voiceover Archives - Rebecca Haugh

What Happens When an Explainer Video Entertains?

animation, business, creative professionals, down-time, humor, instructional design, life, post-production, production, small business, video design, VO tech, voiceover

Or, what happened when I went down a rocket crash rabbit hole and decided everybody needed to know about it.

We all know explainer videos explain something. But “clear” can too easily become “flat” — especially when the tone defaults to an academic lecture or a monotone read.

Now, I love Spaceweather.com, and earlier this month one update caught my attention: a spent SpaceX Falcon 9 stage had crashed into the Moon. It had even left a fresh scar on the lunar surface.

But what really intrigued me was how we knew.

After completing its mission, SpaceX was finished with the spent stage. The “unemployed” craft was left on a trajectory pushed around by gravity. Independent astronomers first figured out where it was headed, and NASA and SpaceX later tracked its path. Then, after the impact, astronomers in Spain actually captured the plume of lunar debris rising into space, while South Korea’s Danuri spacecraft photographed the fresh impact scar from lunar orbit.

Wow, right?

So I clicked on the story. And kept digging.

The more I learned, the more interesting it became: abandoned rocket stages, orbital mechanics, deep-space debris, and all the other human-made hardware scattered throughout the Earth-Moon system and beyond.

At some point, reading about it wasn’t enough. I wanted to tell the story.

So that curiosity became a science explainer about the crash.

As a voice actor and director, the next question becomes:

What should it sound like?

I could take the narration in an academic direction — authoritative, measured and appropriately scientific. Or… lean into a quirky science-professor point of view. Yes.

The pacing is quick. Certain words and moments can carry a little attitude. I have permission to react to the sheer oddness of the story instead of simply reporting it.

I want you to feel the amazement with me.

And now? An explainer is also entertainment.

A technology video can have wit.
A corporate story can have personality.
Science can sound curious.
Training can actually be enjoyable to listen to.

The information still comes first. Clarity stays intact, and the voiceover performance supports it.

Sometimes the voice performance stays quietly underneath.

Other times, the subject itself gives the voiceover permission to have a little fun.

For a rocket stage that wandered through space for more than a year before eventually ramming the Moon at roughly 5,400 mph?

I went with fun.

[Watch ROCKET CRASH!]

Learn more about Rebecca’s voiceover at www.LovethatRebecca.com homepage or genre tabs.

What Can the Right Female Voice Do?

animation, creative professionals, improvisation, instructional design, online vo sessions, post-production, production, small business, video design, voiceover

Before we wrote stories down, we told them out loud.

That still matters. Written words can deliver information, but a voice adds the part we feel: intention, timing, warmth, tension, humor, and personality. A skilled voice actor doesn’t simply read the script. She reveals what’s already inside it.

The female voice offers creators an especially wide range. It can be authoritative without sounding distant. Warm without becoming sentimental. Playful, intelligent, reassuring, direct—or several of those within the same read.

Research has found that female voices are often perceived as warmer, friendlier, and more trustworthy, while male voices are more commonly associated with dominance and forcefulness. That doesn’t make one inherently better. It shows why the voice must fit the message, audience, and desired response.

Consider how that plays out in production.

In a commercial, the right female voice can make a recommendation sound personal rather than promotional. In a documentary, she can guide the story without getting in its way. For corporate narration, eLearning, and explainers, she can make complex material feel clearer and more human.

Even small vocal choices make a difference. A pause can create anticipation. A shift in emphasis can clarify meaning. A touch of humor can keep a familiar message from sounding—well, familiar.

That’s why casting isn’t just about finding a pleasant sound. It’s about finding the person who understands what the script is doing and whom it needs to reach.

I’m Rebecca Haugh, a voice actor with 15 years of commercial and narrative experience. From my professional home studio, I bring acting and improvisation training to every read—because delivering the words accurately is only the beginning.

The right female voiceover doesn’t compete with the story. It helps the story connect.

