What are some of the Voice-Over areas needing good Voice Actors?

The voice over  field is a huge arena, and growing constantly. Starting with the advent of radio in the late 1800s and then continuing with the launch of television in 1928, voice-over has been a popular way to convey news, entertainment, and advertising. Any DJ or commentator is a voice-over artist as long as he or she is not seen. However, with the rapidly changing Internet and alternate medium programming, the distinctions between who qualifies as a voice actor versus who is considered a DJ or commentator are becoming more and more blurred. And as the thirst for new content increases dramatically each day, the need for voice-over actors grows dramatically as well.

So, what are some of the Voice-Over areas needing good voice actors?

1) Radio plays, while most popular before the proliferation of television, still enjoy a wide audience in countries such as England. They are finding a new and growing audience thanks to the Internet where they are available in the form of podcasts. Not unlike listening to a book-on-tape, these audio dramas can take the listener on vivid and detailed adventures using only sound effects, music, and dialogue. The art form remains a wonderful example of how profound and affecting a voice-over artist’s skills can be.

2) Animation has long been the home of character voices – whether film, television, Internet, or video games. The voices created by the voice actor (VA) help bring life to animated characters who were, in turn, created by writers and designers. More often than not, these characters (e.g. Bugs Bunny, Betty Boop, Spongebob Squarepants, Naruto) are what springs to mind when people think of voice-over or voice acting. More and more animated video games and toys are using voice-over to tell a story, entertain, or otherwise engage the player as fully as possible.

3) Live-action with voice-over is found where recorded tracks of a character’s thoughts or internal dialogue are played over the images or action, and are often used for dramatic effect (such as memories, after death, etc.). This type of voice-over is used in television, film, and theatre. For example, in the film The Shawshank Redemption, Morgan Freeman’s character “Red” narrates, as does the (deceased) character of Mary on the television show Desperate Housewives. One of the great things about film, TV, and animation is the opportunity to actually communicate what the character is thinking – directly to the audience. Think of how much more effective it is on the TV show Heroes that not only can the character of Matt Parkman hear people’s thoughts, but so can we, the audience.

4) Commercial/Promo is a use of voice-over that’s at least as old as radio broadcasting. If you can hear but not see an announcer trying to sell you something, a consumer telling you about his or her experience, people talking about a product; that’s commercial or promo VO. It might be presented as a dialogue between two or more people, or it might simply be information about a product or service, addressed directly to the consumer. Think about the differences between commercials for McDonald’s, Dell, or Micro Mini Machines, for example. A promo (short for promotion) tends to be like a commercial, but is most commonly used to promote a network or show. The announcer of the Academy Awards, or the person you might hear say, “Up next on The Travel Channel,” is basically doing a commercial, or promo, for the network.

5) Narration could be considered a sub-category of the aforementioned live-action with VO. It is commentary that describes a scene, or tells a story, or explains whatever’s happening on screen or as part of an audio program. Narration might be in the form of a nature expert commenting while you watch polar bears bound about, or it might be Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night as read by Sir Ian McKellen. Documentaries often have someone narrating the events you’re watching. If you want words and don’t need visuals, you can listen to narration as a book-on-tape. (Yeah, we’re old enough to have used tapes. You can listen to yours on CD, or as a digital download if you prefer!)

6) Instructional voice-over is similar to narration but can pop up almost anywhere. Phone systems, computer programs, and corporate educational courses are all examples of this type of voice acting. When you insert a disc in your computer and it instructs you to do something; when the elevator tells you what floor you’re on; or when your GPS tells you to turn left in fifty feet; you can be sure that someone recorded those instructions. Unless, of course, they’re using a computer-generated voice; but we all know those never sound quite as natural as a human-generated voice: Wo-ould yo-ou li-i-ike to-o pla-ay a ga-ame?

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 This blog is an excerpt from Tara and Yuri's highly successful book,Voice Over Voice Actor: What It's Like Behind the Mic.   It's a fun and helpful peek into the secret world of the Voice Actor. 

Are you interested in pursuing a career in VO? Curious what goes on behind the scenes in a business where people talk funny for money? This book offers a fun and comprehensive look at what it takes, what goes on and what it’s like behind the mic from two working pros who started from scratch.

Newsletter: Sweet September!

