Finding the Money Voice

The strongest guidance that I can offer in terms of the essential need to 'find your money voice' is to find a voice over coach/teacher who can demonstrate a working knowledge of and familiarity with the current landscape of sounds that are selling.

That usually means a casting director who currently casts a wide variety of projects in the particular genre on which you have elected to focus.  They have their 'finger on the pulse' of the thought processes of ad agencies and production companies when it comes to searching and casting for voice over talent.  They have a perspective that is unique and unbiased as they themselves are not voice actors, which is a very particular vantage point that can be of great assistance to the journeyman voice actor but not necessarily when it comes to understanding how to determine that sound which will is most appealing to or in demand by the buyer.   That first hand knowledge comes from the casting director and/or producer, those who are on the front lines with the actual buyers.  They have a breadth of exposure that will allow them to help you to locate and train your money voice.

A truly valuable tool in the process for finding the right coach/mentor is to ask your fellow actors who have trained in this area as well.  THAT is where the first hand experience and perspective of another actor is invaluable.  They can talk to you in terms of the acting process and how they explored formulating their own technique.

Also, when you telephone the person or people in whom you might be interested in hiring to assist in this endeavor, you must rely on your gut instinct as to your innate comfort and rapport with that individual.  This is where your great instincts as to people and chemistry will serve you in great stead.

Active current experts who work day to day in the process of searching for and hiring voice over talent are your greatest bets in terms of finding your money voice.

The Nasty

Did you know that big stars like Matt Le Blanc and Tim Allen wield so much power that they can dictate how many seasons a network would have to guarantee them in order for them to agree to do a show, or at the very least guarantee that if the show does not last past a certain number of episodes the network gets charged a hefty cancellation fee?

Introducing Captain America

Your child has expressed a desire to be on a television show or in a commercial. Plus, people keep telling you your child is so cute or have such a precocious personality they should definitely be on a television commercial or in print ads.  What do you do?  Who do you trust?  What's proper steps do you follow?  Does your child really have what it takes to be in the entertaiment industry?  Are they talented? When is the right time to get your child involved the entertainment industry? Where do you start?   

There is so much information out there that it's hard to decide and decipher whether the avenue you've chosen for your child is the correct one.  So, who do you trust and where can you find accurate information?  I'm going to offer information that I hope will help guide you and your child in an accurate direction and help you make sound choices for your child.  The entertainment industry is an exciting business with ever changing trends and a plethora of information for the young actor.  Together we can try to clear up many misconceptions with accurate advice and move your child forward to achieve their own individual success.

Look for more super-secret agent tips soon from super-secret agent extraordinaire, Mr. Captain America!

Getting started in voice-over

It can all be summed up in one word - demo.

For the voice over actor who is entering the scene...

It is essential to create a first rate voice over demo in order to be seriously considered by any reputable talent agency.  Not only does this demonstrate your talent and your voice print as to where you might fit into an existing client list, it is the key marketing/promotional tool that your agent must have available in order to assist in selling you to potential buyers.

Of course, one must train to some degree in this field to determine natural skill and also to acquire basic approach to interpretation and execution of copy.    Many actors who have enjoyed considerable success as an on camera performer often believe that they are prepared to branch into voice over simply predicated on that on camera proficiency.  More often than not, that is not the case.   It is more than highly recommended that one study the craft of voice over before spending time and money on producing a voice over demo. 

Your demo should be approximately one minute in length.  A little longer is fine just as long as every second over that initial 60 truly adds to the quality and depth of your presentation.

Your demo should be professionally recorded and produced.  Do not do a home made demo unless you have a professional quality computer program and engineer available to you.  You cannot erase a negative first impression should you submit something that sounds as if you recorded it under a tent of blankets with a cassette recorder at home.  Not good.

Your demo must sound current.  If you do have recent actual voice over work that you have performed, you certainly should lead with that - so long as it accurately reflects you and your sound in a positive and polished fashion.   The key word here is 'recent'.  If you have spots from several years back and have not done any real voice over since then, you most likely will have to leave those spots off.  Not only has your voice most likely changed (even subtly) - copy can sound dated in tone and style as most copy is written to reflect some aspect of current popular culture.

Know your genres of voice over.  Television and radio advertising voice overs, promos, trailers, video games, animation, narration, etc.  Each is a separate discipline of study and must be approached as such.  As an example, success and skill in television advertising voice over does not necessarily translate into the same success and skill in animation or in trailers or in narration.  You get the picture. 

