// Frequenty Asked Questions //

Voice Over Talent

In order to be a successful voice over talent, you need to have energy and stamina. At an audition, casting directors may ask you to scream, swear, and/or yell. Your voice is your instrument and your tool; make sure it's well tuned and in tip top shape. A professional voice over talent must be able to produce whatever sounds and volumes a role requires in a timely fashion. If you request frequent rest stops, thereby wasting expensive studio time and costing your employers money, you will inevitably be dropped from their list of voice over talents to call for future gigs. The old adage has never been truer than with regard to studio hours: time is money.

Don't be afraid to contort your face or wave your arms around if it will help you produce an expressive performance. Casting directors don't care if their voice over talent looks silly in the studio. Any behavior that helps you visualize your character - as long as it's silent and doesn't interfere with the sound recording - is beneficial. In fact, a voice over talent at an audition may get higher marks by showing physical animation and using facial expressions to get into character. It displays that you realize that the only thing that matters is how you sound, not how you look.

A voice over talent should also cultivate good microphone technique. Don't turn away from or jostle it, or produce stray noises - hand slapping, fidgeting and rustling, etc. Casting directors are especially pleased with voice over talent who know how to control their breathing to decrease the amount of editing required, and who can maintain steady volume, timing, and pacing levels.

Female voice over talent Janet Ault is recognized as a consummate professional. Her takes require minimal editing because of her focus, attention to direction, and understanding of successful studio technique.

	"Janet has brought all of our audio tours to life for our tourist customers with her positive energy, professionalism, and beautiful voice. Her tour guide narration on our CD projects have helped guide Arizona visitors through the beauty of Sedona and the majesty of the Grand Canyon in a very interesting, educational, and professional style. Janet is simply fantastic, and, we can't wait to have her start recording our upcoming audio tours." Jeff Strom President Waypoint Tours