** UPDATED March 17, 2022**
Today we are going to talk about the ONE thing you need to do before you start investing too much into a voice over career.
You know when you find something new you are interested in exploring?
And you get too excited and start investing in it too fast, too soon? To only find out this new hobby or interest is not what you expected and it’s not for you.
Well that’s me.
Perhaps you can relate?
You see I get really excited to learn new things when I think it’s something I think may help me diversify my income portfolio or be creative. I’m also an advocate of giving yourself the permission to explore things that excites you. It is only by doing, do you come to discover what you like and don’t like. And you get clarity on where you’d like to spend more of your time on that gives you the most joy.
The problem is I get too excited and so I jump full in 100% and I spend way too much money to realize this is not for me.
So, I’ve learned before you invest in anything too much, it’s important to do your research. Similar to a relationship, Test, then Invest.
Test to see if what you are learning and doing makes you feel good or drained. If it fuels you then invest a little bit more. Repeat and Rinse.
So here’s what I would recommend before going out there and purchasing a ton of VO equipment and gear, etc.. Start off by auditing or attending a few voiceover classes or workshops. See if you even like it. You may find that it’s not your thing.
Here are Three Places You Can Try Out Voiceover for less than $50:
Real Voice LA
Offers a wide range of online voiceover classes, workshops, drop-ins, workouts ranging from animation, commercial, gaming, promos
Mark Preston’s Voiceover Workouts
Mark has been in the industry for 20+ years and is an advocate to protecting fresh voiceover professionals from getting led astray by opportunists. He has a FB group called TheVoiceOver Community that you can join and is very supportive and provides a wealth of good quality information about the VO industry He keeps it real.
So you can join the voiceover workouts to workout your chops, and continue to build on your skills. The best part? Anyone with experience is okay to join anytime. So you can sign up to see if voiceover is something you enjoy doing or have fun doing and give it a try.
LIVO Takeover
Long Island VoiceOverTakeover. This is another place where they run online classes on various voiceover genres and aspects of the business for those who are interested in getting guidance from industry pros. What’s great about LIVO is you can audit or observe a class first and then sign up to participate.
Voiceover Camp
A fun place to help you explore your creative outlet and see if voiceover may be a career up your sleeve.
Voices of Color
An amazing community that offers amazing resources, workshops and support for diversity and PGM actors in the Voiceover industry.
On the Mic Training
For my fellow Canadians, Kim Hurdon Casting has partnered with On the Mic training an Accredited VO school in Vancouver to expand their VO training options to part time and full time programs. However, they no longer offer group drop in classes that were typically an hour with 6 other participants, where you’ll be given scripts to read and be directed.
However, if you’re Canadian and after experiencing a drop in class or two in voiceover, you decide to sign up for more classes, you can check out onthemictraining.com. If you sign up for one of their full time VO programs, you can claim the full time training fees on your taxes.
For those who have been following my journey, you’ll know I got a taste of what voice over is about on an AirBnB experience of all places. So there’s a ton of different places where you may come across a workshop/ class to experience it… I think what’s important is not so much where you got your ‘taste’ .. I mean a little bit of it is.. I suppose. But what’s more important is before you decide to invest in voice over gears or coaching, is to sign up for a voiceover workshop at a price that is affordable to you so can ‘experience it’ – not just read a bunch of info online or watch videos. Actually doing it! and see if you like it.
Get a Reasonable Decent mic. Learn and Upgrade and Add as you go.
And if you decide to pursue VO 100%, Get a Coach, Find your Genre, Practice. Rinse and repeat until a coach you trust feels you are ready to make a demo. Once you’ve got your demo, you can then find work.
Over to you, where have you audited or taken a voiceover workshop for a nominal fee? Let me know!
Photo By: Jason Rosewell