You do not want to be perceived as a 'jack of all trades - master of none'.  It is best to find that genre of voice over in which you are most organically comfortable working.  You must find a coach or teacher to assist you in identifying your 'money voice'.    What is the most immediate need in the current market place that your voice can fill?  It goes without saying that many actors are able to earn their voice over livings by crossing over many genres, however, for the beginner, strengthen that which comes most naturally and is most likely to be bought and then build out your repertoire. 

Stay tuned for our next post...more to come..

Dear Addison,

I recently came upon a question from an actor asking what happens when they are booked on a commercial, but then are canceled.  Here was my response:

The SAG commercial contract states "When a principle performer is engaged and not used for any reason other than his/her default, illness or other incapacity, he/she shall be entitled to a session fee, or his/her guarantee, whichever is greater."

In my experience, regardless of whether or not you have been booked for one day or ten days, if you are canceled or "unbooked" you are only entitled to one session payment, or your guarantee, if one had been negotiated for you prior to callback, or at the time of avail.

The term cancellation fee is then used to describe what you are paid instead of a session payment, but it is equal to the same amount.

Testing for a network pilot...

Ah, pilot season.  The time when TV networks, studios, and production companies are all scrambling to produce their next big hits and find the next big talent with only the low expectation of capturing lightning in a bottle and having a massive hit on their hands…Er, or at least they’ll settle with making something that tests well in focus groups (more on my personal opinions on focus testing in a later post) with enough promise to get picked up to series. We, at the networks, choose what we think to be our most promising scripts, green light them, hire a director, and get the wheels in motion to make TV magic.  After assembling a dream team of director, producers, studio execs, production crew, etc. eventually, it comes time to find the perfect cast.  These days, it seems a lot more pilots end up on the “cast contingent” slate, meaning that if we don’t find the perfect players for the show, there might not be ever a pilot shoot.  Fortunately, with hard working casting directors and enough effort, the right group usually comes together.

But what does it mean to search for the “perfect” cast?  Is there any such thing in the network’s eyes?  How do we really know better than anyone else what’s going to work and what’s not, because after all, aren’t most things in the creative world subjective anyhow?  Good news for hungry actors is that sometimes finding that perfect male lead with talent and star power to boot doesn’t always mean it has to be someone with a lot of experience.  Sure, experience helps and, whether you’ve cut your teeth on an Australian soap opera or on off-Broadway shows, sometimes doesn’t matter if the powers-that-be are feeling what you’ve got to offer for the character.

Sometimes getting a big piece of talent is exactly what the network (or shall I say the president of the network) wants because it helps get advertisers and publicity, two key elements towards launching a show.  But often times, it doesn’t really matter and trying to find a “breakout” piece of talent or a fresh face can be just as rewarding and beneficial to the long term life of a show.

Ultimately, it will come down to getting the vision of the show runner and the vision of the network in sync as to who this lead is exactly.  For actors in their 30s, it seems many cable networks are looking to cast older, more interesting choices than say the CW or MTV.  They want someone who those in key demographics can relate to, and fortunately for many talented people, this doesn’t always mean it’s the 22-year-old bombshell that America wants to watch on TV each week.

My best advice when testing for pilots – give it your damnedest effort, but remember that at the end of the day, it’s not always about how good you are or how you look, but whether you were the type of person originally envisioned when the pilot really stood out to the powers that be.  We almost always see actors that test, and while different reads are different, there is usually not a “bad” choice.  It just comes down to who that person is and what kind of vibe they’re giving off.  Often times, someone will just come across as too dark or too light for whatever mood the director is trying to create. 

This might not always be what the talent wants to hear --- that it doesn’t matter how good you are, you just might not get the job.  But, hey it’s show biz after all and we all chose to be here because we love it, right?  Eventually, the cards will start to turn out in your favor so just keep doing what you do best and don’t give up.  And saying the occasional prayer might help, too…

Linda Mason

New blogger...

Countless numbers of talented actors over the years have invariably come to the moment when they 'decide' to do voice overs.  Whether it be at the instigation of someone who asks them why they aren't doing voice overs' because they have such a 'great voice' or because they don't want to continue to put on wardrobe and make up and drive all over town to do auditions for on camera commercials or because they have decided they (or legitimately) have become a celebrity.

It is often thought that doing voice overs cannot be too difficult or that having success in this area depends on the sound of one's voice alone.

Both not true.

Voice over remains one of the most difficult disciplines at which to excel.  It requires, not unlike any other art form, training, commitment and natural talent. 

I will explore through this blog the world of voice over from the perspective of an agent.  We will look at how to prepare, how to get started and how to sustain.  We will also address any specific points of information about which you have inquiries.

Look out for our next posting:

'How To Get Started in Voice Overs'

Max von Mayerling