1.) WHY BREAKING-IN (TO VOICE OVER) MAY BE CONFUSING

One person tells you, “Hey great voice! You could make a fortune in radio!”
The next says, “Don’t even bother…they hire the same 3 people over and over!”

Things like this make it confusing for those considering voice over. We will clarify this.

Since voice over is a relatively new industry, and since it’s gone through major transitions in it’s short life, there are many schools of thought. Each “expert” preaches a different theory.

The problem is that many “experts” speak from their own perspective, as opposed to considering all possibilities. This causes them to contradict one another.

So anytime someone tells you “exactly how it is” they are not necessarily correct, as there is a time and place for everything.

Some examples:

   . One voice over book says, “When reading children’s stories, use high energy.” Yet another book says, “When reading children’s stories, use low energy.” The correct way to read is to use the appropriate energy given the intent. For example, if the children’s story is intended to help children fall asleep, low energy is appropriate. If the story is to keep children entertained, high energy is appropriate. If the story is intended to help children learn to read (as in a picture-book), a slower tempo is appropriate. If the story is to help foreign children learn English, a highly articulate delivery is appropriate.

   . Many aspiring voice-talent are anxious to “hit the street.” Therefore, many voice over schools take advantage of this and rush you through the training process without ‘complete training’. Bypassing certain steps allows you to get the demo faster. But at what price? Without proper training, there’s a strong likelihood that you’ll receive less work. Do not fall into the ‘get a demo quick and hit the casting directors’ mentality. Instead use a training facility that 1.) will candidly evaluate your talent, 2.) help you determine which genres your voice is most marketable for, 3.) offer time to study those genres, 4.) train you, and 5.) help establish a marketing plan specifically for those genres.

   . You may have heard a struggling voice over artist say, “Don’t bother…I’ve been trying this for a year and haven’t gotten any work yet!” We meet these people everyday and immediately know why this is the case. While they believe it's that three people get all the work, we feel otherwise. Most unsuccessful, aspiring voice over artists do a number of things wrong, including marketing only a commercial demo, with an announcer style delivery, and with horrible marketing tactics. Of course they don’t get work. Obviously, if you treat this like a business and train and market correctly, you greatly increase your chance of obtaining work.

   . Many voice over schools suggest to “Make a commercial demo.” That is fine. However you should also consider a narration demo since narrations are approximately 92% of the industry (i.e.: audiobook, documentary, training video, website narration, cartoon animation, educational film, telephone system, corporate presentation, etc.).

   . CDs or MP3s? Headshot or no headshot? One casting director claims that everyone wants demos on CD with full color headshots. The next claims that everyone prefers MP3 files emailed to them without headshots. The truth is that every casting director prefers something different. Therefore, to get the most work, never assume what a casting director wants and instead ask.

   . “Use the strong, announcer, broadcast style voice” says one expert.” But that seems confusing since most voice overs you hear are natural and conversational. The answer? Unless the expert is specifically talking about promos and local/broadcast style commercials, chances are good that they prefer a natural style. This is because most voice overs, other than promos and hard-sell style commercials, use a natural and conversational style vocal delivery. In fact, the announcer style voice is being used less and less every year.

   . $2,000 to record one radio commercial is fantastic. And many voice over schools “tempt” you into training with them by reminding you of such numbers. However few newcomers receive enough high-paying jobs to equal their annual income. Therefore we suggest to be realistic… begin part-time and quit your day-job when you have sufficient clientele. Or choose to keep voice over as a supplement to your day-job’s income.

   . Here’s a confusing one. One voice over school charges $100 to produce a demo when another charges $800. Plus the cheaper one has lots of experience as they’ve made many demos. Well here are the facts: 1.) cheaper studios have lots of experience ONLY because everyone goes there because they are cheap, 2.) most every casting director will agree that most of these demos are unmarketable and get thrown out, and 3.) since digital recording studios are inexpensive these days, anyone can do it …even those who do not know the voice over industry and/or do not have trained ears. When shopping for a demo-producer, ask to review demos they have produced, learn if they take time with you, and ask if they cover every component of ‘complete training’ (as listed above). If they don’t, instead of saving money, you’ll waste it.

   . Some people believe that acting lessons are invaluable when training for voice over. Some believe that they are damaging, and suggest you avoid them. The answer depends upon the style of voice over you are training for and the type of acting lessons you consider. Here are some examples: 1.) Most voice over delivery requires a natural style, and therefore film acting lessons may be helpful as they generally teach a natural style. Conversely, stage acting (where you may be taught to project) may be detrimental. 2.) If you desire character and animation work, consider improv and comedic classes as they generally teach you how to “open up,” be creative, and be loose. If you are considering acting lessons, ask the instructor if they are familiar with the type of voice over you are interested in, and if they believe their class would be beneficial or detrimental.

So how do you avoid negative emotions? Simple. Just know that even the
most experienced voice-talent make mistakes. In fact, sometimes they have
horrendous days.

When this occurs, experienced voice-talent will make a quick apology and
say, "Do you mind if I try that again?" Often they make self-deprecating
jokes. "I gotta lay off the whiskey before my next session...hahaha." Or,
"Sorry about that...but hey, they told me I'm getting paid by the hour, so I
thought I'd drag this out a bit.hope you don't mind."

Remember that production teams hire you because they like you and your
voice. They're there to help you. They're on your team...they're not
working against you.

So if you feel negative feelings coming on, take a quick deep breath,
smile, and think like a pro.

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VOICE-OVER? Get moving with the INDUSTRY GUIDE-BOOK. Beginners and Professionals rely on this continually updated Professional Standard to Investigate, Break-In, and Advance their careers. $19. Visit www.edgestudio.com or call 888-321-edge to order.

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Copyright 2006, Edge Studio, LLC. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Edge Studio, LLC.

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