A question I get asked a lot!
So here's my definitive guide to...
1/ Help you get started.
2/ Decide whether it's actually for you.
3/ Guide your mentality for success.
Let's start with 1/ Help you get started (as A Voiceover Artist / Voice Actor).
It's actually fairly simple and straight forward to set up your first little recording area. All you really need is: USB Mic, Laptop / Computer (that runs silently), recording software and most importantly the right recording environment. If you're more of an audio learner you may wish to listen to everything I'm about to cover here in the blog, in a recent podcast interview I recorded, where I cover all this and more.
For those of you reading on, let's get into it then...
So, you've got your kit. It really doesn't need to cost the earth and no I'm not going to recommend mics / recording software because that's really your journey. I personally have used Adobe Audition all my career and loads of different mics.
Now I mentioned the right recording environment. This is where it's a good idea to put yourself in the mind of a producer or post production team. Should your recording audio contain echo, this is, to put it's bluntly, an editing nightmare! So that's what you should be considering first. What environment can I create that does not contain echo. I started my voiceover career recording from a clothes cupboard, sat on a stall with a small mic stand in front of me, laptop recording outside. It may sound odd, but fabrics, like clothes etc. actually help to create a really decent recording environment, so do duvets hanging up, so get creative if you're on a budget. There are of course plenty of portable and pop up recoding booths on the market that you can check out too. The echo generally occurs behind you and rebounds onto the mic, so that's a good focus point to start with.
Now you've had a think about where you're going to record, it's a really good idea to test your set-up. You may need a few tweaks here and there. Important areas to consider are; recording levels (audio you send should be between -6 and -3dB) without echo and background noise, so perhaps see if the dog would like to go in the garden if you have a demo to record! Label your recording clearly and follow direction on slating (recoding your name) at the start of your demo read.
Like anything new, practice helps you improve and gain more confidence. So this is fundamental. There are loads of scripts corporate and commercial available for free on the net, you can also listen to and pay attention to ads on TV and Radio as those voiceover artists / voice actors got the gig, so they must be doing something right. There are also tones of ads online between YouTube videos that have the art of selling you the product within 15 seconds, so that's also a good place to learn from. When listening, you're not just hearing a rhythm, you're listening of for inflections, words that stand out, but flow within a sentence, it's quite the art, hence 'Voiceover Artist'. That's what you are, an artist that paints the picture with words.
2/ Decide whether it's actually for you.
Good question. Sometimes you only know when you try, right? So I'd suggest starting in Voiceover within your means, ability wise and financially of course. That also takes the pressure off. Like all good stores, online or on the high street, you really do need an excellent shop window, this draws potential customers in. Within Voiceover, your shop window is your demo reel. It show's your range, ability and potential. Imagine all the demos a producer has to listen through to find which voice may be a suitable voice, loads! So your demo should be punchy or show a range of your voice talent within the first 15 - 20 seconds. There are lots and lots of production company's willing to help make you a bespoke demo reel at a cost, individuals too. Good to remind yourself at this point to start within your means as mentioned above. Getting a demo reel produced professionally will always stand out from a personally produced one, unless you are a professional producer of course. As a side note, there are many many different areas of Voiceover; like commercial, corporate, character, gaming, audio books, narration, the list goes on. I would be focusing on 1 or 2 of these areas at the start to help find your feet and place within that marketplace. Once you have a reel, time to promote yourself online and maybe attend some networking events that are aimed at those just starting out. Just be weary of paying a load of cash for those networking events if you don't have that cash spare! Find out which online casting websites you'd like to a)pay for. b)create a free profile to accept private casting notices. You really only know where you are suited to by trying different sites out. Then how about testing the water with different agency's you feel would best represent you? As for available jobs etc. you get these from casting sites, online searches of your own website, via production companies, copywriters and loads of other places. If you give the time and effort in the right places, it's likely you'll begin to get opportunities. Then.... keep at it and practice as much as possible!
3/ Guide your mentality for success.
Within Voiceover if you expect the world too early, you may find yourself feeling dejected. So keep that in mind as you begin your journey. Resilience is key. For every 30-50 auditions you record, you may get 1 yes. It's all practice, and it teaches you to only audition for the jobs you really would be suitable for.
Building relations is imperative. You might be a great voice artist, but I don't want to work with a diva thanks.. get it? Motivation and belief in yourself is so important too. Success is limitless, only quantified by ones inner ambition and acceptance, and that can either be a driving force or a step to far for some. Remember to celebrate the little wins, congratulate yourself on what you've achieved so far and set expectations early on that aren't going to lead to disappointment. It took me quite some time to build my client base, get signed up to Agencies and then land some big jobs. It takes continued work, motivation and drive to really make a career out of it, so is that you?
As mentioned above, there's loads more detail on the recent podcast interview I recorded with Coach Cast, so why not give that a listen too! Wishing you all the success within Voiceover and if you ever have a question, feel free to send it my way via the comments, via email or social media.
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