Your Voice can have an Impact

It’s likely that you’re here (on this website) because you want to do something with your voice. Perhaps like many, a friend has told you that they like the sound of your voice or maybe you’ve heard voices on radio or TV used to sell products and serviced and thought ‘I could do that’, or maybe you like the idea of the impact your voice could have on others.

On that note, here’s a project I (Andy) worked on this week. It’s a short story that really tugs at the heart strings and the studio was having trouble getting a voice that could really convey the emotions.

It’s just under 20-minutes long. Please have a listen. If it doesn’t make you feel something then I haven’t done my job.

What do I need to Record Voice Overs at Home?

Not everyone has the space or budget to set up a professional grade audio

Many people who are looking into Voice Overs for the first time often ask “How do I setup to record at home”? The good news is that it’s not that hard to do or expensive to achieve, depending what your expectations are.

That being said, there are plenty of professional Voice Over Artists around who don’t have their own studio. It’s certainly not essential if you’re doing all your voice over work in professional studios, working with clients in person, however more and more it can be very useful – especially if you’re just starting out.

Why? Well we’re always telling people to “Practise, practise, practise” and one of the best ways to do that is to actually record yourself. Now that could just be on your phone or with a microphone built into your laptop, but at some stage you may want to step up to create some usable recordings or ones you can share.

Setting up a dedicated space for this all comes down to how much room you have and how you prepare that space for recording. Do enough Googling and Youtube video watching and you’ll see that there are plenty of options.

Below is a video of Andy’s home studio. Enjoy the tour.

If you are completely new to Voice Over this topic of self recording is discussed within the Introduction to Voice Over Workshop. The next is being held on February 15/16 (2020).

Voice Over For Video Games Workshop – 2 places available

The Workshop for Saturday November 9 filled up quickly!

Well, the picture above says it all. The Voice Over for Video Games Workshop on November 9 featuring special guest Aimee Smith is now completely booked out.

Don’t worry – You haven’t missed out!

If you’re interested in learning more about how to break into the world of Voice Over for Video games, Aimee’s workshop is also running on Sunday November 10 (1-5pm). This workshop has 2 places left so book your place now!

If you’d like to know more about the workshop, read this previous blog post or feel free to get in touch via the contact form, facebook page or even the phone number at the top right of this page.

Listen to what Siri says about Voice Acting

The original voice of Siri, Susan Bennett is in Australia right now launching a cheeky online video campaign by HP, where she plays the voice of a Macbook who is attending couples therapy with her owner ‘Dave’. Take a look.

Andy managed to get on the phone with Susan earlier today to talk about her role in the videos, how she became Siri and to get her advice for anyone just entering the world of Voice Over. Listen below.

Let’s talk about Voice Over Agents & Studio Practise session in November

One of the most common questions we get asked is “When do I get an Agent”?
My answer: Not at the very start, because you need to build up your skills, get more experience and actually do some work first.

Agents are in the business of getting professional voice over artists work, but they have just as much responsibility to agencies and studios to ensure they deliver the best talent, so the expectation is that everyone on their books should be at the top of their game and able to meet client expectations.

So what does this mean for anyone just starting out? Well depending on the amount of time and energy you’re willing to put into becoming a voice over artist, perhaps getting signed up with an agent is a goal you can get for the future, but until then there’s plenty of work to be done.

As we say to anyone who comes to the Introduction to Voice Over workshop or individual coaching sessions, you need to be practising and exposing yourself to the industry as much as possible. Not only do you need to develop your skills as a voice over artists but you also need learn more about the industry, start making connections and do some work!

While the voice over industry is global, the way it works does differ depending on where you live. For example in the U.S.A even voice over artists who are represented by an agent may still be expected to audition for a job, where in Australia clients that book through a voice over agent are primarily booking talent in to jobs based on their demo reel, without any need to audition.

So now what about getting more experience at a good starting point. If you’ve done the Introduction to Voice Over Workshop or any 1 on 1 Coaching with Voices of Tomorrow then don’t forget the list of things you were given to help you out with getting more experience.

Getting yourself back in front of a microphone and doing more recording is part of this, so consider booking in for the group studio practise session at Bang Bang studios on Sunday November 17 (11am – 4pm). Here you’ll have an opportunity to be directed through recording new scripts and end up with 2 professionally produced pieces could be used to demonstrate your current abilities.

