As we know, voice acting has become more popular than ever, which leaves us with a big question of how to become a voice over talent in the Philippines as a beginner?
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Steps on How To Be A Voice Over Talent In The Philippines
1. Attend Classes To Expand Your Voice Skill
Being a voice-over talent goes beyond reading words. Acting skills are needed. Therefore, it will help aspiring voice talent actors if they take voice acting lessons to help them improve their skills. This can make them feel more confident about getting the attention of their listeners. If you are interested in attending this kind of workshop, you can check out VoiceWorx.
A voice trainer can help you work on technical abilities such as articulation, pronunciation, and delivery. Therefore, you can figure out how to give your best performance in every line you say.
2. Listen To Other Professionals In The Voice Acting Field
Aspiring voice-over talents can better hone their skills by listening to their favorite professional voice talent. They can do this by watching cartoons, clips, or commercials that this person has made.
While listening, they can analyze how they deliver their lines and their inflection and intonation. Listening to podcasts about voice acting can also teach how professional voice-over talents set themselves to different roles. Inka Magnaye, a professional voice talent, also mentioned the importance of listening on how to be a voice over talent in the Philippines.
3. Practice Your New Skills
This step on how to be a voice over talent in the Philippines is important since this is how you can train your voice and recording skills. Once you have the equipment you need, you can regularly practice using these scripts and review your recordings.
When you practice, you can build your voice up and make it sound professional. This can be very appealing to clients and audiences when searching for a new voice over talent.
4. Record Your Demo Reel
A demo reel is your portfolio. When you go on an audition, this is a must-have because it shows your voice acting capabilities. Moreover, it should show the different voice ranges a voice talent is capable of. This can be done at home by using home equipment or getting the help of a professional.
For those who want to record at home, it is not recommended to use a phone because of the quality. Instead, using the right audio equipment is crucial. Nevertheless, there is no single best equipment for recording.
The right equipment should match not only their budget but also their skills. Here are some of the equipment that can help you become a voice over talent in the Philippines…
- Microphone and accessories
- Pre-amplifier
- Headphones
- Recording and editing software
Aspiring voice over talents can have a recording of around 2 minutes. However, it should impress the listener within the first 30 seconds. If they apply for a specific voice acting job, they can align their demo reel with that job. For instance, there is no need to do animated voices in the reel for a crime documentary.
It is best to use headphones to check the quality of your demo reel so that you can make sure that there are no background noises. The goal is to produce audio that is clear even if cheap speakers are used. Put more simply. It should give listeners an optimal experience.
5. Promote Your Voice And Grow Your Voice Talent Business
The goal of how to be a voice over talent in the Philippines is to land a job in the voice acting field or to start a voice acting business in the Philippines.
Therefore, making your services available is essential. However, it will be better to apply for roles best suited for your voice.
You can usually find opportunities on casting calls online or a voice talent website such as Covoco to upload your voice clip.
You can also offer your services to clients on platforms such as Fiverr and Voquent. Another way is to make your website and social media accounts to boost your presence.
Before recording your piece, it is best to avoid drinking acidic drinks or smoking, practice your pronunciation, read your lines, and review the character you are trying to portray with your voice.
Another effective method on how to be a voice over talent in the Philippines is to broaden your network. Not only does it increase your chances of getting employed, but it also creates friendly relationships and develops your voice talent further in various aspects.
For example, you can join communities such as Online Voice Actor Affiliation on Facebook for voice-over-related discussions and opportunities.
What to Consider When Building a Studio at Home
It is understood that your voice is the key to your success in this industry. Therefore, using quality materials is highly recommended to ensure that your workspace is soundproof.
You do not need a huge space to build your studio. Space under your stairs or your walk-in closet can be enough. You can check this Facebook page for soundproofing materials in the Philippines. You can also opt for affordable duvets or comforters and drape them in your work area.
Another thing you need to remember is to cover everything. For instance, tablet tops or windows need to be covered to dampen the noise since voice will reflect these.
It will also help remove your PC from out since your mic can pick up its noise. What you can do is to place the monitor in your studio and connect it to a computer outside through cables on the wall. Then, you can use a wireless keyboard and mouse to control your recording program. Aside from keeping the noise down, it also lessens the heat produced in your studio
What Skills Are Needed To Be A Voice Over Artist In The Philippines
Clear and Loud Reading
It can be challenging for voice over talent hopefuls to find voice over jobs for beginners in the Philippines if the clarity is lacking.
