Becoming a Voice Over Artist :
The Pro’s and Cons
As I’ve been doing voice overs for quite a while now, I’m frequently approached by others who are interested in getting involved in our industry. There are a lot of misconceptions that it’s a quick fix-easy-money-kind-of-occupation. There are certainly some great times and experiences to be had in our line of work, and we get to voice and narrate such a wide variety of projects – some high profile on occasions, and others much less so.
It’s also a very satisfying feeling when you’re growing a business, just like any other. The sense of achievement can be immense as, if you’re prepared to put the work in, you invariably get to see results.
Over the coming days and weeks I thought I’d share with you some of the Pro’s and Cons of working in the voice over industry. Here’s the first…
#1 Working From Home: The Solitary Occupation
Pro’s
They say the grass is always greener on the other side, and those that have salaried positions will often say how marvellous it must be to work from home. Yes, there are definitely benefits to working from home; flexibility of working hours, you can put the washing on (maybe not during a voice over session lol!), make as many cups of tea/coffee – or in my case – eat chocolate – as much as you like! Working from home with our own studios, you can service your clients remotely all over the world. You also don’t have to get yourself stressed travelling to and from work very often, and it also saves on travel costs.
Cons
I was reminded recently that, however high up the voice over chain you are, the fact is that working from home means that you’re not only talking to yourself in your booth, but you are working alone.
The reminder came from a very insightful interview (above) that top voice over artists Peter Dickson and Alan Dedicoat gave to Stuart Clarkson for RadioTodayUK a few months ago. In it, Peter talks of our ‘incredibly solitary occupation’. Check it out above.
When considering a voice over career, think very carefully about whether this is an environment in which you would thrive. If you like your own company on a regular basis, then this business could work well for you. If you need lots of social interaction throughout the day, this may be less than ideal!
*********************************************************************
To listen to some of my work, please visit my homepage here
To make an enquiry about my Voice Over services please click here
