Might there be a dark side, though \u2014 a corner of this star-studded, glitz-and-glamour world of voice talent that isn\u2019t quite so alluring? For some, the answer is yes. \u201cThe voice-over thing is very selfless,\u201d explains<\/a>\u00a0veteran voice talent Neil Patrick Harris. \u201cYou go in there, and they\u2019ve hired you for your voice, but they know exactly what they want, and the writer\u2019s there, and he knows exactly how it\u2019s supposed to be said. So you can\u2019t really argue with them, you just have to let them tell you what to do and then do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Does this mean that a professional voice artist is relegated to the sidelines without any input on the final product? Is a pro ultimately just a vessel for the message of the scriptwriters and content creators? Are they expected to just act like robots and stay in their lane?<\/p>\n Wait, we don\u2019t want to spoil the story just yet. Instead, keep reading to learn some things you likely never knew about being a voice talent actor. Then, it’ll be up to you to decide for yourself if you\u2019re ready to join the world of voice-over acting with all its charisma and charm.<\/p>\n Though some animators like to\u00a0sit and sketch voice\u00a0actors<\/a>\u00a0as they\u2019re speaking to pick up on gestures and physical tics, timing doesn\u2019t always allow it.\u00a0 Consequently, professional voice artists are often filmed using a type of performer surveillance camera. This allows the\u00a0director<\/a>\u00a0to bring individual nuances to the screen \u2014\u00a0but also makes the idea of wearing pj\u2019s all day a little unlikely.<\/p>\n Take a gander at some of the voice-over recordings for the Lion King (the original 1994 animated feature, of course) for reference.<\/p>\n https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=7dYKr4zHi78<\/a><\/p>\n While you may not necessarily need to be decked out in your best tuxedo or party gown, you get the picture. Sometimes it’s not just about standing in a booth, but about wildly gesticulating and acting like a mad hyena. In a booth.<\/p>\n Of course, you shouldn’t take this as a standard practice either. While animators can certainly get a lot out of studying the minutiae of an actor’s performance, this is not something that’s cost-effective for 2D animation*. Often, you will<\/em> be dressed in your finest sleeping garments and recording from the comfort of your own home. But, for larger projects \u2014 especially for big-name companies \u2014 you may have to work onsite. If they’ve really got the big bucks, they might film you to use your performance to inform your character’s mannerisms.<\/p>\n * Why? Because a professional voice artist is normally one of the last pieces of the puzzle. Creating animation (whether 2D or 3D) is a very tough process. It takes plenty of effort to animate believable facial gestures and hand motions. If actors are brought in late in the game, they have to fit their performance to an animation style that’s already finished; conversely, if they’re brought in early, the animation can be tailored to their gestures. This is usually very hard with 2D animation, but easier with 3D. Many video game studios, for instance, use performance recording \u2014 a mix of full-body motion capture, and voice and facial recordings.<\/p>\n Along with a picture of \u2018voice talent actor\u2019 comes the phrase \u2018act crazy\u2019 \u2014 or at least it should. After all, to an outsider looking in, voice-overs involve people speaking to themselves in an exaggerated manner. Yet, this is a necessary component to success in the field. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to success is the inability to get out of one\u2019s own head. Whether doing voice-overs for commercials, television, or radio, a professional voice artist must embody a character that comes across as authentic and genuine<\/a>. This is only possible by acting a little crazy.<\/p>\n Many actors practice was is known as “getting into character.” In myriad ways, they try to inhabit the headspace of the character they’re portraying. They try to understand the character’s motivations, emotions, feelings, and attitudes. After some time they can easily slip between their normal, everyday behavior, and the character’s. Some film actors can take it a little deeper, which is known as method acting, but that’s usually not the case with a\u00a0 professional voice artist.<\/p>\n If you’re looking for ways to beat your own mind and stay focused on your character, we can give you a hand. Our article “How to Get Into Character Without Going Crazy<\/a>” details several techniques the pros use to give great performances every time. As always, the main focus will be to find what works for you.<\/p>\n Each actor and actress has their own method for inhabiting a character; some may be more rational and organized, even scientific, others may eschew thought altogether and try to get into a particular mental or emotional state, letting the character come through them, in a way. Everyone has their shortcuts, so, it\u2019s all about finding your own happy (or unhappy) place.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n If making money is your main motivator when considering a career as a professional voice artist, you may need to reconsider. Voice acting, including doing voice-overs for commercials, is a field that relies on passion to fuel it. Anytime someone starts a business, they have some control over how much they can earn. Keep in mind, though, that it is a daily chore to drum up business when doing voice-overs for commercials, or anything else.