Sources and Further Reading

Awards for Voice Actors!

animation, business, creative professionals, improvisation, life, small business, voiceover

There are many professional awards Voice Actors receive for their acting. Here’s a hot list of the big ones.

Annie Awards

From their website: Honoring excellence in the field of animation. An Annie Award is animation’s highest honor. Since 1973. Founded by ASIFA – Hollywood.

Audie Awards

From their website: The Audie Awards® is the premier awards program in the United States recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken-word entertainment. Publishers and rights holders enter titles in various categories for recognition of achievement. Finalists are selected, and then one winner is awarded in each category at the Audies Gala.

Television Academy Emmy Awards

From their website: Founded in 1946, the Television Academy is dedicated to honoring excellence in television while promoting creativity, diversity and empowering storytellers through recognition, education and leadership. Learn about the history of Emmy awards for voice-over performance via Wikipedia.

Critics Choice Awards Documentary Best Narration

Per their website: The Critics Choice Association (CCA) is a group of broadcast, radio and online critics as well as entertainment journalists who review films and documentaries as well as scripted and unscripted television. The CCA was officially formed in 2019 with the merger of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and its sister organization, the Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

SOVAS Voice Arts Awards

SOVAS is Society of Voice Arts & Sciences. From their website: The Voice Arts® Awards is uniquely designed to honor the community of performers and craft professionals who perform, direct, produce, cast, engineer, and publish media where voice acting is a central creative element of the work. Categories here. Since 2013.

One Voice Awards

Awards program as part of a conference, once in the USA and another in the UK annually. From their website: The One Voice Awards continues to be the only truly independent voiceover award running today. There’s no “Pay To Win” here. Anyone can submit, and anyone can be in with a chance of winning an award. Since 2018. Categories here.

Let me know if I’ve missed any.

Does Improvisation Make You Be ‘More’ You in Voiceover?

animation, business, creative professionals, improvisation, life, small business, voiceover

Most people in voiceover know that improvisation is an important skill for their success. My main point about learning improv, is that it helps you be more you. There are a variety of benefits we get from improv in addition, but I believe this is the ‘gold’.

Why is ‘be more you’ important?

Most VO coaches and teachers and agents will tell you this in a class or webinar. I’ve heard it hundreds of times, and now say it. And it’s true! If you don’t understand why “being more you” is bottom line, you are probably either new to voiceover or a naturally born great actor doing it instinctively!

The importance of “be more you”: The people hiring you want to hear the alliance of authenticity plus the meaning of the scripted words, as intended, come through your voice.

This is why I say you are “performing” a script, not reading it. The difficulty for voice actors is nailing that alliance in a natural way with words we don’t naturally use in conversation. Oh yeah. That!

What does ‘be more you‘ mean for voice acting, then?

The short answer is, you perform a script as if it were real words you just thought of, like in conversation. Authentic. Believable. Natural.

Isn’t that what you already do when you read a script aloud?

You’ll have to answer that question for yourself. Some think their answer is ‘yes’. Are they being hired again and again and making a living at voice over?

Some think the answer is ‘no’. That when you read aloud you are not speaking as if you are in conversation, naturally. You might sound clear, articulate, with some emotion. But in the majority of cases I believe reading aloud is different than excellent natural acting.

For me, and many other high level voice actors, the target is personal authenticity aligned with the intended meaning of the script coming through your voice. Acting is a skill. So is improvising. And when I read the books of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey, I believed them when they said that improv made them either better actors or helped them actually act.

Improvisation is a door opening to ‘be more you’ when acting.

I believe this. Acting, as defined by Meisner is, “living truthfully under imaginary circumstances”. After studying hard, with some struggle, I found some golden moments while studying Meisner in Hollywood back when I lived there. I felt that ‘knowing’ feeling of living truthfully while pretending under imaginary circumstances. You learn to tap into your instincts, your gut, your whole life experience to play pretend with someone else’s words.

For me though, I found that process difficult and slow, and sometimes even emotionally painful. It was also expensive, and didn’t seem to work as much with voiceover. I think Amy and Tina had an outstanding point. In my own words, I think improv helps you put your life experience into your skills as an actor, or voice actor, if you are willing. Just like Meisner, but easier, and usually more fun.

