Hang in There and Work On Your Skills

I always get a lot of questions about success; What's the best way to network? Whats the best way to get an agents? How to make more money and get more jobs?  There are many correct answers to these important questions. I would like to point out what, in my opinion,  is one of the most important factors in achieving "success". Improve your voiceover skills.
I know a lot of people who do good work and at the same time complain  that they'd like to achieve "more". Very often the limiting factor is they don't work on improving their skills as a VO artist. They do the same thing year after year and get the same results year after year. It's important to be on a lifelong quest to improve ones speaking skills and voice development which includes breathing skills. The are thousands of really talented voiceover artists. You are competing in an olympic size market and have to prepare with the same in intensity as those athletes do, If you want to make A-List money, you have to have A-List skills:)

- The Importance of Being Relentless

There are many questions that come in regarding success. How to achieve it, how to maintain it and how to expand upon it. There are always many things that can be said about the process. It's my personal opinion that one of the most important keys is being relentless in pursuit of ones goals. There is just no substitute for sustained effort. Many people try to achieve their goals in a sincere way but simply become weary during the process. People who achieve success tend to love what they're trying to do above all else, so they are more able to keep up a sustained effort in they're careers. If one can maintain the spirit of the adventure instead of viewing experiences in terms of validation or defeat, it's much easier to observe how it's going, make corrections and then try again. Keep laughing and don't give up:)

Getting Voiceover Work

There is always a lot of discussion about networking to get voiceover work and that is of course very important. It is even more important that ones reading ability in the booth be A- List. There are many stories about people who get hired with great VO demos and then get fired because they just can't do clean reads in the booth. Remember time is money and the people running the jobs count on us to do great clean reads in an efficient manner. Practice relentlessly :)

- It's Never Just About The Words in VoiceOvers or Life

I think maybe the most important thing people taught me when I was starting out, was the absolute importance of "tone of voice". It was emphasized that first contact with clients and casting directors and everyone in ones world use tone of voice to figure out what we mean and if they want to engage with us. Words are important of course, but they are only a small part of the communication at best.
We naturally want to tip a personable server in a restaurant more because it contributes to our experience. It's the same when a salesperson is helping us that seems present and engaged; we are more likely to make a purchase.

The same principle applies not only to doing great voiceover work, but also to getting voiceover work. People hire the people that they like the best. The most important talking you do occurs before the job is even offered. Always take time to listen to new clients needs and to make sure the conversations are centered on them. Being easy company that is well spoken with a tone of voice that is attentive can do a lot to improves the number of jobs one gets.

- Be Nice and Don't Talk too Much:)

I hear from engineers and booth directors periodically that voiceover actors sometimes simply talk too much during a session or seem annoyed when given multiple directions. It's important to remember that clients are spending a lot of money to create their advertising media. We really must be good, socially adept voiceover artists to help them maximize their efforts. Don't start "babbling" on their time. Give them your best effort with positive energy to help the get what they want:)

- How You Could Make Big Money Doing Voiceovers & How To Get There

I get many many inquiries about how the voiceover business works; how to break into the voice acting and what kind of training is needed. What are the voice and breathing exercises I talk about all the time? and how to set up an affordable training  program that is home study and downloadable.
Here is our video to take you there:)
Voice Over Training Series | How To Break In To Voice Over | How To Make Money In Voice Over - YouTube

- It's Important To Have a Dedicated Place To Record

People ask me what they can do to feel more inspired to practice and pursue voiceover work. I think one of the answers is to have a place that stays set up if at all possible. I know there are many situations where space is tight so it may not be possible for everyone, but if at all possible dedicate a corner or space that is always set up so you can just go over and lay down some tracks and play them back whenever you have time. You'll be able to practice anytime you want and you'll feel more inclined to keep practicing. The more you practice and develop your reading and recording skills, the more likely you are to get work:)

- The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Career

People ask this question of me all the time. It's a natural and good one. The most important thing you can do for your career is practice. When you practice on a regular basis you naturally will experiment and explore your voice and how to control it. It's way too easy to keep approaching things the same way year after year. Success and progress requires a life long effort to refine and improve expression and reading skills. Nothing can be more limiting than having "some success". This can trigger an endless repetition of the formula. Greater success requires building on what works not just relying on what has worked. Practice, experiment, evolve, have fun:)

- Vocal change ups and deceptive cadences will help get you work

 I hear a lot of reads that are very well spoken that really don't sound convincing. They don't really sound conversational at all. They are articulate but not "idea driven". I've heard casting agents on large project auditions describe it like this. "Nice voice, but doesn't mean it"

Advertisers and casting agents tend to pick voiceover artists who can meet all the stylistic demands of the copy and still sound like they're just talking to one of their best friends. This ability to "personalize" copy isn't magic, it has certain musical characteristics. It very important to study the phrasing that you and other people use during the day. Make notes about different styles of speech that you are drawn to that connect with you and figure out how to use those elements.

