Check out our free PDF with pro-tips from real working voice-over actors here!

Want to learn more about voiceover? Signup for our introductory VO webinar.

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For years, we have booked voice-over jobs together. So much of that is because we possess a genuine chemistry. However, it’s also our ability to commit to our characters and have the moxie to jump off the page, to do improvisation. That’s right, stray a bit from what’s written. We’re not talking about changing the writer’s good words. We are speaking of the in-betweens, buttons, and subtle nuances that our characters would say. If we stuck to the words on the page, they would sound too robotic and stilted, and you know it’s all about being the average Joe. But the average Joe does not speak concisely. Our youngest kid repeats things three times before he actually gets to the point. He’s excited to tell the story, but he’s still formulating his thoughts and buying time in that repetition. It’s quite endearing.

One of the best marathons we ever ran was when we were cross-training with yoga. The more we ran, the more rigid our muscles became. Yoga freed us from that, forcing us to flex our muscles in an entirely different way. Improvisation does the exact same thing. Every piece of copy we get has a place where we can throw in slight nuances that make the piece jump off the page.

This “Moxie” that we mentioned comes with some slight risk-taking and you have to be proficient at it. It’s not about finding the funny. Some of the drollest things that you can add get the biggest laughs. Sometimes funny can fall flat, especially when people are trying to BE funny.

After 30 plus years in the business, we both agree that there are times we have found ourselves getting stale and falling into the same habits. It’s easy to do, especially when we are locked in a booth all day by ourselves with no one to feed off of. So, we further educate ourselves with improvisation classes because there are wise nuggets to be gained from every single person we have had the pleasure of learning from. Shaking things up and learning different techniques is wonderful practice. The training of improvisation is an amazing platform to learn how to stretch your muscles. It teaches you about listening, supporting your fellow performers, and being spontaneous. Since we started with The Second City, we have seen a steady rise in our bookings, our copy feels fresher, and we are more excited to challenge ourselves in becoming our characters. And no exaggeration when we say a good improvisation class is filled with so much love, fun, and laughter that it pours itself into your work and your life.  

To learn more about Jessica and George Grant, visit their website here!

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Here at Such A Voice, we talk a lot about how having a great sounding voice is not the

1. Say it with a smile: When you’re talking on the phone with someone, you can hear them smiling or frowning, can’t you? It’s the same when you’re recording something for VO. If you’re not smiling, it’s impossible to sound happy. Just try it. Say some good news out loud but say it frowning….See? You gotta smile!

2. Emphasize the product: If you’re doing a commercial spot or an advertisement for something where you’re the voice selling the product, it helps to highlight that product’s name. Be wary of making it sound forced though, just remember a little emphasis adds a lot of oomph.

3. Stop reading the script: Have you ever gone to listen a speech where it’s very clear the speaker is just reading their notes verbatim? Snooze factor, right? Even though you’re reading a script, make it sound conversational, like you’re chatting with your friend.

4. Chat with a child: Along the lines of making your reads sound like you’re chatting with your friend, try to go even deeper and make it sound like you’re chatting with a young child. This typically makes you sound friendlier and more enthusiastic.

5. Pace yourself: A common tendency when reading scripts is to read them way too quickly. Slow down there, buckaroo! Your audience wants to hear you and not have to decipher what you might be saying.

6. Express yourself: Madonna was on to something when she sang those two lyrics. In voice-over, you need to be expressive and believable. You don’t have to be over the top expressive, but you definitely need to deliver a bit of a theatrical read to keep your listeners entertained, especially if your voicing the commercial that’s preventing them from watching their favorite sitcom at that moment!

7. Play with characters: Get out of that comfort zone of yours and play around with various characters that you’ve created. In order to convey the right feeling you need to analyze the copy and view it as completely different and new than anything else you’ve voiced. Developing and embracing new copy is a really fun way to get into different types of characters you may not even knew you had inside you!

