Whether you are thinking about it because you excel at voiceover work or have a natural euphonious voice, Voice Acting for the Animation genre can be an exciting and promising career path that allows you to partake in a wide variety of projects.
It may seem difficult to get started in any new career path even as a seasoned actor if you have not yet dabbled in the world of Voice Acting. If you are wondering where to begin and how to transition into this niche, this is article is for you as we cover everything you need to know to get started on the path to becoming an Animation Voice Actor.
Quick Links
- What Is Animation Voice Acting
- Animation Work Is Easily Remote
- Home Studio Set Up
- You Don’t Need A Formal Education
- With Practice, You Can Find Your Own Technique
- How to Get into Character and Find Success
- How To Deal With Rejection
- Casting Voice Actors
- Summary Of Getting Into Animation Voice Acting
What Is Animation Voice Acting
Animation Voice Acting is a voiceover genre that has gained a lot of popularity. It refers to voice acting for characters in Animated Feature Films, Animated Series, or Cartoons. Animation is one of the seven most common genres that Voice Actors pursue.
It’s important that you familiarize yourself with other Voice Acting genres which include TV Broadcast, Non-Broadcast, Video Games, Toys & Games, Radio Broadcast, E-learning, and Web Usage/Internet Videos (broadcast & non-broadcast).
It’s also important to note that even though TV Broadcast is one of the highest paying genres for Voice Actors, Animation Voice Actors also get paid handsomely. Voice Actors in Animated films got paid approximately $1000 per session for an eleven to twenty-two minute episode on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, etc.*
Animation Work Is Easily Remote
Though COVID-19 restrictions have caused most film shoots in the country to come to a halt in 2021, no such impact was experienced by the animation world. Due to the unique nature of the Animation business, most of the work can easily be done from home. This is due to the ease with which animated voice actors can record high-quality voice-overs and participate in live-directed sessions remotely.
Home Studio Set Up
Your home studio setup is important for lining yourself up to be successful as a Voice Actor. At a minimum, you will need a good quality microphone, a pop filter, an audio interface, recording and editing software, and a quiet space to record. To add the right setup, do your research and before you commit, try as many different types of tools and figure out what works for you and what doesn’t while keeping your budget in mind. Keep in mind that if you like tools that are above your budget, you can always upgrade in the future as you grow as a Voice Actor.
You Don’t Need A Formal Education
Many professional voice actors have built exhilarating careers without degrees or formal education. That being said, they worked on their craft and honed their skills through practice, training and courses.
Though you do not need a college degree to become a successful Animation Voice Actor, getting the right training and coaching is key. You might want to look for a mentor or a coach that will help guide you in the process of developing your craft and honing your skills.
With Practice, You Can Find Your Own Technique
Finding a coach that gives you honest feedback about your performance and is not afraid of constructive criticism is going to go a long way in helping you grow as a Voice Actor.
Also, becoming specialized in the Animation genre of voice acting does not mean that you have to only practice in one genre.
To succeed in the voiceover industry, you need to expose yourself to these three main voice-over types:
- The long-form narration allows you to develop your stamina and your ability to read and split characters.
- Commercial reads allow you to develop the art of selling.
- Animation projects that focus on the development of unique characters.
By working and honing your abilities in the above genres of voiceover acting, while getting feedback from an experienced coach, you will be able to find your unique style and understand where you can shine the most as an animation voice actor.
It takes practice and putting in the work to learn how to read a script and embody the character you are playing.
How to Get into Character and Find Success
It takes more than a great voice to be able to portray a character. You also need to use your imagination. It is crucial to have a creative mind in order to find the perfect voice for the character. Animation voice actors who are successful consider the components of a character before filtering through hundreds of voices until they find the right one.
To get into character you must develop your character’s back story by asking questions such as:
- Who am I?
- Where am I?
- What time is it?
- From where have I just arrived?
- What do I want?
These questions will allow you to interpret the script and portray your character.
How To Deal With Rejection
Sometimes voice actors don’t get selected for a job because they don’t fit the role. It’s important to remember that it’s not personal.
Every job that you don’t get offers an opportunity to reflect. This means paying close attention to what types of jobs you aren’t landing and then seeing if you could find a trend.
If you notice a pattern and you aren’t landing a specific type of role it’s probably because you don’t align with that type of role.
Apply to jobs that are compatible with your skillsets and traits.
Casting Voice Actors
Casting a voice actor for an Animated production is easy if you do the right preparation and use the right tools.
There are three questions your casting call must answer to make the audition process easier for both the voice talent and yourself:
Where is your character?
A background story can go a long way in helping actors audition for the role.
How old is your character?
The age of the character can also make a big difference. A senior antagonist will sound different from a younger one trying to sound menacing. You need to have a clear idea of how you want your character to sound.
Do you have a visual representation?
Visual cues are a big help for voice actors auditioning for your projects. You should have an image of the character in order to cast the voice.
By highlighting the visual characteristics of the character in your job postings or script, you can help the voice actor perform the role accurately for their auditions.
Summary Of Getting Into Animation Voice Acting
Keep practicing with sample scripts in your home studio and train with an acting coach that can guide you in growing your craft.
Rejection is not something to be taken personally. Always look at the audition objectively and learn from it.
Casting talent is a lot easier when you provide enough details in the casting call about the role. This makes things easier for yourself and the talent auditioning for the role.
Join a platform like Voices, Backstage, or Cast Meet Crew today to start your career as an animation voiceover artist or cast an Animation Voice Actor.
*All rates are based on GVAA Rate Guide