Essential Tips and resources for Aspiring Voice Actors
Please note: This does have some crossover with my current job, so think of this as a start guide with resources.
Welcome to Ask Lex!
I actually got several “Ask Lexes” about this over the holiday about how to break into Voice Acting. To many questions to pick! So let’s talk about it, the industry, some resources, and how to get on it.
Voice acting is crucial for immersing players in a game and, most importantly, helping create characters we love. Fun fact: the first video game with voice acting was the arcade game Stratovox by Taito in 1980. Back then, it was all voice synthesizers. Human voice-over (VO) didn’t debut until Dragon’s Lair, and even then, early home consoles lacked the space for audio files. It wasn’t until disc-based games in the ’90s that voice acting became more common. Today? It’s practically standard.
And wouldn’t we all love to be an awesome digital version of ourselves or an epic, awesome character that spreads joy while we have fun and get paid? (Ask me about my roller derby alter ego: Betty Clock Her).
As you have probably guessed, I’m (sadly) not a voice actor, but have worked with them and reviewed a few scripts back in the day. I’m going to talk about a couple high-level aspects of the industry, provide some tips, and some of my favorite resources that go way more in-depth about equipment, setting up home studios, lessons, and their personal journeys into the realm of voice acting—it’s going to be different for everyone and people’s journeys can be very educational and illustrative.
But first and foremost:
Learn to Act
Before you can lend a voice, you have to be able to become a fully-realized character and that means you need to be able to actually act. Review any major VA’s resources, interviews, or career history and you will see many of them studied theatre or acting, began in TV or Stage, did standup or improv and more. From Jennifer Hale to Liam O’Brien to Gideon Emery and Tara Strong.
If you’ve ever needed to call out “sick” and fake a cough or retching sound in the background (which we have never done, ever), there is a physicality to voice acting especially when doing these exert sounds (your death scream, the sound of jumping, your character’s “ow”, that stuff). Get into your character’s skin and go beyond learning how to emote with ONLY your voice. Motion Capture is also becoming a major part of that literal “becoming the character” (that’s a wonderful discussion with Neil Newbon).
“An actor can learn things from a live, paying audience that they can never learn in a classroom.”
-Dee Bradley Baker
This is one of the few times I will wholly encourage you to do something in-person: classes, sessions, lectures, improvs, etc.. Not only does this provide real-time feedback on your acting and voice, it also helps get your name and voice out to potential employers. Here are some ideas:
Check your local schools, community colleges, and universities for acting classes as well as finding a reputable teacher.
Hire a personal teacher or coach.
Audition for a stage production.
Join an improv group.
Do some stand-up, an open mic night, or join a Slam Poetry Group.
Read aloud to kids at your local library or pets at your local animal shelter—rpracticing reading aloud is a big training tool!
Watch online resources like Nancy Cartwright’s Masterclass or Steve Blum’s Blumvox Studio’s Voiceover Classes.
Learn the Business
While awesome, this is still a job. You’ll be collaborating not only with stakeholders to bring a vision to life, but you are also engaging with other actors and characters—sometimes in a recording session or on a stage at press events. Some rules of working in corporate land still apply: soft skills, get things in writing for your contracts, join appropriate industry groups and know your industry. If you’re keen on voice acting in video games, also learn about the business of games, too. Check out this amazing, long-living post from Voice Acting Club and their amazingly active forums about getting into voice acting; specifically: #7 – Learn About the Business Side of Voiceover.
Your Resume and Representation
Reels
Your resume in creative fields is your portfolio or in this case a Demo or Sample Reel. Usually, Demo Reels are “professionally” produced while Sample Reels are what you’ve recorded yourself as a sample. These should show off your range of emotions, scenes, and voices. Look up what others are doing that you like and study your niche in this competitive field. You can find many reels on YouTube as well as audition forums.
Baker’s Site: I Want To Be a Voice Actor is alllll amazing. See his top 14 tips on a Demo Reel.
Representation
Baker also has a great section on Representation – aka Agents—that you should also read while you’re there. Personally, I’ve worked on both the anime and game dev side and when it came to audio, I can tell you we worked with our trusted Studios that had their trusted go-to agents. This doesn’t mean you need to have been in “the biz” for years and “know a guy” (though insert everyone’s normal line about networking).
Think of this system like fishing: the owner of the content (show or game) is the fisherperson. They get the best studio or audio producer to help produce this portion of their content—think of the producer as the fishing pole. That fishing pole has a line, and let’s imagine you can see the bobber above water—that’s the required need for that VO. The line down to the hook could be an agent that studio knows or a VO job board, but they have to hook you.
Let’s pretend that metaphor worked.
Anyway, at some point, there will be a request for a specific type of voice. This audition is the job description and what you need to bring to the table. Sometimes, studios go directly to people (agents, actors) they know. Other times, they open an audition for something fresh or new or what they’re looking for. In the end, that voice audition generally goes through the studio folks first who vet all the voices and they bring that back to the (fisherperson) content owner.
Additionally, Agents handle more than just repping you, so consider if this is the route you’d like to go. You’re hiring as much as they are, so remember to represent yourself well: social media handles, websites, reels, and more! You are your brand. And! Be aware of scams, con-artists pretending to be legitimate agents, schemes, and more. Do your due dillegence when you’re interviewing them—do research, read reviews, talk to others, and trust your gut.
Always Take Care of You
Like surgeons who insure their hands (about 25% do apparently!) or athletes that constantly train, your voice is your key. Take care of it! Train it appropriately and rest when needed. This also means taking care of your overall mental and physical health. This is a creative industry; you will get rejected. Try not to take it as a personal critique as your using your skill to apply for jobs; it’s just a very personal skill.
Resources to Get Started
These are some resources that were recommended to me (and some I just thought were cool) to get you on your way.
Voice Acting Club - Shout out to their Creators who want to hire folks and Indie Rate Card sections!
Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences – Interview with Baldur's Gate 3 Actor Neil Newbon
Behind the Voice Podcast – YouTube
Voice Over, Voice Actor. What It’s Like Behind the Mic by Yuri Lowenthal and Tara Platt (available in paperback, ebook, and audio book).
Share your resources and your own voice demos in the comments below! Everyone’s journey will be different, but you got this. Let your voice ring out!