Everybody in the voice acting industry wants to excel, but not everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to get to the top. If you want to be better, you should consider taking voice acting classes.
Voice acting classes are important tools to help develop your skills. There are different types of classes that focus on different types of voice over work. These classes develop your talent and provide personalized tips from experienced coaches.
The industry has become very saturated and competitive. Because of this, having a good voice is often not enough. You should be able to master every nook and cranny of your skill, whether it’s delivery or demo making.
Your natural talent will get you far, but voice acting classes will give you an edge. Even Morgan Freeman credited his teacher for his wonderful voice. Because of this, choosing the right coach is also crucial for career success. To make it easier for you, we’ve gathered everything you need to know about voice acting classes.
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This post has been updated in August 2021.
What Are Voice Acting Classes?
You may be thinking that everything you need to know is already on the internet. And so why do you need to spend money on voice acting classes? If you intend to make your career last, enrolling in a coaching class is an investment you need to make. The cost of these lessons varies depending on the type of lesson, your location, and the coach’s experience. Prepare to shell out between $35 to $175 per hour.
Wherever you are, chances are, there are tons of voice acting coaches near you. All it takes is a simple Google search. If you want a more convenient option, you may also attend online coaching.
Unlike the voice lessons you are used to, voice over coaching is more in-depth. It is dedicated to finding the right voice for you and help you perfect it. By the end of the classes, you would be able to utilize your voice that will make you stand out. Attending voice acting classes will also give you credibility in the eyes of your clients.
The secret of successful voice talents is they can create a wide array of characters and deliver emotions with their voice. All the personas you can do should be believable. While many voice acting coaches also work with simple voice overs that only require narration, you can expect more intense training on your speech, emotion, and communication.
Types of Voice Acting Classes
Voice acting classes do not follow a one size fits all module. Coaches tailor the lessons depending on your vocal quality and skill level. Here are the most common types of voice acting classes out there for you.
Accent classes
If you can do several accents, you will have a higher chance of being hired for certain projects. Perhaps the reason why you are taking a course like this is that you are planning to audition for a job that requires you to speak with a foreign accent. Your ability to learn an accent depends on where you are from. For example, those who have an American accent do not find it hard to pick up Russian. On the other hand, Americans have a hard time doing a French accent because of certain letters.
Mastering foreign accents are hard. For voice acting classes that focus on accents, you may be first tasked to listen. Here, you are expected to pick up the qualities of a native speaker of the accent you are trying to master.
Learning how to sound like native speakers would be challenging if you don’t have a coach since you might miss even the most obvious mistakes. But a coach can help you change the way you sound through certain techniques.
You will be aware of your placement or where the accent lies in the mouth, and oral posture or how the tongue, jaw, and lips move to perform the accent. The last step in this course is finally speaking with the accent. There is more to this step than simply reading the lines. You have to practice every day so you can develop muscle memory.
Commercial classes
Do you remember your favorite radio ad? The reason why it made an impression is not just because of the script, but the overall impact the voice talent adds. Many people think doing commercial voice over work is easy, but it takes an insane amount of skill to make a script come alive.
Taking voice acting classes that focus on commercials will let you in on important tips and tricks of the trade on how to get your tone right, depending on the script. This tip is helpful since you may be asked to do a child’s voice today, and your assignment tomorrow may require you to have a serious voice.
Benefits of Voice Acting Classes
The advantages you’ll gain from taking voice over classes transcends improving your skill. If you’re still not sold on taking voice acting classes, maybe these reasons below will convince you otherwise.
Networking
When you participate in voice acting classes, you are developing many critical aspects for your career success. Classes will aid you in developing new skills and ways of thinking, as well as meeting new people. When you are participating in a group class, you will meet a diverse set of individuals who can give you opportunities in the future. Even if you are taking solo voice acting classes, your coach can aid help find the right people that can grant you jobs. With over 30% of hires coming from referrals, this aspect is truly something you need to get on board with.
Improve line delivery
If you’re having trouble perfecting pronunciation, tone, or phrasing, you need to join voice acting classes that focus on the basics. A coach will enable you to develop vocal competence you cannot achieve by practicing by yourself.
