How to get into voice acting?

Question

I've wanted to get into voice acting for a couple years now but my mother fell ill. now that she has gotten a lil better i can start doing stuff i want to do and i was wondering if anyone knew how to get my feet wet in voice acting. like college, auditions, and other things that im goin to need to figure out what to do. please help me out, thanks.

Answer 1

I am a professional voice-over actor, and I can tell you that we live in a global marketplace. You do not need to live in a specific location in order to do this type of work. Most auditions and many jobs come via e-mail, and you can record them at a local studio or in your home if you have the equipment.

I always recommend that newcomers start with a book on the industry. It's a small investment of time and money to get an overview of the profession. Many include practice scripts. I created an Amazon Listmania list that contains the voice-over books I recommend from my own book shelf, and you can view it at this link:

http://tinyurl.com/f93e2

Some of the books may be available in your library.

If, after reading one or more books, you decide to pursue a career in voice-over, you should get training. Many reputable coaches teach across the country, and some offer training via teleclasses in addition to in-person workshops.

People ask me so often how to get started in voice-overs that I have written a more extensive advice page on my site at http://www.KarenVoices.com It includes some links to explore for getting clients. Also, you may want to look at my blog at http://www.KarenBlogs.com for on-going advice, as well as links to blogs from other voice-over actors.

One final note: This job is a BUSINESS and requires on-going training and perpetual marketing.

I hope this information is helpful to you, and I wish you every success in your career.

Karen Commins

Answer 2

Since Im pursuing this as well, I'll repeat what I've been told by numerous voice actors; you have to live where the jobs are.

Namely: New York, Texas, Florida and Los Angeles

If not, then the best thing you can do is look for auditions locally (local commercial spots like PSA's) or try to intern or get a job at a radio station as a DJ or host.

If there are no opportunities where you live, then I suggest trying to do something a bit on your own:

http://www.masteringvoiceover.com/products/index.html

Yes it sounds cheezy ... learn from a cd type of thing, but this is about the only reputable site that you can order something and learn from it.

Answer 3

This is a great gig if you can get it! Show up to work in jeans and a tee shirt! Regardless, It's pretty hard to just walk in somewhere and say "I'm here, hire me!" You'll need an agent and a voice-over demo tape. To get a demo tape, you'll need work and Viceversa! Some large metro areas will have a listing of talent agencies that may be able to refer you to voice-over schools. The schools will typically be several weeks long, and at the end , they will make a "demo tape" of your school work for you. When you look for an talent agency, make sure they are union affiliated with AFTRA or SAG, important! No real agent will ask for money up front, all legitimate agencies get their money an the back-side of your work, meaning if they find work for you, they'll take 10 to 15 percent of your pay. Good Luck!