There's Money Where Your Mouth Is

A Complete Insider's Guide to Earning Income and Building a Career in Voice-Overs

Elaine A. Clark

• Publisher: Allworth
• Year: 2011
• ISBN:
  9781621533788
• Edition: 3
• Topic: Mezzi di comunicazione e arti performative
• Subtopic: Recitazione e provini

Voices are increasingly in demand for commercials, cartoon characters, announcements, and other spots. This outstanding handbook explains how to launch a career and?nd work. Along with sample commercials and script copy, the author gives advice on vocal exercises, self-promotion, and business matters. Chapters include: getting started, voice-over aerobics, copy basics, melody and tempo, layering techniques, believing what you say, commercial and stylized characters, corporate narration, animation, video games and toys, getting an agent, marketing your talent, and staying on top of the business. This expanded edition features new tips on making a demo CD, vocal modulation and breath techniques, advanced copy-reading strategies, and a section on how copywriters see the job of the voice artists for whom they write. If you've ever been interested in voice-over acting, you need this book!

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Thomas Edison is credited with saying, “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” So, wipe your brow, folks. You’ve got some work to do.

YOUR VOICE

Having a good voice is a gift. Knowing what to do with it is the challenge. Delivering a message properly requires eye-brain-mouth coordination. There is no room for multitasking. Full concentration is required. Distractions, insecurities, nervousness, and other mental blocks result in a proverbial train wreck as words are transposed, emotions are lost, and pronunciations and phrasings become garbled.

So, how is your voice? Most people’s voices are fine. Some have texture, some are smooth, some are high, and some are low. Whatever voice you have, it’s you! Common issues or complaints people have often include sibilance (a hissing “s” sound); accents, regionalisms, and dialects (which may be an asset in one area of the business and a detriment in another); lisps and enunciation issues; upswings at the end of sentences and phrases that imply a question rather than a statement; thin/quiet voices that need strength and air support; and high voices (unless used to perform children’s voices). With some practice, many of these issues can be improved. Other issues involved in the recording process, including mouth noises, plosives from p’s, t’s, k’s, and other articulators, volume inconsistencies, and spit on f’s and other fricative and aspirated sounds, add additional challenges. These, too, can be worked on, minimized, or edited out in the recording session.

WHO GETS THE WORK?

When I started my voice-over career in the Stone Age year of 1980, 90 percent of the work went to men and 10 percent went to women. Over the next thirty-plus years, the division of labor has become a bit more balanced as women claim 30–40 percent of the market. As more women become CEOs of large companies and hold high-level political positions, the market share of voice-over work reflects that change. The gender of who gets the work is not only the result of a good audition or demo but also a direct result of the times we live in. Historically, the style of work changes with each new political and economic climate. In times of war, deep, authoritative voices are in demand. When the economy is good, humorous spots are more in vogue and lean towards younger voices layered with sarcasm and irony. As the large baby boomer population ages, older voices selling pharmaceuticals are needed. If a tragic event occurs in the country, compassionate voices are the norm. When the economy hovers in the middle, it’s fair game for anyone, as no tried-and-true rules apply. The best way to keep up with these trends is to listen. Your ears are the most important assets in voice-over work.

Also, as the world becomes more globally connected, accents and regionalisms are accepted by the general public and desired by many who hire talent. Actors who were told they would never book work because of their foreign accent are in demand for jobs targeted to a broader global market.

Bottom line is that when it comes to a choice between a believable delivery and a vocal quality, good acting always wins out.

BEGINNING YOUR CAREER

The once perceived closed field of voice-overs has broken wide open with the prolific use of free, inexpensive, easy-to-use audio recording software and inexpensive microphones. Pay-to-play websites like Voices.com and Voice123.com make it accessible to just about anyone who wants to hang up a voice-over shingle. Landing a talent agent for more lucrative jobs takes a bit more effort. Acquiring additional representation in numerous cities all across the country and world is yet an additional goal for many people pursuing this business. Audition scripts are emailed; the voice actor records it at home and either emails, posts, or uploads the mp3. Actors, especially when they are first signed with a talent agent, often have the option to go into the agent’s office to audition. This allows face time to get to know the agent and the benefit of another person’s direction and feedback.

While once a very social business, voice acting has become a home-based business with a lot of solitude. Some actors work at home and never venture into a professional recording studio. Numerous others don’t have agency representation or go into their offices. When a voice-over gathering occurs, it’s a treat to connect with fellow actors. It’s an even better opportunity to mingle with directors and producers who hire talent. When these gatherings occurs, the actor should remember these Networking Golden Rules:

1. Thou shall not brag or be a talking résumé.

2. Thou shall not descend on directors, agents, and producers and talk shop or ask for a job unless they initiate the topic.

3. Thou shall get to know people in the business as human beings and not as a prey to be trapped and cornered.

4. Thou shall remember that people like to work with friends and colleagues whom they trust and enjoy being around.

5. Thou shall remember that human qualities that connect one person with another make for a lasting relationship.

6. Thou shall remember that you are not your job but what you do when you are not recording.

7. Thou shall not write about auditions and jobs on social networking sites until the job has aired or permission to print or air the information has been granted.

8. Thou shall refer colleagues to jobs and they shall repay the favor.

9. Thou shall not write extremely long emails. The longer the email, the slower the response.

10. Thou shall always leave a positive impression and follow up in an appropriate manner during business hours.

The truth is no one needs another voice actor. There are plenty in the business. But, like a good restaurant, if the offerings are tasty, clients will be there to sample the goods. You just need to make sure your talents are ready to compete when you enter the market. Get good, solid training. Take time to learn the craft. There is no way anyone can learn all there is to know about voice acting in one short class. It takes time to learn the nuances and expectations of each style of work. When you’re ready, put together a demo that plays to your strong suits. Each talent agent in each city has slightly different expectations for demos. Ask them first what style they prefer. If not represented, go to the talent agency’s website or to Voicebank.net and listen to the numerous demos that are posted. Odds improve for casting recognition on pay-to-play sites like Voice123 when individual audio clips are uploaded and named in a manner that appeals to global talent searches. Instead of listing the job title or name of the client, list the style of delivery: warm, quirky, intelligent, etc.

