I've been doing funny voices, and impressions of cartoon voices for years, and people keep telling me that I need to get into voice acting, but, how do I get into it?
Rule #1: Don't let 'em see the faces you make when you do voices. Star Wars voice reel: Part One - YouTube
Go to auditions or make friends with a voice director. 90% of actors get work because they know the director. Also, have you had any acting lessons or the like? Simply doing a funny voice isn't enough (or at least, shouldn't).
ok I'm trying to get into voice acting myself and have taken a few courses on the subject. 1) It is very difficult, more so if you live far away from LA or New York because those are the main places of voice acting agents and business etc. 2) Don't expect to be doing cartoon voices right off the bat there are dues to be paid in a sense. 99% of your voice work will be small stuff like radio commercials for local businesses. Then again a lot of radio stations just use their own DJ's for advertisements lately due to budget cuts they don't have the resources to hire outside voice talent. The big time stuff will not come until way way later. 3) You need to have a demo made. A professional demo not something you record at home. It needs to be at a professional studio where they can eliminate all background stuff, sharpen up what they need to sharpen up etc. The agents and people hiring you will know right away if you recorded your demo at home versus at a professional voice studio. Your demo should include you reading 3 commerical like scripts yet showing variety in the 3 styles and voices. 4) Someone mentioned getting an agent. In the begining this is acutally strongly discouraged. As you are doing the small time stuff working your way up people don't go through agents they go independantly through people that have submitted their demos to them. Agents take a percentage don't forget and in the beginning you won't be making enough to give yourself much let alone an agent too. An agent comes when you do national voice overs, cartoons etc., that comes way later 5) You are your own agent and advertiser. Once your demo is made you have to spread it around to people, radio stations, television stations, PR firms, advertising firms, etc. Think rappers selling their CD's out of their trunk, it's the same concept. It is also time consuming and hard to do. Expect to get the door slammed in your face more times then they will open it. 6) It is expensive to get started. Besides having to pay money to get your first professional demo made when you are doing your first small time stuff you will be doing it out of your home. You will need to invest in some small time yet professional home recording equipment. The gentlemen that taught my class does local and semi national commericals but lives in Ohio of all places and does 99% of his voice work out of his house. He said it only took about $850 to set up his home recording studio. The company sends him what they want read and how they want it. He records it at home and then sends it in. So just know you will have to pay some money to get started in this. 7) Call these people they are the leaders in voice over work and getting people started. They are "Voices for All" here is their link: Voiceover Classes | Voice Over Training Education | Professional Voice Acting They are good and most importantly legit. Don't go to just anybody because as in most anything there are people out there who will swindle you. 8) All in all, you need paitence (lots of it), money, time, and more patience. I don't mean to discourage you in this long explanation but I do hope it helps. Good luck!
Thank you very much for the advice, and the link. I wish i lived closer to one of the "entertianment" capitals. I used to act professionally here in Ohio, and the paying acting jobs were few and far inbetween.
hey just look at #6 he was from Ohio I wished I remembered his name but he teaches for the people I gave you the link to. They have classes all over the country so check them out. I have a degree in theater (and a teaching credential, same in music) and it's hard I have been trying (though I admit with my health problems not as hard as I should) and I have gotten just a couple of small small very small things I am most known for having the comouter type voice like the computer from the Enterprise. Telemarketing type computer voice (though I do much more).
I don't think that's accurate at all. Rather, 90% of actors GET AUDITIONS because they know the director. I know a lot of voice actors in LA, none of them are simply handed jobs by people in high places. Every single one of them has to line up, give it their take, and hope for the best. And I'm in the same boat, Spike. I've been told for years I have a voice for radio and VA work. I'm starting slow and local, working for a minor in Radio Communications to get a spot on a nearby radio station as a DJ, and using that to help me network. Moving to LA, Austin or Ontario doesn't appeal to me at the moment.
Go to a nerd convention and ask one of the voice actors how to become a voice actor during the Q&A section of a panel.
not sure how to put it on here my husband is the computer genius and does 90% of my stuff I'll do my self destruct sequence. I use it on my high school students to let them know how much longer they have to get into their seats before I start writing detentions.
At IaconOne Me and Scott McNeil had a conservation with both of us talking like Waspinator. Does that count?
It works, the voice with the look usually gets them. I've been teaching high school for 10 years and have taught in a particularly bad area for 2 years. Not much phases me. 90% of a kid acting out is a kid trying to get a reaction. I don't give them one.
Look up his phone number and call him, if you guys hit it off maybe he'll remember you and help you out. With Google you can find anything.
