A voice actor, who is also called a voice talent, is an individual who records his or her voice for commercials, cartoons or similar acting venues. The actor must convey feelings, thoughts and emotions with a voice rather than with a combination of voice, expression and body language. The work is challenging, but it is also an enjoyable and lucrative career path.
Acting Career
Voice acting is similar to other forms of acting and one method of becoming a voice talent is starting out as a regular actor. Actors of all types are required to convey the thoughts, emotions and ideas behind the characters they play. That often means the skills used when acting in front of a camera or on a stage carry over into voice acting.
Starting out as a stage actor or a television actor will often result in later getting roles in popular animations or voice over opportunities. Many actors who eventually become voice actors begin with regular acting.
Going Through School
Talent in acting not only requires the ability to act, but also proper dictation and avoiding potential problems with pronunciation that carry into the microphone. Going through school is another method of becoming a voice actor because lessons in acting, singing and audio production are a key part of learning the proper usage of the equipment and how to avoid common problems with audio creation.
Schools have a wide range of programs designed for students who are interested in working behind the scenes and on the stage in movies, television shows, animation studios, radio stations and even on a physical stage. Getting a college degree in theater with a minor or double major in media arts will help provide the qualifications to get started working in an animation, radio or commercial studio.
Practice at Home
Actors often begin at home with new technology and equipment that is designed for voice recording. Practicing the creation of new characters and then working on their voices while improvising lines will provide the opportunity to learn a wide range of skills to get into voice acting.
After practicing, use technological items like a microphone, voice recording software and computer editing to create a record of characters. To gain feedback, ask friends and family for some positive and negative criticism. When ready, post the recording on social media sites to find out what others think of the created characters.
Hire Professional Services
A voice acting coach, voice trainer or even an acting group can help improve personal skills and provide necessary contacts to get started in acting. By hiring a professional trainer, it is possible to improve on acting skills quickly and gain valuable insights into necessary changes. It also provides a contact who might be able to help gain that first audition.
Voice acting is as hard to get into as any other form of acting. Actors require training, education and practice to get ready for the future. It is challenging, but ultimately results in working in a dream job.
About the Author
This guest post was written on behalf of Allison Smith - The IVR Voice, offering professional female voice overs for telephone communication systems. http://theivrvoice.com/
