Characteristics of a Great Voice Actor

“You have a great voice!” Has anyone ever said that to you? Are you interested in freelance voice acting? Maybe you are looking to hire a great voice artist. Successful voice actors generally share four main characteristics. They have solid basic acting skills, a commitment to practice, versatility and an openness to direction.

Solid Acting Skills

A voice actor is first and foremost an actor. It would be an error to ignore the skills needed for traditional, physical acting and assume that voice acting is only about what comes out of the actor’s mouth. The skills necessary for one are just as essential for the other. In fact, the qualities of tone, rate and pitch are all byproducts of physical choices. For instance, it is easier to sound excited when one sits or stands up straight and sports a vibrant smile. The physical energy produced will inject itself into the actor’s voice. Physical blocking can instill a sense of timing into a piece, which is why many voice artists will walk through their voiceover manuscripts, even though there is no one watching. Good timing is important no matter how many – or how few – senses the audience is using to enjoy a performance.

Commitment to Practice

Just like any other art, perfect voice work requires quality practice. While actors may use all the skills in their acting arsenals during freelance voice acting, they must keep in mind that only one of those skills is actually coming across to the audience. The voice must be able to portray everything the audience cannot see. Voice artists must be willing to dissect and revise, practicing their pieces over and over until they come out just right.

Versatility

A successful voice actor must work hard to avoid being typecast. A good way to do this is to be versatile. Kristen Udowitz, the voice behind Nacho Average Voice, highlights a wide variety of voice work and in doing so, illustrates an impressive adaptability. Her work ranges from character voices to political ads, and from the calm, soothing tones of a training series to the hyper, energetic spiel of a furniture commercial. The more versatility a voice actor is able to exhibit, the wider range of work that is going to be available to him or her.

Openness to Direction

Talent, knowledge and skill will take a voice actor far, but the extent to which the actor is open to direction will determine how easy he or she is to work with. When an actor lands a freelance voice acting job, the client probably expects that the actor will bring his or her own ideas to the project. Ultimately, however, the client must be satisfied with the work. To make this happen, the actor must be open to the client’s guidelines and be willing to work within them. This fosters a good business relationship, and happy clients lead to new clients.

Setting Yourself Apart

A great voice actor, such as Kristen Udowitz of Nacho Average Voice, is a solid actor who is diligent, versatile, and open. If you have ever been told how great your voice is, fine tune these skills yourself, and see where it lead you.