8. Gimme a dose of inflection: If you’re voicing a commercial, an excellent voice-over technique to use is to begin your read at a slightly higher pitch and then let your voice fall a little. Beginning a copy with a higher pitch level grabs the listener’s attention.

9. You’re darn good at what you do: Believe that! I know, I know, it’s impossible to feel confident all the time but confidence gets you places, gets you jobs, and most importantly, helps you read copy with that special “je ne sais quois.” So do what you need to do to start feeling as confident as you can. This could be via exercise, positive self-talk, daily affirmations, meditation, or therapy, to name a few. As long as you do you and you do it with confidence, that’ll shine through in your reads.

10. Mysterious like Casey Kasem: Remember Casey Kasem’s American Top 40? If you said no, navigate to Google and educate yourself on some pop culture! If you said yes, do you also remember how he used a tactic much like mysteriously whispering out of the stereo speakers? That was intentional and he was good at it. If your script warrants it, a little mysterious breathy voice-over can go a long way.

What are some voice-over techniques that you use? Write them in the comments below!

Don’t forget to also engage with other voice talents on our Facebook page and share your experiences about Such A Voice!

We’re also on YouTube, too! Be sure to check out our YouTube video for “Top Ten Voice-Over Technique Tips!”

                                                                                                                                  About the Author

Bekka is a copywriter, scriptwriter and copy editor at Such A Voice. She’s also an English Language teacher forcing fun grammar activities onto unsuspecting students in Barcelona, Spain. She’s currently studying an online Diploma course for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Trinity College in London and will be pursuing a Master’s in Linguistics in Fall 2018. When she’s not studying, writing, editing or teaching, she’s sure to be found hiking mountains, reading books, and eating her way through many European cities.

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You may have been told our

There are a couple of things that can propel you into the vast world of VO that many of our coaches (who are all voice actors and were once in your shoes) have suggested.

• Throw your ego out the door because there’s always room for improvement. Ok, keep your ego intact because you need it for your self-confidence (which is a must in the VO industry) but don’t assume because you’ve taken a few workshops that you have the chops now. You need to train and practice on a regular basis, just like an athlete, just like a musician, just like a professional chef. Beyonce didn’t make it to the top and then just stop and let the fruits of her labor work for her. She still practices, rehearses and continues perfecting it all. Laying down some cash for proper voice-over training with coaches may feel costly at the time, but you have to consider that those sessions will pay for themselves after you’ve had a few job offers, which ideally you will if you keep working on improving your skills. A voice coach will take you out of your comfort zone and help you to grow as a voice actor in ways that you wouldn’t otherwise on your own. The best part of working with a coach is that it’s fun!
• Make it happen, don’t wait for it to happen. Well, there’s some waiting involved after you submit auditions of course, but I’m talking about being proactive and sharing your enthusiasm for your new career endeavors with everyone. The more people who know you’re getting into voice acting, the more likely you are to find work. Networking is huge and although you may cringe at the idea of it, again, it’s a step outside your comfort zone which can potentially bring results. This can also mean getting your business cards made, launching your website, your business Facebook page, and your LinkedIn profile. It means cold calls and emailing prospective clients. Prepare yourself for rejection and take it with a grain of salt when it happens. Remember that a rejection doesn’t mean you don’t have talent, it means you didn’t fit the voice description of what the client had in mind.
• Setting realistic goals helps you with time management. It can feel overwhelming to embark on a voice acting career. If you’re anything like me when you feel overwhelmed you shut down and don’t accomplish anything except accumulating a YouTube history of funny cat videos. Now as entertaining as that is, it’s not going to bring you anything but guilt later on for not getting anything done. So, set goals for yourself and I’m talking realistic goals. Not goals like- Send auditions this week. No, that’s too broad and too vague. Get detailed with your goals and ask someone to hold you accountable. This could be the voice-over coach that you’ve invested in. Setting goals will ideally teach you how to organize your time as well. What helps me is to use my Google calendar as my guiding light. I write my goals into the time and day slots that I want to get them done. When I do that, I usually achieve said goals. If I just think it and assume I’ll get it done, it doesn’t happen. In that case, what gets done is more accumulation of cat videos. With setting goals and practical organization of your time, it can be helpful to create a routine for yourself so that you’re dedicating a set amount of hours each day to starting your voice acting career.
• A professional demo and high-quality equipment are key. I cannot stress enough how important a professional demo is. Imagine you’re interviewing someone for a job and they show up in ripped jeans with their hair askew. Would you hire that person based on your first impression? Unless it’s for a heavy metal music booking company, probably not. Your demo is your prospective client’s first impression of you. If there’s background noise or the sound is muffled or you’re popping your p’s too much, that’s going to reflect poorly on you and what the client assumes your capabilities are. Get into a studio with a producer and director so that you can take advantage of their expertise. Don’t forget that we can help you with that too!

