Meet the Industry : Voice Actors
By Stephanie Ciccarelli
July 24, 2007
What is a voice actor?
Many people want to be one, others think they are one, and some people just plain don't know what they are!
Why do they exist and what do they do?
How do you become one?
Find answers to these questions and more at VOX Daily.
For many, becoming a voice actor is a dream come true.
While voice acting is a popular career field to consider at present, it is still a business and successful voice actors know that their career has everything to do with three specific factors:
1. Artistic Vocal Talent
2. Being Technically Savvy
3. Having Business Sense
As we mentioned earlier, a voice actor is the producer of the creative vocal work that is recorded and used for a variety of applications including commercials for radio, television, telephone, podcasts, audio books, video games and more. The voice actor uses their natural gifts, predominantly their voice and mastery of it, to infuse life into the written word.
A voice actor is a creator of voice overs, and a voice over is the audio component of a media application commissioned by a client. Voice actors are also known as voice talents, voice overs, voice over artists, VO, VA, narrators, announcers, orators, and so on.
Voice actors come from a variety of backgrounds including the theater, singing, public speaking, educating, film and other fields.
Who are voice actors?
They could be your next door neighbor, your favorite on-air personality, the person who volunteers to read for the blind, a children's storyteller at libraries or hospitals, a musician, or someone who reads at your church.
Voice actors come from all walks of life which makes this industry all the more interesting and eclectic.
As with any business, there are different areas that people can specialize in while using their signature voice, that is, the voice that brings home the bacon.
Some voice actors make money doing commercial reads while others are more at home reading epic poetry or character voices for video games. There is a job for every voice actor and voice type as each client is looking for something different.
A while ago, we covered how to make the transition from singer to voice talent, a popular article that recognized the connection between the two professions. As a singer, many of the tools and techniques developed as a result of the Bel Canto method are ready made for voice overs. Years of operatic training come full circle as diction, proper breathing, tonality, interpretation, and characterization skills are transferred to create a vocal masterpiece using the spoken word as the canvas.
Many come from the theater or from on-camera careers in television or film. Sometimes, even celebrities take on the art of voice acting, a phenomenon that started with Tom Hanks' voice acting in Toy Story way back in 1995 to the star studded celebrity voice acting films of the 21st century including Cars, Shrek, and Ratatouille.
Some people find their calling in voice over earlier than others while most discover voice acting later as they opt for a career change (something new) or desire to use skills acquired during their former career and apply them to an entrepreneurial dream of starting their own business.
Voice over is a field of study as well as a profession and instruction is available through individual coaching sessions, voice over workshops, books, podcasts, CDs and webinars, many of which are accessible regardless of location and are reasonably affordable when investing in your voice over business.
There are several designations that we can consider when identifying the professionalism of a voice actor.
Voice over instructor Connie Terwilliger has identified four basic phases that people go through as they mature in their voice over career.
These Four Basic Phases are:
• Wanna-be
• Newbie
• Part-time
• Full-time
To define them further, a Wanna-be is someone who has been told that they have a great voice and should use it to make money.
A Newbie has taken a couple of seminars, has an idea of the direction they want to go in, simple technical abilities, and a low cost home recording studio.
A Part-time voice talent still works a day job to pay the bills, is more educated in voice overs than a Newbie and has the ability to record pro quality audio.
Lastly, a Full-time voice over talent is actively working in the business and can pay their bills in voice over or a very closely related area.
Obviously, it is the goal of any voice actor to achieve the fourth phase and work at their business full-time.
That being said, in order to get to this stage, you need to possess a solid balance of artistry, technical abilities and business skills.
While it's easy to identify your strengths you also need to know where your weaknesses may be in order to succeed in voice overs.
The floor is now yours: Can you relate to anything written in this article?
Add a comment with your thoughts!
Best wishes,
Stephanie
Technorati Tags: Voice Actors, Voices, Voice Talents, Resources, Voice Actor, Voice Overs, Voice Acting, and Voices.com.
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Becoming a voice actor, working from your own home recording studio and auditioning for voice-over jobs is within your reach!
Great article Stephanie!
I always thought I was a newbie or wanna-be, but was thrilled to find out I am officially a part-time voice actor. I just got my first job through Voices.com and am well on my way to the coveted fourth phase. Hooray!
