Voiceovers

az2wp0sye65487

So I was watching the Irish version of Dragon's Den last night, and there were a couple pitching a website that voice over artists register with... I thought: "there's a handy way to earn a few more quid!"

- Do you have to be registered as an actor with Actor's Equity or anything?
- Is voice over work hard to get into?
- Is it a good gig? Is there money to be made?
- Can this be done part time? - i.e. separate from the 9 - 5 day job?

I wouldn't say my voice is the most desirable to be honest, probably wouldn't have any interest from anyone even if I did try to get involved in this type of work!

I have absolutely NO experience with anything like this. Does anyone on here have any experience - and if so, any advice?

Gavin "shels"

http://www.piehole.ie/

That's the company there, why not ring them up and ask.

az2wp0sye65487

yeah I was on the website already. I requested an information booklet, so I'll have a read of that when it arrives!

jimoc

They have a website but they need to post you the information?

Could they not just put the info on the website?

az2wp0sye65487

jimoc wrote: »

They have a website but they need to post you the information?

Could they not just put the info on the website?

Once you register it's posted to you, but they also link you to a PDF version of the booklet

OFlaherty

Seriously, if they're business is voice overs, don't you think they'd have somebody better that that fellow in the video with his constanst "ahhs" and "emmms"...

Talk about letting the side down. LOL

JamesKennedy

Hey Guys

My name is James - and I'm the guy in the video. I take your point. I'm a programmer and not a VO. We put up the video at the last minute before the show aired. My partner in crime is giving me some heat about it so we'll take it down and put up a proper one.

Anyway. To answer a couple of those questions for you.

- It is the kind of thing 'anyone' can get involved in but its not to be taken lightly. You need a great voice and performance abilities. Ironically, although voiceovers is competitive, there isn't really enough choice of talented people in the market for some of the work the ad agencies want to do. That is why you hear the same voices on the radio over and over.

- You can earn between €500 and €900 for a regular TV or radio job although it can go up from there depending on usage and where the real money comes in is where there is a campaign to be produced. Agencies pay by the script - so it all depends on how many scripts they have to produce rather than how many hours you spend behind the mic. Generally speaking, a gig takes under an hour. It might even take a couple of minutes.

- Its not all a bed of roses however. There are plenty of professional actors who have spent hours and hours training their voices to become a voiceover. Without some experience, you'll need to get training (which we provide but there are also others in town who do a similar job).

- Most VO's don't work full time at it. Getting agency work in Dublin means you have to be available to pitch up at a recording studio at a day's notice. There is a growing amount of work online - which you can do from the comfort of your own home studio

- You don't need to be a member of equity although the agencies do pay the equity rate card rates. This keeps everyone getting a decent wage out of it.

Voiceovers is a little like the world acting. There are a few people who do very very well out of it. They are the 'stars' if you will. They are the serious money people and make a full time living from it. They are super-professional and know how to market themselves. There are also 'extra money' people in the business who make enough to pay for a couple of holidays or redo the front room. Finally there are 'pocket money' guys and gals who are happy to do a couple of gigs a year.

It is not easy by any stretch but if its something you have some passion for - it is also a lot of fun.

James

PS: - oh yeah. We send out a physical copy of the book because some people prefer that but also its better marketing. We're hoping having it lying around the house will remind people to get in touch some time in the future even if they aren't interested right now.

seanybiker

Hmm might have a look at this site. Sure it would be no harm in applying

MarkN

900 a read would be VERY good lads and it's money the likes of Jonathan Ryan (google him, he's Ireland's Don LeFontaine) and Tony Fenton make when you hear him do a Now 74 TV and radio ad.

That said, nothing wrong with the above advice at all just saying that money is for the golden circle of lads.

I do a lot of concert ads for TV and radio and I don't get anything like 900 a read but it is the easiest way you'll ever make a few quid.

pben

JamesKennedy wrote: »

Hey Guys

My name is James - and I'm the guy in the video. I take your point. I'm a programmer and not a VO. We put up the video at the last minute before the show aired. My partner in crime is giving me some heat about it so we'll take it down and put up a proper one.

