Ask The Voice Cat

What route should you go to train your voice as a voice actor?

Hi Marc,

Jenna

Jenna, thanks for your query.

Most commercial voice-acting is based upon using your natural voice. Listen to a documentary, or a voice-menu-prompt system, or even a national television commercial, and you’ll probably hear a natural-style voice-over.

Voice-over producers typically search for voice-acting artists who can use their natural voices in front of the microphone. This is because most voice-over artists sound contrived when affecting his or her voice to sound like someone else. And in fact, if a producer wanted a voice type different than yours, they would hire someone who naturally had that voice.

Therefore, ensure that any training classes you attend teach you to use your natural voice.

Acting classes, or improvisation classes, can be helpful. They teach you spontaneity, how to be freer with your emotions, and how to turn certain ones on and off. This is very helpful for a voice actor, as it prepares you for producers who’ll tell you what emotion they want exhibited in a script.

But some acting classes aren’t helpful. Some acting classes--mainly stage acting--teach the actor to project, so that their voice can be heard in the back of the theater... without the need of a microphone.

And the mere reality of being in front of a live audience calls for a bit of overacting, not the subtlety called for in many Radio spots. This is the opposite of a natural voice. With this type of training, it’s common for the voice actor to over-project and overact.

Voice acting classes are specifically structured to train you how to use your voice behind a microphone, which, in a sense, is like talking into someone's ear. If you want to excel at voice acting, take a number of V-O courses to learn proper technique in this medium, and improv classes to learn how to emote, develop character voices and be spontaneous in your acting.

Keep these points in mind when considering an acting class.

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.

Cashman Commercials © 2007

Ready to trade in your toolbelt for a microphone? Read this interesting take on going from a labor intensive job to radio or voice acting.

Dear Marc,

Johnny

Johnny,

you're a smart man to realize that you won't be able to do physical labor forever, whereas you can be using your voice for a long, long time.

But the fact of the matter is that having a beautiful voice will not guarantee you success in a career in Radio or voice acting unless you possess certain critical skills.

As far as Radio goes, if you wanted to become a DJ, or on-air personality, you'd have to have the "gift of gab," the ability to talk and think on your feet, interact with callers, have an intimate knowledge of the music you're playing, have the ability to multi-task, read copy cold, understand time limits,
know how to find the sweet spot in the microphone, among many, many other skills.

If that kind of work interests you, I'd strongly suggest you find a Radio school, a company that instructs students to prepare for the wonderful world of Radio.

If, on the other hand, you'd like to be a voice actor, you also need a number of skill sets, among them:
the ability to articulate and interpret copy, read copy without "stumbling" through it, acting skills, breath control and most importantly, the ability to tell a compelling story, whether it's a commercial, a corporate video a website narration, audio book, whatever.

If that's what you're interested in doing, then voice acting classes are the thing you want to pursue, because they'll give you the solid foundation you need to compete with professionals already established in the field.

You could have the most beautiful voice in the world, but if you can't enunciate correctly or put two words together, you don't have much of a chance of making a career in the world of the spoken voice.

James Earl Jones, as gorgeous a voice as he has, would be nowhere if he couldn't act or articulate beautifully.

We only have one go-around in life.

If you're hearing from total strangers that you have a unique voice, why not find out if you have the attendant skills to give you a whole new career?

Sincerely,

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.

Cashman Commercials © 2007

No matter what city you live in, there's always somewhere nearby that has a voice over coach.

Hi Marc,

Do you know of anyone out here, or do you have any advice for me?
Kim

Kim,

Thanks for writing in. You're very smart to take voice acting classes if you want to break into the business. A good series of courses will give you the solid foundation you need to compete with the professionals already established in this field.

A little bit of research showed me that, as you said, there are no voice acting classes in the Milwaukee area, at least none that I can find.

However, Chicago, which is about 90 minutes away, has a talented instructor named Sherri Berger. You can Google her and find out all about her classes.

Good luck, and break a lip!

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.

Cashman Commercials © 2007

The Voice Cat gives tips on how to tell if your demo is dated and what you can do to make your demo sound more current.

Marc,

Robert Burch

Robert,

a lot of voice actors wonder sometimes if some of the elements on their demo are dated, even those without specific dates, and that's a tricky question.

I'd say that if the element in question is more than two years old, try to edit out the date. If you can't, try to re-create it in the studio without the date.

Specifically regarding your 2005 element, I'd leave it in for another year, if it's something that really showcases your voice. For those voice actors who are planning to make a demo and are producing some elements that didn't air, avoid dates to give your demo a longer "shelf life."

Thanks for your question and I hope I've been able to help!

Sincerely,

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.

Cashman Commercials © 2007