How To Start Your Voice Over Career, Part 1

This is part one in a three-part series on how to start your voice over career. Voice overs are a booming business and can be very lucrative if you know what you're doing, if you're committed, and if you have the talent. The following three installments lay out the basics for getting started in voice overs. You'll learn about skills needed for success, how to select a voice over partner, as well as how to get started making money in this field of work. Let's get started! 

You might be wondering why we need another article on voice overs when there are so many others that already exist online. The fact is, there are many questions being asked everyday by new voice actors and those curious about how to start their voice over careers. In this article I will answer the following questions:

What, exactly, is a voice actor?

How does one get started in this work? 

Why do I need to have a demo reel? 

How do I get started with agents and casting directors? 

Where can I find information about union work in the field of voice overs? 

Where do I find out about my rights as a voice artist? This is just the tip of the iceberg . . . but we will be covering every aspect of starting your career as a voice over artist.

As I mentioned, this is a three-part series. For now, I'm just going to give you part one in this series of articles on how to start your voice over career. We'll be covering all the basics later installments.

What is a Voice Over?

A voice over artist is essentially an actor who performs the dialogue and sounds of a character or narrator for audio or video commercials, animation, video games and movies. Usually professional voice actors have had some experience in acting before getting into the business of voice overs. They have a solid background in acting, having appeared in TV shows and movies.

What Do I Need To Become A Voice Over?

You can become a voice over without any prior experience with acting whatsoever. However, it's difficult to get started if you haven't had any training or experience. You should take some time to learn the basics of animation and sound effects so that when you are ready to search for talent you'll be able to find people who know what they're doing. I'm going to suggest getting books on the subject and attending workshops so that you can attain the skills needed for success as a voice over artist. We will cover more about this section in future installments of this article series on how to start your voice over career.

How Can I Get Started As A Voice Over Artist?

Your first step should be to get your demo reel together. You'll need this to introduce yourself to agents, casting directors, producers and directors. If you're looking for voice over work online you can do so through many online casting sites. These sites are highly competitive but also a great source of voice over work. Rather than mention all the sites here, I will be covering this section in detail later in this article series. 

What Do I Do If I Already Have A Demo Reel?

Excellent! Your next step is incorporating your demo reel into a website that features you as a voice artist. You can do this yourself or hire a webmaster to do it for you. You will also need to find an agent who takes on voice over artists. This is not an easy task but it can be worth the effort. Without an agent though, your chances of getting voice over work is slim. You'll need to advertise yourself in all the right places and when you do find an agent you'll have to think about how much commission he or she will be taking from your residuals.

In upcoming installments I'll be covering the following topics:

how to find work as a voice over artist

what skills you need to be successful in this field of work

what equipment you will need to get started doing voice overs

how you should approach your voice over career in terms of marketing yourself as a new actor, how to submit yourself for jobs, and how much money can you expect to make.  Stay tuned!  If you have questions, please feel free to email me at authorclarissacrowley@gmail.com or leave a comment on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/voiceoverartistguide .

By the time this article is finished, you will know the basics of how to start your voice over career. You'll be introduced to some great resources and taught the basics of how you can work as an actor in this diverse field. I hope you've enjoyed reading this article so far and I look forward to doing volume two in a few months.

To your success as a voice over artist!

Author: Clarissa Crowley

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l Beginner Guide to Voice Over Recording Gear by  Clarissa Crowley  0 comments Posted by Clarissa Crowley on Sep 15, 2012 in Blog

Information about voice over recording equipment is scattered through many different sources online. I have been having a lot of questions about these things lately and decided to create a page for people to find answers quickly. This is my first EVER article and I'm sure it's going to have its faults but please keep in mind that I am a beginner voice over artist and will be keeping myself open for constructive criticism so that I can learn and get better. If you want to email me your advice or questions you can do so at authorclarissacrowley@gmail.com .

What is Voice Over Recording Equipment?

When actors are recording their auditions, they will need some type of voice over recording equipment. There are many different types and brands of equipment to record auditions with. Voice over actors have been using tape recorders for years but lately there has been a sharp increase in the use of digital equipment.

This section contains information about the basic types of voice over recording equipment and the advantages and disadvantages associated with each type.

Conclusion

To help you get started with voice over recording equipment, I've linked some sources where you can find information. Please feel free to comment if you have any additional information to add or if I've left anything out.

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If you want to learn more about voice over work, here are a few great resources that will teach you everything you need to succeed! Read how the voice over industry works and how you can succeed as a voice artist: 10 Steps To Voice Over Success  - Learn the basics of starting your career as a voice artist. This article will guide you through the steps necessary for success.