How do I get started as a voice actor?

For those of you considering a career change and training to be a voice actor, this post is for you.

"Doing voice-overs has been a desire of mine since I was a kid. In addition, I did not know how to get into the business. Furthermore, I have no real personal experience. I would like to know what I need to do to get started and be successful in this business. Would I need to buy equipment right-off? Do I need to get technical training or otherwise? Because, I would like to transition out of my present career and ultimately work from home." - Stuart Brown

Stuart, thanks for writing in.

Following your dream of doing voice-overs is admirable, and many people have been able to make the transition from their "straight" job into the fulfilling world of voice-acting. And that's a key point: it's mainly voice acting, not voice-over. Even if you have a great or unique speaking voice, it's usually not enough to sustain a successful career in this business.

Professional voice actors need to be grounded in all the techniques that go into voice-acting, such as breath and vocal control, eye-brain-mouth coordination, a solid sense of timing and pacing, proper articulation, understanding how to analyze scripts, knowing how to take direction, acting believably, and many, many other skills. In order to get started and be successful in this business, you don't need to buy any equipment or get any technical training right now.

What you do have to do is take a voice-acting course that'll give you a good foundation in these techniques. Usually by the end of the course, if it's taught by a knowledgeable instructor, you'll have a pretty good sense of whether you've got the talent for this line of work. If you do, and you pursue it as a labor of love, eventually you could realize your dream. I hope this answers your question.

Good luck!

Marc

If you have any questions, please write to me and I’ll get back to you on the blog with my answers.

MARC CASHMAN creates and produces copy and music advertising for radio and television. Winner of over 150 advertising awards, he also instructs voice acting of all levels through his classes, The Cashman Cache of Voice-Acting Techniques in Los Angeles, CA.