As a professional voice actress, I am often asked, “How does one get into voice overs?” Well, the way I got started goes something like this: Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved cartoons. Even as a kid, I knew those characters that I adored were given voice and life by real people. I wanted to be one of them. I just didn't know how. I grew up in a teensy, weensy, little town and had no idea where to begin. So, I became an athlete, went to college on an athletic scholarship, and graduated with a degree in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics with plans to go to medical school.
It was as I was studying for the MCAT that all of a sudden it hit me! I did not want to be a doctor. I wanted to be the voice of an animated one on TV.! Or something like that...
So, I put down the biochemistry book and picked up the phone book. I rifled through the pages and found a local acting school. I called them up, asked if they had voice over classes and the rest, as they say, is history. Actually, it was just the beginning of an incredible journey navigating the seemingly secretive and impossible maze that is the world of VO. And I haven't even reached the half-way point. Each day I audition or book a job, I get to experience a new and wonderful nuance that I hadn't yet seen or even knew existed.
The truth is there is no “one and only” way to create a successful voice over career for yourself, and no two ways are the same. Everyone is different and finds their own path. However, there are several things that I wish I had known before I started my journey that I had to learn on my own. Many of them I learned by trial and error, some of them I learned by luck, and others I learned by simply falling flat on my face.
It is my joy and honor to share with you 101 tips I have learned over the last several years that I believe have been imperative to my success, and have allowed me to come to the place where I can call what I do an honest to goodness, genuine career. Some of these tips may seem like no-brainers, but trust me, don't skip them! Every single one can make a difference one way or the other in your voice over career.
So, check in often! Enjoy the tips! I wish you success on your own unique journey.