How to Become a Voice Actor

How to Become a Voice Actor in the U.S.

Are you addicted to anime and wonder how you, too, can become a voice actor for an anime? If you have a voice that has all the qualities that make it to the voice actor’s profile, then it is your chance! Voice acting is developing with the advent of technology and digitalization. From audiobooks, Google voice search, advertisements of all kinds, and online projects, voice acting has a place in them all. The growing demand for voiceovers on famous songs, cartoons, and other video content widens the scope for turning your passion for voice acting into a full-time career. So, if you got what it takes to become a professional voice actor, this is your guide to trace the path for success in this field. Read on to collect complete information about the career as a voice actor.

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Who Are the Voice Actors?

Voice actors are professionals who lend their voice to animated television shows, movies, cartoons, commercials, documentaries, and other video games. Depending on the project, a voice actor might work alone or with a group of people. Most of their work executes at the recording studios in which an actor reads out the lines while the sound engineer records it from the control room.

Voice actors may be self-employed by freelancing, or they may take up any typical work hours from an organization working with erratic work schedules. These professionals usually get very brief voice actor roles, and with experience, they gain lending voices to the main character in the project.  While there are no education requirements for becoming a voice actor, training, and experience as stage actors prove helpful. This is one of the lesser-known and explored domains and, as such, can be very challenging with all the elements of a dream job with great remuneration.

What Does a Voice Actor Do?

Voice actors are a bunch of talented people who speak in multiple tones of voice with various accents to differentiate between characters on screen. They should be able to speak clearly with a pleasant voice. Unlike television or film actors, voice actors don’t get much time to rehearse or memorize their lines. As such, they must have adaptivity in the situation to deliver their best. They are responsible for maintaining their voices and do vocal exercises.

Voice actors practice regularly with new tones and accents at the same time, preventing their vocal cords from straining. These professionals usually read scripts for movies, internet video files, radio, and television commercials.  On becoming a voice actor, they may also narrate audiobooks, and systems hold messages and corporate videos. Some of the essential voice acting skills that most voice actors must possess include voice acting, voice recording, audio editing, business, marketing, and self-motivation. 

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What Does it Take to Become a Voice Actor?

The voice actors must have good voice clarity, excellent flexibility, considerably good diction, and good command over the language. Apart from this, they should have the ability to convey the right feelings and emotions to the audience by changing the voice pitch, tone, and intensity according to the situation. One can start a career in voice acting by enrolling themselves in schools that offer performing arts programs, including courses in voice acting.

Most of these courses are non-credited and workshops rather than formal training centers. These workshops will help to develop voice skills providing professional enrichment, an amateur voice. The focus should be on basic performing voiceover work variety of mediums that enable you to practice reading scripts by receiving feedback from the industry professionals. Following these tips can surely help you become a voice actor in the competitive industry.

How to Kick-Start the Career As a Voice Actor?

After attending workshops of voice diction, aspiring voice actors must send demo tapes to directors frequently and attend auditions help by producers and directors. It is a competitive field; hence, voice actors must be outgoing and network to find a job quickly with a reputed director. In the beginning, voice actors must undertake any project that comes at hand and draft through the lines while working on the project. More so, this would help the fresher to gain more experience and understand the profession well. Practical experience forms more important rather than theoretical knowledge for this profession.

The various types of job roles provided to a voice actor include:

  • films
  • dubbed foreign language films
  • animation shorts or films
  • tv programs
  • commercials
  • radio or audio dramas
  • video games
  • audiobooks
  • documentaries and Radio promos
  • training / e-learning
  • podcasts

Dos and Don’ts of Becoming a Voice Actor

Following are some of the important points to be kept in mind if you’re about to pursue a career in voice acting:

Pros of Voice Acting

  • It is advisable to employ motion pictures in films for television located in big states to climb the stairs of success easily.
  • Recommended working under big industrialists to earn easy money and reputation.
  • Voice acting gives a flexible option to work from anywhere hence saving on a lot of time.
  • On becoming a voice actor, you get to earn a good amount since the field offers a good salary package.

Cons  of Voice Acting

  • Do not rely on agents or managers for work; personally consult the director or producer and sign a contract.
  • Never negotiate deals with middlemen and contractors. They usually earn a percentage of the pay in an actor’s contract with the project.
  • Running a voice acting business can demand high monetary costs, which becomes unmanageable at some stage of the career.

Voice Acting As a Full-Time Career vs. Part-Time Career

Since starting a career as a voice actor takes in a lot of money in training, recording voiceovers in studios, and other costs, it is preferable to go slow! Take a job as a voice actor that might pay less initially but help you gain effective skills. Don’t be in haste to become a famous voice actor. Like Rome wasn’t built in a day, the path to becoming famous in a profession covers long and distinct routes.

Get started slow and gain pace when you have enough resources to get started with a career as a voice actor. If you have finances that can get you proper recording equipment, training, demos, and stuff, you can get started with a full-time career. More so, the part-time career as a voice actor also helps receive a lot of money. So, where ever you start, just get the things right. Follow the career advice and pursue your dream of voice acting.

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