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What is Voiceover? Well,
basically it?s anytime a voice is heard without seeing a person's
lips moving in sync. There are times when a voiceover person?s
job is to replace someone else?s voice and they have to end
up back in sync, but mostly is being heard and not seen. Radio
is the ultimate Voiceover. Voiceovers are used for radio and
TV commercials, program announcements, narrations, cartoons,
audio tapes, multi-media, telephone message services, etc.
Use your imagination! (Scroll down or use your back button
to return to the VO Info page index.) What
is the voice talent's goal and why? Your
job is to read "copy" in a natural, often conversational
style-without sounding like you have the words written on a
piece of paper in front of you, and to do this quickly-without
a lot of preparation or direction. In many cases you are specifically
selling a product. In every case you are communicating a specific
message to an audience. If you are one of those people who
has been told you have a nice voice and should do something
with it -- or if you are a DJ thinking about doing commercials
on a free lance basis -- or you are an actor whose agent is
suggesting you make an audio demo -- you may need to do some
critical self-evaluation before leaping into this with credit
cards a blazing. I am working on a pre-voiceover book that
will help you step your way through this self-evaluation process.
Stay tuned! How do you do this?
- UNDERSTAND what you are reading!
- Don't just read the words-read the MEANING!
- SMILE! Be friendly and w-a-r-m.
- In everything - think REAL PERSON.
- LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN - Keep the radio on in the
car, don't mute the TV during commercials. Become observant-and
critical of the things you hear.
- PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE - Learn to enjoy the
sound of your voice and what you can make it do.
What
the Producer expects ... Professionalism
- Know where you are going and don't be late.
- Be friendly and businesslike.
- Do the job, exchange cards and then leave. Don't hang
around chatting, the producer still has work to do after
you finish the voice work.
- Take direction. Listen to the clues the producer will
give you as they respond to a particular read. The bottom
line is the producer is always right. Be prepared to do it
over again and again with slightly different interpretations.
- Learn to ADD VALUE to your work by knowing when to
embellish the words with reaction sounds, chuckles, etc.
Know
Your Abilities
- The more versatile you are, the more a producer can
count on you to deliver. You must know your abilities.
- Practice, practice, practice.
- Listen, listen, listen.
- Be honest with yourself about your abilities. Your
demo should reflect a true sample of your talents.
- Take care of your voice. If you have a cold or some
other problem that is affecting the way you sound, make sure
the producer knows about it BEFORE the session.
Know
your Tools and Techniques
- Produce a high quality demo showcasing your best abilities.
- Get your demo into the producer's hands. They won't
know what you can do if they don't have your demo.
- Remind them that you are there. Send thank you notes,
periodic updates and make an occasional phone call.
- Do a great job in the studio. Show versatility, professionalism
and warmth. They will remember what a pleasant experience
it was to work with you.
- Getting an agent and joining the union (AFTRA/SAG)
are other possibilities. Neither one will guarantee that
you will get work, but both have merit.
What
About the Demo? A
performer?s demo is usually the first way a producer will hear
what your voice sounds like. In around a minute and a half
(or even less) they should be able to gain a clear picture
of your range and versatility. A demo should contain
actual samples of an actor's BEST and MOST RECENT work. However,
many people (beginners and pros alike) will put together a
demo that contains some, or possibly all, "faked" spots.
Beginners don't have the samples and many pros find that over
the years they become type cast in a style and must create
new material to keep their demos fresh. Some people have
several different demos for different markets. If you have
a good range and can do commercials, animation, promos and
narrations, you may need four separate demos. Your
Demo Should Be:
- Interesting -- short -- ear catching!
- Sound professional -- recorded and mixed in a studio
with quality equipment, music, sound effects, possibly jingles,
etc.
- Have
variety -- in pacing, point-of-view, products, attitude,
etc.
- A true representation of your capabilities -- and
only contain the BEST of what you can do.
Why
a Professionally Recorded Demo?
-
Your
demo may be your only contact with a potential employer.
While practices vary from city to city, most casting, at
least initially, is done from demos. Typically larger markets
have more auditions.
-
As
technology changes and more and more voice over people
have the capability to do quick auditions from their home
and send them to clients over the Internet, we may be seeing
a return to more auditions. I know that I?ve been doing
a lot more lately.
-
You
are competing with working professionals who have great
demos! Yours has to sound just as good.
-
Producers
listen to hundreds of tapes from "would be" voice
talent and they know in just the first few seconds if they
want to listen further. Your demo must be of such a quality
that the producer will want to listen to the whole thing.
A "homemade" demo wastes their time.
Where
Do You Make a Demo? Find a professional
audio recording studio that has a music and sound effects library.
Do not attempt to make one at home unless you have top notch
capabilities in equipment and editing experience. Look in the
phone book, network, get recommendations. Post a message on
the VoiceOver
CyberStation as to where to find the best studios in your
home town. (L.A. folks, check out the
Voice Over Resource Guide.) How
Much Should It Cost? Hourly rates range
from $50 to $100 per hour. You should figure your time in the
studio (or with the producer/engineer) in chunks. Planning
with the producer/engineer (an hour or less). The actual recording
time (an hour, not much more than that). Then the review time
(this could be done over the phone). What you don't see is
all the time the engineer/producer will spend putting your
tracks together. Try to negotiate a package deal -- tell them
it is for a demo. Make sure materials, music drops and sound
effects are included in the hourly rate or package deal. But
demos produced in major markets to compete with major market
talent will run over $1,000. Also, you may have
noticed the word ?producer? in the previous paragraph ? it?s
a good idea to have a 3rd ear at the session other
than yourself and the engineer ? someone who can help ?direct?
the session. While some engineers are also voice talent, they
may not be able to direct you into the variety of reads that
you need to shoot for. Some voice over coaches will provide
this service as well. Expect to pay around $75 per hour ? more
or less depending on the kind of package offered. Duplication
? The Easy Part Well, sort of.
