How to Voice Act Online as a Hobby
Dec 28, 2020 19:38:02 GMT -8
Brittany Ann Phillips and Kevin Liberty like this
Post by Lady Stardust ★ on Dec 28, 2020 19:38:02 GMT -8
If you always thought voice acting seemed like a cool thing to do, you may have asked a question about how to get started and been directed to various websites which - while ripe with information - may seem quite daunting to someone who just wants to try it out without worrying about seriously pursuing it as a career path. Some aspiring actors say “I don’t care so much about making money, I just want to have fun and act.”
The good news is that there are tons of projects out there on the Internet made by small creators, fans, and everyday people who just want to collaborate with other talents to make something cool. While these projects typically do not pay (or pay very little), they can be a fun way to get your feet wet without the pressure of jumping into the deep end of the pool.
What are some examples of online hobbyist projects?
(*Quick note: Be aware that “fan projects” which use others’ IP can sometimes be frowned upon professionally as they are a gray area in terms of copyright. Just to cover your bases, many people recommend using an alias rather than your real name on such projects if you intend to pursue VO professionally in the future and worry about potential conflict with license holders if these projects go viral. Fan projects should not be listed on a professional website or resume sent to clients/studios/agencies.)
What equipment and software do I need to get started?
Do I need a demo?
If you’re handy with audio and/or video editing (there are plenty of tutorials online for any program of your choice), you can put together your own projects, either with just yourself or featuring some of your friends. Rather than waiting for other people to cast you in the types of roles of your choosing, making something yourself is a proactive way to practice and get your voice out there. If your project is good and gains traction, it may even result in other people seeking you out to collaborate. This is especially common in fandom-related communities.
If I do online hobby work and later decide to pursue a professional career, can I put any of that work on my resume?
As you get more experience, you will eventually curate your resume to include your most prominent and impressive credits. But if you need something to pad it out in the meantime, that podcast audio drama or student animation can help!
The good news is that there are tons of projects out there on the Internet made by small creators, fans, and everyday people who just want to collaborate with other talents to make something cool. While these projects typically do not pay (or pay very little), they can be a fun way to get your feet wet without the pressure of jumping into the deep end of the pool.
What are some of the benefits of online hobby work?
- There is overall a much lower barrier of entry for new talent. Doing voiceover as a career typically requires a large investment of time and money (training, home studio, demo reels, etc) and you also must be a highly skilled actor in order to succeed in such a competitive market. However, in the hobby world where money isn’t being exchanged, there are a lot more opportunities for beginner actors.
- It is natural to make mistakes when you are first learning, but it is better to make your mistakes in the amateur world rather than with a major client, agency or studio. It is often hard to get a “second first impression” in the business world, so think of the online hobby sphere as sort of a training ground to help you learn and practice.
- Being a part of online production groups can help cultivate new friendships as well as foster potential future connections. A good handful of people who work in the online hobby sphere eventually move onto a professional career, and it can help to have a good support network.
- Hobby projects tend to have more flexible deadlines, in contrast to the higher-pressure "rush" culture of professional voice work.
- These projects create a mutually beneficial relationship between amateur voice actors (who need practice and experience), and small creators (who need voices for their projects but can’t pay money as they’re not making money.)
What are some examples of online hobbyist projects?
- Audio dramas
- Game jams
- YouTube/Flash animations
- Group readthroughs for Let’s Plays
- Student films
- Game mods
- Audio tracks for cosplay skits
- Comic dubs*
- Machinima*
- Parodies & derivative works*
- Song cover collaborations
(*Quick note: Be aware that “fan projects” which use others’ IP can sometimes be frowned upon professionally as they are a gray area in terms of copyright. Just to cover your bases, many people recommend using an alias rather than your real name on such projects if you intend to pursue VO professionally in the future and worry about potential conflict with license holders if these projects go viral. Fan projects should not be listed on a professional website or resume sent to clients/studios/agencies.)
!! A word of caution !!
Do not let people who should be paying their actors take advantage of the fact that you are new and willing to work for free. Working “for exposure” should be limited to non-profit hobby ventures and collaborations, projects for personal friends, or something for charity. Never offer to work for free on projects for commercial use—-this undercuts your peers who are trying to make a living, and teaches clients that they don’t have to pay for creative services. If such clients wish to hire a professional, they must pay for one.
- You will need some type of computer to record your voice and audition for projects. A laptop is fine for this. (Recording on a phone or tablet can be fine for simple practice, but is not ideal for auditions and jobs.)
- You will need a proper microphone that connects to your computer. Anything “built-in” (such as on a laptop, phone or webcam) is typically of poor quality and not sufficient for voiceover recording, even for hobby projects. A gaming headset is not ideal either, but can do in a pinch if it’s all you have at the moment. Ideally, you want to get a condenser microphone, which is the most common type used for voiceover. For online hobby projects, a USB condenser (such as the AT2020 USB, though there are many options available) is completely fine and has an easy learning curve. If you decide to pursue professional voice work in the future, you can upgrade to an XLR setup later.
- It is highly recommended to use a pair of headphones if at all possible. Laptop speakers sound tinny and muffled, making it hard to accurately review your recordings. Over-the-ear headphones will be your best bet, but if you don't have or cannot afford them, then you can make do with earbuds in the meantime for this level of work.