Anyway. To answer a couple of those questions for you.

- It is the kind of thing 'anyone' can get involved in but its not to be taken lightly. You need a great voice and performance abilities. Ironically, although voiceovers is competitive, there isn't really enough choice of talented people in the market for some of the work the ad agencies want to do. That is why you hear the same voices on the radio over and over.

- You can earn between €500 and €900 for a regular TV or radio job although it can go up from there depending on usage and where the real money comes in is where there is a campaign to be produced. Agencies pay by the script - so it all depends on how many scripts they have to produce rather than how many hours you spend behind the mic. Generally speaking, a gig takes under an hour. It might even take a couple of minutes.

- Its not all a bed of roses however. There are plenty of professional actors who have spent hours and hours training their voices to become a voiceover. Without some experience, you'll need to get training (which we provide but there are also others in town who do a similar job).

- Most VO's don't work full time at it. Getting agency work in Dublin means you have to be available to pitch up at a recording studio at a day's notice. There is a growing amount of work online - which you can do from the comfort of your own home studio

- You don't need to be a member of equity although the agencies do pay the equity rate card rates. This keeps everyone getting a decent wage out of it.

Voiceovers is a little like the world acting. There are a few people who do very very well out of it. They are the 'stars' if you will. They are the serious money people and make a full time living from it. They are super-professional and know how to market themselves. There are also 'extra money' people in the business who make enough to pay for a couple of holidays or redo the front room. Finally there are 'pocket money' guys and gals who are happy to do a couple of gigs a year.

It is not easy by any stretch but if its something you have some passion for - it is also a lot of fun.

James

PS: - oh yeah. We send out a physical copy of the book because some people prefer that but also its better marketing. We're hoping having it lying around the house will remind people to get in touch some time in the future even if they aren't interested right now.

Hi James

I live out in the mid west how would I get work being so far away from dublin, & is there much demard for an english accent voice overs?

JamesKennedy

@markn: It depends on where you are getting the work from. The advertising agencies in Dublin work to the Equity rate card and €900 is pretty standard from them for TV work. Clients can of course negotiate their own fee and not everyone pays as well. Ironically, although there are a small group of people who are doing very well in voiceovers and getting up to maybe 40% of the work with big agencies, inside those agencies, there is still a need for more choice. Finding someone who can nail a read is deceivingly difficult. Historically it has been very difficult to 'break in' to the adland work however. That is where we come in. We accept anyone with a sufficiently professional demo and let the ad agencies decide who they want to use. Getting an agent is a great way to get more work but finding someone to take you on can be tricky. Voicebank and Lisa Richards are good places to start.

@pben: There is obviously less work for people with other accents. There is also less competition however - so it is swings and roundabouts. We do have a few artists with English accents and they seem to do pretty well.

As for living in the mid-west. To get work with an ad agency, you'd need to be available at a days notice in Dublin. There are however a growing number of people who produce VO's from their home studios. This work isn't always paid as well.

I guess it is like anything else. If you have a passion for it - you will do well. The work seems 'easy' because you only pitch up for an hour and get a couple of hundred quid. What you don't see is the preparation, networking, marketing etc that goes into landing those gigs.

Columbo

pben wrote: »

Hi James

I live out in the mid west how would I get work being so far away from dublin, & is there much demard for an english accent voice overs?

I have always wanted to do voiceover work and have a pretty decent voice BUT an English accent even though I left England when I was 13, which let's just say wasn't today or yesterday. Anyway after paying out €50 for the training hour, they let slip that it would be very unlikely I would get any work in Ireland due to my accent. I didn't bother doing the demo so saved the €150 (I think) but was very disappointed that something I had always wanted to do was a non runner for me

JamesKennedy

Hi Columbo -

Don't let us put you off. There are English VOs out there making a go of it. We are pretty straight up with people and rather than 'letting it slip' I was just giving you the honest lay of the land. It would be easy for us to say there's tons of work for English VOs, while selling you our expensive training courses. But if you listen to the radio, you'll hear more Irish voices than English voices. Doesn't mean there's no work for the english chaps, just less work than for the Irish guys.

