If you learn to voice act, it will open up the doors to a new lifestyle. With this in mind, it is important to make the right decisions early. Too many newcomers to the voice over industry though have fallen foul to scams on the internet promising riches in exchange for a great demo reel.
Of course, there are more and more scams like this that you have to look out for. For this reason, we’ll walk you through the best way to learn how to voice act and help you avoid those scams.
HOW TO LEARN TO VOICE ACT
There are lots of things to learn about voice over. Even professionals have to regularly practice their skills. In part, this is because the industry never stays still, but then again what industry does these days!
There is no average working day when you are working as a voice over actor. Each job is different; different clients, often different scripts and styles and sometimes even location.
This variety is why voice actors love working in this vibrant and interesting industry. Another reason is that it has a unique community and culture that is both warm and friendly. So although many voice actors work at home, there are lively socials, meetups and forums that you can participate in.
LEARN TO VOICE ACT – TABLE OF CONTENTS
We’ll cover what you need to learn, why you need to learn and what learning options are available. We also take a look at what to consider when choosing the best way to learn, as well as how to get the best out of your learning.
WHAT TO AVOID WHEN STARTING OUT.
LEARN TO VOICE ACT – ESSENTIALS WHEN STARTING OUT.
LEARN TO VOICE ACT – YOUR OPTIONS.
LEARN TO VOICE ACT – MAKING CHOICES.
SUMMARY.
WHAT TO AVOID WHEN STARTING OUT
Like all industries, there are people who take advantage of others’ naivety. In addition, these people don’t just promise quick riches, they also overcharge and make false promises. As a result, lots of newcomers to the world of voice acting are hit hard financially, sucking up their initial investment pot and then forcing them to drop out.
If you want to listen to a full webinar on how to avoid getting scammed we have produced a great webinar that covers the most common scams in voice over.
The first thing to remember is that learning a new skill takes time. As well as honing your voice skills, you also need to get to know the voice over industry and how it works.
In other words, you need to put time and effort in when getting started. However, you will reap the rewards and be successful if you have a good voice, are focused, practice regularly and work hard.
THE COMMON SCAMS TO AVOID
- Royalty Scams: Intermediates who do not pay correctly for voice over services.
- Contracts, Estimates and Invoicing: This is you are asked to sign contracts which then mean you have no rights to any material produced. This then means you are usually not compensated correctly for your work.
- Dodgy Clients: There are a host of clients who get work done but then don’t pay for services.
- Demo Reel Productions: Whilst you do need a showreel, getting one produced too early will mean you are not showing your best voice. It’s better to wait and at least understand what’s needed and how to put a good showreel together.
- The Buy and Sell Voiceover Scam: This is where an intermediate, like a voice agent, sells your voice services for a clear profit e.g. 50%, rather than a commission.
There are many more scams that are important to know and watch out for.
LEARN TO VOICE ACT – ESSENTIALS WHEN STARTING OUT
Considering the potential scams you need to avoid you might be a bit wary of the voice over industry. We want to assure you that as long as you do your homework, only work with reputable companies (like us – see our Google reviews), then you start out the right way. If you want to learn to voice act, there are some essential things to focus on at the beginning.
When you look into any industry from the outside-in it can seem overwhelming. Furthermore, there often isn’t a clear place to go to get the information you need. Consequently, most people make unnecessary mistakes, or worse slog away at the wrong things. To put it another way, you need to work smart from the beginning to get the best results, not just hard.
The first thing we recommend is that you at least understand the basics of how to voice act before you invest too heavily. Why? Well, what you want to know is:
- Voice quality: You can’t change your voice, but you can improve it. To be in voice over you need to have a good voice as a minimum. So before spending too much money on showreels or other heavy investments, you need early and reliable feedback about the quality of your base voice.
- Motivation and personality: If you currently work in an office then working at home can be a big change. You need to motivate yourself and organise your working day to get work.
- Resilience: The rates paid to voice artists allow you to earn £250 per hour. However, for each successful audition, there are many refusals. This is particularly true in the beginning. Voice actors have to learn to be resilient and forge ahead after being turned down for jobs. Success comes to those that are tenacious and persistent.
