Voice overs anyone can give advice?

[MoJo5]

Hi all,

I posted some time ago about my hellish going back to work experience.

I've managed to put that behind me now. I'm still confused about my career though and has been almost 3 yrs now that I haven't worked. I can't believe it. I had such a great career in the BBC, have a Masters in Journalism and speak two languages fluently. I never seem to get anywhere I'm so busy with DD (6) and DS (2), clearning the house, shopping and cooking for family every evening.

I have always wanted to write but even that is causing me problems. How to start? A novel, column, a blog? I just can't get myself organised.

I'm seriously thinking of going into voice-overs. I really always wanted to go into acting and this is a way of using your voice and acting. I guess it would involve recording my voice for those annoying adverts though. What do you think? I met Charles Nove the presenter for Radio Two. He has been in presenting and voice overs all his life. He is from Glasgow. He gave me a very informed discussion about the profession. I'm a bit confused though. Part of me feels really passionate about it. However the other part makes me feel I may be on my own again. To do a days training course is four hundred quid!!! But he didn't try to market it to me. He actually tried to dissuade me from doing it. Said I would really have to market myself to be a success and that is where most people fall down. I want to do it and I love the whole thing about recording my voice and using it for book story telling, adverts, documentaries etc... however I do feel I would be on my own at home with a cool edit programme on my PC and a broadcast quality microfone recording and trying desperately to sell myself. The whole notion of it is very exciting and I do feel passionate but what makes me feel slightly nervous is that I will prob be on my own again .. not working with people. I meant to explain that the days training course is so intense that he told me that by the end of that day I myself would know if it was for me or not and that half of the people who do it never appear again and don't go on to record a demo. So that one day would probably give me an excellent idea if it is for me or not however it seems an awful lot of money for one day. On the other hand it could be an extra string to my bow and something I could always use in the future. Even to write my own kids story book record it as a story telling CD and market it myself. Any thoughts from you regarding this and also knowing m background? (see thread hellish going back to work experience).

Hi MoJo 5, As you've worked for the BBC already you probably know this but in my career as a broadcast journalist I employed lots of v/o artists through agencies. Wouldn't it be worth contacting a few of these and seeing if they'll listen to you do a reading or something? I do remember that most were v/o artists were actors, but not exclusively and if you've got a great regional accent then that's a bonus. Also, in my experience you won't be on your own all the time as you'd be working with producers / directors although probably only for short periods of time so you won't have a work social life if that's what you want. Hope this is useful.

Hi minimise. Thanks. I have tried a few agencies however they all don't want to offer to listen/record my voice for nothing and without a training etc which is expensive. I am more than aware that is it mostly actresses/actors who do v/o's and this is why I feel I may be one (inexperienced) fish in a big big sea even if I do do well in my training and do a good demo. Part of me wants to do it so mucy (to hell with it just pay for a demo etc) but the other part of me is frightened of failure I guess.

In my experience you can either sit wondering about doing things, or you can get on and try them. So if you want to write, then get on and start writing. Anything. A blog can be a great way to start, and why not start blogging about setting up a career doing voice overs? blog about what people have told you, blog about every bit of research that you have done, put demo v/o on your blog - you reading a short children's story that you've written.

It will get you into the habvit of actually doing it, and finding out whether it really is what you like, and whether you're great at it.