I think improv is the way to find the alliance of authentic and scripted meaning for VO.

Rather than simply following the adage for voices actors which says “picture your are talking to XYZ friend/family member/loved one”, improv gives you a strong foundation to create that imaginary circumstance. And, improv lets you use your life experience and interests to do that. Even if it does take practice getting good at it. It’s fun!

Are you into knitting, or rebuilding engines, or bar tending when you have guests? Do you spend time playing video games or reading history or playing with your kids? All of this is beneficial within improvisation. You bring your life to improv and play with things you love. And that, my friends, helps you bring your life – YOU – to voice acting. Jump into improv with the thrill and gusto of knowing everything you ever experienced can be used in it!

That, friends, let’s you then apply improv freedom to the structure of a script.

For some, this means a sense of freedom, and of play. Great! Wait – hang on. For others, it’s a bit scary because it’s like uncomfortably exposing the real you to the world. Or feels that way. What if the real you isn’t interesting enough, or not good enough? What if they think you are weird? What if…

Fear scares a lot of people away from improv.

In these cases of fear, you need to begin your improv journey in a safe space with a group leader who understands and teaches you to push but not break your comfort zone. Adults learning new skills sometimes feel vulnerable or uneasy, thinking approval from others is needed. The people in your training and the teacher’s strength to guide can make a big difference. You will be asked to stretch and pull at your comfort zone in expressing yourself, when led by a good improv teacher. Don’t let fear stop you. Do a little research about where you want to study improv, and give it a shot.

Passion from your life experience can be very contagious and uplifting for all! By sharing it, you add new perspectives to improv scenes that cannot be duplicated by anyone else when you are truly authentic. Your unique points of view will always add good flavor to the improv meal! And that, my friends, leveraged to your voiceover scripts, will have “you being MORE you”.

There’s always a little more to this, and you do need to know your VO basics in tech, microphone proximity usage, and script analysis to know the writer’s intent. I suggest you learn all that first.

Then, embrace opportunity with the fear. Learn improv.

AI Synthesized Voices in Voice Over: This Moment

business, creative professionals, instructional design, post-production, production, small business, video design, VO tech, voiceover

A Groundbreaking Moment

As a professional voice actor, I’m witnessing remarkable advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). It’s making a profound impact on the voice acting community. AI voice cloning, or synthesizing, technology has raised critical questions, concerns, and opportunities as well, within the profession.

It’s crucial for voice actors, video producers, casting directors, talent agents, and other industry professionals to be smart and fair to each other during the rapidly changing landscape.

In this blog, I’ll explore the impact of AI on voice acting overall, touching on narration, advertising, and eLearning. Keep in mind these are only a few of the impacted aspects of voiceover recording. Additionally, I’ll share the transformative concept of ‘fAIr Voices’ by the NAVA VO association as part of the way forward.

A Changing Landscape

AI revolutionizes voice acting as we knew it. AI is creating voice clones and synthesized voices that mimic human speech. This technology streamlines VO production, reduces VO costs, and offers flexibility in VO content creation. There are concerns regarding ethical and legal implications, such as unauthorized voice recordings and future job displacement.

We’ve already seen this with high profile cases. Earlier this year longtime voice actors Steve Blum, Kara Edwards, and Stephanie Sheh used Twitter to ask fans to let actors know when their voices are being used on AI voice apps. “I know AI technology is exciting, but if you see my voice or any of the characters that I voice offered on any of those sites, please know that I have not given my permission, and never will,” wrote Blum. Canadian voice actor Bev Standing sued TikTok for unauthorized use of her voice in its text-to-speech feature and the case was eventually settled. This highlights the need to protect voice actors’ recordings. Unauthorized websites copying and selling voices without permission are faced with strong opposition.