If after reading this article, you’re still feeling apprehensive and not jazzed enough, here are some books that I recommend to get you off your tush and into the world of voice acting!

The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

You’re a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero

We always enjoy hearing your feedback, so join the conversation and see what’s trending about Such A Voice!

We also provide more tips about how to get started with your voice acting career on our YouTube channel. We even have a video for this post, so you can hear the blog author, Bekka Burton, in action. Check it out below: 

                                                                                                   About the Author

Bekka Burton is a copywriter, scriptwriter and copy editor at Such A Voice. She’s also an English Language teacher forcing fun grammar activities onto unsuspecting students in Barcelona, Spain. She’s currently studying an online Diploma course for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Trinity College in London and will be pursuing a Master’s in Linguistics in Fall 2018. When she’s not studying, writing, editing or teaching, she’s sure to be found hiking mountains, reading books, and eating her way through many European cities.

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Getting to know one another before your first voice-over coaching session

Here at Such A Voice, we assign you a technique coach once you have selected and purchased your SAV voice-over package. After you have scheduled your voice-over coaching sessions and connected with your coach via Skype, you’ll meet each week to work together. SAV’s online voice-over training program is flexible and allows students to work around their other commitments. Since the voice-over coaching is done over Skype, it doesn’t matter where you or your coach live. In fact, some of our coaches work outside of the U.S in places like Spain and Germany! We have staff who can work with students both nationwide and internationally.

How I get to know my students before their first voice-over coaching session

Every coach has their own approach when it comes to learning more about their students. I email my new students a self-assessment worksheet before the first session. This two-page questionnaire asks the student more about what got them interested in voice-overs, what their current job is, and how much time they have to dedicate to voice-over training. I love reading these questionnaires, especially when students give lots of details. It gives me a good understanding of their background. It helps me to know how to begin and where to focus. Best of all, it makes me even more excited to work with them because I feel like we’ve already met!

Communication is Key

Coaches have to be good listeners while students need to be good communicators. If a student can express the struggles they are feeling along the way, the coach will be able to flesh out which techniques work best and help navigate their student to connect authentically to the copy. While your coach is following the SAV curriculum, we are free to personalize the voice-over coaching sessions for the student, focusing on areas that require more attention. SAV coaches also bring their own VO experiences to the sessions. My background inspired me to write an article for the Such A Voice blog about voice-over practice exercises you can do outside of the booth. It’ll be posted on the blog in June, so keep an eye out for it!

Be Prepared

It helps to be prepared in order to make the most out of your voice-over coaching sessions. As a coach, I make sure my students and I are connected on Skype at least a day before our first session.I have my email open and my phone close by in the rare case that any technical issues arise with Skype. I also have the lesson and scripts open on my computer to readily follow along with what my student is reading. As a student, you should prepare the same way so you and your coach can make the most out of your time together. In addition, you should have completed your homework assignment and be ready to access the lesson at your fingertips so you’re ready to work!

Enjoy it

Before your first voice-over coaching session, get your mind and attitude set to have fun! When you are reading for your coach, this is the place to try everything. One of my most important objectives when working with a student is to create a safe space. I once had an influential instructor in college teach me a valuable lesson. She said, “If you’re not failing, then you’re not pushing yourself.” Express different ways to read the script, let go of inhibitions, put your entire body into the reads, and play! If you keep yourself buttoned up we’ll hear that in your voice. So don’t be afraid to try new things because there are no mistakes in your voice-over coaching sessions, only more opportunities to practice!