Buuut... worldwide, english voices are in demand. And it is a career you can start to develop online. You do have voiceovers working from all over the world. We often get American voices doing work here. They send in mp3 files by email.

If it is something you are really interested in, you should go for it. If you like, give us a bell, we can put you in touch with some guys who have been there, done that. We have an English voiceover on our site who does just that.

All you need is a soundproof box and a decent mic. Here's an article about working as a voiceover with a home studio

Cutting a demo will set you back €300 (with us). It's done over 2 sessions. A practice session in studio, and then a recording session. Our next one's in April.

clarke1991

JamesKennedy wrote: »

Hey Guys

My name is James - and I'm the guy in the video. I take your point. I'm a programmer and not a VO. We put up the video at the last minute before the show aired. My partner in crime is giving me some heat about it so we'll take it down and put up a proper one.

Anyway. To answer a couple of those questions for you.

- It is the kind of thing 'anyone' can get involved in but its not to be taken lightly. You need a great voice and performance abilities. Ironically, although voiceovers is competitive, there isn't really enough choice of talented people in the market for some of the work the ad agencies want to do. That is why you hear the same voices on the radio over and over.

- You can earn between €500 and €900 for a regular TV or radio job although it can go up from there depending on usage and where the real money comes in is where there is a campaign to be produced. Agencies pay by the script - so it all depends on how many scripts they have to produce rather than how many hours you spend behind the mic. Generally speaking, a gig takes under an hour. It might even take a couple of minutes.

- Its not all a bed of roses however. There are plenty of professional actors who have spent hours and hours training their voices to become a voiceover. Without some experience, you'll need to get training (which we provide but there are also others in town who do a similar job).

- Most VO's don't work full time at it. Getting agency work in Dublin means you have to be available to pitch up at a recording studio at a day's notice. There is a growing amount of work online - which you can do from the comfort of your own home studio

- You don't need to be a member of equity although the agencies do pay the equity rate card rates. This keeps everyone getting a decent wage out of it.

Voiceovers is a little like the world acting. There are a few people who do very very well out of it. They are the 'stars' if you will. They are the serious money people and make a full time living from it. They are super-professional and know how to market themselves. There are also 'extra money' people in the business who make enough to pay for a couple of holidays or redo the front room. Finally there are 'pocket money' guys and gals who are happy to do a couple of gigs a year.

It is not easy by any stretch but if its something you have some passion for - it is also a lot of fun.

James

PS: - oh yeah. We send out a physical copy of the book because some people prefer that but also its better marketing. We're hoping having it lying around the house will remind people to get in touch some time in the future even if they aren't interested right now.

Hi James
I have always been interested in radio and sound and I am genuineley interested in doing voice overs, but there is a problem, I live in the west and am only 19 so my voice wouldn't be as big as other people. Would there be much work for a younger voice?
I have a demo which was just mashed together when I was on work experience in a fairly big regional radio station about two months ago. It's nothing brilliant as it was unexpected as one of them just asked me did I want to do a demo, an advert, with no training.:pac:

JamesKennedy

Hi Clark

I guess the prime-time for voiceovers is in their twenties and thirties - although there are obvious exceptions. There is some logic in getting as much experience now as you can so your fully comfortable by the time you get a bit older.

Being out in the west is an issue also. You could look into getting a home studio set up. You could try getting some experience with some of the big international websites (voices.com or voice123.com). You will spend a lot of time auditioning on these sites but it might be a good way to cut your teeth. We do offer an introductory course on using your voice which provides some good experience and training with reading scripts etc. There are other training programs available also in Dublin.

James