Tips for a Solid Voiceover Resume (Template Inside!)
Dec 14, 2019 0:57:42 GMT -8
Rebekah Amber Clark, Bean, and 1 more like this
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Dec 14, 2019 0:57:42 GMT -8
Many casting opportunities these days place more emphasis on the quality of your auditions and/or demo reels than they do on your previous experience. There are a good number of studios and casting directors who may not require a resume, especially if you are recommended by another established actor or director.
However, the resume most certainly still has its place in today’s world. If you are submitting to a new agency, they will probably expect one. Some studios and casting pools will request a resume before they will consider adding you to their talent roster. And finally, having one shows that you a professional actor who is serious about your craft.
Here are some things you SHOULD include on your resume (usually in this order):
Here are some things you SHOULDN’T include on your resume:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I also do on-camera and/or stage acting. Should I create a separate resume for voiceover, or keep them one and the same?
A: It depends. If you have a fairly substantial amount of work in each category, it can be beneficial to create separate, targeted resumes for each. It is still worth noting that you do both - for example, this could simply be a line in your on-camera resume saying “Voiceover credits available upon request” or vice-versa. You never know when it will come in handy! But if you decide to keep all your acting work in one single resume, make sure you have separate sections for TV/film, theatre, and voiceover.
Q: Is it true that I should keep my resume very “bland” (black and white only, Times New Roman, etc)?
A: Old-fashioned resume advice will state that in order to look professional, a resume should be as simple as possible with no fancy fonts or color. These days, however, personal branding is more important than ever—-which means you’ve got a little more leeway in making your resume stand out. Having your logo at the top and using a pop of your branding colors can add an element of personality and interest, along with a sleek/modern font. Of course, it’s still very important that your resume be professional and readable, so don’t go too crazy.
Q: Do I need to print out hard copies of my resume?
A: Only if you are going to an in-person agency meeting, where it can be helpful to have one. Otherwise, this is largely a waste of paper and ink as they will mostly end up in the trash. It is best to only print out hard copies one at a time as you need them—-otherwise, you can be stuck with a stack of them that you don’t even want to use because you have a new major credit since then or your information changed. Most of the time when you are asked to hand in a resume, it’ll be done digitally.
Q: What file format should my resume be in?
A: You can use whatever your favorite word program is to create your resume, but when the time comes to save and share it, export it as a PDF. The reason is that PDF is a universal format that will ensure your resume looks the same on most computers. Otherwise, you may end up with a document that looks vastly different on a PC versus a Mac, or the formatting might end up looking terrible on certain devices. If you use an obscure format, some people may not even be able to open the file properly! A Google Doc link is also considered acceptable in this day and age.
Q: Should my resume include every project I’ve ever done? How long is too long?
A: If you have a very long list of credits (congratulations!), you can start being more selective with what you include on your resume. At that point, you should feature your most prominent credits (preferably the more recent ones), and prioritize roles where you played a lead or otherwise major character. Background work (unless for a very major client or production), projects that gained little to no popularity/prominence, and/or very old credits can start to go. If your list goes on for pages and pages, it can get overwhelming. However, the “resume needs to be on one page” advice that gets tossed around a lot is an old-fashioned piece of advice that applies more to traditonal 9-5 type jobs. If you are an accomplished actor you will almost certainly have enough material to fill two or even three pages when you factor in the various sections you need to add. But again, any more than that is likely overkill so pare it down as needed to the most important and relevant information. (If your goal is to document all of your credits - whether for your own records, to address fan speculation, or to serve as a wiki source, you may consider having a link to a separate “unabridged resume” which people may click on from your site if they so desire.)
Q: I’m a beginner and don’t really have any credits yet. What can I put on a resume?
A: List any type of training you have (high school drama class and singing lessons count), as well as ANY acting experience—-for example, school musicals, church plays, or volunteering at a radio station. If you are new and looking to build up a resume, consider auditioning for student films, unpaid audio dramas, or other original work. Even if you’re not getting paid for it, it’s still a credit you can use in the meantime. (No one needs to know whether or not you got paid for the roles listed on your resume—-all that matters is that you did them!)
