Thanks for the answer! FWIW, I used to date a voiceover “talent”. I would have asked her about this a long time ago, but we’re not on speaking terms. (Pun unintended.)
Are there a few people that are famous for the “wry” inflection? I keep hearing one voice repeatedly in many female market-oriented commercials.
Hey, full disclosure 
The MTV Video Music Awards has been the highlight thus far. The whole Vegas experience was insane!
The worst? A guy who kept trying his hand at a TON of get-rich-quick schemes. I must’ve voiced hundreds of things for him and he was never satisfied. But he always paid…until the last time. So, that was enough reason to stop the insanity.
Dream gig? To finally have one of the freakin’ MTV pilots I keep voicing actually get the greenlight!!
How cool for you! You seem to be starting out just like I did! Yes, I set up on spec, but, like you, I had a little evidence that I could do it. I set up with cheapie equipment and upgraded as I earned the money to do so. There’s actually a free recording program called Audacity that a lot of new VOs use. One way to save money 
As for nerve? It’ll come as you practice!
You’re quite welcome!
I don’t know about famous per se, but a few do it really well. Traci Wilde comes to mind and she does it great!
Too late to edit.
Anyhow, Do you find that you’re better at identifying accents than the “normally voiced?” The old voiceover ex: she was the ONLY person I’ve met who was able to guess I was from Buffalo before I gave any indication of my hometown. I have very little trace left of my Buffalo accent (the strongest of the Great Lakes/Midland Northern accents; Buffalo is ground zero for the Northern Cities Vowel Shift), and my old accent only emerges from its shell after I’ve had a few beers. (Yes, I was sober when I met her.) Then again, she didn’t just do commercial voiceover, but also accent reduction training and voice classes; she could speak in dead-on regional accents for North America and the UK, along with general Strine, Kiwi, Seffrican and English as spoken by various immigrant groups. It was amazing to hear.
Are there talents that specialize in regional accents (for example, someone who does nothing but Louisiana accents for products and businesses with Cajun-themes, or one person who does nothing but Texas or western-themed commercials), or are such commercials voiced by general talent that can switch into a regional accent? There seems to be one talent that does every truck commercial in Texas; the voice is smooth and slow but “rugged.”
oh, yeah. I can pick out an accent in two sentences. I listen to voices and demos all day, so it’s pretty simple to do. I, myself, can’t do too many accents. Southern and Eastern European mostly. There are no talents I know of , really successful ones anyway, that focus on one accent. It’s just not lucrative enough
Thanks. BTW, sides are the pages of script that get faxed to you (15 years ago, anyway) before an audition. At least that’s what they were called in New York.
Is Atlanta the center of voice overs? There was a book about AT&T, and one of the chapters was about the woman who did all the time messages for the entire country. She lived in Atlanta, and I believe her daughter took over for her.
I’m already old hand at Audacity, it’s how I edited and mixed my podcasts. Huh. Maybe I’ll pull out the $99 mic and set up a demo or two. It can’t hurt!
Sounds like you keep a full schedule so I’ll skip the what’s your day job question. 
Could someone do this as a evening/weekend venture for vacation money or do you really have to keep putting yourself out there in the 9-5 window that your clients work?
I’ve lived in enough places that I’m about as accent neutral as someone could be without actively working at it. Though I have been in the south long enough that it’s creeping in.
Thanks for letting me know!
Atlanta is definitely not the center of VO. Boy, I wish it was! But, being able to record from home these days does allow you to compete with most talents in NYC or LA and that rocks.
Absolutely you can do it part time. In fact, the real full time VOs are rare! Yes, the full timers have a bit of an advantage in that we an audition faster, but you can audition and record on nights and weekends as well. In fact, that’s what I did until I went full time.
AKA “those guys on the other side of the lake who speak through their nose”
That is neat. And it would come in handy in all sorts of situations. Spying, diplomacy, anywhere where you need to make the other person feel at ease…
Do you do anything to physically prepare your voice? Such as “always have a cup of hot liquid” or “never have a cup of hot liquid”? Breathing or enunciation workouts, etc?
Back in the day we spent a lot of time on our “instrument” (quit snickering boys, it means voice!), is that still the norm?
What material do you record on your demos? Do you make up your own scripts?
Thanks so much for starting this thread. I have some friends who prefer books read to them (they just seem to assimilate the information better that way) and they’ve suggested my going into voice acting.
I have a problem with sibilance. Do you have any suggestions for getting esses to stop hissing?
Wow!! That was a great read! Thanks for that!
I usually sing in the shower every morning just to wake my voice. I’m an avid drinker of mint tea as well. Hot or cold doesn’t really matter, but you do need liquid of a sugar-free variety to keep down mouth noise. Apples are also great for this and I always have one or two in the kitchen. I practice meditative breathing everyday for spiritual reasons and that’s good for stretching out your lungs for work as well. Also, no hard liquor the night before a big session, no scremain on rides, no yelling, no smoking or being around smoke. No enunciation workouts because I talk so much every bloody day ;). I spend more time on my honing my acting skills than anything else. I can turn my voice on and off with ease. Getting into a character, slowing down those are my challenges.
When I first started, I had to write my own stuff. I’d listen to demos and see what caught my ear, change it up a bit and record it. The stuff on my current demos are all real spots now, the best of what I’ve done so far. I’m actually going to be changing it in a few months. Very scary!
Yes. First, go buy a bottle of wine. (Great plan so far,right?!) Take the cork and place it in your mouth between your front teeth. Start reading aloud. The trick is to make it sound as natural as possible. It really helps train lazy lips. Also, on the post-production side, you the “de-esser” function of your recording software. That makes a HUGE difference!
Wow! What a great thread! I, too, have been told that I have a good voice for VO work; however, I’ve never had the inclination to follow that lead.
I have “issues” with most women’s voices. Most that I hear are too high, grating, nasaly, and just damn unpleasant. (sorry, I haven’t listened to your sample but I’m guessing that your voice is also an octave lower than the general populace.) Those high octave sentences that end with a question mark will never be successful in the boardroom.
I have a naturally lower voice, an alto in choir. Do you believe that young girls could/should be taught to lower their natural speaking voice in order to become more effective communicators?