A career in Voice Acting can be an exciting and varied one and in the last few years more people than ever before are dipping their toes in the voiceover waters. However, I often see new Voice Actors making the same few mistakes, which could inadvertently end a career in Voice Acting before it’s even off the ground. Here are the two biggest mistakes that new Voice Actors make and how to avoid them to make sure your career gets off to a flying start!
1 - Creating voice reels before you are ready
You only get one chance to make a first impression so make sure it’s a good one. Spend a little time getting to know your voice, honing your skills and understanding the industry before you dive in. If you can, invest in some coaching or attend workshops and classes to make sure that when you do make your reel, you put your best foot forward. You'll feel so much more confident and prepared when you get behind the mic to create your shiny new reel. Adding things to reels that you cannot sustain for at least a two hour session is another big mistake to avoid. A reel should include all of the things you do best and help your talent shine through and catch the eye of a casting director of a producer. It's also your promise - you promise to deliver anything on that reel when asked in a session. If you haven’t quite mastered that New York accent you were thinking about including on your reel just yet – do not do it. I repeat DO NOT DO IT.
2 - Demanding feedback
When it comes to the world of voiceover, receiving feedback is not standard practice. Receiving feedback on a voiceover audition is definitely more of a privilege than a right. When we audition, we might be just one out of a hundred other voice actors auditioning for the same role or project. Casting teams have so many auditions to listen to that it often just isn't possible to get back to everybody who was in the running.
Having previously worked as a casting intern and seen both sides of the process, it’s nothing personal and genuinely comes down to the team having their hands full. I sometimes see Voice Actors online sharing their disappointment and anger at not receiving feedback after missing out on a role. This is not the best move, and may even break any NDAs you’ve signed about sharing details of the audition process. So remember if you don't receive feedback - don’t worry! It absolutely does not mean your audition wasn’t well received. You might even have been incredibly close to booking the role, but it just didn’t go your way this time.
And on that note…don't break your NDA. It can be so tempting to shout it from the rooftops that you’ve just bagged your dream VO gig but remember nothing severs a relationship faster than a casting team or a director thinking they cannot trust you.
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