On the plus side, the AI voice “revolution” is charting new paths for voice recordings. Celebrities and non-celebrities can consider cloning or making a synthetic voice of themselves. This means at least our voice recordings might live beyond our human selves, and with our permission. And, it could give voice actors the opportunity to have that ‘clone of themselves’ they always wanted. Why? Book more jobs, with your voice clone working 24/7. If it’s in the voice actors control, and of a certain approvable level of quality, fair prices…. These are possibilities.

Narration

Narration is essential for storytelling. AI voices expand narrative possibilities. AI-driven text-to-speech (TTS) systems generate lifelike voices, providing an alternative for certain projects. While TTS technology offers convenience and speed, it currently lacks the depth, emotion, and human connection that a skilled voice actor brings to the table. However, skilled voice actors possess unique qualities and expertise. They bring depth, emotion, and human connection that current TTS technology lacks. So, their unique qualities and expertise ensure authentic and engaging performances.

Advertising

For decades, voice actors have played a vital role in delivering impactful commercial messages. While AI voice clones offer cost-effective solutions for some ads, do they or will they capture the nuances and emotional range of human voices? Voice actors, because they are humans, connect with audiences, conveying brand personality and authenticity effectively, if they and the team behind them are good.

ELearning

The eLearning industry works a lot with voice actors. Much of the work is collaborative, although not all. But in this collaboration, voice acting contributes to instructional content development. AI-powered voice synthesis again offers fast and effective voiceover recordings. Flexibility to make changes is high. Still, the synthesized or clone voice has limitations that do not match human capacity (yet).

‘fAIr Voices’

Ethical and legal concerns surrounding AI voice cloning require attention. ‘fAIr Voices’ is a coalition launched by NAVA, National Association of Voice Actors. They ask companies who work with voice actors to pledge the fair use of those voice recordings.

There is concern in the voiceover industry as synthetic voice creation websites have become more prevalent, allowing anyone to create a very realistic sounding version of any actor’s voice from shorter and shorter sound files. “Our voices are our livelihood,” says Vice President of NAVA, Carin Gilfry, “and if we don’t have control over how those voices are used, we can’t make a living.”

The #fAIrVoices campaign calls for:

The ability for the performer/artist to actively consent to use of their voice being synthesized or cloned.
Explicit limits on use of the results and proceeds of an AI/Synthetic voice.
Ability to opt out, or term limits for AI/Synthetic voice use and Machine Training.
Appropriate payment for use.
Clearly denoted exclusivity.
Safe storage and tracking of the performer’s voice, likeness, performance, and all products created from them.
Clear and explicit terms of service regarding the training, use, and/or distribution of AI and synthetic voices on any website voice actors use or are members of.

Undeniable Impact:

Voice actors bring the human flaws, authenticity, emotion, and engagement to their voice recordings. Creative professionals and their companies can help prioritize a smooth transition to the future, hand in hand with voice actors. I suggest everyone offer transparency, respect, and maintain accountability with potential or actual AI utilization. Engage in discussions, collaborate with stakeholders, and consider ‘fAIr Voices’ concepts to bridge us to the future of voice acting.

By blending technology capabilities with human artistry, industry professionals deliver outstanding voice performances that captivate audiences. Let’s forge ahead, shaping a harmonious and innovative industry that embraces AI’s possibilities while preserving real human expression.

Storytelling – Three, Two, One

business, creative professionals, small business, VO tech, voiceover

Storytelling is a vital…

You probably already knew that storytelling is vital in your creative projects, for sure.

I still voice a lot of scripts that don’t do storytelling. I assume that’s because clients don’t believe it’s worth the effort? You tell me.

A vital piece of your creative content.

With a riveting story, you can lead your audience anywhere, and they’ll follow.

Here are some simple ways to see your content with stories:

Character Appeal

Get your audience on your characters’ side–whether it be a fictional person or a real life customer–and make sure their goals are clear and bold. They need to be appealing enough for audiences to root for them to achieve their goals.

Obstacle Tension

The obstacles in your characters’ paths inform the stakes and tension of the story. The quality of the challenges will dictate how much audiences are engaged in your characters because they get to show how resourceful and layered they are.

