll be.


Practice, Practice, Practice
The next thing you absolutely need is practice, practice and more practice. Read out loud every day to strengthen your voice and sharpen your reading skills. Magazines and newspapers are a good start. You can even read road signs while you're driving!

*Tip:  Get an inexpensive recording device (micro cassette recorder or USB microphone that plugs into your PC), so you can record yourself and play it back. You need to listen and analyze what you do well and what you need to work on. A recorder will also come in handy if you're working on character voices. You'd hate to come up with something brilliant and then lose it forever because you can't remember what the character sounded like! Record those voices and give them names.


Be Highly Organized
Organizational skills are important, as anyone who has worked in an office will attest. A voice-over business is just that: a business and you need to treat it as such. Prepare some space to use as your office. Make sure you have a phone number where you can be reached (or at least respond to messages) quickly. A computer is a must for online marketing and job hunting, as well as for for tracking income and expenses.


Think about Legal and Tax Considerations
For legal and tax reporting purposes you may consider a DBA, a sole proprietorship, an LLC or become incorporated. At the very least, and if you're using a name other than your own, you may consider registering in the town where you live. The fee is generally small, and you may learn about some useful small business resources in the process.

*Tip:  Always consult an attorney and a qualified tax accountant before making any business decisions.


A Great Demo Reel
We're going to talk about this later in more detail, so we'll just say this: your demo reel is a professionally produced recording, usually on CD or mp3, that offer samples of your best work. It's your calling card, your voice-over resume and one of the most critical tools for voice-over success. Don't cut corners on producing and recording your demo.

In Chapter 3 (below), we'll talk about...
"Four Things You Can Do Right Away" to "Get Started in Voice-Overs".

Voice Exercises:
The best exercise is to practice, practice and practice. In the car, the shower, wherever. Start with your regular, everyday speaking voice and read out loud. Use the newspaper, magazines, your kid's bedtime stories or your company memos. Just read out loud to build and strengthen your natural speaking voice.


Listening:
Record your voice and listen to the playback. Be honest with yourself. When you're having trouble, admit it, work to fix it and move on. When you're good, admit it and move on. Learn from the good and the bad, and over time the bad will go away.


Observation:
Listen to other voice-overs. On the TV, the radio, in movies, on DVD's, answering machines, automated help lines, etc. Which ones are good and which ones are bad, and why? Learn from the good ones and forget the bad ones. Observation is key. Listen to the voices around you. People you meet, talk to on the phone, or hear on TV can all be an inspiration for your own vocal styles. Even if you can't imitate the sound of someone else's voice, mimicking their attitude may give you some useful material. Listen to the range of voices in just one commercial break.


Writing:
Good voice-over actors are often good copywriters. Start writing your own copy. Learn how to be clear and concise. The art of creating an effective message within a 30 or 60-second time frame, will help sharpen your speaking skills.

In Chapter 4 (below), we'll talk about...
"Two More Things You Can Do Right Away" to "Get Started in Voice-Overs".

Build a Knowledge base:
There are lots of books written about voice-overs, and while none of them can replace face-to-face training or practical hands-on experience, many of the authors have a lot of interesting things to say about the voice-over business.

Here are five books I recommend highly...

Harlan Hogan, VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor. Great for its fascinating anecdotes of "crazed clients, practical jokes and amazing coincidences encountered during his 25-year career, he also provides a wealth of tested tips for surviving and thriving as a voice-over actor."

Elaine A. Clark, There's Money Where Your Mouth Is: An Insider's Guide to a Career in Voice-Overs. Clark begins by explaining the basics of the industry and demonstrating how prospective voice-over performers can best market themselves through the use of agents, mailings and demo tapes.

Terri Apple's, Making Money in Voice-Overs:, Winning Strategies to a Successful Career in TV, Commercials Radio and Animation. A bonus audio CD adds voice-over samples and helpful exercises for television, commercials, and animation.

Randy Thomas and Peter Rofe', Voice for Hire: Launch and Maintain a Lucrative Career in Voice-Overs. "This book is designed to teach aspiring voice artists, in a step-by-step format, how to break into an extremely competitive marketplace. There is no single or definitive path to making money in voice-overs, although there are certain trends and truths that can inform your career."

