The voiceover journey thus far…
Disney summed it up well: “If you can dream it, you can do it.” So I jumped in to pursue my voice acting dreams!
I’ve always had the idea of having a go at voiceover since college at Boise State University. I was taking an audio production class alongside my many video production classes. But in audio class, I enjoyed the purpose my voice had in creating a story for the person listening. The thought that the inflections and pacing in my voice was what created a story inside someone’s head - it was magical. It could inform, inspire, cause dread, or happiness just from a certain tone of voice. The human voice is SO powerful.
I still remember when my audio professor was listening to my project and said, “You know, you could really make voiceover happen. You have a wonderful voice!” I kept that nugget in the back of brain with no real understanding of how to even get into that type of work. I let life carry me to a retail college internship at Disney World (YES, in FLORIDA!) then to the Bay Area, where I’ve resided for almost eight years now, working primarily in journalism as a video editor. Through these positions, colleagues would mention the same as my professor: “You’re so animated and your voice is so nice to listen to!” I got to star and use my voice in a news promo that aired during the Oscars. Just last year, I was asked to lend my voice to an employee news promo, after someone in our corporate creative services team heard it. Voiceover has always kept reappearing in my life.
I was scrolling through Facebook at the beginning of this year when I saw a random advertisement asking if I had ever thought about getting into voiceover. Uhm, YES! That ad really struck me. I’ve never had quite a moment like it. Without hesitation, I clicked the link which sent me to another page, which sent me to Google searching how to work in the industry. Well, to get to work, I needed to DO the work. I signed up for voice coaching with the wonderful Universal Voice Talent team led by Terry Daniel. I got one-on-one coaching, group classes and insights. From there I wanted to learn all I could; I added podcasts and videos to my list, curated a list of books to read about acting, about the business, you name it. I found Voice One, a voiceover school in San Francisco that was holding classes via Zoom (pandemic acting, what a time!).
The moment finally came for me to record my commercial demo. I was so excited to be in the booth, and it just felt RIGHT. The hour flew by, I definitely worked up a sweat and had a wonderful time, beaming as I left the studio. As I anxiously awaited the final product to be professionally produced, I hammered away more on the business side of the craft, because IT IS a business as well as acting. I decided to form an LLC after guidance from my aunt, a CPA.
All of this is to say, I mean serious business. I wake up daily thinking about what I can do next to boost my skills and knowledge in the voiceover industry. What webinar I want to tune into, what scripts to practice in my broadcast quality home studio, auditioning, clients to email, the list goes on. I’ve learned so much about my voice and its delivery styles, and about managing a business and networking. I’m excited to see where my voice carries me!
I plan to blog as much as I can about insights I find helpful, or just about anything I come across. Perhaps I’ll share some fun projects from college with my voice!? Stay tuned!
I would love to hear your comments too! How did you get started in the industry? What was your “moment”?
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope one day we get the chance to work together!
My very best,
Molly