This session is open to 10 participants – BOOK HERE.

To hear more about getting a voice over agent from a U.S perspective, watch the video below.

1 Place Available – Voice Over for Video Games – Nov 9

If you’re interested in knowing how the Video Games industry goes about casting for video games – specifically independent games developers, then this workshop is for you.

You can read more about this great workshop presented by Aimee Smith HERE.

The workshop is running twice, on Saturday November 9 and again on Sunday November 10, however there is now JUST 1 PLACE available for the Saturday workshop.
If you’d like to book your place you can do it at https://www.voicesoftomorrow.com.au/course-dates/

Listen to what happened in our October workshop!

We’ve just wrapped up our 7th Introduction to Voice Over Weekend Workshop…and this time we’d like to hear what happened. Listen below.

Compilation of October participants final recordings

That was the recorded outcome from the weekend after everyone tried out their voice on various types from scripts from Radio and TV commercials to corporate narration, multi-voice scripts and even video game characters!

Plus…here’s what the workshop looks like….

That was the final Introduction workshop for the year, however there are still plenty of other opportunities available if you are interested in Voice Overs.

In November Voices Of Tomorrow is hosting Aimee Smith with her workshop on Voice Over for Video Games.

This gives a great overview not only on how the games industry works with voice over artists but also how emerging talent can find work with independent video games developers. The workshop is running on November 9…and then again on November 9 from 1-5pm with limited places available. Book your place here.

If you’ve already had some coaching or experience with voice overs and simply want more time in front of the microphone sharpening up your skills then we’re holding a practise day on November 17 (Sunday). Limited to 10 places – bookings are now open.

We also hold private 1:1 voice over coaching sessions in a small studio setting. There’s no set date or time for these so simply book in and we’ll tailor the session to your needs, including the best time and date.

Group Studio Practice Session – November 17

It’s time to get back into the studio and keep your skills fresh!

If you’ve come to the Introduction to Voice Over workshop or done some 1 on 1 voice over coaching with us then you’ll remember just how much we hammer home the message of practise, practise, practise!

If you’ve got your sights on a future as a voice over artist you need to be proactive. This means making the most of the guidance and tools you’ve been given so far and seeking out new opportunities to get yourself in front of scripts to read and if possible in a studio in front of a microphone to record them.

Some of the best experience you can get in this area, especially if you’re just starting out, is to record in a studio being recorded and directed by someone else. Yes, there may come a time in your Voice Over future where you may be self-directing & recording, however we suggest that the best outcome is often achieved when you have external input – that is, someone else is directing you.

To assist you with getting the experience needed to become more confident in the studio recording voice overs in a professional setting we’re holding a group practice day on November 17.

Limited to 10 participants for each session, these will focus on practical work in the studio recording commercial scripts (Radio & TV) and we’ll look at both single and multi-voice productions.

Everyone will receive a copy of their raw recordings from these sessions, plus 2 of your best recordings from the day will be produced into a finished production that you can share and use for demonstration purposes.

The cost to attend one of these sessions is $275 and each will run with a minimum of 5 participants and a maximum of 10. It’s on Sunday November 17.

Hope to see you in the studio then!

Andy

Your Opportunity to Audition for a Video Game

Over the past few months we’ve received so many requests for information on how to get started doing voice overs for video games. We answered that first by bringing U.K Voice Over artist / coach to Melbourne for a very special workshop focusing on this area, especially around working with audition scripts and bringing character voices to life.

We’re now announcing (yes, at very short notice) another Video Game focused workshop, this time presented by Aimee Smith.

Aimee is an Australian cartoon voice actor and voice actress who has voiced for almost 100 video game characters. She has voiced for characters with Australian, American and British dialects for projects across the world from her home studio.

In this 3 hour workshop being held on October 8 from 6.30pm (at Bang Bang Studios in Southbank), Aimee with focus on the Australian Video Games industry and how you can find audition opportunities with independent developers.

Additionally, the workshop includes recording an audition for a current public video game casting, so you’ll be throwing your hat in the ring to try and land a role in an independent video game. To set your expectations, if you happen to land a role in a small independent video game the budgets are low so the voice talent fee will reflect this, however it’s a great opportunity to get started.

This workshop is limited to 14 participants. You can book HERE.