One thing I've learned on my way up is just what you mentioned.
"There is a job for every voice actor and voice type as each client is looking for something different."
It's hard not to take it personally when you've given your heart and soul to an audition... you may have nailed it, but the client may have a whole different sound in mind. Someone IS looking for YOUR voice. Just keep submitting those auditions! It will pay off.
Posted by:Hi Jamee,
Congratulations! If you like, we can post your success to the Buzz blog located here.
http://blogs.voices.com/buzz
Just let me know :)
Take care,
Stephanie
Posted by:I loved the article Stephanie.
I particularly related to the comments from Connie about the four phases of a vo artist. I am a bit of a newbie but mostly in the part time phase. My aim in the next six to twelve months is to be full time. have done my business plan and got other stuff underway to make it happen.
Regards,
Trish
Posted by:Great article Stephanie. I do this part time, and looking to do it full time in a few years. I have a lot of work and learning to do though. Thanks again for the informative article.
Bruce
Posted by:I want to be a voice actor. Many told that i've got a great voice cuz i could change from a young teen girl voice to a toddler voice. I want to make good use of it to earn money, but i don't know where can i find a job like this. Any recco?
Posted by:Thanks so much for this site! Awesome article. I retired from a radio show for 6 years, and my radio instructor from radio college made me a radio station that I get to be the morning chick on. I love voicing more than anything in the world, and am a part-time actor. I sell cars, Honda's, during the day. Now that I've been given my confidence back with this radio thing and perhaps I can transition to making a full time income as a full time actor. All things are possible. That's what my show is called, Colleen Valentine and the Power of Positive. Good day everyone, I hope everyone gets matched up with clients that want the perfect voice.
Posted by:I"m definately a wanna-be. My close friend keeps telling me to try voice over because I make her laugh. I'm just being goofey. I'm here to see if I have what it takes.
Posted by:What a great article, I felt a little like you we're talking to me specifically. I have been in sales for 10 years and I'm ready to start my second act. I've always been told I have a great voice, and that's why I chose a career in sales over the phone. But now I'm ready to start learning a trade and make my hidden talent blossom into something that can translate into my own business someday.
Thank you for your support so far!
Posted by:Hi stephanie
The article was really help and now I know that I am a newbie.
I am very much interested being a voice artist.
Will I be able to acquire work being in India
Tanaya
Posted by:Dear Stephanie,
I am pleased to meet the industry! I guess I am a Wanna-be although I have been a volunteer public reader for over 32 years. During the last eight years, people have said to me I have an excellent reading voice of "broadcast quality" like that of a radio announcer.
I have been given some contacts of people who can get me "in the door" so to speak, but I haven't had the capital needed to put together a decent demo. I looked at the cost of going to school with some other voice-over training institutions and they are all way out of my financial reach.
Later when read about how easy it is to create a home studio, obtain the right hardware and mixing software and the associated costs with starting one's own business venture in this profession, reading your article and reading the comments of people like me was just the right encouragement I needed to start my journey as a PAID voice over artist! Thank you again for your encouragement!
Best,
Raymond
Posted by:Good article Stephanie! As many others mentioned, people have been telling me for years to try and break into this field. I sang professionally for many a year and now and then break out my "Radio announcer voice" just to mess with people, but now I've considered trying to do it for real.
Posted by:I'm not saying I'm ready to take a morning show shot yet, but if given an idea what a customer wants, I can manipulate my voice for different characters and schemes and maybe, just maybe, give them what they want.
Onward!!
Great article! I believe I am closer to part-time than to a newbie. My short term goal is to become a more consistent part-timer. Your site is awesome and I am working to take full advantage of it. Some of my friends have seen my page and have been full of compliments! Thanks and I look forward to reading more articles!!
Gratefully Yours,
Posted by:Donald
Wow!! it was fantastic, now at-least I have steps and goals to achieve.
Before this article, I was moving directionless......
I am a "newbie" with some positive responses,
I'm working hard..... but if you help me to know how can I approach
the Market, that will be a great favor.
Looking forward to more great article
Thanks a lot
Dear Stephanie
Meghansh Thapa (India)
Posted by: