Acting : How to get into voice over work by Monti Washington

Hi Monti - we have an awesome webinar that teaches you everything you need to know, hosted by Tara Tyler: https://www.stage32.com/webinars/Voice-Acting-Your-First-5-Steps-to-Maki...

Find a good coach who will help you define a niche. There are many different facets to voice over and your voice will be really good for some and not so for others. I discovered by trial and error which took a while my voice is great for narration especially e-learning, not so much for commercial. You will need to learn how to use editing software and its necessary to set up a home studio. Good resources are Edge Studio at www.edgestudio.com/ and Curt Hawkins, http://www.thevocoach.com/.

Thank you both for the advice! I really do appreciate it!

I tell the following to EVERYONE looking to get into V.O....verbatim: 1st. Get all the information about the business you can get in your circle. Start by going to www.vobuzzweekly.com and watch the episodes INTENTLY. The information is priceless, it's coming from the leaders in the industry and IT'S FREE!! The hosts are great people and feel free to comment. 2nd. Forget about your voice and everything you can do with it, because it's secondary...it's primarily about your reading...ALOUD...for long periods of time, DELIVERY, technique, etc. Gotta get some coaching. Shoot me an email (bzthevoice@gmail.com), I'll make sure you have a bunch of info and then you can make an informed decision. If you go for it, you're gonna be in great company. The people in the VO community are fantastic and wanna see you win. I'm one of em. All the best. Peace and blessings

Hello. I don't work in the U.S. Market but I'm a successful VO artist. I've been in the industry for 10 years. I voiced Wee Dingwall in Disney Pixar's BRAVE. My advice is, yes, get a coach who knows the business inside out. However, beware of money making charlatans - everything they need to teach you can be done in 2-4 hours. Easily! If they're worth their salt, you'll know everything you need to know by then. I can teach you everything in that time - but it doesn't mean you'll be any good - VO is a definite skill. Yes, you need to be a very good sight reader. No, unless you're narrating, you don't need to read perfectly for long periods of time (narration would prefer that you can read 1-1½ pages at a time, without error. The key to a successful career is excel at what you do best. Don't try to be an Everyman, unless you're very good at being versatile. I applied to 33 VO agencies. 32 turned me down. The largest (and best) in the UK said yes. That was down to a lot of luck and a little bit of talent. Good luck to you and, whatever the jealous people say, don't give up. Callum

Get the coach, but don't rely on the coach. You need to market the hell out of yourself just to get started unless you're a household name already. It's all about you and the time you put into it yourself. Learn how to read conversationally (it's hard to do) and practice, practice, practice. When you think you've got it, record your demo. Then start marketing yourself to every producer you come across. You're not going to land the big contract right off the bat, unless your voice is identifiable or you can sustain impressions over a long period of time. Also, I recommend watching the documentary "I Know That Voice" on Netflix. It's by John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender on Futurama among other characters. He interviews a ton of voice over stars. If nothing else it'll make you feel like it's something you want to pursue or let you know you can't do it. Then go from there.

I agree with Timothy. You won't believe how hard it is to read conversationally. It is a skill and to that end it's important to have a coach to learn good technique and practice habits. Then practice, practice, practice. Listen to radio spots, commercials. Listen to the top v/o artists. Immerse yourself in voice over. Read books, read blogs and yes, do watch "I Know That Voice" on Netflix. It's quite good. Good luck!!