<\/p>\n Not everything needs to sound so dire, though. As of 2020, the average pay of a professional voice-over artist in the US hovers around $64,000. Some of the pros at the very top are breaking the $100k barrier if that serves as some enticement. Still, it’s one of the highest-paying freelance professions out there. With the right skills, training, motivation, and opportunities, there’s definitely a buck or two to be made. The average hourly salary also hovers around $35.80, which is not too shabby, if you ask us.<\/p>\n Days spent reciting countless loops of the same, tired lines can quickly grow tedious. Ah, such is the life of voice talent actors. Many people who work on voice overs are also stuck being on-call 24\/7 (and not getting paid for all that time). The combination of these two factors illuminates the need for, well, humor! They must be able to laugh at themselves, joke with each other, and find humor in everything \u2014 even\u00a0fart jokes<\/a>.<\/p>\n But hey, not all is so stressful either! You can manage your own hours, have a lot of free time and are \u2014 on average \u2014 paid more than the regular working stiff. Not everything is sunshine and rainbows, sure, but if 9-5 office jobs aren’t for you and you’ve got a versatile voice, what’s there to think about? And tediousness doesn’t always have to factor into it either; sometimes you’ll have work so varied that it’ll make your head spin with cartoonish noises.<\/p>\n And that brings up to our next secret!<\/p>\n Being a professional voice artist or mastering the art of voice-overs for commercials takes more than doing a mean rendition of Bugs Bunny. Versatility is the name of the game, and if you don\u2019t know the score, you\u2019re apt to struggle. Training and practice can help.<\/p>\n Of course, it doesn’t mean that you can go beyond your limits. If you’ve got a two-octave range as a tenor, it goes without saying that you won’t be singing Louis Armstrong songs anytime soon. The same goes for being a voice pro; work within your boundaries, but always look to expand your repertoire, learn new techniques and \u2014 above all \u2014 take care of your voice!<\/p>\n Has it been your fantasy since popping out of the womb to be a real-life Alvin and the Chipmunks? If so, you have an impressive memory, which means you\u2019ll also recall the 5-hour stints of screaming you did during infancy. And remembering this is good because life as a voice talent actor requires creating the same vampiric assault on your throat. Hopefully, you can manage this without pulverizing your larynx to a bloody mess.<\/p>\n Some jobs \u2014 like video games, for instance \u2014 may require you to scream from hours on end. With a safe technique and the proper rest you shouldn’t have problems. But, if you’re just screaming yourself raw then you’ll just be doing Leonard Cohen impressions for the rest of your professional life.\u00a0 Remember: a professional voice artist works with passion, but also with technique.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a long and lonely road to equality for a professional voice artist. In the beginning, voice talent actors were never credited for their work. Sure, Mel Blanc sort of paved the way toward recognition with his insistence on credit for his work (and that of his colleagues) in\u00a0Looney Tunes<\/a>, but it is nevertheless not for the fame that people go into this. Regardless, those\u00a0who are already famous are flocking to the field in droves \u2014 and it places the position of average folks in peril.<\/p>\n But even though well-established actors may beat you for the role of the main character, not all is lost! There’s still plenty of rewarding work out there, and it’s not like indie developers are looking to fill every main character spot with Mads Mikkelsen. (Although they might if they had the money.)<\/p>\n No doubt, the actors cast in movies as hokey as “Good Burger” and “Dude, Where\u2019s My Car?” have said some pretty weird lines. As actors, it\u2019s par for the course that they cycle through at least one lame flick. But then they move on.<\/p>\n On the flip side, those of us who do voice-overs for commercials and television are stuck saying ridiculous lines for the Rest. Of. Our. Lives. That\u2019s right \u2014 how many times can you sing about \u201chigh adventure that\u2019s beyond compare\u201d as a rubbery, gooey bear?<\/p>\n That\u2019s what we thought.<\/p>\nWell, not quite. You see, there’s more to every story, and…<\/h6>\n
Secret #1: You Can\u2019t Always Hang Out in Your Pajamas<\/h3>\n
But…<\/h6>\n
Secret #2: Looking Crazy is a Necessity<\/h3>\n
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<\/h3>\nSecret #3: A Professional Voice Artist Doesn’t Always Make the Big Bucks<\/h3>\n
Secret #4: A Professional Voice Artist Needs a Good Sense of Humor<\/h3>\n
Secret #5: Just Because You Can Master Bugs Bunny Doesn\u2019t Mean You Can Do Darth Vader<\/h3>\n
Secret #6: Being a Professional Voice Artist Means Getting Bloody<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nSecret #7: Ty Burrell May Want Your Job \u2014 and He\u2019ll Likely Get It<\/h3>\n
Secret #8: Voice Actors Have to Say Some Really, Really Strange Things<\/h3>\n