Have you ever heard anyone tell you that when you smile it can be heard in your voice? If you have, then you probably understand that your voice transmits your emotions to others almost as well as your face does. Many people enjoy making a good living with their voice doing voice over work. If that sounds like something you would be interested in, here are some suggestions that might help you enter this field of entertainment.
Take Workshops
Taking workshops will provide you with the opportunity to network with people who have the ability to recommend you for work. This is true because casting directors are the ones who typically hold workshops in their studios. Just consider the fee for workshops and an investment in your future. Be sure to keep your day job until you have worked your way up in this industry.
Get One-On-One Sessions
Many voice over coaches are willing to do one-on-one sessions, and this is something that will help you out when the time comes to prepare your demo. A good place to start your search for a great voice over coach is with AFTRA and SAG. Sure, you can find a lot of people willing to take your money, but don’t settle for anyone who does not really know this business inside and out.
Get a Demo
A good demo will cost from $150 to $3,000, but it will act as your calling card. Before making yours, you should try listening to the demo of someone in your area who is already working as voice over talent. Call or email them to find out who they used to create it. Your demo will be the largest investment you will make for your voice over career, and it will be worth it if it is done right.
Acting Classes
You may be wondering why you should take acting classes if all you want to do is voice overs. The thing is that if you are going to be able to reproduce an expression with your voice, you have to first be able to see it. Remember the old saying, “you can hear a smile in your voice?” The same is true for just about every other emotion, and you need to learn how to reproduce those emotions with your voice. The best way to learn to do that is with an acting class. If you really want the part being offered through voice over casting calls, you have to be able to able to work with direction in front of both a camera as well as a microphone.
Do You Have A Niche?
A lot of the voice over work is now going to celebrities who already have a demonstrated niche. Are you good at character voices or impersonations? If so, that may be your niche. Are you good with dialects, regionalisms, or foreign languages? If so, that may be your niche. You may just be an ordinary person, and that can be your niche. Know what your niche is and promote it.
Headshot, Resume, and Agent
As you get closer to going for the jobs, you will want to make sure have a good headshot. Don’t spend a lot of money here, but it is always a good idea to have one in your portfolio. Along with that, you need to create a great resume. Include anything you can think of that shows you have experience with voice overs. Volunteer to do on-hold messages for your company, grocery store, church and anywhere else you can think of just to be able to put that on your resume.
There are lots of other things you can do to prepare for your voice over casting calls, but these are some of the most important. When you have all that done, you are ready to get your career started, so go for it.