Where are the opportunities?

Where are the opportunities?
Written by Morgan Barnhart
Sunday, 21 June 2009 23:24 - Last Updated Monday, 22 June 2009 02:18
One of the biggest inquiries we hear are people wondering where the opportunities are. They
should be asking, where AREN'T the opportunities?
Here are a few of the opportunities you'll come across on your journey to becoming a voice
actor:
-Podcasts
-Video tutorials
-Radio ads
-Web intros
-Narrations
-Phone messages
-Audio Books
-Video games
-Animations
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Where are the opportunities?
Written by Morgan Barnhart
Sunday, 21 June 2009 23:24 - Last Updated Monday, 22 June 2009 02:18
-Localization (Dubbing)
And that's just a FEW of the options. Look around and listen to all of the opportunities around
you. Voice actors are needed everywhere. Opportunities are endless, but only if you're willing to
go after all of them.
There are some people who are only interested in the anime industry or just the video game
industry or just the audio book industry, etc. If you limit yourself to only one industry, your
chances of getting in decrease immensely. That's not to say that you won't get in eventually, but
it could take you a very long time. If you look at all venues, you have a broader range of places
to network, opportunities, and pay. Ask any professional voice actor, and they'll tell you the real
money is in commercials. Cartoons might be a whole lot more fun, but they certainly don't pay
the bills. If you intend to pursue voice acting as a living, you must consider all forms of voice
acting, not just one.
So what does that mean for you? It means that even if you don't live in one of the big cities,
there are still plenty of ways to get experience. Look for local radio stations that need someone
on the air. Find charities looking for people to do public service announcements. Maybe the
local bus system needs a new recording of someone announcing the next stop. In many larger
cities, newspapers hire people to read articles for the blind. Not only is this a great way to get
practice, it's a steady source of work - after all, there's new news every day! Call around. Ask
places if they need another DJ or someone to do announcements at the mall or a local game
tournament.
There's nothing wrong with aggressively going after one area of interest, but try to consider
going after the others as well, just to keep your options open and hopefully keeping your
work-flow steady. Voice acting is everywhere, take advantage of it!
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