Bold Conclusion

Start strong, and end even stronger to leave a lasting impression. Even if the ending’s a foregone conclusion you can still make it affecting, moving, and even surprising with a captivating finale.

Let me know if you have any comments, as I’m always happy to hear from you.

Pro Voiceover: ROI in eLearning Courses

business, creative professionals, instructional design, small business, VO tech, voiceover

What Is ROI?

ROI is an acronym for ‘return on investment’. For example, hiring instructional designers is investing money into a business endeavor, an e-learning course. Calculating ROI helps everyone understand the value your course creates. Within e-Learning courses, are you asking about ROI for hiring a professional voice actor?

Let’s put this in the hands of the experts – the Instructional Designer. You are ready to develop your virtual reality, game-based, micro-learning or video-based eLearning course. You’re drafting design elements, and pondering…

Will you hire professional voice talent (VO)?

Using a pro voice actor has positive effects for your learners within an excellent instructional design. VOs work as hired actors, narrators, and characters of varying ages in mock scenarios.

But what’s your ROI with hiring a pro VO? Are these challenging questions popping up:

The budget is set… So leave out the VO and save on that budget line item?
Some colleagues pull aside an in-house person to save funds.
Others say it adds time to hire a professional VO.

What’s your ROI if you do or don’t hire a VO? Are there hidden costs? Apply top-level considerations to your unique project.

Pros and Cons of In-house Recordings

Is your project a short course with limited audience, limited use, and the audio recording quality is not an issue? Then it probably makes sense to keep it in-house. Whoever does the in-house recordings will do their best with the experience, time and focus they can offer.

On the flip side, there are a few typical issues that can cost more time or produce sub-standard audio quality:

Usually non-pros require more recording time, and fixing errors time, compared to pros. The average unskilled person needs about 4-5 hours of work to create 1 finished hour of audio. A pro can get it done in 2-3 hours.
Will they edit for you, or is that your chore? More demands on your time?
Using in-house doesn’t mean ‘free’. Their regular work is being delayed. Whose budget does that hit?
Audio can be distorted with office background noise, or from non-professional equipment, or both. Will you receive clean undistorted audio?
Vocal expression may not fit the course. For example, monotonous tone, or inability to engage the text vocally, or not sounding authentic or conversational. Will the spoken word recording be vibrant and appropriate?

Audio should enhance the instructional experience. The spoken word recordings should enhance the script you’ve developed. Audio should never detract from the course nor distract the participant. Still, a non-pro may be your only option. For some projects, if you can live with these results, then stick with in-house audio.

Professional Voice Talent Recordings

Is your course for a larger audience, with broader use, and high audio quality a requirement? You probably already know it’s time to consider using professional voice talent. A course like this is representing the brand of the company it’s created for.

Here are typical benefits of hiring a pro voice talent:

Spoken Word Experience
A professional voice talent offers many years of experience with all different types of e-learning projects. She understands what you expect.

Audio Expertise
Professional voice talent have pro studio equipment and deliver high-quality audio recordings of your script. She stays up with trends in her industry, from varying styles of vocal performance, to the latest technologies for recording. If you need audio edits after the initial recordings, your VO talent should provide new audio that seamlessly blends into the project.

Trained Actor
Pro VOs are experts delivering a performance in front of a microphone (as compared to on stage or in front of a camera), and speaking to the intended audience when recording, to generate and maintain audience interest. Additionally, gaming and scenario-based courses often incorporate re-enactments or dramatizations that require acting skills.

Professional Commitment
Pro VOs are a business people that will aim to quickly turn around your projects and readily accommodate your deadlines.

Your Brand
Consider the impact that a professional production will have on your brand identity. It’s a business investment signaling to participants of the course that you value quality. Professional audio can convey a brand’s message in mere seconds.

What’s the ROI?

The most common ROI formula is net return divided by the total cost.

The simplest way to think about the ROI formula is to add up the value of benefits (return) and dividing it by the cost.

