Are you considering a career in voice acting?
If you’re wondering whether you have the right voice, then rest assured that people with normal voices can become voice actors. With hard work and voice training for actors, you can improve and start booking your first job in no time.
Compared to traditional acting, voice-acting has only been around for 120 years and was made possible by a man named Reginald Aubrey Fessenden. Today, the world of voice acting has steadily increased due to the growing demand for video, eBooks, podcasts, and other forms of media.
Getting properly trained is the first step to becoming a voice actor, so read on for voice acting tips to get you started
1. Warming Up
The most important step when it comes to voice acting training is the warm-up. Make sure you do vocal exercises before a voice-over session to avoid injury. Some examples of popular vocal exercises are humming, tongue twisters, and lip trills.
Stretching your body is equally as important to helping you project your voice. Try rolling your neck and moving your shoulders up and down to loosen up, and make sure to breathe deeply to help your muscles relax.
2. Maintain a Good Posture
Having the right posture and alignment is essential if you want to have a great voice. Hunching and keeping your head forward can create stiffness in the muscles around the neck and throat, which can affect your vocal sound.
Try to avoid hunching or slouching over by sitting up straight, and keeping the shoulders in line with your hips. This may be difficult at the beginning but it will eventually turn into a habit over time.
3. Listening to Yourself
Recording yourself and assessing your own voice acting will help you to hone your skills as a voice actor. You can try out different voices for the same script and critique areas that need improvement. Don’t just do a quick replay, but listen actively to your own recordings and learn from any mistakes that you make.
4. Learn From Professionals
No matter which area of voice acting you decide to get into, it’s important to listen to other industry professionals. Find your favorite voice narrator, commercials, audiobooks, etc., and learn from them. By listening carefully you can pick up on small details that make a great piece of work and then apply them to your own vocal pieces.
5. Protecting Your Vocals
It’s no secret that voice acting can be tough on the vocal cords. So learning how to soothe your voice is the best way to protect yourself from injury.
Training too hard to speed up the learning process can, unfortunately, hurt your voice. Remember to take regular breaks in between sessions, and as with any new skill, consistency is key.
Protecting your voice also includes avoiding products that can harm your voice like alcohol and caffeine.
Professional Voice Training for Actors
The tips covered in this article are a great starting point, but finding a mentor is essential in building a strong foundation. Acting classes and voice training for actors can help you to excel faster and avoid learning bad habits. The road to success may seem like a long one, but there’s no better time to begin than now.
If you found this article useful then be sure to visit the educational category on our website for more interesting posts.
