How To Become A Voice Actor Fresh Out of High School
- Written by Stephanie
- 2:10 PM
- Add Your Comments (13)
The voice over industry is growing very quickly, due much in part to affordable and generally more accessible technologies.
Many people who enter this field have already had other careers and find voice over later on when making a change, however, just because this is the most typical route at present doesn't mean that it is the only one.
Discover how you can make voice over your first career fresh out of school.
Getting Started in Voice Overs
Decades ago, if you were to get into the business of voice acting, you either had to be born in a studio, raised behind a microphone, or had a relative in the business (that, or be very, very persistent, not unlike today).
Now, if you have the passion, knowledge, skill and dedication you can get started and begin your own line of work as a voice actor.
To do this, it is wise to make use of all of the resources available to you, and the great news is that the vast majority of them are free and easily found online.
Even if you are in grade school, it's never too early to make preparations and learn more about your chosen career path.
What Can You Do To Start Studying Now?
1. Read Books About Voice Acting and Business in General
While there are a great number of books on the market for sale, you should also be able to find some voice over literature in your local library. Books about audio recording, acting and business are related topics that will serve you well and broaden your understanding of how to become a successful entrepreneur and start your own voice over business.
2. Subscribe to Voice Over Industry Blogs
Blogs are another free resource and one of the beauties of subscribing to a blog is that you get fresh content whenever the author publishes new material. The blog you are reading right now (VOX Daily) updates once per day, while other blogs may update less frequently or even more often. You can receive updates by email and RSS using Google Reader and the like. Being part of an audience also permits you to take part in the conversation and leave comments. This is a good way to introduce yourself and make inroads with others who may be able to help, inspire or mentor you.
3. Listen to Voice Over Industry Podcasts
Podcasts are a valuable resource because not only are you learning about the art of voice acting in the podcast, you are also hearing from someone who is performing a voice over through their podcast. This kind of experience affords you the ability to observe stylistic vocal traits, different types of voices and how each voice, though unique, fits into the global fabric of professional voice over artists.
4. Follow What's Going On
Want to keep your finger on the pulse of the voice over industry but don't have the time to search for results? You could setup a series of keyword alerts through Google for keywords such as "voice overs", "voice acting", "voice actors", "voice talent", and so on, receiving alerts to your email box on a daily basis. You can also subscribe to Voice Over Times to receive news related items pertaining specifically to voice overs.
5. Join a Voice Over Community Online
There are a good number of places you can go online to participate in the greater voice over community. You might consider joining a forum, a Facebook group for voice actors, participating on a social network or contributing to a community around a blog or podcast.
6. Download Business and Training Resources
There's no shortage of good stuff out there for people who are interested in starting their own business. Voice acting really is a business and you'll need to treat it as such including all of the fundamental business processes such as accounting, billing, marketing, sales, operations, management and so on. You don't have to be an expert in every area but it does help to understand how each aspect of your business will work. Perhaps in the future you'll be in a position to delegate certain tasks and focus only on what you do best. Until then, you'll need to be prepared to manage everything. Here's a good place to start specific to voice over and here's another good list to reference for business in general.
7. Practice Reading Copy Aloud
Read everything you can find and interpret it in various ways. Finding material or scripts could be as easy as picking up a magazine and narrating an article, reading the back of a cereal box or leafing through your favorite book and focusing in on a particular passage. You can record yourself doing this and then listen afterward to hear your performance. What did you like? What could you do better? How would you have phrased or said something differently if given the chance? There's a lot of room for experimentation and I hope you are reading aloud everyday to keep your skills sharp!
8. Form a Voice Acting Club Among Your Friends
If your friends have also been bitten by the voice acting bug, consider forming a group that meets regularly to talk about voice over and even record your own audio dramas. This would be great fun (and practice) as well as an excellent opportunity to start honing your audio editing skills. Libraries are magnificent sources for this kind of material. You should be able to find theatrical scripts by the dozens if your library is well-stocked.
9. Watch Videos About Voice Acting
There's nothing quite like seeing something, is there? Watch real voice actors in action courtesy of YouTube. We've got a great video blog at Voices.com that features select voice acting videos of all kinds, including Sessions, Interviews, Commercials, and Funny footage. The videos are all family friendly.
