The ability to operate home recording studios with a clear understanding of audio technology is essential. Whether working union or non-union, clients often provide short audition scripts with directions explaining how they think the voice should sound.
Watch commercials, cartoons, and video games to study your favorite professional voice actors. Dissect their reads to understand what made them stand out from the competition.
1. Voice Training
A quality voice is the most important aspect of a career as a voice actor, but the industry requires much more than just a good sounding voice. It also requires a range of soft skills, like vocal flexibility and the ability to work outside one’s comfort zone for a project. Vocal clarity is essential, as is the ability to read scripts, a skill that comes with practice. Being punctual and reliable are important traits for the job, too.
The benefits of being a voice actor include the opportunity to create a career with decent pay and the freedom to set your own hours. Many people start off working in the industry part-time while supporting themselves with another job, then eventually move up to full-time work. Some of the most well-known voice actors can make millions of dollars annually, and their voices are heard by millions of people.
For the right person, this is an amazing career option. But it takes years to become a successful voice actor, and you need to have the drive to keep going even when it gets tough. In addition, it is important to establish a connection with production companies so that they can refer you to other opportunities when they come up. Taking this Skillshare class, taught by a legit full-time pro voice actor, can help you build up that network and learn the techniques needed to succeed.
2. Acting
Voice actors use acting techniques to bring a character to life through spoken dialogue and vocal sound effects. Acting training often includes lessons on how to emote through the inflection and pitch of a voice. Actors also work with audio recording equipment to dub characters for movies, video games and other projects.
A career as a voice actor is appealing because it allows you to make a living working from home and on your own schedule. However, it’s important to understand the reality of this type of work before you decide that it’s for you. The majority of jobs for voice actors are not glamorous, at least in the beginning. Most of the time, you’ll be working on commercials, videos games, e-learning content and workplace health and safety videos. These jobs may not be as exciting as voicing for a Pixar movie or The Simpsons, but they do pay the bills.
To land more voice acting gigs, you’ll need to have a professional-looking acting headshot and a demo reel. A demo reel is a compilation of clips of your best work that you can send out to casting directors when auditioning for roles. It’s also important to have a home studio that has good acoustics and is equipped with high-quality microphones. You can also hire a voice coach to help you level up your performance and improve the quality of your voice.
3. Voice Over Techniques
Taking voice actor training is an essential step in learning the skills necessary to be a successful voice over artist. While there are many different options available, it is important to find one that meets your specific needs and learning style. This is why it is helpful to consider the curriculum quality and instructor credentials before choosing a course.
A quality voice acting class should offer a wide range of vocal techniques that are applicable to various types of roles and projects. For example, if you’re a commercial voice over artist, it’s essential to know how to enunciate your lines and project confidence on the microphone. Similarly, an audiobook voice over artist should be familiar with varying pacing. Incorporating a fast or slow pace into your read helps to maintain listener interest and can help you build a natural rhythm for your performance.
Other important elements of a good voice over class include providing professional-quality recordings and teaching students how to audition for voice-over jobs. In addition, it’s often a good idea for new voice over artists to join a union, which can provide benefits like payment protection and a pension plan. Lastly, it’s also helpful for aspiring voice actors to practice regularly by reading out loud, experimenting with their voices, and seeking feedback from friends or coaches.
4. Auditioning
As with most creative industries, building a voice acting career requires a lot of time and energy before seeing any significant payoffs. Auditioning on a consistent basis and only applying to roles that suit your skills is critical to finding work. Having the ability to record and submit audio files remotely is also essential.
Knowing your voice’s strengths and weaknesses is important, and using vocal warm ups before recording can help prevent injury. It’s also important to understand how to get the best sound from your recording equipment.
Another vital skill for voice actors to have is versatility, which doesn’t necessarily mean vocal flexibility but rather the ability to adapt to feedback from a director or dialogue editor and work outside of your comfort zone. It’s often necessary to do this when delivering more emotional or controversial material.
As with any other industry, it’s important to be able to market yourself and network. Having a strong social media presence and attending conferences are both great ways to meet potential clients. If you’re going to be a working actor, it’s a good idea to find an agent that specializes in voice and has a proven track record. Some actors choose to have separate agents for their acting and voice work, while others may use one agent to represent both.