For a typical company to sell its products or services, they usually come up with eye-catching pubs, promotional campaigns, or a known endorser to get their name in the market. Everything we see or hear that entices us to make a purchase or avail of something is a marketing tactic of these businesses, and behind almost every advertisement is a voice artist alluring you behind their mics.
Voice artists are the stars of every commercial, animated show, or voice over you’ve heard or seen; they’re just not seen in the picture. It’s ironic how voice artists are the ones behind the success of marketing promotions, but some don’t know how to market themselves. Luckily, the Creative Voice Artist Program (CVAP) hosted by the VoiceMaster Pocholo De Leon Gonzales shared these three insightful tips on how to get our voices heard the easiest way possible.
Find your Niche
If you’re trying to sell premium meat, would you approach vegetarians to increase your sales?
It’s nothing different in the voice acting industry. Having a nice and modulated voice won’t score you every project in the market. It takes time to know what you can do and who you can do it for, so start NOW. Ask yourself the following first:
What kind of voice do you have?
What kind of characters can you do?
What types of projects have you done?
A few considerations should also be taken like the type of voice you have, its quality, and your specific skill and interest. The voice acting industry is a sea of wonder and only a few fishes will be needing your expertise or else, the sharks will be eating you alive. Check out the types of voice artists in the market and see where you belong.
Voice over
Character voice
Radio and TV commercials
Public Service Announcements (PSA)
Movie trailer
Announcement
Audio-visual presentation or AVP
Educational materials
Telephony
Interactive gadgets
Automated Dialogue Replacement (ADR) - dubbing
Radio drama
Animation
Establish your Brand
You can’t sell to people who don’t know who you are, so a catchy but on point brand will be of big help to make a mark to your audience. Think of a name that fully captures who you are as a voice artist but is easy enough for people to remember. In my case, I chose #GondangVoice (derived from gandang [beautiful] voice), as I want to show that I am capable of beautifying my voice in for the art. Once you have yours set, don’t forget to get your name out there for the world to see!
AIM-prove!
Your voice is only as good as how you take care of it. It may be a gift that we treasure, but it certainly is also a choice. The multiple voices you can pull off can cost you if you don’t take care of it. It’s helpful to take note of the three main elements of voice acting to fully encompass the character you want to portray: pitch, volume, and tempo.
When it comes to voice care, the VoiceMaster shared these tips to ready your voice and to ensure it’s always in its A-game!
1. Drink plenty of water (every 15 mins) - room temperature
2. Avoid food and drinks that are harmful to your voice
a. Coffee, iced tea
b. Sweets and dairy - makes us produce more mucus
c. Cold and spicy
d. Alcohol
e. Lozenges
3. Voice rest
4. Proper posture
5. Proper breathing
6. Don't shout not whisper
7. Warm-up
8. Salt water gargle - gargle room temp water with salt
9. Avoid pollutants - irritates lungs and throat
10. Consult doctor for persistent cough, and other similar conditions
Voice acting isn’t only the art of becoming, but also discipline.
Getting in the market may be heard but staying there is tougher. Good thing the VoiceMaster is there to help us reach our dreams of becoming a Certified Voice Artist and let the world hear our voices.
Last June 27 was our 2nd day of the CVAP! I’m still in awe of how I became part of all this and of course very thankful. During the last session, I learned that we should be strategic in finding our niche because that’s where it all will stem. We can‘t be everything to everyone because we can only do so much. Instead of pushing ourselves to be offer everything, we should first focus on one part then shift once we’ve mastered it. In the sea of voice artistry, we can only accommodate so much fish, or else, the sharks will eat us alive.