A Final Word

The VO industry consists of many talented, independent, and self-motivated artists. As a student, it’s your responsibility to train, develop your self-directing ear, practice, create your home studio, market yourself, and audition for gigs. Such A Voice offers support in all these areas. Your technique coach is your mentor. They help guide you according to the grainline of who you are. We are here to teach you the principles of the craft and most importantly, we are a part of your team here to support and encourage you to carry on with your voice-over career. We are always on your side rooting for your success. We love to hear about your successes, so please stay in touch!

Enjoyed reading this content? We’d love to hear more of your feedback about our blog. 

We’re also on YouTube! Check out the video for this post:

                                                                                                              About the Author

Rosemary Chase is a NY-based SAG-AFTRA union actor and voice-over artist. She has been featured on numerous television and feature film projects, including such hit shows as “Elementary”, “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”, and has appeared in several episodes of “Saturday Night Live”. She has voiced projects for GE Capital, Fidelity, a variety of dubbing projects, and a short film (playing an on-air radio personality). She landed her first feature animation film playing a loveable cow, Theodora, in “Pup 2 No Good”. Rosemary’s long list of diverse acting training from local studios around her NYC neighborhood include stand-up comedy at The Comedy Cellar, improv at Upright Citizen’s Brigade, and Meisner Training, at MN Studio. To learn more about Rosemary’s journey as a voice-over artist, visit www.rosemarychase.com.

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There’s this old saying: “Only learn something once. After that you’re a total expert and will be lauded as a genius in your field.”

Just kidding, that would be ridiculous. How about this one?

“You don’t understand anything until you learn it more than one way.” -Marvin Minsky

Ah, better.

My Origin Story or That Time I Googled Voice-Over

When I first decided to pursue a voice-over career, I was on a break from work. I was miserable in my job. Life circumstances had left me in a rut with little direction. I needed something I could be proud of. Something that was mine. It was time to pursue voice-over, but there was a big question that I had to ask: How do I become a voice actor? I ended up asking Google this question. Seriously, that’s all I did. That led to a link for Such A Voice and then some amazing conversations with lovely people about voice-over coaching. Finally, I told my husband I was going to invest in a voice-over training program to become a voice actor. I will never forget it because his face was excited for me, while his brain was probably thinking, “What the heck is she doing?” But, I had that tone he knows so well that meant: “Trust me. I know what I’m doing.” Shortly after, I began my voice-over coaching with Bill Sleeper for my commercial and narration demos, followed by an audiobook demo produced by Michael Yurchak.

After that, I never had to learn anything ever again and ended up building a whole career on learning all of the information one time!

I’m kidding… remember the first part of the blog post? We’re doing that again. Look alive.

I received incredible voice-over coaching from the SAV staff. They gave me an amazing foundation and a wealth of knowledge that I still use everyday in my work. I’ve built a successful voice-over business that I’m proud of. If I had relied solely on my voice-over coaching sessions and never sought out any other knowledge, I would be in a very different place.

If you’re serious about taking a passion and making it your career, your life, and your purpose, it requires a lot of you. Here’s the oversimplified version: you are introduced to a skill, you love the skill, you train in the skill, you do the skill for money or accolades. People say “Wow, look at their mad skills!” What you never hear is people saying, “Wow, look at how they keep improving their skills and investing in continued education like a serious professional!” However, that’s kind of the most important part.

Natural Talent is Not Enough

When I was four years old, my grandma signed me up for piano lessons. We discovered I had some natural talent. I had a knack for timing and musicality. By the age of eight, I was competing for a chance to tour with the Utah Symphony Orchestra. There were hundreds of competitors and only seven finalist spots. I played my Mozart Concerto for the judges and totally nailed it. I vividly remember walking up to the finalist list they posted on the bulletin board at the end of the day. If I was a finalist, I had to stay and perform again. If I wasn’t, I got to go to the zoo. I was an alternate, and all of the finalists were present, so I got to go to the zoo. My eight-year-old heart was thrilled because, ya know, penguins.