UNION VS. NON-UNION

There are two performing arts unions that represent voice talent: Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Talent and Radio Actors. Prior to the digital age, the difference between the two unions was simple. SAG represented actors on film; AFTRA represented actors on tape. Now that everything is digital, the definition is less clear. Radio commercials, industrial narrations, TV shows, newscasts, and local TV commercials are typically under the AFTRA umbrella. National TV commercials and film are in SAG’s domain. Video games and web ads are just two areas where the two unions have cross over jurisdiction.

The two unions are also different in the joining process. AFTRA has an open-door policy; anyone can join if willing to pay the onetime initiation fee and bi-yearly dues. SAG requires that the actor be hired by a union producer first before consideration. This requires additional Taft-Hartley paperwork on the producer’s part to prove that no union actor possessed the skills, look, or sound needed for the job and fill out a special request. When the request is granted and the actor is hired for the first union job, that actor can benefit from residuals (additional income for usage as stipulated by the union) without having to pay the initiation fee. Another term used to describe the first hired actor for a union job is a “Must Pay.” A thirty-day grace period to work union or non-union jobs is granted the actor. For any union job the actor accepts after day thirty-one, the actor must pay the initiation fee and join the union.

As most people are born non-union, that’s the obvious place to start. There is a lot of non-union work out there. The advantage is a simplified payroll and invoicing system. The disadvantage is lack of governance to insure payment within two weeks, predetermined minimal fee structure, and residuals. All work is a buyout. How non-union actors bid and get paid for jobs is all over the map. Some charge a set fee for the recording time, others add in their editing time in addition to being the voice, others charge on a per-file basis and add in a few dollars for labeling individual files, some have a minimal fee for every job but charge a two-hour minimum. The going rate for non-union work is whatever the market will bear. It’ll be higher in robust economic times and lower when budgets are tight.

So, what happens when an actor joins the union and is offered non-union work? Union actors should refuse the job. When that is an option the actor does not want to pursue, he or she may submit a request to become a dues-paying non-member. This is a serious decision that means the actor will be blackballed and not allowed to vote or attend union meetings. Becoming financial core hurts the union and is frowned upon. Keeping the union strong is important to all voice actors, union and non-union. It establishes the rate of pay and work standards for all actors.

ACTING & IMPROV CLASSES

Most everyone who enters this business gets into it because someone tells him or her they have a beautiful, interesting, deep, resonant, funny, cute, sexy, or amazing voice. Then, the voice actor quickly learns that this business if more than just talking. It’s about bringing life to the written word. That means we have to trust our instincts and act truthfully. Rather than reading word-word-word, we have to convey thoughts and feelings. As a trained stage actor, I struggled with my entry into voice acting. I know I could do a good job in a week or two once I absorbed the information and the character formed and came to life within me. Quickly, I learned that process takes too long. Immediacy is what’s needed. Being willing to take a chance and change it on a dime is essential. Improvisation is the closest thing to voice acting. It teaches trust, spontaneity, and a willingness to take chances.

Depending on your ultimate career goals, acting and improv classes will move your career to greater heights. There’s a part of a voice actor who believes he or she is lying when not an actor. The voice is the primary focus, not the manner in which the listener takes in the information. Therefore, I highly recommend that all voice actors take acting and improvisation classes. Besides having FUN, you’ll be able to tap into deeper emotions, gain confidence in yourself, develop a stable of characters, and keep growing as a performer. Musicians practice their instruments every day. Singers sing. Runners run. Actors should act. If you’re afraid to take this leap, that’s a sign that you should sign up for an acting or improv class NOW. Don’t be afraid. Check out the acting and improv schools and colleges in your community. I guarantee you won’t regret it!

PRACTICING AT HOME

Several things are needed to keep your skills moving forward: ears, mouth, heart/gut, mind, and body. Your ears are the most important. Listen to commercials, video games, cartoons, documentaries, and corporate narrations. Figure out what works and what doesn’t. You can easily do this every time you turn on the computer, ride in the car, watch TV, or see a film. Listen for patterns, inflections, melody, tempo, and emotional shifts. Figure out where the voice is placed. Check to see if the styles or trends have changed. Mimic what you hear. Develop your own personal style that is current and interesting.

Learn how to use your body for optimum impact. We gesture every day, yet many readers get stiff and don’t move when they read. Movement adds personality, emphasis, and ease to the delivery. It also helps with timing. A quick body movement replaces a dead, pregnant pause and creates change in the tone, attitude, and rhythm. Explore how specific movements influence the sound. Using the right hand, left hand, and both hands together give you three different vocal pitches. Jiggling the head, tilting it at an angle, or nodding offers additional nuance to the words. Shrugging the shoulders makes a word or phrase sound effortless. Squeezing the buttocks muscles deepens the voice and adds tension to the read. Opening the eyes wide, squinting, and moving the eyebrows up and down also change the voice. Explore how your movements alter the voice. That’s part of learning to play our instrument.

Use your brain to comprehend the message and make script analysis choices. Then, put it on hiatus. Everything you say needs to sound believable and truthful. Connect the message to your heart and gut. If it stays in the brain, the listener will know you’re lying. Bring passion, authority, and believability to everything you say. Placing your hands on your heart a...