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Click Here To Read: Sweet September! Newsletter Sept. 2012

Holy Wow! It's September already. I love the fall so much. The baking, the leaves, the glow of lights (since the days are shorter) and the hunkering down. Yuri and I have finally taken some much needed rest and went to Desert Hot Springs for a long weekend! Whew! It is amazing how rejuvenating even a weekend of R&R can be.  And now we are hunkering down. Our second feature film Con Artists is a hairsbreadth away from finishing post-production and we will be screening it this fall. Plus, there are two films out now I think you shouldn't miss. Sweet September!

Tara :) (&Yuri)

 READ MORE: Sweet September!: Newsletter Sept 2012

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Latest newsletter: Jumpin'July!

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Click Here To Read: Jumpin' July!  Newsletter July 2012

We just got back from San Diego Comic Con where we hosted a panel and gave out hundreds of Shelf Life comic books to a packed house full of fans! And now are in the midst of our campaign to raise funds for Shelf Life Season 4 (Our Shelf "LIVE" event went great and the campaign is jumpin')....

Jumpin' July!: Newsletter July 2012

Wonderful May and lots going on! Check out our May newsletter!

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Click Here To Read: Wonderful May: Newsletter May 2012

 

Wonderful May: Newsletter May 2012 

What is the History of Voice Over?

It is commonly believed that the first voiceover was from Walt Disney, as Mickey Mouse in "Steamboat Willie." And although this was a long time ago, in 1928, in actual fact the first voice over was in 1900!  This historical achievement belongs to Reginald Fessenden, a Canadian inventor. He was thrilled with Alexander Graham Bell’s new device, the telephone, and set out to create a way to remotely communicate without wires. The beginning of “Wireless!” In 1900, working for the United States Weather Bureau, Fessenden recorded the very first voice over: a test he made reporting the weather.

He was also the first voice of radio. In Boston, in 1906, during the Christmas season, he recorded an entire program of music, Bible texts, and Christmas messages to ships out at sea.

As voice over became more routine in radio, cartoon, etc., the actors behind those voices were rarely known by the public. Exceptions are Walt Disney, of course, and perhaps Mel Blanc, a radio personality and comedian. He became known as “The Man of 1000 Voices” for his versatility, and is the voice on many cartoons distributed by Warner Brothers. One of the most influential and prolific voice over actors of all time is certainly not commonly known by the public, but very well known in the industry. This is Don LaFontaine, who began in voice over in 1962, recording VO for a movie trailer. He became the vice of movie trailers, setting the standard for how they were written and voiced.

As voice over acting grew into a formidable business, it still, however, was very “behind-the-scenes.” Literally and figuratively! Actors filled their spare time with voice over work – it was what they did “between jobs.” But voice over really came out into the light, and became more than respectable, with the onset of digitally animated films of recent years. Celebrities began providing the voices for characters in huge box-office successes such as The Lion King, with Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons and James Earl Jones, Shrek with Eddie Murphy, The Narnia series with Liam Neeson, and there are hundreds of other examples! (Click here for a list of great voiceover performances.)   The public is now used to big actor names in animated films – it is a powerful marketing strategy for the production companies of these films.

And well-known actors love it! Nancy Griffin said it well in her NY Times article from 2003 , “Film/Television; When A-List Actors Are Happy to Hide Their Faces.” She wrote, “No hair and make-up necessary, not a personal trainer in sight and a four-hour work day: these are just a few of the enticements luring A-list actors, including Jim Carrey, Will Smith and Robin Williams, to headline animated features.”

These celebrities have really brought voice over into its heyday. It is regarded with great interest by aspiring actors, and it seems millions of young people want to find their way into the field. It provides rewarding and challenging careers to actors of all sizes, shapes, personalities, and skills. And it is enormous fun!

Voice Over Actors: Taking Care of Business!

It is true that as actors we can often be more focused on the craft of acting and forget to put energy into the business side of our voice-over acting. This part, while essential, may not be as much "fun..."  But it is just as important as tuning your vocal instrument.

You must find out who might hire you to use your voice and where they are located. It's a pro-active way of forwarding your career in voice-over. So for a moment look at VO as a military objective. Select a few targets and do a little recon, or research. And you won't even need to get your hands dirty.

Start with what you like. For example, if you really like the show Naruto, you might search and find out that in the United States, Naruto is licensed by a company called Viz. A little more looking (with your friend Google) might turn up that the English dub for Naruto is recorded at Studiopolis. Voila! You now have a production company to add to your hit list when you have a demo to mail out! With commercials, you might have to be a little more investigative, but there are resources (such as adforum.com) out there that can help you find the ad agency who produced the commercial and who's associated with the promotion of that product.

