“HOW DO I GET INTO VOICE OVERS?”
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Welcome to a comprehensive overview of the art, craft and career of voice acting for both beginners and more advanced performers. It is a distillation of everything I’ve learned from twenty five years of earning a living voice acting in movies, video games, commercials, promos and television animation in Los Angeles.
I hope these pages provide you a practical and encouraging “launch pad” for exploring voice acting and acting in general.
Keep checking back, as I continually add new content and keep polishing the old!
Beginners:
Beginners will find a broad overview of the art and craft of voice acting. I show the many paths available to begin exploring the fun of acting and whether a career might eventually be a good fit for you:
If you’ve never acted before: CLICK HERE
If the idea of acting or voice acting sounds scary: CLICK HERE.
For a quick overview of where to start your journey: CLICK HERE
For a more detailed roadmap of how to become a voice actor CLICK HERE.
For a quick look at what a professional voice actor needs to bring to the table: CLICK HERE.
All newbies should also read: “VO Myths,” “Learning to Act,” and “FAQs.” These pages are relevant to all beginners, whether you live in Nowheres-ville or a Big City, whether you are clueless or confident, young or old, local or international.
To start improving your VO skills right away, click on over to my “Voice Acting Academy,” for lots of at-home practice material. It’s by no means a comprehensive course, but a good start.
Those new to VO will learn that becoming a voice actor means becoming a specialized kind of actor.
Those who already have voice acting experience:
Actors further along will learn how the VO business works and what to do or avoid in pursuing an acting career. You’ll also find specifics on more advanced topics like how to make a demo, how to audition, what happens in a session and how get an agent.
I also discuss handling the ups and downs of an acting career and discuss the importance of keeping your artistic “fuel tank” full, among other topics.
For those actors looking to earn a living at this, I show you the “long game” as well as the “short game” of being a professional voice actor.
After giving my site (as well as posted comments) a careful read, if you still have a voice over question, post it (below)!
If my site doesn’t already address your question and it is relevant to others, I’ll try to answer it.
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Do you ever do skype coaching sessions?
FAQ 16a. Nope.
What about a college education? Is going to an acting college worth it, or should I just not bother?
I delve into the pros and cons of acting school extensively on my site.
[A lot of] entertainers swear a lot and say some bad things about major studios and do some things that might not be considered professional.
What are the things that will definitely prevent me from working in the industry and what is and isn’t professional?
Yes, entertainers and celebrities say all kinds of outrageous/funny/stupid things- especially among themselves in a work situation. It’s part of the fun of working together- it’s not all “work” it’s also collaborative camaraderie.
Whether something said or done is considered “unprofessional” is a highly context-dependent judgment. There are things said in a voice booth that everyone laughs at, partially because everyone understands it is meant as a joke or meant in irony and all are onboard with “stepping over the line,” at least for a moment. But it’s all meant in fun and harmless.
Now, if behavior or what is said actually injures or offends or in some way messes up the creative process (slows it all down, costs money, wastes everyone’s time, truly angers someone), then it would probably be considered unprofessional. Nobody can maintain a career who does this kind of thing.
A lot of this is dependent on correctly reading your “audience” and gauging how your own brand of fun/comedy/irony/honesty fits with that. A seasoned performer can read the room/audience quickly and adjust things like language or any outrageousness accordingly.
Is there a technique or a hint for laughing?
As you become a more confident actor/performer you are more able to tap into and brandish with control more „primal“ emotions, including laughing. Acting training or improv work may help you tap into deeper emotional wells that allow authentic release of emotion.
[Does] being bilingual increases your chances of getting a [voice acting] job?
The main factors in getting the nod from an agent or casting director is your acting, your vocal technique, your ability to audition well. If you are bilingual, that’s not a bad thing, but it‘s typically not an issue in casting, at least in animation and video games unless you are involved with translation or dubbing from a foreign language.