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How to Be a Voice Over Talentby Suzann Kale
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Clients especially love a voice over talent who can get through large chunks of script without messing up and having to start over or "punch in" to fix mistakes. 
Ideally, you need to give the client the character she wants, sound as if you're not reading while in fact you're reading the script cold, make no mistakes, do the "read" in as close to one take as possible, and read the script in as close to the time allotted as you can get. A voice over actor has developed a sixth sense for timing. You may give a great 30-second voice over recording for a TV commercial, and the client loves it, but she says to you, "Do it again, please, the same way, but I need it 3 seconds shorter." You have to be able to say, "Okay," and then make it exactly 3 seconds shorter. How To Get These Kinds of Skills1- Take a course or a mini-course from a professional voice over person in your area. This is where you learn the technical aspects of voice and you get to practice under the guidance of someone who knows the marketplace. Voice over is trendy. What was "in" last year is "out" this year. continued below |
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2- Take an acting course or perhaps a theatre improv course. This is where you'll learn how to approach your voice over character with authenticity. If your client says, "I want a voice for this perfume commercial that sounds wealthy and upper crust, and she's about 45 years old," you have to know how to do that. You'll learn that skill in your acting courses. 3- Practice at home. The more you practice things like timing, cold reading, or anything else you need to have perfect, the faster you'll get them to a professional level. I took a number of local voice over courses, and practiced at least an hour or so every day into a recorder, checking for vocal nuances and especially for timing. I also practiced cold reading by reading the newspaper aloud every day. If you're a mom who reads to her children frequently, you've already got a head start in cold readings and one-take sessions. How to Get Professional Voice Over Jobs1 - Be accepted by a reputable agency, preferably one that specializes in voice over (as opposed to acting or singing), and preferably one that is local, so you can get to know your agents personally. This is my preference, because a good agent watches out for you, makes sure you're being paid properly, does all the bookkeeping, and knows your voice - so she knows how best to use your talent. 2 - Work through the many voice talent stables on the web. Some to check out include Voice Archive (http://www.voicearchive.com), and Voice123 (http://voice123.com/doc/tvp/register3.html). 
3 - Market yourself by yourself. This would be my last choice, because you make the least amount of money and get the least number of jobs. (Unless you've got that "branded" voice and you're well known.) On the Job: How to Get Asked Back!Arrive ahead of time so the sound engineer can adjust her equipment to your voice. Try to get the script a day ahead of time from your agent - but if that's not possible (many clients don't even have the script ready until a minute before the "tape" starts running), get to the job early to read what they do have finished. Be prepared for last-minute script changes and don't let anything ruffle you. Your job is to be calm, because if you're not calm it will show up in your voice. Whatever the client wants, you say, "Okay." When the job is over, call your agent and tell her how long you were at the studio (it may affect your pay if the client keeps you there longer than expected), and if there were any problems during the session. Before leaving the job, ask the engineer if she can make you a quick copy of the commercial so you can have it for your portfolio. Bring your own CD or whatever you want it recorded on. If she says no, be gracious and let it go. Don't make yourself the center of attention. A good voiceover talent gets to the gig, reads the script just like the client wants it, asks the client if she has what she needs from you, asks the engineer for the copy, and quietly leaves the studio. Voice over is not about stardom or glam. It's about giving the client the exact voice she needs for the money she's paying. If you can do that, you'll be called back. If you get a call for a job directly from a client, and you've signed a contract with an agency, you must courteously refer the client to your agent. Never go under the table: it's unethical and you'll lose your agent. You Can Do ItTake courses at night if you have to, and when your instructor feels you're ready, make the rounds of local talent agencies. Avoid agencies that have their own schools attached. Each agency will require a different kind of audition. Your instructor can help you put together demo tapes or digital presentations. And from there, just be flexible, be professional, and above all, practice practice practice. 
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