Therefore, one of the most important skills needed to be a voice over talent in the Philippines is having clear pronunciation.
This means not swallowing words, not mumbling, and having good diction. If you want to improve your pronunciation, you can check Clear Speaking for tips on how to develop your pronunciation and diction further.
Those who have a weakness on this do not need to worry. Time and dedication are the keys to training this, whether with or without a coach. Being consistent in practicing aloud can make you feel more comfortable. You can practice with magazines, books, and news articles.
To be more eloquent, you can record your voice to see what your voice is like recorded. Then, you can take note of what you need to work more on or change.
Cold Reading
In the voice over talent industry, not all are given enough time to go through the script in advance. As a result, some scripts take too much time to practice. This is where the skill of cold reading or sight-reading becomes handy. Cold reading is a skill needed by voice over talents. That is because it is crucial when auditioning or doing actual voice-over work.
One way you can do this is to scan with your eyes the words following what you read. This can give time to your brain to refine the words before reading them aloud. You can learn more about cold reading and how to develop it here.
Imitating or Improvising
If you are searching for what skills are needed to be a voice over artist in the Philippines and how to be flexible, knowing how to imitate or improvise can be important for you. As mentioned earlier, this is important when creating a demo reel.
It is best to try making the personality and voice of the character match. When you do this, not only do you imitate the voice but also the whole character. You can hone this skill more from this site.
Improvising is another skill needed by voice over talents in the Philippines since the director may expect this from hopefuls. It can help to deliver something on the spot that is part of the character you are portraying. This can give you more edge when you audition.
Voice Over Jobs For Beginners Philippines
- Voice Overs https://voicemarket.net/makati-jobs/beginner-voice-over-jobs-in-makati-mm-july-2019/ – https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/voice-talent/require-philippines-voice-over-artists/
- Radio Commercials https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/music/need-jingle-program-for-community/
- Professional Voice https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/voice-talent/voice-data-collection-native-english-31796122/
- Video Games https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/voice-talent/vocie-over-31809151/
- Video Production https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/voice-talent/need-voice-over-for-video-31768575/
- Audiobooks https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/voice-talent/bilingual-spanish-english-audiobook/
- Youtube https://www.starnow.com/listing/1136731/seeking-one-voice-actor-youtube-animation-series-collaboration/ – https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/voice-talent/native-english-speaking-voice-over-31760482/
- Narration https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/voice-talent/voiceover-artist-english-accent/
- Phone System https://www.freelancer.ph/projects/anything-goes/speakers-for-simulated-call-recordings-31781321/
Voice Over Rates Philippines
Depending on the experience of a voice over talent, the project, the number of minutes, and requirements, earnings can be around 14,000 PHP to 15,000 PHP for every project. The annual average basic salary can be around 150,000 PHP. Please keep in mind that the rates may differ depending on the project and if you work for yourself or an employer.
If you consider launching this career on freelance platforms such as Fiverr, the starting rate can be around $5 to $15. As you get more and more clients, you can increase this rate. The price will change depending on how many words. Example – 500 words = $5, 600 = $6 and so on.
According to Inka Magnaye, some people have asked her to record several lines, and she gets paid P5,000.
However, for big voice-over projects such as using your voice as the automated operator of a company, she said it can be as high as P80,000. For events, voice over rates Philippines can be P15,000 in a day.
How To Start A Voice Over Business In The Philippines
To start and succeed in a voice-over business in the Philippines, you will need to ensure that your business gains enough sales each month to be scalable.
When it comes to starting a voice over business in the Philippines, you have several options. The first option is working for yourself, where you are using your own personal voice skills and talents to generate income, and the second method is where you work with other voice over artists and take a small commission.
Each of these business types has various pros and cons, but it’s often recommended to start small with this kind of business.
The great news is that you will need very little capital to start a voice over business in the Philippines.
The majority of the startup capital will be a professional microphone & other extras to help soundproof your environment. Marketing will also be a significant factor when growing a voice over business in the Philippines.
You may even decide to build a platform similar to that of Fiverr, but instead of offering multiple job opportunities, you may focus solely on voice acting. The voice acting industry currently has many gaps in the market in the Philippines.