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Getting Started
in Voice-Overs
By
Stew Crossen
Chapter 1: What exactly
are voice-overs?
The term comes from the world
of film, when a narration was referred to in
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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 youŽd 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, we'll talk
about what you can to do right away to get started in your
very own voice over business.
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