I competed for several more years before deciding being a pianist wasn’t my ultimate goal, but let’s focus on those four years between my first lesson and my trip to the zoo. I had natural talent, but that alone wasn’t getting me anywhere near that competition. First of all, I had an amazing teacher. She gave me the tools, provided me with honest constructive criticism, and encouraged me to grow, but even that alone couldn’t develop my skills. It was the hours, and I mean HOURS, of practice time and music theory study. It wasn’t always pretty either. Most of those hours were spent playing scales and chords over and over again to build dexterity. It was going through countless flashcards to remember time signatures, note values, symbols, music history, etc. It was playing one line of music with a metronome, increasing the tempo little by little. This usually ended with me laying on the piano bench sobbing while my grandma made me a grilled cheese.  So, let’s drive all of this home.

Devour Voice-Over Knowledge

Soak up all of the knowledge you can about voice-overs and this industry. Take what serves you, let go of what doesn’t. Your needs are going to change. It’s just like reading your favorite book at different times in your life. You will find different lessons as you grow and gain experience.

Where do you find this info? If you’re in a Such A Voice Demo Program or are a VO Pro Member, you have access to a lot of information from VO experts. Watch the videos, listen to the bi-weekly teleconferences, and read the blog. Go back to all three of these resources and do it all over again. Don’t let it go to waste. In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your voice-over training is to ignore these materials. Listen to podcasts by VO professionals, read VO books, budget in additional
voice-over coaching sessions to keep your skills fresh, attend conferences, find voice-over workshops in your area, and take a local improv class. Invest, absorb, repeat.

One of the most motivating things I ever heard was on the ID10T podcast with Chris Hardwick. I’m paraphrasing, but he made the comment that even people like Steve Carell and Tina Fey, while they had natural comedic talent, had to train for years to become who they are.

So, I leave you with this question: Who do you want to become?

Enjoyed reading this content? We’d love to hear more of your feedback about our blog.

We’re also on YouTube! Check out the video for this post:

                                        About the Author

Tia Rider Sorensen is a voice actor and writer in the Salt Lake City area. She got her start with Such A Voice in their VIP program and has since completed over 50 audiobooks, several corporate and explainer videos, as well as some commercial and animation work. You can see more of her work at www.tiasorensen.com.

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As a voice-over artist, your voice-over demo is the most useful tool you have in getting your voice heard and allowing potential clients and agents to have a comprehensive understanding of what you offer as a unique and capable voice talent. When you think about it, your demo is your calling card, business card, and resume all rolled into one! That’s why

Here’s how to create a compelling voice-over demo:

Get up to Speed

It’s important to become familiar with industry standards and understand the reasoning behind them before creating your voice-over demo. Most demos are around 60 seconds long these days. One reason is because people have shorter attention spans than ever before. Another reason is that there is more content being made nowadays and potential clients simply don’t have enough time to listen to longer demos in order to decide who they are interested in working with. Making sure your demo fits into the voice-over landscape shows clients that you’re in tune with what’s going on in the industry.

Focus on Genre

It’s important that your voice-over demo showcases one specific genre, as opposed to being a compilation of different genres on one demo. Voice seekers are busy, and they don’t have time to wade through a long montage to eventually see if you can master the style they’re looking for. That’s why having a genre-specific demo that accurately showcases your current skill set in that particular genre is a must for any voice-over artist.

Commercial and narration demos are common genres to focus on initially, and will remain staples of your demo arsenal. As you grow in your voice work, you may want to create specialty demos in other genres. These include animation, promo, audiobook, narration, and foreign language.

Great Content

When selecting scripts for your demo, make sure the copy is strong and allows you to shine as a performer. Choose marketable content that accurately reflects your capabilities. Ensure the spots you choose are evergreen, meaning that they can be used months and potentially years down the road without the content feeling dated.