One of the many things you will learn from a voice coach is clarity. Even if you have a great voice, it will be for nothing if you cannot speak clearly. A coach will also aid you in progressing your literacy so you can read lines without stumbling, especially when you encounter unusual words.
Your capacity to deliver your lines depends on the command of your voice. Whether you want to achieve power and authority by increasing your voice’s volume, practice the pacing of your delivery, vary your tone, so the script does not sound monotonous, master the rise and fall of your voice, or learn when to pause, you can learn these vital tricks through the help of a coach.
More comfortable to act
A voice actor cannot expect to nail auditions if they are being held back by their inhibitions. This career still involves acting, and there is no way you can do well if you cannot stand the sound of your voice, especially when you are delivering emotional lines. A coach will help you to avoid getting embarrassed by the way you sound. When you finally bite this bullet, you can feel good about your voice and look at it in a less critical light.
Even if you’re already used to acting in front of the camera, voice acting is an entirely different job. For instance, you may be asked to slightly change pitch, pace, or highlight a certain word. When you are on camera, directors will rarely scrub line delivery. And a good voice actor expects this and can take directions and deliver what needs to be done.
Most voice actors also think twice about performing with their bodies because only their voices can be heard in the final output. Even though you’re being hired for your voice, you won’t be able to perform well if you do not properly align your body. This step involves having proper posture both when sitting or standing, and knowing how close you should be to your microphone.
Learn warm-up techniques
Voice actors should treat their voice as an instrument. One of the first things you can learn in voice acting classes is how to warm up your voice. This step is something you should never skip, especially when auditioning because it is crucial to perform the best you can without harming your vocal cords. Every coach knows a wide array of warm-ups that will engage your articulators and nasal passages. You may learn humming, facial massage, tongue twisters, breathing techniques, or yawning.
Apart from warm-up techniques, you will also learn how to take care of your voice, and this starts by prioritizing your health. When you do this, your speech organs can stay in peak condition. Vocal coaches typically advise their students to refrain from screaming and whispering, drinking soft drinks, and smoking, among many other bad habits. A responsible voice actor should be willing to sacrifice things that would impair their vocal performance.
Have a personalized observer
Whatever skill level, voice acting classes can help you immensely. Although you can hear your voice, it would be hard for you to pinpoint all your mistakes or problems. A coach will be the extra set of ears that can make or break your performance. They will observe your vocal range and speech. Then, point out your weaknesses and strengths so you can perfect your craft. Take note that a good vocal coach is honest about the areas you need to improve and will not hesitate to commend you on things you already excel in.
People who do one on one training with voice acting coaches can have a custom experience that will make their progress quicker. You can ask your coach all the things you are interested in, and you also get more microphone time.
Become more versatile
How many different voices can you pull off? When you are versatile and can easily change how your voice sounds, you will have more job opportunities. Many factors affect versatility, such as timber or your tonal quality, enunciation, and vocal range. Voice acting classes will train you to read for varying auditions and do several characters. For instance, at the end of the course, you will be able to do well in video game voice acting and recording commercials. While these fields may not be similar, they are things that versatile voice talent can do perfectly.
Create the best demo
One of the most common mistakes of newbies in the industry is creating voice demos without professional guidance. Your voice over demo will be your most important tool in finding work since it will be submitted to potential clients. Thankfully, most voice acting classes will provide demo creation services as part of the course.
At the end of your voice acting classes, your coach will help you plan your voice demo. This step ensures that your demo attracts the kind of work you want. Typically, voice coaches also have a wide array of scripts that fit your voice quality and brand. This service is not only for newbies but also for professionals who want to update their voice over demo. When your coach helps you with your demo, you are sure that it will showcase your strongest work and hold the attention of the listeners throughout.
Become A Better Voice Actor
Now that you know how instrumental voice acting classes are in progressing your career, it’s time to enroll in one. Finding the ideal coach can be challenging, so make sure to research their experiences and ask about customer reviews. When you have sourced out the right coach, you can move on to finding your voice, applying it to your niche, and landing jobs.
Find the right voice today with Bunny Studio
