The number of lucrative voice over jobs available is growing all the time, and the best way for voice artists to gain access to them is through voice over auditions. The following tips will provide you with the tools you need to approach voice over auditions with the confidence you need to be successful, regardless if your interest lies in voice acting or are currently an actor who is looking for a way to get into voice over work.
These tips can be used when auditioning from your home studio as well as at your next audition.
Vocal Quality
Sometimes, voice over auditions consist of just a few words, and that means the quality of your voice has to be good if you are going to get the job. Maintaining your voice in the best shape possible is critical so you have to avoid drinking beverages that will dry it out such as alcohol, coffee and cold drinks. Another way to protect your instrument is to avoid cigarettes, and citrus. Just as critical as avoiding things that can hurt your voice is learning how to relax and reduce the tension in your voice. Never hold your voice during voice over auditions. Before time for your audition, take a few minutes to do some vocal warm-up exercises. This is particularly helpful when you are auditioning for a narration job. This will help you achieve proper placement and avoid losing vocal strength.
Acting Skills
Each voice over audition should be approached as if it were an acting audition, but if you do not already have acting training under your belt, you might want to consider getting some basic acting training. You will want to know how to act as if you are in a real situation even though you are not. It doesn’t matter what you are auditioning for, whether it is as a character in an animated film or for a commercial you want to improve the quality of your voice. For instance, if you are trying to get a voice over narration job you should spend some time reading a novel out loud so that you get real good at reading your parts.
Interpretation of Script
When you are trying to get voice over acting jobs, you must know how to break down scripts because this can mean the difference between getting or losing the gig. You will find that commercials often come with very short scripts, and those can be harder to nail than reading a full page of promotions. It is important that you understand how to find clues in the script being used for the audition that tells you what the advertiser is looking for.
Just by attending a quality voice over class you will get the low down on how to analyze scripts to determine when you need to use a soft-sell voice and when hard-selling is required. A good way to get some practice is to listen to radio and television commercials and imitating them. If you can gain access to commercial scripts, spend some time practicing reading them as well. It will all get easier, and you will become more comfortable the more practice you can get.
Vary It Up
Don’t forget that the casting director can be your best friend when you are auditioning in a studio. Listen to the directions they give you and ask questions so that you get more clarity. All successful voice actors understand how important it is to be able to take direction. At the same time, it can happen that the client is not sure what they want. If this becomes apparent during a voice over audition, try doing different things with your voice so that they will have options to choose from. Use different voice modulations with pitch, tone, volume, pacing, accent, dialects and pauses to mix it up a bit. Auditions online can be recorded using this technique to show your talent with different ranges.
Techniques With Microphones
If you haven’t had the opportunity to work in a sound booth, taking a voice over workshop can help give you the experience you need with sensitive microphones. You may find that your voice sounds best when you come at it from a particular angle. Make sure that you locate your sweet spot. However, there is nothing to worry about if you don’t get the chance to practice using a professional microphone prior to your first voice over audition. Just be sure that you are not making noises with your clothing, jewelry or making popping sounds with your mouth.