How to Make it as a Voice over
If you aspire to become a voice talent, the first thing you need to do is practice reading aloud. Studio time costs money and you will not have the luxury of doing a dozen takes because you stumble over words. You may not have the opportunity to study the script before you are ushered into the booth and set up at the microphone. So you have to be ready to do a “cold” read. Also listen closely to the way hired voice overs perform in aired commercials and practice duplicating that style.
Realize that a voice over does more that speak the words. That’s why it’s a good idea for beginners to consider voice-over classes or acting classes. You want to be able to give the script a personality so your reading comes “off the page”. You may be asked to deliver a tone that’s conversational, warm, happy, serious, formal, whatever direction you are given. You can usually get an idea from the style of the writing. If you’re already a radio announcer and want to get more voice over work, you may have to adjust your on-air style to “acting” mode.
Once you’ve decided you’re ready to make it as voice talent, you will need a demo, that is a professional demo recorded in a studio. If you are doing a “spec” demo and cannot write something yourself, find some blurbs in magazine ads or paragraphs from a book. Plan to record four or five different pieces. Choose some background music. When the recording is complete, select clips from each that the engineer can edit together for a final demo of no more than two minutes; some agents restrict demo length to 60 or 90 seconds.
How versatile are you? If you can do different “character” voices or accents or have fluency in another language, make sure your demo showcases the breadth of your talent. The more versatility, the more booking opportunities. Naturally, you will have to regularly update this demo and as soon as possible, use excerpts from real jobs. Once you do get hired and perform, don’t forget to ask the studio for a copy of the finished spot.
Once you have your demo, you need to market yourself. Are there talent agencies in your area? Studios? You will want to supply each of them with a copy of your CD. You can also find resources online that allow you to submit your demo. Do a search for “Voice Over Submissions.”
Before getting a gig, you will likely be asked to audition. Auditioning can be nerve-wracking but the more you do it, the more relaxed and confident you become. Do expect rejections. You may be good but you may not always fit the part - yes, just like an actor.
It’s important to have a home setup to do test recordings of yourself that you can self-critique. Some freelance voice over jobs require you to submit broadcast quality recordings of a script. Adding a home studio with ISDN capabilities and learning how to engineer involves a considerable investment in time and money. Unions are another issue. Right to Work states allow you to accept a job that is union or non-union while others only allow members to work on union projects. Union scale varies according to whether the spot will run locally, regionally or nationally and the cycle of the airing.
You do have a lot of prep work if you want to become a voice talent but in the end, it can be a rewarding and fun way to earn your living.
