VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

[H-Sweeney]

Hi all, greetings from Ireland. This VO community is great, everyone seems so helpful and positive.

So I've decided to do something about the desire I've always had since I was a teenager to do voice over work. I'm male, light baritone and 33. Am I coming to it very late? I've listened to some of the demos in posters sigs here. All I can say is wow. Every voice has sounded like, well, dollars!! I DO NOT have a voice like a lot of you guys, although here in Ireland it seems that a more down to earth approach is favoured on most broadcast material so there is hope for me!

I have never done acting work although I have performed on stage, radio and television as a singer. In the past I've done 2 years of vocal lessons from an opera singer and although I know I don't have a massively dramatic speaking voice it has been commented on several times as having a very pleasant quality. Including once by a TV/radio commercials director. One of my passions is pro-audio/recording and I have some very good recording equipment (Nuemann & AKG mics, Lynx converters etc) and am building a vocal booth, which I guess is a help.

I guess my first step needs to be a demo. How shall I go about this? What shall I include and say on it? Should I try and just do one thing well or try and offer a range of styles? Or should I just ask the local talent houses what they want? Could an Irish accent find work outside of Ireland?
Thanks for making it this far, any advice or feedback is appeciatted.

[jrodriguez315]

Hi Sweeney,

Welcome to the board! I would say that your first step would be to spend some time reading all the posts in the archives on this board. Many of the questions that you will ask as a newbie will be answered there. Next, I would say that you would want to take some acting classes and some classes geared more toward voiceover work.

Good luck!


Is cuma le fear na mbróg cá gcuireann sé a chos
_________________
Joe Rodriguez, Bilingual Voice Actor | The Voiceover Thespian Blog

[bobsouer]

Welcome, Sweeney...

One key thing to know as you contemplate your future in voiceover work: it's not about you or your voice. Yes, your dialect, sound (or accent) and voice may get you work some of the time, and lose you work other times; but at the end of it all, when you're in the studio reading someone's script, it's about them, their story and how effective you are at telling that story.

I hope the above doesn't come across as harsh. I mean only that the time to stop worrying about whether you can do this work is now. Concentrate instead on learning how to tell stories. How to read aloud, imparting the intended meaning to the words.

Even more important, learn how to market yourself for who you and and what you can do. The more effective you are at this, the more successful you'll be.

You'll find acres of great advice, and more than a few laughs, in the archives here. Dig in. And may it go well with you on your journey.
_________________
Be well,
Bob Souer (just think of lemons)
The second nicest guy in voiceover.
+1-724-613-2749
Source Connect, phone patch, pony express

[richgates]

Hi Sweeney and welcome. To be honest I don't believe it's ever too late. In fact, according to voice123.com, people in the "middle age" group are in highest demand. So you have a few years to get seasoned and you'll be good to go. Of course by then the new hotness may be guys who can sound like Bea Arthur on Helium, and all your hard work can be for nothing.

[Lizden]

[Audiogal]

I agree...it's never to late to follow your dream. Unless you are mute, of course.

Oh, and welcome to the board. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
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Mary

[allensco]

[KaraEdwards]