relationships that take shape,
many of which are symbiotic,
or, mutually beneficial to the
parties they involve.
Take humans and trees for
example.
Trees produce the oxygen we
need to breathe. When we
exhale, or breath leaves our
bodies, carbon dioxide is
produced as a result.
Following our exhalations, the
trees then breathe in our CO2,
which is their source of air,
and the cycle thus continues
as they instinctively produce
more oxygen rich exhalation
for us to inhale. We then
exhale carbon dioxide and the
tree is nourished... you get
the picture.
Just as in nature, many
relationships within voice
over are complementary and
there are very few
self-serving relationships.
For those that do exist, they
are a necessary part of our
voice over ecosystem, and
without them, there wouldn't
be a balance.
That is just the nature of
things.
Let's take a look at the
roles we'll be profiling this
week with a brief overview on
each, starting at the base of
the ecosystem.
Voice Actors
A voice actor is the
producer of the creative vocal
work that is recorded and used
for a variety of applications
including commercials for
radio, television, telephone,
podcasts, video games and
more. The voice actor uses
their natural gifts,
predominantly their voice and
mastery of it, to infuse life
into the written word. A voice
actor is a creator of voice
overs, and a voice over is the
audio component of a media
application commissioned by a
client. Voice actors are also
known as voice talents, voice
overs, voice over artists, VO,
VA, narrators, announcers,
orators, and so on.
Voice Over Coaches and
Instructors
A voice over coach or
instructor is a person who is
either a teacher of voice,
voice acting, or has extensive
practical experience working
as a professional voice actor.
These people are trained to
educate and are often
associated with beginning
voice actors or voice actors
who are seeking to enrich or
expand their voice over
abilities through private
coaching or workshops. There
are fewer voice over coaches
than there are voice actors
and their profession is in
many cases related to the
theory of Publish or Perish.
The nature of a voice over
coach is to teach but this
person may also perform or
cast (pick) voices for other
projects.
Audio Engineers and
Producers
An audio engineer is a
person who is highly skilled
in the field of audio
production, including
recording, editing, mixing and
mastering. As an audio
engineer, this person is
usually employed by a larger
recording studio or can also
be a freelance producer who
works independently, running
their own production studio.
There are schools where people
can be trained to acquire
skills in this technical
aspect of the voice over
business. For voice actors who
are not as savvy technology
wise, these recording
engineers and audio producers
are heavily relied upon to
help them produce their voice
over demos or record broadcast
ready work for clients.
Voice Over Agents and
Talent Agencies
A voice over agent is a
person who promotes and
represents a voice actor,
presenting their voice over
work for consideration when a
job that the voice actor is
suited for becomes available.
An agent can be independent or
part of a talent agency that
operates similarly to a talent
agency, meaning a company that
employs several people as
agents to build a brand and
manage a variety of talent,
not just voice actors. Agents
usually represent voice actors
who are either union or
non-union depending on the
agreement an agent has and if
they are affiliated with a
union. Agents take a
commission on the work they
acquire for their voice actor
clients, usually in the 10% -
15% range for their services;
this could be a commission on
top of what the voice actor
makes or taken from the
earnings directly. A Finder's
Fee is also a term that
applies to some agents and
agencies.
Casting Directors
A casting director,
specifically a voice over
casting director, is someone
who has an ear for picking the
best candidate for a
particular job. It is the
responsibility of the casting
director to "cast" the right
person in a role for a client
who usually has little
interest, ability, or lacks
the confidence to "pick" the
right voice to represent their
company, project, or brand.
The casting director wants to
get the best possible
performance out of an
auditioning talent. It is
their goal, in fact, to make a
voice actor feel at ease
because they need to evaluate
all of their options in the
best light to pick the most
appropriate voice for their
client's campaign or project.
A casting director charges a
fee to the client for their
time and expertise.
Unions
A union is a governing body
that regulates terms of
employment for their
customers. Unions may take
action on the behalf of their
clients in cases where
agreements are breached. A
voice actor pays union dues or
fees to be affiliated with a
union in order to receive
particular services, benefits,
or opportunities exclusive to
the union. While some unions
have an open door policy
allowing anyone to join so
long as they meet membership
fee requirements, there are
other unions that are
"invitation only" or other
criteria. Being part of the
union is not mandatory and
there are more non-union voice
actors in the world than there
are unionized voice actors.
Voice Over Marketplaces
A voice over marketplace is
a location, typically based
online, where voice actors can
feature their voices and
audition for job opportunities
to acquire voice over work. As
the term "marketplace"
implies, portals that perform
this function connect buyers
and sellers, for the purposes
of this article, buyers and
sellers of voice over
services. Voice over
marketplaces serve both the
buyer and seller, and in some
instances, facilitate
communications and or
transactions between the two.
As a voice over marketplace
consolidates both talent and
job opportunities, it is an
integral part of any voice
actors marketing efforts as
well as the most convenient
and effective source for
clients to find voice actors
and buy their services.
Clients Who Purchase Voice
Overs
Clients who purchase voice
over services can be from any
industry, country, and speak a
variety of languages. Since
the need for audio production
is universal as well as the
need for voice overs, the
global market of clients
creates an enormous demand for
voice actors who provide
quality voice over recordings
to represent their company,
organization, or event.
Clients hire voice over talent
to record for television,
radio, podcasts, video games,
audio books, film, animation,
telephone, corporate
presentations, and other
purposes.
