About Voiceovers Listen closely. You will discover you hear voiceovers all the time!  In fact, you've probably heard millions of voiceovers in your lifetime. A voiceover is the spoken voice you hear on radio and television commercials. There is a voiceover behind cartoon characters, video narration, corporate training tapes, job orientation videos, educational videos, travelogues, infomercials, software programs and tutorials, audio books, talking kiosks, and telephone voice prompt menus and messages-on-hold.  Every time you hear a voice, remember that someone was hired to go into a studio and record their voice.               Voiceovers provide an excellent source of extra income. Some of the more successful voiceover talents in the larger markets of the country work at it full time, and do extremely well in the ol’ wallet! More frequently, you will find that it is a very enjoyable and profitable part time freelance opportunity, whether you are a student, a secretary, a construction worker, a corporate executive, or a couch potato. Although many people who do freelance voiceover work have some amount of radio or TV experience, it is certainly not a prerequisite. However, it is "voice acting", and some acting training can be very beneficial. Convincing voice work truly is "theatre of the mind."  With the proper training, practice, and knowledge, almost anyone who can read and speak can learn to do voiceovers. Imagine stopping off at a studio on your way home from your regular job. You get behind the microphone, read a 30-second commercial a few times, and head for home with few hundred bucks coming your way. Not bad pay for fifteen minutes of work. Imagine going into the studio to record some narration for a video, and walking out an hour later some eight hundred dollars richer. This is the realistic potential of the voiceover business at the entry level.   Voiceover work is fun, exciting, challenging, unique, creative, respected, unpredictable, and very rewarding. Think of how you would feel to be watching TV and a commercial comes on the air with your voice on it! Voiceovers allow you to be your own boss, make your own schedule, travel around, meet talented new people, and ultimately hear your very own voice on radio and television commercials. No matter where you live, no matter what size the market, there is a gold mine of voice work just waiting for you. Put your voice to work for you! VOICEOVER TIPS Voiceover Tip #1:  Smiles, hand and body gestures, and facial expressions can be heard in your delivery. Use these tools during your reads for a more animated, expressive delivery. Voiceover Tip #2:  Allow the producer or engineer to set your microphone in the proper placement. He's familiar with it and can place it in the optimal position to avoid "popping" your "p's" and "k's" and other sounds that will detract from the quality of your work. After he places your mic position, plant your feet and do not move around. You want to keep your distance from the mic consistent.  Voiceover Tip #3: When your producer is setting microphone levels before you begin and asks for a level check, do not say "Test, test, one, two" in a meek little voice! Instead, begin reading your script in the same volume and inflection you’ll be using for the real take. It not only affects your levels, but you’ll get a practice run! Voiceover Tip #4:  Be sure to leave a couple of silent seconds before and after your read. Separate your inhalation from your first word, then freeze after your last word. It gives the producer a clean break for editing. Be sure not to rustle your papers. Voiceover Tip #5:  When given the option of standing or sitting for a voiceover job, STAND! You not only give your diaphragm more room for good breath control, you also have more freedom for hand and body gestures which adds pizzazz to your read. Voiceover Tip #6:  When looking over your copy to get a feel for timing and pacing of your read, remember that you read much faster in your head than you do with your mouth! To get more accurate timing, you must read out loud. Voiceover Tip #7:  Be sure to warm up your voice before a recording session. Drink plenty of room-temperature water. Avoid dairy products prior to a session. And on your way to the studio, speak out loud in your car. You want to open up your mouth, expand your pitch range, and warm up those precious vocal chords! Voiceover Tip #8:  Avoid cologne and dangling jewelry when attending a recording session. Others attending the session, especially other voice talent, may be allergic to cologne, which will hamper their voice quality. And you don't want jewelry making any clanking noises during a recording. Dress comfortably and casually, but respectably for your session. Wear flat, comfortable shoes. You want to feel loose and relaxed to be able to give your best delivery. Voiceover Tip #9:  Follow direction! The client may want to hear the script read in a few different styles. Listen carefully and deliver what they want, even if you think it should be read differently. Don't read the spot the same way as you did previously. Incorporate the direction from the client into each take they request. Never hesitate to ask questions regarding pronunciations or inflection, etc. And even if you think you can do a better read, if they say it's a wrap, you're done! Don't ask to do another take. The client is happy and the session is over. Voiceover Tip #10:  Remember time is money. Voiceovers are fun, but it's serious business, too. Keep the talking and joking to a minimum, and when they say it's a wrap and you're done, then promptly thank your client and producer and leave so they can begin post production. Feel free to ask the producer if you can come back and pick up a copy of the finished spot so you can add it to your voiceover demo! Keep a friendly smile on your face and be happy and confident. And be sure you bring your VO demo and business cards with you to leave with anyone at the session who may want to use you in the future. It's a great networking opportunity! UPCOMING VOICE-OVER WORKSHOPS For information regarding dates and locations for upcoming voiceover training workshops, click on the logo below. If a date is not yet set, you can e-mail us to contact you as soon as a date is confirmed.