Voice Acting For Dummies

by David Ciccarelli

  EdgeStudio teleseminars: EdgeStudio is an education and training facility in New York City that offers in-person voice-over classes but also opportunities by telephone. Similar to webinars, a teleseminar occurs on a specific date and time where dozens if not hundreds of people call in to a conference line to learn about a new technology, service, or the basics of acting and performance. In some cases, you may find a teleseminar easier to join because it’s literally just calling a phone number and then punching in an access code when prompted. The downside is that you miss the visuals, but often this is a moot point because you can just focus on the information offered by the expert.

  In these sections, we explain what it means to decipher a script, how to know if a role is right for you, and the kinds of demos that you can make. We also discuss musical considerations. Something else you need to look at when recording a demo is whether you should record your own demo at home or you should work with a professional recording studio. We discuss the pros and cons at length in Part II.

  Uncovering a script

  Sometimes when reading through a script, you really need to be reading between the lines. Reading between the lines means that you can see beyond what’s on the page. Your interpretation comprises more than just the text but also feelings and motivations behind what you’re recording. Being able to do so is important to give a better read with more substance.

  When making a demo, the scripts you choose are very important. You need to reflect both your vocal abilities and the roles you’re willing to take on as a voice actor. You’ll know if a script is right for you based upon whether or not you personally agree with its content. A coach or demo producer can help you if you want a second opinion. These professionals tend to have their ears on the pulse of what’s trending in demos and will have a good grasp of the sort of material you should have on your demo to be competitive and stand out. Chapter 7 addresses finding scripts for your voice-over demo suitable to your voice and the work you want to do.

  Hitting record

  Stepping up to the microphone with the knowledge that a recording is in progress can be exciting! There’s nothing quite like hearing your own voice played back to you.

  Before you record your demo, you need to make sure you’re ready before you hit the record button. During the recording process, you also need to consider these points to ensure your demo sounds professional and can get you work:

  You use the right music or sound effects.

  Your voice is warmed up and hydrated.

  You’re well-rehearsed.

  Chapter 8 gives you perspective about recording your own demo (DIY style) or going into a professional recording studio.

  Finding Your Way through Audition Land

  The audition process can be nerve-racking because you’re showcasing prospective customers what your abilities and skills are. You want to stand out so you inevitably get hired. In today’s voice acting world, auditions happen more and more in the virtual world, although sometimes you still do need to audition in person. The following sections give an overview to why the audition process is important and what you need to know to audition.

  Touting yourself

  The way you present yourself for opportunities is very important. Whether the audition is in person or online, putting your best voice forward is something you should aspire to for each and every audition.

  To make a good first impression when voice acting, consider our suggestions:

  Only audition for roles you are able to do.

  Follow instructions.

  Greet the director or client warmly.

  Send in your best read.

  Check out Chapter 11 for how you can stand out in your auditions.

  Knowing how to audition

  No matter whether you’re auditioning online or in person, clients expect proper etiquette, which means you know how to do the following before your audition:

  Warm up your voice.

  Prepare your read.

  Follow directions.

  Be able to interpret copy.

  Being able to navigate the audition waters, both online and in person, can serve you well. Chapter 12 explains how to audition online, which often requires you to record a custom sample of the client’s script, prepare a quote, and submit a proposal. Chapter 13 walks you through some auditioning basics for real-person auditions.

  Working in Your Home Studio

  As the Internet becomes more and more a part of the business world, being a professional voice actor means that you can work with clients from your own home recording studio. Building a studio doesn’t mean you have to take out a building permit and add on an extra room to your house. An in-home studio can be an affordable endeavor depending on what equipment you buy. If you’re treating voice acting as a business, you’ll be able to justify the cost of investing in some quality equipment to get you on your way.

  These sections run you through the basics of what to include in your home recording studio, and how to record, edit, and mix your audio. Knowing how to record on your own is critical to being a successful voice actor in today’s virtual age.

  Identifying what you need

  Your home recording studio needs to have the basic equipment to record a professional-sounding demo. Contrary to popular opinion, it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to build a respectable home recording studio. It doesn’t need to resemble a first-class audio production environment in New York or Los Angeles.

  Your home studio does need the following equipment so your recordings don’t sound amateur:

  Computer

  An external microphone

  Good quality microphone cable

  Pop filter

  Chapter 17 runs you through everything you need to know about building a home recording studio, how much money you should budget, and the equipment you need, both hardware and software, to start.

