Getting into the Vocal Performance Industry...

[clicktrack]

How does one get into vocal performance for radio spots, commericals, etc? Its one thing to get a vocal coach, but after that, how does one find jobs?

Someone I know, knowing that I dabble with strange audio-entertainment people, asked me.

They seemed disappointed with my blank look and "unhhhh....I dunno" :)

Can anyone enlighten me :). Tim? J.G.?

Cheers

[J.G.]

First off, make a quality demo reel-with the spotlight on the strongest suits.

If you do character voices and impersonations, highlight those, and if possible, why not work the characters into an actual, (and hopefully entertaining), story? This way, not only the vox-work is on the stage, but the writing ability too. I've had lots of copy-writing work come to me from the writing exhibited on my reel, as well as from in-studio situations involving copy that was, 'tweakable'.

(That reminds me, I've gotta do a whole new reel for myself, as since I recorded my last, there's been a NUMBER of voices that have popped outta the wood work).

If you're a singer, attach some excerpts in as many different genres as you got, nice and short and sweet and ear-catching.

Then fire that reel off to as many studios and websites as you can find, after making some innitial contact first, and on the phone too, as right away, your voice is rate-able for the engineer.

And then do a lil voodoo.

; J

[clicktrack]

Thanks, Lady J.G...

I'll pass on the info...

If anything else comes to mind, please do add it :).

Cheers
W.

[saxplayerz]

Click ,

Also alot of vo work is also posted online. Guru.com and getafreelancer.com have constant listings for voice over jobs.

[clicktrack]

Great information...

Thanks!

[Bob Olhsson]

By far the best training and exposure is working for a radio station. You are expected to be able to read copy without any rehearsal and to direct yourself, stopping when you blow a word and picking it up in such a manner that it can easily be edited on the spot.

All of this has to be done while selling yourself to a client who is in a hurry and knows little or nothing other than what they like when they hear it.

The folks who are good at this earn big bucks because the folks who aren't good at this cost the client even bigger bucks.

[pounce]

i used to be an agent for voice actors, so i have a lot of information about this. here is a short answer, a long answer to follow.

there are three types of voice actor demo's - narration, commercial, and character/accent/foriegn language. singing demos are entirely different and i'll put those aside as a different kind of demo, particularly because you'd never want singing on a vo demo or vice versa.

narration is the classic resonant and confident "newsy" type voice over style.

commercial is where most people are, and where the most work is. voices might not be the "voice of god" like in narration, but these guys and gals sound like real people and have an acting emphasis.

character/accent/foreign language is exactly as the name suggests. for demo reels of this type of thing, they are usually seperate from the narrator and commercial reels, if the person even does any of this. these are specialty voices, however some of those versatile folks with professional level accents, impersonations, or those fluently bilingual might have a nice range of material to put on such a demo.

demo's have to be short, as usual the decision of if you'll be hired will be made in the first 15 seconds or so. there is no point to a demo being longer than two minutes.

demo's should have full music and production. they are often listened to by end clients who don't necessarily have the imagination to envision your voice in full production, so you have to give it to them.

i suggest folks start by identifying which of the three catagories they are working in. for instance, newscaster do the narrative thing. they can read well, but generally they aren't good actors. real actors do the commercial reads, and that is where the most action is. folks with acting ability interested in voice work should start by listening to tv and radio to identify spots featuring people with voice qualities like their own. when fashioning a demo, it should include spots like those identified above and seem as much like real work as possible. until you have real work of that sort, in which casee your demo will feature the real work which is excellent. until then, the demo should sound like real work.

i like to keep those demo types separate from each other. so yes, i had some performers with two different demos. that worked out better. have that demo be the shortest distance between the clients imagination and hiring you.

websites and agents follow from there, and if you can self record so much the better. it seems to be a growing trend. plus a vo setup isn't particularly expensive.

ok, more on this later, but this is a start.

[J.G.]

My demo reel leads with my "slightly sexy announcer voice", (which I've done the most spots with, followed closely by the "uber-sexy", kinda of, "Jennifer-sound", of WPRP fame ; ). Then the demo showcases the 20 or so characters and accents that fit into a kind of improvy story-line.

As a rule, I have found that the call for character voices comes rarely in radio and television spots, so yes it's a great heads up to make completely gig-specific reels, cheers, Pounce. Although, I must say, my demo as it is, has gotten me loads of work over the years. Now for moooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!

I shall keep that 2-minute-cap in mind when I record my next one, as well as making entirely dedicated reels for the narration, commercial and the singing/jingle stuff.

