Why are Voiceover Classes Necessary?

 Many people who are actors ask me “Why does an actor need to take voice over classes to work in VO”? Acting skills certainly give a person an ability to deliver lines, so what’s the difference? There really are many differences and demands. Let’s just say there is a need for additional skills. The art of voiceover or voice acting requires: a knowledge of voiceover styles, the ability to change cadence, tone of voice, range, and the rise and fall of your voice on demand in order to deliver what the client wants.
To make a long story short, you have to have control over your voice so you don’t get fired because you can’t take direction. For example, the direction in a voiceover session usually consists of requests to slightly change the tone of voice here, go faster there, take the pitch down on the end of that sentence, speak in a lighter tone on that next phrase, highlight this word a bit more…etc. etc. In acting they are rarely scrubbing every line read for you. It can be a bit of a shock at first.
Another difference is there is no scenery, no lighting, no costumes/makeup, and no other actors to play off of for inspiration. Voiceover classes teach the art of creating an imaginary world in your mind’s eye where you see all the things the voiceover is talking about. We have to know how to use changes in cadence to solve problems of articulation and/or meaning.
We are always trying to comply with the request to avoid any hard sell, to make it more conversational. Yet as people back off, the energy drops and the read sounds unconvincing. Very real is often simply very dull. The reads must be completely natural and yet maintain enthusiasm. This requires vocal skill. Those skills are taught in voiceover classes. There is a whole world of style to learn and learning it can make you a fortune.
For more information, please visit www.Masteringvoiceover.com.