A Day in the Life of Voiceover Actors-Time Management Strategies for Voice Actors

Success in any career depends on how well you are able to manage your time. This philosophy applies across different career paths including voice over acting. There is a point in your daily schedule where additional work does not translate to more success. Voiceover actors have to contend with the temptation of working for so long but not getting value for their time and effort. 

What Time of the Day are Voice Actors Most Productive

Productivity is at its highest in the mornings and this does not apply just to the voice acting industry. However, people are different and so are their preferences and choices. There are voice actors who may prefer working in the afternoons but to make the hustle easier, you need to have a more methodical approach to your daily schedule. Most people getting into voice acting tend to ignore their own uniqueness and simply move with the flow. If everyone is doing it one way it doesn’t mean you have to do it the same way. Achieving success with your voice over talent will depend on how well you craft your daily management strategy.

How Much Time Goes into Auditions, Demos and Other Tasks

Most American voice over actors can attest that a significant amount of their time is spent auditioning for new jobs. Even seasoned and professional voice actors need new gigs for them to stay afloat or grow their business. More auditions mean that your voice has the potential to be heard by thousands of clients out there. At the same time, you must be open to criticism. Not every audition you do will receive a positive feedback from potential clients.
Many times you'll get no feedback at all. So get used to that and try to be objective.

How do Voice Actors Stay Motivated

One of the greatest incentives for voice actors is being able to create your own schedule. Yet, too much comfort at home can make us lose focus and become less productive. In fact, motivation is different for everyone. To some people, motivation is being able to stick to a set daily schedule. Others get inspired by engaging in physical activities when stress levels escalate. Transferring that energy to their recording. Your peers, your kids and every day people too are an amazing source of inspiration.

A Day in the Life of a Voice Actor

From working short to long hours, self- fulfillment in your career as a voiceover actor in Nashville, TN is achieved through effective time management. Your daily schedule should be balanced between REAL work (paid) and auditions. Each can feed off the other in this way too making effective use of your time.

4 Ways to Get Into Character in Voice Acting

Getting into character is one of the challenges that some voice actors struggle with. For those in video games and animation genres, it doesn’t get any easier since they require a unique set of voice over talent. For example, video and cartoon characters are mostly fictional characters. This means that you have to imagine yourself playing a role of a character that is in a fictional context and has no equivalent in the real world. You could even be the first person to play the role of such a character. With little or no information of what the voice of the fictional character would be, the key to nailing the audition is being able to interpret what the producers are looking for. Confronted with a new character, here is how to land a deal as a TV voice over or radio voiceover in Nashville, TN.

Read the Script Thoroughly

Before you even get into trying to figure out what a character may sound like, try and interpret the character by analyzing the script. There is a way you approach this task when trying to capture a character voice. First, read through the entire script in a casual manner. Go through the script again, this time with a bit more thought-remember to take notes. Then you might consider rereading the text a few more times for you to capture the complete picture of the character.

Analyze Character Motivation

Once you have a good grasp of the events in the script, pay close attention to what your character says to other characters as this gives a more accurate depiction of values, morals and motivations behind the role you are taking. In simple terms, be critical of your character’s actions. It is noteworthy knowing that some voiceover actors in Nashville, TN feel the need to walk or even dress up like the characters they are set out to play. This is a great way of giving an even more convincing portrayal of the character.

Concentrate on Action Words in the Script

To really bring life into your character, look at how they utter certain words in the script. If your character makes a statement such as “Why are you going that way?” try and figure out the action behind the statement for you to understand the tone used. Is the tone demanding or simply inquiring? One success strategy of becoming a great voice narrator is by crafting your own interpretation of the character in the script as long as you are consistent with the storyline of your character. Use a little of your own "background" information as a real person.

Think Physically

In order to nail what your character sounds like, try and think about how they look and act physically. Sometimes it helps a lot if you can try and imitate their actions from the script physically. You can also make facial expressions that you think the character would make while reading certain lines of the script. Whereas the audience will only hear your voice, you have to make the voice reflect the physicality of the character in the script. Don't keep your arms to your sides. Use your body... just be sure to maintain your microphone proximity.

