By: Robert White
Submitted: 2010-02-06 12:19:16 | Word Count: 621
Have you ever been told by others that you have a nice speaking voice? If so, perhaps you have entertained the idea of using your voice talent to become a professional announcer or voice over actor. Adding your voice to a recorded message, such as a radio advertisement is called "voice over" - and can be an exciting and rewarding career for a trained individual. If you are interested in acquiring the training needed to become a successful voice over actor, there are certain steps you will need to take.
Before discussing this step-by-step procedure for obtaining a career in voice over, bear in mind that in the commercial world all types of voices are needed: low voices, whiny voices, raspy voices, flat voices and even ordinary voices. Even if you are not endowed with a classic speaking voice, you can still be welcomed in to the voice over business if you have the drive and voice acting ability.
[ advertisement ]
A voice over career is a gratifying and demanding occupation where no two work weeks are ever the exact same. It is an occupation that many people would admit to enjoying. Yet it is a profession that requires much studying, instruction and training to become involved in. The best voice over actors make their job look simple - so simple that any person selected off the street could do it. This is absolutely not the case. If you wish to embark on a professional career as a voice over actor, there are many steps one must first take.
Here is what you should do.
1. Take Acting Classes. Yes, take acting classes if you live in a major municipality. Enrollment is usually easily open to the public and affordable. You may ask, "Why acting classes?" You will need the ability to create characters who "perform" within a commercial spot. Just taking an animation class won't do it. You need to start the process organically. At the entry level of your voice over career it is not yet about your voice - it is about the objective of your character within the script.
2. Enroll in a Good Voice Over Class. After you've opened yourself up for several months in an acting class, time to move into specifics with a voice over class. If you live in a major urban market you should not have a problem finding serval options to choose from. Search online for reviews and descriptions before putting down your hard earned cash.
3. Start Practicing at Home In addition to your course assignments, pay attention to radio and television commercials as much as you can. Try to copy them. Read magizines aloud as if you were reading ad copy for a commercial assignment. Get so used to your voice that silence sounds wrong.
4. Find Your Niche Once you begin thinking of your voice as an instrument and discover your range of comfort, you will be able to identify your target market. Are you the classy BMW voice, the GenX hamburger male, the Don Pardo game show host? The more characters you can communicate as, the more marketable you will become. Successfully knowing your range will help your confidence level and with the direction you market your talents.
Starting out with any new profession can be a great time for new and exciting experiences. Getting paid to do something you love - such as professional voice over is icing on the cake.
