We're often asked why we offer Scene Study, Acting, Improv and On-Camera classes when Voice One is primarily a Voice Over school.
Being able to perform truthfully and spontaneously on-camera as well as on mic makes an actor more attractive to talent agents, producers, and directors. Having multiple skills broadens the earning capacity as the actor shows that he is suited for a variety of jobs. That's why Voice One offers Teleprompter, Marketing, On-Camera, Auditioning, and ADR/Looping classes.
Commercial VO, corporate narration, and animation all require acting. Styles and genres vary. Finding the types of jobs that suit you best takes time and exploration. Confidence is gained through experience. Believeability comes through trust. So, as our acting improves so do our VO abilities.
Move forward. If you're afraid of acting or improvisation, that's a sign that you should try it. The worst thing that will happen is that you'll improve! You are the vessel of truth. Find it in yourself.
Most everyone who enters this business gets into it because someone tells him or her they have a beautiful, interesting, deep, resonant, funny, cute, sexy, or amazing voice. Then, the voice actor quickly learns that this business if more than just talking. It's about bringing life to the written word. That means we have to trust our instincts and act truthfully. Rather than reading word-word-word, we have to convey thoughts and feelings. As a trained stage actor, I struggled with my entry into voice acting. I know I could do a good job in a week or two once I absorbed the information and the character formed and came to life within me. Quickly, I learned that process takes too long. Immediacy is what's needed. Being willing to take a chance and change it on a dime is essential. Improvisation is the closest thing to voice acting. It teaches trust, spontaneity, and a willingness to take chances.
Depending on your ultimate career goals, acting and improv classes will move your career to greater heights. There's a part of a voice actor who believes he or she is lying when not an actor. The voice is the primary focus, not the manner in which the listener takes in the information. Therefore, I highly recommend that all voice actors take acting and improvisation classes. Besides having FUN, you'll be able to tap into deeper emotions, gain confidence in yourself, develop a stable of characters, and keep growing as a performer. Musicians practice their instruments every day. Singers sing. Runners run. Actors should act. If you're afraid to take this leap, that's a sign that you should sign up for an acting or improv class. Don't be afraid.