Q: Can I include projects that were cancelled, unreleased, or still in production?
Q: All my credits are listed on my website/IMDB. Do I still need a resume?
A: As a professional actor, there will be times where you are specifically asked to send a resume, so it's smart to have one just in case. Copy and paste your credit list into a Word document and work from there if need be. Resumes are a bit less essential then they used to be now that everything can be found online, but they’re still considered an important part of an actor’s toolkit.
Q: If I reprise my role for a sequel, should I list the projects together or separately?
Resume Template
Here is a very bare-bones, basic template you can download and use to help get you started. Keep in mind that there isn’t one specific widely-accepted format for voice actor resumes, so you’ll see some variations in layout and information included. Feel free to Google “actor resume template” or look at the resumes of other accomplished voice actors to get further ideas!
Articles are updated over time as industry trends change, and the information may differ from the originally published version. Resources in this community are provided freely, but if you found them helpful, please consider buying me a coffee!
However, the resume most certainly still has its place in today’s world. If you are submitting to a new agency, they will probably expect one. Some studios and casting pools will request a resume before they will consider adding you to their talent roster. And finally, having one shows that you a professional actor who is serious about your craft.
Here are some things you SHOULD include on your resume (usually in this order):
- Your name as the heading.
- Contact info. This can be as simple as your e-mail address and your website, and/or agency contact if preferred.
- Work experience. We’ll go into more detail later, but work experience should include a list of your roles (separated by category - for instance: animation, game, commercial) as well as the role you played. It is also fairly common to include the name of the director and/or client. You do not need to include the year(s) worked on specific projects; things like game release dates can easily be found online if anyone needs them for whatever reason.
**There are different schools of thought regarding what order credits should be listed in. Some actors list most prominent credits first, others go in reverse chronological order (newest credits at the top), and some even list credits alphabetically. I prefer listing most prominent/impressive credits at the top as that’s where people tend to look first, but the other methods aren’t wrong per se. - Training. Any type of acting classes (whether or not they were VO specific), specialized workshops, or coaching can be listed here. Include the class topic as well as the teacher’s name.
- Special skills. Anything you’re able to do that can be helpful to your work as a voice actor (for example: speaking another language, proficiency in certain accents and dialects, singing, ADR dubbing, etc). Try to keep this to skills that can specifically relate to your work—-it’s great that you can teach horses to juggle, but that probably won’t be of any relevance to a casting director. Never lie on this section—-if you say you are fluent in a certain language, expect that you may be asked to audition for a project in that language. If you say that you can sight-read music, don’t balk if you are given sheet music for a singing audition.
Here are some things you MIGHT include on your resume, depending on circumstances:
- Agency information. If you route most of your jobs through your agent - or primarily submit for union jobs - you may list their contact info on the top. If you mainly do nonunion work or otherwise prefer to be contacted directly, it can be better to list your own contact info (you can always pass them along to your agent if something big comes up.)
- Union status. If you are a union member, or union-eligible, some people like to include this to show that they are eligible to be submitted on union jobs. It can also add a certain element of prestige to have "SAG-AFTRA" on your resume when submitting to agencies or major studios. However, you don’t need to disclose your union status on your resume if you’d prefer not to—-you can simply answer that question if and when it comes up during a casting process.
- Headshot **IF** you are also a film actor marketing yourself for on-camera jobs and using the same resume for both. You don’t need to include one if you only do voiceover.
- Home studio information. If you primarily work as a remote talent, having this information easily available on your resume can potentially be helpful, though it may not be necessary if already listed on your website itself.
- Social media? Previous industry opinions dictated that unless you have a business-only social media account (such as a LinkedIn page), this might not look very professional to old-school clients who look at your resume. However, times are changing, and with the rise of hiring “influencers” and using sites like TikTok as a video portfolio, having an account with a lot of followers could be an asset. Check out this article for some more opinions, but ultimately: if you think your social media profiles will help you land a job, you can consider adding them. Otherwise, leave them off.
