4 Things To Know Before Getting Into Voice Acting

If you want to get into the voice over industry, ask yourself, “Do I want to be a voice actor? And if so, what impact will it have on my life?” That’s the question you need to answer before starting. The most common answers from other voice actors are practice, find a voice suitable voice range, sign up for acting classes, get an agent and buy home studio equipment.

But there’s one thing missing, the clue to helping a working voice artist. The answer to the above question is having the mindset of success.

At the beginning, this is the driving force you need to expose yourself. I mean expose yourself out there in the working world. But there are two problems you face: Egoism and social pressure.

If you’re a judging type of person suffering from anxiety or depression, the inner critic, also known as the ego, will get in the way. It will look at a problem or a challenge and say, “no, I won’t let failure happen so I will protect you from it.”

Social pressure comes from the people you know. Some will say voice acting is silly and annoying. They will tell you voice acting will not get you anywhere, or no matter how hard you audition, with passion and expectations, the business accepts only a few. Veteran voice actors will understand having multiple voices in their heads like a schizophrenic ready to burst. They compete every day for roles based on their voice range and it offers some a gig on the spot based on years of experience.

This is the harsh truth. But you don’t have to carry it around like a wet blanket.

Here are four things for having a successful mindset in voice acting:

1. Write an affirmation.

Today, a client gives you a job of being the voice of the people. So how do you prepare? By telling yourself “I, [your name], will be the voice of the people.” There’s no need to believe in affirmations, just work alongside it. Without a daily mantra, you are clueless on where to begin. Make up your own affirmation and turn it into a ritual.

2. Develop a system.

Not a goal, a system. Why? Because if you set a goal (I will narrate two hundred words for one hour before lunchtime) you are prone to giving up that goal halfway. But having a system (record my voice every day) will create a habit you wouldn’t expect. If you think of all the actors of the world, they have a system: act every day, evangelize every day. The more they contribute, the more they earn. Find patterns in your behavior, with curiosity, and note them as you practice.

3. Give yourself permission to fail.

Your inner critic will always watch and judge the performance and the project itself. It’s not important to give up because of the way your voice sounds or if the project is not entertaining or informative enough or if the client is paying you less money. What’s important is, when you mess up once learn from it and let it go. You cannot outweigh the expertise of a veteran actor overnight but you can outweigh yourself. Keep moving and don’t make your first project your last.

4. Remember to have fun.

While it is necessary to understand the voice over business and make earnings meet, you must learn to have fun. Sure, it’s embarrassing to sound different in the booth in front of a microphone, but this happens for a reason: You job is to entertain the audience. Make them listen and give them an emotional impact they won’t forget. Tell yourself this will be a great time well spent.