Intro
The voiceover business is hard to get into. Anyone who tells you it’s easy is lying -- or they just want your money.
"But my mother/sister/coworker/parish priest/barista says I have a great voice!"
You do. But if that’s all you have you’re out of luck. To make any money in the voiceover business, you have to really know what you’re doing, be an astounding reader of the English language and know how to act, at least a little. If you don’t know all of that stuff, you need to learn it before making your first demo. Why? Because your first demo may not be awful. With digital audio recording, (almost) anyone can be made to sound halfway decent. But the first time you have an actual audition, you’ll be terrible, because you won’t have the experience on the microphone or know how to read different kinds of copy appropriately. You just won’t know what you’re doing! And you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
If you suck, I won’t take your money.
You have to know what you’re doing before I’ll record a voiceover demo for you.
(And NO, one three-day group seminar on voiceover does not qualify you to "know what you're doing!" People! I've heard multiple stories about an outfit called Voices For All! They advertise everywhere. If you have little or no experience, don't live in or near a big city, and after a three-day seminar plan to shell out thousands of dollars for a voiceover demo, talk to me, or a shrink, or a guru or somebody! Geez!)
There are plenty of people out there producing demos -- some very cheaply. Great! But ask three questions, always:
There are some very good teachers of voiceover in Chicago. Most of them are friends of mine with whom I’ve worked many times. I’ve also taught with some of them.
"I don't know a thing. I just want to find out about the voiceover business."
Maybe right now you're not interested in taking classes. You're not ready to spend a pile of money when you don't know a thing. You're one of the people for whom I created this site, because there wasn't anyone who could give you a straight answer without it costing an arm and a leg or weeks of your time. Sometimes people just want the answer to these questions:
"But my mother/sister/coworker/parish priest/barista says I have a great voice!"
You do. But if that’s all you have you’re out of luck. To make any money in the voiceover business, you have to really know what you’re doing, be an astounding reader of the English language and know how to act, at least a little. If you don’t know all of that stuff, you need to learn it before making your first demo. Why? Because your first demo may not be awful. With digital audio recording, (almost) anyone can be made to sound halfway decent. But the first time you have an actual audition, you’ll be terrible, because you won’t have the experience on the microphone or know how to read different kinds of copy appropriately. You just won’t know what you’re doing! And you only get one chance to make a good first impression.
If you suck, I won’t take your money.
You have to know what you’re doing before I’ll record a voiceover demo for you.
(And NO, one three-day group seminar on voiceover does not qualify you to "know what you're doing!" People! I've heard multiple stories about an outfit called Voices For All! They advertise everywhere. If you have little or no experience, don't live in or near a big city, and after a three-day seminar plan to shell out thousands of dollars for a voiceover demo, talk to me, or a shrink, or a guru or somebody! Geez!)
There are plenty of people out there producing demos -- some very cheaply. Great! But ask three questions, always:
- Does their site give a realistic picture of the business, or is it about "fulfilling your dreams?"
- Do they know the current voiceover business in Chicago? Even from the talent side?
- Exactly how quickly are they willing to take your money? Are they willing to make you a voiceover demo, even though you have no experience?
- Did their "free assessment" only take ten minutes -- or a half hour? (Hmm... might want to look into something that takes more time and gives much more information.)
There are some very good teachers of voiceover in Chicago. Most of them are friends of mine with whom I’ve worked many times. I’ve also taught with some of them.
"I don't know a thing. I just want to find out about the voiceover business."
Maybe right now you're not interested in taking classes. You're not ready to spend a pile of money when you don't know a thing. You're one of the people for whom I created this site, because there wasn't anyone who could give you a straight answer without it costing an arm and a leg or weeks of your time. Sometimes people just want the answer to these questions:
- What's the voiceover business all about?
- How do you get into it?
- Do I have what it takes?