  Recording, editing, and mixing

  When you record your voice, you may find that you make some mistakes here and there, leave too much space between words, or need to cough and clear your throat. The wonderful thing about digital audio is that you don’t have to rerecord the entire read. You can edit rather painlessly by placing your cursor to select the area you want to remove and voilá! You can polish your recording in a matter of seconds.

  Knowing how to record your voice, edit, and mix a recording is standard so far as professional voice actors go. Skills such as editing and mixing can turn a slightly marred take into a keeper, so you’ll want to master how to edit because it can save you time having to rerecord every time you make a mistake or need to pause. You can find what you need about the basics of audio recording in Chapter 18. We cover more advanced topics, such as editing and mixing, in Chapter 19.

  Getting your product to clients

  After you record your voice, edit, and mix it, you want to make sure your prospective clients get their hands on it. You want to make sure you format the files and deliver them the way your client wants. Chapter 21 explains how to prepare and deliver the finished audio files.

  Chapter 2

  Finding Your Voice: How You Fit into Voice Acting

  In This Chapter

  Uncovering what makes a good voice

  Seeing what is involved in voice acting

  Recognizing whether voice acting is a good match for you

  Discovering your signature voice

  People have told you that you have a great voice, right? Someone has probably suggested that you should be on radio, be the voice on a movie trailer, or use your storytelling skills to narrate audiobooks. Even if you don’t have an acting or broadcasting background, you’re fairly confident that your voice has what it takes to do voice-overs.

  What exactly though makes a voice right for voice ac
ting? Everyone has a voice, but only some people have the necessary skills and traits needed for voice-over work. The good news: We’re here to help explain what qualities make a good voice and how you can determine whether you possess the skills and traits to be a successful voice actor.

  In order to do voice-overs, you need to be able to speak clearly, listen with objectivity, and know how to get the most out of your voice. Your voice is an instrument, and in order to play it well, you need to know what it’s capable of doing. Something you can discover quickly is your vocal range. How high can your voice inflect? What’s the lowest pitch you’re able to make without feeling like you’re hurting your voice? Discovering your vocal range is the first step to getting to know your voice.

  In this chapter, we help you figure out how to assess your voice and whether you and your voice are right for voice acting. We also take a closer look at your skills and traits to gauge whether they match with what’s needed from voice actors. We explain what a signature voice is and help you determine yours.

  Eyeing the Characteristics of a Voice-Over Voice

  Being successful in voice acting requires a lot more than just having a good voice. However, having a good voice can only help you. So how do you know whether your voice has what it takes? Although different voices are needed for different projects, the basic characteristics to a good voice are as follows:

  Clarity: Being able to speak clearly

  Literacy: Reading without stumbling

  Fluctuation: Using the range of your voice

  Phrasing: Shaping a phrase without running low on breath

  Anyone who puts their mind to it can achieve these four characteristics. Speaking well enough to be understood while at the same time demonstrating understanding of what you’re reading may take some work, but you can master these basics if you take the time to study the script, interpret its meaning, and practice. We go into greater detail with regard to interpreting scripts in Chapter 5.

  Meanwhile, using the full range of your voice and phrasing with purpose can demonstrate your ability to use your voice as an instrument, not just as a vehicle for delivering the written word. You can read more about phrasing in Chapter 11.

  Identifying What Goes into Being a Voice Actor

  Just because you have been talking all your life doesn’t mean that voice acting will come naturally to you. Voice acting is an art, and truly, it is acting. Although most voice work is recorded in the privacy of a studio away from the glare of the cameras, a voice-over can serve as a performance for the hundreds if not thousands of people who will receive the message you are giving voice to.

  Before you can decide if being a voice actor is the right fit for you, you need a firm understanding of the important skills a successful voice actor has. In this section, we identify those important skills and also explain some of the cooler aspects of being a voice actor. Needless to say, although having a great voice is important, it by far isn’t the only factor that builds a solid career in voice acting. You also need to have endless ambition, polished talent, and good business sense.

  Naming the basic skills you need

  Voice acting actually requires a well-rounded set of skills, skills that you may already have. In a nutshell, a successful voice actor needs three important skills:

  Artistic performance: These skills include fun stuff, like exploring your voice and creating characters. If your mother ever told you to stop being so dramatic, if you ever got into trouble at school for being the class clown, if you ever mimicked others around you with amusing success, or you’ve been told that your voice sounds like it should be on the radio, you’re likely a good fit for voice acting. You can also tell if you have these skills by doing a few simple tests like recording yourself as you read aloud and hearing the playback or consulting a coach. Refer to the “Going over the important traits” section later in this chapter to help you.

