By Marci Glover
Advertising entails many aspects that are never considered by the majority of the audience. People's attention may be easily captured by great visuals and catchy jingles but it is often the speaking parts that sticks with them. Working in voice over commercials is an exciting career choice, though it is one that requires one to utilize both persistence and patience.
A common misconception is that if a person sounds great when speaking naturally that they will be perfect for this type of work. Along with that appealing sound, one must also have clear speech, diction and a fair degree of acting ability. The job requires taking a script and using a talent for timing and believability to create a sincere sounding narrative.
This is a talent that is used for many things such as movies, cartoons, audio books, documentaries, video games and many multimedia formats. Advertisements for television, radio and the internet are some of the most often heard outlets for this field of work. They are so common that many people do not even realize just how many ads they are exposed to on a daily basis.
There are three basic categories in this type of advertising work. At the local level, possible jobs may include car dealerships, small businesses and civic announcements. Regional ads will be those that cover chains and companies that are only active in a particular area, while the national spots will be the more top level brands and events.
Unfortunately, a large portion of the national tier advertisements are voiced by celebrities or seasoned vocal actors, mainly because their sound is recognizable to the masses. This does not mean that one should underestimate the power, influence and profitability of ads done on the regional and local levels. There is no way a handful of veteran performers can handle every job that comes along, so opportunities will present themselves in all categories.
Very few people in this field are discovered simply because they have amazing speaking abilities. There is a process to building one's talent and becoming as marketable as possible in order to gain a higher level of success. The first step is finding a competent vocal coach who can help improve techniques and give instruction on how to best to control breathing while doing a recording.
Step two is to create a professionally recorded quality demo tape to submit as part of one's resume'. It should be sent to as many production companies, talent brokers and advertising agencies as are in the desired work area. After mailing out the CD packages, it is important to follow up with phone calls, just as one would do with any other job application.
With a bit of patience combined with a degree of persistence, it is possible for one to build a satisfying career in this field. Aiming for national ads is a respectable goal, though one should not expect to immediately start working on that level. Gaining experience through performing on a number of local and regional assignment is a tried and true way to hone the craft, build experience and become versatile enough to actually become competitive at the top tier.
A common misconception is that if a person sounds great when speaking naturally that they will be perfect for this type of work. Along with that appealing sound, one must also have clear speech, diction and a fair degree of acting ability. The job requires taking a script and using a talent for timing and believability to create a sincere sounding narrative.
This is a talent that is used for many things such as movies, cartoons, audio books, documentaries, video games and many multimedia formats. Advertisements for television, radio and the internet are some of the most often heard outlets for this field of work. They are so common that many people do not even realize just how many ads they are exposed to on a daily basis.
There are three basic categories in this type of advertising work. At the local level, possible jobs may include car dealerships, small businesses and civic announcements. Regional ads will be those that cover chains and companies that are only active in a particular area, while the national spots will be the more top level brands and events.
Unfortunately, a large portion of the national tier advertisements are voiced by celebrities or seasoned vocal actors, mainly because their sound is recognizable to the masses. This does not mean that one should underestimate the power, influence and profitability of ads done on the regional and local levels. There is no way a handful of veteran performers can handle every job that comes along, so opportunities will present themselves in all categories.
Very few people in this field are discovered simply because they have amazing speaking abilities. There is a process to building one's talent and becoming as marketable as possible in order to gain a higher level of success. The first step is finding a competent vocal coach who can help improve techniques and give instruction on how to best to control breathing while doing a recording.
Step two is to create a professionally recorded quality demo tape to submit as part of one's resume'. It should be sent to as many production companies, talent brokers and advertising agencies as are in the desired work area. After mailing out the CD packages, it is important to follow up with phone calls, just as one would do with any other job application.
With a bit of patience combined with a degree of persistence, it is possible for one to build a satisfying career in this field. Aiming for national ads is a respectable goal, though one should not expect to immediately start working on that level. Gaining experience through performing on a number of local and regional assignment is a tried and true way to hone the craft, build experience and become versatile enough to actually become competitive at the top tier.