- A quiet recording space preferably not in a large echoey room. If you have access to a walk-in closet, those tend to work great for recording. You don't need to build a whole booth for hobby work the way people often do for professional voice recording, but you should still try to minimize noise and room echo as much as possible to make your files sound good.
- Most any recording software will do, but a FREE and easy software for recording and basic editing is Audacity. It will do pretty much everything you need it to do (recording, cutting and exporting files, etc) for amateur voice acting projects. If you plan to do mixing or other heavy editing for creating your own projects, then you may wish to look into a designated DAW such as Reaper.
Do I need a demo?
When you are first starting out, you do not need a demo, and would most likely not be ready to make one. That’s okay! Focus on auditioning first. When you feel like you have a good handle on things and start getting cast in some projects, then you may want to look at creating a “starter demo” (basically a short compilation of your voice samples) to help promote your work and also because some projects will ask for one. You can find an article about making your own demo for this purpose here. Please note that such a demo is typically NOT suitable for professional use and is meant for the online hobby market only. If you later decide to seriously pursue a career, chances are you will then go to a professional demo producer. However, professional demos can easily run you $1-2k and are way overkill for someone who is just starting out doing free projects online!
What is the basic process for auditioning for online projects?
- Find a project that is holding open auditions (see below).
- Read the character descriptions and see if there is a character you think you might fit.
- Record yourself acting out the character’s audition lines.
- Edit and export your mp3 file. Many casting calls will include a guideline as to how to name the file. If it doesn’t say, just make sure the file includes both your name (or username, if using an alias) and the character’s name. (example: Sephiroth_JohnDoe.mp3)
- Follow the instructions for sending your audition file(s). This will often be via e-mail.
- If you get cast, you will be notified (congratulations!) and the person in charge of the project will send you instructions on how to proceed further (typically, they will send you the full script, you'll record the lines for your character and then send them the files). If you don’t hear anything, assume you didn’t get cast. That’s perfectly okay! Much of the time, you will audition and never hear back. Try not to get discouraged. Just forget about it and move onto the next one.
How do I find projects to audition for?
- Many projects get posted on the Voice Acting Club Discord Server. There are two casting call channels for hobby projects: #casting-unpaid-original and #casting-unpaid-fan.
- There is another website called Casting Call Club which features many of these projects (sometimes hundreds of them!) It may seem overwhelming at first, but take your time to sort through and get used to the system. On this site, actors typically upload their audition files rather than sending them over e-mail.
- Posting your own voice samples and using/following related hashtags on social media sites such as Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, and TikTok may help you find other people to collaborate with and vice versa. This can be difficult at first when no one knows you yet, so don’t get discouraged. Just try to be proactive in seeking out auditions.
Another option: Create your own content!
If I'm an amateur voice actor, can/should I try out for the paid projects as well?
Sure, go for it if you feel you can do a good job!
However, it's important to keep your expectations in check in terms of how much the competition tends to go up when payment is involved. If the rates are good, you may even be competing against pros for the roles involved, many who are not only great actors but have great home setups.
That being said, don't be discouraged when it comes to throwing your hat in the ring*! Just be realistic in terms of the "audition and forget" mindset.
And again, never offer to work for free (or cheaper than the listed rate) on a paid project! If you are good enough book the role, then you deserve to get paid the same standard rate as the rest of the cast, even though you are new.
*One small word of caution: if the "open call" comes from a high-profile, professional studio or casting director in the industry (rare, but happens occasionally if they need something specific) then you want to make sure you have high-quality materials and solid acting skills if you are going to submit. When it comes to industry opportunities, making a good first impression is important, so you don't necessarily want to send a shoddy audition or a very amateur demo just because there is an open call.
That depends! If the project is an original creation, then it’s acceptable to put on your resume. It does not matter whether or not the project was paid as that info does not go on a resume anyway; what matters is that you have a credit in a completed project.
However, you should avoid putting fan projects on any type of professional resume used to submit for higher-profile paid jobs. While fan projects can be good fun and practice, studios and casting directors in the actual industry will probably not take you seriously or assume you are still an amateur if you turn in a resume/website filled with them.
As you get more experience, you will eventually curate your resume to include your most prominent and impressive credits. But if you need something to pad it out in the meantime, that podcast audio drama or student animation can help!
Do I have to pursue VO as a career?
If you want to make (much) money, yes. While there are some stories of YouTubers and other online influencers (who aren’t already actors as well) getting voiceover roles, this often happens for marketing reasons and is not typical for the average person. As stated earlier, doing voiceover as a career requires a large investment of time and money and isn’t something one can just pick up as an “easy side job”.
However, if you just want to try out voice acting for fun, devoting yourself to it as a career path isn’t necessary! There are plenty of options for collaboration on online hobbyist projects. The term “amateur” may have somewhat of a negative connotation, but there is nothing wrong with being an amateur voice actor if that’s what you want to do. Whether or not you decide to pursue it professionally later is up to you! And if you need a good support network to make that transition, check out our Discord server.
Guides and resources in this community are provided free of charge. However, if you find them helpful, please consider buying me a coffee!