# Ask the Professional Voice Over Talent
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 15, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784 "2009-06-15T00:53:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/1 "2009-06-15T00:53:42Z")
Ever wonder about those annoying voices on radio and TV commercials? Want to know how we do what we do? Ask away!
~September
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### Author:  [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/2 "2009-06-15T01:05:16Z")
How do they characterize voice over actors? Is the call I want an authoritative voice or motherly or how do they describe it?
And are the actors known for being able to do certain of those types?
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### Author:  [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/3 "2009-06-15T01:10:12Z")
What sort of qualifications must one have to be a voice over actor? What types of commercials do you do?
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### Author:  [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/4 "2009-06-15T01:15:43Z")
Do you have a home recording studio, or do you head into the “office” to lay down tracks?
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### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/5 "2009-06-15T01:15:48Z")
> [@jonesj2205](#):
>
> How do they characterize voice over actors? Is the call I want an authoritative voice or motherly or how do they describe it?
> And are the actors known for being able to do certain of those types?
The most common direction today? “Not announcer-y”. 🙂 It’s a big reason why some of the people who have been in the industry for years can’t find work any more. They were taught to be aanouncers and now, that just ain’t selling.
Auditions will usually say: “Female, early 20’s. Smart, fun, wry humor.” Or, “Male, 40s, natural flow with a bit of rasp, homey”. Now, that’s the GOOD directions.
There are, however, others…like this one that I personally received from a client a month or so ago: “make it sound like a fem 14 yr old… but a professional actor… but not really male or female… but more female”
Most actors have their “money voice”, what they do best. In the industry, I’m best known for sexy, sultry reads and also hip teenager reads. A soccer mom, I am not 😉
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### Author:  [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/6 "2009-06-15T01:18:43Z")
How did you get started? Any recommendations for someone wanting to explore getting started?
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### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/7 "2009-06-15T01:20:36Z")
> [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](#):
>
> What sort of qualifications must one have to be a voice over actor? What types of commercials do you do?
Well, these days you need to have a way to record auditions and a way to receive auditions and that’s about it. Of course, if you’re no good, you won’t get work. Mostly, you need to listen. Actively listening for a few weeks before you make a first move is crucial. Listening to demos of people who are successful, listening to the national commercials on TV in contrast to the local radio spots in your area. There is no “degree” or test you can take to become a voice over talent. The proof is in the pudding. If you’re booking big jobs and often, you’re a member of the club.
I do commercials for TV, radio, Internet, and phone. But voice over isn’t just commercials. It’s the on hold message you get stuck listening to when you call the doctor’s office, the pleasant woman on the phone asking for your account number and irritating you all to hell because you just want to speak to a human, dammit!, movie trailers, video games. The list goes on forever.
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### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/8 "2009-06-15T01:22:48Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#):
>
> Do you have a home recording studio, or do you head into the “office” to lay down tracks?
Home studio. You have to have one with the way the industry is. Most everything I record, I do in my closet next to the dirty laundry. Once in awhile, a client will want to be at the session and will buy studio time at a big recording facility. Or with something live, like the MTV Video Music Awards, I need to actually be there in case something goes wrong. But about 90% of my work is done in my closet.
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### Author:  [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/9 "2009-06-15T01:24:40Z")
Do you have any work online that we could listen to?
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/10 "2009-06-15T01:26:04Z")
Every industry has its fashions and its taboos. What kinds of voices - _good_ sounding voices, voices people _like_ - don’t get work, and why?
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### Author:  [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/11 "2009-06-15T01:26:31Z")
Do you consider your “stage voice” to be your normal speaking voice, or do you actively try to manipulate it to sound “better” somehow?
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### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/12 "2009-06-15T01:27:09Z")
> [@cosmosdan](#):
>
> How did you get started? Any recommendations for someone wanting to explore getting started?
“There’s Money Where Your Mouth Is” and “The Voice Actor’s Guide to Home Recording” are my Bibles. They will teach you basic technique and how to set up your home studio. I bought both of them, read them, put together a demo, registered at what we call a “pay to play” site (you pay a subscription fee and receive auditions), and I was off! I was full time in about 6 months and landed my first really big gig after a year.
If you want to take classes, make sure your teacher is a WORKING voice talent. Research them. And don’t make a demo until you have spent some serious time practicing and listening to great demos. You can do that over at [videovoicebank.net](http://videovoicebank.net) . Also, check out the message boards where VO talent hang out and read about what we do. Ask questions! Most of us are pretty darn friendly 🙂
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### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/13 "2009-06-15T01:30:23Z")
> [@Aesiron](#):
>
> Do you have any work online that we could listen to?