These days you have to decide how to distribute your demo --
CD, cassette, Internet, all three. You will need labels for
all of them with current phone numbers. Don't get too many
made at first. You need to be sure that the demo is hitting
the right targets before mass duplication. As each day passes,
cassettes are going out and CDs and Internet are in. You've Got Your Demo Done ! Now
What? It
isn?t enough to have a good demo. You have to get it into the
hands of the people who actually do the hiring. You need to
do some marketing. In fact, you need to do a LOT of marketing
and promotion to get your demo heard?including agent representation,
cold calls, snail mail, e-mail, web sites, networking, and
volunteering. This is where you
start to work. Getting the job means pounding the pavement.
Take/send your demo to advertising agency broadcast producers/creative
directors, talent agents, production companies, video producers,
and even directly to potential clients. Get listed on web
sites ? the free ones pretty much take any one, so consider
how your demo will compete with other people listed on the
site. The paid sites are a bit more discriminating, but if
you are solicited to be on a website in exchange for some of
your advertising budget, do some research before handing over
that credit card number. Explore their system. Is it easy to
locate specific kinds of talent, or is everyone in a long alphabetized
list? How much traffic does the web site get? What kinds of
people are actually using the site to look for talent? Ask
some of the other talent on the site how they think it?s working
for them? Know something
about the business climate by reading local trade publications/
columns/special articles. Follow-up with your contacts every
couple of months, by phone or post card at least. This is a
tough, competitive business and you need to learn the hustle,
as well as have the talent. Get an Agent?
While not a necessity, being represented by a voiceover agent is good for the
voice artist. However, in some parts of the country ?getting an agent? is easier
said than done.
In many larger markets, you?ll need to be ?introduced? to the agent by a producer
or director. This means the agent gets your demo along with a personal letter
touting your abilities. Yes, in these cases it really is whom you know! Agents
in smaller markets may be more open to unsolicited demos.
Do your research to find out how each agent takes submissions. They will either
have this information posted on their web sites, or they will include the information
in their opening phone message. Be sure to follow the directions as explained
by each agent. Not doing so will result in your demo ending up in the trash.
Of course, all of this is predicated on the presumption that you have a professionally
recorded demo that will compete with the other voice over demos in your market.
And a second presumption is that you can easily recreate the delivery of everything
that is featured on your demo.
Market, Market, Market A
good agent will do some minimal marketing of their agency?s
capabilities ? not specifically your capabilities ? by sending
out a House Demo once a year or so to key potential clients.
You will be asked to provide a short audio clip that will be
compiled on a CD with the rest of agency?s voice artists.
The agent?s primary job is to respond to incoming calls for talent and negotiate
compensation. They do not make calls on your behalf. You need to be actively
involved in your own marketing efforts.
You can be the most talented voice over talent in your neck of the woods, but
if no one actually listens to your demo, then you won?t be paying your bills
off voice over work. On the other hand, you can be moderately talented and
make a living doing voice-overs if the people who sign the checks have your
demo in their hands.
Pick up the Phone! One
of the most effective methods of contacting people is on the
telephone. ?Ick! I hate to make cold calls.? Yes, don?t we
all. But take a lesson from Marketing 101, pre-screen your
contacts. This way the people you end up talking to will be
the ones interested in your services. You don?t want to spend
a lot of time or money with people who simply don?t need voice
over talent.
Depending on the type of demo(s) you have, your cold call list will vary. For
the sake of brevity (and we know that web site content should be brief), we?ll
use a Commercial Demo as our example. Your cold call list would include Advertising
Agencies, Radio and TV station production departments and Production Companies
that make radio and TV spots.
Not all Ad Agencies or Production Companies produce radio and TV spots, so
you need to find the groups that would most likely be in a position to actually
use your services. A lot of radio and TV stations produce low-end spots that
don?t pay well, but if you are just getting started and need to test your skills,
this may be a good way to break in. Most large cities have local directories
that include long lists of Ad Agencies and Audio/Video Production Companies.
If you can?t find a specific directory of creative types, use the Yellow Pages.
Start Smiling and Dialing
The first words out of your mouth, other than a polite hello, should be to
ask if the company produces radio or TV spots. If they say no, then thank them
and get off the line. If they say yes, then ask for the name of the Creative
Director, Producer, or Production Manager. Alternately you might ask for the
name of the person who would most likely listen to voice over demos.
Verify the spelling of the person?s name and the correct mailing address. Get
an e-mail address if possible for follow up. If you can, try to speak directly
to the contact and let them know that you would like to send them a demo. They
usually will say sure, go ahead. Think about it. This is a very subjective
business, the more options they have -- the happier they are!
Your Demo is Your Business Card
Your CD demo should be at the ready for a wide variety of marketing and networking.
Send them out to your pre-screened contacts. Bring them with you when you attend
meetings. Have a couple stuffed under the seat of your car in case you run
into someone who needs voice talent. That happens a lot more than you would
think.
The demand for professional voices is actually increasing as technology advances.
While this article is focusing on radio and TV spots, there are more and more
non-traditional uses for voice talent. Bear in mind that you need to customize
your demo for the different markets, but the general approach to marketing
remains the same. Figure out who is in need of your voice style (or styles)
and be sure to get the right demos into their hands!
Copyright
2003-2005 by Connie Terwilliger
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