If you say something has a good or bad ROI, then explain how you measure it. Each ROI case will be specific to the course you’re creating.

In conclusion, the choice of VO for e-learning projects is one of many crucial elements within the design process. The ROI will depend your budget, your experience with either in-house or pro VOs, and what the overall experience should be for your course participants.

Let me know if you think I’ve missed anything, as I’m always happy to hear from you.

Reigniting Old-Fashioned Thank You’s

business, celebrate, creative professionals, small business, voiceover

Optimism in a Tradition

I re-started a company tradition in November 2019: Hand writing thank you notes to first time clients. People don’t do that much anymore, with our keyboards and computer devices. Saying a formal ‘thank you‘ to new clients after delivering excellent voiceover continues a new relationship graciously. Anyone else write real thank you notes in today’s world besides me? Tell me. Relatively, I think I’m safe to say I am in a small group doing this. Based on the fun replies, my clients notice.

This tradition exists for several reasons. One, it’s good for business, sealing new relationships memorably. Two, it’s fun to write with my hand using a real pen on real paper. (I used to have a thing for calligraphy too. There really is a visual artist within me.) Three, it’s a positive celebration of collaboration (and celebrating achievements is also a company goal). This tradition gives me great joy.

How’d this all start?

Early in my voiceover plus on-camera career, there was a lot more person to person meeting up. Thank you cards were extra effort, but, were appropriate and recommended. Some years into my career, my focus became solely voiceover. Everyone evolved as business morphed radically with the internet expansion. In person meetings fell away, with email and on-line activity replacing them.

Even if it’s an extra effort, I like writing cards and saying thank you. The personal touch of new meetings via Zoom isn’t the same either. Physically putting pen to paper, and for a moment, switching from digital devices to physical implements is tangible goodness. So in November 2019, I decided to bring back my old tradition.

Printing branded cards, I was set and haven’t looked back. My hands always write them. I don’t care if it’s cursive or some mix in between. Fetish or not, I like the touch of a smoothly rolling ballpoint pen on real card stock paper and it’s matte surface. I fondly consider the collaboration as I write, noting something specific that was special. It is physical creation in the end, another creative expression.

Do I go to the post office every time?

Fortunately or unfortunately, no. I take a simple photo of the card on a good background, cleaning up lighting and composition with a photo editor. Next I send it digitally in email, through the internet to my newest business collaborator. The idea of going to the Post Office when the pandemic started was a safety issue, being what we knew then. It’s either closed or crowded, now that it’s safe, so – still a hassle.

Regardless, I want immediate gratification for my client. The US Postal service speed of delivery has been hammered in the last couple years, which makes digital delivery expedience and avoiding crowds at the local postal office preferred. *Thank you Internet of things... who do I send that card to?

Overall Positive Impact

Sending thank you notes is sharing optimism. It sets the stage well, showing appreciation for being selected in a competitive market. Each time my very special, unique, thank you card, I consider this.

Sending the note as quickly after voiceover audio has been approved has more impact. Send it as soon as possible. In a way, it’s like sealing up my VO with a professional, congenial, unique, memorable bow.

I have a stack containing every single thank you card that I write. It’s a kind of a visual metric for my effort. It’s hard to take a photograph and help you see what that looks like. There are over 100 cards. Below is my best attempt at a pic.

The big picture?

It’s creating optimism in new relationships. Looking forward and back at the same time. Looking at what was done, how it felt and how it went. I feel a sense of accomplishment and appreciation with every card I write, and it grows with the stack. And that, my friends, feels great. I think my clients feel it too.

Doesn’t Improvising Mean Using No Script?

creative professionals, improvisation, instructional design, voiceover

Isn’t voiceover acting and improvisation a conflict?

That would seem true. Pure improvisation does mean creating out of nothing with your imagination, with the only limitations being the ones you put on yourself. And voiceover actors get scripts to read into a microphone. Let’s explore the ways voice actors can use improvisation and find out if the conflicts can be worked through.

