With the advent of smartphones and apps, audio media have become an increasingly popular medium. Audible, for instance, has evolved into the literary equivalent of Netflix and Hulu. As a result, many great voice actors are now–reading or performing novels, short stories, biographies, and Shakespeare. The future of audio continues to be bright, with many opportunities for existing and emerging voiceover actors.
How to Get Voiceover Work
Voice actors must treat auditions and jobs differently than film or stage actors. Voice acting relies on vocal performance to convey emotions, characters, and narratives. It is often used in animations, video games, radio dramas, and audiobooks. While every medium differs, there are some general best practices that every voice actor can use to improve their craft.
Here are five tips for actors who want to learn how to get voiceover work.
Create (and update) your demo.
No different than a reel, a voice demo is your primary tool to present your work and skillset. The audio quality is perhaps even more important than if it were a video reel, and including a diverse array of genres and media will show your range and capabilities. Be sure to update your demo regularly to keep it fresh and relevant.
A voice actor like Mark Hamill, for instance, has an array of voice performances. Hamill’s portrayal of the iconic Batman villain, The Joker, for example, is widely praised for its depth and versatility.
Image via Cinemablend.
Preserve your stamina.
Audiobooks can be incredibly lengthy. For example, A Dance with Dragons, the 1,016-page-long fifth book in the Game of Thrones, is 48 hours and 55 minutes long. Since a project like this wouldn’t be finished in a single recording session, an actor must prepare for hours of exercising your voice. In preparation for and during the recording of the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider video game, NYFA alum Camilla Luddington faced the unique challenges of voice acting exceptionally.
To convey the action of drowning through her voice, Luddington had to choke on water. In voiceover work that requires these types of performances, everything from smoking to eating cheese could affect your vocal cords. Doing everything you can–including minimizing speech leading to the recording session–is important. You’ll also need plenty of rest and sleep to ensure your energy never wanes during these epic recording sessions.
Image via Twitter.
Keep refreshing your skillset.
There’s always an opportunity to grow, and by taking voiceover classes, you can elevate your voiceover skills and continue to build a comprehensive reel. Voiceover classes, such as the ones offered at NYFA, have students work on diverse exercises and projects that can help them hone their craft and update their reels. Students can also learn essential voiceover techniques from industry experts and connect and collaborate with faculty and peers.
Several NYFA alums, for example, have gone on to do voiceover work for animation and video games. NYFA summer camp alum Bex Taylor-Klaus has done voiceover roles for shows like Voltron: Legendary Defender, Robot Chicken, and Adventure Time: Distant Lands. NYFA New York 1-Year Filmmaking alum Ahd Kamel recently played a voiceover role for the video game Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown.
Image via IMDB.
Read more books.
Whether it’s mystery novels or military histories, read more books in the genre you’re recording. You can get a feel for the rhythm of the writing, something you will be translating in your own tone and cadence. Of course, the best thing to do before an audiobook recording is to read the actual book you’ll be working on. This way, no surprises appear, whether they are tough pronunciations or an author’s awkward sentence structure. Unless you’re doing a cold reading, you normally would review a script before performing it; audiobooks are no different.
In the case of “The Graveyard Book” by Neil Gaiman, for example, Neil Gaiman, the author himself, narrates. His performance is captivating and almost hypnotic, making the atmospheric tale even more enchanting.
Image via Slash Film.
Audition regularly.
Like any other industry project, voiceover work can be competitive. Keep an eye on audition opportunities on online platforms, and submit your demo reel and audition for various projects. There are also smaller projects on sites like UpWork, Fiverr, Voices.com, and Voice123 to apply for gigs. You want to increase your chances of getting hired and finding work to add to your reel.
Despite being one of the most in-demand actresses in Hollywood, for instance, Oppenheimer star Florence Pugh did voiceover work for the English version of the animated Golden Globe winner The Boy and the Heron. By keeping her portfolio diverse, Pugh shows her range in various genres. NYFA summer camp alum Aubrey Plaza has also taken on roles in animation, voicing the Greek Council President in Disney-Pixar’s Monsters University, Eska in Nickelodeon’s The Legend of Korra, Laura in Little Demon, as well as appearances in The Simpsons and Duncanville.
Image via Vox.
Pursue Your Acting Skills at NYFA
Interested in developing your voiceover skills? Visit our Acting for Film School page to learn more about our acting for film programs taught by actors, writers, directors, and producers from film and television. Learn more today!