Show Your Range

As a voice actor, you’ve honed the ability to create a variety of different reads and interpretations. Your demo should showcase your best performances, showing enough range and versatility to capture the listener’s attention, hold it, and leave them wanting more.

Quality Matters

Your demo should reflect the level of professionalism and quality you aim to offer your future clients. In keeping with a high standard of excellence, it’s optimal for your demo to be professionally recorded in a studio. The most marketable passages with the strongest performances should then be selected, ideally by a post producer with experience in the industry. Finally, an audio engineer should bring their expertise to the table, adding music and sound effects, and ultimately editing, sequencing, mixing, and mastering the demo.

It’s easy to feel nervous about creating your voice-over demo, especially for the first time, but if you start out having these key points covered, you can feel confident that you’re ready to create a compelling voice-over demo.

Check out our VO Pro Membership and the Such A Voice blog for more content like this!

About the Author

Claudine Ohayon is an Emmy Award-winning director/producer, commercial and promotional voice talent for brands like Verizon, Listerine, and MasterCard, native Brooklynite, published photographer. She was also the live announcer for the first ever televised Hollywood Film Awards on CBS.

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I hear it from voice-over professionals and from folks who are brand new to the industry. “How do I train my voice to sound better?” It’s a refreshing question and one that every voice-over artist should ask themselves. Because hey, let’s face it, some of us were born with a great voice and some of us had to work hard on our craft but regardless of natural talent, you can train your voice to sound better. The most important thing to do is to get a coach who can help you improve on both your strengths and weaknesses, but if you’re looking to level up in your spare time, here are a few ways to do so.

First and foremost, care for your voice. When you step up to the mic, you want your throat, mouth and tongue to be in tip-top shape. For this reason, hydration is one of the most important things that a voice-over artist needs to focus on. A dry mouth will quickly ruin your reads so plan on drinking water throughout the day. Don’t just start chugging water once you hit the studio either, prepare well ahead of time. Needing to take multiple bathroom breaks can ruin your flow and, if you’re working with an engineer, be a serious waste of time and money.

Being conscious of the temperature of your beverage is also important. Ice cold beverages should be avoided. Tea and room temperature water work best and some VO artists like to use sprays to make sure their vocal cords are feeling golden. Play around with what works best for you but the bottom line is that you should find something that helps you avoid a dry mouth and clears out your throat.

Next, warm up and stretch out! Personally, I like doing a few tongue twisters before I start recording. I try and do them in my low register, my normal speaking voice and then in a high register. Be sure not to push your voice too hard. If your throat starts to feel any discomfort, back off a bit. You want to stretch out your vocal cords, not stress them out. Also, it’s better to do your voice warm-ups while standing. Sitting down works for some people but I’ve always found that standing up, stretching out your diaphragm and focusing on getting ready to project your voice will help to train it best.

When you’re feeling ready to rock, try reading your script (or scripts if this is just practice) in different styles. It’s good to think about who you are as a reader and what you should sound like, but it’s always  helpful to play around with that. Let’s say you have a script for a car commercial. Well, you’re probably going to want to sound happy, friendly and cool. After all, you’re selling a car to the listener. But why not try reading the script in different ways? This is an excellent way to help train your voice. Read the script as though you’re mad. Then do one where you’re really sad. Finish it off with an over-the-top read where the ad is suddenly the funniest thing you’ve ever read. Record all of these different styles and analyze them. Were there certain words or phrases that sounded better in one of these styles? I feel that far too often, we get stuck on a style of read for a given script and miss the chance to learn a few new VO tricks. This job is fun and while you should take it seriously, don’t get too stiff with it!