Pamela Lewis', Talking Funny for Money: An Introduction to the Cartoon/Character/Looping Area of Voice-Overs A good choice for character work with a two-CD voice-over workshop and demonstrations by professional voice-over performers, accompanied by an exercise manual and companion text.


Keep A Notebook:
Jot down the day and time that you practiced and what you read. Make notes about how your voice sounded (e.g. rough, dry, wet, lower pitch, higher pitch). Make notes about words and/or phrases that may have been difficult for you to read.

Also, if you're interested in character work, a notebook is invaluable. When you come up with a new voice (or vocal attitude), give it a name and a back-story, and put it in your notebook. Turning these voices into real characters aids in your recall of them when you need them later. Referring to "Gizmo the Sprightly Elf" is easier than "that high-pitched squeak where I talk through my nose with a lisp."

In Chapter 5 (coming soon), we'll talk about...
"Interpreting & Understanding Copy" to "Get Started in Voice-Overs".

On Radio for 15 years...
91.7 WHUS,   102.9 WDRC,   WDRC 1360AM,   105.9 WHCN,   104.1 WMRQ
WPOP 410AM,   106.9 WCCC,   WCCC AM1290 Beethoven Radio


Radio positions held...
News Anchor,  Announcer,  Copywriter,  Production Assistant,  Commercial Producer, Morning Drive Producer,  Afternoon Drive Producer,  Promotions Director,  Music Director,  Program Director & Show Host.
* Recipient of a 2008 KBA award for "Commercial Radio


On TV for 2 1/2 years...
Produced & hosted 20 episodes of an original music television show "Music Interviews". Aired in Connecticut between 2/91-9/93
* 1st Place in Entertainment - The CT Video Expo 1991
* 1st Place in Entertainment - The CT Screening Room Video Competition 1992
* 2nd Place in Entertainment - The CT Screening Room Video Competition 1993


Voice-over experience...
* Performer/Producer: National, Regional & Local for Radio, TV, Corporate, Internet.
* Teacher/Voice Coach: MCC & Voice Over Workshop LLC


Related experience...
* Multi-track Studio Recording & Production, University of CT
* Television Production, Eastern CT Television
* Community Television Producers License
* Drummer, Guitarist, Songwriter, Humourist

I started the Voice Over Workshop in 1996 with a few business cards, a cassette demo reel and a lot of big ideas. I also made a lot of big mistakes!

Back in the day, other than cartoons and Hollywood movies, voice-over had yet to become the huge industry it is today. Getting voice work was basically limited to TV and Radio commercials. Without the Internet, email or cell phones, it wasn't easy to find out where the jobs were or who was producing. Work came mostly by knowing someone, who knew someone, who knew someone else.

Times sure have changed. The communications industry exploded. Vinyl records gave way to CDs, video tapes became DVDs, cell phones and personal computers became common everyday tools. The need for voice-overs also exploded and opened up a lot of opportunities for talented and creative voice actors.

Fast forward to 2008. The world of voice-over continues to expand rapidly every day with new ideas, uses and needs for the spoken word and recorded voice. From simple phone systems to complex on-line tutorials, from funny radio commercials to serious audio books and so much more.

Our talented voice team at Voice Over Workshop are ready and able to help you conceptualize, record, produce and launch a wide variety of voice-overs and audio for your Business, Web Site, Education or Entertainment needs.

We also teach Voice-Over classes at Manchester Communtiy College and offer private voice-over coaching in my fully equipped home studio. Check out our Workshops page for more details.

  ► Animated Character & Cartoon Voices
  ► Audio Articles, Audio Books, Case Studies, Commentary & Storytelling
  ► Audio Conversion: CD, Cassette, LP, MP3, WMA
  ► Broadcast, Narrowcast & Podcast
  ► Commercials: Radio, TV, Point-of-Sale, Public Service Announcements
  ► Corporate Tutorials, eLearning & Training
  ► Film, Games & Video
  ► Interactive Presentations, Slide shows & Virtual Tours
  ► Internet Marketing & Web Audio
  ► IVR & On-Hold Messaging
  ► Narrations
  ► New Product Introduction
  ► Trade Shows, Conventions & Seminars
  ► Voice Over Talent & Casting


From concept through delivery, our goal is to help fulfill your unique
marketing, promotional, sales, training, tutorial and communication needs.
Corporate, institutional, individual, for profit and not-for-profit organizations.


Our web techs can even write the code to run your audio or video on a wide
array of web platforms and applications.