The Art of Auditioning for a Voiceover Role

Technology is slowly changing the voiceover world. Apart from improved recording tools and applications, voiceover auditions have also changed significantly. You don’t have to attend the audition in person and you can simply record your audition and send it to the producers. Directly, through an agent or a third party website. However, digital implementation in the voiceover world has also come with its fair share of challenges. Online and pre-recorded online auditions can be very overwhelming. Here are some of the ways you can launch your career as a voiceover actor in Nashville, TN and elsewhere.

Do your Homework

Even before you hit that record button, make sure that you understand the do’s and don’ts in voice acting. Acquaint yourself with techniques that optimize your profile as a voiceover actor. More importantly, make sure that you have the necessary equipment to record a quality voiceover.

Don’t Read the Whole Script

In a real life scenario, people hate prolonged activities. The same is replicated in the voice acting industry. Potential clients will only be interested in the first few seconds of your audition. Remember, those few seconds should be your selling point.

Don’t always let the Copy be Your Guide

The voiceover industry requires a lot of creativity. Sticklers of the rules are less likely to make it big in the industry. This is why during your auditions, try to bring out the best in you. Simply following the guide does not bring forward the kind of personality that many producers want to work with. For example, if your original copy was just plain text, try including natural pauses... ums, ahs, etc. they way we all normally talk when recording your narration.

Avoid Slating during the Audition

Slating means mentioning your name at the beginning of the audition. This is however not recommended and unnecessary as your name is always alongside your audio recording for the clients to see. Just make sure you label your files properly with your name.

Be Authentic

How you approach a voiceover should project your unique way of doing things, your voice and your interpretation of the script. Whereas every voiceover job will have its guidelines, make use of your creativity to bring out skills that that are beyond your constraints. In fact, some people believe that creativity is best projected when the job has no set of guidelines. Ideally, this means that you are allowed to break a few rules to show your uniqueness.

Reflect on Past Failures-Focus on the Future

Making a breakthrough as a voiceover actor takes time. If you haven’t found success yet, it’s not the end of the road. Voice acting is a very tough field and with the numerous rejections you are likely to encounter, always remember that low-lows come with high-highs.
Just roll with the punches and don't take rejection personally. 

How to Get Your Child into Voice Acting

When it comes to voice acting, it doesn’t really matter how old you are. Most parents will start questioning whether voice acting is the path they really want for the children soon after they hear them imitate character voices. There is no doubt that some children possess unique abilities that make them the perfect match for certain voice acting jobs. Some of the unique skills and abilities to look out for are:

·         Extensive imagination

·         Openness to learn new things

·         Creativity especially when assuming a new character role

·         Ability to focus on pronunciation

Take into Consideration Your Child’s Level of Interest

Children who thrive in the voiceover industry not only possess an interest in developing their voice acting abilities but also enjoy the performance aspect of it. One aspect of developing a voice acting career is learning how to cope with rejections. Even a veteran voice narrator in Nashville, TN can attest to the fact that not every audition is a success. This might be a little harder on children than it is on adults since children do not have the mental capacity to handle rejections. Keeping this in mind, consider hiring a voice coach who can positively reinforce your child’s skills in voice acting.

What to Invest in Your Child’s Voice Acting Career

Voice acting-just like any other activity, requires practice, equipment and coaching. To become successful in this field, you must be willing to invest both time and money into training. Hiring a voiceover coach is crucial to helping your child become one of the successful voice actors in Nashville, TN. This success however comes at a cost and will need facilitation. If your child exhibits great interest in voice acting, enroll them for voice acting classes. Demos are also essential at the beginning of a voiceover career. Under this, there are a number of best practices where you can either work with a professional studio or set up a good home studio for your kid.

Voice Jobs for Child Actors

Among the number of voice acting jobs available, young voices account for almost 30 percent. Some of the projects that commonly hire children voice actors are commercials, cartoon characters and for documentary voiceover in Nashville, TN. As we speak, there is an increase in demand of authentic child voiceovers. Consider Walt Disney’s Pinocchio, played by the late Dick Jones who was only ten years old when he auditioned for the role. 