- How to get voice over work: There are lots of ways to get voice over work. Although most beginners use pay to play sites, there are in fact many other reliable and creative ways to get work. If you learn how to get work from a variety of sources you dramatically increase your earning potential.
- Setup costs: Make the right investments at the right time. What matters is that you take advice from experts and don’t just jump in and buy a full studio setup. Hold back on making that sort of investment until you are sure you are going to devote yourself to being a voice actor. When you’re ready to invest, know your options and work to a budget.
- What to learn first: Know where to start. This will help you focus and give you direction for the first few months at least. If you focus on the right things from day one, you will build your career faster.
LEARN TO VOICE ACT – YOUR OPTIONS
In the first place, learn how to voice act based on a budget. This may sound obvious but some people spend lots of money unnecessarily on costly studio lessons or voice coaching too early.
Generally speaking, there are three main ways to learn voice acting:
- Online voice acting classes.
- In studio voice acting classes.
- Voice over coaching.
Online voice over classes
At Gravy For The Brain (GFTB), we offer a full range of online voice acting classes as well as voice over mentoring. Furthermore, we offer feedback on demo reels, webinars, socials and lots more.
So what’s the benefit of online voice acting classes vs other forms of ways to learn to voice act?
Benefits of online voice acting classes
- Low risk: At GFTB you pay on a monthly basis for membership and can cancel at any time. This means it’s low risk, low investment as well as an ideal way to learn about voice acting.
- High quality: Our courses are produced by leading experts in the industry to the highest standards. All our classes feature demonstrations from leading voice actors with example scripts you can also use.
- Full range: We offer the largest and most comprehensive range of courses. This means you get to learn to voice act, plus how to set up a home studio, how to create a brand and much more.
- Self paced: Our courses mean that you can learn at your own pace, step by step with voice over mentors who are there to support you every step of the way. Our voice over mentoring can either be one to one via our forum or via live group mentoring.
Studio voice over classes
Studio voice over classes are based on groups of between 10 to 16 people. A voice over trainer takes you through the basics of voice acting and at some stage of the day, you will get some time on the microphone.
Benefits of studio voice classes
- Studio time: You get to see and understand how a studio works.
- Live time in front of a microphone: You get a script to read and then afterwards get feedback on your reading. This gives you some initial experience of using a microphone and being in front of a mic.
- Voice over trainer: You get some face to face instruction on some of the basics of voice acting. The voice over trainer will also give some demonstration on how to voice a script and the different ways scripts can be interpreted.
- Group setting: Getting to know other newcomers to voice acting gives you an opportunity to make new friends.
One day in a voice over studio class is just a start point. Remember you will need to go home practice and develop your skills. A common problem with studio voice acting classes is that there is no or little support afterwards. Typical classes can cost upwards of £300 per day and that excludes any time or costs associated with travel and possibly hotels.
Voice over coaching
This is the most expensive ways to learn to voice act. You are paying for personalised training and development. We strongly recommend this only once you have established that you are committed to being a voice actor, and you know you want to develop a career in voice acting.
However, once you know the industry, and have mastered the basics, a voice coach can be a great way to improve your voice skills.
LEARN TO VOICE ACT – MAKING CHOICES.
The first thing to do is consider your level of commitment. Can you afford to jump staight in? Or do you need to gradually change your career over time? There is no one way or right way to become a voice actor. Many people start part-time whilst holding down a full time or part-time job.
The second point is to set a budget and timescale. Work out your goals, set out a financial plan, review your finances so you know how much you can afford to invest. Once you have these in place, take time to develop an action plan with some clear goals, objectives and actions.
The last and final point is to just do it. You can read and research all you like, but nothing beats just doing it. Try using a microphone, reading scripts and having fun doing it. Join us and we will help with each and all of these points.
LEARN TO VOICE ACT – MAKING CHOICES.
Now you have a broader understanding of the different ways you can learn to voice act. If you have any questions please use our chat or contact us. We can’t cover everything in this article, but we would love to answer any questions you may have. We promise you that if you want to learn to voice act, you will have a fun time, learn new skills and become part of a thriving community of creative talent.