Voice over can be a tough field to break into, and promo voice over is no exception –especially as a female voice talent. In an effort to change that fact, and to help my fellow voice actors as much as I can, I’d like to devote this blog post to sharing some strategies and possible approaches for getting into promo voice work. While I’m not an absolute authority on the subject, and I can’t guarantee that any one method will work, I am hoping that my experience in promo voice over and my perspective can help make it easier for other voice actors to achieve their professional goals.
The most important part of breaking into promo voice over is knowing that you want it
First and foremost, if you want to achieve any goal in life, you have to know that you want it. Voice over can be a highly satisfying career path for someone whose passion, talent, and skills match this type of work. Within voice over, there are many different genres that call for different styles of voice acting, and many voice actors gravitate towards certain genres and not others. This can be for any number of reasons, including the type of work they enjoy doing, the unique qualities that their voice offers, their strengths as a voice actor, etc.
To know if promo voice over is a type of voice acting that you would enjoy, I recommend first learning as much as you can about promo. (A good place to start may be my last blog post, where I discuss “What is promo voice over?”) Promo is unlike other voice over genres in that it is typically fast-paced and requires communicating a lot of information in a fairly short amount of time. In addition to promoting a specific show or broadcast, promos need to capture and sell the network’s overall brand. The way that the voice over script is delivered, including the tone of the voice and the mood that it sets up, is key to making a successful promo.
One way to get a feel for whether promo voice over would be a good fit for you is to practice doing promos yourself. Watch promo videos online or on television, and listen to promos on the radio. Get a sense of how promos are structured and the purpose the voice over serves. Then you can practice emulating those promos, and turning the sound off while you deliver the voice over yourself. You can even play with the different ways that you could deliver those same lines, and see how it feels to work within that framework and the general pace of a promo.
You’ve decided that you want to do promo voice over – now what?
Once you’ve decided that you want to pursue promo voice over, the next step is to make a promo demo. This is the best way to showcase your talents to potential clients. Your demo is meant to show your versatility in promo voice over, or in other words the range of styles that you can adopt. Maybe you’re just as comfortable doing lighthearted and funny sitcom promos as you are voicing dark and mysterious drama series promos. Whatever your range, you want to capture as many of those styles as possible in your promo demo. That way, you’ll maximize the chances that a potential client will hear your voice and know that they’ve found what they’re looking for.
Some voice actors also choose to receive professional training in a particular type of voice over that they want to improve in. This training might be offered by the same individual, company, or institution that produces your promo demo. If you are interested in getting further training in promo, consider asking your demo producer if they offer those kinds of services. Even if they don’t, they may be able to give you recommendations for where to get good quality training in promo.
It can also be helpful to get involved in the promo voice acting community. Voice over conferences often have sessions devoted to specific voice over genres – including promo. These conferences can be great places to meet people in the business and build your network. If I hadn’t walked in to the workshop that Joe Cipriano was leading at a small voice over conference a few years ago, I wouldn’t have met him and had the experience that led me to a nomination for my promo demo at the 2018 SOVAS Voice Arts Awards.
Stay positive, and follow your passion!
As with anything in life that is worth the effort, there may be stumbling blocks and challenges. But if you truly want to succeed in promo voice over, then keeping a positive attitude and staying focused on your goals will help you through the process. Even though it takes work to break into the business, if you love promo and are driven by your passion, then the hard work will be worth it!