So, for this exercise, pick an area to start with: animation, video games, or commercials. Now choose three of your favorite shows/movies, video games or commercials. Begin to do a little Internet legwork. Find out who the production company is, and in the case of commercials, the ad agency who commissioned the spot. Try and discover if the company/agency casts their projects in-house, or if they have a relationship with a separate casting company. In some cases, you may even find that the same studio/ad agency produced more than one of your selections, then you know they're definitely somebody you want to target.

There is plenty of information available on the Web, and a little digging could turn up e-mail addresses or maybe phone numbers that you could use to contact the company and find out who might be best to send your reel to. Start a file and keep the info you find for future reference.

Good hunting and good luck - make it fun!

Can you believe it is 2012 already? Check out our January newsletter

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In This Issue Back to Work, Back to Play Clockwork Angel Review Contest Winner All is Well in 20-12!

Hello! Can you believe it's 2012 already!? I certainly can't. Last year was a whirlwind and I expect this year to be just as exciting. We have plans for films, more episodes of Shelf Life and look forward to working on more fun projects. I was so excited when Yuri surprised me with a weekend getaway to Paris for our anniversary! Bon Voyage, indeed! :) And then so relaxing to spend the holidays in Idyllwild and Desert Hot Springs for a little R&R. Here's to thrilling and fantastic surprises for your year as well, and to surpassing your goals with your own New Year's Resolutions. My focus this year is on visibility (for our projects, for my work and for our company). Bigger and Better in 2012! Tara :) (&Yuri)   Yuri Lowenthal & Tara Platt: Raise Your Voice (Acting)!

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Newsletter Jan 2012

Remember, Caffeine May Not be a Good Thing for Your VO Session!

REMINDER: Sure, who doesn't like a stimulus and pick-me-up delivered in a tasty beverage like coffee, tea or a soft drink. But when you're getting ready for a VO session, that caffeine can have the unwanted side effect of drying out your vocal chords. So be aware of the effects before hitting the booth. An herbal tea can be a wonderful substitute and still maintain the lubrication necessary to keep your vocal chords moist and healthy.

Do You Have What it Takes for a Career as a Voice Over Actor?

OK, so lots of people, your friends and family, have always told you what a great voice you have. And the thoughts of working from home, for yourself, recording a bit and then playing the rest of the day – these ideas appeal to you?  Well, you are not alone. Voice-over work is a hot industry, and every day tons of people dive into the maelstrom, trying to figure out how to be a success in this arena. It is a grand gig. You can record from home with your own little studio, since technology has advanced to make this a possibility. And you don’t have to have a “look,” a necessity that some people feel hinders the chance of becoming an on-camera actor for many folks.

But the competition is fierce, and just having a good speaking voice and good articulation is not enough. You have to learn to read (perform) and make it sound natural – like you are speaking new thoughts to someone particular. It takes acting skills, and speed of making choices. You have less time in a recording booth in a VO session than in many other forms of acting. You often have never seen the copy until the moment before you are asked to perform.

Another necessary skill is to be able to find the line between enunciation and sounding affected. You can work on this by recording yourself reading copy, and ask friends to give you their honest opinion – does it sound natural, clear, easy to listen to, believable, appealing? It has to sound real.

If you are serious about joining the Voice-Over world, take classes, get coaching, make a great demo, get equipment to record yourself at home, make a website, read all you can about it, listen to people who know, read our many tips here on our website, and consider getting our book, Voice Over Voice Actor.

Most important of all, Practice Practice Practice! And stay passionate about it.

Good luck and have fun.

How Does Voice Over Work for Video Games?

Similar to dubbing animation, voice-over for video games is most often recorded one actor at a time, alone in a booth. But as with recording for pre-lay animation, there is seldom a need to record to an already created animation or picture. When you begin, you may have a character sketch or some sample gameplay (a demonstration of what the game will look like when the player is playing it), but there's rarely more than that to hang your hat on. There are, of course, a few exceptions to this – the first being when you’re recording a version of a game that was originally produced in another language. In that case, you may have reference tracks in the original language, cut scenes (the short movies that play in between gameplay) that you’ll have to match, and strict timing concerns to be aware of.

In another scenario, near the beginning of a game’s development, you may have done some work on the game while no animation was yet available; and then eight months later the producers ask you to come back and do more work on it. Only now they’ve got animation and gameplay to show you as a reference.

