December 7th, 2009
Some beginners to voice overs and voice acting believe that it’s incredibly difficult to break into the industry. Misconceptions such as “I need a golden voice” or “I can’t get work without an agent” abound. From my own (and others) personal experience, this just isn’t so. To the first point: nowadays, having a golden voice isn’t as important as knowing how to use the voice that you have. And to the second point: just like countless other voice actors I, too, do not have an agent — but make good money doing what I love.
To help relieve any stress you might have about breaking into voice acting, I’d like to share my “first gig” story. You’ll see that it just takes initiative and confidence in your own ability to get your voice acting career off the ground.
While cruising through town one day I spotted a brand-new radio station (I could tell that it was new because there used to be an old grocery store in that exact spot.) With much enthusiasm I jotted down the website address that was predominantly displayed outside and rushed home.
Upon arriving at my very “humble” dwelling, I did a little web research: What exactly is the station’s name? What kinds of programs do they have? What is the main genre of music played there? I also spent about an hour listening to the station to get a better feel for their style. Using this information I made a sort of “demo” CD of me reading homemade promos and images of their station and their different shows.
The next day with my business card and freshly made demo in hand, in walked into the station. As luck would have it, the manager of the station was sitting at the reception desk chatting with another employee. I introduced myself and handed my card and the demo CD over to him. After a 20 minute chat he went back to work.
When I went home I felt great! I had no idea if the station would hire me, but I was proud that I took the initiative and did something constructive to begin my voice over career.
Three days later the station manager called me and asked if I could come in to record some promos and images. He said that he liked my voice, but it was the personalized demo that made him pick up the phone and call me.
The lesson learned
As Woody Allen once said, “80% of success is showing up.” It’s the advice that got my voice over career off the ground. Nike’s slogan says it best: “Just do it.” Go out there and make yourself known. Go the extra mile to make a potential client prick up their ears and take notice of you and your skills.
Breaking into voice over acting is all about initiative and confidence. More than just that, the whole career is about initiative and confidence.
Now go out there and show them what you’re made of!