Here are some things you SHOULDN’T include on your resume:
- Objectives. You may find an “objectives” section in some older resume templates for traditional jobs, but this article details why such a section is largely considered outdated and a waste of space. Every actor’s objective, at the end of the day, is to get work. You can make some statement about how you want to “challenge yourself with your art form every day”, but casting is much more concerned with getting the right actor for the job who is good at what they do.
- Phone number, or especially address. Traditionally, a phone number was included as a method of contact on a resume. However, most business is conducted via e-mail nowadays. If a studio or casting person later needs your phone number, it can be exchanged privately---there is no sense in compromising your personal safety or privacy by posting this info online. Even if you aren’t well known enough yet to worry about fans calling up your cell phone, it could still lead to possible spam or other unsolicited calls. The only exception is if you also run a studio and have a dedicated studio line, or have a Google Voice proxy number that you don't mind giving out. Some people may list their agency’s address on their resume, but at no point should you list your home address. Again, if someone needs to conduct business with you, they can e-mail you first.
- Height/weight/measurements, unless you are using the same resume to submit for on-camera jobs. You’ll see stuff like this on modeling resumes, but it’s completely irrelevant to VO (unless perhaps you are doing mocap, in which case you can submit needed info when the time comes).
- Testimonials/references. This is honestly a little tacky to include in a resume. If someone is willing to write you a reference, have them do so in the appropriate section on your LinkedIn page, or create a separate page on your website if you really need to. Your work should ultimately speak for itself.
- Fan projects, unless you are specifically making an amateur voice acting resume. Fan projects (such as fandubs, comic dubs, or abridged series) are okay if you are doing this purely as a hobby and submitting for similar online unpaid projects. However, they should not be listed on a resume that is sent to professional studios, agencies, or casting directors. Putting fan projects on an official resume can easily be seen as unprofessional or even misleading. Keep it to original projects that don't use someone else's IP.
- Your bio or hobbies. While it can be a fun idea to add a story on your website about where you grew up or how you got started in acting, a resume is strictly business-oriented. When writing a cover letter you will have the opportunity to introduce yourself, but keep the resume itself focused on your actual work experience in the industry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: I also do on-camera and/or stage acting. Should I create a separate resume for voiceover, or keep them one and the same?
A: It depends. If you have a fairly substantial amount of work in each category, it can be beneficial to create separate, targeted resumes for each. It is still worth noting that you do both - for example, this could simply be a line in your on-camera resume saying “Voiceover credits available upon request” or vice-versa. You never know when it will come in handy! But if you decide to keep all your acting work in one single resume, make sure you have separate sections for TV/film, theatre, and voiceover.
Q: Is it true that I should keep my resume very “bland” (black and white only, Times New Roman, etc)?
A: Old-fashioned resume advice will state that in order to look professional, a resume should be as simple as possible with no fancy fonts or color. These days, however, personal branding is more important than ever—-which means you’ve got a little more leeway in making your resume stand out. Having your logo at the top and using a pop of your branding colors can add an element of personality and interest, along with a sleek/modern font. Of course, it’s still very important that your resume be professional and readable, so don’t go too crazy.
Q: Do I need to print out hard copies of my resume?
A: Only if you are going to an in-person agency meeting, where it can be helpful to have one. Otherwise, this is largely a waste of paper and ink as they will mostly end up in the trash. It is best to only print out hard copies one at a time as you need them—-otherwise, you can be stuck with a stack of them that you don’t even want to use because you have a new major credit since then or your information changed. Most of the time when you are asked to hand in a resume, it’ll be done digitally.
Q: What file format should my resume be in?
A: You can use whatever your favorite word program is to create your resume, but when the time comes to save and share it, export it as a PDF. The reason is that PDF is a universal format that will ensure your resume looks the same on most computers. Otherwise, you may end up with a document that looks vastly different on a PC versus a Mac, or the formatting might end up looking terrible on certain devices. If you use an obscure format, some people may not even be able to open the file properly! A Google Doc link is also considered acceptable in this day and age.
Q: Should my resume include every project I’ve ever done? How long is too long?
