Today we are going to be talking about 5 surprising facts about the voice over industry! These tips could also serve as a reminder for a seasoned voice artist! Whatever level you are at, there is always room for improvement and the basics will never go away. Get the basics down and you’ll have an easier time moving forward.
Let’s get into it:
- It’s not just about your voice
The sound of your voice is only a small part of VO success. It’s what you do with it and how you bring it to life! Think about a chef preparing pasta. At first, all he has is a box of pasta, no other ingredients. He then can add meat, vegetables, various herbs and spices in order to make the dish much more interesting! Much like your voice, that’s all you have until you add some skills. The better you practice your skills, the better your voice will be when you use it!
- You need acting skills
Even though no one can see you, yes – you are still acting! Let’s say you’re doing animation – you can’t just simply read your script and expect the character to come to life. You need to immerse yourself in the character to deliver a believable performance. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be able to convey any emotion to people watching it! At its core, voice acting can sometimes demand character embodiment and emotional range. It’s all about understanding the specs and script to bring your reads to life.
- Voice actors don’t always work alone
Although you might work alone at some points, sometimes you will be working in a team and you need to be able to take direction and collaborate with others easily. As an example, you’ll either have a director telling you what they want in their commercial or audiobook, or you’ll be working alongside other voice actors collaborating on character stories.
- Startups costs are often times a must
People are listening to your voice, so having decent equipment is a must to stand out! With that being said, you don’t need anything too expensive right out the bat. Some things to consider getting are: a mic, audio interface, headphones, pop filter, and a sound proof space. Sometimes people even start in their closets or put blankets up to start! Your initial equipment can last awhile and could cost under $500. The key thing to point out here is that quality does matter since you’re competing against other people, but doesn’t need to break the bank.
- Voice acting takes effort
Yes! You’re not just speaking into a mic. If it were that easy, everybody would be doing it! You need to convey emotion, learn to control your voice, focus on articulation, all while keeping the tone of the script or character. This takes effort! You’re in charge of making a character come to life or a commercial that makes people want to buy a product. This depends on your ability to manipulate your pitch, tone, volume, tempo, and inflection to name a few.
Overall, voice acting requires a diverse set of skills that go far beyond just speaking into a mic.
You need to focus on controlling your voice, interpreting your script, get equipment that showcases your skills, and be able to take direction from others. Successful voice actors never stop learning these and evolving because the market is always changing. I hope you learned something with these voice over industry facts! If you’re sitting there confused on where to start, a good place to start is with a coach. You can only go so far learning online! I offer both single sessions and my signature program to help you get started.
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Find anything that surprised you? Let me know!