Think of all the stuff that we have bought from sales people that we didn’t actually need. They have connected with us by being personal and not pushy. It sort of triggers Stockholm’s Syndrome… we start wanting to not disappoint them so we buy what they are selling. Hah!

When we are talking to people in our "Day Voice" we naturally use a lot of vocal change ups, "beat Changes" and deceptive cadences. It's part of the harmonic geography of how we communicate in daily life. When we read copy these characteristics are often left out, making the copy sound merely like a person just reading copy. It's important to study and retain these variations in our best natural speech and not loose that spontaneous expression when we are doing voiceover work.

- How to break into the Voiceover Business - Short List

The main question I get all the time is how does one break into voiceovers.

It’s not surprising because every year it’s a multi billion dollar industry.

Think about it. All of those off camera voices that sell you cars, insurance, laundry detergent, TV shows, cartoons, and tell you in movie trailers when the next film is coming out. Science channel, history channel, Corporate narratives and audio books. An endless stream of projects that need an off camera voice.

There are so many ways to give advice about how to start. There are many ways to look at how one begins. A lot of it depends on your personality and how one deals with the unknown. Having said that, here are some thoughts to encourage and support you in this wonderful world of voiceovers.

Do not over estimate everyone else's intelligence. I tweeted last week that an old time voiceover guy told me when I was 22 years old and nervous about trying to get into voiceovers, " People dumber than you are making a fortune, just get out there and do it."

Never worry about what everyone else is doing or what "the odds are" it's completely besides the point. The question is do you love it enough to develop a great set of reading skills and start doing it.

Training and great reading skills are how professional voiceover artists make all that money.

Training is the first and most important place to start. No one in a recording studio is there to run a trade school. You have to know what you're doing.

 It's been my experience that a lot of people seem more interested in how to network than they are in developing the skills necessary to be hired and then re hired because they've done a good job. Learn the trade and what’s required. That is the first thing you’ll need to have a voiceover career.

So, you’ll need training. You’ll need a great voiceover demo. You’ll need a good computer and internet connection. You’ll need basic recording and editing equipment

These are some things you should know in order to break in and have a voiceover career. I’ll also tell you where work comes from and where to look for work when you’re starting out.

It’s true its just talking, but there is way more to it than that. You have to know the different styles for different products. For example cheaper cars are sold in more of an excited voice  Hurry on down zero percent financing!! Luxury cars are sold in a more relaxation audio book voice..the new infinity QX 4…its all the best thinking”

You have to develop your breathing and phrasing, because a lot of voiceover copy is pretty awkward.

On longer narrations like corporate or audio books, you’ll have to train your eyes to read about 3 words ahead of where your speaking so everything will sound idea driven. That means it should sound like you’re talking to a best friend and not just plodding through  like you’re just reading copy. When you take a catch breath you should dart your eyes to the right so you know whats coming up next. Voice and breath development is essential so your voice always sounds fresh and never tired.

You must a have a great voiceover demo. Casting directors only want a 60 second demo, Corporate video and other media producers often want 2 minutes because they sometimes feel tricked by people that only have 60 second demos.

Peoplesometomes send me terrible demo pieces auditioning saying “I know the audio is bad but hope you’ll like my voice” That is truly insane!!!  Don’t teach people that you have no idea what to do.

You have to have a computer that is new enough to handle media. If it’s no older than 5 years it should be ok. Mac or PC is fine. Everything is cross platform nowdays.

Recording equipment is very cheap now days. You can get completely set up for roughly $500 to $1200 depending on how you configure it all Check out ProTools

We use ProTools with United Audios Apollo for the hardware connection.

Also check out Audacity software its free and is ok to start with.

