Character voices are usually hired from an established pool of character voice talent — mostly in Los Angeles. These people are highly skilled actors who can create unique voice characterizations on demand and sustain the character voice over long periods of time. If you enjoy making up voices and have a talent for mimicking, this may be the place for you.

Auditions, either in person or via your demo tape, are the first step to getting work in this business.
The toughest part of the business is breaking in and getting those first few jobs. Once your name gets around and you become established, the work almost seems to come to you. Remember, as with most businesses, voice-over work is a “numbers game.” The more connections you can make, and the more you circulate your tape to the people who hire voice talent, the more work you will get. As for spending the time and energy necessary to get auditions, remember that voice-over work must be treated as a business if you are to succeed — and your degree of success will be directly proportional to the time you spend promoting yourself.

Just how do you break in and get yourself known as a voice actor? That’s what the rest of this book is all about. The simple answer is: Get your voice recorded and get yourself known. The more complex answer is: Learn everything you can about acting, communication, and marketing. In this business, an old adage,
“It’s not what you know, but who you know,” is very true. Getting work as a voice actor is largely a numbers game — a game of networking and making yourself known in the right circles. To be successful you cannot be shy. Let every person you meet know what you do! But you must also possess the skills that qualify you as a professional, and that is what this book is really about!

A career in voice-over can be lots of fun, and it can give you lots of time for other activities.
Most recording sessions last from about 10 or 15 minutes to an hour. That’s it! Once your voice is recorded, you’re free to do whatever you want, or you’re on your way to another session.

Enjoy!

Voice Acting in the Business Community

The principles of voice acting are powerful tools that can be used by business professionals and individuals alike, whether you are working from a script or simply having a conversation. In our seminars we refer to the human voice as “your most powerful business assistant.” Most people truly do not understand how much more successful they could be if they applied some voice-acting techniques in their presentations, sales calls, or everyday life. The most successful business people use many of these tools, perhaps without even realizing it. Now you will be able to get results you never dreamed possible.