But most often you’ll have very little (if any) preparation, and not a lot of time to learn about the game before you’re thrown into the fire. And this is where the director will be your best friend, giving you context for your dialogue – which you will sometimes record very quickly, one line after the other, two or three takes per line (i.e. two or three different recordings of the same line), with not even the other characters’ dialogue for reference. Other times you might get the entire script, but it’s unlikely you will have the time to do much more than scan it as you jump from line to line.

We’ve said that a strong imagination will help you in this business. To make this stuff work, you're gonna have to imagine quite a bit. So, listening to the director, using your imagination, and making bold choices – all at high speed – are important, and together can often be the key to finding yourself on the top of the call list when a studio is auditioning and booking future jobs.

Very often these days, video games are developed in tandem with major motion pictures so that when the movie comes out, the game based on that movie is also available. Now before you get too excited about doing the VO for these video games, we have to let you know that voice actors in video games get paid a lot less than their on-screen counterparts. Why? Because the budgets for video games are nowhere near the budgets of the movies they accompany.

But now’s your chance to get excited again because, in most cases, a major motion picture actor will not want to lend his or her voice to the video game; the salary paid is simply not worth the time involved. This is where you come in: the game will likely require a voice actor to voice match the actor from the film. See, you always knew those impressions would come in handy one day.

On the downside, video game work, because of the nature of video games themselves, can be very stressful on your voice if you’re not careful. This is certainly a place where vocal control is important. If you play a lot of video games, you know that they’re chock-full of shouting, screaming, yelling, getting blown up, being set on fire, and falling from great heights. And that’s just in the opening cut scene.

These recording sessions can last up to four hours at a time. There have been times when we’ve emerged from them sweaty, hoarse, and shell-shocked – as if we’ve actually been through the war we were just playing at. Many voice actors refuse to do video games for this reason, and some will intentionally schedule VG sessions in the afternoon on a Friday so that they have the whole weekend to recuperate. But don’t let that scare you. Just keep reading: we have ways of keeping you safe.

Breath Control to Tara, come in...

So, I've been doing a lot of really long industrial narration sessions lately. This means pages and pages of technical, verbose writing and lots of talking, talking, talking. I've noticed that with these sessions, since I have elected to sit down to maintain a consistent level of energy throughout, I've gotten really yawn-y. Now at first I assumed that I was yawning cause I'm sitting in a dark-ish booth, droning on and on about a fairly dry subject, and maybe haven't gotten as much sleep the night before as I might have liked. So I started getting curious, and experimenting with switching the time of day the sessions were scheduled. I would do them first thing in the morning, in the middle of the day and even late in the afternoon, all with the same result. About 30 pages in, and I just start yawning away.

Then I realized, you don't just yawn when you're sleepy, yawning is a natural reflex when you aren't getting enough oxygen. Voila! I've started to focus on deeper sustaining breaths and the problem has drastically reduced. I mean after an hour and a half, 100 pages into a long narration, you're bound to have your brain a little muddled, but maintaining strong diaphramatic breathing has made all the difference. Corporate dialogue here I come!

The VO gods giveth and they taketh away...

To give you an idea of how quickly tides can turn in an industry like this, allow me to briefly describe my day. When I went to work this morning, I was in the middle of trying to schedule not one, but TWO jobs for the next day. VO for a national TV commercial and for a radio commercial. That's a very good day in this biz. They both wanted me to record tomorrow morning and we were trying to work that out. The TV commercial took precedence, though, because, well, I'll be honest, they pay more. But the TV people (go into the light, Carol Anne...) were being cagey about what time they wanted me to come in and record in the morning.  And the radio people were getting antsy because they needed me to commit  so that they could book studio time and schedule the other actor I was going to be doing the commercial with. I was in a bit of a fix, but after a while, with no word yet from the TV people, I had to do the responsible thing and tell the radio people to give up on me, that they should probably go with their second choice because I hadn't yet heard back from the TV people. Hey, being responsible is hard sometimes.

A little later I get a call saying that the TV people decided to release me. No reason given (but then that's how it works in this town).  I get on the horn with the radio people. Too late. I won't be recording with them tomorrow either.

When I woke up, tomorrow was gonna be a good day. By lunch, I had lost two jobs.

But it doesn't necessarily mean that tomorrow's not gonna be a good day...