How to find those first jobs??? Once you have your voiceover demo you can call video production companies and ask if you can send them your vo demo to be on file for their corporate narratives. Do no, I repeat do not send your voiceover demo to anyone without asking permission. Most demos are sent by email as an MP3. Some companies will still ask for a CD but there are fewer of these every year. Media production companies do an endless series of Power point Presentation that all need to have voiceovers.

If you’re interested in audio books, sign up at audible.com ACX and look for books you’d like to voice. Pick books that have topics you’re interested in and your reads will be more naturally convincing

You can post your voiceover demo on internet casting sites like Voice Registry. It’s under the umbrella of voicebank.net which is one of the largest voiceover talent sites.

This is a great place to start and has a lot of support services as well. I like these guys a lot.

Alright, that’s the quick tour of how to break in. Get training, get your voiceover demo ready and don’t rush to put it together. It has to be authentic and not go outside the compass of your voice or personality. If it’s not great it’ll just convince people they don’t want you.

And finally do lots of searches on the internet on all aspects of voiceover. You have to become familiar with whats out their so you can form your own opinions based on your personal experiences. Other peoples advice is just a starting point so be curious, find out all that you possible can. And practice endlessly. Pick up a magazine and read out loud to practice your cold reading skills. Take the time you need to read it perfectly.

Look at it as an adventure a career puzzle that you can and will solve

And remember, people dumber that you are making a fortune.
Click here to get started
Click The Link Below For The Ultimate Voice Over Training Course - YouTube

Very Real Sounding Is Often Very Dull. It Still Has to be Compelling.

People will rightfully tell you that you have to sound more real, more like the person next door. Well of course that makes sense. The person directing the project wants the voiceover artist to sound sincere and honest and authentic. But there is a funny flip side to all of this. I hear a complaint from many pros that I coach, that people will say to them... “No its gotta sound more real!” and then they tell me about their frustration that when they try and sound more real, they then often get criticized for sounding lackadaisical or uninspired, or unenthusiastic about the topic.

So what the heck is going on? On the one hand a director says be more real, more conversational, on the other hand they then seem to be complaining about the tone of voice when the person follows the directions that are given.

The answer is this: Often when a person backs off to become more conversational or more real, the energy drops so much that the pace is a little too slow... the cadence looses its bounce... and the melody a little too flat...

Because it’s a wholesale drop in energy it really just does sound unenthusiastic. So it seems like the read has lost all of its life.

When a person tries to be more conversational, not hard sell or not announcery, the effort should focus on smoothing out the delivery and tumbling the speech more so it feels a bit more like a stream of ideas. 

This makes the energy in the vowels and consonants more even and that is exactly what makes us sound MORE REAL AND CONVERSATIONAL.

When we try and become more conversational we are often just backing off on the energy we are using. This usually flattens the amount of rise and fall in our voices, which is what happens when we aren’t passionate about something. 

So the proper approach is to talk at low levels but to maintain a slight urgency. There is a greater rise and fall in the melodies we use when we are excited about a product or story. This will usually restore the rise and fall of the voice.

- More Voiceover Work Than Ever. This and other True Things

It is true that it's all very competitive. It's true that online casting sites has reduced some of the compensation that independents will pay for voiceover work. It is true that you will probably not be discovered and made rich all of a sudden.

It is also true that there is more work than ever before. It is true that fewer live instructors are being paid to coach corporate people because they are having voiceover people narrate power point and video tutorials, It is true that the voiceover industry is changing very rapidly and you shouldn't let it scare you at all. Pay attention. Take notes. Form a plan, reinvent and go get some work.
It's true, you can do it:)

- Voice Acting is Just Like Golf...

They both require endless repetition and are equally difficult. I get many many questions about the secret to success, the keys to success. The thing I have found in my own experience is that the secret and the key to success is patience and a desire to constantly develop  better and better skills. One has to have an insatiable curiosity about creating nuance, variations in cadence, melody and enthusiasm without ever sounding insincere. Authenticity must be the rule.
Sometimes people stay at a certain skill level approaching things the same way and wonder why they can't make more money.
It is totally possible to have a voiceover career, don't let anyone say you can't. However it is incredibly important to understand that you absolutely must keep training and keep improving all the time. Having a pretty good skill level often results in simply pretty good money, not great money.
Great success and satisfaction requires the dedication of an A list athlete not casual dabbling while wondering if things will work out. We often determine the level of success we achieve by the level of commitment we make to anything we love.

- Why Are Voiceover Classes Necessary ?

