Get Over Your Misconceptions Many people who think they have some kind of "voice skills" don't realize the reality of getting voice over work is much simpler. What some people think of as their "skills" can actually be a hindrance!
For example, many radio DJs lack skill in speaking naturally and have to retrain to do voiceover. And a lot of what the average person thinks of as voiceover (animated movies, movie previews, radio DJs) has very little to do with the bulk of the work in this industry. Read this article about doing voices for animation and you'll see a lot of the general tips apply. So, what DO you need? You need to be able to:
Read fairly well;
Speak clearly and naturally with very little accent;
Get a Consultation, Evaluation or Take a Class I'd be glad to help you learn more about getting started. Click to call (works with any phone) or email me and let me know what your schedule is like so we can set up a time to talk by phone.
#10 Problems Speaking Clearly? A client writes: "There are days where I struggle to speak and tend to stutter and lack the ability to articulate sentences. Other days things are fine and I can talk well. I have had brain scans and ... read more
#11 Dry Mouth or Drool? I think it's best to get to the root of this problem. Experts tell me that of all the secretions in the digestive system, saliva is the only one controlled exclusively by ... read more
#12 Can The State Of Your Spirit Affect The Sound Of Your Voice? The answer is YES! But we have forgotten that this is so. Ours is an age of specialization with each expert ... read more
#13 What To Do With Those Strange Little Voices The fact that you can make weird voices, imitations and sounds means you have good vocal control, a good ear and a creative mind. But being able to do a few funny voices is ... read more
One worthwhile activity: Study an industry glossary of terms (Beds, Drops, Liners, Sweepers etc.)
Example of how to interpret copy:
(Advertisement precedes video):
#14 Are There Possible Legal Ramifications
From Doing Impersonations Of Famous People?" You may know the famous case where Woody Allen sued an impersonator and won. How risky is it? According to AdLaw, an on-line advertising and marketing law e-magazine: 'If the public ... read more
#15 The Ethics of Turning Down Work You may wonder what you would do if you were ever asked to voice a commercial for a candidate whose views you did not agree with? Or what if you were offered a voiceover job made for a product or service whose values you did not endorse? If these choices make you uncomfortable, you've got ... read more
#16 Tips for Smoother Q&As 1. LISTEN BEFORE YOU SPEAK: Never assume you know what the question will be. Sometimes an over anxious speaker will jump in too soon. Make sure you listen to the entire question before you give your answer. If the question is rambling, feel free to ... read more
Voice Exercises: Famous Phrases to Build Your Skill
Practice each phrase until you can repeat it rapidly, over and over again. For example, for #3, you would say ta-tucka-ta-tucka-ta-tucka-ta-tucka on and on indefinitely. Don't give up! You'll be amazed how each has a particular "trick" that you can get the hang of that will allow you to repeat the phrase very rapidly. So hang in there, and here's a baker's dozen of tough exercises:
There are lots of ways to succeed! Don't get caught in the trap of thinking there are just one or two ways to get started or expand your income.
#1 Bare Minimum Equipment Needed to Audition From Home. There's a big difference between an audition and a paid booking. If one of those auditions ... read part 1 ... read part 2
#2 Top 3 Ways to Go National Let's face it. There's nothing like hearing your voice on radio or television. I just booked a promo for PBS and knowing I'll be heard on public television stations nationwide gives me a thrill. Work of this caliber can be ... ... read more
#3 Audio Books: Great For Doing Voice-Over In Your Spare Time. To break into this or any other voice-over opportunity, you will need ... read more
#4 The Fortune in Hidden Voiceovers: Industrials Did you know that there is an entire world of "hidden" voiceovers that are never broadcast on television or radio? They're called industrials (or corporate voiceovers) and they can make you a fortune. These types of voiceovers are ... read more
#5 How Do I Expand My Clientele? Today's voice-over business is GLOBAL. There's no need to move anywhere. As long as you have some basic home recording equipment, you can work from anywhere you live. Agents will ... read more
Typically, you want to work with feedback on making the best demo you can for a specific market. Listen to top talent in a specific market to get an idea of what you are shooting for. For the Twin Cities market, here are some samples from my agency: MEN · WOMEN · ALL
#6 The best and most cost effective way to do a voice-over demo "I hear so many demos from people who don't know what they are doing. Often they spend a fortune and the demo just isn't competitive. It's so sad when I see people wasting their time and throwing their money down the drain like that. The problem begins when ... read more
#7 Five Questions to Consider Before Sending Your Demo Voice talent Mike Shepherd writes that although he's quite successful he finds it tiresome to make all those follow up calls to hundreds and hundreds of prospects: producers, casting directors, ad agencies, recording studios. He asks if there is a way to be more streamlined in his efforts. Here's my answer: In anything we do our most important resource is ... read more
#8 Essentials For Creating An Eye-Catching Demo Package These days, producers, directors and agents say they rarely request voice-over demos on CD. They don't have the space to store them. They prefer to receive demos by ... read more
#9 “Stealing” National Radio Or TV Commercial Scripts For Your Demo? "The best place to find copy for your demo is ... read more
You can practice the following voice exercise if you want, but I don't recommend saying it where anyone can hear you! Repeat rapidly, and watch out for spoonerisms:
I am a mother pheasant plucker:
I pluck mother pheasants.
I am the most pleasant mother pheasant plucker,
to ever pluck a mother pheasant.
