“HOW DO I GET INTO VOICE OVERS?”
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Welcome to the web’s most comprehensive resource covering the art, craft and career of voice acting!
This site is for all levels of ability- from those utterly new to voice acting to amateurs to working pros. You’ll find no fees and no ads- just practical, encouraging insight.
I’ve distilled for you what I’ve learned from my over three decades as a professional voice actor in Hollywood, as well as five decades of live performing.
Whether you’re looking for an exploratory overview or a career-expanding deep dive, you’ve come to the right place!
I add new pages often, with my “Latest Additions” blog posts listed in the column to the right if you’re on a computer or if your cell phone is held horizontally.
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Click below for my new short-form posts:
Beginners:
Those new to voice acting and all curious amateurs should start by reading my FAQ and VO Myths pages.
If you are new to acting check the pages under the “Starting from Zero” dropdown menu above.
CLICK HERE for a short list of experienced animation voice actors who teach.
Already Up and Running:
More experienced performers will find insight on advanced topics like how to make a demo, how to audition, what happens in a session and how get an agent, as well as broader discussion of the career of voice acting for those suited to it.
For a new page for experienced performers ready to start: CLICK HERE.
Work from Home Pages!
COVID has rendered VO fully mobile! For my Working from Home pages CLICK HERE.
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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.