The first thing to understand about professional voice work is that it isn’t easy to get. The people who get voice over jobs not only have good–or great–voices, they are excellent self-promoters. If you are lucky enough to gain representation by an agency, then most of the promotion will fall to them, but the majority of voice over jobs are done in private studios or radio stations, in cities and small towns, by folks who also have a “day job.” And we all started somewhere.
The first, and most important thing you’ll need to pursue voice work is a demo. A demo is a recording, approximately 90 seconds long, that showcases what your voice can do. Do you do goofy cartoon voices? Celebrity impressions? Put it on there. Can you sound like a TV mom? A news anchor? A sportscaster? Put in on there. If you don’t already work in radio or TV and are a true do-it-yourself-er, you can transcribe commercials that fit the type of copy you want to read and use that, or write your own. Because the demo is only a maximum 90 seconds, you only need a short sample of each.
If getting voice over jobs for yourself or your child is your dream and you’re willing and able to make an upfront financial commitment, I recommend looking into taking workshops at an audio studio where you live. Be wary of places that want tons and tons of money, but a little professional knowledge isn’t a bad thing. Most studios offer a beginners class that will acquaint you with the basics of what goes on at auditions, including unfamiliar terminology that directors might fling at you, and how to increase your comfort level behing the microphone. Many of these workshops will also allow you to spend time in the booth recording actual commercials, or “spots,” which you will be able able to take with you. This, then, will become that much needed demo material. Again, depending on finances, you may also want to take a workshop specifically designed for demo production. Taking classes also allows you to meet and build a rapport with people working in the industry in your town. It allows them to hear you without pressure to hire you. If they like what they hear, they will know how to reach you. However, do not be lured into believing that in order to be successful you need to take every class available. Skills can be honed, but talent cannot be taught. And the best way to hone skills is through using them, i.e.: work.
Once you have the all-important demo, it’s up to you to plot your course for adventure. The Internet makes this much simpler than it was when I started out twentysomething years ago. I would recommend creating a letter of introduction–interesting, but not alarming–and emailing or snail-mailing your demo to every ad agency, marketing firm, audio studio, book-on-CD publisher, and talent agency you can locate in your area. It is true that much voice work can be done remotely, but until you have a relevant resume and some work under your belt, I’d stick close to home. If you know people who work for or volunteer with non-profit groups, let them know of your ambitions: non-profits often need volunteers to record public services announcements or ads for big events. You might not get paid, but you’d get on the air, and ad something to your resume.
As I said at the beginning, voice over jobs are not always plentiful. There are those who will make it big, doing movie trailers, animated films, and national commercials, and those of us who will have to be content with the thrill of extra money and hearing our voices on the radio. Thing is, you won’t know which one you’ll be unless you take those first steps…
If you would like to make a comment, please fill out the form below.