Problem is, that I do so many character-voices, fitting them all into 2 minutes is to say the least, a challenge--but a fun one, so here's hoping they don't fight over who gets to go first, that Aaron Neville can be a real mic-hog.. :Razz:

: J

[pounce]

with respect to two minutes, the same thing applies generally with voice over as it does for band demo's. if a client has actually listened to a two minute demo all the way through you are either hired, or they are going to ask you to read the actual copy. someone who isn't getting the job is likely to not have the entire demo played. the demo should present their voice well and quickly, as a client will know quickly.

when i've been with clients making selections, we always knew in 30 seconds or less whether a voice was a match for their needs or not.

thing is, demo's need to work for the most clueless of clients. sure, they will also be used by smarter people in production companies in the industry who have a little more imagination. but a demo should be prepared for the lowest common denominator of company owner who just wants someone to sell his widget. and dont' be surprised if the person picking the voice they like the best is the owners secreatary. that lady might be the one to make or break your career.

things i like in a demo...

i love it when the person says their name at the beginning. literally, just "hi, i'm joe blow" two seconds. if you are listening to a lot of demos it helps, truly.

i want demo's to sound like finished work that has aired. it's a psychological thing, you sound like the folks they hear on the radio. you seem to be already working and busy, so you are more attractive to them. you are already an experienced pro.

you find material that fits your vocal style, so everything is comfortably in range. but it also demonstrates the range of ability that you have a professional competence in.

i like them to be quickly edited, move from one thing to another without a lot of time dwelling on one thing. this is audio fingerfood. at least for commercial demo's. give them a taste of a number of reads.

for instance, reads might be... dad, banker, friend, husband, do-it-yourselfer, customer, employee, manager, friendly announcer, voice of god announcer, etc. those all read different. learn to make the subtle distinctions so that these different reads are presented properly.

listen to radio and find out what people with your voice quality are doing. your demo should include that type of work. you are trying to find the shortest path between your voice and what is actually getting hired out right now. otherwise, check with you agent, production company, or even the net to get additional scripts. perhaps old commercials that were actually done whose copy you could use on a demo. there are plenty of scripts in the world, you shouldn't have to write one. however, you might generally transcribe something you've heard broadcast.

i recommend not having a picture with a vo demo. you want them to imagine you however they do. you are selling the voice acting, so don't include a picture. really, no matter how good looking you think you are. nothing about your age, race, or looks should factor into the decision for if they hire you so don't cloud things up. let the demo do the work.

for physical demo cd's and the like, everything should contain all pertinent contact information. list your agents contact only, or if you don't have an agent yet (why don't you?) then it could list your contact info. an agent won't submit one with your contact info on it. but clear contact information is important, so take care of that.



ok, so those are a few more ideas. i'll try to find a good demo to link to. unfortunately, i don't have a really great demo example in hand to post, but i sure remember the couple of good ones that were the best from all of the tapes i had when i was involved in this kind of work. i could compare the really good with the other ones, and the good ones did simply get more work than the others. the idea of this is to get more work. and if you are working already, there is still the question of how many more gigs will you get? or i should say how many gigs is your current demo losing you because it is making a fundamental mistake? you gotta think about that when putting a killer demo together. the one bit of perspective i have that is really gold here is that i've been able to listen to and compare the demo's of a lot of talented people, know the demos' real well, and see the relationship of the demo/talent and who finally got booked for gigs. so my opinion on good demo's has a lot to do with what actually brings in the money.

[bunnerabb]

*heads over to Jaunita's website*

:icon_eek: :Confused: :lol:

HOLY FREAKING CRAP!

You are like an ambulatory cartoon!

And she's pretty, guys! Like.. PRETTY!

Ok... I got first dibs on a lunch date.

*combs hair*

o O ( the table is gonna be major crowded, though )

:very happy:

Awesome.

[Tim Halligan]

OK...

All of the high points have been hit...demo...2 mins max...characters...sounds like a real production...blah blah blee...


What really hasn't been discussed is location.

This interweb thingy is all well and good for when the client/agency has their shit together ahead of time, but when they don't - and that is very frequently - you need to be where they are when they go "we need a XXXX style of voice on this spot NOW!

This is where it gets difficult depending on whether your dreams extend to national/international domination, or whether the goals are more modest...the best damn voiceover artist in West Bumfuck Idaho.

Be aware that the smaller markets tend to have their own "go-to" guys and girls...people who the local agencies have used before and who they know can be available at very short notice, and who will get the job done with very little trouble.

You need to be available at a moments notice. You need to know where all of the voice studios are...you don't want to get lost on the way to the gig. Punctuality is very important, because unlike a lot of music studios, voice studios charge by the hour...or in some cases by the half-hour. You'll only work once if you cause the client to go into overtime. If they cause it - no sweat.

Be nice to the engineer, and ask the client if it's OK for you to get a copy of the finished spot. Offer to pay for it. Don't be offended if the client says no.

The big thing to remember is that this is not a glamorous life. There aren't many - if any - perks.

No insurance, no sick pay, no holiday pay, no workers compensation. The money is average, and you are in competition with every other voice actor in the world now.

Expect to be doing a few freebies just to get your name known. Expect to be taken advantage of. Expect to be stuffed around by the client. Expect to be cancelled frequently without being given a reason. Expect to read some of the worst drivel ever written about products and services you don't care about, yet are expected to make sound like the best thing ever.


