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Voiceover
is the term used when you hear a voice in a commercial, CD
ROM game, film, video, animated film or cartoon, but do not
see the person speaking. Voiceover is much more than reading into
a microphone, however. Voiceover is actually Voice
Acting. A seasoned voice actor breathes life into the words
of the script, making each thought believable and credible.
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There
is a place for virtually every kind of voice in voiceover today.
This is because BELIEVABLITY is the key to voiceover right now.
In the past, one had to have a certain kind of voice to make money,
now it's not your voice that matters but what you can do with it.
You must learn how to act with your voice. At The Voice Factory,
classes are called voice acting classes and the emphasis is definitely
on the acting, not the voice.
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More
than ever -- the voiceover industry is booming in virtually every
major market -- especially the San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Area
is THE place to be if you're a voice actor. Aside from being the
home to many top advertising agencies, the Bay Area also houses
most of the nation's software industry. Since the advent of CD
ROM and interactive software, the voiceover industry has literally
exploded. Where radio and television commercials usually use one,
two or three voices, CD
ROM projects often use 30 to 40 voices.
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Commercial
work, Character work
(for cartoon and CD ROM games) and Narration
(for corporate videos and industrial films).
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Many
voice actors make their living just doing voiceover. The amount
of money you make depends solely on what kind of jobs you are auditioning
for and winning. A local radio spot that runs one time will net
you a few hundred dollars, but if you win a national television
spot, you can make $10,000 to $20,000 from that one commercial.
Talent, training and luck have everything to do with how well you'll
do in the industry.
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In
a competitive field such as commercial voiceover, it is almost impossible
to expect to book work without some degree of training. Like most
endeavors, whether they be athletic, artistic or creative, one must
know the rules of the game before he or she can play to win. Training
gives you the opportunity to find what we at The Voice Factory call
your "Money Voice," as well as your acting and character
range. Plus you'll learn how to audition like a professional and
make your voice stand out on the audition tape. One of the most
important factors of training is exposure. If you study with a casting
director or talent agent, these individuals can watch your progress
and start auditioning you when you are ready. This happens quite
frequently at The Voice Factory.
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Voiceover
is an art, not a science. Therefore, there is no one answer to this
question. Your training will depend entirely on your unique talent,
experience, commitment and attitude. Some Voice Factory students
begin auditioning after just a brief period of training, others
need more time to find and refine their skills and range.
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By
invitation only. Casting directors and talent agents invite voice
actors to audition.
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The
voiceover industry has undergone quite a revolution. In the past,
advertisers paid little attention to the voice behind their commercial.
Now, they are paying huge amounts of money for top notch voice actors.
Advertisers and software sound designers have finally recognized
how vital the right voice really is. A case in point: celebrities
who, ten years ago, wouldn't be caught dead doing voiceover, are
now happy to use their voices in advertising, animated films, CD
ROM games. . . and are being paid quite handsomely for their services.
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The
Voice Factory offers an introductory program called Getting
Into Voiceover that more than introduces you to the field, it
literally walks you through it. For just two hours of your time,
you will know whether voiceover is for you and what your next step
should be. Check our classes page for
upcoming dates. We'll look forward to seeing you!
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