Many people who are actors ask me “Why does an actor need to take voice over classes to work in VO”? Acting skills certainly give a person an ability to deliver lines, so what’s the difference? There really are many differences and demands. Lets say there is a need for additional skills. The art of Voiceover or voice acting requires: a knowledge of voiceover styles, the ability to change cadence, tone of voice, range, and the rise and fall of your voice on demand in order to deliver what the client wants. To make a long story short you have to have control over your voice so you don’t get fired because you can’t take direction. For example, the direction in a voiceover session usually consists of requests to slightly change the tone of voice here, go faster there, take the pitch down on the end of that sentence, speak in a lighter tone on that next phrase, highlight this word a bit more... etc etc. In acting they are rarely scrubbing every line read for you. It can be a bit of a shock at first.

Another difference is there is no scenery, no lighting, no costumes/makeup, and no other actors to play off of for inspiration. Voiceover classes teach the art of creating an imaginary world in your minds eye where you see all the things the voiceover is talking about . 

We are always trying to comply with the request to avoid any hard sell, to make it more conversational. Yet as people back off, the energy drops and the read sounds un-convincing. Very real is often simply very dull. The reads must be completely natural and yet maintain enthusiasm. This requires vocal skill. Those skills are taught in voiceover classes. Voiceover classes provide the workshop where a person becomes aware of the harmonic geography of their own voice, their “Day Voice” and how to best use the voice to sell different kinds of products. There is a whole world of style to learn and learning it can make you a fortune. 

Certain narrations are always done in an intimate voice; other narrations are quick and lively. The booth director or the client expects a voiceover artist to know these things. No one in a voiceover session wants to run a training school. They are too busy trying to meet deadlines.

Another reason to take voiceover classes is that it will greatly improve an actor’s cold reading skills for auditions. When we are speaking, whether we are in an acting scene or on a voiceover job, everything must sound “idea driven”. It must never sound like you’re reading just the words. Voiceover is another great way to practice the art of sounding like you’re present, sounding like you mean what you’re saying.

There are many good schools and different approaches to teaching the art of voiceover and voice acting. It’s a great idea to explore as many of them as possible. Each approach has something to offer so it’s a matter of finding what works for you. 

Whether we are actors, voiceover artists or in any other profession, the human voice is a wonderful musical instrument. We rely on it to transmit the symphony of our ideas and feelings. Our voices provide the point of first contact with people. The more we train our voices the more we can clearly express our ideas both on the job and off.

We all want to be able to communicate effectively as voiceover artists, and actors, with people in our professional and personal lives. We all want to do it better and more successfully. Becoming aware of the techniques of speaking, and mastering them, hands us the keys to effective and successful communication which can take our careers to a whole new level of success.

- Learning How to be Yourself

Well, here’s the task for all mankind let alone a voiceover artist. Whether in a person’s business life or personal life, we spend a lifetime asking our selves who we are. Learning how to be yourself requires that we know who that person is, to some degree at least. The advice I give people all the time is to simply say: “Your best chance of getting work is to be yourself.” It does'n’t matter whether it’s a voiceover job you’re trying to get, or going to the next job interview, be yourself”.

It’s a useful “bumper sticker” slogan, but I’d like to talk a bit about the process of the discovery and how to relax into that, and how to trust it... and what it means and what it doesn’t mean. 

When we get to a place in our heads where we can “be ourselves” the advantages are huge. Life isn’t nearly as stressful. We stop being angry. We stop taking things personally and start viewing things as feedback that allows us to make corrections and move on. When we learn how to be ourselves and accept ourselves, we stop criticizing everyone else. The stress of NOT being ourselves or knowing ourselves is exhausting and frustrating. It can create a lot of stress and we can find ourselves acting out on people because of it. So in learning to be ourselves we are UN-cluttering our minds and freeing the hard drive space between our ears to engage in the process of success.

When we are comfortable in our own skins people will enjoy being around us. And of course that is very helpful in getting jobs, voiceover jobs, or any job. In these times that is becoming more and more important. This is important to remember. It is not merely about being the most talented voiceover artist, plumber, teacher, sales person, lawyer or dentist. A lot of people could do the actual work, but people hire people that they like the best. The best plan in the world is to like yourself and be yourself.

