Voice actors are versatile and engaging professionals who work behind the scenes in countless digital productions. Even though you can hear their contribution, there is so much more that goes into a vocal performance than simply a voice. For those dreaming of a career in this field, there are a number of factors that you can leverage to put yourself in the best possible position for success. Voice acting has a long and storied history, and some of the most iconic sounds of our world come from these sources.
If you’re considering a career as a voice actor, this guide can help you focus on some of the most important qualities that should be fostered in pursuit of new and lucrative roles in the space. Continue reading to learn more about your journey into this realm of the acting field.
Voice actors have to be fast on their feet.
Voice acting is marked by fast-paced productions. Oftentimes, an actor will read the lines once while preparing to deliver their performance in the sound booth. Likewise, watching the playback of corresponding video segments often is done on a rapid time scale. This means that actors have to be able to distill the emotion, context, and more into their performance with little background knowledge or specific preparation in coordination with the actual scene. Fast thinking and a keen eye for detail are keys in the industry, and it’s easy to see why.
It’s a great idea to read a lot if you’re thinking of getting into this space. Reading offers a great boost to your creativity and imagination, and by thinking about what characters in the stories you read might sound like, you can practice building vocal performances for a variety of different players in any scene that you may eventually lend your vocal talents to in the future.
Vocal acting removes the body language of a performance, making expressive tone a crucial element.
Another key feature of voice acting is the absolute void in expressive body language, an essential conveyor of information in the communications that we share with one another every single day. None of the visual elements of your performance will make it through from the sound booth into the film, television show, or digital short that you are recording for. But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give it your all anyway.
Many actors who put their vocal tracks down on digitized animations go through elaborate physical expressions while recording their parts, even though these won’t be seen in the final product. It may be tempting to laugh at a behind-the-scenes video that shows your favorite actor jumping around the sound booth, but this is done on purpose, and it’s a great way to evoke the spirit of the performance that is being given. Being expressive with your body language is a great way to translate the emotion and feeling into the quality of your voice. For instance, if a character is supposed to be out of breath, there’s no better way to capture that feeling in your delivery than to be running frantically in place as you deliver your line.
Consider focusing on these elements of your performance as you gear up to lend your services as a voice actor. Whether you’re looking to break into the scene with your unique vocal timbre or trying to make a leap from on-screen film to the studio for a special project, there are some key features of a standout performance that you’ll need to master. Focusing on both your expressive performance and your ability to quickly think through a script and process information will set you up perfectly for a fantastic performance in the recording booth.
