Many people have the notion that voice over is just creating a voice for a character in a cartoon. Voice over or voice acting, however, is really anything where you hear the performer but do not see them and can be defined as any audio recording or performance of one or more unseen voices for the purpose of communicating a message. And, voice over work is in all forms of life — you just may not realize it.
Most voice overs are recorded in a professional studio but with the changing times, this industry has seen an increase in using a home studio for audio recording. The convenience and the flexibility of working from home or any place, makes this career choice highly attractive.
Voice over includes:
Radio: On-air promotion. Occasionally, outside voice talent will be used, but not often.
Radio Commercials: Promotion, and imaging: most commercials are produced outside the station by advertising agencies, but when the need arises, they will use outside talent.
Television: Commercials, promotion and programming all use voice over talent in one way or another. Most television productions using voice over talent are actually produced outside of the station.
Corporate/Industrial: There are literally thousands of locally produced audio and video presentations recorded each year for the business community. Here are some examples of Corporate/Industrial voice over work:
- Message-on-hold
- In-store offers
- Sales & Marketing
- Convention/Trade Show Presentations
- Training and Instructional Programs
CD-ROM, Video Games & Multimedia: This market for voice over talent developed as a result of the explosion of computer-based CD-ROM games and instructional software.
Animation: This is a very specialized area of performing, and definitely not for everyone. Voice over work for animati0n can be very challenging to break into but rewarding and exciting.
Audio Books: These are recordings of books and magazines. Audio recordings for the visually impaired.
Getting work in voice over is largely a numbers game: the more contacts you have, the more you will work. The more work you do, the better known you will become. The better known you become, the more people want to hire you, and you get more work.
Creating Demos and Using The Right Equipment
Always keep a few demos and business cards with you and be ready to pitch yourself whenever the opportunity arises. Remember to always present yourself professionally. In the world of voice acting, your demo is your calling card. It is your portfolio. It is your audio résumé. It is your letter of introduction. It is the single most important thing you must have if you are to compete in the world of voice over.
One of the ways to get a professional demo is using the right equipment for audio recording, and this means using proper acoustical treatment.
VocalboothToGo.com provides some easy yet practical and effective solutions to create your home studio on a budget. See more how to make Vocal Booth on tracks without taking away your floor space, or portable vocal booth, that allows to create superior sounding recordings on a road, so you can get your competitive edge by being able to provide immediate results to your clients.
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