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Today’s Quick Voiceover Tip: Exactly what is voiceover?
Voice over is a production technique where a voice—that is not part of the narrative (non-diegetic)—is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, video game, or other form of media. It can be used to provide information about the setting, characters, plot points, and other elements of the story. The voiceover can also be used to provide commentary on the action taking place or to explain something that may not be clear from the visuals alone.
Voice over is often used to give a sense of atmosphere and emotion to a scene. It can also be used to add humor or suspense to a story. Voice actors are typically hired for their ability to bring life and personality to a character or situation through their vocal performance.
Types of Work and Genres of Voice Over
Voice over work can range from commercial advertisements and movie trailers to audiobooks and video games. Commercials are one of the most common types of voice over work, as they require an actor’s ability to convey information quickly and effectively in an entertaining way to help sell a product or service. Corporate voiceover work entails a vast amount of the industry’s projects. Movie trailers are another popular type of voice over work that requires an actor’s ability to capture the audience’s attention with their delivery and create excitement for the upcoming film.
Audiobooks are another type of voice over work that require an actor’s ability to bring life and emotion into a text-based story. Video games also require actors who can create believable characters with their voices as well as provide narration for game play instructions or tutorials. And these are just a few of the many voice over niches.
Who Are Potential Clients That Use Voice Over?
Potential clients that use voice over services include advertising agencies, radio stations, television networks, video game companies, audiobook publishers, animation studios, film production companies, web series creators, podcast producers, audio book publishers and more.
Advertising agencies often hire voice actors for commercials because they need someone who can quickly capture an audience’s attention with their delivery while conveying important information about products or services being advertised. Radio stations hire voice actors for station identification spots as well as promotional announcements for upcoming shows or events. Television networks hire voice actors for promos for upcoming shows as well as station identification spots that air during commercial breaks.
Video game companies hire voice actors for character dialogue as well as narration during gameplay instructions or tutorials.
Audiobook publishers hire voice actors who have experience narrating text-based stories in order to bring them alive through vocal performance.
Animation studios often hire experienced voice actors who can create believable characters with their voices while staying true to the tone of the project they are working on.
Film production companies may hire experienced voice actors who have experience providing commentary on scenes or explaining elements within a scene that may not be clear from visuals alone.
Web series creators may also hire experienced voice actors who have experience creating believable characters with their voices while staying true to the tone of the project they are working on.
Podcast producers may also look for experienced voice talent who have experience creating engaging conversations between two people or more in order to keep listeners engaged throughout each episode of the podcast series they produce.
Audio book publishers may look for experienced narrators who have experience bringing text-based stories alive through vocal performance in order to make them more enjoyable experiences for listeners than simply reading them would be otherwise.
How Do You Get Work In Voice Over?
Getting work in voice over requires having technical skills such as microphone technique and acting skills such as being able read scripts naturally while staying true to character personalities when necessary .
It is important when starting out in this field that you take classes or workshops related specifically towards developing your skillset so you will be prepared when auditioning for potential jobs down the line .
Additionally , it is important that you develop your own unique sound so you stand out amongst other potential candidates . This could mean experimenting with different accents , dialects , vocal styles , etc . Once you feel confident enough in your abilities , it is time start looking into potential job opportunities .
You could do this by searching online job boards such as P2P (pay to play) sites like Bodalgo, Voice123.com, Voices.com and freelance sites like , Fiverr , Upwork , etc . These are popular options but very difficult for new voice actors to get footing.
Additionally , networking with other professionals within this industry could potentially lead you towards finding potential job opportunities . Once you find an audition opportunity it is important that you take your time preparing so you will feel confident going into it . This could mean researching similar projects so you know what kind of sound they are looking for , practicing your lines multiple times until they sound natural coming out your mouth , recording yourself so you can hear how it sounds from another perspective , etc .
Once all these steps have been taken then all there is left do is go into your audition feeling confident knowing that you did everything possible prepare yourself !
M. Bruce Abbott is the Creative Director/Partner at Radio Lounge. Bruce has over 30 years experience as a voice actor, casting and production director, as well as extensive advertising, marketing, and podcasting experience.
