4 Ways to Make Yourself a More Desirable Voiceover Artist

In any profession, the best way to ensure that you continue to advance is to improve your skill set, so that you become indispensable, and more desirable to those who hire- or manage you.  Voiceover is certainly not an exception.  There is much you can do to make yourself a more attractive candidate, and those efforts are entirely worthwhile.

Secure Some Work on Stage or on Camera Obviously, your intent, when advertising yourself as a voiceover artist, is to secure work that does not involve video or stage.  However, many of the casting directors today are seeking those voiceover talents that also have stage- or camera experience.  There is much to be gained by that sort of experience, and the casting directors know it. A big part of the job when reading a voiceover spot is the ability to ‘become the character’.  Also, in video game creation, for instance, some jobs may require that you physically act out the spot, so animators can use your movements to create a realistic character on screen. 

Invest in the Right Equipment at the Right Time Too many voiceover artists hesitate to invest in creating a worthwhile studio at the start.  It is important to understand that having a decent studio, and especially a high-quality microphone, can really impact the quality of your recordings – including the demos that you send out to the potential clients.  A nice studio set up will make life easier for you, but it will also help you turn out great material that will attract casting directors.

Practice at Home While acting classes are highly recommended, you can also get a lot of practice at home in your free moments.  Watch commercials, listen to advertisements, and even visit the audio book samples online. Or listen to other talents demos on their websites.  Determine what you like about them, and what you don’t like.  You can even create sample scripts from those that you favor most, and then attempt to create your own recording.  This is a great way to keep growing your skill set.

Show Up Early When it comes time to audition in person, be there at least ten minutes early.  In fact, most would say that it is helpful to be there 15-20 minutes early, because this provides time to get checked in, find the right location, and read through the provided copy a time or two.  That preparation time can really make all of the difference.