Starting with definitions…

The definition of improvisation from the Oxford American Writers thesaurus: extemporization, ad-libbing, spontaneity, lack of premeditation, compose, perform, or produce something such as music or a speech without preparation. We can argue about the meaning of “without preparation” but let’s agree to the concept of little forethought or almost zero preparation prior to the improvisation.

The definition of voiceover acting: an actor who provides and/or records voice to represent a character in animation, film, or television entertainment; or who provides/records voice within a project for non-entertainment purposes. In either case, the voice is not accompanied by the speaker’s image.

Can a voiceover actor use a script and improvise?

Here lies the apparent conflict that seems true with our basic understanding of the definitions above. To help illustrate that there is a middle ground, here’s a graph I developed for my 101 class showing how there is an overlap between these worlds.

In simple terms, the voiceover actor can improvise by doing two things: fully embracing the script and improvising details that aren’t provided within the script but fit with it.

Embracing scripts while improvising details?

Every script tells a story. A voiceover actor can use improvisation to imagine details that:

create her world for telling that story with those specific words
resound more authentically for her as an actor portraying a role
support the words and the story wanted by the producer

A few other ways to improvise while using a script are simpler, well-known techniques or tricks.

Two ways to find a natural way to initiate the script opening:

Use a running start. This means to start talking the words you imagine would be said prior to the opening of the script, using them to launch into the script.
Ask a question that the first lines of the script answer.

Within a script, allow natural sounds that assist with natural flow/rhythm/pacing and which may possibly be edited out later:

Non-verbal sounds like ‘ah’, ‘uh-huh’ or sighs
Verbal ad-libs like ‘ha’, ‘so’ or anything else intuitive that fits

The ways in which a voiceover actor can improvise throughout a script can vary as much as actors are different.

Improvising for voiceover scripts doesn’t mean rewriting them.

The major point is there doesn’t need to be a conflict between improvising and the use of a script. The improvisation should support the script, filling in details that support the story and message. In a way, the improvisation is part of the acting technique, incorporated and embedded within the attitude, tone, volume and pacing of the spoken words.

Improvising supports acting technique and creating a ‘world’ that is generated from the words in the script.

The point for the voiceover actor is she wants to deliver the words as if she’s thought of them. Depending on the voiceover script, it may or may not provide that perspective. Voiceover scripts often leave lots of space for the actor to fill in details and “live within the ink”.

What sort of situation would create her to speak these words if that perspective isn’t provided? Regardless of the variability between actors, the practice of improvising details can assist her to explore and then determine the most authentic ‘world’ with the script.

Make a Fortune in your Pajamas?

business, celebrate, creative professionals, small business, voiceover

The State of Voiceover Fortunes in Pajamas: 2021

So many people were jealous of remote workers – working from home – in PJs no less!! That’s the silly concept anyway. Maybe that’s true for some people. For me, I do like to get dressed for my day. Comfy clothes – that’s a story for another blog!

Pajamas aside… Can you make a fortune as a voice actor?

Back in 2017, there was public information about the global voiceover market, touting it to be $4.4 billion USD with $800 million of that in North America. This was based on 2015 data and includes the full scope of money put into voiceover spending, not all of which lands in the voice actor’s bank due to production companies, managers, talent agents, etc.

What’s some real workforce data about being a voice actor?

Voice actors independently choose their path and, even if we know our own statistics, how do we compare to a larger swath of voice actors? We already know that the big money is in animated TV and film and that some of us may get there. We also know that corporate videos, advertising, audiobooks and eLearning are where most of the work is, overall.

Voice actors do chatter about not having data, in social media groups and amongst ourselves at conferences. But it’s all anecdotal. And as we turn the corner into the 2020s, technology is growing up and disrupting some of the human work of voiceover. So probably there have been lots of changes since 2015 data. Personally I can buy current voiceover market data as it was presented in 2017, but I would have to pay at least $3000 for research data access. Not gonna happen.

A group of voice actors conducted a survey to get real, present-day overall statistics of the voiceover acting workforce.

