What is Voice Acting? Definition and Guidelines

Ever wondered how all those animated characters got their voices? Thanks to voice actors, people all over the world can be entertained by cartoons, anime and commercials. Voice acting can be a wonderful career in entertainment. Here's how you can get started:

What do you do?
Voice acting is a job that requires providing the speaking and singing voices for a variety of characters in film, TV, documentaries, animation, video games, commercials, puppet shows and audio dramas. Of course, there's also the dubbing required for foreign language movies. Your job as a voice actor is to bring a character to life without being seen, using just your voice.

Do you need to be famous to be a voice actor?
You don’t have to be a big name star to become a voice actor. Most of the voice actors who work in the industry today aren’t famous, probably with the exception of the late great Mel Blanc, who voiced Bugs Bunny. If the character you voice becomes famous, expect to have your name known as well.

What's the advantage of voice acting?
In an industry where looks matter, voice acting allows you to come to work without makeup or costumes and you don’t have to be a certain age, provided you can act with your voice. You don’t have to worry about lighting or blocking scenes either. However, don’t think it's going to be an easy job. It's hard work and quite challenging.

Where can I learn voice acting?
Training is being offered at many acting schools. Some cities even have learning facilities that offer lessons. Check with your local community centers for a list of clubs or associations that provide voice acting classes.

What can I expect as a voice actor?
Expect to voice some very unlikely characters. Women, for example, are often cast to voice the role of a male child. You might also be asked to provide voices for animals, even monsters and robots, with the accompanying sounds. It would be a great advantage to you if you have a wide range of character voices, ranging from that of a small child to a teenager to an old person. And having a good singing voice wouldn’t hurt either.

Most voice acting jobs can be found in larger cities, such as Los Angles, New York and Chicago.

Will I have fans?
Once you work for some time in the industry and if you voice a character that gains popularity, you’ll have fans. They will be significantly smaller compared to famous actors but they are dedicated, often arriving in droves at conventions and special events. Who knows? You might even have your own website.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Looking For an Acting Agent - The Guide

Okay, let's get one thing straight. Agents are a necessary part of the equation in any good actor's career. They help actors find acting jobs, micro manage their careers, and use their wide pools of contacts to help an actor along - all for a fee, of course. There are, however, free acting agents. Now, the term "free" acting agent makes people think that the agent won't be charging them a dime. If that sounds too good to be true, guess what? You're right. Free acting agents are simply agents who don't charge you anything EXCEPT the standard cut they get if you manage to land a job successfully. Here is the criteria to help you find a good, reliable free acting agent.

Make sure that the agent is registered with the Screen Actors Guild or another similarly reputable group. While quite a few free acting agents are independent operators, they are best avoided like the plague when you're new to the industry. Acting in general has been likened to a crocodile pit or shark infested waters for very good reasons, and more often than not the perpetrators of trouble are unscrupulous independent operators. Any agent that's actually registered with a reliable guild has to abide by it's rules and regulations, which are made for the protection of actors.

Another criteria to consider is that YES, the agent will eventually be charging you a percentage for services rendered. Nothing in life is free, and anyone trying to tell you otherwise is mistaken. So, you should find out exactly what services the agent is willing to offer for free, and more importantly which ones he WILL be charging you for. Balance your options, and choose someone that won't charge you a dime if, you can't get any successful auditions.

The simplest yet most legitimate type of agent contract can be broken down into three considerations. One, the agent will help you FIND auditions, and will even book you for them for free. Two, IF you land the acting job successfully, only then will he take a fee (the industry standard is 10% of your fee). Third, in the event that you fail to land the acting job, you WON'T owe the agent anything. Details can often get more complex than this, but this is the most basic operation style of legitimate free acting agents. Lastly, remember to READ the contract before signing anything. You never know when something might get snuck in the fine print...

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Acting Schools - What You Need to Know

Credibility and Reputation

One of the most important things to look for when selecting an acting school is it's reputation. You don't necessarily need to go to the most high end establishments. Finding a small but tidy acting school held by an acting coach with a good name for him or herself is all that's required. This gives you two advantages over a relatively unknown acting school - for one thing, you have the assurance that you'll be in competent hands. Secondly, if the school or coach has a good reputation in the industry, this will immediately "rub off" on your name when you're trying to land an audition after you're done with the course.

Available Curriculum

Not all coaches and acting schools are the same. Just like any regular college, acting schools also have different courses that you can take. There are acting courses that specialize in the basics like speech control and body language to convey emotion, others that focus on acting out characters from a certain genre or theme, still others that teach "back stage" support skills to their students etc. Gauge which courses the school has available, and pick one whose selection fits your personal level of experience, abilities, and goals.

Teaching Methodology

Right alongside the curriculum you should also consider the teaching style adapted by the school you're considering. Does the school employ a sink-or-swim method of teaching, or do the school's coaches prefer to take a more supportive albeit coddling style? Do they allow freedom of personal expression in a character role, or do they adhere to subsuming your personality inside the roles you're playing? Do they focus on traditional methods or modernized ones? Again, pick one that suits you and what you want to do with your acting career.

Post Graduate Support

Lastly, you should see if the acting school will give you any support after graduation in terms of trying to help you land auditions and acting jobs. Do they have a pool of agents they can call on and hook you up with? Do they contact their graduates to let them know of any openings in the nearby theaters? Do their coaches have connections that they can use to help you get started? This kind of support can make or break your career, especially at the start when you're still relatively new.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

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Audition - Guide to Finding Acting Jobs

Have your Resume Handy

Before even beginning to look for an acting job audition, you should remember that, like any good job opening, it all begins with your resume. No stint in acting should be overlooked, even ones in your high school or college drama club. Formal work with any theater will help pad your resume, and most importantly, if you've actually got stage acting experience list the plays you've done and the theaters you've worked with. Character references from any old contacts you have in the industry will be helpful, too.

Know Where to Look for Auditions

The simplest and easiest ways to look for auditions is to check common public information sources. Newspapers and the internet are the easiest and fastest ways to find any openings in your area. These openings will usually, but not always, be casting calls for a certain role on the stage. If your acting repertoire is limited by inexperience be sure to pick the roles that you know you can handle.

Do Research on the Role

Once you've got a set of potential auditions to go to, don't just jump into the car or hail a cab and run off to the theater. Do some research on the role that the audition is being held for. Remember that you'll most likely be competing with dozens if not hundreds of other hopefuls trying to land a place on the stage. You have to be able to slip into the character role in a heartbeat. You have to know how the character thinks, dresses, walks, and talks. If you can look and act the part before you actually start the audition, so much the better! There have been instances where a stage or movie director actually canvasses the line of applicants incognito, looking for someone who will jump at him out of the line screaming "pick me!" by his or her bearing and demeanor.

(Read Acting Is a Job: Real Life Lessons about the Acting Business)

When all Else Fails, Get an Agent!

Lastly, if you're having trouble finding an audition or getting booked for an opening in one, you should consider getting an agent. Do your research so you can find a decent and reliable agent. Call your local Screen Actors Guild office and you can ask for a list of any and all registered agents they have. Guild registered agents have to adhere to the rules and regulations set by the guild, and as such are completely reliable. A bonus to this is the fact that they will have contacts who are already established in the acting industry, and they can put in a good word for you to help you along.

Want to be an actor? Get Instant Acting Tips from one of Hollywood's acting coach Calvin Jung. Jung, also an actor, is the coach to a number of illustrious actors like Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Mel Gibson. Be an actor, click here to learn Instant Acting Tips now.

Read more...