Maybe you’ve always been curious about voice acting, but you simply had no idea how to break into this industry. If you’re an aspiring voice actor, there are plenty of paths you can take. By reading blogs by voice actors like Johnny George, you can learn more about what it takes to succeed in this niche. Furthermore, here are some projects that need voice actors, as well as tips for starting your own business as a voice actor.
- Start Your Own Business
As a voice actor, you have several options for your career: you could work for a single company, contract with several agencies, or run your own business. Once you’ve gotten some experience under your belt and formed a solid network of industry connections, establishing your own business is a smart choice. You’ll have more control over your schedule, which projects you take on, and your finances. To launch your own company, you’ll need to create a business plan and choose a structure. For guidance, you can reference the ZenBusiness guide on how to start a company.
2. Commercials
When you think of voice acting, your mind might turn to animated films first. However, there’s ample voice acting work in commercials! Lots of commercials need voiceover tracks. Day Translations states that if you’re interested in doing voiceover work for commercials, you’ll need to master different forms of delivery for a “hard sell” and a “soft sell.” Make sure to include examples of both in your demo reel.
3. Films and Animated Movies
Naturally, many new voice actors want to eventually work on animated films or provide voiceover narration for live-action films. Of course, these roles will inevitably be more competitive – but it’s always worth auditioning just to see what happens!
Try looking for short film projects in your area that need voice actors. This can be an easier way to get your foot in the door. If you anticipate working on any projects remotely, make sure to outfit a home studio with all of the equipment you’ll need. Backstage recommends investing in a microphone, a pop filter, headphones, an audio interface, and voice recording and editing software.
4. Audiobooks
Today, lots of people enjoy listening to audiobooks. While authors sometimes read their own audiobooks, they often hire voice actors for these projects instead! Personally, I have no interest, due to the tremendous amount of time needed to record, edit, proof, etc. This is only my opinion, while others find becoming an audiobook narrator as an exciting choice for many voice actors who want to go beyond working in film and commercials. Voquent states that if you want to narrate audiobooks, you’ll need to develop a wide range of accurate impressions and versatile tones to convey the emotions of different characters. It’s a good idea to practice these often – you may even want to work with a voice coach!
5. E-Learning and Training
Professional development programs that include videos almost always need voice actors to provide narration. This is an often-overlooked option for voice actors, but with new online training and certification videos being launched each day across every industry, you’ll find that there is a huge amount of work available in this niche.
If you want to provide narration for e-learning programs and online training videos, how can you find projects? Look up companies that offer online education or professional certification programs and check their current job openings. You will also want to check out freelance job platforms, as this is where companies will advertise projects when they need contractors rather than new full-time employees.
Voice acting can seem like a mysterious industry. But truthfully, there is plenty of work out there for voice actors – you just need to know where to look! With these tips, you’ll be ready to explore different avenues for voice acting, including starting your own business.
Are you interested in pursuing a voice acting career? Get the advice you need from Johnny George. Browse the blog today for expert tips for breaking into voice acting.