Still wanna do it?


Cheers,
Tim

[pounce]

yes, everything tim said is spot on.

we had a few darling boys/girls who were versatile and got on well with the local production companies. this handful of folks got the lions share of the work. they'd go to the place on breaks, lunch hours, you name it... anything they could do to be available to get there quick. they'd sneak in work all the time.

the best guys got regular spokesperson type gigs. one an announcer for a regional retail chain, another my go to spanish translater and vo for broadcast commercials in spanish. they shot em in english and he did the spanish versions for the company here so that they could just ship both versions from home base. those two guys made a ton of money. add my next best 4 people and you have the list of 6 people who made 90 percent of the money for sure.

if you are interested in this type of work with the advice and warnings above, i'd still suggest taking at least one acting class if you haven't already. and perhaps a directing class. anything you can do to understand performing better, stretch yourself as a voice actor, and learn about the directors perspective as well to help facilitate your understand of all sides of the process.

i don't know if tim can address what he is seeing in the industry now. i know the move toward more and more folks with a fax machine and a recording setup tracking their own takes at thier home studio was happening. are you seeing much of this? do they connect via isdn? or is that passe? perhaps just using ftp? just curious. i'd seen the trend heading that way. in my time it was isdn, i'm not sure what is the norm for self recording vo artists now.

[Tim Halligan]

i don't know if tim can address what he is seeing in the industry now. i know the move toward more and more folks with a fax machine and a recording setup tracking their own takes at thier home studio was happening. are you seeing much of this? do they connect via isdn? or is that passe? perhaps just using ftp? just curious. i'd seen the trend heading that way. in my time it was isdn, i'm not sure what is the norm for self recording vo artists now.

I've seen a couple of things...

ISDN in this business is dead...unless the agency has a big budget and the voice talent is in a studio at the other end, and they really want to direct the performance. And all the planets are aligned, and it's a Thursday. :lol:

It seems to be email/ftp these days...but that seems to be because the client has a mate who does voice-overs in London...or somewhere...and is getting a deal on the voice. What I'm not seeing yet is "Get <insert name here> in London for this one because he's the perfect voice for this...and we don't care about the cost."

By far, the bulk of our stuff is still the VO talent reading in our studio, with the client/agency at the session.

We do a couple of smaller jobs on a semi-regular basis, where the talent reads at our shop, and we play the go-take to the client down the phone, and email the final to the regional post-house as an mp3. It sucks...but that's how they want to do it. Money talks.


There is a frightening new-ish trend that I've seen, which is a particular studio in Queensland is offering full production for stupid money.

Voice-over only reads of your script for $80!!!

All of the local voice-over talent want this guy to be first against the wall when the revolution comes.

He is cheapening the entire industry. It's possible to get a radio track written, recorded, produced with music, and distributed to the stations without having to leave your bedroom for around $150...even less for regional markets...

His clientelle seems to be mainly the bottom-feeders of the industry...but when your clientelle includes bottom-feeders and they start asking why you are more expensive, it can lead to some uncomfortable moments.

I know some of the local voice-over talent have now got their own little home set-ups, but that hasn't chopped into our market as far as I can tell...I hope...


Cheers,
Tim

[Tim Halligan]

I've just had a thought as to why voice-overs across the world aren't really taking off...

Residuals/roll-overs,

and the different rates for different countries.

In the market I work in, commercial voice-overs are paid at different rates for different media, and usage times.

So, a 3 month tv spot costs less than a 12 month tv spot. After 3 or 12 months of use, the talent is entitled to some more money if the client wishes to continue using it.

Radio is different again.

Corporate is different from broadcast.

I know that rates and residuals are vastly different in England, and I imagine also in the USA...where major metro and regional rates might differ as well.

Exchange rate becomes an issue for the client. Payment collection becomes an issue (trust me on this one...) and the expectations of the talent themselves are different.

At the moment - for my market - non-Australian origin voice-overs are cost prohibitive for most clients. If a client requires an American accent for example....well, there are enough of you buggers already over here to make it pointless to look at the source. Likewise Poms.

We've just done a 14 language corporate training film, and we were able to source all of the voice-talent and checkers locally. It just took awhile...


Cheers,
Tim

[CurtZHP]

*heads over to Jaunita's website*

:icon_eek: :Confused: :lol:

HOLY FREAKING CRAP!

You are like an ambulatory cartoon!

And she's pretty, guys! Like.. PRETTY!

Ok... I got first dibs on a lunch date.

*combs hair*

o O ( the table is gonna be major crowded, though )

:very happy:

Awesome.


I hate to break it to you, but I think she's spoken for.

[J.G.]

I hate to break it to you, but I think she's spoken for.

Yes, and with one of my owwwwwwwwn voiiiiiiiiiiices too... :Razz:

Glad you enjoyed the site, Bunner.

: J