What Does a Talent Agent Do and why do I Need One?

Whether you are a seasoned voice actor or someone looking to make a break in voice acting, getting new clients is probably your greatest concern. Voice over in show business has never been more popular. And competition in this industry is cutthroat. Navigating the murky waters of the entertainment industry requires some professional help... this is where a talent agent comes in. Currently, talent agents are found in almost all entertainment hubs across the world. If you are looking to take your voiceover talent in Nashville, TN to the next level, hiring a talent agent should be top of your priorities. Plus, agents can offer a better point of view from which to promote from.

What do Talent Agents do?

There is a ton of information about the job description of a talent agent. More often than not, this information is conflicting. Whereas some voiceover actors prefer to navigate the industry solo, there are those who find it a good idea to seek the services of talent agents. Just like their name suggests, talent agents’ primary role is to provide voice actors with opportunities. Most talent agents are active or retired professionals in their specific fields of specialization. Chances are that voiceover talent/actor agents have years of experience in voice acting/acting themselves and may use this experience to mentor budding voice actors.
However, remember that agents are NOT managers and may not take a deeply personal interest in your career as a manager would. The key word is "opportunities" such as auditions is what they provide to talent.

Am I Ready for a Talent Agent

Now that you understand what a talent agent does, you might be wondering at what point of your career is best to hire an agent. How do you go about figuring out which agent is best for your voice? A talent agent can be valuable to your career particularly if you are looking to make a break into a new area in voice acting. Or are expanding from acting to voice acting. 
However, you really need to be working on your own at a certain level of professionalism to be of interest to an agent. Your demos must be first rate and your business attitude adjusted to making a full time career in show business. Otherwise, you'll be wasting an agents time.

What do Talent Agents Look for in Voice Actors?

Bringing on board the right talent agent is a challenging task especially for self-starters in the voice acting world. By specializing/honing your skill set, it becomes easier to figure out which agent would improve your voiceover career. Here are some of the qualities that talent agents look for in voiceover actors:

      Vocal range - talent agents prefer working with voiceover actors that can change their vocal qualities when needed. The ability to expand their dynamic range.

·         Are great storytellers - in voice acting, great storytellers are individuals with an interesting phrasing. These are the kind of people who are not afraid to bend a few rules in order to improve on the quality of their production. While holding the interest of the listener.

     Proper Attitude

     As indicated earlier, having a good business attitude, a willingness to audition quickly and often and work WITH them to further your career is important to any agent. Giving THEM what they need to help YOU!

What is the Best Voiceover Software?

High quality recording software is crucial for voiceover actors, singers or people simply eager to start their own podcast. However, the fact of the matter is quality comes at a cost-something that many people are not willing to invest in. You might be asking yourself, is it okay if I use free software for my audio recording? A common conclusion is that when something is available for free, it’s probably not of high quality. This assumption is not always right. As a TV voiceover actor in Nashville, TN, I say learn to live within your means. Assuming that you are testing the waters in voice acting, it is not worth investing heavily in recording software and ending up losing interest somewhere along the way.

Which Voice Recording Software is the Best?

Before settling on specific voice recording software for your voiceover demos or auditions, consider what the recording is being used for by asking the following questions:

What level of voiceover proficiency do you identify with? 

If you are a professional radio voiceover actor, there are certain expectations that come with the title. This means that your recording should be topnotch. To achieve this, you need high quality recording software.

What audio recording software does your client use? 

You might want to use an application/software that is compatible with what your client is using. Those with several years of experience in voice acting use industry standards in anticipating what the client could be using.

How user-friendly is the software? 

There are some software applications that are constrained to certain devices in terms of their use. This means that these applications are sometimes not compatible with the operating system of your computer but also other hardware such as the mic.

Free Recording Audio Software

·         Adobe Audition- This is one of the most popular recording software that is compatible with almost every operating system available today.

