“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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[Are} actors with autism are allowed to get into […] voice overs? [Can I send you my demo?]
See my FAQ’s 10a and 16. https://iwanttobeavoiceactor.com/faqs/
I’ve seen a few other prominent voice actors recommend avoiding pay 2 play sites and freelance sites (Fiverr, voices.com, upwork, etc.), claiming that it not only limits your ability to get work (competing with so many other people) but can even damage your reputation as someone who’s willing to pump out amateur work for amateur prices.
So I guess my question is, would you recommend avoiding these sites altogether and focus simply on building up a client-base/relationships, or is there virtually no harm in starting on these websites?
Online casting is non-union (low paying, no protections for actors) and is often a pay to play scam. An actor shouldn’t pay to audition. Ever. It offers the lowest standards all around and tends to draw the lowest level of ability and expectation.
I’d worry less about damaging your reputation and more about building your skills and confidence and creative powers so that good opportunity comes your way. I doubt you’ll find much help there with online casting sites.
You can try anything if you want for experience, I guess. But the good talent want to get beyond it ASAP and pro’s avoid non-union altogether.
Your focus should be on getting so good that a professional gig will hire you.
I’ve seen a few prominent voice over artists claim that new actors should avoid sites live Fiverr, upwork, voices.com, etc. due to their high volume (difficulty to compete and get work) as well as the potential that they can permanently damage your reputation as someone who’s willing to pump out amateur work for amateur pay. They advocate to instead focus on building long lasting relationships with good clients.
In your experience, should I avoid these kind of sites or is there really no downside to giving them a shot?
Online non-union VO sites are like looking for a job in construction by hanging out in front of the hardware store with a shovel, hoping someone will pick you up for who knows what. In all probability it’ll be hard labor and low pay. You might get work under such a low ceiling of opportunity, but you’re unprotected and it offers little or no horizon that might build towards better gigs. If that’s the kind of “learning” you’re looking for, knock yourself out.
It’s fine that some may be satisfied with this, but the path beyond the lower level of professionalism is hard to see.
With any gig or workspace, ask yourself, “Where does this kind of work, this level of expectations, lead me?”
I can’t begrudge anyone just wanting to earn a few bucks or get some ground-floor experience, but if you aim for more, for better, to be professional- it’s not a place to linger.
You set the bar for how much others value you and your work by how much you value you and your work.
How good do you want to get? How far do you want to take this? Answer this for yourself, then seek out those actors and teachers whose answers and aspirations mirror your own.
Hi Dee, I’m at the point where I am ready to search for an agent to sign me. However, I am located in an area that doesn’t have a huge acting industry. With at home voice over becoming more commonplace since the pandemic, should I limit my search to the agencies in my area, or all over?
Your voice acting and improv skills along with your demo set the bar for whom to seek out, more so than your location. You lack the advantages of being able to connect with agents and casting directors as well as teachers face to face if you can’t or won’t move to where most of the work is produced. But if, after developing your skills in an area without much of an “acting industry” your talent is sufficiently competitive for larger markets, you still may get noticed.
If one was to start a voice acting career and needed to get experience and build up connections. Where would they look to get auditions?
Get acting experience in front of any audience- plays, musicals, open mic at a bar or college, comedy club, church, library, childrens museum, children’s theater, street performing- anything. Take an online VO class. Take in-person improv classes. Worry about career and connections later. It’s about getting experience and getting better, getting good. Much else you can do at home or in the world to be found on my site.