Voiceover is an ever-expanding industry, and there are many MANY different ways to get involved. Some people fall into it (umm lucky!) and some people train for months, even years, before their first booking. The first thing to remember about Voiceover is, it’s a marathon- not a sprint. You can’t just take one coaching session and expect to be the new spokesperson for Nike (but if you do, let us know: we want to do whatever you’re doing!)
Here are 3 ways to get started. These are by no means the ONLY ways, just a launching pad, and what’s most important is you take that first leap! Ya gotta start somewhere, so here we go.
1. Take classes or coach privately. This is maybe the most important step you can take to start your VO career. Find coaches/a coach that speaks to you; that you connect with. There are a lot of us out there, and it’s not one size fits all. A great way to find a coach is reaching out to your community and see who they like!
2. Get varied opinions. One coach is going to see the industry from their own unique point of view. We here at VO Workshop NYC encourage students to take more class when they leave our doors (or these days, our zoom room). We come from the actor perspective on all things voiceover, but there are other important aspects of the industry one should learn! Take classes with agents, casting directors, other coaches, sound engineers, booth directors and more to get the most well rounded view of the industry.
3. Let your community know that you are voice acting! Don’t keep it a secret: you truly never know where your next job could come from! Your aunt rose’s in-laws cousins wife’s best friend could work for a huge ad agency, hear your reel (make one with us here!), and offer you a job! If social media is your jam, promote yourself (tactfully, of course). If it’s not, email your people and make it known that you are adding this to your Rolodex of talents.
So there you have it, 3 ways to get started in the Voiceover world. We love connecting with the community, so give us a shout. We’d love to work with you, or refer you to one of our fabulous community members for an amazing class or coaching session! Happy booking!