Posted by Tom Test on October 12, 1998 at 22:04:15:
In Reply to: Training for voiceover talent posted by Rosalyn E. Beason on October 05, 1998 at 19:03:52:
: I have a good speaking voice. I would like to know
: if any of the professional voiceover artists would
: share with me what kind of training or preparation
: they did to help them with this career.
I've been a professional v/o talent since 1990. I started from zero, and began by taking classes from a v/o talent/coach who owned a recording studio. Unfortunately, he was the wrong guy to get a contemporary, competitive tape with. But, he did get me into taking improv and acting classes, which I did for several years. In 1996, I worked with Nancy Scanlon here in Chicago, and made with her the tape that really broke me into the market. Around this same time, I actually started working as a v/o caoch myself, as a result of what i had learned from conducting v/o practice groups at a recording studio, which I founded in 1992. Also, in 1996, I took Marice Tobias' seminar on advanced voice-over, and later became her representative for the midwest. She gave me the insight into the mental and emotional aspect of performance that I needed to be able to do v/o as a full-time career. My success has come from working with good coaches, continuing my learning as an actor, learning and taking risks more on the business end, and finally, being persistent enough to be in this business long enough to really know what I'm doing (with LOTS of mistakes along the way).
For you, if there are any reputable coaches in your area, check them out. Get advice from any talent agents in your area (only ask the advice from the biggest and most successful agencies). If that's not an option, I can help. I mentioned that I started coaching about 5 years ago. I am one of a handful of people in the midwest that talent agents recommend (I'm happy to send you my credentials, just ask). I do one-on-one coaching, in-studio audition workshops, full-service demo production, and marketing consulting. And, I am developing a way to be able to effectively coach people who live out of state. Drop me an e-mail if you are interested, and I'll give you more details. And by the way, I am known for being very upfront with my opinions about your chances for success, and will politley decline to continue with you if I don't think this would be a wise investment for you, as it does take a lot of time and money to make a really competitive demo tape. Good luck with your pursuits, Rosalyn.
Tom Test