Sure 🙂
Most recently, I’ve voiced Skynet for Warner Brothers over at [SkynetResearch.com](http://SkynetResearch.com) and you can hear my teen voice over on [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) by going here: [Amazon.com : Fujifilm FinePix Z30 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Pink) : Point And Shoot Digital Cameras : Electronics](http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-FinePix-Digital-Optical-Pink/dp/B001QEPR5M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245029349&sr=8-2) and clicking on the “watch” button below the picture of the camera.
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### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/14 "2009-06-15T01:33:52Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#):
>
> Every industry has its fashions and its taboos. What kinds of voices - _good_ sounding voices, voices people _like_ - don’t get work, and why?
I would say accents kill the dream for a lot of folks. Some accents work great sometimes. Like the “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner” Guy. That line should be said with a Texan accent, but if he can’t drop it for a Toyota Camry read, he’s kind of pigeon-holed.
Today, commercials seem geared more towards more youthful voices. Early to late 20s. That wasn’t the case a few years ago, and it will cycle again in the future. Also, African-American voices are becoming more in demand. I imagine it might have to do with our current President 🙂 So, it’s beneficial if you can do multiple voices and accents, but it’s most important that you have no accent at all.
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### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/15 "2009-06-15T01:38:45Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#):
>
> Do you consider your “stage voice” to be your normal speaking voice, or do you actively try to manipulate it to sound “better” somehow?
My normal speaking voice is used rarely because, while it isn’t unpleasant, it doesn’t have a fullness to it that I can make happen when I need to. It’s like getting dressed up to go out. Sure, I can look okay in jeans, but I look better in a little black dress. But that’s just vocal technique. There are some tricks in post production that you can use, but you’ve got to be careful when you do it. If you can’t re-create what you submit in an audition, you’re going to piss off a client. I don’t heavily tweak my audio. I use a parametric EQ, a little compression, and normalize it to -3dB and that’s it. If you go to the [SkynetResearch.com](http://SkynetResearch.com) page, you’ll notice they heavily compressed, pitched, and polished the voice to make it sound more computer-like, less human. But that’s on their end, not mine 🙂
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### Author:  [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/16 "2009-06-15T01:51:32Z")
> [@Septemberday](#):
>
> Sure 🙂
>
> Most recently, I’ve voiced Skynet for Warner Brothers over at [SkynetResearch.com](http://SkynetResearch.com) and you can hear my teen voice over on [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) by going here: [Amazon.com : Fujifilm FinePix Z30 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Pink) : Point And Shoot Digital Cameras : Electronics](http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-FinePix-Digital-Optical-Pink/dp/B001QEPR5M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1245029349&sr=8-2) and clicking on the “watch” button below the picture of the camera.
You sound awesome.
Have you noticed a trend in the way female voices are used for commercials? I’ve noticed that they are used when advertisers want their product to seem simple to use (like the [mozy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSclZrpbAY4&feature=fvw) commercial) and whenever a product is strictly for females. Otherwise the default is a man’s voice. Is this done on purpose? Are there other reasons to have a female narrate a commercial?
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### Author:  [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/17 "2009-06-15T02:02:14Z")
> [@Septemberday](#):
>
> it’s beneficial if you can do multiple voices and accents, but it’s most important that you have no accent at all.
Is there anyone like that? I’m great with dialects and characters and such, but I couldn’t _not_ have _some_ kind of an accent no matter how hard I tried.
Is it a matter of learning a standardized speech no one really uses naturally? Should you sound as much as possible like anonymous VOs in tv/radio commercials?
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### Author:  [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/18 "2009-06-15T02:15:10Z")
Very cool thread **Septemberday**!
What is a bad day at the office like for you?
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### Author:  [@Septemberday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septemberday)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/19 "2009-06-15T02:33:16Z")
> [@Lakai](#):
>
> You sound awesome.
>
> Have you noticed a trend in the way female voices are used for commercials? I’ve noticed that they are used when advertisers want their product to seem simple to use (like the [mozy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSclZrpbAY4&feature=fvw) commercial) and whenever a product is strictly for females. Otherwise the default is a man’s voice. Is this done on purpose? Are there other reasons to have a female narrate a commercial?
Thanks:)
The biggest trend I’ve seen lately? They want you to sound natural and easy. Women seem to have more trusting voices, too. Also, for the most part, women are most leery of buying new technology, so they use other women to sell their products. Kind of like saying “_I_ can use it, so you can too!”. The industry is about 70-75% male and they used to have a lot more projects to audition for than females. That’s really changing now though.
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### Author:  [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)
#### Post date: [June 15, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784/20 "2009-06-15T02:34:58Z")
This is the first “Ask the…” thread that interested me enough to click on it 🙂
I have a problem with slurring my words together when I speak - a leftover bad habit from talking too quickly as a child. As a result, certain combinations of syllables will cause me to trip over them, embarrassingly!
So, barring some intense diction lessons, I’m out of the business before I even get started, aren’t I.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-professional-voice-over-talent/499784.md?page=2)