- One Reason People Get Fired From Voiceover Jobs

This comes up way too often I'm sad to report. I have heard from people in the industry year after year that there are simply too many people who have great VO demos who don't read with the same competence in the booth that their demo displays. It is incredibly important to practice all the time as if you're in a booth doing a job. Go to a gig all warmed up and sharp. They aren't there to listen to you wake up or get rolling. If they greet you and chit chat fine, but don't start telling long stories. Be prepared. Be on time. The first read out of your mouth should demonstrate that you are a pro and ready to go. Time is money, and it's their money.
In order to really be able to take direction and deliver professional reads, you have to be able to vary cadence and melody to solve problems of articulation and or meaning. Have fun out there and practice like you're going to the olympics. You can do it, you can succeed.

- Voiceover Jobs in Your Own Backyard:)

People naturally wonder about getting a voiceover talent agent. It's not how most people start though. Careers don't usually go from nothing to having representation. It's important to build up some job experience because no wants to go first. There are always people in everyones circle who might need an on hold message, friends who need a short voiceover for their web site, HR departments perhaps where you work that need a VO update on company policies. Make a list of everyone you know and think through who might need a little voiceover work that will help them and give you some real job experience.  Keep in mind that you can also do Reading for the Blind. It's done for free, but they are always very appreciative and it's great experience

- VoiceOvers • You Don't Have To Be Like Everyone Else:)

I have been asked a number of questions this month about being like other "great announcers" or famous voiceover artists. Those people are successful and have great skills and much can be learned from them.
However you do not have to be "like them" but you do have be be as skilled as they are. There are many examples of VO artists who were very different and whose "styles"were joked about and thought incorrect. Lots of those peoples styles then became very popular, HAH!

You must always believe there is a place for you. You must always prepare like there is a place for you. You must always know that your best chance of getting work, is to be yourself.

- The Importance of Authenticity

There are many qualities that make up a successful voiceover career. There are many ways to look at the success of any voiceover artist. Different vocal qualities create different kinds of appeals.
There is a recurring quality that I've noticed over the years that has a major influence on a persons success. That quality is authenticity.
Many people are very well spoken and have learned the various styles of voiceovers. There is an issue however that in some cases the voice is stuffed into the style instead of figuring out how that voice and personality can best represent that style without going outside of the compass of the voice or personality. In other words there is a loss of authenticity. Some times casting directors will write notes like, "Nice voice...doesn't mean it". If something isn't idea driven, if it does't sound like you're speaking spontaneously to a close friend, it lacks authenticity.
It doesn't sound like a person "means it"
Exploring the dynamics of your voice when you are most authentic and natural can pay big dividends in taking your voiceover career to the next level.

- Some Thoughts On How To Succeed in Voiceovers, or Anything

One cannot help but notice how differently businesses and people behave. We all see restaurants, service companies and individuals that have radically different approaches. We all tell stories about the impossibly stupid as well as the amazingly great.
Here are just a few thoughts about some things I've noticed that help create success.

Always, always be on time and provide service in a timely manner. We have a local cafe that just opened that tries to justify waiting 40 minutes for a sandwich because everything is made from scratch. People create bubbles they live in that aren't connected to the quality of service they are providing and then wonder why people stay away.
If I have a VO project due at noon, I deliver it by 10am, period.

Listen to what people are saying and sympathize. The thing most people want more than anything is to know they are heard, and that you are their ally. Don't allow the difficulty of a situation to break the bond of the mutual effort required to find resolution.

Be responsible for your actions. Companies, people and yes artists sometimes spend a lot of energy avoiding responsibility for mistakes. Own it and fix it. Stuff happens all the time that isn't correct, people just want to know you're on it and it's going to be fixed.
I've heard a lot of stories from different people, explaining why they aren't more successful or the poor quality of the work wasn't their fault. This includes VO artists, escrow companies, cafe's, plumbers, automobile service departments, etc. An important key to success is to provide quality service in a timely manner according to the standards of the particular  industry. It is not to have a big pile of explanations justifying poor work, service or bad attitudes. No one cares about excuses, just results.

The most important thing I have seen and experienced and benefited from is kindness. There is nothing more appreciated from the weary as simple kindness. Kindness is the most inspiring, helpful, healing, transforming, success generating, problem solving miracle that anyone can experience.
Whether one is in a voiceover session with advertising clients, negotiating a contract, managing a sales team, helping a dissatisfied customer, or trying to solve any other problem, being kind is really a miracle force that can change lives and produce unlimited personal success.