Regarding Voiceovers

How to get started in the Washington, DC area

Step one:  Take Body, Voice & Soul at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company.  Not just because my friend Christine teaches it.  But because she's a speech-language pathologist and can really help you learn about and expand your vocal range, articulation, and resonance.  This is crucial for stage work but even more so for voiceovers because that microphone picks up EVERYTHING.  To my knowledge, no other theatre or teaching organization offers a class like this.

[January 6, 2010 addendum: Woolly no longer offers this class. It's a shame. Here's three alternate steps you can take: (a) call or email Woolly and ask them to offer it. (b) call or email the Theatre Lab and ask them to offer it. (c) call or email Christine for private lessons or -- if you've got friends who also want to learn -- organize your own class and ask her to teach it. Or ask me, I loved teaching that class. :) ]

Step two:  Take a Linklater class/workshop if you ever see one offered.  Kristin Linklater was a pioneer in voice for the actor, her techniques are great, and actors need vocal training.  It’s taught at the University of Maryland, but I don’t know their admissions policies for non-matriculated students. Singing lessons don't hurt, either.  Breathing, relaxation, all this stuff is good.  Training, training, training.

Step three:  Avoid costly weekend-intensive voiceover workshops.  I've never heard anyone say anything good about them, nor heard of them advancing anyone's career.

Step four:  Get a voiceover demo.  I got mine from Scott Burgess in DC; I also recommend Laura Gianarelli & Clay Teunis at Tunarelli Studios in Silver Spring, Maryland.   Both will walk you through the process and coach you as needed.   If you're in the Baltimore area, check out Ty Ford, he's worked many years and very successfully in voiceover and does workshops/classes and demos.  DON"T bother going to NYC for expensive demo, it's not necessary and you get better personalized service & quality locally.

Step five:  Actually this step can be undertaken at any time if you haven't already done it.  Register with the agencies:  Carlyn Davis, Taylor Royal if you're willing to drive to Baltimore, Central Casting if you can stand them.  They have websites for their talent and will upload your demo (for a fee), the easier for clients to peruse when casting a project.  That's how I've gotten all my commercial work.  You must have a headshot to register, however. Join the Actors Center for info about that sort of thing.   And if you're really scrappy you can track down all the recording studios/ production houses and send them your demo for their in-house libraries.

Step six:  There's something called a Producers' Handy-Dandy, a cd that showcases 20 or so voiceover artists.  I don't know how you get onto that, though I think Ty Ford has an in...  but that's the rub with voiceovers, it's a tough nut to crack because one actor can do LOTS of different projects, unlike in film where they'd be recognized.  So it's a small circle of constantly working folks; and then a larger circle of sometimes working folks; and then the soon-to-be working folks.  Like you.  Break your legs.