A number of readers of The Magazine have been asking about voice-acting classes. Here’s a recent one:
Q: I signed up for a V-O class and was upset to discover that it was held in the instructor’s living room and that there were some very professional sounding people in a supposedly beginner class, which was very intimidating. I’d like to pursue this, so could you help me find a good voice-acting course? —Carol B., Sunland, CA
A: Carol, there are more voice-acting classes in Los Angeles than in any other city in the world, because there’s more work here for voice acting: Radio and TV spots, cartoons and documentaries, promos, movie trailers, audio books, video games, corporate training films and company phone messaging systems. Class lengths and costs vary widely. How do you choose the one that’s right for you? Here are a few questions to ask before signing up:
How experienced is the instructor? Is the teacher a voice actor, casting director or producer? Does he/she teach all the classes or have substitutes?
Where are classes held? Are the classes held in a professional recording studio, or are they in a living room or classroom?
Too many people in a class will guarantee that you won’t be getting much microphone time. Ten students are the most a three-hour class should have.
Are students on the same level? Are beginners together with intermediate or advanced students? It’s intimidating to beginners and not fair to students with more experience when the classes are not divided based on experience level. Experienced instructors screen prospective students to make sure that they get the most out the course.
Are there handouts? Information that accompanies instruction is invaluable. It’s material that you’ll be able to refer to and use long after the class has ended.
Can you audit a class? You should be able to observe a class in action—at no charge—to see the instructor’s teaching style, the topics covered and where it’s held. You’ll be able to follow along, but don’t expect to participate. Microphone time is reserved for students who’ve paid for the course.
Can you make up classes missed? Some courses allow this, others don’t.
Do students like the course? What’s the word-of-mouth? Are there testimonials? Reading specifics of what people who’ve taken the course say can give you valuable information.
Is there a course assessment? Do you get any feedback or analysis of your skills when you’ve completed the course?
Hopefully, these questions should help you decide on the best voice acting class for you.
For more information, Marc Cashman can be contacted at cashcomm@earthlink.net or his website, www.cashmancommercials.com .