This is the 2nd in a 3 part series of Advice for the Voice Over Hopefuls who email with their questions abut this industry.
This next entry was written by my friend and successful voice actor, Kara Edwards. She is eager to share her thoughts. You can also check out her blog. ===================================================================
With the recent attention voice over is receiving, there are thousands of people flocking to the industry every week. Some will make it, some will not.
Voice over is a hard business with fierce competition that requires an incredible amount of hard work to succeed. This is not meant to discourage you, just prepare you for what lies ahead. In today’s world, one doesn’t have to live in New York or LA to make a living with their voice. Many people are investing in home studios with ISDN, Source Connect, and phone patches that make it possible to record their voice and connect live with producers and directors anywhere in the world.
This next entry was written by my friend and successful voice actor, Kara Edwards. She is eager to share her thoughts. You can also check out her blog. ===================================================================
With the recent attention voice over is receiving, there are thousands of people flocking to the industry every week. Some will make it, some will not.
Voice over is a hard business with fierce competition that requires an incredible amount of hard work to succeed. This is not meant to discourage you, just prepare you for what lies ahead. In today’s world, one doesn’t have to live in New York or LA to make a living with their voice. Many people are investing in home studios with ISDN, Source Connect, and phone patches that make it possible to record their voice and connect live with producers and directors anywhere in the world.
Being a voice actor is much more involved than just having a good voice. In fact, that is the least important aspect of my job. A successful voice actor is…an actor! I have spent the last 11 years training, and still work with coaches around the U.S. on a weekly and monthly basis. It is not a skill that comes naturally, it is something that takes a ton of focus to learn.
Once the most basic skills are in place, you need to be prepared to invest anywhere from $5,000- $15,000 in your new business. This includes demos, a home studio, website, marketing, coaching (not necessarily in this order), etc., etc. Each person must follow a different path. There is no set way to become a professional voice actor.
As you begin your journey- keep a few things in mind:
-Voice over is a small world, treat everyone kindly as you don’t know where your next gig may come from
-Do not invest any significant amount of money into your new business until you are 100% sure this is the right place for you. Many folks have lost time and money learning the hard way that they can’t make a living at this.
-Do not pay money to produce a demo with anyone that does not first offer you training. Lots of people want your money and will charge anywhere from $100-$1500 for a demo that will do nothing for you. Research every coach you consider, and feel free to ask me my opinion (as I know most of the good and the bad ones out there!)
-Do not invest any significant amount of money into your new business until you are 100% sure this is the right place for you. Many folks have lost time and money learning the hard way that they can’t make a living at this.
-Do not pay money to produce a demo with anyone that does not first offer you training. Lots of people want your money and will charge anywhere from $100-$1500 for a demo that will do nothing for you. Research every coach you consider, and feel free to ask me my opinion (as I know most of the good and the bad ones out there!)
That being said, here are a few books and websites to look over to help you with your decision. There are litterally hundreds of great sites and books, and this is a very short list.
Books about voice over:
The Art of Voice Acting (multiple volumes) by James Alburger
Anything written by Pat Fraley if you are interested in animation or character books (I’ve studied with him for years and own many of his audio CD’s)
The Voice Actor’s Guide to Home Recording by Jeffrey P. Fisher and Harlan Hogan
You Can Bank on Your Voice by Rodney Saulsberry
Websites about voice over:
-Sign up for the free newsletter
-Teleseminars offered for coaching/training
-Teleseminars offered for coaching/training
-Sign up for the VERY imformative free newsletter
-Julie is also a coach and travels the US teaching seminars
-Check out her voice actors forum at http://www.voice-overs.com/forum
-Julie is also a coach and travels the US teaching seminars
-Check out her voice actors forum at http://www.voice-overs.com/forum
-A message board for voice actors of all levels.
Websites that offer job opportunities:
-for less than $100 you can have opportunities to post your demos, create a personal webpage, and audition for jobs
-for just under $300, you can create a webpage and audition for leads that are sent to you.
(Both sites above allow you to create a page for free, but you will not be able to audition for jobs)
Hi Bobbin! Thanks for posting this! I also posted a link to this blog from mine. I hope this helps those considering getting into the business!
Kara