A: If you have a very long list of credits (congratulations!), you can start being more selective with what you include on your resume. At that point, you should feature your most prominent credits (preferably the more recent ones), and prioritize roles where you played a lead or otherwise major character. Background work (unless for a very major client or production), projects that gained little to no popularity/prominence, and/or very old credits can start to go. If your list goes on for pages and pages, it can get overwhelming. However, the “resume needs to be on one page” advice that gets tossed around a lot is an old-fashioned piece of advice that applies more to traditonal 9-5 type jobs. If you are an accomplished actor you will almost certainly have enough material to fill two or even three pages when you factor in the various sections you need to add. But again, any more than that is likely overkill so pare it down as needed to the most important and relevant information. (If your goal is to document all of your credits - whether for your own records, to address fan speculation, or to serve as a wiki source, you may consider having a link to a separate “unabridged resume” which people may click on from your site if they so desire.)
Q: I’m a beginner and don’t really have any credits yet. What can I put on a resume?
A: List any type of training you have (high school drama class and singing lessons count), as well as ANY acting experience—-for example, school musicals, church plays, or volunteering at a radio station. If you are new and looking to build up a resume, consider auditioning for student films, unpaid audio dramas, or other original work. Even if you’re not getting paid for it, it’s still a credit you can use in the meantime. (No one needs to know whether or not you got paid for the roles listed on your resume—-all that matters is that you did them!)
Q: Can I include projects that were cancelled, unreleased, or still in production?
A: That depends. If you were officially cast and credited in a production but it never ended up being released, you can probably still include it on your resume. On the other hand, if it was simply an idea/concept that you were “cast” in but never actually recorded for, best to leave it out so you don’t accidentally veer into “misleading” territory. When it comes to anything still in production, be careful not to breach any non-disclosure agreements. Actors can and have gotten in trouble for including confidential projects on their resume before they were released. If in doubt, ask your client or director for permission or wait until the official announcement/release before you update your credit list.
Q: Does my email address itself need to look professional?
A: If you are submitting for industry-level paid work (for example: casting directors, studios, agencies) then it is a good idea to have an email address that fits your name and/or branding. For example, VObyJohnDoe@gmail.com or john@johndoevo.com looks far more professional than iluvdbz15@gmail.com. However, if you are making a resume primarily for hobby/fan projects, then it doesn't really matter.
Q: All my credits are listed on my website/IMDB. Do I still need a resume?
A: As a professional actor, there will be times where you are specifically asked to send a resume, so it's smart to have one just in case. Copy and paste your credit list into a Word document and work from there if need be. Resumes are a bit less essential then they used to be now that everything can be found online, but they’re still considered an important part of an actor’s toolkit.
Q: If I reprise my role for a sequel, should I list the projects together or separately?
A: Generally, it is acceptable to list a sequel or spin-off as a separate project, and it can be a little trick to help pad your resume if needed. However, if your resume is already quite long, consider combining them to save space. For example, if you played the same character in three different iterations of a game called “Big Scary Zombies”, consider listing the credit as “Big Scary Zombies I/II/III” or “Big Scary Zombies (series)”. But you do not need to list multiple seasons of an ongoing show—even if a show goes on for six seasons, that would still count as one resume entry.
Q: Should I include a link to my demos?
A: A resume is usually sent as supplemental material along with your demos. Presumably you will already be including your demos as an attachment or link in the same e-mail you send your resume, and therefore it is not necessary to link them in the document itself. As long as you have your website link at the top, people will be able to go to your site and listen to your reels again there if they somehow get lost in the e-mail.
Resume Template
Here is a very bare-bones, basic template you can download and use to help get you started. Keep in mind that there isn’t one specific widely-accepted format for voice actor resumes, so you’ll see some variations in layout and information included. Feel free to Google “actor resume template” or look at the resumes of other accomplished voice actors to get further ideas!
I’m a female voice actor with a High pitched, normal and robotic voice and I can also do British accents! I do murder drones and I could try any other and I can follow scripts! Send me an email if you need me! (Mahatareq09@yahoo.com)