Every television commercial, every YouTube tutorial, every animated movie- they are everywhere. And no, we aren’t talking about supernatural creatures here. The subject(s) in question are voice over artists.
With an increase in animated movies, radio plays, video gaming, telephonic jobs and many more requiring people with good voices to make their presence felt, there is an intense need for good voice over artists. Do you think a film like Finding Dory or a host of other animated as well as non-animated movies would be as good if they did not have great voiceover artists? Think not.
And though existing celebrities are eating into quite a chunk of the pie, there is ample scope to grow in this field. Hell, even in Bollywood, dubbing artists are a glorified commodity. I mean have you heard Big B’s voice? All India Radio might have rejected him back in the 60’s but present-day Bollywood (and Hollywood) thoroughly accepts him and his baritone to the boot.
The biggest and the most important thing to do if you wish to become a successful voiceover artist is to practise, practise and practise some more. Practise does make things perfect and it is no different for someone trying their luck in the voice over industry. Apart from that, try having a varied experience and making contacts out of that. Who knows but you might end up needing the help of one of those contacts to build on your future prospects?
Voice over artist and voice modulation trainer Prasanna V says, “Indeed the voice over industry is growing at a faster pace as the invention of apps and mediums where the presence of a Voice Over is required is on the rise. Requirement of Voice Overs for narrations have increased because of the demand for Short Films. Added to it, the increase in Audiobook demand across the globe requires professional Voice Artists to lend their Voice to the particular authored books. The surge in Explainer Videos is also making Voice Overs a lucrative field, as you need a particular style to enact this genre. With TV Commercials now entering the Internet medium through apps like YouTube, Gaana, etc. the demand for regional language Voice Overs have also increased. Many educational institutes are now moving towards e-learning methodology that too is a flourishing market to tap for Voice Over artists”
Interestingly, there is a demand for accents in the voice over industry. Globally, the accent that is most in demand is English in an Australian accent followed by the British accent, both pretty dreamy so understandable.
Image Credit: strugglingstory.com
The good thing about the boom in the voice over industry is that budget is no longer an issue when it comes to creating good content. It’s usually whether or not your voice is the perfect fit for the role and will connect to the audience that matters more than anything. Another trend that can be seen in this industry is that the gigs you get are according to your age (or your ‘voice age’, if that makes sense). That is again because of the ‘connect’ with the audience.
However, at the end, the boom in the voice over industry means that it’s a win-win situation for one and all and isn’t that what we are more interested in? The win?