10. Nurture an Appreciation For VoiceOver's Role in Society
Voice over is so ubiquitous, that is, voice over is everywhere! You hear voice overs on the radio, television, in video games, in shopping centers, on telephones, at the gas station while pumping gas, when listening to audiobooks, on websites and more. Be sure that you are not idly letting them pass you by but are analyzing the voice overs and taking note of how people around you respond to them. Some of the lowest hanging fruit can be found when listening to television commercials. Listen carefully to any voice over you hear, whether in public or private. Ask yourself "Which voice overs are most effective?", "What makes people stop and listen?" and "Was that voice over believable? Why or why not?"
BONUSES
Bonus Tip #1: Remember to take care of your voice. This will be the means of your livelihood! Don't smoke, keep your voice safe whenever possible (no yelling, screaming, etc.) and respect your instrument. Care of the voice is paramount as is understanding how the vocal mechanism works. Enunciate well and watch your diction!
Bonus Tip #2: Take advantage of what your school has to offer by way of drama classes, debating clubs, musical ensembles and so on. Learn how to act and also how to improvise. This business keeps you on your toes and you need to be ready for just about anything.
Bonus Tip #3: Start looking into voice acting programs at schools or studying with a private voice over coach. Another avenue to think about is volunteering at recording studios or apprenticing.
Bonus Tip #4: Save up for professional audio recording equipment, a computer and envision your future studio. While costs have dropped significantly for equipment, that doesn't mean that you are guaranteed to find bargain prices for quality gear. See this as an investment in your future career that will help you to make money for years to come.
Bonus Tip #5: Don't touch the microphone in a studio session unless the engineer permits you to. Some are more particular than others so best to be on the safe side :)
Any Tips From The Pros?
If you could have started as a voice actor fresh out of high school, what would you have done then with the knowledge you have now?
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Stephanie
©iStockphoto.com/Jacom Stephens
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Comments
Well let's see. I think you just about covered there. Very nice. I think one to really shine the spotlight on is "LISTEN!!!" Pay attention to what you hear on radio and television. Pay close attention to the pacing, inflection, cadence...etc. Parrot what you are hearing. Try to sound AS MUCH LIKE the person you are listening to, when you repeat after them..(yes you DO need to repeat after them..as MUCH and as OFTEN as you can). Learn to recognize the styles and deliveries that are NOW and WOW...annnnd then those other things too that were mentioned...VERY important. Great article.
Stephanie
So first off, as always, this is great info! It's tremendous that the voice acting community and those curious about our field have an information resource as valuable and reputable as Voices.com.
As far as this article goes, one of the things that I find tremendous is the growing realization that voice acting is an actual profession that can provide a stable income. When I was in high school, I think my guidance councilor would have slapped me if i had even suggested VO as a career goal. Today on the other hand, I am delighted to regularly have high school guidance professionals from across the country call us for assistance in advising their students interested in this field. This is quite a change!!
One other thing I can add to all of your great info is that in addition to field awareness, education and preparation, professional quality demos, and consistent effective marketing... simply enjoying voice acting will go a very long way toward building success. It is enjoyment of the field that can help keep you in it long enough to build the success you desire.
My bottom line... if you enjoy it you'll stick with it, and, if you stick with it you'll have an enormous advantage in building success.
Best To Everyone
David at Voice Coaches
Well, I was 21 and I know that I would have taken it a lot more seriously back then! I didn't realize it was something that was "real" and I didn't get so serious about it until just over a year ago, more than 10 years later.
I would have sought out other voice actors and started networking right away. And used that to find representation that would have worked for me. I would have also taken more classes to develop my craft.
If I had started voice acting back in high school, I think I would have had a harder time mastering character voices. I learned so much about character development through my degree in animation and I think it's certainly given me an advantage. If I could have started voice acting right after college, THEN that would be a different story. I would have definitely not wasted 5 years working at a job that was "sorta" what I liked to do. But then again, I don't know if I would have had what it takes to run a business fresh out of college either. ...that's a toughy...
Tough question. I was IN high school when I voiced my first spot, and I encourage parents to assist any kid who wants to get into this biz to do it now...rather than later. The competition doesn't get any easier, and the longer they train, the better. My son was under 1 yr old when he got his first commercial. He liked doing VO and on camera for several years...then didn't ... so he stopped.
What I always tell people who want to get into it is to do workshops, training, improv and more workshops. I also tell them they are gonna have to stop fast forwarding thru commercials on their DVR's at home. Gotta start paying attention...