·         Audacity-Audacity is a free recording software that undergoes numerous updates to improve the user experience.

Recording Software for Sale

·         Cubase-An amazing feature about Cubase as an audio recording application is the different levels of the product for users in different fields.

·         Goldwave-Whereas Goldwave is a popular voice recording software in music production, it also doubles up as an amazing application for voice actors.

·         GarageBand-This application comes as a pre-installed application in Mac computers. However, this means that it is only compatible with Apple devices and cannot be used in PC operating systems. 

Steps To Take Before Hiring Voiceover Talent

As a producer, once your campaign is ready and your video is out, the next step is to hire a voiceover artist right? Well, not… so… fast. Hiring a voiceover actor in Nashville, TN is not as easy as it sounds. You have to know the kind of skillset you are searching for. Go for a person who captures your brand and voice. Voiceovers are becoming popular in many parts of the world. There is an influx of voiceover actors in the market who neither have the skills nor talent to do voiceover. Below is a checklist of how to hire the best voice over actors for the job.

Understand Your Needs

Before hiring a professional voiceover actor, you need to figure out a specific voice for your campaign. Ask yourself, are you looking for a male or a female voice? Next, be a little more specific on your preferences. Should the voice be young or old? You also need to think about your target audience. What message are you trying to get out there and how will the target audience connect with the voice actor. You need a voice actor with a voice that resonates with the audience.

Figure Out Your Budget

You are obviously looking to hire the best voiceover talent in Nashville, TN. This will come at a cost. If you are working on a minimum budget, tailor your job posting based on how much you have. For instance, having a large budget for your project can allow you hire a full time voiceover actor who you can work with in subsequent projects. If you are working on a limited budget, you should consider utilizing the services of part-time voiceover talent. Nonetheless, this option is a trial-error approach unless you are lucky enough to find talented voiceover actor looking to enter into doing voiceovers.

Have The Right Equipment

Regardless of how talented the voiceover actor is, a low quality studio has a negative impact on the end product. It is important that you go for high-quality technology that does not distract your audience from the message. Inferior equipment muddles the voice making it almost inaudible. Superior equipment is prohibitively expensive. Make sure the talent has invested properly in producing good, clean audio that you can work with in editing.

Key Considerations When Calculating Your Voice Over Rates

Ask anyone about their salary expectations and what may follow is an awkward tension and silence. This is because, such expectations have to strike a balance between making as much as possible and being affordable at the same time. The same applies for voice over actors when quoting their charges. You want to be paid your work’s worth but still be fair to the client. TV voice over actors and radio voice over actors in Nashville, TN should quote their charges on a job-job basis. Below are some industry considerations before coming up with the correct fee for a voiceover acting job.

Know Your Business Goals

Being business savvy is a universal way of achieving success in business. You must understand the cost associated with the business, your expenses and profit. If the cost of running your voice over recording studio in Nashville, TN is $2500, then you will not be profitable until you make more than the $2500 at the end of that year. The profitability goals of your business need not be achieved during the first year. Go with what seems realistic as you build your skills as a voiceover actor and build up your clientele.

Be Realistic

The best-paid voiceover actors offer their services to ads, TV shows, animated films, corporate/web videos and a host of other media. Such actors can make hundreds or thousands of dollars per film or per episode. This means that the salary ceiling for a voice over actor is extremely high, but just like any other success story, hard work and a few lucky breaks will help get you there. One of the reasons why voiceover actors are able to adjust their pay bracket higher is because they tend to specialize and add a recognizable brand to their portfolio in the course of their career.

Charge According to Your Market Niche

A great way to charge clients seeking voiceovers is to consider your target market. Consider whether what you are offering is a rare service or commonplace. If you have an amazing voiceover talent, carve out a market niche. This way, your clients will get the feeling that no one can match your voiceover talent. This is an amazing way of establishing your personal brand as you work on differentiating yourself as a voiceover actor. The ideology behind carving a market niche applies the theory that when demand exceeds supply, people will offer to pay for premium products and services.  Of course, it'll take some work and experimenting with your abilities to create that demand.