  Technical skills: These skills include easy stuff, like knowing how to use the computer. If you know how to navigate on a computer, plug in a USB cable, and talk into a microphone, you’re well on your way to producing your own audio recordings. Even if you don’t have experience with recording software, no doubt a close friend or family member does. Technology is easier to use and acquire. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to record your voice, although rocket scientists certainly can try. Check out the chapters in Part V that deal more with the technical aspects of voice acting for more specific information.

  Business know-how: These skills include cool stuff, like using your voice to make money. If you’ve ever had to sell something, such as your home, you know a bit about what it takes to run a business. Showmanship is very important because it’s about delivering an awesome recording at a reasonable price. Flip to Chapter 16 for more details about the business aspect of voice acting, including managing your clients, keeping records, marketing your services, and getting an agent.

  Examining some benefits of being a voice actor

  Being a voice actor has its perks. In fact, voice acting affords voice actors many advantages that traditional stage or on-camera acting don’t have. If you don’t have a burning desire to be on stage or to act on camera, or you prefer to take a back seat as the unsung hero of a production, working behind the scenes as a voice actor may suit you well.

  Take a look at these facts about the voice acting industry in these sections. Can you thrive in this kind of environment? Knowing this information about yourself can help you determine whether you can see yourself doing voice acting.

  Nobody sees you

  Being off camera has many advantages, one of which being that no one sees you while you’re recording a voice-over. The audience likewise never sees you. You can flail your arms about, and not a single person would know.

  If you’re sensitive to how you may appear when doing a character voice, you can feel free to “make the ugly face” as voice-over coach Deb Munro puts it without fear of scrutiny. Some of the greatest voices in the world use their hands to get their voices in gear. In fact, some voice actors have said that if they couldn’t make use of their hands, they couldn’t voice.

  Comfort often dictates your attire

  As much fun as dressing up can be, sometimes just knowing that what you wear doesn’t matter to how the audience will receive the finished product is comforting. Wearing something comfy can also work in your favor where controlling noise is concerned. Certain fabrics tend to ruffle and make noise when you move. Furthermore, you can have a bad hair day and no one knows. Likewise, you can have no hair and no one knows.

  Editing is your friend

  One of the things most people love about voice acting is that you’re able to make edits in the file in order to engineer the perfect take. You can edit out breaths, coughs, and the like, and you can even shave off sibilance. (Sibilance sounds like hissing. It’s the “S” sound at the beginning or end of a word.) When editing your voice, you can use part of one word and put on another word that needs some touching up if a word didn’t clearly come across. If need be, you can even speed up your voice a notch. Refer to Chapter 19 for more specifics about what tricks you can do with editing.

  Assessing Your Talents to See Whether Voice Acting Is Right for You

  If you have decided that you have the voice for voice-over work and would make a great voice actor, you need to think about some important considerations. Before you print business cards and start your voice-over business, you want to assess the following about yourself.

  Whether you’re a freelancer (and serve as your own agent) or work with an agent, a number of complementary skills and attributes can help ensure you’re headed in the right direction. You can develop any of the skills you don’t already possess by seeking out training in the industry.

  Although voice acting is a popular career field to consider, remember that it’s still a busines
s; successful voice actors know that their career has everything to do with those specific factors. This section covers some important traits you need to have to make it as a voice actor and some questions to ask yourself to see whether voice acting is a good fit.

  Going over the important traits

  Your skills, abilities, interests, personality, and temperament all play a vital role in your success as a voice actor, but exactly what are the traits that you need? If you want to make it as a voice actor, you need to have the following traits.

  If you have these traits, you can get started and begin your own line of work as a voice actor. To do this, make use of all the resources available to you that we provide you throughout this book.

  Being vocal and reading aloud: Skills

  In order to be successful as a voice actor, you need certain skills, such as the ability to speak and read clearly, interpret copy (the script), and use your voice effectively to communicate a message. Although these skills may sound easy, many people have difficulty doing so.

  Reading well out loud is one of the most essential traits. Even some of the most enthusiastic bookworms have trouble articulating a well-phrased passage when asked to do so out loud. A skilled voice actor can read aloud with ease. If you stumble over your words and need to start over again, then you need more practice. Try reading books and newspaper and magazine articles aloud. Doing so is a great way to practice reading a variety of writing styles, which is something you’ll encounter in the voice-over industry.

  Read everything you can find and interpret it in various ways. Finding material or scripts doesn’t have to be difficult. You can read the back of a cereal box or leaf through your favorite book and focus on a particular passage. You can record yourself and then listen to hear your performance. What did you like? What could you do better? How would you have phrased or said something differently given the chance? You can experiment in many different ways; take the opportunity to read aloud everyday to keep your skills sharp.