It’s a beginning, and it’s exciting. The data was gathered Jan-Feb 2021 regarding activity in 2020. Mid-2021, their first free, public report about “the state of voiceover” was released. I want to give a roaring shout-out to the folks at Voice Actors of NYC and their associates who showed excellent initiative and created this framework as an extraordinary view into our individually stitched-together world.

Being the first assessment of its nature that I’m aware of, I think they started with the correct fundamental approach and topics about the voice actor profession. Additionally, the data collected seems good. Here’s what they said about the data collection process: “The most encouraging trend we saw in the data collection process was that the results stayed roughly the same after we reached 250 responses. From the 250th response to the 1244th response, the data was nearly unchanged. This tells us we have a fairly representative sample of voice actors.”

I’ve highlighted these key results here: Annual Income, Expertise Level, Genre of work, Union impact, Covid19 impact, Locations, Auditions, Talent Agent impact.

Gross Income of All in 2020

The majority of respondents, 48%, earn $8K or less, with less than 2% earning over $350K. (K=thousand)

37% earn between $8-40K
10.3% earn between $40-75K
9% earn between $75-150K
5.6% earn over $150K with 1.9% earning over $350K

graph of overall income in voiceover — Overall Income, courtesy Voiceover Survey

Gross 2020 Income by Experience Level

You have to be a professional level to earn at least living wage, overall.

$8K or less per year: 94% Beginner, 72% Intermediate, 20% Pro
$75K+ per year: 0 Beginners, 0.8% Intermediate, 27.4% Pro

Experience Level & Union Status

The majority of respondents are non-union.

52% Pro. Of these, 49% non-union
32% Intermediate. Of these, 81% non-union
16% Beginner. Of these, 89% non-union

Type of genres voiced most often

Commercials
Narration
E-Learning
Explainers

Union Work

75% full union earned $75K or less
15% tried to convert work to union, more than half of these found it challenging and confusing

Covid19 Impact

41% of voice actors had increased income in 2020 vs 2019, regardless of Union status. By experience level, Intermediate and Pro also saw the majority of income growth.
74% already had a home studio.

Voice actor locations

Los Angeles area (17%)
New York City area (30%)
53% live outside either area

How many auditions typically submitted per day?

70% do zero to four auditions
Only 3% do 15+

Note: By experience level, Pros generally do more auditions on a daily basis.

Overall daily:

Percent Income from Talent Agents

41% respondents receive 0% income from Agents
18% receive 1-10%
7% receive 100%

Note: 64% have Talent Agency representation; of these, 56% have more than one agent. A majority of Pros have agents, whereas only a quarter of Beginners have agents.

So, can you make a fortune in your pajamas by being a voice actor?

Pajamas? Easy. Fortune? Define that. Can you earn “a very large sum of money”? Can you be rich? According to this survey, less than 2% earned $350K+ in 2020. The majority earned $8-40K. The median household income in the USA for 2020 was $67.5K (statista).

Of course, you can make a fortune – somebody is! But can you make a fortune too? The odds are: no!

According to TheRichest and CelebrityNetWorth websites, the top 10 voice actors, who are uber-talented Hollywood level actors from top TV animated shows, have a net worth between $6 million going up to $500 million. Only if you’re in the top percent, maybe top 0.001%, can you earn a ‘fortune’.

A better question: Can you earn a decent living as a voice actor?

Yes. And, not so many people are even doing this. The majority of respondents in this 2020 data earned from $8K-40K, which is less than the median household income for the USA in 2020.

What is a decent living? That depends where you live, if you are also sharing a life with others, have dependents…. Again, define that and then look at the data. Yes, working from home is lovely and has it’s perks and drawbacks.

I think the most important thing is to look at the priorities of life, and how you want to live it. Can you run your own business by putting in the time and energy to develop your skills while you do what you can to build a clientele?

Feel free to contact me with specific questions or thoughts. I look forward to it.

You can find all the data from the survey here: https://www.voiceoversurvey.com/. Many thanks for the graphical images courtesy of this survey.