How to Become a Voice Over Artist?

What makes a sci-fi movie trailer so appealing? Perhaps the voice-over. Ever wondered what it takes to become a Voice Over Artist? Like other art forms, voice-over being a major component of Performing Arts needs intensive training and individual passion. We remember a number of characters from movies and cartoon show just by their voice. Some characters we are familiar with in our childhood leave an indelible imprint on our cognition and we remember them throughout our lives. These voice actors working behind the camera go unnoticed but what makes them a real influencer, is their ‘voices’. From announcements in trains to directives from the government to the voice assistant on your phone, voice artists leave a legacy. If you have been receiving compliments about your voice, start taking them seriously because you never know, a career in Voice Acting might be waiting for you. 

Responsibilities of a Voice-Over Artist

Voice-over artists are there to engage their audience or convey dialogue using only their voices. They should:

• Participate in the cast’s practices.
• Work together with the director
• Entertain the crowd vocally
• Create various parts by using various accents.

Skills of a Voice-Over Artist

• Clarity
• Pronunciation
• Accents
• Additional languages are also beneficial 

Eligibility Requirements

A voice-over artist does not necessarily need to have any specialised training. Training in drama would be advantageous because you would learn methods that you could use with your voice instead of your body. You can discover opportunities here. Many organisations offer workshops for voice-over training.

Job Profile of a Voice-Over Artist

In the age of media, voice is regarded as one of the most powerful elements of mass media. A person with a good voice has the opportunity of working with a number of organizations or projects. Through a proper training program, you can sharpen your vocal skills and start working as a Voice Over Artist. These professionals usually do not work on payroll, but get freelance projects for a short or long period of time. Below listed are the major fields where voice-over artists are employed:

• Animated Films and Shows
• Government Sector
• Aviation and Railways
• Audio Books
• Podcasts
• Documentaries
• Trainer
• News
• Gaming

Training to Become a Voice-Over Artist

Voice-over is a technique that requires continuous training. Even a ‘second’ of bad performance can ruin your reputation as a Voice Over Artist. We will discuss some of the training techniques that you can practice in order to polish your skills:

Practice Reading Out Loud

The most effective way to enhance your skills in voice-over is to practice reading out loud. Take a paragraph, script or any scene from a book or a movie and start reciting that aloud. Getting into the character helps you know the peculiarities of intonation and breathing patterns while speaking, which is crucial for voice-over. 

Also Read: How to Speak Fluent English in 30 days

Monitor Your Voice

If you have people who you can rely on for honest feedback, then start practising with them. The best alternative could be, recording your voice and then listening to it later to check for flaws. Once you’ve noted down the mistakes, start working on them. Moreover, you can use software like Audacity, Adobe Audition and Soundforge to monitor your voice closely. 

Practice Vocal Exercises

The art of voice-over is to use your diaphragm while speaking. Doing so, would deepen your voice and make it more pleasant. But initially, it can be a bit uncomfortable to persist in this, that is why the vocal exercises are necessary. You can practice humming through a straw while controlling your breathing to prolong it. Mimicking the actors or characters of your choice can help you get better at the skill.

Take Acting Classes

Voice Acting is an art and needs serious training. Practising on your own can be effective but that certainly is not enough. If you are planning to work professionally as a  Voice Over Artist, then choosing a coach will help you master the required skills. Taking acting classes will definitely help you in being trained professionally.

Also Read: Radio Jockey Course

Building a Career in Voice Over

Working as a Voice Over Artist is not an easy job as getting recognition in the industry takes longer than you expect. But using the right procedure, increase your chances of acquiring top positions in the media world. Here are some steps on how to become a Voice Over Artist: 

Building Your Resume

The first thing to do when you’re planning to start a career as a Voice Over Artist, is to build your resume. The old-fashioned resume would not help you, so you need to ensure that you include all your work samples to make it look dynamic. Moreover, you should know ways to add creative elements to your resume, while still being formal and professional.

Creating a Demo Reel

Record your original voice and modulated it in a demo reel that should clearly demonstrate your voice quality and your skills. Ensure that you try a variety of scripts to bring the best out of you. 

Build Your Online Profile

A number of job opportunities are available through web portals like Upwork and Fiverr. Building a profile on freelancing websites can actually help you increase your clientele and get your work recognized in lesser time. 

Voice-Over Artist Salary

The average yearly salary for voice actors in India is 3.2 lakhs, with salaries ranging from 0.8 lakhs to 8.1 lakhs, according to AmbitionBox.

FAQs

Unique in nature, the job as a Voice Over Artist lets you explore your passion for adorning characters with your voice. We at Leverage Edu understand the importance of pursuing a career boosted by one’s passion, which is why our career counsellors use the psychometric test to help students identify their field of interest and with the help of AI tool choose the best career option for them.