Once you’ve gone through the script a few times and feel familiar with it, try doing a take without looking at the copy itself. Obviously this only works if you’ve memorized what you’re recording but the easiest way to sound like you’re talking with someone, rather than reading to them, is to stop reading! When I have a script memorized, I like to focus on an object or picture in the studio (often it’s one of my cats, who have ruined some of my best work) and do a take where I’m speaking with my chosen target. This can make a read sound much more “real” and conversational. It’s also an excellent way to train your voice to live outside of the copy. Believability is one of the hardest things to teach and thus, I think it’s one of the most important things for you to practice.

Finally, listen to other voices as much as possible. This goes hand in hand with coaching as we all need as much perspective as possible. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know that I’m a firm believer that one of the best ways to train our voices is by listening to those who have found success using theirs. Don’t ignore your competition! Find out what it is that landed them the gigs that you would have liked for yourself. Do they read with more warmth than you? Do they emphasize certain parts of the script that you would have done differently? Listen to their work on youtube, voicebank.net or even voices.com. Professionals don’t practice on their own. They look to their colleagues and coaches to constantly improve and continue training themselves to be better at their job.

How do you train yourself to make your voice better? We’d love to hear from you so comment below!

Find this useful? Check out our VO Pro Membership!

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Remember when you were in high-school, and your English teacher would break you into groups to read and critique each other’s essays? Regardless of whether or not that was your favorite assignment, it always worked. You would pick up on the techniques and strategies that your peers were using, and in turn, you’d end up helping them develop their abilities, too.

Workshopping is, essentially, the act of entering a constructive dialogue with the sole purpose of gathering feedback and fresh ideas from peers in your field. It’s used famously by writers and actors to work intensively on figuring out the secrets of their fellow artists’ successes. So why not voice-over? If you’ve ever received professional coaching, you can think of a workshop in much the same way, except you will act as both the student and the teacher.

To get started, run a search online to see if there are any voice-over groups in your community. You can check sites like MeetUp, Facebook, and FrontPorchForum. You could even reach out to theaters, community colleges, and arts centers to see if they’re hosting any workshops. If you can’t find one, then start one! The best part about voice-over is that you don’t even need it to be an in-person affair. You can start a group online with fellow voice-actors and simply work through email.

Here’s how you can get the most out of your workshop experience:

Have no fear – To engage with a workshop experience is to enter into a real, critical conversation focusing entirely on you, your craft, and what others’ see as your triumphs and challenges. You need to be open to receiving feedback that you might not want to hear, and if you want to get the most out of your experience, you need to receive each critique constructively.

Give constructive feedback – If you’re joining an existing workshop, ask for some advice on how to structure your comments constructively, and in a way that is consistent with the way that group conducts itself. This also means that you shouldn’t simply tell someone that they have a nice voice, or that they’re pretty good. Look for ways in which someone can improve, or offer affirmation if someone asks whether something is effective or not. Phrase your feedback in a way that would be beneficial to you.

Come with questions – It’s helpful to guide a critique of your work if you come with prepared questions so that your group can provide direction where you need it. If you’re working on a specific accent or character voice, then perhaps you can record a few variations of a short read in order to receive feedback on what’s working and what isn’t.

Share the spotlight – If your group doesn’t have a strong moderator, or even if they do, try to keep your comments short and direct. Actionable is the best word to keep in mind during these experiences, because everyone is there to learn and receive something usable. Light conversation is nice, but should take place outside of the workshop to ensure that everyone remains focused and on-track.

Listen to all feedback – Don’t only listen to the feedback that people give to you. The critiques that other voice talent receive are equally as valid, and can most likely be applied to you and your craft, whether it’s focusing on delivery, script analysis, or recording techniques.

Take notes – Workshops are invigorating, exciting environments, and it’s easy to get swept up in the momentum of it all, so be sure that you’re keeping track of the feedback that you and others are receiving. You can do this either by taking notes on your computer, smartphone, a notepad, or even just by recording the whole workshop (make sure you get everyone’s permission beforehand). Your notes are your takeaway, and you’ll want to refer back to what was suggested as you work to improve your methods. Writing notes also helps commit things to memory!

