Voice over acting

Many people do not even know the term Voice Over Acting, yet ask them to name their favorite cartoon character and they will come back in a hearbeat – Mickey Mouse, Dory (Finding Nemo), Bambi, Homer Simpson – and that “wascally wabbit” Bugs Bunny!

Being able to voice over a character is no less demanding than any other screen role. In a sense voice over acting is harder since the actors do not have the luxury of using their bodies to convey the emotional intensity. It really is an internal art and every syllable must be able to sell the audience on the altered reality of the cartoon.

So how do you get into voice over acting.

Most people mimic what they see on TV or other well known characters. Most of us are barely believable. Yet there are some who keep being told that they are naturals for voiceover work. After you have been told something from many different sources, a glint comes into your eye and a though bubble begins to work its way up from the dark recesses of the cerebral cortex.

“Could I”, you wonder?

An accountant, a doctor or car mechanic all have obvious paths to recognized vocations – but a voiceover actor?! This is almost on a par with I want to join the circus or I think I could be a rock star.

The odds are stacked against you.

So where do you start? Well how about your local radio station? All those commercials that are sprinkled through the shows are people just like you voiceover acting. It CAN be done.

The two most important words for your future career in voice over acting are: Back Engineering.

1. Listen to the commercials on the radio or tv

2. deduce what the brief must have been for that commercial

3. apply that SAME brief to any potential job you would LIKE to have
4. record examples of your voice over acting using No. 3 above

5. present these to local possible outlets to test your skills and opportunities

6. do the same procedure and aim high

This IS show business, so anticipate a lot of rejection but EXPECT to succeed with the voice over acting. This is a very competitive arena despite the fact that you may not KNOW anyone that is actually earning a living from voice over acting. Those that DO, do very nicely thank you!

Unlike regular acting, voice over acting is not restricted to the LA area. You do not have to move closer to Hollywood to work on your craft. With the advancement in affordable home-recording electronics, many voice over actors have mini-recording studios in their garage or spare room. This is a real expectation and a reasonable investment if you KNOW that this is a vocation rather than a passing whim. Being able to respond and deliver at short notice goes a LONG way to establishing yourself as a professional voice over artist.

Like any craft you need to practice – even if that means working for little more than your bus fare. It is all experience that is getting you closer to being a professional voiceover artist.

Join acting classes and read opposite other actors. This is challenging but the real-world feedback will be worth its wait in gold. Why do you think the great comics like Robin Williams give performances in any No-Brand-County every opportunity they can? Its because live audience response is the most powerful and unforgiving testing ground for any performance artist – and that is what you are, a performance artist.

Consider your demo tape exactly like a screenwriter with a screenplay pitch. If the audience isn’t gripped in the first few moments, the script won’t get read. So structure your voiceover demo tape so that the intro hooks the listener.

What will make your demo stand out is ORIGINALITY. There are millions of Homer Simpson impersonators out there and the casting director you are pitching has probably heard most of them! Do your research. Find out all you can about your market – what has the company predominantly done before? They are NOT looking to do exactly the same again or they could simply call the voiceover actor they usually use. Create an original niche for yourself

VOICE OVER ACTING

The craft of Voice Over Acting


	VOICE OVER ACTING The craft of Voice Over Acting
	Many people do not even know the term Voice Over Acting, yet ask them to name their favorite cartoon character and they will come back in a hearbeat – Mickey Mouse, Dory (Finding Nemo), Bambi, Homer Simpson – and that “wascally wabbit” Bugs Bunny! Being able to voice over a character is no less demanding than any other screen role. In a sense voice over acting is harder since the actors do not have the luxury of using their bodies to convey the emotional intensity. It really is an internal art and every syllable must be able to sell the audience on the altered reality of the cartoon. So how do you get into voice over acting. Most people mimic what they see on TV or other well known characters. Most of us are barely believable. Yet there are some who keep being told that they are naturals for voiceover work. After you have been told something from many different sources, a glint comes into your eye and a though bubble begins to work its way up from the dark recesses of the cerebral cortex. “Could I”, you wonder? An accountant, a doctor or car mechanic all have obvious paths to recognized vocations – but a voiceover actor?! This is almost on a par with I want to join the circus or I think I could be a rock star. The odds are stacked against you. So where do you start? Well how about your local radio station? All those commercials that are sprinkled through the shows are people just like you voiceover acting. It CAN be done. The two most important words for your future career in voice over acting are: Back Engineering. 1. Listen to the commercials on the radio or tv 2. deduce what the brief must have been for that commercial 3. apply that SAME brief to any potential job you would LIKE to have 4. record examples of your voice over acting using No. 3 above 5. present these to local possible outlets to test your skills and opportunities 6. do the same procedure and aim high This IS show business, so anticipate a lot of rejection but EXPECT to succeed with the voice over acting. This is a very competitive arena despite the fact that you may not KNOW anyone that is actually earning a living from voice over acting. Those that DO, do very nicely thank you! Unlike regular acting, voice over acting is not restricted to the LA area. You do not have to move closer to Hollywood to work on your craft. With the advancement in affordable home-recording electronics, many voice over actors have mini-recording studios in their garage or spare room. This is a real expectation and a reasonable investment if you KNOW that this is a vocation rather than a passing whim. Being able to respond and deliver at short notice goes a LONG way to establishing yourself as a professional voice over artist. Like any craft you need to practice – even if that means working for little more than your bus fare. It is all experience that is getting you closer to being a professional voiceover artist. Join acting classes and read opposite other actors. This is challenging but the real-world feedback will be worth its wait in gold. Why do you think the great comics like Robin Williams give performances in any No-Brand-County every opportunity they can? Its because live audience response is the most powerful and unforgiving testing ground for any performance artist – and that is what you are, a performance artist. Consider your demo tape exactly like a screenwriter with a screenplay pitch. If the audience isn’t gripped in the first few moments, the script won’t get read. So structure your voiceover demo tape so that the intro hooks the listener. What will make your demo stand out is ORIGINALITY. There are millions of Homer Simpson impersonators out there and the casting director you are pitching has probably heard most of them! Do your research. Find out all you can about your market – what has the company predominantly done before? They are NOT looking to do exactly the same again or they could simply call the voiceover actor they usually use. Create an original niche for yourself
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