First of all I want to thank you Stephanie for giving us always the chance to learn and share. I was born in a very little country and when I was 18 my decision to start a VO career was very strange for everybody around me, including friends, teachers and family. I was so sure about my dream that I didn't pay attention to the negative comments.
The first thing I did was going everyday to a radio station to listen and see how they work. I was present at the live programmes and recording sessions. This was my first “VO School”. I was also curious about every voice I heard everywhere, tv, radio, cinema, theatre, music and even in the street. I was always practicing and enjoying it so I started my formal VO studies.. To the surprise everyone I quickly became a professional and I found myself starting a career in which I was able to create while was earning my own money. My beloved dream was coming true so now I can say – 20 years later – that the most important thing is to believe in yourself and ongoing training because you never stop learning.
This is the way to honor your gift.
As a VO talent I went through several experiences in unimaginable scenarios where I was able to learn always something new. 4 years ago I left my country and all my “secure” VO jobs so, in some way, I had to start all over again. My VO passion is supported on the basis of my conviction and my faith. Being older also means being wiser and having internet!!! This really increases job and learning opportunities so it means a great plus for new generations but never forget to believe in yourself. Everything in life is circular and the wheel keeps on turning. This is a wonderful career but you must keep yourself – with patience - in constant training and certainly you will find much more than you expected in the way.
Hi Stephanie,
My tips for young prospective voice actors, not necessarily in order of importance... Sorry, but I am going to be brutally honest here...
#1 You can't be taught "natural talent", and you need at least a little to succeed - either you got it or you don't. Beware of anyone selling you VO lessons, demos, listing services, etc. that tells you otherwise.
#2 The only guarantee in life (and business) is failure... Prepare to fail at 99% of what you set out to do and learn from it. This leads into #3:
#3 Be humble and accept it when people in the business say "you suck," because they will. And they will not hesitate to tell you. And sometimes they will be right.
#4 It's about the acting, people. Your Mom may think you have a beautiful voice, but unless your Mom is the Casting Agent or Producer, it will not be enough to land you the job.
Thanks for the service you provide, Stephanie. I hope this dose of honesty is taken in the spirit in which it was given...
Cheers!
David
I think that the information you displayed here was excellent! Thank you so much for posting this information with me. I'm only in my 8th grade year of middle school, however voice acting has really caught my eye. This information gives me a firm idea as to what I need to do. Not to mention, I am currently writing an essay for my English class as to which career you'd be interested in pursuing after high school and this information has really inspired me and helped me to write a better essay. Once again, thank you.
Hi Lucy,
Thank you very much for your comment! I'm thrilled that what you've read has been both inspirational and useful for your school project. I would love to read your essay once it is completed and hear your perspective as a young person looking into voice over as a career.
You can email me at stephanie@voices.com.
Best wishes,
Stephanie Ciccarelli
Co-founder of Voices.com
Hi Stephanie,
Thank you for posting this. I had been meaning to reply for weeks! Strangely this stayed on my mind. I had a lot of music training in High School and college (I have a Bachelor's in vocal performance) and I think that it was all a wonderful foundation for voice work, however, I wish I did know then that I wanted to get into it. Merely for the fact that I would have taken studio engineering classes in college as well.
I wish that High Schools and Colleges offered voice-over training, not just "broadcast" or "engineering" because most people don't realize that VOs are an actual career. I always wanted to get into the industry but had no idea how to until after I had finished school and met up with a voice-over producer.
With that said, however, I think that a lot of maturity and training and discipline goes into becoming a great voice talent, something I may not have been ready for when I was younger. I think that as the industry evolves more and more people are finding out about the field, at all ages, and getting into it, which is great!
I love what I do and I hope that anyone out there aspiring to be a voice talent, no matter what stage in life they are in, can work towards achieving that goal. You have some great tips here on learning about the industry - thank you for posting this!
All the best,
Heather Costa
HI Steph [weird, I feel like I'm talking to myself...]
Thanks for posting all that information; I'm really interested in becoming a voice actor but I can never find out what courses to take in college. Even though the agencies are dubbing less and less animes, which is something I hope to pursue. I know that hearing my voice is beautiful from random people on youtube is defiantly a spirit-booster but then again only professionals [Like David said] can say if you have the talent to be in this type of work.
I think I might have rambled on...
--- Stephanie Salois
(High School Senior)