Saturday 23 April 2011

How do I get started as a Voiceover Artist?

So you want to be a voiceover artist.

By now you either have some experience of being an actor or a broadcaster. You have done your voice training and made your voicereel. So what next?

Get yourself a good professional photograph as agents and some "pay to play" directories allow you to upload one. There are a number of voiceover directories which allow you to list your audio for free. They include Voice123, Voices.com, VoiceoverDirectory.com and Bodalgo.


However many of the free sites may not generate much work for you (or they may restrict how their site functions until you pay a fee.) Some also require you to record an audtion for every job that you bid for, thereby encouraging voice talent to constantly lower their fees to get the work.

The BigFish Media Voiceover Directory is found on the free (or organic listings) on one page one of Google for the highly-competitive keywords of voiceover, voice-over, voice artist, voice talent etc. That's why we charge a small annual fee to be listed.

We have dealt with the technical aspects of setting up your own home studio in other blogs on this site, but should you invest in your own home studio? Do you even have the space and peace and quiet for one?


Alternatively try to find a local studio (or another voiceover artist who lives close to you) who may let you use their studio for a reasonable price. Then at least you can find out if you are employable. If you find that you are getting lots of work it's time to invest in your own voiceover booth!

So what next? Contact local radio stations and video production companies. It is a time-consuming marketing exercise, but by the time you have a dozen jobs under your belt you will know what your strenghts are. Maybe it is obvious to someone else in the industry if not you.

If you get booked for lots of local radio adverts but no e-learning then maybe this is what you are best at and should focus your energies on pursuing radio and TV commercial work.

Unless you are exceptionally talented - and very lucky - you will probably have to get 2 or 3 years experience of the voiceover industry under your belt before an agent


In the meantime keep at it and update your voice reel as you should improve with practise. You should also not bother to approach advertising agencies as they only deal with the best voiceover talent via voiceover agents

And remember, there are very few full-time voiceovers - most combine being a voiceover artist with production, writing, acting or radio or TV work. Or even a real job!


Tuesday 5 April 2011

Voiceover News for March 2011

Here is what we have been up to in March:

We spent a day filming in Greggs Bakery in Pontypridd for a video production for a Government QUANGO.

Basabi recorded a voiceover for Barking NHS Trust in Bengali, Jacky recorded a voiceover for a Nordiflex DVD, Michelle recorded on-hold prompts for Lumley Direct, Peter O narrated a documentary about the Ancient Maya civilisation for the History Channel and Penny narrated a children's story - and voiced all the characters - for the Wireless Kids Theatre

Ricky was the live Voice of God at the Meat and Poultry Processing Awards in Birmingham, recorded a bunch of web videos for Keycamp holidays, a voiceover for Azko Nobel Powder Coatings and on-hold prompts for Metro Cup.


We now represent Dutch Voiceover Artists Christa and Hans and German Voiceover Artist Roy

We made voice reels for TalkSport Newsreader Faye Carruthers and London Voiceover Artist Mick

New on the website this month: a podcast which Lynsey recorded for the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and Sally's voiceover for the International Trade Union Confederation video. And improved search facilities means you can now search our voices by accent, age or language. Also we now offer Voice Training


Saturday 2 April 2011

Does Networking Work for Voiceover Artists?

Running a voiceover business we know how important social media is to its success. You know: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Linked In etc.

I have met a couple of real life friends through Facebook. We have also made a good few business contacts (both as voiceover artists and clients) the same way.

But this week we met a potential business partner through Twitter. In real life. And there I was thinking no-one actually reads what is posted there. How wrong can you be?



Anyway Phil runs a video production company also in Woking so we met for a cup of coffee and a chat about the day-to-day running and the challenges facing media production and voiceover businesses in 2011. We exchanged ideas and discussed how we might be able to help each other - or indeed work together - in the future.

It seems to have become the norm for people who live and work very close to each other to meet through an international medium of the internet.

Funny old world isn't it?