Create an action plan – Take your notes and any lingering thoughts or ideas, and organize them into an actionable plan for how you’ll apply what you’ve learned in the studio. An education is only as effective as its implementation. Take the criticism and suggestions that your peers have provided, and figure out how you can make improvements/changes to your current methods.

Know Yourself – Don’t take everything that your peers suggest as gospel. This doesn’t mean you should reject things that you disagree with, it just means that if you try something and it doesn’t feel right, or doesn’t provide the results you’re seeking, then you shouldn’t feel obligated to hold strong to your peers’ direction. Every idea is worth vetting, but not all of them will be revolutionary to your approach.

Above all else, be sure that you’re engaging with your fellow voice actors in a way that is both enriching and encouraging. Deliver criticism that you’d like to receive, and always take into consideration the fact that your peers are here for the same reason you are: to pursue continued growth and development as a pro talent.

Check out Nancy Wilson’s 2-hour online workshop: Tips & Tricks for Making the Copy Uniquely Yours!

Available dates include…

August 6th – 11:00am-1:00pm EST
August 10th – 7:30pm-9:30pm EST

Alexander Goss is the Chief Administrative Officer at Such A Voice. With a BFA in creative writing from Green Mountain College, Alexander has hosted and moderated several successful writing workshops.

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In the grown up world of work, bills, and multitasking, sometimes we can get so tied up with our responsibilities and our goals, that we forget to play. When is the last time you really had fun? Believe it or not, going out and really having fun can sometimes do wonders for your voice over reads. With voice over (and perhaps many other areas of life) we must sometimes remind ourselves to enjoy each moment, and to love what we do.

Often times, when we are learning the art of voice overs, or any new skill, we have to really concentrate on that new skill set. There is frequently a certain amount of tension involved, and work that must be done to truly understand how to apply ourselves to what we’re doing. And yet if there is a lot of tension around that desire to really ‘nail’ a read, it can really get in the way of connecting to the fun, the humor, or even the sense of vulnerability that being in the moment of that read should have.

Of course there are a wide range of tones and feelings in various voice over scripts, and the word ‘play’ may not seem to suit all of them. Sometimes we might lead with a sense of drama, or a sense of seriousness, or professionalism. However, being able to connect with openness, bring in a sense of ease, and allow for spontaneity can still be a huge part of finding a winning read when working in VO. This is why learning how to master and eliminate tension is such an important part of learning to really connect with our work. (Please see my past blog article about connecting to breath which will also help with this.)

One of the things I find very helpful in releasing tension and freeing up these reads is very simple. SHAKE IT OUT! Simply shake your body. Shake your hands, shake your head, shake your feet, jump a little. It’s energizing and releases tension. It can connect us to that sense of play and spontaneity again. Vocal warm ups can also be really great. Singing, going up and down in pitch, doing trills. All of that really helps energize, engage, and activate in a way that can be playful and freeing.

Also, bring a sense of play into your approach of working with scripts. There may a set of descriptive words that describe the tone and feeling of the read. Play around with them to keep yourself from getting locked in. How much range can you find? Can you get more serious? More playful? Can you turn on a dime to find more levels?  Play around with who you’re talking to. How does it feel or sound different when you’re talking to your brother, your mother, your son? Your best friend? Can you play around with location? What if you have a very intimate sounding read? How would it sound if you were in a church? Or staring at the stars? While playing with these elements it can also help you find the choices that may end up being most effective for the piece you’re working on!

Having this sense of freedom, and ability to change it up, will help you when working with directors as well. It helps keep you from sounding stiff or over-rehearsed, and puts you in a place where you can more easily take direction.

Our job as VO artists is to bring life to our reads. When a voice over artist is truly having fun with what they’re doing, we hear it, and we gravitate toward it. This is why so many coaches frequently remind their students to smile. When we fully embrace and live our own lives, it also helps us to embrace the life of the script.

Aria McKenna is an award-winning actress who has worked in films, TV, and the stage. She’s also a sought-after voice talent who has worked for major brands like Disney, Chevy, Fiat, Chanel, Yokohama, and more. You can find her work at ariamckenna.com.

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